his touch because she meant to trick him, but the insistent burn of the firestorm made it impossible to turn away from her. The firestorm fed his need for her and drove all coherent thought from his mind. When she welcomed him and kissed him back, there was nothing else in the world but his perfect destined mate.
Even though he didn’t know her name.
Even though she was an assassin for the Fae, obligated to kill him.
Hadrian chose to believe in the promise of the firestorm.
She was so sweet, her lips so soft, her enthusiasm so unexpected. She opened her mouth to him and touched her tongue to his, driving him wild. She was tentative, as if she was more accustomed to fighting than loving, but Hadrian was more than ready to guide her on this new path. Her hand was locked in his hair, drawing him closer in silent demand.
Okay, she was direct. That was best of all.
He heard a door close and knew that Alasdair and Balthasar had left the lair. He didn’t actually care whether they overheard, but his mate might prefer the privacy.
Her confession, that she served Maeve’s will to free her brothers, proved they had traits in common. Hadrian would have done anything for his fellow Pyr, and he had to admit that might include assassination if there was no other choice. He knew that when Maeve had compelled him to dance, he would have promised anything to end his own agony.
His mate was trapped in a bad situation. That didn’t make her a bad person.
She was wearing black, like a burglar, tights and a hoodie, boots and a long-sleeved T-shirt that hugged her curves. He could feel her lithe strength when he ran his hands over her and he liked how responsive she was to his touch. That was another sign that this partnership was destined to be, and that the firestorm had chosen correctly for him.
And she was beautiful. It was easy to remember the glorious shine of her feathers, the grace she possessed in flight, how alluring she was in either form.
He braced himself over her, kissing her thoroughly as he undid the zipper of her sweatshirt. He pushed it off, tugging her shirt and bra after it, then bent to take one rosy nipple in his mouth. There was an old healed scar on her midriff, but he didn’t want to talk about the past. She wore a ring on a chain around her neck, a ring big enough to have been a man’s. The stone glowed, the way some opals or moonstones did. Hadrian didn’t study it, since he had better things to do. He did wonder then whether she had another romantic commitment or a relationship that hadn’t worked out.
Before he could ask, she caught his head in her hands and pulled him down for a scorching kiss, moaning with pleasure as if she couldn’t do anything else. He was breathless by the time he lifted his head and could turn his attention to her nipple again. He wanted to give her pleasure. He wanted to convince her that the firestorm was right for both of them.
He was amazed by her splendor. She was so fair, her skin pale and smooth, each breast of exactly the right size to fill his palm. Her nipples were rosy and became redder as he tormented them. He teased that first nipple to a peak, then turned his attention to the other one, kissing and suckling until they were both taut and red and she was squirming. He could smell her need and that made his heart pound.
He ran his hands down her sides and pushed off her tights, taking her boots with them and casting it all to the floor. She was naked in his bed, her eyes vivid blue, a faint flush on her cheeks as the radiance of the firestorm crackled and snapped between them. She reached for him, but Hadrian ducked down and closed his mouth over her sweet heat. She gasped in surprise then arched back, opening her legs to him and falling back against the mattress. She was slick and wet, hot and luscious, and he fought to hold his own desire in check as he gave her pleasure.
He’d prove to her that he was worth keeping alive.
He tasted and teased her, driving her toward her release then retreating, ensuring that she was burning by the time he finally pushed her over the edge. She screamed and dug