She arched up to him with a sigh.
Soft. Gentle. He could give her that. No pain, no fire, no fury. Just a man and a woman.
He needed to give her that.
He laved her nipple with his tongue, loving her taste and wanting more. Keenan slid his legs between hers—the better to open her to his touch. As he licked her, his knuckles edged down her stomach. His hand slid lower until his fingers were right over her sex.
When he touched her, he found her wet. Ready.
He licked a path to her other breast. Pulled her nipple into his mouth and sucked. Her hips arched, a fast rise against his hand, and he let two fingers dip inside her.
Her sex clamped around him, and his c**k jerked. Inside.
But … not yet.
One more swipe of his tongue over her breast, and then he pulled back to watch her. Pleasure rippled across her face with each flex and plunge of his fingers. He liked the way her breath caught when the pleasure hit. Liked the way her eyes gleamed and she bit her lower lip.
Most guys probably wouldn’t have found biting fangs sexy. Those guys were idiots.
He pulled his fingers out of her tempting flesh. His hands curved around her thighs, and he spread her even wider.
For a moment, he just stared at her sex. Pretty and pink, plump with desire. Then Keenan bent and tasted her. At the first lick, he wanted—
All of her. All.
He pulled her tight to his mouth and took.
She came against his tongue. Once. Twice.
But he didn’t stop tasting or taking. Right then, he was desperate for her, and whatever waited for them, well, he wanted her to remember this moment.
Pleasure. No pain. No fear.
For one night, he’d only give her pleasure.
“Keenan,” Her nails dug into his flesh. “I want you inside.”
He rose up, licking his lips, and still tasting her. He knew his eyes would be as dark as hers.
Her breath choked out as she stared up at him. Then her hands slid down and whispered over his back. The silken touch shot right through him. Stroking wings that aren’t there.
He thrust into her and drove as deep as he could go. Her legs locked around him, her heels pushing against his ass as she arched toward him. Taking, needing, just as wildly as he did.
Her moans filled his ears. His hands wrapped tightly around her.
Thrust.
Thrust.
He took her mouth and drove his tongue inside, so hungry for more of her taste. Her tongue brushed against his as her sex squeezed him, clamping down with her delicate inner muscles.
His spine prickled. His climax was close, but he didn’t want the release to hit yet. Not yet.
Her fingers slid over the ridges of his scars, and her light caress ripped right through his control.
He plunged into her harder. Deeper. The gentleness was gone now, when he’d wanted to hold on to it so badly. But then, he needed—
Her.
He exploded inside her and heard the gasp that came from Nicole as she climaxed. The pleasure was rough, pounding, racing through his blood.
He held her as tightly as he could.
Won’t let go.
No matter who came calling.
Some things in this world were more important than duty, and some things were even stronger than death.
Sam caught the scent of blood as soon as he climbed the porch steps at Ron’s house. The front door stood open, swaying brokenly on its hinges.
His jaw clenched, and he knew what he’d find even before he crossed that threshold.
Poor Ron had never been a particularly strong demon. Barely a level three on the power scale, he wouldn’t have been much of a challenge in a fight against another paranormal.
Ron lay on the floor. His throat had been ripped open, and blood pooled around his body.
“Fuck.”
Long clawmarks riddled Ron’s arms and chest. Those marks weren’t deep enough to kill.
No, the shifter who’d come after Ron had tortured him first, trying to break Ron to get the guy to talk.
“You broke, didn’t you?” He whispered, then shook his head as he bent to close Ron’s eyes. When it came to pain, Ron hadn’t been strong. A fault many demons carried. Pain was their weakness.
Who’d come to collect Ron at death? Az? One of the guy’s dozen minions?
Sam yanked out his phone. Sometimes, technology was even faster than magic. He called his house. It only figured that Keenan would take his vampire back there. Sam knew when f**king time was at hand—and Keenan had been burning for his vamp.
The phone rang. Once, twice—
“Hello?” Nicole’s hesitant voice.
He turned away from the body. “Company’s coming,” he warned. “Be ready—”
He heard the shatter of glass over the phone line.
“I think company’s already here,” she told him softly and the line went dead.
In an instant, Keenan jumped from the bed. He grabbed his jeans, yanked them up, and whirled to face her even as Sam’s warning echoed in her head.
Company’s coming.
Sam’s warning was too late.
“Stay here,” Keenan told her, “You need to—”
“No way.” She jumped from the bed and yanked on her own clothes. “We’re doing this together. You’re not fighting alone!”
“If you’re with me, you’ll distract me.”
Hard words that froze her.
He lifted his hands. “They touch me, they die. I can take them out. I just need to make sure that you’re safe.”
But she wanted to be at his side. “I’m not weak.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
No, he’d never said that.
“I’m saying you’re too important to risk.” He headed for the door. “Stay here.”
While he fought the battle?
He was already gone.
“Dammit.” He was gone but … she wasn’t alone. The scent of flowers told her that, and when she looked toward the balcony, the doors flew inward and there she could see … oh, crap. Not just shadows anymore, but the solid form of a man. Huge wings rose from his back and fury hardened his face.
Az. She didn’t even need him to speak to know she was staring at Death.
“You’ll let him die for you?” Az snarled and stalked toward her.
She backed up. Yes, she wanted to be all brave and badass and step right toward him, but she knew what he could do with a touch.
So she backed the hell up. “Keenan’s not dying.” She heard the yells then. Screams from downstairs. Not Keenan’s screams, though. Her chin lifted. “He’s not—”
“He could have come back.” Az was still advancing on her. Not good. “All he had to do was finish his mission.”