Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers #3)(37)
She whimpered at the demanding thrust of his tongue. The taste of him would be with her forever. Dark and sinful, deadly and tempting, it lured her with the promise of passion and the thrill of lust. A growl emerged from him then, a primal sound that beat within her own body, spearing through her womb.
He pressed his knee up between her thighs and rocked against her. She gasped into his mouth and rubbed against him, needing more pressure.
Sometimes she forgot. For all of Nick’s humor, for all of his brilliance, at his core he was this. Fire and power and desire, all rolled into a devastatingly demanding male package. Many immortals were more animalistic than human, and demons were no exception.
Demons were in a class of their own.
His fingers tangled in her hair and angled her head to the side, controlling her. No mercy tinged his kiss; only raw male possession. There was no question he was making a claim, right then and right there.
She moaned into him, taking whatever he wanted to give.
Finally, he gentled his kiss, his lips whispering over hers before he released her.
She dug her nails into his forearms, her legs shaking as she regained her balance.
He placed a quick kiss on her nose. “Consider yourself distracted.”
Chapter 14
In the underground hearing chambers, sitting by himself at the defense table, Nick gave Vivienne Northcutt, Simone’s mother, a hard look as the questioning into his actions continued. She sat at the power position on the Council, surrounded by the other healthy members, including Simone.
“Again, Mr. Veis, who alerted you to Simone’s presence in the Seattle penthouse?” Peter Gallagher asked.
Nick bit back a sharp retort. “Again, Mr. Gallagher, I know where Simone is at all times, and I have since the war ended.”
She turned a lovely shade of pink at that, but her eyes appeared anything but delighted.
Peter shook his head. “Did the Enforcers ask you to get Simone to safety?”
“The Enforcers did not ask a thing of me.” Nick kept his gaze stoic and his expression irritated.
“Why the hell have you been stalking my daughter?” Vivienne asked, her lips set in a flat line.
Because she’s f*cking mine. “I’d say ‘stalking’ is a little harsh,” he drawled.
They’d been at it for over an hour, and he was growing bored in general and pissed at Viv in particular. While he’d known for a century the woman didn’t think him good enough for her daughter, the time for waiting had ended. He would not stay away from his woman.
Vivienne glared back from her position in the center of the Nine.
He was the strategic leader for the entire demon nation, damn it. Simone could do worse. He kept his face in harsh lines to mask the minor hissy fit he seemed to be having in his head. His lips twitched with the humor of the entire damn situation.
Simone lifted an eyebrow from where she was seated next to her mother.
He shrugged. “What exactly is this hearing about anyway?” he demanded finally.
Viv flashed her teeth. “We’re here to discover if your actions amount to a declaration of war, or if you just broke our laws. In that case, we can just behead you.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ve already explained that Simone and I were just going for a ride.” The more irritated he became, the ruder his answers. At some point, Simone had started glaring at him, as well, and if she didn’t stop it, he was going to cross the chamber and drag her over the desk to show her just whom she belonged to. Challenging him, especially in front of the other witches, was a dangerous idea, and she needed to learn that lesson and fast.
“We have more questions,” Viv said grimly.
“Great. Are we finished with the death threats for the day?” Nick asked.
“The day is young,” Simone shot back.
Oh, hell no. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather our foreplay took place in private, little bunny.”
She drew back, and he fought a full-on smile. Too many people had either bowed to her beauty and intelligence or judged her for it; somebody needed to show the spirited witch that the world had some limits, even for her.
He was just the guy for the job.
“You’re out of order,” Viv bellowed.
“I thought this wasn’t a United States courtroom,” he said calmly.
Tension spiraled through the room, and he settled, more than prepared to battle the row of irritated witches. There had been enough polite talk about death, and it was time to get serious, whether they liked it or not. “Simone, let’s go. We need to go through the silly documents handed over by the prosecutor before your ridiculous trial begins.”
More tension. What? Had he insulted them with the “silly” and “ridiculous”? Good.
Viv tapped her fingers on the stone. “I don’t think you take us very seriously, Mr. Veis.”
“I don’t.” Why hide it? “Every one of you knows that Simone would never commit treason, and yet you go forward with this farce.”
“The evidence is damning,” Peter what’s-his-name said.
“It’s bullshit,” Nick replied.
Viv cleared her throat, and for the briefest of seconds, fear glimmered in her eyes before she masked it. “I’m sure the evidence will prove Simone innocent.”
What the f*ck was she afraid of? Nick narrowed his gaze, gently probing into Viv’s head. She clamped shields into place so quickly his frontal lobe ached, but in that one second, he had seen real fear for her daughter—and not because of the trial. What the hell?