Night's Promise Read online

  So many sensations filled her. Warmth pooled deep inside her, gathering until it centered between her legs, making her want to squirm beneath him.

  His teeth grazed against her shoulder and she whimpered as his mouth continued to move lower. He eased the bra strap down her shoulder and shifted slightly. Looking down, she saw him watching her for any sign of distress as his tongue traced the swell beneath his lips.

  He moved so slowly she wanted to cry out when he finally reached her nipple. Duncan laved it then blew gently across the wet area, causing her to arch up. Her left knee bent, she pushed against the bed, wanting to feel more of him.

  Her hands twisted in his hair and Melissa closed her eyes, allowing the sensations to devour her.

  How could this be happening? Never before had she ever wanted a man to touch her. Not since high school had she felt the slightest desire to be lying half-naked under a man as he set her blood on fire. She’d given up hope that someone would ever make her feel this way.

  Above her, Duncan shifted his weight slightly and she could feel his knee pressing intimately between her legs. He teased her with his mouth until she was ready to scream, careful to show equally lavish attention to her other nipple.

  Melissa could feel the erection pressing against her through his boxers and she felt a rush of pride. She had done that to him.

  Urging him back up to her mouth, hands still twisted in his hair, she wrapped her leg around his waist. With minimal shifting of her position, she managed to free her other leg, allowing it to surround him, pulling him closer against her. Her lower body arched against him as his tongue delved into her mouth.

  Again he traveled to the side of her neck, nipping her flesh. As his teeth slid over the sensitive spot just above her shoulder, she wondered if he would drink from her.

  Did she care?

  Hell no. Not as long as he kept rubbing her the way he was.

  Duncan thrust into her jean-covered sex. Her pants and his boxers preventing anything from going too far, but the sensation of him rubbing his hard cock so intimately against her had her quickly moaning.

  “Angel,” he murmured next to her shoulder before once again taking her nipple into his mouth, tugging it with his teeth as he rolled the other between his thumb and forefinger. His knee pressed between her legs again when he lifted slightly, straddling her leg. Her hips arched forcefully and Melissa forgot how to breathe as she felt her entire body tensing. His leg pressed harder against her as she ground her sex into it, relishing the sensations that were being created.

  Her fingers curled, pressing his mouth closer to her flesh. Her breath came in short pants as the pressure built between her legs. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut, and a scream tore from her throat as her entire body shattered around her.

  Gasping for air, Melissa felt Duncan slowly release her nipple before resting his head against her breast.

  “Gods,” she whispered, unwilling to break the magick that seemed to surround them at the moment. Her first orgasm. It had felt better than any description she’d ever read led her to believe it would.

  She felt him smile against her. “Did you like it?”

  Did she like it? Did she like it! The term “like” did not begin to describe how she felt.

  Duncan lifted his head from her and she could hear the concern in his voice. “Melissa?”

  Nodding, she wished her heart would stop pounding so ferociously in her chest.

  “I’m glad,” Duncan said before lowering his head again.

  She could still feel the erection pressing against her thigh, and wondered why he hadn’t asked her for a similar release yet.

  Or, was he just biding his time, hoping she would offer out of guilt? She hoped that wasn’t the case.

  *

  Rolling off of her was harder than he’d thought it would be. His cock strained inside of his boxers, begging for relief.

  “I can, uh, help you out if you’d like,” Melissa offered. A quick glance at her as he sat up told him she was uneasy with the thought. Grabbing his jeans and closing his eyes, he willed his body to cool as he stood, shaking his head.

  “I don’t want anything in return, Mel,” he told her, forcing his jeans over his hips. Sitting beside her, he pulled her back into his arms, his mouth watering again at the sight of her exposed breasts. His cock twitched against the stiff fabric. “I didn’t do that for you to feel obligated. I’m just glad you enjoyed it.” He placed a gentle, chaste kiss on her nose.

