Chapter Nine

I drove at retiree-with-nothing-better-to-do speed to the restaurant, and Karson, Franklin, and Caleb followed not far behind me in an SUV. It was probably silly to think I might lose Karson if I drove any faster, but I was nervous enough about meeting a demon to risk losing my backup. The worry was doubly silly since they knew what restaurant I was headed to.

I should call Miriam.

After this, I promised myself. Okay, maybe I was avoiding talking to her. There was no easy way to explain how I’d gone from thinking Karson might be a demon to sleeping with him during a twenty-four hour period. Not to mention making a date with the real demon.

Yeah, that wasn’t an over-the-phone conversation.

Karson and I had spent part of the night, and a good chunk of the morning, talking. He didn’t say much more about his past, and I didn’t delve into my darker moments. Instead, we passed the time talking about my friendship with Miriam and Karson’s experiences learning to become a Venator. We’d spoken of lighter things, too. Like his unfathomable dislike of Cherry Coke, and how I’d decorated my apartment. The man didn’t like flowers. His terrible taste aside, it had been the best night and morning of my life.

My focus should have been on the dinner. I was vaguely worried about that, but I also couldn’t get the thoughts of what had happened the night before out of my head. Thoughts of Karson.

The man was magnificent. He’d made me feel things I never imagined. Made me lose all sense of my worries and problems and fears. And the sensations, the way he’d made me feel… It was suddenly too hot in the car.

The restaurant was sided with stonework that looked real, not at all like the faux siding I’d seen on newer buildings. It had an old vibe, as if the building belonged in Europe or Asia. Tall and dark against the low lighting, the structure looked like a castle built to fend off invaders.

Most of their business must have come from word of mouth. It certainly didn’t look welcoming on the outside. The sight of the place made my blood run cold, adding to the fear that already ran through me.

Forcing deep breaths into my lungs, I approached the ornate front door, nodding to a host who opened it for me. I could do this. Karson and his cell would keep me safe. Besides, I wasn’t helpless.

Karson had given me a small knife to carry on my thigh. It kind of made me feel like a spy, which was cool until I realized I didn’t exactly have the skills to back it up. It wasn’t super comfortable, but it was well-hidden. The blade was etched in runes that apparently would make it far more effective against a demon than a gun would be. Of course, I’d have to flash the restaurant to access it. Then I’d have to get the demon to hold still long enough to actually stab him.

Hidden inside one of the inner pockets of my clutch purse was a handful of salt. Karson’s instructions for that had been simple. Throw it at anything chasing you and run like hell.

That sounded more doable than the knife.

I parked a block away from the restaurant to avoid the valet. The short walk had given me just enough time to get really nervous, and I wiped my sweaty palm on my dress in a vain attempt to dry them.

The interior of the restaurant did not look like the inside of any castle I’d ever seen on television. Maroon and gold covered the floors and walls, and low lighting illuminated the dark spaces. A quiet hum of conversation filled the air, with the occasional note from a classical piano breaking through the murmur of voices.

The host took me directly to the table where Thomas was already seated. He stood as I approached, making a motion for me to sit. He was dressed to impress, cool and confident in a tailored suit and tie. Exactly the opposite of me.

“Hello, Ava. You look lovely this evening,” Thomas said, appearing quite human.

“Thank you,” I managed.

I felt as frazzled as I probably looked. The secondhand cocktail dress was a year or two out of style. Karson had picked it up from my apartment for me. I didn’t fit in wearing it here, especially while sitting across from a man—demon—who wore style and money effortlessly. Not that it mattered what anyone thought of me, but Karson would be watching. And part of me, even in this life or death situation, cared what Karson thought of my silly dress.

The host held a chair for me, helping me scoot in after I sat down. I waited until the man left to lean back, avoiding the off-chance of him touching my shoulders as he held the chair.

