The last thing I wanted was to show him that he still had the power to affect me. No demon was going to have influence over my body, but that was just what he had, whether I wanted it or not, damn it. His muscles bunched under my arms, and his body was solid against my back. Not that I noticed those little details.
“Welcome home, Emma,” he whispered in my ear. And if I didn’t know better, I swear he took a quick nibble on my ear.
I was in deep trouble as another round of shivers coursed through me.
Chapter 9
I struggled in his arms like a hellion, determined to get free and stop the feelings he was awakening. They would do me no good. The past was in the past and I couldn’t afford any distraction. Trying to establish distance was like trying to break iron columns with your bare hands. Impossible. Then there was all the friction between our bodies caused by my struggles. It was distracting and discerning all at once. My disciplined body betrayed me.
So I bit his arm, and the jerk didn’t even flinch.
Next thing I knew I was being swept through the forest and stuffed into the back seat of Chase’s car. This was going horribly wrong. Fidgeting in the seat, I tried to devise a plan to get me the hell out of this mess. The last thing I wanted was to be trapped inside the lion’s den. When we finally stopped outside the Winters’ house, I went for blood.
Travis’s blood.
As he carefully pulled me from the car, I swung out at this pretty-boy face. Of course his reflexes actually prevented me from connecting with his cheek, but I had a second line of defense ready. I kicked him in the shin.
His aqua eyes narrowed, followed by a scowl. “Behave,” he said, and I watched his eyes rim with gold.
My heart tripped.
“Bite me,” I snapped. Maybe not the right word choice, but hey, I was off my game.
The corner of his mouth tilted, eyes flashing yellow. “Just say where and when.”
I swallowed.
He chuckled, watching me intently. The whole car ride, he had watched me like a hawk, well a sexy hawk. It was as if he was afraid that if he wasn’t looking at me, I would pull another disappearing act on him. Under those long, long lashes, I felt his gaze everywhere. To make matters extremely uncomfortable for both of us, he kept me on his lap, and I was pretty positive I got more than I bargained for.
“It would help if you stopped wiggling,” he had whispered in my ear.
My cheeks flamed, and I went still as a portrait.
Now that I was being transported into the house, my anxiety went through the roof. I didn’t believe for a second that Travis would hurt me, but the facility…well, that was a whole different ball game. If they knew that I had been captured by Divisa, I could kiss my sorry ass goodbye. The facility does not like messes or fuck-ups.
It also didn’t help my blood pressure that Travis actually had the gall to tie me up, not that I made it easy for him. I wanted to sink my teeth into him again, but I was afraid this time it might be for the wrong reasons. I didn’t trust my lips anywhere near him a second time.
Sitting there with my hands bound, I couldn’t believe how much I had screwed up, but in my defense, Travis had the kind of face that made you forget the rules. I listened to Chase and Angel bicker outside. Maybe I made a few snide and promising threats. I figured I needed to make the most of my time spent here.
Just as I was starting to feel in control again and more like me, Lexi zipped down the stairs with Travis and gave me a new onset of confusing emotions. Lexi and I hadn’t been best friends, but I had liked her. She had been nothing but sweet and kind to me before…
She had her blonde hair in a sleek updo, and eyes just like her brothers stared at me in wonder. “Travis! You tied her up?” I guess no one had filled her in on the whole “turned hunter” thing. She put her hands on her hips, and her mouth turned down in pouty annoyance. “This better not be some kind of kinky foreplay.”
My mouth twitched at the corners, and then I made the mistake of looking at Travis. I don’t know what I thought it was going to be like when we finally saw each other again, but this tension that saturated the air was…captivating, nerve wracking, and hot.
I was letting the past interfere with the present. It had to stop now, before it got us all killed. Tearing my gaze from his, I heard the sergeant’s voice in my head, telling me how pathetic I was, that hybrid demons didn’t deserve any compassion, and it was our God-given duty to protect the innocent. Something inside me snapped, and things only escalated from there.
I insulted Lexi.
Threatened everyone in the room.
And gave away more about myself than intended, without persuasion.
I was losing my shit.
Chase’s girlfriend stared me down with blue flaming daggers of hate. I was guessing there was no chance of us being buddy-buddy like Lexi. She probably knew that I would stab her in the back if given the chance.
What can I say? The truth hurts.