Angel in Chains (The Fallen 3)

He stumbled forward with her. Caged her against the wall and—enjoyed her.

Mouth. Tongue. Flesh.

The towel was in the way. He wanted skin to skin. He wanted to see the pink folds of her sex. Wanted to be in her.

Wanted, as he’d never wanted another.

Her hands curled around his shoulders. Her nails dug into his skin, and he liked the rough sting.

A growl built in his throat.

His mouth tore from hers, and he began to taste her throat. She trembled against him. Ah, she enjoyed that. Right there, on the curve of her neck and shoulder and—

“No!”

His head snapped up, and he stared down at her. Her br**sts were tight, hard peaks, pushing against his chest. Her hips had arched hungrily against him, and her eyes—there was no missing the lust in her stare. The same lust that heated his own body.

But the human was telling him no.

“Why?” Grated from him. Was it because he wasn’t . . . like her? He wasn’t less than human, no, he was—

She trembled against him as her fingers slid down his arms. “I told you,” Jade said again, “I’m dangerous. You don’t want to be with me.”

He did. He wanted to be f**king her right then.

“The best thing that you can do is to get away from me.” Her hands flatted on his chest and she pushed against him.

Az eased back a step. Just one.

She stared up at him with those green eyes that he suspected had probably broken mortal men. “That panther pack will be coming after me again. Coming after me and anyone who stands with me. So trust me on this, you don’t want to get caught in this war.”

Then she eased around him. Her body brushed his, a soft glide of feminine flesh.

“I’m going to shower,” she said. “You should—you should be gone when I come out.”

If that was the way the little mortal wanted things . . .

She headed for the bathroom. Didn’t look back at him. Why did that fact anger him? And why did he feel like he had to ask, “Why do the panthers want you?”

She paused with one hand on the door frame. “I guess I did something to make them angry.”

It would seem so.

“Now, they aren’t going to stop. Not until they kill me.”

A human against a pack of panthers. Hardly seemed like fair odds to him. A human against just one shifter wasn’t a fair fight.

“But this isn’t your battle.” She still didn’t look back. Why not? “You should leave while you have the chance. And don’t just leave my apartment. Get out of New Orleans. If you don’t, they’ll pick up your scent. They’ll hunt you down. They’ll rip you apart.”

Highly doubtful. “I’d like to see them try.”

She swung around in an instant. “I wouldn’t.” Soft. Wait, were those tears glittering in her eyes?

A mortal, crying over him?

“You helped me. You didn’t know me. But you . . . you saved my life.” She gave a fast, negative shake of her head. “Now let me save yours. Az, get the hell out of here, and don’t ever come back.”

She sounded like she meant those words.

Jade spun around and slammed the door behind her. A few seconds later, the water flooded on with a roar of sound.

Az stared at the closed door. After a moment, he waved his hand and instantly clothed his body in fresh clothes. He hadn’t needed her to wash the others. Working magic was easy for him. Always had been. Magic was one of his gifts.

The water continued to pour in the bathroom.

The mortal wanted him to leave her alone . . .

But sometimes, mortals didn’t always get what they wanted. Especially not when they tempted him so much.

He’d left.

As she tiptoed out of the bathroom, Jade’s hands tightened around the towel that covered her body. It was good that he’d left.

So why did her chest ache?

She took a deep breath. For once, she’d done the right thing. She hadn’t dragged Az into her hell.

She could handle this nightmare, and he—he’d be much better off the farther away he got from her. For his sake, Jade hoped the guy hightailed it far and fast.

Besides, she was used to being on her own. It was the way she wanted to be. Az would have just complicated things for her. Distracted her.

And . . . and she could still taste him on her lips.

Dammit.

Az waited until the sun fell, then he sought out his brother Sammael at the Fallen’s favorite club.

Brother. He and Sammael—or, rather, Sam, since his brother preferred that version of his name—weren’t exactly close, especially since Az had spent an inordinate amount of time attempting to kill Sam over the centuries.

But, well, bygones. That was all in the past. He hoped. As long as Sam didn’t come looking for some payback anytime soon.

A long line of humans waited outside the doors of Sunrise. Humans were always trying to play on the dark side. Maybe they sensed that the club catered to a wilder clientele. Maybe they wanted the rush that came from risking death.

Fools.

He shoved past the paranormal bouncer and headed inside. Sam was at the bar, looking bored as he talked to one of his demons. Sam spent too much time with the demons. And with hellhounds. But, luckily, Sam’s hound wasn’t in Sunrise right then. Perhaps later the beast would make his appearance.

Sam gave an exaggerated sigh when he caught sight of Az in the bar’s mirror. He spun on the stool to face him. “Visiting again?” Sam waved toward the stage. “And the entertainment hasn’t even started yet. My, you are out prowling the streets early tonight.”

Az’s back teeth ground together. “I want to talk to Seline.”

Sam raised a brow. “Now what would you want with my Seline?” Possessive steel had entered his voice.

Because Seline was his. A woman who’d traded heaven to live with Sam in this hell. Az still didn’t get quite why she’d made that particular choice. For love, or so she said.

“Ah . . .” Sam nodded and his gaze sharpened as he snapped his fingers. “You want to grill her on how to get back upstairs, right? Because that’s always what you f**king want to do . . . go back. Go back. Sometimes, Az, you can be such a whiny bitch.” He grabbed a shot glass and drained the contents in a quick gulp. “You screwed up, you got tossed here, now deal with it.”

But he didn’t want to deal with it. Az was tired of the emotions that were growing stronger every day. Ripping me apart. And since he’d met Jade, the lust inside had been growing—all day. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Couldn’t stop wanting her.