"No Rest for the Wicked" by Kresley Cole

I am really loving "The Immortals After Dark" series by Kresley Cole. Earlier this year I read the first book in the series "A Hunger Like No Other" and it remains one of my favorite series books this year.

Today I finished "No Rest for the Wicked" the second book in the series and I am even more hooked on this series.

Back Blurb:

"A soldier weary of life . . .
Centuries ago, Sebastian Wroth was turned into a vampire — a
nightmare in his mind — against his will. Burdened with hatred and alone for ages, he sees little reason to live. Until an exquisite, fey creature comes to
kill him, inadvertently saving him instead.
A Valkyrie assassin dispatched to destroy him . . .
When Kaderin the Cold Hearted lost her two beloved sisters to a vampire attack long ago, a benevolent force deadened her sorrow — accidentally extinguishing all of her emotions. Yet whenever she encounters Sebastian, her feelings — particularly lust — emerge multiplied. For the first time, she's unable to complete a kill.
Become competitors in a legendary hunt.
The prize of the month-long contest is powerful enough to change history, and Kaderin will do anything to win it for her sisters. Wanting only to win her, forever, Sebastian competes as well, taking every opportunity — as they travel to ancient tombs and through catacombs, seeking relics around the world — to use her new feelings to seduce her. But when forced to choose between the vampire she's falling for and reuniting her family, how can Kaderin live without either?"

Sebastian loathes himself. He hates being a vampire and was turned by his brothers against his will. As a vampire he has no heartbeat, no blood flowing in his body, he can't have sex- his male parts no longer work since he's become an undead and he misses his dead family and the sunlight. He's hundreds of years old and totally miserable.

When Kaderin the Cold Hearted (daughter of the gods) answers a request by the villagers to kill the vampire in their town, she has no idea what meeting Sebastian will do to her life - nor does he have any idea what Kaderin will do to his undead life! Kaderin is a killing machine who feels nothing. She never feels joy, anger, sadness or anything because she 's been blessed (cursed) and had all her feelings removed after her two sisters died battling vampires and Kaderin survived. She buried herself in such pain, guilt and sorrow that a curse was placed on her taking all her feelings away and leaving her the perfect killing machine.

But when Sebastian kneels before her wanting to die, she can't kill him. Something stops her...and she begins to want this ragged, pale, and unkept vampire who has no will to live and wants to die. She stares at him in a way Sebastian hasn't been looked at in several lifetimes...like a desired man. But his body is useless as a vampire, no sex for the undead without beating hearts. But when Sebastian gets close to Kaderin and they begin to speak he hears a roaring in his ears and a thunderous blast. His heart has just started pumping. Kaderin unknowingly has just become the vampire's Bride. And Kaderin who never feels anything is overcome with lust.

Sebastian is startled by his sudden beating heart and more startled by his sudden raging hardon! He wants her like he's never wanted anything in his life- including his undead life! Kaderin is not about to have sex with her enemy the vampire, but she's not opposed to getting each other off.

Sebastian is old fashioned and comes from a time when men didn't just jump women's bones and he's had very little experience with women (he was a warrior fighting for a decade in a war, and then the plague came...no time for sex or romance in his life). He is mortified when Kaderin begins making out with him and grinding herself against his raging hardon until they both scream in orgasm. He can't believe he just came in his pants and she can't believe that was the best orgasm she's ever had and they never even took their clothes off!

These two are very passionate - the book is FULL of great sexual tension and hot love scenes. This book also contains the BEST ever scene of a man getting his first blowjob! Oh my heavens!! I fell completely in love with Sebastian, he was so sexy, strong and yet vulnerable and totally endearing all at once. Kaderin was an extremely likable kickass heroine.

While Kaderin is determined to stay away from Sebastian and compete in a violent contest for a valuable prize (think Amazing Race but with supernatural beings), Sebastian is just as determined not to let his Bride go. He is faithful, loving, determined and very horny all the time with his new turned on body.

This was a great story that will be going on my keeper shelf to reread for years to come.

I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5.