Page 27 of Demon Touched (The Demon Syndicate #2)

Dex

D ex slid the knife from the body and threw his head back, taking a deep breath of the freezing cold air.

Fourteen of them so far. It was more than he’d expected.

Everyone else was spread across the territory, keeping an eye on all of the businesses. If they saw the Lotus tattoo, they texted him with the location and photo. Things were going well so far and Dex felt like he had control for the first time in a while.

The tenuous hold on the dichotomy of what he was felt more secure and every time he rid their territory of those Lotus bastards, it got stronger.

He was finally doing something.

Dex checked the time and gritted his teeth. It was almost dawn. He wouldn’t have the chance to shower or change if he wanted to make it to her place in time.

All the stress had made him sloppy and there was no one left alive to question.

Picking up the body, he tossed it into a van and burned all the blood splattered everywhere to ash with half a thought. He’d dispose of the bodies later.

Wrapping an illusion around him, he freed his wings and headed straight for Nova’s place. He should’ve text her, but they’d both been busy.

The sky was starting to lighten, and he picked up speed, getting there in record time. Dex perched on the fire escape outside her window and opened the window.

She turned around, still in her hunter gear. Nova’s eyebrows rose as she took him in, and Dex realized how he must look.

“Can I come in?”

“Hurry,” she whispered, yanking her hood back.

Slipping inside, he closed the window and then the blinds. Nova did the same, covering up the windows with her special curtains.

Dex watched her from the middle of the room, feeling the blood and sweat on his skin. He should have planned better, but she came up to him slowly, studying him from head to toe with the monster mask still covering half her face.

He watched as she approached slowly and sniffed the air.

“None of it is mine,” he told her.

Her eyes darted to his and then back down. Nova stripped off her gloves and tossed them to the floor. For some reason that made his heart rate pick up. Then she pushed his coat from his shoulders until it too fell to the floor.

Dex couldn’t stop watching her. Every movement was slow and precise, as if she was afraid to set him off. He tilted his head and considered her as she slowly took every weapon from him, setting them on the table where she kept her keys.

When she was done, she slid her fingers under the harness that held everything he needed and pulled on the strap that went across his chest so Dex was forced to take a step forward. It would have been easy enough to resist, but why should he?

All he wanted was to be closer to her.

Nova slid her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, then down his arms. Dex closed his eyes when her bare hands slid over his exposed forearms. Gently she slid her bare fingers into his gloves and pulled them off, not once hesitating over the blood.

It felt so intimate.

He opened his eyes to watch and found her staring up at him, the purple in her eye glowing like a beacon.

One quick movement and he pulled the tie from her hair. The curls tumbled out of the bun to hang over her shoulders and Dex threaded his fingers through it, mesmerized by the color and the silky feel.

“I missed you,” he murmured.

Nova didn’t say anything. Instead, she reached for the buckles of his harness. Dex let her pull it off, wondering what her end goal was.

His breathing was erratic, and it took more concentration to stand there and do nothing than it had to hunt all night long.

Tugging her mask down exposed those full lips and he couldn’t help but lick his own, wanting to taste them again.

Dex had dreams about her mouth.

Her fingertips traced his own lips like she’d never seen them before and Dex couldn’t wait anymore.

“What are you trying to do?” he asked, wrapping his hands around her wrist lightly. Her eyes widened when he pressed a kiss to her palm.

When Nova looked up, he could see the exhaustion in her eyes, the slight bruising under them. “Take a shower with me?”

Dex considered the state he was in. He was covered in blood and sweat and yet she didn’t seem to care.

“Anything for you.” He picked her up and carried her into the bathroom just like he had the other. Nova wrapped her legs around his waist, and he breathed her in even though she was wearing her charm.

“You’re not hurt?” she asked, unbuttoning his shirt.

“No. Are you?” Dex set her down on the sink and watched as those delicate hands slowly undid each button on his blood-spattered shirt.

“No.” She stripped off her own gear down to her bra.

Dex was amazed to see what she could hide under all that gear.

The way her hips curved into her waist and the muscles that complemented her in every way were enough to make him stupid.

Pulling off his shirt, he tossed it on top of her stuff, unable to look away from her.

Every tattoo was stark black against her skin, still crisp and dark despite how old they must have been. His thumb skated over her chest piece as he studied the runes and the way they were interconnected to make a single piece of art.

“Could you turn on the shower?” she asked as she stared up at him, unblinking.

Dex studied that mismatched gaze and wondered how he’d lived before her.

Everything about her was vibrant and whatever he was doing before—it wasn’t really living.

Turning away from her to start the shower, he made sure the water was hot and steam rose to fill the small space.

“Take all your clothes off this time,” she instructed.

Dex glanced over his shoulder to see her peeling off her boots and pants, kicking them into the corner with the rest of their stuff.

She was in his arms before he even thought about moving. Dex pressed her against the wall and kissed her, reaching up to slide the scent charm gently out of her ear. He kissed her harder as her scent filled the space and he slid his tongue into her mouth.

Nova reached for his pants and all he could think about was the way she tasted, how she felt against him, and how she hadn’t even hesitated when she’d seen him covered in someone else’s blood.

Finally, everything was off, and he picked her up again, nearly losing his mind when he felt her bare skin against his.

The water washed over the both of them and she held on tight.

Dex wondered if this was what his life was going to be like now. He could definitely get used to this. It was a thousand times better than coming home to someplace dark and empty with nothing to look forward to.

Up to this point, his life had been consumed by work and every day had blurred into the next until he’d had a difficult time keeping track of the months and years.

