Gena Showalter - [Lords of the Underworld 13] (15 page)

It would be agony.

It would be ecstasy.

Tension coiled low in his gut, only to spring apart and jolt him into a stand. “Leave us,” he said, his voice a broken rasp.

No questions. No protests. The two seamstresses flittered from the room, shutting the door behind them.

The teapot shattered on the tray, dark liquid spilling everywhere.

Tink didn’t seem to notice, was too busy watching him. “I-is something wrong?”

Silent, he stalked toward her. A predator with a purpose. He was done resisting. Done thinking about all the reasons why not. Today, he was taking something.

Perhaps sensing the dark, greedy urges driving him, she straightened with a snap. Her breathing quickened. “Kane,” she said.

“Tell me to stop.” He stood a mere heartbeat away, their gazes locked together, trapped. Nothing else would halt the madness.

“I...I can’t.”

He breathed her in. The scent of cleaning supplies had faded, and she smelled of rosemary and mint again, sweet and innocent. Perhaps she could finally wash away the taint inside him. Or burn it away with passion—he could feel the intense heat radiating off her body. Perhaps she could melt the ice that had taken residence inside him.

Perhaps she could save him.

She swallowed, licked her lips. “Wait. I think you’re right. I think I should tell you to stop. This isn’t right.”

“No. It’s not. It’s necessary.”

I’ll hurt her, I swear I will.

Kane ignored the demon, pressing ever closer to Tink.

“Stop?” she said, a question when she’d probably meant it to be a statement.

“Too late.” Unless... “Have you ever been with a man?”

She gave a slow shake of her head.

That answer should have ended this.

It didn’t.

He should walk away.

He didn’t.

Possessiveness clawed at him, so sharp, so deep, he knew he would feel the wounds for the rest of eternity and be glad for it. He brushed his fingertips along her jawbone, and oh, she was just as soft and electrifying as he’d imagined. She nearly unmanned him when she leaned into the touch, seeking more intimate contact. He gave it to her, cupping the back of her neck, fisting her glorious hair, and forcing her gaze to stay with his.

“I won’t let myself take you—” not here, not now “—but I want something from you. Need it.”

A tremor swept through her. “What do you want?”

Disaster banged against the sides of Kane’s skull.
I’ll hurt her. I will. Hate her so much.

He gnashed his teeth.
Shut up! You hate her because she’s the only relationship I can have that won’t end in disaster, and that—

There it was. The answer.
The reason the demon hurt him whenever Tink neared. She was a blessing and not a curse.
Of course
the demon wanted to be rid of her.

She really was Kane’s “mine,” just as his instincts had screamed.

His. And not the demon’s.

He looked into her mesmerizing eyes, and felt a swell in his heart. His fingers hadn’t abandoned the silkiness of her hair, and were now holding on to her as if she were a lifeline, causing her neck to arch. He should probably loosen his grip. He didn’t. He couldn’t. He wanted to own her, even in the smallest way, whatever the future held, and this was how he’d go about it.

“Let me kiss you, Tinker Bell.”

She wet her lips, and whispered, “What about Synda?”

“I don’t want Synda.”

And now, he was done talking. He swooped in, not bothering with preliminaries or gentleness, but thrusting his tongue inside her mouth, then against hers, unleashing all the intensity of the need driving him. She softened against him despite the ferocity of his claiming, and welcomed him fully. The utter sweetness of her taste stoked the fire inside him from a blaze to an inferno.

She held nothing back, leaning into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving herself up to his total domination.

And dominate he did.

Taking. Giving. What he wanted was too powerful to contain. It was overwhelming. Shattering. A connection more binding than flesh and bone. Undeniable. Uncontrollable. He crackled with new life as he fed her one frantic kiss after the other.

And still he yearned to give her more. He jerked her so firmly against him, not even air separated them. His passion was insatiable, demanding her total acceptance, and an unending obsession. More than she was probably willing to give, more than she’d probably ever expected to give. But he demanded without mercy, forcing her tongue to keep pace, and her body to grind against his.

He would meld her to his soul.

One of his hands slid down the bare skin of her upper arm, then down her side, to the sumptuous curve of her waist, then hooked beneath her thighs and lifted her. He spun her and strode forward, until her back pressed against the wall. Hands now free to roam, he jerked at the hem of her gown, untangling the material from her legs. Automatically she wound herself around him, his body becoming an anchor for hers.

