Darkness Unleashed (Guardians of Eternity #5)(15)

Her fingers dug into his chest as he deepened the kiss, her lips softening. The scent of arousal bloomed on her skin, lengthening his fangs and making his heavy erection twitch in anticipation.

This was…right.

She fit perfectly beneath him, her feminine body soft and yet strong enough to handle an ancient vampire’s passion. Her scent was exactly blended to stir his deepest hungers. And her blood. Hell, his body still trembled with the power from his feeding.

Shifting his hands, Jagr tangled his fingers in the satin smoothness of her hair, drowning in sensations that were familiar, and yet completely unknown in their intensity.

After an eternity of hell, this was…paradise. There was no other word.

He teased at her lips, lightly nipping and stroking before exploring the stubborn line of her jaw. Her nails dug through the thin T-shirt, causing sharp darts of delicious pain, but his senses were too keen to miss the tiny moan of distress that was wrenched from her throat.

Regan’s body might respond with intoxicating urgency to his touch, but her mind didn’t trust him.

At this point, he doubted she was capable of trusting anyone.

Jagr lifted his head to regard her with a cool composure that disguised the frustration howling through his body.

“I did warn you not to insult my queen,” he murmured.

Her face was flushed with a combination of embarrassment and anger at having responded so readily to his touch.

“I wasn’t insulting my sister, I was insulting you.”

A hint of a smile touched his lips. “My mistake.”

She glared at him for a long moment, infuriated at her inability to toss aside his large body and flee as she desired. Then, with obvious effort, she wrapped herself in a brittle dignity.

“Where’s the gargoyle?”

Jagr’s smile faded at the mention of the tiny demon. He hadn’t been pleased when he’d returned from disposing of the curs’ bodies to discover Regan and Levet chatting as if they were old friends. He wasn’t certain why he was angered by the sight of the two of them together. Not even a reclusive vampire who spent more time with books than other demons would believe that Regan could be sexually attracted to the ugly little beast.

It was only now that he could acknowledge the truth. He’d been jealous that the stupid gargoyle had made Regan smile.

“Still in statue form,” he muttered. “Luckily for him.”

“He did find us these caves,” she countered, managing to keep her expression aloof, as if she were lying on the hard cave floor by choice, rather than being pinned by his heavy body.

Jagr felt a stirring deep inside him. He’d never encountered a woman with such extraordinary courage.

“I’m a vampire. There isn’t a cave I can’t sense.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Then why did you allow him to come with us?”

“Because my clansmen have several mates who are pecu-lairly attached to the pest.”

She blinked, caught off guard by his blunt confession.

“Surely big bad Jagr is not afraid of a few women?”

“I’m wise enough to fear a goddess, a Shalott demon, an Oracle, and even a pureblooded Were when she is enraged,” he said dryly, his gaze lowering to the lush temptation of her mouth. “Besides, there are few creatures more dangerous in the world than a woman.”

“You sound as if you have personal experience. Did some vamp babe break your heart?” she mocked.

With one fluid motion Jagr was on his feet, his features cold and unreadable. Regan couldn’t know his past, or the female vampire who had tortured him for centuries, but her taunt released the flood of nightmares that never truly left him in peace.

“It’s nearly dark. Do you need to feed?”

Regan scrambled to her feet, warily backing away as his icy power swirled through the cave.

“What I need is a shower and clean clothes.”

“Very well. Give me a moment.”

Jagr headed toward the back of the cave, cursing as he caught the scent of Regan’s unease. Dammit, Styx had been a fool to send him after the Were. He was a volatile warrior who was feared by his own brothers, not a nanny. What the hell did he know about wounded, overly proud, vengeance-obsessed women? Jack shit, that’s what.

So why wasn’t he hauling Regan back to Chicago and washing his hands of the ridiculous situation?

Bending downward, he unzipped the leather satchel he had brought with him from Chicago.

He heard Regan impatiently shuffle her feet behind him. “What are you doing?”

Jagr pulled out two finely crafted silver daggers and tucked them into his boots. There were few things that could best an ancient vampire, but he hadn’t lived so long by being stupid. If there were curs around, there were most certainly Weres. He would need the silver if they were attacked by an entire pack.

Straightening, he headed for the narrow entrance. “I’m ready.”

Regan ground her teeth as the vampire disappeared through the entrance of the cave. Did he think she would scurry behind him like a well trained dog?

Heel, Regan. Sit, Regan. Roll over, Regan.

Arrogant bloodsucker.

Wasn’t it enough that he’d pinned her to the floor and kissed her until she’d melted into an embarrassing puddle of willing flesh? And then topped it off by going into his Mr. Freeze act, one that would terrify any rational creature?