And then his arms were around me and his mouth was on my neck. His lips were so soft as they travelled up, running along my jaw, before reaching mine. His kiss was gentle, just like the one he gave me on the dance floor. It took my breath away and I melted against him, letting out a soft moan.
“Tell me you don’t feel that,” he said, as he pulled back. “Tell me you don’t feel the magic between us.”
I didn’t have the heart to argue with him, because I felt it, and I knew, deep down, he was right. No matter what my head said, my body and my heart were his. “I feel it,” I whispered. “I’m feeling all kinds of intense with you. I’m not sure I should trust it.”
A hint of a smile took over his face. “You should.”
6
Jaxon
“Jaxon.” Liv squirmed in my arms, trying to slip away, but I held tight. “We should get back to the party.”
“Not until you realize that you’re mine, Liv,” I told her quickly.
“Jax.” My name was strained as it came from her lips, and her breathing picked up, coming out in quick bursts. “You said you’d respect my decision.”
“I love you,” I said. “I’ve loved you from that first moment I saw you. I didn’t tell you who I was because I was scared you’d run away screaming. I just …” I stalled, carefully considering my words. “This is going to sound stupid, but I thought if I waited until you fell in love with me you wouldn’t be able to walk away when you found out being with me meant you’d be bound to Hell for the rest of your life.”
It was true. At first, I’d decided not to tell her about my Prince of Hell status because I didn’t know if she would stick around. Not too many women would, not even a witch like her. But then, as the time drew on, and I knew for certain that she was the one—my mate—I kept it from her because I wasn’t sure how she would react after I’d hidden it for so long.
I still didn’t know how she found out, although I suspected my father had something to do with it. But it wasn’t really important. In the grand scheme of things, the only thing that mattered was that I wasn’t the one who told her.
She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. “You’re right, that does sound stupid.”
“Please, baby,” I said. “I need you. You’re mine. You belong right here in Hell with me and you know it.”
She glowered at me and it was so goddamn adorable. She was trying so hard to look tough, but I could see the emotion cracking her façade. It was in her eyes. They were soft and melty and warm.
Her lips parted, and I waited. Every muscle inside me tightened with anticipation, but all she gave me was a breathy exhale.
Shit. I needed her. Needed to feel her. Needed that connection.
I leaned down, kissing her cheek, her chin, her throat, my teeth nipping at her soft skin, hoping to Hell she wouldn’t push me away again. Her skin was warm, flushed. She was feeling just as needy as I was.
I claimed her mouth then, my lips meeting hers, hungrily, and to my surprise, she kissed me back. Hard. Her tongue pressed against my lips, urgently working its way into my mouth, and her hands gripped the back of my neck, jerking me closer.
“Tell me,” I growled, ripping my lips from hers. “Tell me you’re mine again. Tell me you’ll forgive me.”
I wanted to hear her say it.
Needed to hear the words.
She whimpered, her big eyes meeting mine. “I’ve missed you so freakin’ much.”
Something in her snapped then, something that I didn’t quite understand. I saw it, though, in her eyes. The raw need. The confusion. The anger. It all mixed together, making her eyes brighten and almost glow in the moonlight.
She closed her eyes, her lips moving, forming silent words. I felt the magic she was summoning, and I held my breath. I didn’t know what to expect, but when the veil snapped around us, hiding us from view, my heart rate picked up.
Her eyes opened then, and she grinned at me as her hands left my neck, going down to my belt, and she worked fast to get it undone. Shoving my jeans and boxers down enough to free my aching cock, she grasped onto it, pumping it once, twice, before looking up at me with hooded eyes. “Jax, please. I need you.”
As it turned out, I didn’t need the words. All I needed was a sign, any sign that she was needing me as much as I was needing her.
Grabbing her thighs, I hoisted her up, taking a few long strides over to the shed, and pressing her up against it. Her magic followed us, the veil shimmering under the moonlight. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and I could feel her wetness as she ground herself against my dick. I pushed inside her, hard, thrusting deep.
It felt good.
So fucking good.
It felt … like home.
Liv cried out, burying her face in my neck, and she bit down. She wasn’t gentle about it, but she never was. She loved to be fucked hard and fast and I didn’t hold back, going deeper with each thrust.
I fucked her the way I knew she wanted, gave her what she craved.
“Baby, you feel so good.” I nipped at her ear, thrusting in and out. “Shit, I’ve missed this. Missed you.”
“Don’t talk,” she said, her breath hitching. “Just fuck me … please.”
The wall of the shed groaned and moaned with each hard thrust. I kissed her again, hard. It was a desperate kiss, full of need and longing. Her hand dug into my neck, her nails digging in, and raking down to my shoulder.
Liv’s hand slipped between us then, her finger searching out her clit, circling and pinching and it didn’t take long for her to start stiffening in my arms.
“Jax,” she gasped. She was close. So close. I could feel it, feel her pussy fluttering around my dick. “I’m going to come.”
