Inferno of Darkness (Divisa Huntress #2) - J.L. Weil Page 0,59
taken by brute force, the kingdom transferred upon the destruction of the only thing a demon had left—its soul. But a queen or king at any time could pass the throne to an heir if they had one. Kali’s reign was far from over. The only way Ashor would become the King of Darkness was by killing his own mother. “So the crown you insist I keep, is this another way for you to claim me?”
A twinkle sparkled in his eyes. “If it is?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “I haven’t even decided if I want to be mated to you.”
The pad of his thumb ran back and forth over my bottom lip, parting them. “You’ve had months to consider and you’re telling me you still haven’t made up your mind?”
My response was a flick of my tongue over his thumb, tasting the potency of his skin, and my demon purred with delight. My demon was a harlot.
A deep rumble vibrated in his chest. “Perhaps you need more convincing….” The sudden silky and seductive quality to his voice sent two very opposite signals off in my body.
According to my mother, seducing Ashor should come naturally to me, but it was Ashor who seduced me. “We’re not done talking, princeling.” Looking into his sultry face, I was seconds away from saying, screw it. Seeing him changed everything. I still intended to find a way out of this mess, but I couldn’t unless I had all the facts.
The pad of his thumb continued to roll over my bottom lip, thoroughly distracting me. “How did I know you were going to say that?”
“Probably because you’re in my head.”
“I don’t need to read your thoughts to know that you are up to something.” His eyes narrowed, watching with a different intensity. “What is it?”
“I am not,” I protested, attempting to keep my voice level and nonchalant. I failed.
“Lexi,” he rumbled.
I tried to wiggle off his lap and onto the bed, but he wasn’t having it. “Are you done being a righteous prick?”
Amusement glittered in his eyes. “God, how I’ve missed you.”
I swallowed. “You have?”
Genuine surprise brightened his alluring features. “Did you think I wouldn’t?”
I shrugged. He wasn’t always the easiest demon to read. Ashor might know what was going on inside my mind, but I was clueless. “You just seemed… tied up.”
That glorious mouth twitched. “Did I? Have you’ve been in my head?. So tell me, how much have you seen?”
I leveled him a serious glare. “Enough to know you’re going to get us all killed.”
Ashor tilted his head to the side as his fingers slid into the back pocket of my jeans. “Is that so? How did you break through my wards?”
I needed space or I was going to shove him back on the bed and attack with my mouth. This time I managed to untangle myself from him and sit beside him on the bed. I expected the small amount of distance to offer a reprieve from the humming of my body. Nope. “I didn’t break your wards, at least not consciously. I didn’t even know you had wards, but I was informed that you’ve been cloaking the truth from me, or trying to.”
“Hmm.” He pursed his lips, shifted his body so he was angled toward me. “It appears I’m going to have to be more careful. Our connection runs deeper than I thought.”
I sensed that he wanted to reach for me again, needed to touch me, and that same need rippled within me. “You can’t always protect me or shield me from what is happening. That’s not how this works.”
“Is that what you’re really worried about?”
“What else should I be worried about?” I countered, trying to play it cool.
“That I might die, perhaps?”
I pretended to ignore the sudden spike in my heart his question created. “Why is it wrong to want you to live?”
Arrogance lifted at his lips. “It isn’t wrong. I just wanted to hear you say it.”
“Asshole,” I muttered.
He chuckled again, tugging at the ends of my hair. “Tell me you missed me, luv.”
I grabbed his hand, the one playing with my hair, and pushed back the sleeve of his shirt to reveal the blood oath his mother had marked on him. With the tip of my nail, I traced over the lines. “Only if you promise to find a way to break your oath.”
His arrogance flickered, and I swore I saw a flash of regret. “You know that isn’t possible.”