The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3)(70)

"The Darkest Pleasure"

"Y-yes." God, his anger...Exciting when it should have been frightening.

"And as to who I picked, are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes." This time, at least, she managed to sound somewhat confident.

"Why?"

Because I want to kill her for daring to put her hands on you. Because you're mine and I do not share. "Because," was all she said, her chin trembling. Damn it! Do not cry.

"I did come here to find a woman," he said.

Danika bit the inside of her cheek, blood filling her mouth.

"I found one," he added.

Motherf*cker! The curse echoed through her mind, white-hot, searing. "I'm so glad," she gritted out. "I hope the two of you had a fun time." I hope she gave you an STD and you both die from it!

God, when had she become so bitter? So vindictive?

"Fun?" He laughed, but it was an ugly sound. "When I could not bring myself to touch her?"

"When you - what?" The hottest flames of her fury sizzled and crackled before finally dying. "You didn't?"

"No."

"Oh." Danika's shoulders slumped, and her eyes closed. Relief poured through her like -

"So I found another."

Her gaze snapped back up, locked on him. From relief and hope - hated hope - to fury. "And?"

"I could not bring myself to touch her, either. Both would have given me the beating I so desperately needed when I left the fortress. They were eager to tie me up and whip me. They would have hurt me, and we all would have loved it."

"Would have?" Her glare landed on his still-wounded neck. She arched a brow. "That's funny. Looks as if you already did."

He grabbed her arms and shook her hard enough to give her whiplash. "Would have. All I could think about was you. All I wanted was you. And they were not you, so I could not force myself to take them."

She licked her lips. "So you...did this to yourself?" Please. Please, please, please.

"No. When I first arrived, there were four Hunters in the club."

Now she gulped. Her fury, gone. Her hope, renewed. And yet, she had no relief. Not this time. He hadn't been with another woman, and that delighted her. But he had killed. Killed the very men she was supposed to be helping. "Were here? You keep saying that."

He nodded, grim.

"You fought them?" She didn't need to ask; she knew the answer, but perhaps she needed confirmation. Perhaps she needed time to halt the desire intensifying inside her. This man still belonged to her, wanted her as fiercely as she wanted him. "Who were they?" She hadn't meant to ask the question aloud, and gulped when she realized what she'd done. Had Stefano been among them?

Frowning, Reyes dug in his pocket, withdrew a stack of IDs, and handed them to Danika. She flipped through them with shaky hands. No Stefano. But the men looked like any other average Joes and it saddened her that they might have been hurt.

"They didn't see us until it was too late. William and I had already dragged them outside. We...took care of them." His anger seemed to melt from him. "I've battled, angel, and I'm hurting. I need you, and this time, I'm going to let myself have you. Will you let me?"

She'd already decided to be with him. If only to wipe him from her mind, get him out of her system and stop the fantasies plaguing her. If only to prove to herself that being with him would not be pleasurable for her.

"Will you? I'll go slow. I'll be tender. I'll be careful with you. I won't let my demon out. You won't have to hurt me."

He'd ticked off all the reasons she should give herself to him, as if he'd thought of every argument she could raise. "I - I - " She'd expected to stab him. That would have disgusted her. Wouldn't it have? Now, he wanted slow and tender? No pain? "What will you want me to do to you?" Would she be able to give him what he needed this way? Would he be able to forget her afterward?

"Love me, just for a little while."

She groaned quietly. What if, when the loving was over, she wanted more? Craved him more? Couldn't live without him? Slow and tender could only be bad for her, endearing him to her all the more.

"Why slow? Why tender?" she found herself asking.

"In the past, women have grown to...like what they do to me a little too much," he said. "They then begin to hurt those around them. I do not want that for you. I thought to take another today and ensure no harm would come to the woman. If she remained as she was, I would have been free to take you without worry. If she changed, I would have known to stay away from you. But I can't stay away from you."

Frightened, she slowly backed away from him. His arms fell to his sides, his expression tormented. She stopped, opening her mouth to say...what? She knew what she should say. No. They should wait until he needed pain again, because it was the best way to get him out of her fantasies. That she would never long to hurt someone. But she recalled the time - was it only a day ago? - that she had bitten him. She'd liked it.

You know what you're up against now. You're prepared.

"The Darkest Pleasure"

Already her nipples were hard, her limbs trembling. Moisture was pooling between her legs; warm flutters consumed her belly, stretching and awakening every cell, every organ.