Prince of Air and Darkness (26 page)

Hunter swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m seeing Kiera tonight,” he said, and his voice was embarrassingly husky. “I’ll tell her the news, and I’ll say I have to leave immediately.” He cleared his throat. “I’ll go for a walk afterward. She’ll think I’m headed for Faerie, and I’ll act as if we’d had a fight for the benefit of any of my mother’s spies who might be watching. Your phooka should go for my right arm in his first rush, and he’d better finish me off quickly.”

Hunter’s fists clenched in his lap as he imagined allowing himself to be taken down by a phooka. It would be an inglorious end, to say the least. No matter how practical the plan was, his ego didn’t like it one bit, and in the heat of the moment . . .

“I’m going to fight back, Cathy,” he said tightly. “My instincts won’t allow me to just roll over, and even if they would, I have to make it look good for my mother’s spies. Tell the phooka I’ll kill him if he isn’t careful.”

Cathy had gone pale and wide-eyed. She cared about the phooka, he realized. But he didn’t take the threat back. It was best for everyone involved if the phooka was fighting for his life.

“Does that change things?” Hunter asked, already knowing the answer.

Cathy took a deep breath and raised her chin. “No. I’ll do whatever is necessary to protect Kiera, and so will Conan. I . . .” She looked down at her hands. “I’m sorry it had to come to this. You seem like a decent sort for a fey—”

Hunter cut her off with a bitter laugh. “That I most definitely am not. Save the speeches. I don’t much care whether you’re sorry or not.”

Perhaps it wasn’t terribly fair of him to lash out at her. It wasn’t her fault he was in this predicament, and she was just doing the best she could to protect her daughter. She was doing the right thing. But she’d already shot at him once today, and she’d just helped plan his murder. He would have to be a saint not to hate her for it, at least a little. And he was no saint.

****

Kiera snuggled into the warmth of Hunter’s body as they walked the four blocks from the comedy club back to their apartment building. His arm around her shoulders felt wonderful, and the scent of his leather coat blended beautifully with his cologne.

Although the evening had been truly romantic, with a scrumptious candle-lit dinner and enough sexual innuendo to leave her blood singing in anticipation, she’d sensed a certain underlying sadness in Hunter tonight. His laughter at the comedy club had sounded hollow to her ears, and even now, when she was basking in the glory of being close to him, she felt the pall.

She held her peace until they were safely back in his apartment. He took her coat and draped it over a chair. While he slipped off his own coat, she turned to him, arms akimbo.

“All right. Tell me what’s wrong,” she demanded.

He halted momentarily, then laid his coat on top of hers and turned to face her. “Nothing beyond the usual.” He smiled, but it was a very sad smile. His smile transformed from sad to lascivious. “Actually, I was hoping you could help me put ‘the usual’ out of my mind for a while.”

She’d been aching all evening to have him inside her, so she decided to figure out why he was especially gloomy today at some later time. She flashed him a mock-innocent glance and batted her eyelashes. “I can’t imagine what you might be talking about.”

He came to stand only inches from her, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body even though they weren’t touching. She had to strain her neck to meet his eyes, but it was worth it to see the light that shone in them. Oh, it was going to be hot tonight, all right.

Kiera rose to her tiptoes so she could brush her lips against his. He started to lean forward to take her lips more firmly, but she put a hand on his chest to hold him off. It seemed to take a mountain of self-control for him not to plow on through her resistance. She licked her lips invitingly, still holding him off.

“If I’m to cheer you up, you have to let me do this my way,” she told him.

He raised his eyebrows. “Your way? What’s wrong with
my
way?” He narrowed his eyes as if in anger, but the expression in them was pure mischief. “You’ve never complained about it before.”

She laughed. Perhaps she should have tried taking charge before. She rather liked seeing Hunter out of his element. “Now, now, no pouting. Be a good boy and humor me.”

He sighed heavily and put on a look of stoic acceptance. “Oh, all right! If you insist.”

She looked him over from head to toe, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. She circled him, continuing her slow examination, then put both hands on his chest and worked the top button of his shirt loose. Hunter closed his eyes in pleasure as she lightly stroked the skin her fingers had exposed. Her fingertips felt the ever-increasing speed of his pulse. She freed two more buttons, then planted a series of soft kisses on his chest as her hands continued their work.

