Tears burned in her eyes at his raw admission.

I am so unworthy of him.

Yet Remiel saw Sue-Ellen as the sum of everything.

It was the ultimate flattery—and the most frightening thing ever.

She knew enough about dragons to know what kind of stock they put in their hoard. Most dragons tended to gravitate to one thing they needed to collect above all else. Some collected old coins. Samael was obsessed with the original Dungeons and Dragons books.

But Remiel? He had only her. Boy did he get screwed.

Bull crap. Her mother hadn’t raised a moron. Men would say anything for sex. He just said what he did to try and get in her pants.

Pants? Hold on a second, she wasn’t wearing any. Or a shirt.

She froze midstep and thus didn’t miss the drawled, “Nice ass.”

Her cheeks burned, and she wished for something to cover herself.

Why?

He liked what he saw? Then let him look.

Giving her hair a shake, she set off walking again, hips swinging.

She’d no sooner ducked through the curtain leading to the main chamber than Remiel was on her, his body wrapping around hers. Somehow, he got her to the makeshift bed, hiding her under the blankets.

“Did you forget about the watchers?” he hissed.

Actually, she had, but of more interest was his reaction. He’d shown jealousy. Sweet, hot jealousy.

The knowledge proved heady—and arousing. But she couldn’t let it distract her. Couldn’t let it sway her path.

She should use this opportunity and hope that Samael watched. Would he feel jealous, too?

To make sure, she looped her arms around Remiel’s neck and drew him down.

He grumbled. “What are you doing?”

“Shh, sugar. Just play along,” her lips whispered against his.

“Play at what?”

His body effectively covered her. Skin to skin. Scorching hot skin. Dear God, so much flesh touching hers. Her body heated. She tingled as arousal swept her body.

But she needed to continue with her plan, the plan to grab Samael’s attention. She nuzzled Remiel’s cheek, inhaling his scent. “Relax and pretend you’re enjoying yourself. It’s part of the plan.”

“What plan?” he asked through gritted teeth. “To drive me crazy?”

“Am I?” She wiggled against him. She could feel the proof of his desire pressing hotly against her.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment forever.”

“Whereas I thought I was getting my moment.” She sighed against his lips. “I’m sorry I didn’t know the difference.”

“Can you tell it now?” he asked, giving her lips a nibble.

“I’ll never be fooled again.” She rubbed her nose against his. “But that doesn’t mean I can be with you. Us getting together doesn’t feel right. You can’t tell me you’re all right with me having almost slept with your brother.”

“No.” His eyes flashed. “But, you didn’t know any better. So, this one time only, I shall forgive.”

“How magnanimous of you,” was her dry reply. “It still changes nothing. I don’t know what I want. Everything I knew has been shifted upside down. I can’t even predict what will happen to me tomorrow, so you can’t ask me to agree to an uncertain future.”

“I told you I would get us out of here.”

“For high stakes.”

“Anything less wouldn’t be worth it.”

“If you’re serious about getting us out of here, then what’s your plan?”

“Can’t I show rather than tell?” His words brushed warmly across her.

“Making out is not a plan.”

“Maybe not to you.”

She held in a smile. He was so hard to resist. His charm so arrogant, and yet it made her feel desired. However, now was not the time for them to indulge. They weren’t technically alone.

“Pretend to kiss me again.”

“Pretend? I don’t pretend, angel.” The word huffed against her lips before she felt the burning imprint of his mouth on hers.

My angel.

The words echoed in her head.

Did he say it?

He kissed her and gave her much more enthusiasm and tongue than a fake kiss needed. But then again, the more real it seemed, the better.

And it was a really good kiss.

The touch of his mouth on hers ignited her in ways she’d never imagined. It wasn’t as if she’d never been kissed. The tiny spurts of excitement she felt with Samael never made her want to claw at him and draw him closer.

As Remiel deepened his embrace, she wanted to wrap herself around him. Have him inside her. Claiming her the way a man claimed his woman.

