Brigette brushed kisses over Xi’s broad chest, savoring the cool, satin perfection of his skin. She didn’t know how much time had passed. It felt as if it’d been mere minutes, but she knew that it had to have been several hours.
Time really did fly when you were having fun, she drowsily acknowledged. And there was nothing more fun than explosive, toe-curling sex with a gorgeous vampire.
She smiled as his arms tightened around her and a low growl rumbled in his throat. Xi’s heart might not race, and his skin remained cool to the touch, but she didn’t have to guess whether or not he was thoroughly sated. Not only did the scent of cedarwood drench the air, but she could feel the small vibrations that raced through his body from his most recent orgasms.
Xi pressed his lips against the top of her tangled hair, his fingers trailing down the curve of her spine.
“Well?” he murmured.
She tilted her head back in surprise. Surely, he couldn’t need reassurance. She’d nearly bitten her tongue off to keep her screams from giving away their presence.
Then, meeting the dark mystery of his gaze, she realized that his question went beyond sex. It veered into dangerous territory. Territory she wasn’t prepared to enter.
She forced a teasing smile to her lips, determined to keep him focused on their physical connection. That she could handle.
“Not bad,” she assured him.
His brow arched. “Not bad?”
“For an old man.”
“I’m not old,” he protested. “I’m experienced.”
She allowed her fingers to roam over his pale, stunningly beautiful face before moving them to trace the elegant tattoos on the sides of his head.
“Anciently experienced,” she helpfully pointed out.
His lips parted to show a hint of fang. “You’re welcome.”
She shivered. He’d scraped the fangs over her skin and used them to nibble at her most tender parts, but he’d been careful not to draw blood. She understood the care he’d taken, but there was a part of her that deeply resented the fact that she would never feel those long, sharp teeth sliding deep into her flesh.
She arched against him. “Hmm.”
He bent his head, his lips touching the tip of her nose. “There’s a smile on your face.” He nibbled kisses down to the valley between her breasts. “But I sense a conflict in here.”
On cue, her heart jerked and skidded, hitting against her ribs. She felt a nearly overpowering urge to cup the back of his head and urge him to sink those fangs into the curve of her throat. Or maybe the plush softness of her breast.
Dangerous territory…
She shivered, lowering her hands to lightly press them against his chest. “I was debating whether to satisfy my hunger for that turkey sandwich or my hunger for an arrogant leech.”
His dark eyes flared with an emotion. Disappointment? Then, with a speed that no other creature could match, he was out of the bed to grab the sandwich and chips.
Returning to the bed, he stretched onto the mattress beside her and laid the food between them.
“Eat,” he commanded. “I need you to keep up your energy.”
With a snort, she picked up the sandwich and ate half in one bite. The meat was processed and the bread stale, but it tasted like ambrosia. It’d been too long since her last meal, and she’d burned through a massive amount of energy.
“I’m a Were,” she told Xi, munching through a handful of chips.
“And?”
“And my energy is ten times greater than any leech.” She sent him a mocking smile. “With or without a turkey sandwich.”
The rich scent of Xi’s desire flooded the air. Brigette was instantly on fire for his touch.
“Finish your meal, and we’ll see who has the superior vigor,” he told her.
Two more bites and the sandwich was gone, along with the last chip. She even licked the salt from her fingers. Yum. At the same time, she glanced at Xi from beneath lowered lashes.
“Are you one of those males who always has to win?”
The scent of cedarwood pulsed through the air, as Xi’s snowy white fangs fully extended. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“If I am in battle, I have to win.”
“I’ll give you that one.”
“And I would suggest you never play hide-and-seek against me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Considering your unique talents, I can guarantee that I’ll avoid playing any childhood games against you,” she said in dry tones. “Anything else?”
Without warning, he turned his body, rolling on top of her to press her flat against the mattress. He gazed down at her startled face, his expression suddenly somber.
“I have to win you.” His voice was low, but she didn’t miss the urgency in each word. “Forever.”
She hissed, her hands pressing against his chest as she turned her head to the side. “Xi.”
“No. Don’t look away,” he commanded, waiting for her to reluctantly turn back and meet his fierce gaze. “We’ve been dancing around this since we caught sight of each other.”
“I don’t dance,” she ridiculously muttered.
A rueful smile touched his lips. “No, you’re more a bob-and-weave fighter, but it’s time to stand still and accept what’s happening between us.”
She dug her nails into his skin. She’d been so determined to avoid this conversation. And if Xi had any sense, he would want to avoid it as well.
The mere thought of this magnificent creature being trapped with a jaded, evil-tainted Were with a bad attitude was enough to make any demon cringe in horror.
“Please don’t make this complicated,” she pleaded in a husky voice.
“It’s been complicated from the beginning.”
He was right. There’d been a primitive tug between them from the moment they’d crossed paths. As if some mystical fate had decided their futures long before they were created.
But she’d ruined any opportunity that might have been hers if she’d chosen another path. And Xi was just another victim of her selfish choices.
Thankfully, she could prevent him from paying the ultimate sacrifice. And that’s exactly what she was going to do.
“Xi.” She brushed her hands down his bare chest. “I just want to spend today with you.”
“And then?”
“Then we capture Maryam and Roban,” she said. “Along with whoever is working with them.”
“And then?”
She glared into his beautiful face. Why couldn’t he let this go? She was trying to protect him.
“I return to my home.”
“You have no home.”
Brigette flinched at his words. Not just because they were harsh, but because they were painfully true.
“I don’t think a vampire who lives in a cave can have an opinion about anyone else’s house,” she told him in tart tones.
