Maybe she was right.

They would know soon enough if this was a trap. Why not take a few moments to appreciate the peace?

Not that it was the peace he was appreciating as he moved to settle on the mossy ground next to her. Stretching out his legs, Uriel leaned back on his hands and allowed himself the rare luxury of savoring the sight of Kata drenched in sunlight.

His fangs lengthened, his ready hunger returning with a vengeance as the bright light revealed the dusky temptation of her nipples and the feminine shadow at the apex of her thighs. b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l. A low growl trickled from his throat as a cool breeze stirred the satin strands of her hair, teasing at the tender curve of her neck.

Abruptly she turned her head to meet his heated gaze. "You're staring at me," she murmured.

Unable to resist temptation, he reached out to run his fingers through the thick satin of her hair.

"You look too young and innocent to have a child."

Her brows lifted. "Was that a compliment?"

"A statement of fact."

"Ah." She wrinkled her nose. "I suppose that's the upside of playing Sleeping Beauty." She blinked, as if hit by a sudden thought. "Of course, with Marika dead and Sergei missing, I suppose the spell to keep me from aging is gone."

A strange pang of unease clutched his heart at the mere thought of Kata growing old . . . dying.

"There are means for humans to stay young."

She shrugged. "That's actually at the very bottom of my Worry List."

"What's at the top?"

"Laylah." She said it without hesitation, her first thought for her daughter despite the fact that she was currently trapped in h.e.l.l with no certain means of escape. "I've always been able to sense her, but now there's some sort of interference between us." She bit her full bottom lip, her expression troubled. "She could be hurt and I wouldn't even know it."

His hand cupped the back of her head, his chest tightening with the oddest urge to . . . what?

Offer her comfort?

Impossible. That's what humans did, not demons.

But there was no halting the need to lower his head and brush his lips softly over her mouth.

"Marika's dead," he found himself saying softly. "That has to be a good sign."

She gave a hesitant nod, her heart picking up speed at his light caress.

"Yes."

His gaze drifted downward, lingering on the swell of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s that spilled over the neckline of her nightgown. He swallowed a groan as he hardened with astonishing speed.

"Not to mention that Laylah's in the protection of one of the most powerful and ruthless vampires in the world," he continued, his voice thickening. "There are few things that could hurt her."

"That isn't entirely comforting," she said dryly.

He jerked his head up, a frown marring his brow. "You have a prejudice against vampires?"

Her magnificent eyes narrowed, her expression revealing just what she thought of his hint of outrage.

"Can you blame me?" she demanded. "I was tortured for the past four centuries by a vampire. It didn't inspire a lot of warm fuzzies for your people."

Uriel considered being annoyed.

He was the one who was supposed to be heroically overcoming his aversion to a woman with intimate ties to a Jinn while she was supposed to be melting in grat.i.tude at his daring bravery.

Instead, he threaded his fingers through her hair, his other hand lifting to cup her cheek.

"She hurt you."

Her eyes darkened with unwelcomed memories. "She enjoyed causing pain."

"Not all vampires are like her."

She shivered, but Uriel sensed it was not entirely due to her thoughts of Marika.

"I hope not, for Laylah's sake," she said, her breath catching as Uriel skimmed his hand down the curve of her cheek.

"And for your own?"

Her lips parted in unconscious invitation, a tiny pulse fluttering at the base of her throat.

"I don't know what you mean," she husked.

He leaned forward, absorbing her sweet scent as he allowed his lips to explore the tender slope of her shoulder.

"I can sense your . . . need."

Kata stiffened at his blunt words, even as she knew the scent of her stirring arousal was no doubt blatantly obvious to Uriel. If she'd learned nothing else during her captivity, it was there was no hiding anything from a d.a.m.n vampire.

Just one of the countless reasons they were so annoying.

"What you sense is a woman forced to be alone in a cramped cell for the past two centuries," she futilely tried to bluff.

He lifted his head to flash an arrogant smile. "No, you desire me."

"After two centuries of celibacy I would desire a filthy, rotting zombie . . ."

"Me," he growled, moving with a liquid speed to pin her against the mossy ground. She made a sound of surprise, but before she could react he was blatantly rubbing his fully erect c.o.c.k against her lower stomach. Oh . . . yes. Sheer pleasure jolted through her. His smile widened at her soft moan of approval. "You want me deep inside you."

Blessed mother, she did.

Could anything be more insane?

He was a vampire. They were trapped in h.e.l.l. And he was precisely the sort of arrogant b.a.s.t.a.r.d that set her teeth on edge.

She should be punching him in the nose, not smoothing her hands over the sculpted perfection of his chest. But d.a.m.n...

Even with her hatred of vampires she couldn't ignore the impact of his astonishing beauty, or the knowledge that he'd risked his life more than once to protect her.

And then there was that burning, aching, ruthless need.

It wasn't just the loneliness that plagued her, no matter what she claimed. Or the random l.u.s.t of a woman who'd been without s.e.x for a very, very long time.

No, this gnawing desire had started the moment she'd first laid eyes on Uriel. And as much as it p.i.s.sed her off to admit it, he was the only one who could ease her torment.

Dismissing the countless reasons this was "the worst idea ever," Kata skimmed her hands upward to frame his beautiful face, drowning in the velvet heat of his gaze.

"Uriel," she breathed.

