“It’ll be okay,” Cyra insisted. She had zero ideas how any of them would escape the house, but she couldn’t show her dread, and instead decided to pretend they’d find a way through this. She clasped Nora’s clammy palm while Henry trudged from the couch to the window, frowning.

The old couple reminded her of her grandparents when Chase had broken the rules and driven on his own while under twenty-one and on a driver’s permit. He had a traffic accident and had fallen into a coma for a week. They’d never left his side at the hospital. They’d barely spoken, eaten, or slept. Terror had been a permanent expression on their faces, knowing that whatever happened to Chase would be completely and utterly out of their control.

Henry and Nora wore that same look of defeat. Guilt iced Cyra’s chest because her mistake had caged them in the house. She wanted to fix the problem so bad, to prove herself to Argos, but instead, everything had gone to crap. Despite the urge to run and hide for eternity, she plastered a fake smile on her face because that was what everyone needed. Right?

“How will it be okay?” Henry faced her, his arms stiff by his side, and that earlier iciness spread through her body. “You just told us we’re trapped inside our home with a demon, a portal to Hell is upstairs, and an undead goose is stalking the house.” His face paled and Nora released a cry. They weren’t taking the news well, but there was nothing to put them at ease when their souls were in danger.

“I’m not sure I even believe you,” Henry continued, his voice rising. “But I have no explanation for that.” He pointed to the vine-covered window. “The phones don’t work, so how can we call for help? Lord, please let someone in the neighborhood see our house and come to our rescue.”

Cyra stood, convinced no one could rescue them. If Gunn couldn’t cut through the vines, what would others do? But worse yet, if anyone else saw the mistletoe re-growing before their eyes, the whole incident would turn into a circus, plastered all over the news, and people would poke fun at Henry and Nora for living in a haunted house. And forget her job with Argos. They’d fire her for drawing attention to their work.

“Gunn is an experienced demon hunter,” she explained. “We’re in good hands.”

“Like an exorcist?” Nora asked, her voice high-pitched and ready to snap. “He doesn’t look like a priest.”

Cyra drew a lock of her hair over one shoulder and curled it around her finger. “He’s a different type of demon specialist, but we’re all in good hands.” The smile on her face grew strained. She loathed lying. But she couldn’t scare these folks anymore.

Priority one was stopping the demon. It had shown itself to her twice now, and Nora had confirmed she’d seen it, so that meant the fiend was toying with them. She studied the staircase. How long had Gunn been gone? Ten minutes? Fifteen? Why hadn’t he returned yet? What if the demon had defeated Gunn or worse yet, tossed him into the underworld? Her thoughts flew to the fleshy ground she’d crash landed onto in Hell, and shivers raked down her arms.

“I’ll be back. I’m going to check on Gunn.”

Nora snatched her wrist, her fingers cold against Cyra’s skin. “Please don’t go.” Reducing Nora to begging had Cyra wavering. Would they ever feel safe in their home again after this?

Cyra scanned the living room for something to empower Nora and found her oversized metal spoon from the kitchen on the coffee table. Not the best solution, but better than being empty-handed. She broke her contact with Nora, collected the weapon, and whispered, “Bless this object. Give it the power to protect anyone who wields it.” A spark of energy zipped down her fingers and into the spoon. The small incantation should mean anything the spoon hit would deliver double the force.

She gave Nora the weapon. “If the goose returns, use this. I’ll be two minutes max.” Her muscles twitched with a sudden urgency to find Gunn. “Stay in this room and stick together. All right?”

She hated leaving them as they stared at her with lost puppy dog eyes, but she had to make sure Gunn wasn’t about to die either. She darted upstairs, two steps at a time.

“Get your head straight,” she mumbled under her breath.

On the next floor up, the hallway fell behind a wall of darkness and going in there had electrical sparks gathering at the pit of her gut. “Gunn, are you still up here?”

No response. Chills encased her chest, making breathing close to impossible. She didn’t want to enter the attic ever. But what if Gunn needed help? Each image of him dying drove her forward as her heart raced.

And this was why her idea of never separating was the solution. Of course, Gunn had had to be the hero and rush off on his own. Crap, if she found him alive, she was kicking him in the shins for scaring her. Then they would come up with a real plan of action.

Nausea owned her. She grabbed the lighter in her pocket, flicked it on and used the golden flame to lead the way. She collected her small blade from her boot and entered the shadowy corridor, eying the end. It might buy her time in a sticky situation.

She moved a few steps deeper into the hallway.

