Thomas slid his palm from her waist, down her thigh and hooked her leg over his hip. Then he pushed within her again. Isabelle’s eyes widened as he thrust slow enough that every inch of his cock registered a ten on the pleasure scale. Then he slowed the pace of his thrusts even more. The entire time his gaze held hers intimately, until he finally came deep inside her.

After it was over, they stood motionless, breathing heavily, still coupled at the pelvis, their gazes locked on each other. To Isabelle the connection felt much deeper. That soul-deep union terrified her to the bone. This time her fear was not because of the connection itself…but because she might lose it.

She had a demon gunning for her.

Thomas gathered her against him after a moment and they went to bed. He held her close, stroking her arms and back for a long time until, even as disturbed as she was, sleep caught her.

WHEN ISABELLE AWOKE, IT TOOK HER A MOMENT TO remember where she was. She opened her eyes to the morning sunshine filtering in through the sheer curtains covering the window in Thomas’s bedroom. Her body felt tired and achy in a way that signaled she’d been well-loved the night before. It was a lovely sensation. She stretched like a cat, feeling Thomas move on her other side.

His arm came around her waist and he pulled her against him, burying his face in her hair and inhaling. “Mmmm, it’s better waking up with you in my bed. I’ve wanted this.”

She snuggled back against him and smiled. For a moment she pretended that nothing lay between them. No demon. No responsibilities to anyone else. No slavery to her own fears. For a moment she pretended she could remain with him, that he loved her and she loved him…and she could stay.

Isabelle turned over and pressed her nude body flush against his, wrapping her arms around his waist. He did the same, locking her against him. She liked to be locked against Thomas Monahan.

After a while, unable to resist, she ran her palms over his body, enjoying the powerful flex of his muscles, the hum of his magick and the feel of his long silken hair. With a groan, he rolled her beneath him, parted her thighs, and slipped the head of his cock inside her.

Her breath caught at the natural, easy way he’d done it. Like they were meant to fit together. He dropped his mouth to hers and kissed her softly. At some point they’d gone from fucking to having sex to making love. The change had been seamless. Isabelle’s breath left her in a long, slow sigh when they finally broke the kiss.