As if some outside force pushed them together, their mouths bonded in a kiss. His touch against hers was soft. She parted her lips and invited his tongue to meet hers. Their breathing grew heavy, and they tasted of each other. This union was just as powerful as their first kiss. His power seemed to rage through him now as it had then. Her gifts begged to be utilized, and her soul wanted to know him intimately.

He slid his hands over her waist, hips, and thighs, and her body heated in response. She tangled her fingers with his hair and grasped the back of his neck as she brought him closer into her. He groaned when her thigh grazed the front of his pants, connecting with his arousal.

"Raiden." She leaned back for air.

His lips dwelled along her collarbone. He continued to torture her as his tongue glided across her exposed neck and shoulders and then finally to the curves of her breasts. One small tug on her tank top and she was nearly exposed to him. Her back arched as she offered herself to his tender kisses.

"You should tell me to stop. Now," he mumbled into her chest.

"Don't stop." She pulled him closer. "Love me the way you want to be loved. Show me how to love you."

He hissed, drawing in a long breath. "This is a dangerous thing you ask me to do."

"You, danger, and I work well together, don't you think?" It was supposed to come out as a joke, but when she finally said it, she realized how serious her statement was.

He dragged his lips from her neck and met her eyes. The intensity in his stare reminded her of the lightning bolts from the painting. They sparked a jolt of pleasure between her legs. He kissed her again, hungrily this time. Her curiosity egged her on, and she slid her hands down into the front of his pants.

Raiden closed his eyes and rested his head back onto the pillow as she cupped a handful of his desire. She grabbed warm flesh and hard steel, and her hands tried to hold everything, but the tight squeeze in his pants and his large size prevented this. Her breath hitched in shock when he grew even larger. Warm liquid coated her pussy, and her stomach clenched in need.

His eyes flew open, and he led her down again, until her back hit the bed. He lifted her shirt over her head with haste. She unclipped her bra and tossed it on top of the shirt. Oh, how she wanted this...probably just as much as he. His head lowered slowly, and he enveloped a pebbled nipple between his lips. Her back arched off the bed as a surge of pleasure shocked her. He cupped her back with one hand and suckled each breast with precision. Each tongue tug unleashed a fury of sensations through her body. She had never felt this way before.

Raiden thrust his groin into her stomach and traced her lips with his own. "I want to taste all of you, Erin." He fumbled with her zipper to gain access and smoothed his palm across her stomach.

Her body writhed and arched into his as their tongues meshed in their own dance. His fingers traced the edges of her panties. Her pussy ached. Her clit burned in torture. It was excruciating and hurt so good.

Erin moaned as his fingers circumvented the thin cloth covering her sensitive mound. She spread her legs wider, and his fingers dipped into her wet heat. He slid his digits down into her folds, stroking her. It only made things better, as her juices flowed around his roving fingers.

"I bet you taste just as sweet as you smell, beauty."

"You said you were interested in seeing some of my work." She lifted a candle and headed toward the second bedroom where she kept her inventory.

Martin examined the jewelry on her display table. "Can you recommend some pieces?"

"For a girlfriend?" She had spoken too soon. It wasn’t any of her business whom he wanted to place an order for. "I mean...what color does she like?"

"What’s a popular color for women?"

Tiffany peered at him through narrowed eyes. His sincerity shocked her, but then again, everything about this man was different." Depends on the woman. I tend to like cool calming colors like blue, green, and silver."

He picked up a necklace with a silver infinity symbol for the pendant and a blue gem dangled between the bottom loop and held it in his palm. "Like this?"

"Yes." She nodded. "Exactly like that. I call that piece Indigo Infinity. The infinity symbol represents the idea of no bounds...endless."

"I’ll take it."

"You may email me with the address of the woman you want me to ship it to."

"I’ll send you a shipping address tomorrow."

She shivered and grabbed the sides of her arm. "Temperature has dropped since the rain started. Do you mind if I get..."

Martin clasped her waist and scooped her to his chest in one smooth move. "Earlier you asked me why I’m still here."

She gasped as her lips paused mere centimeters from his. They stared each other down. She had nothing to say...didn’t know what to say. Why did she feel warm on the insides all of a sudden?

"I can’t resist this urge to kiss you," he whispered. "That’s why."

Leona crossed her arms over her chest and arched a perfect brow. "So, you do have it?"

Her insistency for the book matched his stubbornness to keep what was his. After all, her mother had given it up, so it was no longer hers. Why did she really call him? Was she trying to connect the book to the lost souls…and the lost souls to him? She didn’t trust him anyway and had even accused him of being a soul-stealer. "Yes, I have the book. If it’s the souls you are looking for, I couldn’t save them…or that of your mother. That demon died in a fire and carried them with him."

She cringed and shook her head.

"Tell me why you want it back." He had a feeling the reasons were more than keeping the knowledge away from demons.

"There are secrets that you should’ve never learned."

"Because I’m demon?" His father had told him that he would never fit in on Earth, despite his half-human blood. Humans were taught to fear their kind.

"That’s the main reason."

Would he be able to drag the others out of her? How could he explain to a witch that he had thought long and hard many times about bartering for his soul with her book? "Why is it so important to you if your mother gave it up?"

Leona stiffened, but drew in a deep breath before she answered. "She was possessed…not in the right state of mind when the demon lured her to hand it over. We know she made a terrible mistake."

