Decker frowned at the words, his eyes dropping to the two puncture wounds on her throat. No tearing, just a case of his getting too caught up in the moment and not only biting her, but not even remembering to be careful about how much blood he was taking.
Shaking his head, he shifted to lift her back onto the bench seat.
"We should have had some blood the minute we got in the SUV," Justin said regretfully as Decker pulled Dani's seat belt around and buckled her in. "Speaking of which... why didn't you? You should have been ravenous after that gunshot wound."
"I had a nibble at the restaurant while I was waiting for Dani to come out of the bathroom," Decker admitted, his eyes shifting from Dani's pale face to the rearview mirror.
"Yeah?" Justin met his gaze and then said, "It's been a long time since I had anything but bagged blood."
"Let's hope you never do," Decker said at once. His being low on blood from the gunshot wound and without bagged blood available was one of those emergency situations when biting a mortal was allowed. He'd originally intended to just suffer the cramps attacking him and wait it out until they met up with Eshe and could claim the replacement SUV with its supplies, but when Decker had found himself just a little too fascinated by Dani's neck as he'd helped her out of the van, and then felt his fangs trying to push themselves out and down as he'd walked her through the mass of bodies in the busy fast-food restaurant, he'd realized waiting wasn't an option. After seeing Dani to the ladies' room he'd waited for the first lone person to come up the hall and lured her into the broom closet between the two bathrooms for a little snack. He hadn't taken much, just enough to take the edge off his hunger, and then had put it in her thoughts that she had blackfly bites on her neck, and had sent her in to see if Dani was still in the washroom.
"How was it?" Justin asked as he steered them onto the off ramp.
"Fast food," Decker muttered, reaching out to brush away a stray strand of hair that had fallen across Dani's face. His gaze then dropped to her chest, and he noticed that there was something wrong. Her chest looked kind of lopsided. It took him a moment to recall that he'd tugged her bra aside to free her breast for his caresses. It was still out under the T-shirt.
"Fitting," Justin said with amusement. "It was a fast-food restaurant after all."
Decker hardly heard him. His eyes were shifting between Dani's face and her chest. He was hesitant to touch her while she was unconscious, but it would just take a second to pop her breast back in her bra, and he feared she'd be embarrassed if she woke up and noticed it herself. Besides, maybe if he tucked it back in she'd think the whole thing had been some erotic dream... including the bite part.
Not that Decker wanted her to forget their moments of passion. It was mostly the part when he'd sunk his teeth into her neck and sucked out her lifeblood that he wouldn't mind her forgetting. He suspected she was going to be pissed at him again when she remembered that, and deservedly so, he thought soberly as he took in her pallor and unconscious state.
Decker cast a glance toward Justin to be sure he wasn't looking, then leaned forward and quickly lifted her T-shirt. He'd intended to just tuck her back into the silky cloth and then lower it again. It didn't quite work out that way. First, the sight of her naked breast was just too fascinating to cover right away. Decker found himself just sitting there staring at it for a moment, before his good sense reminded him of Justin's presence. He glanced to him to be sure Justin was still watching the road, and then reached out to perform the tucking part.
"You're awfully quiet back there. What are you doing?"
"Nothing," Decker said, jerking guiltily upright without the tucking. He met Justin's gaze in the mirror and scowled. "Watch the road."
"Yes, boss," Justin said dryly, and shook his head as he turned his attention forward again.
Decker waited to be sure he continued to watch the road and then turned back to Dani, scowling when he saw that in his panic not to be caught groping an unconscious woman, he'd left her slumped there with her T-shirt still up.
Muttering under his breath, Decker leaned forward and grasped the edge of the bra cup, only to release it and snap upright with alarm when Justin spoke again.
"What's wrong? What are you doing back there?"
"Nothing," he said innocently. "Why?"
"Because you keep muttering and bending over Dani like there's something wrong. Is she all right? You didn't kill her, did you?" Apparently unable to see her in the mirror, he twisted his head around, trying to get a look at her.
"Goddammit, Justin! Eyes on the road," Decker snarled, shifting to block his view of Dani. "I'm just... checking her pulse."
When Justin turned around again, Decker immediately turned to Dani to tuck her back in her bra before quickly dragging her T-shirt into place. He then sank back on his side of the bench seat with a sigh, relieved to have the task done with until Justin said, "I got news for you, Decker. You don't take a mortars pulse from the boob."
Decker sat up and met his gaze in the mirror with alarm.
"Oh, settle down. Your mind's an open book at the moment, remember?" Justin said, rolling his eyes when his gaze met Decker's in the rearview mirror. "I know you weren't groping her."
Decker slumped back again with relief.
"Even though you really wanted to," Justin added with amusement.
Decker scowled at the back of his head, considering what physical violence he could perform on the man without causing an accident.
"None," Justin said, obviously still reading his thoughts. "Besides, we're here."
Decker immediately peered out the front windshield at the scene ahead. They were pulling into the parking garage and he could see three SUVs parked side-by-side near the back, but not a single person around. He let his breath out on a sigh, knowing this couldn't be good.
Chapter Seven