She saw the snapping within him as redflashed around his eyes, and his hands stilled on her. A cryescaped her when he grabbed her hips, spun her around and liftedher onto the countertop. He slid her ass forward and plungedhimself deeply within her again. A scream of pleasure erupted fromher, but even as her body reacted to the exquisite feel of himinside of her, his fangs were sinking into her neck. She’d believedshe’d attained her peak before, but she’d been completely wrong. Hewas taking her to a whole new level of pleasure and sensation as hedrove relentlessly into her and fed from her with ravenousabandon.
Her fingers raked at the skin on his back asshe tried to pull him closer to her. The scent of his blood on theair drove her into a frenzy as she eagerly met each of hisdemanding thrusts. She sank her elongated fangs into the thick veinin his throat. The blood pumping into her mouth and his bodyplunging within hers pushed her over the edge. Another cry escapedher; her legs locked around his waist as the first wave of tremorsshook her. He didn’t relent, didn’t give her time to breathe as hecontinued to drive into her. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think,all she could do was feel him and taste him as he filled her.
Withdrawing her fangs from him, her headfell back and another cry escaped as he released his hold on herthroat. He licked over her flesh, tasting the salt of her sweat andinhaling the scent of him within her. He’d meant to make it last,had intended to savor her, but his control was rapidly coming to anend. Then, with another throaty moan, she came again. The clutchand pull of her muscles around his dick shattered all of hiscontrol. A shout escaped him as he drove into her once more andfound his release in pulsating waves that left him shaken andbarely able to stand.
Her head fell into the hollow of his throat;her breath came in rapid pants against his flesh. He continued tocling to her, keeping himself buried within her as he struggled tocome back to reality. “That’s because I do belong. You’re mine,Paige.”
Her mouth curved into a contented smileagainst his neck. “I’m yours,” she agreed. “And you’re mine.”
“Forever,” he vowed.
Ian wrapped his arms around her. Lifting herup, he carried her over to the still steaming tub. He placed hergently into it before sliding in behind her and pulling her againsthis chest. “I love you,” she whispered.
He couldn’t help but smile. “I love youtoo.”
CHAPTER 23
Paige rubbed at her temples as she stared around thecrowded casino floor. Between the rapid beats of the heartssurrounding her, the stale stench of cigarette smoke, alcohol, andthe musky scent of lust, she felt as overwhelmed as a kid on theirfirst day of kindergarten. She didn’t know if she should run away,curl into a ball, or sink her teeth into the closest person to her.Ok, maybe not the ones closest to her, a few of them had stringyhair, sweat stained clothes, and smelled like they’d run amarathon. She was amazed they got up to use the bathroom. Theydefinitely weren’t getting up to shower.
On the opposite end of the spectrum werepeople dressed in suits and beautiful dresses with their hairneatly styled. Some of them looked a little hectic, but most ofthem were laughing and cheering on their friends. Then there wasthe middle of the crowd, people simply content to sit and playgames, socialize with people and laugh and talk in their jeans andt-shirts. She’d never seen such a vast assortment of people before,and she knew this was only the tip of the iceberg.
Ian stayed close by her side; his hand inthe hollow of her back as he led her down the narrow pathwayscarved through the people and stools lining the slot machines. Hisreassuring presence at her side and in her mind helped her to keepcontrol; she didn’t know if that would last. She took shallowbreaths through her mouth in an attempt to mitigate the aromaspummeling her.
Ian bent over and whispered in her ear,“Concentrate on my smell and my heartbeat.”
She leaned into his side and inhaled thepleasant aroma of soap and male radiating from him. Her fingerscurled into the front of his shirt; they slid over the chiseledridges of his abs as she sought to comfort herself further.
Ian kept Paige tucked against his side asthey navigated the casino floor. He could feel how overwhelmed shewas, how much this upset her, but no matter how much distress sheemitted, she continued stalwartly forward with her chin thrustforward and her eyes rapidly searching the crowd.
Ronan led the way through the room, partingthe crowd with ease. People were clueless about the supernaturalbeings amongst them most of the time, but they knew power when itwas within their midst. Brian, close by Ronan’s side, searched theroom constantly. Ian did the same as he stared over the sea ofheads crowding the room.
He scented the air, but the numerous potentsmells filling the building would cover the garbage scent of themurderers that existed amongst their kind. Her father and hisgroupies could be nearly on them before he detected them. Thethought had his fangs on the edge of descending and his murderousimpulses at the forefront.
Brian turned back to them and jerked hishead to the side. Paige’s hand curled into his shirt as he led hertoward the massive doors leading out to the strip. Her head bowedcloser against him, she didn’t lift it up when they changeddirection. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“Outside.”
Her relief brushed against his mind. It tookall he had not to lift her up and carry her back up to their roomso she didn’t have to go through this. He glanced at Ethan andEmma; he hadn’t expected for Ethan to let Emma be here for this,but his brother probably felt better with her with him than awayfrom him. No matter what he wanted, he knew Paige wouldn’t agree toreturn, and he was unwilling to leave her alone and unprotected.Fighting over it wasn’t going to do any of them any good.
The doors slid open with a whoosh; the hotair of the desert drifted over him as he stepped outside. Neonlights illuminated the street enough so that it almost appeared tobe daytime along the crowded sidewalks. People hurried about; theystrode across the road and mingled near the doors of the casinos.Catcalls, laughter, and shouts filled the night, beneath it all hedetected more than a few people in tears. The heat caused sweat tobead across his brow, but Paige’s discomfort eased. She finallylifted her head to take in the sights and sounds of the city.
“Do you know where he is?” she askedBrian.
“There’s too many souls here to tune in onjust one and pinpoint it,” he replied. Ian didn’t know whatthatmeant, but he couldn’t shake the image of a radio dialbeing turned to a spectral station from his mind. “You might beable to locate him.”
“Me? How?” she squeaked.
“He’s your father; you have a connection tohim.”
Anger flitted across her face before shethrust back her shoulders. “I’ve barely had any contact with himover the years, and it’s never been good.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Brian replied. “He’sstill your blood.”
Paige swallowed heavily; her pulse picked upas sweat tickled her neck and slid down her spine. She didn’t wantto be connected to her father in any way. Everything within herrebelled against such a notion. Ian’s hand slid over her back andrested on her hip. “Will he find me here?” she inquired.
“It’s a possibility,” Brian replied with ashrug.
Paige shuddered as her gaze ran up and downthe crowded thoroughfare. Ian shot Brian a ferocious look, but theman simply cocked an eyebrow before turning away from them. He benthis head to Paige’s and kissed her temple. “He’s never going tohurt you again,” he vowed.