Her brother and the others did this for a living! Damn, she wouldn’t want their jobs. They faced danger every day, so no wonder they acted all pumped up. How else could anyone make themselves knowingly confront a monster? Terror squeezed her insides until she was certain she’d die from a stroke.

Lead filled her stomach. “Okay, I can do this.”

She reached for the handle to the attic door. Dread was a spider leaving a trail of silk down her spine, but she had this. Like the time she’d returned to the barn back on the farm to face the spirit living there. She’d sent it packing, and all had turned out well.

When she twisted the handle, the floorboards creaked under her feet.

“What are you doing?” a deep voice asked.

Her heart hit her throat, and she spun on the spot, her back against the wall.

Gunn was leaning out of a doorway farther down the corridor, the light from inside shining outward like a beacon. He arched an eyebrow. “Why are you going to the attic? Do you want to get attacked again?”

“Shut up.” Switching off the lighter and stuffing it into her pocket, then sliding her blade back into her boot, she rushed toward him, ignoring the cold inching up her legs from the attic door. “I was searching for you. We shouldn’t separate.”

“Yet you left the old folks downstairs alone?”

She whacked Gunn in the arm. “That’s for leaving. And I gave them a weapon, promising I wouldn’t be long.”

His stare pierced right through her response.

“Whatever,” she said. “How about you come join us and we figure out our options for getting out of here?” She bent sideways, looking into the room. It was a study, complete with a cherry-wood desk beneath an enormous arched window. She’d love one of those tables at home. She’d use it to work on her spells and new incantations, though it might take up the entire studio. Her thirty texts sat under her bed, along with half her clothes. Something she’d meant to unpack.

“What are you doing in there?” she asked as Gunn retreated inside.

Next to the table sat a gaping black hole in the wall. “I trapped the goose in here, but it dug itself an escape route.”

Cyra crossed the space and crouched near the opening peppered with tiny tear marks around the edges. Inside lay a tiny passage along the wall, but she refused to stick her head in farther in case the bird waited to strike.

When the door slapped shut behind her, she leaped to her feet to find Gunn standing in the middle of the room, grinning his sexy smirk. The one he’d worn back in the bathroom when she’d fallen prey to his charm. And even with the dried blood on his neck and forearms, he still looked sexy as hell.

But what was he doing?

He raised a hand and crooked a finger, calling her to him.

Her heart palpitated at the sight because she’d dreamed of having someone like Gunn want her. Except right now they were in the devil’s house with his satanic pet bird hunting them.

Her glance lifted to the single strand of mistletoe dangled above him. The rest of the vine curled along the cornices and originated from the corner of the window.

“You’re standing below mistletoe. Step away from it.” She folded her arms across her chest, telling herself his lusty expression was the influence of the mistletoe and nothing more. As long as they stayed far away from each other while one of them was impacted, they’d be fine. She rounded the table, ignoring the desperate urge in her chest each time she caught sight of the way he studied her.

Gunn stretched up for the mistletoe that seemed to have a mind of its own. It zipped out of his grip, flying about like a hose spraying water at full blast.

Already she grew light and fuzzy.

“Cut it!” she called out, though her knees melted as she studied the way Gunn’s muscles moved across his biceps.

He charged after it and snatched the greenery, then yanked it. In no time, he had it pulled free from the ceiling and torn from the window. Dusting his hands, he turned in her direction, yet the earlier lustful expression remained.

Before he even caught his breath, he closed the distance between them. Her fingers tingled with the urge to run her hands through his hair, to feel his abs and the softness of the hair on his chest. Her head demanded she turn away, run out of the room, do anything but give in to the urges.

Except with Gunn standing there and one corner of his lips pulled into a smile, temptation teased her. He might as well have placed a chocolate cake under her nose after she hadn’t eaten for a week straight. Nothing would stop her—not now. Not when the man she’d starved for studied her like a sex god.

“Jump into my arms, baby girl.”

No hesitation. This was right, and she’d do anything he asked. She leaped up, and he hefted her against him. He winced as if in pain but never released her.

Her legs snapped around his waist, ignoring the pain across her thigh from her earlier injury. She coiled her arms coiled around his neck, unable to get close enough.

“Are you in pain?” she asked.

“I’ll survive.” He pressed his mouth to hers, and her world dissolved into a puddle.

“Gunn,” she breathed. Confusion threaded through her and all other thoughts disintegrated. She shouldn’t have been enjoying this, but she couldn’t stop herself, not when he licked her neck, his teeth taking tiny nips. She moaned.

The roughness of his kiss left her wet and pulsing her pelvis against his hardness.

