Page 49 of Kiss of Seduction

“If they come, I’ll make them go away.”

Chapter 15

In the dark of the bedroom and with Evie asleep, Natalya didn’t need to restrain herself. The glow from her eyes cascaded violet light onto the woman lying in her arms. Evie had fallen asleep quickly, helped by Natalya instilling calm in her as she drifted off. But her calm wasn’t at all shared by Natalya.

Natalya couldn’t recall when she last felt this vigorous. She had gotten by on the sexual energy of the Second Circle for decades. Compared to what she felt now, she’d been starving all that time. The only similar feeling was when she’d kissed people in the past, drawing life from them in its entirety, or when she’d been with Olena, her first summoner. And even then, it was like a candle flame to the blazing fire Evie had ignited.

And Natalya had been gentle with her. Natalya hadn’t taken her as her powers enabled her to do. What would it feel like to have her completely? To bring her to the height of desire and hold her there as she came apart? The thought made the light from her eyes shine brighter. But it was an impossibility.

What they had done that night was an experiment. Evie wanted to know if she could move past her fear of sex, and she’d trusted Natalya to guide her through it. That didn’t mean she wanted the kind of life the Court of Chains offered humans like her. She would cower and run if she saw the Second Circle. Natalya knew better than to expect otherwise.

But the memory of Evie straddling her thighs, vulnerable and willing and overcome with pleasure, made something ache inside Natalya. That kind of trust was incredible. Natalya wasn’t used to feeling it towards herself. She wasn’t used to feeling it for another. She’d shared more with Evie than she’d done with anyone, and Evie hadn’t withdrawn from her. What a marvelous woman she was.

Natalya brushed her fingers over Evie’s arms, then over her chest and neck. Her freckled skin had so many scars they overlapped. Round marks from fangs on her throat and wrists. Straight ones from knives and whips over her breasts and shoulders.

They’d hurt her. Tortured her. This openhearted woman who should’ve had a peaceful life away from all this madness.

Natalya wondered what had spawned Evie’s many scars. The small white ones on her fingers, the jagged ones on her feet. The long, straight ones that ran along the veins by her wrists. Perhaps they had hurt her so horribly she’d tried to leave her captivity the only way she could.

She clutched Evie tighter at the thought. No one would ever hurt her again. Natalya would kill anyone who tried.

There was a distant click as the apartment door opened. Footsteps entered, heavy but tentative. Two sets.

Natalya brushed a finger over Evie’s brow, pushing her sleep a little deeper, before moving out of the bedroom. In the apartment, she saw two figures. Both tall. One lean, another massive. She went for the bigger of the two, rushing him andpressing her hand against his throat before she realized who they were.

As Drago went to his knees, Flea darted away, hands raised. He eased when Natalya let go of the greater Wrath demon.

“Fuck, Natalya!” Flea’s eyes widened. “What the hell happened to you?”

Natalya knew she made an arresting display. Eyes blazing violet, skin radiant with energy. Drago, a creature over a head taller than her and twice as wide, was struggling to stand just from her touching him.

The greater fiend stared at her. He knew. He knew the cause of her radiance.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Natalya said sharply. “And you aren’t needed. You can go.”

Drago got to his feet, keeping his eyes on Natalya. The huge man looked ready for a fight to break out. Luckily, Flea didn’t notice.

“Actually, we wanted to talk to Evie.” Flea held up a piece of paper. “Some new terms concerning Varro were keyed out, and we wanted to run them by her.”

Behind him, Drago looked around the apartment, scanning the space like a soldier would.

“Where is the girl?”

“Sleeping.” Natalya forced her eyes to lessen in intensity. Her mind knew Flea and Drago weren’t threats, even if her body wasn’t as sure.

“Can I check?” Drago’s voice rumbled out like looming thunder.

Natalya only just kept from snarling at the fiend, but she did allow him to enter the bedroom. Evie was still asleep, lying in the same position as when Natalya left her. She breathed softly as Drago touched her throat to feel her pulse.

“She’s fine,” he said as they left the room, closing the door. “But lost to the world. Did something happen?”

“Nothing that’s any of your concern.” Natalya snatched the paper out of Flea’s hand. She read it over, then passed the paper back. “You’re not giving those to her.”

“We’re stopping the interrogations?” Flea asked.

“We’re pausing them. For a few days, at least.”

When neither Drago nor Flea said anything, Natalya sighed to keep herself from raising her voice.