BURN (10 page)

Knox almost laughed. Nothing in Jolene’s expression gave away that she’d just threatened him.
She’s the one person I’d never harm.

Jolene studied him for a long moment, then nodded.

Tell me why she’s so reluctant to bond.

That’s for Harper to tell you.
Amusement was in every word.
I should warn you that Lucian won’t like this anchor business. He’s not the most attentive father, but she’s still his baby girl and he’ll see you as too dangerous for her. Carla probably won’t like it much either.

She told me that she tried to see Harper several times in the past
.

A snort.
She always was a good story spinner.
Jolene touched Harper’s arm. “We need to leave now, sweetheart, before people start to realize that Martina has stolen their wallets or that she set her ex’s car on fire.” Jolene hugged Harper once more. “You take care now.” She shot Knox a warning look before leaving with Beck and Martina in tow.

Tanner smiled at Harper. “You’ve gotta love Wallis imps.” She just snorted.

It wasn’t until they were back on the jet, high up in the air, that Harper’s demon finally settled down. Isla had really pushed its hot buttons, and that was largely because the bitch had tried to lay claim to Knox – someone the demon believed belonged to it.

“I wondered when that demon of yours would show itself,” said Knox. “It’s very protective of you. And very feisty.”

“My demon seems to think that Isla isn’t just a banshee. In fact, it picked up a vampire vibe from her. But I don’t see how that can be possible.”

“She is a banshee…to an extent,” said Knox. “A vampire tried to change her. She was strong enough to survive a transition that has killed many other demons, and so she is a blend of the two species. It’s not known if it was done against her will or not, but I believe it’s something she did in the hope of gaining more power.”

No wonder Knox worried so much that Isla would try to hurt her. She was basically a Super She-Demon-Slash-Vamp. Possibly even invincible to most demons…except for the person opposite her. “But
you
could kill her.”

“I could.” He hoped it wouldn’t come to that. But if he had to choose between Harper and Isla, he’d choose Harper. “That’s why I wanted to be present when you two met. I had hoped she’d realized I wasn’t her anchor, but apparently not. And that presents us with a big problem. To her, you’re an imposter. A creature she believes she could easily crush, since she believes you’re an imp and knows that you belong to a small lair.”

Harper narrowed eyes that were currently amethyst. “I’m not going to move to your lair. Why do you look so surprised that I’d guess you would ask it of me? You’re set on ‘improving’ my life. It wasn’t such a stretch to conclude that your next step would be getting me to switch lairs.”

“You would be safer that way.”

She smiled knowingly. “And if you were my Prime, I’d have to answer to you. You’d have a level of authority over me. You’d just love that, wouldn’t you?”

Knox cocked his head. “I’m beginning to find that I don’t want to control you. You’re much more interesting as you are.”

Okay, that comment totally threw her. “You do it on purpose, don’t you? Try to catch me off-guard.”

“It’s only fair. You surprise me all the time. My own personal little mystery. I asked Jolene why you’re hesitant to bond. She wouldn’t tell me.”

“Ah, maybe this is why you haven’t walked away from me yet. You not only see me as a challenge, but you find the mystery refreshing.”

“Let’s find out. Tell me why you’re really so hesitant to accept me as your anchor.”

She balked at that…but maybe she should tell him. Maybe the sooner he solved the mystery and she was no longer so interesting to him, the sooner he’d walk away. “Although anchor bonds only exist on a psychic level, it doesn’t stop some anchor pairs from wanting something more. I’ve seen firsthand what happens when a demon falls for their anchor and those feelings aren’t reciprocated.”

Knox stilled as realization dawned on him. “Carla and Lucian are anchors.”

She nodded. “He never wanted the bond because anchors need to stay in contact; Lucian doesn’t like attachments. But he had no problem sleeping with Carla and setting her aside. The problem was that Carla and her demon also wanted Lucian as a mate, but neither he nor his demon wanted them.”

“He rejected her on two levels.”

“Yes. And I can understand that must have hurt, despite that she had to have known in advance that Lucian didn’t do commitment. And I can understand that her inner demon must have been enraged that the attachment it had formed to Lucian was only one-sided. It’s really no surprise that Carla turned bitter and hateful towards him. But those feelings twisted her up so much inside that she abandoned her child simply because it reminded her of him and she wanted to hurt him.”

When Knox’s expression darkened, she added, “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel sorry for myself. I have a family who loves me and I’ve had a good life, even if it wasn’t a typical upbringing. But it wasn’t easy being a single sphinx among a family of imps.”

Knox got it then: she’d become so much like an imp because it enabled her to blend.

“Kids can be mean about shit like that. When neither of your parents are around, it’s easy to believe that those kids are right and your parents don’t think you’re good enough for them. Jolene never stood for that shit, though. She made sure I knew that I wasn’t at all to blame for the mistakes of either Carla or Lucian.”

