Through a Crimson Veil (33 page)

“I love you, Mika,” he said.

“What?” She couldn’t have heard right.

“I love you.” His voice was gentler this time. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and more than I deserve—I know that.” Mika tried to interrupt, but Conor
reached out and squeezed her hand. “Let me finish. We both know you put up with more shit from me than anyone should have to, but give me a chance to make it up to you. Give me a chance to change. Just don’t leave yet, okay?”

Mika leaned forward and brushed her lips over his. “Mc-Cabe, I love you too. I’ve been telling you that for days, and I’m not going anywhere.” She smiled. “You’ll have to throw me bodily out of your house—and even then, I’ll come back and fight.”

“
Our
house. And you’re definitely better than I deserve,” he laughed.

“Wrong,” she disagreed. “I’m exactly what you deserve. And before you put me up on some pedestal, I’m a long way from perfect.”

“Wrong,” he said, echoing her, “you’re perfect
for me
.”

She had to kiss him for that—gently, since his poor mouth was as messed up as his face. His fingers splayed through her hair, lightly caressing her head. Mika stayed frozen after the kiss ended, needing to be near him. They both could have died tonight.

“Honey,” he said softly, “this is the wrong place and time—there’s nothing romantic about it—but…will you marry me?”

Mika straightened away from him, studying his face. “Marry? McCabe, we’ve done the bonding ritual. That’s much more permanent than any human ceremony.” She even felt a bit of disdain for the mortal rite.

But Conor was adamant. “I pushed the bonding thing on you, and there’s nothing we can do about that. But this time I’m asking. Will you marry me?”

She suddenly heard what he wasn’t saying: He needed her to choose him freely, without any outside force—not even his own—swaying the decision. She’d argue another time—it wasn’t entirely accurate that he’d pushed her to bond with him, since the only reason she’d hesitated was her belief that he didn’t love her. But that would be best saved for later, too.

“I will marry you—anywhere, anytime, in any ceremony you wish. I love you,” she said for the millionth time. It never felt like enough.

The corners of his lips turned up, and he and she shared another long kiss. Conor finally broke away and said, “I’m too old, too big and too sore to make out in the truck. Let’s go home, honey.”

Reluctantly pulling away, Mika buckled up and started the pickup. Home? That sounded exactly right.

Mika McCabe stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel. The wedding and the reception had gone off far more smoothly than she could have hoped. Sure, some of her human family thought getting married on the beach underneath a full moon was strange, and that a luau dinner was even odder. And yeah, Conor had growled a little when he’d spotted his father, but overall she couldn’t have asked for a better day.

There had been only one notable absence. Conor’s mother.

Just thinking about it made Mika scowl. Tracking the woman down hadn’t been easy, but she had done so. She’d tried talking to her on the comm first, but as soon as Conor’s name came up, his mother had disconnected. So, on a day when Mika knew her mate would be busy, she’d trekked all the way out to Timbuktu to invite the woman to the wedding in person. Mika had even promised to forgo inviting her demon family if the woman agreed to attend; she knew how much her presence could mean to Conor.

The trip had been wasted. As soon as she’d introduced herself as McCabe’s fiancée, Mika had gotten the door
closed in her face. Her second visit had garnered the same response, and she’d finally conceded defeat. If his mother wanted to cling to her bitterness, there was nothing Mika could do to change that. But she felt bad for her vishtau mate.

The comm rang and she heard Conor answer it. Deciding not to eavesdrop, Mika tuned out the conversation, but she had to shake her head. McCabe had been making an effort to become less isolated, but he should have left the unit turned off tonight. Of course, the chances of another call coming through were next to nil, so she guessed there wouldn’t be any more interruptions.

As she finished drying off, Mika secured the towel around her and reached for some scented lotion. She rubbed it between her hands to warm it, then began smoothing it onto her skin.

Her lips tilted as she thought about how secretive their wedding had just been. With tensions continuing to escalate in Crimson City, they’d decided the presence of her mom, gran and brother, Nic, needed to be kept quiet. Okay,
Conor
had thought it was a good idea to be cautious, and she’d agreed because he’d been so tense. It had all worked out—although it was the first time her human and demon families had met, and there were some iffy moments.

