As he straightened and wiped his mouth off, he met his stare in the mirror.
The unmistakable conviction that he was walking the same path he had before dogged him. G.B. was a seductive son of a bitch … but she wanted Duke. She really did—
Hadn’t Nicole been the same, though?
“Shut up,” he told himself. “Just shut the f**k up.”
“Are you okay?” Cait called out from the bedroom.
He hit the switch like he could turn off his thoughts, too. And as he walked back out, he hung tight to the way she had just been with him.
As if to prove a point to himself, he returned to her with a vengence, fusing his flesh with hers, finding her mouth in the dimness, licking his way inside of her. He was instantly hard again, his body raring to go.
Totally out of his mind, he took her from behind this time, maneuvering her onto her side, moving in tight on her. Easing her top leg up, he swept his palm down her smooth skin, grabbing hold behind her knee. Then he pushed inside, his erection finding her entrance like it knew exactly where to go.
So smooth, so hot, even deeper, even better.
Sweeping her hair aside, he bit at her shoulder, nipping at her, before twisting her head around so he could kiss her—but only for a short time. The rhythm got fast quickly, making it impossible to sustain the contact.
When she called out his name? He nearly came. The only thing that stopped him was that he wanted to concentrate on the feel of her release. He wanted to know that he’d given that to her, that he was that close to the heart of her, that he alone was able to do that for her.
Cait’s fingernails bit into his side, and the flares of pain nearly pitched him over the edge—except then she went stiff underneath him, and he surged in deep and held still. Closing his eyes, he became acutely aware of everything about her, especially the way her hips moved against him, creating the friction, working herself.
Just as she was slowing down, he knew it was his turn and he burrowed his arms around her so he could dig—
“Shit!”
He withdrew so fast, he nearly flipped off the bed.
“Duke? What—”
“No condom.” He rubbed his face. “No condom, damn it, I’m sorry.”
“Did you—”
“No, no, I didn’t come.” But talk about not having any game head going. “Thank God.”
She sat up and brushed her hair back. “Wow.”
“I’m clean—I never do stuff like this.” And wouldn’t that be more convincing if the mistake itself hadn’t just happened. “I lost my damn mind.”
“It takes two.”
“My responsibility.” As he flopped onto his back, he could feel his balls already protesting—and that was going to get worse. “I’m sorry. Shit.”
His c**k lay hard, hot, and aching up on his belly, but that was not going to happen—
Her gentle hand landed on his hip, and he jumped.
“You didn’t lie about that, did you,” she whispered.
“What?”
“You didn’t … you know.”
Lifting his head, he looked down his own body. “No.” He stopped her before she could make contact. “And it’s okay.”
She frowned. “Are you trying to punish yourself?”
“Seems right to. You don’t want to have my kid, trust me.”
“You stopped in time, Duke. It’s okay.”
He could tell by the way she slid in beside him that she wanted to help him out, but the burn of denial felt right, felt appropriate.
A small balance of the scales for him not having taken care of her properly.
“Duke, please let me—”
“No, I’m good.” He kissed the top of her head. “Don’t worry about me.”
“Excuse me?” Jim demanded. Surely he couldn’t have just heard his psychotic enemy suggest that he was going to be the new Nigel … and that that could be avoided only if they pulled out, so to speak.
Whatever. One thing he was certain of? He absolutely, positively was not going to step into the spats that Nigel had always worn—that was not going to happen. She had to be wrong. Had to be…
Except the demon didn’t budge, meeting him square in the eye. “You and I quit.”
He laughed in a hard rush. “You’ve said some f**ked-up things, Devina, but this tops ’em all. Congratulations.”
“The game can’t exist without us. If you refuse to play—”
“Then you’re going to win the next two rounds and it’s game over. You don’t honestly think I’d fall for that?”
“But I refuse to play, too. It’s over.”
Jim crossed his arms over his chest. This whole savior thing had not been presented to him as a choice: Either man up, or your mother is going to be lost to Hell forever. What other option had he had? So, yeah, not a lot of decision-making there for him. And accordingly, it had never dawned on him that he might simply be able to … stop.
Provided Devina did as well.
In which case, nobody won—or lost.
“They’ll just find someone else,” he said, aware that that was a question. “To fill both our shoes.”
“Wrong. There is nobody else like me. I am a sole creation, unique to the Maker’s vision. Well, I am now that my predecessor’s dead.”
He could certainly see how one of her was enough for the universe. “This is not up to us.”
“Bullshit. The Maker may have created everything, but He gave us free will. You think He ordained Nigel to do what he did? Hell, no. Nigel chose that path—and if anything, his actions prove my point. We have choices in this, too.”
“Not on this level. Not with what you’re talking about.”
“That is the weakest thought you’ve ever had.”
“Maybe. But I could still win this, and then I’m rid of you.”
“No, under the rules, you get to be Nigel for the rest of your unnatural life. You mean to tell me you’re going to be satisfied eating crumpets and babysitting for that castle up there? You’ll lose your f**king mind.”
Jim paced around, shaking his head. “You’ll excuse me if I don’t take all this at face value. You aren’t exactly known for an altruistic nature.”
“This whole war is a f**king waste of time. It’s nothing but a contest for His amusement, and I have no intention of being a trick pony for Him anymore—if you also are willing to stand down.”