“Is this part of why you avoid having relationships with demons? You don’t want to repeat their mistakes?”

She sighed. “It’s more that male demons make relationships too complicated. I don’t want that.”

He was silent for a minute. “I can understand now why you’re hesitant to bond. But we’re not Carla and Lucian. You’re not delusional and selfish, and I’m not a self-centered playboy. As for you avoiding relationships with demons…”

“What?”

“What happens when your demon decides it’s ready for a mate? It won’t settle for a human, and it will drive you insane because you’re not giving it what it wants and needs. You know what happens to people who do that, because you’ve seen that firsthand too.” People like that became like Lucian – lost.

“I’ll deal with that when it happens,” she said with a nonchalant shrug. In truth, it was a worry, but she didn’t let it play on her mind.

Figuring one truth deserved another, Knox said, “The fact that my demon gets bored very quickly with women isn’t the only reason I don’t do relationships. I know I wouldn’t be good at them, and I don’t like being involved in things I’m not good at.”

She laughed. “So you’re a perfectionist as well as a total control freak.”

“And yet, your rebellious personality doesn’t irritate me the way it should. Except for when you fight accepting me as your anchor, of course.”

She gave a little shrug. “I’m just not convinced that accepting this anchor thing is the smart thing to do, I told you why.”

“It’s not just about Carla and Lucian’s experience though, is it?” He was coming to read her quite well.

“No, it’s not.”

“Is it because I’m controlling or because of what Isla might do?” He doubted it was the second. “Or because you find it too strange and uncomfortable to have someone look out for you?”

Sensing that he was playing with her somehow, she said nothing.

“The first should only bother you if you believe I have the power to steamroll you.” Yes, that was a little reverse psychology but he wasn’t above using it.

“You don’t.”

“The second should only bother you if you don’t believe you can truly protect yourself or that I will protect you if necessary.” Yes, more use of reverse psychology.

“I
can
protect myself.”

“And the third…I’m not going to imply that it shouldn’t be strange for you, because I understand. But is it really so bad having someone there for you?”

No, it wasn’t. Although she didn’t say that aloud, it must have been in her expression because a hint of smugness glistened in his eyes. “Arrogant bastard.” His smile widened.

CHAPTER SIX

She shouldn’t have gone home with him. She knew better.

He just wanted to feed her and ensure she relaxed, he’d said – after all, it had been a weird and trying afternoon. Still, it was one thing to have the occasional meal with him; it was another to spend pretty much the entire day with him. But…Harper hadn’t wanted to be alone. And, honestly, she was coming to like his company.

He could be almost fascinating at times. She’d grown up around imps, creatures that were expressive, temperamental, wild, and passionate. She wasn’t used to people like Knox, who was so collected, focused, and emotionally disconnected. Also, she’d never before met anyone who had such a huge amount of personal power. People were always eager to please him, always respected him in spite of the fear he inspired.

She ached a little for him, though. Despite being surrounded by people all the time, he seemed to stand apart. He was so solitary, like a tiger. But demons weren’t built to be alone. They were social, tactile, sexual creatures. And yet, this was how he lived.

When his staff came to him with issues, every order he gave them was quick, objective, and unemotional. He always knew exactly what he wanted, and he always did exactly what he had to do to get it. And she had to face that fighting their anchor bond was pointless. Not even the things she’d told him on the jet appeared to have made any difference. But, as he’d said, they weren’t Carla and Lucian; they were totally different people. Knox would never give up, never cease tormenting her until she gave him what he wanted.

After they’d eaten a seriously delicious meal and she was perched on one of the breakfast stools while he made them both coffee, she sighed. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” It wasn’t really a question.

Placing the mug in front of her, Knox then braced his hands on the counter. He didn’t pretend to misunderstand her. “No. I’ve told you before, I don’t walk away from what’s mine. And you
are
mine.”

She blew over the rim of her mug. “Hmm.”

“No matter how much or how long you fight the bond, it won’t keep me away from you. Nothing will. I’ll always be in your life, Harper.” He paused as they both sipped at their coffee. “Haven’t I proven that I plan to be a constant presence?”

“Oh you’ve been around a lot, sure…but what happens if we bond? You wouldn’t need to try to prove anything to me anymore. You’d have what you want. The link would be formed. I’d officially be your anchor. You could only visit me when the time apart gets uncomfortable. I wouldn’t blame you.” She honestly wouldn’t. “I mean, we don’t have much in common. We have different lifestyles. I’m not part of your lair and I have no intention of changing that. Anchors are supposed to make each other’s lives easier and better. You already have everything you want. You don’t need me for anything. There’s literally nothing that I can offer you.” It hurt her pride, and dammit it just plain hurt.

