Текст книги "Wicked Edge"

Автор книги: Rebecca Zanetti

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

“I’m asking as Simone’s cousin,” he said simply.

Viv inhaled. “Yes.”

Holy motherfucker. “Are you kidding?” Daire leaned forward and ignored the fire dancing between his fingers. “Who’s leading the charge?”

“I haven’t figured it out.” Her shoulders slumped, and for the first time, dark circles slashed below her eyes. “There are rumblings everywhere, and I have no doubt Simone will be challenged for the seat within the year.”

Daire rubbed his chin. “It’s interesting this coincides with the appearance of Apollo.” He examined scenarios and banished anger. Now was the time for strategy . . . later he’d use the power derived from righteous fury. “Is Simone being targeted because she’s the weakest member, or is this attack personal to her?”

Viv shook her head. “I don’t know. She is the wildest member with the, ah, most interesting lifestyle. Before her adventures were viewed as a possible strength, but there are rumors going around that she’s joined up with Nicholai Veis again, and you know about his troubled past.”

Well, the demon had killed more than one witch sent to assassinate him, so Daire couldn’t exactly blame him. “Nick has proven himself as an ally.”

“Perhaps. But he’s a demon, and you know they can plot for years when it comes to strategy.”

Aye, he did know that, firsthand. Felicity was a master at plotting, and the trait seemed inherent in all demons. It was possible that Veis had been plotting against Coven Nine for years, but Daire’s gut said otherwise. “I won’t allow Simone to be harmed.”

Viv winced. “I’ve heard that evidence against her has been collected by the Guard, but I don’t know what it is or what they think they have on her. If she’s challenged, there’s nothing you can do. Right now, stay on mission and shut down the mining, manufacturing, and distribution of Apollo. We confiscated three weapons on the Dublin streets last week that shoot darts.”

Daire’s head jerked up. “In Dublin?”

“Yes.” She held out a hand as he began to stand. “The Guard is working overtime, Daire. We don’t need the enforcers here; we need you there doing your job.”

If the Coven Nine members were in danger, his first priority was in Dublin. Of course, that would entail his forcing Simone back home, which might be part of the plan of her enemies. “You have no idea who’s behind the rumors?”

“No.” Viv paled. “I have a couple of investigators on the situation, but so far, all they’ve confirmed is that she and Veis have spent time together in Seattle.”

“They’ve worked together—no romance and definitely no sex.” He had to get Simone away from the demon before her past relationships were used against her. “I give you my word it’s just been work, and she’s been incredibly bitchy about it.”

Viv sighed. “She wouldn’t be bitchy if her emotions weren’t involved, and you know it. Whatever is going on between them must be ended and right now.”

“Understood.” Daire flirted with the idea of asking Viv about Triad and Demidov’s company, but if she knew anything about it, she would’ve already told him. There was no reason to worry her about a possible problem until he’d taken care of it. “Be careful, because whoever is after Simone is well funded and has this thought out.”

“I know,” Viv said. “There’s a rumor I can’t track down that somebody has damaging information about Simone beyond her wild lifestyle. Concrete evidence that she’s working against the Coven Nine.”

“That’s impossible.” Damn it. Daire needed to take care of the issue and now.

Viv nodded. “I hope so. Contact me with any new information.”

“Ditto.” Daire punched in a couple of keys, and his aunt disappeared. He dialed another number.

Kellach Dunne came into view, his nostrils huge across the screen.

“Back away from the phone,” Daire rumbled.

“Oh.” Kell backed away, and his face took shape. “What’s going on?”

Daire leaned in. “Somebody is going after Simone, and they’re in Dublin. While you’re there, I need you to investigate.”

Chapter 18

The plane bumped a couple of times as it flew through some turbulence. Felicity clasped her hands together in her lap, acutely aware of Adam Dunne’s probing eyes on her. When would Daire return from the cockpit? Finally, she couldn’t stand it any longer. “What?” she asked.

He lifted a shoulder. “Did Daire show you the marking on his palm?”

She blinked. Her siblings had been lunatics, so they’d pretty much stayed out of one another’s lives until her brother had tried to betroth her to an asshole. “Is that really your business?” she asked, curious.

He smiled. Adam Dunne had a shocking smile . . . slow and masculine. Intelligence sizzled in his eyes, and he definitely had been blessed with the Dunne good looks. “My brother is my business.”

She grinned. “That’s incredibly sweet.”

His chin lifted and he studied her. “You mean that.”

