Darkness Eternal (Guardians of Eternity #7.5)(22)

But the tender rush of emotion that flooded through her was far more potent than mere lust.

It was the sort of feeling that made females sacrifice everything to hold onto.

“There are no other women, Kata,” he groaned, pumping into her with a slow, magical pace. “Just you.”

“Uriel . . .”

“Ssh,” he halted her protest, kissing a path of destruction up the side of her neck. “Just let me love you.”

Kata shoved aside the warning voice in the back of her mind.

What did it matter?

More than likely they would never get out of the underworld alive.

Why not do as Uriel suggested and simply seize the moment?

“Yes,” she breathed, forgetting everything but the explosive pleasure.

Chapter 9

Kata wasn’t sure how much time passed.

Actually, trapped in the illusion it was almost as if time had stopped completely.

The sun remained firmly fixed in its current position in the sky. There were no drifting clouds, no changing shadow. And even the wildlife scampered from one tree to the other in a pattern that was growingly predictable.

She did know that she and Uriel had made love three more times. That was deliciously easy to keep track of. But it could have been a few hours or an entire day since Yannah had trapped them in the strange world.

No doubt she should be bothered by the thought.

It seemed like it should be important.

At the moment, however, she was floating on a wave of bliss as she sprawled in a bed of wildflowers, held tightly in Uriel’s arms.

A smile curved her lips.

As a lover Uriel was spectacular.

He could be raw, and fiercely driven in his passion. Or he could be slow, and gentle, and so breathtakingly patient that she had begged, pleaded, and at last, threatened until he gave her release.

As a man . . .

Her smile twisted.

She was beginning to accept he was equally spectacular.

Shifting at his side, she tilted back her head to study the vampire next to her.

Her heart lurched at his sheer beauty.

The elegant sweep of his brow and proud curve of his nose. The high cheekbones and sensuously carved lips. The dark, soulful eyes that held a wary pain that spoke of the years he’d been forced to remain isolated, even when he was surrounded by his clan.

He didn’t need to tell her that he was as protective of his brothers as he was of her. He would always keep those he cared about at a distance, always fearful he might be compelled to harm them.

In many ways he’d suffered as much as she had over the past two centuries.

Perhaps that’s why they felt so intensely drawn together.

Well, that and the brilliant, mind-blowing sex, she wryly added.

“I think I truly must have gone to heaven,” she murmured, her hand lifting to drift over his exquisite face. “Complete with my own beautiful angel.”

He summoned a pretend scowl at her soft words. “Bloody hell, not you too.”

“Excuse me?”

“There’s nothing angelic about me.”

She slowly smiled, remembering a few of his more inventive moves.

“That’s true.” She ran her hand over the smooth skin of his stomach, relishing the ripple of muscles beneath her fingers. Mmmm, pure male perfection. “I can testify that you’re wicked through and through.”

A smug glint entered his eyes. “Thank you.”

“I assume your resemblance to an angel is a touchy subject with you?”

“I’m a warrior.”

“And warriors can’t be pretty?”

His hand lifted to tangle in her curls, his smile revealing his massive fangs.

“Careful, Kata, you tease me at your peril.”

Her heart forgot to beat as she became lost in the velvet darkness of his eyes.

“Tell me about your life.”

His brows lifted at her abrupt question. “Do you want to hear of my heroic feats or my astonishing skill with the females?”

She rolled her eyes. Like she didn’t know firsthand that he was a lethal predator and an even more lethal lover.

“I want to hear about you. The real you.”

He stilled, as if no one had ever been interested in anything beyond his more obvious skills.

“I am second in command to Victor, the clan chief of Great Britain,” he said.

She smiled at the hint of pride he couldn’t hide. And why shouldn’t he be proud? Before her captivity, Kata had taken pleasure in the fact she and Marika were considered the finest healers in all of Europe.

“A big shot, eh? No wonder you’re so arrogant.”

“Authoritative,” he corrected her.

“Bossy.”

“Only when necessary.”

“Which is always,” she wryly pointed out. “What else?”

He shrugged. “There is nothing else.”

“I don’t believe you.” She reached to stroke her fingers down the chiseled line of his jaw. “You can’t spend all your time killing things.”

“No. I teach the younger vampires how to kill things.”

She heaved a sigh. “You don’t have any hobbies? No secret dreams?”

His expression became guarded, his years of keeping others at a distance painfully obvious.