CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Ella felt him before she saw him. Something about Viper's presence made the air feel charged. A little electric.

Chewing on one of her fries, she instinctively looked to her right. He was stalking toward her table, his expression determined. The gorgeous, sensual, badass sight of him made her hormones tingle in excitement. Her body instantly responded to all that natural authority and raw sexuality.

He'd gotten here sooner than she'd expected. Either he had already been at the Underground when he'd texted her, or he had an ability that allowed him to travel fast.

Or … maybe he had wings, though she doubted it. They would have been clipped from the fall.

Halting before her table, he inclined his head. "Ella," he said, his tone humming with a note of sexual invitation.

"Viper," she greeted.

"You came. Sort of," he said, a tiny upward lift to his mouth.

"I did. Sort of."

A hotly sexual gleam in his eyes, he slid onto the cushioned bench opposite her. "How'd the job go?" The question was so casual and light, totally at contrast to the intense I am going to fuck the holy hell out of you look he pinned her with.

Her belly fluttered. "Smoothly."

He slowly leaned forward—the simple move making an effervescent tension tauten the air—and braced his lower arms on the table. "Tell me about it," he urged, his voice low and deep and intimate as it brushed over her skin.

She wasn't sure how he did that. Maybe it was that his power bled into his voice, making it seem tangible. But sometimes, when he spoke to her a certain way, she honestly felt like his voice touched her. Stroked her. Teased her. As if it had vocal fingertips.

"A human thought that Bloody Mary was on his ass. Turns out it was his ex—a demon, though he didn't know that—using a glamor spell to fake her appearance."

His mouth quirked. "I take it you've put a stop to the problem." Not a question. A confident statement.

"I have." She tipped her chin at her box of fries in invitation.

A little warmth leaked into his gaze, mingling with the sexual promise there. He took a fry and shoved it into his mouth.

As she bit into her own, his eyes drifted down to her lips. Stared. Heated. Darted back up to meet her gaze. "You get jobs like that a lot?" he asked.

She might have told him to stop with the small talk, except … this wasn't mere chit-chat. His interest was genuine. He was also enjoying letting the tension simmer. She had to admit, it was ratcheting up her nerves.

"I've consulted with people who think either they, or someone around them, has been cursed in some way. But Bloody Mary? That was a new element." She cocked her head. "How did the club stuff go?"

"My night was pretty boring until I got your text." He hummed. "I should have guessed you'd show up here so I'd have to meet you halfway."

"Why should you have guessed? You don't know me."

"I'm good at reading people." He dipped his head toward hers. "You should come with me." It wasn't a suggestion. It was a lure, plain and simple.

There was something so deeply compelling about his tone. She could almost think magick was at work. But there was no spell, no manipulation. Just a combination of his natural magnetism and the weight of sexual chemistry pressing down on her.

"Where would we go?"

The corner of his mouth tipped up. "Somewhere I can fuck you blind."

She touched her lower lip with her tongue, her insides doing a happy jig; her demon smirking its approval.

"You on board with that?"

"If you'll make it worth my while."

"That I can do."

"I'm quite sure you can, since you've done it before."

At her capitulation, waves of relief, triumph, and pure male satisfaction rushed through Viper. His entity grinned, smug as a motherfucker. It wanted to take her to the bar's office and bend her over the desk there. Viper had other plans.

Raised voices rang through the air, and he quickly realized two demons were raring to start a fight. Wanting Ella away from the trouble, he slid out of the booth and took a single step toward her. "Come," he bid, holding out his hand.

Standing, she took it easily. The lack of hesitation on her part pleased Viper. It wasn't quite an indication of trust, but it illustrated that she felt comfortable with him; that she was completely sure of her decision to give herself to him.

As he tugged her a little closer, the scent of her magick wrapped around him like perfume—heady, feminine, spiced with power. The urge to dip his head into the crook of her neck and drag that scent all the way into his lungs near took him over.

Instead, he led her behind the bar and away from prying eyes, not wanting others to see as he teleported them out of there—he didn't broadcast his abilities. When they abruptly appeared in his bedroom, she jerked slightly as their surroundings changed.

"You can teleport. This explains how you got to the bar so fast." She scanned their new surroundings, her gaze brushing over the bare white walls and basic oak furnishings. "Are we at your clubhouse?"

Viper didn't move his eyes from her as he shed his jacket. "Yes." He tossed it on the armchair.

She flicked a look at the large bed. "This is your room?"

