The Darkest Pleasure (22 page)

Yes, he nearly shouted.

He licked and laved her, worked another finger inside, and began pumping in and out again. In and out. So good. So damned good. The pleasure of having her underneath him, spread for him, was intense, undeniable, and a moment passed before he realized his wounds
had
begun to close and his enjoyment…had not diminished. It was shocking. Something he didn’t understand. Why?

If he did nothing, would the pleasure fade? Would his demon spring up and demand he hurt his lover? Would his demon begin to influence Danika, making her into something she did not want to be?

Reyes was unwilling to wait to learn the truth. Too much was at risk.

He reached behind him and dug his nails—claws now—into the scabbed flesh on his back. Yes, yes. The pain, the trickle of blood. As expected, heat roared through him, his pleasure intensifying.

“Who is here with you?”

“Don’t stop,” she begged.

“Who is here with you?” he repeated, harshly this time.

“You are.”

“What is my name?”

“Reyes.”

“Who do you desire?”

“Reyes.”

His strokes against Danika’s clitoris became frenzied. She moaned over and over, the sounds a symphony to his battered soul. She begged for more; she begged him to stop. He gave
the first, refused the last, inserting a third finger inside her and stretching the tightness of her sheath.

A climax slammed into her.

She tensed around his fingers and tongue, inner walls holding him captive. He swallowed every drop of her satisfaction.

When she quieted, he rose above her. Their gazes met and held. She was trembling, sated, her eyelids at half-mast, and yet desire still shone in those emerald orbs. “You didn’t…”

“No.”

She licked her lips. “Will you?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Do you need—”

He shook his head, the motion clipped. His body burned with unsatisfied passion. Which hurt, wonderfully so. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation. Other partners had whipped his flesh to ribbons, stabbed him, bitten him, but none had tormented him like this. The pleasure-pain sang through him, a discordant melody that offered the sweetest kind of solace. The kind he’d always dreamed of but had despaired of ever experiencing.

How had she given it to him?

“You’re so beautiful,” Danika whispered. “I want to paint you, just like this.”

“I would like that.” Reyes opened his eyes and crawled up her soft body. He removed her bra, the clasp in front easily giving way to his fingers. Her full breasts sprang free. Her nipples were still hard, but now he could see how pink and perfect they were.

He licked and sucked one, then the other, and soon she was writhing again. Soon she was begging again. Soon he was lost in the essence of her, the demon urging him on, craving more.

“Condom,” she panted. “I need you inside me. Now.”

He nodded, grabbed one of the foil packets he’d stolen from Paris and stored in his nightstand and covered himself. He would not risk impregnating her, even though part of him em
braced the idea—craved it. He would never do such a thing to her, never force her to bear the spawn of a demon.

In this, at least, he would not be selfish.

“Ready?” she asked him. She rubbed herself against his erection, slick. Wonderfully wanton. Her nipples abraded his chest, creating a delicious friction. For once, he didn’t wish razor blades were scraping over him instead. “Ready?” she asked again.

Gods, yes.

He didn’t have to guide his shaft inside her. The tip was already nestled at the brink, ready…drawn to her by an invisible wire. “Savoring,” he said. “Need to savor.”

She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Waiting is torture. I thought you didn’t torture people anymore.”

His mouth edged into a strained smile.

“Now. Please, Reyes.”

Unable to resist any longer, he cupped her face and pushed all the way to the hilt, groaning in abandon as he did so. Her arms and legs wrapped around him, not just holding him captive but surrounding him with all that she was.

And just like that, she climaxed again.

Her moans spurred him on. In and out, like his fingers. In and out, like he’d fantasized. His thoughts fuzzed, Danika his only focus. Her perfect body, her thunderstorm fragrance. Her sweet moans and her hands, even now petting his back. Nothing else mattered. No one else mattered. Oh, the exquisite agony.

More. Need more.

His lips claimed hers in a scorching kiss, his tongue plundering. Her desire melded with his, heating, branding. Perhaps her goodness even seeped into him, because lights seemed to blink throughout the darkness of his soul, scattering shadows in every direction.

More!

She writhed, and her nipples continued to abrade his chest. The sweet scent of her satisfaction enveloped him.

“How can I want more?” she panted. “Can’t get enough. Need…need…”

The pleasure became too much, stinging, and Reyes exploded. He hadn’t had to stab himself. A little clawing, but that was hardly significant. Mostly, he’d enjoyed. A shocked, blissful roar burst from his lips, hot seed jetting from him. His spirit might even have left his body.

