Page 63 of The Mating Fire
Snarling, she slammed a bolt of coldfire into his chest, sending him hurling backwards. Harper sprang to her feet, energized and ready.
“I can take you,” she panted.
He made no move toward her, only watched. “Can you?”
A rush of overwhelming sensual arousal slammed into her as if she’d been pumped full of high octane aphrodisiacs. Her entire body clenched, the space between her legs aching and empty and needing, oh dear heavens, she needed so much. Instantly she went from tensing for battle to tensing for bed. Images began playing in her mind, no matter how fiercely she tried to keep them at bay.
Lying on satin sheets, her nude body rubbing against the softness as her nipples went diamond hard. Wet with her arousal, she held out her arms, welcoming him, whimpering as he stood by the bed with a triumphant smile of satisfaction.
Gasping, she doubled over, trying to eradicate the sensual onslaught of his powers, but he kept flooding her mind, making her weak with sheer need. Sex, all she could think about was sex and she needed it now, needed it with him and only him…
Harper flung back her head and moaned as the images changed, and Jared joined her on the bed, kissing his way up her trembling, naked body, then delving between her thighs.
“So you see, my dear, my weapons are not only fire.” He sounded raspy and breathless.
Harper looked at him, really looked at him. Sweat beaded on his temples and his body quivered much as hers did.
Had she had this effect on him? The mighty incubus, wanting to seduce her as much as she wanted to be seduced?
Harper reached out to touch his face. His dark gaze glittered. Glancing at her wounded hand, his expression tightened.
“I hurt you.”
He picked up her palm and placed a single, gentle kiss on her cut. Stunned, she watched the skin knit together.
Their gazes met. “Did you just…” she began.
“I don’t know.”
“Your touch healed me. I’m sure it did.” Harper gestured to his wings. “Let’s try again. Give me all the dark magick you have.”
An unknown emotion touched his face. “My dear, you are strong and you can protect yourself. But I cannot unleash all my dark power to train you. I risk crossing over.”
Self-preservation nudged aside her growing love. “Crossing over into what?”
He gazed into the distance. “You do not wish to know. Life can be a delicate dance between light and darkness for beings such as myself.”
Odd. “You mean demons? But are you really a demon, Jared? Because demons don’t do that dance. They’re already committed to the dark side. Total relationship, not flirting with it like you.”
His gaze narrowed. “Do not make me into someone good, Harper. Overestimating me can land you in deep trouble.”
She wanted to help him, ease the torment glimpsed in his deep, dark eyes. Harper had only instinct to guide her.
“I can’t make you into someone you aren’t, Jared. Stop thinking you’re this big, bad demon.” Harper flicked out herfingers, showing the blue glow surrounding them. “You said this demon Saqra wanted to kill me and drain my powers. If you were truly evil, wouldn’t you want the same?”
He looked away. “Perhaps I want something from you as well, only not quite as destructive. But maybe damaging in its own way.”
The cryptic words roused her curiosity. “What do you want from me, Jared?”
No answer, for his attention sharpened on the meadow’s far edges. A sudden gust of wind whipped through the dying grasses. Harper's instincts kicked into overdrive. Jared turned, every muscle tensing.
The wind blew harder, howling like a banshee. Were banshees real as well? She didn’t know, only that whatever approached was not friendly.
“They’ve found us,” he announced, his body tensed as if for battle.
“Who? What?” She strained to see the edge of the field as the wind increased.
“Demons. I scent about two or three. Not too powerful, but bad enough.”
