Absolute Surrender (36 page)

Drunk on her power over her deadly warrior, she slipped her hand inside his sweats and grasped his straining erection. His groan filled her ears. The feel of him was like silk and steel in her hand as she stroked him. She took pleasure in the fact she could inflame him the same way he did her.

God, please, don’t let anything go wrong. I need him so much.

She didn’t think she’d survive it otherwise.

***

Aethan shifted and laid her flat on the couch. Her hand fell away from his sex. Her touch alone would kill him.

“My turn.”

Slow, torturously slow, he removed her top, dying for a look at her. But he refused to rush. Next, he drew her flannel bottoms down her legs and tossed them aside, revealing tiny pink panties.

The soft light of the room highlighted her slender body, strong with feminine muscles. His hands glided up her smooth, honey-hued skin in a languid caress. He licked the under curve of her breasts, gently nipped the tender flesh there. She tugged him to her chest.

Aethan knew exactly what she wanted and avoided her nipple. He licked over the curves of her breasts instead, then he kissed his way up her neck to her jaw, evading the mouth she turned to him.

Those slumberous, cat-like eyes narrowed. She trailed her fingers down his back, sliding into his sweats. A light dance of her fingers over his ass and desire, hot and smoky, made his erection go from painfully hard to near exploding.

“Kiss me.” The demand left him in a rough tone.

She smiled now. The hand stroking his backside moved between them to caress his cock. Growling, he grabbed her hands, pinned them over her head and covered her mouth in a deep, erotic kiss.

The white heat of his powers raced in him, along with the iridescent light of the mating bond, urging him to claim her.

She moaned, her leg sliding restlessly over him. He stroked her silky thigh, up over her hip, teasing the edges of her panties.

“Aethan, please...”

With quick movements, her underwear disappeared. He moved lower, parted her thighs. Focused on her pleasure, he licked her from top to bottom. Once, twice, then he clamped down on her core and suckled. She came off the bed, her cry of pleasure filling him.

***

Her fist tangled in his hair, she pulled him up to her and saw his eyes. His gray irises were already mere specks as a burning white flame took over.

So fast, they changed? Her heart kicked up in panic.

No–no–no
!

She didn’t give a damn if she blistered or burned, she wanted him desperately. Reaching up, she clamped her mouth on his, deepened the kiss.

He broke away. “I can’t, Echo.”

His words were like a sword in her heart.

“No. Don’t say that. Please. I can’t stand this anymore, being unable to touch you, to love to you.”

He sat up and dropped his head in his hands. His hair fell forward like a dark blue veil, hiding him from her.

***

Aethan squeezed his eyes shut. He was so desperate for her. His cock strained painfully, making its wishes known. He could almost feel the feminine muscles of her silken core gripping his sex. Sparks shot through him and battered against his shields.

“Why won’t you believe me when I say your powers don’t hurt me?” She crawled up behind him and laid her cheek on his back. At her touch, a burst of light flooded his vision.

No
!

He jerked away so fast he fell off the couch, landing on the floor. He was glowing like a light bulb!

“Aethan!” She dropped to the floor beside him. “Please, let me near you. Your powers don’t hurt me—it just tingles. See?” She crawled closer, the light enclosing her fingertips.

“No!” he roared, fear seizing him by the throat. “Get out!”

She froze. The pain in her eyes ripped him apart.

A tormented groan erupted from his throat. “This is one light you can never walk into. It’s fucking treacherous. It will eat you alive. You die and I will wreak havoc on the planet unlike anything seen before. Now go. Please.”

A heart-wrenching sob escaped her before she snatched up his discarded tee, wheeled around, and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

CHAPTER 24

Echo crossed over to East First Street and headed for the Peacock Lounge after work.

Her head pounded despite the pain meds she’d taken earlier. She needed to be among people, get lost in the crowds, and forget her misery for a while. And try to get her mind off this disaster her life was shaping out to be. Thank God Kira had the afternoon shift. Being with her friend would give her much needed time to get her emotions under control.

She hefted her gym bag over her shoulder, zipped up her windbreaker, shoved her hands into her pockets, and encountered the soothing warmth of her stones.

It was just past noon and she’d be safe from any
demonii
attack. Those fiends didn’t come out during the day since it was a death sentence for them.

Pushing open the door to the lounge, she was welcomed by the smell of fried food and alcohol.

At this time of the day, the bar was relaxed. There were a few empty tables but that would all change and the frenzy would set in, in another hour.

Waving at Kira, she took a seat in her friend’s section. Moments later, Kira danced over, her hazel eyes sparkling. She set a Pepsi down.

“On the house,” she said. Then she leaned closer, her eyes narrowing. “Or by the looks of you, definitely something stronger.” She grabbed the Pepsi before Echo could open her mouth and bopped off again.

On her way to the bar, Kira laughed and flirted with some regulars, and for the first time Echo felt envy.

Why couldn’t she be like Kira? Carefree, taking life as it came and being able to have fun without sending out mixed signals.

