Eternal Breath of Darkness (9 page)

You started it.
With a huge, satisfied smile spread across his face, he reluctantly released
her from his fantasy,

Caylee suddenly thought
about Emmett, her uncle, and the consequence she would suffer if he ever
discovered her friendship with Haden. Her uncle had specific plans for her
future, and those plans definitely didn’t include Haden. Fear surged through
her, and she trembled. Emmett would be furious. He would reveal her secret.
Haden would never forgive her. How could he? He would loathe the thought of
her.

What am I going to do with
you? I could never loathe you.
He paused.
What secret do
you keep from me?
Of course he knew exactly what she thought she was hiding
from him, but he believed she needed to trust him enough to open up to him.

It’s none of your business!
Stay out of my head!
She booted him out of her mind.

He tried to regain entrance
to mind, but she continued to block him. He could’ve easily used more force,
but it would’ve caused her pain. He wasn’t willing to hurt her to prove he was
powerful. He took a deep breath. Why was she afraid of Emmett? He’d never liked
the man, but he believed she was safe with him. Why didn’t she tell him
otherwise? His heart sank. She didn’t trust him to protect her because her
self-esteem was shattered. She truly believed she didn’t matter to him.

Realizing she could smell
his cologne, Caylee turned her head and glared at the door.
You had better
not be out there, Haden.

Why? Are you worried I will
come in and see you naked?

I’m dressed.
Looking away from the door, she bent over to put her thigh-highs on.

He materialized behind her.
She was bent over, and her short black dress was hiked up over her hips. Oh
yeah, the view of the black lace thong definitely topped the tight jeans. “You
have such a nice ass, little love.”

Gasping, she looked up in
mirror and saw his reflection behind her. “What are you doing in here?” She
started to fall forward.

Laughing, he caught her hips
and held her. “It appears I’m helping you keep your balance.”

Standing upright, she closed
her eyes. Splaying his hands over her belly, he pulled her close, pressing her
backside against his body. She tried to convince herself he wasn’t there with
her. It was her imagination. “Do you really think if you pretend I’m not here
I’ll just disappear?”

She opened her eyes to meet
his gaze in the mirror. “Sure, you appear and disappear all the time—why not
now? Now would be a good time for you to disappear.” Glancing down at her feet,
she thought of falling to the floor and burying herself beneath it.

“I would wait. Sooner or
later—I’m betting sooner—you would resurface for air.”

“Oh no”—she turned
suddenly—“you didn’t!” He was so close she stumbled backward. “Enough is
enough.”

He wrapped his arms around
her to prevent her from falling. “What?”

“Don’t you dare play dumb.”
He was grinning like an idiot, looking all innocent, but he wasn’t. She was so
furious she could feel her checks turning red. She seriously considered
slapping him. It would serve him right. “You know exactly what I’m talking
about.” She pointed at her head. “This is off limits to you!”

“Of course.”

She couldn’t believe he had
the nerve to continue grinning. And was he looking at her butt in the mirror?
Yep, he was staring at it. “Stop looking at my butt.” She shoved him. “I’m
serious, Haden.” Reaching behind her, she pulled her dress down over her hips.

“I only heard what you
hurled at me.” Pulling her nearer, he reached out and gently lifted her chin.
Leaning down, he kissed her. Just once. A quick peck. “I missed you.”

Tilting her head to the
side, she smiled sweetly, way too sweetly. “Really?”

Fighting back the urge to
laugh, he nodded. “Absolutely.”

“You were only gone for one
night.” She placed her hand over her heart. “And to think only a moment ago you
were so close to getting on my bad side. I couldn’t possibly be angry now.”

Stepping nearer, she reached
up and framed his face between her hands. “I missed you, too.” She placed her
right hand on the center of his chest. “In fact, I nearly didn’t survive the
night.” It took every ounce of her strength to hold back the laughter bubbling
up in her, but she managed quite well.

“I appreciate your honesty.”
Arching his brow at her, he nodded. “Exposing such weakness for a man must be
frightening. If I wasn’t a man of superior integrity I might take advantage of
it by using it to seduce you.” He reached behind her and slipped his hand
beneath the dress to caress her hips. “You’re not only the most beautiful, sexy
woman I’ve ever seen; you’re also the most courageous.” Taking her hand he
brought it to his mouth and kissed it. “I can’t stand the thought of you
suffering.”

