Page 111 of Ice Devil

Every other time, our passion had been playful, if not overheated. This time everything was different.

The scents in the air.

The way the breeze felt against my skin. The look of him as he swept his soulful eyes down to my knees.

Even the taste of his lips had been richer. Tangy yet sweet. Fulfilling yet leaving me hungering for more. I was pushed into a moment of craziness where nothing else mattered but being here with him.

Yet I pushed him away, struggling to stand. I was half laughing, half breathing hard and I couldn’t seem to fill my lungs. He rose to his feet, no clumsiness involved. When he towered over me, his upper lip curled first from anger in seeing the scratches on my arm. He rubbed the rough pads of his fingers down every red line, every indentation created by branches.

The soothing effect was instantaneous, tickling sensations trailing behind his fingers.

My breath was caught as I watched him, his concentration and the care he was taking mesmerizing.

His nostrils flared as he cocked his head when studying the gash on my leg. In a strange yet almost romantic move, he shoved four fingers into his mouth, slickening the tips before popping his hand free. I had no idea what he was going to do, his actions were so methodical.

And his eyes never left mine. What was he worried about? That I suddenly would no longer crave his touch or the way he made me feel?

In fact, I was already in a state of euphoria.

With a gentle touch, he placed his wet fingers on the gash. There was no pressure, just a tender stroke or two before he lowered his gaze to the boots I’d snagged from his room.

“You look good in my shoes. But you’re still a thief.”

His voice was huskier than normal, dripping with a guttural sound keeping goosebumps popping across my skin.

When he removed his hand from my leg, I was floored that I felt no pain. No ache. No itchy sensations.

“What did you do?”

His chuckle was dark. “Worked my magic.”

When he lifted his head, our eyes locking, barely five seconds later and it was as if a bomb went off between us. We were suddenly frantic, desperate to rip off our clothes.

I didn’t bother unlacing his boots, yanking them off and pitching them behind me. I had the advantage of only wearing shorts, pulling my thong off at the same time. While he was still shucking his jeans, the ones that had fit his butt like a tight glove, I was free of any hindrance.

What struck me to run along the river’s edge and away from him I’d never know, but that’s what I did. Laughing the entire time. At first, I didn’t even bother looking behind me, although I was certain he was following me.

When I heard a deep rumble, I zigged and zagged through the trees.

In bare feet.

Yet I felt free. Maybe that was the last of the painkillers I’d been given still in my system. If that was the case, I didn’t mind floating.

Especially since the aches didn’t hinder me at all. In fact, I couldn’t feel a single scrape or sting. What were the odds? Maybe his hands really were magical.

I even managed to jump over a log, but in hindsight knew that hadn’t been a good idea. He gained several yards, almost managing to grab me. I spun around a tree, narrowly avoiding his hand as he tried to snatch me.

With more easy laughter than I’d experienced in a long time, I ran as fast as I could back to where we’d started. But as luck would have it, he didn’t just tackle me like before. Beck scooped me up into his arms, swinging me over his head as if I weighed nothing and tossing me over his shoulder.

“Put me down.” I pummeled on his back for maximum effect.

“Oh, I plan to. Just hold your pretty yet cocky horses.” I had no idea what he was planning, but when he plopped his naked ass down on a huge fallen tree, he yanked me over his lap.

That told me everything I needed to know.

“You’re a handful.” We need to break you of bad habits.”

“Bad habits?”