“She hates using compulsions,” Julian continued, frantic. “Because Rose doesn’t like to control anyone. She wants people to have a choice. She chose to live this time. She was fighting for the angel. Fuck, she helped an angel. Doesn’t that prove she’ll never go so dark that she loses touch and hurts everyone?”
Luke’s gaze drifted to the bed. “The angel will owe her…”
“Right, yes, fine, the angel owes her. The angel can pay her back…if you help Rose.”
“The angel can kill her.”
Julian stiffened. “What?”
“Angels are so much stronger than you realize. If your lady goes rogue, the angel can kill her. She can pay the debt back that way.” He nodded. “Fine. Done deal.”
No, nothing was done. The angel would not kill Rose. She’d have to rip him apart first.
Luke paced toward the bed. He put his hand over Rose’s mouth.
“Uh, yes, so glad we worked all that out.” Rayce crept forward and the floor groaned beneath his feet. “But how are you going to make her drink? She’s nearly gone…”
“Don’t forget, I hold dominion over the dark.” Luke was his confident self once more. “And there’s enough of her still in that bed to hear me. Rose…Rose, drink my blood.”
He dripped the blood into her mouth.
Julian wasn’t so sure that she could hear him, so he rubbed her throat, trying desperately to make her swallow…and she did.
Luke gave her more blood. She took it, but her eyes didn’t open. And her skin was still too hot. “She’s not getting better!”
Luke gave her more. Julian smoothed her hair away from her forehead. “Keep giving her—”
Her eyelashes fluttered. “No…more.”
Luke immediately drew back.
Her breath whispered out and her gaze swung toward Julian. “I’m…okay?”
No, she was still hell hot and shaking. She was still terrifying him. But he smiled at her. “Of course. You’re better than ever.” Then he looked back at Luke and Rayce. “You two, get the hell out.”
Because if something happened, if something went wrong as Luke had suggested, Julian would be there for her. He wouldn’t leave her again. They’d face what came together, and he would sure as hell never be dumb enough to try and make her leave him.
The others filed out. The door shut behind them.
“So…hot…” Rose whispered.
He scooped her into his arms and strode into the bathroom. He yanked on the cold water and sent it exploding down as he stepped into the shower, still cradling her in his arms.
Steam rose when it hit her skin.
Just like before.
“Drink, love, drink from me.” His blood could dilute what she’d gotten from Leo, from Luke…his blood could link them.
Her fangs pressed to his neck. A tender bite. Her tongue slid over his skin. And she drank.
They stood like that, in the shower, the water pouring down on him, her fangs in his throat, his arms around her…for an endless time. He didn’t move. He was just happy to have her there with him. Alive.
Rose.
And…
Her fangs slid away from his neck. She kissed his throat. “Don’t worry. An angel isn’t going to have to…put me down.”
He blinked, then looked at her.
She smiled up at him. The steam didn’t rise from her skin any longer. She wasn’t flushed. She was perfect. “And you don’t have to kill me either.”
“I never would.”
Her eyes were bright. “I’m not wrong. I don’t want to kill and maim everyone.”
She was okay. His Rose was staring at him with her sweet smile and with love in her eyes. He had to choke down the lump in his throat. “That’s…that’s good to know.”
Her smile stretched. “I’m okay?” This time, it was a question.
“You’re better than okay.” He kissed her. Deep. Hard. Wild. His heart was about to burst out of his chest and he was just so—
Happy.
Yeah, that was what he fucking was. He was happy. Rose had always made him happy.
Her tongue slid against his lip. She kissed him back with the same passionate intensity and in the next moment, Julian was jerking off her jeans. He shoved her jeans to the bottom of the shower and ripped away her panties.
“Tell me to slow down,” he begged because he knew he was going too fast. Too fast. Too rough. Too wild.
She laughed—the sweetest sound in the world—and her hands reached for the top of his jeans. “Don’t you dare.”
He stilled and stared into her eyes.
“I almost lost you. I almost lost us both,” she whispered. “And you think I want to go slow now?” She rose onto her tip toes and nipped his bottom lip. “Not on your life, panther.”
She still owns my heart. She always will.
She lowered the zipper of his jeans. He lifted her up against that shower wall. The water was ice cold, but he didn’t care. He had his whole world in his arms.
He thrust into her. They both groaned. She was tight and wet and so perfect…
His.
He withdrew, then thrust deep. Again and again and he stroked her clit, wanting to push her to the edge before he came. He wanted her lost to the pleasure. To feel. To love.
She cried out his name. He felt her sex clench around him, and he pumped even harder into her.
Then he exploded within her. A long, hot release as his body shuddered.
Her arms were around him. She held him tight.
As tightly as he held her.