Deadly Attraction (9 page)

“Now
that
is a word I know. I just have difficulty
employing the concept. Particularly around an arrogant king.”

He knelt beside her. “I haven’t been so arrogant.”

“No,” she murmured as she grazed his jaw with her fingers.
“Maybe that’s not the right word.
Confident
better suits you.”

“Not so much when it comes to you.” His heart constricted
further. An odd sensation. He kissed her, then stood and toed off his boots.

She said, “This tub will take a half hour to fill, at least.
So I’m just going to sit here and watch you undress, if you don’t mind. Take
your time,” she added his previous sentiment.

He groaned. “You’re not making it easy for me to keep my
distance.”

Jade shot him a seductive look. “I never once said that was
what I wanted.”

* * * * *

Darien’s shoulders tensed. “There’s an old saying about
flirting with disaster.”

“Or walking a fine line. Skating on thin ice.” She shrugged.
“I know how to heed a warning, trust me. But this…”

Her gaze swept over him, admiring his sheer masculinity.
Thoughts of making love with him in their dream, and then of him holding her so
carefully she’d found a measure of tranquility in her otherwise besieged mind
as she tried to heal made her nearly blind to the red flags.

She set the book aside and stood. Turning off the faucets,
she said, “You’ll need the water pressure for your shower.”

Then she crossed to where he remained rooted, his eyes
locked with hers. The cords of his thick neck drew taut and his jaw set. Her
nearness did things to him, she could tell. She evoked physical responses
within him as easily as he did within her. Emotional ones, as well?

By the flash of need in his eyes, she guessed so.

“
But this…
what?” he asked.

Mere inches from him, she gazed up at his devastatingly
handsome face. He might not be a divine creation, but he was heavenly
perfection.

“This attraction between us,” she said. “It’s risky, yes.
But undeniable.”

Her healed palm splayed over the left portion of his
pectorals. His skin was warm and smooth. Touching him so intimately sent a
thrill along her spine. His large hand closed over hers, holding it against his
chest. Reaching for her with his other hand, he eased her toward him.

“We’re certainly not doing ourselves any favors,” he told
her.

“I can’t help it,” she said on a breathy whisper. “It’s more
than just the fantasy we shared. It’s…everything. The way you look at me, the
way you touch me. The way you try so hard not to upset my apple cart.”

He grinned. “You do know your antiquated sayings.”

“I like history. Maybe because my present has lacked luster,
and the future doesn’t hold much potential either.”

He pulled in a long breath, then let it out slowly. Staring
deep into her eyes, he asked, “What would you change? Aside from bringing back
your parents, because I can’t do that. What one thing do you wish for?”

Her heart suddenly felt as though a large fist squeezed it
tight. With a slight shake of her head, she said, “Nothing. I don’t believe in
wishes.”

“Not even on your birthday?”

“Especially then. I stopped celebrating when I was eleven, the
year my parents were mur—” She sucked in a breath. “The year they died.”

Of course, the irony and hypocrisy of being drawn to someone
who belonged to the demon world from which the shifters who’d slaughtered her
family derived did not escape her. Nor was she inclined to taint the moment or
offend him after he’d rescued her and had done so much to help her recover.

Continuing, she said, “It took some time to convince Michael
and Lisette to forget my birth date as well. It’s just another day, with one
more year behind me. I enjoy history, yes. But not mine.”

He lifted her hand, bringing it to his mouth. His lips
brushed over her fingers. “Do you know one of the things I admire most about
you?”

Her eyes narrowed on him, her expression no doubt reflecting
her confusion. “No. In fact, I haven’t the slightest idea what draws you to
me.”

“Everything,” he said in a low voice, echoing her sentiment.
“But beyond your beauty and your strength and even your pain, I’m somehow
fixated on your candor. You never let me forget I’m a demon…or what I’ve done
to the human world.”

She stepped away from him. He let her go. Her pulse raced as
her confusion melded into a darker warning. “I’m not trying to be blatantly
disrespectful. I’m merely stating facts that can’t be disputed.”

Perhaps now
was
the time to address the obvious.

