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He
reached over to lightly run his finger along the crease of my mouth.  I
couldn’t help myself, and I stuck out the tip of my tongue to taste the salt of
his skin.  A low growl erupted from him and he abruptly pulled his finger
away.  I looked at him in question and he said, “You have no idea what you
are doing to me.  It’s probably best I keep my distance while we are in
public because I want nothing more than to throw you down on this couch and
claim you as mine.”

His
words caused butterflies in my stomach and I felt that familiar woozy feeling
when Daemon is around.  I smiled up at him through my lashes. “Well then I
guess it’s a good thing we are in public.  I’d hate to have to disappoint
you by not letting you have your way with me.”  I fluttered my lashes and
smirked up at him.  He had a wicked grin on his face and his stare became
heated.

Daemon
leaned down and his lips brushed my ear as he whispered, “You’ll let me have my
way with you, Damsel.  You just don’t know it yet.”

He was
right.  But I wasn’t about to let him know that.

Daemon
leaned back and stared at me for a moment.  I took that opportunity to
reach over and grab my cup of coffee.  It had cooled down enough and I
chugged it down.  I swallowed the last drop of the java and my body
instantly relaxed.  It’s odd that coffee had a relaxing effect on me, but
I decided it was because I just fed my addiction.

“Thirsty?” 
Daemon had a sideways grin on his face after watching me drink down the coffee
like it was cool water on a hot day. 

I
chuckled and set down the cup. “Yeah, I’ve had one hell of a day. Every time I
tried to get coffee, something crazy happened so that was the first cup I’ve
had.”  My skin blushed as I said, “I kind of have a slight addiction.”

Daemon
shook his head and laughed. “Why am I not surprised to hear that?”  He got
quiet for a moment and started rubbing circles on my leg with his thumb. “Will
you do me a favor, Damsel?”

I
looked between his face and where his hand was in contact with my leg. 
Those circles were distracting as hell and they were touching a nerve that shot
through my entire body.  If that slight contact was enough to make me feel
like this, what would it feel like to have his body pressed up against
mine?  My blush deepened and I tried to shake it off.

“What’s
the favor?” I asked.

Daemon
reached over and took both of my hands into his.  His crystal blue eyes
burned into mine and I wanted nothing more than for him to fulfill that former
threat of throwing me down on this couch.  “Will you please be more
forthcoming with me about the problems you are having?  It pisses me off
to know that a man has attacked you two times and you haven’t mentioned one
word about it.” His eyes softened as he said, “I know that we just met, but I
care about you more than you realize.  I want to know that you are safe.”

 I
looked down at our hands.  I couldn’t look him in the eyes as he said
this. Looking at him as he spoke those words was causing a strange tightening
sensation in my chest. It was unfamiliar and unwelcome.  Keeping my eyes
trained down helped relieve it.  I wanted to tell him to fuck off, that I
could take care of myself, but I couldn’t get rid of this irritating voice that
kept telling me to agree with what he was asking.

Without
looking at him I asked, “If I tell you things, are you going to try and tell me
what to do?”

He
thought about it. “I can’t promise you that I won’t offer suggestions, but
ultimately, the final decision will always be yours.”

Not
being able to find the harm in what he was asking I nodded my head in
agreement.  He let out a breath like he had been holding it for my
response and then pulled me into him.  His mouth met mine and he nipped at
my lips before running the tip of his tongue across them. Every nerve ending in
my body came alive and the small bites that he gave me sent shocks straight
through me.  My hands lightly ran up the front of his shirt and I could
feel a hint of his muscular form beneath the material.  The energy he
exuded was of authority and raw power and I shivered when his large hand cupped
my cheek. I opened my mouth to him and touched my tongue to his.  He
deepened the kiss and reached his arm over to pull on my lower back.  My
body arched up to him and I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck. 
I started to push my hands up into his hair when he broke contact with me and
pulled back.  He held my gaze as we both took a moment to catch our
breath.  Both of our chests revealed our labored breathing and we laughed
about what we must have just looked like.