"It is."

"You're surprisingly neat."

Viper noticed her pulse beating fast in her throat. He found that little show of nerves delicious. It made his dick—already full and aching—throb in the confines of his jeans; made the predatory streak in his entity come to life.

"I'm gonna take a guess at something," he said. "You're used to taking the lead in the bedroom."

She stilled, her eyes going slitted. "Why would you think that?"

"At the club, it set you off-balance that I was so forward and touched you without invitation, but you liked it. Liked when I took over and fucked you as hard as I did."

"It was all right, I guess."

He chuckled. "You liked it."

A huff. "Fine, I did. What of it?"

"And I'm right, you're used to taking the lead?"

Ella sighed heavily, admitting, "Yes." She'd somehow always found herself in bed with guys who were careful and tentative. While there was nothing wrong with ‘careful and tentative', it had frustrated her to have to speed them along, to have to give them direction. She didn't need to do any of that with Viper, and it had allowed her to sink into the moment.

"I'm not a man who likes to be led. That said, I'm not looking for you to be submissive. The fact is I will take over because that's just how I am, but you can handle that however you want."

In other words, he would dominantly assert himself—it was part of the fabric of his personality—but he wasn't expecting her to roll over and obey.

"I wouldn't ask you to trust me so soon, but you can trust yourself. And you feel sure I won't harm you, don't you?"

Strangely, yes, she did. Though she barely knew him, she had this utter surety that she was safe with him. It made no rational sense. Especially when her defenses weren't usually so lax around others. "Yes."

Satisfaction bled into his eyes. "Good. Now, quick warning: I can get rough. Intense. And I fucking know I'm gonna be greedy when it comes to you. But you're in no danger with me. You tell me to stop, I stop."

"I believe you."

Something in him seemed to settle at that. With a satisfied nod, he took three steps back. "Clothes off, Ella. I want to see every single inch of you."

Not at all shy, Ella peeled off her t-shirt and threw it on the armchair where his jacket rested. He slowly circled her as she stripped, each step he took fluid and predatory.

Behind her, he said, "No other woman has ever been in this room."

Surprise pricked her, making her pause in removing her bra. "Then why bring me here?"

"Because"—a mouth brushed her ear—"I want to fuck you in my bed."

The words fell like sexual bullets. Little bumps rising on her skin, she flung her bra on the chair. After removing her panties, she kicked them aside, leaving her naked.

He did another slow circuit around her. Somehow, she could feel the intensity building in him. Feel his sexual energy heightening and coiling and twisting.

As he came to stand before her, his eyes darkened, flaring with sheer avarice. He fisted the back of his tee and yanked it off, baring inked skin that covered smooth, taut muscle. He tossed his tee on the armchair, crooked his finger at her, and pointed to the floor in front of him. "Come."

The little order might have rankled, except she knew he didn't expect obedience. Knew she could instead stand here and make him close the distance between them. But she had no interest in engaging in a power struggle.

What she wanted was to get thoroughly fucked as soon as possible, which meant not delaying things merely to make a point. She didn't need to make that point. He'd already been clear that he didn't expect total compliance.

Ella moved to him, watching masculine contentment flare in his eyes. Those twin blue pools of devastating intensity lowered to her mouth; stared at it with such hunger it caused her belly to clench.

His gaze flicked back to hers, the storm of energy inside him dancing behind his eyes. "You'll look so pretty choking on my cock," he said, his voice a mere whisper that nonetheless held a sensual punch. "We'll save that for later."

She gasped as he tangled a hand in her hair and wrenched her head back.

"The things I could do to you … Will do to you … " He caught her lower lip between both of his and gave it a tug. "By the time this night is over, you're gonna know one thing."

"What's that?"

"You'll know what it is to feel owned." A low growl scraping his throat, Viper closed his mouth over hers. Once again, that feeling of rightness clicked into place. Possessiveness surged up inside him and swallowed him whole.

He dragged her against him, not wanting an inch of space between them. He didn't stop eating at her mouth. Couldn't. He settled in and feasted.

Fire blew through his veins, scorched his blood, and hardened his cock even more. He skated his hands over her, rough and proprietary as he stroked, squeezed, and shaped.

Finally freeing her mouth, he abruptly hefted her up and set her on the bed. She looked perfect there. His own personal feast. And very much where she belonged.

A pretty flush stained her skin, sweeping up the valley between those full breasts he intended to get his hands on. Fuck, he wanted to drink from those breasts. From her throat. Her inner thighs. Anywhere and everywhere.

