Kiss of a Dragon(37)

Lucian’s frown was back. He stroked her hair again. “He was better at hiding behind a mask than the others.”

Yes. He understood. That opened up her air again. “I thought I was a fool for not seeing it, but it turned out, he was just really good at lying.”

Lucian flinched again, and his hand stilled.

But she wanted to keep going—to get it all out now. “We were making love one night. It was rough, but that was the way he liked it, and I didn’t think anything of it. I had no warning. Suddenly his hands were around my throat, while we were in the act, and he started saying these things…” She had to stop to swallow down the sickness at the back of her throat. She cleared it. “Things like how I was perfect for him. That I was just what he wanted. That I had better never leave him because he would always find me. And that I would be easy to kill. That it would be nothing at all. And he wanted me to understand that he could do that. So he just kept squeezing tighter and tighter, all while he kept…” She had to suck in a breath, and it was ragged, shaky. Fuck. She thought she could get through this without melting down.

“Shhh… it’s all right,” Lucian said, his hands on her face, stroking her again as he peered into her eyes. “You don’t need to relive it, my treasure. I understand well enough.”

She blinked back her tears and looked away from the sweet concern in his eyes. Then she forced the rest out. “He nearly killed me. Choked me until I passed out. The EMT’s had to revive me. I don’t think he meant to actually kill me. But I remember all of it. I remember him inside me while his hands were on my throat, killing me… all the way up until I blacked out.”

When she looked back, his eyes glinted gold again. “And this demon still haunts you.”

“He was just a man—”

“No.” The forcefulness of it stopped her. “He was as evil as any demon I’ve ever known. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he was precisely the kind of demon I extinguished in the alley—half man, but with evil woven into his DNA. These things exist. But knowing what I know now about the person that you are, Arabella, my treasure, perhaps I should have stood back and let you slay that man in the alleyway. I have little doubt you could have accomplished it. Are you sure you’re not part angel?”

“What?” It was so incongruous, it brought an uncertain smile to her face. “Um… yeah? I’m pretty sure I’m not… wait. Are you saying angels actually exist?” Her eyes went wide.

“Oh, yes.” He smirked. “And you more than resemble one. Angels love humanity, as you do. They are transcendentally beautiful, as you are. And when they give in to their great love and mate with a human, the hybrid child is a slayer, a human/angel half-breed who is the most formidable of foes and quite capable of destroying demons, which the angels themselves are forbidden from doing.” His smile gentled, and he tapped his finger gently on her nose. “You have all the makings of a slayer, my treasure. You slay demons every day in your work. I am sure you can conquer this one as well.”

His words and his touch… they stole her breath right out of her body. Of course, she wasn’t an angel of any kind, not a hybrid or whatever. But the way he saw her—strong, beautiful, vanquisher of evil things—was heating up her body again. Which was painful on top of the already aching need she had between her legs. Maybe they could try again. Even if she couldn’t climax, she would at least have this gorgeous, gentle man touching her, filling her.

She reached both hands to his cheeks and kissed him.

He groaned and slid onto her in an instant, covering her body in the most delicious way. His tongue dove deep inside her mouth, pushing her head back into the softness of the mattress. She opened her eyes and glimpsed his body in the mirror above them, moving against hers, his hands skimming her sides, touching her everywhere.

He broke the kiss and breathed hotly against her. “Let me pleasure you, Arabella. I beg of you.”

God, the way he talked. She ran her hands through his hair and bucked her hips against him. His cock was rock-hard between them. “I want you inside me.”

He groaned again, his eyes half-lidded. His hand skimmed down to her hip, but instead of moving to enter her, he held it still against the bed. Then he dipped his head to her neck and tasted her, running the tip of his tongue along her skin, trailing down across her collar bones, and leaving a hot, wet line that seared into her. He lingered at her breast a moment, brushing away her hair and taking a nipple into his mouth.

“Oh!” she gasped as he lightly bit down on it, his tongue teasing and hot. She arched up into him, and he kept flicking for a moment, then released her, holding her breast firm while his tongue traced a wicked line down her belly, heading for her sex.