It nearly slayed him.

He’d never had more reason to despise intimacy, and yet he’d never craved it more.

The harder he kissed her, the more she rubbed against him, his own little kitty, and the more she rubbed against him, the more he wanted their clothing out of his way. Every hated piece. Her skin was like heated silk, and he was desperate for more. All. Her taste and scent were his dream of home...his...yes, yes. His, and no one else’s. He needed to put his mark on every inch of her.

She moaned, and he lifted his head long enough to peer down at her passion-hazed features. Her beauty was a fantasy he’d never dared have. Her lips were swollen and red. Moist. Perfect.

Her eyelids slowly parted. “Kane?”

She was panting just as forcefully as he was.

He had to have this woman. And he would. He dove back down for another taste. He would rip away her new dress, and the underclothing. He would toss her on the floor. He wouldn’t bother removing all of his clothing. He would just undo his pants. He wanted her too badly to waste time stripping—no matter how badly he craved the skin-to-skin contact. That would come later. After the burn of the first time had been extinguished.

Now, he would spread her legs, and bury himself so deep inside her.

—
no, no!

Disaster’s piercing shriek claimed his attention for one poisoned second.

That was enough. He stilled, tried to catch his breath.

“Kane.” A moan escaped Tink as her glove-covered fingertips scraped against his back.

Hands...all over him...

Suddenly feeling like a caged animal, he straightened. He set her back on her feet, his head swimming. She had no idea how close she’d come to losing her virginity in a dress shop.

The demon had somehow broken past whatever barriers Tink had built, intending to taunt Kane with the reminder. Instead, the creature had done him a favor.

Tink traced the seam of her lips with trembling fingers. “I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong?”

He didn’t want to explain and have to deal with the humiliation, but he owed her, and he would pay. Whatever the cost. He tried to get his breathing under control. “In hell...the demons...forced me to...”

Her lashes fused, but not before he caught a glimpse of her pity.

Pity.

He hated pity.

This was what he’d feared, however. Making a fool of himself sexually. Dealing with the aftermath.

“I’m sorry for what happened to you,” she said. “I wouldn’t wish such a fate on my worst enemy.”

He nodded to let her know he’d heard her, but offered no more than that.

“But...about the kiss. We can’t do that again,” she said with a tremor. “Whether you want Synda or not, you’re engaged to her, and I won’t be the other woman. Ever. Not for anyone, not even for you.”

“You’re right.” Not because of his supposed engagement—but because he had nothing to offer her. As he’d known, but ignored. As he’d just proven.

He hated this situation, too. Hated his mind, and his emotions, and yes, the weakness he would have denied with his dying breath.

“No, really, we have to—wait. I’m right?” She shook her head, as if to dislodge the thoughts, dark locks of hair dancing over her shoulders. “Never mind. I only ever want to kiss
my
man, and that’s not you, so...”

“You’re right. I’m not.”

Cheeks reddening, she said, “Besides, I don’t want a man. We would...you know, and I would have children, and the king would want to use them the way he uses me, and I would
never
allow my own flesh and blood to suffer in such a way.”

“I may be a warrior, and cruel to my bones, but I understand.” She was protective of what she considered hers. Fiercely so. It was admirable. But hope had been stolen from her, exactly as it had been stolen from him. She couldn’t see herself in the future. Couldn’t see herself happy or content—or even safe.

Every day, she broke his heart a little more.

Disaster gave up screaming and began growling. Overhead, a light bulb shorted. The crack in the floor widened to such an astonishing degree it could no longer be ignored. The entire building shook. Kane stepped away from Tink and the temptation she presented.

“What’s happening?” she asked, glancing around.

“A revolt.”

She stumbled, creating even more distance between them, and the commotion died down. “That was you, wasn’t it?” she asked.

He could have lied. He wanted to lie. But he said, “Yeah. That was me.”

“The demon?”

“Yes.”

“Then not really you,” she said, baffling him. She understood the difference between the man and the evil. “He’s acting up.”

“Yes,” Kane repeated.

“And that’s all he’s got?” She laughed, a sound as pure as Christmas bells. “How pathetic.”

