“Why not? Isn’t that why I’m here?”

“Not now. I won’t put you in danger. I won’t risk it.”

Abby squeezed her eyes shut. She supposed now was the time she’d get the other answer she wanted. Just what did he have planned for her after she killed his mother?

“You have to tell me what you’re talking about, Alrik, because I don’t get it. Why don’t we just go and kill the old bitch?”

Tension filled his shoulders. She could feel them harden beneath her grip.

He pulled back forcing her to meet his eyes. A long moment dragged out between them and then he spoke and shattered her world. “If you kill her you’ll die.”

She blinked, swallowed, and tilted her head in confusion. “What?” Now she tensed. Her throat struggled to work.

“The seer says that you are the only one who can kill her, but if you do then you’ll die with her.”

“How?” she croaked.

“I don’t know. He didn’t say. So now do you see?” He grabbed her shoulders and shook her to make his point. His crazed eyes beseeched hers.

Oh, she saw a few things. All the pieces finally fit together, she just wished that maybe they didn’t because she didn’t like how the puzzle looked after it was put together. It wasn’t a pretty one.

He would have let her die for him. He would have sent her to her death to remove his curse. Inside it felt like two hands were tearing her heart in half. One part of her understood. He hadn’t know her then and neither of them felt about each other like they did now. However, the other part didn’t care. The other more emotional part wept with white-hot pain in her heart that he’d see her die.

How could he?

Pain sat in her chest like a heavy weight. Pain at what he’d kept hidden from her after all that they shared and pain for him.

Fiery emotions tore at her. It shouldn’t be like this. He didn’t deserve to have to live with this curse. It wasn’t his fault. If she didn’t kill his mother then it would be her fault that he lived with this curse.

Then Abby might as well be the one who cursed him, because by not helping him she was making sure he stayed cursed. She’d be the reason why every time he looked in the mirror he saw somebody else’s reflection. The only one who could fix him, who might have a shred of hope at saving him from the curse, was her.

But, she’d have to die to save him.

Tears pools in fill her eyes and slipped down her cheeks in streams. Only by the strength inside her did she manage not to burst into sobs like she wanted to. Never once had she sobbed and cried hard before but right now, she did. The burning pain in her needed release. It had to go somewhere.

She wanted to scream her rage to the heavens at the unfairness of it all.

However, she didn’t do either of those things.

Instead, she embraced the demon in her arms, the demon she loved, and kissed him with every ounce of that beautiful love inside her.

The kiss was raw, wild, and a little unhinged. His lips moved against hers as if trying to memorize the feel of them. A soft sob escaped her at the thought.

Somehow it felt as if she was losing him. They went at each other like ravenous beasts…like people who didn’t have much time left together.

Tongues stroked in hot, wet strokes, hands clung and teased. Both of them moved, reaching under each other’s shirts and pulling them up and off.

With an irritated grunt, Alrik struggled over the clasp of her bra.

That one little action made her giggle. The hot poke of pain in her chest lessened as his strong fingers fumbled over the three little hooks. He didn’t find it so funny and cursed in Demonish. Another fit of giggles swept over her that dried away her tears and left her feeling light as feather. As he finally got one hook open, then another she took the opportunity to run her hands over his round shoulders, and down the warm skin of his back. So strong and hard. She loved the way he felt, loved the dips and contours of his muscles.

“Fuck!” he cursed. Finally, the bra straps slid down her arms then he ripped away the offending material. Without missing a beat, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her until one tender nipple was at mouth level, and then he sucked it hard.

She gasped, her hands threading in his hair for anchor. He suckled her. Warm lips tugged and tortured her sensitive peak. Raw heat kindled inside of her as wetness dampened between her legs in a flood. With that one masterful touch she was ready for him...more than ready.

“Alrik,” she gasped.

His mouth released her breast with a wet pop, and then he opened that sexy mouth wide and latched onto her other breast. Oh my. Her eyes rolled back into her head and it turned into a struggle to keep the heavy weight of her head up.

Fuck it, she thought. It fell back, which worked out great because it pushed her nipple even further into his mouth and he didn’t waste the opportunity. He scraped his wet tongue around and around her peak flicking across it until her core throbbed in time with the movement. Each possessive tug, every tender rub pulled an answering need from deep inside her.

That’s it. She needed release. Too much pressure had built up inside her.

She shoved his shoulders hard. He didn’t have to but he rolled back taking her with him, cradling her against his chest as he laid back.

She landed on top of him and rubbed her core against the immense erection in his pants. A breathy moan escaped her. Need drove her movements and made her unable to stop rubbing her tender clitoris against him over and again.

“Abbigail!” He said her name like a curse.

She couldn’t stop moving, her hips undulated against him working them both into a fiery frenzy. Sitting up she traced her hands over his hard chest, and down the flats of his nipples. Her mouth soon followed, kissing and tasting his warm masculine essence. Hard muscles bulged in his abs teasing her to touch.

So, she did and followed the tempting path of hard muscle and satiny skin with her lips. His abs bucked under her touch. His erection pressed hard against his pants as if trying to escape.

She didn’t know what was louder: her panting breaths or his deep grunts. Either way they created a sensual storm around them.

Her hand cupped his length, tracing over his hard cock, and squeezing him. The fabric of his jeans had to go. She needed to feel him hot and hard in her hand. She moaned just at the thought of how he’d soon be filling and thrusting inside of her. Her core beat with a pulse at the erotic vision.

“Abbigail,” he said again, this time a warning.

She laughed softly and darted her tongue beneath the band of his pants. His entire body stilled.

Yes, she thought. You’re mine now.

She wanted to see him under her control all that under brilliant strong man melting all because of the flick of her tongue. She wanted to see him, this strong and brilliant man, squirm and melt under her all from a flick of her tongue.

Abby curled her fingers into the band of his pants. Only a row of four buttons kept her from what she wanted, and from what pushed hard against the seam as if trying to escape. She hooked her fingers around the first button and opened it.

“I want you, woman,” he growled, his voice making a shiver race down her stomach.

The tip of him poked through; hard, rounded, and wet at the tip. Her tongue darted out to wet her suddenly dry lips. Slowly she opened the next button and then the next until finally he sprung free, eager, and solid.

She curled her hand around the shaft loving the contrast of rocky hard strength and velvety soft skin. Her hands pumped up and down the dark shaft, but her eyes watched his expression. His lips parted, abs curled as he arched and thrust his hips into her grasp. He was a beautiful, sexy sight.

“Oh baby,” she breathed at the sight.