"My anamchara tells me that Rafael is coming. I must . . ." Her eyes landed on me, and the sclera bled scarlet. Fear pheromones skittered into the small room, brittle and prickly, and all hers. Innara took a breath, the sound loud with panic. "He will catch me. With you. He will know that my master has accepted his offer to parley, in deception."
And if Leo loses the vamp war, then a victorious Rafael will kill his enemies, I thought. Gotcha. Innara was self-serving, playing both sides just like her master. The vamp could tear a human apart with her bare hands, but she looked so helpless, even with the bloody eyes. I sooo did not want to get involved in this, but I was already neck deep and sinking. Tucking the stake and knife back in their hidey spots, I let the words drag out of me. "No, he won't." Her face split with joy. If there was also a lot of cunning behind the purer emotion, well, she was a vamp.
Motioning her away from the door, I held my hand out to Bruiser and snapped the lock. The door cracked open and we stepped through the slit. A shadow darkened the hallway entrance as someone approached. There wasn't time to explain. I stepped into Bruiser, pulling the door shut behind us, and yanked him close. And picked up where we'd left off in the limo. He grunted once, hesitated a fraction of a second as if analyzing, and seemed to understand.
His arms went around me, his mouth hard, and one hand slid down my side to cup my bottom. The other slid up, brushing the side of my breast before wrapping around my nape. I had a moment to note that he tasted of champagne and smelled of Leo, which I hadn't paid attention to on the floor of the limo. He lifted me and pressed me against the closed door, took my thigh, and wrapped it around his waist.
In only a moment, lust pheromones wafted from him, his mouth softened, and I repositioned my mouth under his, glancing up the hallway. Through slit lids, I saw Rafael, heir to Mearkanis, stop in the far end. And watch. He sniffed, and I knew he'd detect no lust from me. Crap. Crap, crap, crap, and more freaking crap! I closed my eyes and tried to relax. But I couldn't. Not with Rafael watching. And from the faint scuffle of shoes on the floor, others as well.
With a low growl in my mind, Beast took over. And I let her. Mate, she thought at me. Soon. My limbs softened. Flesh heated. This one is strong. Worthy of us.
Responding to the not-so-subtle signals, Bruiser slid his tongue between my lips in a delicate brush and swirl. I/Beast sighed into his mouth and he chuckled under his breath, masculine and possessive. He pulled me closer. His arousal pressed into the center of me, demanding. He'd been holding back, waiting on me, and now he leaned me hard into the door, the iron bands cutting into my spine. The pain was sharp and I arched into him. His lips left my mouth and trailed down my neck. Licking.
Oh . . . my. My breath deepened. "Yes," I whispered. "Like that." I rolled my head back, giving him access. Letting Beast take over. My body responded, breasts aching, wanting. My hands clenched, bunching his tux coat tightly. A moment later, the shuffling at the hallway end disappeared. A long moment after that, Bruiser paused, his lips buried in the deep V of my neckline. "Are they gone?" he murmured, his mouth brushing against delicate flesh, his voice vibrating between us.
I didn't want to answer, and my own hesitation brought a titter of laughter to my lips, my chest bones bumping his mouth. I pushed Beast back down and she went, but with a catty, satisfied purr. "Yes. They're gone." I felt his smile against my skin.
"Well, damn. I guess we have to stop, then."
I laughed again, louder this time, and eased him away, my hands on his arms, my leg dropping from his waist. "Maybe later," I said before I could stop myself.
"Count on it," he said, and set me down, his hands sliding slowly along my bottom.
The door opened behind us and little Innara peeked out, looking up and down the hallway. Finding Rafael gone, she turned her attention to us and breathed deeply, taking in the pheromones and responding to them. A little smile gave her a gamine look, a bit teasing. "My anamchara says I can return now. If you two would care to join us? We would be pleased to leave this party and find a more private place. To share blood and body with you both."
I started to say, "No freaking way," but Bruiser spoke first, smoothly. "A gracious invitation. Another time, perhaps, lovely lady." He bowed over her hand and kissed it. It didn't even look weird when he did it, which was weird in itself. I shut my mouth with a click of teeth.
"We certainly hope so." Holding on to his hand, effectively pulling the three of us together, Innara leaned in to me, showing fang when she said, "This one smells . . . tasty." She was looking at me as if she was both hungry and aroused. Double ick.
"She is the Rogue Hunter, contracted by the council," Bruiser said. There was that phrase and tone again, that title. I needed to ask about that sometime.