BURN (6 page)

He’d been around many women, had thought he knew her gender pretty well. He’d found that the majority had some sort of agenda. Some wanted him because they found a thrill in being so close to danger. Some wanted him because of his wealth and status. He’d also found that seduction itself was one big game. A lot of females played coy and hard to get, while others were very forward.

Harper, however, was like no female he’d met before. She didn’t have an agenda and she wasn’t playing a game. Not once had she flirted with him. He knew she was attracted to him – he could detect the lust building in her, could clearly see the glint of need in her eyes. A need he knew was in his own. But it was as though she’d dismissed their attraction as unimportant, meaningless. Something was holding her back from him. Neither he nor his demon liked it.

Pausing in his meal, he said, “You strike me as someone who prefers it when people are upfront.”

It was true that Harper had no time or patience for mind games. “So?”

Knox leaned forward, wanting her to see the resolve in his expression. “I want you.”

And Harper nearly choked on her steak. When she’d finally swallowed it down with the help of her wine, she shrugged. “Thanks for sharing.”

“You want me.” She cast him a glare but didn’t deny it, which soothed his demon slightly. “But you’re going to fight it, aren’t you?”

Every step of the way. It wasn’t that she had any hang-ups about casual sex – and that was all it would be if she got involved with Knox Thorne. Demons were very sexual creatures, so casual sex among their kind was pretty much the norm. But that was the thing. “I don’t get involved with our kind – not even for a single night.”

That was the last thing he’d expected her to say. His demon was just as shocked. “You don’t date demons? You’ve never been with one of our kind?”

She took another sip of her wine. “No.”

“Why?” He wasn’t all that surprised when she didn’t answer him. Shamelessly using his most compelling voice, Knox said, “Tell me.” But, of course, she shook off the compulsion.

“No.” Didn’t he understand yet that she was a very private person? Harper was also a person who preferred to avoid complications. Like parking tickets, speed restrictions, and red lights – which was why she no longer had a driver’s license. When it came to relationships, male demons liked to make things complicated. They were extremely possessive, annoyingly demanding, and incredibly intense. Human relationships, by contrast, could be simpler. Most human males wouldn’t demand everything from a girl, whereas demons would accept nothing less.

Of course, she could have simply settled for a series of one-night stands with her own species rather than stick to humans. But that kind of lifestyle held no appeal for Harper. Her father flitted from person to person, and he was never happy. Not to mention that human males were more accepting because, unaware of what she was, they didn’t see her demonic flaws. The lack of wings, the strange ever-changing eyes, and the inability to conjure a simple fucking orb of hellfire therefore meant nothing to them. She thought Knox would push her for an explanation, but although his mouth tightened, he shrugged.

Picking up his wine glass, Knox sank into his chair. “Okay, we’ll play it your way.”

“I’m not playing.”

“No, you’re not.” And that just made him want her even more. His cock was hard, heavy, and aching with the need to be in her. The dark predator inside him now wanted her more than ever; it wanted to be the first demon to possess her. “You’ll come to me.”

Harper narrowed her eyes. “Is that so?”

There was a taunt in her voice that made him arch a brow. “It will happen.”

“Do you think that sex will make me more inclined to bond with you, is that it?”

“This has nothing to do with us being anchors. This is about me wanting you, and you wanting me.”

“You’re very sure of yourself. And you mistakenly seem to think you can be very sure of me.” She pouted. “How sad for you.”

He gave her a pointed look. “I will have you in my bed, Harper. I always take what I want. Right now, that’s you.”

“But you also want the anchor bond. Adding sex into the mix would just complicate things.”

“Sex never has to be complicated.”

But of course he’d think that. He was a guy who approached sexual intimacy on a purely physical level. For him, it could never impact an emotional situation. “You like control in all things. You’ll never control me,” she reminded him.

No, he wouldn’t. And that should have dulled her appeal. But if anything, it made him want her more. Knox didn’t understand it. “You could never desire a man you could control.”

“Is that a fact?”

“It is. You’re a very strong personality, Harper. You would only be attracted to someone who’s either stronger or equally strong.”