Why wait for him to claim? I should make him mine. My preciousss.

She froze. Now she sounded like Samael. Owning Remiel was not an option.

She drew away, and he made a grumble of protest.

“Get back here.” His eyes opened, and they blazed, the gold in them a fiery storm.

“We have to stop.”

“You started this.”

“I think we’ve done enough for anyone watching.”

“Screw the audience. What about me?” It was such a male thing to say and the grind of his body against her, the hard press of his erection against her mound so shiveringly good.

Before she could reply, Remiel rolled them, somehow managing to cover her in blankets before he sprang off her. Sue-Ellen stared at his nude buttocks as he strode away from her and rummaged through the piles of clothes.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Because she might not be very experienced, but even she knew a guy aroused as much as he was didn’t just suddenly stop. “What are you doing?”

“Getting dressed.”

Why? He’d seemed all too eager merely seconds ago to do things only naked people could do. Had something changed in the last minute that she didn’t clue in on?

He slipped on track pants, pulling them over his tight butt. Then Remiel turned, blinding her with his excellent abs, which meant she missed the tossed items and they almost smacked her in the face. Fast reflexes stopped them.

His haste proved contagious, and she hurried to put on the garments under the cover of the blanket. Once she stopped squirming, she noted he held out his hand.

“You coming?” he asked.

“Where?” Although even if he said the edge of the world, she might just follow.

“To the outer pit cave. Your plan worked. We’ve got mail.”

Mail?

Curious, and worried he’d leave without her, Sue-Ellen took his hand and let him haul her to her feet. The shirt she’d borrowed hung to almost her knees, and yet she felt exposed, which was stupid. She had dressed much more indecently than this before—but that was when she remained less aware of her body and the fact that he coveted it.

“Hold my hand if you think you’ll be scared,” he said, wrapping his fingers around hers.

Her earlier trek through the tunnels had cured her of much of the fear, but that didn’t stop her from lacing their fingers tightly.

He led them through the tunnel, keeping the fears of a collapse taking her life at bay.

They emerged into the pit area, still as dark as before except for a single pulse of light.

“What is it?” she whispered.

“Most likely a message from my brother. He’s too much of a baby salamander to come see me himself.”

Remiel kept his fingers laced with hers as they approached the blinking beacon. He bent over and grabbed something with his free hand.

Click. A bright beam shot out and coalesced into a shape. A familiar shape, with short hair. Almost mirror images. The facial features identical. It made her want to sing that song by Eminem about The Real Slim Shady. Put a few pounds on Remiel, and a person would be hard-pressed to tell the brothers apart if side-by-side.

The holographic image stared at a point to their left and overhead. “There you are, brother. Always the slow one on the uptake.”

“Is he actually talking to you?” she gasped.

“Think of it as a virtual Skype call, except he can’t see us.”

“So he can’t see me doing this?” She pointed two deadly middle fingers. It did nothing to help the situation but felt good.

“He can hear you, precious,” 3D ghost Samael replied.

“Don’t call me that. I’m not your anything.”

“Are you angry I put you down the hole with my uncouth brother?”

“I’m angry I didn’t shiv you.”

“That’s harsh.” Samael grabbed at his chest. “And after all we recently meant to each other.”

“What do you want?” Remiel interjected. “You don’t usually call for nothing.”

“I am taking Sue-Ellen back.”

“No, you’re not. She’s mine.”

“You gave her up.”

“I did, and in exchange, she was to remain safe, and I was to forget.”

He’d done what? Sue-Ellen listened and tried to piece it together.

“That deal is no longer in effect. As a matter of fact, in the new regime, my regime, I should add, you don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. But I’ve still got a use for her.” Samuel smirked.

“You don’t get to have her. Even if the original deal is null and void, I lay claim to Sue-Ellen, and while I’m at it, I’m claiming the throne.”

Say what?!