Page 232

It was her first time kissing him since before they’d run into each other in Yveswich, and gods, had she missed it. Missedhim.At first, he kissed her gently, carefully, but gentle wasn’t what she wanted, and it wasn’t he wanted, either. Soon, they were kissing like their lives depended on it, and she was arching against him, and he was fisting the hair at the back of her head with those big, tattooed hands she wanted to feel everywhere. They were both out of breath, teeth and tongues clashing.

She’d forgotten what this felt like, what he tasted like. She never wanted to forget again.

Mind-blowing—that’s what it was like. WhatDarienwas like. Mind-blowing.

She wanted him closer closer closer.

The noise he made in his throat—a cross between a growl and a groan—sent a rush of heat through her body. His kisses turned frantic. Aggressive, almost. He was losing control, but so was she.

By the time they broke apart—too soon—she was so dizzy the room was spinning.

He planted another kiss on her mouth—softer, this one—before resting his forehead against hers. “I’ve been wanting to do that since you bumped into me in Yveswich,” he confessed.

“I know,” she said in a cheeky tone that made him smile. But thenhersmile was fading as she remembered something—a different topic she had been meaning to bring up to him, ever since she saw how rough he’d looked at the holding center. The fidgeting, the shaking, the excessive sweating…

She couldn’t believe how long it had taken her to figure it out. Looking back now…she should have recognized the signs sooner. And she felt terrible that she hadn’t—hadn’t been there for him when he needed her.

He noticed her change in expression immediately. “What’s the matter, baby?” he asked, pulling back a little to see her face better.

“You’re struggling to get off Venom,” she began. “Aren’t you?”

He winced. “How’d you know?”

“I may not have the Sight, but I’ve known you for a while now, Darien. There’s not a lot you can hide from me.”

He looked down—just for a minute—before raising his head and meeting her eyes with a steadying inhale. “I’m ashamed of it,” he confessed on the exhale. “And I didn’t want to tell you because…because I didn’t want to bother you with my problems. You’ve got enough going on as it is.”

She felt a twinge in her heart. “Darien, you and I are a team. If I’m struggling with something, you want me to tell you so you can help me, right?”

He gave a faint nod.

“Well, it goes both ways. I want to know when you’re going through something, so I can be there to support you.”

For a moment, he just stared at her, as if he were seeing her for the very first time. Then he blurted, “I fucking love you, you know that?”

She couldn’t help but smile. “I know. I love you too, Darien. And right now, I’m going to take care of you.” She flattened her hand against his solid chest and gently pushed him backward—across the room. Toward the bed. When the backs of his legs hit the mattress, she told him, “Sit.”

He listened, and she got down on her knees before him and took off his boots, unlacing them and setting them aside.

When she was finished, she stood, grabbing onto the hem of his shirt. He lifted his arms so she could tug it over his head, his necklaces softly tinkling with the movement. She dropped his shirt to the floor, then flattened her hand on his chest again—right above his thumping heart—and pushed him back, until he was propped up on the mattress on his elbows.

As she undressed, he watched her, not taking his eyes off her—not for one second.

She took her shirt off first, then her jeans, her heartbeat accelerating with each inch of skin she exposed to him. She unclasped her bra and slipped it off, then shimmied her panties down to her ankles and stepped out of them.

Her mouth dried out as she watched Darien’s eyes rove across her naked body, lingering the longest on her breasts and the intimate space between her thighs. Knowing he’d want to read her aura as they did this, she reached behind her head, unclasped the talisman, and placed it on the nightstand.

Wearing nothing at all, she crossed the room and climbed onto the bed to straddle him.

She wanted this man—badly.Sodamn badly, and she was tired of fighting it. So she pushed him back on the bed until he was lying flat on his back, then she bent down, sweeping her hair over one shoulder, and locked her mouth with his.

The kiss was so good, so intimate, they were both groaning into each other’s mouths. He flicked his tongue against hers, and as he slipped a hand between her thighs, she felt chills erupt all over her body, his rough fingers going straight to her clit.

A whimper slipped out of her, and Darien swallowed the sound as if it were fine wine. Their kisses turned frantic. Aggressive, teeth clashing and lip biting, that hand of his rubbing her so good her legs were twitching.

When they broke the kiss, he breathed against her mouth, “You like that, baby?” His stare was scorching hot as he watched her squirm above him, her legs flexing around his hips.

“I love it,” she gasped. “I’msupposed to be taking care ofyou,though.”