Warmth rushed to herface.
Amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes. “I want a place for us to relax and be away from everything. I’ll help Hedori sort this out. It’s better you work in the library fornow.”
“Okay.” She grinned and then told him the news. “National Geographicwants the series I did onNightlife.”
“That’s good… Damn.” He rubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw. “I hate doing this when I see how excited you are about your work, but being my mate, it will be dangerous for you to continue. We have deadlyenemies.”
She chewed her lip and looked around the workroom covered in sawdust and wooden sculptures. Yes, she’d known that after her conversation with the other women. Mostly, her job was a way to move around the country while she looked for hermother.
“I know.” A thought took hold. She smiled. “Since I can’t be idle, I’ll work for you and design a catalogue selling your sculptures online. It’s sacrilege that you use them asfirewood.”
He stilled, but his eyes gleamed with an emotion that made her heart trip. In one stride, he crossed to her and pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss. “We are meant tobe.”
* * *
Dagan parkedthe Ford deep in a dingy alley downtown, and Shae warily took in the gloomy surroundings. Nothing moved in the still night, except for up the street where a noisy crowd gathered near ClubAnarchy.
He leaped from the vehicle and rounded the hood to her side. She swiped back her wavy bangs with cold fingers as he opened the door, and got briefly distracted by him. Leathers hugged his muscular thighs and a black Henley covered his wide chest. Despite the chilly weather, he hadn’t bothered with a coattonight.
“Stick to the plan,” he repeated, grasping her waist and helping her down. But the intractable jut to his jaw spoke volumes. No, he wasn’t happy about any of this. Still, even he couldn’t argue with the logic of how fail-proof her planwas.
“I got this. Stop worrying.” She patted hischest.
“Not worry whenyou’reputting yourself in harm’sway?”
“Dagan—” She sighed. “You know it’s faster this way. Besides, what they don’t know is that I’m no longer what I once was. If anything goes wrong, you’ll be close and can kick theirasses.”
He gave her an unamused look. “Nice try, but you aren’t leaving my sight, not even for a second. If you sense an inkling of danger, call me, use your telepathiclink.”
She rolled her eyes. “I can teleport, nottelepath.”
Yes, you can.He pulled off one of the several black bands from his wrist and tied his ropey hair into a ponytail.Just think your message to me, like I’m doing now. Use your mind. When we soul-joined, it opened our mentalpathway.
At the faint sound of his voice in her head, her mouth dropped open. Well,thatshe didn’t know. She nodded.Okay.
Laughter at the entrance to the busy club up the alley drew her attention. Her cell beeped with a message. She pulled her phone from her coat pocket.He’s here. I’ll hang around in case you needme.
“It’s Harvey. Luka’s here.” Right. Time to get the show on the road. No use putting off the inevitable—the moment she’d been dreading since their arrival. “Let’s get this done. You should make yourselfinvisible.”
When he didn’t move, she reminded him, “It’s the only way you can be close enough to keepwatch.”
She unbuttoned her long coat, and his gaze lowered to the dipping neckline of her dress, revealing the curves of her breasts. A tic started on his jaw, but he remained silent. She shrugged off her outer garment, and as she turned to leave it in the truck, a furious snarl erupted behindher.
“No. Fucking.Way!”
She winced. Taking a deep breath, Shae pivoted, keeping her expression calm. “What?”
“Don’t play the innocent game with me, Shae-cat, you won’t win.” His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Is that why you dressedbeforeI came up to change for work? So I wouldn’t see this…this underwear you call adress?”
She grimaced. True. Still, she’d thought the mid-thigh-length, silky, black dress sexy. But seen throughhiseyes with its backless style dipping low to her hips and almost non-existent straps—yeah, it probably showed too muchskin.
“You’ve seen me in short skirts before, how is this any different? Besides, men are visual creatures, so this slip dress isperfect.”
“You aremymate!Mine. Only I get to see you thisway!”
At the utter possessiveness rolling off him, Kira’s comment from last night ricocheted in Shae’s head,The hardass is gonna go crazy seeing you likethis.
Before he could flash her back to the castle to change—and he was quite capable of doing so—she hastily added, “Dagan, I have to draw his attention. Fast. This is the only way…unless you want me to throw myself athim?”
