Page 36

The massive bed, with its cream-colored comforter, took up most of the space. Brick spanned two of the walls, and a rug in varying shades of cream and brown lay on the wood floor. A Jack and Jill bathroom connected this room to Jericho’s, though she had yet to hear anything from his side of the closed door.

She pressed a shaking palm against her forehead, finding it clammy. Goosebumps crept down her arms despite the heat that seemed to be burning her from the inside out. Great, on top of everything else, now she was getting sick. Except… Chosen didn’t get sick, thanks to the vampire blood running through their systems.

She scraped her hair behind her head and held it there in her fist. Even her scalp hurt. She glared at the bed. The fluffy pillows and down comforter mocked her exhaustion.

The late-night espionage hadn’t helped. When she’d heard the low rumble of voices, her curiosity had gotten the best of her, and she’d crept to the loft railing to investigate.

She’d known Jericho hated faeries but didn’t realize how deep that hatred ran. Much as she’d tried to deny it, hearing him spit on her entire species stung.Asshole.They might have forged a temporary truce, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a judgmental prick.

Her lip lifted in a sneer.“Sooner I’m rid of her, the better,”she mocked in a husky tone. She couldn’t agree more. Sooner she rid herself of the brooding vampire, the better. The moment Liam woke up—and hewasgoing to wake up—she’d be free of Jericho, Victor, and this whole mess.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted upstairs. Her eyelids drooped.Mmmm… Caffeine good.Working late nights with Liam at the bar, she’d practically lived on the stuff.

She stepped away from the bed, toes sinking into the thick rug. Her sling rested on the dresser, right where Jericho left it when he’d changed her bandage last night.

Every stroke of his fingers along herglyphhad sent a pulse of heat straight between her legs. The way she’d responded to him was…mortifying. Yes, mortifying. She latched onto the word, ignoring the tingle of warmth the memory evoked.

After her restless night, her shoulder didn’t ache any more than the rest of her. What Doc didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

She turned to leave, then froze mid-stride. Titan sat just inside her door, motionless like a statue, silver eyes taking her in. She tensed and exhaled a slow breath. Nothing about the beast was threatening. He simply seemed curious. She was as well. Liam never told her hellhounds actually existed. Apparently, there were several things he’d left out of her underworld education.

“What?” She planted a hand on her hip. “I can’t possibly be that interesting. Surely, I’m not the only woman who’s slept here overnight.” The words left a bitter taste in her mouth. For some reason, the thought of Jericho spending time here with other women turned her mood even blacker.

She glanced over the patchwork of scars marring the hellhound’s face and withers.Poor guy.Demon dog or otherwise, no one deserved that kind of treatment. She resisted the urge to rub his scarred face. Like her, Titan didn’t strike her as someone who liked to be coddled. She’d have to play it cool for a while.

With determined strides, she strode toward the door. Titan jumped to attention and shuffled out of her path. At the top of the steps, she glanced back, finding he’d remained where she’d left him.

“Well, you coming or not?” Her voice resonated indifference. He cocked his head and hustled after her.

Alex smirked. “Thought so.”

With a single-minded purpose, she made her way down the stairs with Titan not far behind. In a coffee-induced trance, she followed her nose to the kitchen. Just a few feet away from caffeinated bliss, she stopped short.

Jericho stood before the stove, wearing a long-sleeved thermal that hugged the broad expanse of his shoulders. His long hair rested halfway down his back, pulled together with a leather strap. Black jeans hung low on his hips, and yet somehow still managed to cup his muscular—Hello!She nailed her gaze to the floor.Notchecking out his ass.

“Coffee’s on the countertop. Mugs are in the cabinet above,” he spoke over his shoulder. Grease crackled, and the smoky aroma of bacon filled the air. Her stomach rumbled in appreciation. Confusion pushed past her hunger. He was cooking?

Alex scowled. “You don’t actually eat, do you?” Vampires were capable of consuming actual food. However, finding one who varied their intravenous diet with a side of bacon and eggs was unusual.

He turned to answer her. “Rarely.”

Faced with so much chiseled masculinity, her thoughts scrambled. Nobody should look that good after rolling out of bed. He met her vacant expression with a raised eyebrow. She swiped the back of her hand over the drool forming on her chin.Because I’m hungry… On account of the bacon.Yep.

Mental shake.Focus. Why did that seem exceptionally hard today? It didn’t help that she was still uncaffeinated.

Huh. What do you know? That charcoal thermal clung to his chiseled pecs the same as it did his shoulders. Dang it!

Mental shake. Again. If he didn’t eat, that meant he was…coddling.Her teeth clacked together.

“Then who is all of that for?” She flicked a hand toward the skillet.

Jericho frowned, studying her with cautious eyes as though she stood before him with a butcher knife in her hand. He responded in a slow and deliberate tone. “You’re human… Well, more or less.” He winced. “You need to eat.”

Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. He knew damn well that wasn’t what she meant. She folded her arms beneath her breasts, and Jericho’s focus dipped. She peeked down and cringed. The drooping neckline bared plenty of cleavage.

While she debated if she should just brazen it out, his heavy-lidded gaze slid lower. As he took in the indecent amount of thigh her borrowed shirt revealed, his golden eyes darkened to burnt copper.

And that’s when it hit her.I’m half-naked. Wearing. Jericho’s. T-shirt.The one he’d been reluctant to remove in her presence. Why, she hadn’t a clue. It wasn’t as if he was hiding a flabby stomach. The guy was a solid wall of lean muscle.