Angel's Assassin (26 page)

Damien growled low in his throat and knew
that he was lost.

D
amien gripped
her tightly, in disbelief, holding her small body to his, kissing
her. His body ached for her, swelling to his full size
instantly.

His lips caressed hers, drinking her in,
tasting every inch of her mouth. He could not stop there. He kissed
her cheeks, her chin, peppering her neck with long, languishing
brushes of his lips. His hands slid over her waist, up to her
breasts. They fit perfectly in his hands. Her chemise was the only
barrier between them. Damien needed to feel her skin. He peeled
away the garment, moving it over her shoulders and down her arms,
easing it away from her flesh. He exhaled slowly as her breasts
were revealed to his ravenous gaze.

Desire fueled his already starving appetite.
He could not get enough of her. He dipped his head to taste of her
pointed nipples. She inhaled sharply. His tongue flicked around the
hardened tips, swirling her into oblivion. He wanted to give her
what she gave him, the abandon and the trust. The absolute joy. Her
skin was cool against his hands as he eased the chemise from her
body, pushing the fabric aside so he could gaze upon her
splendor.

He pulled back to stare down at her. Her
large eyes were flooded and darkened with passion. Her hair hung
damply around her shoulders, encasing her body like a golden frame.
She was magnificent.

He lifted his tunic over his head.

Aurora reached for him. She ran her small
hands over his arms, gazing at him as though in awe. What had she
to be in awe of? She was so lovely, so… He took her face in his
hands and kissed her, reveling in the joy. She chose to give
herself to him. He brushed his anguished and trembling lips over
hers.

Unable to hold his desire in, he pulled her
against him, anticipation enveloping them. His palm skimmed over
her hips, to her perfect bottom. When she pressed up against him,
Damien clenched his teeth, reigning in his unleashed passion. He
wanted to be slow and gentle with her. He wanted her to experience
what he was feeling, but his body was so ready for hers, so hard
that it was difficult to control his need.

He eased her back onto the mattress with his
body, pressing her beneath the warmth of his body. She was so tiny
he covered her completely. Protectively. Possessively. Lord, how he
wanted her.

Her hands skimmed up his back, tender in
their exploration. He stiffened as her fingertips reached the scars
marring his back. But when she kissed the hollow of his shoulder
Damien relaxed beneath her healing touch. He pulled back to look at
her. There was no repulsion in her eyes, only acceptance and
something else, something that warmed his cold soul.

Her hands fluttered up his spine, beneath his
hair to the nape of his neck. She pressed kisses into his cheek and
along his jaw.

She touched him like no other woman ever had.
With no fear. He pressed his head into her shoulder. She was so
good. So gentle and kind. How could she ever want him? How could he
have gotten so lucky to have her choose him, to have her want him?
An ache rose in the very depths of his soul.

He looked into her eyes again. They were
lidded with desire. Yet, he could still see the blue of her orbs,
clearer than the deepest sea. “We can still stop,” he whispered,
giving her every chance to escape him. Did she truly know what she
was doing?

Overwhelming tenderness shone from her eyes
before she lifted her lips to his, caressing them in reassurance. A
healing kiss. It opened Damien’s soul. She had chosen him. She
wanted to give herself to him. And heaven help him, he wanted to
let her. The thought sent waves of unequaled joy cresting over him.
Of all the men on this land, she had chosen him.

Damien cupped her head, drinking of her
sweet, innocent nectar. The kiss deepened. She wanted him. This
time, she would not run. This time Aurora wanted him to touch her,
to make love to her.

Damien’s tongue swept the inside of her
mouth, tasting her, touching her. There would be no stopping.

She opened her legs slightly and his body
rested against her womanhood. He groaned softly. He wanted to go
slow, but he was so close to release. A mere look of hers drove him
to hardness. A touch of her hands, her body against his, and he was
lost.

He pulled back again, trying to slow their
frantic pace. When she reached for him, he captured her hands in
his and lowered them above her head. “Slowly, my angel,” he
whispered.

She reached up with her mouth and found his.
It was as if she were unable to get enough of his touch, his
kiss.

