"Is that so?" I turned to him. My fingers trailed up his chest, feeling the beat of his heart.
"Care to test them out?" His voice was low, teasing.
"Maybe just one or two," I whispered, closing the gap until our lips met.
As we kissed, Daniel’s hands roamed over my back, pulling me in closer, as if he could never get enough. I felt his love through every touch, each one sending tingles down my spine.
"Emma," he breathed, breaking away just enough to speak. "I love you."
"I love you too," I answered, not missing a beat. It was the truth, simple and pure.
The counter was cool against my back as he lifted me onto it, his body pressing against mine as he lifted up my skirt and pushed my panties to the side. We moved together, slowly at first, then with a growing urgency that neither of us wanted to resist.
We found a rhythm, the kitchen disappearing around us as we focused only on each other. The world narrowed to the sound ofour breaths, the feel of his hands on me, and the look in his eyes that told me everything I needed to know.
It felt forbidden to do this in the kitchen, and I came to completion fairly quickly, with Daniel right behind me.
We were catching our breath, Daniel's forehead resting against mine when the knock came. Three sharp taps. Because, of course, this would be the time someone would choose to drop by.
"Ugh, really?" I muttered, sliding off the counter and straightening my skirt.
"Who could that be at this hour?" Daniel frowned, buttoning his jeans.
"Let's find out." I smoothed my hair and followed him to the door.
He cracked it open, and there stood Beth and Wade, looking anxious. More than anxious. Something about them immediately put me on alert.
"Sorry to bother you two," Beth started, her eyes darting between us, a knowing smirk briefly crossing her lips before she turned serious again.
"Hey, what's up?" Daniel leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest. His casual pose didn't fool anyone; he was ready to spring into action if needed.
"We didn't mean to interrupt." Wade shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "But we've got a situation. There's an injured unicorn out there."
"Another unicorn?" My mind raced from the shock of being interrupted to confusion.
"We got a trail but could use Daniel's nose," Wade explained, looking directly at Daniel.
Daniel, being a bear shifter, had an excellent nose. If someone could track an injured unicorn through the dark, damp woods, it would be him. I understood why they’d asked.
"Let's do it," Daniel replied without hesitation.
"Give us a minute," I said, grabbing Daniel’s hand and pulling him back inside.
"Of course," Wade nodded, stepping back to allow us space.
I made sure the stove was off and wrote a quick note for Henry and Alice, along with sending them a text, while Daniel grabbed his wallet and phone. Then, we took a minute to clean ourselves up before heading for the door.
We hurried out, locking the door behind us, and trotted down the porch steps to Daniel's truck, parked under the glow of the streetlight. He tossed me the keys.
"You can drive. I'll try to pick up the scent through the open window as we get closer," he said as he climbed into the passenger side.
"Got it," I replied, sliding behind the wheel while Wade and Beth got in the back.
The engine roared to life, and we pulled away from the curb.
"Unicorn blood glows," Wade said, settling into the backseat. "I followed a trail, but it went cold."
"Glows?" I glanced in the rearview mirror.