Disaster snarled inside his head, and Kane grinned. The woman dreaded the things her family could do to her, and yet she was fearless in the face of a demon.

Desire stormed through him all over again.

“Let’s have the seamstresses finish your dress so we can return to the bar,” he said, turning away from her. “I have a fight to attend.”

“I’m still not on board with that fight.”

“It’s gotta happen eventually. The guys want to stop me from dating their sister.”

All of her humor drained, leaving her features pinched. “Well, by all means. Let’s get you to that fight so you can date whoever you wish.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

T
HE
NEW
UNIFORM
fit Josephina perfectly, the material soft against her skin, a divine caress rather than an irritating scratch. She loved it. But she had no idea what to think about the man responsible.

He was cold. But he was kind.

He was fierce. But he was tender.

He was cruel. But he was sweet.

If she weren’t careful, she would become smitten with him—and end up heartbroken. He couldn’t be trusted. He’d kissed her, but he had no plans to break his engagement to Synda. He’d kissed her, but he was thinking about dating another woman, the blonde from the tavern.

How many females did he have dangling at the end of his beautiful rope?

Too many. Obviously.

And Josephina had almost become one of them.

I’m going to have to erect a wall of ice against him.

She’d expected her first experience with passion to be gentle—if ever she’d weakened enough to succumb to a male’s charm. She’d expected a hesitant exploration, cool, a little tame, and yet there’d been unbearable heat, necessary heat, and her every pulse point had turned into a wild drum. A frightening beat, but oh, so thrilling.

Kane had
owned
her mouth, had staked a claim and demanded a response, and she had been unable to deny him, unable to hold back, not wanting to hold back. He’d tasted of whiskey she hadn’t seen him drink, and he’d intoxicated her. His hands...in her hair...on her arms...her waist...he’d caressed and he’d squeezed and he’d left a white-hot trail of need in his wake.

For the first time in her life, she’d felt alive. She’d had something to look forward to, something worth the hardships she faced. But then he’d pulled away, as if she had disgusted him, and yes, she’d wanted to cry.

Knowing the disgust had nothing to do with her assuaged her. But it also made her want to cry. What he’d endured in hell had left him scarred, and he needed to move slowly, to wrap his head around the things his body was feeling, but he didn’t want to move more slowly
with her
. So, fine. Whatever. The other two women were welcome to him.

Squaring her shoulders, Josephina kept pace beside him. He stopped in front of the Devil’s Punchbowl and met her gaze. “The Fae can pretend they’re better than you, but that’s all they’re doing. Pretending. There’s
no one
better than you.”

He didn’t wait for her response, but shoved his way inside the building.

Reeling, she followed after him. What had...why... Surely her translation from English to...uh, English had screwed with the essence of his meaning. He’d just lavishly praised her, even though he didn’t want her? Something had to be off with her thinking.

“Maybe you should forget the fight and we should go somewhere to talk about our—”
My poor eyes
. Wearing only her undergarments, Synda was dancing on top of a table, her gown swinging from her upraised hand. The men hoping to pummel Kane into blood and pulp circled her, cheering and clapping.

At least the rest of the patrons had cleared out, leaving no other witnesses to the princess’s behavior. Still. Josephina would be penalized for this. Lewd acts among the Opulens were encouraged, often rewarded, but this was a common bar and these men were...she wasn’t sure what they were.

The blonde—the one Kane wasn’t supposed to date—sat in the back corner, eating grapes, unconcerned by the chaos around her.

Josephina disliked her immediately.

“Gentlemen,” Kane said, sounding calm.

All four males looked over at him. Three lost their smiles. The other—William—just grinned wider.

Silence reigned...until Synda spotted him and sighed. “Is the fun over?” she asked with a pout.

The grinning warrior stalked forward. He had dark hair and the electric blue eyes of the Fae, though he clearly wasn’t Fae. The power humming from him was too...unique. It was also the strongest she’d ever encountered. One touch, and she suspected the man’s energy would cause her body to combust.

“Candy Kane,” William said. “You’re back.”

Kane nodded in greeting. “I like it.”

“And there’s Ivanna B.,” William said to Josephina. He held out his hand, intending to clasp hers and perhaps bring it to his lips for a kiss.

What did that name even mean?

