Chapter 1

One

The mix of the cold night air and his scent scratched along my esophagus as I inhaled deep, heavy breaths, struggling to control my breathing. My lips devoured him, desperately ingesting his entire being. His rough, warm hands glided beneath my clothing, his nails gently scraping along the skin of my back sending an electric shiver up my spine. My body reacted, pushing further into his, begging for more. We impatiently scuttled back, tangled together, our feet kicking a vase of dead flowers aside, the smell of rich soil drenching the cold air around us. Together, we moved, the night tainted with an overwhelming weight of desire and craving as the graveyard remained dead silent.

He roughly slammed my back against the stone skirt of a weathered angel statue that towered over us, her wings raised high. The harsh impact shot a wave of fire through my veins, heightening my already unbearable excitement, fueling me. His lips pulled from mine, covering my skin in sensual kisses as he inched down from my chin to my neck, aggressively biting the base. I smiled, gasping at the sudden yet pleasant pain. My body yearned for him, craving more.

His hands moved, one delicately gripping my neck while the other fiercely squeezed my backside as he pressed himself firmly against me, hard as a rock. My body leaned further into his, purposely rubbing against him, teasing as his lips returned to mine. His kisses were intoxicating, powerful enough to fill my desires while somehow always leaving me wanting more.

"I've been thinking about you all day, you naughty little dreamer," he whispered into my mouth, his body pressed against mine, our tongues twisting together. "The feel of your body," he whispered, his hand trailing from my backside and gliding along my midriff. His fingertips proceeded along my skin, sliding beneath my hoodie, making their way up my sternum, delicately caressing my skin before slowly moving back down and reaching under my skirt. "The sound of your moans. The thought of your wetness dripping from my fingers." His fingers wasted no time, teasing me in the way he knew I liked. My body jolted in response to his provoking touch as his fingertips glided along my center before peeking into my warmth.

"No matter how good this feels," I swallowed hard, whispering reluctantly between my breathing, "you know we can't keep doing this." I regretted the words before they finished rolling from my lips. My mind knew what we were doing was wrong, but my body craved his. No matter the amount of guilt I felt, the pleasure I experienced with him in these moments always outweighed it.

His hand released my neck, cupping my face as he reluctantly pulled his fingers from within me. A soft whine escaped my throat as he lifted his head and stared down at me. The moon highlighted his jaw line, clenched with a hungry, pained expression. Strands of his dark, shaggy brown hair hung across his face, outlining his chestnut eyes as he studied me for a second. His lips curled lightly, his eyes twinkling with a playful desire.

"That's never stopped us before," He raised a brow, leaning in close to my ear. "Besides," his breath danced along my ear, causing my skin to prickle, "we both know he can't make you feel the way I do." He gently ran his fingers down the side of my face, tracing the skin of my neck. "And I know," he gripped my neck, "that he can't fuck you the way I do." His truthful words only aroused me more. I bit my lower lip, my breathing constricted beneath his grasp. "Now, stop thinking about him and focus on me." His words rumbled resembling a low, possessive growl. I nodded, my lips curling into a faint smile.

Regardless of how I felt in this moment, I needed to remind him of our agreement. For my sake. As much as we enjoyed these steamy exchanges, that's all they could be—briefly lapsed moments in time where we could sneak away and be together. Nothing more. Even if I wanted it to be something else, something more, it couldn't.

I quickly pushed his body away, instantly ripping apart the heavy moment. "It's just sex." I swallowed hard, my neck slightly sore from his grip. "Right?" The question was meant for him but felt directed more towards me.

Our heavy breathing echoed one another as he slowly raised his head, our eyes meeting. My bodily hunger grew, starving. I impatiently waited for his response, the intense sound of my racing heartbeat filling my ears. He raised his chin, grinning as he nodded his head. "If you say so." The empty statement was enough for me. The electric pull between us was strong, overcoming the boundaries of me being in a relationship with someone else—a complicated relationship.

I gripped the collar of his tight t-shirt, pulling him back to me as our mouths crashed together. He gripped my backside, lifting my body as I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist, my heavy boots smacking together as our bodies once again slammed against the cold stone statue. He lifted my black leather skirt, his fingers pulling at my fishnets. My skin burned as he fiercely ripped the tight netted material with his hands, grunting, his strength and determination only fueling the fire between my legs. My fingers clawed at his studded belt, impatiently unbuckling it and unzipping his jeans. I had tasted my forbidden fruit and, no matter how many bites I took, I always hungered for more.

He brushed my hands away, bracing himself before fiercely pushing his length inside me without warning. A painful gasp filled my mouth, crisp, cold air pouring into my lungs. My body struggled at the sudden intrusion, tightly wrapped around his hardened self. The sensation of feeling him inside caused a fire to burn within my veins, growing with each forceful thrust. He increased his speed, my breathing choking on the cold night air while soft moans formed within my throat.

My arms stretched high, gripping the neck of the statue for stability as it leered down at us. Dirty tears stained the angel's cold stone face as she stared down, silently judging our sin. It's just sex. My eyes locked with hers as he fed my craving, driving himself deeper, my spine rubbing against the hard granite. The pain only enhanced the fiery moment as it washed over all thoughts of worry and guilt dancing in my mind. All I could think about was him.