He wouldn't—couldn't—do it tonight, but soon.

Glassy eyes watched him as he moved to the foot of the bed. "Fuck me. Now."

"Not yet." Planting his fists on the bed, Viper curled over her and captured her nipple with his mouth. He suckled, licked around it, dragged his teeth over it, suckled again. He drank in every moan and whimper and gasp.

He moved lower, leaving suckling kisses along her belly, not bothering to check his teeth; wanting her to feel the sting.

"Enough playing," she hoarsely ordered.

"I'm not playing. I'm indulging."

"Indulge later." Ella pressed her nails into his shoulders, feeling a little desperate. She was hot. Too hot. And more than ready to come.

He ignored that and went to his knees on the floor. Then his mouth was on her pussy and, fuck it all, did he have to be good at everything? Her eyes fell shut as he devoured her. He pulled her under with every wicked swipe or pump of his tongue, every light scrape or nip of his teeth, every soft rhythmic suckle on her clit.

Hot zings of sensation skipped over her skin and set fire to her nerve-endings. It wasn't long before her release hit her, sending white-hot bliss winding through her body.

Straightening, Viper deftly tackled his fly one-handed, tore open a small packet, and rolled on a condom. He joined her on the bed, lowered his body over hers, and lodged the broad tip of his cock inside her. "Believe me when I say I am going to fucking defile you tonight."

Ella flinched as he crammed every thick inch of his shaft into her pussy with one brutal thrust. Jesus. She clung to his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his hips.

"Fuck, you feel good."

"You're not moving. Why aren't you moving?"

Because Viper was battling his entity for supremacy. It wanted to surface, take over, take her over.

You'll scare her , he reminded it. We go slow, or we lose her.

It backed down, grumbling its displeasure.

Viper smoothly reared his hips back, gritting his teeth as her pussy clamped down on him. "When we fucked at my club … that was fast. This won't be."

He slammed his cock home. That's what she was to him. Home.

He pounded into her hard, unleashing the knot of dark emotions inside him. Every bit of want and greed and possessiveness and love.

His entity blasted him with a sensory memory: Blood, warm and addictive and spicy with magick .

Viper clenched his jaw, the burn of thirst tickling the back of his throat. The bastard was trying to tempt him to feed from her. He clamped his jaw shut and wrestled back his thirst—the frustration of that only made him fuck her harder.

"Viper," she rasped, her inner walls rippling and heating. Then she came.

He didn't stop. Kept ramming his dick into her. Soon enough, she came again. He still didn't stop. He drove her higher and higher, until he sensed it building in her once more. "Come."

She shook her head. "I can't," she breathed. "Not again."

"You can. You will."

She did.

Ella imploded with a hoarse scream, digging the heels of her feet into his lower back, absently aware of him jackhammering into her with a rumbly snarl. He pitched his hips forward one last time, lodging his dick impossibly deep, and then she felt his cock throb as he filled the condom.

She melted into the mattress, all hollowed out. He sagged over her, burying his face in her throat. Neither of them moved for long moments. But then, keeping her with him, he rolled onto his back.

Sprawled over him, she lifted her head, finding her gaze drawn to the ink on his neck. There was a lot of it. Curves, lines, symbols, runes, images. She skimmed a finger down the scythe there, following it down to where a bunch of other symbols were inked into the skin right above his heart. "I don't recognize these."

"They're ancient writings that are only used in the upper realm."

Cocking her head, she met his gaze again, curious as to what he'd have stamped over his heart. "What does this bit say?"

He waited a beat, pursing his lips. "Maybe I'll tell you some other time."

Yeah, she'd heard that before. She gave him the same response she had last time: "And maybe you're full of shit."

"Maybe," he said, his lips bowing up.

Feeling his softening cock slip out of her, she told him, "I have to go clean up."

"I want a hand in that." After removing and disposing of the condom, he carried her to the shower. Under the hot spray, he washed her down … only to then eat her out right there, after which he fucked her again. So they had to clean up once more before they finally left the stall.

Slumped on her stomach on his bed, she felt a very proprietary hand sweep down her back in a smooth, covetous glide that gave her tingles.

He palmed her ass. "Stay the night," he coaxed.

"There you go using that tone on me again."

He looked genuinely confused. "What tone?"

"The one that wraps around someone's will like a spell."

His lips winged up. "So you'll stay?"

"I'm not sleepy."

