But even as she came, he continued to thrust into her, even harder and faster until she was lost of reason and thought and was just one mass of quivering, mewling flesh writhing and thrashing on the mattress.
She didn’t know how long he went for. Her mind and body had long ago phased out into a euphoric fog. But she felt it, if only fleetingly, when he released her h*ps and collapsed down beside her on the bed.
She couldn’t move her limbs. They were like lead, heavy and cumbersome. But she was able to turn her head to the side so she could see Malvo lying beside her.
His eyes were closed but he had a satisfied grin on his angular face. Slowly he turned toward her and opened his eyes. They were solid black, but it didn’t bother her. She’d already known what he was before she succumbed to him. Even with the bottomless gaze she still found him breathtaking.
“You are quite a woman,” he finally said.
The corner of her lips lifted in a half-grin. She was too lazy and tired to do much else. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” Her words were slurred and it nearly made her giggle.
“Please do. That is how I meant it.” He rested his hand on her back and lazily ran his fingers over her skin. “You nearly tired me out. But now I’m hungry. I need food.” He sat up. “Would you like something? I can conjure up anything you like.”
Still smiling as if drunk, and boy did she feel intoxicated, she said, “I donna think I could chew anything. Too sleepy.”
He chuckled. “Sleep then, chère. We’re just getting started.”
Slowly, Kiara closed her eyes. She wanted to respond to that. To tell him she couldn’t possibly have sex again, but she quietly and lovingly slipped into slumber before any words could come out.
Chapter Nine
Kiara jolted awake. At first she didn’t know where she was, but when she turned her head and saw the big dark demon sleeping next to her, everything came back to her in a flood of emotion. She was in her father’s home, trapped in another realm with the demon from her dreams.
Trying not to wake him, she slipped off the bed and padded across the room to the bathroom. On the way she spied a white T-shirt hanging over the back of a chair. She snagged it and pulled it over her head. It hung to just past her ass cheeks. It would suit her purposes. She really didn’t want to be creeping around na**d all the time.
After using the facilities, she crept into the living room. She had to get out of here. Although sex with Malvo was beyond words, she had no intention of remaining a prisoner here with him. His insatiable lust would ruin her. She couldn’t possibly keep up, and that was obviously all he wanted from her. There was nothing else here for her.
As she crossed the floor, she picked up one of the candlesticks that were on top of the mantle over the fireplace. They were made from brass and heavy. She hoped it would be perfect for what she had in mind. Carrying it under her arm, she went back into the corridor and wandered down the long hallway to the place where she thought she entered.
Hefting it over her shoulder, she swung down with all her strength into the wall. When it hit, a clanging sound echoed down the passageway. But it didn’t make a dent in the wall. She swung it again and again and again, frustration fueling her motions. After a good ten swings there was still no damage to the wall. It was as if she never even hit it.
Her arms and back ached from the effort, but she wasn’t willing to give up just yet. She moved down the wall, striking it as she went with the heavy candlestick. By the time she reached the end of the corridor, tears streamed down her face. At the entrance to Malvo’s rooms, she collapsed to her knees and sobbed. The candlestick fell from her hand, then she covered her face.
“You woke me.”
Kiara glanced up to see Malvo leaning against one wall, na**d and rumpled from sleep. The dark tattoo snaked around his bicep seemed to ripple and undulate in the low light.
She didn’t answer him. She feared she’d say the wrong thing. Although he’d been nothing but gentle with her, she suspected there was something dark and dangerous shimmering beneath his calm façade. Wasn’t that the thing that had attracted her the most?
“You were making a lot of noise.”
“I don’t care,” she mumbled, wiping at her tears.
“I told you it was pointless to leave.”
“I had to try.”
“Why?”
She stared at him. “Because I refuse to be trapped here. I want out.”
He moved toward her until he was standing directly in front of her. He offered his hand. At first she hesitated, but then she set her right hand into his. He rubbed his thumbs over the back, and then turned it over to look into the palm. Her skin was red and raw from swinging the candlestick.
“Come.” He pulled on her arm.
She shook her head. “I don’t want to f**k again.”
He smirked. “I am not that callous, chère. I have more than one emotion.”
She allowed him to pull her to her feet. Keeping her hand in his, he led her back through the living room to his bedroom. She thought he was going to lead her back to bed, but instead he directed her to the bathroom. Before they entered, he waved his hand in the air in a complicated pattern.