Hot flames of retribution
danced in her eyes, as she held his gaze. Whatever he could do, she could do
better. She brought his hand to her chest and held it over her heart. “I swear
my heart just skipped a beat, maybe even two. Can you feel it, Haden?” Her
voice was very low and husky, extremely seductive, purposely sounding
breathless.

He held her gaze for an
entire second, maybe even two, and then looked down at his hand over her breast
that was covered by nothing more than thin black lace and silk. His body
instantly responded. His breath caught in his throat. Every muscle in his body
tensed as hot blood rushed to his groin. Startled, he met her gaze.

Knowingly, she smirked. He
moved his hand quickly, completely shocked by her behavior. She was playing
dirty. He loved it. He should admit defeat and beg for mercy, but he wasn’t
ready to give up just yet. She was about to seriously mess him up. He couldn’t
wait. He wanted more—he was a true glutton for punishment. Perhaps he was even
a bit demented. “I never meant to distress you, little love.”

She stepped nearer and
placed her hands on his shoulders, allowing them to slowly slide down his arms.
“Oh Haden, you’re such a strong, powerful, sexy man.” Seductively gazing up at
him, she bit her lower lip. “What woman could ever resist such absolute masculine
perfection?”

Oh, damn, she’d called him
sexy out loud. She was practically naked. He was so swollen, so hard he was
about to burst out of his pants. He was in serious danger, but he still wasn’t
ready to admit defeat. He wanted so much more. Trying to appear as casual as
possible, he shrugged. “I’ve yet to meet one.”

“Think again.” She shoved
him as hard as she could. “No matter how nice you are to look at, I’ll always
find it easy to resist you. I can’t believe how arrogant you turned out to be.
I almost believed you were a gentleman. You have the manners of a dog. A nasty,
filthy dog. And a terrible sense of humor too. You’re so rude.”

“A dog?” He laughed.

“A nasty, filthy dog,” she
corrected, “that’s always getting into my head, uninvited. And not to talk me.
Oh no, you’re not talking. You’re sneaking, snooping around. You’re probably
doing it right now.”

“Definitely not. You’re
talking too fast and making my head spin. Besides getting a terrible headache,
I’m finding it difficult to keep up with what you’re saying.”

“Not surprising.”

“Admit it—you’re in love
with me.”

“Not even a little.”

“You’re lying.” He reached
out and gently caressed her face with the very tips of his fingers. “I love
you, Caylee.”

She needed to get as far
away from him as possible, before it was too late and she said too much.

He instantly felt fear and
saw the change in her countenance. He pushed his mind forward to merge her
mind. “Too late for what?”

“Haden, why are you doing
this?” Caylee’s heart rate sped up as she moved nearer.

He stood absolutely still.
Speechless, he looked down at her. His body was a raging inferno of need. The
floorboards vibrated as he fought his body’s demands. He was in a terrible
state. He needed to stay in control. He needed to focus. It was far more
convenient to keep a level head when she wasn’t touching him. And damn it, she
wasn’t simply touching him. He might survive a touch. Her body was so snugly
pressed against his he could feel every beat of her heart.

He looked furious; his icy
blue gaze filled with such terrible darkness. She took a deep breath and
swallowed hard. Releasing her breath, she forced herself to smile. “What’s
wrong?”

She tried to back away, but
he held her arms firmly. She struggled for a moment, and then she stopped and stared
up at him.

“Stop it. I’m not angry. And
I thought my eyes bothered you when they turn black.” Looking very naughty, he
smiled at her. “I’m just so frustrated. Extremely, painfully frustrated.”

He was so big. So close. His
body crowded hers. “Why?” Holding his gaze, she paused, secretly battling her
desire to embrace the hope his love for her was strong enough to survive the
truth. And that she could find the strength to overcome the sudden flashbacks
that tormented her.  “Oh, Haden, why are you doing this?” Within seconds,
her common sense was left gasping for life at her feet as her irrational desire
savored the victory.

Enchanted by the love in his
gaze, she allowed her safeguards to drop. With him was the only place she
wanted to be. Closing her eyes, she remembered their bodies entwined in a
passionate embrace. She thought of the warmth and strength of his hands
caressing her body. She thought of the enticing masculine scent of his body.
The sensation of his kiss on her lips. Suddenly shocked by her wandering mind,
she looked up at him. He was grinning from ear to ear. Her face turned red. She
couldn’t get angry. She’d definitely hurled the thoughts at him.