Before she could reach out, Kane batted the man’s arm away with enough force to crack bone. “No touching.” The fierce warning in his tone echoed from the walls.

“I’m wearing my gloves,” she said. “I wouldn’t have hurt him.”

“It’s not him I’m worried about.”

Her?

“You’ll share your soon-to-be bride, but not her servant,” the other man said good-naturedly. “That’s not weird at all.” To the others, he called, “Clear a space. The battle is about to begin.”

The men rushed to obey. Soon the tables and chairs were pushed against the walls, leaving a circular clearing. Synda was escorted to the grape-eating female. Facing Kane, the man with pale hair cracked his knuckles. The bald one leaned his head left, right, aligning his spine. The dark-haired one withdrew two hooked blades.

Trembling, Josephina fisted the skirt of her soft new gown.

William paced in front of the eager combatants, saying, “First rule of Teach Kane a Lesson: you don’t talk about Teach Kane a Lesson. Second rule of Teach Kane a Lesson: you don’t talk about Teach Kane a Lesson. Third rule of Teach Kane a Lesson: if someone taps out, you just keep fighting. Fourth rule of Teach Kane a Lesson: there are no rules. Got it?”

Kane cleared his throat, gaining William’s attention. “Is it okay to kill them, or would you rather they survive?”

The man tilted his head to the side, as if he were actually pondering the question.

“Alive,” finally came the response. “But close to dying wouldn’t be a terrible thing.”

Uh...hello, confusion. Whose side was he on?

The males were confused, too, and hurtled curses at William.

The warrior shrugged, unaffected, saying to Kane, “I love them and I hate them. They’re a joy and a pain. I can’t ever decide if I want to hug them or choke them. Right now, they’re in need of an attitude adjustment, and I think you’re the man for the job.”

Kane led Josephina to the table where the blonde woman and Synda waited. “White,” he said, a warning. He gently pushed Josephina into a chair. “What I said to your dad goes for you. Don’t touch her.”

“Kane,” the woman—White—said. “Who is this girl to you?”

Josephina’s ears twitched, as she waited to hear his answer.

“That’s none of your concern,” he finally replied, disappointing her. “Just keep your hands to yourself or bad things will happen.”

The woman shrugged. “Very well. My problem is with you, not her.” She traced a grape over her mouth, licked away the juice. “I won’t allow the supposed fates to dictate my future, and if that means getting rid of you, I’m fine with that.”

The fates—the Moirai. Three women with an eternal case of verbal diarrhea. Josephina hated the hobags with every fiber of her being. Because of them, she had helped destroy her mother.

And they thought Kane and this White person would end up together?

Josephina pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth.
I won’t say a word.

Hitting doesn’t involve words.

“So kind of you, White,” Kane finally said, his tone cutting. His gaze moved to Josephina and stayed. He leaned over and planted his hands on the arms of her chair, caging her, surrounding her. “You are to stay put. Understand?”

She lifted her chin. “What reason do I have to do what you say? You and your hot-and-cold attitude are nothing to me.”

He rubbed his nose against hers. “I’m something all right, but I respect your fight against it.”

She...had no reply.

“Candy Kane,” William called, as she tried not to shiver. Kane’s nearness was addling her brain. “The clock’s ticking.”

Kane stayed just where he was. “You were right before, you know. We do need to talk, iron some things out.”

A lump grew in her throat, and she nodded. She found herself saying, “Be careful, okay?”

“Now that I’ve got something to look forward to?” His gaze dropped to her lips, lingered. “Definitely.” He straightened, ending the comfort—and sensuality—of the contact.

What did he have to look forward to? Their talk? Or, as that parting look had hinted at, another kiss?

Melting...

“What about me?” Synda asked, squirming in her seat. “What should I do?”

Kane flicked her an impatient glance. “You’ll behave for the first time in your life. After the fight, I might do the world a favor and put you over my knee to spank the poor judgment right out of you. I guess we’ll find out together.”

Red sprang into the princess’s eyes, her expression hardening. “Say something like that again, and I’ll cut out your tongue while you’re sleeping.”

No longer peering at her, Kane reached out blindly and patted her on top of the head. “I’d probably be scared if you actually knew how to keep your promises.”

A rumble rose from Synda’s chest, and spewed out her mouth, the sound more animal than Fae. Josephina had heard the sound before—right before the princess had set the stable on fire.

