“Hope.” Honor’s eyes widened. “God. Where is she?”
Sam held her tight. “She’s fine. I felt her spin off in a different direction, and she can get herself free of these worlds.” Unfortunately there was only one way for him to do so, and now he was on his own without his niece.
Honor lifted her head and looked around. “She sent us to a nice world.” She shifted against him, her eyes flashing. “You’re aroused.”
“You’re on my dick.”
A light pink wandered across her cheekbones. “Sam. We’re in a world not our own, probably going to die, and you have a hard-on.”
“Like I said.” He pressed down on her sweet ass, pushing her core right against him. The woman didn’t know him very well if she thought he was going to let her die in this place. In any place, really. The world settled around him, and the tension in his body slid away. The portals were far distant right now, and he was good with that.
Then he saw one. Up in the yellow-and-pink-striped sky, to the far right past clouds that appeared to have the silver lining on the outside, was a portal. A big, dark, locked portal. He grinned. Hope was good. Seriously good, and she’d done what he wanted. Yeah, he was buying her a new sportscar for her next birthday…if he lived to see it. Right now, there was a clear lock on the portal, one he sensed. One that would remain in place for a least a little while. Until he did what needed to be done.
He rolled up and looked around. It was a good world, not one of the hell ones. No danger lurked anywhere near. He bounced on the spongy gray ground. It extended as far as he could see, glistening in the full sun, which wasn’t too strong. “I’m thinking this is a good place.”
Honor reached to slide her hand over the sponge. “I like it here. I wonder how far we are from home?”
Home. He liked that she thought of their place as home. It was a good start. “I don’t think distance works the way we think it does, even with our advanced knowledge of physics.” Now that he’d made up his mind, his cock felt like it was about to break through his jeans for good. Down, boy. Now.
She reached for his hand, turning it over. “The marking. It’s beautiful.” She traced the jagged lines with her finger, and he was wracked by a shudder. “It appeared. Finally.” Wonder filled her voice.
“Yeah. I stopped being a dumbass and stopped worrying about things I couldn’t control.”
“Who? You?” She leaned down and kissed the marking, and her mouth might as well have been right on his soul. “Not be able to control something? Come on. What is this false reality of which you speak?”
“Smart-ass.” He pulled her toward him and kissed her, easing his pain with her sweet taste. For now. “We have a reprieve, and I thought I’d plant this on your ass. Or wherever else you want it.” He’d freaking love to see it on her curvy ass. But if she wanted it on her back, he’d understand.
Her laugher pealed across the gray, spongy land, bouncing back. “Funny. Shouldn’t we go home first?”
“No.” He tapped her mouth. “We’re doing this here, gorgeous. Decide where you want the marking.”
Her eyes opened, and then she licked her lips. “We are not doing it here. We could get dragged out at any second. You’re being crazy.”
“I’m taking as much control as I can.” He kept an eye on the nearly invisible lock on the nearly invisible portal up so high. “We’re going back to meet Ulric, and I want you mated first. You won’t have full strength or my gifts yet, but hopefully if you’re hurt, we can heal you fast. Okay?”
“No.” She stood on the bouncy surface, widening her legs to keep her balance. “We are not going back to see Ulric. Why would we do that?”
He brushed his knuckles down the side of her pretty face. “It’s the only thing I can think to do. If I can hit him, I can leave this curse with him, hopefully. I caught it, gave it to you, and now I want it back.” Mating would do that, he was fairly certain. “Then I dump the curse on him and we go home to no more fires or limbs being eaten by scavengers we can’t see.”
“That’s crazy.” Heat bloomed across her face. “Just nuts. You are not going to play tag with a zillion-year-old immortal god.” The woman was a little bossy.
“He’s not a god, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.” There had to be a way to keep her in this world while he took care of business. If he died, hopefully his niece would be able to find Honor and lead her home. He trusted Hope to do that. “For now, you’re about to get a marking on your flesh. Want to make it interesting?”
Anger, arousal, and curiosity flashed across her face in rapid succession. “Meaning?”
“I’ll let you run.” With the spongy ground, she wouldn’t be able to go fast. “If you make it ten yards before I catch you, then we’ll go with whatever plan you come up with.”
She tilted her head. Acceptance of his challenge curved her lips. Oh, his girl liked a game once in a while. Good to know. “Four yards.”
“Seven.”
“Five.”
“Deal.” He held out a hand, and they shook.
She bunched her legs.
“Go,” he whispered.
* * * *
Excitement surging through her, Honor turned and ran. Her feet sank into the squishy gray ground, but she lowered her head and ran full bore for the horizon. In his shirt and her light panties, she should feel vulnerable. Instead, she felt like a badass on a different world. One who could handle that world and the male behind her.
He caught her within two yards, twisted, and tossed her, keeping hold of her shirt when he did so.
She squealed and landed on her butt, flipping end over end on the soft surface, her bare breasts bouncing. Bounding up, she turned the other way to run, her laugher clipping through the pure air. Should this be fun? It was. Even so, her heart pounded and something primal rose in her. If he wanted her, he’d have to catch her.
Again.
Pivoting, she barely missed his outstretched hand. She jumped back, surprised by how far she bounced in the air. “You can’t catch me.” She landed, settling her stance.
His smile was all vampire. Or demon. Either way, all immortal. “I already did,” he said softly.
Her breath felt hot, and her knees instinctively trembled with a warning to flee. “You going to give me all of you?” she whispered, ready to run.
“Without question.” Silky and low, his hoarse statement shot right to her core.
She barely kept from doubling over. Instead, she edged to the side, ready to run.