Celena moaned at the taste of Rafael as his tongue swept against hers. He cupped her face in his hands as she inhaled the sharp scent of his skin and aftershave. It was a breathtaking combination, and all she wanted to do was peel his clothes off him and lick every inch of his body.

She knew she had no business with him, and for once she didn’t care about rules. The Apollite had been right. There were some things more important than something so trivial.

Rafael pulled back from the kiss. “Why did you come for me?”

“I was afraid you were in danger.”

He shook his head at her. “You know that was amazingly stupid of you. I’m rancid meat to them, but you … you’re a buffet. You’re damn lucky they let you go.”

She smiled up at him before she repeated her earlier words. “Yeah, well, I’ll take luck over skill any day.”

He laughed before he kissed her again. “And that still doesn’t tell me why you came after me. You broke a dozen rules by following me tonight.”

And for some reason that didn’t bother her. Nothing had mattered to her except seeing him safe. “I know, but I couldn’t let you die.”

“Why?”

She bit her lip as the reasonable side of her brain begged her not to say anything else. But all the years of her hiding her emotions for this man rushed to the forefront, and after being with him for this last week, she couldn’t hide it anymore. “Because I love you.”

Rafael couldn’t have been more stunned had she stabbed him. He stood there in complete shock as he watched her eyes dilate ever so slightly. In all the centuries he’d lived, only one other woman had ever said those words to him …

And she had died in his arms on their wedding night under the assault of his enemies.

He’d never had the chance to taste her. Never had a chance to show her just how much he loved her.

He wasn’t going to take that chance with Celena. His body burning, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her on board his boat.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Carpe noctem. I’m seizing the night. But most of all, I’m seizing the woman in my arms.”

Celena didn’t say another word as he took her below the deck. As soon as they were out of the sight of any passersby, she literally ripped the shirt from his back so that she could finally touch the body that had haunted her dreams for the last few years.