Wicked Road to Hel (League of Guardians 1)

Her long hair spilled across his chest and carefully he pushed the silken strands back. He wanted to see her. To touch her. To taste her.

Her pale skin shone smooth alabaster. It glistened in the dim glow. Carefully he traced the curve of her cheek, his fingers light. He didn’t want to wake her. He wanted to savor the moment. He knew the fragile world that existed around him could shatter at any moment. In fact, it most likely would.

Silent treasures like this would be scarce. Lilith waited, with her doe-eyed smile, silken limbs, heart full of maggots, and touch of evil. His belly clenched at the thought and he angrily shoved it aside.

He wanted one more moment, one more chance at peace before plunging headlong into the fire that was District Three.

Ana moved. His body, already hard, thickened painfully with need. He held her close, his mouth nuzzling the small space between her ear and the crook of her neck.

She squirmed slightly and he smiled, his nostrils flaring as he breathed in her unique signature. Had it always been so sharp? Intoxicating?

His lips moved along her jaw and when her eyes fluttered open, he paused, a whisper away from her mouth.

“Declan,” she said softly, hesitantly. “Are you all right? I’m so sorry, I thought . . . I couldn’t let you . . .” She paused and exhaled. “I had to give you my blood or you would have died.” He pressed a finger to her lips.

“I don’t want to hear it.”

Her eyes widened, the solid blue depths glistening. He slipped his finger inside her mouth; his breath hitched at the warm wetness he found. An overwhelming need rushed through him and for a second his vision blurred. When he spoke again his voice was rough and it took a hell of a lot of effort to maintain control.

“Thinking wastes time. Breeds regret.”

His eyes dropped. He opened his mouth and took hers, plunging his tongue inside as his hand slid down her body to rest on her ass. She was perfect. Every line of her body was perfect and meant for him.

Declan groaned into her mouth, hissed with pleasure when he heard her answering moan. She was all kinds of wet warmth and his tongue tasted every inch of her mouth.

Wicked hot passion thrummed through him, lapping at his soul and setting his flesh on fire with an all-consuming need. A hunger that was relentless.

His world narrowed into the space of one small, hot lady.

He was fine with that. An infinite universe was overrated.

Declan came up for air, his tongue tracing the soft curve of her jaw, but Ana began to struggle, to push at him. The hunger inside gnawed hard, the line of black that rode the edge of his sanity was growing in strength.

“Declan, stop.” She wrenched her mouth from his and threw her head back. She pushed against his chest. “Now.”

He was breathing hard, shook his head as a curtain of black threatened. His muscles were tight, his chest on fire, and his mind was going places they shouldn’t. Blood, darkness, pain, and pleasure.

The palette had been set. He wanted more.

“You need to understand what happened.”

Ana sat up, ran her hands through the disheveled waves that rested against her cheek. Her chest heaved, her pale cheeks now held a blush of rose.

“What I did to you.” She bit her lip. “What it means . . .”

“Why are you fighting this?” Declan’s words were like whiplash, slicing through the air as his anger rose. “You’ve been fighting me for years.”

Why the hell did she have all the power? He hated that he wanted her so badly it physically hurt.

A guttural sound escaped her lips. “You don’t understand.”

“No, I don’t. So why don’t you fucking explain it to me?” He nodded toward the room. “You might want to hurry it up. I’m not sure how much time we have and there are things to be done.”

“Things?”

Her mouth was open. He saw the tip of her tongue, the edge of her fangs. He knew she was as aroused as he. His gaze wandered over the tight tank top she wore. Her nipples were plainly visible, erect with need. He bent toward her, grabbed her to him, his thumb immediately teasing the hard nub mercilessly.

His dark eyes sought hers. “By the time I’m done with you, every single bone in your body will belong to me.” He slid her shirt up slowly and took her turgid nipple deep into his mouth. He smiled wickedly as she whimpered, the sound exciting him, and he sucked harder as she writhed against him.