Page 173 of Monsters in Love: Lost in the Underworld

“I’m a Render.”

“You’re a reaper.” Yeah, I feel stupid arguing with him about who or what he is, but seriously…our whole first encounter at my death, the hood, the flowing robe of shadows—it all adds up to reaper. Plus, he’s definitely mentioned being a reaper before. “That’s how we met. Not a storybook meet cute, but it worked out, right?”

His magical heart pulses violet again, and his mouth twists into a smirk. “I would say it has more than worked out.”

Oh god, if he keeps talking like that, I’ll forget any of my questions about demons and ghosts so we can cut straight to the sexy times. “A Render?” My voice comes out breathy. Yep, gonna need to skip the talking and see if my Shadow Daddy won’t reenact one of our best nights from the lengthy highlights reel playing in my head.

“It’s not pretty. I tear apart souls of those condemned to a fate worse than damnation.”

“But not…normal ghosts?” I realize it’s notnormalto discuss any ghosts, but hey, I’m talking to my reaper or Render boyfriend.

“No. Never the soul of a human.” He tightens his grip on me for a moment. “Most reapers spend their lives guiding the dead to the Bridge of Souls so they can cross to the other side with the help of the gargoyle queen.”

Who created a bridge worthy of transporting souls?Is it a tangible bridge like we have in the human world or more of an imaginary construct? Is it made of beams, cables, or arches?While I’m still fighting my need to demand an answer to design questions, my mind races to a more troubling issue. “Wait, did Igo to this bridge? Did they reject me? I don’t remember meeting any gargoyles.”

“I was supposed to take you, but I couldn’t let you go.” He slides a shadow through my hair and along the nape of my neck. “There was an emergency in the After Worlds, and I filled in for a regular reaper that night. The Fates truly meant for us to meet. Normally, I only work special ops.”

“A warrior reaper?”

“As close to that as my kind have.”

“Oh my god, my guy’s the Seal Team Six of reapers.”

“Yours?” The violet deep within his chest flickers to a dangerous, dark shade, but before I can ask why, he speaks again, “I signed a deal with a demon to have a chance of being together with you in this realm.”

“I thought it was about you agreeing to clear the house of revenants.”

He slides his shadows along my collarbone and lower. “For a chance to touch you, I would’ve agreed to anything. For a chance at forever together, I would’ve torn the souls of anyone apart. I have no boundaries when it comes to loving you.”

My brain goes to absolute mush. I can’t remember why we talked instead of jumping each other on first sight. Given his crazyI’ll Rend The World For Youspeech, the heat of his shadows tracing my breast and then dipping inside my top should not be making my heart beat faster. And I should absolutely not be wondering what happens if Idrag him against a horizontal surface. A vertical surface. Hell, in midair if he’s willing and able to make my fantasies a reality.

I suck in a breath as his shadow moves down and over the curve of my hip.

This is my Shadow Daddy, my reaper, my mate.

Mate?

Fated mate, yes.

“Prove it,” I whisper.

He teases me, his shadows playing along my jaw, the curve of my breast, hiking up my dress to brush the edge of my panties. His mouth comes close enough to brush my ear in the softest whisper, his fangs a delicate graze over my skin. His touch is barely there and yet my skin comes alive. The dark magic of him being against me makes me forget everything except for my reaper.

“Say yes,” he says on a growl. His mouth closes over mine. This kiss isn’t gentle, isn’t teasing. It’s all tongue and fangs. The scrape of his fangs across my bottom lip sends another spike of heat straight to my core. “Tell me to make your sketch a reality.”

My breath catches in my throat, my head fuzzy with hormones and want andneed. “Wh…what?”

“Your art. The way you drew us together. You looked so gorgeous in the throes of climax, a mirror of the look I love when I bring you to orgasm again and again. You crave that pleasure now, don’t you?”

I can’t even work up the energy to be embarrassed he’s seen my very intimate artwork of us in our most erotic moments. I’m so wrapped up in him I can only say one word.

“Yes.”

Wren

My mate.

My sole desire.

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