Daemon
put his cup on the table and turned around to take my hand and pull me up.
“Let’s go, I have something I want to show you, but I have to warn you, it’s at
my house.  I wanted to put that out there now so there was no
surprise.  Knowing you, if you thought I had ulterior motives, you would
try to beat me up while I was driving or jump out of a moving vehicle.” He
raised his eyebrow. “You’re not to be trusted.”

His
voice softly rumbled when he said those last words and tremors ran through my
core.  I had to admit that Daemon had charm and I knew I was walking into
dangerous territory.  But damn if I’m not a curious person.  I didn’t
even bother with my standard inner debate this time.  I just said okay.

The
trip to Daemon’s apartment was short as the coffee shop was around the corner
from where he lived.  He pulled his truck into an underground garage and
after exiting the truck, we walked to an elevator hidden away in a corner of
the garage.  The elevator was for residents only and Daemon had to use a
key to call it.  Once inside, we silently rode up to his third floor
apartment.  The elevator opened to a hallway with a door on either
side.  Daemon reached down to take my hand and then led me to the door on
the left.  He opened the door but then stepped back to motion me inside.

I
walked into the apartment and gasped when I saw it.  The apartment was
three times the size of the one I shared with Annie and David.  The
ceilings were raised and my footsteps echoed as I crossed over the dark
hardwood floors.  The walls were painted a light grey which mimicked the
color of stone.  Daemon flipped a switch and wall sconces ignited. 
The sconces were gas flames and shadows danced around the room from the
movement of the fire.  Pendant lights hung from the ceiling every few feet
or so and bathed the room in a soft light.  The effect of both sets of
lights gave the room a mystical feel and I was shocked by the beauty of
it.  Daemon’s furniture was very masculine and the dark leather
overstuffed couches and chairs combined with cherry wood tables gave the room
an old world feel.  The wall opposite the entryway door held a floor to
ceiling book shelf stacked with hard back books and other various objects that
appeared to be replicas from middle age or renaissance Europe.  I didn’t
see any pictures or other evidence of the life that Daemon has lived and I was
disappointed that he continued to remain a mystery in that aspect. 
Paintings depicting medieval scenes hung on the walls and were evenly
spaced.  Three large windows ran along the right wall and large doors led
out to what I assumed must be the patio. I was surprised and impressed by the
detail of the decor in the room and I wondered if Daemon had hired a decorator
to create this space.

I was
engrossed as I took in my surroundings and I hadn’t noticed when Daemon came up
behind me.  I felt his large, muscular arms wrap around me from behind as
he bent down slightly to whisper in my ear. “Do you like it, Damsel?”  His
lips brushed my ear as he spoke and I could feel his warm breath trail down my
neck.  Goose bumps broke out on my arm and Daemon chuckled as he released
me to rub his hands up and down my arms.

“It’s
amazing, Daemon.  I’ve never seen a more beautiful room.”  Compared
to my apartment, which consisted of mismatched furniture thrown together from
the belongings of my roommates and me, Daemon’s apartment looked like something
out of a magazine.

Daemon
reached for my hand again and led me down a hallway with double doors at the
end.  He opened one of the doors and started to lead me inside.  As I
walked behind him I saw that this room was his bedroom, and just like the
living area, it was large with vaulted ceilings with the same lighting and wall
color.  The room was a touch more modern with a large flat screen
television hanging on the wall opposite his king sized bed.  The bedding
was black with touches of white and red and it took up the majority of the
space in the room.  A large dark wood headboard sat against the wall
opposite the television and it contained more shelves with various objects
which looked antique.  There were no paintings on the walls of his room,
but a delicate tribal pattern was painted along the center of the walls. 
Dark red curtains hung from the windows on the left side of the room and I
imagined they were thick enough to block light from entering the room while you
slept.  I stood there for a moment, taking in the beauty of this room
before realizing where Daemon had led me.  I started to step back to turn
towards to the living room and Daemon squeezed my hand before saying, “Don’t
worry, Damsel, I didn’t bring you in here for what you’re thinking.  I
just need to grab a set of keys.”  He let go of my hand and walked over to
a bureau that ran along the length of the left wall.  He pulled open a
small drawer near the top of the bureau and extracted a set of keys. 
Closing the drawer, he turned back to me and brushed past me as he exited the
room.

