Page 86 of Blood Stone

“Answer him, Vicent,” Winter demanded.

Vicent stirred and looked at Nial. “It is necessary for our survival.” He returned his gaze to Winter’s face.

Nial began to smile. “Winter, order this little pipsqueak to sit down and listen to what I have to tell him. He’s about to hear a long story about the history of vampires, and then he’s going to get a proposition that’ll make his brows raise and stay raised until he gets back to wherever he comes from and can talk it over with the rest of his Curandero buddies. They want survival? They’re about to get it in spades, only it doesn’t look anything like what it has for the last millennium or two.”

Winter could feel her own smile forming. “Vicent? Have a seat. I want you to talk to Nial.”

* * * * *

Kate drifted from sleep to wakefulness, coaxed by the gentlest of caresses on her face and lips and neck. The bedside lamp was on, and turned down low.

“There you are,” Adrian murmured. “It’s six p.m. Breakfast is on your desk.”

Her head was on his shoulder, her arm around his waist, and her leg curled over his thigh. She was clinging to him. “God, look at me. I’m a leech.”

“I don’t mind at all.” She could hear amusement in his voice, rumbling in his chest beneath her ear. His fingers traced her jaw. “You were talking in your sleep again.”

There was a nuance in his tone that put her on alert. “Did you pick up any good gossip?” she asked, making it sound casual.

“You said my name.”

“Damn. Call the cops. I’m busted.” She reached up and gave his jaw a quick kiss and tried to slide from the bed. But his arm tightened its grip around her shoulders, holding her in place.

“It’s the way you said it.”

Kate found her gaze caught by a tiny scar she had never noticed before, just by his left nipple. It was pale and very old and shaped like a bass clef in music—

“Kate.”

She reluctantly lifted her chin to look him in the eye.

His thumb swept along her jaw. “If you were ever to catch me sleeping, I’d be calling your name, too. We’re both in this.”

Relief touched her. “You don’t mind?”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Because it’s you, I don’t give a flying fuck. Which should scare the shit out of me…and it doesn’t.”

She pushed herself up until she was resting on top of him and kissed him. It was delicious…a slow spiral down into hedonistic depths.

Until he pushed her away from him, his arms holding her up at full length. “Breakfast,” he said firmly.

“I hate you.” She tried to pout.

He grinned and lowered her down to kiss her one more time. “One tiny step at a time, Kate. Or wewillend up hating each other. And I don’t want to hate you. I really don’t.”

* * * * *

Garrett shook Winter awake. She sat up, her red hair tumbling around her shoulders, her eyes sleepy and the silk business shirt sliding down and exposing one shoulder.

She didn’t stir him, but he was beginning to understand the passion and love that Nial and Sebastian held for her. She was an alluring woman and she was an intelligent one. For Nial, certainly, that would be a powerful combination.

“You let me sleep?” she said, pulling her clothes into order.

“You needed it,” Garrett told her. “Nial and I have been doing nothing more exciting than educating your Vicent all day, anyway.” He nodded toward the window. “They’re just finishing.”

She glanced at the clock over the desk. “Oh lord, the location bus leaves in ninety minutes. Did Sebastian go back to his computer?”

“Hours ago.”