Then he stopped. Stopped. He stared down at her, beads of his sweat dripping onto her. Baby doll? he gritted, voice rough and gravelly.
Yes, I am. Now move!
No. Get youpregnant?
No. Im not fertile right now.
He was moving an instant later and she was lost again. This was her consort, her man, and they were joined. One. The knowledge was sultry, intoxicating to her. Her claws sliced at his back, flaying his flesh. Her fangs bit at his lips, tasting his blood, and then he was kissing her, too, his tongue thrusting like his cock, branding his taste inside the hollow of her mouth. This was everything shed ever secretly wanted and she gave herself up to Striders possession.
Yes, possession, she realized. His demon was a part of him, but Strider was a part of her, essential to her survival.
Strider, she gasped. My Strider.
Perhaps his name on her kiss-swollen lips pushed him over the edge, because he released another roar, the crazed sound echoing off the walls. His entire body tensed over hers. Absolute pleasure consumed his face and he pumped inside her a final time, comingcomingshooting her straight into another climax.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
SHED BURNED HIM. LITERALLY burned him. Strider had blisters all over his body. Or at least, hed had them. The moment hed climaxed, jetting inside her, his demon had climaxed, as well. Kaia, a strong, capable Harpy, had surrendered to them, utterly and completely, giving them every thing, all that she was, and the unending pleasure that knowledge had wrought in him had given way to shocking strength. The blisters had begun healing mere seconds after forming.
Hed never experienced anything like it. And now he feltinvincible. Yeah, that was the word. He could do anything. Could topple an army, find Pandoras box, whatever. His demon felt the same, was even then moaning with abandon, still lost to the sensations.
Somewhere during the time Strider had spent on his knees, feasting between Kaias legs, and the time shed spent on her knees, feasting between his legs, being her best had ceased to matter. Hed wanted only to be with her. Her, Kaia. No one else.
Shed become his sickness and his cure, shooting him to heights he hadnt known existed.
Now he rolled to his side, keeping her tucked against him. He didnt want to let her go. Not now, not ever.
She buried her head in the hollow of his neck, her silky hair tickling his skin. They were both sweat-soaked, and her body temperature had cooled only slightly. His favorite, though: she glowed. Damn, did she glow, all the colors of the rainbow shining from her skin. She made his mouth water for another taste, when arousal should have been impossible. For a year, at least.
Her fingers traced along the edges of his azure butterfly tattoo, the ink seeming to rise up to meet her, as if craving more of that heat. A deeper burn. Hed never before allowed a female to fondle the mark. Thats where Defeat had entered his body, a constant reminder of Striders stupidity. Sometimes he looked at the jagged ink and felt ashamed. Just then, he liked that it was there. He liked Kaias attention to the details.
Youre nothurt, are you? she asked in a voice full of gravel.
When he wanted to bang his chest and whoop with pride? Opposite of hurt.
Really?
Really. She asked that a lot, as if she didnt dare believe his words. Didnt even need my safe phrase.
She chuckled, but her amusement quickly washed away. She stiffened, getting serious. So you had a good time, then?
He flattened his chin against his sternum, looking down at her. She had her own face angled down, so he saw only that crest of red hair. Are you serious?
Clearly offended, she huffed out, Would I have asked otherwise?
Did you not hear me roar? Twice?
Yes, she admitted softly. I did.
And you still want to know if I had a good time?
Well, youre not in pain, as you said, so you know you were my best. But theres no way for me to know about you unless you tell me.
Ah. He opened his mouth to respond, but shed only just warmed up to her subject. And really, she continued, you resisted me for so long. You never wanted to be with me. You made sure I knew we were only temporary.
Temporary. The word settled inside his head like a bomb seconds away from detonation. The thought of this woman with another man, naked like this, sated like this, sharing like this Every cell in his body screamed in protest. Mine.
If he committed, she would expect forever.
Usually the word forever made him cringe. Just then, forever didnt seem like enough time with her. There were too many things to talk about, to do, too many ways to have her, and still practice the old stuff.