Sighing, she traced the grooves of the wooden table with her finger then stopped to look at her hands. They appeared to be normal, the tanned skin smooth, her fingernails cut short. No, she didn’t get hurt. When she’d touched Aethan, a light current streamed through her, more arousing than painful. It was only when he grew aroused that the tingles became sharper and sent her libido skyrocketing.

Her fingers balled at the sudden, sharp ache in her chest. What was the use of being a descendent of an angel when she couldn’t even be with the man she loved? She craved him so badly. It hurt far worse to know he would never belong to her, never be part of her in that most intimate way.

“There you go.” Kira set a glass of clear liquid and tonic water before her. Echo glanced up from the scarred table, as Kira popped open the tonic and poured it into the glass. A slice of lime floating happily in the fizz, she pushed it toward Echo.

“A good antidote for what troubles you. Drink up. Ten more minutes, then we can leave, and you’re talking.” Her warning delivered, Kira bounced back to work.

Talk? She didn’t want to talk. Talking would only bring back the pain she was desperately trying to bury. And which disaster of her life did she tell her friend about? How the man she loved wouldn’t touch her, because he feared he’d hurt her, or that she was the Healer, a descendant of an angel—hell, she seriously doubted Kira would believe any of this!

Sighing, Echo glanced up to find Neal watching her from across the bar, his brows lowered in a scowl. Argh, definitely not the person she cared to look at, let alone think of. She had too much going on to worry about his spiteful little digs. She turned away and picked up her drink, taking a tentative sip.

“Echo?” Jon slid into the chair opposite her.

She smiled, glad to see a friendly face. “You just got here?”

He nodded. “I have a few minutes before I clock in, so—” Then his gaze widened.

She’d forgotten she was no longer wearing her contacts. “That bad, huh?”

Color rushed to his face. “No–no! I like them. I’m guessing they’re real, right?”

She nodded.

“Better,” he said smiling. “So hey, it’s Kira’s birthday soon and I managed to get a table at Anarchy for Saturday. I told her about it, but she’s worried you won’t agree.”

Echo groaned and dropped her head on the table. Kira had that right. A low growl rumbled in her throat. Club Anarchy was the last place she wanted Kira to go to. The only reason
she
’d gone there before was because she’d been hunting
demoniis.

She lifted her head and glared at him. “She’s right. I don’t like that place. What about the one in Soho? Blitz, I hear is good.” And safe.

“For my gramps,” Jon snorted, but his blue eyes caressed her face. “So, are you willing?”

Echo dropped her gaze to her glass, wishing Jon wouldn’t look at her in that way. “Who’s going?”

“A few of us from here.”

“Neal, too?”

“No.” A short pause followed before he asked the question that took a while in coming. “What happened between you two?”

She sighed, traced her fingertip over the rim of her glass. “One date. He doesn’t like the word, ‘no.’”

“Asshole—” He grimaced, brushing at his blond hair. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I slapped him.”

“
Ah
. That explains the venomous attitude toward you.”

“He doesn’t bother me.” She shrugged. Then sighed. “About Kira’s birthday, count me in.” Someone had to keep an eye out for them. Might as well be her. Then she winced. There’d be hell to pay when Aethan found out.

“So, what time are we meeting?” she asked. The bar was starting to fill up fast with the happy hour rush.

When he didn’t answer, she turned to Jon and found him staring at her with a glazed look. “Jon—hey? What’s wrong?”

“He’s under my control. They all are.”

At the sound of the voice behind her, the hair on her arms rose. She became aware of the abrupt silence, the acrid odor of sulfur stinging her nostrils. Her head snapped to the right.

And there, among the still figures of the bar’s customers and staff, stood Lazaar. The demon leaned against the bar, dressed in black slacks again and a buttoned-down shirt. His dark dreads hung about his face.

She knew about
demoniis
proclivity for bars and clubs but they never came out during the day because the sun incinerated their sensitive corneas and caused instant death. And yet here he was. No
demonii
horde with him this time. She tried to look past his aura to see his demon self and failed. Realizing just how powerful he truly was to have such complete control, Echo stiffened her spine and waited.

“Let’s go.” He beckoned her with his head.

Her fists clenched. Please let Aethan be right and about free will preventing him from taking her to Hell. But the motionless bodies around her didn’t bode well. She held onto her composure. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

In response, Lazaar strolled across to her then shoved a man, who sat frozen with a glass to his mouth, off his seat. The man toppled to the floor, liquor spilling down his shirt. Lazaar dragged the chair close to her and sat down. The stench of sulfur was so strong, she wanted to hurl. But she remembered what happened the last time she did and swallowed hard.

Her heart thumped violently. She didn’t dare look for Kira and risk him noticing her friend.

“Here’s the thing,” He crooked his finger, and the girl sitting at the opposite table walked to him like a puppet on strings. Sharp black claws extended from Lazaar’s fingertips. He smirked, traced a talon down the girl’s arm.

“Refuse me again and I’ll kill her.”

No
! Her throat closed on a scream, her mind trying desperately to find a way out of this nightmare.