The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld #3)(90)

"Reyes, stop," she said, unable to keep the laughter from her voice. His fierceness had returned full force. "No one called me easy." She loved that he was willing to destroy anyone who might have, though. "I just wanted to make sure you knew. I've only dated a few guys seriously."

"Shall I kill them?"

"Why, Reyes, I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

Danika thought she heard him chuckle.

"I have never been in love," he said, surprising her.

Suddenly she felt like singing and dancing. He was hers, had always been hers. "Not even before you were possessed?"

"Not even before."

She tried to picture him as he must have been hundreds, thousands, of years ago but couldn't. "What were you like? Back then?"

"I was like I am now, only...more relaxed, I suppose." He chuckled, a memory probably playing through his mind. That chuckle slid over her like a caress. "I did have a teasing side and used to torment Aeron relentlessly, hiding his weapons, cutting his hair while he slept. Finally, he started shaving it."

"I wish I could've known you."

"Perhaps it's good you didn't. We were like children back then. We were born fully formed of body, but our minds were new and we constantly marveled at the world around us. We trained to be warriors, yet had only the gods and their amusements as our role models."

Even with his description in her mind, she couldn't picture him so childlike, laughing and running and teasing. "How is it possible you were born a fully grown man?"

"You mix the blood of a god, earth, fire, water..." His voice trailed off. "At least, that's what we were told. And you? What were you like as a child?"

"Typical, I suppose. Tantrums and whining to get what I wanted. My mother used to call me her Tasmanian devil."

"You probably looked like an angel, even then."

Angel. Her heart skipped a beat. "Reyes," she said breathlessly.

"Yes," he replied with resignation.

"I want to be with you again."

The silence returned, a snake that slithered around its prey and choked. Had he truly stopped wanting her? Despite everything he'd just said? He'd had a taste of her, and that had been enough? Or had he just not liked what he'd tasted?

"Danika - "

She growled in frustration. Danika again. "Never mind. Just...shut up and go to sleep." She flipped angrily to her stomach and pounded her fist into the pillow to flatten it.

There was no sound to alert her of any movement on Reyes's part, but suddenly he was on top of her, his heavy body pinning her down and smashing her face into the mattress. She gasped.

His fingers gripped her neck tightly, turning her face and allowing her to breathe. He didn't shift, though, didn't roll off and free her. He kept her pinned. He hovered over her, warm breath lashing out like a whip. From the corner of her eye, she could see his face in profile. His eyes glowed with fire, and his teeth were bared.

Moonlight finally found him, casting a golden glow over his dark, honey-colored skin. He was panting, sweat was glistening. His long, thick erection pressed against her bottom, and she shivered.

"I will not taint you," he snarled. "Do you understand? If that means I cannot have you again, then I will not have you."

"Then you're dumb! You've said that before, and I'm tired of hearing it."

"You have no idea what could happen to you. You have no concept of - "

"You're afraid I'll become pain hungry like those women. Well, guess what? That isn't my nature! I killed a man, Reyes. A human. A Hunter. I hurt him and then I killed him. Have I since attacked everyone I've encountered? Did I attack you and your friends when I had every reason to do so?"

"No." Reyes arched into her. "No."

She couldn't stop her moan. "I made love to you, yet I didn't then start plotting the deaths of your friends, wanting to hurt them. In fact, immediately afterward I tried to protect you." Made love, she'd said. Before, she'd insisted it was only sex.

"Because I was gentle. Because I kept my demon away from you."

He wanted her to demand gentleness again. He wanted her to demand he keep his demon away from her again. She knew it, felt it, but wasn't going to do it. "Give me everything you've got this time. Let me prove I'm not going to change."

"No. I am not willing to risk it." But he didn't stop moving against her, rubbing that erection between her cheeks. His hands slid down her arms and latched on to her wrists. He moved them over her head and gripped them with one hand while tracing the other along her side, stopping at the curve of her breast.

Her teeth had long since sunk into her bottom lip. She nibbled, drawing blood. "Yes," she groaned. "Keep going. Touch."

His fingers dug around her, between her body and the mattress, and then he was cupping her breast fully, the nipple locked between two fingers.

A spear of pleasure shot through her. She raised her hips, meeting his erection, silently begging for a more intimate touch. "Remove my shirt. Touch my skin."

"Too dangerous."

"We're doing this."

"You plan to force me?" he asked with amusement.