The thought was powerful. Damien skimmed down
over her beautiful breasts, past her thin waist to her curvy hips.
He cupped her bottom. She gently lifted her hips to him, nudging
him, pushing her womanhood against him.

She groaned into his kiss, softly,
tenderly.

Unable to hold himself back, Damien pulled
back and tugged open the string holding his leggings on. He eased
out of them and stretched himself down over her, covering her in
the blanket of his body. His manhood immediately sought her core,
pressing against the juncture of her thighs.

She gasped in surprise and squirmed her hips
against him.

Damien grit his teeth, forcing his
satisfaction to wait. “Easy,” he whispered to her as much as
himself. “This will hurt,” he warned her.

She looked up at him with such heated passion
Damien’s heart twisted.

“I trust you,” she whispered.

Damien hesitated. She trusted him. The only
one in his entire life who had done so. She trusted him. He
positioned himself close to her. Slowly, so slowly, he parted her
folds. She squirmed again and it was all he could do not to thrust
inside her. He didn’t want to hurt her. Not now, not ever. Slowly,
gently, he pushed forward. Her body held his manhood like a wet
glove. Hot. Moist. Forward he pressed in sweet agony until he
reached her barrier. He paused. He knew a quick thrust was the best
way and still, he hesitated. He wanted her. He wanted all of her.
But he didn’t want to hurt her. No man had ever touched this part
of her. The thought sent waves of passion through his body.

She groaned softly, encouraging him with soft
flutters of her fingers over his back.

Still, Damien did not move. One thrust and
she would be ruined. She would be like him. Tainted. Flawed. It was
what he wanted all along. And now, poised at the barrier, he found
he didn’t want her blemished. He didn’t want her changed. He wanted
her just the way she was. Lovely and innocent. Kind and pure.

Then, Aurora lifted her hips to his.

All of Damien’s thoughts disappeared and he
groaned as he lunged into her, filling her completely

Aurora cried out, her body stiffening beneath
his.

Immediately, Damien wrapped his arms around
her, soothing her with gentle kisses and whispered words.

She writhed beneath him.

Damien held her tightly. It was too late. For
them both. He claimed her lips, seeking to ignite the flames that
had licked at her conscious once again. He moved his hips over
hers. Very slowly.

His hand engulfed her breast, caressing,
teasing the nipple with feathery touches.

He moved against her. Just a rocking of his
hips at first. She had to grow accustomed to him. He held her
tightly as he moved, as if he was afraid she would run from him, as
if he thought this dream would vanish.

Aurora’s arms pulled him closer and her hips
answered his movement, tentatively lifting to meet Damien’s
thrusts.

Damien slid out of her slightly and then
eased back in, filling her. Out and in. Friction heated their
bodies. Again he moved. Oh, sweet glorious heaven. He was so close
to release it was agony to refrain from spilling his seed into
her.

She lifted her hips to his again, matching
the movement of his body. She clung to him, holding his
shoulders.

He dropped his head to her breasts, sucking
and licking.

Aurora groaned beneath him in an answering
need. She wiggled and twisted her body, arching her breast into his
mouth. She entwined her hands behind his head, pulling him
closer.

He devoured her tender skin, tasting,
licking, sucking. He moved forward, thrusting into her with heated
need. Again and again. He lifted his head and took her lips in a
primal kiss. He cupped her bottom and lifted her hips until he
filled her completely.

Aurora gasped, her body lifting to meet his.
She trembled, her hands clasping his shoulders in ecstasy.

He pulled back to watch her face contort in
blissful surrender. And then, only then, did Damien allow himself
to release inside of her.

D
amien held
Aurora to him, possessively. He kissed the top of her head, the
length of her smooth body hotly pressed along the length of his.
“Are you all right?” he wondered.

She smiled against his chest and nodded.

He grinned into the damp locks of her head.
She was his. The thought brought such contentment, such joy to his
weary soul he dared not move lest he find it all some wonderful
dream.

