Scalding water beat over my wings and down my back. I wanted her. Wanted her. Body burning. Thrumming. Vibrating with need. My dragon clawed from the inside, needing to flame, devour, conquer, sate its hunger in her soft flesh. One hand on the stone wall, hot water pouring down my body, I stroked myself with the other, trying to release the aching torture.

Her scent clung to me, pulling me down into a sensual abyss. A siren to my dragon senses with black hair I wanted to fist and pale skin I wanted to bite all over and mark as mine.

Hot steam clouded my vision. I shut my eyes and stroked harder, needing relief from what she’d done to me. Needing more than that, but having to settle for this. I couldn’t, wouldn’t have a human lover. I never had.

You can take her as a mistress.

But she wasn’t the type to bed for fun or a whim. Fuck. It wouldn’t be for fun. I wouldn’t want her for one night or two. My dragon roared to get out, the beast wanting to take her for hours, days, longer.

No. She was a Cade, the daughter of the man my father hated most in the world. I needed to crush the fixation that hit me like a fierce blow to the chest the second my senses first drank her in.

Lustful thoughts of the lover she would be, might have been tonight if it hadn’t been for the fucking interruption, clouded my mind. Her slender hands on my chest, slim thighs wrapping my waist, soft lips yielding, opening for me, sighing a moan into my mouth.

I groaned, my whole body stiffening when release finally came, easing the ache she’d made. Sure the siren would leave me in peace, certain the attraction would disappear with the water down the drain, I let it stream over me till her scent was scorched from my skin.

I dried off and slipped into a loose pair of black pants. Still restless, I poured myself a strong drink and wandered out to the terrace off my bedchamber. Leaning back against the balcony, I gulped the fiery liquid, gazing up at the crescent moon.

Her skin had glowed under the moonlight. That was when I had lost control, my desire taking command, the fatal flaw. Touching that silky, moon-pale skin had doomed me. My senses had quivered at the sight and smell of her, then I had to touch and taste, trace my fingers along the soft lines of her face, slip my tongue inside that sweet mouth. My body grew rigid. Again. I downed the rest of my drink and slammed the glass down, cracking it on the stone railing. “Fuck!”

A snap of wings and boots hit the pavement to my right. Lorian landed and walked over. “I heard about the riot at the club. Was it serious?”

“It wasn’t a riot,” I assured him, scowling. “Just a brawl.”

“Kraven said it was between Morgons and humans. Do we need to be concerned about publicity fallout?”

“No. No photos or videos were taken. I made sure of it. And those involved aren’t going to say anything. Trust me.”

“What was it over?”

I blew out a frustrated breath. “What do you think?”

Lorian gave me a short nod. “A woman.” His lips twitched on one side as he leaned against the balcony next to me. “Morgon or human?”

I clenched my teeth, jaw tightening to pain. “Human.” I couldn’t remove the low growl in my voice. She stirred me beyond control, and she wasn’t even fucking here.

“Is there a reason this woman has your dragon prowling to the surface?”

I gave him a sharp glance. “It’s nothing.”

Lorian tilted his head, rubbing the stubble on his chin—a tell of his, meaning he didn’t believe me. “Is this woman why you’re cursing to the night air and drinking alone under the moonlight?”

I heaved a sigh, bracing both hands on the balcony railing, feeling the strain of muscles at the thought of her. “I can handle it.”

“I can see that.”

“Fuck off.”

He laughed. “Ouch. She really has gotten under your skin. And you met her tonight, I’m assuming?”

I glared at him. He threw up his hands in defense. “Fine. Fine. But no one would blame you for spending a night with a human. You don’t have to look like the world will end. Take her to bed and be done with it.”

“She’s the eldest daughter of Pritchard Cade.”

“Ah.” Lorian’s face hardened, as I’d expected. “I suppose that does change things.”