Stark hunger flared through his eyes. He lowered his head and nuzzled a path of destruction down the curve of her throat. Kata quivered, squeezing her eyes shut at the erotic feel of his fangs sc.r.a.ping against her tender flesh.

Oh . . . G.o.ddess.

She should be terrified by the threat of those enormous weapons so close to her veins, but instead she lifted her hips to rub against the hard thrust of his c.o.c.k.

Uriel groaned, his fingers easily tugging down the straps of her gown and stripping it from her willing body. Then with the same swift efficiency he shed his own clothes, tossing them aside before cupping her b.r.e.a.s.t.s in his hands, his thumbs teasing her nipples to tight beads.

Kata kept her eyes tightly closed, basking in the sensation of the warm sunlight that spilled over their entwined bodies and the soft moss beneath her back. Illusion or not, she'd been trapped in that dark, spartan cell for centuries. The sense of being free and returned to her beloved homeland was nearly as heady as the feel of Uriel's gentle touch.

She sucked in a sharp breath as his lips traced the line of her collarbone and then over the curve of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, swiftly revising her thoughts.

The sun and illusion of freedom were delightful, but Uriel's touch . . .

It was magic.

The cool, clever fingers that skimmed down her body with a heart-melting skill. The seeking lips that closed over the tip of her aching breast. The press of his erection against the precise point of her pleasure.

She threaded her fingers through thick curls, her back arching in silent encouragement.

Uriel growled in appreciation, his tongue flicking over the sensitive tip of her breast as his hand explored the generous curve of her hip. Slowly his hand skimmed downward until he could tug her legs further apart, his fingers running a lazy path up and down her inner thigh. Kata forgot to breathe as she restlessly stirred beneath him, her body trembling with need.

"Please," she moaned.

He nibbled a path to her other breast. "Say it," he husked.

"Say what?"

"That you want me."

She didn't even hesitate. What would be the point? Even if he weren't a vampire he would know that she was desperate to ease her burning l.u.s.t.

"I want you."

A smug smile curved his lips. "Mine."

Kata stilled. She wasn't disturbed by his claim of possession. It sounded unnervingly right, even if she wasn't ready to admit it. But, she'd be d.a.m.ned if he thought he could make her go up in flames without feeling a few sparks himself.

Lifting her heavy lids her stomach clenched in antic.i.p.ation at the need blazing in his dark eyes. Deliberately she shifted her hands to trace the smooth planes of his back. Beneath her fingers she could feel his muscles flex at her touch, his fangs flashing in the sunlight as his lips parted in pleasure.

"Kata."

"Do you like?" she teased.

He growled low in his throat. "I like."

She chuckled, her fingers skimming over the curve of his ribs and then discovered the hard ridges of his stomach. She savored the feel of his muscles clenching beneath her exploration before lowering her hand to the thick jut of his erection. Just for a moment she hesitated, a strange voice in the back of her mind warning that making love with Uriel was one of those life changing decisions.

"Please . . ." Uriel muttered, his voice a harsh rasp.

Shrugging off the premonition, Kata allowed her fingers to curl around the straining c.o.c.k, amazed by the cool perfection of his skin that sheathed the rigid length. Heat pooled in the pit of her stomach as she stroked downward, reaching the soft sack before exploring back to the blunt tip.

Uriel's groans filled the air as she pushed downward again, his lips capturing her mouth in a kiss of raw desperation. Pleasure jolted through her. So much for his smug conceit.

Now he trembled with a need that matched hers.

Lost in her heady sense of power, Kata continued her daring caresses, only halting when Uriel abruptly grasped her wrist, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

"Enough."

"And I thought vampires were famous for their stamina," she teased.

"Don't worry your pretty head about my stamina."

"Are you certain?"

"I'll be happy to demonstrate it as long and as often as you want. But first . . . you had your fun, now it's my turn," he warned, smiling down at her with a predatory expression. "And payback is a b.i.t.c.h."

Kata shivered, her eyes sliding shut as he lowered his head and nibbled his way down the curve of her neck. Her body bowed in pleasure as he paused to tease the aching tips of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, his tongue sending a blaze of pa.s.sion through her veins. Gently he captured one nipple between his teeth, chuckling softly as she cried out in delight.

"d.a.m.n, that feels good," she whispered, lifting her hands to grasp his shoulders.

"We can do better than good." With slow, savoring kisses, Uriel journeyed down the shallow curve of her stomach, smiling against her flesh as she wriggled beneath his teasing caresses. "I want you to scream for me, Kata."

Kata's hips lifted off the soft ground as he stroked his mouth over her hip bone and down the tender skin of her inner thigh.

"Scream? You're not that . . . oh. Oh." Her chest was so tight she could not breathe. "Do something, Uriel, I can't take much more."

"Tyrant." Uriel relentlessly tugged her legs apart, slipping down the bank to kneel between her thighs. "I need to taste you."

"But . . ." Her protest died in her throat as he shifted and stroked his tongue through her damp curls.

She cried out at the pure bliss that trembled through her body. Oh, this was decadent. Decadent and wicked. And if anything or anyone tried to interrupt, she'd rip out their hearts with her bare hands.

Quivering, she allowed herself to drown in the exquisite sensations. Over and over his tongue dipped into her gathering dampness, stroking with a steady rhythm that was custom designed for maximum pleasure.