Max hummed. “Maybe under different circumstances, but it’s all hands on deck at the minute, and I can fill you in on the way. Protecting Axel and finding Vai Zh’alek is her main concern. If I tell her you can help, then she’ll gladly accept it.”
I still wasn’t convinced. “Pretty sure I’ve not got a lot to offer sinceit’s not my case.”
“A fresh pair of eyes. That’s what you can offer. And besides—” He grimaced, and I narrowed my eyes. “—with all those shifters in the same room as three fae, I might need a hand wrangling them. Especially if Axel and Talis are their usual prickly selves with each other.”
“Isn’t that why you have partners?”
“Yes, but Dathal isn’t all that rational when it comes to Axel.”
“In other words, you want me as some sort of babysitter?”
Max grinned for a second before tugging me closer. He caught me off guard and I stumbled into his chest.
He tsked softly. “Such poor reflexes for a shifter.”
I snorted. “I’d like to see you fare any better in just a towel.”
Wrapping his big strong arms around me, he planted both hands on my arse. “As much as I like seeing you in this towel and nothing else, please get dressed and come with me?” I went to protest again, but he silenced me with a kiss. Though it was over far too quickly, it still set my pulse racing.
Max’s too, judging by the way he looked at me when he pulled back.
“Honestly,” he said, thumbs stroking my lower back. “I don’t care about any of what I just said. I want you to come with me because I’m not ready to let you go yet. There’s so much we need to talk about, and I don’t want to let you out of my sight until we’ve done that. I know it sounds stupid, but—”
I silencedhimwith a kiss this time. “It’s not stupid.”
“It’s not?”
“No. I feel exactly the same.” Relief washed through me and I rested my forehead against his, smiling. “If you’d led with that, I would’ve said yes straight away.”
“Really?”
“Really.” I kissed him, loving the way he melted against me. Reluctantly I let him go. “Give me five minutes to get changed and we can go.”
Now I was thankful we’d not got carried away in the forest. If we hadn’t stopped when we had, there’d be no hiding anything from Rys Calder. Or probably any of the other shifters in the room. “Do you think we should shower again?” I asked, doubt creeping in.
In answer, Max dropped to his knees and pressed his face against my stomach. The towel I had wrapped around me did nothing to hide my reaction. “You’re not helping,” I grumbled, and he laughed.
But when he leant back to peer up at me, his expression sobered. “As much as I wish I could still smell my scent all over you, it’s barely there. Nothing that they wouldn’t expect from us living together.” Pushing to his feet, he trailed a finger just above where the towel sat. “I’d like to rectify that later. After we’ve talked.” The roughness of his voice made me shiver, and he grinned. Humour restored.
I glanced down at my obvious erection, then glared at him.
“We’ll see,” I muttered, batting his hand away. “I might be too tired.” I turned and stalked back to my room to get changed, Max’s laughter following me.
“You definitely clearedit with Lady Sarhin, right?” I asked as we pulled into the station car park.
“Yes.” Max turned off the engine and faced me. “You heard me on the phone with DCI Thornton.”
And hadn’t she been pleased to be woken up at this time. “Sorry.” I rubbed my hands on my trousers. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous.” Well, that was a lie. Meeting a member of the Fae High Court was a big deal. Max took it in stride, but then he was used to dealing with her.
“Look,” he said, placing a hand over mine. “We’re all here for the same reason. She’ll be pleased we’re involving more officers.”
“Okay.” I shook off whatever nerves were trying to take hold. I was a paranormal police officer. This was my job. It might not be my case, but we often helped each other out. Just because this involved the fae didn’t mean I should treat it differently than I normally would. “Who are we meeting here?”
Max rattled off a list of names.
“Wow. Everyone then.”
He shrugged. “They were all at Midnight together. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Nick later, too.”
