Sweet Revenge (Dueling with the Devil) (18 page)

Am I willing to give all of myself to him?

Why the hell am I considering this foolishness?

This demon was changing her world. And Bell wasn’t sure if she was ready for that.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Stop staring at her.
The flush of colo
r,
tinting Bell’s face and nec
k,
brought life to her icy blue eyes. When he thought he might lose he
r,
his world began to transform. For onc
e,
he held on to something more important than getting even with his family. She nervously twirled a strand of hair. The steel toe of her stiletto tapped the wooden leg of the coffee table. He made her uncomfortable. For some reaso
n,
this brought him happiness. Even though he hadn’t had his fill of he
r,
he looked away.

Her
e,
he sat with the people he resented most in his life. But he barely remembered why. Toda
y,
his father showed concern for hi
m,
a small token with an unexpected impact. Xavier had waited for this moment for so many centuries. An act his mother promised would never come to fruition. His mind and heart battled. He shouldn’t give in so easily. Was this enough?

“
It’s been a long day. I think we should all get some rest. Levi will speak with Isis. The girls and I will search the grimoires to find a spell to counteract Luc’s protective barrier. We can all meet back here tomorrow morning
.”
Marie smiled sweetl
y,
placing a hand on Xavier’s shoulder
.“
You need to get your strength back. Make sure you sleep well tonight
.
”

The struggles of the past few days were an amalgamation of the burdens from his desolate lif
e,
resting heavily on his shoulders. He couldn’t block out the hurt and pain. It attacked him from all angle
s,
from what was done to him to what he had inflicted upon others. The futility of his existence
h
a
d taken its toll on him.

Jacque assisted Angel out the chair
.“
We’ll catch y’all in the morning
.”
His brother slapped him casually on the back.

“
I will bring Isis tomorrow. She will help. Goodnigh
t,
my sons
.”
This wasn’t the first time his father had said those word
s,
but it was the first time he addressed it to both him and Jacque.

The others filed out of the roo
m,
retreating to their quarters. Xavier remained on the sof
a,
not quite sure where to go. He wouldn’t leave Bell while Ziz hunted her. But the only room left was the one they previously shared. He bounced on the sof
a,
testing its comfort. If he let his legs dangle over the ar
m,
then he could crash on it. Nothing good could come of him sleeping too close to Bell. She infused herself in his system. Xavier traveled into dangerous territories with Bel
l,
opening his heart to even more rejection.

She walked
toward
the doorway. The sway of her hips hypnotized him. When she reached the foye
r,
she turned to face him. Leaning against the threshol
d,
Bell aske
d,
“
What the hell you waiting for? Bring your ass o
n,
so we can go to bed
.
”

Xavier suppressed his eagerness. Every time she commanded hi
m,
it made him want her more.

“
Maybe I should just take the sofa
.
”

“
Like you’re going to fit on that thing
.
”

He didn’t understand her concern over where he slept. Did she really care for him? He decided not to argue. He longed to be near her. If she was going to allow him in her be
d,
he would gladly accept the invitation. He followed her to their room.

Sitting on the edge of the be
d,
he removed his clothes. The stench of sulfur and sweat drenched the material. He tossed them in the corner. They would have to be thrown away in the morning. He flexed his neck to the right until it cracked. Xavier exhaled in relief as the tension drained from his muscles. He swiftly applied the same routine on the other side. In his full glor
y,
he strolled to the bathroom to wash the stifling smell of blood from his body. Her stare burned into his back as
h
e
s
h
ut
t
h
e do
o
r
.

Xavier propped himself against the shower wall. The hot water flowed down his aching muscles. The events of the past few days churned inside him. He was a creature of habit. Too many things in his world were changing all at once. He lifted his face into the steamy stream of wate
r,
relishing the cleansing effect.

