“Yup.”
Make that a ten mile jog.
“Now are you going to tell me where you were...or who you were with?”
His hand left my breast, and I practically cried out at the loss of contact. That cry turned into a gasp of pleasure when it crept under my shirt, beneath my bra, and touched my bare skin. His thumb rubbed back and forth over my aching, beaded nipple.
As always with Devlin, I felt too much, too soon, too deeply. He made me feel as if I wasn’t broken but instead a work in progress.
And I hated it.
I hated the vulnerability he evoked from me. The love I inherently felt when I looked into his violet eyes. The way my defenses crumbled around me, piece by small piece, but still enough for him to slip through.
“I met with your dad,” I blurted, and his hand froze on my breast.
Yup. That did it.
Ways to kill a mood: talk about asshole fathers.
With great reluctance, his hand left me, and he flopped onto his back. I didn’t even have to see his face to know that he would be wearing his customary scowl heavy with disapproval.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“Because it wasn’t your business,” I retorted automatically, sitting up.
“Wasn’t my...motherfucking...you are my business!” He propped himself onto his elbow to stare at me. Glare at me would be a better description.
“I’m nobody’s business but my own,” I countered, sitting up on the bed. “I have been taking care of myself just fine for the last few years.”
His eyes hardened, hand reaching out to twine his fingers through my own. I let him, knowing that he needed the contact.
“You don’t have to face this alone anymore, my love. That’s what you have me for, and as much as I hate to admit it, that’s what you have the others for. We’re your mates. We’re designed-”
“Blah. Blah. Blah.” I cut him off and untangled my hand from his, placing my fingers into my ears. Childish? Yes. Effective? Also, yes. When I was sure he had stopped spouting off nonsense, I removed my fingers and placed my hands on my hips. “The last thing I want is seven men who feel obligated to be with me. To take fucking care of me when I am more than capable of taking care of myself.”
He opened his mouth to no doubt protest, but I cut him off with a wave of my hand.
“Look at Bash, Lin! He can barely look at me, and he’s my mate! Look at Jax...he’s engaged to be fucking married!” Shaking my head, I stood from the bed and took a step backwards. And then another one. And another one. My back rested against the door, and I leaned heavily against it. I wanted nothing more than to escape. To leave and never look back.
But I couldn’t.
Because despite everything I claimed, the damn assholes each held a tiny sliver of my heart. I didn’t have a lot to offer, but what I did, they took. Greedily, if you asked me. Lapping it up like famished Vampires finding the Holy Grail of blood.
It scared me.
Absolutely terrified me. I had faced countless monsters, countless Nightmares, and never once had I felt this unhinged.
When Devlin continued to stare at me, violet eyes warm with understanding, I just about exploded. I had the distinct feeling he could see me clearer than I could see myself.
How much of that was real, and how much of that was the mate bond?
I didn’t dare look too closely at that. I knew I wouldn’t like the answer, no matter the verdict.
“I need to go...stab things.”
“Z…” he trailed off helplessly, forking a hand through his brown curls.
Before he could say something else, before he could completely unravel me, I hurried out the door. I had no destination in mind, only away. Away from him. Away from my feelings.
Away.
THREE
KILLIAN
I had never masturbated before. Honestly, there hadn’t been a need. As an Incubus who relied on pleasure, but had never been sexually attracted to a male or female, I was content with just sitting outside doors, listening to their sated moans, and pretending that I wasn’t a screw-up of a Nightmare.
I wrapped my hands around my rock-hard cock, perching myself on the foot of the bed. I wasn’t even sure if it would work, if it would relieve the tension that was bordering that precarious line between pleasure and pain.
Once you found your mate, the Incubus was only ever able to receive pleasure from said mate.
And my said mate wanted nothing to do with me.
I closed my eyes, envisioning her dewy, heart-shaped face. Those glorious golden tresses, untamed and wild. Just like her.
Her eyes…
It wasn’t even the color, but more so the expressions in them. She may have believed she had hidden herself away, but I could see her. I always saw her.
And damn, if she wasn’t beautiful.
I didn’t think it was possible to have your breath taken away. I had read about it in books, but I had laughed at how absurd that was.
Yet, when she looked at me, I crumbled. With only a look, she had me on my knees.
I palmed my balls before starting at the tip of my cock, using my pre-cum as lubrication. Steadily, I began to jack myself off. Sweat beaded on my forehead, and my breathing was uneven.
Her breasts, bouncing with each breath she took. Those rose colored nipples just begging to be sucked. That pussy…
Her taste…
I worked myself into a frenzy, cussing up a storm as I reached that pinnacle. That peak. That clifftop before I crumpled over-
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?” a voice yelled in horror. I jumped, removing my hand from my cock and turning to face the intruder.
Bash stood in the doorway, a stunned and slightly disgusted expression on his face, before giving me his back.
“For fuck’s sake, man!” he snapped.
Cheeks flaming, I struggled
