Fury of Obsession (Dragonfury Series Book 5) (9 page)

Or deny pulling back was the right thing to do.

Respect and caring ran hand in hand. He must start as he meant to go on. Do the right thing and protect his female. Even if it meant shielding her from himself.

Exhaling long and slow, he palmed her waist. “Evie, open your eyes.”

Slim fingers playing in his hair, she shook her head. “Kiss me again. I forget with your mouth on mine. Please, kiss me again.”

“Later—if you like.”

“No.” Her grip on him tightened. Shifting in suggestion, she tried to pull him closer. Venom tensed and held the line. No way would he allow her to manipulate him. No matter how much he wanted her, he wouldn’t give in. He wanted to talk. Needed to know more about her before it went any further. Not that Evelyn cared. Wielding desire like a whip, she leaned in and nipped his bottom lip, lashing him with lust, using greed against him. Venom cursed. She smiled against his mouth. “Now, Venom. If you want me to stay, kiss me again.”

The ultimatum firmed his resolve. Her bossy tone sealed the deal.

Little vixen. Beautiful temptress. No chance in hell he’d let her dictate the play. Not while he stood between her thighs with her half-dressed in his arms. “You’re not going anywhere, Evie. Not until I let you.”

She tensed. “Are you threatening me?”

“No. I would never hurt you,
mazleiha
,” he murmured, calling her sweetheart in Dragonese. “Never in a million years, but I want to talk, s
o . . .
look at me.”

Her thick lashes flickered. Wary brown eyes met his. “Aren’t we past talking?”

“Not by a long shot.”

“Why?” she asked, sounding confused. “I thought you wanted me.”

“I do want you. More than I should, bu
t . . .
” Venom trailed off, wondering how best to broach the subject. Should he come out and ask? Hope he didn’t cross the line and stick his nose where it didn’t belong? She might take offense. Decide he was a possessive asshole. Maybe even one of those obsessive stalker types. Venom smothered a grimace. Probably not far from the truth. At least, not for him when it came to her. “How often do you do this, Evie?”

She frowned. “Why does it matter?”

“It matters to me,” he said, refusing to back down. “How often?”

“Never. You’re my first client.”

Venom exhaled in a rush. Thank God. Good news. She wasn’t a call girl at all. At least, not yet. She wouldn’t be either. Not if he had anything to say about it. A telling reaction, considering his aversion to judging others. He wasn’t a saint, and it wasn’t his place to decide what was right for another. Still, he couldn’t deny his relief. No woman should ever have to sell her body. And like it or not, he hated that Evelyn found herself here—inside the Luxmore, forced into the arms of a stranger for money.

It wasn’t her style.

Her level of polish and sophistication told him that much. Her body language—along with the uncertainty in her eyes—explained the rest. Given half a chance, she would run. Leave the swanky hotel behind and never look back. The realization unleashed his curiosity, dragging the need to know into the foreground. Now he wanted to learn everything about her—the why and how of her circumstances.

“I’m glad. I like the idea of being your first.” As she huffed, he raised his hand and, unable to stop touching her, brushed an errant curl from her cheek. “Why are you doing it?”

“None of your business.”

“I just made it my business.”

“You have no right.”

“Untrue.” He had every right. More than any other male on the planet. It didn’t matter that he was new to her—or that Evelyn didn’t yet know she belonged to him. With a gentle touch, he shackled her wrist and turned her elbow out, exposing the inside of her forearm. Marks, the shape of fingernails, on her skin. The beginnings of bruises as well. Someone had manhandled her. Very recently too. Brushing his thumb over the nicks on her arm, Venom bit down on a snarl. “Is someone threatening you?”

She shook her head.

Intuition spiked, making his dragon senses sharpen. “I can protect you,
mazleiha
—but you have to let me.”

“I’m fine.”

Oh, so not true. A big lie. She was anything but
fine
. “Evie—”

“Really,” she said, a stubborn lilt in her voice. “My self-defense class got a little rough, that’s all.”