He didn’t know what happened, how it happened. All he knew was the pounding of his heart, the clenching of his muscles, the throbbing in his bones. All he saw was heaven. Clouds, the glide of white-feathered wings, the glisten of gold, the rainbow shine of gemstones. Cool air caressed him. He was floating, soaring, weightless.

But then the last spurt of desire left him, and he collapsed atop Danika. His strength, gone. The clouds faded completely, the wings, the gold and gems, gone. He saw utter darkness and couldn’t quite catch his breath. Sweat clung to his skin.

Danika was hot underneath him, panting, trembling.

“What happened?” she gasped.

“Climax.” A climax unlike any he’d experienced before.

“No. Reyes, you disappeared.”

D
ANIKA SNUGGLED
into the warmth of Reyes’s body. For several hours she’d dozed on and off, lulled by the drugging satisfaction humming through her. Reyes slept like the dead and had not awakened once. Had not shifted, had not made a sound. Twice she’d pressed her ear against his chest to ensure his heart still beat.

Now she remained awake, warm and sated. Except her mind churned, refusing to settle down. Being with Reyes had been…everything she had not wanted. Perfect, wonderful, amazing, sublime. No man had ever pleased her like that.

Every heated touch had sparked a tidal wave of desire. The waves had been never-ending, hurtling her from one plateau to another. And that he hadn’t allowed her to keep emotional distance between them…even now, she shivered. They had connected, body and soul, and she had secretly loved it.

One question tormented her, though. Well, besides the fact that he’d disappeared but thought she had imagined it. Maybe she had. Her climax had been so intense, she could have blacked out, dreamed he was gone and then woken up underneath him. What she wanted to know more than anything was whether or not he’d enjoyed being with her.

Unless he’d faked it, he’d come. But he hadn’t let her hurt him.
That’s
what he needed to feel pleasure. She’d wanted to do it, too. Not only so that she might have been able to purge him from her system, remembering him as the worst bed
partner ever, but also because she’d wanted to give him anything and everything. Even pain. She’d wanted him to remember her as she would forever remember him.

He claimed he didn’t want her tainted by the violence of his life. She’d thought she didn’t want to be tainted, either. But as he’d caressed her, as his mouth had devoured her, she’d wanted to meet every single one of his needs.

Other women had hurt him as he craved. Why couldn’t she?

Danika twisted her head and gazed at Reyes’s sleeping face. Soft and relaxed, the harsh lines of stress were no longer visible. His lips were lush and pink, something she hadn’t noticed while his intense eyes watched her.

Carefully she reached up and brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. He inhaled more deeply, but gave no other reaction. Her heart seemed to expand, to grow so big it swallowed her ribs.

I care for him.
Though she’d fought against it, there was no denying it.

He’d taken care of her, given her food and shelter and clothing. Never once, even when ordered, had he hurt her. He’d purchased paint supplies for her and created a studio just for her amusement. He’d made love to her as if she were more important to him than breathing.

His strength and courage constantly amazed her; his past fascinated her. He hadn’t wanted to hurt others anymore, so he’d locked himself away. Talk about discipline. Compassion. Determination. He was possessed by a demon, and yet he had the heart of an angel. The contradiction delighted her, and she suspected she could happily spend the rest of her life learning his nuances—and there would still be more to learn.

Oh, yes. She cared. And what the hell was that buzzing noise?

Her gaze circled the bedroom, her cheek brushing Reyes’s white-hot skin. His heartbeat picked up speed. The buzzing continued sporadically, but she finally pinpointed its location: her pants. That meant…

Dread cascaded through her. She was getting a call on the cell phone. Only one person had the number. Stefano. She gulped. For a moment, only a moment, she wished he
had
been at the club tonight. That he’d faced Reyes, that her struggle with what to do, who to help, was over. When that moment passed, however, guilt scraped at her.

Danika gingerly slid from the bed, watching Reyes for any sign of wakefulness. Still, he remained at peace, unmoving. Part of her longed for him to open his eyes, see the phone and save her from herself. The other part of her prayed he stayed just as he was. She was naked, nipples now hard from the cool air, and one look at those intense black eyes and she would melt, Hunters forgotten. She would beg for Reyes’s mouth on her, his heat flicking away the chill.

