Page 47 of The Demon's Fire
“You were very sociable. If you had been any more sociable, my pants would have been around my ankles. I would have been pounding into you, and you would have been shouting my name.” A rumble of laughter erupted from Kole.
Scowling, Skyler charged, hammering his chest with both hands. Again and again. “I said, ‘Not one word.’ I wasn’t myself.”
Kole snorted, swallowing a full-on guffaw. “Whoever you were, I liked her.” He kept a tight hold on her fists.
“I’m glad you enjoyed her, because you won’t see her again. Let me go.”
“Too bad. I could grow on that version of you.” His lopsided grin emphasized the double meaning as he released her.
Skyler shook her head. “Disgusting! You are validating my belief. You are a brutish barbarian.”
“You brought up the subject. I was going to pretend it never happened. Being the gentleman I am not. Your tits are nice, though. Big. Succulent.”
Skyler’s mouth opened. “Oh … oh. Just shut up. I beg of you.”
She shot forward, not knowing if she was headed in the right direction. She needed to act. “By the way, I’ve added Darque to our itinerary for tomorrow. I made Cadmon aware.” She flung the news at Kole.
He rushed to catch her, grabbing an arm, squeezing hard enough to bruise. “Whoa. Just a minute. Darque? No. It’s dangerous. Too many chances for you to get hurt.”
“Are you incapable of protecting me, Commander?” Skyler pried off Kole’s fingers. He didn’t resist.
“Hell, no. I’m saying shit happens.” Kole tapped his D-chip.
Since the device allowed thought-to-thought communication, she couldn’t tell who he called or eavesdrop on the conversation. She suspected it was Cadmon.
Kole punched his wrist to disconnect. “Fucking brainless human females who know squat about squat.”
Instead of taking offense at his less than flattering rant, Skyler grinned. Like a cat with a mouse by the tail, a live, squirming one. After all, a win was a win. “Well, Commander? Are we going?” The Alliance board required a visit to Scath. Since her father’s journal also included Darque, she was determined to add it to the tour.
She stood her ground as Kole barreled up to her, his eyes glowing red, fire bouncing off his fingertips. “You’ll get your way. I’ll take you because I’m your best bet to make it out alive and because I follow orders. Though why I should give a rat’s ass, I don’t know.”
In deafening silence, they began and ended their tour of the nymphs’ and satyrs’ Elysian Isle, followed by a brief trip to Amori, the incubi and succubi region. When Kole dropped her off in Covenkirk early evening, he was still angry, his jaw set, his teeth grinding together. “I’ll pick you up at eight. Be on time. Pants. Long. Shirt. Sleeves to your wrists. Shoes you can walk in without falling on your stubborn ass. Make those boots. Sunscreen. Gloves. A hat. A warm jacket. A backpack.”
“And what if I dress the way I choose?” Skyler fisted her hips.
The nerve of the man.
Kole advanced on Skyler until she had no choice except to back into the wall, his body radiating electric energy. Sparks prickled her skin when he touched her cheek. He leaned into her, resting a forearm against the brick above her. A knee pushed between her legs, imprisoning her. His lips were near enough she felt the warmth of his breath. She closed her eyes, his gravelly whisper scorching her flesh. He was beyond angry, but the thick jut of his arousal prodded her belly. “I’ll carry you inside, rip off your clothes, and dress you myself. Only this time you won’t be too drunk to remember.”
Skyler opened her mouth to speak. Kole held up a hand. “Try me. Please, try me.”
She lifted her chin, an icy, determined look settling in her eyes. “I get it.” Her eyebrows knitted into a frown. Skyler squirmed, attempting to dislodge herself from Kole’s imprisonment.
“Chief, I don’t give a damn whether you get it or not.” His fingers tangled in her hair.
“I could call Cadmon to have him replace you as my escort.” Skyler twisted to the side, struggling to escape contact.
“I think somewhere in those frozen veins you have the good sense not to do that.”
“Have it your way, Commander.”
He released her and stepped away. “Hand me your portal jumper.”
Skyler passed it to Kole. “What are you doing?”
“Syncing it to my D-chip so your frosty ass doesn’t get separated from mine on Darque.”
After a few strained moments of Kole punching information into her jumper, he stomped off, leaving Skyler still against the wall but free to open her own door, walk into her suite alone, and try to shake off her reaction to his fiery touch.
