Page 33

Her entity had pushed her not to cancel, feeling there was a very good chance that Luka could fuck the emotions badgering her right out of her system.

Which was something of a valid point. And really, Naomi didn’t feel like staying at home after what had happened.

She wanted to get out of there and breathe .

Hence why she was pulling up outside the huge black iron gates of his estate with Konstantin behind her in his own vehicle.

Her nerves doing a little dance, she telepathed Luka. I’m outside.

Moments later, the gates swung open slowly. She drove forward, following a driveway that was so thickly bordered by trees she couldn’t see anything beyond it. Only when she reached the courtyard did the tree tunnel end.

Naomi parked her car and slid out, as did Konstantin.

The expansive and perfectly maintained grounds were as impressive as Luka’s home.

While Naomi wasn’t particularly wowed by luxury, she could certainly appreciate the timeless elegance of the building before her.

And the man who right then opened the front door.

Countless times she’d had him in her bed, and yet there were still occasions when the sheer impact of him struck her hard.

He was just so tall and solid and entirely too fuckable.

Right then, he pinned her with a dark, scorching-hot gaze that made a cord of excitement wind its way through her. Yeah, she’d been right to come here.

She stalked up the path. “Hey.”

“Naomi,” he greeted, the word somehow sounding like pure sex.

The twins came up behind him and piled out of the house, giving her a brief nod, then walked off to join Konstantin.

As she stood before Luka, his scent wrapped around her and their ever-present chemistry ballooned.

He opened the door wider, silently indicating for her to enter.

She’d only taken a single step inside the house when he caught her mouth with his. He didn’t ravish it as she would have liked. He indulged in a few teasing little sips before pulling back, sheer want darkening his eyes, sparking a wickedly carnal need to flicker to life in her lower stomach.

“Drink?” he offered.

After the evening she’d so far had . . . “Sure, why not?”

She followed him into the den and over to the bar, which was all shiny black marble. Leaning against the low counter behind it, she watched as he poured them both a whiskey, admiring the bunching and rippling of muscle beneath his shirt. The sight almost made her release a happy sigh.

She gratefully took a tumbler from him. “Thanks.” Sexual tension simmered in the air as they each drank from their glass, their gazes connected the entire time. Her demon stretched, basking in the staticky tension.

“I wouldn’t have originally pegged you for a whiskey drinker.”

She recalled how he’d been surprised the first time he’d offered her a drink and she’d chosen whiskey.

“I get it from my stepfather.” She took another sip from her glass, and Luka’s eyes dipped down to her throat, watching as she swallowed.

Those same eyes then lifted to settle on her mouth, staring at it so hungrily her belly clenched.

“What did you do with yourself today?” she asked.

His gaze returned to hers. “Same as usual. Met with my sentinels. Dealt with lair issues. Tended to . . . other matters.”

Illegal matters, she thought.

He took another swig of his whiskey. “And you?”

Naomi hesitated. She couldn’t tell him that she’d spent most of the day painting. He might wonder if she was one of the ghost artists who worked with Tobe. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch, would it? Especially considering the PI had badgered her.

“It wasn’t a trick question, Naomi,” he said, his lips quirking.

“I allowed myself a day of relaxation.” Not untrue. Painting did relax her. Really, things had been going great until the freaking clerics made an appearance.

His eyes sharpening, Luka tilted his head slightly. “What’s wrong?”

She meant to wave away the question, but he cast her a pointed look.

“You could say nothing , but it would be a lie,” he softly accused. “We both know it.”

Inwardly, Naomi sighed. While she didn’t regret that she’d let this far-too-astute male into her life, she still couldn’t help but find his level of perceptiveness irritating at times. “Things just weren’t as relaxing as I’d intended them to be.” Understatement.

He stepped closer, blocking out the rest of the room, as if he might shield her from the world. “Why not? What happened?”

She exhaled heavily. “Something that . . . It wasn’t necessarily bad .

” The clerics had taken the bait, several more were now dead, and Baby Face had confirmed their suspicions.

But she hadn’t learned enough from him to put a fast end to this bullshit, and now Lou was involved. “It just didn’t go as I’d hoped.”

“You can’t give me more details than that?”

“Not in a way that would satisfy you.” Because she’d have to leave out too much, which meant . . . “It’d only lead you to have more questions.”

“Questions you can’t answer?”

“Yes.” Taking another sip of her drink, she lifted a finger. “And before you think to complain, just remember that I didn’t whine when you failed to cough up deets on the ‘other matters’ you mentioned earlier.”

He lowered his head. “I respect your need to guard your secrets, Naomi, but I’m not fine with anything that puts that look on your face,” he added, softly tapping her cheek.

If he wasn’t careful, she’d start to wonder if he cared. Something she almost said aloud as a joke, but then he was talking again.

“If you tell me what’s wrong, I’ll fix it.”

Ugh, did he have to be so protective and supportive? It felt way too nice, and made it harder for Naomi to blow him off. Something that amused her entity. “The offer is appreciated. I’ll bear it in mind.”

“Be sure that you do.”

“Now can we move on from this? I came here hoping you’d distract me and improve my mood. So far, that isn’t happening.”

Luka stayed silent for a long moment, watching her carefully. “All right, we’ll move on. Just know that I’m here if you need me, even if only as a sounding board.”

“A sounding board? Pfft.”

“Why pfft ?”

“I’m not dumb, Luka. You’d never be content with simply knowing the issue.”

“I wouldn’t?”