A sudden chill settled into my bones as I sat, but I kept my polite smile firmly affixed to my face. Why did cold flick over my skin every time I approached him? Karson said he’d never heard of anything like it, and his insistence at keeping it a secret made me think that there was more to it that he wasn’t telling me. Would it happen if any demon approached me?

I rubbed the goose bumps on my skin, then tugged at the long gloves I’d purchased to go with the sleeveless dress. I’d paid retail for them a couple of years ago, something I rarely did. But it was impossible to find gloves at a thrift store that were in good condition and went with a cocktail dress. The cost was worth the price because they’d limit skin-to-skin contact. Someone would have to touch my shoulder or my legs to actually touch my skin. People were hesitant to touch a stranger anywhere other than the hand.

Gloves weren’t foolproof, especially because Thomas was a demon. It would be hard to say if he’d obey common decorum, but the gloves were the best I could do while dressing appropriately for dinner.

They would have to do.

Thomas sat regally across from me; no hint of his wounds showed in his posture. Seeing him in this restaurant, dressed as he was, he looked older than the early twenties I’d guessed him to be at the hospital. He still didn’t look old exactly, but something about the way he held himself made him seem that way. The body of the young man he’d possessed probably was young, but as a demon, Thomas was probably ancient.

“Thank you for meeting me here.” Dazzlingly white teeth flashed when his smile widened. “I know you must have a lot of questions. I must admit, I have some questions as well.”

“Nice restaurant,” I said lamely. My stomach quivered as he leaned forward. This was stupid. What was I doing? I was no demon hunter.

“Thank you,” Thomas said, then muttered something to the waiter, and the man turned on his heel and left.

“Was that French?”

He smiled, revealing his perfect white teeth. “Yes, it was. All of the staff here speaks French. Creates a nice atmosphere, don’t you think?”

“Mmm.” I hoped the noise came across as agreement. I was making small talk with a demon. And if my brain didn’t shut up about the demon part, I was never going to get through this.

Demon. Demon. Demon.

“Um…thank you. For dinner, I mean.” Why had I come here? The idea had seemed so smart while I was in the safety of the Venators’ apartment with Karson by my side. I’d been excited to be involved. To be doing good. Helping to take out a demon I’d set free. But now, with Thomas sitting across from me, it felt real. Too real.

I fought a surge of nausea, and a thin sheen of perspiration touched my skin, adding to the cold Thomas already elicited. Karson was right outside, with Caleb and Franklin. I was safe. Ish.

“Not at all.” He leaned back in the chair. “I’m sure you’re curious about what was going on in that room.”

“Curious? More like scared. That guy was—”

“Unbalanced.”

“Sure seemed like it.” I forced concern I didn’t really feel onto my face, and hoped that the demon wasn’t a good-enough judge of human emotion to tell the difference. “Are you all right?”

“I will be,” he said, face a little pained.

Very convincing. If I hadn’t known better, I might have bought it.

“So you said that this guy was unbalanced, right? It was obvious he was trying to kill you. He called you a demon. Talk about a Froot Loop.” Subtle, Ava. God, what was I doing? Karson told me to keep questions to a minimum, but silence with Thomas was almost painfully uncomfortable.

“How can one really understand the mind of a madman?” Thomas replied smoothly. “But back to that room. How did you know to be there? My…rescuer.” He said the word as if tasting something unfamiliar and not altogether unpleasant.

“I…well, it’s kind of difficult to believe.”

“Don’t worry, my dear. I am quite familiar with the unbelievable.”

“I don’t know,” I hedged. And that was kind of true. I didn’t want to give in too easily, but I also really didn’t want to confess my big secret to a demon—even though he’d be toast the second I got him outside.

“You can trust me.” His face softened a tiny bit, and I guessed he was trying to look comforting, or something. But his expression was too eager to be believable. The demon needed to work on his acting skills.

I shot a glance over my shoulder as if fearing we would be overheard. “I’m a psychic. When we touched at the hospital, I got a vision of you dying in a fire in that club.”