"A terrible mistake, huh?" Carrick couldn’t read the language, but he had a hunch that the secrets it kept were important to Leona. What would’ve happened to her and her coven if he’d traded in her book? "You’ve managed without the book for several decades. This would imply that you or members of your coven know everything by heart. Why was this knowledge even written?"

"Demon, you ask too many questions!" She jumped up, rushed towards him, and tried to snatch his bag.

He grabbed her wrists, before her hands could reach his satchel, and clutched her to his chest. Blood rushed through his veins, quickening his pulse. No one touched his bag.

Curtains fluttered and whipped about as witch fury and demon intensity clashed. Chairs and furniture rattled against the floorboards. The crystal balls seated on the coffee table swirled with their magic and grew black. Candles went out and the scent of burnt wick fogged the room.

Carrick leaned in to bury his nose into her sweet-smelling hair. His face brushed against her soft cheeks, and she stiffened in his arms. Once her body relaxed, he released her wrists and snaked an arm around her waist.

Her chest pressed against his and her heart pounded with his own. With no desire to move away, he continued to absorb her scent. A shield of energy pushed at him. He recalled the summoner's circle and her powers. It would take more than a witch’s spell to run him off. Little did she know, her powers were like a magnet to him. Leona was living proof that one so different from other humans could still live in the real world among them. "I feel your power, Leona. Your energy could cause much damage. Do you use this for anything else other than destruction?"

Her eyes gleamed with anger as she struggled to break his hold. "I am not a witch of destruction. If it weren’t for you demons running amok, I might be able to devote all my time to healing."

"When was the last time you had a lover?" Carrick traced the soft outline of her jaw and paused to stroke the small cleft in her chin. She was so perfect and her floral perfume enchanted him. He couldn't get enough of her smell. Stroking the delicate curvature of her neck and collarbone, the pulse in her vein sped up under his fingertips. His hardened cock pressed against her belly. "When was the last time you used your energy to please yourself?"

Her eyelashes swept her cheeks as her body became pliant in his arms. "I…I don’t know."

Carrick wanted to give her what her body obviously desired. He understood her ache because he’d known the same for all of his life. His own urges consumed him and he needed… "You need release. That’s your problem, isn’t it?"

Leona parted her lips, but nothing came out. He licked his own, anticipating the taste of her.

"Well, I’d very much like to help you with the solution. Wouldn’t you enjoy that?"

Lust-filled eyes opened to meet his, but not before he spotted the flicker of doubt in them. Her opposition didn’t surprise him. After all, he’d known conflict all his life. He started to release her, but to his surprise, she took his hand and wrapped it around her waist.

Tina took a sip of the champagne, set the glass on a nearby stand, and then swallowed nervously as she ran her gaze over his sculpted body. The muscles in his chest were nicely toned from heavy-duty work. The water slid down over his skin, some into the soft curls peeking from his boxers. Her gaze focused on the outline of his cock as the wet fabric clung to it, and her heart quickened and pussy clenched. She’d felt the strong outline of his arousal so many times from the hugs they shared, but always through clothes. What would it feel like to hold it in her hands, run over the soft flesh with her tongue, and accept him into her body?

"I..." She shook her head and grabbed his hand to prevent from swooning and slipping on the floor.

"Why are you so nervous, Tina?" He squeezed her hand in his. "You know me."

She laughed softly. "That’s like asking me why I’m hungry."

"How can I make you at ease, then?

"Kiss me."

"What?"

What was she saying? Oh, but she was so tired of holding back her feelings for him. Tired of wanting and not having him.

"I said kiss me."

Craig stroked his fingers over her bangs, then traced the smooth brown skin on her cheek, as if admiring the texture of his roughened hands against her delicate face. Tilting her chin up, he brought her lips to meet his. His lack of hesitation did not surprise her, and she reached up to grasp the back of his neck with her fingers in acceptance. He tasted of sweet champagne and she wanted more of it. Their mouths parted and tongues flirted, and her body shivered in response, but not from the cold. Butterflies awakened in her stomach as their lips swept and roamed over each other’s like a never-ending caress. She’d forgotten how gentle his kiss could be. Calloused, demanding hands. Soft, caring kisses. She loved every minute of it.

Whatever it was that overcame Carlos in that instance, he didn’t know. He was in Dana’s path in seconds, and before he knew it, his fingers were tangled in her hair. He pulled her into his embrace effortlessly and pressed his lips to hers. She breathed in a sharp intake of breath and stiffened only briefly. As their mouths meshed, her body became pliant within his arms.

He was doing with her what he’d wanted to the moment she stepped foot in his shop. They nipped softly at each other, but then both became more involved and the kisses turned deep and aggressive.

She broke apart and panted against him, her hand pressing against his chest as if pushing him away.

Her eyes were a mixture of confusion and lust.

"I’m sorry." Carlos took a step back.

Dana moved toward him. "No, don’t be sorry for that."

"That was wrong."

She shook her head and wrapped her arm around his back. "No, it was so right."

He smiled, and saw the acceptance in her gaze. The same truth that’d been there since day one. "You like that?"

She grinned back. "Yes, I definitely like when you take control." Walking forward, she forced him further into the darkened room. "But you forget, I like to be in control too."