Black Dawn (4 page)

“‘Night, Darr,” she murmured as her consciousness drifted.

He gave her injured shoulder a gentle squeeze and his voice
trailed right down her spine, warming her in ways she’d never admit to.
“Goodnight, Izzy.”

****

Morning had broken, sunlight once again chasing the
darkness away, reminiscent of a larger conflict Darr was glad to stay out of.
He was sure it was still cold outside, given their elevation, but he couldn’t
actually feel the chill. His entire body was burning thanks to the sleeping
woman in his arms. What the hell had he been thinking, staying in bed with her
all night?

He’d been thinking he’d nearly failed her, that’s what.

He’d been halfway around the country, practically watching
Gerald Duchane getting more action than he himself had had in decades. It was
horrifying and humiliating all at the same time. And then Izzy’s voice had
exploded in his head, the summoning trick he’d taught her so long ago coming
into play. He hadn’t wasted an extra moment to double-check Gerald’s safety
before transporting himself to her, and in those precious moments she’d been
injured.

If he could kill himself without leaving her unprotected,
he’d be sorely tempted to do it.

But his angry thoughts vanished when Izzy’s leg slid
between his, her thigh and stomach cradling his erection.
Shit.
And she was waking up, too.

Izzy moaned, the sound full of sleep and far too sexy for
his own good. A moment later she’d rolled properly into his chest and was
blinking her beautiful brown eyes up at him drowsily. It was only then that
Darr realized he’d wound both of his arms around her at some point in the
night. Dammit.

“Morning,” Izzy said with a small, tempting smile. “Thank
you … for staying with me.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” he said, hoping she was too
asleep to notice the difference in his voice. Damn did he want her. Having her
voluptuous body pressed against him was delicious torture.

Izzy frowned and adjusted her arms until she could frame
his face in her palms. “I do,” she insisted.

Darr pulled in a breath and did his best to will her to
back off. But his heart wasn’t in it this morning and when her fingers stretched
to touch his hair, he snapped. His arms tightened around her and he crushed his
lips to hers hungrily.

Izzy moaned against his lips and buried her hands in his
hair as she gave into his kiss, even opening her lips for him before he could
demand entrance. He took full advantage of the offering and swept his tongue
inside, finding she tasted every bit as sweet and enticing as he’d imagined. He
tangled one hand in her hair as the other slid down to cup her ass. With one
little tug she was rocking against him and sliding her tongue along his
simultaneously. The reciprocated desire in her kiss surprised him and made it
impossible to pull away.

Darr growled into her kiss, grabbing her top thigh and
pulling it over his hip as he rolled her beneath him.

Izzy gasped when he released her lips in order to dip his
head and trail kisses down her throat. She responded by curling her arms around
his back, holding on and continuing to arch her hips into his rhythmically.
Damned woman was going to have him coming in his pants if she kept that up.

Fortunately—or
un
fortunately,
whichever the case was—that was when his sensitive ears picked up the sound of
Izzy’s temporary roommates approaching the cabin.

With a growl of frustration Darr tore his lips from Izzy’s
neck and rolled off her, leaving his body instantly cold and his dick aching.

Still catching her breath, Izzy rolled onto her side to
look at him. “Darr?”

He looked away and sat up, swinging his feet to the floor.
“Your friends are coming.”

“Oh.” Izzy flopped onto her back and from the corner of his
eye he saw her chest rise and fall in a long, deep breath. “Damn.”

His lips twitched with the urge to grin at their shared
sentiments, but instead he turned an arched brow in her direction. She
immediately flushed and he had to dig his stubs of nails into his palms to keep
from falling on her. Instead he asked, “How’s your head?”

Izzy blinked at him for a moment before propping herself up
on her elbows and gently prodding around on her head. “Better,” she finally
said at about the time the key hit the door.

Darr nodded briefly and stood. “I’ll be outside if you need
me.” He grabbed his shoes, doing his best to pretend he didn’t see her pout,
and vanished as the door swung open.

****

The remnants of a headache and soreness in her shoulder
that Izzy had to deal with for most of the rest of the day were nothing
compared to the tingling in her lips or the ache between her legs. And she
wanted to confide in her two best friends, she really did, but she couldn’t.
Not on this. Human-demon relationships were generally frowned upon in society
and Britt already disliked him as it was. Besides, Izzy was pretty sure Darr
wouldn’t want it gossiped about. The problem was that on her own Izzy didn’t
know how to interpret that kiss.

Does it even qualify
as a ‘kiss’?

It had been so sensually intense, and escalated so quickly,
that Izzy felt like they’d practically started at third base. The very memory
of his tongue sliding around her mouth, combined with the grinding surge of his
hips over hers, or his hand on her butt was enough to send heat pooling low in
her belly again. If he popped up in front of her and pinned her to the tree she
was leaning against, or the grass she was sitting on, and tried to take her
right there in view of everyone at the resort, she wouldn’t stop him. Hell, the
idea was kind of exciting.

