Julian turned back from the edge, to stare at a vision that could only mean trouble and heartache.
Trouble he could handle, and as for the heartache, well, since his was defective, he wasn’t too worried about that either. He could enjoy whatever the hell it was they shared, with no strings.
Not that she’d let him, but still.
Her hair was loose, just the way he liked it, the long damp tendrils falling in silken waves behind her shoulders. A lot of her golden skin was on display; the low-plunging neckline of the dress she wore left nothing to the imagination. It barely covered her breasts, and with a slit the size of Niagara Falls up the side, a good expanse of her legs could be seen.
Her clan tattoos glistened, and he was mesmerized by them. Fire ripped through him as his eyes drank in the exotic markings, etchings that declared her taken.
And his mouth went dry as he heard a whisper of insanity inside his head. Mine.
He took a step toward her but paused as she arched an eyebrow and spoke. “I see you like the dress, and since I know you can barely stand to be in the same room with me, my job is done.” She smiled bitterly. “Apparently, I play the part of Daddy’s little whore well.”
She looked down at the floor, stretched out a long lean calf, as if admiring the sandals that cupped her feet. But he caught sight of the pain that shimmered in her eyes and the way her lips trembled. “I’m going for dinner. You can either have room service or go down to the hub. Declan is there along with the rest of my team. They’ll be expecting you.”
She glanced up, and he had to admire the steely core at the center of the woman. Gone was any form of weakness, her mouth set in a determined line, her expression blank.
His eyes sought hers, then drifted to the discolored flesh of her cheek. It was slightly swollen and would be a bitch of a bruise in the morning, but none of it detracted from her beauty.
Hell, the woman could have two black eyes and sport missing teeth, but she’d still have that something, that thing no one else possessed. The kind of charisma that turned heads, held interest.
“Who’s Kragen?” he asked gruffly.
“Why do you care?” she shot back.
Good question. He shouldn’t care. At all. As his eyes slowly ran the length of her once more, he felt a prickle of anger. Seriously, what was it about her that affected him so?
He should be hunting for Cormac and Azaiel instead of standing here worried about some mystery man she was going to screw.
“Lady, I don’t give a shit who you’re fucking tonight, but if this Kragen has anything to do with the portal, I need to know.”
She flinched at his words, but he didn’t care. Hell, it was the truth, wasn’t it? Jaden stared at him hard, her eyes glittering through the gloom.
“Kragen is a sorcerer, one with a known affiliation to Cormac. I’ve been trying to find out where the bastard is holed up, and right now, Kragen is my only lead.” She turned around, and his eyes fell to the gentle swell of her butt. Christ but her ass was delicious.
Yeah, good job staying focused.
“Your father seems pretty convinced you’re loyal to the DaCostas. You sure you’re not looking on his behalf?” he asked, his eyes never leaving her backside.
She paused and cocked her head to the side. Damn, but her profile was as hot as any other angle. “Of course that’s what he believes, but no, definitely not.” She moistened her lips, and his eyes were drawn to them. “This is the last time you will question my intentions, are we clear?”
In that moment, Julian knew she meant what she said. There was clarity there, an intent that could not be mistaken.
He said nothing but nodded.
“Good, if all goes well, Kragen will have the information that I need.”
The woman was a major distraction, and the fact that he’d tasted her once didn’t count in his favor. He wished he’d never laid a hand on her. Images from that night skirted the edges of his mind, entangled limbs, lean, naked lines, and an arched back that made his mouth water. The need to touch her again was becoming hard to resist.
His groin tightened, his skin burned.
“Hopefully, I won’t have to fuck him to find out.”
He missed the sarcasm in her words. Hell, the only word he’d heard was fuck, and a red haze swam before his eyes.
Anger exploded within his chest as her words sunk in, but she’d already exited the balcony and was halfway to the elevator doors before he caught up with her.
Julian grabbed her arm, felt the heat of her flesh beneath his fingers, and his heart pounded in tandem to the fury that was suddenly raging beneath his skin.