“Kane!” William snapped. “Sometime today.”

“No, wait.” The moisture in Josephina’s mouth dried as she held up her gloved hands and wiggled her fingers to gain his attention. “Don’t be so hasty to count me out. I could...you know.”

“No.” He turned to her, adamant. “None of that.”

“But—”

Once again he got in her face. Only this time, he wasn’t gentle about it. “Don’t push on this. I will never willingly put you in harm’s way. Plus, I don’t know what you’d end up with.”

Their powers, he meant. “Whatever I take, it’ll be temporary.” More than that, the men might do what Kane had refused to do: kill her.

She would die. Finally. Never again would she have to deal with her father or the queen or her brother or her sister. There would be no more whippings, no more shunnings, no more punishments of any kind. But...but...

I don’t want to die.

The realization shocked her to her bones. Knowing the bliss of Kane’s kiss, she only wanted more. Like, his hands on her bare skin next time, touching her...everywhere. Like, his voice in her ear, whispering all the things he planned to do to her. Like, his body delivering on every single promise. She wanted...

Everything he had to give.

“I want you safe,” he said. “Whatever the cost.”

Melting faster
...

He straightened and faced the men. “Everyone clear on the rules?”

“We’ve been clear for hours now.” From the blond.

“Definitely.” From the dark-haired one. “You should have stayed in hell. You would’ve had an easier life—and death.”

A nod from the bald one.

Kane grinned without a shred of humor. “I can’t wait to prove you wrong.”

“Ding, ding,” William said.

And just like that, the battle was on. The males converged on each other, becoming a tangle of fists and legs and weapons.

Synda cheered, “Go, Kane, go!” as if the two hadn’t almost come to blows seconds before.

White snapped her teeth at the girl. “You should cheer for my brothers. You just had sex with two of them in the bathroom.”

“Oh, that. It meant nothing.”

Josephina cringed, knowing she would be punished for this transgression, as well. But okay, all right, she would deal. Right now, Kane was more important—and he’d just vanished from her sight, a black cloud appearing and surrounding the men. Her hand covered her mouth to silence her cry of dismay. Grunts and groans and the click of metal against metal filled the air. Her blood chilled. What was happening in there?

She pushed to shaky legs, took a step forward.

“I wouldn’t do that.” William joined the women at the table. He grabbed one of White’s grapes and tossed the little fruit in his mouth.

“Do what?” Josephina croaked, unable to pull her attention away from the battle.

“Whatever you’re planning. The boys will attack anyone inside their force field, and Kane will punish them for it. They may not survive, and like I told Kane, a part of me wants them to survive.”

That “force field” raised the fine hairs on the back of her neck. It possessed some sort of electrical charge, attempting to pull the energy out of her the way she often pulled the energy out of others.

Was it draining Kane?

“Let her join,” White said. “She’ll die, and I’ll have an open playing field.”

“You wouldn’t have an open playing field if you were the last woman on earth,” Josephina snapped.

“An open playing field?” William growled. “I thought you wanted Kane dead.”

“I did.”

“And now?”

“Supposedly Kane is my destined mate, and my destined mate has no business lusting after another woman.”

“You said you cared nothing about destiny,” William roared.

Josephina didn’t hear White’s reply, didn’t care to; she was too busy marching forward. Whether Kane realized it or not, he needed her. He could take those men, but she doubted he could take the cloud. Look how easily he’d fallen when pitted against
her
.

When she reached the darkened dome, she removed her gloves and reached out. Lightning jolted through her, startling her. Her bones throbbed, and her blood fizzed, but she pushed through. The darkness soon cleared, and she realized she was standing in the midst of a raging battle. Blood was splattered across the floor. And Kane’s opponents...they’d become monsters.

One had horns. Or rather, what should have been horns. They were shredded and bleeding.

One had wings. Or rather, what used to be wings. They were misshapen and bleeding.

One had scales. Or rather, what were probably scales. They were ripped out in patches and bleeding.

All had fangs and claws.

What...how...

Kane stood in place, wielding two daggers with perfect precision. He contorted his body left and right, forward and backward, avoiding impact with his enemies. He was...winning, despite the cloud and...and...despite the fact that the floor was cracking beneath his feet?