  “It just doesn’t feel right to know you’re still—”

  He cut her off with a kiss. When he pulled back, he could see desire warming her brown eyes. “Angel, trust me, it felt very right.”

  Melissa blushed and looked away from him. “You don’t want me to…”

  Gripping her chin gently, Duncan turned her head until she once more looked in his eyes. “I really do. But that’s not why I kissed you, Mel. That’s not why I…” He smiled. “Angel, there isn’t any rush to do anything.”

  “I’m not some innocent teenager you know,” she told him, her voice sulky.

  “I’m not saying you are. I told you before, I suck at this kind of reassuring shit. But don’t rush things. I can’t remember the last time I was with a woman who reacted the way you did. You gave me something special today, I won’t ruin it by letting you do something you really don’t want to do.”

  “Who said I don’t really want to?”

  Pulling her into his lap, Duncan allowed his fingers to linger on her flesh as he adjusted her bra. He kissed the swell of each breast before pulling her shirt over her head, hiding the tempting flesh.

  “I can feel you want me to,” she told him, squirming on his lap.

  “You won’t ever hear me say I don’t want to fu—have sex with you. Small steps, Angel.”

  She looked at him, pain in her eyes. Did she think he wouldn’t want to see her again if she didn’t return the favor? He fought back a growl, adding the boys she had dated to his list of potential victims. He wouldn’t kill them; he’d only beat them black and blue for scarring her.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Angel.”

  “Yes you are. You’re gonna go and fuck some woman that isn’t an uptight little bitch.” She tried to climb off his lap but he held her still. Melissa turned her face away from him, her voice angry as she spoke. “Let me go now, damn it.”

  “No.”

  “I’ll punch you, I swear I will,” she told him, looking at him again with her eyes narrowed. But that didn’t hide the glimmer he saw in them.

  “I don’t doubt that, Mel. But I’m not letting you go.” He didn’t stop her when she balled her fist up.

  “I’m not going to warn you again.”

  “I’m not letting you go.”

  Her hand flew out so fast even his predatory eyes could barely follow it until it connected with his eye. Growling he twisted, pressing her back against the bed. Restraining her hands, he made no move to stop her legs from kicking.

  She fought against him like a woman possessed. “I’m. Not. Letting. You. Go. Damn it Melissa, listen to me. I’m not letting you go.” She went completely still, her eyes closed and breathing shallow. “I’m not going to find some other woman to fuck.”

  She opened her eyes.

  “I suck at this shit,” he almost yelled. “Look, I’d really like to see you again. So unless you tell me you don’t want that, I’m going to assume we have something between us.”

  “You still want to see me? Even after I punched you? Again.”

  “Yes.”

  “But what about…” Her voice trailed off.

  “Well, Angel, as long as you don’t consider Mistress Thumb and her four closest friends as cheating, I’ll be fine.”

  “Duncan, I can’t ask you to go without—”

  He silenced her with a kiss.

  “Mel, you didn’t ask.”

  “I know about you. You’re the kind of man that has a different woman every other night if he want
s.”

  “Yeah, so? You’re different. I never promised any of those women anything other than a night in bed.”

  “So what exactly are you promising me?”

  “I’m not sure. I’ll be there to listen to you, if you ever need to talk.”

  “My brother does that.” She smiled playfully.

  Releasing her hands, he arched an eyebrow. “How about this, I promise to kiss you senseless,” he teased. Growing serious he continued, “Mel, I’m not sure exactly what to promise you, but I promise as long as we’re figuring it out, I won’t touch another woman. I promise to always be honest with you, and I promise I will be there if you need me, no matter who I have to go through to get there.”

  “Duncan…” Melissa shook her head. “That’s so much to ask for from you. Especially when you aren’t getting anything in return.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I’m getting everything in return.” He silenced her blossoming protest with a kiss, his tongue easily delving into her mouth, delighting in her taste as she squirmed beneath him.

  When the kiss ended, he climbed awkwardly off the bed then helped her up.

  “I have one more question,” she asked him, standing beside him.