“I do.” How fortunate that Daire had a brother who cared. “Don’t worry. I’m sure your brother isn’t going to mate a demon.”

Adam chuckled. “Are you kidding? I hope Daire mates a demon, witch, or shifter. Somebody immortal with some power.”

She shifted on the seat. “I, ah, don’t have much power.”

“I’ve seen you kick, Cee Cee. You have training and power.” He rubbed his hands together. “I really like Alexandra, and I’m happy Kellach found a mate, but how terrible to worry all the time about a former human. Sure, she’ll be immortal, but she won’t really have power for a long time.”

“True.” Humans eventually gained powers from their mates, but it could take centuries. “So you’re not interested in Tori?”

He paused and rubbed his smooth chin. “God, no. She’s sweet and spunky, but she’s human.” He shook his head. “My mate, when I meet her in a few centuries, will have enough power of her own that I’ll gain from her as much as she gains from me.”

Felicity bit back a smile. “It sounds like you have your future all planned out.”

“I do find that having a plan takes care of the vagaries of fate.” He leaned back and stretched his neck. “Now, let’s talk about Simone and the evidence you’ve found.”

Daire pushed open the door. “Felicity’s files are up on the computer. Why don’t you study them, and then we can chat about your conclusions? I’d like fresh eyes on the documents.”

Adam stood. “Sounds good.” He moved by his brother. “Did Viv confirm?”

“Aye. The rumor mill is working overtime, which means that a challenge is probably coming. We don’t know from which direction, but I’m thinking the documents in the Cayman bank will provide a clue or two.” Daire brushed by his brother and headed straight for Cee Cee.

Her stomach clenched, and she instinctively pushed back in the chair. Adam disappeared into the other area and shut the door with a soft click.

Daire reached her, lifted her easily, and reversed their positions.

Her knees knocked the sides of the chair, her feet tucked behind her, her butt on his hard thighs as she faced him. “You sure like me on top.”

The lines at the sides of his eyes crinkled. “I surely do.”

She flattened her hands on his strong chest. “You have your serious face on.”

“Yes. I’d like your word that anything we find in the documents will remain confidential.”

Ah. He wanted to protect his cousin. Felicity rocked back. “Let’s make a deal.”

“I figured,” he said dryly.

“You let me handle Ivan, and I’ll stay as silent as you want about Simone’s extracurricular activities.” Truth be told, Felicity held no interest in Coven Nine politics.

Daire sighed and ran his hands down her arms. “You donna’ know me very well if you think I’d let you fight a demon soldier to the death.”

Which was exactly why they couldn’t be together. She shook her head. “I’ve been training since birth, and you have to back off.” There had to be a way to explain it better. “I’m not some silly cheerleader following the knife-wielding villain into the forest.” That would make her too stupid to live. “I’ve waited and planned since my mate was murdered, and during that time, I had people investigating Ivan. I know everything about him.”

Daire shook his head. “When you sought refuge with your brother, why didn’t Ivan follow through on the betrothal?”

Ah ha. So the enforcer was finally listening to her. “After I mated Dane, Ivan was furious with Suri and took out several of our holdings in Canada and Greenland. Suri was a bad enemy to have, although no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get Ivan vulnerable and take him out.”

Daire smoothed hair from her face. “What about Zane? I mean, he’s well trained and deadly. In fact, I’ve met all three of your sons, and not one of them strikes me as the kind of man who’d let their father’s killer walk the earth.”

She swallowed, and heat flushed into her face. “Ah, well—”

“Cee Cee?”

She sighed. “I may have told them that Suri had their father’s murderer killed.”

Daire’s eyebrows rose. “You may have?”

“Yes.” She played with his T-shirt. “If I hadn’t, even as boys, they would’ve gone hunting the killer.” They would’ve been killed at that point.

“I understand.” Daire leaned into her, bringing the scent of man and rain. “What about now? Zane leads the entire demon nation.”

“And admit I lied to them for decades?” She shook her head and hair flew. Her stomach ached with the knowledge of how badly she’d already let them down. No more. “Absolutely not. Besides, all of my sons, as young as they are, have too much blood on their hands, and that’s on me. No more killing for any of them, I hope.” During the war, she’d been unable to protect them from fighting and killing. Now she could.

He quite expertly turned her motivation. “So you must understand the need to protect family and those you care about.”

Ah, shoot. “I don’t need protection from Ivan.” The asshat of a demon needed protection from her, damn it. “You need to see the real me, Daire, and not the pretty blond crippled woman.”

