“Yes.” A line formed between his brows, and his gaze continued to brush lower over my body, down over my thighs where the hem rode up.
“That was unpleasant.” I was studying him closely—his dark eyebrows, the high cheekbones, the little dimple in his chin. The look he was giving me was hungry. I wanted to shriek at him about what I’d just experienced, but he looked like a starving man who wanted to run his mouth over every inch of me. And that was very distracting.
On my thigh, where his fingers gripped my bare skin, a sinful pleasure was rippling into my body. This was the addictive nature of the Fallen, with their seductive magic. Not to mention that I’d been starved for contact entirely. Slowly, a molten ache was building in me.
“Very unpleasant indeed,” I repeated, but I sounded husky and breathless. “I am quite annoyed about it.”
“Mmmmm …” His voice was a deep, velvety vibration over my skin. “I am quite annoyed as well, since you tried to assassinate me and escape. I’d say annoyed is an understatement.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
And yet I was thinking of how it would feel to kiss his perfect mouth.
6
Lila
He released the powerful grip around my thigh, and I slid down his body, but he kept his other arm wrapped around my waist.
He spun me around so my back was to the cold stone wall and leaned down, whispering into my ear, “You’re my enemy, and you will stay here where I can keep an eye on you. You are dangerous and untrustworthy.”
I found myself wrapping my arms around his neck under his cloak. “You can’t keep me locked in a room forever, Samael. I made one itty bitty mistake, but you’re fine now, aren’t you? Strong as ever. Time to move on.”
“One mistake?” He leaned down, his breath warming the shell of my ear, and a shiver rippled over my body. “You have made many. You poisoned my soldiers with magic, you snuck out of the castle. You collaborated with the enemy, you tried to murder me and Sourial, and now you escape again. Looks like we need to talk about what behaving means. Don’t we?”
“That’s mostly just one mistake with lots of elaboration,” I said breathlessly.
“Put your hands over your head.”
My cheeks were growing warm. “Why, are you going to punish me?” Why did I like that idea? What, exactly, was wrong with me?
Maybe after all this time alone, I liked the full force of his attention on me, and I could see the desire in his eyes. His sensual, angelic magic was licking at my skin like a slow, erotic torture. So, I did as he commanded, and I raised my arms up against the chilly stone wall.
The look he was giving me sent molten heat sliding through my core. He gripped my wrists with one hand.
Pinning my arms to the wall, he leaned down, his mouth hovering over my throat. I was desperate for the contact, aching to feel his lips on me. I closed my eyes, arching my neck. I’m ready for my consequences.
Slowly, he brushed his lips over my throat, then his teeth. His tongue flicked over the pulse in my neck, sending a wave of hot desire coursing through my body. God, it felt good. I shuddered with pleasure. Pressed against the wall, I was completely vulnerable. And I wanted him bad.
His mouth continued to move over my neck. I ached for him. As he started to lift the hem of my skirt, a draft swept over my bare thighs.
“Samael,” I whispered.
Were we in public now? I didn’t really care. I just wanted his body against mine. It was like all those months of sitting alone in a room had crystalized into a sharp need for him, and only he could satisfy me now. Clearly, I had lost my mind.
I opened my eyes—and I stared into the face of death. Eyes of fire, swirls of golden tattoos. Oh, God.
Death incarnate.
My breath caught; my muscles went tense, my heart slamming against my ribs. That face wasn’t meant to be seen by mortals.
He dropped the grip on my wrists and pulled away from me sharply, turning.
“That was a mistake.” He pulled up his cowl, and I watched his fists tighten, knuckles whitening. “It won’t happen again.”
I was still catching my breath. “Agreed. A terrible mistake. As you mentioned moments ago, you loathe me.”
“It was the nightgown.” His voice was pure ice. “Any ordinary woman strutting around half naked, flashing her wares, would tempt a man.”
“Any ordinary woman? Strutting around half naked? My wares?”
“Are you going to just keep repeating me?”
Holy hell. Now that stung. My cheeks burned, my stomach sinking. Suddenly, I forgot all about my escape attempt, the lacerating pain, and the ghost who’d tried to murder me. Somehow, this seemed like the worst thing to happen within the past hour.
I straightened, smoothing out my nightgown as if I could reclaim my dignity. I needed to say something equally stinging, to make him feel the slap of rejection.
“And I was only tempted by your stupidly, divinely beautiful face.” Ah, there it was, the sharp sting of my rebuke. “Forget I said that. You only look good because I haven’t seen another person in months. You know, there was a week there where I thought I would find a way to win you back. Then I came to my senses. You are arrogant and believe you’re better than mortals. I still don’t like you. You’re not nearly as amazing as you think you are. You make everyone think of death. It’s off-putting.”
There. Dignity reclaimed.
“You should not have left your room,” he said sharply. He turned, his eyes icy grey. The mournful look in them sent splinters of ice through my heart. “You'd be wise to let me forget you, Lila. You’d be safest that way.”
“Safe from you?”
“You tried to assassinate the Venom of God. You're lucky to be alive, I think. The only thing keeping you from harm was staying in that room. I will come get you when I need you. Until then, you will remain in there. It is best for both of us.”
Desperation rose in me, pure panic that I’d be stuck in that depressing room again. “I think there is some magic in that room trying to kill me. The ghost woman with the leaves. Was that you? Was that part of my punishment?”
“Ghosts again? Really?” He turned to walk away from me. “Oswald, my chamberlain, will return you to your room. I hope you understand now that you simply cannot escape. I gave you too much leeway in Castle Hades. I won't make the same mistake again.”
“Wait, wait!” I shouted. My voice echoed off the stone walls.
He kept walking, pulling up the hood of his cloak.
“I might be going insane! ” I shouted after him. Fatigue from the magic poison earlier still racked my body; I wasn’t going to expend any extra energy unless I needed to.
At last, this made him stop. He stood quietly on the stairs, not looking at me. Just waiting, his cowl raised.
“I’m going mad in there. Inventing things.” I hated how hysterical I sounded, but I couldn’t face that room again. “I hear my name. I saw a woman in the reflection. She tried to choke me with leaves. She’s either a ghost or I’m losing my mind. And neither of those things are great. I need to speak to other people. I need to get out now and then or I will be a raving madwoman. I promise you!”