Sins of the Night (27 page)

“What are you laughing at?” Danger asked as she stopped her sweet torture.

“I just had a bad pun go through my mind.”

“And that is?”

“That I live for Danger.”

Danger's heart pounded at his corny words. They shouldn't please her and yet they did. Oh, yeah, there was really something wrong with her. She was head over heels for this man and sinking in deeper by the minute.

“How do you always know the right thing to say?” she asked him.

“I didn't know that I did.”

“Take my word for it, you do.”

He closed his eyes as she ran her fingertips over the tip of his shaft. She loved pleasing him. But as she watched the ecstasy on his face, it fired her desire even more.

Undoing his fly, she slid his pants down his legs, then pulled his lips to hers so that she could taste him.

Her tongue danced with his as she sank her hands into his thick, soft hair. His hard shaft rubbed against her bare stomach as she took her time exploring his mouth.

Delirious from that kiss, she pulled back ever so slightly. “I love the way you touch me,” she breathed against his cheek. “I love the way you smell. The way you look … I need to feel you inside me, Alexion.”

Alexion's entire being was on fire as he watched her recline naked on the bed. Her thighs were spread open in sweet invitation, allowing him to see the tenderest part of her body. He leaned over her to take her breast into his mouth so that he could tease the taut pink tip with his tongue. Her body was absolute heaven.

Closing his eyes to better savor her, he dipped his hand down to gently stroke her. He probed the tender flesh between her thighs, separating it so that he could feel just how wet and ready she was for him. It was the sweetest sensation he'd ever known.

He massaged her as she whispered encouragements to him in French. And when he sank his finger deep inside, she arched her back with a pleasurable cry.

Unable to stand it, he moved his hand so that he could enter her.

Danger moaned at the thick fullness of Alexion inside her. He took her hand into his and held it over her head as he thrust against her hips. He moved in and out, in the sweetest rhythm that pounded through her with absolute bliss. She met him stroke for stroke, aching in bittersweet pleasure.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as their passion took her far away from the present and all her fears about the future. It'd been so long since she'd felt like this with a man. There was a connection to him. A friendship.

More than that, there was love.

How she wished that she could keep it. But at least she had this moment to remember what it was that she'd lost. This one moment to pretend that they could stay together.

He moved faster, heightening her pleasure until she couldn't stand it any longer. Crying out, she felt her body splinter in ultimate ecstasy.

Alexion watched her face as she came for him. He loved the sight of her in the throes of climax. But more than that, he loved the way her body felt under his. She was so sweet, so tormenting.

She pulled him down to kiss him while he rode her even faster, seeking his own slice of heaven.

And when he came, he cried out her name. He leaned down over her as his body convulsed and throbbed, releasing itself deep inside her.

She ran her hands over his back, clutching him to her body. “So did I have a good thought about this, or what?”

He laughed at her question. “It was a great thought.”

She wiggled her hips against his, letting him feel the wetness of their play. It was something he savored. They didn't just have sex with each other, they made love. And it had been far too long since he'd felt that.

Danger nipped his shoulder. “Anyone ever tell you that you are an incredible lay?”

He laughed. “Well, they never phrased it quite that way.”

She hugged him close to her, then kissed his cheek. “You are the best, Alexion. I mean that.”

“I'm only as good as my partner is.”

She offered him a smile that made his stomach jerk. And the kiss she gave him for those words set his entire body back on fire. “You keep this up and I won't let you out of the bed tonight.”

She nibbled his chin. “Would that be so bad?”

No, it would be heaven.

Alexion gently cupped her breast, delighting in the softness of the skin, before he pulled back. How he wished he could love her the way she deserved. But even if he were able to be human again, he wasn't sure he would ever be able to trust fate with her by his side.

He was so tired of regretting the past. So tired of knowing that for him there could never be normality.

“What's wrong?” she asked, smoothing his frown with her fingers.

“Nothing.”

Danger pulled back. He wasn't being honest with her, she knew it. His mood had turned around completely. There was such a deep sadness in his eyes that it tore through her.

She watched as his eyes turned to a dark emerald again. It was weird how they changed color. “Do you control your eye color?”

He appeared surprised by her question. Maybe he didn't realize they did that. “Huh?”

“They change colors constantly,” she explained. “Kind of like a mood ring. Whenever we're around other Dark-Hunters and on the night you arrived they were black. Now they're a vibrant green. Do you decide or do they do that on their own?”

He squeezed her hand lightly. “The black I control. The green does what it wants to.”

“Ew!” she said, wrinkling her nose. “That's kind of gross.”

He laughed. “Good thing I have a strong ego, huh?”

She kissed him on the top of his nose and squeezed him between her thighs. “Like cast iron. Now let me up so that we can get our date started.”

Date. There was a word Alexion had never thought to hear in relation to himself. Moving back, he let her get up to go shower as he thought over the strangeness of all this.

He was going on a date? He'd seen such things in movies and read about them in books, but to actually be on one …

How completely odd.

None of this is real. Don't get any more involved with her. You'll regret it later.
There were only three more days until he'd have to return.

And then he'd never see her again.

Danger popped her head back in the bedroom door. Alexion was still lying naked on her bed. She had to admit that he looked incredible like that. Michelangelo would have a field day painting that divine Greek body. It was absolutely perfect in proportion. She'd never seen anyone with a better set of abs or a nicer rump. And when it came to his pecs and shoulders …

She was already getting turned on again.

Except that he continued to look sad and forlorn. “Hey? Want to join me?”

He looked startled by her question. “Really?”

She laughed at his shock. “It's not like you haven't already seen me naked … a lot.”

He smiled, then scooted off the bed to join her. Before she could move out of his way, he scooped her up and carried her to the shower.

