Because, despite the danger, she could let down her guard with him. She could show her true self, beneath the sunshine and good spirits. Beneath the dirty jokes and genuine laughter. She could show her tears, give in to her memories. Scream at the unfairness of her life.
He didn’t judge her. It still seemed unbelievable, but she knew it was true—he didn’t judge her for the things she’d done. He understood her, actually, probably in a way no one else did, not even Sebastian. Maybe in a way no one else could.
The guy of her nightmares-turned-dreams was impossible to trust and didn’t hide his unwillingness to let anyone close. Could her luck get any worse?
She pried herself off him and took a deep breath, her body still humming, her breathing shallow.
Damn it, why did he have to be so hot?
Why was she continually attracted to totally unattainable guys?
“Thank you for your offer,” she said. “But stay the hell out of my life.”
He nodded and then put out his hand.
“What— Oh.” She took it and helped him up off the nails, standing with him.
“That offer isn’t an all-for-one situation,” he said, shaking out his wings and grimacing with the effort. He reached down and tucked himself back into his pants before zipping up, though the bulge was still incredibly pronounced. “When you need something, ask. When you don’t want to get your hands dirty, let me know. It’ll always be between us. You know I can keep secrets.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Keep them for a rainy day and then collect on them. Yes, I know.”
His smile was devilish. He stepped close, making her breath catch.
His voice was a low, deep hum. “You don’t trust me, fine. I assume there are very few you do trust—”
“Do you trust me?” she asked.
His smile held more confidence than he had any right to. “I don’t have to trust you. I understand you. I know when you’re going to make me a brownie to be nice, like the other day, and when you’re going to show up at my lodging and try to cut my nuts off.” He looked down on her for a long, tense
beat before nodding. “Fine. Like I said, I’ll wait. Eventually you’re going to need me, and you’re going to learn that I mean what I say.”
“What if I just want to use you?” she teased.
In a sudden motion, he grabbed the back of her neck in a firm hold, making her gasp. Slowly he reeled her in, his strength undeniable, his fervor slithering across her flesh. He bent to her, his power wrapping around her, the sweet smell of chocolate on his breath mixing with his intoxicating scent and drying up any protest she might’ve made.
“Use me anytime,” he growled, before yanking her that last little distance and wrapping his lush lips around her bottom lip, sucking it in.
A rush of electricity lit her up. She groaned into his mouth, running her hands up his chest, wishing she still had her knife.
He opened her mouth with his, his hold rough, his tongue swiping through and then swirling with hers. Energy swirled up around them, running between them, vibrating through them. She held the edges of his shirt, delirious with the sensation. High on it.
His hold tightened then, the kiss deepening, his other hand wrapping around her waist and hauling her tightly to him. His hips moved against hers erotically, his tongue mimicking what she wanted other parts of him to do.
Holy crap, he felt so good. He moved against her expertly, the disproportionate sizes of their bodies somehow not making any difference. They fit together passionately, made to explore each other. To take each other, over and over, until they could stand it no more.
Panic flared. What am I doing? That was all she needed, a dangerous addiction.
She pulled back, but he held her tightly, his growl warning her to stay put.
A delicious shiver ran down her spine. She liked when romantic interests were dominant, and he would take dominance to a new level.
No! Get out now!
She swished her hips to the side and swung down her hand at the same time. Fist connected with crotch. Tristan’s grunt matched his flinch. He didn’t pull away quickly, though, merely backing off his kiss. Slowing down the fervor.
She drank it up, falling into it, just about to clutch him again and beg him to take her back to his bedroom.
“Dang it!” She pulled away, and he let her go easily. Clearly he did understand her. He knew this time she was serious. Super serious. Must-leave-right-now-or-lose-her-mind sort of serious.
He watched her with those glowing eyes before looking at the space between them. His smile was smug.
“You’re only so strong, little angel. You’ll crack. It’s only a matter of time.”
She leveled a finger at him. “Stay out of my life and stay out of my job.”
“Yes, ma’am. But I won’t stay out of your dreams.”
TWENTY-FOUR
Jessie
THREE DAYS after Sebastian made the call not to collect the mages in the border towns, I flew above the town with gargoyles spanned out all around me in an intricate flight pattern that Tristan had devised. It was a beautiful thing, perfectly organized with all the various gargoyles swooping and crossing and diving, working off each other’s movements. Below, Kingsley’s shifters patrolled the town, led by his beta, James.
Our forces had started on the outskirts of town and pushed out to the perimeter, Austin and Kingsley working together to organize their people while the basandere took control of the basajaunak. Although she hadn’t come with the goal of leading her people, she’d fallen naturally into the role. We were working together to test strategies for the coming battle.
A battle that we hadn’t gotten any word about.
Nessa and Sebastian’s network had gone silent. They hadn’t heard anything new for nearly a week now, not even a whisper.
There hadn’t been any mages testing the defenses, either. Usually they operated on a sort of loose schedule, showing up every so often. Kingsley said there should’ve been one by now, a group of two or three. Not the invisible mages, which we hadn’t noticed or caught either, but teams poking around and making a racket.
Silence was not golden. Our mages were getting increasingly nervous that Momar was mobilizing.
Time was short, but Nessa still had to pick up the shipment of guns, an apparently seedy affair involving dangerous characters who were just as likely to double-cross her as deliver the goods.
Arrangements were being made slower than she’d anticipated. The garhettes were doing well with their knife work and hand-to-hand combat, no shortage of aggression and a good dose of speed, but they needed those weapons. Without them, most of them wouldn’t be able to stand up against a mercenary, even an unarmed one.
I stilled my thumping heart and focused a little harder, feeling Nathanial touch my foot before soaring above me. I pushed up skyward and then snapped in my wings so he could grab me, flying me fast toward the north end of the perimeter and then quickly maneuvering east, practicing his ability to fly at dizzying speeds with quick changes of direction while holding on to me.