the teal color shining.
"Mary?" he said in a dazed, indistinct voice.
She had to take a few breaths before speaking. "You're back."
"And you're okay." He lifted his arms, flexed his fingers. "I didn't change."
"What do you mean, change?"
"I didn't... I could see you while it was with me. You were hazy, but I knew you weren't getting hurt. It's the first time I've ever remembered anything."
She didn't know what to make of that, but saw that the chains had nibbed his skin raw. "Can I let you go?'
"Yeah. Please."
Getting him undone took some time. When he was free, he massaged his wrists and ankles and watched her carefully, as if reassuring himself she was okay.
She looked around for a robe. "I'd better go tell Butch and V it's safe to leave."
"I'll do it." He went over to the bedroom door and stuck his head out.
As he spoke with the men, she looked at the tattoo on his back. She could have sworn it was smiling at her.
God, she was nuts. She really was.
She hopped up on the bed and pulled the blankets over herself.
Rhage shut the door and leaned back against it. He still looked tense, in spite of the release he'd had. "After all that... are you finally afraid of me?"
"No."
"Aren't you afraid of... it?"
She held her arms out. "Come here. I want to hold you. You look like you've got a case of the rattles."
He approached the bed slowly, as if he didn't want her to feel stalked or something. She motioned with her hands, urging him to hurry up.
Rhage lay down beside her, but didn't reach for her.
After a heartbeat she went for him, wrapping her body around his, running her hands over him. When she brushed against his side, catching the edge of the dragon's tail, Rhage flinched and shifted.
He didn't want her anywhere near the tattoo, she thought.
"Roll over," she said. "Onto your stomach."
When he shook his head, she pushed at his shoulders. It was like trying to move a grand piano.
"Roll over, damn it. Come on, Rhage."
He complied with no grace whatsoever, cursing and flopping onto his belly.
She ran her hand right down his spine, right over the dragon.
Rhage's muscles contracted in random order. No, not random. They were the parts of his body that corresponded to where she was touching the tattoo.
How extraordinary.
She stroked his back some more, feeling as if the ink were rising up to meet her palm like a cat.
"Are you ever going to want to be with me again?" Rhage said stiffly. He turned his face to the side so he could see her. Except he didn't look up.
She lingered on the beast's mouth, tracing the line of its lips with her fingertip. Rhage's own set parted as if he were feeling her touch.
"Why wouldn't I want to be with you?"
"That was a little weird, wasn't it?"
She laughed. "Weird? I'm sleeping in a mansion full of vampires. I've fallen in love with a - "
Mary stopped. Oh, God. What had just come out of her mouth?
Rhage pushed his upper body off the bed, twisting his chest around so he could look at her. "What did you just say?"
She hadn't meant for it to happen, she thought. The falling or the telling.
But she would take neither of them back.
"I'm not sure," she murmured, taking in the brute strength of his shoulders and arms. "But I think it was something along the lines of 'I love you.' Yeah, that was it. I, ah, I love you."
Now, that was lame. She could do a hell of a lot better.
Mary grabbed his face, planted a good hard one on his mouth, and looked him straight in the eye.
"I love you, Rhage. I love you something fierce."
Those heavy arms wrapped around her and he buried his head in her neck. "I didn't think you ever would."
"Am I that hardheaded?"
"No. I'm that undeserving."
Mary pulled back and glared at him. "I don't want to hear you say that again. You are the very best thing that's ever happened to me."
"Even with the beast?"
Beast? Sure, she'd sensed something else was in him. But a beast? Still, Rhage was looking so worried, she humored him.
"Yeah, even with him as well. Only can we do it without all the metal next time? I'm very confident that you won't hurt me."
"Yeah, I think we can lose the chains."
Mary urged him back into the crook of her neck and found herself focusing on the Madonna and Child across the room.
"You are the