about complaining to Reordon, it tore me up to think I’d have to give up that time with you.”
“Well, I wasn’t willing to give it up, so I got Cynthia to help me out.”
“And Todd?”
She chuckled. “Yes. And you can thank Sadie for finally enabling us to sit together.”
His straight white teeth flashed in a boyish grin. “How’d she manage that?”
“She baked cookies, set them in the middle of the table, and plunked herself down next to me, knowing they would lure more bodies to the table.”
“I can see why. That woman makes damn good cookies. It doesn’t surprise me at all that people would brave sitting at a vampire’s table to get one.”
Emma laughed. “That’s exactly what happened. Cynthia set her purse on the chair next to her to save a seat for Todd. And Sadie saved hers for you.”
“So it was no coincidence that she left every time I arrived?”
“No.”
“That was kind of her.”
She shrugged. “Sadie’s a real sweetheart.” Again she stroked his stubbled cheek. “She’s also very perceptive and empathizes with us.”
“I wish I could thank her. But I don’t think she should know we meet outside network headquarters. I don’t think anyone should know.”
“Even Bastien?” She regretted asking him when the joy left his handsome features.
He sighed. “I love Bastien like a brother. I feel like shit keeping this from him. But I’m not sure how he would react.”
“Are you afraid he’ll stop taking you hunting?”
“No. He’d still take me hunting to dampen the voices, but…” A look of amazement swept over his face.
She frowned. “Cliff? What is it?”
A huge smiled dawned. “The voices.”
“What about them?”
“They’re gone.”
Her eyebrows flew up. “What?”
“They’re gone.”
Confusion rose. “I thought hunting quieted the voices.”
He shook his head. “Hunting just lowers the volume, which really helps. But you…” He stroked her face, the love and happiness that shone in his eyes piercing her heart. “You eradicated them, Emma. They’re completely quiet now.”
And she’d thought she couldn’t love him more.
“Wow.” She winked. “I must really be good in bed.”
He barked out a laugh. “You are. You definitely are.”
Grinning, she rolled him onto his back and straddled him. The long length inside her hardened. “Let’s just test that out, shall we?” Bracing her hands on his chest, she curled her fingers in the hair there and gave it a tug the same time she circled her hips.
Sucking in a breath, he gripped her thighs and arched up against her. “Yessss.”
An hour and a half later, Cliff pressed a soft kiss to Emma’s lips and said with much reluctance, “I have to go.”
Regret filled her pretty brown eyes. “Already?”
He nodded and slipped out of bed. “I’m supposed to meet Bastien at his lair in fifteen minutes.”
“I thought the Immortal Guardians destroyed that place.”
“They did. But it still means something to him. To us both really.”
She leaned up on an elbow. “I’m sorry it’s gone.”
He shrugged. “If Bastien hadn’t riled up the Immortal Guardians until they came gunning for him, Seth wouldn’t have brought me to the network, and I never would’ve met you. Which just makes the place all the more meaningful for me. Living there led me to you.”
Sitting up, she threw back the covers and rose.
Cliff stared at her alluring skin, so soft and warm, traced a visual path to the lovely breasts he’d teased with fingers, lips, teeth, and tongue, then down to the dark thatch of curls that lay at the juncture of her thighs.
“Cliff?”
He met her gaze. “You’re so damn beautiful,” he professed, his voice deepening.
She smiled. Stepping closer, she rose onto her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. Though his body instantly responded to the press of hers, Cliff merely held her and relished the love and affection she granted him.
“This is real, isn’t it?” he asked softly, almost afraid to believe it. “I mean, I’m not… back at network headquarters hallucinating or something, am I?”
She kissed his chin, then dropped back on her heels. “Come back tomorrow night and I’ll show you just how real this is.”
Happiness welled within him, nearly bringing a lump to his throat. It had been so long that he’d forgotten what true happiness felt like. “Really? You want to see me tomorrow?”
She smiled up at him. “Tomorrow and every night thereafter.”
Cliff drew her into another quick hug, delivered an exuberant kiss, then zipped into the bathroom. Seconds later, he zipped back and stopped before her, once more decked out in his bloody hunting clothes.