His eyebrows shot up toward his perfect hairline. “Fascinating.”

“I…tried to warn that guy about my vision after you left us in the parking lot. He said he would warn you. I got a weird feeling, so I tracked you down.”

Karson hadn’t been thrilled about the decision to tell Thomas that I was a psychic, but after talking it over for far too long, neither of us could come up with a believable cover story that made sense. And Thomas would be taken care of as soon as he stepped out of the restaurant, so he wouldn’t have a chance to tell anyone about my powers.

Besides, I wasn’t a good liar. Keep your story as close to the truth as you can, Karson had told me. Truth has a way of shining through.

The waiter came to the table with a bottle of red wine. Light glinted off of his smooth head, and he expertly poured the liquid into two wine glasses.

“I really shouldn’t—”

“Nonsense,” Thomas said, softening the order by flashing me a grin. “Wine is necessary for you to fully enjoy the meal.”

My hackles would have bristled at his attitude if I had hackles. As it was, I simply nodded. I hadn’t come for his company, anyway. But I felt like I was going to end up just like the cat—killed by my own curiosity. “Stupid,” I murmured. My cheeks heated and I glanced up at Thomas. He had the barest hint of a smile still affixed to his face.

“You’re not.”

“What?” My cheeks burned hotter.

“You’re not stupid. Living your whole life never knowing anyone else who was…different?” He looked at the ceiling, as if it would offer him the right things to say to me. “And to be thrown into this mess? I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling right now.” He turned from studying the ceiling to stare at me. “You have every right to be curious, Ava.”

A great speech. One I might have fallen for if I hadn’t known exactly who and what he was. “Thank you,” I said, after forcing in a few breaths to clear the knot from my throat. “I really would like to know more about this guy who targeted you. Why would he do that?” I was terrible at this. So terrible.

“I guess it’s because I’m different.” He looked deeply into my eyes. “Like you, Ava.” His tone still dripped with empathy, but knowing what I knew, it rubbed me the wrong way.

“Are you psychic, too?” I asked, playing along.

“In a manner of speaking.”

Yeah, right. “It’s nice to know I’m not alone.” The words almost choked me, but I forced them out. Close to the truth, indeed.

“So—” I started, but a wave of cold hit me and I forgot what I was going to say. It wound from my back down the skin of my arms and legs. I wrapped my arms around myself and struggled not to shiver from the intensity of it. What the heck? Thomas made me cold, but this was freaking intense.

Thomas studied me with interest, before a veil of concern draped itself over his expression while I watched. Finally his eyes moved to something behind me, and his smile widened.

“Ah, Father, how nice of you to drop by.”

Shock flashed through me, followed by panic. The cold could only mean one thing: another demon. Karson and the others were prepared for Thomas, but a second one, one who wasn’t bothered by injuries or weakened by the runes Karson said would still be carved in Thomas’s flesh? At least the sudden chill confirmed that all demons made me cold—not just Thomas.

And he’d called him father. That could not be good. At the very least, the man was probably higher up in whatever echelon the demons used. Karson had been right. Thomas did work for some other demon, and I was about to meet him.

Thomas didn’t get up from the table to greet his so-called father, so neither did I. Instead I turned in my seat, trying to project a calmness I didn’t feel.

Don’t throw up on the demon.

He wasn’t a big man, not really much taller than Thomas, but he gave that impression. He wore a suit that probably cost as much as a used car. His brown hair was gray at his temples, but was still as thick and full as Thomas’s. Their resemblance ended at their height. The man would turn heads, if only for the way he carried himself. But he wasn’t handsome like Thomas. His features were too strong, his jaw too wide, and his nose a tad too long. His eyes were a muddy brown, not the striking blue of Thomas’s. They certainly didn’t look like the father and son they played.

And he was almost directly behind me. I fought the urge to run.

He smiled down at me, showing no teeth. The expression didn’t touch his eyes, and he didn’t look like a man who smiled often.