Carrying her to the desk, Gunn brushed everything aside with one hand and laid Cyra onto her back. His tongue teased her mouth, and she parted her lips, suckling on his offering. No doubt had ever crossed her mind that Gunn wouldn’t be stupendous in bed, but experiencing him firsthand catapulted her into a world of euphoria.

He broke their kiss and stared into her eyes. “I want you so bad,” he groaned.

“Yes,” she mewled as he lowered a hand over a breast, squeezing, pinching her pebbled nipple. She throbbed with a desperation to have Gunn inside her.

He lifted her shirt to reveal a silky black bra.

She peeled the fabric down and over a breast, offering herself, ready to do this. “Take me.”

He latched on to her nipple, sucking and nibbling.

Writhing beneath him, she arched, an inferno scorching her. She’d gone to second base with her past boyfriends, but none had ever left her buzzing, ready to snap.

Her mind kept pestering her, telling her to return downstairs, as if she’d forgotten something. And that Gunn wasn’t the guy for her, but she had to be wrong. How could he not be when he stared at her as if he owned her? And she desired a guy who looked at her that way. A man who’d die before leaving her.

With her hands in his hair, she clenched them tighter. “Gunn, be my first. My only.”

His breaths quickened and yet hesitation crowded his eyes.

“I’ve never felt this way,” she continued. “For months, I waited for you to make a move. I even fantasized about you when I masturbated.” She reached down and popped open the buttons on her pants. With the back of her knuckles, she stroked his thickness, pressing against his jeans.

“Oh, baby, are you sure you want to do this?”

“Please. Don’t make me beg.” Except she’d do it with no shame. Not when she’d been waiting for Gunn to stare at her with such sexiness, she’d implode.

He ran a hand across his chin, his palm scraping his short facial growth. “If you were mine, I’d give you anything you ask for.”

She drew in a hitched breath, and her response came out a whisper. “Then make me yours.”

“Hell, Cyra.”

She was crazy about Gunn, from his strength to the way he softened around her, and even to his fingers worming their way up her shirt. She gathered his top into her fists and wrenched him forward. Their mouths clashed, and she inhaled his breath, kissed him with the boldness she’d held on to for too long.

His fingers hooked into her pants and underwear, and he wriggled them down her legs. Breaking their bond, he ripped them off her feet, her body jerking from the force.

Fuck.

The coolness of the room brushed against her bare thighs, the earlier cut stinging slightly. Gunn’s gaze dipped as she pried open her knees, and she burned with desire. Everything about Gunn excited her, and right then, she craved his approval. Unsure what to expect, she waited, terrified to take another breath.

“Damn, girl. You’re killing me with your sexiness.” He kneeled in front of her, as if she were something to be worshipped, his fingers digging into her hips as he hauled her closer. Her butt perched on the edge of the desk for the taking.

He blew a breath against her sex, which throbbed, and she shuddered. His lips pressed to her pussy, and he flicked her clit. She gasped and lost herself, squirming. Sure, she’d pleasured herself, but goddamn, nothing had prepared her for this. Gunn’s tongue was a stroking machine, lapping her like ice cream, nibbling and pulling at her inner folds. Her body floated as she remained at the mercy of Gunn’s attentiveness.

“Yes. God. How are you doing that?”

His tongue pierced her, and she moaned from pleasure, her core clenching around him. Why had she waited so long to let a guy go down on her?

He sucked her, the sounds delectable, his mouth filthy sexy. “Cum for me.”

Before she responded, he nudged her thighs wider apart and continued his assault on her clit. Her nipples hardened, and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take. A vibration thrummed within her, rising with a sudden spike, and she tumbled over the edge of orgasmic bliss.

“Gunn. Ah, ah!” She screamed as the explosive sensation rocked her at the core, her mind and body soaring through the heavens. Every inch of her clenched, her muscles ached. She pressed her thighs tighter to rub them together, but Gunn wasn’t budging, licking every last drop as she came into his mouth. Goddamn, he knew how to turn her on with the swiftest of touches.

When he finally lifted himself, his lips glistened with a smirk. “Baby girl, you’re the best-tasting candy.”

As he stared down at her, she glimpsed something in his eyes, a softness she’d never seen before. “Give me what you’re keeping from me.”

His sly grin promised her the most amazing ride. He unbuttoned himself and dropped his pants and underwear, then peeled his top over his head, revealing his Argos rune tattoo on the right-hand side of his chest. A rounded rune was on the outside with the flame in the middle, and it came with protection that reduced the chance of demon possession.