“You’re not crippled.” He brushed gentle knuckles across her cheekbone.

Sure, she was. “I’m a demon who can’t mind attack or teleport.” No illusions plagued her. “Which is why I’ve prepared for this for decades.” Why couldn’t he see what a threat she could be? Of course, that was part of her strategy with Ivan.

Daire cupped her chin. “I see the real you, Cee Cee, and I’m allowing you to help rob the bank. But you have to acknowledge that I’m not the type of guy who’d let his woman go fight hand-to-hand with another man. You wouldn’t want me to be, would you?”

His woman? “Whoa there, John Wayne.” She tried to scramble off his legs, her body humming. “I’m not your possession. Hell, I’m not your anything.”

He let her go. “We both know that’s not true.”

Tears threatened to prick her eyes, and she batted them back. “We are so over.” She was fucking tired of people seeing her as weak or damaged. For the briefest of seconds, she’d really thought Daire had seen the real her. The woman who could protect her family instead of the shell she’d been for so long. “Done.”

His eyes burned a devastating green through the small cabin. “If you really think that, then you’ve lost all touch with reality.”

She dropped into Adam’s deserted chair and crossed her arms. What she wouldn’t give for one more vial of the tranquilizer, although the last one hadn’t done her much good. No part of her wanted to fight physically with Daire, and not only because he was a more experienced fighter. She swallowed to keep the tears at bay.

His gaze didn’t soften. “You don’t want to cross me on this.”

She lifted her chin. “I’m neither crossing you nor arguing with you.” In fact, she was finished trying to convince him of anything. They’d had a good time, and now it was over. Well, it would be over after they finished robbing one of the most secure banks in the world.

Really. What could go wrong?

Daire found himself surrounded by demons in a small hotel room, and his ears began to itch. Too much tension poured off the immortals as they double checked the plan and went over the bank schematics one more time. All furniture had been piled against the wall so they could suit up, and their boots clomped on the smooth tile floor. The room lacked sufficient windows and fresh air to allow for the amount of tension.

Felicity slammed a plastic knife into one boot, leaning over to do so. Her creamy breasts almost spilled out from her top, and he fought a growl.

“Since Simone appears to own the safe-deposit box, I’ll go in as her and try to reach the inner vault,” she said, her throaty voice strong and assured. “While there, I’ll set the charges on the other security boxes, and the second they blow, you all come in.”

Daire straightened his Armani suit. They’d gone over the schematics and plan several times, and the woman certainly had accounted for everything. He was to accompany her as a bodyguard, and even he had to admit, the fake beard and the gray sprinkled in his hair appeared authentic. Brown contacts masked his green eyes, and putty changed the shape of his face, especially his nose.

Felicity wore a long, brown wig, dark glasses, and several layers of clothing to create the illusion of Simone’s natural curves. The boots had four-inch heels, but even so, she didn’t come close to Simone’s height. But there wasn’t a better way to create height, so they were going with what they had. At some point, when the video was studied, it’d become apparent that the woman who’d robbed the bank was not Simone Brightston, which eased one of his many concerns.

He rolled his shoulders back and tried to calm his racing heart. The shifters guarding the place would recognize him as a witch just from his natural vibrations, and hopefully they’d assume Felicity was, too.

Her people were all demons, so it made sense for him to go in with the Simone decoy.

Felicity turned, all business, her eyes sparkling.

The damn woman was having a ball.

Energy poured off her in straight anticipation, and she nearly hopped when she neared him. “You ready?” she asked.

He wanted to tuck her in the getaway vehicle and tie her up safely, but for the plan to work, she had to impersonate Simone. “No.”

She smiled, all excitement. “Good. Let’s go.” Shoving the dark glasses back up her nose, she stepped out of the storage van and walked crisply down the sidewalk toward the bank.

“I think I should be inside for backup,” Adam complained once again from his position in the getaway car.

Daire tapped his earbud as island heat assaulted him. “I need you outside ready to get us out of here.” If they ran into trouble, Adam had the biggest brain around and would figure out an escape route. “I can’t believe we’re about to do this.” If he had his druthers, he’d just take out half the bank with a missile and steal what he wanted. Felicity had finesse, though.

He stalked behind her, rolling his shoulders forward and trying to appear shorter than he was. He followed her, noting how her ass swung with every step. Damn it. Now wasn’t the time to admire her ass.

