Page 92 of Soul Food

I sucked in a breath at what his words made me remember. “It makes me a fool.”

“Too forgiving. Too sensitive. Too kind.” His voice was heartbreakingly tender at my ear. “But never a fool.”

Yes, I was. Not only did my body cave, my heart did too. He just had to speak and like a fool, I listened.

My knees buckled as he bent his tall frame lower and scooped me up in his arms. I already knew where he was taking me. My bedroom. And I let him. I looked up at the side of his face because he wasn’t looking at me right now. Sharp edges, cold expression. That was his persona, but sometimes when I went searching, he gave me more. And the fool in me thought I was the only one.His exception.

The sun filtered through my bedroom window. He didn’t turn on the light when he walked through the door. He simply left us in the hidden sunlight—blackened out by the curtains, just like our hearts, just like our feelings.

He placed me down on the bed gently, but instead of comforting me it only made me afraid. This wasn’t what I wanted. This was what I was terrified of—of feeling more than what I already felt when he was being so painstakingly gentle with me. His eyes were very nonhuman when they were red, but that didn’t stop me from staring into them before I propped myself on my elbows, leaned forward and stole his lips. Feeling desperate, I dragged my nails across his suit and tore at his shirt.

Ever in control, he pulled my hand away and stopped kissing me so that he could study me. I averted my gaze and pushed my dress down. It was already falling off as it was. I lifted my ass up and slipped out of it. Then I reached for his buttons, but he stopped me again.

“Ruth.”

His husky voice had my skin prickling. “What are you waiting for, soul reaper?” I flipped myself around and thrust my ass into the bulge trapped in his pants. “Isn’t this what we want?”

Fingers traced over my back. “You couldn’t possibly fathom what I want.” He unhooked my strapless bra, and it fell on the bed. My nipples pebbled the moment the air kissed their skin. “But you can start by saying my name.”

“No,” I whispered plainly.

“No?” he parroted, broodingly.

“Who you were then, and who you are now are different. I’ll call you a demon. I’ll call you a soul reaper. That’s what you are.”

He leaned his body over mine as he snaked a hand around and palmed one of my breasts. “I am very much the same, Soul Food, and you know it.”

“Don’t call me that!” I shouldn’t have looked over my shoulder because our noses bumped when I did. My heart picked up its rhythm while he stole everything precious away from me with his expression. He was haunted. Just like me.

“You’re food for my soul, food for my heart.” He ran his finger across my chin. “Youare my greatest delight.” I yelped as he flipped me back around, forcing me on my back. “That’s why I’ll take your body one last time when I shouldn’t. And this is how I’ll make you see me as I do when I know you don’t want to look at me.”

Last time?I thought he couldn’t break my heart more, but I was wrong.

“Because I’m a demon. A very bad one at that.” His gaze trailed over my breasts and stomach. “The unfortunate day you stumbled by me was an infinite minute in time that mapped your future into one where a soul reaper like me would try to steal it all away.”

He chucked off his coat, then worked on his buttons with haste. My body tightened with all this pent-up sexual energy as he stripped out of his shirt and let me see what plagued my darkest needs.

“Evil until the bitter end.” I swallowed as he wiped my face, almost like he was afraid I was about to break. Maybe I was.

“You can make me stop,” he told me.

“I know.” I sucked in a breath. “But we both know I won’t. My body is a mess without you.” I raised my shaky hand up to his cheek and cupped it. “Why am I drawn to you so?” I left the rest unsaid. It was enough. Too much actually.

Placing his hand over mine, he leaned down and breathed me in before kissing me. My teeth raked across his tongue and bottom lip each time he lavished me with soft kisses. I explored his chest and pinched his nipples, trying to draw out the same urgency in him that I felt in myself. His hand trailed down my stomach and when it slipped inside my panties, I lifted my hips to meet his touch before he retreated.

My feelings for him were burning me from the inside out. He was only here to finish the rest of me.

Our lips broke away as he moved down my neck and lowered himself to my breasts where he covered one of my nipples with his mouth, sucked, pulled and bit until I was a sobbing mess. Then he switched to the other breast and did the same before going even lower. He started tugging at my panties. His body was taunt, and his eye color gave him a certain amount of brutality that stirred my desire to the point that I felt mad.

He could tear me apart. Physically, the soul reaper was a beast, yet the only thing he was doing was marking my body with everlasting memories meant to lavish and adore me instead. Somehow, that was worse than hurting me, but if he stopped… I didn’t ever want him to stop.

He scooted my ass to the end of the bed, bending my legs back and exposing all of me. I watched with a burning desire rippling through me. His gaze equaled mine—even more so with the blood-red enhancing the ravenous need I saw rippling through them. He didn’t pause or give me a chance to breathe. He covered my pussy with his mouth and licked, lavished me, then he sucked on my clit and flattened his tongue out and added pressure. I bucked my hips into his face, melting into ecstasy as he released a throaty groan, sending further shock waves through me.

It was like he knew my body, and what it needed more than I did. “Oh, God.” I grabbed his hair and gripped it tight. With just his tongue, he was about to push me over the edge. I watched him between my thighs until those red eyes reached mine. Five seconds passed before I could tear my eyes away from his. I was going to come all over his face with no regrets. I still craved him knowing what he was. Closing my eyes, I arched my back and gave way to the desire blossoming through me. Even in my mind, I still saw him—his crimson eyes, his wide chest, the heat of his body and lastly, his reaping form—flowing through me at the last second. And still,Ohhh,I was coming…

Until he stopped everything. “Say it.”

I peeled my eyes open and frowned. “Please,” I begged for what he didn’t let me have.

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