Double Down (Take a Gamble) by Stella Price, Audra Price, S.A. Price, Audra

deeper root.
    Caleb gritted his teeth. “Shade, pet, stop, that more than tickles here. Shit…”he growled. “So it seems that I have bound you… and you have marked me…With a personal shadow.” He cocked his head and flipped them suddenly so she was on her back.
    "Fickle little slut, she's decided she likes the view from over on your side. Not that I blame her , I'm sure the view is wicked. Still, I agreed to share my body, not my powers. A lesser demon would be crippled by the loss of one Shade."
    “And it’s obvious that you’re not a lesser demon.” He nuzzled her cheek. “I didn’t plan this, nor did I think it would happen. You did say they like me…” he offered and then shrugged a movement that looked like a broken puppet from his current angle.
    "But I d idn't think they'd jump ship." She kissed him, her fingers moving up to draw restless circles on his chest. "It's not the loss. It mirrors my own almost identically, my personal mark." she met his eyes. "I don’t know how permanent it is."
    Caleb smirked. “Well we will worry about that when we have to. For now it seems it wants to stay, so it can.”
    The spot pulsed and the edges rippled and he closed his eyes.
    “ It’s not a big deal.” But he knew it was. Very few things could mark a Djinn, let alone take root in them like he knew, without a doubt, that the shadow had done. He would have to look into it, but he knew she knew more then she was letting on.
    "No its not." she lied , running her cheek against his chest in a cat like manner. "Tomorrow we should go swimming. Spend the day on some deserted beach somewhere naked as the day we were born, assuming Djinn aren’t born with little green hats and shoes with a box of lucky charms." she teased.
    “You’re thinking Leprechauns love. Djinn are born much like demons, without the issues of the elements I have heard of.”
    "Everyone has their quirks." H er tongue flashed over his nipple. "So we can go naked then. Good, I want as few clothes between us as is possible."
    “Oh that can be arranged. So? Shall we head off to bed then? I’ll go have a talk with the captain. See if my lady’s wishes can be abided.” He winked and pulled away from her and slipped his pants back on.
    "Which way ’s bed?" She stretched out as she stood, ignoring her fallen dress. "I hope you have an orgy sized bed with decent sheets... taking it that we are sharing?" she faltered. "We didn’t discuss rooming up. If not I still expect decent sheets."
    “I should say so. I think you have a completely warped vision of how this little binding is going to go.” He leaned into her and kissed her.
    “Down the galley stairs, you come up and hang a left, bedroom is through the second door. First door is a closet.”
    He was gone seconds later, up the outer ladder to the upper deck.
    She smiled after his retreating form, then left in search of the bedroom.

Chapter 3
     
    Caleb woke with the ge ntle pulse from his new Shadow Scar. It roused him, and he blearily looked at a sleep tossed Shade next to him. She was replete in her relaxation, an arm tossed over her head, the other bent so her hand was almost cradling her breast, as if her fingers were toying with her nipple in her sleep.
    Damn fine idea, he thought and brushed his fingers along the sensitive flesh of her nipple . He smiled as it puckered and then bent and licked the hardened peak.
    She moaned but didn’t wake. Apparently the scant touches of tongue and fingers were not going to do it. His hand ghosted down her exposed torso and caught the edge of the silk sheet and let it slither down past her knees. She was gloriously nude, the only adornment the larger Shadow Scar on her side that wiggled sleepily.
    She shifted, and her leg bent, so her knee was in the air and Caleb grinned. Catching his thoughts, his new shadow pulsed happily. Yes. She does indeed need a wakeup.
    He slide down the length of the bed and nipped and kissed her belly and the hip. He went