“Shifters murdered my parents,” she said. “Demons altered
the face of this planet. I don’t care that I can’t use Lisette’s blow dryer.
What I care about is people. Like Michael and…Jinx.”

He nodded. “I’m not being accusatory. I’m being humble. I
have many, many regrets, Jade.”

Searching his mesmerizing eyes, she found he was being
earnest. “What kind of regrets?”

“I never wanted to be king. I never wanted the wars. I never
wanted to almost obliterate the human race.”

She drew in a sharp breath. “But the wars were executed by
your command.”

“Yes. Though that doesn’t mean I was ever in agreement with
the politics. Or the destruction.”

Covering her mouth with her hand, she stared at him. Then
shook her head. Finally, her hand fell away and she said, “The pacts you make
for demon-human peace—you…” Her brow furrowed as she fought for the right
words. “You don’t despise us.”

He looked taken aback. “No. Never. Like every other war in
history, it was simply about power. The shift from human rule to demon in this
case. It should never have gone as far as it did, but that happens in battle.”

A tear formed in her eye and sat precariously on the rim.
“You really did feel bad about Jinx, didn’t you?”

He nodded.

She sighed. A shaky one. The fat drop rolled down her cheek.
“I wanted to believe you cared enough to be remorseful on behalf of your
alliance.”

“I did,” he said with sincerity in his voice. “I
do
.
But, Jade. I am still king. That doesn’t mean I don’t feel anything, but it
does mean…I have obligations. Responsibilities. A position of power to uphold.
All of these things might challenge my personal convictions, but the
overarching issue is that I made a commitment to my species. I might not have
done it wholeheartedly, but I did do it willingly.”

And here she’d thought her existence was a tumultuous one.
Closing the gap between them, she trailed her fingers over his temple and down
to his jaw. “You’ve let me be so glib about what it’s like to be a demon or a
king. Why?”

His fingers twined with hers and he kissed them again. “You
are anything but glib. You’re as entangled in this insidious situation as I am.
I just have more control than you do. Though…no more at stake than you.”

Something inside her shifted upon hearing those words from
this man. She said, “I’ve questioned my place in the village. My authority,
actually—because clearly, I possess some. People have always looked to me for
guidance when they’re unsure of the slayers’ direction. But I’m not their
leader. Nor do I want to be.”

With a nod, he said, “This is a horrifically asinine and
selfish thing for me to say, but I don’t want you to be either. The slayers are
in mortal danger every day of their lives because of rogue demons like the fire
wraith that attacked you. I can’t even conceive of you being in such a position
on a daily basis. It’s difficult enough with this one instance.”

His head dipped and he kissed her. Passionately. As though
the thought of anything dire happening to her compelled him to express how
deeply attracted he was to her. Possibly even how moved he was by her.

Jade wrapped her arms around his neck. She knew the trouble
she invited into her life by giving in to her desire for him, but it was too
overwhelming a feeling for her to walk away from.

His kisses in real life were even more scorching-hot than in
the fantasy they’d shared. His tongue swept over hers, twisting and tangling in
an erotic dance. One of his arms encircled her waist, hauling her up against
his hunky body, sealing them together. His other hand cupped the back of her
head as his tongue delved deep, intensifying the blazing liplock.

Jade felt the effects of his passion all the way to her
toes—and particularly in the most sensitive parts of her body. An ache in her
cunt pulsed in time with her raging heartbeats. Her nipples tightened and her
chest rose and fell quickly. As with her pain, she acutely felt pleasure.

But these were sensations she wanted to give in to. To bask
in. Drown in.

When they finally came up for air, she was light of head and
unsteady on her feet.

He let out a low groan. “I won’t be sticking to any
convictions about you with kisses like that.”

“I’d told myself long ago they didn’t exist.”

“Clearly, you were wrong.”

She smiled, delirium seeping through her veins. “Clearly.”

His jaw clenched briefly. “I want to see you, Jade. All of
you.”