It pissed her off that he’d read her so easily. “And you think you’re stronger, don’t you?”

“What I think is that when I’m deep inside you, neither of us will care.”

Harper shook her head. “It won’t happen.”

His eyes bled to black as his demon pushed for supremacy. “It will, little sphinx.” The voice was toneless, flat. “I promise you that.”

To Harper’s total frustration, their conversation had sent so much lust curdling inside her that she lost her appetite. Her food sat like lead in her stomach. Knox’s knowing look told her that he knew exactly why she suddenly didn’t feel so hungry – at least not for food anyway.

When they were done with their meal, he led her out of the room with a hand on her lower back; his touch seemed to burn her flesh right through her clothes. As they were nearing the restaurant’s exit, Knox ever so slightly tensed. Harper would have asked what was wrong, but then she noticed that the beautiful blonde heading toward them, arm in arm with a guy half her age, was glaring hard at Knox.

She stopped in front of him. “Knox.”

He sighed. “Kendra.”

If Harper was guessing correctly, this was an ex-bed buddy of Knox’s who wasn’t very happy about the ‘ex’ part. The she-demon spared Harper a brief, dismissive glance.

Feeling unusually protective as Kendra turned her glower on Harper, Knox slid his hand around Harper’s back to cup her hip. Kendra noticed the move and didn’t appear to like it.

She leaned into the male demon at her side, stroking his arm as she smirked at Knox. “Have you met Brandt?”

“I haven’t. Have you met Harper?” Seeing that Brandt was raking an appreciative gaze over her, Knox possessively flexed his grip on her hip.

Kendra’s smirk was quickly replaced by a sneer of distaste as she studied Harper’s appearance. “No, I haven’t had that pleasure. I expect that’s because she clearly doesn’t travel in our social circle.”

“This is Harper Wallis, my anchor.”

Kendra froze for a moment. Then jealousy briefly flashed across her face, and Harper understood why. A demon would often be jealous of their partner’s closeness to their anchor. Kendra clearly didn’t want anyone having any kind of claim on Knox.

“I see,” drawled Kendra. “Did you say she’s a Wallis?” Kendra chuckled, but the sound was forced. She was still too jealous to be truly amused. “You drew the short straw, Knox. Poor you.”

Used to the prejudice, Harper just smiled. “It’s good to see you’re not bitter.”

“Enjoy your evening,” Knox told Kendra and Brandt. Shackling Harper’s wrist, he then guided her through the exit, out of the hotel, and into a waiting car. “We’re taking Harper home,” he told Levi, who immediately pulled away from the curb. “I take it Tanner’s still dealing with some issues in the hotel.” Levi merely nodded in confirmation.

“What did you do to that woman to piss her off so much?” Harper asked Knox.

“My demon loses interest in its sexual partners very quickly.” It was probably better that his little sphinx knew that upfront. “Females tend to be offended by that.”

“Is this a warning?”

Knox shrugged. “It’s simply better that you know.”

“Since I’ve no intention of hopping into your bed, it’s not something I need to know.”

He pinned her gaze with his as he spoke only loud enough for her to hear. “I will have you, Harper. I don’t give up until I catch my prey.”

“I’m nobody’s prey.”

“We’ll see.”

No sooner had Harper stepped into her apartment than her cell phone rang. It was Khloë. “Hey,” answered Harper, locking the door.

“
Why am I only hearing
now
that Knox Thorne is your anchor?
”

Harper frowned. “Who told you about that?”

“I heard Jolene and Beck talking about it.” Beck was Jolene’s anchor.

“Eavesdropping again?”

“Why didn’t you tell me? You knew that night in the Underground, but you didn’t say anything.” Khloë sounded genuinely hurt.

“I was kind of in shock. It’s a big thing, and I didn’t really know how I felt about it. We both know what your reaction would have been.”

“If you’re insinuating that I would have interfered in any way, shape, or form—”

“You would have hounded me until I gave in and bonded with him, and if that failed you would have concocted some sort of plan with the rest of our family to make it happen – and we both know it. This has to be my decision, and mine alone.”

