the same time, she squeezed his shaft, her strokes clumsy and unpracticed, but if the little hitches in his breath were any indication, he didn’t seem to mind.
He captured her mouth again, and between her legs, tension mounted. “You’re amazing,” he murmured. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
His words were a silken caress that made the world shrink so that only they existed. He changed the tempo of his strokes, and the slick friction had her writhing, panting, running right to the edge and leaping off it.
“Yes,” she cried out, the orgasm tearing through her, a whirlwind of sensation that robbed Lena of all her senses and maybe even her consciousness for a moment. Her legs turned to gel, her vision went dark, and if not for Nate’s big body, she’d have slid to the floor.
As she came down, she wondered how she was going to tell him she couldn’t go any further than this.
Maybe she didn’t need to. She pumped her fist slowly up and down his rigid length. Maybe she could pleasure him the way he’d pleasured her—
A knock at the door froze that thought and brought a nasty snarl from deep in Nate’s throat. His lips brushed her neck as he snapped, “What?”
“We have business.” Fade’s voice was an icy, crisp command that instantly dropped the temperature in the office.
Nate swore under his breath. “I’ll be out in a minute.” He stepped back from her and zipped up with a small wince. “Stay here,” he told her in a low, hushed voice. “Give me three minutes to get the demon away from here, and then get out.”
She tugged up her pants, feeling suddenly exposed and seriously embarrassed. “Why the caution?”
“Because he wants you, and if he knows I do too—” He cut himself off with a curse, and goosebumps shivered over her skin, but she wasn’t sure if they were pleasant ones that came as a result of being wanted, or prickles of foreboding for the same reason.
With that, he left her, half-dressed, disheveled, and seriously conflicted.
Nate’s temper balanced on a machete’s edge as he slipped into the hallway, careful to make sure the door was locked behind him and that Fade didn’t get a glimpse of Lena. Man, he’d been close to Heaven in there, could still taste Lena on his tongue, could smell her on his body. Her sweet sounds of passion were still ringing in his ears.
And his cock and fangs were both throbbing with hunger that wasn’t going to be sated anytime soon. He was a ticking time bomb, and he really wanted to go off on Fade in a bloody, painful explosion.
The evil smirk on the demon’s face said he knew exactly what had happened in the office. “You have a female in there.”
“I always have females in there.” Nate started down the hall toward the guarded door that led to the secondary entrance to Gladius from Thirst. “What’s so important?”
Fade didn’t follow immediately, but Nate kept walking, swearing under his breath and hoping the bastard would follow—and that he’d be distracted enough by the question to forget about Lena. Nate had never worried about Fade’s interest in Nate’s bedmates before, but then, the females had never been anything but one-night stands to him. Lena captured Nate’s interest more than anyone else had since his mate died, and if Fade caught on, Lena could pay with her life for Nate’s lack of control.
“I’m going to open a new fight club,” Fade said, catching up with Nate. “The underworld turmoil is starting to affect the human population, and I foresee an opportunity to franchise.”
“What, you want to be the McDonald’s of death matches? In case you haven’t noticed, in most countries even animal fights are illegal.”
“The Apocalypse is coming, vampire. And in the aftermath, the world will be changed. Demons will walk the earth, and they love blood sport.”
No shit. “Demons will arrange for death matches in their own backyards at that point. Why would anyone pay to see them?”
“People can grill burgers in their backyards too, and yet, fast food chains are making a fortune on them.”
Nate wondered if Lena liked burgers. He’d love to watch her eat one. There was just something incredibly sensual about watching a female eat meat . . . especially if it was something he’d prepared himself.
And what the hell? Clearly, all his blood was still in his dick.
He thrust his hand through his hair and came to a halt, letting his fantasies run to ripping the demon’s throat out instead of watching Lena eat hamburgers. “So you intend to provide cheap entertainment without the hassle of procuring fighters, setting up an arena, managing cleanup . . .”
“All while providing comfort, food, and drink.” Fade grinned. “I’ll make legends of some fighters, stars everyone will want to be with. For a price, of course.”
“And, no doubt, you’ll make sure any competition is squashed.” The disgust that bubbled up when Fade grinned wider at that was startling. It had been decades since Nate experienced any kind of negative reaction to the demon’s machinations. “So why are you telling me this? Does this have something to do with the ‘business’ you mentioned?”
“I want you to manage it.”
Oh, hell, no. “I’m happy here.”
Fade waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “Your happiness is not my main priority. You will oversee all elements of the business, from groundbreaking to building and hiring.”
This wasn’t going anywhere good, and Nate started walking again, as if he could outrun the demon and his unholy plans. “Have you chosen the site already?”
“Yes.” Fade fell into step with Nate. “With so many plagues mowing down humans, poisoned land is available on every continent. I’ll open clubs everywhere, but this first one will be in a South American jungle. You’ll leave tomorrow to assess and lay claim to the site. It should only take a couple of days.”
“Send Marsden. Or Budag. I have business here.”
Fade snarled, and Nate resisted the urge to snarl back. “This isn’t up for debate. You will go, and next week, on the eve of the new moon, you’ll return to the site to perform a sacrifice.”
Instincts twitching, Nate halted in the middle of the hallway. “Something tells me you’ve already chosen the victim.”
“I have. A lovely virgin I found in your own club.”
Nate let out a bitter laugh. “There hasn’t been a virgin in this club in . . . well, ever.”
“Oh, you’re so wrong.” Fade clapped his hand on Nate’s shoulder, his eyes little more than black, oily pools. “Your new medic, Vladlena, is untouched.”
“I can’t lose another medic. They’re too hard to find. Get another virgin.” And seriously? She was a virgin? No . . . way. Then again, it would explain a lot. Like the pesky purity and innocence he’d been sensing.
“A sacrifice means nothing if it isn’t important. She’s important to this club, and therefore, perfect.” Fade lowered his voice to a dark, dangerous rumble. “There will be no more discussion on the matter, but to make sure you don’t fuck me over, I’m sending Budag to keep an eye on you. After you secure the site, you will return there with her and torture her to death.”
Since the demon wouldn’t be swayed, Nate’s only choice was to play along. For now. “As you wish.”
If Fade got his way, Lena would be dead next week. But he wasn’t going to get his way. Nate was. As soon as Nate returned from his trip, he’d make sure Lena couldn’t be sacrificed.
Because she’d no longer be a virgin.
Chapter 7
