Mine.
Chapter Seven
“You shouldn’t have done that.” Her heart galloping out of control, Marabella pressed shaky fingers to her swollen lips. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
Samael’s dark, fire-filled stare remained riveted on her mouth. “You left me no choice. You were about to rat me out.” An edge of anger lent steel to his voice. She got the feeling he wasn’t pleased with what had just gone down.
That made two of them. As for ratting him out, she most certainly hadn’t been on the verge of doing any such thing. But it was probably wise not to let him know that. Bottom line, she wanted to get him far away from here before something truly horrible happened, like him being discovered and all hell breaking loose. If letting him believe she intended to reveal his identity ultimately served her goal, so be it. “You have to leave. Now.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Or?”
“I’ll see to it you’re thrown out.” She prayed the bravado she’d forced masked the underlying tremor in her voice.
Samael’s intense, calculating gaze continued to prod at her, making her nervous. “No, you won’t. Know why?” He took a stealthy step toward her and leaned his head close to hers, their lips a mere hairsbreadth away. “Because if you truly know what I am—what I’m capable of—you realize what a damn-fool mistake that would be.”
She sucked in a breath. “Is that a threat?”
“Try me and find out.”
She shivered at the silkiness of his tone. Although he certainly hadn’t intended it that way, his words took on an entirely different meaning as she imagined sliding his shirt off and tracing the network of scars on his broad, sleek shoulders and chest with her tongue.
She shook her head, desperate to corral her thoughts back on track. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“Hmm.” His knuckles skimmed the side of her neck. “Then why is your pulse speeding so frantically?” His focus drifted to her mouth again. “Or maybe the cause for that is something else. Something much more exciting.”
She licked her lips, and his gaze became hooded. Sultry. Her damn traitorous nipples tightened. “I—I mean it. I want you to leave.”
“Not until I get what I came for.”
“But…there’s nothing here for you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, sweet little Bella.”
The only person who’d ever called her by the shortened version of her name had been her first-grade teacher, Mrs. Davies. But the velvety way Sam said it was infinitely sexier. His face inched closer, filling her frame of vision. She stared at the beard scruff shadowing his chin and jaw, remembering the delicious rasp of it on her skin while he’d kissed her, and wondered what it’d feel like on other parts of her body. No, she definitely didn’t need that thought in her head, damn it.
“What do you want?”
Those skillful, tempting lips crooked upward. “To get laid.”
She blinked. “Pardon?”
“You heard me.”
“But…why?”
He chuckled, the sound dark and smoky, just like him. “Because I’m horny.”
Heat crawled beneath her skin. “I figured that part out. What I don’t get is why in the world you would seek out someone here.”
“Variety is the spice of life.”
The teasing way he was looking at her was just as distracting as the nearness of his mouth. She swallowed. “So you’re saying if you find a willing bed partner, you’ll leave?”
“Why? Are you putting yourself on the offering block, sweet Bella?”
The thundering of her heart was so loud she feared he’d be able to hear it. Could she actually go along with this insane proposal? Of course, the curse meant she really wouldn’t have to go along with it at all. But Samael didn’t need to know that. As long as he thought he was going to get lucky, she’d be able to get him away from the mansion and potential chaos.
This could work. Keeping her expression bland to hide her inner triumph, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll do it then.”
His devious grin slipped. “What?”
“You want to get laid? Fine. I’m your girl.”
Eyes narrowing, he stared at her for a long moment as if she were yanking his chain. “You’d honestly sleep with me just to get me to leave?”
“Yes.” Well, at least that wasn’t a lie.
A considering gleam dancing in his irises, he moved back, granting her some much-needed space. “If that’s the case, then we can go upstairs right now.”
She gaped at him. “Are you nuts? I’m not sleeping with you here.”
“How convenient.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
One of his dark eyebrows cocked upward in challenge. “Like I don’t know you intend to ditch me the minute we step outside.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’ve got some serious trust issues.”
“Hell, darlin’. You don’t know the half of it.”
She tossed her arms up. “Look, we’ll compromise then. You come with me in my car, but this is going down on my turf, capisce?”
Wickedness once again flashed across his features. “Don’t worry your pretty head over that. I sure as hell plan on going down on your lovely turf. Probably all night long, so prepare yourself.”
It took a second for his meaning to register. Once it did, a persistent throb shuttled through her clit. She squeezed her thighs together, praying he wouldn’t notice. “Must you be so crude?”
“Yes. Get used to it. You’re going to hear me saying a lot worse than that tonight.”
His sinful promise was enough to make her panties uncomfortably damp. She bit the inside of her cheek and discreetly shuffled her feet. “Does that mean you accept my offer?”
“On one condition.”
The notion of giving him any wiggle room in this negotiation made her nervous, but what could she do? She didn’t want to risk him calling it off. Besides, did it make a difference? It’s not like she’d have to go through with the ultimate deed. “W-what?”
“I get carte blanche to do any damn thing I want to you.”
She gulped. Oh goddess. What have I gotten myself into? That thought continued to spiral in an endless loop through her mind as Samael escorted her from the ballroom. It didn’t help that he insisted on keeping her plastered to his side the whole time. No doubt that was his way of ensuring she wouldn’t make a dash for it, but his nearness wasn’t calming her racing nerves. Or squelching her libido. With each step they took, his palm rode lower on her back. When he dipped dangerously close to cupping her butt cheek, she almost jumped out of her skin. She was on the verge of giving him a whack upside the head for his heavy-handed groping when she recalled the charade she was playing at. It would certainly rouse his suspicions if she corrected his behavior when they were supposedly on their way to an illicit rendezvous. Giving a silent grumble, she balled her fists and quickened her pace.
“Marabella!”
She swiveled her head and spotted Harley Weston walking toward her, a broad grin stretched across his boyishly handsome face. She obediently jerked to a halt. Ignoring the only son of Tabitha Weston, leader of the North American Alliance of Witches, wasn’t something one did. Despite the awkwardness of the situation, she pasted on a genuine smile. “Harley, how are you?”
“Tired. My flight landed late. Wasn’t entirely sure I’d even make it here on time.” Harley pulled her into a tight hug.
A noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl rumbled from Samael. Harley released her and shot the surly demon a blatantly curious glance. “Hello.”