Burn

  “I’ve apologized for that a million times.” He inhaled deeply. “I miss you, all right.”

  “You should. I’m fucking awesome.”

  Exasperated, he insisted, “You must still feel something for me.”

  “Sure.” She tilted her head. “Irritation. Anger. Disgust. Oh, and pity.” She stilled as something odd happened: another mind slid against hers. It ‘felt’ familiar, felt like—

  She peered over Royce’s shoulder as the door slowly swung open and a rich, insanely hot fucker strolled into the studio. Knox’s eyes swept his surroundings before honing in on Harper like a laser. Her body melted, her inner demon instantly shot to alertness, and the pressure to bond with him once again slammed into her. She breathed through it all, doing her best to remain composed.

  Royce turned and then stiffened in apprehension. Even humans recognized the danger in Knox, though they couldn’t know that he was a preternatural being. She sensed Raini and Devon not only stiffen with nervousness, but melt with arousal at the sight of him; both reactions would be instinctive.

  “Harper,” Knox greeted simply, though there was a wealth of intimacy in the one word. “Time to have that talk.”

  “Who are you?” demanded Royce.

  Knox looked at the human male who stood a little too close to Harper than he liked. Close enough to suggest they knew each other intimately. That wasn’t something Knox liked either. His inner demon loathed the human on principle. “I’m Knox Thorne.”

  “Royce Yardley.” He pointed one finger at Knox. “I’ve heard of you, you own most of the—”

  “Harper and I need to talk, Mr. Yardley.” Knox moved aside to clear the doorway – an act that told Royce to leave. Looking a little befuddled, the human did.

  Raini leaned into Harper as she quietly said, “I’m at risk of swooning from that dominant vibe he’s got going on.”

  Harper rolled her eyes. “We’ll use the office,” she told Knox. She headed straight for the back of the studio, hearing his confident footsteps following her. Finally inside, Harper thought about standing behind the desk to put some space between them, but that stank too much of fear. So instead, she remained in front of it, arms folded across her chest.

  He stalked towards her, but didn’t invade her personal space. His unflappable confidence was apparent in the way he just stood there looking like he owned every inch of the space around him. His power and strength radiated from him, impressing her demon and drumming at Harper’s skin. “I won’t ask how you know where I work.” He’d probably done some research on her the moment he realized she was his anchor.

  Knox almost smiled at her defensive posture. Apparently his little sphinx wasn’t entirely comfortable with the anchor situation. Initially, he’d also been a little uneasy. As a Prime, he was always surrounded by people. He was used to being responsible for others. Used to supporting and protecting them. But it wasn’t intimate, there was still personal distance between him and his demons – even between him and his sentinels.

  A relationship with an anchor, however, wouldn’t allow much distance. They would be intimate on a psychic level, and they would most likely play a large part in each other’s lives. With the exception of his sentinels, Knox didn’t have people in his life. Existing around his life, yes. But not part of it. He knew by the force and depth of the protectiveness and possessiveness that hit him hard on realizing she was his anchor that it would be different with Harper.

  Knox hadn’t known if he was ready for ‘different.’ Unlike most demons, he hadn’t been eager to find his anchor. He didn’t believe he needed one. Didn’t see how having one would improve his life. But as their minds had briefly touched and he’d realized what she was to him he’d thought…Mine. Simple. Primal. Instinctual. And the feeling didn’t seem to be going anywhere.

  After taking some time to consider it all and become accustomed to the idea, he was no longer uneasy. It was as simple for him as it was for his demon. This female belonged to him, was meant for him, and it was his role to protect her. Harper, on the other hand, didn’t appear so agreeable. “You’re hesitant to bond.”

  “So should you be. For someone like you, I’ll be a total pain in the ass.”

  “Someone like me?”

  “And be honest, I’m not at all what you imagined your anchor would be like, am I?” They couldn’t be more different, had totally different lifestyles.

