Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers #3)(25)

Her eyelids slowly opened. One night. Just one night to see whether it was as amazing as she remembered in her dreams. She was facing possible prison time, the loss of her powers, or even death. Why not have one great night of mind-blowing sex? She could keep it casual. “Yes, but it’s just physical. I won’t risk anything else with you ever again.” Sometimes honesty could protect a girl.

Triumph and an intimidating arrogance darkened his eyes. He swung her up and turned toward the bed. Then he paused.

“What?” she breathed.

He turned his head toward the door. “I don’t know. Something—”

The entire world rocked, and an explosion roared down the tunnel outside. He dropped her to her feet. Shards of rock pummeled down.

She ducked to avoid losing an eye. “Oh God. They’ve found the tunnel.”





Chapter 9


Nick looked around for weapons and jumped out of the way of a bowling ball–sized boulder dropping from the ceiling. The attackers were using dynamite to blast through the tomb above. They’d be at the tunnel any second. “Tell me you have something here I can use for defense.”

Simone gathered her skirt. “We have something better. Escape route.” She turned and ran for the bathroom.

Of course. Nick bounded behind her into the room.

She jumped into the narrow shower, tapped a series of tiles in an odd order, and the side opened up into a narrow tunnel. “Run,” she whispered.

He followed her, having to duck his head. The door clicked shut behind them. Darkness surrounded him, and the walls closed in. His gut rolled, and the inside of his stomach pricked with a thousand needles. “Tell me this goes somewhere and that it’s been checked out lately.” The breath panted out with his words.

She reached back for his hand. “Trust me.”

He had no choice. Even so, the muscles in his back tensed with the need to punch through the too-close walls.

She tugged. “We have to hurry. It’s okay. I’d forgotten about your fear of small spaces.”

He loped into a jog, hoping she knew the way in the dark. Not that they could turn the wrong way. If they did, they’d hit solid rock. “It’s not the space, it’s the lack of it.” His lame joke fell flat.

She chuckled quietly. “Just think of that nice, big bed back there that you almost got to use.”

Even as he was panicking, his cock perked right back up. “That was a nice bed.” His toe hit a rock, pain shot through his foot, and he winced.

“I was going to let you do all sorts of nasty things to me,” she whispered, increasing her pace.

It was nice of her to try to distract him, but he needed to concentrate. “This tunnel has to end somewhere, right?”

“Just keep moving.” She made her way in total darkness without a hitch in her jog. “I know these tunnels well.”

He had to hunch to keep from hitting his head, and every once in a while the tunnel would narrow until his arms scraped along the sides. The smell of mold and dirt wafted around. They ran for nearly an hour, at his guess. Finally, after an eternity in the darkness, dim light glimmered up ahead along with the sound of pelting rain hitting cobblestones. His heart rate picked up.

They reached an iron gate, and Simone swung it open.

Rain blew in on a sharp gust of wind. Nick jumped outside, taking several deep breaths as the world righted itself. Simone shut the gate and quickly engaged a lock.

Okay. They were all right. Nick straightened. A building, some kind of warehouse, was directly in front of him, and the gate was behind him, set directly into the rock outcropping. As he watched, a door of solid stone moved to cover the gate. A foghorn moaned through the night, and the slap of water against rocks echoed over the storm. “Where in the hell are we?”

“The docks.” She grasped his hand and tugged him around the side of the building. “The edge of the warehouse district. Follow me.”

Like he had a choice. He set off at a run, his strength returning with the oxygen around him. They maneuvered between buildings, across several lots, and into the edge of the city. Simone’s hair streamed in the rain, which had matted her clothing to the intriguing curves of her body. She moved like a nymph, graceful and fast.

The movement of her fit buttocks kept his attention through several alleyways and back roads.

Finally, she came to a halt and held up her hand. “I need a second.”

So did he. His dick was about to punch through his zipper. He discreetly adjusted himself but failed to reduce the pressure.

Brick buildings bracketed them, while the rain slashed down from high above. A series of rickety fire escapes ran up three stories, but they were quiet and empty.

A car drove by the street at the end of the alley, its lights quickly fading into the night.

Simone pressed her butt against the building and leaned over, panting in air. Pressing her hand to her nicely outlined chest, she straightened. “’Tis too bad. I really liked that safe house.” Her hair had started curling down her back, and a light pink brightened the feminine angles of her face. Her dark eyes glowed through the dim light, and her scent of wild roses drifted on the breeze.

She was truly the most amazing creature he’d ever seen.

He moved without thought, right into her, and lifted her against the brick. Her sharply indrawn breath opened her mouth, and he dove in, all primal instinct. Drowning in her, going as deep as he could, he unleashed the loneliness he’d felt the last century without her. After he’d tasted her warmth, being alone had been a constant ache in his chest. For a f*cking century.