“I do not — ” she began to protest…even though she knew he was right about the garlic bread.
But he grinned and cut her off with another kiss, and this time Delia lost herself completely in the touch of his mouth against hers, the way he tasted of wine and something else, something that was uniquely him.
Because of their connection, she could sense his emotions as clearly as her own — love and desire and relief all tangled together into something as complex as the lattice she’d connected to, a pattern alive with the psychic energies of Las Vegas.But underneath those emotions was a deeper feeling, a recognition of one another that transcended the physical or even the emotional.
When they finally broke apart, Delia was surprised to realize her lashes were damp with unshed tears.
“I love you, too,” she whispered.“I was so afraid I’d lost you.When Vinea had you trapped in that ritual chamber, when I could feel you changing….”
“You didn’t lose me,” Caleb said as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face.It had come loose from its twist as they kissed, but somehow that felt right.Soon, she hoped, it would be completely free.“You found me.The connection between us — that’s what brought me back from the edge.”
This time, she was the one who moved toward him, and they lost themselves in another kiss, softer this time but no less meaningful.When she pulled back, the heat building low in her belly and the wicked curve she felt forming on her mouth made her pulse quicken.
“Stay tonight,” she said.
It wasn’t a question.
“Are you sure?”he asked, even though she guessed he’d known all along that this was the reason why they’d come here in the first place.
Still, he wanted her to be certain.The consideration in that simple question made her heart skip.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” Delia replied, knowing there was no reason to hold back.
Honesty.Always honesty.
“We almost lost everything tonight,” she added.“I don’t want to waste any more time pretending we don’t both want this.”
She got up from the couch, then took his hand and led him toward the hallway that connected to her bedroom.
Her bedroom was familiar and safe, decorated in shades of soft blue and warm cream, a relaxing space she always enjoyed returning to at the end of the day.Now moonlight streamed through the windows, casting everything in silver relief.
She turned to face him beside the bed, suddenly almost shy despite everything they’d shared.“I should probably mention that I’ve never done this with someone who’s part demon before.”
“And I’ve never done this with someone who can read my mind,” Caleb replied with a smile that looked reassuring rather than nervous.“I guess we’ll figure it out together.”
He reached for the zipper of her dress and pulled it down slowly, and Delia shivered at the way his fingertips brushed against her spine as the silk was peeled away.Underneath the sheath was a set of lacy underwear in pale green, a gorgeous little secret she’d chosen that morning without really understanding why.
Now she was glad she’d listened to that inexplicable instinct.
He laid the dress carefully on the upholstered bench at the foot of her bed.Maybe she’d never want to wear it again, but she appreciated that he treated it with respect anyway.
Had she ever felt as beautiful as she did standing there in the moonlight, watching the way his dark eyes took her in?
She doubted it.
Her fingers found the buttons of his shirt, working them free with hands that trembled only slightly.Soon, the wrinkled black cotton lay on the bench next to her dress, and she reached out to touch him, her fingertips tracing the scars Vinea’s claws had left on his ribs, wounds she hadn’t even realized he’d received, she’d been so caught up in the heat of battle.
Had he always healed this quickly, or was this something new, an ability he’d gained after that transforming fire burned through him?
Regret and relief warred in her chest in equal measure — regret that he’d been hurt, relief that he’d survived.And when he pressed his lips to the pulse point at her throat, she could feel the way her entire being responded to his touch, the way their connection amplified every sensation until it became almost overwhelming.
There was magic in this, she realized as they sank onto the bed in the silvered darkness.Not the supernatural power that had fueled their battle against the forces of Hell, but something much deeper — the alchemy that occurred when two people chose to trust one other completely.
His hands moved over her with a reverence that made her throat tight, as if he was memorizing every curve of her body, every place where her breath would catch as he touched her.When his fingers traced the line of her collarbone, then drifted lower, she gasped against his mouth, her own hands sliding down the planes of his chest to explore the lean strength of him.He was already hard against her thigh, and the knowledge that he wanted her this much sent another flush of heat through her.
“Delia.”Her name on his lips sounded like a prayer, like something sacred.
She answered by finding the strong line of his throat with her mouth, tasting salt and heat.His response was immediate — a low sound that vibrated through his chest as his fingers slid between her thighs, stroking until the pleasure built and built and she shattered against his hand, crying out his name.