The dark gaze swept over her face. “I’m not talking about a place to live. I’m talking about a family.”
A muffled sound of pain was ripped from her throat. Biting her lip, she battled back the tears she refused to shed.
“I can’t do this,” she rasped.
“Brigette.” He lowered his head, burying his face in her hair as if absorbing the musky scent. “What are you afraid of?”
That was easy enough.
“I had a family. And I destroyed them.”
He frowned at her blunt response. “And you’re not done punishing yourself?”
She shrugged. It was true enough, although it wasn’t the entire reason she felt compelled to push him away.
“I don’t deserve a family.”
His fingers feathered down her cheek, his cool touch sending sparks of hunger shooting through her body.
“Neither do I, but I’m willing to grasp whatever happiness that’s offered,” he told her.
She pressed him away, her teeth clenched. “I can’t dishonor their memories. I can’t.”
There was a tense silence, then Xi pressed his lips to the hollow beneath her ear.
“Brigette,” he whispered.
She held herself stiff. It was that or melt into a puddle of goo. “What?”
“If I stop talking, will you hold me?”
Regret sliced through her. She hated the note of pleading in his voice. Xi was a proud, honorable male who deserved a female who could not only stir his passions but bring him respect as his mate.
Instead, all she could offer was shame.
She should push him away. This had already gone too far. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Yes,” she breathed, her voice thick with longing. “Yes, please.”
Xi muttered low words of approval, settling next to her as he pulled her tightly against his hard body. Brigette nestled her head onto his chest and savored the feel of his cool power that washed over her.
A few more hours and she would walk away, she silently promised.
Forever.
* * * *
Despite Brigette’s emotional outburst, she drifted into a deep sleep. No doubt because she was exhausted. Or perhaps it was because she was enveloped in the strength of Xi’s arms. There was nothing like the comfort of knowing she was protected by one of the most powerful creatures in the world.
Still, she wasn’t so complacent that she didn’t wake the second she caught a whiff of a male Were. Her eyes snapped open, and she sucked in a deep breath. Yep. Definitely Were. And definitely not Roban.
Slipping out of bed, Brigette silently pulled on her clothes, including strapping on her dagger. She had a feeling she was going to need it.
“What’s going on?”
Brigette turned her head to discover that Xi was not only awake, but fully dressed. She shook her head. The male was like a ghost, moving through the world with barely a ripple.
“There’s a Were in the parking lot. I need to take a look.” She nodded across the room. “Go into the bathroom and shut the door.”
Annoyance twisted his lean features, but with a jerky nod of his head, Xi headed into the attached room. Once certain that the vampire wasn’t going to turn into a pile of ash from a stray shaft of lingering sunlight, Brigette tugged open the door and peered through the narrow crack.
Her stomach dropped at the sight of the dark-haired male leaning against the silver Hummer parked across the lot. The male was thinner than Roban and attired in an expensive cashmere sweater and black slacks, but there was no doubt that the two were related. The stranger had the same harshly carved features and a shaved head. He also had the same arrogant expression.
There was the sound of metal scraping against metal, and Brigette crouched low. Maryam’s motel door was opening to allow Roban to slip out before he hastily closed it again. The sun was beginning to set, but it was still bright enough to cause a vampire serious harm.
Barely daring to breathe in case she gave away her presence, Brigette strained to hear the conversation floating from below.
“You’re early,” Roban snapped, shoving his hands into the heavy leather jacket he’d pulled over his predictable flannel shirt and jeans. “I told you to wait until after sunset.”
“Tough. You know how I feel about vampires,” the newly arrived Were drawled. “The only good leech is a dead one.”
The smell of musk blasted through the air. The two might be brothers, but this wasn’t a joyous family reunion. In fact, there was an unmistakable prickle of violence that Brigette could feel even from a distance.
“Careful, Stewart,” Roban warned.
“You might be willing to hump a vampire, but I’m only here for the money.” Stewart held out his hand. “Cash only.”
“It will be yours once you’ve gotten me inside the house.”
Brigette clenched her hands, willing them to be more specific. A “house” told her jack shit about where they were going.
Stewart dropped his hand, a sneer twisting his lips. “Why, bro, I’m beginning to think that you don’t trust me.”
Roban shook his head in disgust. “Not as far as I can throw you.”
Stewart shrugged, opening the driver’s door of the Hummer. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Getting me into the house isn’t the only thing you’re getting paid for,” Roban snapped. “Do you have it?”
Stewart paused, as if having second thoughts. Then, with a growl loud enough to resonate through the parking lot, he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out something that looked like a necklace. He handed it to Roban, who immediately turned back toward the motel.
“I need to give this to Maryam before I leave.”
“That leech has your balls in a vice grip.” Stewart climbed into the vehicle. “It’s pathetic.”
“Just wait here. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Shit. Brigette closed the door and straightened. At the same time, Xi was stepping out of the bathroom.
“They’re leaving,” she told him in a clipped voice. She didn’t have time to argue. “I have to follow.”
His brows snapped together, his features hard with a combination of fear and frustration.
“Brigette.”
“I know.” She sent him a rueful smile. “You keep an eye on Maryam.”
He held out his hand. “Wait.”
“I can’t. They’re in a car. I’ll have to find one to keep up with them,” she told him, not bothering to mention she’d only driven on a handful of occasions.
“Don’t…” His words faltered, as if he couldn’t force them past his lips.
“I have no plans to die,” she assured him. “Not yet.”
His dark eyes smoldered with a thunderous emotion as he forced himself to take a step back, shrouded in the shadows.
“I hate this.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Come back to me,” he whispered as she opened the door and cautiously slid out of the room.