Carpathian 16 - Dark Demon

for that?" He indicated the backpack with his chin.

    "You may as well. If I do it, my brother will be able to track us immediately." She tilted her head, studying him as he glided over to the cavern wall. She loved watching him move.
    "You could take your shirt off while you're working. I wouldn't want you to get hot or anything."
    His eyes went dark with heat as he shrugged out of the shirt and tossed it aside. She watched the play of muscles across his back as he raised his arms to weave the safeguards.
    "You're breathtaking, you know that? I guess I can forgive you for being an absolute dope sometimes."
    Vikirnoff laughed, the sound startling both of them. He rarely laughed and when he did it warmed his eyes and took the hard-edged expression from his face. Natalya found an answering grin on her own face.
    "Your adoring compliments take my breath away."
    "Well, don't let them go to your head. I'm only feeling this way temporarily. You said something nice for a change." Natalya held her breath as he sauntered toward her. He could look so powerful just walking. Just breathing. The effect he had on her was absolutely idiotic.
    "I am reading your thoughts."
    "Really? Are you getting the part about what an incredible lover you are and how I might be able to put up with your bossy nonsense if you keep me happy in other ways?" She shrugged. "Just asking, in case, you know, you wanted to start keeping me happy."
    Vikirnoff was suddenly crowding her so that she took several steps backward. "Where do you think you are going?" His hand snaked out to wrap around the nape of her neck, abruptly stopping her.
    "Nowhere. You just move so fast sometimes."
    "Are you saying I intimidate you?" There was a wealth of amusement in his voice.
    "As if." She moved into the shelter of his body, loving the way his skin heated her as if he absorbed her, or she just melted into him. "I am not easily intimidated." She ran her fingertips over his chest, trying to press closer, inhaling him to take him into her lungs.
    Vikirnoff was like a rock, solid and steady. "Especially by you."
    "That is a good thing." He bent his head to hers.
    Natalya loved how slowly his mouth descended to capture hers. His breath was warm.
    His eyes changed right before his lips claimed hers, going dark with desire. There was the feel of his hand tightening on her neck, the pad of his thumb sliding over her skin. So many sensations, all before his mouth took possession of hers. He created intimacy between them with so many small details, each one making her feel like she belonged to him. Like he belonged to her.
    She closed her eyes and gave herself up to the wonder of his mouth. She allowed the heat to claim her, to sweep through her body so that she caught fire from him. She wanted to kiss him forever, to drown in the taste and scent of him. His arms closed around her, strong, reassuring, possessive even, dragging her closer, setting off a multitude of butterflies winging their way around her stomach.
    Vikirnoff wanted to kiss her forever. He called her ainaak enyém , forever mine, and he had all along. His mind had known and his body had known, even his soul had known, but it had taken spending time with her before his heart had caught up. She was so much more than ainaak enyém , she was ainaak sívamet jutta , his 'forever to my heart connected', and she would be for all time. The crazy thing was, he didn't even know how it happened.
    "I love what you're thinking." Natalya framed his face with both hands. "I really do." She punctuated it with small kisses and teasing nibbles on his lips. "But I want all of your attention on making love to me. The actual making love to me, not thinking about how much you love me." She gave him a small sexy smile. "You can do the thinking about loving me so much afterward."
    Amusement crept into his eyes, stealing her breath. "You want the actual thing?"
    She nodded.
    "My entire attention?"
    "Absolutely."
    "You are a demanding little thing."
    "High-maintenance. I told you." She went up on her toes to kiss him. She loved kissing him, loved the silken heat of his mouth. She could stay there for eternity.
    Vikirnoff drifted on a rising tide of lust and love. He let the feel of her skin, the brush of her hair and the fire of her mouth take him over. Electricity arced from Natalya to him.
    Flames raced over his body and poured like molten lava into his veins. His every nerve ending leapt to life, craving her. His fingers tangled in her