“Obviously.” I exhaled a deep breath, forcing my nerves to calm. “I have no intentions of bedding her or even seeing her again. It’s a non-issue.”

“Pritchard. Cade.” My brother’s words were ice and steel.

The years we’d dealt with this man in the business world had proven one thing. He hated Morgons. My family most of all because of a past I’d rather not think about. He may be able to fool his human clients, but our senses allowed us to detect and read the subtlest of sneers and false politeness. I could only imagine the blazing fury he’d feel if he knew where his daughter had been tonight. If he knew I’d gotten my hands and lips on her. If he knew I’d wanted to do a whole lot more. Hell, maybe that’s why I burned for her so badly. Seducing the tantalizing daughter of the enemy was an awfully great temptation. Who was I kidding? She could’ve been the daughter of my favorite client and I’d still want to sink into her perfect, soft body.

Lorian flattened his palms on the stone balcony, staring out into the night. “He’s trying to block our security operation with the human firm, the Benson Agency.”

“Yes. I know.” I picked up the cracked glass, ice cubes tinkling at the bottom. “Of course, he’s trying to do it covertly through a third party.”

“He’s always underhanded.”

“Ruthless. It’s his way. How our mother ever—”

“Don’t even say it, Lucius. For fuck’s sake.”

Lorian crossed his arms and looked out, his back a tense line. Silence loomed between us, both our thoughts heavy with a past we couldn’t change. One we had no right to, even if we could. It had all happened long before we were born anyway.

Three Morgons landed on a nearby rooftop together. One of them tripped on the landing, obviously drunk. Another laughed, helping him up and stumbling into their home.

I finally said what needed to be said. “We can’t hate the man for his past.”

“Yeah, but we sure as hell can hate him for being a devious, racist bastard now.”

He was right. Pritchard Cade was an easy man to hate. But then my mother’s kind and lovely face flitted in my mind. I couldn’t disappoint her. Not even in death. “Mother made us promise we wouldn’t.”

Lorian balled his hands into fists on the balcony, his jaw clamped tight. His fierce expression—all hard planes and furious lines—reminded me why everyone called him the angry Nightwing brother.

“Mother had quite a few deathbed wishes, didn’t she?”

“Yes,” I agreed in a soft rumble. “And we’ll abide by them all.”

He sank into silence for a few minutes. I let him have his time to rein in his temper. For all of his reputation as the angry one, he rarely lost his temper. No, he kept all of that rage locked tight now, having released his fury in the fighting pits years ago. If there’s one thing I could say about my reckless brother, it was that he learned from his mistakes.

“Yes,” he finally agreed. A heavy silence stretched long and deep before he met my gaze. “We’ll abide by them all.” With a swift beat of wings, he lifted off into the night.

I returned to my bedchamber, sealed the door, and set the alarm. After dropping the cracked glass into the trash, I rolled my shoulders and stretched my wings, trying to rid myself of the knotted tension that had taken up residence since the moment I saw that prick put his unwelcome hands on Jessen. Why? Why had she affected me so powerfully? I’d never met her, never laid eyes on her before tonight. It’s not like I hadn’t been in the company of beautiful women before. It’s not like I didn’t receive offers on a regular basis from both Morgon and human women. And yet, something compelled me toward her. My beast had awoken with a fury when she was being manhandled. The truth was he’d been lucky to leave the club with little more than a sprained arm. If I’d let myself go, he’d been a mound of battered flesh and broken bones on the dirt-stained floor.

But I didn’t want to think about him. Sprawling across the bed, my mind drifted back to the raven-haired beauty who’d ensnared me with a glance.

Could fate be this cruel? To put her in my path? Not only human, but the daughter of a man who once vied with my father for my mother’s heart. And had nearly won.

That was all in the past. I knew one thing that wouldn’t—couldn’t—be in my future—Jessen Cade. No matter how badly I wanted her. I rolled over and went to sleep, trying to erase carnal thoughts of a lush body and haunting brown eyes.