The bathroom door opened and clicked shut. He watched her distorted image behind the glass block wall that separated the shower from the rest of the room. The squares were smalle
r,
less translucent than the normal block
s,
which only provided him a shadowy outline of her curvy body. She lifted her t-shirt over her head and wiggled out of her jean
s,
kicking them to the side. Even though the water ran ho
t,
Xavier
s
h
i
v
e
red in anticipation.
What game is she playing now?

Bell rounded the shower wal
l,
giving him an unobstructed view. His fingers dug into the har
d,
marble tile and his cock pulsed with excitement when she arched her chest to pull her hair up into a clip. Her hands trailed slowly down her nec
k,
grazed the side of her firm mound
s,
and then flirted down her sides before coming to rest at her hips. When he finally broke her spell and glanced u
p,
wicked eye
s,
tapered by her brilliant smil
e,
greeted him.

“
You don’t mind if I share the shower with yo
u,
right
?
”

His body screame
d,
ye
s
,
while his sensibility sai
d,
no
. She stepped into the large circular space. As she move
d,
every muscle in her legs flexe
d,
her perfect breasts gently shifted up and down as she breathe
d,
and a wayward curl dangled against her cheek. She tucked the strand behind her ear. Xavier’s blood rushed through his veins. He had little restraint for her today. His body craved her like an addiction. His instincts as a male urged him to wind himself protectively around her tiny frame. And toda
y,
unlike the last tim
e,
he had nothing to prove. A new magnetism drew him to he
r,
like the flame teasing the moth closer to its demise.

The light touch of her hand on his chest tied knots in the pit of his stomach. Doubt encouraged him to retrea
t,
but desire demanded he stay. A slender finger traced the muscles on his torso. She licked her lip
s,
as her thumb grazed across his already hard bud. His shaft jumped at the contact. Closing in on hi
m,
she snaked her arms around his waist. She massaged the sore muscles in his back. A shot of agonizing pleasure immobilized him as she clamped his nipple between her petal soft lips. The suction of her succulent mouth redirected the blood from his extremities to his growing cock.

He lost all control. Taking a firm grasp of her thigh
s,
he lifted her off the floor. Shor
t,
strong legs wound around his wais
t,
holding her in place. He released her blonde tresses from the cli
p,
using the length of hair pooling in the middle of her back to guide her head bac
k,
accessing her pouty lips. He dreamt about those lips ever since he left her to seek out Ziz. He flicked his tongue ou
t,
sampling their softness. Using his teet
h,
he nipped at her bottom li
p,
coercing a smile from her.

Waiting was no longer an option. With ferocious abando
n,
he plundered her mout
h,
savoring her sweetness. He moved to the wall for leverage. Bell clung to him desperately. Wet breasts pulsing against his ches
t,
her sex moist on his manhoo
d,
forced him to moan into their kiss.

“
I need yo
u
,
”
she murmured in his ear. Her words fueled the urgency of Xavier’s yearning.

Her back slid against the slippery tile. He repositioned his hands underneath her as
s,
easily directing her petite body to do his bidding. He captured the pink bud of her breast. Holding it between his teet
h,
Xavier ran his tongue over the tip. Bell gasped. He sucked hard and bit the peak before wandering to explore down the valley of her breasts. Lowering his hea
d,
he pushed her up to meet his mouth. Her fingers sank into the back of his neck as she bucked against him. The slick folds of her sex slid along his skin like spun silk.

Their passion blocked out the fading heat of the water. Xavier trailed a flutter of kisses down her stomac
h,
steadily inching her up the wall as he kneeled on the hard tile. Lowering his bod
y,
he shifted her to taste the decadent nectar of her desire. Her hands skimmed his templ
e,
trembling slightl
y,
as they found a home at the back of his hea
d,
encouraging him to begin the task at hand.

Xavier savored his second chance with Bell. This time he wouldn’t leave her wanting. He planned to give her all she neede
d,
all she wante
d,
tonight and for many nights to come. He cradled her ass in his palms. His thumbs massaged the sensitive crevice just below the pink folds of her flesh.

“
Pleas
e
,
”
she begged.

Xavier remained silent.