* * *

“I can’t believe he went in there with her,” Julie whispered.

“Are you sure he didn’t just
leave?” Brianna asked.

“There’s no way. He would’ve
walked across the store to get to the door. I definitely would’ve noticed.” She
tugged on Brianna’s arm. “Come on. I want to go listen by the door.”

“Nope.” Brianna shook her
head. “No way. I do not want to hear whatever it is they’re doing in there.”

“What if he’s hurting her?”

“She would scream.”

“You don’t know that.”
Walking toward the dressing room area, Julie tugged on Brianna’s arm again.
“How are you going to feel if you find out he was hurting her? We need to make
sure she’s okay.”

“Julie, you’re seriously
overreacting. He wouldn’t have been able to get in there with her unless she
unlocked the door for him.”

“Maybe she didn’t lock the
door.”

~
Seven ~

“ALL NIGHT LONG I dreamed of your kiss.” He bent his head to kiss
the corner of her mouth. “I dreamed of your legs wrapped around my body.”
Lifting her and then holding her up with one hand, he used the other to wrap
her leg around his body. “I dreamed of your satiny flesh against mine.” He
breathed deeply, allowing her tantalizing scent of warm, spiced vanilla to
envelope and fill him.

So many thoughts were racing
through Caylee’s mind. Her body was on fire for him. Her heart was racing so
frantically it felt as if it would burst right out of her chest. How long had
she hoped for a second chance at life? How long ago had she given up on it? She
was so tired of pretending there was any possible way to escape her life. He
was promising to pull her out of her silent suffering and take her far away
from the endlessness of her dark reality. But why? She wasn’t the right type of
a woman for a man like him. Was she a diversion? If so, from what? She needed
to know as much as possible if she were going to survive the game of seduction
he was playing. She couldn’t afford to allow him to rip her heart to shreds.

“Your beauty brings me to my
knees, little love.” It was the truth. Her beauty had always captivated him.
“I’ve never imagined a woman more exquisite than you.” She was tiny in stature,
with a slender build but with a curvy, womanly figure. Her long, loose curls of
dark brown hair fell to the center of her back. Her eyes were dark green, with
shimmers of gold when the light hit them just right. “Your heart is safe with
me.”

He focused on her lips.
While they parted in a sweet, innocent smile, he knew the truth. Her innocent
smile doubled as a powerful, intoxicating weapon of seduction. The right corner
of his mouth curled upward as he recalled the way she tortured him with her
kiss. “I love you, Caylee. I love you with every cell in my body.”

“Stop teasing me.” Smiling
shyly, she bit her lower lip. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not stupid. I know
we both got carried away last night.”

“Damn it, Caylee.” His deep,
seductive voice, simply saying her name, heated her blood and caressed her
soul. “Shut up and lock your ankles together.”

Her eyes filled up with
tears. “Why are you doing this?” He wouldn’t want her if he knew she’d made a
terrible decision that led to her being raped by a group of men.

Haden hated that she blamed
herself for being raped. He hated that it made her feel unworthy of him. He
also hated that he’d allowed her to continue pretending he didn’t know about it
until it became her reality. He should’ve forced her to face the truth the
night he found her “You’re mine. You’re my miracle, my angel.” He was demon, a
soul damned for eternity. “You’re everything pure and lovely.” He was
everything dark and dangerous. “You surpass every fantasy I’ve ever
entertained. My heart and soul belong to you. I’m deeply, insanely in love with
you.”

She opened her mouth to
argue with him, but nothing came out. She had so many reasons to feel not good
enough for him, for the love he proclaimed to have for her. But she couldn’t
deny the truth in his eyes. He loved her more than anything. At least, for that
moment she was the center of his universe. His love for her might not last. It
probably wouldn’t. But she wanted to experience it.

Julie knocked on the
dressing room door. “Are you okay in there?”

“Haden,” Caylee whispered.
“What are they going to think?”

“I don’t care. Tell them
you’re fine,” he growled, “and kiss me.”

“I’m fine.” For a moment,
she had allowed herself to believe his love could prevail over the secret she
kept from him, but when the moment had passed she knew it was an unobtainable
fantasy. She wasn’t right for him. He was so amazing. Handsome. Strong.

