Page 16 of Doom

A huge wave of relief washed over me, quickly followed by guilt that I would deprive him of his companion.

“Promise me you’ll be careful,” I said, hating how clingy it made me sound.

But instead of annoying him, that seemed to please Doom. He cupped my face in his hands with infinite care, as if he feared to break me or that I might rebel.

“I will come back to you, my Red. I will always come back to you. Rest now. You’ve had a difficult day. Better days await. I promise.”

For a second, I thought—hoped—he was going to kiss me, but he merely caressed both of my cheeks with his calloused thumbs then released me.

“I will wait up for you,” I said as he turned to walk away.

Doom stopped and looked at me over his shoulder with that smile that made me weak in the knees. “I’ll try not to be too long.”

I returned his smile, though mine was shaky. It was absurd how bereft I felt, watching him walk away. Yet, beyond my own need for protection, something about Doom had connected with me on a level I couldn’t explain. If anything happened to him, I’d be devastated. Throat tight, I couldn’t even enjoy the eye candy as he stripped out of his clothes and put his weapon attachments back on.

“Wait!” I exclaimed, suddenly struck by a thought. “Shouldn’t you take that invisibility bracelet back?” My cheeks heated at the amused expression on his face and his obvious effort not to laugh. “You know what I mean,” I mumbled, feeling silly for not remembering its actual name. Invisibility sounded so much like a Harry Potter magic spell.

Doom turned to face me. “No, my Red. I’d rather you keep the cloak to make sure you can get discreetly to the hoverbike if needed.”

I frowned, uncomfortable with that. “No, take it,” I insisted. “You’re going out there without Stran and without your bike. If you are outnumbered, you’ll have no way to defend yourself. This bracelet will make sure you keep your promise and come back to me.”

“Victoria—”

“No,” I interrupted in a tone that brooked no argument. “This isn’t open for debate. Stran is a war machine on his own. If things get hairy, he will protect me long enough to get on that hoverbike and take off. He already saved me earlier today and was spanking three Kryptids by himself before the rest of you arrived.”

Stran purr-growled his approval of the praise and rubbed his snout against my palm.

“See? He agrees with me,” I said while caressing the Creckel’s head. “Plus, I’ll be sick with worry with each passing minute. I mean, I’ll be worried either way, but this will keep me from climbing the walls.”

I removed the bracelet from my wrist and waved it at him. He eyed it as if it were some offensive object before glaring at Stran.

“Traitor,” he muttered.

Stran let his reptilian tongue loll to the side of his mouth in a way that screamed mockery. I chuckled and closed the distance between us.

“Here,” I said, placing the bracelet around his wrist.

His hand closed over mine and squeezed gently. I looked up at him, surprised. The tender look on his face had my stomach doing a string of backflips. My breath caught as he let go of my hand to cup my cheek. His thumb caressed my bottom lip, and my brain ceased to function. Drowning in the fathomless depths of his obsidian eyes, I didn’t notice his face getting closer.

Liquid fire flooded the pit of my stomach when the softness of his lips pressed against mine. My fingers found their way into his shoulder-length, black hair. Letting go of my cheek, Doom wrapped his arms around me, drawing me into a tight embrace. A bolt of desire struck me. And yet, it wasn’t lust that drove me to press myself harder against him but a sense of belonging. This is where I was always meant to be—in this man’s arms, alien though he may be.

The subtle scent of cinnamon tickled my nose, and my arousal spiked. Doom’s tongue teased the seam of my mouth, demanding entry, which I gladly granted. He tasted divine as our tongues made each other’s acquaintance. Gently fisting my braid, he tilted my head to the side and deepened the kiss. I moaned softly, my palms roaming across his shoulders and over the rounded tips of the bony spikes that adorned them. The hard yet silky texture of his scales beneath my fingertips made me want to explore more of him. It struck me then that he was naked in my arms, and another bolt of desire swirled in the pit of my stomach.

Too soon, Doom ended our kiss, the heated expression on his beautiful face making my legs quiver.

“You are far too tempting, my Red,” Doom said in a voice so deep and gravelly it almost sounded like a growl. “I must go so that I may come back to you.”

“Okay,” I said in a breathy voice.

I truly loved how he called mehisRed, how he claimed me. Brushing his lips against mine one last time, Doom turned around and walked away. Heart aching, I watched him shift into battle form. Before stepping through the door, he activated the cloak.

“He’ll be fine, right Stran?” I asked, staring at the closed door as if I could see through it.

Stran did his purr-growl, licked my hand, and then rolled up into a ball near the entrance to stand guard.

You come back to me, Doom. You better come back to me.

Chapter 4

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