“Miss Keller, I presume?” He held out his hand.

I stared at his hand for a moment before I took it in my own. Ice crept up from my fingers and palm, despite my gloves, writhing its way up my arm. The cold hit me more intensely than when Thomas had touched me. I tugged my hand from his, yanking it back in a way that almost certainly looked rude. Or suspicious. Probably both.

The small smile on his face blossomed. He beamed at me, and his eyes finally sparkled to life.

My stomach turned at that smile.

“I’m Thomas’s father, Hugh Winston. Please, call me Hugh,” he continued, ignoring the fact I’d never confirmed who I was.

Heart ready to thump its way out of my chest, I forced myself to stay in the chair. Every muscle in my body screamed at me to move. The odd nature I’d sensed in Thomas was here, in this man. This demon. But this one’s nature wasn’t muted. Suddenly, I didn’t have enough air in my lungs. My breathing came quicker, and I struggled to slow it. Fear curled up my spine and I fought panic.

“Nice to meet you,” I blurted out, far too loudly for the quiet restaurant. Pasting a smile on my face, I gritted my teeth and hoped I didn’t look scared shitless. Something told me that if I ran, this man would chase me.

“Are you all right, my dear?” Hugh asked, but his super fake-looking smile didn’t fade.

“Oh yes, I’m sorry. Must be the wine. I never drink. I think it’s making me lightheaded,” I lied. Then, getting up from the table, I held on to my chair to make sure I didn’t fall. The last thing I needed was for Hugh to grab my arm to steady me. I turned to face Thomas. “Ladies’ room?”

“Down the hall,” he said, gesturing toward a hallway to my left.

I nodded, but I couldn’t summon a fake smile.

The ladies’ room door swung shut behind me and I grasped the sink, staring down at the drain. The beauty of the upscale bathroom barely registered. I struggled to breathe slowly to avert a full-scale panic attack. I couldn’t fall apart, not now. I had to hold it together a little longer.

Just a little longer.

There was something…off about Thomas Winston. And his supposed father was even worse. They felt wrong. The tiny bit of doubt I’d carried that none of this could be real, could be possible, had been quashed by the heel of Hugh Winston’s expensive loafer.

I had to warn Karson. Then I’d get the hell out of here.

Hand shaking, I tugged off a glove and then pulled my cell phone from my clutch purse. My hand hovered over the zipper for the side pocket that held the salt. The temptation to carry it in my fist when I left the bathroom was strong.

Karson’s out there, watching out for you. With that knowledge in mind, steel built along my spine.

I typed in a quick text message to Karson. No longer a hole in one, two swing minimum.

It wasn’t a great code, but it was safer than typing OMG! Two demons, not one. Or Big, bad demon boss has arrived. And I was pretty sure Karson would figure it out.

Thirty painful seconds passed before my phone flashed with a new message. Time to go home. Alone.

He didn’t want me luring Thomas out, then. Karson had warned me that if things went sideways, getting me out was the first priority. They’d wait for me to clear the area and hope that Thomas followed me out—and now I guessed they were hoping Hugh would come out with him.

The Venators seemed to think it was possible the demons wouldn’t come out into the open where they could be attacked—that was the only reason Karson had agreed to let me actually go in—but I hadn’t really thought through why. I guessed that if shadowmen could transport people through the shadows, they could move demons that way, too. If they felt threatened.

So I just had to make sure they didn’t feel threatened.

I met my own green eyes in the mirror. I straightened my posture and affixed a smile to my face. I wouldn’t win any Oscars, but I didn’t look like I was on the edge of running for my life. It would have to do. My skin was pale, lighter than normal, and there was a distinctive grayish cast to it. Good. That would help.

Making my way back across the burgundy carpet to the table, I concentrated on breathing and steeled myself for the chill that was sure to come. Thomas sat alone at the table; his “father” was nowhere in sight. Even more telling, I couldn’t feel Hugh. The cold was there, but not like it had been around the other demon. Where had he gone? To lie in wait for me outside?

