“Yeah, you’re missing a way out of here. Can you please concentrate?”
“Are you always so bossy?”
“Do you expect me to kneel and kiss your feet?”
He chuckled softly, stepping close enough to wrap his arms around her waist and brush his lips lightly over her mouth.
“You’re welcome to kneel, but I have something better for you to kiss.”
“Stop that,” she muttered, shivering as his lips skated over her jaw and down the curve of her neck. Her fingers grabbed the lapels of his jacket. “Dammit, Salvatore, we’re being watched.”
Lifting his head, Salvatore glanced toward the tiny hole drilled above the door. He sent out a flare of power, smiling as he heard the small pop, and a whiff of smoke floated through the air.
“Not anymore.” Mission accomplished, he returned his attention to more important matters. Nibbling the tender skin at the base of her throat, he shuddered at the need that blazed through him. “That scent is driving me mad.”
“Would you…” Whatever she had to say was forgotten as Salvatore bit the tender spot where her neck and shoulder met, allowing his fangs to grow long enough so she could feel his mark. She shuddered, her vanilla scent flooding the room. “God.”
“You even taste good,” Salvatore muttered.
Her fingers clutched his jacket, and her head tilted back to allow him full access to her satin skin. Salvatore didn’t hesitate.
He hadn’t become king by being slow to grasp opportunity.
Tightening his grip until she was pressed against his thickening arousal, Salvatore nuzzled a path down the line of sports bra, slowing his pace as he reached the soft swell of her br**sts.
“What did you do to the camera?” she husked, as if attempting to devise some means of distracting him.
Good luck with that.
It wasn’t that he lied when he said he could multitask. The responsibilities that lay heavy on his shoulders meant he could never put aside his duties. Not even when he was enjoying a bit of extracurricular activity.
In this moment, however, the world and his duties could go to hell in a handbasket.
No doubt because this wasn’t extracurricular.
This was the main event.
The life-altering woman he hadn’t even known was waiting out there for him.
“I can disrupt small electrical devises,” he said, his lips moving over her silken skin.
“Great.” Her tone was disgruntled, but her fingers had moved to shove into his hair, her heart thumping so loudly he could have heard it even without his inhuman abilities. “You can zap a toaster, but you can’t get us out of this cell. A fat lot of help you are.”
He chuckled, his fingers skimming up her back. “I have other skills.”
“Unless it’s picking a lock, I don’t want to know about them.”
“Yes, you do.”
She made an explosive sound of pleasure as he licked the tip of her nipple through the stretchy material.
“Dammit, Caine’s going to come down here as soon as he realizes the camera isn’t working.”
“Good.” He nipped the tight bud, growling in pleasure as she quivered in eager response. “I’ve wanted to have a little chat with him for a very long time.”
Without warning she shoved him away, her face flushed as she wrapped her arms protectively around her waist.
“I doubt he’ll be in a chatty mood,” she rasped.
Salvatore’s lips twisted. Under normal circumstances, no Were would have been capable of escaping his grasp. Being king did have its benefits. This whole premating thing sucked.
Well, the loss of his power sucked.
The rest…
It was definitely growing on him.
“We’ll see.” He sucked in a deep breath, attempting to halt any more growing. Time for his own attempt at distraction. “What of the jinn?”
Genuine surprise flashed through her eyes. “How did you…” She shook her head. “No, never mind. What about her?”
“What’s her connection to Caine?”
“I’m not really sure.” The hazel gaze briefly shifted toward the door before returning to Salvatore. A sure indication that Caine had kept his illegal demon under tight wraps. “He claims that he rescued her from a mage who’d held her captive for centuries. I don’t know if it’s true or not since she always stayed in one of the out-buildings. I only saw her on occasion, and she usually was at a distance.”
Salvatore absently nodded. “He must have some means of keeping her hidden or the Oracles would already have hunted her down.”
Harley’s brows snapped together. “What’s your interest in her?”
A slow, wicked smile curved his lips. “Jealous, Harley?”
She turned her head, refusing to meet his teasing gaze. “For God’s sake, get over yourself.”
His smile remained. “Don’t worry. My interest is pure self-preservation. Curs I can handle. I’d rather not provoke a jinn.”
“They’re so dangerous?”
“Deadly.”
She turned back, her expression worried. “Caine said she disappeared in the tunnels. The last I knew, she hadn’t returned.”
“Then I suppose we’ll have to hope for the best.”
“Yeah, ’cause that’s really worked well so far,” she taunted.
“You know, cara, when we get out of here, we’re going to have to work on that attitude of yours.”
“If we get out of here, you’re not going to have to worry about my attitude. I’ll be long gone.”
His gaze slid down her slender body. “You can run, but you’ll never be able to hide from me.” He lifted his head to meet the stunning hazel gaze. “Not ever.”
Her jaw tightened. “I’ve done a pretty good job until now.”
Salvatore stiffened. The silver that surrounded him had nearly disguised the prickles of warning that crawled over his skin.
Without thought, he swept Harley behind him and turned toward the door.
“Stay behind me.”
“Sexist pig.” She punched him square in the back, nearly sending him to his knees. Cristo. “I don’t need a man to protect me.”
He spun on his heel to meet her belligerent scowl. “This has nothing to do with protecting. I don’t want you accidentally stepping between me and Caine.”
“Why? What are you going to do?”
“Uberking stuff.” Unable to help himself, he caught her face in his hands and roughly kissed her. “Don’t move.”