“Are you sure?” Giggling,
Julie covered her mouth.

“Yes.” Caylee’s heart was
racing.

“Kiss me.” Several
breathless moments passed by as they gazed into each other’s eyes. “Damn it,
Caylee.” His deep, throaty voice richly revealed the depths of his desire for
her. “I love you.” His words, his voice, caressed her. “I know you’re afraid,
but I really need you to kiss me again right now.”

She was mesmerized, holding
his gaze. He brought her body to life. He made her mind wander to places she’d
never dared go before. She needed him. A tiny whimper escaped her throat as the
warmth of his breath wisped across her face. His lips were as close as they could
get to hers without actually touching. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head to
the left. She felt the heat of his mouth barely brushing up against hers, but
then she felt a peculiar chill as he pulled back.

Opening her eyes, she
gasped, shocked by intensity of the hunger in his black gaze. “Haden?” It was
so much greater than ever before. More intense. More fierce. His enormous
strength, his mysterious powers, everything about him was so dangerous, so
frightening. He wanted her. She knew, without any doubt, he was demanding
everything, her complete surrender, body and soul.

“Not demanding. Wanting you.
Needing you. But never demanding, little love. You control where this moment
will carry us. I will never take anything away from you, but I will gladly receive
whatever you’re willing to share with me,” he whispered, kissing the corner of
her mouth. “Kiss me.”

She kissed him, timidly at
first and then deeply, hungrily. She was on fire, allowing herself to truly
experience the exquisite pleasure of his kiss. Her body a raging inferno, she
met his tongue with hers, determined to give herself to him.

Experiencing a high like no
other ever known to him, his heart thundered in his ears. Something violent,
uncontrollable welled up in him, commanding him to take her last breath. It was
the only way to ensure her safety. He realized the danger of the situation, but
there was nothing he could about it. It wasn’t the right time. It was too soon.
She would likely die if he tried to give her immortality right now.

He’d just promised he would
never take anything from her she wasn’t willing to give, but it was lie. He
would take her last breath. He was helpless to save her or to save himself. He
was no longer in control of his nature. He’d waited for too long. The combination
of his lust and love for her devoured his strength, letting loose his true
character, demanding he bind them together for all eternity.

For so long, to protect her,
he’d been fighting against what he was, but he was done fighting, done denying.
She belonged to him. He belonged to her. He needed to dominate, to possess her
body and soul. His body ached. Painfully aroused, his cock, impossibly hard,
throbbed. He needed to get nearer; he needed to feel the heat of her satiny
flesh against his own. He needed to end his agony. He needed to be where he
belonged. He needed to plunge deep inside her body.

He slowly, gently lowered
her onto her feet. Reaching behind her, he gently but firmly pulled her hair,
arching her neck, exposing her throat. “I love you, Caylee. With every cell of
my being, I love you. No matter what happens, nothing will ever keep us apart.”
It was a warning, the only one he could give her. It was promise. If she died,
he would do the impossible. He would give up his existence to be with her.

Leaning down, he breathed in
the delicious scent of her body, preparing to take her life. She savored the
sensation of the moist heat of his breath on her throat. His seductive voice
caused her body to tremble. For an endless moment, he’d not yet touched her
with his lips, but she imagined them exploring her flesh. She clung to him, her
body pleading for the first touch of his lips. Then, all of the sudden, he was
kissing her neck and throat. Her body welcomed his touch. Feverish and damp,
every inch of her flesh tingled as her desire for him burned in the core of her
being.

In that instant, Haden made
a hasty decision. Believing the only hope she had to survive the ritual was to
face the truth, he decided to take her through time and space to the place
where he’d found her so close to death.

Lost in the pure ecstasy of
physical sensations, she wanted the moment to go on and on. She was slightly
aware of the black and silver mist surrounding them and the fact that they were
moving, floating through time and space.

“Tell me.” He so very
tenderly kissed her earlobe. “Tell me you know it too, Caylee.” Tears burned
behind his eye. This was it. It was the moment that would change everything.
“We can no longer pretend.”

Releasing her hair, he
cupped his hands around her face and gazed into her eyes for a moment, and then
he slowly leaned down and kissed her lips. “Tell me you know I love you. No
matter what happens, you’re safe with me.”

