Page 41 of Cold Curses

What had he gotten himself into? Whom was he trying to avoid, and who’d put that nasty cut on his face?

“A lot of retribution being dished out tonight,” I murmured, and went back inside.

Eleanor of Aquitaine sat at the threshold, tail swishing nervously.

“What?” I asked, and glanced behind me, wondering if I’d tracked in a demon. But there was only darkness, which was a vampire’s bosom friend. I walked in, closed and locked the door.

“Everything is fine,” I said.

Apparently satisfied by that or bored by the conversation, she stalked off.

The first floor was empty, so I turned off the lights and checked the security system. Finding a complete absence of demons, I made my way to the master bedroom on the third floor.

Connor, still in wolf form, was stretched out on the bed. Tail to ears, he nearly reached from headboard to footboard.

He blinked his eyes open when I entered, watched me move, but didn’t stir.

I put my screen on the bedside table and changed. And when I came back, I found my screen on the floor.

I looked at him. “Seriously?”

He didn’t speak or move. But I was absolutely certain I knew why he was looking at me like that—and had apparently batted my screen to the floor.

“He’s an informant,” I said, and climbed into bed. “I had to take his call.”

If a wolf could be sardonic, the low sound he made was a perfect example of it.

“Someone cut him, if that makes you feel better.”

Another wolfy grumble—this one had satisfaction in it.

I lay down, and Connor curled beside me. “You okay?” I asked.

He nuzzled his head against my head. Either in reassurance or because he wanted more scritches. I obliged, and we fell asleep together, a girl and her wolf.

EIGHT

I was awoken by heat and touch and the press of lips on my shoulder. I was snuggled into Connor’s very human body, which was warm and relaxed behind me. Well, but for the portions that were very much not relaxed, but rigid with desire.

He scraped his teeth against my neck.

“Are you going to bite me?” I asked, voice low in the darkness.

His growl sent delicious frissons down my spine. “Would you like me to?”

“I’m not entirely sure.”

He laughed full out now. “Not something a vampire should equivocate on, Lis.”

His laughter burned away that little bit of remaining worry about last night’s injuries.

“I think you’re feeling better now.”

His response was somewhere between purr and growl, and it was the precursor to the slow movement of his hands up to my breasts. His fingers were playful, teasing, which assured me he was feeling better.

“I’m glad,” I said. “And I’m fully prepared to take advantage of your…health.”

I rolled over him, enjoyed my first look at his face. His brilliant blue eyes were still drowsy from sleep—or possibly from leftovermagic. His beautiful lips were cocked into a half-smile. His hair was a mass of sleep-tousled waves. And he was completely naked.