“Something like that,” the cherub agreed smoothly.
“So why the hell did you strip Alec of his powers?”
Zaphiel leaned back in the chair, making it creak. “Well, we cannot risk actually losing angel blood until we know what they want it for.”
“And you say you don’t want us dead.”
“No one will suspect that Cain does not have what they want,” he argued. “And the blatant nature of your presence here will make them overconfident.”
“Why can’t you leave this to Adrian?” she shot back. “This is his business, not ours. In case you hadn’t noticed, I have enough trouble keeping up with the Marked system.”
“It has been left to Adrian for centuries, but he refused to use a Sentinel as a lure, so it is left to me—” he smiled, “—and you. Sentinels prefer to use their dogs on the front line, but lycan blood is not what the Fallen want.”
“Lycan?” Eve looked at Alec. “Werewolf?”
“Some of the Fallen made a bargain to serve the Sentinels to regain their souls and avoid vampirism,” he explained. “They were turned into lycans and now they work like herding dogs to keep the other Fallen in line. What Zaphiel isn’t saying is that the Sentinels haven’t been reinforced since they arrived. They’re forbidden to reproduce, so their numbers have shrunk with every casualty. The lycans can breed, but they’re not immortal, so their numbers have grown very slowly. The Fallen, however, are immortal and they can spread vampirism to mortals so their numbers have exploded over time. Adrian can’t afford to risk any of his Sentinels as bait. That’s why he didn’t agree to Zaphiel’s plan.”
“And lycans are what?” she asked. “Werewolves of the angelic variety?”
“Right.”
Eve exhaled harshly. “You know. . Whether you Celestials like to admit it or not, Heaven and Hell are just opposite sides of the same coin.”
His mouth curved. “Where do you think Sammael got ideas for creating Infernals? He saw what Jehovah was cranking out and got inspired. His versions have a few defects: his vamps are sensitive to sunlight and blessed objects, and his weres are forced to change forms at certain times of the month. But unlike the Fallen, the Infernals have souls. . even if they are rotting.”
“Lucky them,” she muttered, turning her attention back to Zaphiel, a being she doubted had a soul himself.
The cherub gestured to a dagger that had appeared on the table. “This silver-plated blade will kill the vamp, if the situation gets that far.”
Eve just stared at him, incredulous. Alec’s hand on her shoulder tightened in warning, as if he knew just how close she was to lunging across the table and strangling Zaphiel.
“We should continue this conversation later,” Alec said tightly.
The cherub lifted one shoulder in an offhand shrug, then disappeared.
Alec pulled out the chair beside Eve and sat.
“Are all angels sadists?” she muttered. She was flushed, bright-eyed and really pissed off.
And he was madly in love with her. Where he’d felt hollow the night before, he now felt too much. The surge of emotion made it damned hard to think clearly.
“You’re being generous,” he said gruffly.
She pivoted on her seat to face him head-on. He caught her face in his hands and sealed his mouth over hers. It took her the length of a heartbeat to catch on, but when she did, it was no holds barred. She tilted her head and licked deep, knowing just what he liked, responding to the cues he gave with passionate enthusiasm.
Groaning his approval, Alec pulled her closer, his mouth slanting feverishly over hers, his tongue stroking in the way he knew drove her crazy with lust.
They were made for each other. He believed that with absolute certainty.
Eve gripped his wrists and gave as good as she got. He was inflamed by the smell and feel of her, a completely new experience now that he had only his own mortal senses. As long as he’d known her, the Mark of Cain had been fogging things up with preternatural sensations.
“I love this,” he growled, tugging her into his lap. “I love you.”
The ache of longing in his chest made it hard to breathe. He’d been her first lover and he would damn well be her last.
His hands roamed, moving from her face to her breasts, cupping their weight and kneading until her back arched into his touch with a moan. He nipped her lower lip with his teeth, then soothed the sting with a soft stroke of his tongue, reminding her of what it felt like when his mouth was engaged in other, more private places. He loved to lick her all over, every silken inch, every curve and crevice. It was an activity he wanted to engage in right here. Right now.
“Alec—” Eve tore away and hugged him hard, trapping his greedy hands between them so they couldn’t move.
“Don’t stop,” he said hoarsely, adjusting her so that she felt the press of his erection against her thigh.
“Aren’t you worried about what Zaphiel is up to?” she gasped.
“I’m worried he’s going to change his mind before I can fuck you. I need to feel you from the inside while we’re like this.” He looked at her from beneath heavy-lidded eyes. She was flushed and damp with perspiration, easily the most sensual-looking creature he’d ever seen. An exotically beautiful Asian goddess who couldn’t be more perfect for him. “If we miss this chance, I’m not sure I’d survive it.”
“I’m freaked that you’re not going to survive, period!” She made a frustrated noise. “You’re mortal, Alec. There are a gazillion Infernals dying to get a piece of you, and now you’ve got Fallen angels, too.”
He rocked his hips, letting her know the brain running the show was still the one between his legs. “I want you dying to get a piece of me.”
“Alec.” She straightened and moved away, denying him the pleasure of feeling her up. “I need you alive.”
Shoving a hand through his hair with a smothered curse, he pushed to his feet and walked into the adjacent kitchen. He went to the sink and splashed water on his face. “You don’t want me dead, but you won’t live with me either.”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“It’s the same subject.” He shut off the faucet and leaned against the counter with his arms crossed. He let her see all the love and lust and longing that ate at him. “We’re in love with each other, Eve. We always have been. Why aren’t we together? Sharing a house, a bed, a life!”
She straightened her shirt, her gaze deliberately averted. She was running away without moving, but he was done giving her space. It was time to pick a path and stick with it.
“You know my dad,” she prevaricated, wincing because she knew she was copping out. “He’d kill me for living with a man before marriage.”
“So let’s get married.”
Eve’s face drained of colour. She shook her head and walked out of the room.
“Angel. .”
She kept going, tossing her reply over her shoulder. “You’re not my favourite person right now.”
“You’re my favourite person,” he said calmly, following her. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“All fifteen minutes of it? If you’re lucky.”
“You could get lucky,” he drawled. “Right now.”
“You’re starting to sound like your brother,” she snapped. “Except his marriage proposal had some romantic trappings to it.”
He smiled. His off-the-cuff proposal had the desired effect of cracking her shell. That she was hurt made her a hypocrite, considering she was the one who’d broken off their relationship, but he wasn’t going to point that out.