He kissed me, his hips working hard against me, the thrusts making the elevator shimmy a little. My tongue twined around his, one hunger diminished while the other raged unchecked. I dug my fingers into his shoulder muscles, my back arching when he increased his pace until I slipped over the edge. My legs tightened around him just as my intimate muscles did the same, which had him groaning with pure pleasure as he gave back the life he’d taken from me.
I held him tight as little aftershocks of pleasure swept over me, my brain having a hard time coming to grips with the sensations that he poured into it, acting like an echo of my own experience.
“That’s amazing that you can do that standing up,” I said in between gasps for air. I was pleased to note that he was breathing just as hard, feeling that if I was going to be totally wiped out by our lovemaking, it was only fair that he was, as well. “I’m not sure that I could hold up another person like that. I feel like my legs are made of gelatin as is.”
He held on to my hips while I unlocked my legs and let them slide down until I was standing again. My inner thighs felt especially quivery.
“It’s not my preferred venue for seduction, but it did the job,” was all he said.
I stood with my hands still on his shoulders, looking deep into those eyes, now a dark sapphire blue. “Let me be your Beloved, Merrick. Let me redeem your soul from wherever it is—C. J. Dante was never very clear about that in his books—and make you whole again. You know as well as I do that what we have isn’t something you can set aside. We were meant to be together. I feel that to the tips of my toes.”
He said nothing, but an interesting array of emotions passed over his face, from male smugness to regret, longing, and finally anger.
“Merrick, don’t do this,” I warned, feeling his intentions if he said nothing. “Don’t close me out. I can help.”
“At the risk of your own life?” He shook his head, and put me out of the elevator. “I might be many things, Tempest, but I am not a man who willingly risks the life of innocents. And you, sweet goddess, are very innocent. The monster Victor would destroy you simply for the pleasure of corrupting your soul.”
“If he wanted to do that, he could have done so earlier,” I protested.
“He didn’t know who you really were,” he answered, and punched a button on the elevator.
“Who am I?” I asked him, confused about what he was saying. “His cousin, you mean? Or your Beloved?”
He didn’t answer, the doors closing with a near-silent whoosh, but I felt the echo of thought in his head.
You are the hope that I cannot have.
Chapter Nine
The texts started almost immediately. I just knew Merrick wouldn’t be amused by them.
To: Merrick
You may think you can run away after having extremely fabulous sex in an elevator—something I hadn’t even thought of adding to my bucket list, but which I’m putting on now just so I can cross it off—but you can’t deny the connection we have.
From: Merrick
Fifteen minutes. I’m surprised you lasted that long before using my phone number. What part of “don’t contact me unless it’s an emergency” was unclear?
To: Merrick
This *is* an emergency. I need to know where you are going.
From: Merrick
Why?
To: Merrick
Because I’m your freakin’ Beloved, that’s why. Well, almost. I would be if you had let me bite you.
From: Merrick
I’m going to Nice. That’s all you need to know.
To: Merrick
Oooh. Nice is on the places-to-visit list that Ellis and I made up before I left. What are you doing there?