He swung his gaze around, trying to look like a hired bodyguard and not an enforcer. All he needed was the shifter nation to know a Coven Nine enforcer had tried to rob them. Either there’d be instant war, or his people would have to give up something big to avoid bloodshed. Tourists in loud flowered shirts milled around, and several people licked rapidly melting ice cream cones. Tourist shops with sparkling jewels and oil paintings lined the way.

The heels of Felicity’s boots clicked as she sauntered into the air-conditioned bank.

He breathed out as the cool air smoothed over his skin.

A wide counter to the left held five tellers, all handling customers. Three desks with bank executives lined the windows on the right, and they all had patrons before them.

The place felt like money and smelled like the ocean.

Felicity moved instantly toward a desk at the back as if she had every right to do so, her heels clomping on the silver tiles. The woman had some serious style.

A guy dressed in pure silk sat behind the desk. Tall, broad, and in fighting shape, he had eyes that sparkled with intelligence. Wolf shifter. He smiled. “Can I help you?”

“I’m Simone Brightston,” Felicity said, her voice higher than normal. “I called earlier.”

“Of course, Miss Brightston. Do you have identification?” the shifter asked, standing.

Felicity handed over the identification she’d stolen from Simone’s apartment the first night. It had been altered a bit.

Daire stood with his arms crossed, discreetly scoping out the cameras. There were a lot of them. He could make out seven guards within yelling distance.

Finally, the guy led them through a long hallway lined with pretty oil paintings to a massive steel vault flanked by two fully armed guards. “I am Anton, and I’m here to assist you in any way you need.” He turned and apologized. “I’m so sorry, but we must follow formalities first.”

Felicity nodded and held out her arms to be frisked.

Possessiveness rose in Daire so quickly his chest heated.

When the guard had finished with her, he turned and patted Daire down with much less finesse.

Anton smiled and yanked out a palm reader. “Very good. Hand, please.”

Daire held his breath. Felicity had somehow obtained a full hand print from Simone’s apartment and then had some pretty dicey vampires create a fleshlike print to coat her fingertips. She clicked over and flattened her palm over the scanner. It quickly scanned, and a green light flickered.

Daire breathed out. God, she was amazing. If they survived the robbery, she should plan another one. By the delight all but wafting from her, she’d be just fine with that. What in the hell had he gotten involved with?

A retina scan was next, and by this time, he was confident Felicity had it all figured out. Yep. The scan went off without a hitch.

The vault opened, and Anton swung open another steel door before preceding them inside to box 1287. Felicity shoved in Simone’s key, and Anton did the same before pulling out a long box to place on the center table. “Let me know if you need anything else,” he said, moving toward the steel door and discreetly shutting it.

Hopefully he wouldn’t close the outside door and lock them in the vault.

Felicity smiled and flipped open the box to reveal several manila files.

Daire shrugged out of his jacket and reshaped it into a pack by drawing out hidden ties. He fought the urge to read the files and instead shoved them inside the pack.

Felicity was already moving toward the other boxes. She leaned down and kicked off the wedge part of both boots. Small discs fell out.

Daire winced. “Be careful.”

She laughed then—low and throaty.

His mouth gaped open. Even in disguise, her beauty shone through as she exuded such delight.

Grabbing the discs, she quickly placed them on several of the boxes. Daire overturned the table and grabbed her, covering her completely. “Sure you want to do this?” he asked.

She snuggled under him and reached for a detonator disguised as a shirt button. “Hell yeah.” She took a deep breath and pressed hard.

Chapter 19

The explosions rocked the room. Shards of metal flew hard and fast, embedding themselves in the floor and twanging an odd tune. Felicity shoved against Daire, her body vibrating with the air. Wow. She’d never set off a bomb in person before.

He lifted his head and glanced around. “Holy fuck.” Stretching to his feet, he pulled her with him, his hold firm.

Smoke filtered through the room, and outside, an alarm blared. Gunfire pinged as if a world away, and the grunts of men fighting hand-to-hand broke the patter of gunfire.

“Go,” Daire ordered, nudging her to the south wall. “If your tech guy is good, really good, he’ll be able to keep the vault open for less than a minute.”

If Eli wasn’t good, then they were screwed. Felicity gaped at the huge holes in the wall. Scorch marks scored down the steel to the floor, and smoke swirled through the air. “Only take from the boxes we discussed.” She had no intention of harming anybody other than Ivan and his crew.

