Page 130 of Angel Of Darkness

“He wanted you angry. Jealous.”

“Then he’d be real thrilled right now.” He could almost see Sam’s smirk.

“He told me the trick was control, Keenan. You have to keep your control.”

One slip, yes, he knew what would happen. What he didn’t understand was... “You know what I can do, so why do you still want to be with me?”

She smiled at him and the sight almost broke his heart. “You know what I’ve done, so why do you still want to be with me?”

“Because I’ve wanted you from the beginning.” Before he’d even really understood what wanting was. He cleared his throat. “Because I want you, everything that you are.”

“And that’s the way I feel about you.” Her fingers slid down his chest. “I just want you.”

“What if I lose control?” His dark fear.

She leaned forward and kissed his lips. A soft kiss. Gentle. Neither of them had seen a lot of gentleness lately. “I trust you,” she breathed the words against his mouth.

Her trust was precious, he knew that. It was also dangerous.

She eased back and glanced at her hands. There was no sign of bruises anymore. “I heal faster when I drink your blood.”

Angel blood was potent. The most magical to some—and the most deadly to others. Vamps would see a burst in healing from angel blood, while demons who ingested his blood could die.

The Fallen blood had once given rise to the demons, but over time, that blood had diluted. The drugs the demons so often ingested had changed their bodies. Time and mutation had done the rest. Now, if the demons took a hit of undiluted angel blood, they didn’t get a healing rush. But they often got death.

“When I drink your blood...” Her gaze drifted to a spot just over his shoulder. Her hand lifted, slid down his back, and her fingers seemed to stroke the air. No, she was stroking his wings. “I see things,” she finished.

A shudder worked down his body. He felt her touch on wings he no longer had.

Her eyes came back to him. “You’re beautiful, Keenan.”

“Men aren’t beautiful.” If he didn’t have her soon, he’d erupt.

“You’re a lot more than a man.” She turned away and headed up the stairs, her hips rolling and making him want to touch and take. “So much more.” Nicole tossed a teasing glance back over his shoulder. “So come prove it to me.”

Then she laughed—actually laughed—as she ran up the stairs.

And the truth hit him. Keenan knew exactly why he’d fallen, and he knew that if the choice came again, he’d face the fire once more.

For her.

He’d kill and he’d burn for his temptation.

Sam didn’t really know why he’d searched for the woman, but the dancer—Seline—had caught his eye that fiery night at Temptation, and since then, she’d kept slipping into his dreams.

Normally, he only dreamed of fire and screams. But lately, he’d begun to dream of a woman who stripped and stared at him with ice-cold eyes.

Finding her wasn’t very difficult. Most of the girls from Temptation had just bounced right over to Sunrise, another of his clubs, though this one was in a much less desirable part of town. He went in and wondered if he’d find Seline on stage.

She wasn’t on stage. She was waiting tables and dressed in a slim black, very, very short dress that made him want to lick her.

He picked a table in her area, then waited.

When she came toward him, he saw her hesitate. Her eyes widened. He knew fear when he saw it, but she kept heading toward him. Interesting. He lifted a twenty. “I’ll take a beer.”

She swiped the money.

He caught her wrist.

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