Get a grip, girl.
Really, whatever had possessed Darr to react to her like that, she knew in her
gut it was a fluke. Maybe it was just a man’s ‘morning hormones’ combined with
a terribly long dry spell. She often wondered—or worried, rather—that he spent
many of the nights away with another woman while she slept, but the few times
she’d prodded for information about what he did in reality hadn’t left her with
any solid conclusions. To hear him tell it he stayed and simply stood guard in
the house all night long. Every single night. All by himself.

“Why aren’t you at the beach?”

Izzy jumped a bit, realizing she’d been so lost in thought
she hadn’t sensed his approach.
How
embarrassing.
“Didn’t feel like it,” she replied on a sigh. Which was about
as honest as she could be. She didn’t want to say she couldn’t stop thinking
about their morning, let alone convince her body to get past it.

“Are you feeling all right?” Darr knelt down at her side,
the concern in his voice breaking her resolve and pulling her gaze to his.

She could spend all day drowning in those ashen eyes.

Swallowing heavily, Izzy nodded. “I am.” She fell silent
and the moment became awkward. What should she say? Was he still thinking about
their kiss? Did it even mean anything to him?

The brush of his touch startled her back into the moment
and she found he was sliding her sleeve back, apparently in order to study her
shoulder. Still, the tips of his fingers grazed her bare skin and she fought
not to let the shiver show.

“Your shoulder looks good,” he said. His gaze lifted back
to hers but his hand didn’t move. “So what’s on your mind?”

Damn him for knowing her so well.

Forcing a semi-smile, Izzy caught his wrist and brought his
hand up to cup her cheek. He offered no resistance. “I was … thinking about
this morning.” Not what she’d meant to say, but she’d always found it so hard
to lie to him. And, really, how bad could acknowledging something that had
happened be?

Chapter Four

“Why would you do that?”

Izzy didn’t really know how to take that question. Was that
better or worse than some expression of regret? “Why
wouldn’t
I?”

Darr pulled his hand away and rested his knuckles on the
grass. “You know why.”

Was he serious? Izzy choked on a confused laugh and sat up
properly. “No, actually. I really don’t.”

This time he frowned as if he thought she was being
deliberately oblivious. “Izzy, look at the facts. I’m a demon. I’m sworn to
protect you from any and all harm, but otherwise we’re incompatible.”

Her heart lodged in her throat, Izzy swallowed and shoved
to her feet. “I refuse to accept that.” She spun on her heel, not wanting to
see the frustration her response would surely generate. Not wanting him to see
the tears she was fighting back. Now she wished she had gone down to the
lakeshore with her friends. Playing in the sun and the cool water despite her
once-raging headache would surely have been better than this.

A strong hand latched onto her wrist as she started up the
wooden steps to the cabin. “Izzy.”

Closing her eyes and releasing a breath, Izzy forced
herself to turn to face him. She owed it to him—and probably herself—to hear
him out. Only he wasn’t interested in talking, apparently.

Darr closed the distance between them with one large step,
releasing her wrist in favor of sliding one hand behind her head and anchoring
the other on her butt in order to lift her to his lips. Like earlier, his kiss
was demanding. He took full possession of her mouth, sweeping his tongue inside
and stroking hers in a rhythm that had her aching all over again.

Izzy moaned and gave in to the kiss, shoving her confusion
aside. This was what she wanted. His taste, his touch, his passion, she wanted
all of it. So she looped her arms around his neck and locked her legs around
his waist. Through the denim of her cutoffs and the denim of his black jeans
she could feel his arousal. He was just as hard as he’d been that morning and
that knowledge only made her want him more.

Darr groaned and moved forward, and the next thing Izzy
knew, they were toppling onto her bed. He rolled until she landed over his
chest, a hand on her thigh keeping her legs around him. He released her butt
and trailed that hand up her spine, sending delicious shivers through her body
even as his hips bucked in time to another stroke of his masterful tongue. She
rocked her own hips forward encouragingly, trying to catch his tongue with
hers.

She broke the kiss when his tongue slipped free of hers
again, and she opted to trail her tongue along his jaw, enjoying the
poorly-stifled moan that rose up in his chest. Licking and nipping until she
reached his ear, Izzy whispered, “How about I show you how compatible we are?”

His hips bucked a little harder in response and she took
that as a good sign. With a teasing nip on his earlobe, Izzy sat up, still
straddling him, and sought out his gaze. As soon as she found it, she lifted
her shirt over her head, revealing the emerald bikini top she’d worn the day
before.