  She was definitely unexpected, but that wasn’t at all relevant to Knox. “I’m probably not what you expected either, but it doesn’t change anything.” As he studied her manic, brown eyes, his enhanced vision picked up something that immediately agitated him. “You’re wearing contact lenses.” He wanted to look into her unusual eyes, watch them change color.

  “Obviously. I have to hide my eyes from humans. Anyway, back to this anchor thing. You’re powerful enough all on your own. You don’t need me or anyone else to make you stronger.”

  “Oh, little sphinx, do you really think I can’t sense how powerful you are? In any case, that doesn’t matter. I don’t want you for power. Or even to stop me from turning rogue.”

  “Then why?”

  “Because you’re mine. I don’t walk away from what’s mine.”

  Filled with restless energy thanks to the pressure in her head that was swelling and becoming painful, Harper began to pace. “Look, it wouldn’t work out.”

  The comment vexed his demon, but Knox decided to be patient with her – sensing that any bulldozing would make her more determined to keep him at bay. He’d let her list her issues and then he’d address them, because there wasn’t a chance he’d leave her alone. “Why do you think that?”

  “I don’t know you, granted, but I can sense that you like control and having your own way all the time. You’ll try that with me.”

  It was true that Knox liked control. A long time ago, every minute of his waking time had been controlled. He’d been told what to wear, what to eat, where and when to sleep, and even how long he was permitted to sleep. He hadn’t been allowed any individual possessions, hadn’t been allowed to make any decisions for himself. When he’d finally gotten free, he’d seized control of his life and taken everything he’d been deprived of: power, control, possessions, independence, knowledge, and freedom.

  He needed to keep those things – particularly control. Especially since without it he might not keep his abilities and demon in check. “I’m controlling,” he conceded. “And I won’t deny that I’ll interfere in your life in an effort to make it better, and you naturally won’t like that. You’ll push back. It’ll be hard, so it means we just have to learn to compromise and find a balance.”

  Why did he have to sound all calm, mature, and reasonable? It made her complaints and reluctance seem dumb. The reality was, though, that this wasn’t dumb, because there was something else. Halting, she said, “There’s another thing that would make this hard.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’re protective of your demons, you’re loyal to them and would choose them over an outsider. Right?”

  Knox narrowed his eyes. “Where are you going with this?”

  “My mother is part of your lair.”

  That had definitely been unexpected. The background check he’d done on Harper hadn’t found the identity of her mother. “I’m sensing you believe this is a bad thing.”

  “She and I don’t have a relationship. She won’t want me anywhere near a single demon in her lair. As her Prime, you have a certain loyalty to her. You’re responsible for the emotional and physical well-being of each and every one of your demons.”

  It took only a moment of recalling the few sphinxes in his lair to guess who she was referring to. “Carla Hayden is your mother?”

  Harper simply nodded.

  The depth of anger he suddenly harbored for Carla Hayden, someone who had clearly hurt his anchor, was shared by his demon. “I’m not sure what’s happened between you and Carla – we’ll get to that later. I am loyal t
o my demons and I take my responsibilities to them seriously. Ordinarily, they come before outsiders. But this isn’t an ordinary situation, and you’re not an outsider. You’re my anchor, and I have a certain loyalty to you as well. If, as you believe, she won’t like that, it’s her issue to deal with. No one makes my decisions for me.” Not anymore.

  “You’re a tenacious fucker, aren’t you,” she grumbled. Silence fell as he studied her with those bottomless pools of dark silk. She’d never met anyone who had such a bold, unapologetically direct stare. She still couldn’t get a read on what he was, nor could she get a read on his state of mind. This was someone whose emotions were very tightly controlled. Someone who could also wrench a viciously sexual response from her body that was pissing her off.

  “Know what I think, Harper? I think some of your hesitation comes from the fact that anchors tend to rely on each other and you don’t want to – maybe don’t even know how to – rely on anybody.” Her eyelids flickered. Bingo. “I understand that.” He really did, because he was just as opposed to depending on others. “But being anchored doesn’t mean losing your independence. I don’t intend to take over your life.” But he’d interfere in it to the point of making her crazy, she was right about that.