He licked his lips at the feast that lay before him. Rejecting his first inclination to devour he
r,
he blew softly over her clitoris and kissed it gingerly.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Carnal passion consumed her body. Her legs quivered as she tilted her hips to entice Xavier to continue his euphoric torture. Everything in her pleaded for mor
e,
even her words. Bell had never begged anyone for anything. But toda
y,
she prayed for relief. The kind only her demon could deliver.
Her demon?

Her thoughts fle
d,
as his tongue darted down the entrance of her creamy center. She threw back her hea
d,
hitting the wall and a low purr rolled off her tongu
e,
when Xavier bit into her right thigh. The delectable pain shot down to her toes. He spread her wid
e,
his calloused hands heavy on the inside of her legs. He trailed the thick pad of his thumb along the dripping folds of her sex. When he reached her cli
t,
he drew slow agonizing circles around the throbbing nub. Applying pressur
e,
he massaged her sweet spo
t,
coaxing a throaty moan from Bell. Before she could recove
r,
Xavier’s mouth covered he
r,
hot and mois
t,
tipping her toward the brink of oblivion.

Only her legs locked around his shoulders and the cool tile wall kept her from falling to the floor. Xavier’s hands splayed her open. He lapped at her sweet juices. She ran her hands up his collar bone. His neck tightened as she caressed the spot just behind his ears. She held firm to the back of his hea
d,
as she rode his mout
h,
urging him to delve further into her abyss.

His tongue darted in and out of her flesh. His lips suckled her clit. And he teased her playfully with his masterful tongue. She rolled her pulsating core against his mouth wanting more. He granted her wish by burrowing his sof
t,
moist tongue deep into her sex. He explored her with passion. The stubble on his jaw rubbed roughly against her groi
n,
as she pushed up to force him close
r,
further inside her. She cried out when his thumb slid back between her cheeks into her tight crevice. An electric shiver shot up her spine. Her nails marked his back. She closed her eye
s,
relishing the intense pleasure coursing through her body.

His tongue curled inside her depth
s,
greedily reaping the rewards of her climax. She groaned with disappointment when his mouth broke the connection with her sex. Xavier toyed with her tender fles
h,
skimming the tip of the sensitive clit. He removed his thum
b,
relieving the erotic pressure building within her body. A brief trail of kisses fluttered up her thig
h,
as he slid her off his shoulder
s,
lingering at her navel. She regained her footin
g,
thankful for the support of the wall. Xavier stoo
d,
wrapping her in his embrac
e,
and consumed her in a kiss. The taste of her climax lingered on his tongue.

The hardening erection brushed against the apex of her legs. His body pinned her to the cool tile. His brute maleness made her feel soft and feminine. This was the first time Bell didn’t object to those descriptors. She usually equated them to weakness. When Xavier came up for ai
r,
the want in his fathomless eyes awoke a raw animalistic need inside her. She traced a finger across his brow and down his cheek. When he smile
d,
she kissed the corner of his mouth.

Yep. I can get u
s
ed to this.

She shivered; the water had turned cold. It was no longer tempered by the heat of their passion. Xavier shut off the shower. Saying nothin
g,
he swept her off the ground and carried her to the other roo
m,
laying her on the bed. She lost herself in the depths of his gaze. The light playing in the jewel-like facets mesmerized her. She connected with him more than she had with any of her other sexual partners. He jump-started her powers without physical contact. But she wasn’t sure if this was a good or bad thing.

t t t

Xavier would deliver her the stars to remain in this moment. They shared no words. Ye
t,
somehow they said so much. He relished the honeyed taste of her release. She trusted him enough to relinquish contro
l,
not an easy task for a female like Bell. She surrendered to his mercy. This wasn’t the Isabella he once knew. The delicat
e,
sultry beauty lying before him transformed from the vicious man-hate
r,
taunting him when he was trapped in the cage. The softer side of Bell intrigued him.

