“You had the chance to kill Sin Garu. To end his plague upon our worlds. And a bonus, to end my life as well. Instead, you saved me to let your bro — to let the enemy go free.”
I stared at him, wary since he hadn’t referred to Sin Garu as my brother for once. Arim was usually predictable, to the extent that I knew he would say and do whatever he could to irritate me. So why was he being so Light-smacking easy?
“You took a hit meant for me, Blue. A blast of green demon fire.”
Oh hell. Arim’s gaze was softening.
“So what?”
“So why did you do it? Why did you save a man you’ve been fighting with for three long centuries?”
“I did it to help Tanselm. That’s all I’ve ever cared about.” After you turned me away.
“So your racing heart, your wet heat, none of that’s for me?” He stared at my breasts, centered on my stiff nipples.
“None of it,” I snapped as I crossed my arms over my chest, betrayed by my body. “I was drugged, if you must know. Jonas set me up.”
Arim smiled, a dangerous grin of seduction that made me twice as wary. “What is the Djinn to you?”
“Why do you care?” I shifted to move around him and stand, not comfortable with his looming presence or how close his erection was to my face, my mouth… But he blocked me with his body.
“Untie me, Blue.”
“Do I look stupid?”
“You look aroused. Sexy, beautiful, and needy.”
“Fuck you.” Needy? Lexa Van Norsen needed no one and nothing, despite my body’s flesh and blood demands.
“Lexa.” He shook his head. His shoulders flexed as he struggled with the rope behind his back, Dark-hide he’d find impossible from which to break free. “Just answer the question. Or are you afraid of me? Scared I’ll do something to your precious Djinn?”
I ignored the hard look in his eyes, the one that always turned my bones to jelly. “I’m as afraid of you as I am of your nephews.” I snorted and crossed my arms back over my chest, wishing again I was standing. But I met his gaze, unafraid. “Storm Lords fresh out of the nursery. They’re barely into their powers, and you think they can defeat a Dark Lord as powerful as Sin Garu?”
To my surprise, Arim chuckled. “Hell, no. I’m going to take that bastard out myself. My nephews are tasked with guarding Tanselm, and they will. You know this, or you wouldn’t have helped them protect their affai. For a woman so opposed to Light Bringers, you seem to have helped them.”
“Them? Don’t you mean ‘us’?” I reminded him, wanting him to acknowledge he was in my debt.
“Of course. Us. Your sacrifice was remarkable, Blue. Taking a demon’s blast when I could smell the fear rolling off you. All to save me.” Arim suddenly straddled me on the couch, his weight impossible to budge even as I struggled to be free.
“Get off of me, damn it.” Oh shit. I could feel myself leaning into him, hungering for the sensations only Arim could arouse. None of the pathetically small number of my lovers had even come close to encouraging such joy within my body.
His cock — hard and hot and moist at the tip — nudged my belly. He smiled and placed a hand on either side of my head on the couch. Burns marred his wrists, where the Dark-hide had chafed. Yet Arim had broken through it, once again accomplishing the impossible.
“What’s wrong, Lexa? Don’t you like how my body feels against yours? Don’t you remember what it was like with me inside you?” He lowered his head to whisper into my ear, his hot breath making me quiver, “How wet you grew, how deeply I sank inside you, coming with such force we saw stars together?”
Our breath mingled, the sound of harsh panting increasing as we sat so close, nearly touching all over yet not.
“Get off me,” I repeated weakly, not meaning a word of it and wishing I did.
“Sure. Just tell me why you saved me.” He nipped the spot below my ear, pressing into my belly with an erection I wanted desperately between my thighs. “You would have given your life for me. Why?”
He leaned up to stare into my eyes. His own narrowed, concern replacing the passion flaring in the black depths, as if he could see that part of my soul now missing. “Blue…?”
Not wanting pity any more than I wanted to explain to him, or myself, why I couldn’t stand the thought of his death, I did the only thing I could to distract him.
I grabbed him by the hair and yanked his mouth to mine.
Within seconds, all questions ceased, and then nothing existed between us but honest, carnal need.