Did that mean heloved her?
That thought didnt make him cringe, either. But loving her would mean putting her needs above his own, above his mission, above everything. If he did that, and then later lost herlosing her would mean losing everything. More than that, she would challenge him constantly, whether she meant to do so or not. She would demand his attention and she wouldnt let him get away with shit.
Butand that was a BIG buthed thought he would hate living that way. In fact, hed thought he needed a break from the challenge of simply being who and what he was, which was why hed gone on that vacation with Paris and William. A vacation that hadnt lasted long. Hed been bored out of his freaking mind within a day. Bored and more restless than ever, searching forsomething.
Which might explain why hed gone rushing to Kaias side the day shed called him from jail. Which might explain his decision to act as her consort, without wanting to sign on for double occupancy. But that didnt explain what he felt now. Possessive on a bone-deep level, protective and exhilarated.
Bottom line, he needed to be challenged to survive. Not only because the victories from those challenges fed his demon, keeping the little shit happy rather than frothing inside his mind, but also because he felt so alive. And when he was with Kaia, he wasnt just alive, he was sizzling. Inside and out.
He recalled how desperately hed craved her one night when hed found her in the hallway of the fortress, dressed only in a purple robe, her hair in disarray around her shoulders, her nipples hard and peeking through the thin material, her feet bare. Shed looked well-pleasured and aroused at the same time and hed wanted to sate that arousal in a way previous lovers had failed to do.
Thank the gods Paris had stuck his head out his bedroom door and tossed Kaia her slippers before Defeat locked on the challenge of having her. Or so Strider had thought at the time. Hed walked away from Kaia and blocked all images of her from his head. Since that moment, however, hed been grumpy, no one able to satisfy him. Even his reluctant crush on Haidee hadnt helped distract him from the Harpy. Now
His satisfaction was unparalleled. So was his desire to keep this woman with him. To never again let her go. To never again walk away from her.
Yeah. He loved her.
He wasnt shocked by the revelation. Hed probably known on some deep, primal level all along, he just hadnt wanted to admit it. Had fought it. No more fighting.
Kaia was it for him. The one he wanted, needed, had to have. She was the beginning and the end. His. His in every way. His other half, his needed half. Hed resisted her appeal far too long, convinced himself she would be like all the others. But how could she be like all the others when she was so much more, in every possible way?
To tell her or not to tell her? Would a declaration from him distract her from the games?
Strider? Her tone was hesitant, as if she feared shed scared him.
When you looked on the surface, she was cocky, confident and unmanageable. When you looked deeper, you saw how vulnerable she truly was. He hated himself for not seeing those vulnerabilities sooner. How many times and in how many ways had he hurt her over the past few weeks?
He squeezed her tight. You know I wont lie to you, right?
And hed thought her stiff before. Right. So much dread layered that single word, all hope disintegrated.
Even as he ached for her, he tried not to grin. Then here it is, flat out. You were Shit, there arent even words to describe how good you were. Ive never experienced anything like it, like you, and I loved every damn moment of it.
Really? she asked again.
Oh, yeah. Really.
Well. She kissed his chest, and she sounded self-assured when she added, Thats because Im made of awesome.
And dipped in awesome.
And sprinkled with awesome.
Gods, I love the taste of awesome.
Another chuckle escaped her, warm and rich as wine. Thank you.
My pleasure. And I mean that. Youre a goddess, Kaia.
Another kiss, soft and sweet. Nah. Thats just a rumor one of my old boyfriends started.
A grin quirked the corners of his lips. So. He traced his fingertips up and down the ridges of her spine. When will you be fertile?
Why? Do you want a baby?
Hell, no. Are you kidding? Im scared enough about the day when Maddox and Ashlyns little Strider and Stridette are running around. Although, he almostliked the idea of a little redheaded brat wrecking havoc on the fortress, driving him insane, challenging him every minute of every day. That like sort of panicked him. I asked about fertile-time because Im trying to figure out when I need to buy stock in Trojans.