Mika sobered. When she’d gone to retrieve her belongings and to tell her mom about Conor, things had felt…odd in Orcus. She’d talked her dad into summoning her three relatives for more than just the wedding. It was still a closed ritual, of course; but instead of going immediately back to the Other World, her family would be spending some time on her dad’s estate up near San Francisco.

Mika didn’t know who would have the more difficult adjustment to make—the humans in the Bay Area or her demon family. But at least her dad and mom—okay, at least her dad—would keep a lid on everyone.

Mika’s grin returned as she thought about how her parents
had been acting tonight. They believed they’d been discreet during the wedding luau, but she had a pretty good idea that she and McCabe wouldn’t be the only two having some hot sex tonight. She didn’t pretend to understand her parents’ relationship, but for years she’d suspected they had clandestine trysts. Mika shrugged. It wasn’t her business.

Putting the cap back on the lotion, she wondered where Conor’s father was living. Nearby, she guessed, since he had repeatedly shown up trying to bridge the chasm with his son, but he kept a very low profile. Mika was glad someone besides Marc had been at the ceremony for her mate, and maybe Sebastian’s persistence would eventually soften McCabe.

She turned when she heard a knock. “Yeah?”

“That was Hayes on the comm,” Conor said through the wooden door. “He had news about our watcher.”

Mika stiffened. They’d sensed his presence tonight, and that had been the one dark spot in the evening. “What did he say?”

“He went through the veil into Orcus.” When she remained quiet, processing that information, Conor said, “Mika?”

“I heard. It makes sense,” she answered slowly. “I thought he might be studying us to learn about demons.”

“Maybe,” Conor agreed. “But at least we don’t need to worry about him anymore. There’ll be plenty of other demons to keep him occupied—probably for the foreseeable future.”

McCabe had that right. Mika laughed softly as he walked away from the door. Imagining what the vampire would be facing in the Other World, Mika almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

She tugged her towel free and tossed it in the hamper. The red silk chemise she shimmied into had thin, spaghetti straps and ended high on her thighs. There were tiny V-string panties that went with it, but Mika didn’t bother
with those. McCabe would have them off her in about two seconds anyway. With a smile, she reached for the clip she’d used to keep her hair up and dry while she’d been in the shower, and let her tresses tumble free.

Time to go have some wild demon sex. The mere thought of her husband aroused her, and by the time she reached the bedroom, she was already primed. She stopped short in the doorway and watched Conor tie a second black bandanna to the headboard.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

He glanced over his shoulder, then did a double-take. His reaction was everything she’d hoped for, and her smile returned.

“You like?” she asked, making a slow pirouette.

His growl, and the red glow in his eyes, were all the answer she needed. Conor had given up fighting his Kiverian nature. He continued to wear his tinted contacts outside the house, but when they were alone, he didn’t bother. Mika loved that—and not because she needed him to be demon, but because she wanted him to accept himself. Like she now accepted her human side. On that front, he’d been making exceptional progress.

“You were going to tell me what the bandannas were for,” she prompted when Conor did nothing but stare.

“They’re there so you can tie me up.”

Mika laughed. “Bondage, McCabe? I can’t believe I married a pervert.” She shook her head, but she was delighted.

His growl denoted frustration rather than arousal. “You wanted to be on top, right? I figured…well, if I was restrained, I’d be less likely to…Well, we’d be able to do it in that position.”

She grinned. “You’re incredibly sweet.” And he was. They’d tried more than once to mate with her in the dominant position, but they’d never made it long before Conor flipped her on her back and took charge. Of course,
that
was damn good too.

“Do you want to thank me now for finding Madam
Christine’s business card in that mess of papers I filed for you?” Mika teased. “Or do you want to wait until after I make you scream?” She knew he’d never allow himself to be vulnerable without the protective field back around the house.

“Honey, you’re the one who screams,” he reminded her.

