“You just didn’t want to be the one to tell me.”

“You hate me enough already. Why would I give you further reason to think poorly of me?”

He was wrong. What I felt for him was… complicated. Sure, there was a healthy dose of hatred in there. I loathed the way he insisted on keeping me in the dark. The way he made decisions about my life without even consulting me. The way he refused to remove the bond between us.

But there were other feelings there too. Feelings that made my heart stutter in my chest every time he dropped the mask he wore for the rest of the world and looked at me with vulnerability. Feelings that made me need to keep distance between us, because my instinct was to do the opposite.

I stared at him silently, and he took a step closer, the scent of him calling to me. He leaned down slowly, giving me more than enough time to slam my hand into his chest, to jerk away from him.

I didn’t.

He took my mouth like he owned it, like it had always belonged to him, and he was simply reclaiming his territory. I let out a tiny moan and the sound seemed to break some part of his self-control, because he let out a low growl and ripped his mouth away from mine.

I blinked up at him. His eyes glowed, his expression pure, possessive male as he looked at me.

“I am so old that I feel ancient most days. For centuries, little has moved me. Not beauty, not grief. Only vengeance. But when I look at you, I see things I haven’t seen before.”

“What kind of things?” I whispered.

“Things I want to guard. To keep only for myself. For the rest of time.”

12

Danica

I scowled at Samael’s words, and he grinned at me. The expression was so foreign on his face that my breath caught in my throat. My hand rose, seemingly of its own accord, and I stroked my finger along his lower lip.

His eyes glittered and he leaned down once more. I thought he’d kiss me again, but instead, he gently took the lobe of my ear between his teeth. His hot breath tickled the shell of my air and my stomach clenched.

Samael let out a low laugh and skimmed his lips down the side of my throat.

And then I was in his arms, and he was stalking through his living room and toward his bedroom. His hands were full, so I took advantage of the situation, pressing my own lips to his neck. Then I bit. Hard.

He let out another rough growl and I shivered at the sound. He was gentle as he placed me on his bed, and I stared up at him. Was I really going to do this?