Dark Promise by Annika West

24

His smoky scent, his voice, his attention was all just too much.

The mating haze was ten times stronger than anything I’d experienced before. A tiny part of me tried to claw it away, but there was no use.

Hux and I were trapped whether we liked it or not.

“I didn’t plan… for this…” he gritted out. “Just wanted to… talk.”

Somehow, I’d reached out and touched his collarbone. His skin was feverish and smooth.

Hux closed the last bit of distance. Fingers in my hair and legs pressed against mine, he stated, “No matter what happens, Aster, I will always be here to protect you. Whether you want me or not. Do you understand?”

He betrayed you. He’s still expecting you to forget it and fall in line.

“Stop pretending,” I forced myself to say. Everything about me just wanted to devour him and ease the desire overwhelming me.

“Pretending?” His mouth was on my neck, and it took me a second to get my head out of the clouds.

I clung to Hux and the shreds of my anger, so I channeled as much of that emotion as I could.

My hands trailed across his shoulders as he nuzzled and kissed my sensitive skin. Good gods, it felt so good.

It was now or never. With all my concentration, I answered, “Acting like nothing has changed. Acting like I didn’t find out that you betrayed me… like you haven’t been lying to me. You clearly… don’t… regret… anything.”

He’d pulled up my shirt and now explored the bare skin of my stomach. Every touch was reverent. Purposeful. His fingers brushed the underside of my breasts, sending me into wave of dizziness.

“You cannot possibly know my regrets.”

“That’s not a real answer, and you know it.” I gasped when he teased the hard peaks of my nipples.

He’d pressed his thigh between my legs, and I rocked against him. “Coming from the asshole who’s convinced I’ve been working with Oz. How can you believe any of that?”

The mention of his brother made him pause long enough to meet my gaze. “Did you not consider the significance of his survival?”

It gave us a moment of clarity. Just a sliver of focus.

I groaned. “I’m really sick of this question arguing. Yes. I understand the significance. And of course it matters to me. But he wasn’t trying to kill me, and so that was enough for the time being. Remember, I came here to get away from you. There weren’t many options for me on Earth. I took what I was able to take.”

“That isn’t a real answer, Aster, and you know it.” His eyes burned with anger. He pressed himself harder into me, gazing halfway into my soul.

He added, “Some days, I hate that you exist.”

My lungs constricted. It was like my body was trying to shut down to defend from the hurt that his words caused. “So romantic.”

This is why you keep your distance from people, Aster. This is why anything but superficial relationships matter. Why didn’t you remember that? All this man has to do it tell you to jump, and you’ll be off the cliffside in a heartbeat.

Even still, my body arched into him.

He cupped my cheek, and somehow, my hands found their place on his hips.

“Aster…” He crushed his lips to mine.

My mouth opened for him. I needed to taste him, feel him.

Mine.

I clutched to him like he was the only thing in the world.

Hux’s hand delved into my waistband, and I didn’t even consider stopping him.

The ecstasy his touch gave me was enough to drown in. My nerves jolted as his fingers slipped into me.

“Are you really that angry?” he demanded, his voice low and gravelly.

“Yes.” The blades in my tone were obvious, even in this haze.

When he hooked his fingers inside of me, it was all I could do to stand.

My knees gave out, and Hux pulled me against him, supporting my weight.

“You don’t play… fair,” I admitted through clenched teeth.

“Do you like this, Aster? Knowing that you have complete and utter control over me?” Anger pulsed in every syllable.

“That’s not true.” My head fell back as he slid another finger in.

“Which part?”

Fucking bastard. Knows all my sensitive spots, doesn’t he?

“All of it,” I replied with tremendous effort. My whole body was on fire. It’s like I was made to respond to his scent, his voice, his skin.

He licked the shell of my ear and then whispered, “If you don’t see it, you’re a fool. You think you’re under my thumb? The reality is that I’m under yours. Some days, I hate that you exist.”

The repeated statement had a different ring to it, now. This time, I understood.

Neither of us enjoyed how much we were at each other’s mercy.

Someone walked on the other side of our hedge just as Hux increased his tempo.

I whimpered. Just the tiniest sound.

The voices on the other side paused.

Hux shifted so quickly I nearly thought I’d fall, but he only pulled me closer so he could roughly cover my mouth.

“Not another sound,” he whispered into my ear.

I mouthed, Fuck you, you psychotic dragon asshole.

I couldn’t breathe anything but him. Couldn’t see beyond the amber of his eyes. Couldn’t feel anything but the warmth of his hands and body.

I loved this man.

And I hated him just as much.

“I want you to come, Aster. Come for me.”

“How… do you make begging… sound like demands?” I asked breathlessly.

“If you don’t obey me, I’m going to put that gorgeous mouth of yours to work. And then you’ll be in no state to rejoin such a lovely party.”

His lips found my neck, licking and sucking as he coaxed every ounce of pleasure from me.

I bit into his shoulder, muffling my cry as a violent rush of ecstasy broke through. Even as my fevered body trembled and pulsed, Hux didn’t let up.

In fact, he was a tad more urgent. And it didn’t take a genius to know what was going to happen next.

“You know, I thought I might find you two here.”

I froze.

Really? This damn family.

Oz leaned against an onyx statue of a chimera and observed us with calm amusement. “I mean, I see why you can’t get enough of her, Huxley, but in the gardens? What are you, eighty? Show some restraint, brother.”