Devil May Cry (Dark-Hunter 11)

"It's like he's not on the earth. Anywhere. You think he went back to the cavern?"

"Hardly believable, given what they'd done to him. But for argument's sake, even if he did, the sfora found him there last time. Wouldn't it be able to find him there again?"

"One would think." Kat looked up to meet his gaze. "You ever feel like the world no longer makes sense?"

"Every day of my life."

"Yeah, well, I'm not used to that feeling and I find it highly disturbing."

He rubbed her arms and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "We'll find him."

Kat wanted to believe that, but she wasn't sure. What had they brought back? Was Zakar the demon Kytara had warned them about or was there enough of his decency left to combat it?

"If he's fighting for the gallu..."

Sin's face hardened. "He won't. I have to believe that."

"But if they converted him?"

"I will kill him," he said with a conviction so sincere, it was almost believable.

But Kat knew how much he loved his brother. "Do you really think you can do that?"

He hesitated as if he was considering his answer. When he met her gaze, there was no denying his intent. "I won't have a choice. I can't let the Dimme out and I can't allow Kessar to win in this. Whatever it takes. Whoever I have to sacrifice. I will do what I have to to keep them away from the innocent."

She couldn't imagine the strength inside him that would allow him to carry out such a thing. She laid her head on his chest and held him close as she tried to fathom the source of his courage. To kill family was hard... to kill a twin brother you'd spent your life protecting to save the world...

He was incredible.

"You're a good man, Sin."

He laid his cheek against her head. "No, I'm not. I'm just trying to make right something I should have never let go wrong."

Kat leaned back to kiss him. She couldn't believe how she'd misjudged him when her mother had sent her out to kill him. In all her life, she'd never met anyone who came close to the compassion and altruism of her father.

Until now.

Sin was everything a woman could hope for.

It gave her hope for the world and she wanted to touch him. To give him something of his own to hold on to. Pulling his T-shirt over his head, she threw it to the floor.

He frowned at her. "What are you doing?"

"Seducing you."

"Shouldn't we be looking for my brother?"

"Will twenty minutes really matter?"

He laughed low in his throat. "Twenty? You seriously underestimate my fortitude."

Spoken like a true fertility god. "Then let's make it an appetizer for later."

His smile warmed every part of her as he slowly unbuttoned her pajama top. Kat groaned as he ran his hands over her breasts after he parted the soft material. And when he dipped his head down to take her nipple in his mouth, she swore she saw stars from it.

Sin couldn't breathe as he felt her hands in his hair. He slid her pants down her long legs until they pooled at her feet. He'd never seen a more beautiful woman. Never.

Unable to stand it, he slid to his knees so that he could taste her better.

Kat leaned back against the bar while Sin gently tongued her. Waves of pleasure pierced her until she could barely stand. How could any man be so talented with his tongue? She gripped the wood behind her with her hands as she rose to her tiptoes.

Unable to stand it, she came in a searing moment of ecstasy. Leaning her head back, she cried out.

Sin growled at the taste of her climax. Rising to his feet, he pushed his pants down and separated her legs.

She bit her lip as he entered her, then wrapped her legs around his waist. Sin sucked his breath in sharply at the pleasure that went through him. Using the bar as leverage, she took control.

He'd never seen or felt anything hotter. She was absolutely shameless, taking what she needed from him.

The moonlight cut across her body, highlighting her breasts as he held her hips to his.

Kat licked her lips as Sin thrust against her. Each stroke felt deeper than the last... more fulfilling. No wonder people were willing to risk death for this.

When she came again, Sin joined her.

Sin held her close as his body withdrew from hers. "I think you just killed me."

She laughed. "No, I do believe you're made of sterner stuff than that."

"I'm not so sure." He kissed her tenderly before he pulled back. "We'll shower, then head out after Zakar."

"If we can find him, you mean."

"Yeah."

He took her by the hand and led her back through his bedroom to the bathroom so that he could turn on the water and let it heat. Kat dropped her shirt to the floor and watched as Sin leaned into the shower to test the temperature.

The lean muscles on his back were a symphony of movement. Dang, he was gorgeous. From the broad shoulders, to his muscular legs, to his rump, which was absolutely prime.

He was so beautiful, she could barely stand it. "I swear, you have the best-looking butt on the planet."

He shook his head as he came out of the shower to face her. "One of two of them, anyway."

"Huh?"

"I have a twin, remember? His butt would look just like mine."

Actually, she didn't remember that. Zakar's butt hadn't turned her on when he'd left the room earlier. Not the way Sin's did. Honestly, she wanted a bite of it so badly that she could think of little else.

"Like I would know. I'm not interested in checking his assets."

Sin rolled his eyes at her bad pun. He didn't believe her for a minute. In his experience, women were very quick to check out some other guy's parts. "Sure you're not."

She pulled him by the arm until he turned to face her. The look on her face made his heart stop beating. "I'm not Ningal, Sin. I have no interest in anyone but you."

Those words touched him a lot more than they should.

He cupped her face in his hands before he kissed her with everything he had. He wanted desperately to believe her. But could he? There was so much left to do, so many other men who might turn her head and her heart. He was the only one she'd ever known. What on earth made her believe that she'd be content with him?

He was grateful she at least made the effort. But in the back of his mind was the image of her with someone else, and it cut him so deep that he swore he could taste the blood from it.

She pulled back and stared up at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't tell me, 'Nothing'. I can feel it. There's something inside you that's eating a sore place in your heart."

"There's nothing there. Believe me. I don't have a heart left."

Kat didn't know why he was lying, but it was obvious he didn't want to discuss it. Sighing, she stepped into the shower, and Sin followed her.

She wet herself first while he watched with a guarded expression. "I won't bite you, Sin."

"Seems I've heard that before." He looked down at his arm where there was a huge scar in the shape of a fanged bite.

She picked up his arm and placed her hand over the scar. "My bites don't wound and they don't leave scars."

"We'll see about that, won't we?"

She kissed his hand before she released it and soaped her hair. Was there any way to get through to him?

Then again, did she really blame him for his skepticism? How much could one person be hurt in his lifetime and continue to believe that not everyone was out to screw him? Sin was allowed to mistrust. The gods knew he'd earned it.

Sin forced himself to move away from Kat. Trying not to stay focused on the way the water cascaded over her body, he turned on the second showerhead, then yelped as he was pelted by ice-cold water.

Kat laughed before she stepped aside. "I will share, sweetie."

He paused at her endearment and the way it pierced him straight through his heart. "Sweetie?"

"Yeah?"

He didn't know why something that stupid touched him, but it did. "You are the first person in history to apply that term to me."

"Yeah, well, the others must not have known you all that well." She reached out and put a dab of soap on the tip of his nose.

Laughing, he pulled her against him and pinned her to the wall before he nipped her chin. And in that one moment, he realized he was in paradise. The feel of her soft, slick skin on his with the hot water pelting down his back and the sound of her laughter in his ears...

There couldn't be a better moment than this to be had. And he wanted to savor it. If he still had his powers, he'd stop time and make this last for eternity.

But instead of eternity, he heard someone banging on the bathroom door.

"Yo, boss!"

Releasing Kat, Sin stepped back at the intrusion of Kish's voice on his happiness. "There better be something going on worth your life, Kish. Because if there isn't, I'm going to kill you."

"We need you downstairs, right now. There's a demon eating a tourist!"