She grabbed for it. “Give it to me!”
Instead of giving it to her, she found herself shoved beneath the stretching branches of a massive oak tree. Cass pinned her there with his body while one gloved hand gripped the knife. “I can feel the magic in this weapon. Very old, very potent magic.” His eyes narrowed. “This is what you took from him?”
Her clothes had fallen from her hands, dropping back into the dirt. “That knife is mine! I didn’t take it from Luke. That’s not what he wants!”
His head dipped toward her. “I think you’re lying to me again.”
“No, not this time. That is mine. That emerald will buy me a new life.” Another one. “I can trade it for a spell that will make sure Luke and Leo can’t ever locate me. I just have to find the right wizard or witch and then I’m set—”
His eyes held hers. The knife was still gripped in his hand. “How many lies have you told me?”
Oh, shit. Shit. He didn’t realize it, but he was holding a very, very powerful weapon that was known in certain circles as the Blade of Truth. When you held it, people near you were compelled to only speak the truth.
“A…lot,” Amber heard herself mutter.
His eyes widened. “You’re not human.”
She laughed. “Hell, no.” The words just fell out. Horrified, she slapped her hands over her mouth. She had to stop talking.
Cass blinked. “Then what are you?”
Her body shook as she tried to hold back the truth. She had to get that knife away from him.
“What. Are. You?”
Her hands fell back down to her side. Dammit. She’d intended to trade that oh-so-valuable weapon for her protection. She’d spent decades searching for the damn thing. And now—it was being used against her. How typical. “The last of my kind,” she snapped at him.
Amber expected another hard question. What she didn’t expect was the flash of raw sympathy that appeared on his face. “Me, too.” He moved even closer to her. “Being alone…I didn’t realize you were like me.”
“I’ve been alone a very long time.” Another truth.
Distract him. Take the weapon. Use it against him. If she didn’t stop him soon, he’d learn every secret she possessed.
Her hands rose to flatten against his chest. She pushed up onto her tip-toes, and Amber put her mouth on his. He stiffened at the touch of her lips, and she thought he might pull away.
He didn’t.
His lips parted. He kissed her. Deep and consuming. Hot and sexy. He kissed her with a raw skill and a desperate hunger that had her heart racing. She’d wanted to distract him…
Now she just wanted more of his mouth.
The kiss became even deeper. She wasn’t just touching his chest, she was now moving her hands and clutching his shoulders. His left hand had curved around her hip and yanked her flush against his body. She could feel the long, thick length of his cock pushing against her.
A basic, undeniable truth…Cass wanted her.
And…her truth…She wanted him.
Wanting someone so much could be very dangerous. Especially when that someone was Cass.
Her eyes were tightly closed, her body leaned into him, and her hand reached for the knife that he still held. Her fingers slid over his, caressing, then she was curling her hand around the—
“Sweets…that isn’t the move you want to make.”
He’d lifted his mouth from hers. His bright gaze glared down at her—filled with fury and lust. “Don’t play games with me. You won’t win.”
“I wasn’t…” Crap. He’s still holding that knife. So she couldn’t stop her words. “I want you. I want you so much it scares me because I know you aren’t a safe lover. You kill with a touch, and all I can think about is having you touch me everywhere.”
His face changed. “Don’t bullshit me.”
If only. “I want you. I have…there is something inside of me that’s…others have said it’s wrong. That I’m wrong.” She’d heard that accusation plenty of times. “I want the men I shouldn’t. I want danger. I want darkness. I looked up in the bar and saw you and from the first glance, I wanted you.”
“Then you found out I was the fucking boogeyman.”
Her eyes squeezed shut, but she couldn’t hold the words in. “And I still wanted you. Maybe even more.” Because in her dark and twisted paranormal world, power was sexy. Cass had so much power within him.
“You…aren’t lying.”
Her lashes lifted. “No.”
And then his face changed. Shock…need…lust. Raw and wild and so savage. He threw the knife—just as he’d thrown the scythe before. It whirled and she heard the thunk when it sank into the nearby trunk of a tree. But she wasn’t looking at that knife because Cass had locked both of his arms around her. He yanked her up against him and took her mouth. His control was gone—she could tell that immediately. His kiss was out of control, ferocious with its need, and her desire burst to the surface. She was as desperate as he was.