If she only knew . . .
Her smile was sad as she rose—and pulled away. “So for once, I’m going to do something right.” But her gaze dropped down his chest. “Dammit.”
He lifted a brow and stood beside her.
“Thanks for saving my ass today,” Jade said as she took a few steps away from him. “But once you have your clothes, you really need to just get the hell away from me.”
Not quite what he’d expected. Before he’d entered the shower, Az had thought the human female was trying her hand at seducing him.
Others had tried. Tempted him.
But he hadn’t wanted them, not the way he wanted her.
He wanted Jade on the big bed in her bedroom. Wanted her open to him, her arms around him. Screaming for him.
He wanted to taste the pleasure that humans enjoyed so much. With her.
Every angel was tempted at some point . . .
“I know it’s none of my business. . . .” Her words had a husky edge that he found . . . sexy. “But,” she continued in that voice that seemed to stroke right over his flesh, “what happened to your back?”
“I fell.” Flat. The truth.
Her dark brows lifted. “You fell.” Jade gave a slight shake of her head and whistled lightly. “That must have been some fall.”
“It was.” He wanted to touch her again. Touch had been denied to him for centuries, and he hadn’t realized just how pleasurable it was to feel a woman’s skin against his.
So he stalked forward and let his fingers skate down her cheek.
Soft.
“You shouldn’t . . .” Her voice was like a whisper during sex.
“I should.” What else did he have to lose? His gaze locked on her mouth. Red, plump lips. “I want to know what you taste like.”
He caught the hitch of her breathing, but she shook her head. “I told you—”
Now he laughed. “I’m not scared of death.”
Her lips parted in surprise.
Az didn’t wait any longer. His lips took hers. Not a gentle, seeking kiss. He wasn’t much for gentleness these days. His tongue thrust into her mouth. Drove inside and took.
She tasted sweeter than strawberries. So sweet. His tongue tasted her and his hands curled around her as he pulled her body closer to his.
Her body was small, her br**sts lush, and he wanted more.
His c**k shoved against the towel, thickening and stretching toward her. He couldn’t pull away from her. Didn’t want to. Her lips sucked over his tongue and his whole body tightened.
He stumbled forward with her. Caged her against the wall and—enjoyed her.
Mouth. Tongue. Flesh.
The towel was in the way. He wanted skin to skin. He wanted to see the pink folds of her sex. Wanted to be in her.
Wanted, as he’d never wanted another.
Her hands curled around his shoulders. Her nails dug into his skin, and he liked the rough sting.
A growl built in his throat.
His mouth tore from hers, and he began to taste her throat. She trembled against him. Ah, she enjoyed that. Right there, on the curve of her neck and shoulder and—
“No!”
His head snapped up, and he stared down at her. Her br**sts were tight, hard peaks, pushing against his chest. Her hips had arched hungrily against him, and her eyes—there was no missing the lust in her stare. The same lust that heated his own body.
But the human was telling him no.
“Why?” Grated from him. Was it because he wasn’t . . . like her? He wasn’t less than human, no, he was—
She trembled against him as her fingers slid down his arms. “I told you,” Jade said again, “I’m dangerous. You don’t want to be with me.”
He did. He wanted to be f**king her right then.
“The best thing that you can do is to get away from me.” Her hands flatted on his chest and she pushed against him.
Az eased back a step. Just one.
She stared up at him with those green eyes that he suspected had probably broken mortal men. “That panther pack will be coming after me again. Coming after me and anyone who stands with me. So trust me on this, you don’t want to get caught in this war.”
Then she eased around him. Her body brushed his, a soft glide of feminine flesh.
“I’m going to shower,” she said. “You should—you should be gone when I come out.”
If that was the way the little mortal wanted things . . .
She headed for the bathroom. Didn’t look back at him. Why did that fact anger him? And why did he feel like he had to ask, “Why do the panthers want you?”