Their kiss turned into a full-body experience. Every particle within her hummed under Calan’s skilled touch. She didn’t care what he did to her as long as she could hold on to the feeling for as long as possible.
“I give myself freely to you, my Harley. I ask nothing of you in return. Take me, treasure me, or walk away, but know I will always be yours.”
Power whipped through her before she could question his words. Pain followed. Her back arched. A scream crawled up her throat. The sound of her anguish never escaped. He blew a stream of heated, smoke-scented air into her lungs. The agony ceased as quickly as it came, and pleasure replaced it. Her core tightened, and waves rolled through her from her womb to her fingers and toes.
The orgasm he created with only a kiss went on forever. She trembled under the force of it. Her eyes rolled back in her head. Colors sparked in an array of light over the inside of her eyelids. And the sound of their hearts, beating as one, echoed in her ears.
Finally, the pleasure faded. Sensations returned, and she sagged against him. He broke the kiss on a low, guttural groan. “Never knew how good…”
“Calan.” His name was all she could manage. Never before had she experienced anything like what they’d shared. It had been more intimate than sex yet not quite as satisfying. It only made her want more, all of him. She banded her arms around his chest and held on, hoping he understood what she couldn’t say.
“Harley, I need you.” Calan opened his eyes. A hazy ring of darker blue surrounded the pupils of his pale orbs.
“What? Your eyes…different.” She couldn’t get the words out. She felt drunk on desire. Her mind wouldn’t work.
A lazy, satisfied grin spread over his mouth as if he knew exactly why she couldn’t form a complete sentence. “Unlock me.”
The compulsion behind his order hit her harder than any other. Before, she’d wanted to obey him. The command he’d just uttered demanded her obedience. She shoved away and fell on her backside for the second time.
“Harley, come here and unlock me. I want to make love to you.”
Calan curled his fingers. A tug accompanied the simple motion, pulling on her body.
Harley sat there, muscles tensed, and breathed through the undeniable urge to close the distance. “What did you do to me?”
He watched her with hungry eyes but didn’t answer.
“Dammit, Calan, tell me the truth. Did you kiss me so you could force some kind of control over me?”
“I kissed you because I want to save you.” The bite to his words matched the glint in his eyes. “Now come here and release me. I need to finish it.”
She wrapped her arms around her knees so she didn’t run to him. “I don’t understand. I thought allowing you inside saved me.”
He flicked his gaze between her hand and her face. “It started the process.”
His harsh tone didn’t match the seductive whispers from moments ago. Wariness settled over her. She forced her attention from his and glanced at her hand. A swooping X marred the center of her palm. She traced the black lines.
“You will need to cover that. The redcaps will recognize the sacrifice I made for you and report it to Dar. You’ll end up in an eternal prison too.”
Harley peered at him, but his expression was one she couldn’t figure out. “What did you do to me?”
He didn’t answer her. Another curl of his fingers matched the rough jerk on her body. She locked her knees, but not before she took several steps closer to him without realizing she’d moved. She glared at him.
He sighed. “Do not be stubborn. Come here.”
“No, I will not be your puppet. Release me!”
The yank cut off abruptly. She fell a third time but scrambled up and ran for the door. An invisible hand wrapped around her waist and spun her so she faced him. “You are not a puppet, but I need you to release me. Both of our fates depend on it.”
“You tricked me, exactly as you did all those years ago. ‘Live for me. Let me save you.’ Bullshit!” Harley strained against his unseen grip and forced her feet to move. One step, two. She grabbed the doorjamb and hung on for dear life. “Both times you acted for your wants, not mine.”
He stared at her for a long moment and finally released a long, weary breath. “I am sorry. I truly am, but this time my motives include you.”
She shook her head. “No—”
“Take the night to think on what I’ve said, then come back to me. What’s one more day in hell?” He snorted, the bitter sound one she didn’t want to hear. “Promise me, Harley. Return to me tomorrow night and deliver my fate.” He shifted his gaze to her hand. “I gave myself to you. What will you do with me?”
She lifted her hand and stared at the mark there as the words he spoke repeated in her mind. “I give myself freely to you, my Harley. I ask nothing of you in return. Take me, treasure me, or walk away, but know I will always be yours.”
Harley curled her fingers and peeked at him from under her lashes. “What did you do to me?”
Calan closed his eyes. “You know the answer. When you realize it, I’ll be here waiting for you.”
She backed away without promising anything. No tug or invisible hand stopped her. She climbed the stairs and ran, but she feared it wouldn’t do any good. She’d been marked, in more ways than one, and the stamp he’d left on her heart might be the one to destroy her, once and for all.
Chapter Seven
Calan waited for the sounds of Harley’s footsteps
