Eve ached for the male sitting beside her, not the one who literally carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, but a father who had lost his daughter.
Throat tightening, she struggled for breath as the truth of her feelings hit like a battering ram to the chest. She loved him. Loved him with her entire heart and soul.
As much as it hurt to keep her feelings locked inside, she would. Lazarus didn’t need or want to hear it, not now, maybe not ever. He had more pressing matters to worry about. His feelings for her weren’t the same, and telling him would only add to his guilt when it was time for them to part.
Not knowing what else to do, she pushed her sadness and anger aside and reached for him. “I’m sorry, Lazarus.” It was all she could say. No amount of words would help at this point. So, climbing to her knees, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips to the tattoo snaking up the side of his neck.
He froze, his large body going statue still. “What are you doing?”
“Kissing you.”
“I thought…I thought you wouldn’t…”
“What? You thought I’d get up and leave? That I’d think less of you? You loved her.” She gripped his chin and turned his head. Their eyes met. “It was a terrible thing that happened, but it was an accident.”
He shook his head, but she kept hold of him. “An accident,” she repeated, and before he could say anything more, she leaned in and brushed her lips across his.
He pulled away, breathing heavily. “Eve…I’m not—”
“Don’t,” she whispered, and leaned in, pushed for more. Her lips were an inch from his when he turned away and stood abruptly.
Rejection, cold and sharp, hit her between the ribs, knocking the wind from her lungs. She scooted back on the bed and dipped her chin so her hair fell forward, covering the humiliation heating her face. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She should have known better by now.
Before she could scramble off the other side and escape, he gripped her upper arms and hauled her to her feet. With her standing on the bed in front of him they were nearly eye level.
Lazarus brushed her hair away from her face and cupped her cheek. His thumb stroked her jaw then he tilted her head back and stared into her eyes. “Don’t ever hide from me. I can’t bear it.” His hand moved down to the side of her throat in a grip that was firm yet gentle. His thumb continued to stroke her skin and she wanted to lean in, seek more of his touch. The possessiveness of it was undeniable. “I’ve never known anyone like you, Eve, as good as you.”
Before she could reply to that, he nuzzled her throat with a tenderness that should have been impossible for the massive demon warrior. The vulnerability and desperation in that one action tore her heart in two. The soft silk of his hair slid across her palm as she held him to her, as he kissed a path to her mouth, taking her lips in an achingly gentle kiss. The intensity of his mouth and his tongue against hers began a slow burn that turned her insides molten. The sound he made against her mouth was one of longing, of anguish, of hunger.
Eve wanted to love him like he deserved, and suspected he desperately needed. She wanted to show him how wonderful he was. This wasn’t about the demon fighting for freedom inside him. It was about Lazarus and nothing more.
“Lie down,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Eve…”
She shook her head. “Let me take care of you. Just this once.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, going through some kind of internal struggle, but he needed this, needed to let go.
His eyes fluttered open when she took his hand. The vulnerability that stared back at her caused her chest to tighten. He came to her then, his body still deliciously naked and magnificently aroused. Doing as she asked, he lay back on the bed and Eve took a minute to admire his powerful body, hard and defined. Magnificent.
The beautiful symbols that marked his arm and the side of his neck fascinated her. She wanted to trace them with her tongue, and she would because right then, at that moment, he was hers and hers alone.
He was built like a weapon of mass destruction. It was all there, lethal power, unbelievable strength, all at her mercy. She drank him in, his powerful thighs, the hard length of his straining erection against cut abs. Those impressive pecs, then up to his face, a face that would be harsh if it wasn’t for those sensual lips. His tongue darted out and he licked the full lower one. She couldn’t help mimic the action, hungry for a taste of him. Their eyes met and the primal need there stole her breath.
She crawled over and straddled his hips, and his gaze traveled over her curves as she did. She forced herself to leave her body bared to him, resisting the urge to cover herself. Lazarus liked the way she looked. How could she doubt it with the way he was looking at her?
His big hands gripped her thighs, smoothing up to her hips to softly massage and caress the bruised skin there.
“I hate that I hurt you.”
“You didn’t.” She leaned forward and kissed his whiskered jaw. “I enjoyed every minute of it.” She kissed him slowly, licking and nipping his lips like he had hers earlier.
When he reached up to hold her in place, attempting to deepen the kiss, she gripped his wrists and pushed them back against the mattress. He let her. Lazarus could overpower her easily if he chose to, but he let her have her way.
His breathing quickened as she pressed a trail of hot, wet kisses over his jaw then moved down to nibble and suck his throat, following the ink over his shoulder. She continued her exploration and moved to his hard chest. Her breasts grazed his abs while she dragged her tongue over a flat nipple before catching it between her teeth and biting down gently.
