"Not a damn bit. In fact, if we're not careful, we can become possessed by them."
She went cold at his words. "Are you telling me that if that spook comes back, he could take you over?"
Valerius nodded. "And God help you and the rest of this city if it does."
Tabitha felt uneasy for the rest of the night. She couldn't shake the notion that even the air around her was evil. Tainted. Something was out there and it was gunning for her.
She only wished she knew who or what.
Why?
Valerius didn't speak much as they patrolled and yet found no sign of any Daimon. It was less than an hour before dawn when they returned to her place on Bourbon Street.
Valerius stood back while she unlocked her door. Tabitha paused as she noticed that he didn't make any move to enter.
"You had a bad fright tonight," he said quietly as he kept his hands in his pockets. "You should get a good sleep and you'll feel better."
Tabitha watched the way the moonlight cut across his handsome features. The sincerity she saw in those tormented black eyes haunted her. "Honestly, I don't want to be alone. I would really like for you to come in."
"Tabitha-"
She placed her fingers over his warm lips to stifle his protest. "It's okay, Val. If you're not interested in sex with me, I won't take it personally. But-"
He broke her words off with a hot kiss. Tabitha moaned at the taste of Roman as he placed one hand on the back of her head and buried his fingers in her hair.
Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him inside and pinned him to the wall so that she could kiss him wildly. She pulled at his clothes, practically ripping his shirt off before she realized she hadn't even closed the door.
She slammed it shut, locked it, then returned to Valerius.
"Marla," he said huskily as she reached to undo his pants.
Tabitha cursed. Valerius was right. If Marla heard them, she'd come and investigate.
"Follow me," she whispered, taking him by the hand to lead him up the stairs to her room.
Luckily Marla's door was closed. Tabitha took him into her bedroom, then shut and locked her own door.
She should be nervous about this and yet she wasn't. It was like some part of her needed this intimacy with a man who was a total anathema to her entire family.
It didn't make sense.
Yet here she was, breaking every taboo she knew. Amanda would kill her for this. Kyrian would never forgive her.
But her heart wouldn't hear reason. Against all sanity, it wanted her Roman general.
Tabitha kissed him fiercely, needing him to drive away her fear.
Valerius growled at how good she tasted. He wasn't used to a woman taking the lead in sex and he found her lack of modesty refreshing. She broke from his lips long enough to pull her own shirt off before she seized him again.
He couldn't think as she pressed her body against his. Her lace-covered breasts were small and inviting as they brushed against his chest. She unzipped his pants, then slid her hand down to gently caress his cock..
He hissed in pleasure as she moved her hands around his hips to his butt. Slowly, seductively, she slid his pants down, baring him to her. He'd never experienced anything more erotic.
Kneeling down before him, she removed his shoes, and socks, then pulled his pants free.
He didn't understand this woman. He found it impossible to believe that she was here with him like this. It'd been so long since he'd been with a woman. As Tabitha had pointed out, most of the ones he'd met had been frigid and formal in bed.
Never passionate. Not like this.