Stepping gingerly over smoking metal, she reached the first box, shrugging out of her jacket to form another bag. “Ah. Diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. Oh my.” Feeling almost giddy, she tugged out the velvet-lined box and dumped the priceless gems into the bag, already reaching for a box full of cash, United States currency.

Daire looted the other side, and they hustled, meeting in the middle. One box held more files, including deeds and land trust documents.

“We have to go. Now.” Daire reached for her hand.

She slung the bag over her shoulder, blinking from the burning air. The alarm was suddenly cut off.

Daire growled. “Not good.” He shoved open the steel door.

The vault door was slowly closing. Shit. Daire barreled through, pulling her along. Her boot caught at the end, and he gave a hard jerk, taking her right out of the leather.

One of her men grappled with a shifter against the wall, the two throwing furious punches and kicks. She loped into a run behind Daire just as two guards, fully armed and bleeding, ran around the corner.

Daire instantly dropped into a slide, taking them both out like bowling pins. Without even a hitch, he rolled onto the first guy and punched him in the face several times, spraying blood. The guy roared and started to shift into what looked like some sort of feline. Daire shot a hard jab into his neck and then his left temple, knocking him out.

Felicity leaped forward and kicked the other guard under the chin. His head jerked back and hit the floor with a sickening thunk.

Yet he turned to get back to his feet.

Daire growled and leaped forward, taking the guard with him and slamming the guy’s head into the wall.

Felicity took the opportunity to kick out of the remaining boot. No way could she run with only one four-inch heel slowing her down. She was already in motion when Daire jumped up and ran for the end of the hallway¸ his boots smashing against the silver tiles.

Her earbud crackled to life. “Authorities are dealing with the road blocks right now. You have about two minutes to get free,” Adam said, tension riding his voice and hard.

She gulped, and the hazy bank reception area took on a surreal tinge. Time seemed to slow down. Patrons ran out the door, spilling over the luxurious chairs. The tellers had disappeared, as had the bank executives.

“Run,” Daire bellowed. He turned just in time to get plugged three times by a guard. Without missing a step, Daire lunged for the guy and ripped the gun from his hand before slamming it down on the guard’s neck. The guard, a huge guy with wolflike features, dropped to the ground like a stone, his body jerking.

Cee Cee flew into motion, kicking a female guard out of the way as she went. Her men fought hard around them, and in the distance, sirens trilled through the sunshine.

Daire motioned her forward, and she ran toward him at the front door. Blood flowed from his chest.

Sudden shooting pain ripped into her shoulder, and she tripped, falling flat on her face. Pain bloomed across her forehead. Blood spurted from her arm, and darkness covered her vision.

Rough hands grabbed her up, and her stomach hit a hard male shoulder. Her fake hair flipped down Daire’s long length. Hopefully the attachments she’d used for the wig would hold while she was upside down. Her entire right side went numb, and bile rose in her stomach to be quickly swallowed. Every running step he took bounced her against his shoulder, and she had to concentrate not to vomit.

Heat blasted her as he ran outside, his boots clomping on the hot concrete.

Sirens rose in pitch, obviously coming nearer.

A car door opened and Daire jumped inside, twirling her around to land on his lap. “Go,” he ordered.

Adam pulled away from the curb and into traffic, driving with speed and contained recklessness. “I can’t believe you just fucking robbed a bank,” he yelled.

Felicity blinked. So Adam Dunne could get emotional. Fascinating. Darkness covered her vision again, and she swayed. Daire yanked her shirtsleeve down and poked at her arm. Red hot agony sliced along her nerve endings, and she cried out, trying to jerk free.

“Hold still,” he commanded, peering closer. “It’s a through and through, but you need to heal yourself. Now.”

Tears fill her eyes and she nodded, letting a couple loose. Then she sucked in air, trapped it in her lungs, and concentrated. Her nerves tingled and then sparked as healing cells swam toward the injury. Healing an injury internally was much like an external surgery without anesthetic. Her body shuddered with the pain, but the wounds slowly closed. By the time she was finished, she was panting and sweating against Daire.

His eyes remained closed, and slowly, the wounds on his chest closed. Man, he could heal fast.

Adam drove into a parking area. “Take the white Buick to the helicopter, and I’ll ditch this car and then head to Dublin.”

Daire set Felicity next to him and quickly threw all the bags into the adjoining car.

Felicity yanked out the earbud, which Daire quickly crushed with his.

“Call me when you reach safety,” Daire ordered, slipping from the car and taking Felicity with him.