She yelped as he turned on the water, which was freezing cold.

“Sorry,” he said. The water turned warm so quickly that she knew he'd intervened with the temperature.

His thoughtfulness never ceased to amaze her.
Don't, Danger.
She couldn't afford to let herself fall for him more than she already had.

Then again, why not? If he was to be believed, and she certainly did believe him, she wouldn't recall him at all by week's end.

And that made her want to cry. How could she forget someone who meant so much to her? That thought alone was terrifying.

Just my luck. After all these centuries I finally find the one person I actually want to be around only to find out that it really is impossible.

La vie n'est pas juste.
How many times had her mother told her that? And unfortunately, her mother was right. Life wasn't fair. It was cruel and sad, but at times it was fun and miraculous.

And tonight it would be miraculous. She refused to let herself or anyone else ruin it. She might not remember him, but he would remember her and she didn't want his memories to be of a sullen-faced crybaby. He deserved one perfect night.

Everyone did.

Alexion picked up the cloth and soaped it before he turned to Danger. Her eyes were closed, her arms raised, as she parted her hair to let the water saturate it. To his amazement, he felt himself starting to harden again as he watched her. What was it about this woman that left him so hard and needful all the time?

She opened her eyes and pinned him with a tender gaze that left him breathless and aching. He kissed her before he started bathing her.

Danger sighed at the sensation of Alexion's hands on her body, soaping her skin.

“There has to be some way around this.” She hadn't realized she'd spoken out loud until he straightened.

“There isn't, Danger. When I leave, it's over.”

She wanted to curse in frustration. “I can't believe that we can't make it work. Surely there's some way we can fix this.”

“I'm not real. I'm not even human anymore.”

He kept saying that, but everything about him refuted those words. How could someone let go of the best thing they'd ever found simply because … Well, there was a lot of “becauses” in this relationship. Still, love could conquer all, right?

But she knew better. Love couldn't conquer death. Ever.

Sighing, she didn't say anything else as they bathed and dressed.

After they were ready, Alexion opened the door to the hallway to find Xirena there.

Standing in the hallway, she had her head cocked as she gave him a look reminiscent of a hawk sighting prey. “I have been thinking much this last day. I know you care for my sister and I want to stay with her. But I don't want to bond myself to the cursed god for it. His mother is unkind and vicious, and no matter what you say, I don't trust her son to be any better. But if I don't bond, the bitchtress can reclaim me and make me go back to Kalosis and serve her. My brother has left there and gone I know not where, and my sister was sent away countless centuries ago.”

Her eyes were troubled and sad, and they showed the full depth of her heart. “I only want to be with my family, Alexion. Will you let me bond to you so that Xirena can't be forced back to Kalosis?”

Alexion exchanged a shocked look with Danger as Xirena's words rang in his head. That was one hell of a request she was making.

To bond with a demon was irreversible. At least as far as he knew. Xirena would become a part of him in much the same way that Simi was part of Acheron. She would live on his body and be his to command.

Could he even do that?

“I'm not human or a god,” he said to her. “I don't really even have a body for you to bond to.”

“We bond to the
ousia.
Not the flesh.”

He looked back at Danger. If he took Xirena up on her offer, he would have one more entity who could guard her at all times. No matter when or where Stryker attacked, Xirena would be with him.

But he couldn't take advantage of the demon for his own peace of mind. That would be selfish and cruel, and there was no way he would ever be like that to another living being. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Xirena nodded. “I have to. Please don't make me go back there. The bitchtress will kill me and I only want to stay with my sister. Please.”

“Will Ash be mad?” Danger asked.

Xirena hissed like a cat. “I don't care what the cursed god says. He doesn't control me.”

Truthfully, Alexion didn't know how Acheron would react, but he couldn't imagine him getting angry over this, especially not if it made Simi happy.

In a weird way, it made total sense. The last thing he wanted was to see Xirena pulled back into Kalosis where she might be punished for helping him. He didn't know much about Acheron's mother, other than the fact that she wasn't known for her understanding or compassion. Alexion had already had Simi for nine thousand years—at least
this
one was an adult.

“I guess it's okay,” he said.

Danger gaped. He was bonding with a demon? She didn't know what that was, but it didn't sound good. “Are you two getting married?”

He laughed. “No.”

Still not sure, she watched as Xirena's body became a bizarre shadow that shrank in size until it was no larger than half a foot. She took on the shape of a dragon.

Alexion lifted his shirt and she laid herself across his ribs to form a brightly colored tattoo there.

Completely stunned, Danger reached out to touch the demon tattoo. “Does that hurt?”

“Burns a little,” he said as he looked down at the demon on his skin.

“What did she do?”

“I'm not exactly sure how they do it, but she's now a part of me. She can feel my emotions. If she senses I'm in danger, she'll manifest back into her demon form and protect me.”

Wow, that was impressive … and scary. “Can she hear us?”

“No,” he assured her. “I can hear her thoughts, though, and if I allow her to, she can hear mine.”

“That's just so weird.”

“I know. Apparently, the ancient Atlantean gods used to pick one demon they favored above all others to become their companions.”

“So Simi is Ash's?”

“Yes.”

Her face lightened as if she finally understood something. “So that's why Ash's tattoo changes shapes and positions? It's not really a tattoo. It's his demon.”

He nodded.

“Well, that's just a total freak. So what happens if one of you dies? Does it kill the other?”

He felt the color drain from his face. “Now there's something I never thought about. Let's hope we never find out.”

“Yeah, it could seriously stink, huh?”

Before Alexion could answer, Xirena started crawling up his chest, toward his shoulder. He jumped as her path burned him and caused him to shiver. “Xirena, stop moving!”