She heard the door slam shut behind them and then she was falling onto the mattress.

“Oh my God, this is going to happen,” she whispered up at him, excited.

Following her down onto the bed,

Jai smiled, but his intensity didn’t fade as his hands coasted up her thighs, pushing her dress higher. “Definitely happening,” he murmured.

In seconds, she was divested of her clothes, lying beneath Jai, heart pounding against her ribs. She knew she should feel vulnerable, scared, but other than nervous anticipation, Ari felt like she was right where she belonged.

Jai sat up, his eyes devouring her.

“You are so beautiful.”

“So are you.” Ari smiled and tugged at his shirt. “But I want to see more.”

His mouth twitched but he happily consented and soon Ari was marveling over him, her soft hands memorizing the feel of him as they kissed, taking time to get to know one another.

Soon their kisses and touches grew desperate and Ari found herself beneath him, his body poised above hers. He pulled back from her mouth, his expression loving but concerned. “It’ll hurt a little. Just tell me to stop if you need me to.”

She nodded, the nerves fluttering wildly in her stomach.

And then he was there, pressing inside her. It hurt. It really hurt. But through the pain was Jai’s murmured words of love, the brush of his lips against her cheek, her mouth, his fingers threaded through hers, and the amazing feeling of connection she’d never felt with anyone.

Mingling with the pain, suddenly there was heat, pleasure.

He dropped his head to the crook of her neck, his lips pressed to her hot skin. His grip on her hands was almost painful as he anchored her to him, taking them both to the heights of their lovemaking.

She shuddered against him, and he let go. Coming down from the high, they wrapped their arms around one another and held on tight.

“I love you,” Ari whispered, a happy tear trembling on her lashes.

Jai nodded against her shoulder,

his muscles flexing around her. “I love you too.”

5

The Hit Meant for You Bruised Me

A breeze swept through the White King’s loose hair as he lounged on the large balcony abutting his music room. Only a few white clouds interrupted the azure sky above, and the sun, high in its summer ceiling, caused the mountains of Mount Qaf to glitter triumphantly in the light.

His brothers Gleaming and Shadow lounged with him, sipping hibiscus tea and appearing as though they were nothing more than lords at leisure. Appearances were always deceiving.

“We need to find some way to weaken Father,” Gleaming grumbled. “There must be something.”

“If there was something, we’d be doing it,” White muttered irritably.

Shadow sat up to place his tea on the table. “We need to weaken Father long enough to infiltrate the palace, subdue Asmodeus, take the ring, and utilize it to force Father to tell us where Mother is.”

In that moment White wished, not for the first time, that Red and Glass had taken his side in this hostile endeavor. Perhaps it bode ill for the future that the only brothers willing to come to his aid were the least savvy of them. “Yes, thank you for that illuminating reiteration of the situation.”

“I could leave,” Shadow warned, the boredom in his voice masking his obvious petulance. “I don’t need to be here, subjected to your sarcasm and lack of appreciation.”

“Then go. I don’t need a commentator.

I need a plan.” White took another swig of tea, finding the calm, the patience that he needed to do what had to be done. “Our search for Lilif will probably take centuries unless Azazil hands over the information.” When he looked at his brothers, they both looked green at the thought of going through this for centuries. He sighed and stared back up at the sky. “Keep thinking.”

***

Waking up in Jai’s arms allowed Ari to forget all the bad stuff, at least for a few minutes. Her mind was wiped blank of the Jinn world, her senses focused solely on the chest beneath her head, the strong arm around her waist, the sound of his heart beating against her ear, and the smell of him—that rich, spicy scent all his own.

She had never, not once, felt as loved as she did just then, and for a moment, Ari believed that if she died that day, she’d die happy knowing she’d had this with him. For surely, the overwhelming passion and incredible bond between them was more than many people ever experienced in a full lifetime.

“You awake?” His voice rumbled above her.

Her loopy smile pressed against his skin. “Mmm.”

Shifting back, Jai trailed his hand down her hip, sending goosebumps over her skin. When their eyes met, her heart almost stopped. How was it possible that he could still make her feel like she was crushing on him?

His return smile was unguarded, and it caused a wave of aching emotion to crash against Ari’s chest. Jai rarely looked this relaxed or happy. It thrilled her that she could make him feel that way. “Did you sleep okay?”

“I slept better than okay.” She pressed a kiss against his chest and pulled back to grin up at him.

It made him laugh. “I don’t remember ever feeling this good.”

“Me neither.”

“Do you want to run away?” he joked, cuddling her close. “Just say ‘eff you all, we’re out of here.’”

“I think we might have to take Trey with us.”

“Yeah, I can see us having to buy a home with a pool house for him to grow old in.”

Ari chuckled, tilting her head back for his kiss. Pulling his lips away, Jai suddenly frowned at her. “Are you sore?”

She wrinkled her nose. “A little.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” She smiled mischievously.

“If I remember correctly from my girlfriends’ tales, you performed something akin to a miracle last night.”

“You really shouldn’t say these things. It will only make me an egotistical jackass.”

Laughing, she shook her head. “I think we’re past that.”

“You know, if you continue to be mean to me, I won’t do it again. I will become a very selfish lover.” His face was completely deadpan.

Ari’s lips twitched, her chest full of fluttering wings, she was in such a good mood. “Become a selfish lover and I’m out of here. You’ll need to get used to your right hand again.”