Gritting her teeth, she opened her palm and let it fly. The slap caught his cheek and jerked his head to the side. Finally his lips moved in a deep mumble she couldn't understand. So she slapped him again.
This time his eyes flew open but fluttered shut.
“Krinaru shetar'emu.”
“What the hell's that? Demonic?” Her palm stung with the force of the second hit and she sagged. She wanted to help him but with him like this there wasn't much she could do.
Footsteps sounded in the bedroom, then Kearnyn appeared at the door. “How's he doing?”
“Passed out stinking drunk, I think. He's alive though.”
Kearnyn nodded and lifted Telal bodily in his big arms. Lily whistled under her breath at his strength. It would have taken her an hour and a lot of struggling to drag Telal's big body into the other room, let alone actually lift him.
She followed Kearnyn into the bedroom and watched him put him on the bed. Spotting a small trash bin, she grabbed it and set it beside the bed. He'd probably need that.
“Good call,” Kearnyn said, grinning.
“Thanks.”
He headed towards the door and stopped. “You gonna stay and watch over him?”
Lily looked at Telal's sleeping form and nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think I will.” He looked handsome while he slept, his face and body relaxed in a way she rarely saw.
“All right, if you need anything there's a phone in the kitchen. Just press one and you'll get me. Let me know when he wakes up.”
She nodded absently and was already on her way to the other side of the bed. She crawled in it and sat next to him, just listening to the sound of his breathing. His wet hair was a mess so she pushed it off his face. His skin looked so beautiful in contrast to that unique hair. Golden and almost shimmery.
She took in his bare chest that was so strong and packed with muscles. Gently she touched one of the gold hoops in his nipples, tugging on the metal between her fingers. Why did he have these? She wondered. Was it just a demon thing or something kinky he preferred? She couldn't see him doing something like that just for kinky kicks, though she didn't know him well enough to be sure. God, she wanted to though.
Her father left her to him for a reason. He had to know why. Her father had to have a significant reason to leave her in his hands. They must be strong, trustworthy hands for her protective father to do such a thing. She'd taunted him with a letter before that he must know the reason why, but now uncertainty prevailed. It could just be out of all the people her father knew, mostly businessman supernatural or not, he, Tyrian, and Lyonis were the ones he trusted most of all. She'd have to ask him about that. A smile tugged at her lips. She could already sense it'd be a battle. The man never wanted to talk about anything.
Her eyes drifted down his strong torso to his side with the tattoo. Without a light on she couldn't make out what it was, so she gingerly reached to the nightstand by the bed and switched on the lamp. Dim orange light lit the room pushing back some of the shadows.
She blocked the light with her own body so she positioned herself on her stomach with her head cocked to face him. It looked like some kind of symbol. A vertical tattoo, it had a bulb like end at the top and bottom in dark, royal blue that reminded her of the tops of the Taj Mahal. It began under his arm pit and ran down to cover his hip bone.
She stopped her perusal to trail her fingers over his warm skin. She bit back a moan and snapped her fingers back. Touching him while he slept felt so...wrong.
Colored in navy blue and royal reds, the symbol had a black band in the center near his rib cage as if it held the whole symbol together and wispy edges swirled out from the main bulbs like petals to a flower. Each was colored equally in different shades of red. From the outside rim the shape was dark then inwards it faded lighter and lighter.
The beauty of the piece impressed her. The skill it had taken to draw something so large and bold had to mean something. She reached out one last time to trail a single fingertip over the design.
Suddenly he groaned something in demonic and rolled towards her, one arm catching her around the back and pulling her in close. Her eyes flared wide as he aggressively tucked her against his body.
Then, as if to keep her from moving away, his strong leg wrapped across the top of hers. He mumbled more incoherent words then she heard the soft even sounds of his breathing.
Okay then. She scolded herself. Well you want him, don't you? Then don't be so nervous. She couldn't help it though.
It was one thing to...act and another to actually be caught up in it. She was so close to him this way, her face could easily bury in his warm neck.
With the quiet noise from the TV in the other room, Telal’s soft breathing, and the incredible warmth of his body, Lily soon found her eyes drifting close.
CHAPTER 23
Lily woke to the sound of groaning. Her eyes fluttered open, then stayed open as she stared into the face of Telal Demuzi.
Her stomach tightened with butterflies. “Good morning.”
His eyes searched over her face as if realizing she was actually there and not some figment of his imagination. Her usual bravado faltered and the butterflies shot throughout her body making her heart race.
“Lily.” It sounded like a question.
“Hi, Telal.” She wanted to say something sharp and witty, but nothing came to mind. He was completely wrapped around her, his face only inches from hers. When his eyes fell to her mouth and darkened in the way it does when a man is attracted to a woman, her breath hitched.
He leaned in and her hand shot up to press against his mouth. “Did you throw up last night?” The erotic glint in his eyes vanished and he fell back on the bed with a groan.
“No, I don't think so.” He scrubbed his hands over his face, rubbing the palm of his hands into his eyes. “God I feel like shit.”
She laughed, which helped to put her back to rights. “I'm not surprised. I'd feel like a truck hit me too if I drank as much as you did.”
He started to sit up but groaned like he'd been stuck with a knife in his gut. “Fuck.” He stood and she heard the trash can get knocked over.
“Any evidence of upchuck in there?”
He shook his head in answer. She watched him stumble with heavy, uneven steps towards the bathroom. She couldn't help it, she grinned. Watching the strong, smart demon look...human was amazing to see.
He flicked the bathroom light on and the door closed partway. She heard the toilet flush a minute later, then the shower kick on. Not sure why exactly, she went into the bathroom.
Her eyes widened. He'd already stripped down and stood under the spray of the shower. Under normal circumstances his body was incredible, but dripping wet, he looked glorious.
He'd just finished brushing his teeth when she stepped into the doublewide stall with him. He looked over at her with surprised eyes. So he hadn’t heard her. Grabbing the toothbrush out of his hand, she dispensed some paste on it from a container attached to the wall and scrubbed away. They watched each other, both getting doused under the oversized shower head.
She finished brushing and set the toothbrush back on the ledge carved into the wall. He picked up a rag, rubbed some soap on it, and began washing his arms and chest. Still his eyes watched her.
“You shouldn't be in here,” he said without any real heat.
She smiled because she couldn't find words as he slid that washcloth across his chest and over the loops in his nipples. Watching him made everything inside her feel tight and needy. With the wall of white suds on his chest she wanted nothing more than to step forward and rub her own chest across it.