“Exactly.”
She tried to figure him out. It was difficult. “So is it mind over matter? Have you really changed, or is this all just a facade? In the beginning, you were desperate to show me you weren’t evil, that I could trust you.”
“And look what happened,” he said. “You trusted me, and I steal your body whenever it suits me.”
“I’m learning.”
“Not fast enough.” He traced a slow line down her suddenly sensitive arm. “Maybe it’s good that Leena’s not here right now. She’d never let me touch you like this, would she?”
“No, I don’t suppose she would.”
“Theo seemed surprised we weren’t wearing out mattresses together. When I told him we’d only been together once, he was confused.”
She felt breathless. “Glad you’re announcing these things to the world at large. Really fabulous.”
Darrak’s touch moved up her arm and over her shoulder, then slowly down to the base of her spine. “I told him that we have to be careful that things don’t get out of control between us. It’s too dangerous.”
“My mattress thanks you.”
He grinned a bit wickedly. “I do have needs, though. Even though they’re not currently being met.”
“Oh, really?” Heat rose to her cheeks at that statement. “From the looks you get from half of the female population in the city, I’m sure you could find some willing non-magically inclined woman to help you with your needs. Even that doctor from the other day. I’m sure she has a mattress ready to be worn out.”
“Yeah, I’m sure she does,” he said.
Cocky, thy name was Darrak the demon.
She glared at him, even though her body continued to respond to his touch. Her skin tingled everywhere he touched her. Currently, he was drawing slow circles on her back. “Then why don’t you find somebody and go knock some boots or whatever? I can stay a hundred feet away and put in earplugs. If you’re really
He was way too close to her at the moment. Why wasn’t she moving? Putting space between them would be a very good thing. It was difficult to think when he was this close.
“I would,” he said. “I could pursue other women. I don’t think I’d have much of a problem finding someone. Or a lot of someones.”
“So why don’t you, then?” She was breathing rapidly. It was like she had no control over this desire she had for him. Her body felt like it was on fire.
“It’s just that. .”
“What?”
“There’s just one little problem,” he said.
“And what’s that?”
His gaze closed on hers. “I don’t want anyone but you.”
Eden’s eyes widened, and she looked up at him to see if he was kidding. But there was no humor in his expression right now. He looked as intense as she’d ever seen him before. And there was an edge of surprise there, too, as if he hadn’t expected to make that admission out loud.
He didn’t want anyone but her?
“I. .” she began. “Darrak. . I. .”
“I’m really glad Leena’s not here right now,” he said.
“Uh. . why?”
He kissed her.
Darrak stroked her long hair back from her face as the kiss grew more intense and her mouth opened to his as though she had zero control over her current actions.
She’d dreamed of kissing Darrak many times — and doing a lot more than kissing, too. But reality trumped dreaming anytime.
Eden slid her hands down his back, pulling him closer, and noticed, not for the first time, that he wasn’t joking about wanting her. She slid her hand down between them, and Darrak broke the kiss off with a ragged gasp.
“Leena would not approve of that kind of behavior,” he whispered hoarsely.
“You’re right.”
“And yet you’re not stopping.”
“No, I’m not, am I?”
“She’d be angry with you right now,” he rasped.
“Good thing you scared her away then, isn’t it? Which, by the way, I’m furious with you about.”
“Okay, if this is furious. .” He swallowed hard. “I need to get you furious more often.”
“Shut up.” She found his mouth again and kissed him, a slow, deep press of her lips against his.
At the back of her mind she did wonder why she was being like this with him — how she’d felt this level of desire for him so quickly this morning. It had come out of nowhere, really. There was no black magic usage to blame it on. And the fact that she should still be angry with him made it not make sense for her to be molesting his lips to this extent.
It was dangerous territory she was treading on. And, well,
They weren’t supposed to do this.
But as Darrak’s mouth moved down to her throat, she couldn’t think about anything else. All she wanted was him. Despite the lies, despite the deceit, she wanted him so badly she could barely remain standing.
He pulled the straps of her camisole over her shoulders, pulling the thin material down and baring her breasts.
She looked down. So that meant when Darrak had borrowed her body, he’d neglected to wear a bra? How did she not notice this before? Out on the town without a bra. She was so embarrassed.
At least she was for the moment before he leaned over and circled his tongue around her right nipple. That cleared her brain of any embarrassment. Or, really, any other coherent thought, especially when he repeated the motion on the other side. She was sure her eyes literally rolled to the back of her skull.
She did manage to gather herself together enough to pull off his T-shirt and then run her hands over his chiseled torso. The kitchen counter bit painfully into her as he pressed her back farther, but she honestly didn’t care.
He moved his warm hands up her bare thighs and under her black skirt, raising it as he went. Hooking a finger in either side of her panties he pulled them down her legs.
“Darrak,” she managed.
“Leena would be so pissed at me right now,” he breathed.
“Very pissed. Uh, Darrak?”
“Yeah?”
“What are we doing?”
“What does it look like?”
“Oh, okay.” She nodded, kissing him quickly as his hands moved over her bared skin. “Never mind, then.”
Darrak picked her up in his arms, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as they kissed, tongues tangling together. She wanted him. More of him. All of him.
The sofa pressed against her back as he lay her down on it, his mouth not leaving hers for an instant.
“Oh, Eden,” he said softly when he finally came up for air. “You’re so beautiful.”
She looked up at him and traced her finger over his lips. “I want you, Darrak.”
Eden didn’t resist. Not for an instant. She had no idea how much she wanted this, wanted
