Jonas (Darkness #7)(22)

“You kicked ass.”

“Yes. Lots of ass. I earned a lot of notice, but didn’t accept it. Not from those people who’d been kicking me when I was down. I eventually met a couple guys that had lost parents in the same incident I did. They were a bit older, but ruthless. They had their own shit. We developed a sort of respect for each other, and then bonded. The three of us earned a name, and then we helped the strongest and smartest of us to become leader.”

“And he’s still leader.”

“Yes. One of the best. They want him for Regional, but he just became a father, so he’s putting elevated duties on hold.”

“And he’s mated to the mage? The human?”

“Yes. I hated her at first—you should know that. I hated that she was a human. After being taunted and ridiculed as being human half my life, and starting to believe it… Well, I wasn’t eager to accept her. Human, to me, was a dirty thing. A lesser species. Small and weak—helpless—like I was when I was a kid. Her presence brought back painful memories.”

“And she changed your mind? How?”

Jonas’ fingers stilled as he thought back. He remembered, very clearly, Sasha’s determination to learn her magic. Her fearlessness. Her valor. And, most importantly, her willingness to run into battle when she could’ve gone and hid. “She didn’t act like how I’d always heard humans acted. Like her sissy boyfriend at the time. Or other humans I’d run across. She had traits I admired. She was small, weak, untrained—yet she didn’t hide from bigger enemies like I had when I was younger. She always rose to the challenge and ran at danger. She didn’t need a growth spurt or a bunch of muscle to find her courage. She just goes for it. How can you not respect that? How can you not want to fight beside it?”

His fingers resumed stroking. “And then there was that halvsie she found. That guy—he’s a nutcase. Most people, besides the Boss or Jameson, won’t look me straight in the eye. Not for any period of time, anyway. He did. Right when I first met him he shot me a hard challenge. Couldn’t give a shit if he was outgunned or not. And just like Sasha, that guy threw his balls to the walls immediately. Waltzed into a larger race with a hard eye and infallible confidence. He’s my kind of nut.

“Then there’s the other humans—those harebrained witches—and babies being introduced, and more magic… Cato’s right. He’s the craziest of all, but he saw it from the first moment of meeting Sasha. Looked beyond all our prejudices and saw what would make the race as a whole stronger. And we are—we are stronger as a united force.” Jonas shrugged. “Just got to open the eyes to see it. Gotta swallow that pill.”

Emmy slid up his chest until her lips slid across his. “Then I got lucky with the timing. Touch me, Jonas.”

Jonas wasted no time. With his fingers splayed, he slid his hands down her smooth back. He deepened the kiss, tasting her. Feeling her tongue retreat and invite him in. He moved his hands to the top of her back again, and this time when he slid them down, he hooked his thumb in her straps and pulled her gown down. Her warm chest met his, skin on skin. He could feel her hard nipples rubbing against his pecs.

After removing her whips and knives, he brought his hands around her waist and pushed them up her stomach and over her firm breasts. She moaned into his mouth as her body moved away from his, giving him space to work. He did so. He bent his head and kissed down her neck and onto her chest. He flicked a nipple with his tongue and pinched the other before enveloping the small bud with his hot mouth. Her moan was louder this time. Her hips gyrated against his, needy. Insistent.

He increased the suction on one nipple before moving to the next. Then more suction, bordering on painful. He just wanted to see her tolerance. See what she liked. Her sharp inhale of breath was followed by a groan of delight. He bit softly before backing off and blowing lightly.

“Oh holy hell,” she breathed.

Jonas flicked her nipple again, manipulating it with his tongue. He let his fingertips drift down her back in light caresses. Teasing her. Making her anticipate. When her breath started to increase in heaviness, and her hips started to swing wildly, he sucked in her nipple and bit a little harder this time. He pinched the other with the same strength.

“Oh shi—“ Her body trembled against him. Her hands clawed at his back and her head fell to the side. “Oh wow.”

Jonas started to kiss up her neck again, light and teasing. Building her again softly. Making her wait for the harder friction. Learning her body with touch in the process.

“Take my blood.” Her voice was heady. Somewhat wild. “You’ll need the strength.”

“So will you,” he countered. He nibbled her lips.

“Not as much as you, Jonas.” She rose up onto her knees. He leaned forward and found her breasts. He sucked one in as he felt hands at his waistline. “Help.”

With a smile, he lifted up on his hands so she could work his sweats down around his thighs. He sat back down on the cold, stone floor. A rug of some sort would’ve been nice, but as her body moved over him, and her wetness touched off his tip, he forgot all about it. Instead, all his focus went to the hotness of her core as she sat. Her core enveloped him. Electricity filled his body. The world dimmed to just her. To the feel of her body and the subtle movements over him.

“Take my blood,” she urged with a sigh. “I want it.”