Page 17 of The Demon King's Unruly Mate

“Great,” Kaz said, striding for the office door. “Then I’ll use him to jump to Toronto.”

Fury surged through me. I was on his heels in an instant and slammed my palm against the door before it could crack an inch. “You will not.”

Kaz whirled to face me. His eyes dropped to my lips for the briefest moment before snapping back to meet my gaze.

I smirked and planted a finger in the center of his chest, spiraling outward before lifting my eyes to watch him from under my lashes. “You could kiss me again if you bring me along.”

It was meant to be a taunt. Only a bluff. Leverage, not truth.

Then Kaz closed the distance, and the heat of his body radiated against mine. We stood there for a charged moment, breath mingling in the scant space between us. All it would take was the slightest lean forward, the smallest surrender to the need clawing at both of us.

His hand came up to cup my cheek, fingers tracing the curve of my jaw. “Is that what you want?”

No. Yes.

“What I want,” I swallowed the unsteadiness of my voice, “is to be treated as your mate, not an inconvenience to be left behind.”

His thumb brushed across my lower lip, eyes locked on the motion. “If I bring you,” he rumbled, “you follow my lead. My mission, my rules.”

“I can agree to that,” I said, and I had to fight not to lean into his touch. “Within reason.”

“No.” His hand slid to the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair. “You listen to whatever I tell you to do. Without question.”

The commanding edge in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. “And if I don’t?”

“Then you stay here,” he said simply. “And I take Griffin instead.”

I considered my options. I could argue further, assert my authority, perhaps even threaten to inform my father of his insubordination. But that would only escalate the conflict between us, at the detriment to the people we were meant to lead.

“Fine,” I conceded. “Your mission, your rules. But,” I added, pressing my palm flat against his chest, “I expect proper compensation for my cooperation.”

Kaz’s pupils dilated, the gold of his eyes nearly swallowed by black. “Meaning?”

I rose on my toes, bringing my mouth to his ear. “No running away before dawn next time.”

His grip tightened in my hair, and I felt the growl that rumbled through his chest. “Deal.”

The word was barely out of his mouth before his lips claimed mine, one arm wrapping around my waist to crush me against him. I melted into him, my hands finding their way to his shoulders, then his neck, then tangling in his hair as the kiss deepened.

His kiss was nothing like our first time together, when anger and frustration had fueled our passion. This was slower, more deliberate, an exploration rather than a battle. He tasted like smoke and desire, his tongue teasing mine as his body pressed me firmly against the door.

Madness. Absolute madness. I’d come here furious, determined to drag him back to court and force him to fulfill his duties. But as his hands slid down my back and his thumb found the sliver of bare skin between my blouse and slacks, I couldn’t bring myself to care. We could sort out the politics later. Right now, all that mattered was easing the ache that had plagued me since he’d left my bed.

Kaz broke the kiss first, his breathing ragged. “We should go,” he said, though he made no move to release me.

I nodded, stepping back to put some distance between us. “I’ll get Griffin. Meet me in the main room in five minutes.”

“Talia.” Kaz caught my wrist as I turned to leave. “Whatever we find, whatever happens... we present a united front. For both our sakes.”

The request surprised me. Not because it was unreasonable, but because it suggested he was thinking of us as a team, not just reluctant allies forced together by circumstance.

“United front,” I agreed. “But don’t mistake that for blind obedience.”

His lips quirked in what might have been a smile. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

CHAPTER FIVE

KAZ

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