Kiera savored the taste of him as her kisses turned more ardent and she heightened the torment with little flicks of her tongue. When the last button was open, she untucked the shirt from his pants with a swift, sure motion. Hunter shrugged his shoulders until the shirt fell free. She allowed herself to admire his lean but muscular frame for a moment before slipping her arms around him and continuing her oral exploration.

Hunter, clearly not used to being a passive lover, raised his hands with the obvious intention of cupping her breasts, but she grabbed his wrists to still them.

“Remember, I’m in charge here,” she said, her lips only millimeters from his skin.

“I’m not allowed to touch you?”

She laughed and ran the tip of her tongue over his nipple. “All in good time.”

He lowered his hands back to his sides with obvious reluctance. “I’m at your mercy. Do with me as you will.”

She complied by teasing first one nipple then the other into a hard little bud as she pressed her body against him, moving her hips so she could feel the hard length of his erection. Her fingernails raked down his back, then plunged under the waistband of his pants.

“Ah, woman, you’re killing me!” he complained breathlessly as her hands stroked his ass. But he obediently kept his own hands at his sides. Her patience with the foreplay was wavering, so she withdrew her hands and unbuckled his belt. “Now we’re getting somewhere,” he said.

She glanced up at his face briefly as she slid his zipper down. Despite his grumbling, his face practically glowed with pleasure, and he was watching her hands with heavy-lidded eyes. She pulled the pants and shorts down, biting her lower lip in anticipation when his erection sprang free.

Hunter’s pants and shorts were gathered at his ankles. He tried to free his feet, but he was still wearing his shoes and socks. Kiera stilled his efforts with firm hands.

“Here, let me,” she said, then knelt and slipped his shoes and socks off, tossing them aside. The pants and shorts soon followed. When she straightened, Kiera found herself on eye level with his penis. She reached up to run her fingers gently over the smooth shaft, smiling in pleasure to hear the moan that escaped Hunter’s lips. “I suppose while I’m in the neighborhood . . .” she murmured, then mimicked the course of her fingers with her tongue.

Hunter’s moan sounded almost painful, and his breaths came in short gasps. Feeling bolder and more uninhibited than she could ever remember feeling, Kiera slipped her hand between his legs to cup his balls while she opened her mouth and took him in. He buried his hands in her hair as she sucked greedily, running her tongue against his shaft, drunk with her power to arouse him. She took him deeper, then moved her tongue in an unmistakable rhythm that started his hips thrusting.

“Kiera, stop,” he croaked, his hands urging her head away from him.

Her own desire raged so fiercely that it took a concerted effort to release him. She looked up at him, wondering if somehow she had offended him with her forwardness. The look in his eyes instantly quelled that worry.

“I want to be making love to you when I come,” he told her. He drew her to her feet and kissed her, hard and deep.

For a moment, Kiera forgot that she was in charge and lost herself in Hunter’s breathtaking kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body tight to his, putting just enough space between her thighs to fit his erection. But she’d been having too much fun teasing and pleasuring him, so when her head cleared from that first waft of fog, she once more pulled away.

“Kiera,” he said in warning tones, his predatory nature fully revealed in his posture and expression.

She grinned, entirely unintimidated. “Behave yourself, Hunter Teague. Remember, tonight I’m running the show.” She ran a finger along his shaft once more, watched the flame dance in his eyes. “I promise not to disappoint.”

He took a shuddering breath. “I’m cooperating to the best of my ability, but if you don’t hurry this along I’m going to ravage you against the wall.”

Deciding that he was indeed near the point of losing all control, Kiera relented and started toward his bedroom, shedding clothes as she went, Hunter hot on her heels. By the time she passed through the bedroom door, she was naked, her clothes strewn in a line behind her.

When they neared his bed, Hunter reached for her, then caught himself just as she was about to give him another gentle reminder. He lowered his hands back to his sides.

“Lie down,” she commanded, jerking her chin toward the bed. He raised a single eyebrow, but hesitated only briefly before he obeyed. He lay on his side, propped on his elbow, and watched as she opened the drawer in his nightstand. She stuck out her lower lip as she picked up the single box of condoms that remained. “Looks like we’ve decimated your supply,” she said as she opened the box and shook out the final two foil-wrapped packages. “We’ll have to make these count.”

