“I wish I could chalk it up to being in a dangerous situation, but I felt this zing between us at the station.” she said, kissing down the side of his neck, circling back to nibble on his earlobe. “Even when I didn’t like you.”
“I felt it too and thought it was just as bizarre. Now that I know you, I want you beyond belief. But taking this any further is a bad idea,” he murmured, skimming her breasts. There were reasons, but he couldn’t think of one just then. He let out a soft groan as her tongue trailed along the outer shell of his ear.
Because her mouth was so close, he could hear her breathing step up as he cupped her breasts. What a beautiful sound, especially when her breath hitched. He knew plenty of ways to make it hitch even more, to make her gasp and pant and beg for him to take her over the edge.
Maybe it was because he’d already touched her, already knew how to make her arch, and moan, and respond, that made this feel deeper. But that simple explanation didn’t float. No, it went beyond that. He didn’t just want to screw her. He wanted her. And that was the problem. Because once he’d buried his cock inside that luscious body of hers, and wrapped himself around her, he wasn’t going to want to let her go.
Whoa. Where did that come from? Remember how wrong you are for her.
“If this is a bad idea, why are you still kissing me?” she asked.
He had to force himself to stop, even with his own admonitions ringing through his brain. He settled his hands on her waist, because he couldn’t seem to make himself step any farther away. “It’s that point that I was making, that we can’t seem to resist each other.” He had to calm his breathing.
She looked mussed and shell-shocked. “I can’t imagine what your superiors would think if you took up with a Fringer.” She smoothed her hair in quick strokes.
If only that were the problem.
Was this how his father had felt around the female prisoner? If he felt this way about her, yeah, Kade could understand why he’d thrown everything away to save her.
“I was thinking about you. Your brothers would never forgive you if this progressed.”
“No, probably not. But what you said about not selling my soul…”
His hands tightened on her waist. “I didn’t mean by seeing me.” His life was going to change dramatically. He’d lost the V on his arm when he’d been demoted. Its removal was torturous, inside and out. When he lost it again, he would have to explain why. He would not lie to her, because she would mean something if things went any further. Hell, she already did. “Your family hates me. That’s never going to change. I’ve arrested your brother, inflicted wounds on several of you. I know how losing family, identity, and pride tears away everything under your feet. I don’t want you in that position because of me.” There. It was a sound argument. “I’m not worth giving up the peace in your family. I know how important that is to you.”
She clutched his shoulders, meeting his gaze with a steely one of her own. “I’ve never run away from trouble, Kade. I try for peace but not at the expense of my heart. Someone recently gave me some excellent advice about that.”
She was killing him. The ache in his chest sharpened, and he forced himself to back away. “It’s dark. We need to stop these attacks. I need to get back to my life. You need to return to yours.”
Her expression dimmed. “To the Guard.”
“Yes.” To his life, at least. Beyond that, his future loomed like a dark hole. His only salvation would be uncovering some plot that exonerated Violet and her clan. “And hopefully your family will forgive you for your lapse in judgment. Let’s go.”
10
What the dragonfire was she thinking? That last thing Violet needed was to be putting her hands or her mouth on a Vega. Again. Even if he was gorgeous and looked at her like…she couldn’t quite pinpoint what she’d seen in his eyes, but it wasn’t lust. Or only lust, anyway. And that was even more worrisome.
Want.
Hush, she told her Dragon. Can’t have that one.
She and Kade headed out the front door, and she closed it behind them. Immediately she sensed a presence that didn’t belong there. She automatically put her hand out to hold Kade from stepping down the front steps. “Someone’s out there.”
His magick bristled. Gods, she’d never felt that before; she’d never been around Deuces other than in passing.
“It’s a Mundane,” she whispered, now sensing that kind of energy. “Smitty probably. Damned nuisance. He has this old video camera and he sneaks around with it.”
She spotted the telltale red light of his recording device way up in the tree and nodded subtly in that direction. Yard lights gave off colored glows around her palm trees and foliage, but not enough to illuminate the man. On a nearby branch sat a fire Elemental, crouched and clearly wanting to dislodge the intruder. Of course, Smitty couldn’t see him. Flit, as she’d dubbed him, jumped to a closer branch, its eyes narrowed on its prey. She gave it a shake of her head. Don’t freak out the human. It’ll be us paying for it.
Smitty had already caused them grief. If he captured a Dragon skirmish on video and sold it to the media, they’d be in a heap of trouble. Crescents who worked in various capacities in the industry might discredit the footage as a hoax, but it would be the fighters’ death knell. Once it hit the internet, thousands of people would be dissecting it. And even worse, coming here to spot the gator ape itself.
Egads.
“Enough of this.” She reached into the house and grabbed the shotgun she kept by the door. “I’d love to go Dragon and incinerate him.” She shot Kade a look. “But I’d get into all kinds of trouble.” She flew down the steps, found the spot she wanted, and aimed toward that light. The bullet hit the branch just above the son of a bitch. She saw the camera drop and heard it hit the ground. He lost his balance and fell too, becoming a pile of ill-smelling, badly dressed old man.
“Off my property!” she hollered, stalking toward him with the shotgun pointed at the ground. She had no intention of harming him, but she wanted him to get the message: no friggin’ trespassing. “Now.”
He scrambled to his feet and searched for his camera. “I’m jus’ lookin’ for the gator ape. I know it’s here. I’m pretty sure it ate the skunk ape, ‘cause I ain’t seen that one since I saw the gator ape. I know you got it here. Maybe more than one. Jus’ let me have a picture, and I’ll be on my way.”
