Helping her, he dragged the tangle of bra and top up and out of the way. Her skin glowed like the finest of pearls, creamy and delicate, and marred with bruises from her ordeal.

  He traced his thumb over several of the black and yellow smudges. “I’m sorry you were hurt.”

  “They don’t matter.” She planted a line of hot kisses down the curve of his throat before nipping at his shoulder. “Get back to work.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. His light in the darkness, she chased away his worries. Raine was talkative and bossy and perfect at handling a drakon.

  She stilled, her eyes wide and luminous.

  “I’m not laughing at you.”

  “I don’t care.” Her hand stroked his chest, the muscles jumping beneath her palms. “I made you laugh.” Her gentle, wistful smile brought warmth to his entire being.

  All hint of laughter fled, replaced by a burning need that would never be fully quenched. He didn’t kiss her as much as consume her, stealing her breath until she clung to him. But she wasn’t content to be taken, not his Raine. She attacked, her tongue aggressive and demanding.

  He fell back onto the mattress and rolled until she was under him. The bed was too short, his feet hanging off the end. He dragged her to the head of the bed, shoving the pillows out of the way, and ripping her underwear in his effort to get it off.

  Her giggle broke through the madness tearing at him. “In a hurry, are you?” Her face was flushed, her nipples furled into tight buds.

  “Yes.” He dove down and captured one of those pert nipples and sucked.

  “Hurrying is good.” She tunneled her fingers into his hair, holding him in place. “Hurrying is an excellent idea.”

  Time was running out for them. His intuition screamed everything would come to a head soon. Someone would die.

  It won’t be Raine.

  Giving a low growl, he kissed a path down her sleek stomach, nuzzling at the thatch of hair at the apex of her legs before diving deep. Her arousal was musky and spicy. She was wet and ready.

  Have to taste her.

  When she realized his intentions, she widened her legs, giving him space. Drunk on the scent of her, he licked her slick folds and sucked on her clit. Her thighs tightened around him, her feet thumping against his back.

  The essence of his dragon rose inside him, wanting to pour into her. Something niggled at the back of his brain, something he’d read long ago.

  “Now,” she demanded. “I want you inside me.”

  Pure unadulterated need blasted through him. He surged up and over her, shoved one of her legs up and out, and notched the head of his shaft against her opening.

  “Look at me.” He waited until her eyes fluttered open, the golden color almost swallowed by the black of her pupils. He shoved inward, not stopping until he was buried to the hilt.

  “Lucius.” Her nails scored his back, sending a bolt of desire straight to his balls.

  Keeping his thrusts slow and measured, he gauged her response. He needn’t have worried. She was right with him, her inner muscles rippling around him, clasping him in her sweet warmth.

  Supporting his weight on his forearms, he leaned down and kissed her. Their bodies were slick, gliding against each other, getting faster and more frantic. Wild, she bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw several drops of blood, which she licked away.

  Her entire body stiffened as if electrified.

  He reared back and stared in horror. She’d inadvertently drunk drakon’s blood. A single drop would have given her a slight buzz before the Deep Sleep, now it was likely magnified tenfold, like his new powers.

  Drakon blood healed. It also killed. There was no way to know for sure until a person consumed it. This was his fault. He’d been lost in passion, not thinking or paying attention.

  “You’re going to think I’m crazy—or crazier than you already do—but you taste amazing. Like red wine and chocolate.” Some of the glazed expression cleared away. “I’m not some vampire. I won’t start craving your blood, will I?”

  “How do you feel?” Her color was high, but that was likely from their lovemaking.

  Her laugher was full and bright. “Like I’ve had at least a half dozen iced cappuccinos. Hmm, chocolate ones.”

  Sweat broke out all over his body as relief flooded him. She’s going to be fine. “Don’t do that again.” There was no telling how a larger dose would affect her.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Her smile fading, she rubbed her thumb over his bottom lip.

  As if she could. He captured her thumb and sucked on it. His cock was hard and throbbing inside her. “You didn’t hurt me, but my blood might not be safe for you.” Not a lie, but not the full truth. There was so much she didn’t know about him or his kind.

  “I’m not going to die, am I? Although, dying while having sex isn’t a bad way to go.”

  His lips formed a smile. Her spirit glowed so bright it was blinding. “You’re not going to die. You’re going to fly.” He rocked against her, grinding his pelvis against her.

  “We’ll both fly.” Her slick channel squeezed hard, legs locking around him with surprising strength.

  “I’ll take you really flying someday,” he promised as he continued to thrust. “High in the sky with the wind whipping through your hair and caressing your skin. There’s nothing like it.”

  “Yes. Yes.” He had no idea whether her agreement was for flying in the sky or flying in bed. Not that it mattered when she tilted her head back and cried out his name. Burying his face against the mattress to muffle his roar, his entire body, no, the entire bed, shook as he came.

  He collapsed, managing to do so at an angle to keep from crushing her. A sense of peace enveloped him. Raine nuzzled the arm he’d flung over her collarbone. Their skin was damp, the bed was wrecked, and he was starving.

  He’d never felt better.

