people?”
“Sometimes. When it increases their pleasure.” In fact, pain and bondage were only a small part of the whole mesmerizing world of sexuality, and he hadn’t grown bored. He’d become obsessed, trying to fill some emptiness inside himself. He’d never succeeded, and he’d finally given up trying, turning his back on the world of soulless pleasure. He could read the worry in her eyes, despite the effort she put into appearing unfazed. “I wouldn’t hurt you.”
Where the hell had that come from? He wasn’t going to have sex with her—why was he even discussing it?
Her eyes widened, but for a moment she said nothing. Finally she said, “Your job is to inflict pain. You’re a killer.”
“I’m a warrior,” he said. “As are you.”
“I’ve never killed . . .” The words trailed off as she remembered.
He watched her carefully, curious. She would have to kill again, without hesitation, if she was to be of any help to them. “It was a necessary death,” he said finally.
“Is any death necessary?”
“You don’t need my answer to such an elemental question. Only your own.”
She was still considering. And then, like the click of a switch, she nodded. Accepted. She pushed her rich, dark hair away from her pale face, and once again he acknowledged how beautiful she was. Not the perfect beauty of the Fallen, but the attraction ofsomething else, something more complex and troublesome. “Rachel wanted me to seduce you.”
“I’m not surprised.” He kept his voice, his expression, neutral.
“I told her no.”
“Of course you did,” he said softly. “Sex is the last thing on your mind.” He shouldn’t have said it when he knew it was patently untrue, but he wanted to see if he could get to her.
Once more she surprised him. Her smile was slow, sensual, and he wanted to curse as his body leapt in response. “Oh, I don’t know about that,” she said. “I imagine I think about sex just as often as you do.”
He kept his face expressionless, even as he felt his skin grow hot. She would probably die anyway. Why not? “You’re playing with fire, little girl,” he said in a steady voice.
“Am I?” She shrugged, and even that mundane gesture held a wealth of sensual grace. “Apparently you’re immune to my dubious charms.”
A smile came before he could stop it, and she blinked, momentarily nonplussed, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her startled eyes met his, and he let his omnipresent guard drop, just for a moment. It was like an electric shock jolting his body, the sudden knowledge that all of them were right, she was his. And he couldn’t, wouldn’t, have her.
He moved closer, without realizing how ithappened—so close, all he had to do was reach out and she would be in his arms, wrapped against his hungry body. He lifted his hand, surprised to see it didn’t shake, and cupped her face, his thumb gently brushing her soft lips.
He almost told her. Told her that his kiss would lead to her death. That even if he felt his centuries of determination crumble in the face of his need, he wouldn’t give in.
“We’re not doing this,” she whispered.
“Of course not.” He could stop. His self-control was legendary. It was a small enough test, simply to prove it to himself, to lean forward and replace his thumb with his lips, brushing her mouth softly. He pulled away, almost too quickly, as desire rushed over him.
She looked at him, her green eyes startled but uncomfortably knowing. “Of course not.”
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
I STOOD ALONE IN THE MIDDLE OF MY room after he left. What were the lines I’d heard so often in the movies? Time to get the hell out of Dodge. Let’s blow this Popsicle stand. I had no idea why people seemed to hate Dodge so much, and in all the movies I’d watched I’d never seen a Popsicle stand, but I understood the concept. I needed to get the hell out of there, and I’d waited too long, seduced by the ocean and the
“Sometimes. When it increases their pleasure.” In fact, pain and bondage were only a small part of the whole mesmerizing world of sexuality, and he hadn’t grown bored. He’d become obsessed, trying to fill some emptiness inside himself. He’d never succeeded, and he’d finally given up trying, turning his back on the world of soulless pleasure. He could read the worry in her eyes, despite the effort she put into appearing unfazed. “I wouldn’t hurt you.”
Where the hell had that come from? He wasn’t going to have sex with her—why was he even discussing it?
Her eyes widened, but for a moment she said nothing. Finally she said, “Your job is to inflict pain. You’re a killer.”
“I’m a warrior,” he said. “As are you.”
“I’ve never killed . . .” The words trailed off as she remembered.
He watched her carefully, curious. She would have to kill again, without hesitation, if she was to be of any help to them. “It was a necessary death,” he said finally.
“Is any death necessary?”
“You don’t need my answer to such an elemental question. Only your own.”
She was still considering. And then, like the click of a switch, she nodded. Accepted. She pushed her rich, dark hair away from her pale face, and once again he acknowledged how beautiful she was. Not the perfect beauty of the Fallen, but the attraction ofsomething else, something more complex and troublesome. “Rachel wanted me to seduce you.”
“I’m not surprised.” He kept his voice, his expression, neutral.
“I told her no.”
“Of course you did,” he said softly. “Sex is the last thing on your mind.” He shouldn’t have said it when he knew it was patently untrue, but he wanted to see if he could get to her.
Once more she surprised him. Her smile was slow, sensual, and he wanted to curse as his body leapt in response. “Oh, I don’t know about that,” she said. “I imagine I think about sex just as often as you do.”
He kept his face expressionless, even as he felt his skin grow hot. She would probably die anyway. Why not? “You’re playing with fire, little girl,” he said in a steady voice.
“Am I?” She shrugged, and even that mundane gesture held a wealth of sensual grace. “Apparently you’re immune to my dubious charms.”
A smile came before he could stop it, and she blinked, momentarily nonplussed, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her startled eyes met his, and he let his omnipresent guard drop, just for a moment. It was like an electric shock jolting his body, the sudden knowledge that all of them were right, she was his. And he couldn’t, wouldn’t, have her.
He moved closer, without realizing how ithappened—so close, all he had to do was reach out and she would be in his arms, wrapped against his hungry body. He lifted his hand, surprised to see it didn’t shake, and cupped her face, his thumb gently brushing her soft lips.
He almost told her. Told her that his kiss would lead to her death. That even if he felt his centuries of determination crumble in the face of his need, he wouldn’t give in.
“We’re not doing this,” she whispered.
“Of course not.” He could stop. His self-control was legendary. It was a small enough test, simply to prove it to himself, to lean forward and replace his thumb with his lips, brushing her mouth softly. He pulled away, almost too quickly, as desire rushed over him.
She looked at him, her green eyes startled but uncomfortably knowing. “Of course not.”
CHAPTER
ELEVEN
I STOOD ALONE IN THE MIDDLE OF MY room after he left. What were the lines I’d heard so often in the movies? Time to get the hell out of Dodge. Let’s blow this Popsicle stand. I had no idea why people seemed to hate Dodge so much, and in all the movies I’d watched I’d never seen a Popsicle stand, but I understood the concept. I needed to get the hell out of there, and I’d waited too long, seduced by the ocean and the
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