Darr growled almost possessively and his hands burned
invisible trails up her sides until he’d found the tie to her top. One sharp
tug released it and he tossed it away with one hand while capturing a breast in
his other.

Izzy moaned low and rocked into his touch, throwing her head
back as he palmed her breast. He caught the other breast and synchronized his
touch, squeezing and molding all while his hips continued to buck up beneath
her. And God how she wished they could just unzip their respective jeans and
take that final step, but her swimsuit bottoms would still be in the way. Not
to mention whatever he might wear beneath his own pants. But his touch on her
chest had set her aflame and she couldn’t be denied.

Her hands dragged down his chest, earning low growls and
groans, before landing on his belt buckle and quickly releasing it. When she
tugged his zipper free, his hands receded and she had just enough time to
wonder if he was chickening out before he flipped her over, coming to kneel
behind her and hooking his fingers into her shorts.

Izzy’s cheeks flushed as she realized what position he
intended to take her in, but she couldn’t deny the thrill of it. She’d never
made love in this position and it seemed appropriate that he’d be the one to
change that.

Darr let the denim scrape her skin as he dragged it down—along
with the bikini bottoms—until it was gone, tossed aside somewhere. The bed
dipped when he returned and he guided her hips up with one hand. Another hand
slipped between her thighs and urged them apart. When he was satisfied, he
leaned over her, the hand on her hips sliding up to catch one of her breasts
again and tug at her nipple.

“There’s no going back from this, Izzy,” he warned, his
delicious voice thick with need. Just the sound of it made her core pulse demandingly.

“Take a deep breath, Darr,” she whispered, arcing her butt
into him for emphasis. “I want this. I’m ready.” She gasped at the pinch on her
nipple and nearly missed the mouth that latched onto her shoulder.

He trailed wet, hungry kisses down her spine, his hands
following at her sides until one of them dipped again between her thighs. And
this time he went for gold, one finger slipping inside her as his thumb pressed
on her nub. Izzy gasped loudly and rocked her hips, her body begging him to do that
again. He inserted a second finger, plunging them deeper and adjusting the
pressure on her nub. He flicked, repeated his previous motion, and Izzy cried
out as pleasure erupted inside her.

But Darr didn’t give her any time to recover, removing his
hand and grabbing hold of her hips before surging into her center mid-climax.

Izzy screamed as ecstasy erupted inside her, blurring her
vision and making her weak for a long moment. She was aware of Darr moving,
rocking, and shallowly thrusting behind her. Working her body back up to a
state of desperation in record time.

“Oh,” she moaned as he sank deeper again. Her hips
reflexively rolled backward, into him, as her senses came back to her. “Mmm,”
she hummed, her hands digging into the sheets beneath her.

Darr leaned over her again, releasing one hip in order to
balance his weight while he continued pumping into her. “Let me hear you,” he
rumbled, his lips somewhere over her spine near the nape of her neck. He
emphasized his command by driving in deeper.

Izzy made another sound somewhere between gasp and moan and
ground her butt into his pelvis, her body desperate to take him deeper.
“Harder,” she begged breathlessly. “Please.”

He trailed his tongue down her spine until he was sitting
up behind her again, reclaimed her hips, and surged home with more force than
ever before. And when Izzy cried out in pleasure, he did it again.

She could feel her second orgasm coming and her breathing
doubled. “Darr!”

He growled, reached around her, and did something
indecipherable to her clit at the same time as he thrust into her. White light
exploded behind her eyes and Izzy distantly heard her own voice crying out as
her body rocked with the force of her orgasm.

****

Darr held Izzy close as she slept, her body needing to
restore its energy after three explosive orgasms in a row. His own demonic
heart was still beating wildly in his chest. He hadn’t anticipated his own
reaction, let alone hers. One minute he’d been concerned that her injuries were
causing her pain and the next minute he was kissing her again. He barely even
remembered what they’d said to each other in between. But he did remember that
her obvious distractedness had been because of him and the morning they’d
shared.

A morning that didn’t come close to comparing to their
afternoon. It was like something had snapped inside him, and when she’d wrapped
her legs around his hips, their fate was sealed. He needed to have her, naked
and writhing beneath him, and nothing was going to stop him. The only problem
was, now that he had a taste of her he doubted he’d be able to contain himself
in the future. He’d be aching for her again in an hour he was sure.

He was so distracted he nearly missed the sounds of Britt
and the others approaching the cabin.
Shit.

Carefully easing out of Izzy’s arms, Darr melded with the
shadows around him to quickly pull his clothes on. He’d just finished adjusting
the comforter around her shoulders—her clothes conveniently hidden by the
comforter as well—when the cabin door swung open.

“Feeling better…” Britt said as she led the way inside.