Aurora sat up. She made no move to cover
herself from his view. His eyes dipped to feast on her wondrous
breasts. Desire began to stir inside of him, but he pushed it aside
and reached for his clothing. He had to get her out of here. It had
been reckless and impulsive to take her here. The assassin could
still be lurking around. Yet, he knew if he stared at her body for
too long, his need to have her again would tidal wave over him. He
stood and pulled on his leggings and started toward the
entrance.

“Damien!” Aurora called, desperately.

The fear and nervousness in her voice
tightened his stomach and he turned to her.

She sat on the mattress, on her knees. Her
eyes were wide, her hands twisting anxiously in her lap. She looked
forlorn and lost and afraid.

Damien went to her immediately. “I’m not
leaving you. I was just going to take a quick look outside.” He
took her hands into his. “They won’t hurt you again.” He hated
himself for ever having disappointed her. He hated that she was
afraid now. But mostly, he hated the feeling of failure settling
heavily in the bottom of his stomach. He had allowed someone to
sneak up on him, to overcome him and take Aurora. The taste of her
lips, the feel of her soft skin had distracted him. He knew it
would happen again. If he couldn’t give her protection all of his
focus, she would be taken again. Or worse. An assassin could kill
her. Or take her away from him. He had been lucky this time.

There was only one way to protect her. He had
to tell her the truth. He had to tell her why he came to
Acquitaine.

She sighed and her tense shoulders relaxed,
but she did not release his hands.

There was acceptance and pride in her gaze as
she stared at him.

Would she look at him differently when he
told her who he really was? Would she turn from him? A sudden
paralysis gripped his body as a tingling of fear wound its way
around his heart. Would she hate him? That was something Damien
knew he could not bear. Aurora’s rejection. He couldn’t tell her.
And yet, he had to.

Aurora smiled at him.

It was as if the clouds parted and the sun
shone on him. She was beautiful. Stunningly gorgeous. He needed a
moment to gather his courage for the coming admission. Any topic
would do. And there was one thing he needed to know. “Who did this
to you?”

Aurora’s smile faded and she looked at the
branch where she had been tied. She shook her head, her eyes seeing
more than Damien could. “I do not know,” she answered. “He wore a
mask.”

“Are you certain it was a man?”

Aurora turned to look at him, confusion
furrowing her brow. “Yes.”

“Helen has been acting strange lately. She’s
just mean-spirited enough to do something like this.”

“Helen?” Aurora echoed, surprised.

“You have to be careful of her, Aurora. She
is capable of anything. Even if it was a man who brought you here,
that doesn’t mean Helen is not involved somehow.”

Aurora straightened. “Surely, not Helen.”

“Just be on guard with her,” Damien
advised.

Aurora nodded.

Damien’s gaze dipped, sweeping her body. And
then, a sudden thought occurred to him, a thought so grim the beast
inside him shifted and stirred. His eyes and his spirit darkened.
“Did the man that took you… did he touch you?”

Aurora’s brow furrowed. “Touch me?”

Damien grit his teeth. He could not keep his
hands off of her. How could her kidnapper not have touched her?
“Did he… touch you in any inappropriate way?”

Surprise and understanding washed over her
face. She blushed slightly and looked away. “No. No. He just… He
tied me there and…”

“Your dress,” he insisted. He kept the beast
on a leash, reining back his furious rage. “Did he take it from
you?”

“Yes,” she admitted softly. “He made me take
it off before he tied me.”

“Did he touch you in any indecent way?”
Damien’s blood boiled at the thought of any man touching her,
decent or indecent.

“No,” she answered. “He did not touch
me.”

Still, Damien’s fingers entwined through
hers. Whoever took her was still out there. He would try again. It
was strange the kidnapper had not harmed her, but Damien was
grateful for that. Still, if the kidnapper had been an assassin
sent by Roke, he would have ended her life or taken her back to
Roke. This kidnapping seemed… wrong. Staged.

Damien’s gaze swept the area. The branch.
Aurora tied up like some sacrificial offering, almost naked when he
came in. Shivering and cold. But not dead. Not hurt. His thoughtful
stare dipped to the straw mattress they sat on. Situated against
the wall, with two unused blankets folded on top of it. Almost as
if whoever took her wanted someone to find her, and bed her.