within her. The most honest part of herself, a part she couldn't deny, though she knew she should. 'I do. Make love to me.'
'I-' A hint of reason swept into Darius's consciousness. He couldn't make love to this woman. To do so and then to destroy her would be more vile than anything he'd ever done in the past.
She ran the tip of her tongue over his neck, up his chin, and placed little nips along the column of his jaw. 'I want to do this with you every night. Just… ' Kiss. 'Like… ' Nibble. 'This.'
Every night. The one thing he couldn't give her. He had a duty to fulfill. Touching and tasting this woman was not part of it, much as he wished otherwise. Mired in guilt, he broke all contact, tearing himself away from her and jumping off the bed. He stood, staring down at her, fighting for control. And losing. Her taste was still in his mouth.
Her cheeks were flushed like the barest rose. Moonlight caught the moisture on her lips, making them glisten, beckoning him to sample them once more. Getting near her again was pure folly, he thought with self-disgust. Yet every instinct he possessed screamed that she was his. That she belonged to him and was his sole reason for living. Her conquest-no, her surrender -would be his greatest victory.
But even as he entertained the wild thoughts, he denied them.
Javar had fallen to a woman. Many years ago, his former tutor had taken a female dragon as his bride. She had softened Javar, made him lax in his duties. He became less cautious with the mist, no longer so quick to kill. That laxness had most likely earned him death. Or worse. Even now Javar might be imprisoned somewhere, being tortured for his knowledge and authority over the mist.
Darius could not allow the same for himself. Softening would mean the destruction of Atlantis.
Irritation raged through him-for what he couldn't have, for what he shouldn't want. How could the merest touch of Grace's lips and body reduce him to a fire-lizard focused solely on sensation? And how did just being with her let him glimpse everything missing from his life? Warmth. Love. An escape from the darkness.
Allowing himself to know the sweet joy of being in her arms, in her body, could destroy everything he'd striven so adamantly to build. She was life and light, and he was death and shadows. Joining their bodies would be more folly than simply allowing her to live with knowledge of the mist.
'We must stop,' he said, the words ripped from him. He summoned all of his strength, all of his resolve.
'No. No stopping.' She sat up slowly, a frown marring her features. Her eyes were still heavy-lidded from sleep, still relaxed from the peace spell, and she blinked. 'I want you to make love to me. I need you to make love to me. I'm close. So close to climax.'
'Cover yourself,' he said, the words even harsher than before. If she didn't, he might beg her to strip completely.
The front of her shirt gaped open, revealing those perfect curves. When she didn't rush to obey, he leaned down and gripped her shirt, careful not to brush her skin. He was pushed past his endurance already, and one more touch… Whether his will was weakened because of his distance with Atlantis or because of Grace herself, he didn't know. Sweat ran down his brow as he tied the ripped hem together, partially covering her breasts, yet leaving a tempting amount of cleavage.
'What are you doing?' she asked, staring down at his hands, seeing the same image he saw. His darkness against her paleness. His strength against her femininity.
He pulled away, not responding.
Grace blinked. Shook her head. Heady passion still held her in its wondrous fog. She ached. God, she ached. At first she'd told herself Darius was nothing more than another figment of her imagination, but she'd known the truth. She knew it now. He was real, and he was here.
He promised he'd come after her and he had.
A shiver raked her spine. How she'd ever convinced herself those few hours with him in Atlantis had been nothing more than her water-deprived imagination, she didn't know. And it didn't matter now. It didn't matter why he'd come. All that mattered was that he was here and he wanted her, too.
Grace's gaze traveled the length of Darius's body. He wore the same black leather pants as before. Instead of being shirtless, however, he wore a black T-shirt that showcased every muscle, every ridge of sinew.
As she watched him, the peaceful lassitude woven so delightfully into her blood began to fade. The corners of her lips turned down as a lone beam of moonlight struck Darius's face, making the golden-brown of his eyes gleam. She paused. Golden? Before, in Atlantis, his eyes had been blue. Ice-blue and as cold as the color implied. Now they were a warm, golden-brown and hinted at untold pleasure, but also an inner pain so staggering she was amazed he hadn't buckled under the burden of it.
His features tightened, and his eyes lightened. Lightened until that cold, crystalline gaze was back in place. How odd, she thought, shaking her head.
'There is much we need to discuss, Grace,' he said. The rough edge of his voice sliced through her musings. 'When you finish covering yourself, we will begin.'
Here she was, offering herself to him despite everything, yet he didn't want any part of her. The rejection hurt deeply.
She must have hesitated too long, because he added, 'Do it. Now.' His jaw clenched.
Unease dripped past every other emotion working through her, withering her relaxation a bit more. This was the man who had threatened to hurt her. This was the man who had chased her and locked her away. This was not the man who'd held her tenderly, who'd kissed her so passionately.
'Darius?' she said with a wisp of uncertainty.
'Use the sheet,' he said.
'Darius,' she repeated, ignoring his dictate.
He flicked his gaze to the ceiling, as if praying for divine intervention. 'Yes, Grace?'
'What's going on?' It was a silly question, yet she could think of nothing else to say.
'I told you I would come for you, and so I have.'
She swallowed. 'Why?'
Before she had time to blink, he unsheathed a small blade from the waist of his pants and held the razor- sharp tip at her neck. The contact was light, not enough to draw blood, but enough to sting ail the same. She gasped and whimpered, the sounds blending and echoing off the walls.
Darius arched a brow. 'We are going to have a chat, you and I.'
'You didn't travel all this way to talk,' she said. And he hadn't traveled here to make love to her, either. She gulped. What exactly did he want from her?
'For now conversation is all I require of you.' His blade stayed suspended in the air for another fraction of a second before he slid it back into its sheath. 'Do not forget how dangerous I am.'
Yes, he was dangerous. And if now was for conversation, what was later for?
Fighting a cold sweat and a timorous shake, Grace scrambled up. Her sheet and comforter whisked to the floor in a tangle at her feet. Darius remained in place, as if he feared nothing she could do. Determined, she reached into the backpack on her nightstand, knocking down the empty wineglass in her haste.
She withdrew her Mace and without any hesitation, sprayed him in the eyes. While his roar reverberated in her ears, she bolted out the bedroom door.
CHAPTER 11
Everything happened within seconds.
One moment she was racing through her living room, the next Darius tackled her from behind. He slammed into her, propelling her facedown. They landed on top of her couch, and the impact squeezed every molecule of oxygen from her lungs. As she struggled to breathe, he flipped her over and locked her wrists above her head. A favorite position of his, obviously. She didn't have time to panic.
'My soul belongs to you, and yours belongs to me,' he chanted, his voice strange, hypnotic. His gaze clashed with hers, ice-blue calculation with turquoise uncertainty. The rims of his eyes were red and swollen, but as she watched, all hint of the toxic spray vanished.
'What are you doing?' she gasped, growing increasingly light-headed.