Oh yeah, I wasn’t going to have to fake being nauseated.

As I approached, Thomas looked up from his wine.

“I’m sorry, Thomas.” I pushed hair behind my ear. “I’m really not feeling well. I’m going to have to take a rain check on dinner.”

To my surprise he nodded, his earlier smile replaced by a look of concern. “Of course. Are you all right?”

“Yes, it’s just the wine…” I trailed off, hoping he would fill in the blanks of my symptoms himself.

Thomas’s hand flew into the air to gesture to the waiter, and when the man approached, Thomas simply said, “Car.” The man nodded and left.

As Thomas started pushing his chair back from the table, I held my hand up. “It’s okay. I don’t want to ruin your dinner. I’ll drive myself.”

“Nonsense. I will escort you home.”

“Please,” I said, lowering my voice when I noticed other patrons paying attention to our table. “I feel bad already. Ruining your dinner would just make me feel worse.”

Thomas stared at me for a moment, looking like he wanted to argue. But then he nodded. “If you insist.”

Relief flooded me. “Thank you. I’ll be in touch. I’d like to talk to you more about all of this. Maybe tomorrow?”

“You know, you could do me a huge favor and come out with me Saturday. I have a social event, but I’m afraid I’m dateless.”

“Oh?” He had to be talking about the big fund-raising dinner he was hosting at his place. Go for breezy, not panicked. “I can’t imagine you having a difficult time finding a date.” To my amazement, my tone came out very nearly flirty.

He gave me a boyish grin, full of charm. Yuck. “Well, I don’t want to take just anyone. And I’d love to talk to you more about all this.”

“Me, too. There’s still so much I don’t know.” I glanced at my black pumps as if I were shy before looking back up at him. “And I’d love to be your date.” Not that you’ll be around by then.

“Wonderful. It’s settled, then.”

“Maybe you could call me tomorrow with the details? When I’m feeling better.” I had to get out of the restaurant before Karson came in to retrieve me. “Please tell your dad I’m sorry for running out, too.”

“Of course.” Thomas glanced at the waiter. “Antoine will escort you outside.”

The waiter bowed to me and motioned toward the entrance, waiting for me to lead the way before following.

I shot Thomas a quick smile over my shoulder. It took every bit of self-control I possessed not to run.

…

The second Ava’s lithe form slipped out of the front door from the restaurant, my heart jumped into my throat. Just as I’d told her to do, she didn’t look around the poorly lit parking lot for the Venators, and she didn’t run. Back straight and chin jutting forward, she walked purposefully toward her car parked down the road. My heart almost burst with pride. Such a short time in my world, and she’d faced down two demons.

Two demons.

Thomas had never said it outright—demons rarely said anything outright— but the insinuation that he worked under another demon had been clear. I’d bought it then, even if Franklin hadn’t, but I hadn’t expected him to bring the other demon here. Ava should have been a curiosity to him, but nothing that he’d want to show to another demon yet. Not until he knew what he had. And I would have made sure he was dead before he got the chance.

I lost Ava not far from the restaurant, but Caleb was farther out, and he would ensure she got to her car and away from here. I trusted Caleb to do his best—especially under the threat of the painful death I had promised him hours before if she did not reach her car safely. Still, I itched to follow her.

Franklin waited in the shadows just in case I indicated that we should resume the hunt. But our chances weren’t good. I half hoped Ava would be wrong. But with her ability to sense demons, I wasn’t counting on it. Which meant we were fucked. Two demons. Not one.

Sweat beaded on my brow and I swiped at it, taking in a deep breath filled with the delicious smells wafting from the restaurant. The concealment rune I’d drawn on my stomach with charcoal was wearing me down. A powerful rune, it hid me from the eyes and ears of demons and their servants.

But like all runes, the power demanded a price.

And the price for this particular rune was the energy of the wearer—a lot of it. Another half hour and I’d be too weak to stand straight, let alone fight a demon.