“Believe me, I plan to get my money’s worth out of them. Now get over here!”

She laughed and opened one of the packets, putting the condom on the pillow where it would be in easy reach when needed. Then she climbed onto the bed and pushed on Hunter’s shoulder until he lay flat on his back. She straddled him, covering his chest with kisses once more. When his groans grew desperate, she lifted her head to meet his eyes and decided she had tortured him enough. She put the condom on him, the touch of her hands making his back arch with pleasure.

Kiera slowly, deliciously lowered herself onto him. Waves of heat radiated from their joined bodies, leaving her breathless. Hunter reached for her breasts, and she was too suffused with pleasure to argue with him. She leaned into his hands, rocking her hips gently, wanting to draw out the pleasure as long as possible.

Hunter tolerated her deliberate pace for a few delicious minutes; then, Kiera gave a startled gasp as he pitched below her. Before she knew quite what was happening, she found herself on her back, Hunter thrusting hard and deep on top of her. She wrapped arms and legs around him drawing his head down to hers so their tongues could dance.

The bed creaked and groaned in protest as the power of Hunter’s thrusts shoved them both up to the headboard. A groan escaped Kiera with each breath and she dug her fingernails into his shoulders, her hips rising to meet his. She had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming when the climax seized her. Hunter followed close behind, letting out a roar that was probably heard throughout the ninth floor.

Kiera closed her eyes and tried to slow her gasping breaths, her body limp and sated. Arms and legs slid away from Hunter’s body and she lay still as she listened to the pounding of the blood in her ears. She wanted nothing more than to lie like this forever, Hunter’s body hot and heavy above her. But he needed to withdraw and get rid of the condom. She opened her eyes to remind him of the necessity.

Words died in her throat when she saw his face. No hint of color remained in his cheeks, and misery filled his eyes. Her heart clutched to see his distress and she reached up to touch his cheek gently.

“What’s the matter, Hunter?” she asked.

He closed his eyes, but that did nothing to hide the misery etched into the lines of his face. He sat up and withdrew from her.

“Hunter?” she prompted. But then she saw the reason for the change in him and she felt as though her heart had stopped.

The condom had ruptured.

Seconds dragged by as Kiera tried to absorb what had just happened to her, as she realized what she had first taken for misery on his face was actually guilt. Her heart slammed painfully against her chest, and though she knew tears would come later, the fury was so great that for the moment her eyes remained dry.

“You bastard!” she shouted. “You heartless, soulless bastard!” She jerked herself away from him, disentangling her legs with some difficulty. A sob rose from her chest and her eyes burned, though the tears remained lodged within her. She lurched off the bed. “How could I have been so stupid?”

Hunter grabbed her arms. She tried to jab backward with her elbows, but she couldn’t get enough momentum to do more than annoy him.

“Kiera, wait,” he said, his voice maddeningly calm.

“Let go of me!” She tried to tear her arms from his grip, but he was far too strong. What kind of idiot let herself fall into bed with a man who’d admitted lying to her, trying to seduce her under false pretenses? And what kind of deluded wishful thinking had led her to think he would suffer the tortures of the Unseelie Court to spare her?

She felt sick to her stomach, and his fingers dug harshly into her flesh. “You’re hurting me!” she cried, but his grip didn’t slacken.

“I’m sorry. But I need you to hear this even though I know you won’t believe me. Kiera, I didn’t do it on purpose. I swear to you.”

But his words fell on deaf ears. She remembered how he’d interrupted the blow job he’d obviously been enjoying. And she remembered how he’d been unwilling to lie still beneath her. She’d thought he was enjoying giving up control, but he had seized it back whenever she’d jeopardized his mission.

“I’ve heard it,” she snarled. “Now let me go!”

Hunter released her arms. She stumbled forward, and it was only by the greatest willpower that she refrained from running naked out into the hall to escape him. She snatched up her clothes, buttoning her shirt unevenly, sticking her bra and panties into a pocket. Shoving her feet into her shoes, she rushed toward the front door as if pursued.