He sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. “We’re on our way.” Somehow he’d persuade her.
He stalked naked into the living room. His clothes were piled on a chair, washed but looking a little worse for the wear. He pulled on his ripped jeans but didn’t bother with anything else, just padded out of the house and down the path to where a small gate led onto the beach.
The sand was dotted with people, but he easily zoned in on her in her bright dress. She sat close to the water’s edge, legs drawn up, her arms looped around them, her chin resting on her knee as she gazed out to sea.
He walked up to her slowly, as if she might bolt, but she didn’t even look his way when he sank down onto the sand beside her. For a minute he sat and stared. It was beautiful here, the sky a deep blue, the sea turquoise, and the sun was hot on his bare back. A sailboat bobbed in the entrance to the cove, and he had a sudden urge to take his cat girl and head out into the open sea, just the two of them. He’d show her that there were things worth living for. He’d take care of her, keep her safe, stroke her until she purred for him.
There had to be some way around the sigil. And as for Lucifer…
The thought shocked him. He’d never wanted to be responsible for anyone before. Now here was this woman who he hardly knew, but who had saved his life and consequently belonged to him in some way. And she was hurting.
“I didn’t know,” she said. “I swear I didn’t know.”
“I believe you.”
“I only did one at a time. I didn’t want it to look like I had more. I told them the coin was a present…”
“When was the last?” He hoped to hell she hadn’t changed any more while he was unconscious.
“Four days ago. In town. To pay for the villa. He was such a nice man…is he…?”
He nodded. That was the last reported burning, the one that led him to her.
She swallowed, blinked back a tear. “Did they all think that I knew? Faith and Tara? That I would do that on purpose?”
He shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable. He’d talked to the women before he’d left, and they’d both said they didn’t know whether Shera was aware of the gold’s side effects or not. “They weren’t sure.”
Her lower lip trembled. “They all think I’m a bitch. I get that, and I know it’s my fault, but I freeze up and…And now I’m a thief and a murderer.”
“You didn’t know.”
She blinked and a tear slid down her cheek. “All I wanted was to be free. Just for a little while.”
“Being free is overrated.”
“I wouldn’t know.” She turned her head to look into his face. “Are you my executioner? Did they send you to kill me? I know that’s what the Order do to anyone who brings attention to our kind.”
“No. I came to take you home.”
“Home? I don’t have a home. I’ve never had a home, only a place where I work, and even that’s being taken from me.”
He needed time to decide what to tell her, how to convince her to go back. But right now there was something he needed more. He shifted closer so that he sat facing her, the sea at his back. Cupping her face between his palms, he gave in to the urge that had been needling him since he’d caught sight of her across the bar two nights ago. He lowered his head to hers, swiped his tongue across her plump lower lip, and kissed her.
She went still, but didn’t try to pull away, and he slanted his mouth over hers, deepening the kiss. Her hands slipped around his neck, sliding into his hair, holding him closer, pressing him up against her warm, slender body, and heat washed through him, settling low down in his belly. Her lips parted beneath his, her tongue pushed inside, and his cock went instantly hard. She tasted of sunlight, and oranges, and suddenly the kiss turned fierce. His hands shifted to her shoulders, and he turned her so she lay back on the sand and he could follow her down without ever breaking the kiss.
Inside, his wolf awoke and stretched lazily, then sniffed the air and became fully alert. Carl went still. His wolf wanted out. More than that, he wanted Shera. But for what?
Mine.
The word echoed in his head, and a prickle ran down his spine.
He took a deep breath and pushed himself back so he was above her, looking down into her dazed green eyes.
She blinked a couple of times and stared up into his face. “I can see your wolf.”
A low growl rumbled in his throat, and her eyes widened but no fear showed in her expression. It would take a lot to make her afraid, he reckoned. Being brought up in the Abyss, in the household of one of the seven Princes of Hell, would no doubt toughen anybody up. Or kill them off.
His dick was still hard, and here and now was neither the place nor the time to loosen his control. He pushed himself away and sat back down on the sand.