He would meld her to his soul.

One of his hands slid down the bare skin of her upper arm, then down her side, to the sumptuous curve of her waist, then hooked beneath her thighs and lifted her. He spun her and strode forward, until her back pressed against the wall. Hands now free to roam, he jerked at the hem of her gown, untangling the material from her legs. Automatically she wound herself around him, his body becoming an anchor for hers.

It nearly slayed him.

He’d never had more reason to despise intimacy, and yet he’d never craved it more.

The harder he kissed her, the more she rubbed against him, his own little kitty, and the more she rubbed against him, the more he wanted their clothing out of his way. Every hated piece. Her skin was like heated silk, and he was desperate for more. All. Her taste and scent were his dream of home...his...yes, yes. His, and no one else’s. He needed to put his mark on every inch of her.

She moaned, and he lifted his head long enough to peer down at her passion-hazed features. Her beauty was a fantasy he’d never dared have. Her lips were swollen and red. Moist. Perfect.

Her eyelids slowly parted. “Kane?”

She was panting just as forcefully as he was.

He had to have this woman. And he would. He dove back down for another taste. He would rip away her new dress, and the underclothing. He would toss her on the floor. He wouldn’t bother removing all of his clothing. He would just undo his pants. He wanted her too badly to waste time stripping—no matter how badly he craved the skin-to-skin contact. That would come later. After the burn of the first time had been extinguished.

Now, he would spread her legs, and bury himself so deep inside her.

— no, no!

Disaster’s piercing shriek claimed his attention for one poisoned second.

That was enough. He stilled, tried to catch his breath.

“Kane.” A moan escaped Tink as her glove-covered fingertips scraped against his back.

Hands...all over him...

Suddenly feeling like a caged animal, he straightened. He set her back on her feet, his head swimming. She had no idea how close she’d come to losing her virginity in a dress shop.

The demon had somehow broken past whatever barriers Tink had built, intending to taunt Kane with the reminder. Instead, the creature had done him a favor.

Tink traced the seam of her lips with trembling fingers. “I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong?”

He didn’t want to explain and have to deal with the humiliation, but he owed her, and he would pay. Whatever the cost. He tried to get his breathing under control. “In hell...the demons...forced me to...”

Her lashes fused, but not before he caught a glimpse of her pity.

Pity.

He hated pity.

This was what he’d feared, however. Making a fool of himself sexually. Dealing with the aftermath.

“I’m sorry for what happened to you,” she said. “I wouldn’t wish such a fate on my worst enemy.”

He nodded to let her know he’d heard her, but offered no more than that.

“But...about the kiss. We can’t do that again,” she said with a tremor. “Whether you want Synda or not, you’re engaged to her, and I won’t be the other woman. Ever. Not for anyone, not even for you.”

“You’re right.” Not because of his supposed engagement—but because he had nothing to offer her. As he’d known, but ignored. As he’d just proven.

He hated this situation, too. Hated his mind, and his emotions, and yes, the weakness he would have denied with his dying breath.

“No, really, we have to—wait. I’m right?” She shook her head, as if to dislodge the thoughts, dark locks of hair dancing over her shoulders. “Never mind. I only ever want to kiss myman, and that’s not you, so...”

“You’re right. I’m not.”

Cheeks reddening, she said, “Besides, I don’t want a man. We would...you know, and I would have children, and the king would want to use them the way he uses me, and I would neverallow my own flesh and blood to suffer in such a way.”

“I may be a warrior, and cruel to my bones, but I understand.” She was protective of what she considered hers. Fiercely so. It was admirable. But hope had been stolen from her, exactly as it had been stolen from him. She couldn’t see herself in the future. Couldn’t see herself happy or content—or even safe.

Every day, she broke his heart a little more.

Disaster gave up screaming and began growling. Overhead, a light bulb shorted. The crack in the floor widened to such an astonishing degree it could no longer be ignored. The entire building shook. Kane stepped away from Tink and the temptation she presented.

“What’s happening?” she asked, glancing around.

“A revolt.”

She stumbled, creating even more distance between them, and the commotion died down. “That was you, wasn’t it?” she asked.

He could have lied. He wanted to lie. But he said, “Yeah. That was me.”

“The demon?”

“Yes.”

“Then not really you,” she said, baffling him. She understood the difference between the man and the evil. “He’s acting up.”

“Yes,” Kane repeated.

“And that’s all he’s got?” She laughed, a sound as pure as Christmas bells. “How pathetic.”

Disaster snarled inside his head, and Kane grinned. The woman dreaded the things her family could do to her, and yet she was fearless in the face of a demon.

Desire stormed through him all over again.

“Let’s have the seamstresses finish your dress so we can return to the bar,” he said, turning away from her. “I have a fight to attend.”

“I’m still not on board with that fight.”

“It’s gotta happen eventually. The guys want to stop me from dating their sister.”

All of her humor drained, leaving her features pinched. “Well, by all means. Let’s get you to that fight so you can date whoever you wish.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THE NEW UNIFORM fit Josephina perfectly, the material soft against her skin, a divine caress rather than an irritating scratch. She loved it. But she had no idea what to think about the man responsible.

He was cold. But he was kind.

He was fierce. But he was tender.

He was cruel. But he was sweet.

If she weren’t careful, she would become smitten with him—and end up heartbroken. He couldn’t be trusted. He’d kissed her, but he had no plans to break his engagement to Synda. He’d kissed her, but he was thinking about dating another woman, the blonde from the tavern.

How many females did he have dangling at the end of his beautiful rope?

Too many. Obviously.

And Josephina had almost become one of them.

I’m going to have to erect a wall of ice against him.

She’d expected her first experience with passion to be gentle—if ever she’d weakened enough to succumb to a male’s charm. She’d expected a hesitant exploration, cool, a little tame, and yet there’d been unbearable heat, necessary heat, and her every pulse point had turned into a wild drum. A frightening beat, but oh, so thrilling.

Kane had ownedher mouth, had staked a claim and demanded a response, and she had been unable to deny him, unable to hold back, not wanting to hold back. He’d tasted of whiskey she hadn’t seen him drink, and he’d intoxicated her. His hands...in her hair...on her arms...her waist...he’d caressed and he’d squeezed and he’d left a white-hot trail of need in his wake.

For the first time in her life, she’d felt alive. She’d had something to look forward to, something worth the hardships she faced. But then he’d pulled away, as if she had disgusted him, and yes, she’d wanted to cry.

Knowing the disgust had nothing to do with her assuaged her. But it also made her want to cry. What he’d endured in hell had left him scarred, and he needed to move slowly, to wrap his head around the things his body was feeling, but he didn’t want to move more slowly with her. So, fine. Whatever. The other two women were welcome to him.