I reached for the lotion, but he held it away, eying me with a glittering, watchful look in those dark eyes.
It wasn’t exactly a chore, standing there as he rubbed me down, strong hands gliding across my skin, rubbing lotion in and stroking over my belly, my hips, lingering over my breasts, my legs. But never long enough in any of those places. Even when I might have tried.
“You need sleep,” he muttered against my neck. “And I need to get my head on straight.”
Why should he have that luxury? I wondered.
But we ended up in the bed, his long body tucked around mine.
Sleep. Yes.
Sleep sounded nice…
My lids drifted down. His hand rested on my chest, between my breasts with his palm just above my heart. I could even feel the slow beat of it against his hand. Sleep, I told myself. I needed it. Had needed it earlier, but then Jude—
I tensed.
Terror trickled inside and like the mythical hydra, the damn thing multiplied every time I tried to cut it down.
Sleep—can’t sleep—what if he comes—
“Kit.”
Damon’s voice was a harsh, brutal slap against my senses even if his hand was a gentle stroke down my side.
Gasping in a desperate breath of air, I said, “I’m here. I’m fine. I’m here—”
“Go to sleep. Stop thinking. Just sleep.”
“But…” I squeezed my eyes shut. I can’t I can’t I can’t! “What if I sleep and he does it again?”
“If he tries to come in on you again, I’ll know.” He flexed his hand on my chest. “Your heart rate changes. Your breathing does. Even the feel of your body changes. I’m right here, and I’ll know. I’ll get every damn witch in here if I have to drag them in kicking and screaming. Sleep, Kit. You need it…and I’ll be right here, I swear it.” He pulled me closer and nuzzled my brow. “Just sleep. I’ll be here with you…”
There were no dreams.
At least not of Jude.
I dreamt of the park.
Of endless trails, of traps unseen. Of children who screamed for rescue and pits that went so deep, nobody could see the bottom. And all the while, people begged for help and Damon stood by watching. Watching me. Not them. Me.
After I’d stumbled across yet another hole, I turned and stared at him. This last one…it hadn’t been empty. There were bones in it. As they shone up at me, bleached white by the sun, I glared at Damon. “This isn’t done,” I told him. “We have to stop this. We have to.”
Wide shoulders moved in a lazy shrug. “Is that what we’re doing?”
“Just don’t get in my way,” I warned him.
A familiar grin tugged at his lips. “Baby girl, the only time I’ve been in your way is when you put me there.”
He was gone before I could figure out what that could mean. Gone before I could ask a question. Gone…but there was a giant cat stalking along at my back. His tawny pelt smooth as silk, the sooty gray marks rippling over his muscled frame.
“Damon?”
The great cat’s head swung up to look at me and he watched me with Damon’s eyes.
“How do we stop this?”
He sat down and started to lick one paw.
Fucking cats.
Frustration chewed at me as I headed off through the undergrowth. His voice followed me. “I was just here for the kid, baby girl. That’s all My Lady wanted. The rest is up to you and I don’t think you can handle it. Nobody thinks you can.”
I flipped him off.
His laugh chased me.
Nobody thought I could handle anything.
Maybe they were right, but it wasn’t going to stop me.
I tripped over the massive body of a beheaded snake and found myself in a pit. Surrounded by bones. I started to scream, but all that came out of my mouth was the sound of a phone ringing—
I jerked upright in the bed at the second ring.
Damon stroked a hand down my belly. “Sorry. I should have turned the damn thing off.”
Laying my hand over my heart, I tried to make myself breathe. “Yeah. Like she’d really appreciate that.”
He watched me. A brooding look entered his eyes as the phone rang a third time.
“You have to answer that,” I said quietly.
A muscle twitched in his jaw. “I don’t have to do anything,” he said flatly.
After the fourth ring, it went silent.
“Why did you do that?” I asked, dragging a blanket up and trying to ignore the way my heart continued to