He didn’t say anything, but went back to the tree branch. “Then do it again,” he said propping the branch back up against the tree.
The demon had to be the most insufferable man she’d ever met. What she wouldn’t give to slap him good and hard across the face just once. She started to focus on the branch again, then paused.
“No, you answer one of my questions and then I’ll do it. I’m not going to get nothing outta this deal.” She didn’t state that fact that she wanted to grow her magical powers so she could port home. Some things a girl had to keep to herself.
He growled—an actual growl that sounded too bestial to come from a person’s mouth. “You are the most frustrating woman I’ve ever met. If we were in my kingdom I’d have you sent to the dungeons.”
“Oooh,” she taunted in a high-pitched voice.
His dark eyes narrowed on her. “Be cautious, witch. My patience is at an end.”
“Yeah, well, so is mine. What will it hurt to give me some information? It’s not like—” she stopped herself short. Shit, she’d nearly said “it’s not like you’re not planning to kill me anyway.”
“It’s not like what?” he asked.
She shook her head and focused on the branch again. Anything to distract him. It took longer this time, sweat fell from her brow, but she knocked the branch over. It landed softly on the grass
“Good,” he said righting the branch, “but not good enough. You should be able to make it fly through the air at great speed and power.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do,” she said between clenched teeth.
“Then focus harder. You aren’t doing it right.”
That’s it; she either strangled him or exploded. She chose the latter. “Whatever! I’m done with this. You knock the fucking branch over.”
She turned on her heel and marched for the beach. She needed a damn bath and the thought of that only pissed her off more. She had no soap, no shampoo, not even a dang toothbrush. Oh and no change of clothes either. Yeah, this was going to be a great little vacation.
“Abbigail,” he called in a warning voice.
She laughed and didn’t stop or turn around. “Oh, now he uses my name. No, I don’t think so, demon. I’m done for the day. You hear me, d-o-n-e, done.”
God, she’d never been quick to anger. She’d always been a slow boiler but boy did her temper roar at a boil right now. She swore if he so much as laid a hand on her to try to drag her back up to that stupid tree branch she’d scratch his eyes out. Heavy footsteps followed her but she ground her jaw and pretended to ignore it. She broke through the trees and came upon the dark blue lake near their little cove in the water. The water lapped softly at the sandy edge.
“You are not done working, Abbigail.” He sounded pained to say her name as if he couldn’t say it without yelling it. “Get back up there or I swear I’ll--”
Oooh!
She spun around and let all the frustration and anger that had been building throughout the long day fly from her mouth. “Or you’ll what? Magically force me to cast a damn spell? Sorry, but I don’t think even you can do something so ridiculous. I think I did good today. I started not even able to make the stupid little branch move a hair. Now I’ve made it fall over twice, and you know what? I’m wiped. Totally freaking wiped. I’m hot and sweaty, my skin feels sticky, and all I want to do is wipe the dirt and grime off me. And nothing you can do, I mean nothing, will stop me from doing just that, you got me?”
To prove her point she grabbed the hem of her shirt and whipped it over her head. It had to be the emotions riding her that made her wad the shirt into a ball and throw it at him. It didn’t come near hitting him but he didn’t seem to care. His eyes were locked on her chest. She had a moment of panic before anger overtook that too.
She propped her hands on her hips. Maybe she wouldn’t have been so cocky if she didn’t have a bra on, but right now she felt like she could command an army. “Are you gonna stand there and watch me bathe too?”
Something changed in the air. Energy crackled. His eyes turned hungry. That’s the only way she could describe it. His gaze darkened, eyes smoldered and devoured her body as if seeing her as anything other than “the witch” for the first time. He had the look of a man that wanted to eat her up. She could almost feel his gaze caressing her breasts. Her breasts pulled tight at the predatory look—the look of assessing a female.
Her breath caught. “Alrik?” she said hesitantly. Something about his stiff stance, the way his eyes glowed brighter, made him look as if he was fighting some inner war with himself.
His eyes flicked up to hers. His voice sounded thick, heavy, and slow. “Yes.”
Breathing became difficult, as if all the oxygen around them had disappeared. “Yes what?”
He blinked. “Yes, I’ll watch.”
She swallowed over the knot in her throat. Oh.
Abbigail had never purposely taunted a man for any reason. Even with her previous boyfriends and other short-lived flings during college, she’d never teased a man on purpose. She’d never had any reason to. Yet, she wanted to with him. Partly because he pissed her off, she wanted to unsettle him and watch him suffer. Another part, a much bigger part that she didn’t quite understand, wanted to see if she affected him, and to see if her body could sway the tall dark demon whom she couldn’t help but find physically appealing. A feminine charge spiked through her blood making her flushed, her movements slow.
She reached behind her back and unsnapped her bra. The white material floated to the ground. Their eyes locked together in a fiery battle and then she tugged down her jeans.
She heard his deep growl as she shoved her underwear down her legs.
Alrik couldn’t move. He was rooted in place not by a spell but by a human woman. Abbigail. Surely, life couldn’t be so cruel as to send a woman like her to him. She was seductively formed, small waisted with hips made for a man to hold on to while he thrust inside of her, and breasts that made his palms itch to hold.
She turned her back to him and waded into the water like a brave enchantress. The sight of her shapely backside and the sexy dip of her lower back nearly sent him after her. Her legs were strong, with just enough muscle that they rippled as she stepped into the lapping water.
Was she testing him? Trying to taunt him with something he couldn’t have or wouldn’t take?
Wait. He’d take it. Yes, he’d take it and so much more if she offered her young lithe body to him. After all the horrible deeds he’d committed in the past, using her body would hardly fare against them. He’d taken several steps towards her retreating back before he stopped himself.
No, he couldn’t touch her. They both needed to stay focused. He’d had and lost his love.
He could not turn so easily to another woman with Arianna’s death still lingering on his hands.
But it’s been a year since she died, a voice in his head taunted.
Abbigail ducked into the water and came up with a splash that glistened from her hair and bare shoulders. His mouth watered at the sight of naked skin, and his cock throbbed and hardened to a painful point.
Breathing hard, he stepped away from her, away from the temptation. She wouldn’t welcome him. He could make her but the thought of that didn’t sit well in his gut. If he touched her, something terrible might happen—he might begin to care. No, he couldn’t risk it. He couldn’t risk gaining any feelings towards her lest he be unable to go through with his plans. He needed her to die to save him. He finally had a chance to become the man he’d once been and he wouldn’t lose that chance no matter what.
He’d already lost one woman he cared about, he wouldn’t put himself in the same situation twice. No matter how the light glinted off her body. She cupped handfuls of water and scrubbed her face. She turned just enough so that he caught a glimpse of the side of her breast. He groaned low in his throat. He ached to know how she’d feel in his hand—heavy and full or light and firm? His cock became a heavy, throbbing mass.