Deadly Desire (Riley Jenson Guardian 7)

"She has," he said. "But I don't know them yet."

Then he grabbed me, crushing me close, his mouth finding mine almost savagely.

And oh, his lips tasted so good. I might not want to want him, but I couldn't find the strength to push him away, either. Not when the hunger to taste him was this bad.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as the kiss became an urgent, hungry thing, fueled by the need that burned through us both. We were so close I could feel the ripple of muscles across his chest as he breathed and the gun strapped under his arm. So close that every rapid intake of breath filled my lungs with the scent of him and it was all I could do to not tear off his clothes and take him there and then.

I wanted to.

But somewhere deep inside, a sliver of control remained. And no matter how bad the rest of me ached, that sliver would not let go. Not here, not on a walkway barely a foot wide. Not when I still had a killer to catch.

Kye, stop.

The demand sounded weak, even to me. The mind might have good intentions, but the body had other ideas.

His hand slid up my spine, the ring on his finger snagging against my top. There was a brief, sharp pain as something pierced my skin.

Sorry, Riley.

Kye, I mean it. Stop.

But the hunger of his kiss didn't abate and annoyance swirled. I broke away from his lips, but didn't move back, my breathing harsh as I stared into the flame of his eyes. "How did you track the woman here?"

"Followed her scent."

His breath teased my lips as he spoke and sent my hormones on another merry dance. The swirl of anger grew stronger. Not just at him, but at myself. I might be a werewolf and the moon heat might be rising, but damn it, surely I had better control than this!

"She's a bird." I snapped. "Her scent would be dispersed by the air long before it got to a wolfs nose."

"I didn't mean her physical scent. I meant her magical one."

"What?" Maybe my mind was still a little fuzzy from covering us both in shadows, but I had no idea what he meant.

He shrugged. "I haven't the time to explain now."

And no intention of explaining later, either. "Walk away from the case, Kye. This is Directorate business."

He hesitated, but his gaze was calculated, watchful. "And this job is for my friend. Besides, this is my living. This is how I make my money and maintain my reputation. I won't let you take this kill away from me."

"Well, that's just too bad, isn't-"

The words stopped as a cold sensation rolled over me, making my knees want to buckle and my stomach stir. I swallowed against a suddenly dry throat and met his gaze. Remembered the brief flare of pain in my back. I thrust out a hand, twisting my fingers into his shirt and pulling him close.

"What have you done, you bastard?"

"What I had to do." His voice was so annoyingly calm and cool. If not for the heat still burning in his eyes, it would be hard to imagine we'd shared a mind-blowing kiss only moments before. "As I said, I can't let you stop me-and you were certainly planning to."

His arms went around me just as my knees gave way. I wanted to hit him, wanted to break away from his grip, but my muscles refused to obey me and my strength seemed to have slipped away.

"The effects of the drug won't last long," he added. "Maybe an hour or so. You'll be safe up here."

"Unless the witch comes back." The words were indistinct, slurred.

"She has no reason to. Her pentagram and her creature have been destroyed. She'll start up again somewhere else."

"You are in so much trouble, buddy boy," I muttered.

He smiled and, despite the anger, I couldn't help noticing the way little laughter lines teased the corners of his eyes. A full smile would be knee-buckling.