“I intend to make love with you and to you—as long as you’re agreeable.”
“I—okay. You said we were going to do a little sightseeing.”
“We will,” he promised. “But I can guard your sexy body easier if we’re confined to one room. One bed.” He grinned up at her, his taniwha humming at her answering smile.
“You make funny noises.”
“I’m happy and content. Why shouldn’t I purr?” Using the cloth, he cleaned her flesh then stood and gave in to his impulse to kiss her silly. The water poured over their heads, warm and relaxing. Normally, a rousing round of sex left him sated and relaxed. While happiness filled him and if he was any more relaxed, he’d be in a coma, he still wanted her, wanted to mark her inside and out with his taniwha. Taniwha didn’t mark their mates as such, but they did mate for life. Once a taniwha committed to another—either taniwha or human—they seldom strayed. Until today Hone hadn’t managed to fathom staying with one person for the rest of his life. His own taniwha had pushed him from the start, from the second he’d met Cassie. Resisting fate and his dragon had tied him in knots until his mind flip-flopped like a little girl. It was time to trust his beast in romance, as he believed and relied on him in other facets of his life.
Cassie required wooing to start her thoughts in the same direction as his…
“What will you do once you’ve finished your vineyard shows?”
“I’m not sure. I’m meant to be going to LA.” Cassie reached for the shower gel. She opened the complimentary tube and squirted a dollop on the facecloth he still held in his hand, but she didn’t add anything further to the conversation. “My manager wants me to put out another album and go out on tour to promote it. He’d like me to focus on a crossover to the pop genre. It’s something I’m considering.”
“Turn around. I’ll do your back.” She might leave. He hadn’t considered that because of her grandfather’s house. He’d assumed she intended to stay.
“Thanks.”
Hone rubbed the cloth down her spine and over her shoulders, but his mind drifted elsewhere. Wasn’t that damn ironic? He found one woman who did it for him, once that made him consider a future and there was a possibility that she mightn’t stay in New Zealand.
For most people, that wouldn’t matter. They’d follow their woman, but for him there would be repercussions. Leaving his family support and the taniwha network would create problems. Hell, if it wasn’t such a worry, he’d laugh off his arse.
* * * * *
Herbert hated puzzles, and even more, he disliked failure. Losing the couple he’d been tailing irked him. He drove around the streets in the area where they’d shaken him and still came up empty.
Deciding he’d function better with a full stomach, he drove south and pulled into the parking lot of the first McDonald’s restaurant he saw. A burger, fries and a cold shake, all consumed inside the air-conditioned restaurant drove away his sluggishness. He pondered as he chewed. The motel. Yeah, he’d backtrack. He could book a room, say he was meeting his cousin and ask for her by name.
Nah, saying he was her cousin might raise suspicion, but he could check out the motel room. Learn if she’d checked out or he could, he thought with a flash of brilliance, watch the other girl—the friend who lived with the big, scary dude. Surly bastard, he was—the sort who’d act first and ask questions later. Worked for the private firm called George Taniwha & Son. He’d have to go under the radar to avoid detection.
He dabbed his mouth with a napkin and pushed away from the table. His chair scraped along the polished floor, and he strode out the door.
He did enjoy overcoming a challenge.