  “Yes?” He nibbled on her neck.

  “What are we going to tell my brother?”

  Duncan felt as though he had just been thrown into a lake in the middle of winter—in Alaska. His cock suddenly lost all motivation, as he remembered Gareth’s reaction to the last man who tried to manhandle Mel on the dance floor.

  Chapter Five

  Sitting in the control room, Duncan wondered what he’d gotten himself into. He hadn’t seen Melissa the past couple of nights and was wondering if he’d spoken before he’d thought the other night. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be closer to Mel, that he wasn’t attracted to her.

  But a man like me doesn’t have friends… And just forget about winning the lady like they portray in those movies.

  He could remember seeing one particular movie about an ex-gangster with a soft heart. The man refused to kill his neighbor, instead becoming fast friends with the man. He didn’t even kill the neighbor when the man learned his real identity and could expose him. Instead, the former killer went out of his way to help the neighbor live happily ever after while meeting his own perfect girl.

  Real life was nothing like the movies.

  Back when he was an assassin, it hadn’t mattered how nice a person was, if they were the target, or they tried to stand in his way, they were as good as dead. It was one reason people learned not to fuck with him.

  For the first time in years, he thought about the sorcerer he’d told Melissa about. He had a feeling she didn’t believe he’d tried to kill the man. Stabbing him probably would have been a better method, but after the sorcerer pissed Duncan off, he’d wanted the man to suffer. Duncan had felt that slowly suffocating, or drowning, would be painful enough. It would give the sorcerer enough time to appreciate just how fucked he was.

  Just as he’d told Mel, he’d completely bound the man. Tying his arms against his body then his feet together, he’d even handcuffed him just to be sure he wouldn’t get his hands free. Dumping the sorcerer into a moderate-sized trunk, Duncan not only locked it, but he’d broken the key off inside of it, to assure no one would be able to get it open. And, just like in those corny cartoons they show on television, he wrapped a chain around the top, but that was to give it additional weight so it would sink quicker rather than additional security. But none of it had worked.

  Giving in to the rare impulse, Duncan allowed himself to remember the past.

  Walking into the bar, he saw the bastard sitting—alive and well—on a barstool and grew livid. Everyone around him quickly stepped away.

  “Surprised to see me?” the sorcerer asked.

  “What the hell are you still doing alive. When I kill someone, they die.”

  “Really? Then I guess you didn’t do a very good job of it last night then,” he taunted.

  Curiosity filled Duncan. “How could you possibly have survived?”

  Laughing, the man bought him a drink. Careful not to let anyone see he wasn’t actually drinking the foul-smelling liquid, Duncan waited for an answer. He could be very patient when he wanted to be.

  “It’s all about power,” the sorcerer said after a short time. “And between you and me, I have all the power in this relationship.”

  “Then this time I’ll make sure to have the proper spells cast first,” Duncan growled.

  “It wouldn’t hurt. But I’d still have all the power.” The man’s tone was so blasé; they could have been discussing the weather rather than his death.

  “Explain it to me,” Duncan said, his annoyance showing clearly through his gritted teeth and balled fist.

  The sorcerer chuckled. “I annoy you. You’ve given me the power to annoy you. Why? And be honest.”

  “I don’t like bastards that think they can do whatever they want. That woman you harassed last night, she’s a good woman. She’s got kids. She needs her job and you almost made her lose it.”

  “So you’re not made of stone after all. What’s it to you? You’re an assassin, a hit man. You kill people for a living. Don’t you think it’s a bit hypocritical? After all, you frequently do whatever you want.

  “Unless… What does she mean to you? I’ve seen the way she looks at you, she’s terrified of you. Everyone in here is.”

  “Everyone but you, it seems.”

  “So it seems,” the sorcerer answered with a smile.