His smile widened. "Who said I had plans for us to sleep?" He gave her ass an encouraging squeeze. " Stay ."

She let out a mock, long-suffering sigh. "Okay." Because she found that she'd completely ceased caring that he was a celestial.

Her mother would tut at that and brand her dumb. Her aunt would concur. Mia probably would as well. But Ella found that she gave no fucks about any of that either.

"All night?"

"All night."

"And you'll come back tomorrow?"

"I'll come back."

"Often," he pushed.

Her eyes narrowed. "What is it exactly you want from me?"

Everything, baby. But Viper didn't say that, because she wasn't ready to hear it yet. For now, he'd keep it simple. "I want you in my bed. Or your bed. Or pretty much anywhere. I want you as often as I can get you. And I don't want any other man touching you." Even he heard the blatant possession in his voice.

"And there'd be no other women for you?"

"No, I don't want anyone else." He slid his hand from her ass up to her nape. "We can see where it goes. Can't we?" he prodded, aiming to sound casual when in reality he wanted to officially claim her right there, right then.

She chewed on her lower lip. "Okay."

Relief settled into his cells. "Good."

"We'd have to keep it on the downlow, though."

Yes, they did. Because he didn't want either the strix or any potential celestial informant to see them together—none of which he could explain. "You ashamed to be seen with one of the Fallen?"

"No. I keep most of my flings and relationships on the downlow. My anchor, who's something of an overprotective meddler, pokes his nose in. He likes to threaten guys to treat me well. He wouldn't like me spending any kind of time with you, so he'd be problematic."

Viper did a long stretch and rolled onto his back. "I'm not worried about Belinsky." The legion was an exceedingly dangerous demon, but he'd have a fuck of a time taking Viper out.

Suspicious eyes gazed into his. "How do you know he's my psi-mate?"

"Belinsky makes it well-known who you are to him as a protective measure." As a thought occurred to Viper, he went still. "Did anything ever happen between you two? I know demons sometimes share a bed with their anchor."

She spluttered. "It does happen. Mia had a brief fling with hers. I'm pretty sure she regrets it now, though. She and Joe are having issues. I personally think—"

"You're rambling."

Indignant, she frowned. "I am not."

"You're rambling, and you're avoiding my question."

"Speaking of cocks, didn't you earlier say you wanted my mouth on yours?"

Viper's brows slid together. "I didn't just say the word, ‘cock.'" But now that she had, his own was twitching back to life—no doubt intentional on her part.

"It's what I heard. Well, am I sucking you off or what?"

"This is manipulation, pure and simple."

She gave an innocent blink. "Yes or no?"

He shoved his hand into her hair with a growl and pushed her head down. "Be warned, baby, you're not just going to suck me off. You're gonna get your throat fucked."

They didn't sleep. They stayed awake all night—talking, laughing, teasing, sexing each other up. It shouldn't have been so easy to be with him. Shouldn't have felt so natural for Ella. But it did.

Even her demon was at ease around him. And that damn entity wasn't relaxed around anyone.

He also gave her a tour of the compound at one point. He introduced her to any of the club members they came across, all of whom seemed strangely satisfied to see her there.

When it was time for her to go home, so she wouldn't be late for work, she felt a pang of disappointment. That, too, was strange. She liked space. Liked alone time. Yet, here she was lamenting that her very long night with Viper was over.

When he teleported them to the front door of her apartment, she narrowed her eyes at him. "How do you know where I live?"

He shrugged. "Same way I know your phone number."

"Ah, yes, your mysterious sources." She was beginning to think there was little he didn't know about the demon world. But then, it made sense that he'd delved deeply into it. How else could he ensure that his club slotted right in with minimal issues?

Her eyes went wide as she remembered something. "Shit, my car—"

"Is parked outside your building," he finished. "I had one of my brothers collect it for you. They got it started without a key—it's one of their many talents."

"Huh. I feel like I should be irritated that you just went ahead and did that without saying a word to me about it."

"Why be irritated? It's your car. You need it. I wanted to make sure you had it, so I did. It's not as if I spray painted it green."

Huffing, she dug her keys out of her pocket. "I like that color. But no, don't spray paint it."

"Don't worry. Not my idea of a good time." He frowned as his gaze landed on the floor. "What's that?" He bent and snatched— oh, fuck —a folded slip of paper from the hallway carpet. Before she had the chance to take the note from his hand, he opened it … and his face went rock hard with anger. "What the fuck is this?"