She inhaled sharply and her breath left her on a moan as her orgasm hit. Her pussy clamped down on me, fluttering and convulsing around my cock. It sent me over the edge and I groaned, pumping in and out of her quicker and harder. I buried my face in her neck as it hit me, thrusting, once, twice, three times. A shiver ripped down my spine as I came, emptying my seed in her wet heat.
I stared down at her, soaking in her flushed cheeks—that just fucked look that she wore so well. Her eyelids were half closed, her head tilted, leaning against the shed.
Seconds passed. Five. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty.
All I could think about was claiming her, marking her so everyone knew she was mine.
Mine. All mine.
My fangs sharpened as I stared at her throat, wondering what my mark would look like there.
I knew the music was still pounding, but all I heard was our ragged breaths and thumping hearts.
I leaned down, brushing my lips against hers softly. “Liv, can I—?”
I didn’t get a chance to finish the question. Placing a hand on my chest, putting pressure there as her gaze locked onto my fangs, she said, “Don’t. Please don’t ask that tonight.”
I nodded wordlessly, as my chest constricted, a sharp crack spreading through my heart.
She stared into my eyes, breathless, as I slowly let her down. Straightening her skirt, her voice was low, nearly a whisper, when she said, “I need to go home.”
“Liv …” I stalled, raking a hand over my face. Shit. She looked like she was about to bolt. “Baby, stay, please.”
She took a quick step back. “I need to think, Jax. I need … time.”
My first instinct was to refuse. I’d just bore my soul to her, and I didn’t think I could let her go. Not again. But the look in her eyes told me I had to.
If time was what she needed, then I knew I had to give her that.
Hell, she’d already been gone for months, what was a few more days?
Wait. What if it took more than a few days?
I nodded once, summoning a portal for her, but I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t, because I knew if I opened my mouth, all that would come out would be pleas for her to stay.
She gave me a small, sad looking smile, and then she turned away from me, stepping toward th
e portal. She glanced over her shoulder as she reached it, surprising me when she said, “I love you.”
Liv stepped through the portal then, disappearing from my sight, and I snapped it shut, before I found myself rushing in after her.
7
Liv
I didn’t sleep a wink that night. My mind was too busy, and no matter what I did, it wouldn’t turn off. And after what just happened, the bed felt empty without Jaxon beside me. I felt the void. I’d been feeling it for two months now. The longing and loneliness and heartbreak.
I tossed and turned, then paced and cleaned. I scrubbed the floor, dusted my bookshelves. And the night dragged.
And dragged.
And dragged.
I thought about Jaxon. I thought about the good times we had—there were a lot of them. He’d always been sweet to me, kind, always putting my needs before his. And he could make me laugh at any time, no matter my mood.
He was a demon, the Prince of Hell, and evilness ran in his blood, but to me, he’d been nothing but good.
And I missed him.
The feelings hadn’t faded even a little while we were apart. If I’d thought they had, last night had showed me how wrong I was.
But he’d lied to me. Hid things from me.
Oh hell, did it even matter? I was starting to feel like I’d overreacted about the whole thing. Maybe, just maybe, I shouldn’t have gotten mad and walked away from him.
No. What I should have done was talk to him, because, as they say, communication is key.
By the time ten o’clock in the morning rolled around, my dorm room was spotless, and I was back in bed. I had my phone in hand and I was staring at his number in my contacts list when there was a knock at the door.
Setting down my phone, I threw back the covers and slipped out of bed, opening it. Jaxon stood there, dressed as usual in blue jeans and a black tee.
“Um, hey.” I blinked, staring at him with shock. “You’re using the door?”
My question made him chuckle. “I was told that’s what normal people do.”
“I … um,” I stalled, hesitating. “I was just about to call you.”
Jaxon’s smile was suddenly luminous. “You were?”
“Yeah, I … uh … I …” I stammered, his smile, those dimples, and the fact that I’d never seen him use a door—ever—were throwing me off kilter. Finally, I nodded and stepped back, letting him in. “Yeah, um, come in.”
He stepped toward me, reaching out and gently rubbing my arm as I shut the door behind him. “Are you okay, Liv? You look like you’re run down.”
“I’m fine,” I said. “I just didn’t sleep much.”
He frowned at me. “Climb into bed.”
I blinked at him. “What?”
“Climb into bed,” he repeated. “I’ll make you some tea.”
I just stood by the door, wringing my hands together. We had sex last night, and although it hadn’t been the first time, somehow it felt like it was. It had been rushed and clumsy. Desperate. And now, I was nervous. I didn’t know what to say or what to do, but climbing into bed when my skin was heating and tingling just from the sight of him didn’t seem like a good plan, at least not until I told him how I felt.
“I’m okay,” I said. “Really.”
He let out a laugh of disbelief as he stepped towards me. “Baby, I wasn’t asking. Get that sexy ass of yours into bed.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but I had no idea what I was going to say. It didn’t matter, though, because he didn’t let me speak. He scooped me up in his arms and carried me to the bed, laying me down and tucking me beneath the blankets.