For the first time, she stared at him completely nude. His cock stood erect. How big was he? Regardless, she had to have him and leaned closer, her fingers raking down his stomach. He bent down to his pants on the floor, heard the rustling of clothes, and returned with a rubber in his hand. He slipped it over himself while rubbing the tip as if preparing for what was to come.

“Take me,” she pleaded, raising her pelvis.

He leaned over her, their bodies inches from touching. He took one of her hands and pinned it to the top of the desk, then did the same with the other.

Beneath him, she met his gaze, unable to stop her racing pulse.

“Relax, baby,” he said, his voice calm. Already the tip of his erection caressed the length of her sex. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

A charge slid down her spine, and her body responded, making her wetter. Wrapping her legs around his hips felt natural. He placed his forehead against hers and whispered, “Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. I need this.” She swallowed, trying to hold her composure because on the inside, her emotions were on overdrive. She wanted Gunn more than any damn thing in the world, starting with him filling her as she lay open for him. This was the moment she’d finally lose her virginity, and she didn’t have a single regret. Only the urgency to feel Gunn, have him take her, because it was difficult to concentrate on anything else.

He pushed his hardness into her, slow at first, stretching her with his velvet touch. The sensation hurt, but in all the best ways. He kissed her, consuming her, holding her in place. A spontaneous groan rolled out of her throat, her whole body eager to take all of him.

His tongue entered her mouth, and he slid his cock deeper into her. She ground against him in that earth-shattering moment. His breathing quickened, and she buried her face into his hair as he nibbled on her neck. “Oh, baby, you’re so tight.”

She shifted, angling herself for better access, gasping for air. “I’ve dreamt of this for so long.”

“I love those words coming from you.” He withdrew partially, then slid back in, quicker that time, harder.

“Holy hell.” Pinned beneath him, she arched with arousal, not ready for such strength. But he didn’t stop, thrusting in and out, picking up the pace. Her breaths grew ragged as he took her. Claimed her just as she’d asked. The pressure between her legs uncoiled, and excitement gripped hold of her, twisting and drumming for more.

Her hips rocked in rhythm, matching his strides. With a groan, he released her hand and pinched a pointed nipple, pulling at it. She couldn’t think, could only focus on him touching her, fucking her, devouring her. The sound of his slapping against her, and the musky fragrance of their sex flooded her. A perfect moment in time she’d never forget. She was too painfully near the edge again, not wanting the sensation to end.

Gunn’s groan had her trembling with elation, pushing a swell of ecstasy through her, senses heightening.

And the climax struck fast. She convulsed and let out a high-pitched moan as her entire world shuddered. Spent, her arms fell weak across the table and Gunn’s hold on her loosened as he withdrew out of her.

A faint shriek came from somewhere in the house... Or had she uttered it?

Her eyes fluttered open, and Gunn collected her into his arms, cocooning her with his body. She curled her arms around his waist and listened to the thump of his quickened heartbeat. It calmed her. Instead of the panic she’d expected to feel about giving herself to Gunn, a guy ten years her senior, someone her brother had said was broken, he’d left her comforted. Loved. Protected. “That was fucking amazing.”

He brushed the hair off her face and looked down at her, the tip of his finger tracing her lips. “You’re more beautiful than I thought possible.”

A screech resounded again, definitely not in her head that time. They both froze and exchanged glances. Concern crawled behind Gunn’s gaze, and now it leached over to her, eradicating the earlier desires. Yet as selfish as it sounded, part of her craved to prolong their time together, continue the perfect moment where nothing else in the world mattered, just the two of them. But the tug-of-war inside her mind barraged her with an urgency to check on Henry and Nora, and the slow build of guilt iced her gut.

Gunn kissed her nose and broke their hold. “We need to go.” He crouched down and grabbed her clothes before handing them to her, then cleaned himself with the tissues he found near the windowsill, and offered her some.

She noted the spotting of blood on his condom, her virginity gone, but she wouldn’t change a thing about the moment. She cleaned herself and once she dumped the tissues in the bin, she slipped into her underwear.

The muscles twitched in Gunn’s back as he pulled on his jeans and top. Sinful and wicked… he was her drug, an addiction leaving her breathless.

When he turned to her with a raised brow, she dragged on her clothes quickly. Henry and Nora needed help. She kept repeating the words in her mind to remind herself of the urgency and break through the lust engulfing her.

Within seconds, they darted out of the room. The split-second she crossed the threshold, a cold snap washed away her horny emotions, yet the pining to have Gunn fuck her again, so hard until she forgot herself, remained. But the fearful urgency to check on the old couple now collided into her. Had she made a grave mistake leaving them alone? Please let Henry and Nora be safe.