CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kat sighed in contentment as Sin's body relaxed behind hers, letting her know he'd finally gone to sleep. She was actually surprised that she'd won the argument for him to go to sleep and not get frisky with her.
But even though she wanted to be with him, she still needed a little space. Their relationship was going way too fast for her. She'd just met him, literally, and though they'd shared so much already, she still needed time to breathe. To think. To adjust.
So he'd given her a playful pout, then wrapped his arms around her and settled down to sleep. In some ways this was even more intimate than having sex with him. It at least took more trust, since it required his having to close his eyes and relax around her. She could do anything to him right now and he'd be powerless to stop her.
She could shave his head, paint his fingernails pink... put makeup on his face.
Biting her lip, she had to stifle a laugh at the thought of him in such a girlie way.
"What are you doing?" His deep voice was a sleepy rumble.
"I thought you were asleep."
"I was until your hip touched my groin." Those piercing gold eyes opened to stare at her. "Kind of hard to stay asleep with the smell of you so close and your body rubbing against mine." He rolled over, onto his back. "It's actually cruel."
"I'm sorry." She moved to snuggle up to his side. She laid her head on his chest and just inhaled the masculine scent of his body. She stared at her hand, which was incredibly pale on top of his dark skin. Kissing him just above his nipple, she closed her eyes.
Sin's body jerked at the sweetness of her actions. He still couldn't believe he was sharing his bed with her and they weren't doing anything other than sleeping in it.
What the hell was wrong with him? He'd never done this with a woman before.
"We're adults. You'll live." Her glib words rang in his head now. And he wasn't so sure he'd survive this.
And yet at the same time, it was wonderful to feel her lying against him. He ran his hand through her pale hair. He didn't know why, but he'd always been fascinated by blond hair. Hers was like spun gold whispering against his skin. He fanned it over her shoulders and smiled at the sight of her pink flannel pajamas.
Pajamas... in his bed. Would the indignities never cease? The least she could have done was wear a negligee.
"Those aren't comfortable. They crawl up your nether regions while you sleep."
But who cares? You would have and you wouldn't have been able to keep your hands off her in that case.
Yeah, she'd pegged him on that.
Sin sighed as he pulled at the flannel sleeve. Personally, he wanted to go back in time, find whoever had created pajamas for sleepwear, and beat the hell out of him. Surely he wasn't the only man who'd ever felt that way.
Of course it wouldn't be nearly so bad if Kat couldn't conjure her own clothes. Then he could have insisted she sleep naked or at the very least in one of his T-shirts.
Flannel sucked.
Sleep, Sin...
That was easier said than done. Honestly, this felt like a whole new kind of torture. His body was white-hot and aching, with no relief in sight. No wonder some men begged for castration.
But before long, his exhaustion overtook him and he found himself falling asleep again. His dreams drifted through his battles, then back further in time...
He could see Anu, looking proud as the first of the gallu were born-not of a mother's loins but of eggs so that they could survive and be born even if the mother was killed.
After sex, one female could lay two dozen fertilized eggs. Eggs that would survive heat or cold. They were virtually indestructible.
Anu had stood on a precipice high above the nest as the first hatchlings began cracking open their shells. "Look at them, Sin. This is the ultimate weapon. Let any pantheon try to defeat us now."
"They are beautiful," Anatum had said, her perfect smile beaming on her patrician face. Not only Anu's wife, she was the goddess of creation. Tall and graceful, she'd been a vision standing by her husband's side.
She'd also been the first victim of the gallu. As soon as they'd broken free of their eggs, they had rushed up the cavern walls to the three of them.
Sin had killed two while six had attacked Anatum. They'd gotten her free, but not before she'd been bitten. At first they'd thought nothing about it. At the time, no one knew the gallu bites could create others of their kind.
Because the demons were young and their venom weak, Anatum hadn't turned right away. She'd merely been ill. It wasn't until nightfall that they'd learned the true horror of what had been created.
Anatum had gone after Anu in his sleep. He'd barely been able to keep her from biting him and converting him. After a brief fight, he'd confined her to a cage.
Even though they were gods, there was no way to save her. And because of her god powers, she was even more dangerous than the others.
With no choice, Sin had taken his daughter, Ishtar, and they had destroyed Anatum and allowed Ishtar to absorb her powers and replace her in the pantheon. Anu had been sick over the loss. Sick with guilt over what he'd unleashed.
At least until Enlil had come forward.
Because of his powers over demon kind, Enlil was able to weaken the demons enough so that they could gain control of them.
Sin had begged them all to destroy them.
"Why would you kill something so valuable?" Enlil was emphatic that the gallu be saved. "They are the only thing we have to fight the Atlanteans with. Imagine if they were to ever come after us.
"They're not a warring pantheon," Sin had argued.