I watched him, yawning, as he walked over to the small kitchenette, filling up the kettle and plugging it in. He didn’t say a word as he pulled out a mug and slipped a tea bag in, waiting on the kettle to boil, and neither did I.
My stomach clenched from nervousness and my heart hammered in my chest as he poured the hot water into the mug and turned to me. I expected him to hand me the mug but he didn’t, instead setting it on the nightstand, climbing up onto the bed with me.
He stared at me for a moment, swallowing hard. “So … you were going to call me?”
“Yeah,” I said, offering him a smile. “I was.”
“Should I …?” He hesitated, looking away from me. “Did I give you enough time to think?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Whatever you want,” he said when I didn’t elaborate. “I’ll do whatever you want. Leave, stay, whatever.”
My heart seemed to stop for a second. I wasn’t sure what to say. His tone was so matter-of-fact, so unemotional that it made me freeze.
When I didn’t respond, he took both of my hands in his.
“Liv, I’m sorry. At the time, I didn’t see any other way, but I promise, I’ll never keep anything from you again. Ever.” Jaxon swallowed, his eyes fixed on me. “I love you, Liv. I don’t want to be without you any longer.”
“I love you, too,” I whispered. And I did. I didn’t always want to, but my heart didn’t seem to understand that.
He kissed me then, and there was a lot of hunger and desperation in that kiss.
When he pulled back, his eyes shone, and that smile … I just knew that everything was going to be okay.
I looked at him, a smile tugging at my lips. “I’m happy you’re here.”
“I’m happy to be here.” He let go of my hands, grasping my chin, and pulling my face toward him. I exhaled shakily as he leaned in, kissing me softly and sweetly, over and over again. He pulled back for a moment, meeting my gaze and whispered, “Thank you for giving me another chance, baby. You won’t regret it. I swear it.”
And then he was on me.
His hands were gentle but quick as he tore off my nightshirt, tossing it to the floor. His movements were frenzied—frantic—setting my heart and body on fire.
My hands moved just as quickly, tearing off his shirt, and undoing his pants. I looked up at him, saw the heat in his eyes as I pushed him on his back and kissed my way down his chest. He was hard when I reached his cock. I wrapped my hand around his length and stroked a few times, watching him, before swirling my tongue around the head, tasting him.
He groaned.
His hands dug into my hair as I took him into my mouth. I kept stroking him with my hand, unable to take his whole length in my mouth, as I worked my lips over his velvety flesh, the whole time, keeping my eyes locked with his.
He stopped me not long after I started, tugging on my hair, until my mouth popped off his cock. “Climb up, Liv. Ride me.”
I didn’t hesitate, climbing up and sinking down on his shaft, and then I rode him. His hands were on my hips, guiding me, as I ground against him, popping up and down on his length. My hands were on his chest, my fingernails digging into his flesh, and I could feel his heartbeat racing against my palms.
It was … amazing, feeling his life.
Leaning up, he captured one of my nipples in his mouth, sucking on it before nipping, as his fingertips dug into my hips, lifting me up and down, helping me move faster and faster.
I could feel it coming, the tension in my body, the coiling and tightening. I slipped one of my hands between my legs, circling a finger around my clit. It only took a few more seconds for me to shatter around him.
And then, just moments later, Jaxon followed me over the edge, groaning through his release.
I collapsed against his body then, lying there with his arms around me and my cheek on his chest. We were both quiet as we caught our breaths and waited for our heartbeats to return to normal, although after what felt like at least ten minutes, I wasn’t sure if mine would ever slow down.
After a while, he kissed the top of my head, very lightly, and asked, “Will you be my forever, baby?”
Those words made my heart skip a beat. Forever. I liked the sound of that. I looked up at him, my smile so wide it hurt, and my head started bobbing up and down. “Forever sounds amazing.”
r /> Note from the Author
If you enjoyed Halloween in Hell, please consider leaving a review or rating on the site where you purchased it. Word-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed and your review, even if it’s only a sentence or two, makes a huge difference in helping new readers make the decision to read my books. Many thanks for your support. It’s very much appreciated.
XOXO,
Ashley Stoyanoff
Titles by Ashley Stoyanoff
THE SOUL’S MARK SERIES
The Soul’s Mark: FOUND
Waking Dreams, A Soul’s Mark Novella
The Soul’s Mark: HUNTED
The Soul’s Mark: BROKEN
The Soul’s Mark: CHANGED
DEADLY TRILOGY
Deadly Crush
Deadly Mates
Deadly Pack
PRG INVESTIGATIONS SERIES
Two Truths and a Lie
Play It Again
OTHER TITLES
If I Could Do It Again
Halloween in Hell
About the Author
Romance author Ashley Stoyanoff is the recipient of two Royal Dragonfly Book Awards for young adult and newbie fiction. Her first book, The Soul’s Mark: FOUND, came out in 2012. Her other passions include reading and shopping for the latest fashions. Learn more about Ashley and her work at ashleystoyanoff.com.
Ashley Stoyanoff, Halloween in Hell
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