She scraped his nipple with her teeth. Smart-ass. Harpies are only fertile about once a year and I dont hit that part of my cycle for another eight months. Plus, you only have, like, a one in a million chance of making an immortal with me anyway.
Actually, I have a one in ten chance of making a felon.
A laugh bubbled from her, and he relished the carefree sound.
Pride filled him. I did that. Why such low odds? he asked, curious. If she thought him lacking in that department, well, hed haul her ass to a specialist, do the cup thing and prove just how exceptional his little swimmers were.
Ego check.
Well, they were.
Because of my paternal heritage, she said, a bit hesitant. The Phoenix have never made children easily. Thats why theyre nearing extinction.
If its so hard for them to procreate, howd your mother have twins with one?
Her glow dimmed. Shes an overachiever.
So are you. Speaking of kids, though When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? He found that he was desperate to learn about her, her past. Her hopes and dreams.
A sigh of longing. To be honest, I wanted to be ruler of the entire world. Or the rulers trophy wife.
He was the one to laugh this time.
She lifted her head long enough to glare at him. What?
I like your goals, thats all. Theyre cute. Like you.
Cute. She rolled her eyes. Exactly what every girl wants to be in the eyes of the man she, you know, is riding like a carnival pony.
Now who was the smart-ass? Hey, theres nothing wrong with cute. Im cute as a button.
Another roll of her eyes and she settled back into his side. Ive mentioned your humbleness before, Im sure. Its touching, really. So what did you want to be when you grew up? Her fingers traced little circles over his chest.
He clasped her hand and brought those fingers to his mouth, kissing the digits before returning them to his chest. I was never a kid, so I never thought about it.
Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting. So why do you have a birthmark on your ass?
An eyebrow arched up. Noticed that, did you?
Im very observant, she said gravely. Had nothing to do with checking you out all the time or following you with stalkerlike focus.
Adorable girl. Its not a birthmark. Its a tattoo. Or what remains of one. And something he never discussed, but this was Kaia. A woman challenged me to have her name inked into my skin. I did, but I had Sabin there to tattoo over it if the stupid thing couldnt be removed.
You killed the woman, of course.
So bloodthirsty, his Kaia, but then, that was one of the things he loved about her. I killed her dreams of happily ever after with me.
She nodded in understanding. Now she suffers eternally. Good job. But, man, thats sad, about your lack of a childhood, I mean.
His shoulders lifted in a shrug. Not really. You cant miss what you dont know about.
Well, one day very soon, were going to take a bath together and Im going to show you how to play rubber ducky. Her hand glided down his stomach, swirled around his navel and finally cupped him.
He jolted in exquisite reflex. I think Ill like that game.
Good. And guess what else? You finally earned your nickname.
Oh, yeah?
Her tongue flicked out, laving his nipple into a tight little bead. Yeah. Bonin the Barbarian.
An unexpected snort left him. I like it. Way better than the Sexorcist.
Way better.
Well, youve earned a new nickname yourself, Kaia darling. When her hand remained on his sac, he reached down and moved her fingers around his ever-hardening cock. Oh, yeah. That was the stuff.
The location change distracted her from their topic, but only for a few seconds. She tensed. Nicknames were painful for her. He got that. He also got that while she hated her title, she felt like she deserved it. But everyone made mistakes and shed been blamed for hers long enough. For gods sake, shed been a child. Strider couldnt even imagine the trouble he would have gotten himself into if hed grown from child to man, rather than springing to life fully formed.
Look what hed done without a childhood. Stolen Pandoras box. Unleashed demons upon an unsuspecting world. Given away the Cloak of Invisibility to wicked, amoral creatures.
Enough of that. He rolled on top of Kaia, pinning her with his muscled weight. Automatically her arms looped around his neckdamn, he hated that her fingers were no longer squeezing his length. Oh, well. This was for the greater good. Her legs parted to create a cradle for him.