Page 33 of Love, Rekindled

Azrael shuddered. Her light touch set him on fire. As if they stood in the dragon’s den, not in the lodge’s icy cellar. A primitive hunger spread through him. It craved more than sex. Or blood. It wanted her heart and soul, for all eternity.

He slowly lowered his head. “I have muscles.”

“Do you?” she muttered, tilting back her head as he nibbled his way down her throat.

“Do you need proof?”

She chuckled softly. “I insist on inspecting the merchandise for myself.”

“Go for it,” he encouraged, ready and willing to be inspected—preferably with her tongue and fangs.

Her fingers continued exploring the ridges and planes of his chest when she suddenly stiffened.

“My pendant.”

Azrael lifted his head to discover her staring at the jade amulet tied around his throat. “Mine,” he corrected in firm tones. “You gave it to me.”

She traced the smooth jade, her expression one of remorse. “I regretted what I’d done the moment my dagger entered your heart.” Her fingers moved to touch the scar in the center of his chest. “If I could have taken it back, I would have. I left this necklace because it was a reminder to me that freedom has its own price.”

He bent his head to sweep his lips over her furrowed brow. “Fate occasionally has a wicked sense of humor. It brought us together as enemies?—”

“Never enemies,” she sharply interrupted.

His lips skimmed down her cheek to nuzzle at the corner of her lips. “What about your mate?”

He could feel her tension ease as she snuggled close. “There’s a possibility I could be convinced.”

Relief scorched through him, nearly sending him to his knees. Until that second, he’d been terrified to hope that she would agree to become his.

“A possibility?” He kept his tone light. He didn’t want to scare her away with the sheer force of his need.

“Mmm.” She scraped her nails down his chest hard enough to draw blood. Azrael trembled as the pleasurable jolts zigzagged through him. Sex was great. Sex with bites, scratches, and screams of bliss was paradise. “I’m a very demanding female. You can ask my employees at the resort.”

He slowly narrowed his gaze at her teasing words. It was a direct challenge. Hell, yeah. He was ready and willing to convince this female that he was the male she needed in her bed. Theonlymale she needed.

Sliding his hands beneath her sweatshirt, he tugged it over her head and tossed it aside. The sight of her lacy bra with its ruby studded clip between her breasts wrenched a wicked chuckle from his throat. It was as delicate and sexy as she was.

“So how do you want to be convinced?” he murmured. He lowered his head to scrape the tip of his fang along the line of her collarbone.

She trembled, her hands sliding up his chest to grasp his shoulders. “That’s a start.”

“You are demanding,” he chided, carefully peeling off her bra before cupping her breasts in his palms.

The scent of lotus perfumed the air as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “And hungry.”

“For this?” He brushed his thumbs over her nipples.

Her eyes darkened with excitement. “Yes.”

“And this?” His head lowered, his lips closing over the tip of her breast.

She hissed, her body arching in pleasure. “Yes.”

“There’s more.”

Using the tip of his tongue to tease her nipple to a hard peak, Azrael expertly attacked the fastening to her jeans. He swiftly had them wiggled down her legs, along with her frilly undies.

Once she was naked, he scooped her off her feet and headed to the bed. Laying her on the narrow mattress, he peeled off his slacks and joined her. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her with a desperate hunger.

---