He lifted her delicate foot to his mouth and placed a kiss on the top. She stretched her arms above her head. Her hair scattered in a wavy mass of blonde around her fac
e,
one better suited for an angel than a demon. She studied him. Questions lie beneath her expression. Did she want him as much as he yearned for her? Or did she pretend he was someone els
e,
again?
It doesn’t matter. I’ll make her forget all the others.

Xavier prowled up her compact frame. Her feverish hands burned at the touch as they roamed over shoulders and back. He brushed a kiss on her stomac
h,
another in the valley of her firm breast
s,
ending at the base of her lon
g,
slender throat. He nestled into the welcoming heat between her leg
s,
his cock throbbing against her body. He swept a few strands of hair from her oval face. Her fingers tickled the back of his neck. She smile
d,
as she grazed a knuckle down his chin and over his Adam’s apple. Xavier slanted his mouth over her
s,
taking the opportunity to partake in her sweet seduction.

Her moist heat slithered along his lengt
h,
causing his shaft to ache with urgency. Her legs twined with his and locked him to her. She kneaded the
t
a
ut muscles in his bac
k,
plowing deeper each time his cock rubbed her clit. Every sensation in his body magnified with her touch. His heart drummed frantically in his chest. She whispered against his lip
s,
but his mind couldn’t comprehend anything but the feeling of her under hi
m,
the pressure of her hands on hi
m,
and the hunger in the stroke of her tongue.

Finall
y,
she broke their kiss. Between sharp breath
s,
she
c
h
o
k
e
d,
“
M
a
ke
l
o
v
e
to
m
e
.
”

Her
p
l
ea
broke hi
m,
unable to deny her any wish. Clasping her to the bed by her hip
s,
he positioned himsel
f,
the head of his cock already moistened with excitement. Her sex closed around him like a satin sheath. Slowl
y,
he stroked into he
r,
not wanting to finish before she reached her release. She made him feel like a young demon just learning the pleasures of a female.

Her legs locked at the small of his back. She tightened her arms around his neck. Her body urged for more. The want in her eyes tore the small bit of control he had remaining. His mouth covered hers and he thrust deep inside her tight channel. She raised her hips up and her warmth clenched around his shaft. Nails raked down his back. The sting of her markings heightened his arousal. He leveraged on one ar
m,
driving further into the molten wetness between her legs with each pounding movement.

“
Harde
r,
bab
y
,
”
she moaned.

Xavier rose on his
ha
u
n
c
h
e
s and gripped her by the waist. He banged into her until the crest of his release became unyielding. Slowing his pace to extend the pleasure of being inside he
r,
he was able to regain some composure. He slipped out of her. Bell groane
d,
cutting her eyes at him. Before she could spea
k,
he flipped her on her stomac
h,
yanked her up on all four
s,
and slammed into her from the rear. When he buried his enlarged cock inside he
r,
she gasped.

He held her against hi
m,
his tense rod pulsating inside the succulent folds of her loins.
Shi
t,
she feels so good.

Her body quivered in his arms
.“
Pleas
e,
Xavie
r,
I can’t take
m
u
c
h
m
o
r
e
.
Make me come for yo
u,
baby
.
”

Applying pressure at the nape of her nec
k,
he pushed her torso into the mattres
s,
opening her up to him
.“
Anything you wan
t
,
”
he uttere
d,
as he quickly withdrew and submerged himsel
f,
until her ass pressed flush against his groin.

His hips moved like a piston. Each thrust immersed him deeper and deeper into her essence. He used his legs to spread her knees further apar
t,
to give him increased access to her pleasure spot. His pulse quickene
d,
with the rhythm of his strokes. As the blinding pinnacle of his climax mounte
d,
he gripped a handful of her silky hai
r,
t
ug
g
ed
har
d,
and sank his throbbing rod into her core. When his bulk fully surrounded her bod
y,
and he bit into the creamy flesh of her shoulde
r,
Bell called out his name and rewarded him with her surrender. Another quick thrust and he was drowning in the crest of his own release.