Restraint (The Revelation Series Book 2) (27 page)

To say Asher is
mad would be a gross understatement. He gives me the cold shoulder and silent treatment the entire afternoon and evening. The stubborn mule has not said one word.

As a peace offering,
I’ve decided to make him dinner. I figured it couldn’t hurt. Dressing the salad, I turn my head to the left and see Asher standing in the doorway just watching me.

He has his arms over his head, leaning on the frame
. The position forces his t-shirt up so I can see some of the muscles of his six-pack. His face is unreadable and his focus is locked on me, following every movement like he is memorizing me. Mouth dry, I wet my lips.

Asher step
s away from the doorway without a word. The emptiness of his retreat hits me like cold water. I swallow the burn in my throat and continue with the dinner preparations.

The brooding gargoyle
sits in complete silence the entire meal. Doesn’t even make eye contact. After a silent dinner, he stands, places the dishes in the sink and walks to his room to mope. Buying myself some time, I do the dishes. Then, I get mad.

I’ve had enough of the sulking and decide
to take matters into my own hands and face him, head on. I storm into his bedroom without knocking and throw my hands on my hips and narrow my eyes, ready to yell at him. My anger is squashed the moment I see him. He’s laying on the bed, ankles crossed in his jeans and a white t-shirt. The bedside task light is on and he’s reading a book. I inhale a sharp breath.

“What are you reading?” I ask with a cautious
look.

He doesn’t look up.
“A riveting book. It’s about a male protector. He’s bonded to this frustrating and stubborn woman. She keeps getting herself into trouble, mainly because she acts with reckless abandon and neeeever thinks. It’s going to get her killed one day.”
Touché
.

I
exhale and sit on the edge of the bed. “Asher. Look at me.”

He doesn’t.

“Asher!” I say with more force behind his name.

At the sharpness in my tone, he snaps his eyes to me. “I overheard you talking to Keegan this morning. You told him you believe I’m coming into seer abilities because after my dream
, I explained the council chamber and members in perfect detail. If that’s true, and what I saw was a premonition and not a dream, then I need to be equipped to handle things.”

He closes the book with a scary calm. “I saw you wield
the darkness and teleport into the shadows in the training room earlier. I felt my gifts pull to you, hence why I went down there.” It was an even statement, but the implications behind his words caused me to shudder with nervousness.

“Is that the reason everyone keeps calling you the dark prince? Because you can manipulate the da
rkness and shadows?” I question, avoiding his accusation.

“Don’t. Change. The. Subject
,” he warns through a tight jaw.

Our eyes
remain focused on one another before I cave. “If what I witnessed was a vision, then I need to learn how to protect you.”

“I
’M THE ONE WHO PROTECTS YOU!” His voice raises in exasperation.

“
I won’t allow the council to turn you into a stone statue,” I say, my tone unyielding.

“
Stone petrifaction is the punishment for breaking my oath. I’m a gargoyle.”

“I
will not survive if you spend an eternity like that.” I stand, clenching my fists at my sides.

Asher throws the book on the bed. “
What?”

“
My heart and soul would be wrecked,” I yell back.

He stands slowly,
his eyes wild. My hands begin to tremble at the intense way he’s stalking toward me before he begins to mutter to himself. I take in a shaky breath as he stops in front of me.

“Why?”
he lowers his voice.

“Because
,” I mumble under my breath.

“Why, Eve?”

“Because…I LOVE YOU!” I shout.

He stills.
Oh crap.

The weight of
my words hangs in the air. Neither of us moves or says anything.

“Say that again
,” Asher requests in mere whisper.

I swallow, hard.
“I. Love. You,” I repeat softly, terrified he’s going to bolt.

He
closes his eyes, nostrils flaring and he still hasn’t moved. To be honest, he isn’t breathing.

“Take it back
,” he demands, surprising me.

“No.” I hold my stance.
What the fuck?

He
opens his eyes and narrows them at me. “You have to. It’s not allowed.”

I tilt my head and throw my shoulders back, channeling my inner Kenna. “I don’t care.” I take a step to him.

Asher retreats a pace. “You can’t.” His voice is firm but I don’t miss the hitch.

I move forward
, he moves back, matching my pace. “It’s true, I do.”

He moves his head from side to side, adamantly. “Eve
.” My name is a warning.

The back of his
legs hit the bed as I stand within a breath’s reach from him. “I know it’s forbidden. I realize it goes against every law you’re bound to as both a protector and royalty. So you don’t have to say it back. Just know, I. Love. You.” I force the tears back.

Asher stands there motionless.
His glowing eyes never shift from mine. My throat tightens, forcing me to gulp down the painful lump climbing up it. I nod my acceptance of the rejection and take a step back.

In an
instant, he jerks his hand out and snatches my elbow, forcing me to stop. We just stand there, eyes locked. He heaves me to him, pressing my body against his as he slides his right hand behind my neck, moving me toward him.

His chin dips
. “Just because I’m bound and can’t say it, doesn’t mean I don’t feel it.”

Asher’s
mouth descends on mine, drowning me in passion and the forbidden. His lips are forceful and violent as he deepens the kiss, fueling the fire that’s always between us. Our tongues dance at a frantic pace. I moan into the kiss as desire floods through my veins. My fingers dig into his shoulders, pulling them toward me in an attempt to get even closer to him.

