“Departed?” Cain asked, surprise flickering in his green depths.
“Before I left the shop, I used protection spells on the old man and the store. Then I went to Moreann and told her that I refused to take the man’s life. I warned her that he was under my protection and that if she or anyone else touched him, I would come after them.”
Cain quirked a black brow. “And she allowed that?”
“I think she wanted to see what I would do. She got her answer. She never asked me to kill for her again.”
“But you did kill.”
Noreen shrugged, unable to deny the statement. “I did. It was decades later when I was walking the streets of Rome, using glamour to hide my eyes but also my Fae allure. I came upon a prostitute who was being beaten. I stepped in and stopped the man. He laughed and pushed me away, telling me that he’d paid for the woman, and that meant he could do whatever he wanted with her. I can’t describe the anger that came over me. I put myself between him and the sex worker and told her to leave. She ran off without another word. The man then raised his fist. I let him hit me. And then I dropped my glamour. In a heartbeat, he was on his knees, panting and begging for me. I ordered him to remove his clothes and lay on his back. As soon as he complied, I took his cock in my hand and killed him.”
“Do you feel bad about it?”
“Yes. I could’ve made sure he never hit another woman again. Instead, I killed him.”
Cain gave a nod. “You did what you felt you needed to do. I, too, have killed.”
“In battle,” she reminded him.
He gave her a dry look. “Do you so easily forget what you saw through my memories? All the mortals?”
She had to look away. “I’d forgotten. But your hair and eyes don’t change.”
“Maybe no’, but taking a life leaves a mark. You may no’ be able to see it, but it’s there. Trust me.”
His fingers touched her hair, and she knew he was looking at how much silver was there. Finally, she slid her gaze back to his.
“You think I’ve killed more than two because of how much silver is in my hair,” she said.
He shook his head and released the strand he held. His fingers softly grazed her cheek before he lowered his arm. “I think the silver that’s there appeared because of how much those kills affected you. I used to think the silver indicated how many a Dark had killed. Now, I realize that might account for part of it, but there’s much more to it. Did you think I’d look at you differently? Or that I wouldna want to touch you?”
She shrugged. “It crossed my mind. It’s easy to forget who someone is sometimes.”
“I’ve known from the beginning who you are, Noreen. It hasna stopped me from wanting you. In fact, your stories have only made me hunger for you more.”
She didn’t have time to respond as he dragged her against him and covered her mouth with his in a kiss that stole her breath—and set her blood on fire.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
By the stars, he couldn’t get enough of her. Cain held Noreen’s naked body against him as he entered her with one thrust. As soon as they were joined, there was nowhere else he wanted to be but with her.
He might not have trusted Noreen at first, but that had changed quicker than expected. Now, he couldn’t think of a reason why he wouldn’t trust her. Their circumstances had put them in a peculiar situation that forced each of them to face things they might not want to.
“You feel so good,” Noreen whispered as she rocked her hips with her legs wrapped around him.
His hands cupped her tight ass as he lifted her up and slowly lowered her down. She gasped, her head falling back so that the long strands of her hair brushed his fingers.
She was breathtaking, utterly ravishing. And she was his. There was no denying the chemistry between them, or the way their bodies came together with such raw, unadulterated passion. He’d known lust before. This was something so much more, so much … deeper.
He leaned forward and wrapped his lips around her nipple. He ran his tongue back and forth over the tiny nub as her moans turned to cries. All the while, he continued slowly moving her up and down his arousal.
“Cain,” she called out as her nails dug into his shoulders.
He wanted to thrust into her hard, to give in to the primal hunger and mark her body as his. But he held himself back. His pleasure could wait. Right now, it was all about Noreen. He wanted her to feel special, he needed her to know that he cared about her more than as a means of getting information.
Cain moved to her other nipple to tease the peak mercilessly. He alternated between sucking and flicking his tongue back and forth over it. Just when it felt as if Noreen couldn’t take any more, he stopped moving.
“No,” she cried and lifted her head.
Her face was flushed with desire, her crimson eyes half-lidded and filled with need. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. She tried to shift her hips, but he held her still, refusing to allow her any kind of movement while he continued teasing her nipple.
“Please,” she begged.
His body ached for release. Even as he tried to control himself, he recalled how he’d liked watching her climax before. Not to mention how good she’d made him feel. Once those two things went through his mind, he couldn’t hold back any longer.
He shifted them so that her back was against a tree. Cain put a hand there to help protect her from the bark, but she quickly yanked it away. He soon forgot everything else as he began to drive into her hard and fast.
Within moments, her body stiffened as pleasure filled her face. Her lips opened on a silent scream, her body flushing deeply. Cain didn’t stop moving. He kept pumping in and out, driving her orgasm further.
When she opened her eyes, he pulled out of her and moved her to her hands and knees. Then he filled her from behind. She gasped in pleasure before following it with a low moan.
He grinned and held her hips as he started to move. Cain couldn’t stop touching her beautiful body. He leaned over her, pressing his mouth next to her ear. She shifted her head to the side so their lips brushed.
Their eyes met, and he saw the same fire in hers that he felt in himself. She might have climaxed, but she wasn’t finished yet.
That stirred the flames of his desire even higher.
He grasped her hair and straightened, pulling back so she had to raise her head. She called out his name as his tempo ratcheted up a few notches. As much as he liked having a hold of her hair, he wanted to hear her scream in ecstasy again.
Cain released her tresses and reached down to find her clit. The sensitive bud was swollen. As soon as his finger swirled around it, she groaned in response, urging him on. He continued teasing her clit, ruthlessly pushing her toward another orgasm—while trying not to give in to one of his own.
Just when he thought he couldn’t hold out any longer, a cry tore from Noreen’s throat. He saw her fingers dig into the ground as she pushed back against him.
No matter how much Cain wanted to give her a third one, he couldn’t wait any longer. He wanted her too badly.
* * *
No one could touch her body like Cain. Noreen accepted that as fact, just as she knew that no one would ever bring her as much pleasure as the Dragon King did.