I
turned to follow him and he led me into the kitchen that was set apart from the
living room by a half wall.  Just like the other areas that I had seen,
the kitchen was beautiful and had black quartz countertops and dark cherry wood
cabinets.  The flooring tile was a dark grey stone with veins of black
quartz creating a unique pattern to each tile.  The upper cabinets had
brushed glass and there were interior lights which shown out from behind the
glass.  The large gas powered stove and other appliances were a light
brushed nickel and the metallic color perfectly complemented the dark surfaces
of the room.  Daemon reached into his pockets to pull out his wallet and
phone and he tossed them on the counter before turning to take my hand
again.  “Let’s go back downstairs for a second.  I have something I
want to show you.”

Daemon
led me back out into the hallway and to the elevator doors.  We took the
elevator to the garage and I followed Daemon to some hidden bay doors that were
tucked away on the opposite side of where he had parked his vehicle. 
Daemon unlocked one set of the bay doors and it clanked loudly as he lifted it
to the ceiling.  He reached inside and flicked on a light and the lights
buzzed as they came on.  Daemon turned to me and motioned into the bay.
“My
white
stallion awaits.”

I
laughed at his emphasis on the word ‘white’ and looked inside the bay to where
he was indicating.  My eyes widened at the sight of one of the most
beautiful white motorcycles that I had seen. 

“While
your bike is in the shop being repaired, I want you to use mine.  I would
prefer to lend you my truck in the meantime because it’s safer, but I have a
feeling you would feel more at home driving something like this.”

I shook
my head when I realized what he was offering and I opened my mouth to decline,
but was interrupted before I could voice what I was thinking.  “It’s only
for a few weeks, Damsel, and I only use the bike recreationally.  You need
transportation and it’s better for you to use this than pay for a rental. 
Please, take the bike.”

“I’m
afraid of what might happen to it, Daemon.  What if Chris comes back and
destroys this one too?  I can’t afford to have two bikes fixed.  At
least with a rental, I could purchase insurance that would pay for the repairs
if Chris were to do something to it.”

Daemon
wrapped his arms around me from behind and my muscles tensed from his close
proximity.  His body heat was apparent on my back and I reached behind me
to wrap my arms around him to pull him closer.  He rested his chin on the
top of my head and I could feel his mouth move as he answered me. “The bike is
insured, Damsel.  If Chris were to destroy it, the cost to fix it would be
covered.  I want you to take it. I’m asking you
nicely
to take it.”

I
thought about his offer and how it would be more convenient than having to rent
a car.  Plus, he was right in his belief that I would feel more at home on
a motorcycle than I ever would in an enclosed vehicle.  I released Daemon
and approached the bike.  When I was close enough to touch it, I ran my
hands along the smooth paint and leather seat.  I threw my leg over the
bike and sat down while taking the grips of the handlebars into my hands. 
I looked over to Daemon and his eyes had darkened and a wicked grin came over
his face.  I angled my head in question and he explained, “I’ve never been
more jealous of an inanimate object than I am at this moment.”

I
laughed at his comment and then turned back to look over the different dials
and indicators located below the handlebars.  I reached over to Daemon and
he placed the keys in my hand.  I inserted the key and turned the ignition
and the bike roared to life.  I twisted the accelerator and the bike
screamed and then calmed again.  I could feel the power of the bike from
the vibrations and I reached to turn it back off.  I looked over to
Daemon. “Thank you, Daemon.  I don’t know how to repay you for letting me
use it.  It’ll make things a lot easier for me while my bike is being
fixed.”

Daemon
nodded his head and then reached for me to lead me back outside of the
bay.  He closed the bay doors behind us and started leading me back to the
elevators as he asked, “Is there any chance I could convince you to stay here
with me while we figure out what to do about Chris?”

I
laughed at his question before answering. “I don’t think so, Daemon. 
Chris could follow me back here just as easily as he could my apartment. 
Plus, I’m not sure what we can do about him.  Staying here seems
unnecessary and I don’t want to leave David and Annie to fend for themselves if
he were to show back up where we lived.”