A modicum of self-consciousness skittered through her,
chasing away the delirium. Here she stood before a gorgeous, mammoth of a man,
with no flaws in sight, other than his internal scars. She hadn’t been naked in
front of another person since she was eighteen. And even then, she and Michael
had been shrouded by bedcovers.

She couldn’t help but wonder about the female forms in
Darien’s past. Even Sheena was picture-perfect. Did he find her alluring?

“No.”

Her gaze snapped up to meet his. “Stop reading my thoughts.”

“Easy pickings this time. I could see the doubt in your
eyes.”

“Have you…” Her hand whimsically gestured toward the door.
“With Sheena? Or Jocelyn?”

He let out a hearty laugh, cutting the previous edginess
that had set in as they’d discussed their precarious predicaments. “Absolutely
not. Both are in my service and I wouldn’t take advantage of that relationship.
But beyond that…I don’t find either one as appealing as I do you. Besides,
Sheena sticks to her kind.”

A point that did not fall on deaf ears. “That’s a good
practice, I suppose.”

He nodded, yet he didn’t relinquish his hold on her. “The
path we’re traveling is much more convoluted. But difficult to step off of.”

She knew she’d be false to insist otherwise. So she boldly
said, “The slayers will come for me soon. I heard you tell Morgan to alert them
you’d brought me to the castle to recover. We don’t have much time together.”

Fire lit his eyes. “And every moment wasted is one we won’t
reclaim.”

Her need for him had turned into such a consuming, living,
breathing entity she found it impossible to ignore the desire gripping her very
soul. She wiggled out of his loose embrace and pulled her top over her head
before letting the garment drop to the marble floor. Anxiety didn’t stand a
chance of sneaking up on her as Darien gazed at her, lust and longing in his
eyes.

She slipped out of her drawstring pants and stood before him
in nothing but her bra and panties. They were as simple and functional as could
be, and yet his irises darkened and his breath caught. Spurred on by his
reaction to her, she discarded the lingerie.

A deeper emotion flashed in his earnest expression. He said,
“You are stunning.”

His fingertips grazed her cheek, over her jaw and down her
neck. He trailed along her collarbone, then swept back to the hollow of her
throat. From there, the pads of his fingers brushed against her skin as they
moved slowly downward to the valley between her breasts, now heavy with desire.

Jade reveled in the appreciative look he gave her. At the
moment, it didn’t register in her mind that he was a king. Or that he was
immortal, obviously elite amongst his kind. What she saw before her was a man.
One of flesh and blood and bone. One with a moral conscience. One with physical
wants and needs that mirrored her own. One who did not judge her, find fault
with her or consider her weak.

She would never live up to the high regard in which his
expression suggested he held her, yet at the same time, she had no inclination
to give in to human insecurities. Somehow, they’d found themselves in a
scenario where the outside world and the severe differences between them ceased
to exist. If only for an evening…

Jade reached for the fastenings on his leather pants and
undid them. He toed off his boots and she finished undressing him. Then she
stood back and admired him, her pulse spiking, her breathing escalating. He was
more than magnificently built. He was a gift to be treasured.

He turned the water on and then took her by the hand,
leading her into the large, walk-in shower. The metal sheet with hammered holes
hanging overhead created a rainfall effect that was sensuous and inviting. The
glimmer of candlelight against the glass portion of the marble shower wall cast
shadows and light that lent a seductive mood to the private haven. Warm water
sluiced down her body, and it not only felt cleansing and refreshing but wildly
titillating.

Darien ran his hands through her wet hair and asked, “Are
you sure you’re feeling okay?”

“Much better,” she said. “I pulled through quicker than I’d
expected, thanks in large part to you, Morgan and Sheena.” Stepping closer to
him, she placed her palms over his abdomen and said, “Mostly you.” Stretching
on tiptoe, she brushed her lips against his. He bent his head and kissed her
deeply. Then she moved away and inspected the various jars and soaps lined
neatly along a built-in shelf.

Selecting a mint-colored bar, she lathered up and then ran
her hands over the wide chest of the brawny man who did everything to arouse
her in every conceivable way simply by being himself.

“You have a physique meant to be sculpted and placed in a
museum,” she told him.