He tilted his head as he mused, “You’re so used to people leaving you that you expect everyone to do it.”

“Yeah.” Harper was a self-aware person, she owned her faults. “It’s cliché and even a little pathetic—”

“It’s not pathetic.” He rounded the table, and twirled her stool so that she was facing him. “Now, let me address your little issues so we’re very clear. I’m not going to pretend we’ll see each other as often as we have since we met. I put aside a lot of work so that we could spend time together and get to know each other. But I have a busy schedule and I travel a lot. That doesn’t mean I won’t remain in contact with you. It doesn’t mean we won’t still see each other often.”

He tucked her hair behind her ear as he continued, “It’s true that we don’t have a lot in common, though I don’t see that as a bad thing and I’m not sure why you do. It’s also true that I have everything I want.” He shrugged. “Going after the things I want is part of who I am. Do you make my life easier? No. You’re willful and contrary and you’d snort at any order I tried to give you.”

“This is not making me feel better,” she grumbled.

“But
…
you intrigue me, which is a surprise in and of itself. I can never predict what you’ll say or do next. You’re a quirky, complex, fierce blaze of fire in my otherwise numb, predictable world. See, despite that I have everything I want, it hasn’t made me satisfied. If anything, it has made me bored and restless. There have been no challenges, no obstacles, and nothing I couldn’t manage or control one way or another…until you.” It drove him crazy, but it also energized him. “I
like
having you in my life. I intend to keep you in it.”

As his cell phone started ringing, he crossed the room to grab it from the counter and answer the call. Harper used that moment to gather her composure. He’d meant every word, she realized with a start. He actually liked having her around. If he was any other guy, she’d have been startled by all that honesty. But Knox Thorne wouldn’t care to hold back, because he wasn’t interested in anyone’s opinion of him. As he ended the call and stalked toward her, she slipped off the stool. “I should go.”

Curling an arm around her waist, Knox pulled her to him, staring into azure-blue eyes. Images of her naked, moaning, taking every inch of his cock had haunted his dreams and thoughts. His demon had practically sulked over Knox’s refusal to seek her out, and it clearly wanted her more than it had ever wanted another female. As both his body and his demon lunged for her, Knox urged, “Stay with me.”

Although it would be dumb, she wanted to, especially while her body was humming with the need to feel him in her. She was pathetically weak when it came to him, and it would be so easy to fold under the weight of the sheer unadulterated need he roused in her. But…“I told you on the jet—”

“Yes, you did.” He nipped at her pulse, making her jolt. “And I understand. You’re forgetting something, though.” He sucked on her earlobe. “You already know my demon doesn’t form attachments. It loses interest too quickly, it doesn’t want a relationship or a mate. And neither does yours or it would never accept humans as sexual partners – it would be searching for more. The last thing I’d do is hurt you. We’ll soon be linked on a level deeper than any demonic attachment.” He held her gaze as he stated firmly, “When we bond – and we will, Harper – we’ll be psychically linked. That means I’m never going to leave your life. Never.”

She was starting to believe him. In fact, no, she already did believe him.

“Stay with me.”

She nodded once. His mouth slammed on hers and his tongue boldly thrust inside like he owned her. It was no teasing, practiced kiss. It was raw desperation and a devastation of her senses. His mouth dominated and possessed hers – licking, biting, and consuming. One hand fisted in her hair while his other hand palmed her ass and plastered her body to his. All she could do was grab his shirt while he took her over. No one kissed like Knox Thorne. He poured every ounce of himself into it, making it just as erotic as sex itself.

Whipping off her blouse, Knox backed her into the wall. She tasted so fucking good, it almost made his head spin. Tasted of sin, honey, and coffee. All he wanted was to lift her, rip off her pants, and shove himself balls deep inside her; feel her hot, wet, and tight around him as he took her with a fury that would sate the relentless need riding them both. But he wasn’t going to rush this, he wanted much more than a quick fuck against the wall.

Sliding one hand under her thigh, he curled it around him and ground against her. “I want in you,” he rumbled. “And I’ll have you.” But not yet.

Harper gasped at the sudden sensation of psychic fingers whispering over her clit, causing a tremor to ripple through her. Despite being ice-cold, those fingers gave off nothing but heat as they parted her slick folds and slid through them. “What are you doing?”
How
was he doing it? She inhaled sharply as cold fingertips circled and plucked at her clit. “Fuck.”

“You taste better than I thought you would.” Knox licked his way down her neck, over the slope of her breasts, and down to her nipple – biting it through the black lace of her bra.

