Primal Pleasure: Pendragon Gargoyles, Book 3 (22 page)

With the exception of Briana, they had the place mostly to themselves. Cale and Sorcha never stayed for long when they did return, and Tristan and Kennedy spent the majority of their time at Pendragon’s or in Avalon.

She and Cian had actually planned on heading to Avalon themselves, but when Cian had found the Looney Toons marathon on television, he’d been quick to suggest waiting another day or two. He was either avoiding her sister, who talked non-stop about the Fae court since discovering their truth about Leah and being royalty, or her father.

Assuming it was the latter, she’d caved. Although her father was so preoccupied with picking arguments with Leah whenever their paths crossed—which seemed to be a lot these days, thanks to Elena—she doubted he’d be up for giving Cian a hard time anyway.

“You know what we could have, though? Food.”

“That’s not exactly the appetite I was hoping to appease at the moment, but if food is what you truly crave—” he opened his mouth over hers, “—then who am I to deny you?”

“Mmmm,” was about the only response she could put together when he was done kissing the life out of her. She leaned away from that sensational mouth of his before it was responsible for getting her naked.

He sighed. “I guess that means I’m cooking.”

“Assuming you don’t want burnt food.” One set of scorch marks on the ceiling was enough to live down, and that was after they’d only been back two days.

“I still don’t understand how you can burn—”

She slapped her hand over his mouth. “Keep talking and it won’t just be in my dreams when I start dropping anvils.”

Cian laughed and hauled her up, holding her against him.

Leaning into him, she whispered, “Close your eyes.” And the second he did, she shoved him backward and darted around the couch, heading for the door.

She heard his feet hit the floor behind her, imagined he’d hopped right over the couch to pursue her. He could have caught her in the hall and they both knew it. Instead, he waited until she skidded around the corner and into the kitchen before he pounced.

She pivoted and dropped into a crouch, making herself as small a target as possible, the way Sorcha had shown her. Less than two feet away, Cian stopped, but his gaze was locked on something else.

The patio door opened, and Briana stepped inside. Her posture mirrored Cian’s when she noticed them in the room. The tension in the room jumped a hundred degrees, and Emma glanced between the two.

Then she glanced outside and saw the sun had risen, and instead of playing gargoyle on the roof, Briana looked like she’d just been caught unwrapping all her Christmas presents while everyone else was asleep.

“How… When… Who…” Cian stopped. “Who?” he repeated.

Emma rolled her eyes, grateful she’d never had any protective older brothers. She’d bet Cian was grateful for that to.

Too bad that didn’t stop him from crossing his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

His sister only shrugged, leaving Emma to fill in the silence. “Why not just shove her under a bright light? We can even play good cop, bad cop.”

Cian scowled at her, and Briana tried to take advantage of the distraction to retreat back the way she’d come without saying a word.

“Briana.”

“Not now, Cian.” She growled and shoved past him when he tried to get between her and the door.

Cian stared after her, and Emma joined him in time to see Briana’s sleek cat form disappear into the trees.

She slid her arms around his waist, snuggling up against his back. “She’ll be okay.”

He shook his head. “She’s been hiding it, hasn’t she? Why?”

“Maybe she’s not ready to share who her mate is.”

“Do you know something?” He glanced over his shoulder at her.

“Even if I did, it would be Briana’s story to tell.” And all she really had at the moment were some strong suspicions about a particular wraith.

“That’s not answering the question.”

She slipped around him and closed the door before taking his hand. “A very wise man once told me that it’s best not to get between siblings.”

He snorted. “I said that once, and I’m pretty sure Elena had threatened to sew my tail to my balls at the time.”

Leading him out of the kitchen, Emma headed for their bedroom, intent on distracting him. She didn’t have to try very hard. Once they were through the door, he slammed it closed and whirled to pin her against it.

“Bed,” she whispered, loving the way his hands slid right under her top, boldly cupping her breasts.

“Why?” He bent his head, running his mouth down her throat.