Unless she believed it, she
would fear him and die. And also, quite possibly, hate him on the other side of
existence.

All of the sudden, she was
silenced by the thought of her secret. Fear slammed into her. Not of him, but
of the past. For the first time, realizing they were no longer in the dressing
room, she glanced around and immediately recognized the area. Why had he
brought her here? She couldn’t allow him to learn the truth. Panicking, every
muscle in her body stiffened, and she struggled to free herself from his
embrace.

The fear, the absolute
horror in her eyes, instantly brought him to his senses. He’d come far too
close to destroying everything. He brought her here to help her face the past
and accept that he knew the entire truth all along. He’d allowed her to pretend
that, despite finding her here, he didn’t know what had happened to her. He
would’ve allowed her to continue believing he didn’t know anything, but he
couldn’t. It was driving a wedge between them. “Talk to me, little love—tell me
why you’re afraid.”

Her thoughts were jumbled.
Why had he brought her here? She was suffocating. Did he know the truth? Her
heart beat frantically, painfully slamming against her chest. No. He didn’t. He
couldn’t. It would be too much. She could never endure the shame and rejection.
Her chest hurt; clutching it, she stared up at him, her entire body trembling
uncontrollably.

“Relax, little love. You
don’t have any reason to be afraid of anything.” Knowing she was about to
collapse, he reached out for her.

Taking a step backward, the
color draining from her face, she stared up at him. “Please,” she said, her
voice weak, “leave me alone, Haden.” She needed to get away from him. She
needed to hide. Her eyes darted around frantically. “Please, just let … I
can’t be here.”

“It’s okay. You’re okay.”
Taking a step forward, he reached out to her. “You’re having a panic attack.”

Shaking her head, she
stepped back. She needed to leave. She needed to get as far away from him as
possible.

“Breathe,” he commanded,
keeping his hand extended, prepared to catch her. “You’ve no reason to ever be
afraid. You’re safe with me.” Not giving her a chance to back away any further,
he took her hand.

Her world was falling apart.
She looked down at his hand wrapped around hers. It felt so good, so right to
be touched by him. Shaking her head, she yanked her hand free. “You had no
right to bring me here. I need to leave. I can’t be here.”

 “Please, just let me
go.” She desperately searched her mind for a way to escape the moment without
revealing the truth. “We’re friends, Haden, nothing more.” She looked away from
him.

“Stop lying to yourself.”
His voice was a low and cruel growl, completely void of the tenderness she was
accustomed to hearing. She looked up him, tears streaming down her face. A
black mass of strange, translucent flames swirled around him. The ground
rumbled deep below the earth. A strong, icy wind picked up. His black eyes
reflected unbridled rage. Both eyes, even the whites, were as black as coal
with flecks of silver.

Paralyzed by fear, unable to
even take another breath, she stood absolutely still and studied him for a
moment, wishing she could close her eyes to escape his dark, fearsome gaze.

“Damn it, Caylee, they’re
just eyes. They change color with my emotions. They can’t hurt you.” Well, they
could, but they wouldn’t. Not her. Never her. “I could never do anything to
harm you.”

He grabbed her hand,
pressing her palm against his chest. “My heart beats only for you. You are my
life. The reason I breathe. We belong together. You need to trust me. Tell me
what you are afraid of.”

“You,” she lied, her voice
was pitiful whimper, but she held his gaze. “I saw you turn into a dragon.
You’re not human. I’ve seen you do impossible things. Being alone out here with
you terrifies me.” Forced by guilt, she looked away from him. “There’s something
terrible and dark inside you.”

A sudden, terrible burst
anger surged through him so that the ground shook enough to cause her to
stumble. “The darkness isn’t in me.” Taking a step closer, he stopped directly
in front of her, reaching out to lift her face toward his. “I am the darkness,”
he whispered between clenched teeth.

Lightning erupted,
zigzagging in dark, billowing clouds. She gasped, quickly looking away from
him. Thunder boomed so very loudly. Bone-chilling terror raced through her
veins. Eyes wide, she looked up at him. Black flames swirled around him,
engulfing him and engulfing her. He looked wholly evil, his harsh features set
in stone, intimidating and cruel. The image of huge, black leathery wings
shimmered on his back for a few seconds, and then they became tangible. Very
slowly, she stepped backward, looking from the left and to the right, searching
for a way to escape.