More lie
s . . .
or the truth?

Venom couldn’t tell. Evelyn had a poker face most males would envy. Toss in her tolerance to his magic, the ability to shut him out by veiling her thoughts, an
d . . .
yeah. No way could he get an accurate read on her. Which meant he needed to up the ante. Make her squirm a little in order to make her talk.

Gaze boring into hers, Venom pressed his hips between her thighs. Her breath caught a second before her eyes narrowed in warning. With a quick twist, she broke his hold on her wrist and laid both palms flat on his chest. Arm muscles flexing, she pushed him away. He didn’t move. Evelyn shoved him again, the message clear—
back off, buddy
—as she tried to jump down from the edge of the dresser.

“How much trouble are you in?” he asked, ignoring her defiance, pissing her off by being too pushy.

Unable to budge him, she leveled her chin.

Her bravado lasted a moment. Less than an instant before shame stole into her expression. Color bloomed in her cheeks as she looked away an
d . . .
ah, hell. There it was—the vulnerability he sensed behind the tough facade she presented to the world. Venom’s throat went tight. He understood what drove her. Too much pride. Rampant mistrust. The belief safety existed in self-reliance and being alone.

“Tell me, Evie.” Placing his finger beneath her chin, Venom turned her face back toward him, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I won’t let you go until you do.”

“It’s nothing serious.”

Venom gave her a no-nonsense look.

She squirmed. “Look, I really am all right. I don’t need help with anything, I jus
t . . .
” Tugging on the neckline of her dress, she covered up. “God. This is so embarrassing.”

“Just say it.”

“I lost my job a few months ago, okay? I need the money.”

“Bills to pay?” he asked, hating her discomfort as much as his high-handedness. But as much as it chafed him, getting to the truth was more important than her embarrassment. He couldn’t help her, after all, if he didn’t understand the problem. “Creditors?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll make you a deal.”

Her brows furrowed. “What kind of deal?”

“Exclusivity. No other males but me. No more meeting strangers in hotel rooms.”

“But—”

“Each time we meet, you’ll get another three grand.”

Reaching around her, he grabbed the roll of hundreds sitting on the dresser. Her gaze bounced from him to the cash, then back again. Perched between his fingertips, he wagged the bundle, using the money as an incentive. One designed to dial down her resistance. An excellent approach to a stubborn female. He could see it in her eyes—the need to go it alone and clean up her mess. So yeah, the bribe served a purpose. Evelyn would get to keep her pride and solve her own problems. And he’d succeed in keeping her out of another male’s bed while he wooed her into acceptance.

Without having to kidnap her.

In the same way his Nightfury brothers had been forced to do with their mates.

The realization struck with the force of a dump truck at full tilt. Venom sucked in a breath. Holy shit. What an idea. A sappy one, sure, bu
t . . .
wow. It held the power to slay him. Now he couldn’t deny its appeal. He longed for the experience. Wanted a chance to spend time with Evelyn outside the lair—to go on real dates, to court her, treat her right and—

“Why are you helping me?”

Her voice dragged him out of the fantasy. His gaze snapped back to hers. “Because I can. And I don’t like to share.”

Surprise surfaced in her eyes.

Venom raised a brow. “S
o . . .
do we have an agreement?”

Swallowing hard, she nodded. “Okay.”

“Good.” Satisfaction roared as he set the money in her hand.

Looking confused—and beyond adorable—she whispered, “Thanks.”

Feeling lighter than he had in ages, Venom gave her a quick kiss, caressed the outsides of her thighs one last time, then stepped back. Palming her waist, he lifted her off the wooden lip. The second her feet touched down, he turned her to face the TV. Watching her reflection in the dark pane, he zipped the back of her dress. Smooth skin disappeared behind pale silk, making regret rise and his heart throb.

Venom smothered a grimace. Had he said idiot earlier? Well, he’d meant brainless. No way he should be zipping her back up instead of stripping her bare. The image streamed into his head—of Evelyn. Naked, bowed in supplication beneath him.

