Riley Jensen 02 - Kissing Sin.pdf - Riley Jenson Guardian [S-O] - renee2010

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Front Cover

Kissing Sin

Keri Arthur

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

The hottest voice in the hottest subgenre—paranormal romance—returns with the second in

the steamy, action-packed Riley Jenson series,

which began with Full Moon Rising (Dell paperback,

January 2007) and continues with Tempting Evil

and Dangerous Games in March and April 2007.

From Melbourne's gleaming skyscrapers to its throbbing nightclubs, Riley Jenson's world is raging with danger and desire. A

drop-dead-gorgeous werewolf—with a touch of vamp coursing in her blood—Riley Jenson works for an organization created to

police the supernatural races. But when she wakes up naked and bruised in a barren alley, she knows only that she must run for

her life. Within moments Riley collides with steely, seductive Kade, who is fighting a life-and-death battle of his own… and that's

when things really begin to get interesting…

Visit our website at www.bantamdell.com

Also by Keri Arthur

Full Moon Rising

titlepage

KISSING, SIN

A Dell Book/February 2007

Published by Bantam Dell

A Division of Random House, Inc

New York, New York

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used

fictitiously

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Dell is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.

and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.

ISBN 13 978 0 553 58846 0

ISBN 10 0 553 58846 X

Printed in the United States of America

Published simultaneously in Canada

www.bantamdell.com

I'd like to thank the following people:

My wonderful agent, Miriam; editor extraordinaire,

Anne; and everyone at Bantam who helped make this book possible.

This book is dedicated to the two people in my life who matter the most—Pete and Kasey

title

Chapter One

Top

All I could smell was blood.

Blood that was thick and ripe.

Blood that plastered my body, itching at my skin.

I stirred, groaning softly as I rolled onto my back. Other sensations began to creep through the fog encasing my mind. The chill

of the stones that pressed against my spine. The gentle patter of moisture against bare skin. The stench of rubbish left sitting too

long in the sun. And underneath it all, the aroma of raw meat.

It was a scent that filled me with foreboding, though why I had no idea.

I forced my eyes open. A concrete wall loomed ominously above me, seeming to lean inward, as if ready to fall. There were no

windows in that wall, and no lights anywhere near it. For a moment I thought I was in a prison of some kind, until I remembered

the rain and saw that the concrete bled into the cloud-covered night sky.

Though there was no moon visible, I didn't need to see it to know where we were in the lunar cycle. While it might be true that

just as many vampire genes flowed through my bloodstream as werewolf, I was still very sensitive to the moon's presence. The

full moon had passed three days ago.

Last I remembered, the full moon phase had only just begun. Somewhere along the line, I'd lost eight days.

I frowned, staring up at the wall, trying to get my bearings, trying to remember how I'd gotten here. How I'd managed to

become naked and unconscious in the cold night.

No memories rose from the fog. The only thing I was certain of was the fact that something bad had happened. Something that

had stolen my memory and covered me in blood.

I wiped the rain from my face with a hand that was trembling, and looked left. The wall formed one side of a lane filled with

shadows and overflowing rubbish bins. Down at the far end, a streetlight twinkled, a forlorn star in the surrounding darkness.

There were no sounds to be heard beyond the rasp of my own breathing. No cars. No music. Not even a dog barking at an

imaginary foe. Nothing that suggested life of any kind nearby.

Swallowing heavily, trying to ignore the bitter taste of confusion and fear, I looked to the right.

And saw the body.

A body covered in blood.

Oh God…

I couldn't have. Surely to God, I couldn't have.

Mouth dry, stomach heaving, I climbed unsteadily to my feet and staggered over.

Saw what remained of his throat and face.

Bile rose thick and fast. I spun away, not wanting to lose my dinner over the man I'd just killed. Not that he'd care any more…

When there was nothing but dry heaves left, I wiped a hand across my mouth, then took a deep breath and turned to face what

I'd done.

He was a big man, at least six four, with dark skin and darker hair. His eyes were brown, and if the expression frozen on what

was left of his face was anything to go by, I'd caught him by surprise. He was also fully clothed, which meant I hadn't been in a

blood lust when I'd ripped out his throat. That in itself provided no comfort, especially considering I was naked, and obviously

had made love to someone sometime in the last hour.

My gaze went back to his face and my stomach rose threateningly again. Swallowing heavily, I forced my eyes away from that

mangled mess and studied the rest of him. He wore what looked like brown coveralls, with shiny gold buttons and the letters D.

S. E. printed on the left breast pocket. There was a taser clipped to the belt at his waist and two-way attached to his lapel. What

looked like a dart gun lay inches from his reaching right hand. His fingers had suckers, more gecko-like than human.

A chill ran across my skin. I'd seen hands like that before—just over two months ago, in a Melbourne casino car park, when I'd

been attacked by a vampire and a tall, blue thing that had smelled like death.

The need to get out of this road hit like a punch to the stomach, leaving me winded and trembling. But I couldn't run, not yet.

Not until I knew everything this man might be able to tell me. There were too many gaps in my memory that needed to be filled.

Not the least of which was why I'd ripped out his throat.

After taking another deep breath that did little to calm my churning stomach, I knelt next to my victim. The cobblestones were

cold and hard against my shins, but the chill that crept across my flesh had nothing to do with the icy night. The urge to run was

increasing, but if my senses had any idea what I should be running from, they weren't telling me. One thing was certain—this

dead man was no 'longer a threat. Not unless he'd performed the ritual to become a vampire, anyway, and even then, it could be

days before he actually turned.

I bit my lip and cautiously patted him down. There was nothing else on him. No wallet, no ID, not even the usual assortment of

fluff that seemed to accumulate and thrive in pockets. His boots were leather—nondescript brown things that had no name

brand. His socks provided the only surprise—they were pink. Fluorescent pink.

I blinked. My twin brother would love them, but I couldn't imagine anyone else doing so. And they seemed an odd choice for a

man who was so colorless in every other way.

Something scraped the cobblestones behind me. I froze, listening. Sweat skittered across my skin and my heart raced nine to the

dozen—a beat that seemed to echo through the stillness. After a few minutes, it came again—a soft click I'd never have noticed

if the night wasn't so quiet.

I reached for the dart gun, then turned and studied the night-encased alley. The surrounding buildings seemed to disappear into

that black well, and I could sense nothing or no one approaching.

Yet something was there, I was sure of it.

I blinked, switching to the infrared of my vampire vision. The entire lane leapt into focus—tall walls, wooden fences, and

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