“But you told Raini and Devon,” she whined.

“Because although they’re full of opinions, they don’t believe it’s their right to mess with my life. That’s a Wallis thing.”

Khloë huffed. “Fine. You can at least tell me if you’ve bonded with him yet.”

“I haven’t.”

“You didn’t say ‘yet’, which means you’re considering refusing to do it. Look, I know you find it hard to trust and let people in. But you have the comfort of knowing that Knox can’t possibly be any less reliable than either of your primary blood relations.” Primary blood relations being Carla and Lucian. Khloë simply refused to refer to them as ‘parents.’

“That’s true,” Harper allowed with a sigh.

“You sound really glum. How about we go back to the Underground this weekend? Sunday night’s the best. It’s too hectic on Fridays and Saturdays.” As demons could go for days and days without sleep, they didn’t need to worry about staying up late on work nights.

“Sure. But no more duels.”

“We’ll see.”

It occurred to Harper as she ended the call that those were the last words Knox had said to her. If it turned out that Knox was just as mentally resilient as Khloë, then Harper would definitely have a problem getting him to do anything she wanted him to do – including walking away from her. Not great.

CHAPTER FOUR

Come to me, Harper.

With a gasp, Harper bolted upright in bed. And cursed. That rumbly, velvet voice called to her day and night; tempting her and teasing her with a promise of sexual satisfaction. Worse, the words snaked over her skin like demanding hands, making raw need inflate inside her – an overwhelming pressure that had nowhere to go. Her whole body felt hypersensitive, edgy, and tingly.

Cursing him to hell and back, she clambered out of bed and headed for the kitchen area, where she switched on the coffee machine. She had seen him twice during the past week; on both occasions he had collected her from the studio and taken her to dinner. It had been a different restaurant each time. He was clearly trying to ensure as many demons as possible saw them together.

As she’d watched people rush to aid, serve, or talk to him wherever they went, it had quickly become clear that he welded a shit load of social power. That fear of him was always present, though. Even humans sensed that there was something dangerous about him.

Each time they were together, he surprisingly made a distinct effort to get to know her, asking questions about her family and the places she’d seen during her travels. He shared some of his own memories with her, though nothing too personal. He’d also hinted at her accompanying him to the conference in New York, wherein the Primes would discuss the matter of electing a U.S. Monarch, since many demons took their anchors to important events. Harper was nosy enough to be considering it, but she wasn’t yet totally sure she—

Come to me.

Again, his voice snaked over her skin. Squeezing her eyes shut, Harper shook her head. For the first time, she responded to his call.
Why are you doing this to me?
She’d seen the way females responded to him, doubted he’d ever be short of women eager to hop in his bed. She’d also noticed that those women were just like Kendra – tall, elegant, and well-groomed. Harper was none of those things and she was totally okay with it. That didn’t change the fact that she wasn’t his usual type.

I want you.

Like it was truly that simple for him. She scratched at her arm, feeling itchy with the restlessness that was taunting her entire body. His mind brushed against hers, almost as if he was trying to comfort her. She was glad her mental shields were tough enough to withstand him or he’d no doubt pour into her mind until she could feel him everywhere. Telepathy wasn’t an invasion of the mind. It was like one mind picking up the frequency of another and using that channel of communication to speak.

Maybe you only want me because I’m not tripping all over myself to get to you.
Demons loved challenges.

A vibe of male amusement touched her mind.
We both know it’s more than that, but I’ll admit that your stubbornness is refreshing.
His mind stroked hers once more…and then it was gone. And for some stupid, irrational reason, she felt more alone than she ever had before.

It wasn’t only her stubbornness he seemed to find entertaining. Knox also seemed to be enjoying how difficult she found it to adjust to having someone who looked out for her. He’d installed a high-tech security system at her apartment and the studio. He’d also assigned Tanner to be both her driver and bodyguard – something she’d expected Tanner to resent, given that it had to be a boring job. But her new bodyguard made it clear to her that since she was important to Knox, her safety was equally important to Tanner and the other sentinels.