She allowed him to lead as she tried to regain some energy. The second she sat in the passenger seat, she reached for the bag already there and started changing her clothing. Her scalp burned when she ripped off the wig.

“Go easy,” Daire said, shrugging out of his suit and tugging off the fake beard. He already wore jeans and a T-shirt underneath, so he deposited the clothing in her empty bag before igniting the engine. “We can’t face any more fights. One of the bullets pinged my heart, and I need rest and protein to get back to full strength.”

She swallowed. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Just not strong enough to fight anybody right now.” He continued driving.

The bullet had hit his heart? Talk about tough.

Felicity finished wiping the blood off her neck just as they reached the helicopter waiting for them. The pilot was a demon mercenary, and she’d already paid him a small fortune to be there. He’d get the other half as soon as he dropped them in Jamaica, where they were to meet a private plane and head to Miami and then Seattle.

They didn’t exchange words and were soon flying low, really low, over the ocean. At least it was warm this time if they crashed.

Daire studied her, puzzled and pissed off. Anger rolled off him in slow waves, not quite ready to explode, but burning slowly and increasing in pressure.

She shifted in her seat, acutely aware of his mood. Her hands clasped together, and she tried to shrug off anxiety. Sure, they were almost caught in robbing the bank, which would’ve been a disaster for them both. But she’d tried to hide how much fun she’d been having, and from the look on his face, she hadn’t succeeded.

They reached the private plane, bribed several officials, and were in the air before she could really settle herself.

She sat in a comfortable chair, and delight bubbled up. “We did it.” Her gaze caught on the loot across the plane. “I mean, we actually did it.” She threw back her head and laughed. Her other two teams had reported in, and all three bank robberies were a success. Who knew she’d be good at something like this?

Daire leaned forward and rubbed the gray from his hair. “You’re certifiable, you know that?”

She laughed harder. “I do know that.”

He lifted an eyebrow over a sizzling green eye. His skin was still pale from healing himself, but other than that, he looked good. Really good. “You never had a chance to have fun, did you?”

She blinked and sobered. “No.”

He nodded slowly. “Your childhood was dangerous, you got free and became a mom, and then you had to go back to Suri and danger.” He shook his head. “Now you’re free, your kids are set, and you can do what you want.”

Exactly. She smiled. Energy and adrenaline rippled through her veins, and for the first time in so long, she felt alive. “I can do what I want.” Her nipples peaked, and her body thrummed. “Right now, I want . . . you.”

Daire held her gaze. They had a long flight ahead of them, and while he trusted the two witches in the cockpit, he was nowhere near a hundred percent. Even so, her confident gaze licked across his skin, and his blood started to burn. “I’ve had a constant erection since the first night I met you, lady. But we should both get some rest, finish healing ourselves, and regain our strength.”

She chuckled, and the throaty tone might as well have been wrapped around his dick.

Then the vixen dropped to her knees and gracefully made her way between his legs. “I can think of a better way to regain our energy.” Her shoulders made room for her, and she hummed as she unzipped his jeans.

Heat flushed down his torso. “You’re awfully brave right now, baby.”

Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, and he fought a groan. “I’ve always been brave.” Smooth as silk, her hand slipped inside his pants and ran along his cock.

Nerves sparked, and his body shuddered. She was the exact opposite of what he thought he wanted in a woman, and yet he’d never hungered more for one. Never. “You’re the wildest woman I’ve ever met,” he murmured.

Absolute delight filled her dark eyes.

He breathed out, an unwilling smile rising up inside him. “That was not a compliment.” Giving in, he caressed a hand through her soft hair. Her former mate had been a smart guy to knock her up so quickly. God knew what kind of havoc she might’ve wreaked if she hadn’t had responsibility right off the bat.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, continuing to stroke him.

“Nothing.” Which suddenly became true. But a ringing clamored through his ears, and his vision was still blurry. He needed to heal and get his faculties back.

Her sweet hand on him shoved all thoughts to the abyss.

She leaned down and placed a very gentle kiss on the tip of his dick.

That was it. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed, following her down until he lay flattened on top of her. She bent her knees, making more room for him right where he wanted to be.

Her gaze dropped to his mouth. “I really like you, Daire.”

Such sweetness and unusual honesty from her pierced right to his chest. “I like you, too.” Slowly, just to keep things in control, he reached down and released the buttons of her shirt, revealing a pretty flowered bra with a front clasp. He loved front clasps. One quick flick, and the material sprang free, her delicious breasts pouting at him.