He pulled her through the doorway. To her delight, she saw a huge bathtub, big enough to fit three people, filled with steamy hot water. Pink and red rose petals floated on top. The floral scent tickled her nose and she smiled.
“A long, hot bath will make you feel better.” He turned her to face him, gripped the hem of the T-shirt, pulled it over her head and tossed it over his shoulder. “The water will not cool. So you can stay in it as long as you wish.”
Still holding her hand, Malvo helped her into the enormous tub. The water was hot but it was a good hot, a good burn. The kind that melted out aches and throbs from muscles and bones. She sank down into the water and sighed. The water came up to her neck and she rested her head on the back of the tub.
“There is something special in the water that will ease your body aches. It will also heal the skin on your hands.”
Curious, Kiara raised her hands out of the water and took a peek at the palms. Already the skin was knitting itself back together. They were still red but she suspected that might have something to do with how warm the water was. Smiling, she sank her hands back into the water.
“I could get used to this.”
That had Malvo smiling. She noticed it was a different smile. Not a satisfied grin of triumph or a self-indulgent smile a person would give to a clever child, no this one reached his eyes and it was honest.
“You see, it is not so bad here. I do possess many talents.”
“Could we eat after my bath?”
He bowed a little. “Of course. What does my lady wish?”
She thought for a minute then asked, “Can it be anything?”
“Yes. Absolutely anything you’d like. Even roasted rhinoceros.”
“How about, roasted lamb with mint gravy, honey-glazed carrots and roasted potatoes.”
“Sounds delectable.”
“My ma took me to a fancy restaurant for my sixteenth birthday. That’s what I ate. I still remember how wonderful it tasted.”
He did that little bow thing again. “I assure you it will be just as delicious as it was then.”
“Thank you.”
He looked at her a long moment, then nodded. Without saying anything further, he left her to her bath and shut the door behind him.
Once he was gone, Kiara sank down into the water, covering her head. When she came out she wiped at her eyes and grinned. The water was amazing; she could feel the stress knots unravel with every second she was submersed.
Maybe being stuck here wasn’t going to be so bad. Malvo lived in luxury that was for sure. And he’d said that he could conjure whatever he wanted. Maybe he would conjure for her as well. She could have all the food, pampering and sex she wanted. It sure beat reading tarot cards for a meager shilling and she didn’t have to hide who she truly was. Here she could be whomever she wanted.
Chapter Ten
For the next three days, he and the Irish witch fell into a comfortable pattern. They would f**k most of the day, then eat, and sleep, and f**k some more. She was as insatiable as he was. Her appetites were enormous both for food, drink and sex. She was a good match for him. He’d been lucky she’d been the one to enter his realm.
But it still preyed on his mind why she’d been the one to walk through the library walls and into his realm.
There had been others in the house, other females. But neither had very much interest in the library. It was Kiara who had sought his sanctuary out within minutes of entering the house. As if she’d been drawn to his power.
She’d said that she’d dreamt of him before. He wondered what those dreams had meant. By the mark in her eye, he knew her to possess some power. A seer, she had told him one night in bed after they had f**ked themselves raw. He wondered now what she saw in her dreams. If there were answers there for him to unfold.
It was night now and Kiara was fast asleep on her stomach on his bed. He watched her slumber from across the room where he leaned on the doorway. He didn’t sleep much, at least not in succession. He would catch a few hours here and there through the day, but had never fully slept through the night. At least not with another being beside him in his bed.
She slept solidly, he noticed. She didn’t twitch or move much. He wondered where she went when she was so deep in her subconscious. She fascinated him on many levels. This was a surprise to him, as he didn’t usually find mortals of much interest. In the past, they had proved to be good playmates for various things, sex in particular. But with this woman, he found he wanted her around for other things.
He’d enjoyed their meals together. They’d talk about various things. He found she had a voracious appetite for music, which he found endearing, as he did as well. When he’d shared a particularly fond piece of classical that he loved, tears had welled in her eyes at the sounds.
He had to look away then, to hide the fact that it had pleased him immensely to see the joy in her face. He didn’t want to want to please her. It wasn’t normal for him. She was here to please him. Her arrival was for his benefit. He knew that she came to him for a reason. She had to be the key to his release from this house. There couldn’t be any other reason why she’d been called to him.