Part of her balked at having a driver, felt it impeded on her independence. But traveling in a Bentley beat using public transport any day. As such, when she left her apartment later that morning to head for work, Tanner was waiting outside. They talked a little during the short journey, at the end of which he parked in a spot outside the studio and, as usual, remained in his car while she went inside.

“Morning,” sang Khloë, who was sitting at the reception desk. “I brought bagels.”

“You mean you
stole
bagels.”

Khloë just shrugged.

Peeking at Tanner through the window, Devon asked, “Is he ever going to come inside?”

“I doubt it,” replied Harper. “He takes his sentry position very seriously.”

No sooner had Harper began setting up her station than Raini appeared, took her by the arm, and started pulling her toward the back of the studio. “What? What is it?”

“I have something to show you,” said the succubus. Inside the office, Raini dug into a black store bag and pulled out a pair of tailored black pants and an elegant blouse. “What do you think?”

Harper gave the suit an approving nod. “It’ll look good on you.”

Raini rolled her eyes. “It’s not for me, it’s for you.”

“What?” squeaked Harper. “I don’t do ‘elegant.’ I can’t.”

“If you go to the conference in New York, you’ll have to. And if you just lose that expression that dares the world to come at you, you’ll easily pull off elegant. Oh, and I got you shoes to match.”

“I’m not good at—”

“Think of this suit as armor. You’re going to be in a place swarming with high-profile demons, and they’ll undoubtedly be dressed all prim and proper. You’ll feel better if you’re dressed just the same.”

“Armor,” echoed Harper. “I can work with that.”

Raini gave her a beaming smile that lit up the room. “Excellent! One more thing before we get to work: have you tested the bed springs with Knox yet? Why are you scowling? I was just asking.”

Carla Hayden, Knox noted, didn’t look much like her daughter. Although they were both petite, she lacked Harper’s delicious curves. Her facial features were exotic where Harper’s were soft. In addition, Carla’s skin was a golden shade while Harper’s was ivory perfection. There were only three physical traits they seemed to share: height, hair color, and the slightly pointed chin.

When Harper looked at someone, it was with a bold, daring ‘fucking try me’ expression that amused both Knox and his demon. Carla, however, was all smiles and grace and pleasantness. They both had a certain sensuality to their movements. But whereas it was innate and unconscious with Harper, it was superficial and practiced with Carla.

Standing in the office of one of his casinos, Carla nodded. “Mr. Thorne.”

“Sit,” he invited, forcing himself to be civil. He’d suspected the woman would come at some point, wanting to know if the rumors circulating about the identity of his anchor were true. It had been three days since he’d last seen Harper. Three days of his demon hounding him to seek her out, to take her as they both wanted. There was no denying that it was utterly fixated on her.

Knox could admit to being just as impatient to have her. One of the things he liked most about her, despite how contrary it made her, was her independent streak. He also liked that she was upfront, tenacious, and unpredictable. It was a package that fascinated him.

Nervously, Carla cleared her throat. “I hope I find you well and…” She trailed off when Knox held up his hand.

“We both know you didn’t come here to enquire about my welfare, so I’d prefer it if you didn’t make unnecessarily small talk.”

“Very well.” She paused briefly. “I heard that you found your anchor.”

“You heard correctly.”

“I heard her name is Harper Wallis.”

Something about the way she stumbled over the name made Knox realize…“You didn’t name her, did you?”

She averted her gaze. “I had some difficulty deciding on one.”

“You also had difficulty being a mother to her, as I understand it.” So much difficulty she hadn’t even bothered to give Harper a name before dumping her.

“So she told you.” Carla exhaled heavily. “I ask you not to take everything you heard as gospel. The Wallis family have a very one-sided account of what occurred back then.”

“You
didn’t
leave your child with Jolene Wallis?”

“It’s not as simple as that. I have no idea if Jolene and Lucian told Harper lies about me or if she, like them, enjoys exaggerating the tale. But there is much more to the story than whatever she told you.”

Knox sank into his seat, regarding her thoughtfully. “Why come to me with this?”

