Dark Desire by Lauren Smith (an ebook reader txt) 📗

She just wanted it all to stop, for life to go back to the way it had been. College classes, worrying about midterms and finals, spending hours in the library looking for resources for her class papers.

The sound of running water in the bathroom reminded her of what she would lose if she returned to her old life.

The only thing she didn’t want to change was Dimitri and the way he made her feel. Her skin flushed and her toes curled as she remembered what it felt like to have his hands on her, his mouth on hers. She’d felt not only normal, but alive.

Flashes of him carrying her out of the darkness and into the light made her shiver. The water shut off in the bathroom, and Elena quickly lay back down and pretended to be asleep. She hadn’t forgotten what they had done last night before they had been attacked. He had brought her to a blinding climax while she had been at his mercy. Even the memory of it made her blush. She held her breath as the bathroom door opened. Soft footfalls around the room teased her enough that she parted her lashes to steal a glance at him.

And what a glance it was. He wore only a tiny motel towel, barely big enough to stay on his lean hips. Dimitri had perfect slender hips that accompanied a set of broad shoulders. She had seen him in swim trunks and even briefs, but just a towel and dripping wet? That was something far more exciting. She bit her lip to hide a smile. This was good. She wanted to see him naked. She had never thought she would want to see any man naked ever again.

“I know you are awake, kiska,” he teased. She let out her breath in a rush before opening her eyes. “Did you rest well?”

She sat up and stifled a yawn. “I did.” She didn’t mention the dream that had woken her up. It wasn’t exactly a nightmare, but it was far too personal to share. He might not want to know just how dependent she was on him. It might scare him away, no matter what he’d vowed to her.

“How long have you been up?” She looked at the clock on the nightstand. It said 9:00 a.m.

“About an hour.”

“Did you get any sleep at all?” Somehow, she pictured him standing guard all night. She hoped he hadn’t done that. The last thing she needed was for him to exhaust himself protecting her. They were in this together, and she didn’t want him taking all the responsibilities.

“I did.”

“But not much,” she guessed.

Dimitri shrugged. “I am used to working with very little sleep.”

“When we get to Colorado, will you sleep then?”

He came toward her, stopping mere inches from the bed. If she wanted to, she could just reach out and pull his towel away.

“Why do you worry so much about my sleep, kiska?” He cupped her chin, tilting her head back so they could meet each other’s eyes.

“It’s just . . . I know what sleep deprivation can do to someone.” When she admitted this, her voice was barely above a whisper.

Dimitri leaned over the bed and cupped the back of her head. “You kill me.” Then he was kissing her. The magic of his mouth on hers chased away the bad thoughts and memories. This man was a light-bringer, the hero she had always wanted who would carry her out of the darkness.

She moved closer, her legs getting tangled in the sheets, and she heard him laugh against her lips. It was the most wonderful thing, to feel such tender joy with a man like this, where passion was not a punishment but a pleasure.

“Please never stop,” she begged as he started to pull back from her.

“If I don’t stop now, I will go too far, and neither of us is ready. We need to keep moving. When it’s safe, you and I will take our time and explore this.” He traced her lips with the pad of his thumb and pressed his forehead against hers, holding her close, their breath mingling as he slowly reined in his control.

“Shower and dress. I need to change cars and fetch us breakfast.”

“Okay.” She freed herself from the blankets and got out of bed.

“Keep this door locked. When I return, only open the door if I say the word phoenix to you. Do you understand?”

Elena nodded, then collected her clothes and shower kit before heading into the bathroom.

Phoenix . . . it reminded her of the gold signet ring he wore on his pinky finger on his left hand. She hadn’t gotten a full, detailed look at it, but from what she had seen, it might have been a phoenix. She wished she had a cell phone. She wanted to look it up, see if any secret organizations had members who used a phoenix symbol. The Masons had their Square and Compasses, the Templars had the red cross, and the Illuminati had the Eye of Providence. She wasn’t an expert on symbols in secret societies. She had read The Da Vinci Code, and that was pretty much her only experience.

She showered and put on a pair of jeans and a loose white blouse that had a cute little blue whale pattern embroidered on it. Then she put on her running shoes.

As she finished packing her bag back up, she realized that Dimitri had left his phone behind. On purpose? She turned on the screen and swiped. It required a ten-digit code.

“Of course.” She put the phone back and tried to lose herself in the news on the TV.

There was a large event for the United Nations coming up soon. A dinner to honor the recipients of the humanitarian awards. Ambassadors from all over the world planned to attend, and security was heightened all over New York. The second news story focused on local news, the weather, and the latest shows