With our mouths fused, Asher shifts us so he can lean over me as he lays me down on the bed.
He pulls his mouth away, long enough to peel off both of our shirts. I scrape my fingernails down his back, over the dragon tattoo, and his body shudders in response to my touch. I relish the sexy look of desire on his face. He watches me while he pushes the hair off my face.

“I do
, you know. I fucking feel it every time I look at you,” he admits.

My heart lurches a
t his admission. I lift my head and run my tongue over his lips, savoring the words he just spoke. In response, Asher makes a deep, masculine noise in the back of his throat, readjusting his body over mine. The erotic sound and weight of his body has me coming apart at the seams.

He
moves his hands over the delicate lace of my black bra. I gasp as he presses against me, teasing the growing ache between my legs. His lips move to my neck, biting and sucking mercilessly before leaving a path of deep kisses that produce animalistic hums from my throat.

Our hips
move together at an urgent pace. I sit up, forcing Asher to stand. My lips graze his skin, landing over the protector tattoo. I brush them back and forth over the scar from my dagger, causing his body to tremble in my arms at the intimate touch. He fists his hands in my hair, holding my lips still over his heart. I look up through my dark lashes, lips still pressed to the tattooed area.

My hands drop to his jeans
, unbuttoning them and pushing down the denim as the blue hue in his eyes darkens. With his hands still tangled in my hair, he yanks my head back and then returns his lips to my mouth, kissing me hungrily. Sliding his hands behind my back and unclasping my bra, his fingers run over my shoulders and release the straps one at a time, removing the material. The caresses his fingers leave burn my skin. Asher allows his eyes to roam over me with worship.

“You’
re so unbelievably breathtaking.” His voice is heavy with admiration.

Large expert
hands glide over my breasts and stomach before unbuttoning my pants and tugging them off. Leaving me exposed in my black lace panties, he leans forward, taking my mouth again and devouring me.

“So
fucking beautiful,” he murmurs against my lips.

His
hands caress me everywhere. I suck in an uneven breath. Then he thrusts his hips into my lower body and I moan loudly. Asher hisses in a sharp breath before planting another searing kiss on me, swallowing my whimpers as he pushes harder against me over and over at an incredible pace.

I wrap my hands around his wrists tightly and
repeat his name in almost an incoherent chant. His mouth moves to my breasts, showering each one with meticulous attention as I arch into him.

“
Oh. My. God, Asher.” I gasp, finding my voice and grabbing his hips as we press together in an out-of-control frenzy.

He pull
s his head back and looks directly in my eyes, both of us panting uncontrollably.

“
I want to hear you say it again, siren,” he mutters through breathy gasps.

Twisting
his fingers in the edges of my panties, he settles in between my thighs, pressing directly against me in the most mind-blowing rhythm, causing a sensual friction.

Asher
drops his head to my forehead as I lift my hips and urge him against my body. The hum from the protector tattoo heightens each sensation. His eyes lock on mine, piercing each layer until he hits my soul.

“I love you
,” I manage to whisper in between my quick breaths.

Gripping my panties tightly
, so they press into my body, he grinds one last time against me in a hard, fast move as I arch my back and cry out. Asher curses under his breath, holding me as my body quivers while the rapture floats through me.

He returns
his lips to me in a slow, seductive kiss. His forehead is glued to mine. We stay like that until our breathing becomes controlled.

“Holy shit
,” he says, his fingers still twisted in the delicate fabric.

I inhale a lungful of air as he plants light kisses to my eyebrows.
“I guess you were wrong.”

He pulls his brows together in confusion.

“My virtue is safe around you.” I smile as he tightens his hold of the material.

“
Make no mistake, siren. More than anything, I want to rip this delicate barrier away and bury myself in you.” He pulls at my panties before releasing them and rolling onto his back, pulling me to curl into his side.

I sigh in contentment. My body
is limp and my mind is vacant from the experience we just shared.

He grows quiet
, lost in thought as he begins to draw random designs on my lower back with his finger. “I won’t though. Not until I can say it back to you, yeah?”

I nod my agreement. “
God, if it was that good with the barrier, imagine what it will be like without it.”

“It’s going to be so fucking amazing
,” he vows with a cocky smirk.

1
9
Wage War

My lips are starting to ache. They’re
swollen, bruised and have been kissed to the point that I have absolutely no feeling left in them. Asher’s had me pressed against the refrigerator since I threw my full glass of orange juice at him during a rather loud screaming match.

The
argument was brought on with an accusation of me ‘stealing,’ his word, not mine, his dark powers. After quarrelling in circles for what felt like an eternity, I was done. So, in a very mature fashion, I picked up the glass and threw the citrus liquid at him.

Once the shock wore off,
he grabbed me and pushed me against the stainless steel appliance, covering my body with his sticky, orange scented one in a punishing kiss that’s lasted for, what I’m guessing has been about an hour now.

“
Mmm. You taste sweet,” I purr and lick some of the juice off his lips.

He chuckles. “I thought sweet
wasn’t your thing, sweatheart?”

I growl at the nickname.
“Maybe it is now.”

Asher gives me his signature sexy smirk and leans in to take my lips again but stops as soon as we hear knocking at
the front door. He growls and plants once last quick peck on my mouth before heading to answer it.

“Dude, what the fuck?
” Callan’s laugh floats into the kitchen. “Did you get in a fight with the orange juice container this morning?”

“Something like that,” Asher answers in embarrassment
as I bite my lip, trying not to laugh. “What’s up?”