The sensation of Nova sliding down his body had his eyes rolling into the back of his head and Dex gritted his teeth. They were supposed to be taking things slow, but at this point it felt ridiculous to even pretend like they could.

Nova washed the blood from his face, his body, and his hair, keeping her touch light and swift. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she murmured. “I was worried.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t reach out.” Dex ran his hands over her curves, his mouth watering as he took her in. “There was a lot to handle.”

“I figured.” Nova kissed his neck and his hands tightened on her hips. “I didn’t want to bother you.”

“You could never.”

The smell of soap filled the bathroom and Dex closed his eyes to keep from doing something he shouldn’t, but she brushed up against him as she washed up, and he wished he’d waited to shower after her.

Then Nova put her hand on his chest, sliding it downward.

“Do you still think this is a bad idea?” she asked as she trailed her fingertips over his hip.

Dex could barely form a single thought let alone find the brain power to answer her. “I’m sorry…I think I’m…lost.”

“I’m just curious if you still think being together is a bad idea.”

Her hand went even lower and his eyes popped open. Dex grabbed it before she could touch him and stared down at her seeing the red and silver of his eyes reflected in hers.

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” he managed. “But it’s not going to be easy to make this work and I’m okay with that if you are.”

“I am.” Then Nova reached for him with her other hand.

Dex grabbed her other wrist and pushed her against the wall, pinning her hands above her head. “Don’t.”

“Why not?” The way she looked at him, eyes sultry and heavy-lidded, it almost broke his resolve.

There wasn’t really a good answer to her question, not one she couldn’t tear apart with a few words, but he didn’t want to rush things.

“Slow,” he reminded her.

“Yes, and that’s what I was planning on.” Nova smirked at him. “You’re not the only one who gets to decide what happens next.”

Before he could react, she arched her back and pressed against him. Dex nearly dropped her when he let go, but she’d been expecting that. Nova slid down until she was on her knees and he couldn’t do anything but stare in shock as she took him in her mouth.

He cursed, gripping the wall as she sucked him off, tongue sliding over his piercings slowly.

“What do they call this?” she asked, holding him so she could run her fingers along the piercings.

Dex clenched his jaw and tried to figure out how words worked again. “A Jacob’s ladder. Though they’re technically frenum piercings.”

Her finger tapped the three piercings gently and then the one at the tip. “And this one?”

Was she being serious right now? “A Prince Albert.”

Nova smiled slightly and gripped the base of his cock. “Is this all of them?”

He grinned down at her, remembering how fascinated she’d been with the ones in his nipples. “For now.”

The way she slipped him in her mouth nearly made his knees buckle. “ Fuck .”

She took him deep, sucking hard on his cock with her hand at his base. It made his entire body tense and he clenched his teeth as she sucked him deeper.

“Novalie.” Her name was a whisper on his lips and Dex groaned as she worked him. “Your mouth is so fucking sexy, wrapped around my cock like that.”

Her small moan vibrated through him and all Dex could think about was how soft and gentle her mouth was – its warm and silky texture made the pressure and pleasure build hard and fast. He ran his fingers through her hair and the soft curls she had as the scent of her arousal filled the bathroom.

Nova worked him hard and fast. His cock hardened even more and his balls drew up as her tongue flicked the tip.

“ Fuck , I’m gonna come,” he gritted through his teeth. “You’re too good at this.”

She didn’t stop sucking and the way she looked up at him…Dex lost control, shuddering and growling from the intense pleasure as Novalie sucked him dry until he could barely stand anymore.

His legs were shaking with how hard she’d made him come and he gently caressed her cheek before sliding his thumb into her mouth. He pressed down on her tongue until he could see inside, mesmerized by the sight of his release all over her.

“What does it taste like, hm?” Dex leaned down and licked her lips, then the inside of her mouth, tasting the lingering salty sweet flavor.

Nova held onto him, shaking almost as badly as he was. Her eyes were wide when he pulled her chin up, forcing her to stand.

Fuck , he wanted her so bad .

“Did you like the way it tasted?” he murmured. “Cause I did.”

Nova let out a shaky breath and nodded instead of replying, but it wasn’t enough.

He wrapped her hair around his hand and pulled back to expose her throat to him. “I want to hear it, Novalie.”

“I liked it enough I’d do it again if you let me,” she breathed, arching into him.

Pressing one hand to her lower back, he held her close, admiring the way she looked under the water with her eyes dilated with desire and something more .

“No, I don’t think so,” Dex murmured as he tried to figure out what it was he saw in her eyes. The way the purple glowed was breathtaking and he leaned down until his lips were against her ear. “That fire of yours is going to set my soul ablaze.”

He pulled back and Nova looked at him like she could see everything he’d always tried to keep hidden.

Maybe she could. Dex wasn’t sure how deep her power could go and what exactly it could do, but it didn’t matter either way. There was nothing he wanted to keep hidden from her anyway.

“You’re mine ,” he told her, kissing her again.

“So possessive,” she teased as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“No, I was just stating a fact.” Dex grinned and shut off the water, picking her up before she could resist. “You’re mine because you want to be. Don’t you?”

He grabbed a towel and carried her into the bedroom, not caring that they were both dripping everywhere. Dex couldn’t wait anymore.

When he tossed her on the bed, she bounced and he took advantage of her disorientation to pin her down. “You want to be mine, don’t you, Novalie?”

The way her purple eye practically burned the air with her power should have terrified him, but Dex only wanted more.