The door opened again, and Thomas stepped out of the restaurant along with another man. The host who’d opened the door bowed to the men before retreating back inside. The other man, his face turned away from me, was speaking to Thomas. Was that the other demon?

The men walked away from the well-lit front door, and I tensed. Two demons would be tough to take, but not impossible if the demon wasn’t too much stronger than Thomas. They stopped under a broken streetlight along the walkway, and after a few seconds, two shadows coalesced beside the men. The demon’s shadowmen.

That clinched it. The second man was a demon—Ava had been right. No way would Thomas be able to summon shadowmen and have them at hand like that so soon after he’d been injured and marked. Demons healed fast, but the energy siphoned by the runes would have a lasting effect. It would be another day, at least, before he’d be able to summon.

But he was still a powerful sonuvabitch when it came to fighting. And while my small team might have been able to handle Thomas and his fully powered demon friend—might being the key word, since we didn’t have any idea who this demon was, or how powerful—it definitely wasn’t safe to try to take them down along with two shadowmen.

The men waited for their car, and I winced. Ava had risked her life—and most likely told Thomas about her power—for what? For nothing. We weren’t even going to be able to take a shot at the demon.

And now she’d be in much greater danger.

An SUV slid up to the curb in front of the demons and their shadowmen, and they began sliding into the dark vehicle.

I ground my teeth together. As if the noise were audible, Thomas’s companion, poised to duck into the SUV, turned to look at the exact spot where I stood. His lips curled into a cruel facsimile of a grin.

It felt like the look itself had force, and all of the air flew from my lungs. My foot slid forward, an involuntary step. Fierce anger and hatred rushed through me, and I opened my mouth to cry out.

To scream and yell and call the demon to me.

To kill it with my bare hands.

It was him. The one I’d seen in my nightmares since I’d seen him leaving my parents’ house. The one I’d hunted ever since.

The demon who killed my family.

I took another step forward, but solid arms yanked me back into the shadows. I hit the dirt, wrestled to the ground. And the sound of a car door shutting slammed through the night. Then an engine roared, only to fade away as the SUV moved farther away.

With the weight of two men on top of me, I roared.

…

I paced the small motel room, fighting panic. Karson had told me that it could be a couple of hours after I left the restaurant before he would be able to reach out to me. I wasn’t supposed to be worried yet, but I couldn’t think of anything but him lying in that parking lot, the life slowly draining from his deep brown eyes.

Stop that. Killing demons was what Karson did. He wasn’t out there alone. He had Caleb and Franklin with him—and they were good at their jobs, too. They’d better be good at their jobs, or I’d…what? I wasn’t sure. But if they let Karson get hurt, all bets were off.

I was reaching for my cell phone when the sound of a key moving in the lock stopped me. My gaze darted to the door and my heart jumped into my throat.

The door opened, revealing Karson. Without a thought as to who might be with him or what injuries he might have gained in the fight, I threw myself into his arms. I’d never been so happy to see anyone in my life.

“Karson,” I managed, holding him tight.

He stood stiffly for a moment, before taking another step inside and letting the door shut behind him. Then he pulled me closer. His face buried in my hair, he breathed in my scent. He hugged me hard for a moment, then released me.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Worried about me, huh?” he said, but his voice sounded hollow.

“Yes,” I said simply.

“We didn’t get them.”

Disappointment hit me, but it was drowned by relief. Karson was okay. I was okay. That’s all that really mattered at the moment. I could worry over the rest later. And maybe all wasn’t lost. I opened my mouth to tell him about the gala invite, but he spoke first.

“It was him, Ava. The demon who killed my family. He was there.” His voice broke at the end, and pain and rage combined with emotions I couldn’t name on his face. “So fucking close I could almost smell him.”

“Oh, God, Karson.” I pulled his hands into mine and squeezed. “Hugh?”