Britt and Letty stopped just inside the cabin, the other
two opting to wait out on the porch.

Darr held a finger to his lips and gestured toward the
door. They took his lead, stepped out, and he stopped in the doorway.

“Is she okay?” Letty asked quietly.

Darr nodded. “She’s just tired. She didn’t sleep well last
night.”

“We’re going to grab dinner,” Britt said. “Won’t she want
to eat?”

Probably.
Swallowing his sigh, Darr said, “I’ll wake her. She’ll be out in a couple of
minutes if she’s up for it.” Which he was sure she would be, but he chose to
embrace his reputation of being overprotective in order to further his little
lie. Because the last rumor he wanted to spread about the woman he protected
was that she was also sleeping with a demon.
As if she doesn’t have a big enough target on her back.

Closing the cabin door, Darr turned and made his way back
to the bed. He could sense Izzy was already stirring.

He knelt by the bed and brushed some red wisps from her
face, whispering, “Time to get up.”

Izzy groaned and stretched, flopping onto her back and
arching in the process. The comforter barley covered her rosy nipples and his
dick throbbed. But this time he fought the urge and instead held his position,
waiting for her to wake up fully.

“Darr? What is it?” Her voice was sleepy, but he could tell
her memory was functioning by the adorable pink flush on her cheeks. She rolled
back onto her side, facing him, and tugged the comforter up just a bit.

“Your friends wanted to know if you were planning on
joining them for dinner,” he replied. Jerking a thumb to the door, he added,
“They’re outside.”

Her eyes went wide and her head snapped toward the lone
digital clock beside Letty’s bed. “Oh my God!” She scrambled up, not pausing
until she noticed her clothes beside her. Looking back to him, she asked,
“What’re these doing here?”

He couldn’t stop the grin. “I didn’t think you wanted your
friends to know what we did this afternoon. If I was wrong, I’m happy to
correct that.” There were all sorts of fun ways he could make her friends
squirm, really. Not that he disliked them, he just didn’t feel like sharing
Izzy’s company at the moment. Not now that he’d gotten such a good taste of
her.

Lifting the top to her swimsuit, Izzy chucked it at his
head. “You will do no such thing!” She scrambled from the bed, shirt and shorts
in one hand, and moved toward her borrowed dresser.

Darr lifted the swim top and grinned. “Thanks for the
memento.”

Izzy paused, fresh pair of panties in hand, and looked back
at him. And then she groaned. “Wow, I never pegged you for being such a
guy
.”

As she rushed through dressing for a public appearance Darr
stood. “You thought I was what, then? A robot?”

“No, of course not,” Izzy replied as she zipped up her shorts.
“I just … I don’t know, I didn’t figure you were the trophy type.”

Darr stepped into her space and spun her around before she
could tug her shirt over her head. With a hand at the small of her back and
another tangled in her hair he pulled her close and, their noses touching, he
said, “In case you’ve forgotten, Izzy, I
am
a demon. I may know how to play civilized, but I’m a violent ass at heart.”

The smile she offered him destroyed his argument easier
than a sword might destroy wet paper. “Sure you are, Mr. Bad-Ass.” She pressed
her lips to his and slipped from his grip. “But you’re lying to one of us I’m
afraid.”

He snorted and tossed her swimsuit top to the bed. “Sure I
am. You know I’ll be trailing you tonight.”

“You trail me every night,” Izzy returned, tearing a quick
brush through her hair. It made the usual god-awful ripping sound and he
cringed as she winced.

“Slower,” he instructed on reflex, moving up behind her.

“Kinda in a hurry,” Izzy returned. One more horrid rip
later she set the brush back down and grinned up at him. “Besides, I’m done.
Now remember, Britt wants you out of her line of sight.”

With an incline of his head, Darr replied, “I remember.” He
pressed a kiss to the top of her head and stepped into a late-afternoon shadow
obligingly.

****

Izzy tossed the blankets aside as she startled awake
sometime that night. Her heart was still racing wildly in her chest and she
rested a hand over it as if the motion would settle her pulse. Or her
breathing.

Darr…

He was often the focus of her dreams, it was true, but this
one had been different. In this one she’d been blatantly manipulating his tie
to her to keep him in her bed. And it wasn’t until they’d gotten in a nasty
fight and he’d declared that he wished she would just kill herself then, that
Izzy had finally been jarred awake.
What
does that mean?

Earlier that very day, after years of silently yearning for
him, they’d finally been intimate. And the reality of his prowess in the
bedroom obliterated all her favorite fantasies. She wanted to be on cloud nine—proverbially,
of course—but her heart hesitated. What if her dream was telling her something?
What if her dream was trying to tell her that Darr was—or would come to be—seeing
their affair as her abuse of their bond?