Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
He’d been trying, but she was damn good at hiding in the shadows. She had a better network, more connections, and more knowledge about using the magical dark web. He’d been able to keep up at first, but she’d clearly taken it as a challenge and upped her game. She kept slipping away. He was starting to worry it was to her detriment.
“Why is your essence altered?” he pushed.
The little smile was back. “I knew it was you. How’d you know I could work energy? I didn’t even know. Not the magical component of it, I mean. I still don’t know how most of it works.”
“I can see the effects of it in certain creatures. I can see how turned on you are right now, for example. How much you want me to tease you until you beg me to climax.”
The sparkles between them sped up until they were swirling at a fever pitch.
“Lies,” she whispered, her voice thick with need.
“I will not ask you again—why was your essence altered? Are you trying to hide from me?”
“Obviously. I’m supposed to be nulling my aura, what I assume you refer to as my essence. Looks like I’ll have to try something else.”
He hadn’t known it was her—or been sure it was anyone, actually—so she’d probably succeeded. His internal warnings had only been triggered because of proximity. Not that he’d tell her that. He hoped she dropped the nulling effect, thinking it didn’t work, and allow him to feel her. To better track her.
One thing that hadn’t changed, though, was that tug he’d felt. The pull of her, of his need to see her again. To feel her lips and continue this dance of theirs. He liked the pace, each grudging step she took toward his bed.
“Why aren’t you invisible?” he asked. “And why are you here? Why is Sebastian here?”
“I’m not invisible because I didn’t think there was a point. Usually in a dinner situation like this, no one is allowed to wander away. Mages never totally trust who they’re with. I didn’t expect Edgar to be milling around.”
“And the reason you’re here?” He ran his lips along her jaw, liking when she shivered.
“Helping Jessie show off her magic, making it clear she is not connected to Elliot Graves, and proving she has more power than he does. It’ll help her position.”
“You guys play the bad guys so she can be the good guy?” He breathed against her neck before sucking in her heated flesh.
“That was always the plan,” she whispered breathily.
He kissed her throat, creating a hot trail with his tongue.
“I have to go,” she said, barely heard. Her fingers still clutched him.
“When are you coming back to O’Briens?” He kissed her chin lightly, then the corners of her lips. “I have a set of handcuffs and a blindfold I want to try on you.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and murmured, “Oh my God.”
“When you beg me to climax, I’ll only let you if you call me Daddy.”
He smiled wickedly when her fingers spasmed into fists, clutching his jacket and yanking him closer. She definitely liked the dominance games; probably praise, too. She’d likely never found someone she was really compatible with because she always presented the strong, independent sunshine girl, leading the way to the finish line. No one had probably read her desire to let someone else call the shots. To take her to the brink, to the very edge where she had no control, and keep her there until she screamed with pleasure.
It was a game he liked to play but hadn’t found a woman who had given herself to it fully. Natasha had already done it, though, multiple times. Right now, as a matter of fact. Happily at his mercy, relinquishing control, her life or death in his hands. It was when she let down her guard and opened herself up that he got to see the real woman. The damage. The pain. The glimmer of hope.
“Jessie misses you,” he said, kissing the corner of her lips again. “It hurts her that you don’t respond to messages.”
“If I did, you’d use it to track me. I know you know how.”
He did, that was true. An encrypted phone was still a cell phone, and when it was on, it could be tracked if you knew the right information. They’d kept it off so that he couldn’t, clearly charging it up at unpredictable times to get any messages that had come through before shutting it down again.
“You need to stop locking me out,” he said, rocking his hardness against her. “I know you want the help. I want to provide it for you.” He captured her still lips. “Kiss me back,” he commanded.
She whimpered in desire, doing as he said. Their kiss was scorching, unraveling his control. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, chasing hers before he backed off, sucking on her bottom lip. When he pulled back a little more, she followed, trying to keep contact. Her eyes fluttered, showing she was clearly lost to their chemistry. To his touch.