  “I’m humming from head to toe. My skin is prickling. Almost itchy but not quite.”

  Concerned it had more to do with his blood than their lovemaking, he pulled away from her, even though he was still hard, and propped himself up on one arm. She’d glowed before, but now she was positively radiant. Her skin was no longer blemished, the bruises vanished.

  She raised her legs in the air and curled her toes. “It’s like I’m drunk, but in a good way.”

  “You’re tired.” He brushed his fingers over her face, loving the way she leaned into his touch.

  “I am, but I’m not. I’m wired.” Her mouth parted on a wide yawn. “Sorry about that.”

  He rolled onto his back and pulled her against him. “Get some rest.”

  “Wake me in time to get to the foundation. What time is it?”

  He turned his head and found a clock radio on the nightstand. “It’s not lunchtime yet. There’s plenty of time.” Taking him at his word, she closed her eyes and sighed.

  He could leave her here and go to the Angel Foundation on his own. And she’d never forgive him. Not to mention, there was no way he’d let her out of his sight.

  Mine! his dragon roared, incensed he’d even consider such a thing. The primal beast had accepted from the first what it had taken him long to acknowledge.

  Raine would either be his downfall or his salvation. There was no way to know which until the end.

  Chapter Fourteen

  When she woke, Raine was alone in bed. Panicked, she bolted upright, slumping in relief when she heard the shower running. He hadn’t left her.

  Giving her head a shake, she surveyed the room. It was small and basic but clean. The bed was in shambles, the fitted sheet no longer tucked around the mattress, the blankets half on the floor. Not surprising given the intensity of their lovemaking. She gave a soft hum and wrapped her arms around herself in a quick hug. Holy smokes, but sex with Lucius was off the charts.

  When he touched her, she forgot all her problems. It was a talent. He was big and sexy, the tattoos ranging over his body upping his badass factor. Someday, when she wasn’t exhausted and they weren’t pressed for time, she was going to map every single one of the markings with her tongue.

  She swung her legs over the side of the bed. Expecting her body to protest the vigorous lovemaking combined with her residual aches and pains, she was mildly surprised when there wasn’t even a twinge.

  “What the heck?” Standing, she stretched her arms over her head. Nothing hurt. Frowning, she looked down at her body. “Wait, this isn’t right.” She ran her fingers over skin that had been marked by bruises only hours before. Now it was unblemished. Twisting to one side, she checked out her shoulder. Yup, that bruise was gone too.

  The bathroom door opened, emitting a plume of steam. She hadn’t even noticed the shower turning off. Lucius was framed in the doorway, a towel slung around his neck, the rest of him bare.

  He was still aroused, his gaze hot and heavy as it panned over her. She swallowed heavily, her nipples perking up. “Ah.” The sheet was at hand, so she yanked it around her. “Something is wrong with me.”

  His lips flattened. “What?” Already at her side, he yanked at the covering. Not ready to relinquish it, they ended up in a tug of war. “I’ve seen you naked.”

  “It’s different when we’re not making love.” It seemed more brazen, more intimate. It also made no sense. Next time he pulled, she released the sheet when it started to rip. “Look at me.” She pointed at her stomach.

  “Believe me, I am.” His voice seemed to have dropped an octave. Talk about tingling, and it wasn’t just her skin.

  “Don’t try to distract me with sex.” It would be so easy to do. “Really look at me.”

  He frowned, his brows furrowing. “I’m not sure what you want me to see.”

  “This.” She pointed to her stomach. “And this.” To her arm. “The bruises are gone.”

  He raked his fingers through his hair and huffed out a breath. “So they are.”

  She waited and waited, tapping her toe against the rough carpet. “You don’t seem especially surprised.”

  “Can’t you be happy about it?”

  “I’m not going to complain about not hurting, but I need to know why it happened.” An outrageous thought occurred. “It’s not making love to you, is it? Do you have magic sperm?”

  His chest began to shake, his face turning red as he manfully tried to keep from laughing in her face, which she appreciated. “No, I don’t have magic sperm.”

  “It’s not that far-fetched.” He was chuckling now, not that she blamed him. When he gave her a pointed look, she dropped down onto the side of the bed, grabbed the sheet, and tucked it around herself. “Okay, maybe it’s a little out there, but something happened to me.”

  He crouched in front of her, placing his hands on the mattress on either side of her. The scent of soap and hot male teased her. He was so close, every feature of his face seemed magnified, from his thick lashes to his perfectly straight nose and his kissable lips.

  “It’s nothing that will hurt you.”

  “Are you sure? You’d tell me if something weird was happening to me, wouldn’t you? Or is this another one of those drakon secrets you can’t share?”

  He dropped his head and sighed. “I don’t share with anyone.”

  A heavy weight settled on her chest. “No one?” That seemed sad. Of course, it wasn’t like she had a bunch of close friends. Or anyone who’d miss her if she never went home again.

  “Other drakons know about me, about what I truly am and can do. Enemies who want to either destroy or own me.” When he raised his head, pain reflected back at her. “And Maccus.”

