Because what I felt was him. His energy, his being.
Against my skin and in my mind. He burned me, inside and out, making me tremble and ache and wish for… for what? Not sex, not exactly. More a completeness.
As if that made any sense.
I licked my lips and somehow managed to croak, “It could change everything between us, Azriel—and may-be not in a good way.”
“That is possible—maybe even probable. But what is acknowledged might also be controlled.”
It might not, too. “I think it’s a very bad idea.”
“I tend to agree.”
That rawness still burned me, making me ache for something I couldn’t even begin to describe. “Then why…?”
“Because,” he said, a harsh edge of determination in his tone. “I have no other choice.”
“There are always choices,” I said, quoting his own words back at him. “And wouldn’t seducing me break one of those many rules Mijai have?”
He didn’t immediately reply, but his hand slid sensually down my spine and came to rest on my rump. The effect was electric—a firestorm that ripped through my body, making me shudder, making me ache.
“Azriel—” I stopped, not entirely sure what I was about to say. Not sure that I should say anything.
“The rules are very clear,” he said softly. “But sometimes the gain is worth the punishment.”
And with that, his lips met mine.
It wasn’t a kiss. Not exactly. It was flesh against flesh, true, but it was a whole lot more. It was energy and spirit and desire all tied up in one gentle motion, and it made me fly and, at the same time, made me weak.
“This will not end here,” he said, so softly that his words were little more than a sigh across my lips. “It cannot end here.”
I still couldn’t answer. I just stared at him, seeing the determination deep in those raw depths and wondering why he’d forced the issue now and not before.
He didn’t answer those thoughts, but I didn’t really expect him to. Instead, he stepped back, breaking the spell of his closeness. Cool air washed between us, and a gasp of surprise escaped my lips.
“Logan moves,” was all he said.
But his fingers slipped down to mine, and once again he was leading me through the crowd. I was glad of that light contact. I don’t think I could have moved of my own accord.
There were several people between Logan and us in the corridor that led to the bathrooms, but all the men did an abrupt about-face and walked away. Hopefully, I thought with a smile, their bladders would hold.
Logan pushed the bathroom door open, and five seconds later we followed. Logan was in the process of getting the old boy out, and gave me an owlish look as he hastily did himself back up.
“Here now, you can’t—” His words cut off and he fell silent.
Azriel glanced at me. “Lock the door.”
I did so, then leaned back against it and crossed my arms. Azriel touched two fingers to Logan’s forehead, and closed his eyes. For several minutes nothing happened. Then someone bashed on the door behind me, the suddenness of it making me jump.>If I got through this evening without giving in to temptation, it was going to be a goddamn miracle.
I gulped down some water, then said, “What about our Cazador watcher? Is he still around?”
Azriel’s gaze flicked past me for a moment. “Yes.”
I resisted the urge to look over my shoulder. “And does he follow us into the hotel room?”
“No. He generally waits in the lobby.”
“Generally” meant not always. Great. Not that there was a lot I could do about it.