The sharp bite made her moan, and that was when the psychic fingers thrust inside her. Fuck, she’d never felt anything like it; never felt pleasure like it. They filled her, stretched her, and touched her just right – so cold, yet they burned and created a blazing ache deep inside her that made her pussy quiver. It was almost as if they were branding her with every sensual thrust.

“Knox, I don’t know how long I can take this.” She was totally serious. Harper didn’t have a quick trigger, but
shit
this felt so good that she was very close to coming.

“You’ll take it,” he told her, scooping out her breast and sucking the nipple deep into his mouth. When she started writhing, he slipped a hand around her throat. “Be still.”

“I can’t,” she breathed. The icy fingers disappeared, and she kicked at him. “No!” He stilled, and then his head slowly lifted until his burning predatory gaze met hers. There was such a calm, dominant, assertive energy about him, yet his sensual features were alive with menace and caution. He clearly didn’t like her giving orders of her own.

“You want them back?” he rumbled.

She merely nodded.

“Fine. But you can’t come yet.”

She would have cursed his controlling ass if ice-cold fingers didn’t dip inside her, giving her a shallow, teasing thrust. Just when she was about to demand more, they thrust hard and deep. Later, she’d most likely slap herself for being a sexual mess thanks to invisible fingers. Hating that she seemed to be the only one caught in a frenzy, she slid her hands down to tackle his fly. His cock – heavy, thick, and long – sprang into her hand. She gripped him tight as she pumped, swirling her thumb over the head.

“Harder,” he gritted out, tugging down her bra so he could suckle on her neglected nipple. As he scored the tight bud with his teeth, she jerked and moaned. He loved the little sounds she made – raspy and breathless. As she stroked him with a perfect grip, his cock swelled and throbbed.

Tangling a hand in her hair, he tugged slightly. “On your knees, baby.” He
had
to feel that fucking luscious mouth around his cock. Her glazed eyes shot to his. Narrowed. “Don’t fight me, Harper. You knew what you were getting into.” She’d known he’d be dominant and demanding and rough. She wanted this, even needed it.

He licked along her bottom lip. “I want to see my cock in your mouth. I have to know what it’s like to slide in and out of it. Show me, Harper.” He tightened his grip on her hair as he pushed her to her knees. “That’s it.” The sight of her there with her eyes defiant, her breasts out, her nipples hard, and bites all over her neck made a sense of masculine satisfaction unfurl inside him. Bracing one hand on the wall, he used the other to guide her mouth to his cock. “Open.”

Harper glared at him, not necessarily annoyed with him but annoyed that a part of her
liked
what he was doing. He was right when he’d said she couldn’t desire a guy she could control. Knox wasn’t someone who would ever dance to her tune, and her strong personality didn’t make him hesitate to demand what he wanted from her. That didn’t mean she’d just—

A third psychic finger slid inside her. Her mouth fell open in a silent gasp of pure bliss and she gripped his thighs for purchase. That was when his cock thrust inside. She should have remembered the dominant fucker was also a sneaky fucker.

Her mouth was so damn hot it was almost too hot. Just seeing those plush lips wrapped around him was enough to make him groan. As her tongue rubbed the underside of his cock, he growled. “You have the most fuckable mouth I’ve ever seen.” And he was going to enjoy it.

As the icy fingers alternated between driving inside her and teasing her clit, Harper helplessly moaned around the thick cock that literally fucked her mouth. All the while, he told her how good it felt, how much she was pleasing him, how her mouth was made for this. She probably would have panicked feeling him bump the back of her throat, but she was just too far gone with the pleasure whipping through her.

“Come for me.”

As more icy fingers pinched a nipple, Harper shattered. Knox lunged deeper as he erupted into her mouth. She swallowed it all, unable to do anything else. At the same time, the fingers inside her dissipated, leaving her tingling and burning.

He didn’t pull out, just stayed there…and she quickly realized it was a message. He was making the point that he’d move when he was ready, not before, and she’d have to wait and let him lead. She wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that. But she’d started to notice a pattern here; when she gave him what he wanted, he gave her what she wanted. It made more sense to be still. So she did.

“Good girl.” Withdrawing from her mouth, Knox lifted her carefully and carried her through the house, stopping when they reached his bedroom. He laid her on the bed, unable to take his eyes off the swollen mouth that had made him come so fucking hard he was surprised his knees hadn’t given out. He tackled the fly of her pants before slowly peeling them off, revealing toned, shapely legs that he fully intended to have wrapped around him. Leaving on the little scrap of lace that covered her pussy, he removed his own clothes.

Harper swallowed hard as his dark, slumberous gaze roamed over her. His powerful body was all smooth, sculpted muscle and sleek skin that seemed to hum with an untamed masculinity. It was a body that was designed to deliver pure carnal pleasure. She had every confidence that it would. “Can everyone fuck with psychic fingers?”