He panted and bucked beneath her. “You’re killing me, sweetheart.”
Encouraged, she tormented the other nipple for a while before carrying on down to trace the deep ridges of his abs. As she moved lower, he threaded his fingers through her hair. She glanced up, holding his dark, hungry gaze then leaned in, licking away the salty bead gathered at the tip of his cock.
He groaned. “Fuck.”
Desperate for more, she kissed him where she’d just licked, an open-mouthed sucking kiss that had his hips lifting off the mattress. Still, she didn’t take him fully into her mouth, and instead took her time to slowly lick and nibble every inch of his thick shaft.
His fingers flexed in her hair, forcing her to look up at him. “Eve.” Her name rumbled from his chest in a growling purr that intensified the throb between her thighs. “Take me into your mouth, sweetheart. Please, suck me.”
She grinned and gripped him tighter, running her tongue around the ridge one more time, lapping at the tiny slit.
He hissed in a breath through his teeth then growled again. His chest heaving, every muscle straining, locked up tight. “Please, baby.”
His plea melted her, and right then she wanted nothing more than to tell him how much she loved him, how amazing he was. Instead, she said, “Since you asked so nicely.”
Cupping his balls, she closed her lips over the head of his cock and took in as much of him as she could, moving up and down the velvety shaft with sucking pulls.
He lifted his hips like he had no control, thrusting into her mouth, and all the while he groaned out hot, tender, filthy things that had her squeezing her legs together to relieve the deep ache inside.
The musky, dark scent of him was driving her wild and then he fisted her hair tighter, his groans increasing. She moaned around him, loving how out of control he was.
He stilled suddenly, his spine torqued, muscles bunching. His massive body shook then he released a shout, her name groaning past his lips over and over. She didn’t let go when he tried to pull away and swallowed down everything he had.
Finally, she released his cock and looked up at him with a grin. His large body was trembling, and when his gaze captured hers, burned into her, her grin disappeared. She still held him in her hand, and he hadn’t softened at all. Her inner muscles clenched.
“Come here,” he rasped.
Eve crawled up his body, beyond desperate to have him inside her, and straddled his hips. He reached down, brushing his thumb over her clit. “Ride me, Eve.”
Her gaze darted up to meet his. Clear, pale green stared back and her heart soared. She rose up, unable to wait another second, and sank down, taking him to the hilt. God, he made her so full. She moaned, her head falling back.
“Eve…fuck.”
His big body shook beneath her while his thumb continued to work between her thighs as she rode him slow and easy.
Eve was lost to sensation, the feel of him deep inside, the sound of skin meeting skin, the harsh sounds of their panted breaths. He thrust up, silently demanding she increase the pace, and, whimpering, Eve gave him what he needed, what they both needed.
The tension inside her built in delicious waves, and she slammed down hard, taking him as deep as he could go. He hissed and held her to him, grinding up.
Light exploded behind her eyes, and she held on tight. Lazarus’s fingers dug into her ass, holding on to her, and he thrust up harder. “That’s it, come for me.” His voice was nothing but a growl.
Pleasure lit up every nerve ending in her body and she threw her head back and screamed, vaguely aware of Lazarus stiffening beneath her.
The last thing she remembered after collapsing on top of him, and before sleep dragged her under, was of Lazarus wrapping his big, warm body around hers and holding her close.
Eve woke feeling warm and snug, and a little groggy.
The warmth was radiating from the big male pressed to her side. His features were smooth and relaxed in sleep, lacking the tortured expression he often wore like a fierce mask. A state that would disappear as soon as he woke and headed back out in search of Tobias.
He was wrapped around her, cocooning her in his arms. A large palm rested against her belly, his face buried in her hair at her neck, his legs tangled with hers. He’d pulled her in tighter during sleep, and the entire length of his body was pressed against her.
An ache started in the center of her chest. Being with him like this felt good, too good. How would she move on without him when the time came?
Her stomach growled so loud she was surprised she didn’t wake him. Lazarus didn’t stir. Her empty belly was no doubt the reason she’d woken, and as much as she wanted to ignore it and stay under the covers surrounded by Lazarus, he’d would no doubt need to refuel as well when he woke.
Lifting his hand carefully from around her waist, she slipped from beneath the covers and quickly dressed.
She headed to the kitchen, and after making enough sandwiches for the two of them, she headed downstairs to the bar to grab a couple of Cokes for a much-needed sugar hit.
A buzz came from the delivery door, stopping her in her tracks. She waited, not sure what to do. Then Brent, muttering to himself, pounded down the stairs. The buzzer went off again and he cursed.
