Dwellers of Darkness by Stacey Marie Brown Page B

and spilled over the walls. I hated crying in front of people and, at one time, Eli would have been top of the list. Things had changed. He now seemed the only one I could show my true feelings to. I pressed my face into him and felt his arms surround me, holding me tightly against him.
    “It will be okay.” His voice vibrated through his chest against my ear.
    “No, it won’t.” I shook my head, smearing my tears and runny nose over his chest. “Torin’s been tortured. Mark and Ryan are still stuck there and along with West.”
    “Kennedy and Josh are back safe, Torin will heal, and Lily is with you again. We will get West, Mark, and Ryan out.” He held me out to look at my face. “I promise.”
    Wiping at my nose, I shook my head. “Ryan will never be able to come back.”
    “What are you talking about?”
    I hiccupped. “I was in a dreamwalk... Ryan was dying... and Castien gave him Fae food to save him.” I didn’t need to say more; Eli frowned. He knew what this meant.
    He cupped my face and brushed the tears away with his thumbs. “Have you  told anybody about this?”
    “No.” My head moved in concurrence. “Kennedy has been through so much, and she says saving Ryan keeps her going during the really hard moments. I can’t take this away from her.”
    “You’re going to have to tell her.”
    Sighing, I leaned into him. “I know. But not yet.”
    He lifted my head and kissed me deeply. At first his lips were comforting and sweet, but swiftly yearning soared through my veins. He took away all the pain. Some might say this was not the best time. I disagreed. I needed him—all of him—a shred of happiness in the darkness. His hands slid up the back of my head, and his fingers tangled in my hair. He pressed his lips harder into mine, and his tongue discovered every inch of mine. This time the lack of air into my lungs was purposeful. The need to be closer to him was crushing. He nipped at my lip, which undid me. I grabbed his hand, and with determination of a bull, dragged him to the house and down the hallway to his room.
    With the door closed and locked, we turned and faced each other. Our breaths faltered as we moved in closer. My heart thudded against my ribs. He leaned in, and I could feel his proximity encompassing my skin. Desire became so thick I stopped breathing.
    His finger skimmed my stomach as he followed the band of his boxers I wore. I sucked back on my bottom lip; my eyes closed at his touch. “I like those on you,” he whispered in my ear. “But I’d like them even better off.” He gave them a slight tug.
    My fingers reached up to the top of his jeans, unbuttoning them. “Ditto.”
    With a deep growl, Eli picked me up and took me to the bed. We fell heavily on it as our lips ravaged each other. He slid in between my legs, and the friction of his movement against me made both of us grasp one another harder. I couldn’t seem to get close enough to him. Panting and clawing, I squeezed my legs tighter around him. Feeling him hard against me propelled my adrenaline to pound in my ears. It drove me into dizzy spells, leaving my mind completely void of anything but the present moment. His lips moved down my neck, making me gasp. My hands tugged his pants over his hips and onto the floor. A rumble emerged from his chest as my hands ran back up over his tight, bare ass. He slipped a finger under the tank I had on and ripped it over my head and threw it aside. Our breathing was short and heavy. I sat up and pushed him down, crawling over him. His hands ran slowly up my body. I let my head fall back with desire, as the shudders of his touch sent tingles rapidly through me. He sat up and brought his mouth to my neck and chest. The warmness of his kisses made me moan.
    I smiled wickedly and pushed him back down. I started at his neck and meticulously kissed and nipped slowly down his body, not missing an inch. There were some areas I paid extra attention to. Eli continued to growl, which