  Seeing the resolve on his face, she sighed. “Do you always get your way?”

  “Yes.” He approached her cautiously, like he would a skittish animal. “You need to accept the situation, Harper. You’re my anchor. That means you belong to me, I’ll always have rights to you, and I’ll always be in your life.”

  Feeling his mind coaxingly stroke hers, she scowled. “Stop it.” That sounded petulant even to her. He looked amused rather than irritated.

  “Tell me the idea of me backing off doesn’t bother you, Harper.” He ate up the space left between them in one stride, curling a lock of her hair around his finger. He wasn’t above using the attraction that hummed between them to weaken her defenses. “Tell me it doesn’t send your demon insane.”

  Swamped by his forceful presence and raw sexuality, it took everything she had not to back up. Unfortunately, she couldn’t deny that the idea of him staying away from her disturbed both her and her demon.

  “Even if I was prepared to walk away from you, which I’m not, I wouldn’t manage to stay away for long. Our demons wouldn’t allow us to ignore this. Mine is already extremely possessive of you. Are you going to tell me that’s a one-way street?”

  “No,” she admitted in a low voice.

  Her honesty pleased his demon, who was extremely impatient to bond and was rearing to do it right then. But Knox knew it wouldn’t be that simple. Harper still wasn’t fully convinced it was a wise idea, and he had the distinct feeling that pressing her any further would make her object just to be contrary. “I have plans for dinner. You’re coming with me.” When one of her brows imperiously slid up, his cock twitched – it made him want to bend her over that desk and fuck that attitude right out of her.

  “I am?”

  Knox almost smiled at her soft yet dangerous tone. A lesser demon might have cowered. “I’ll rephrase. Come with me.”

  Knowing that was as close to a request as he was capable of delivering, Harper asked, “Where? Why?”

  “We need to get to know each other better.” He’d use the opportunity to make her more comfortable around him. The sooner that happened, the sooner she’d be comfortable with their situation and agree to bond.

  Curling a hand around her wrist, he led Harper out of the office and through the studio – passing her colleagues, who were shooting her enthusiastic, supportive looks as they said their goodbyes. Once she’d slipped on her jacket, he put a hand on the small of her back and urged her outside.

  At the sight of the gorgeous, sleek, black Bentley that was totally out of place in this area, Harper halted abruptly. “Holy fuck.”

  Knox gestured to the two males guarding the vehicle. “Harper, this is Tanner and Levi, two of my sentinels. Tanner, Levi – this is Harper Wallis, my anchor.”

  Harper exchanged nods with the two seriously hot demons, one of whom she recognized as the male sentinel that had escorted her to Knox’s office in the Underground. Both sentinels regarded her with a respect that took her by surprise, considering that lairs weren’t quick to accept strangers. Apparently their respect for their Prime automatically extended to her now.

  As Tanner opened the rear passenger door, Harper and Knox slid inside. She pretty much sank into the buttery-smooth leather, inwardly groaning in pleasure. It was good to be off her feet.

  Once Tanner hopped into the front passenger seat, Levi threw the car into gear and pulled out of the parking space.

  She looked at Knox, who was currently focused on his cell phone. “You didn’t tell me where we’re going.”

  “Patience, little sphinx.”

  “It’s not a trait I possess.”

  Still consulting his phone, he said, “Patient isn’t something I can claim to be either. Relax, you’re safe with me. It’s just dinner, Harper.”

  She snorted. “No, it’s not. This is you making sure I’m seen with you. You want it known that I’m under your protection.”

  “You’re partly right,” he admitted, liking how astute she was. “After all, if anyone harmed you, I’d have to kill them. They should know that in advance. Call it a preemptive measure. But I also want to know you.”

