loose and lazy and sated. “Yeah. We’ve both got the day off work, you don’t want to go anywhere, we’ve got no visitors coming, so why not just spend the day naked?”
“And what could we possibly do to keep ourselves occupied while naked?” she asked, eyes sparkling.
Mouth curling into a lopsided smile, he lowered his face to hers and whispered, “Wicked, wicked things.”
“Wicked? I like wicked.”
Chuckling, he kissed her, licking into her mouth and savoring her. She tasted like sin and the coffee he’d made earlier in the hope that the smell would lure her out of sleep. He’d wanted to wake her by lashing her clit with his tongue, but he’d learned early that his hellcat needed caffeine before she’d be amiable to … well, anything.
After making her come with his mouth, he’d fucked her slow and hard until she came with a choked cry that he felt in his balls. They’d then lay there for a while—kissing, stroking, whispering, and teasing.
It didn’t seem possible that one person could wrap around his soul, but she had. And, if he was honest, she’d done it a long time ago—he’d just taken some time to accept it. Now that he had, now that he’d dropped the walls that she’d been hammering at for years just by being her, she’d filled him up in a way he couldn’t explain. Brought peace to his demon, which was plain miraculous.
Currently, the hound was still and quiet, content to just be with her. And, of course, it relished being the center of her attention—something it didn’t like to share.
Tanner stroked her arm again. “So smooth.” Tracing her navel tattoo with his finger, he asked, “Are you going to put some ink on me?”
She blinked. “You want a tattoo?”
“I want a tattoo from you.” Wanted her to mark him.
Surprise lit her eyes, and she smiled. “Hmm, that’s doable. What do you have in mind?”
He hummed. “I want your hellcat on the back of my shoulder. I want it prowling out of high grass or flames or something like that.”
Face softening, she asked, “Why on the back of your shoulder?”
“Because my hellcat watches my back,” he said softly. “And I trust it to do so.” He dropped his mouth to hers and gave her a quick kiss. “I did think of having a tattoo of it clawing its way out of my skin, because you and your demon are firmly under there. You always have been. Like a splinter.”
She snorted, eyes gleaming. “Oh, thanks.” Doodling circles on the back of his shoulder, she said, “I’ll draw up a few designs for you to look at.” Hearing her phone beep, she grabbed it from the nightstand and swiped her thumb over the screen. “It’s a message from Jolene. She says Pamela’s condition is improving.”
“We can go see her again today, if you want.”
Devon returned the phone to the nightstand. “Can’t. Jolene’s put the ward on lockdown until she’s caught whoever poisoned Pamela—no one’s getting in or out. I’m glad. I want to see Pamela, but this puts my mind at ease.”
Just then, Levi’s mind touched his, humming with anticipation. The facial recognition software got a lock on Muriel. Get this: she’s at fucking Crimson Grove. She checked in an hour ago.
Tanner stilled. Fuck, we should have guessed she might go back to the beginning.
I don’t see the point in her doing it. Knox tore Ramsbrook House down; there’s nothing left of the original building. The hotel is something wholly new.
I’m not sure that matters to Muriel. The hotel was built on Ramsbrook grounds—that will probably be enough for her, even if it all now belongs to Knox and looks totally different.
Knox had security personnel detain her. I don’t know what she meant to do there—possibly commit suicide or something. Antonio is going to teleport me, Knox, and you to the hotel. Larkin is going to hold the fort here, and Keenan will stay with Harper and Asher. We could ask Antonio to teleport Devon to Harper if you like, but I think she’ll be safe in your building.
The thought of leaving Devon made his stomach knot. It played on his mind constantly that the threat to her hadn’t yet been eliminated. But Levi was right, she’d be safe at his building. I’ll ask her what she wants to do and get back to you.
Looking down at her, he saw a grim realization on her face.
“We’re not gonna have our naked day, are we?” she asked, but it wasn’t