My cousin didn’t answer, but I knew that look on his face. He was planning—plotting; going through every possible option and outcome like a checklist in his brain. He knew I was onto something. My grin grew. I was more than just a pretty face with a giant dick and an affinity for torture.
“Kai?” Eryn nudged him, snapping him out of his trance.
“There might be one djinn,” he confessed. “He’stechnicallythe heir now that Kol is out of commission, but you won’t hear Soloman endorsing that.”
With that new revelation, the plan unfolded like a well-creased paperback. Kai would leave immediately to hunt for Frederick, the technical heir to the djinn and Soloman’s nephew. Eryn would go with him to confirm his sincerity or to provide a mental leash if necessary.
I seriously couldn’t have planned this better if I’d tried. The poor little outcast djinn would murder Soloman and take his place as faction leader. The tribunal wouldn’t give a rat’s ass, the djinn would finally stop their insane quest for power, and most importantly, Rani would be safe. At least from outside threats. The danger I posed to her would always be a problem.
Once the djinn were dealt with and sirens were off the chopping block, I’d broach the idea of us taking a step back. We didn’t have to be rash about it. Maybe with some time and our main rivals neutralized, I could find a way to lock up that dark part of me that posed the greatest danger. I didn’t want to give Rani up, and right now, I physically couldn’t. But there was no time limit on when bonding happened. It could be years from now.
Yeah. I liked that. A few years to make sure none of my darkness bled into Rani. I could keep her beyond satisfied until then. Between school and my extremely talented fingers, she wouldn’t even notice the bond was incomplete.
Another full day with zero responsibilities, and what did we do?Sleep. Kai and Eryn were off hunting for our djinn pawn while Rani and I literally slept the day away. Sunlight cast long shadows across the far wall as the ceiling fan lazily squeaked from overuse. What a fucking cozy afternoon.
Rani wiggled against me, her leg thrown high over my waist, enough to bunch her sleep shirt under her ribs. Endless, gloriously smooth skin on display, just begging for my fingers to reach out and stroke it. I kept my hand firmly on her hip as she made a sleepy little sound and nuzzled my neck.
Fucking hell. Keep it together, man.
My cock jumped, only to be trapped by my briefs and the weight of her leg. Gods, was this how I went? Death by cock strangulation? Rani’s leg clamped down on me, forcing a soft groan from the depths of my—fuck.
Her tongue licked a wicked pattern just beneath my ear as her hand reached and dipped under the waistband of my sweats. I stopped her a few inches shy of her goal, and my dick cursed me for it in every language. The little vixen giggled, and I rolled, turning us both on our sides so I could have more room to protect my virtue. And to lecture her on the dangerous game she played. Before I could get the warning out, Rani lunged. Her lips landed on mine with expert precision. Like a lit fuse that reached the end of its rope, we exploded. There was no finesse, no control. It was more of a mutual attack than anything. Teeth gnashed and fingers tore at clothing. She whimpered into the kiss as I nibbled her bottom lip, and the sound almost broke my control.
Was it possible to climb someone when you were both horizontal? How about possess them by trying to claw your way into their body? Because I swore, Rani tried both. Her hips rocked against mine, each roll pushing me further to a loss ofcontrol. I pulled back to gulp down oxygen and tried to slow things before they went too far.
“We need to stop,” I panted between kisses.
We really,reallydid. Hooking my fingers around her wrists, I pulled them away from my waistband once more, and I was pretty sure my dick was about to jump off and commit mutiny.
“My house. My bed,” I groaned. “It’s too tempting, baby. In another minute, I won’t be able to stop.”
“So then don’t,” she replied, her hands twisting to try and break free.
Everything in me froze. If she said those words even just a week ago, I would have planted myself inside her and sealed our bond forever. But I knew better now. We needed more time. Did she even realize what she asked for?
Still controlling her wrists, I gently pushed to put more space between us. “Do you know what you’re saying?”
Her frantic attempts to get into my pants stopped as she frowned at me.
“If we have sex right now, Rani, it will seal the bond. Is that what you want?”
Her head flinched back, and I regretted my tone. I wasn’t mad at her, just frustrated.
“Why are you upset?” she asked, voice hoarse.
No, no, no. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I wanted to punch the wall, but my growing aggression would definitely send the wrong message. Godsdammit, my plan was falling apart, and now Rani was staring at me with a pained confusion that broke my heart.
“We can’t do this,” I decreed, releasing her.
I rolled onto my back and threw an arm over my eyes. The coward's way out, but I couldn’t stand to see what my words had done to her. The hurt echoing down the bond was enough.
“You… don’t want to bond with me?” Her voice sounded so small, like it came from far away and not right next to me.
Why couldn’t she understand? I wanted nothing more, but a part of me held back. The better part. The part that knew she’d have a chance in this life if she weren’t tied to a monster. I was a sinking ship. Sooner or later, my patches would fail, and I refused to take her down with me.
“I don’t understand.”
I threw my arm out, vaguely gesturing at the entire cottage. What it meant. “Haven’t you seen what it’s like to be my bond?”
