A Demon’s Touch by Ella Jade

Chapter 9

Harper

Fluffing the pillow for the fourth time, I sunk into the mattress, trying to find the elusive sleep that had escaped me for over an hour. This had been a challenging time in my life. As if losing my mentor and favorite uncle wasn’t enough, the firm had thrown me into a job I desperately tried to learn while dealing with a complex and intimidating man. If all of that wasn’t complicated enough, now I had developed feelings for that man. I couldn’t put a name to those feelings because they were far too confusing.

What did he want with me tonight? He differed from how he was at his house. More casual and less demanding. For a moment, I thought he might kiss me. I hadn’t realized how much I wanted him to kiss me until he didn’t.

I wasn’t even sure my desires were for him. For all I knew, they could have been for the man in my dreams. When I was with him, I was more relaxed and open to telling him what was on my mind. Stop being stupid! I chided myself. You can’t fall for a man in a dream.

“Not when you have the real man in front of you on a daily basis,” Angelo’s voice echoed inside my head.

When I opened my eyes, he stared from behind me in the mirror’s reflection.

“You’re wearing my favorite color.” He inched closer to me, stepping out of the mirror to caress the sides of my arms. “You knew I’d come for you.”

“I’m dreaming.” I had to be, or else I’d be extremely embarrassed standing in front of him in my underwear.

“Are you?” His voice vibrated along my flesh. “Do you want this to be real?”

“I think so.”

“Harper.” He shook his head before gliding his full lips along my shoulder. “Be more confident for me.”

I didn’t respond to him. This was my fantasy. I didn’t have to justify it.

“Do you want this?” He slipped his hand under my tank top and to my breasts. “Do you want me to touch you like this?” When he traced his finger around my nipple, my legs buckled in response. “Do you have any idea what your arousal does to me?”

“I know what it does to me.” I rested the back of my head on his firm chest. “Why do I keep dreaming about you?”

“Because you want me.” He slid his hand along my side and to my neck, gripping my throat in his hold. “You want us.” His heated skin sizzled against mine. “I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t.”

“I wanted you to kiss me tonight.”

“I wanted to kiss you.”

He trailed his hand down my stomach and to the rim of my panties. The muscles in my stomach tightened when he slid his fingers inside the silky material.

I moaned as he advanced his finger along my opening. It had been far too long since someone had touched me like this. Keeping a steady hold on my throat, he held me still as he pushed his fingers inside me. My skin prickled with desire when he swirled his tongue along the shell of my ear.

“Tonight was unexpected,” he whispered. “Everything about you is unexpected.”

His words were tough to process with his hand inside my panties. The building inside my core traveled lower, persisting between my legs. The passion he ignited deep within me wanted to explode, but I appreciated his ability to slow the experience and to leave me twinging for more.

“You’re everything I hunger for, but it’s selfish for me to want you.”

“Because I’m your attorney?”

“If only that were it.” He circled my clit as he lowered his hand from my throat and to my breasts, cupping one in his hand.

“Ahh…” I clenched around his fingers. “Don’t stop.”

“Not until I’m finished.” He kissed the side of my neck with his smoldering lips. “Not until you come for me.”

I lifted my arms and wrapped them around his neck as I caved to his mercy. Releasing all my apprehensions and doubts, I allowed him to take control of my fantasy.

He escalated his actions, increasing his pace with his fingers as he ran his mouth along my jaw, and only stopping when he reached the edge of my bottom lip.

I turned, trying to connect with his mouth, but he took my chin in his solid grip and held me still. The desire to kiss him amplified.

“Focus on what I’m doing to you.” He slipped his thumb between my lips, scraping it along my teeth. “It’s been a long time since you’ve been satisfied.”

I squeezed my lips together, sucking his thumb and swirling my tongue around it.

“What a wicked mouth you have.” He tugged my face back, staring into my eyes. “I’ll have to remember that.”

“I…” My body rocked in tempo with his movements inside me. “Angelo, I’m going to…”

“Come.” When he whispered into my ear, the vibrations of his tone sent me tumbling over the edge. The word came out as a command, and I obliged.

I bit down on his thumb, probably harder than I should have, but he didn’t seem to mind. He slowed his pace inside me, stroking my clit and spreading my arousal along my entrance. I fell into a bliss I had never experienced as visions of the two of us flooded my thoughts. They were vivid images of us together, mostly making love, but there were other flashes of us living a life together. One that appeared happy and fulfilling. I had never wanted a dream to be more real.

Coming down from my climax, I raised my head and connected with his blood-red gaze in the reflection of the mirror. I blinked a few times, trying to shake the image of the bizarre color of his usually black eyes. I should have been frightened, but it only intrigued me. I faced him, placing my palm on his cheek, mesmerized by his burning gaze.

“This is the real me.”

Licking my lips, I centered on his mouth. I ran my fingers along his face, taking my time to indulge in his perfect cheekbones and rigid jawline. Dropping my stare, I took in his bare chest and intricate tattoos. The sprawling ink covered his shoulders, arms, and chest with shapes and words that I couldn’t make out. As the seconds ticked by, the room became misty, making him less clear.

“What’s happening?” I asked.

“It’s time for me to go.”

“I don’t want you to go.” I inched closer to him, breathing in his fiery fragrance. He smelled like he had been to a bonfire, and the scent of the burning wood lingered on his clothes. “I want more.”

“There will be time for so much more.” He traced his finger along my bottom lip, coercing a shiver down my spine. “You have to be sure.”

“I am sure.”

“Because you think this is a dream.”

“I know it’s a dream, but that doesn’t matter to me.” When the fog thickened, I sensed his departure. “Don’t go.”

“I’ll be back.” He stroked my cheek. “I promise.”

“Will you kiss me?”

“Not tonight.”

“Why?”

“Because when I kiss you, I want you to know it’s real.”

Within an instant, he had disappeared. I jolted awake, shooting into a seated position. In the room’s darkness, two eyes blazed crimson from the chair in the corner.

“Oh!” I fumbled for the lamp next to the bed, knocking it over.

I hopped out of bed, scurrying to the switch on the wall, but by the time I flicked it on, he was gone. Was he really here? How was that even possible?

A chilling breeze ghosted my skin as a faint voice murmured, “mine.” I plopped down in the chair, letting the heat he had generated flow through me. The aroma of burning wood remained in my nostrils.

I placed my head in my hands, attempting to center myself. Angelo’s invasion of my dreams was causing me to lose my mind, just like Kiki’s research had indicated.

What a way to go…