“Your turn.” She pressed her thumb against the hollow beneath his right ear and imprinted her mark there, which seemed to satisfy him rather than pain him. Awkward fucker. The infinity symbol had a sphinx perched in the center of the loops. Her demon relaxed at the sight of it.

“It’s done.” He found that he couldn’t release her, and in fact had to resist tightening his possessive grip on her throat. “Now you can’t ever again deny you’re mine.” Every few seconds or so, her mind idly brushed against his – a psychic touch that could be for reassurance or to offer comfort or maybe it was both. He didn’t know. He just knew that he liked it. “Open your mouth for me.” The moment she parted her lips, he thrust his tongue inside to tangle with hers. He tasted, feasted, and breathed her into him. “Come home with me tonight.”

She swallowed hard. “Okay.”

Satisfied, Knox kissed her again. He’d have her as many times as he could before his demon began to get bored. It could take days, it could take weeks, but it would happen. It always did. Even so, Harper would always be his on some level.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Ready to lock up the studio, Harper was slipping on her jacket when Royce walked inside. Groan.

“Who is the guy who’s always hanging around outside the building?”

She blinked, startled at his brusqueness. Royce generally didn’t have the balls to speak to anyone like that.

“He takes you to work every morning and hangs around outside most of the day. Why?” he demanded.

“I’m confused by the fact that you believe this is your business.”

“He works for Knox Thorne, doesn’t he?” Royce stepped closer, pissing off her demon. It wanted to claw his face right off his skull. “I saw him come in here with Thorne once.” He spoke like there was some kind of conspiracy and he was onto it. “Are you fucking Thorne? Is he why you won’t come back to me?”

What a fucking asshole. “Royce, I won’t come back to you for a number of reasons – primarily because you seem to think that monogamy is a shade a brown.”

“I apologized for that. She meant nothing to me.”

“Which is exactly why it should have been easy to turn her down. But you didn’t.”

“So let’s shout this out so we can move forward. Slap me. Kick me. Call me a dog.”

“Why? Dogs are loyal.”

“Look, I know I did wrong. Believe me when I say I hate myself for it. We can work this out. I miss you, Harper.”

She grabbed her purse and keys. “Well, as you can see, I’m drowning in a river of tears.” She ushered him out of the studio. “Now if you’re done, I have things to do.”

Outside, he continued speaking even as she locked the front door. “I’ve told you over and over, I’m sorry and I hate that I’ve hurt you. What do you want me to do?”

She faced him. “Honestly? Stick your cock in a bees nest. Call me and let me know how that goes.” Flashing him a sweet, acidic smile, she then made her way to Tanner, who was holding the car door open. “Hey, Tanner.”

“Problem?” He flicked his gaze to Royce.

She sighed. “I just don’t understand your gender. Do you?”

Tanner held up his hands. “This isn’t a conversation that could go well for me.”

Smiling, she slid into the car. “So true.” Within seconds, they were driving on-route to her apartment. She hadn’t seen Knox for four days, since he’d been on a business trip. In that time, though, he’d contacted her telepathically every night.

The days apart had given her a little time to get used to their psychic bond. It was true that it was impossible to ever feel alone when you were anchored. His mind constantly stroked hers instinctively yet idly. It was comforting. She could feel him and was always aware of him on some level, yet she couldn’t sense him or his feelings as the bond wasn’t intrusive.

As he was returning from his trip today, they had made plans to see each other tomorrow. He wanted to talk about the gathering for the whole Monarch business that was occurring in one of his Underground hotels in just two days. The time running up to the gathering had flown over fast, and during that time Knox had taken her to his home every night, had fucked her hard and long with an urgency that told her he was taking advantage of what time they had before his demon withdrew from her on a sexual level. The demon would accept her as its anchor, but it wouldn’t wish to keep her as anything more.

Up to now, his demon wasn’t at all bored. She knew it because the brand on her breast hadn’t faded. She could admit that she checked it each morning and evening, wanting to be mentally prepared for the demon’s withdrawal. Considering how obsessed her own demon was with Knox and the predator that lived within him, Harper was pretty sure that her demon would want to burn shit down when his lost interest.

Forcing her mind off the matter, she spoke to Tanner. “I’m surprised you don’t sometimes give yourself a break and let either Keenan or Larkin take over.”

He glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Surprised? Why?”

“You must get bored of babysitting me.” Her life wasn’t exactly exciting.

“You’re important to Knox, which makes you important to me.”

“This babysitting gig still has to gall you on some level. You’re a sentinel.” He was meant for more than this.

“Knox would never trust anyone but a sentinel with your safety. I volunteered for the position.”