Heir of the Dog Black Dog - Hailey Edwards Page 0,18
shifting. If they get stuck furry for too long, they form an unhealthy bond with their furry side. They’re at risk of going feral. This gives them a nice boost.”
Eyeing the glass, I decided against a boost. “I want to sleep.”
“Fine.” Mai shrugged. “I’ll sleep with you.”
I cleared my throat. “You don’t have to—”
Too late. Mai was tugging her blouse over her head. Her high heels thunked to the floor, followed by her dress pants. While she stripped within touching distance of a starving incubus, I watched him for signs of interest. There were none. Zero. Zilch. He wasn’t sneaking peeks or whiting out or anything.
Even while we were dating, he would slip up and stare too long at passing women. It was the nature of the beast. I forgave him. I understood. It was the touching part that broke me. This—I didn’t understand at all.
First his lapse in my office, and then his partial regression at the recycling center. This topped both of those for most eerie incubus behavior ever by a landslide.
A sharp yip brought my attention back to Mai, who had shifted and stood flicking her tail in my direction. She jerked her head toward my bedroom and barked once.
“Give me a minute.” I scooted her aside with my foot. “I need to say something to—ouch.”
Pinpoints of blood welled from the bite mark on my ankle, there and gone, but the pain lingered.
Shaw had taken the hint and stood waiting for me by the door. I walked gingerly to him, keeping an eye on Mai and her pointy teeth. She sank to her haunches with her ears pinned flush to her skull, growling.
I leaned my shoulder against the wall since the room kept shimmying. “How are you feeling?”
His fingers traced the curve of my cheek. “I should be asking you that.”
I gave him what I hoped was a pointed look.
His hand fell to his side. “Better.”
“Good.” I shrugged off the tingles from his caress. “I’m glad.”
The awkward kiss he pressed to my temple sent pleasant heat twisting through my chest.
“Night,” he murmured, lips brushing my ear.
He stepped into the hall, his gait loose and easy as the tension of the day melted away from him.
“Night,” I said to his retreating back. “Tomorrow we block out some time to work on our case, okay?”
A cold nose butted my ankle. Mai stared after Shaw through golden eyes until he stepped on the elevator, before trotting off toward my bedroom. I shut and locked the door then trudged after her.
Nothing had ever felt as good as my head hitting that pillow.
Chapter Twelve
I threw out my arm and knocked an empty water bottle off the nightstand while groping for my cellphone. A push of a button made the display flash and temporarily blinded me, but not before I saw it was three in the afternoon.
Bump. Bump. Bump.
My gaze speared the ceiling. Not again. Another round of knocks and bangs curled my lip. It wasn’t the new neighbor’s fault I worked nights or that I slept through primetime moving hours. But I was tired and stressed, and we had to coexist for the next year at least, so this had to stop. Now. Today.
Snuffling sounds reminded me for once I wasn’t alone in bed. I cracked a grin at the sight of Mai curled up at my feet, in human form, snoring, undisturbed by the racket overhead. Holding her fox shape exhausted her. Once she fell asleep, she often reverted to two legs.
Sliding out of bed, careful not to jostle Mai, I tiptoed into the living room. I gripped the doorknob, forcing my sleep-addled mind to consider for a moment what I was about to do might stir up more trouble than it was worth.
Moment over.
Wearing a sleep-rumpled Pooh Bear shirt and matching shorts, sporting wildebeest hair and shielding the new neighbors from my morning breath—afternoon breath?—with my hand wouldn’t make the best impression, but I was past caring how I looked. Or smelled.
The elevator ride up to the third floor gave me even more time to reflect on the possible rashness of my impending confrontation. Nope. Still doing it. I had to beg a reprieve. A few hours, a little shuteye, then they could bumpty bump around all they wanted.
Each floor recycled the same numbers, so I walked a straight line to the apartment matching mine. My hand lifted as the door swung open, and instead of wishing him a good afternoon, I almost swallowed my tongue.
A man stood in the