Mika hid her laughter with effort. “Are you bragging, Mc-Cabe?” When he merely shrugged, she shook her head and pointed something out. “You know, though, that you’ll be able to break free no matter how tightly I tie the knots…”

He nodded. “I know. The restraints will be more a reminder than a true imprisonment. At least, until we get something that can hold me…” He grinned.

Mika felt a burst of pure pleasure. “If I’d realized what you had planned, I would have bought a dominatrix costume instead of the nightgown,” she joked.

That earned her another grumble. “If you don’t want to try this, just say so. I can do without the cracks,” he complained.

“But I
do
want to try it.” Mika closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his waist. All Conor wore was a pair of unfastened jeans, and she took a moment to stroke the bare skin of his back before biting his shoulder. Looking back up, she said, “Think of the teasing as a bonus you only get with me.”

His hands slid down her hips and under her chemise until he was cupping her bare bottom, and his lips quirked. “I think of the teasing as something I
endure
to have you,” he replied.

Mika laughed. Conor still didn’t banter with her enough, but it wasn’t as rare as it had been. She liked to believe that was her influence. Sobering, she said, “Thanks. I know giving up control isn’t easy for you.”

“Well…I trust you,” McCabe said. He leaned forward and kissed her slowly and thoroughly. “I love you, honey.”

“I love you too.”

And that was enough seriousness. “Now, are you going to strip out of those jeans or do you want me to yank them off?”

“You’re the boss,” he laughed.

Carefully, Mika pushed the denim down his legs until Conor could step out of them. “Sit on the bed,” she ordered. He obeyed with a smile that made her squirm. “Grab the headboard.” When he complied, she straddled him, making sure she rubbed against him every time she shifted.

Once she had Conor’s hands secure, she sat back and shrugged until the thin straps of her chemise fell down her arms. A few wiggles bared her breasts. Then, keeping her eyes locked on his, Mika provoked McCabe unmercifully with her hands, mouth, teeth and body. Despite what he said, she knew she might never get him in this position again, and she was taking advantage of it while she could.

He gripped the rails of the headboard tightly enough to whiten his knuckles, but he didn’t break free. He made it clear, though, when he’d reached his limit.

“Honey,” he said, his voice thick and grumbly, “we’re going to tie you up next time, and I won’t forget any of this.”

His eyes promised retribution, and Mika smiled as she reached for him, guided him inside her body. She’d love every second of his payback, not only for the physical pleasure, but because it meant that Conor had learned to play.

Theresa Monsey and Melissa Lynn Copeland for always coming through for me.

My friends at NWA, TDD, PTN, RBL, and the Lunatic Café for their support.

Liz Maverick for the cool world.

And Chris Keeslar for allowing me to color outside the lines, and for always seeing the heart of my characters and their stories.

“Fabulous action sequences, an engaging and believable romance, and some of the most well-written lovemaking scenes of the year make the fourth entry in this exciting futuristic series terrific escapist reading.”

—Booklist

“Patti O’Shea pens a gripping tale that certainly lives up to the high standards set by the other authors in the
2176
series. Witty dialogue and an engrossing plot make
The Power of Two
a must read.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“Make sure to fasten your seatbelt for this wild ride!”

—RT BOOKclub

“Ms. O’Shea has done a splendid job of furthering this series and I give
The Power of Two
my highest recommendation. Grab a copy today.”

—A Romance Review

“Danger, fast action, and alpha males and females create a nonstop futuristic keeper with a touch of alien mystery.”

—RT BOOKclub

“Intelligent, admirable, and appealing…There is a new star in the paranormal and futuristic heavens—Patti O’Shea.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“
Ravyn’s Flight
is a strong military science fiction romance that once the plot goes into gear never leaves hyperspeed until the final pages are finished.”

—The Midwest Book Review

CRIMSON CITY
by Liz Maverick

A TASTE OF CRIMSON
by Marjorie M. Liu

A DARKER CRIMSON
by Carolyn Jewel

Other books by Patti O’Shea:

THE POWER OF TWO

RAVYN’S FLIGHT