Free Angel in Chains by Cynthia Eden Page A

was across the room, in front of her. Reaching for her arms and hauling her up against him. All that sweet flesh. “Do you think I care at all about what some panther bastard thinks he can do to me?”
    Her eyes widened. “Um, no?”
    “I am a Fallen. I fear no one or nothing on this earth.”
    “A-a Fallen?”
    “I’ve seen heaven. I’ve seen hell. I’ve been the hand of death.”
    She swallowed.
    “The panther can hunt me, but in the end, I will be the one to kill him.” As he’d killed so many others. Thousands of souls—taken.
    What’s one more?
    Her pink tongue snaked across her lower lip. The lip he’d kissed. He could still taste her.
    “The scars on your back . . .” she whispered.
    Tell her all. “My wings burned away when I fell.”
    Jade’s eyes widened as she slowly shook her head. “No, no, that’s not possible. You’re saying that you’re—”
    He released her. Stepped back. “I don’t lie.”
    Her chest rose and fell with her rapid breaths. Rose and fell . . . and her breasts were still tight with arousal. Just as his body still yearned for her.
    “I’m a Fallen angel, and you—” His voice roughened with both his rage and his lust, “You’re my temptation.”

C HAPTER F IVE
    A n angel.
    Jade stood in the shower, letting the rough blast of water slide over her skin. The shower was supposed to cool her off, but, um, no.
    Because she kept picturing Az. His intense gaze. His wide, muscled chest, those lick me abs. She could feel his hands on her skin. His mouth on her breast and—
    A Fallen angel.
    Her eyes squeezed shut as she put her face under the water.
    Sure, she’d heard tales about angels. When she’d been seventeen, she’d had a brutal awakening to the supernatural world around her. Since then, she’d seen just about everything out there—demons, vamps, even a djinn once—and he’d scared the hell out of her.
    But—an angel? Oh, damn, if he knew all the things she’d done . . .
    She was covered in blood and sin.
    The shower curtain was yanked to the side and the sudden rush of cold air had her eyes flying open as she spun around.
    Az stood there. His gaze swept slowly over her.
    Should she pretend a modesty that she didn’t feel? His stare was scorching and—
    “Someone’s outside,” he said.
    Aw, crap. This wasn’t about wild sex.
    And, ah, so much for a safe place.
    She jumped out of the shower. He didn’t move back. Her body brushed against his as she yanked for a towel.
    “You’re afraid of me,” Az charged with his voice flat and cold.
    But, no, she wasn’t. “Should I be?” Jade asked as she secured the towel between her breasts.
    She expected an instant denial. He’d been the one saving her ass for the past few days. He was the hero. The angel for goodness sake. But—
    “Yes.”
    Then she heard the pounding at the door. What had to be a fist thudding into the wood. Somebody sure wanted inside the cabin awful badly. Not a good sign.
    “Get dressed,” he told her as he backed up. Finally. She could breathe. “I’ll take care of our visitor.”
    Wait, take care of—how exactly?
    But he was gone and she rushed to pull on her jeans even as she heard a voice call out . . .
    “This is the police. Open the door!”
    No, no, no ! “Don’t, Az!” Jade yelled back and she lurched forward. She’d managed to put on her jeans—no underwear—and her bra.
    Az turned to stare at her.
    “You can’t let the cops in,” she told him, her voice hushed.
    No one could be allowed to get in. They had to run.
    He frowned at her.
    Oh, jeez. Angels.
    The front door thudded again. “ Open up! ”
    She jerked a fresh white T-shirt over her head. “We stole a car,” she reminded Az and grabbed his hand. A car that had probably been equipped with some kind of anti-theft tracking device. Dammit, she hadn’t even checked for that. Beginner’s mistake, but she’d been in a rush. “He probably tracked us.” It had been three hours since they’d made it to