Sly placed his hand on her cheek and leaned in to kiss her. She pulled away.
“What’s wrong?”
“I—I need to know something.”
“Okay…”
“All the endearments. Are you just being charming? Are you using them to keep me calm? Or are you telling me what you think I want to hear?”
“None of the above.”
Morgaine stared at him, waiting…What could he say to her?Hedidn’t even know why the pet names flowed so naturally.
“Look, it’s been a long time since I’ve been involved with anyone. I don’t know if what I’m doing is right, wrong, or…” He searched for better words. Theremustbe words to explain himself.
She ran her fingers over his thigh to his knee and back. “Maybe it’s just lust?”
The gentle pressure of her fingers felt so good, he groaned. “Morgaine, if you don’t want me to lift you up and fuck you against the wall in this public bathroom, you’ll stop that.”
She smiled sadly. “And there’s my answer.”
“No. Don’t do that. Don’t put words in my mouth.”
She dropped her gaze as well as her hand.
Baffled, Sly sighed. “What’s going through that pretty head of yours?”
When she glanced up at him, tears shimmered in her eyes.
He grasped her chin gently and turned her to face him. She tried to twist away, but he wouldn’t let her. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
“I tried not to fall for you,” she said. “I really did. I don’t want to get hurt, but I guess my heart had other ideas.”
Sly couldn’t help but be surprised.She loves me?The thought may have caught him off guard, but it didn’t scare him.
He stroked her cheek and leaned in to kiss her again. This time, she didn’t pull away. She met his lips with a tentative tremble. He kissed her once, tenderly. Then something inside him insisted he go for more. He slanted his head, cupped the back of hers and dove in for a deep kiss. She wrapped her arms around him and returned his fervor.
Yes, he could get used to this. In fact, he was damn lucky to have found someone to take a chance on him at all. How many women want a sterile, nocturnal partner on a permanent liquid diet? How many would let him sink his fangs into her neck and trust he’d take no more than he needed? And how many women could he trust with his heart like he knew he could this one?
Their lips had parted automatically. He swept the inside of her mouth with his tongue and found hers. She returned his French kiss but avoided his fangs. Swirling their tongues and tightening their embrace, Sly almost forgot where they were.
The doorknob rattled, bursting their little bubble.
“Damn. Somebody wants to come in.” Sly leapt to his feet and extended his hand to her. “Come on, dar…” What should he call her if not darling?
She smiled like she had come to some sort of peace with herself. “It’s okay, Sly. You can call me sweet names. I like it.”
“Good. Are you ready to get out of here now?”
She took his hand and stood, then pointed her finger at the door and circled her arm the other way.
He grinned. “You’re amazing.”
She shrugged. “I’m a witch.”
“And all woman.”
Morgaine had slept with her head in Sly’s lap most of the way to New York. They took a cab to their hotel, thanks to Sly mesmerizing the driver.