Daemon
didn’t respond as he led me into the elevator.  We rode up in silence and
when the doors opened he took me by the hand and led me back into his
apartment.  We sat down on one of the leather couches situated in front of
the large picture windows.  The white gossamer curtains were pulled aside
and you could look out and see the lights of the city below.

Daemon
turned his body so that he was facing me and the skin between his eyes was
creased in concern. Between the soft light of the pendant lamps above us and
the dancing of the flame sconces, shadows moved across his face, giving him an
air of ancient times and dangerous encounters.  The contours of his face
made him appear as if he could have been a medieval knight or any type of
rugged warrior.  A breeze blew through the room causing the curtains to
swing in and out from where they hung and it was easy to imagine I had been
transported back to a time that existed centuries ago.

He let
out a slow breath before telling me what he was thinking. “I’m worried about
you, Damsel.  Chris appears to seriously have it out for you and I imagine
he won’t stop until he hurts you in one way or another. I know you won’t hide
here, so will you tell me what you intend to do to protect yourself?”

I
opened my mouth to respond to Daemon’s question but closed it again when I had
no answers to give him.  I hadn’t put a lot of thought into what I would
do about the situation with Chris.  Except for what happened at the bar,
he hadn’t yet committed a crime that I could easily connect back to him. 
I could try for a restraining order due to his threats, but even then, a piece
of paper was not going to stop a person intent on harming me.  The best
that piece of paper could do was momentarily blind him if I threw it in his
face and ran like hell to get away.  Somehow, I doubted that would be
enough.  On top of that, all I knew was his first name and where he
worked, so going to the police or courts would be useless until I could better
identify him.

“I
don’t know what I’m going to do.”  I looked down and fidgeted at having to
admit that I didn’t know.  I sighed and looked back up into his eyes. “I
haven’t thought that far out, Daemon, and at this point, all I can do is watch
my back.  Technically, he hasn’t done enough yet for me to file charges or
anything of that nature.”

Daemon
appeared to be struggling with my response.  He reached down and took my
hands into his.  “I’ll be honest with you.  It’s hard for me not to
throw you into one of the rooms in this apartment and keep you locked in there
to keep you safe.”  My eyebrows shot up at what he said and he softly chuckled
at my expression before adding, “But I know you would just end up tearing down
the door or climbing out the window in an attempt to scale down the building,
so I won’t actually attempt to kidnap you.”

I
laughed at the mental imagery of me climbing down the side of his apartment
building.  Of course, with my fear of heights, tearing down the doors
seemed to be the better option.

“I
appreciate your concern Daemon and I understand it.  You need to realize,
though, that I’m not as fragile as you think…” Daemon put a finger to my mouth
to stop what I was saying.

“I
know, Damsel, you don’t need to explain yourself to me.  I have a very
good idea of who you are, and don’t get me wrong, you are an amazingly sexy
woman because of your independence. I just want you to know that you’re not
alone in this.  I want to help you.”

I
nodded in acknowledgment of what he was saying.  “Thank you for
caring.  Even if I refuse your offers at times, it doesn’t mean I don’t
appreciate them.  Sometimes I just need to do things on my own.”

I
shifted my position so that I could move closer to Daemon and settle myself
beside him.  I sighed, rested my head against him and he put his arm
around me.  I must not have realized how tired I was because my eyes began
to drift closed and I was completely relaxed in Daemon’s arms.

Daemon
and I sat that way for a while before he reached down and tilted my face up to
him.  He slowly leaned down and placed his mouth over mine.  His kiss
was sensual and seductive and my body responded instantly to it.  The
masculine scent of his cologne teased my senses and I felt a heat start to
ignite between my legs.  I reached my hands up into his hair and pulled
him down closer to me.  My mouth opened to him and our tongues slid
against each other.  His taste was addictive and I couldn’t seem to deepen
the kiss enough to satisfy me.  My body needed more.  Daemon broke
the kiss and I groaned in complaint to the lost contact.