A thrill went down my spine. “Akiva,“ I began, but he didn’t let me finish.
Instead, the lich grabbed my waist and crushed our mouths together without preamble. I gasped in surprise, giving him the opportunity to deepen the kiss and press his thigh between mine.
“I’m taking you home with me, silly witch,” he growled into my mouth. “Unless you have somewhere better to be?” He pulled back, eyes glittering.
“I’ll clear my schedule,” I breathed, a small smile curving my lips. “But I do have to move my car tonight.”
“I’ll go with you,” Indra offered. “I can give you directions and show you where to park.”
I dipped my head in agreement and Akiva pulled back. “You have fifteen minutes,” he told me, almost threateningly.
“But what if I need sixteen?” I teased, and his lips quirked into a smirk.
“Find out,” he invited, then had started walking in the direction of Cian’s car.
Cian’s eyes glittered with mirth. “See you in a bit,” he agreed.
“Cian!” I called, voice just loud enough for him to hear. The vampire turned, one brow raised. “When I give you the signal, I want that ten seconds of distraction,” I told him.
His look was surprised, then wickedly amused. “Oh yeah? What’s the signal, then?”
“I’ll clear my throat at you.”
“That seems a bit too blatant for him to miss, don’t you think?”
“No? You’ll be distracting him, so it’ll be fine.”
Cian laughed. “If you say so.” He trailed after Akiva, catching up quickly.
“What are you trying to do? Do I want to know what you’re trying to do?” Indra inquired as we turned towards my SUV.
“It’ll be a surprise,” I told him soberly.
He sighed. “Whatever it is, I have a feeling you’re going to be the one surprised, not Akiva.”
Chapter 33
Indra pushed the door open for me and I walked in, kicking off my shoes and socks by the door as I had the last time.
Akiva was prowling about the living room, barefoot as well, and looked up at me with a grin and mouth open to speak.
I looked at Cian and without hesitation, delicately cleared my throat.
The vampire looked surprised for all of two seconds before he grabbed Akiva’s shoulder and pulled the lich around with a growl.
Akiva’s face fell in shock and he was, for the moment, completely sidetracked.
I had a plan. It went rather simply, and elegantly. I would push Akiva to the ground, say something witty, and go from there.
It was a good plan.
When he was facing away from me, I grinned and shifted to bring my ears and tail out so I could take advantage of some of my wolf’s strength.
Indra watched, orange eyes bright with interest, but didn’t speak.
Cian had grabbed Akiva’s jaw, grip firm, and kissed him. It was a very good distraction, and I found myself wanting to watch the show rather than proceed with my actions.
But I really wanted the lich on his knees for me.
Stepping forward, I reached out and tangled my fingers in Akiva’s hair, jerking his head back and away from Cian, who let him go with a grin. My other hand went to the man’s hip to keep him pressed against me as I growled softly against his jaw.
“Oh, I see,” the lich murmured, eyes closed and body pliant.
Or rather, he was until I started guiding him downward. Then his knees locked and he very pointedly did not go down. “I see,” he said again, jovially. “Are you trying to get me on my knees for you, George?”
Okay, so maybe my swift and elegant plan had failed.
“Don’t you want to?” I breathed against his skin, feeling his smirk curl against my lips. “For me?”
“Oh well…if you ask me so sweetly,” he went pliant again, making the motions of falling to his knees.
Until suddenly he wasn’t doing that anymore. He stood, head resting back on my shoulder and he opened his eyes to gaze up at me. “You took fifteen minutes and seventeen seconds to get here,” he informed me.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “What?”
“And I believe I told you that you had fifteen. Anything you’d like to say about that?”
“Umm.” No? Was there something I was forgetting?
“Nothing at all?”
I blinked at him again, ears falling atop my head slightly. I looked at Indra, who very pointedly looked at the ceiling.
“No?” I said nervously.
“Well I will certainly take that, and this little stunt, into consideration.” Suddenly he had slipped my grip to stand straight again, and had shoved me back against the wall with his thumb and forefinger gripping my jaw, the rest of his fingers splayed against my throat.
Cian prowled around us until he could grab the surprised Indra and pull him into a kiss. The hellhound yelped in pleased astonishment, melting into the vampire’s grip and I swore I saw his tail wag.
“Do you want that?” Akiva asked, not looking behind him. “For me to pull you into a sweet kiss and spoil you like Cian does?”
My mouth twitched into a small smile, but at his bemused expression I licked my lips and fought to force it away, convinced it might not help the situation at hand. “Yeah. You can absolutely spoil me like that.”
“Oh, so you want something so soon after those two little transgressions of yours?” He clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “You’re so selfish, aren’t you?”
My mouth fell open. “No–I’m not selfish…“
He was grinning, his eyes dancing now as he pulled me from the wall and into the room proper. “I think you are. Take off your clothes. Now.” It wasn’t like when Cian had said it. Not gradual and not just my shorts.
When I hesitated, Akiva pulled me to him, hand on my throat, but paused when I gasped.
“Color?” he asked.
“Green,” I breathed.
The lich’s grin returned and his grip on my throat tightened. “The more you play, the less likely you’re going to cum tonight,” he promised in a low growl.
I didn’t like that threat. As he held onto my throat lightly, I stripped out of my shorts and kicked