“Is that what he calls himself? Sounds so fucking normal.” He squeezed my hands, then released them and sat on the bed. “I wanted to kill him. Make him hurt. Give him just a hint of the pain he caused them—” His voice broke off and he swallowed hard.

“I’m surprised…I mean—”

“That I didn’t attack him? Consequences be damned?” He gave me a bitter smile. “I tried. Franklin took me down, with some help from Caleb.”

A chill settled over me. Not the cold of a demon, but something worse. Fear. “You can’t do that. Promise me you won’t do that. Not without a plan. Not without help.”

Elbows pressed into his knees, he rubbed his face with his hands. And when he spoke, regret coated his words. “I can’t promise you anything, Ava.”

Something in my chest pinched, and I knelt in front of him and ran my hands up his arms as if I could warm him. He looked up at me. So much pain was hidden just below the surface of his eyes. It broke my heart.

I leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. He groaned, a short, pain-filled noise. But when I started to pull away, he reached out to cradle my face in his rough hands. His nose brushed softly against mine, his lips only a breath away. A small sigh escaped me. His tongue teased my lips until I opened for him. He kissed me softly, carefully, tongue sliding against mine with the barest of touches.

“Damn, you taste good,” he murmured. “So fucking sweet.”

He pulled me to my feet and tugged off my shirt, kissing and nipping the skin of my shoulders, my neck. When he unclipped my bra, I bit my lip to avoid crying out. The expression on his face wasn’t tender so much as it was desperate, full of so much emotion. My heart fluttered in my chest. Maybe I could drown out some of his pain.

Again I kissed him, and he groaned against my mouth as I took charge, tasting him as I teased his tongue with mine. I tugged at his T-shirt until he pulled it over his head and tossed it away, then I slid my hands over the smooth skin of his chest—the skin barely containing the hard muscle beneath. I teased his nipples with my fingertips, and he muttered a curse under his breath. Tattoos marked his torso, beautiful and somehow a little dangerous. I couldn’t imagine his body without the dark edge they gave him. They marked him as different. Special.

The expression on his face—need warring with control—was heady stuff. Never had I thought my touch could have power over such a strong man. I went on my tiptoes and kissed and nibbled my way down his whisker-roughened neck to his smooth collarbone, and down to lightly lick his nipple. He groaned when my hands slid down his flat stomach to grasp his hard erection through his pants.

“Fuck,” he said through clenched teeth.

He wanted me. Really wanted me. I squeezed him through the fabric, and he growled and opened his eyes. And before I knew it, he was moving. He picked me up to set me gently onto the bed.

It was my turn to moan as he tugged off my remaining clothes, taking his time to caress and stroke me.

When I was fully exposed to him, he buried his face in my hair and inhaled deeply. I slid my hands over the hard muscles of his back and dug my fingernails into his skin, needing to touch him. Feel him. Make him feel me.

“Smell so damn good,” he said. “How do you always smell so good?”

Instead of waiting for a reply, he took my nipple into his mouth, sucking hard, sending jolts of pleasure right to my core. He nipped sensitive skin when he released me, then rubbed away the pain. When he moved to my other nipple, his hand slid between us to explore my sex.

I called out, already aching and needy beyond words just from his touch. Caressing his back, I breathed in his masculine scent and bit my lip. His fingers stroked me to new heights, rough against my sensitive, wet flesh. And when he slid a long digit into me, I moaned, arching against him.

Close. So close. But then his hand was gone and I cried out, the loss almost painful.

“I have to taste you,” he murmured. He gently kissed and nibbled his way down my stomach, and it suddenly hit me what he wanted to do.

“Karson, you don’t have to—” I started.

“Let me show you how good it can be,” he said. He slid a hand between my legs and touched me softly. Then, never breaking eye contact, he lowered his mouth to my most sensitive place.

Pleasure arched through me, and I threw my head back and cried out. He nudged my legs farther apart with his hand, and then caressed me gently. I moaned at his touch and reached back to press my hands against the headboard. Gently, he licked and sucked and nibbled, fingers rocking in and out of my body as he worked me with his mouth, but always pulled back before I could reach oblivion.

