He did.
"I fed you, I didn't drug you. I would never hurt you. Never."
Kyrian frowned. She moved higher up on his stomach, her body sliding against his. "Love me, Kyrian," she said, placing his hand on her breast. "Let me erase those memories."
He didn't know if it were possible, but as he felt her bare, wet skin against his, her hot breath on his neck, he realized he didn't want to push her away. He had been so long without a woman's comfort. So long without a caring touch.
She slid herself against him, banishing his thoughts. "Trust me, Kyrian," she whispered in his ear an instant before she swirled her tongue around the sensitive flesh of his earlobe. Fire shot through him. "Amanda," he breathed, her name a prayer for salvation on his bruised lips.
He had tried so hard to let go of his past, tried so hard to banish it, and yet it was always there just under the surface waiting to stab him when he least expected it. But not now. Not with her in his arms.
Amanda saw the veil in his eyes fall. For the first time, she saw the soul of the man who had no soul. Better still, she saw the heat and the yearning. The need he had for her. Smiling, she gently kissed his lips, careful not to hurt him any more.
To her surprise, he deepened the kiss and slid his arms around her. He buried his hand in her hair and held her so tight against him that it stole her breath. His tongue stroked hers with a hunger that fired her own.
Amanda reached down between them and took him into her hand, then led him slowly, inch by wonderful inch, into her. She rode him slow and easy, careful of his injuries.
Kyrian leaned his head back and watched the satisfied look on her face as she stroked his body with hers. Reaching out, he cupped her chin in his hand. "You are so much more than I deserve."
Amanda took his lips with hers and kissed him hard, tugging at his lips with her teeth. Goodness, but the man could kiss. Her tongue grazed his fangs as she quickened her strokes. His moan reverberated through her.
He cradled her head with his hands as he deepened his kiss. Overwhelmed by her emotions, she came fiercely in his arms. He kissed her even harder.
"That's it, Amanda," he whispered, taking her breast into his hand and gently squeezing it. "Come for both of us."
Amanda opened her eyes and saw the raw hunger in the midnight depths. "This is so unfair to you." He smiled. "I truly don't mind. Just being inside you is enough."
Not believing it for a minute, Amanda helped him from the tub and toweled him off. She tucked him into the bed in the guest room, then carefully sealed the windows to make sure no daylight would leak through in the morning. She watched as Kyrian slept, his ravaged body healing so fast she could almost see it. If only she could heal his damaged heart as easily.
Damn his wife for her cruelty. She heard a knock on the door downstairs. With one last look at her guest, she crept to the hallway and went downstairs to open the door and found Nick standing on the porch with a small suitcase.
"I thought he'd need some more clothes and a few other things."
Amanda smiled at his thoughtfulness and let him into the house. "Thanks. I'm sure Kyrian will appreciate it."
Nick set the suitcase by the couch. "Where is he?"
"Upstairs, sleeping, I hope."
"Listen," Nick said sternly. "Talon's dogging Tabitha on the way back to your mother's to make sure she's okay and I have a couple more Squires looking after Esmeralda and the rest of your family. Now that Desiderius thinks Kyrian is dead, there's no telling what he might do, or which one of you he might go after. Tell everyone in your family to watch their backs."
Kyrian listened to them as he lay in bed. He could hear the fear in Amanda's voice. The anxiety. And he knew one way to dispel it. If Desiderius knew he was still alive, he would wait to go after Amanda's sisters. Kyrian was the prime target to the Daimon; they were merely bonuses.
Slowly, painfully, he rolled out of bed and dressed.
CHAPTER 13
"Kyrian, I hate to disturb you—" Amanda broke off as she opened the bedroom door and found the bed empty.
"Where is he?" Nick asked, moving into the room behind her.
"I don't know, he was here a second ago."
Cursing, Nick pulled his phone out, then stopped. "Dammit, he doesn't have a phone with him."
"Surely he wouldn't leave."
She started to go check the bathroom, but he stopped her with a "duh" stare.
"Surely he would." He went to the window and they watched as Kyrian pulled Nick's Jag out of the driveway. Kyrian's first stop was the doll shop. His intention was to find one of Desiderius's flunkies and the last thing he needed was to be unarmed when he met him.
It was just after eight when he swung open the door and heard the little bell tinkle above his head. Liza came immediately from the back, her wrinkled face warm and friendly until she caught a look at the healing bruises on his face.