He strode towards her, one of his long steps eating up what two of hers made. With each step closer, her heart beat faster, harder, louder. Her chest shuttered, trying to draw in air, and then he stopped before her. One strong arm swept around her waist and smoothly pulled her against him.
“I told myself I wouldn't do this because you looked so nervous.”
“Not nervous!” she said, her voice high.
His eyes softened, darkened, and then his mouth pulled into a wicked grin that curled her toes. He didn’t make her wait long but gave her exactly what she'd been thinking about since he warned her.
He pulled her up against him until she felt like she could roll around in his scent, in his strong chest. His head lowered, her lashes fell. Just a hint of his touch passed across her lips, the touch so light it could have been a number of things. But she knew it was his lips because his breath blew gently across hers. As if he'd asked her something not communicated by words, her lips parted.
Only then did he kiss her. But “kiss” didn't adequately describe it. His lips molded against hers and his tongue took advantage of her parted lips and swept inside. A hot rush imploded inside her. All at once, she needed so much more.
With a needy sound, she flung her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. Licking, thrusting, and learning his mouth, his heady masculine taste, the raspy touch of his tongue. But what caught her off guard, what made her core melt in need, was the fangs. She'd already forgotten, maybe because he didn't look like a vampire, maybe because he didn't run around hissing and showing them off like a teenager. But as she dipped her tongue inside she passed his fangs, two sharp points that could easily penetrate her.
He groaned a deep husky sound that came from deep in his chest. One big arm wrapped around her shoulders and lifted her until only her toes touched the floor. Even then he had to lean down because he was so much taller than her. But his other hand slid down her back and cupped one cheek in a possessive touch. She squirmed, her hold on him tightening as every part of her body burned for more. To be in a man’s arms again was thrilling, made her blood quicken. She felt needed, wanted, desired as a woman should be.
She grew wetter, hotter. Their uneven breaths panted against each other as they both fought to find the best angle, the best means of penetration. The need in her core grew to distracting levels. She needed relief, so she arched forward and caught his erection with her hips.
He groaned, pumped his hips once. And then he thrust away from her, and bent over his knees breathing like he'd just run a race. Rosa took a step towards him, her hands reaching. He'd started something and she needed him to finish it, finish her.
He held out his hand and she froze. “Don't come any closer. Damn.” He dragged in a deep breath and stood. “That was amazing. I have to go before I do something...” His smoldering gaze trailed over his body. “Yeah, before I do something.”
He stalked to the door, his hand pausing on the door handle, and then he turned it and left.
CHAPTER 23
Lily awoke feeling groggy but not too bad considering her night. She had to remember to call her sisters and tell them about the woman in prison...her mother. She still couldn't believe it. It seemed impossible that she was even alive after nearly twenty-nine years, but strangely, it had to be true. And that gave her hope. If Rosa's vision proved true then at least she could try to free her mother before she died. And if she had any say in it, she wouldn't be dying.
That bitter thought sent her scurrying across the room to her potions. She made up her special juice and chugged. As the pervading warmth and happiness spread through her, she checked her injuries but decided the dull pain in her arms wasn't worth another pain potion. She felt a thousand times better after the juice filled her system, like a hot air balloon floating high in the sky.
She showered, dressed, and headed towards Telal's office in under an hour. He'd acted so odd last night, but seeing that part of him gave her hope. Her father wanted this demon specifically to be there for her. She'd long accepted that and now wanted to see what was there between them. Because something was. The attraction between them wasn't just one-sided, and she needed to see just where it would lead.
The elevator to his office floor opened and she paused. No guards stood at the door. Odd but refreshing. Maybe he'd ordered them off after their little breakthrough last night. She laughed, yeah right. Knowing him, his kindness had merely been a lapse in judgment brought on from the stress of the night. And it had been one hell of a night.
Flinging the door open, she found the lights off inside. Next she found the bedroom the same. A prickling feeling settled over the back of her neck. Lily took the elevator down to the lobby of the main floor.
The guard behind the desk looked up at her as she approached. “Where is he?”
“Mr. Demuzi?”
She glared. “No, Santa Claus.”
“I believe the North Pole, ma'am.”
Her lips twitched but she refused to laugh. “Try that attitude again with the mood I'm in and see where it gets you,” she said in a cold voice.
The guard narrowed his eyes on her and sized her up. She knew what he saw—a short, small woman. But she still had power, enough to kick his ass if need be.
Finally, he shrugged. “I can't tell you that.”
Lily threw up her hands and stalked back to the elevator. “Fucking idiots,” she mumbled. That sickly feeling told her something was wrong. He had to be in the building, she just knew it. So she punched in floor two and made her way down the halls one floor at a time looking for him.
By floor ten she was cursing. “Fucking place is huge.”
By floor twenty she wanted to pull her hair out. It wasn't until she reached floor thirty-five that the layout of the floor shifted completely. This looked totally different from the other floors. The elevator opened to a short white hallway with a single door. Her gut clenched in warning and she knew she'd found him.
The small keypad above the door handle lit up with a red light and she paused. She tried the door but it didn't budge.
“Well, shit.” She wasn't a hacker by any means. Still, she started entering a random variety of numbers hoping to get lucky. After a few minutes of trying, it didn't work.
Sighing, she made a fist and banged on the door. “Telal! Are you in there? It's Lily.” Quieter she mumbled, “Yeah, I'm sure that'll bring him running.”
Defeated by a door with a numbered lock, she slid to the floor. Lily contemplated all the ways she could get the door open starting with bribing a guard for the code. She had just gotten up to bombing it when the elevator dinged open.
Telal's bodyguard, Kearnyn, came through. A small smile formed as he saw her. “Keeping him safe?”
She scoffed and stood up. “Not really. Can you get me in?”
The smile died and he stared shrewdly at her as if trying to deduce what she was up to. She held her hands up innocently.
“I think something's wrong,” she said.
If anything his face shut down even more, hiding everything, showing nothing. “Why do you think that?”
“I may not be a witch like Rosa but I have similar strengths. Visions, feelings, things like that. Is he in there?”
He took a deep breath and eyed the door with a grimace. “The reports say he hasn't left.”
“Left since when?”
The big Irish man shrugged. “He's been in there since last night.”
“Damn. Get me in there big guy, and I'll fix him up.” Her stomach formed twisting knots of worry. Her claim was also a bold faced lie. She didn't know if she could help or not, but she'd die trying.