“There isn’t much I wouldn’t do to keep you safe,” he admitted shamelessly.

“At the risk of sounding utterly cliché, you can’t protect me from everything,” she pointed out.

His lips twitched and she could tell that he was amused with her. “Maybe not, but I can protect you from this.”

“And you aren’t the least bit worried about leaving me and my dark nature in Sin City?”

His eyes narrowed on her and she felt a shiver of awareness crawl down her spine. “About that,” he started and her attention was caught on his mouth as he licked his lips. She didn’t think he was trying to be seductive, but man alive if he wasn’t just naturally so. His eyes grazed over her, leisurely starting at her feet and slowly climbing. “You mentioned that you thought it was time for the Little Raven to spread her wings,” his voice caressed her suddenly overly sensitized skin.

“I might have said something along those lines,” she admitted with a shaky voice.

“If you really feel that is necessary, or if there is some,” he paused and his eyes latched onto hers, “urge that you need to act on because we are in Vegas and your dark-elf nature is demanding it, there’s no need for you to wait until I leave.”

“Really?” she nearly squeaked out. She cleared her throat and forced herself to pull it together, though she was slowly becoming a puddle at his feet. “Why is that exactly?”

“Because I am more than happy to accommodate my Chosen in any way that she needs. It is my privilege to meet your needs. And honestly,” his voice dropped an octave, “the darker the better.”

Elora’s palms had begun to sweat, isn’t that sexy, she thought as she wiped them on her thighs. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was certain that at any moment it was going to beat its way straight out of her body. She refused to back up when Cush began taking steps towards her. When he was finally standing directly in front of her, she had to grit her teeth to keep from begging him to get on with the accommodating already.

“Do you need me?”

“Yes,” she breathed out quickly before her brain had a chance to tell her hormones to shut the hell up.

He chuckled and before she had a chance to consider just how freaking hot his laugh was, his hands were in her hair pulling her to him and then his lips were on hers. Elora felt something inside of her awaken, as though being pulled from a deep slumber for the first time. Her soul reached for his, but this time she felt the darkness rise with it. She pressed closer to him and felt his fingers tighten in her hair in response, which only spurred her on. Her mouth opened as she gasped and as their tongues met. She heard him groan and it vibrated against her chest, stirring the passion, igniting a flame that she didn’t know if she would be able to put out.

Cush felt her response and the force behind it had him rocking on his feet as he clutched her to him. He hadn’t planned to kiss her; he hadn’t planned to touch her. He had actually been hoping to have her backtracking on her threat to feed her dark nature, but this idea had completely backfired. His Little Raven had taken the bait and run with it.

He felt her small hands wrap around his neck and pull him closer. The heat from their bodies scorched him clear to his bones. He needed to stop this while he still could. Despite what she might think she wanted, he knew this wasn’t the time or the place.

“What better time or place than in a freaking hotel room, Cush?” He heard her sultry voice in his mind and was shocked that she was able to concentrate enough to pick up on his thoughts. He let his hands run down her neck, shoulders, and arms until he was holding her hands and then he pulled back from the kiss. As his lips left hers, he knew that miracles really did happen because it was a miracle that he was the one stopping them from going further.

“Under different circumstances, it would be perfect,” he murmured as he ran a thumb across her swollen lips. “You are quite the vixen, Elora.” He smiled as she blushed. “I want you, but not like this, not under these circumstances.”

She blew out a deep breath and turned away from him, needing to get herself under control. “I know,” she groaned. “I don’t want it like this either. Well, I mean I do, but I don’t.” She shook her head and laughed. “Crap, I don’t know what I mean.”

“You’re a virgin,” he said, gently hoping she could hear how pleased that information made him.

“Yes, contrary to my current behavior, I’m not usually a floosy.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he teased. “Is it because the right male has not come along?” he asked, truly wanting to know why in a world that he knew to be so free with their sexuality, she had remained pure.

Elora turned and looked at him, her brow furrowed as she studied him. “Cassie and I talked about it.” She shook her head with a small grin. “I mean we both came to the conclusion that there was no reason to rush giving away something that there was no return policy on. You know? I mean once that dam is breached, so to speak, there’s no going back. Once it’s given away, it’s a level of innocence that you can never get back. I didn’t want to give that to just anybody. Not to mention all the liabilities that come when you open that door. I mean do you know all the diseases a person can get from bumping uglies?”

Cush choked on a laugh. “Bumping uglies?”

She shrugged. “Just calling it like it is. Anyways, Cassie and I both decided that our first time would be with the one person who deserved to have it. And religious reasons aside, because I’m not really religious, for me that would be my husband. The way I see it, if he really wants me then he’ll commit to me for life.”