“He could be in any of a thousand buildingsin the area. We’ll have better odds of finding him at night, whenhe’s most likely hunting his prey.” Paige glanced at the doors; sheknew he was right, but she was eager to get this over with. “Comeon, we could both use some rest too.”
Paige leaned into his side as they walkedout of the main lobby and stepped into the hallway before theelevators. The ringing slots and the crescendo of the voices in thecasino became louder. She glanced down the long hall to the casinobeyond. From here she could see the dim neon lights and the firstrow of slot machines.
A slew of zombie-like people sat before theslots. Their slack faces were highlighted by the splash of lightpouring from the machines; she wondered if they stopped to go tothe bathroom or continued to sit there. Then, one of them rose totheir feet, and another one passed out on top of the buttons of themachine.
“I think I’m going to see what kind ofexcitement I can find,” Aiden said. “It is the city that neversleeps.”
“That’s New York,” Ethan told him.
“I think it’s both,” Aiden replied. “But youknow, what happens in Vegas…”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah we get it, you know cityslogans. Just don’t get in any trouble,” Ian interrupted.
“I’ll join you.” Brian stepped away from theelevators. The two of them made their way down the hall to theadjoining casino, laughing as they went.
“Are those twofriends?” David askedincredulously.
“I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Ethanmuttered.
“Why?” Ronan inquired and turned to facethem.
Paige couldn’t stop the small shiver thatran through her when those strangely colored eyes skipped over her.She’d felt his power as a human, now it radiated from him invibrant waves that rattled her bones and caused her teeth tochatter. “Do you trust him?” she inquired.
“With my life.” A ripple of shock wentthrough Ian and into the connection linking their minds at Ronan’sanswer. “Annoying and lethal doesn’t equal untrustworthy. You feelthe same way, or you wouldn’t call him when you feel he couldhelp.”
Ethan bowed his head in agreement. “I’d liketo kill him eighty-five percent of the time, he put us all indanger once. I don’t like him around Emma because of whatever it ishe’s still involved with, but heistrustworthy.”
“He’s not involved in anything other thantrying to keep our race safe. The same as me,” Ronan replied.
The elevator chimed, announcing its arrivalbefore the doors opened. Paige crowded into the elevator with them.She felt like an ant compared to the group surrounding her; shecouldn’t imagine what Emma felt like as she stood against Ethan’sside. Paige watched the floors tick by. When they hit the tenthfloor, she began to question if the elevator’s weight capacity wasright and if it would hold them. Maybe they weren’t close to theweight limit, but the power within the car made it feel as if therewere twice as many people in it. The doors finally opened on floortwenty-nine.
Emma, Ethan, David, and Ronan stepped out,but Ian held her back when she went to follow them. “We’re on thenext floor,” he told her.
Emma let out a little squeal when Ethanpicked her up and threw her over his shoulder. “See you in theafternoon,lateafternoon,” Ethan said as he walked down thehall with Emma laughing over his shoulder. Lifting her head, Emmagave them a little wave before disappearing into the room withhim.
The doors slid shut and the elevatorcontinued upward. “Why are we on a different floor?” Paige askedhim.
Ian gave her a mischievous smile as thedoors opened. “I figured we’d get something a little fancier forourselves to celebrate becoming mated.”
Paige barely had a chance to register hiswords before Ian bent and swung her into his arms. She laughed asshe wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on hisshoulder. He carried her down the hall holding her against hischest. Adjusting his hold on her, he pulled the electronic card forthe room from his pocket. He swiped it through the keypad andpushed the door to their room open.
She’d never seen a room so big or elaboratebefore in her life. Her eyes went everywhere at once; she didn’tthink she’d ever be able to take it all in, there wastoomuch. “Like it?” Ian inquired and nuzzled her hair.
“I love it!” she cried.
“And you haven’t seen the tub yet.”
Paige followed him through the first roomthat she could only describe as the sitting room. It had anassortment of deep red sofas arranged on a gleaming, oak hardwoodfloor. Ian kept hold of her hand as he flicked on the light switchin the bedroom. She hadn’t known they could make beds as big as theone facing her right now. Ian would fit comfortably on it;fiveIan’s could sleep comfortably on it.
She was still reeling at the massive bedwhen Ian turned on the light to the bathroom across the way. Shewondered if it was possible for a human’s,noa vampire’sjaw to become unhinged because she was certain hers almost hit thefloor. The bathtub across from her could be considered a small poolor an oversized Jacuzzi.
“Tired?” he asked as he ran his hands overthe marble of the tub. What those hands could do… Every bit ofexhaustion she’d been feeling fled at the prospect of crawling intothat tub with him. A smile curved his mouth as he turned the wateron before gliding across the room toward her.
The feel of his hands on her hips searedthrough her clothes to heat her flesh. “Not really,” she managed toget out.
She loved his smile, she decided as he benthis head and kissed her tenderly. His hands slid down over herribcage to grab hold of the bottom of her shirt. Her heart rateescalated, her pulse pounded in her ears. He hadn’t undressed heryet, and she felt as turned on as the lights over them. Lifting herarms, she reveled in the sensation of her clothes sliding over herhypersensitive skin.
The irresistible urge to scream built in herthroat as he trailed a single finger down her chest, over thecenter of her bra and further over her stomach. The simple touch ofhis finger caused her to become wet as a growing pressure began tobuild within her. She reached for him, needing him inside of heralready, needing the release only his body could give her.
