The Darkest Kiss Read Free Page B

amazing swiftness.
    Knowing this, Torin always wore gloves and rarely left the fortress, willingly keeping to himself to protect humans from his curse. Not his fault a group of Hunters had sneaked inside the fortress a few weeks ago and cut his throat.
    Torin had survived; the Hunters had not.
    Unfortunately, there were many, many more Hunters out there. Seriously, they were like flies. Swat one away, and two more soon took its place. Even now, they were out there somewhere, waiting for a chance to strike. The Lords had to remain cautious.
    â€œBesides, there’s no way they could have figured out a way to bypass our security,” Reyes added, his harsh voice drawing Anya from her thoughts.
    â€œJust like there’s no way they could get into the fortress and nearly behead Torin?” Sabin replied.
    â€œDamn this! Paris, stay here and watch her while I check the perimeter.” Footsteps, muttered curses.
    Well, shit. If the warriors found any trace of Hunters out there, there’d be no convincing them of her innocence. Of that crime, at least. Lucien would never trust her, never relax around her. Never touch her except in anger.
    She didn’t allow her trepidation to play over her face. “Maybe I saw the crowd and snuck in,” she told Paris and another Lord who was studying her, adding tightly, “And maybe the big guy and I can go the next few minutes without an interruption. In private.”
    They might have gotten the hint, but they didn’t leave.
    Fine. She’d work around them.
    As she began to once again rock softly to the beat, she kept her gaze on Lucien and caressed her fingers down the planes of her stomach. Replace my hands with yours, she projected.
    Of course, he didn’t. But his nostrils did that delicious flare as his eyes followed every movement of her palms. He swallowed.
    â€œDance with me.” This time, she said the words aloud, hoping he would not so easily ignore her. She licked her lips, moistening them.
    â€œNo.” Hoarse, barely audible.
    â€œPretty please, with a cherry on top of me.”
    His eyes flickered with fiery provocation. Not her imagination, she realized. Hope flooded her. But when several seconds ticked by and he failed to reach out for her, that hope turned to frustration. Time really was her enemy. The longer she stayed here, the greater her chance of being caught.
    â€œDo you not find me desirable, Flowers?”
    A muscle ticked below his eye. “That is not my name.”
    â€œFine, then. Do you not find me desirable, muffin?”
    The ticking spread to his jaw. “What I find you matters little.”
    â€œThat doesn’t really answer my question,” she said, close to pouting again.
    â€œNor was it meant to.”
    Grrr! What an infuriating man. Try something else. Something blatant.
    As if I haven’t been blatant already.
    Alrightie, then. She turned and bent down to the floor. Her skirt rode up her thighs and gave him another, better, glimpse of her blue thong and the wings stretching from the center. As she pushed to a stand, mimicking the motions of sex as she did so, she slowly circled, offering a lingering full-body shot.
    He sucked in a breath, every muscle in his powerful body tense. “You smell like strawberries and cream.” As he spoke, he looked like a predator about to pounce.
    Please, please, please, she thought. “Bet I taste like it, too,” she said, batting her lashes despite the fact that he’d made the fragrance seem like a horrendous affront.
    He growled low in his throat and took a menacing step toward her. He raised his hand to—grab her? Hit her? Whoa, what was that about?—before stopping himself and fisting his fingers. Before remarking on her scent, he’d been distant but maybe-kinda-sorta interested. Now he only seemed interested in throttling her.
    â€œYou’re lucky I do not strike you down here and now,” he said, proving her