“No. You only offered to be a sounding board in the hope that I’d tell you what you want to know. Then you would have gone meddling in whatever ways you felt necessary.”

Luka felt his lips bow up slightly. “Maybe.” In truth, there were no maybes about it.

The idea that something—or someone—might be bothering her grated on him and his demons.

“But only because I want you safe and well.” He paused.

“Do you have another obsessed admirer on your hands? Is that what’s wrong?

” Konstantin hadn’t reported that any males were giving her issues or tailing her, but . . .

“No, nothing like that. While we’re on the subject of admirers, though, are you still planning to release Iain tomorrow?”

“Yes.” Though with some reluctance. “I could have done it days ago, really. The effects of your song have fully worn off, and he readily admits that he was under its thrall. But I wanted to give it a little extra time.” It wasn’t so easy to free a prisoner who might wish harm to a person who mattered to you.

Iain had assured him that he bore Naomi no ill will, but Luka suspected there might be some resentment there.

“He’s definitely back to his normal self?”

“He is.” Luka drained his glass and then set it on the counter. “His demon wouldn’t have retreated if that were not the case.”

“True,” she conceded with a slight tilt of her head.

“He wanted to apologize to you in person, but I made it clear that he’s not to go anywhere near you. He swore to me that he’d stay away. Still, as I’ve already told you, Konstantin will remain your guard until we’re all satisfied that Iain will no longer be an issue for you.”

“I don’t foresee him making waves again, but I’m not going to put up a protest.”

Taking her empty tumbler from her, Luka placed it beside his own. “Good. It would have made no difference. I’m protective of what’s mine. And you” —he snaked a hand around her throat, watching her pupils dilate—“are very much mine.”

Luka sipped at her mouth once, twice. Her lips parted beneath his, and he swept his tongue inside. He snagged her nape as he feasted on her, slow and thorough, licking at every crevice of her mouth.

For him, kissing was usually a means to an end. The beginning of a dance. Not something he found himself moved by on any level. But the taste of Naomi made a wave of visceral lust wash over him and torch his insides.

Growling, he snatched her by her hips and propped her on the counter. He stepped between her legs, saying, “Let’s see if you did as I asked.” He skimmed his hand along her inner thigh, pushing up her dress as he went . . . and his fingertips brushed over her bare pussy. “No underwear. Good girl.”

“I’m always good.”

“Only when you want to be. Which you usually do, because you’re all about instant gratification and don’t like to be made to wait for what you need. Other times, you test my patience for the fuck of it. Belial happens to enjoy those occasions.”

“Because it then has reasons to spank me?”

“It really doesn’t feel it needs a reason to do that, but yes. Your ass turns such a pretty shade of red.”

“So will your face if Belial ever takes shit too far.” Naomi shivered at the low chuckle that breezed out of Luka. The wicked sound made static sparks skip along her skin, raising the little hairs there.

“Noted.” He started stroking her pussy, his finger sliding between her folds, rubbing her clit, circling her opening, squeezing her folds together so they in turn squeezed her clit.

Oh God. His touch was soft yet ruthlessly demanding, insisting on her submission. It also held a taunting edge, keeping her in a state of suspense. “Is this you punishing me for not being totally forthcoming with you?” she asked, her breathing a little choppy.

He looked surprised by the question. “This isn’t a punishment.”

“Then why are you dragging it out?”

“Because I can,” he whispered, lathering some of her slickness over her clit. “You’re mine to do with as I wish. And right now, I wish to tease the fuck out of you.”

Wonderful.

He traced the snake on her throat with his tongue. “I do like this brand.”

Just this morning, she’d found herself admiring the sight of it in the mirror .

. . and her inner smile had died when she thought of how she’d eventually have to watch it fade.

It was the downside of such possessive marks.

You got to literally see the entity’s interest in you dim little by little, until eventually it was gone.

“What is it?” he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“I don’t want to tell you.” She groaned as his finger sank inside her.

“Why not?”

“It’ll give you too much power.”

His eyes gleamed. “I like power.”

Yeah, she knew that.

“Tell me,” he coaxed, lazily thrusting his finger in and out of her.

“Don’t wanna.”

“ Naomi .”

She shook her head, bucking as a second finger slipped inside her.

“Tell me.” He curved his fingers and pressed them on just the right spot, but he didn’t rub, didn’t thrust, didn’t do anything. He just kept them right there like that, both a promise and a threat. “What were you thinking about?”

A low whimper slipped out of her. “That I’ll have to watch the brand fade at some point.

We both know it’ll happen sooner or later.

Probably sooner. You once told me that your demons tire of things and people easily.

And, well, I’m not gonna like it much.” Neither would her entity, in truth, but it didn’t want him or his demons to know that yet.

Long seconds ticked by as he stared at her, his gaze unreadable. Then his fingers began to move, rubbing over that hypersensitive spot inside her. “None of them are anything close to bored with you. Nor am I.”

She moaned as he took her mouth again with blatant possession. Their tongues tangled as he kept pumping his fingers into her, driving her closer and closer to an orgasm.

Then it hit.

She arched. Moaned. Bucked. Scratched at him.

The release subsided, and she sagged against him—panting and shaking, her inner muscles still fluttering around his fingers.

Warm lips settled at her ear. “If I wore your demon’s brand, I wouldn’t like knowing I’d have to watch it grow fainter; that it would one day vanish as if it had never been.”

Drawing back to meet his eyes, she studied them closely; found only sincerity there. “So we’re even.”

“We’re even.”