Despite the cold autumn night, my body was on fire, sweating and burning with sinful desire. He was my weakness, and I had fully surrendered myself to the moment, unable to fight back my pleasure. "Please," I begged, my wetness soaking him. "Don't stop."

"Yes, ma'am." It was as if I could hear him smiling. His speed and vigor immediately increased, my lust growing as I fought back my release. Not yet.

My nails clawed at the statue's stone neck, my fingertips glowing a faint pale blue as the built-up euphoria began to boil over. I desperately fought against the overwhelming urge to scream, my back arching as I struggled. My body ached, moving in rhythm with him, an unbearable hunger growing as I inched closer to the edge. No, not yet.

"Don't be shy, darling." He lifted my cropped hoodie, exposing my bare breasts as his mouth surrounded my nipple, his tongue flicking the silver piercing. He moved his mouth, his tongue circling me as his hot breath traveled along my sensitive skin. "Let"s make the dead envy the living."

His words pushed me over the edge, my moans increasing into a faint scream as I came, my hands glowing fiercely. My back arched further as my head hit the hard stone, my legs squeezing tight around his waist, pushing him deeper inside as I throbbed. A wave of euphoria washed over me, my body now soaking his cock.

"That's right," he groaned, pushing harder and faster with no sign of letting up. "Let every soul here know just how good it feels to be bad." His hands moved back to my legs as he gripped me tightly, enhancing the sensitive moment. My thighs felt as though they were bruising, the pain mixing with my pleasure creating an unnatural euphoria as his moans quickly shadowed mine as he came. He pushed hard inside me, slowly repeating the motions as his loud moans filled my ears. I couldn't help but smile, completely overcome with ecstasy, satisfied with how he made me feel.

Our breathing loudly echoed the rapid pace of our beating hearts as we stared into each other's eyes. "Next time," he huffed, "don't stand me up and make me wait so long in between our secret little rendezvous." He kissed me. "I need more of you." My body clenched around him, causing him to moan as he bit my lower lip, slowly releasing me from his teeth.

"Yes, sir." I teased, swallowing hard.

He smiled, shoving deep one last time, my mouth gaping wide as I instantly inhaled. "Good girl." His whispered words shocked my core. "See?" He nodded, motioning to my glowing hands. "We both know your boyfriend can't make you do that."

Hearing that one word was enough to kill the moment. Reality quickly settled in, replacing desire with guilt. My smile dropped as I peeled my eyes from his, my cheeks burning with shame as the cerulean glow of my hands faded away. Reading the emotion plastered across my face, he slowly pulled out from inside me, a soft gasp escaping my lips as he gently lowered my legs. I quietly fixed my skirt, my fishnets now shredded as small, newly-formed bruises began to take shape around my thighs. He zipped his jeans, adjusting his belt, his eyes remaining heavily on me as I shied away from his caring gaze.

Alastair huffed, stepping from behind the statue, his heavy breath fogging the air. He gracefully approached my side, his head nudging me as I smiled softly, petting his thick black fur. The wolf never left my side, even on nights like this when I would sneak away in search of sinful exchanges such as this. He was always nearby, keeping watch.

The three of us sat in silence, the haze of lust clearing as the sad, unfortunate truth of the situation settled around us.

"Alaska—"

"I can't keep doing this, Lazarus," I cut him off, my eyes remaining low. My body twisted away from him as I turned to walk away. His hand quickly gripped my arm, holding tightly as he refused to let me leave. Alastair growled softly in warning. Their eyes met as he nodded, loosening his grip, the wolf calming in reaction.

The sound of the surrounding woods faded back to life, breaking the silence that hung heavily between us. I glanced up at Lazarus, eyes wide with longing as I studied his body, admiring the sight of him. I wanted him, but I couldn't have him. He didn't deserve to be dragged along as a plaything.

His hot breath muddled the air between us as he stared down at me. "Don't do that." He stepped in my direction as his tattooed hand gently grabbed my neck, yanking me close. I gasped, electricity shooting through my body, my breath fogging my view as my fingers collapsed around his.

"You know this can't be more than what it already is. You should be with someone who can make you happy, someone you can have more than just sex with. We can't—"

"I don't mind being your secret, darling, but don't put an expiration date on this." His thumb rubbed along my lower lip, lifting my chin as my eyes remained fixated on him. "Sex or not, we both know this isn't ending anytime soon." He slowly removed his hand, my chin dropping as he broke his gaze, petting Alastair. The two were fond of one another, and he understood and respected the bond between me and my wolf.

Lazarus pulled a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his jeans, offering one to me. I studied the small pack in his hand, silently accepting the complicated truth of our situation. Even if I wanted this to be more, we couldn't. Not while I was still with Cain.

"Just sex," I whispered as I snatched a cigarette, placing it between my lips. I snapped my fingers, a faint blue flame flickering as I ignited the tip. I inhaled the thick smoke, watching as he pulled my hand close, lighting his own, the reflection of my blue flame flickering in his dark irises.

His warm hand continued to hold mine, exhaling a cloud of smoke into the night, grinning as he leaned against a large gravestone. I could repeat the phrase a million times but, deep down, we both knew the truth. Whatever this was between us, it was more than sex.

Lazarus shook his head, blowing a second trail of smoke into my face with a smile. "Whatever you say, Alaska."