Free Darkness Burning by Delilah Devlin Page B

are you?”
    He couldn’t help but smile. If she only knew. “Nothing extraordinary,” he lied. “Just plain vanilla fucking.”
    She groaned and shook her head. “God, that word again.”
    “You said it fir—”
    “I know, but when you say it, I get—”
    “Hotter?”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “Sit on my lap, love. I promise not to bite.”
    Sarah straightened, gave him a stricken look, and half rose up.
    Alex opened his arms, helped her climb onto his lap sideways, and pressed her head to his shoulder. “It’ll be all right,” he said, surprised at the twinge of tenderness that swept through him. It hadn’t required pretending.
    “Touch me, please,” she whispered.
    “Show me where,” he said, lifting his hand and holding it for her to take and guide.
    “Sarah” was quick to grab it, slip it under the lapel of her jacket, and press it hard against her warm breast.
    He didn’t make her ask for more. He shaped her gently in his palm, scraping his thumb across her clothed nipple. He massaged her, knowing his slow, tender movements would build an unbearable fire inside her.
    Silently, he cursed Inanna and her minions. There were plenty of willing hosts. The aphrodisiac had been overkill and unusually cruel to someone as confused and inexperienced as this girl.
    Still, he couldn’t help but be fiercely glad he was here now. To help, of course.
    “That’s nice, but I’m really hurting now,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest.
    Alex slid his hand downward, thumbed open her jeans, and slowly drew the zipper down. Then he flattened his hand to slip it inside, gliding down until his fingers met her short curls. He reached lower to slide into delicious, wet heat.
    She gasped and pressed her hot face harder into his shirt to muffle a moan.
    “Sweetheart, you’re going to have to open your legs a bit.”
    “God, I don’t know why I’m so embarrassed. I let both of those neck-biters do much worse without being the least red-cheeked.”
    “You were under the influence of their allure. Nic’s probably knocked you sideways.”
    “How’d you know it was him? Did you see us in the library?”
    Kicking himself mentally for the slip, he murmured his assent.
    “You know him?”
    “I’ve met him a time or two.” And fucked his woman with him sitting right beside us.
    She shifted her legs slightly apart. “Is that enough room?”
    He toggled his finger on her engorged clit. “You tell me.”
    “Almost,” she said, sounding disgruntled. “Damn.”
    “How much of that bottle did you drink?”
    “All of it.” Her thighs tightened, then opened again around his hand. “I was pretty thirsty. Should have known better. The seal was broken. I thought they were being overly helpful.”
    “Sarah,” he said, hugging her body closer to his chest. “It’s going to take a while before the effects fade.”
    “I ache, Alexander,” she groaned. “Help me.”
    He rubbed her clit again, softly scraping the pad of his finger on her tender flesh.
    Her hips moved restlessly, scooping upward. “Would you kiss me like you mean it?” she said in a small voice.
    Feeling a bit like the wolf teasing Little Red Riding Hood, he nuzzled her cheek until she turned her face upwards. The kiss he pressed against her lips was soft, tentative. She tasted just as sweet as before. Uncomplicated.
    She kept her eyes open, staring into his while he ate at her soft lips, as though kissing had been something she’d only newly discovered, or as though she wanted to remember the moment.
    He wondered how she’d come to be in that alley. How someone so ill-equipped to maneuver in this world had even found entrance.
    His fingers slid deeper, continuing to graze her clit, butseeking her moist center. He slid inside her, keeping his eyes open too, and he watched while her vision became clouded and her lush mouth rounded beneath his.
    “Alexander?” she said, leaning back to break the kiss.
    “Yes, Sarah?”
    “I can’t take any more