Page 43 of Marked By Moonlight

My mouth hung open.

She snorted. “What do you think I’ve been doing all week?”

I knew whatIhad been doing all week, and I wasn’t proud of it. But, hell. Women did that too? Even nice girls like Mina?

She rolled her eyes, catching the gist of my thoughts. “Like men have a monopoly on dirty fantasies.”

I did my best not to indulge in any as I hugged her again. Her arms closed around me just as fiercely, and her lips brushed my ear.

“I don’t want to go.”

Neither did I, dammit.

“I’ll get in touch. Soon,” I promised.

Yes, it was a jerk move not to offer her my number, but it was for her own safety, and I could get in touch with her through Roux.

Nodding slowly, she eased away and stepped toward the apartment. I studied her neck for any sign of a mark. But with the moon behind a cloud, it was impossible to tell.

I raised a hand in farewell. “Be careful. I mean it.”

She didn’t roll her eyes, which told me she knew how serious this was. Which was good, but totally fucked up at the same time.

Her eyes locked on mine as she whispered, “You be careful too.”

Chapter Ten

MINA

That night in bed, I lay awake, yearning for Marius and clarity. My train of thought was very PG until I touched my neck where he’d nuzzled me.

And just like that, my mind ran off with wild fantasies. So wild, I touched myself and cried out, imagining Marius driving me to the very heights of ecstasy — cameras be damned, if there were any.

I lay panting for a long time afterward, wondering about dragons, forever, and destiny.

I woke before dawn and headed to Gare du Nord for my six-thirty train to London. Premier class, no less.

I practically kissed my ticket and cried,Thank you, Gordon!

Ten minutes before departure, I settled into my seat and stared out the window, twirling my hair absently. I brushed my neck in the process, and boy, was my skin warm and tingly. Pleasantly so. The dirty kind of pleasant, I realized, yanking my hand away.

The older woman in the seat facing mine gave me an odd look, and I lectured myself. This was not the time for daydreams about my irresistible — er, infuriating — dragon shifter. It was time to focus.

I knotted my hands in my lap.Focus, focus, focus.

But Gordon hadn’t given me enough to focus on, so I ended up thinking about the previous evening. The anonymous photo troubled me — deeply — but I was pleased about one aspect. If getting involved with me was the worst thing Marius could be threatened over, that was pretty encouraging, considering his past. A past I’d never asked the details of and probably never would.

I sighed. Like last night, when I’d resolved to drag every mystery out of him, only to melt in his arms. I couldn’t think straight around the man, let alone maintain any resolve. So maybe a little time-out was a good thing.

The train slowly pulled out of the station, and passengers settled in for the ride. There were two seats on my side of the aisle, and two sets of two facing each other across from us, occupied by several businessmen. Their cologne hung in the air, and my super-sensitive nose — a hand-me-down from the shifters in my mixed ancestry — picked the scents apart. Two of the men wore sea-breeze colognes. A third had gone a little over the top with an overpowering sandalwood fragrance, while the fourth used a sporty deodorant.

My nose twitched and backed up to Mr. Sandalwood. The scent was pleasant enough, but something didn’t fit there. What?

Then it hit me. Every other man’s cologne mixed with his natural scent, but Sandalwood Guy had no underlying odor.

My eyes popped open, and my gut twisted. Vampire?

The moment my eyes met his, his thin lips curled.