Page 31 of To Crave Darkly
I straddled him and set my weight down on his lap. A soft moan escaped my lips. He felt perfect between my thighs, like I was made only for him. My fingers reached into his hair and the strands felt as glorious as they looked, like spun silk.
Wait. This was wrong. I didn’t want to do this. This wasn’t me. I started to pull my fingers from his hair, but his hands captured my hips and rolled them against his own. Desire lanced through me, hot and fast. And I forgot everything but him. My face inched closer and I felt his breath on my skin. I captured his bottom lip between my teeth and sucked on it before releasing it with a bite. He released a growl and my heart sped up in response. I needed more. I was going to die if I didn’t taste him. I pulled him closer and my lips claimed his. I thrust my tongue into his mouth and tasted him like he was my last ever meal. He tasted like spices and whisky. Hot and fiery notes burst along my tongue and my lips tingled at the contact. Orion moaned into my mouth and I pressed my body against his. The need to be closer to him was insatiable.
This wasn’t right. There was something I couldn’t quite put my finger on… I faltered and pulled back. And then realisation hit me. It was like being doused in a bucket of ice-cold water. Sudden and inescapable. Rage flooded me as I looked down at Orion and figured out what he’d made me do. I felt violated and dirty. My hand flew through the air and connected with his cheek in a resounding slap.
“How dare you!” I seethed.
He had the audacity to laugh smugly and look unaffected by my display of anger. My fingers itched to slap him again. “That was all you, Lori. I merely gave you a little push.”
“You lie.”
Orion dragged his bottom lip between his teeth. It was so blatantly sexual, so hot, that it had my body tightening in response.
“Stop it.”
His hands trailed up and down my thighs, stoking the flames of my desire.
“Stop what?” he asked innocently.
“You know very well what.” I was trying for a commanding tone, but my voice came out all husky betraying my growing desire.
His lips curled. “Very well, I’ll stop. If you admit you want me.”
That was absurd. There was no way I was admitting that. Besides, it wasn’t true. There was no way I wanted him. No way I could still taste him on my tongue or that I craved to have his lips on mine again. My gaze dropped to his mouth and my mind went off on a tangent thinking about all the wicked things he could do to me with those lips. My mouth was suddenly dry and my heart was beating a little bit too fast.
“Oh Lori, never play poker.” He grinned wickedly up at me and I knew I was staring into the face of a master of manipulation. I wasn’t going to underestimate him, and I was certainly going to have to find a way to block him from my mind. I’m sure Jasper would know how to help me with that.
Oh, God. Jasper. How could I forget? My blood ran cold as I thought about the events leading up to me being here. I did something to him, and it was Orion’s fault.
As if sensing a shift in my mood Orion backed up a bit to give me some space.
“What did you make me do to Jasper?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean?”
“Earlier when Jasper was threatening me, you told me, and I quote, to let go.”
“You were under attack and I saved you,” he spat.
“No. You didn’t save me! Whatever you did unleashed something. I could have killed him.” Tears prickled at the back of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I’d do some crying later but right now I needed answers.
“All I did was help you set the power free.”
“I don’t understand. why do I have powers? I thought I was just human.”
Orion looked at me with something akin to reverence glowing deep in his eyes. “Lori, you’re so much more than human. You have the same eyes as me. You said it yourself, they are the eyes of a powerful demon.”
“But what am I? Can you tell me?” I don’t know why I asked. I didn’t expect him to tell me anything. I sensed that he was a creature who liked to trade in secrets, and I was worried I’d have to give him something in exchange for the information.
Orion pursed his lips in thought. “I’ll give you this for free. When you wake up ask about Sin Reapers.”
“Wait. I’m not ready to wake up. Tell me more, Orion,” I begged, clinging to his shirt. But I could feel the world fading me around me. Darkness closed in and then I was falling.
“I’ll be seeing you soon, my sweet.”
Chapter 15
JASPER
