Revealed in Fire (Demon Days & Vampire Nights #9)(12)

But then, she was a princess. In blood, if not by name.

Penny’s gaze flicked to the druid, draped with shadows in the corner of the room, watching as well. He’d drifted away after dinner, and she hadn’t realized he’d turned up here until right this moment. She wondered what part he’d play in the unfolding situation, or if he’d say goodbye when this phase was at an end and he had nothing left to teach.

She hoped he stayed. There was a calm certainty about him that put Penny at ease. When he stood sentinel, she couldn’t imagine anything unwanted coming in.

Then again, he’d been hard-pressed to keep up with them in their battle with the former leaders of the Mages’ Guild. He wasn’t used to Reagan’s unpredictability, and even though he trained with her, it didn’t seem like he’d become accustomed to her tricks. Maybe even he wouldn’t be strong enough to save them.

Penny steeled her resolve. Whatever happened, whatever wickedness came knocking on their proverbial door, Penny would stand by Reagan. She would guard Reagan’s back, even if it meant plunging her soul into hell to do it.





Four





A thud pulled me up to consciousness. The hard warmth of Darius curled around me in the soft bedding. Thick black curtains covered the windows, cinched tight. They were closed, which meant the sun was still out. A look at the clock on the nightstand confirmed it—late afternoon.

I listened for a moment. If the wards had gone off, the alarms would be blaring. Given Penny and Emery had set those wards, I was not at all concerned about a breach. It seemed far more likely that Penny had tripped over something upstairs and possibly tumbled down the stairs. You just never knew with her. She could move quickly, fight effortlessly, and really pack a kick when she wanted to, but sometimes the fight against gravity was too much for her.

Hearing nothing else, and sensing no magic, I turned within Darius’s arms and slid my hands downward. I trailed my fingertips over his chest, feeling the grooves of muscle and then the hard plane leading to the fun factory. I lightly kissed his strong jaw while wrapping my fingers around his quickly hardening length.

His groan made me smile. I leaned against him, and he fell onto his back, sucking in a breath as I stroked. I slid my lips across his neck and pulled a leg over his hip, releasing my hand in favor of rubbing my slickness against him.

I made my kisses more aggressive, sucking in his warm skin as I made my way toward his mouth, sliding my hands back up his chest and curling them around the back of his neck. He responded eagerly, cupping my butt and lifting, the weight nothing to him. His tip dragged against my slit as he positioned himself and then abruptly pulled me back down.

Delicious sensation bloomed, and I pulled up to sitting, closing my eyes. I swirled my hips as I rose and fell, taking him all in and then backing off, our slow lovemaking every bit as exciting and erotic as I’d come to find our dancing. As I’d come to find all the things we did together.

Warmth seeped into my chest and I quickened my pace, crashing down onto him now, his fingers on my nub, massaging so fast that it felt like a vibrator. I moaned with the ecstasy of it and then leaned to prompt a change in position.

He rolled with me, pressing me into the mattress and settling between my thighs. I wrapped my legs around him, opening my mouth to his kiss and moaning when he swept his tongue through.

“Bite me,” I breathed, digging my fingers in as I pulled them across his muscular shoulders and down his strong arms.

He kissed along my jaw, thrusting his hips rhythmically. A dull ache pressed against my artery, followed by the sharpness of teeth. In moments, his vampire’s serum pumped through me, overcoming the pain and flowering into a delicious sensation, heightened by the feel of him sliding into me. He drew deeply and my stomach fluttered. I wrapped my arms around him, knowing this was the height of intimacy for a vampire and craving the closeness of it. Craving him.

He pulled away, pumping into me harder. I swung my hips up to meet him.

Crash.

I flinched and adrenaline flooded me.

“It’s just Penny,” Darius murmured. He kept going, not at all troubled by the interruption. Vampires weren’t really worried about others seeing their intimate moments.

Sure enough, around Darius, I could just make out Penny staggering like a drunk, holding her shoulder and looking pleased with herself. She’d just busted in the top half of the unlocked double door.

“Hah! I did it, I— Oh gross. Oh no, oh gross. Oh my God I’m so sorry—” The door wobbled, the top hinge loose, as she tried to yank it shut. Since it was listing now, it banged off the top half of the other door and bounced back. “Snap dragons, farting frogs! Why won’t it close?”

Another attempt, another bang.

“Benedict Cumberbatch’s toe ring, this stupid thing!”

Darius was off the bed in a flash, grabbing the door and pushing it into place.

“Suffering ding-dongs—no!” Penny’s footsteps echoed down the hall.

Barely a second passed before Darius was again over me, pressing against my thighs. But I couldn’t stop laughing. He didn’t resume, instead looking down at me with twinkling eyes.

“She probably had an actual reason for being here,” I said, the laughs still coming. I hugged Darius and then wiped a tear out of my eye, but the thought of her horrified expression started the laughter again. Darius moved off me for a moment so I could hold my stomach and let the laughter come. “Did you see the look in her eyes when you went to the door?” I shook with it. “She’s only ever been with Emery. She is not equipped to handle a drive-by cocking.”