The Wicked (Elder Races #5.5)(18)

No regrets.

He stood, pulled her upright with him and drew her into his arms. She came readily, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. More shock shuddered through him at the rightness of it. They fit, hip to hip and shoulder to shoulder. She was more slender. He stood a little taller. Balance and counterbalance, like a lock and a key.

He ran his fingers through her short, soft hair, and she rubbed her hands up and down his back. “I just don’t understand how somebody could do that,” she whispered. “How they could throw a curse at someone and know it will destroy their life.”

He could do that, throw a curse and destroy someone else’s life. Or wield a weapon, or strike with his body. He could kill someone. He had, many times before.

“I came to realize a long time ago that there are two kinds of people in the world. There are those who are wicked, and those who are not.” Julian. Phaedra. So many others he had met throughout his life. “And you are not one of them.”

Sometimes it was a relief to close his damned eyes and exist in complete darkness. He did so and turned his face into her soft hair. She smelled unique.

He had been an idiot earlier. Of course her scent, her body, was surprising and completely original.

I’m going to take you, he thought. I’m going to take you even though it’s selfish, and I’m going blind, and even when I shouldn’t, because I want you too much not to.

Because he was one of the wicked.

Chapter Six

The protective bubble that Phaedra had drawn around Sebastian’s cabin popped, and a few moments later Bailey pounded twice on the door.

“They’re finally gone,” Bailey called through the barrier. “The f**king f**kers.”

Sebastian raised his voice, the deep timbre vibrating against Olivia’s cheek. “It’s about time. I’ll be right out.”

Olivia wasn’t ready to let go of him. The hard length of his body against hers, the feel of his arms around her, all answered some kind of urgent question that she hadn’t even known she was asking. Reluctantly, she lifted her head from Sebastian’s shoulder, and they looked at each other.

Then, moving with deliberation, he cupped the back of her neck, drew her forward and kissed her. When his firm, mobile lips met hers, she felt another much-needed answer. Her lips parted and he dove into her mouth deeply with his tongue, stunning her with the swiftness of his invasion.

Her world whirled in a kaleidoscopic tilt. She hadn’t expected the kiss. She was still amazed that he had confided in her, and that they had embraced.

She hadn’t expected this.

His mouth was wet, hard and demanding. Still kissing her, he pushed her back and back, and she complied until she came in contact with the wall. His body covered hers. He took her wrists, pinned her arms over her head and shoved one muscled, jeans-clad leg between hers. His movements were so aggressive, so surprising, a shaken moan broke out of her. Dear God, he had an erection. The hard length of it pressed against her hip.

He lit her world on fire. Everything burned with incandescent light.

She wanted to touch his hair to find out if it was as soft as it looked. She wanted to touch him. Her fingers opened and closed in fists. The hard shackles of his hands prevented her from touching him the way she needed to. All she could do was squeeze his leg between hers, arch against his body and kiss him back, so she did, while her heart took off on a manic gallop, running as fast as it could straight toward him.

His breath came and went rapidly, his wide chest working like a bellows. He drew back and stared at her, his strange, golden-amber-and-black gaze fierce. Along with the muscles of his lean body, the lines of his face had sharpened.

The realization crept in that she stared at an entirely dangerous man, and she had no idea what he would do next.

She also had no idea what she would do next.

“You could always just lock the door,” she whispered. Goodness, the things that fell out of her mouth on this trip.

His face blazed. Looking utterly barbaric, he ground his hips against hers. It tore a ragged cry out of her, because she had never felt like this before, never. Not with any of her dates or former lovers. Normally she was a calm, considered person, a bit of a nerd if she were to be quite honest, but now a strange, crazed creature had taken over her body.

“Yo!” Bailey pounded on the door again. “The crew’s starting to arrive.”

He bared his teeth. He looked utterly savage. “I said I’m on my way!”

“Take your time,” said Bailey. The other woman sounded extremely cheerful. “Just letting you know.”

He hissed in the direction of the door. “Go the f**k away.”

Olivia had focused her attention on the rapid pulse beating at the base of his strong jaw. She muttered, “Would you mind if I bit you?”

Wait, who just said that?

He released one of her wrists to yank his fingers violently through his speckled hair. “God. Damn. Yes. I mean no, I don’t mind. Yes, you should bite me. As many times as you want.” He thrust a stiffened finger under her nose. “We’re going to continue this very soon. Got that, Olivia?”

She nodded drunkenly, staring at the finger. He kissed her again, swiftly and hard, and then with a growl he shoved away from her and the wall and strode out of the cabin.

Left to her own devices, her legs wouldn’t support her. She slid into a shaking heap. Astonished euphoria sang a chorus and tap-danced in her veins.