  Duncan knew the man was right. She was terrified of him. Everyone who saw him was. And he frequently did get to do whatever he wanted because of that. He liked it that way. He enjoyed having none question him. But for some reason he wanted to tell her she had nothing to fear from him, he wanted to help her, to be a hero once in his life, even if only just to one person. But if anyone ever discovered he wanted to help her, neither the woman nor her children would stand a chance. He might as well kill them himself.

  Shrugging, Duncan answered his question. “She’s nice to me. She doesn’t let her fear stop her from being polite, unlike most people.”

  “And that’s why I have power over you. A man in your position can’t afford to like anyone. Not if you plan on keeping your edge. Even now you’re mad at me, yet you don’t attack. Oh I can feel your desire to rip my throat out, yet you’re talking to me.

  “If you really want to kill me you have to take away my power first.”

  “I won’t make the same mistake twice, sorcerer,” Duncan growled, allowing his temper to reign.

  “Good, good.” The man nodded, taking a sip of his drink as though Duncan hadn’t just told him he was going to kill him. “By the way, the name is Thomas.” He took another sip of his drink then looked over at Duncan with a smirk. “Just make sure you strip all of my power, boy.”

  Duncan growled. “I won’t forget. There’s a powerful sorceress that owes me a favor or two. I’m sure she’ll do the necessary spells for me.”

  Thomas laughed. “You’re still not getting it. Let’s try this one more time, a bit slower.” Duncan bared his teeth in anger, but it didn’t faze the sorcerer. “It does not matter if you strip my magicks or even if you kill me, I will still have power over you. So long as I have the power to annoy you, I will have power over you. At night, you’ll hear my voice taunting you whenever someone makes you angry.”

  He turned to face Duncan. “You’ll see my face when you kill them. You’ll kill me more than once, you’ll kill me every time your emotions run hot, every time someone annoys you. But I will always come back.”

  Staring at the man, Duncan thought about his words. When the bartender returned during a lull in their conversation, Duncan ordered the man a drink.

  With a laugh, Thomas lifted his glass in salute. “That is certainly a good, if surprising, start.”

  Shaking his head, Duncan returned to the present. Thomas had been a good man
. Unfortunately, he never concerned himself with who he pissed off.

  A few months later Duncan had been hired to kill Thomas. Though, to be honest he’d wondered more than once if his death was ordered to test Duncan’s fortitude. He suspected rumors had gotten out about the man he spoke with and, whether it was admitted or not, his friendship was the real reason behind the bounty on the man’s head.

  To his credit, Thomas never flinched when Duncan showed up to end his life. He didn’t even seem surprised.

  The man’s final words still echoed inside his head.

  “Do I still anger you, annoy you?”

  “No,” Duncan replied truthfully, stepping closer.

  “Then you’ve succeeded in removing my power over you.” Thomas lifted his hands to defend himself with a spell. “I consider you a friend, but that does not mean I will roll over and allow you to kill me.”

  “I don’t have any friends,” Duncan responded coldly, a small piece of his soul was screaming, but he ignored it. “But you have my respect. Because of that, I promise it will be painless.” Speeding up, he quickly moved behind the other man. Before Thomas could say another word Duncan grasped the man’s head in his hands and quickly twisted it, snapping his neck.

  Releasing him, he watched his friend fall to the floor.

  “I can’t afford to have any friends. But that doesn’t mean I have to make you suffer either.” Still looking at the body crumpled on the floor, he added, “And if Tony doesn’t like it, he can tell me so himself.”

  Looking into the shadows, he stared at the almost invisible spy, sent by the boss to ensure he killed Thomas.

  “While you’re at it, tell him he’s damn lucky I don’t rip his eyes out for sending anyone to spy on me.” Growling he spit out, “Leave, before I decide I’m not feeling quite so generous.”

  The boy scurried out of sight without hesitation.

  Walking over to the sorcerer’s cabinets he rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. Grabbing a bottle of wine, he opened it, and sniffed, quickly flinching away from the vile smell. Unlike humans, he knew exactly what would happen if he drank as little as one sip of the brew. Just how sick it would make him. But at the moment he didn’t care.