have done it. Mick would have tried to stop her, possibly killing her in the process, and then Cassandra would have taken out her grief on Mick. Good thing I woke up when I did.
“I’ll make it up to her,” I said to Pamela. “Tell her thanks.”
“Thanks. After she nearly drained herself dry.” Pamela’s mouth turned down and she clenched her fists, but she quickly turned and strode out.
Mick dragged the fiery gaze he’d rested on Pamela from the door, and looked at me again, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “I’m staying.”
“Good.” I glanced at Coyote who’d remained, watching us, his hands on his hips. “Coyote, could you, you know … leave?”
“Why? You have nothing I haven’t seen before, Janet. I don’t mind seeing it again.”
Mick growled, and fire sparked in the hand that wasn’t touching me.
I didn’t think Mick would actually throw the fire at Coyote, and Coyote didn’t either, so we both jumped about a foot when Mick’s fire smacked Coyote in the side.
“Hey.” Coyote put a hand out and caught the next wave Mick threw at him.
I held my breath. Coyote could obliterate Mick in the blink of an eye if he wanted to. Then again, I remembered Coyote telling me that he and Mick had fought before, and Coyote had lost.
Truly lost? I wondered. Coyote was always going on about things happening for a reason—had he known how much I’d need Mick in my life and so had let him live?
“Just go,” I said, flapping my hand at him.
Coyote heaved a long sigh. “All right. I know when I’ve worn out my welcome. Janet—if you start remembering your dreams, you come and tell me about them. All about them. Got it?”
Behind his pain-in-the-ass grin was a serious look, one of profound worry. There was more to this than me taking a hit and having two weeks’ worth of strange dreams.
“Sure,” I said. “I’ll find you. Keep your cell phone on.”
“Gah, I hate technology.”
With that, Coyote turned his back and walked away. He didn’t shift, didn’t look for clothes. I hoped that, if he planned to parade through the hotel lobby, the guests were either out or used to shape-shifters enough not to be bothered.
As soon as Coyote had gone, Mick sent a sparkle of fire to slam the door and lock it. He was pushing me back down onto the bed in the next instant, over me on hands and knees, giving me his intense scrutiny.
“I couldn’t wake you up,” he said, his deep voice going scratchy. “I tried so hard. I healed your wounds, but I couldn’t reach you. Damn it, I thought I’d lost you forever.”
Tears formed in Mick’s eyes, which had reverted to the deepest, most beautiful blue, and flowed to wet his cheeks.
Chapter Eight
“Mick.” The word held my profound love for him, past and present. “I’m all right. You took care of me.”
Mick studied me a moment longer, then leaned down and kissed my lips, the tenderest, most heart-wrenching kiss he’d ever given me. I came out of it with my body hot, my exhaustion easing.
“Gabrielle,” I said, that one knot of worry still squeezing. “Her arm got burned. Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. She’s in Many Farms. I healed her.”
Of course. Mick took care of everyone.
His look turned concerned. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispered.
“You never hurt me, Mick.”
Mick removed the T-shirt with the gentlest of touches. His hands went all over my body, healing magic entering my bones.
Mick loved me then—stripped off his clothes and came down to me in silence, his hot tears dropping to my skin. The lovemaking touched memories of my dreams, which had been so real. I’d felt him then as I felt him now.
I slept when we finished, but a dark, dreamless, refreshing sleep. When I woke, the afternoon was fading, though still warm, the hint of storm in the air gone. Mick was beside me on his stomach, watching me, his eyes fully blue now, no trace of the dragon. Just the man who loved me.
He hadn’t bothered with covers. Dying sunlight brushed the tanned skin of his backside, the muscle of the arm that curved on the pillow.
“I’m surprised my grandmother’s not here,” I murmured, then I sent the closed door a worried glance. “Or is she?”
Mick shook his head. “They don’t know anything happened to you. I got Gabrielle out of there before she saw. No one knows but us. I didn’t want to worry them. Not yet … ”
Mick