It will drive her insane with need.
She just doesn’t know it yet. I simply have to wait it out and she’ll come to me, I know that.
Not that it’s making things easy for me either.
“You know you won’t be able to resist me for much longer, right?”
She scowls at me. “Your confidence is something.”
I straighten then turn to lean my hip against the table. “So I’ve been told.”
“Oh, by who? The victims you’ve assassinated?”
Blood rushes to my face. Anger spikes my blood. It’s only when I find myself standing in front of her that I realize I’ve crossed the floor to her. My chest heaves as I bend down and shove my face close to hers.
She winces but doesn’t back away.
No, of course not.
The human has a strong spine and lots of courage. She’s fearless or just stupid. Or both. “Don’t push me.”
“Or what?” She gnaws on her lower lip.
The scent of her creeps over me. Insidious, seductive. All female. And mine. My groin tightens. My pulse pounds at my temples.
Her chest heaves, those luscious breasts rise and fall, and the flesh of her cleavage trembles.
I drop into myself then project my phantom self toward her, trail my telekinetic touch over her skin.
I know my ears are lengthening, but I can’t stop myself. Just looking at her on the bed is enough to arouse me.
Her spine curves, her gaze widens, and her pupils dilate. “Wha…what are you doing?” She shudders, then brings her thighs close together and folds her knees close to her chest. “You…you are touching me.”
“Not with these.” I hold up my hands.
Another trembling grips her, and her head falls back. “I can feel your fingers trailing over my chest, around my nipples.” A small scream tumbles from her lips. “You didn’t just do that. You pinched my nipples.”
“I did…”
Her breath comes out in a gasp. Her nipples are so tight and hard that they push out against the shirt over her chest. Her hands grip the mattress on either side of her body. “Please.” She mewls.
“Please what?" Touch you? Caress you?
“Please don’t do this.” The anguish in her voice slinks over my skin. My chest tightens.
Damn. What is it about her that there is no way I can hurt her? And yet if she doesn’t come to me, if she doesn’t ask me to take her…very soon I’ll have to do it anyway and consummate the bond or it will begin to affect her. It will begin to affect me, too.
I drop my hands to my sides and step back. “I’m sorry.”
Her shoulders slump, and her body goes limp on the mattress.
I swivel around and walk to the window, then grip the ledge. The skin across my knuckles stretches white.
“What is it?” Her voice is low and unsteady.
I sense her sit up in bed.
“I haven’t been completely honest with you.” I stare outside. “You know when I said I rebuilt you?”
“I thought you meant it as a figure of speech.” Her voice falters.
“Not quite.” Turning, I lean my hip against the window frame.
“What you don’t know is that the soul bond needs to be consummated on the physical level, too.” I set my jaw.
Her brows draw down. “What happens if we don’t…” She worries her lower lip. “You know…”
“Fuck?” I tilt my body toward her.
Her cheeks redden. "Yeah... that."
She can't bring herself to even say the word? What the hell? She can't be that innocent. Can she?
I drum my fingers on the windowsill.
“If we don’t mate on the physical level, it will only weaken me. You will continue to drain me of my life force through the bond.”
“It’s a ploy.” Her lips turn down.
“I wish it were.” I fold my arms over my chest. “If we don’t fuck—" Yeah, I say that word, just to see how she reacts. Obviously, I am not a caring kind of guy, one who is considerate of his mate's feelings—"Well then, you will survive, but I will get progressively weaker until I die.”
19
Gia
“So if either of us breaks the unconsummated bond, it will eventually kill you?”
He angles his head but doesn’t reply.
“And you shared your life force with me, knowing it would put you at my mercy?” I press my palm to my cheek. Why am I still blushing? We're just having a conversation. A life and death kind of conversation, that's all it is.
He straightens to his full height. “Don’t go making me out to be something I am not, Starlight. I just acted on instinct to save your ass.”
"My gorgeous ass." Don't know why I said that...except well I am tired of being on the defensive. He'd been trying to get a rise out of me and well what do you know, seems I am not done challenging him either.
He stiffens, then a smile cracks his face. "I stand corrected, your drop-dead-gorgeous-ass-ness." He half bows from the waist. “Even a warrior like me is not completely heartless, it seems.”
“Why do you find it so difficult to accept that perhaps hidden behind all those barriers you put up against the world is someone who wants to do what’s right?” I prop my hands on my waist.
“Now you are making me out to be something I am not.” He widens his stance. “I told you already there is no redemption for people like me. We live by violence and die by it, too.”
He rolls his head from side to side. His joints pop.
I am sure he does that just to look menacing. It only makes him more vulnerable. More open. More like he’s as unsure as me as to where all of this is leading.
“I don’t agree.” I take a step forward.
His shoulders freeze.
“Don’t come close.” He thrusts out his chest.
He looks strong and lethal and one hundred percent alpha male. Desire curls low in my belly. I swallow and take another step forward, so it brings me within a few inches of him.
His gaze narrows. Heat rolls off his body and swirls around me. I scent that very male essence of him. That hint of morning rain laced with dark chocolate. My mouth waters.
“Don’t do this, Gia.” A pulse ticks at his jaw.
I angle my head back, all the way back so I can meet his gaze.
His blue eyes deepen until they are almost turquoise. Flickers of amber dance in their depths. Mesmerizing. Alluring. Yet there are so many secrets in them.
I want to throw myself at him and ravage him, tear off all the walls he’s put up between us until I can see who he truly is.
I raise a hand to touch his cheek.
He snakes out his arm and grabs my wrist.
His touch shivers over my skin, all the way to my core. My pussy clenches, and moisture pools between my legs.
His nostrils flare. “Don’t start something you don’t intend to finish.”
I tighten my lips. “Don’t try to tell me what I can or can’t do.”
“You don’t realize the repercussions of your actions.”
“Don’t I?” I toss my hair. A strand goes flying and curls over his shoulder.