The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld #2)(72)

She hated that he'd gone alone. Numb as he tried to make himself when shepherding souls, she wasn't fooled. He probably had stress lines around his eyes and mouth. Don't look! Unable to stop herself, she reached back and squeezed his hand. He didn't pull away, but brought her hand to his lips.

A warm tingle rushed through her, and she melted. How, after everything, could he still treat her tenderly? Gods, she wanted to kick her own ass. He deserved so much better than she could ever give him. Even if it were safe for her to drop the aloof act, at best she would be a lover who couldn't even go all the way.

Just get this over with. "I decided we should talk to William first. Don't worry, he won't spill your secrets." Gulping, she knocked on the towering, arched double doors before Lucien could protest. Curving red-and-black serpents were etched over their entire surface. A moment passed. Another. No answer. She knocked again, harder this time.

"This is a nice home," Lucien remarked. At least he didn't yell at her for making him meet William.

"Yes." The house wound in a half circle around a snow-covered lawn. There were points on the roof that stretched all the way to the night sky. "Willie would have it no other way, the egotistical ass."

A porch light flipped on, chasing away the shadows. One of the doors was pulled open, and William's dark, beautiful head peeked around it.

"Anya?"

She heard Lucien utter a low, menacing growl as the half-clad warrior stepped outside and gathered her into his arms for a hug. "Hiya, angel," she said. "Can we come in? It's freaking freezing out here."

"Wear more clothing next time," Lucien snapped behind her.

William remained in place and flicked him a curious glance, then arched a dark, questioning brow at Anya.

"My flavor of the week," she explained, hating herself. Lucien was so much more than that, but she couldn't risk admitting it aloud. "You're looking good, sugar." And he was. He was tall and ungodly handsome with mystic symbols tattooed on his bare chest.

More than that, he radiated sex. Raw, down-and-dirty, nothing-held-back sex - which was what had gotten him sentenced to eternity in Tartarus. He'd pleasured Hera and a few thousand others, and when Hera learned about those thousand others...heads had rolled.

Right now, William's pants were unsnapped as if he'd hastily tugged them on. Obviously, he'd been doing more than just radiating.

"I'm looking good? Good?" William laughed. "I've never looked better, and I know it. Get in here and warm up." He moved out of the way.

She sailed past him, Lucien close at her heels. "Lucy, this is Willie. He's a sexual deviant and spent a little time in the cell next to mine before some sucker paid his bond and set him free. A woman, no doubt. The moment William left, he forgot about me and failed to post my bond."

"There was no bond for you."

"Excuses, excuses. You always did look out for number one. Willie, this is Lucy. He's mine."

When she realized what she'd just said, she groaned. That little confession had slipped from her without permission. Stomach knotting, she swung around to assess Lucien's reaction. His features were blank, and he was staring at William.

"I am Lucien, not Lucy."

"I'm William, but you can call me Sexy. Everyone does."

Other than that, the two men didn't acknowledge each other in any way.

"O-kay. This is awkward," she sang, acting as if she hadn't a care. "Someone say something. Please."

"Have you ever been Anya's - what did she call it - flavor of the week?" Lucien asked.

William snorted. "I wish. And it wasn't from lack of trying on my part."

Lucien looked to her for verification, and she shrugged. She should have draped herself over William but couldn't bring herself to touch anyone but Lucien that intimately. "He's not my type, all right." She added drily, "He's never tried to kill me."

Lucien glared at her.

"Is that what it takes?" William laughed. "If so, I'll - "

"You will not touch her," Lucien snapped.

Anya blinked in surprise. Two voices had emerged from Lucien's lips. Both had been dangerous; both had been lethal. Had she just heard his demon? She shivered in arousal. This man was hard enough to resist when he was swinging a sword at her. When he acted possessive, it was downright foreplay.

Her legs started shaking, for gods' sake.

"So what are you doing here?" William asked.

"William," a woman suddenly called, drawing everyone's attention.

"We're still waiting," another whined.

Anya leveled a grin at the sexpot. "Two at once now?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "I couldn't decide which one I wanted, so I settled on both."

"How magnanimous of you." Her gaze slid up the stairway behind him and latched on to the two robe-clad women on the landing. They were peering down, hair in complete disarray, skin rosy. If only that were me, beckoning Lucien. "Well, don't keep them waiting."

"Make yourself at home," William told her. He moved to kiss her cheek but quickly backed away when Lucien snarled. "See you in the morning, Annie Love."

"Love?" Lucien spat.

William's backward stride increased in speed and he held up his hands, but he was grinning. "Teasing. I was only teasing."