“Please,” I gasped when he got me so close, only to deny me again. I was about ready to do something drastic. Or violent.

“God, you taste good. Could taste you forever,” he said gruffly. But he didn’t stop this time.

“Karson!” My head fell back and I broke. My nails dug into the edge of the mattress above my head as he wrung aftershock after aftershock from my body. Then he was on top of me. Kissing my forehead and holding me close. Body trembling against his, I burrowed into his chest and held onto him for a few seconds. He didn’t move until I stopped quaking.

“Hold on, sweetheart.” He kissed the skin just below my ear, and then he was gone.

I blinked against the bright lights of the room and watched him pull off the rest of his clothes and pull a condom from his backpack. His cock stood proudly and I licked my lips.

Unable to look away, I watched him sheathe himself in the condom, then glanced down when he approached.

“You’re so fucking beautiful. Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he said, and my gaze flew back up to meet his. His expression was pure male appreciation. My cheeks heated, and when he covered my body with his, I closed my eyes and kissed him. Feeling a little bit braver because of his appreciative look, I reached between us and touched his hardness, gripping his length.

“You’re beautiful,” I murmured. And it was true. Covered in the tattoos and scars that marked him with his past, he should have been intimidating. But I’d never felt safer.

He moaned and pushed himself against me. Then my hands were above my head, held by one of his, and his tongue was teasing me back to oblivion. His chest rubbed against my breasts, pressing against them and sliding almost roughly. Need clenched in my stomach and between my legs. I needed him. Had to have him. All of him.

“Do you want me, Ava?” Karson said, voice low.

I tried to kiss him, not sure how to answer him with words. God, couldn’t he feel my heated body?

But he pulled back from my kiss, and just a hair from the rest of my body, so I couldn’t sate my aching need even the smallest bit against his hardness.

“Say it,” he said.

Fine. “Yes,” I managed, voice breathless, my body so on fire again already that I could barely think. Only feel.

“Then open your eyes.”

Eyes revealed too much. And I felt so painfully exposed. But I needed him desperately. He was poised, so close to easing inside of me, filling me, but still too far. I throbbed with the need to be taken, my body arching toward his.

I forced my eyes to open and meet his warm brown ones. They were intense and full of emotion. Full of victory. And my heart filled with such emotion that it hurt to breathe.

Without another word, he slid into me, slowly. His gaze held mine, refusing to release me, as he pushed inside, inch by hard inch. I could feel every bit of his cock filling me as I trembled beneath him. His expression was controlled—barely. Only his hitched breath revealed the effort it took for him to take me gently. But the violence I’d seen in him before was gone, replaced by passion so powerful it almost scared me.

But I could never be afraid of my Venator.

“Karson,” I whispered in a shuddering breath.

And as if his name released something inside of him, he growled and took my mouth in a deep, tender kiss. His hips ground against me. I wrapped my legs around him and he started to move. Thrusting in long, slow movements, his body slid smoothly into mine. Then the kiss deepened and I pulled my hands from where he’d trapped them. I dug my fingernails into his ass and writhed against him, trying to get closer. Always closer.

A moan escaped me, only to be captured by his mouth. His slow movements quickened, and his breath grew short.

The other orgasms he’d given had hit me like lightning, taking me off guard. This one built within, expanding and flowering. His movements became desperate, his body thrusting into mine so hard and fast it was all I could do to hold on. The orgasm unfurled, sending my whole body into a spasm of pleasure so intense I cried out.

Karson pulled my body against his, pushing into me as deeply as possible, and my name ground from his lips even as his hips ground against mine.

He shuddered, and I held him, still coming down from my own pleasure. Then he nuzzled my neck and pulled me close, cradling my body with his own. Making me feel as safe as I’d ever felt. We stayed that way for a long time.

But I knew it couldn’t last forever.