Avenging Angel (The Fallen #4)(57)

Tanner paced the close confines of the cabin, an out-of-season spot that he’d known would be empty. Just waiting for them to use as a shelter—and safe house.

Going back to his place in the city sure wasn’t an option. Not with every supernatural in the area jonesing for Marna’s blood.

Blood I took.

Blood wasn’t supposed to taste sweet. Hers had. Hers had poured into his mouth, rich with so much power and magic. He’d felt the surge in his own body as he began to heal, as his torn heart mended—all from just a few drops of her blood.

No wonder the others were after her. If that was what a few drops could do, what would happen with more?

Power.

He turned and raked his claws across the wall, leaving deep impressions in the wood.

“The owners are sure going to be angry once they get back and see the . . . ah . . . new decorations you’ve made.” Marna’s voice. Marna’s scent. Too close. Driving him wild.

Want.

He didn’t turn to face her. “You should go back downstairs.” With Cody. Where it was safe. Where she wasn’t in danger of getting seriously f*cked in the next five seconds.

“I wanted to check on you.”

Right. Because that was what she did. Because she was so good.

While he was the big, bad beast, too eager to gobble her up.

Maybe it was time she started to see him for what he really was, not just what he kept telling her he could be. How many times have I lied to her?

He’d promised he wasn’t like his brother Brandt. Promised he wasn’t evil.

’Cause if you said something enough, wasn’t that supposed to make it true?

Not for him. Never for him.

Once she learned what he truly was like, then she wouldn’t sacrifice for him anymore. Wouldn’t offer up her blood and make him . . . want so much more.

She’d held tight to him while they ran through the swamp. They’d found the truck Cody had hidden, hightailed it out of there, and managed to get to this old place under the growing darkness. Good thing he and his brother knew all the secrets of the swamp.

They knew the best places to hide and lick their wounds.

I’d rather lick her.

The floor creaked beneath her feet. She was coming toward him. “Stop.”

The creaking paused.

Tanner glanced down at his chest. He’d always been a fast healer, but this—this was crazy. He’d been stabbed in the chest. That knife had hit his heart. Yet he was still standing.

Not just because of his panther, though, hell yeah, the beast had been what kept him going when that knife first plunged into him. A human would have died instantly. Good thing shifters had more fight in ’em than that.

The skin over his heart was red now, still mending. He was alive—because of her.

So he figured he owed her a warning. “If you don’t get out of here, I’ll have you on that bed beneath me.” Or against the wall. Or on the floor. Wherever he could get her.

His cock shoved against the front of his jeans. Since he was used to Tanner shifting and hunting, Cody kept backup clothes for him in the truck. His brother had given him these faded jeans, but the denim did little to hide his arousal from her.

I could f*cking eat her alive.

Not safe. Not normal. The lust he felt for her was raging out of control.

A woman like her needed control. Gentleness. Sweet promises in the dark.

He couldn’t give her anything but fire and fury right then.

The floor creaked, and his shoulders tensed. Another slow creak followed a few seconds later.

She wasn’t walking toward the door. His eyes closed. The panther roared inside of him.

She was coming to Tanner.

Then he felt the light feather of her lips on his bare back. Pressing against his old scars. Kissing him with such gentleness.

He was too far gone for that. Too. Far.

Tanner spun around, lifted her up, and in two steps, he had her on the bed. “Told you. Warned you,” he growled, and his mouth took hers. A red haze of lust seemed to surround him. His tongue pushed into her mouth, driving deep, even as his hands caught hers and locked them together over her head.

He’d given her gentleness before. Maybe, later, she’d remember that.

His kiss grew rougher, harder, more demanding.

He locked his left hand around her wrists, and his right hand pushed between their bodies. He yanked up her shirt and pushed his hand under her bra. Her nipple was tight, pebble hard, and he had to taste it, too.

Tanner tore his mouth from hers. He unhooked her bra and threw it to the floor. Then he took her breast. Tanner sucked it deep into his mouth and scored her flesh with his teeth.

“Tanner!” He liked it when she moaned his name. Liked it even more when she screamed it.

He’d make her scream.

He freed her hands and yanked down her jeans. She helped him, shoving away the denim and the delicate panties. Then her sex was open to him, pink, flushed, wet.

Taste.

He pushed her legs apart, and he put his mouth on her. When she tried to buck against him, telling him she couldn’t take it—

Tanner just tightened his hold. His mouth pressed harder. He licked her. Sucked her clit.

And felt the tremble in her thighs. He kept licking. Sucking. He thrust his tongue inside of her—

She came with a scream.

He liked that. Would have more.