It was true. Damn. This was exactly what she and Zach had been talking about.
“Tomorrow, I’ll start looking in the Duine libraries too, really ramp up my search. There must be something.”
“I’ll look at the college too,” Elizabeth agreed. Her tone hardened. “And who knows, maybe David will finally come back with something.”
Ethan squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll help too, however I can.”
“Thanks, Ethan,” Elizabeth said. “And I think you both should come for a visit. We need to regroup. Put everything we’ve learned together and see what it means.”
“I’m on shifts most of this week,” Ethan replied slowly, “but we could drive out next Saturday and stay for a few days.”
“Then we can all drive back together and see David,” Kay added.
“If we have to,” Elizabeth agreed sarcastically, and they all chuckled before saying their goodbyes.
Kay twisted to look up at Ethan. “Do you think you might want to meet David?”
He lifted a strand of her hair, rubbing it between his fingers. “Maybe…. can I meet Elizabeth first and see how I feel?”
“Absolutely.” She nestled into his side. He hadn’t dismissed the idea. He’d even agreed to visit Elizabeth without flinching. He’d seen the dark Shadows and fought beside her, but he’d also seenher, and he hadn’t run. More than that, he’d saidwe—we’re going to find out together—like it was a given.
He’d promised to help her and, for the first time since Elizabeth’s dream, Kay didn’t feel alone. She felt part of something bigger. Something important. Something that was building between her and Ethan.
She finished the last of her drink and put the glass back on the table. Before anything else, she absolutely had to get out of the dirty, sweaty, and almost certainly smelly, clothes she was wearing. “Would it be okay if I took a shower?”
Ethan stood, pulling her up with him. “Help yourself. You’re welcome to grab a shirt if you like. There are fresh towels in the cupboard under the sink. I’ll order us some pizza while you’re in there.”
The shower was glorious. Decadently hot water followed by a massive fluffy towel to dry herself with. By the time she was clean and warm, the last thing she wanted was to pull on her grimy leggings and sweat-soaked sports bra. Instead, she rifled in Ethan’s drawers and found one of his T-shirts. It was old and faded, worn to softness, and she breathed deeply through her nose as she pulled it on, enjoying the woody fragrance of his aftershave.
Her skin was glowing from the shower. Whisky and heat combined in her belly. The adrenaline from the fight and the shock of realizing exactly what they’d prevented still tingled down her spine, sparking her senses. Ethan had fought beside her. He’d supported her when it counted, and now she was standing in his room, surrounded by his scent.
His shirt trailed along the top of her thighs, falling loosely from her shoulders. As she moved, it slid over her skin, waking her nerves and building her awareness of her Shadows as they uncoiled deep in her belly. And she could hear Ethan walking around in the next room.
All the hours of flirting, getting to know each other, and holding her Shadows back when all they wanted to do was wrap around him, had culminated in this moment. Her skin was flushed, her body naked beneath his shirt, and his promise was repeating in her ears:Together.
Now she wanted to see exactly how potent they could be.
She gave herself one last look in the mirror, ran her fingers through her hair to smooth the damp tendrils curling in short wisps over her cheeks, and stepped quietly back out to the living room.
The pizza had arrived, and Ethan was putting plates and napkins onto a small table when he looked up. And then, very slowly, he let go of everything he was holding and straightened.
His eyes raked up the length of her legs exposed under his shirt, paused at her breasts under the softly draped fabric, and then he dragged his gaze to her face.
“Thanks for the shirt,” she said, letting her fingers tangle lightly with the hem where it fluttered against her thigh.
“It suits you,” he replied, his voice low, almost rough, eyes completely focused on her.
Kay took another step into the room. The floorboards were cold against her feet, but the rest of her body was on fire, her Shadows swirling. The movement made the shirt slip down her shoulder, and Ethan swallowed as his eyes slid along her exposed skin.
He stepped closer and skimmed a finger slowly up her bare shoulder, following the path his eyes had taken, and then ever so slowly along her clavicle to pause right at the top of her cleavage. He opened his hand, splaying his fingers over her chest.
Her nipples tightened into aching points, and Kay closed her eyes, allowing herself to stand with her head tilted slightly back, neck exposed.
Their breathing deepened as he ran his other hand up her leg, slowly bunching the T-shirt into his fist, his knuckles dragging over the heated skin on the outside of her thigh.
He reached her hip and groaned softly as he realized she was naked under the shirt, and she opened her eyes to see him staring down at her, his eyes dark and intent.
His focus made her even more intensely aware of her body and the sensitivity of her skin. Her pulse beat in her throat against the tips of his fingers. She could feel the pressure of his hand against her thigh, and the constant thrumming of their Shadows reaching out and twining together, slowly winding tighter between them.