She moaned, raking at his shoulders. “Because.”

“Because you’ll be closer to the restraints you stashed under the bed earlier?”

“You know about them?” She pushed at his chest.

“Did you think I subjected myself to hours of Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck for the sheer enjoyment of it? I’ve been waiting all night for you to dig them out.”

Suspicious, she searched his eyes. “Really? I hadn’t expected you to be so receptive.”

“To being chained up so you can have your wicked way with me?”

“Well, when you put it like that…”

He laughed and slanted his mouth across hers for a hard, feverish kiss that left her trembling inside. She had only a second to get her brain back online, and then he dragged her into the bedroom.

Grinning, he dropped onto the edge of the bed and held up his hands.

He was making it all too easy. She’d expected it to take some convincing. “What are you up to?”

“Me? You’re the one with the handcuffs stashed under the bed.”

“How did you even spot them, anyway?” She bent over to grab them, not even making it halfway before he scooped her up and tossed her on the bed.

He grinned down at her, his body pressing her into the mattress.

“You never had any intention of submitting to me, did you?”

“I’ve already surrendered my heart. Or isn’t that enough?”

Heart pounding from that intense look in his eyes, she pretended to mull it over. “Nope.”

He nipped her shoulder. “You’re determined to have all of me, are you?”

Locking her arms around his neck, she drew him closer. “Don’t I have you now?”

He slowly swept his mouth across hers. “Until the day I die.”

About the Author

A born and raised Maritimer, Sydney Somers fell in love with writing at the age of eight. Since finishing her first book in 2002, Sydney has written over twenty-five romances—one of which will forever remain hidden under her bed.

When she’s not tracking down remote controls, chasing after three very energetic children or exterminating rogue dust bunnies, Sydney can be found curled up with a good book or working on her next sexy, paranormal romance. She loves to hear from readers and invites them to e-mail her (
[email protected]
) or drop by her website (
www.sydneysomers.com
) any time.

Look for these titles by Sydney Somers

Now Available:

Pendragon Gargoyles

Primal Hunger

Primal Attraction

Shadow Destroyers

Unbreakable

Stripped Away

Storm Warning

Dark Obsession

Spellbound

Say You’re Mine

Don’t Let Go

Whatever It Takes

Enslaved

Waitin’ on a Hero

Call Me Cupid

Talons: Caged Desire

Coming Soon:

Trust Me

Scorching desire…fatal consequences.

Dark Obsession

© 2010 Sydney Somers

Shadow Destroyers, Book 4

Demon slayer Rae McAvoy refuses to let anything stand between her and getting the job done. Especially her ex. Loving Parker nearly destroyed her, and if partnering with him one last time means he’ll be reassigned and out of her life for good, bring it on.

If Parker was the only threat to her heart, tracking down one rogue scientist would be a snap. Except the scientist in question is Rae’s father, and his experiments are hitting much too close to home.

Parker Walsh hasn’t forgotten the passion that once burned between them, and he’s determined to remind Rae every chance he gets. But giving in to more than just lust could mean surrendering to the darkness inside him—the same darkness that once drove her away.

Riding the edge of their rising desire pushes them to the breaking point, until an explosion of passion raises the stakes even higher. Especially when long-buried secrets force them to break the last links to their past—or else be consumed by an obsession so dark it could tear them apart for good.

Warning: Contains a fierce battle of wills between reunited lovers, explosive sexual tension, sarcasm, gritty demon-slaying violence, scorching sex and a love worth fighting for.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Dark Obsession:

Air rushed across her face as an arm wrapped around her waist, dragging her off the ledge before she’d even gotten all the way to her feet.

“Are you trying to kill me?” Parker snapped, holding her tight against him. “Stay off the goddamn ledge.”

Shoving him back wasn’t an option. Not until she was sure her legs were going to cooperate more than her lungs—which seemed to be working fine now. Fine enough she could smell Parker’s aftershave on her next shaky inhale.

