“I know.” No apology lived in his tone, but raw desire glittered in his eyes.
Enough to make her pause. Even if she wanted to, could she handle him? Her body wanted to be overwhelmed and overtaken, but her brain knew better. “Not like this.”
His eyes darkened to storm clouds reflected in a pure-green riverbed. “Then how?”
She coughed. Leave it to Zane to cut to the heart of the matter. “As part of whatever is happening. I won’t be the woman you stash in safety as you fight.” Reasoning with a turned-on vampire was crazy. Add his demon lineage into the mix, and she should just stab him and be done with it. “We work together, or we workagainsteach other. Friends or enemies. Your choice.”
He released her and stepped back. “What if I don’t want either?”
His low rumble full of desire rippled through her as if he licked her skin, and she swayed in place. When aroused, his voice lowered to a hoarseness that sounded like a full-blooded demon’s. “What do you want?” God, she should not have asked that.
“Same thing you do. One night before we go back to war.” He shoved a rough hand through his dark hair, leaving him tousled and dangerous. “We’ve been moving toward this since the first time you invaded my dreams. I want you. You want me. One or both of us aren’t going to see next year.” He glanced at the bed. “We have tonight.”
She followed his gaze to the large bed. The flutters in her abdomen increased to full-out vibrations. She’d loved him since she was four years old, and through the years, that sense had only increased. He could’ve overtaken her with seduction but instead was making sure she fully acquiesced. Maybe the sweet kid she’d known hadn’t changed completely. She returned her focus to him. “Tomorrow you’ll take me back?”
He stilled and put up a large-boned hand. Make that a humongous hand. “Whoa. I’m taking you back whether you moan my name tonight or not. This isn’t a bargaining chip.”
Heat swarmed into her face. “Iknowthat. God.” She’d stab him in the heart before she’d bargain her body for freedom.
“Oh.” He cleared his throat.
She grinned. How had they gone from panting to awkwardness? “Our history makes this kind of difficult.”
He nodded. “You’re worried we have too much to lose.”
“Perhaps too much to live up to.” Her shoulders relaxed. “It’s too much of a risk.”
He rubbed the dark stubble along his sharp jawline. “Risks make life worthwhile.” His gaze direct, he crossed flexed arms. “Take a risk, Janie Belle.”
Yeah, that low tenor shot straight to her clit. But she had a brain, and she needed to use it. “I’m not some stupid female who’ll jump your bones without knowing the plan, without being part of the plan. This isn’t to scratch an itch, Zane. It’s you and me.” If he didn’t get that, then one night together wouldn’t make a difference. He had to let her in for them to make a go of it. Of them.
“You’re special to me.” Frustration twisted his upper lip.
“Then let’s come up with a plan, and hopefully we’ll have more than one night.” Plus, although she’d never admit it, she needed time. Time to make sure she wanted the real Zane, the deadly soldier, and not the Zane she’d invented in her fantasies. For years she’d only known glimpses of him in safe dream worlds.
This man was nowhere near safe. In fact, he’d always been her escape from the violence of her life, and here he was, a manintimatewith violence. With death and destruction. Even she had heard of theGhost, and the thought that the feared assassin was actually her childhood friend warned her to proceed with caution. To make sure reality meshed with her impressions.
Even so, giving up wasn’t in her nature, and she had to hold on to some hope they’d survive the war. She frowned, trying to use her brain and not screw the consequences and jump his hot body. “Why are you agreeing to take me back tomorrow?”
His chin lowered. “I have twenty-four hours to find my mother and get her to safety, or she’s dead.”
Janie tilted her head. “I don’t understand the correlation.”
“That’s the amount of time I have to take you to Suri so he can give you to Kalin.” Zane shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes glittering.
“Oh.” Janie exhaled, her mind spinning. How did that make any sense? “Are you taking me to Suri?”
Zane’s face hardened. “No. Which means if I don’t find my mother before the clock counts down, then I need to get you to the vampires for protection.”
Janie sighed, her heart warming. Nice that he didn’t want to sacrifice her, but maybe there was another way. He needed to listen to her. “Why not take me home now?”
Zane leaned back against the wall. “Because that’s not the plan.” The unyielding tightening of his jaw guaranteed he wouldn’t reconsider. Any semblance of the man she’d known disappeared, leaving only the warrior behind. The one she didn’t know. “Believe it or not, we have sources in the Realm, and if Suri discovers I’ve taken you home, he’ll kill my mother,” he said.
Janie fought to control her temper. “Where does Suri think you are right now?”
“Scouting the Oregon compound to best figure out how to take you.” Zane reached behind his back to gather paper blueprints. “This is the sketch of the Realm headquarters I have, but I was hoping you would fill in the details for me.”
“Why?” Janie shook her head. “If you’re taking me back, why do you need to know about headquarters?”
