Onyx released another wild sound before working his mouth and tongue over mine like he’d been starving, hand diving between my legs in a gentle, explorative sweep. I opened them, inviting more, and the sound he made was unhinged, undone, like he’d accept anything I was willing to give. Like he yearned to own every part of me.
Normally that sort of possession bothered me, but not with him. Because his hold was gentle and his fingers wove through my hair in reverence rather than dominance. The way his fingers teased and traced my sensitive opening was a question rather than a demand. The possessive nature to him made me feel safe.
My instincts were screaming that he was different. Maybe because it clearly bothered him that someone might’ve hurt me. Maybe because everything he did was contrary to what I’d beentold about them. Maybe because Iris trusted him and I trusted her.
“Fuck,” I breathed, a little disappointed that I couldn’t stop myself from wanting more. For wishing he’d take what he wanted instead of holding back.
I couldn’t be greedy, so I needed him to be.
I tugged his lower lip, breathing heat into his mouth. I pressed against him, hoping it’d encourage him to do something.
Anything.
His fingers slid along the moisture collecting between my legs, careful in a way no other man had been. I swallowed and pressed my face into his neck, leaving a small kiss where his pulse thudded in time with mine. After what felt like an eternity of inaction and torture, a breath escaped him that could only be described as tormented.
His thumb dashed across nothing but nerves, and my hips chased the sensation with earnest. It felt so fucking good. I smothered a moan when he finally put two fingers inside me. The muscles pressed against me were rock hard and contracted. If I hadn’t known better, I’d swear he was afraid to move more than he had. But this was a demon capable of terrifying things, why would he ever be afraid of me?
His fingers sunk in knuckle-deep before retracting. I tried not to make a sound, but the stimulation was mind-numbing. The way he moved his hand, the expert caress of his thumb where my pleasure was greatest, it wasn’t anything I’d ever experienced before, and I wanted more. So much more.
But whatever spell had come over him was broken when a strangled moan left my mouth. Onyx pulled away, shock streaking across his features before it was gone. He shut it down. He hadn’t meant to give me that emotion, and for some reason, that made my stomach flutter.
The demon’s eyes narrowed on me. His jaw clenched and nostrils flared. The scales along his torso were far more defined than before. Flashes of metallic black and blue caught my eye when I let my gaze roam over them. Their texture was noticeable under my fingertips when I dragged my hand down his pecs and abs, asking with my eyes why he stopped. Hoping he’d give me more.
His claws clung to my hip but didn’t break my skin. It was obvious even in partial transformation he was being careful, gentle, cautious. And for the first time, horns. They broke through his hair—ridged, black, and curved. I was tempted to touch them, but his lizard pupils had become paper-thin slits, and the demon was vibrating with power.
Was he angry with me? No, it didn’t feel that way. So what then? Why would touching his slave summon this sort of emotion?
Laying back, Onyx brought me with him and cradled my upper half on top of his. His hold was still possessive. He didn’t want space, that much I could tell. He wasn’t banishing me from his bed; he just didn’t want to have sex. He’d put an end to it, and I couldn’t fathom a reason why.
Had I done something wrong? I’d always been told I was good in bed, but maybe not for a demon. Maybe the sound I made turned him off.
“Was what I did not to your liking?”
His brows were suddenly pinched together and his mouth downturned, but he kept his eyes fixed to the ceiling. “Was what not to my liking?”
“The kisses? The way I feel? The way I sound? If you tell me what displeases you, I’ll find a way to fix it,” I said softly, my heart thundering.
I’d enjoyed everything we’d done, and I couldn’t think of any way to make it better, but I wanted it to be good for him. It hadto be good for him if I was going to protect Iris and complete my mission.
Except, I wasn’t exactly sure how I’d do that anymore. Still, without his sway, she’d be caught in the crossfire no matter what I did. I might’ve been too young and untrained to protect my sister from her fate, but I was stronger now. I’d protect Iris from hers, even if it meant reworking my mission to keep her safe.
The arm around my waist constricted. “You think I didn’t enjoy it? That I didn’t enjoy you?” He clicked his tongue in agitation. “Believe me, little beast, that’s not the issue here.”
“Then—”
“Bloody fucking Desert Roseland,” he hissed, almost as if the name left a bad taste in his mouth. “Breaking down their females until there’s nothing but a perfect vessel left.”
I chanced a look at him, but his eyes were still on the ceiling. His jaw was set as if he were holding back what he truly wanted to say.
“Iris said something like that, too—that women who come from my sector are always broken.” My voice came out much softer than I intended. “But I’m not broken or a vessel, Onyx,” I proclaimed. “I’m…” I trailed off, worried I’d said too much.
The muscles under me tensed before he asked, “Broken?” His striking blue eyes sliced down to my face, his fangs visible with his mouth open. “Is that what made you cry?”
I swallowed, suddenly uncomfortable with the direction of our conversation. “Not exactly.”
“Then what?” His nostrils flared again. Anger. This topic bothered him for some reason, though I couldn’t begin to understand why.
Maybe if I was vulnerable with him about the gangs from my sector, it wouldn’t set off any alarms about what brought me here. I never thought to make myself vulnerable with a demon, but Iris brought it out in me over the last week.
