Page 39 of Dark Horse

“Come for me. I want to hear you though.”

“Yes. Okay.” She gives in immediately. “Oh my god. It’s so fucking good. I’m almost there…” She’s a mess of whimpers and moans then. Her breathing is stuttered until she finally gasps for air. “Oh fuck. Fucking hell… I can’t…” Her voice fades, and I hear the vibrator grow louder and the sounds of her wetness as she fucks herself with it beyond her murmured curses.

“That’s it. Fuck yourself for me like a good girl. Fuck… the way you sound, Hellfire.”

“Oh fuck,” she murmurs, and then I can hear her coming clearly by the way her breathing changes and the soft begging sounds she makes, pleading for the end of her torture.

I let go then, giving myself permission to come while I can still hear how good she sounds. It doesn’t take much; I’m so close from listening to her that I careen over the edge a few moments later. Hot streams lash across my abdomen and over my hand. The phone falls to the side as I curse and groan through the last of it. Wishing it was her here with me.

“Fucking hell.” I wipe my hand on my sweats.

They were headed for the laundry anyway, and I might need another shower. One I’ll need to take quickly because between the exhaustion and the way this orgasm zaps the will from my body to do anything but lie here, I’m in danger of just collapsing in there. I pick the phone back up when I hear her say my name.

“You still there?” she asks.

“I’m still here. Dropped the phone.” I realize I don’t know what else to say.

I said what I meant. Things I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since we went racing across the line in the sand between us. I don’t want to take it back, but I’m also not keen to say anything to fuck it up. The clarity of her orgasm might make the chances she bites rise again.

“That was… different,” she says softly.

“No regrets confessing your secrets to your mortal enemy?” I joke, hoping it puts us closer to our usual footing.

“No. I’d do it again. Anytime.” I can hear the smile in her voice.

“Watch what you offer up. I’ll take until there’s nothing left,” I warn her. She has to know, even as strong and capable as she is, that I’m not good for her. Not good for anyone. At least not as anything but a bulwark against people worse than me. As dark as my heart might be, there are plenty out there that are merely voids.

“I don’t hate the idea of that.” There’s a hint of trepidation in her tone.

“Then you need sleep. And so do I. Get some.”

“After that, it’s going to be easy.” The amusement returns to her voice.

“Goodnight,Hellfire.”

“Night, Devil.”

I kill the call, and my head falls back on the pillow. I can’t decide if I’ve lost my mind or if I’m a fucking genius for getting myself into this situation. I’ll have to decide that when my brain is functioning again, but at least I’ll sleep well tonight knowing for once I made her curse for the right reasons.

FOURTEEN

GRANT

“It’s been a minute.”I wrap my arms around my sister, Aspen, and she squeezes me tight.

“It has,” she acknowledges, looking me over for any damage as she lets me go again. It’s the kind of once-over our mother always gave us, and I can still see the echo of her in Aspen.

“Where’s Ethan?” I ask, frowning as I don’t see him anywhere nearby. Her husband isn’t my favorite, but he is family. I hope he isn’t already hiding out in a room on his phone.

“About that.” She sighs and looks into the distance, tucking her hands into her back pockets.

I study her face for a moment. Underneath the fading smile and the perfect makeup and hair, she looks sad, tired even. I know her job keeps her busy, on the road almost as much as herhusband is, but she swore up and down she was going to start slowing down and taking it easier.

“He fuck up?” They spend a lot of time away from each other, and if she told me that he cheated, I wouldn’t even raise a brow. Pricks like him don’t know loyalty the way we do.

“Something like that.” She looks into the distance, and I can see whatever has her here alone has done a number on her.

“Is it a temporary sort of fuckup or the kind that sticks long-term?” I ask because she’s always been a little too understanding where her husband’s concerned, especially because of their daughter.

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