“You’re my Prime, and your opinion of me is important to me. I just ask you not to judge me on the information you’ve been given by Harper. It’s clear that – as I feared – you’re angry with me because of what you’ve heard, but please be fair. You have known me for some time. Harper’s your anchor, but the reality is that you don’t
know
her.”

“I’d say it’s you who doesn’t know her.” Carla seemed abashed, but he wasn’t buying it. “Are you implying that she lied to me? That’s a very serious allegation to make.” And it offended both him and his demon that anyone would accuse Harper of such a thing.

“I know,” agreed Carla, sounding distressed to even consider it. “But it’s
that
or she’s simply repeating lies the Wallis family have told her.”

“As I see it, if you truly had any regard for her, you wouldn’t have abandoned her.”

“It wasn’t as simple as that. I thought that if I left her with Lucian for a little while, he would bond with her and then we could be a family. It was a foolish plan, and I saw that soon enough. I went back for her, I did. But Jolene refused to let me take her. I tried again and again, but then Lucian took her away. I never had a chance of finding her after that, he was always moving.”

If Carla was lying, she was very, very good at it. According to Harper, Jolene had sent her to live with Lucian when she was four. Was it possible that Jolene had done that to keep her out of Carla’s reach?

“Soon after that, I met Bray and we eventually had our sons. My focus had to be on them.”

“In short, you’re saying that if Jolene and Lucian hadn’t tried to come between you and Harper, you would have been a mother to her?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Hmm. She’s been in Vegas without Lucian since she was eighteen. Yet, you’ve made no effort at all to see her. That strikes me as odd for someone who claims to be so unhappy about not having their daughter in their life.”

“I thought about going to see her, but I knew Jolene and Lucian had filled her head with a pack of lies. I worried that she’d slam the door in my face. I don’t think I could take that.” Carla swallowed hard, the image of an emotional mess. “Do you think she would ever want to speak with me? Has she given you any indication that she might be prepared to do so?”

“Anything Harper tells me will remain between her and me. I’d never break her confidence.”

“Naturally. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that.” There was a pause before Carla timidly enquired, “How is she?”

“That’s a question for Harper to answer. I’m her anchor. But I don’t speak
for
her. Now if you’re finished, I’m a busy man.” But he got the feeling that she wasn’t finished, that there was something else.

Carla immediately shot to her feet. “I understand. Thank you for your time, Mr. Thorne.” When she reached the door, she glanced at him over her shoulder. “Before I go…”

And here it is
. “Yes?”

“Please give Harper a message for me. Please tell her that, whatever she may think, I have always loved her. I never stopped thinking about her, wondering where she was and how she was doing. Not even for a single day.” Then Carla was gone, and Levi slipped inside.

“You heard that?” Knox asked him.

The sentinel nodded. “Do you believe her?”

“I’ll concede that there are always two sides to every story, but that’s not to say that I believe Carla’s account. You?”

“She sounded truthful. But…”

“Yes. But.”

“If you asked her sons whether she’s a good mother, I think you’d get conflicting answers. Roan is a self-righteous prick who hops, skips, and jumps at her say-so. Her youngest, Kellen, seems to despise her.” Levi tilted his head. “Are you going to give Harper the message from Carla?”

“I haven’t decided yet. You think I should.”

“I think you want her to trust you. She won’t if you keep things from her – even if your reason is to protect her or her feelings.” Levi grinned. “It bugs you that you can’t control this.”

Of course it did. Knox took control of whatever situation he found himself in. “And that amuses you far too much.”

An unrepentant shrug. “I always figured you’d be indifferent to your anchor, since you don’t need one.”

“It’s not that simple, which you’ll learn for yourself when you find yours. Then
I’ll
be the one who’s laughing.”

Knox?

He instantly tensed at the wariness in Harper’s voice.
What’s wrong?

Who the hell is Silas Monroe? Because he just walked into my office.

Shit.
I’m on my way.

Harper eyed her visitor with a mixture of distrust, irritation, and confusion. She’d been going through the accountancy books when there had been a rhythmic knock at the door followed by the
immediate
entrance of a dark, gangly guy who apparently didn’t have the manners to wait until he’d been summoned to enter someone’s office.