almost nonexistent.
“Seriously?” He caught me by the shoulders in a bruising grip. “Cut it out.” The irritated, condescending tone of his words pushed my blood to the boiling point.
“All you have to do is let me go.” I had not gone through a year of grueling slayer training to be patronized by an example of the very abomination I was taught to take down. That was why I hauled off and punched him in the face. His head snapped back. I saw his eyes roll. But then he countered so fast there wasn’t time to see it. Next thing I knew, his hands had locked around my wrists and pulled them together above my head.
The jolt of pain through my shoulders hurt so much my eyes teared up. I refused to let those tears spill over. If I had anything to say about it, he would never know he hurt me.
“I admire your idiocy,” Seth admitted. He licked his lips as he looked at my body. “And now you’re going to pay for acting up. You’re lucky I believe in rewarding acts of bravery.”
Immediately, he tossed me over his shoulder and strode off. His arm locked around my legs, ensuring I wasn’t going anywhere.
Anger bubbled in my chest, and I thrashed against him. “You prick. Put me down.”
“Keep sweet talking me.”
No one was around to spot us, and not that I’d drag any innocents into facing a demon. I had to watch the lights of downtown recede farther and farther into the distance. What replaced them was an endless army of trees and the foreboding voice of the river.
Okay, V, I thought. How long can you hold your breath? Oh yeah, and survive in water that’s full of ice? A few times, I struggled, but the demon simply held me tighter. He spanked me, hard, and ordered me to “Behave.”
I flinched that he did that. I thanked everything holy that he couldn’t see me biting my lip. Why did it feel so deliciously enticing to let him manhandle me? Why wasn’t I just mad as hell about it, instead of mad and vaguely intrigued?
Seth carried me into a house, up some stairs, and into a bedroom on the second floor. I studied everything and the path he brought me through the house for an easy escape. There, he unloaded me onto the bed. In the same swift motion, he pulled the hat off my head. My hair went flying everywhere, bouncing off the mattress. He tossed it aside.
“So what happens now?” I made sure to be extra snarky-sounding, lest he get any ideas about what I thought of him. It wasn’t that my overall opinion was changing—a demon from hell with a six-pack was still a demon from hell. I just happened to be turned on by his particular brand of bad attitude. Did I regret that? Yes. Was it preventing me from teetering on the edge of some truly awful decisions? Nope.
I pushed to get up, but he kneeled next to me, claiming my mouth once more. My lips stung from where the bear shifter had punched me. Though, I easily forgot that as Seth kissed with hunger, with a desperation like he might lose me, which surprised me. I should have shoved my hands into his chest, but my body had other ideas. There was no denying the attraction I felt for him.
Following my desire over my logic, I cupped his face, returning the passion, giving into my whims. My head screamed to get the hell out of there, but my body and excitement took charge. That moment when I craved someone so intensely, nothing else made sense. I cursed him for being so sexy, and well, I was a big girl and knew exactly what I was getting myself into. Even if it was with the enemy. A one-night stand with a hunk I’d regret later, but in that moment, I wanted what he offered. Call me crazy, but I craved more. Life ended too fast, and I promised myself to never hold back on what I wanted. Plus, at the back of my mind, I kept thinking that getting closer to a demon came with benefits, like getting him on my side, gaining insider information, and playing with his thoughts. He might be turning me on, but I intended to have the exact same impact on him…ongoing.
He broke our kiss and reached down beside the bed, then came back up with a length of hefty rope