Page 17 of Knotty Bargain (Monster Holidays #3)

CHAPTER 17

CORDELIA

T he front door snaps shut, jolting me awake. Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I sit up as Levi strides into the bedroom. He's in a white t-shirt that sets off the red of his skin and gray sweatpants . I do a double take. Am I dreaming?

He scoffs. "You alright?"

I don't know what face I did, but I try to school my expression. "Sure. Just... Um. Nothing." I smile. "Morning."

"Morning indeed." Two of his hands prop onto his hips, the other two raising a cup holder and a paper bag. "Sylvia and Miranda left for work, so I went after food."

My breath catches. He's in full demon form—onyx horns curling above his dark mane, rippling biceps, four arms .

"Did you... leave like that?" I ask, arching an eyebrow. My window is open an inch. Pretty sure I'd be hearing screams and sirens if he had left like this, right?

Levi rolls his eyes as he sits on my mattress. It dips under his weight. "Of course not. You should start trusting me, Lia. I may be King of the Underworld, but I don't enjoy chaos. I get it. Humans are hard to please and they hate what they're afraid of." With a third hand, he plucks one paper cup from the cup holder and offers it to me. " Eat ."

I scoot to one edge of the bed and tap the mattress so he sits next to me. He's a little too big for the two of us to share it comfortably, but it works. He puts the paper bag between us and we drink pumpkin spice lattes and eat croissants in silence.

He frowns at the croissant. "This is amazing," he says, his mouth full. "I could eat a hundred of them in one sitting."

"Same." I smile. "But they have a lot of butter. It's not exactly healthy."

He arches an eyebrow. "Let me guess. Too many calories."

"That, and it's not safe for your heart."

"Oh. That part is fine." He finishes his first croissant and moves to the second.

"I thought we were bound." I tell him, slurping the last drops of latte.

He sideglances at me, his eyes strangely guarded. "So?"

"I thought you couldn't leave the house without me or something."

"Oh." He finishes the second croissant, then snaps his fingers. The crumbs that had covered his lap a second ago disappear. "No, it's not that bad. It's... um, plane-wise. If that makes sense."

After I'm done, I rush into the bathroom to get my business done, then back to the bedroom. I enjoy having this intimacy with him. It's completely new to me.

But when I walk in, Levi's holding up my Kindle.

Shit. Shit, shit, I left it under my pillow last night.Panic seizes me. I lunge for the e-reader but he dangles it just out of reach, eyes dancing with mirth.

His eyes sparkle with sudden interest. "Oh, someone doesn't want me to see this."

"Levi, give it!"

Our tussle accidentally flicks on the screen. He holds me away easily—he has four arms, after all, and every one of them is stronger than me. I plead and threaten, but he ignores me as he holds the Kindle aside and reads.

His expression shifts—playful amusement replaced by a sexy intensity that sends butterflies rioting in my stomach. I stop struggling. Warmth rushes into my face.

Levi slowly turn to look at me. "Is this what you like to read, Lia?" His voice is a sultry caress.

"It's... um, nothing much." But my flustered reaction gives me away.

With a devilish grin, Levi begins reciting aloud, his deep baritone sending shivers down my spine. " She pressed her aching core against his rigid length, grinding shamelessly until rapture overtook her... "

"A girl has needs," I retort, unable to meet his penetrating stare.

God, this is so embarrassing. Reading smut is common and I tell myself I shouldn't be embarrassed. But to hear his deep voice reading it out loud like that? My core does begin to ache.

Levi moves. Fast .

He tosses the Kindle and two of his hands haul me against his hard body. I stumble into his chest, straddling his hips with a gasp. He takes my distraction to capture my mouth in a searing kiss. His tongue delves deep, tasting, exploring, igniting an inferno inside me.

Lava runs through my veins. I sit down on his already-hard erection, his hands on my hips, on my hair. I kiss him back, sucking on his tongue, our teeth clinking.

Like yesterday, Levi lifts me off with two hands, plucking my pants and panties down my legs. He groans at the sight of my wet pussy, then pushes his sweatpants down. Levipulls me astride him, the impressive evidence of his arousal pressed against my center. His cock is so hot between my legs. I can't stop looking at it.

"Show me." It's a growled command that makes my blood sing. "Show me how they did in the book."

The way Levi looks at me makes me feel like a goddess. There's pure awe in his black eyes when I begin to move. It's as amazing as I expected, all bumpy and silky. My wetness quickly covers his shaft, making the glide easier. I grind my clit against him, my eyelids fluttering shut with pleasure.

Emboldened, I reach between us and wrap my fingers around his thick shaft, marveling at the heat against my palm. Levi groans, his head falling back as I stroke him from root to tip. I circle my hips, gliding my slickness along his length. The delicious friction has me gasping.

"That's it, gorgeous. Take your pleasure." His gravelly praise spurs me on. I rock faster, grinding my throbbing clit against him, chasing the mounting tension coiling tighter and tighter. Levi tugs his shirt up and out of the way, exposing his abs. I spread my hand over his stomach, keeping my balance as I keep moving.

Levi's hands grip my waist, his onyx eyes scorching me with unrestrained lust. Desperate for more, I squeeze the swollen head of his cock, shuddering as my orgasm crashes over me in blinding waves. I moan out loud, my throat rasping. Levi snarls, his claws sinking into my soft hips, as his own release overtakes him.

He comes hard, the thick liquid spilling hot and copious over my fingers, onto his stomach. Levi reaches out to cover the head so the come doesn't hit his face. It pours down his sides into my sheets.

The scent of it is somehow... good. I glance down, shivering with aftershocks. His come is almost... iridescent. I guess it's magic.

As the tremors recede, he drags me down for another knee-buckling kiss. His come sticks to the inside of my legs and I don't care. I rush my hands into his hair, fingertips brushing his horns, and I kiss him as hard as he kisses me.

Levi sighs against my lips. "You'll be the death of me, little human."