“I think…” He pulled her closer, the slow burn of hunger that had simmered for days igniting under her teasing touch. “I’ve got another choice to make.”
Her eyes darkened. “Yeah?” she asked huskily.
“Yeah.” Then he captured her lips with his, utterly content to follow this woman into the flames.
Chapter 17
Cass
Cass woke, wrapped in the heat of Grayson’s body, his arm a welcome weight on her hip, his quiet snores tickling her ear. The unrelenting reality of the last few days was buffered by what they had shared the night before. It might not be the best timing, but she was falling for Grayson, and honestly, she didn’t need her cards or her magic to be at peace with her choice. They both had their scars, but they weren’t young kids running on hormones and drama. They were old enough to recognize how integral those life lessons were to who they chose to be, and she found she really liked who they were together. Too used to standing on her own, she’d never thought she’d like a protective partner, but with the way he handled her family and all that went with it, she found her mind changing. Then there was how honest he was in what he wanted. It was refreshing not to have to play the guessing games that so often came with new relationships. A bigger plus was that even knowing where she came from, he was still here, and more, wanted to be here.
Behind her, Grayson shifted in his sleep, his arm tightening, pulling her back deeper into him, and her body stirred in response. She couldn’t help her instinctive wriggle and grinned as evidence rose that she wasn’t the only one who really, really liked what they shared in bed.
Warm lips slid along her neck to her shoulder, and his voice held the rough edge of sleep when he said, “Morning, sweetheart.”
She reached back, giving him room to explore, and managed a purring “Morning.” Then she stopped thinking and just felt as he kept stroking her, slowly shifting their positions until she lay under him as he kissed her senseless and his hands drove her crazy.
Things were getting good when the doorbell rang.
Grayson lifted his head and aimed a dark look at the bedroom door. “What the hell?”
Cass caught her breath. “What time is it?”
Grayson check the clock on his nightstand. “It’s not even seven.”
The doorbell went again, and a whisper of anxiety crawled through Cass as reality intruded. Whoever was on the other side was not going away. Reluctantly, she let Grayson go. “We need to answer it.”
She turned back to find Grayson watching her, his earlier irritation gone, replaced by understanding. “Call your parents—check on Sofia. I’ll get the door.”
He gave her a quick kiss then got up and dragged on a pair of loose cotton pants before heading out of the bedroom. Cass rolled to the other side, found her phone, and checked for messages. The edge of panic dulled when she didn’t find anything new. She debated calling versus texting and went with the latter because she wasn’t ready to field the unanswerable questions her mother would ask. Text sent, she got dressed. She took time to throw her hair up into a sloppy bun, brush her teeth, and wash her face. By the time she finished, she had a response from her mother that there was no change with Sofia and a demand to know when Cass was coming back with Grayson. Since Cass didn’t have an answer, she ignored it. Instead, she opened the bedroom door and stepped into the living room to find a bare-chested Grayson talking with another man.
Their conversation stopped at her entrance, but Grayson held out a hand to her. “Cass, this is Zane. I asked him to look into Russ.”
She took his hand, letting him bring her to his side. “Hello.”
Behind the stranger, a faint flicker of a lone wolf bared its teeth in warning. A Hunter, and one of Gray’s shadier contacts.
“Sorry to wake you.”
Zane’s voice was smooth and rich, perfectly matching the dark, piercing gaze under a heavy brow. His equally dark hair was slicked back from an angular face in shades of bronze, exposing an old scar that left a slash of white up near the left temple and an onyx stud in his left ear. A neat, closely cropped beard covered his chin, adding to his roguish appearance. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his black cargo pants. A sleeve of intricate tattoos covered one arm and disappeared under the short sleeve of his faded green T-shirt.
“But I thought you should hear what I’ve got so far,” Zane continued.
Her stomach pitched at his grim tone. “That doesn’t sound good.”
There was a hint of sympathy in Zane’s hard expression. “Let’s just say if it was my sister hooking up with him, I’d have concerns.”
She tightened her grip on Grayson’s hand. “Tell me.”
Zane’s eyebrows rose, and amusement wiped away some of the shadows. “How about a trade? Details for coffee.”
“Right, right, sorry.” She was a little flustered, realizing how rude her demand had sounded. “I’ll get a pot started.” She let go of Grayson.
“No apologies needed.” Zane headed to the living room.
Grayson ran a hand through his uncombed hair and turned to the bedroom. “I’m grabbing a shirt.”
Cass went into the kitchen and got the coffee going. As it brewed, she tried to keep her mind from spiraling. She could hear Zane typing on his phone. It seemed to take forever for the coffee to finish, but when it finally did, she poured three mugs.
