Braving the Elements (Darkness #2)(17)

“Go back to official. Your jokes are the pits.”

He chuckled quietly.

We crossed the threshold of my hidden domain and he halted and turned to me. His eyes were intense, but puffy, and it occurred to me he’d taken vigil, watching over me as I slept. He’d been up for about twenty-four hours, and if I knew him at all, he wouldn’t go to sleep now. Not with another night of duties to get through.

His large, broad shoulders squared to my body. He leaned at the waist, his face coming within inches of mine. His hand came up, fingers lightly grazing my jaw. “Please open the link. It’s comforting knowing you’re okay.” The heat from his sweet breath ruffled my eyelashes. His smell and presence permeated my head, making me dizzy, setting my body on fire.

I tugged away that big rubber stopper, opening up to him, feeling him. A moan got trapped in my throat as my hand found its way to his hard pec.

He burned with arousal. That heat was tempered with regret, however. He didn’t want to turn me into the pet everyone thought I was. He didn’t want to use, and then discard me, knowing his choice had to lie elsewhere.

What a cute sentiment. Best left for another time, though, I needed him with a passion that took my breath away.

I reached up on tippy-toes, my lips aiming for his, my hand slipping down that mouth-watering body and cupping his huge, hard bulge. Applying pressure, I guided my other hand around him, drawing him near.

I met resistance.

“No.” He shook his head, his eyes closing, inhaling my scent of arousal.

“I want you to rise on your own. I want you to excel without my influence. I want you to earn the respect you deserve.”

“Good call. I’m in. First, can we just knock this out? I’ll be quick, I promise.”

His lips quirked at the corners. “You sound like Charles.”

“I might hurt you for that comment.”

“Hmm.” His eyes closed again, his smile growing. “If only. This is the best smell to date. Gingerbread cookies in front of a wood burning fire on Christmas Eve.”

“That’s a scene, not a smell.”

“It’s my favorite scene, the one before I lost my parents. I remember the smells perfectly.” His eyes met mine, somber, but soft. “I must go. Duty.”

Suddenly, I stood in the middle of a hallway, sconces throwing next to no light into my path, alone. He’d ripped his presence away so fast, I didn’t even see him go. My groin felt so tight, it hurt.

“What a tease,” I muttered.

“Not much of a man to leave a woman hang--”

I jumped and flung my hand out, a red jet bursting forth, flaying the wall twenty feet away. Charles rolled into the middle of the floor, on his back, hands out in surrender. “I’m just saying! I totally would’ve hit that—ten minutes of bump and grind, and you both feel better. Why am I the bad guy right now?”

“Were you eavesdropping the whole time?” I screeched. “That was a private moment!”

“What did you want me to do, plug my ears?”

“Ever thought of walking a- way?”

“I thought I’d get to witness a sex scene! No way am I walking away from that.”

I sighed, my hands dropping to my sides and my heart still trying to punch through my chest. “Why wouldn’t he go through with it?”

“He said—duty. Boss is a man of his word. That cat sticks to his guns. He doesn’t want to make a mockery of you, and judging by the fact that you nearly killed somebody by blasting him through a wall, he knows to tread lightly. That means keeping his dick in his pants, apparently. I’m glad I don’t have his job.”

“Like anyone would’ve known we bumped uglies. Except my peeping-tom protector.”

“Our sense of smell is ten times better than humans, and the sex smell lingers. Hmm.” Charles closed his eyes and stroked himself through his jeans. “I am so damn turned on right now. Anyway, everyone knows he was with you all day. Who else would it be? Plus, you have a unique scent. It changes for each person, I think. I’ve been cataloguing. And females can’t seem to smell it.”

“You are now babbling. Go have sex. I’ll stay in my room.”

Charles’s face lit up. “Promise? Wait…sex with others, right? Or did you mean with you?” A hopeful twinkle sparked in his eyes.

“Others, you nincompoop. Get out of here.”

“Okay, thanks.” He stopped halfway through flight and stuck his finger out. “I can trust you, right?”

I waved him away and headed for a couple hours sleep before I had to be in class. “Go! Just do a thorough job.” As I shut the door, my mind drifted back to what Stefan had said earlier, about losing his parents. I wanted to know more.

“How’d it go?” I asked as I strapped on a boot and straightened up, watching with a grin as Charles leaned with his full body against the door. I was still tired, but those couple hours of sleep were greatly needed.

“I’m exhausted. I found Bernise, a hot little number who can work wonders with her mouth. But then, as she got started, her friend Cheryl comes lumbering in. I’m not a huge fan of Cheryl—she’s okay, don’t get me wrong, but kind of a bitch. Anyway, Cheryl wants to join in. I’m hot, no two ways about it. So, now I gotta pleasure two girls. Being that I have a reputation to uphold, I have to work my ass off to get them to orgasm! Which meant I had to get hard multiple times in a short period of time. Eh!” He wiped his forehead of sweat.