Her legs were shaky as she stumbled to her pants and she almost toppled as she crouched to pull the phone from their pocket.

The buzzing continued.

Another glance at Reyes—still sleeping.
What are you doing? Don’t do this.

I have to. There’s no other way to save Reyes.

She padded to the bathroom and quietly shut the door. Alone, she flipped the phone open. Her mouth dried as she whispered, “Hello.”

Once again, Stefano didn’t bother with pleasantries. “You left the fortress.” A statement, not a question.

Yesterday, she’d been happy to know he was out there somewhere, watching her. Now…“Yes.”

“Obviously they’ve released you.”

“Yes,” she repeated, recalling that she’d lied to him the last time they’d spoken, told him she was locked in a bedroom.

“Where are you?”

“In a bathroom.”

“Alone?”

“Yes.”

“Are you working for us, Danika? Or them? Have you forgotten everything I told you? For God’s sake, they want to kill your family!”

The harsh question hung inside her mind like a noose, ready to hang her no matter how she replied. “You know that I—” What?

“If given a chance, they’ll rape and mutilate your mother. Then your sister. They’ve already killed your grandmother.”

She was shaking her head in denial.

“We’re extracting you,” he said flatly. “It’s for your protection. My sources tell me the one called Aeron is nearly insane with bloodlust for you. We don’t want you hurt. Unlike the Lords, we want to protect you.”

Extracting her? “Wait. You want to take me out of the fortress?”

“As soon as possible.”

No. In the morning, she and Reyes were traveling to Oklahoma. “No, I can’t.
You
can’t. I—”

“You have no choice, Danika. We’re gearing to enter even now. While
they
place no value on human life, we do. We want you safe.”

What? They were going to break into the fortress? There would undoubtedly be a battle, blood and death. She tried not to panic, though ice began to crystallize in her veins and a loud ringing blasted in her ears. “If you think I’m working for them, why did you call? Why are you warning me? Wanting to help me?”

“Anyone can make a mistake. They probably lied to you, convinced you they would leave your family alone if you would only stay with them, maybe help them with something. Maybe even help take us down.”

Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound emerged. Everything he said made sense.

“Will you be ready?” he asked.

There could be no more stalling, no more straddling the fence, unsure of who to help and who to bring down. To her surprise, she didn’t have to think about it. What he said made
sense, but it didn’t feel right. Sometime in the past few days, her anger toward Reyes had faded completely. Hate had been replaced by…something else. She didn’t know what emotion lurked inside her, just that it was somehow at once both soft and almost violent. She would trust him to help her find her family, which meant cutting her safety net, the Hunters.

“Yes,” she lied.

“Smart girl.” Stefano’s relief was almost palpable. “How many Lords are inside the fortress?”

“All of them,” she said, lying again. This morning, most of the men had taken off. Had Stefano seen them leave? Or had the warriors simply disappeared as Lucien had done on several occasions?

If Stefano knew the truth, he’d see the seizing of the fortress as easy.
Keep lying. He might not know.
She plopped onto the toilet lid, legs suddenly too weak to hold her up. She leaned forward, elbows digging into her knees. One hand continued to hold the phone to her ear, the other rubbed her temple to ward off the sudden ache. “They’re heavily armed. You shouldn’t risk entering the fortress. Why don’t I sneak out and come to you?” She could tell Reyes where they would be waiting, and he could…take care of things.

“You aren’t trained for that sort of thing. It’s better if
we
handle this.”

What could she do? What could she say to stop this?

“Think you can reach the roof without detection?”

“I—I—” Shit! “Maybe. What time should I be there?”

“One hour.”

Dear God. One hour. Could Reyes contact Lucien in time? Could Lucien bring the others here? Sickness rolled through her. “I’ll do my best,” she said, trying desperately not to tip him off. Her voice was weak, barely audible.

“Don’t disappoint me, Danika. Need I remind you what’s at stake?” Stefano disconnected, and Danika closed the phone.
She didn’t straighten, couldn’t; she was too busy trying to breathe. God, there was so much to do, and failure could cost Reyes his freedom—or his life.

“Interesting conversation.”

The harsh statement assaulted her ears, and she jolted. All the blood drained from her face. Reyes stood in the now-open doorway, his expression unreadable. He leaned against the frame, one arm behind his back in a deceptively casual pose. He wore a pair of jeans he hadn’t bothered to fasten. His chest was bare, the injuries and scabs gone.

