Hands in his pockets, Blaéz stared out into the dark, moonless night. He appeared remote, cut off from everything—from her—drawn back into his past. She didn’t like that.
Sliding off the bed, she crossed to him. “What happened in Tartarus?” she asked, aware it was some kind of prison for immortals.
“Some are lucky to be imprisoned and forgotten…” His tone was utterly devoid of emotion. “Others, not so much.”
No one could have that kind of dead look at being forgotten. And then she knew. Oh, Lord. Was it there that he’d gotten those awful scars? She’d felt them that night she slept next to him after he’d been injured. Her chest constricted at what he must have suffered. And because she could do nothing else, she hugged him. “I’m so sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.”
His tone may have been dismissive, but his arms tightening around her told her something quite different. The horror still lived inside of him. But his earlier words rattled around in her head. He grew up as a servant—not hewasa servant.
“What happened to your parents?” she asked quietly.
“I have none.”
At the flat statement, Darci let it go, yet she had a gut-deep feeling there was more. She didn’t want to push and hoped he would eventually talk to her. Her own mother had died a few days after she’d been born, even though she’d never known her, she still missed her.
“Darci—” He eased back to look at her. “Who my parents were is not important—you are. With me always at your door, my enemies would soon find you, and that I refuse to let happen. I prefer you—no, Ineedyou with me.”
“What exactly are you saying?”
He took her scalded hand and pressed his lips gently to her palm. “You are a dream I never believed possible.”
And that one sentence thawed any reservations she had. Warmth flowed into her hand. Startled, she pulled free and stared at her fingers in wonder. The sting and the redness from her coffee burn had faded. “What did you do?”
“It’s nothing, just a little healing. Darci, there’s something else...I have to tell you this, give you a choice.”
At the edge in his quiet voice, her skin prickled uneasily. “A choice? I don’t understand.”
“It’s all about free will. You are human, so I must.” His expression tightened. “You decide against this, now is the time to tell me. I will clear your memories of me and send you back to your life.”
Instantly, something inside her rebelled at that thought. To live that solitary existence again, one she’d been okay with until she’d met him. No, she didn’t want that life. About to answer, she noticed his stillness, the way he watched her as he waited. Curious, she asked, “Would you really let me go if I said no?”
His entire body tensed. Then his shoulders relaxed, it had to be the smile she couldn’t hold back. He drawled, “No, I’d throw you on that bed then convince you to stay with my mouth, my hands, my body.” Her breath caught in her throat. “And know, too, Darci, you change your mind later, I won’t let you go then either.”
“Then it’s only fair I warn you, I’ll probably drive you crazy.”
Amusement lightened his gaze. “You have been doing so from the moment I met you. Now, I need the words.”
Of course, he’d want it in black and white. She couldn’t resist. “Despite the fact you like your own way far too often and brought me here like some caveman, which you could be, considering how old you must be.” His eyes narrowed at her teasing, but the heat there stole her breath. “I’ll forgive you that. So yes, I want to be here with you—”
“Old, am I?” He yanked her to him and covered her mouth in a scorching kiss, cutting off the rest of her words as he stroked her mouth with his tongue. Desire spread through her veins like a lit fuse. The man sure knew how to kiss. He backed her against the windowpane, his erection grinding into her center. He deepened the kiss until she thought she’d combust.
“Blaéz,” she whimpered, needing more.
“You.” He brushed her lips with his once. Twice. And again. “Are addictive, and I have to go.”
Darci blinked, then stared at him in disbelief. “Go? You’re leaving me like this? Now?”
He stroked her cheek with his knuckles. Smiled. “I’ll be back soon. I wish I didn’t have to, but the streets are too silent, which isn’t good in our line of work. Besides, I’ve rift duty.”
She sighed and leaned into his touch. “You said that before. What rift?”
“It’s a fracture in the mystical veils that are found between the realms. One formed several days ago in a backstreet downtown. The rift allows demoniisand other evilto enter at will.”
That pulled her out of her lust-induced stupor. “Demoniis?”
And she first thought maybe it was a rift in their job—someone playing double agent. Never this.