“Hang on, I’m coming,” he called, followed by the sound of numerous locks disengaging.
Eve didn’t hang around and headed toward the stairs. She hit the first landing when a sharp cry rang out, followed by a heavy thump. Putting the drinks on the ground, she raced back down the steps.
Brent lay prone on the ground, his motionless body propping the delivery door open. There was a deep gash across his temple, leaking blood onto the mat. “Brent!”
She rushed over and crouched down beside him, feeling for his pulse. Still alive. He wasn’t moving, was barely conscious, but she could hear his thoughts loud and clear.
Demon. Demon. Demon.
Oh God. She had to get him away from the open door.
In a panic, she grabbed Brent’s arm and tried to drag him in enough so she could shut it. This place was warded, Lazarus and Brent had both told her that. She just needed to get Brent out of striking distance and he’d be safe.
A man stepped into view and Eve scrambled back, terror tightening her vocal cords, making it impossible to scream. His gaze lifted to hers and he smiled. Dread slithered up her spine and she stumbled back farther when he shoved the door wider and thrust his hand inside.
The screech he let loose lifted goose bumps all over her skin when he broke through the protective ward surrounding the building then yanked the hand back out quickly.
Demon.
It couldn’t get through the wards, not without injuring, maybe even killing itself. But Brent was at an odd angle, and he’d slipped down the wall, God, so close to falling outside. The demon would kill him if he got the chance, she had no doubt about that.
There was no time to get Lazarus, so ignoring her terror, she grabbed Brent’s arm and tried to drag him away from the door again.
The demon hissed with rage. Brent was heavy and she tugged harder on his arm. As he finally fell toward her, one of his legs straightened and his foot slid outside. The demon dove for it. Eve fell forward, grabbed hold of his leg, and jerked it out of reach.
The demon’s eyes were milky white, locked on her. Eve scrambled back, but it shoved its hand inside again, over Brent’s unconscious body, shrieking in pain but not pulling back this time.
The skin peeled from its arm like it’d dipped it in acid, exposing raw flesh.
Eve froze in horror. Everything around her seemed to move in slow motion. She realized too late that she was in striking distance and there was no way she could get back out of its reach in time. The demon grabbed her by the hair and yanked her hard. She fell onto Brent’s legs, and the impact knocked the wind from her lungs. Right then, she was struggling to take in a breath, let alone scream for help.
She reached up and tried to loosen its grip, but her fingers slipped against blood and gore. It hissed in pain but didn’t let go, and dragged her through the door, hauling her to her feet. She sucked in a breath to scream, but the demon slapped its uninjured hand over her mouth, stifling the scream she was about to let loose.
Still holding her tight, it began to vibrate. Its body shuddered and began to change, taking its Orthon form.
No. Oh God, no.
A gray claw was clasped around her wrist like a manacle, and it hauled her toward the mouth of the alleyway.
She turned back to the open door of the club a few short feet away. Brent was struggling to stand, but he’d taken a serious blow and collapsed to the ground again. She glanced up to the second-story windows. Lazarus was up there, but he might as well have been on the other side of the world.
Eve tore at its gray flesh with her fingernails, fighting with everything she had. But no matter how hard she fought, she couldn’t break loose, couldn’t make a sound.
The creature’s cold fingers pressed against her lips and she shook her head trying to free her mouth, but it held tight. She bit down as hard as she could, and the demon hissed, striking her across the face.
Pain exploded through her head, her skin stinging from the long claws that had cut into her flesh. She ignored the pain and tried to pull free, to run.
It caught her back up and kept moving, dragging her with it.
A long silver car pulled to a stop in front of her. The creature beside her shifted forms again and was back to looking like a human male.
It yanked the door open, forced her inside, and closed her in. She grabbed for the handle and tugged at it, but it wouldn’t open no matter how hard she tried. The car began to ease from the curb.
She cried out and pounded on the window as the club, and Lazarus, got farther and farther away.
“You must be Eve,” a rough voice said.
Eve spun around. She hadn’t even noticed anyone else in the car with her, too desperate to escape. A man sat beside her, and as he leaned forward, the sunlight streaming through the window highlighted his features. He was striking, chiseled, almost too good looking. Not as hard as Lazarus, but there was an unmistakable cruelty behind his unearthly coal-black eyes.
Definitely not human.
“What do you want with me?” she said, panic clear in her voice.
“I’m Tobias,” he said. “You may have heard of me?” He grinned. “Nice to finally meet you.”
He searched her face, for what she didn’t know, before he said, “I look forward to getting to know you a lot better.”
She opened her mouth to tell him to go to hell…but everything went black.