  The one he suspected of betraying him. “Maybe one of your enemies found out where you were.” Why was she defending someone she’d never met? A fallen angel at that. “You’ve known Maccus a long time, right?”

  “Three thousand years.”

  And she expected him to tell her his secrets after knowing her for a few days. Talk about naive. She had to remind herself their relationship was temporary. Once they’d destroyed the threat to them both, they’d part ways. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “That’s a long time. Has he even given you reason to think he’d betray you? Betrayed any of the others in your Brotherhood?”

  He shook his head. “No. He lives by the code of the Brotherhood. Kill only those that truly deserve it and let their gods sort them out. Kill them before they kill you. Never, ever, betray a fellow assassin.”

  A shiver ran down her spine. That was black and white. “We should try to contact him.”

  “How? The Brotherhood wouldn’t advertise.”

  “Maybe they would.” Her earlier idea came back to her. “If they hire out as assassins, they need a way for people to contact them. If they wanted to put some layers between themselves and others, they could have a website or something. A way for people to leave them messages.”

  He tilted his head to one side. “Do you think so?”

  “Only one way to find out.” She nudged his hand aside, slid to the end of the bed, and dug her laptop out of her bag. “Give me a second to hook into the wifi.” As she powered up the machine, he dug out a change of clothes and dressed. It was slightly easier to concentrate without him walking around naked. The man oozed sex appeal.

  “I’m searching for Forgotten Brotherhood.” She typed it into the search bar, not surprised when a bunch of entries popped up. “This might be harder than I thought.”

  “There was nothing?” He sat beside her and tugged on his sneakers.

  “Too much. Both words are popular with video games and fantasy role-playing groups. Give me a second.” Settling in, she opened one site after another while Lucius paced. It took longer than she’d hoped, but she finally hit one that looked promising. On the surface, it seemed to be another gaming site, but there was only a homepage, no links to anything else. “I think this might be it.”

  “Why?” He leaned over her shoulder, so she tilted the screen so he could see it better.

  “It’s only a homepage, like a holding place. There’s nothing else here to click on other than a contact button. Should I try?”

  He pressed his fingers against the screen, rubbing the banner. A long minute passed before he finally nodded. “Do it.”

  Now she was the one having second thoughts. Her stomach was jumping and her fingers none too steady. “What should I say?” She clicked on the contact button and got a message screen.

  “The drakon has risen.”

  “Drakon or dragon?” She didn’t want to get this wrong.

  “Drakon. If it’s not Maccus, they’ll likely think it a mistake.”

  “Got it. What now?”

  “Leave your phone number. He’ll call if he can.”

  “That’s it? No personal message?” That was probably smarter now that she thought about it.

  “No, we leave no identifying trace of ourselves.”

  “Only my phone number, which will lead anyone with even a minor amount of tech savvy straight to me. Not that it matters, since the crazies already know where I live.” Her finger hovered over the send button. Once she did this, there was no going back. If it was the Brotherhood, a fallen angel would know who she was, be able to find her. Anyone who’d lived that long would have skills.

  Lucius’s hand covered hers. “We don’t have to do this.”

  She clicked and the message box closed. “It’s done.” After closing the laptop, she took a deep breath. “As soon as I’m ready, we’ll head to the Angel Foundation.” As much as she wanted to hole up in the hotel with Lucius and ignore the rest of the world, that wasn’t an option.

  He took the laptop from her and set it aside. “It was my blood.”

  “What?” Had she been so lost in thought she’d missed part of the conversation?

  “My blood. When you nipped my lip and licked the droplets away. That’s what healed you.”

  “Your blood?” She touched her fingers to her lips. “It was only a couple of drops.”

  “Drakon blood heals or it kills. There’s no in-between.”

  “Kills?” Her voice was a squeak. No wonder he’d been worried. She would have been, too, if she’d had any idea.

  “My blood was more potent than any other drakon’s before the Deep Sleep.”

  “But you’re more powerful now.” She’d watched him almost blow apart from the inside out before he’d absorbed the extra energy.

  “Yes.”

  No wonder he was so secretive. Governments, corporations, and powerful men worldwide would hunt him to the ends of the earth if they knew about him. “Can you remove it?”

  He stiffened. “There is no way to remove my blood from you. The taint is there forever.”

  Was he serious? She smacked him on the arm. “There’s no taint in your blood. It was delicious, which is a weird thing to say but true. Not to mention, it healed me. You’re incredible. I meant the memory. I won’t ever tell anyone on purpose, but I’ve never been tortured before. I want to think I’d hold up under interrogation, but there’s no telling until it’s too late.”

  His expression was solemn, his features tight. “You’d allow me to manipulate your mind?”

  “To protect you, yes. Just don’t get any ideas about doing it for any other reason.” Not that she could stop him if he was capable of mind control. Trust wasn’t something she’d ever given easily, but Lucius had it.

  “It’s not something I can do.” Relief flowed through her. She might have been willing but hadn’t been looking forward to it. “Nor would I,” he continued. He brushed his lips against hers, the action almost reverent. The passion was there but it was banked. “Get showered and dressed. We need to leave.”