The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (Trisha Telep) (Kitty Norville 0.50)

He downed the second shot and turned towards his fireplace - and almost dropped the bottle.

Lilin stood inches from him, her wings slowly opening and closing. With his hands full, he had no chance to react as she reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her for another earth-shattering kiss.

Something about her kiss drove all thought straight from his brain. She teased him with her tongue, darting it inside his mouth and drawing it out again. She nibbled his lower lip and he groaned. Then she pulled him down so that his knees landed on a throw rug on the hardwood floor.

Damned if his knees hadn’t been giving out on him anyway. When they were kneeling, never breaking their kiss, Archer set the shot glass and the bottle to either side of them. As soon as his hands were free, he tried pushing her to the floor, but she took control and rolled him onto his back so that she was on top.

Her pelvis rubbed against the front of his jeans in a slow, tantalizing movement. At the same time she purred and nibbled his lower lip.

Archer groaned and cupped her breasts, perfect and soft with large, hard nipples pressing against his palms. Lilin moaned and rose up enough that Archer could suckle one breast then the other. Her skin tasted unlike any woman he’d known. Just like the exotic scent of her hair.

Definitely too many clothes on him. Lilin - she was perfect. Perfectly naked.

The fact he was kissing a strange woman who’d appeared and disappeared in and out of his life - and freaking had wings -barely registered as she moved her mouth to his ear and darted her tongue inside. “I want you, Archer.”

He groaned, moved his hands from her breasts and felt for her wings. They were gone. All he felt was the smooth skin of her back. He continued on, skimming her flesh to her hips then cupped her bottom.

Lilin licked a path from his ear, along his stubbled jaw, to the base of his throat. She unbuttoned his shirt and tugged it out of his waistband so that his chest was bare. Her hands never stopped exploring him. Her touch - magic. Every place on his skin that she caressed sparked as if a small electrical charge ran through him.

Her mouth, her tongue . . . He wrapped his hands in her silky hair and gripped it in his fists as she worked her way down his chest, kissing, licking, nipping his skin. He hissed and she gave a soft laugh. Like wind chimes.

Lilin continued, her tongue tracing a path from his abs to the top button of his jeans. She unbuttoned them and tugged the zipper. He didn’t wear underwear and she made a sound of pleasure as she released him.

A growl rose in his chest as he clenched his hands in her hair as she took him in her mouth. God, he was flying. His body wasn’t his own. It belonged to Lilin, a woman he didn’t even know.

The thought jarred him a fraction of a second before she took even more of him inside her warm mouth.

She dug her fingers into the sides of his jeans and dragged them down. He reluctantly let go of her hair while she tugged off each of his boots then stripped off his socks and his jeans. He rose and ditched his shirt, leaving nothing but skin against skin as she crawled back up him.

Lilin’s musk was strong as she rubbed herself against him, bracing her arms to either side of his head. “Do you want me, Archer?” she asked, her accent stronger.

Irish? What the hell. He didn’t care who she was or where she came from. He just wanted to be inside her.

But they needed protection.

She gave a cry of surprise as he rolled her over so he was on top. God, she was beautiful. Her silver eyes were filled with desire. Her skin was so fair but pink wherever his hands touched her. Silvery-blonde hair surrounded her like a halo against the forest-green rug they were lying on.

Archer pressed himself against her - he was dying to be inside her. “Condom,” he barely managed to get out as he pushed himself onto his haunches.

For a second, Lilin looked panicked, but the expression faded as she gave him a smile. “I am protected.” She held her arms out to him. “I won’t get pregnant.”

Some of the haze in his mind started to wear off. “I don’t have sex with a woman without a condom. Period.”

“Come.” She reached up to draw him to her but he pulled away.

Something wasn’t right. Something about all of this was off. He blinked and shook his head. “What am I doing?”

She looked irritated. “You were about to make love to me.”

“Like hell.” He got to his feet and she stood too. “I don’t trust a woman who argues against using condoms.”

Lilin sounded sad as she said, “Goodbye, Archer.”

She faded away.

“Shit.” Archer pushed his hand through his hair.

His clothing was scattered across the hardwood floor. The bottle of whiskey lay on its side, a puddle of liquid surrounding it.