God, he smelled good. Familiar. For a moment the good memories from her past competed with the bad and won. She’d only been twenty-one when they’d met, scared she’d end up an empty shell, like the demons that had changed her. More than anything she’d needed something to fill up the empty places inside her.

And Parker had. For three years he’d made her forget how she’d ended up with the network, made her forget she hadn’t been special enough for her father. But in the end she hadn’t been enough for Parker either. Not enough to save him from spiraling into a dark place she couldn’t reach and not enough to get through to him when he’d been determined to believe anything except the truth.

So she’d left, though it had taken her a long time to accept that he’d left her long before that, giving up on them and taking her heart right along with him.

“Rae?” Parker ran his hand up her back.

She closed her eyes, almost telling herself they were in another time and place. She was halfway there in her head, but he kept talking, forcing her back to the here and now.

“I’m fine.” She sounded like it anyway. At least that was something.

Avoiding his gaze, she stepped back and turned away from him.

Parker grabbed her hand. “Hey.”

“No.” She wasn’t talking about it. Not to him. Not today. Rae didn’t have to pull hard to get him to release her. She figured out why that was when she reached the door and stepped into the stairwell.

He wanted her contained, the determined look on his face three-quarters stubborn and one-quarter pure arrogant male.

Typical.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“There’s nothing to tell.” Moving on had always been her best bet. Telling him hadn’t even crossed her mind when she’d been so determined to pretend she wasn’t any different than every other agent that had been cornered and changed by a demon.

“Bullshit.” He sidestepped, blocking her access to the stairs.

“No, bullshit is you standing there looking all offended when I don’t owe you any explanations.”

“Is Lawrence Hurst your father?”

It was the plea she heard in his voice that made the walls feel like they were closing in. God, she wanted to deny it, if only to prevent the sympathy she’d see on his face the second she admitted it.

And where there was sympathy, disbelief and revulsion would follow. She’d seen the same reaction from dozens of people once the network had discovered what her father was working on.

Friends of Adrian and her father, who had once looked at her like she was any other kid, became wary and appalled by her presence, as though she’d been tainted beyond saving and the condition was contagious.

Only when she’d proven that what made her different could be an asset in the field had they stopped watching her as though they expected her to begin feeding on human emotions at any moment.

Even years later, she dreaded trips to headquarters, knowing there would still be some who remembered the experiments and would give her a wide berth when she visited.

She’d worked her ass off for years, determined to be more than the result of some experiment, and now Parker was standing there, demanding an answer that would undermine everything.

“Talk to me, Rae. Please.”

“The way you talked to me?” It was hitting below the belt to bring up the past, but it seemed to work. Parker backtracked a couple steps.

“Oh that’s right, you didn’t talk to me, did you?” she pressed, eager to have something else to focus on other than feeling sorry for herself.

“It’s not the same and you damn well know it.”

“You’re right. I’m not so self-absorbed that I tuned out the rest of the world.”

He flinched, but didn’t give up and leave her alone like she’d hoped. “Damn it, Rae, I lost my mother and sister.”

“And I lost you.” It was out before she could take it back, and Parker took instant advantage of the slip, moving in until he had her backed against the wall.

“Then don’t make the same mistakes I did. Don’t push me away.” He brushed his thumb across her cheek, the gentle touch at complete odds with the way he used his size and proximity to keep her from running.

Her eyes slid closed, then she shoved him away. She couldn’t handle gentle right now, not when she felt like a house of cards one breath away from collapsing. “Back off.”

He grabbed her arm when she tried to get past him, wrenching her back around and pressing his body into hers this time to keep her in place.

There were at least a dozen maneuvers to neutralize him, to physically force him to release her. She just couldn’t remember what any of them were. Maybe it was talking about the past, or wanting to forget today’s turn of events, but the second his solid frame pinned her to the wall, a shock of heat sailed through her.

Startled by the intense sensation, she wasn’t fast enough to silence the sharp catch of her breath, the sound echoing in the stairwell.