“It isn’t what you think. I swear.”

One of his brows shot into his hairline. “So you weren’t talking to a Hunter?”

She jumped up, mouth floundering open and closed.

Reyes’s gaze immediately jerked from her. The arm behind his back shot forward and a second later a T-shirt was flying toward her. “Dress. Lucien is here. He wants to talk with you.”

She caught the material and hastily tugged it over her head, shielding her nakedness. Her vision was blocked for less than a second, but by the time she refocused, Reyes was no longer standing in the doorway.

The shirt ended at her knees, but she still felt exposed as she raced into the bedroom. Cool air kissed her legs. “Reyes, I was
helping
you! You have to believe me.”

She stopped short when she spied Lucien. The warrior was fully dressed, and his clothing was stained with blood. Reyes now stood beside him. Both men were staring at her expectantly.

“Look,” she rushed out. “I’m supposed to learn everything I can about you. I’ve been trying. I admit it. The Hunters who captured me and asked me to spy for them are led by a man named Stefano. Dean Stefano. He was going to help me find and protect my family. To do that, I thought you had to be destroyed. But when I got here, I just couldn’t do it. I’ve spoken
to Stefano only twice since I’ve been here, but I’ve never given him any useful information.”

“Is that all?” Reyes asked, surprisingly calm.

She nodded.

“Very well. Let’s move on to another subject, then. I told Lucien what you told me, that there are other beings possessed as we are. Is there anything else you know about them?”

She held up a hand and gave a shake of her head. Why wasn’t he accusing her of lying about knowing nothing more? “What are you talking about?”

“The men in prison, the ones housing the demons we released.”

“Like that matters now! Will you just let me finish? Please. This is important. Life or death.”

His eyes narrowed, but he said no more.

“Hunters are about to attack the fortress. You have an hour, probably less, until they arrive.”

“You were painting earlier,” Reyes said as if she hadn’t spoken. Still, his expression gave nothing away. “Where is the canvas?”

Her gaze flicked to Lucien, then back to Reyes. What the hell? She’d laid everything on the line, admitted her crime, and
that
was all Reyes had to say to her? She’d told him men were about to storm his home, weapons blazing, and he only cared about her paintings?

“I would have been here sooner,” Lucien said, “but souls were calling and I could not resist them. I
was
able to flash here for a moment, but you didn’t see me. As Reyes said, you were painting. I must see that canvas, Danika.”

“I’m not telling you where it is! Not until someone explains why you don’t seem to care about the Hunters. They plan to capture you and suck your demons out. They’re even looking for the box.”

Something glistened in Reyes’s eyes. What, she didn’t know. It was dark and dangerous, both exciting and perilous. “Torin has the entire hillside monitored. He knew the mo
ment they stepped onto the property, and he’s already taken several out.”

Taken several out. Aka killed them. Danika rubbed her stomach in a vain attempt to calm its sudden turmoil. “So Stefano lied to me? They’re not waiting an hour but have already begun attacking?”

“Yes, he lied. He didn’t trust you,” Lucien said. “My guess is he told you to go to the…roof?”

Dazed, she nodded.

“He told you to go there because he expected you to do the opposite. They have troops on the ground and they could have snapped you up. Now, what do you know about the box? Any small detail could be useful, but tell me quickly for I am needed outside.”

Her gaze settled on him. Looking at him was easier than looking at Reyes. Gave her heart time to slow and her lungs time to expand. “I’ve already told Reyes everything I know about it, and that’s very little.”

“Do you know where it is? Where the other demon-keepers are? If they’re still imprisoned?”

“No to both questions. I don’t know.”

“Would your grandmother?”

“You’ll have to ask her.” She prayed he got the chance.

Lucien’s head tilted to the side. “Paris had a vision of you.” His oddly colored eyes seemed to swirl, beckoning her. The scent of roses suddenly filled the room. “In it, you were cupping the box in your hands. You were smiling.”

Incredulity tumbled through her, and she laughed. “That’s impossible.”

“If you know something…” Closer and closer Lucien stepped.

She wanted to run, but her feet were rooted in place, holding her captive. And then she didn’t want to run anymore. The warrior stood right in front of her, a whisper away, and that rose-scent invaded her every cell. Her mind floated to the clouds.
Utter relaxation softened all of her muscles.
Whatever he says, I’ll do
.
Happily.