  He wanted to unravel the mystery of her. His anchor was a complex creature. She had a tough, almost aggressive exterior, but he had the feeling that there lay a lot of softness under that hard shell. He wanted to know what had formed that hard shell; wanted to know her better than anybody else did. It was an unexpected urge, but he didn’t care to overthink it.

  “I have to warn you that once you know a little about me, you’ll change your mind about bonding.”

  “You sound very sure of that.”

  “Look, I might biologically be a sphinx, but I’m an imp in every other way that counts. That means I’m unmanageable, stubborn, secretive, I don’t like rules, and I make people tired and irritated – and I take pride in it.”

  Knox caught Levi’s amused smile in the rearview mirror. “I consider myself warned.”

  Stubborn-assed motherfucker.

  CHAPTER THREE

  When Levi opened the car door and Harper slid out, her jaw almost dropped at the sight of the huge, luxurious hotel that she realized was on the Vegas strip. She found herself once again saying quietly, “Holy fuck.” She suddenly felt out of place in her jeans and t-shirt, particularly since she was standing next to Knox, who was looking rather edible in his dark tailored suit.

  Seemingly unaware of her attack of self-consciousness, Knox took her by her wrist and led her inside the hotel. The interior was even more impressive; so grand and lavish it was intimidating. Several staff members, most of whom were demons, came to Knox to chat with him; he didn’t even break his stride or release her as he replied to their queries.

  Realization dawned on her. “You own it, don’t you?”

  “Yes. And stop panicking.”

  “I don’t panic.”

  His mouth twitched. “Of course you don’t. My mistake.”

  Moments later, she and Knox were walking into a restaurant located within the hotel. It too was extravagant and classy – and crowded enough to make her even more nervous. “I’m not really dressed for this kind of place,” she told him. It wasn’t as if she could remain inconspicuous while she was being dragged around by Knox Thorne.

  When Knox pulled her into a private dining room, she seemed to sag in relief. The conversation that’s about to follow wasn’t something I wanted to have in public.

  Harper blinked at the unexpected telepathic contact. It was an ability most demons had, including her. We could have just had it in my office.

  But then we couldn’t have eaten.

  As they sat and the server offered a choice of different fancy-named wines she’d never heard of, Harper just shrugged. “If it’s r
ed, I’ll like it.” Hearing that the starter was oysters, she almost died. No way was she eating an aphrodisiac around the demon opposite her. He was an aphrodisiac. “I’ll just skip straight to the main meal, if that’s okay.”

  Knox shrugged. “Order whatever you want.” The last thing he’d expected a little thing like her to order was a 12 ounce grilled steak. She kept on surprising him. He found that he liked it. Having ordered his Italian beef stew and watched as the server left, Knox spoke. “What made you become a tattooist?” From what he’d heard, her business was quite successful and she was very popular among humans.

  “It was my family’s idea. I’ve always loved art.” It was the one thing she was good at. The talent had been honed by years of creating counterfeit paintings for fun…but that was off topic and not something that he needed to know.

  “Speaking of your family, I’d assumed Richie was your father.”

  “Nope.” But Knox wouldn’t be the first to assume that was the case.

  From what Knox had learned, Jolene only had three children. Richie, who’d bred over a dozen kids. Martina, who hadn’t birthed any despite that she had plenty of practice in the making of them. And…“It was definitely a shock to find that you’re Lucian’s daughter. I knew he had one.” Lucian’s daughter was apparently the only living being that the demon had any true attachment to. “I’d assumed she was an imp. But then, you’re very good at seeming like one.”

  He’d said it like she was deceptive. “I grew up with imps, so I was hardly going to be any other way.”

  “What about your mother?”

  She was a selfish bitch who Harper hadn’t seen since—

  She cut off the thought, determined not to waste time on the woman. “Look, I’m not really a fan of personal questions.”

  Her guard had slammed up so fast and hard, Knox was surprised it hadn’t shook the room. “Personal questions in general or personal questions about your mother?”

  “Both.”

  Her glare almost made Knox smile. “Why do you look so offended by me asking you questions?”