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“You’ll kill me.”

She smiled at him and shook her head. “Why would I do that?”

Without answering her, he leaned down and kissed her. All thoughts scattered and Neri concentrated on Hunter’s touch for the next few hours, letting go of all her worries.

***

Neri hadn’t realized how late in the day it had become until she glanced over her shoulder to the west to see the sun in line with the tops of the pines scattering the property. She heard the birds chirping in the trees and a stream running close to where they stood, but there was no sound of traffic or other noise pollution.

Kai answered the door before Hunter knocked. He smiled at them and without knowing why, her cheeks heated at the insinuation in his smile.

“Hey,” Hunter said.

“Liv was expecting you earlier, but I figured since you two had such a late night...” Kai trailed off.

Neri leaned forward and growled. “Do you want to find yourself on top of the tallest building in Denver in a blink?”

The amusement from Kai’s face disappeared, and he straightened. “Can you do that?”

“No clue. Do you want to find out?”

“I do,” Liv cut in.

It was Neri’s turn to stand up straight. She hadn’t meant to threaten Kai in front of Liv and she wouldn’t have followed through with it.

Neri turned to Liv the tiny vampire and again, every instinct in her body stood at attention, wanting to protect the curly haired woman. Neri managed a tight smile.

“I didn’t—”

Liv’s tinkling laugh made Neri smile at her, a genuine one this time. “I’m only joking. But I heard about what happened last night and I’m glad you were there.”

Neri blushed when she remembered how she killed the shifter and wondered what the others thought about her. Hunter wouldn’t change his mind, but she had no clue about the others.

“Why did you drive a truck here?”

Liv’s question diverted her thoughts. “Oh, yeah, um… Hunter told me how close all of you are to each other and while you and the other vampires don’t eat, the shifter’s do. But everyone needs a dinner table, and I made this a year ago and I’m proud of it and thought you might like…”

Hunter pulled her close when her voice trailed away.

“What Neri is trying to say is she brought you a dining room table she designed and created herself. It can sit twenty people. She also included an extension if you needed more room.”

Kai wrapped his arm around Liv’s waist and instead of insulting her, which Neri worried she had, Liv beamed at her as she bounced on the balls of her feet, excited. “I can’t wait to see it.”

Neri nodded toward the door and instead of only Kai and Liv, everyone followed them. When they reached the back of her extended cab pickup, she pulled off the tarp to reveal the chunky oak dining table gleaming in the sun.

“I thought about leaving it rustic, but I opted for a polyurethane finish on the top to stop moisture from warping the wood and to prevent dents and scratches from everyday use and left the rest unvarnished. The pedestal bases are sturdy enough to support the extensions and if you want chairs, I have plenty of light oak in the workshop for them.”

Neri watched Liv for her reaction and when tears welled in her eyes, Neri’s instinct screamed at her to step forward and hug her. Instead, she found a face full of curly hair and a vampire wrapped around her who smelled of lovely lemongrass and green apple.

Despite her earlier nervousness, Neri laughed as Liv pulled back, wiping her eyes. “I hope you like it.”

“I love it,” Liv turned to Kai and the way he looked at his mate had Neri turning away, as not to intrude. “Thank you, Neri.”

And with Liv’s words, Hunter, Kane, and Drew who she remembered meeting only the day before, sauntered up to the bed of her truck, lifted the table, and moved it toward the door and inside the house. Liv reached for her hand and squeezed once before she tugged for Neri to follow.

From what she remembered of the house as she ran through with her mind in panic mode didn’t do the place justice. Scattered around were couches and chairs in rustic colors, browns and beiges, but they seemed comfortable. The space was open with colossal windows that viewed the mountains and pines surrounding the property. The dark wood paneling and the rustic feel of the place, along with the modern kitchen and the beautiful staircase leading upstairs, made the house feel welcoming.

Hunter and the others set up the table where Liv indicated she wanted it, and when Neri opened her mouth to thank them, a little voice inside her head stopped her cold.