His erection throbbed in protest.

Resisting the urge to adjust his button fly, Venom cleared his throat and gave her a gentle push. “Grab your things,
mazleiha
. We’re done for tonight.”

“And tomorrow?”

“You meet me for dinner at eight.”

“Where?”

“Figorelli’
s . . .
west side of town.”

“Italian?”

“Any objections?”

She shook her head and, using one of the club chairs for balance, slipped back into her sexy stilettos. Venom breathed in through his nose, then out his mouth. Goddamn. She really did have the longest legs he’d ever seen. Evelyn straightened and shrugged into her wrap. He smoothed his expression, giving nothing away as she met his gaze from across the room.

“I’ll meet you there,” she whispered, walking toward him.

Enjoying the sensual sway of her hips, he nodded. “One other thing.”

“What?”

“I want your full name.”

Not that he needed it. She’d fed him from the Meridian—source of all living things. Now he could track the trace energy she left in her wake anywhere. The full name was for Sloan. For the information Venom wanted his buddy to pull off the web about her. He needed to know more before he came face to face with her again.

“Evelyn Victori
a . . .
” She paused to sling her purse over her shoulder, then sidestepped on three-inch heels, walking between him and the bed. Leaving him behind, she headed for the door. “Fox
e . . .
spelled F-O-X-E.”

His mouth curved.

Foxe
. As in foxy as hell. The name suited her better than sweetheart. Whic
h . . .
frigging hel
l . . .
made him want to abandon his principles. Forget
right
—throw it out the nearest window while he embraced
wrong
, whisked her away to Black Diamond, an
d . . .

Made her his.

“Go, Evie,” he said, clinging to resolve by his fingernails. “Before I change my mind and ask you to stay.”

Footfalls silent on the plush carpet, she reached the door. Her hand on the knob, she paused to look over her shoulder. Uncertainty in her eyes, she met his gaze. Seconds ticked into more before her expression softened. “Hey, Venom?”

Heart thumping hard, he tipped his chin. “Yeah?”

“See you tomorrow.”

“Eight o’clock.”

She nodded. The lock clicked. The door swung open. Evelyn stepped over the threshold and into the corridor.

And just like that, she was gone, leaving him surrounded by silence and physical need so thick he ached for her. Releasing a rough breath, Venom bowed his head, forcing himself to stay put. To be solid and keep his word. But it was hard. He wanted to go after her. Yearned to pull her back into his arms and head for home. Clenching his hands, he shook his head. No can do. Kidnapping her was a bad idea. He must do it properly. Woo her right. Earn her trust and win her acceptance in the end.

Desiring her didn’t mean crossing the line. Or disrespecting the female he wanted for his own. Claiming Evelyn as his mate would com
e . . .
in time. But only if he eased her toward accepting him and Dragonkind. By no means an easy proposition. Venom knew it, but refused to shy away. He couldn’t. His dragon half wouldn’t let him. Energy-fuse—the magical bond between mates—was a powerful thing. Once activated, a Dragonkind male couldn’t resist its pull. Or the female who triggered the mating instinct.

His had clicked into place the moment he saw Evelyn.

Now he was stuck. Mired waist-deep in the curse of his kind. A prisoner of desire, he’d been caged by the sheer force of her. Which meant he couldn’t go back, never mind—

Venom huffed.

What a stupid thought. He didn’t want to go back. He’d been lonely for so long. Had waited for Evelyn all his life. His dragon half had bonded with her in seconds. Was now locked on and tuned in—burning for her with a ferocity that startled him. Everything hinged on her and his ability to earn her love: his future, his happiness, the promise of a mate who accepted hi
m . . .
flaws and all. Flexing his fingers, Venom swallowed hard. Such high stakes. So much to lose. Everything to gain. All he could do now was hope and pray.

Hope she came to need him.

And pray she stayed when he revealed his scalier side and the truth came out.