down his creamy skin in rivulets, highlighting the muscles, ridges, and hollows of his body. If not for the dark crimson scars that streaked his back and zigzagged over to his taut stomach, he’d look like a flawless statue come to life, and all that was nothing compared to what was in his eyes.
He was my real home. He was also my deepest love, my wildest passion, my truest friend . . . he was everything I’d never dared to dream for, yet now had.
And now, I could lose him. Again.
“I know how you feel, Cat,” I said in a voice that cracked at the edges. Then, as I had many times before, I forced the crushing weight of my emotions back. In a steadier tone, I said, “We’ll contact Ashael and call you back.”
I hung up. “They found them.”
“I heard,” Ian replied.
We stared at each other. From the other room, I heard Silver whine as he sensed the new tension in the air. It gave me an excuse to take a moment to collect myself, so I left the bedroom and went into the living area to pet Silver. If I touched Ian instead, I might grab on to him and refuse to let go.
He followed me. When would I learn that he wouldn’t stay behind when he knew I needed him? His arms came around me, and his chest was a hard, welcome wall behind me.
“We’ve got this, luv.”
His voice rolled over me in its own caress. For a moment, I closed my eyes, willing myself to believe him.
“I know,” I said while thinking, Actually, we probably don’t, but we still have to try. Too many lives are at stake.
“This is different from the other times. We’re no longer taking on enemies by ourselves,” he replied, guessing at my doubts. “I kept insisting that my friends stay out of our battles, but I was wrong. Just as you and I are stronger together, so the pair of us will be stronger with allies at our sides. This time, I’m confident that all truly will be well.”
I gave up trying to pretend that I wasn’t wracked with nerves. He knew me too well to fall for it, anyway.
“The last time I was confident that all would be well, you ended up dead. So, no offense, but I’ll stick with being paranoid and anxiety ridden. I’ve had much better luck with those two.”
Breath from his laughter tickled the back of my neck. “Whatever you prefer, then.”
I leaned back against him, allowing myself to sink into this moment. It wouldn’t last, but for now, all was well. I shouldn’t waste a second of it.
“This is how we first met, remember?” he murmured, his hands starting to roam. I only wore one of the hotel’s robes, and it fell open beneath his touch. “Only then, it was a life-and-death battle between vampires and ghouls.”
I did remember, although it was getting harder to think with him seeking out my most sensitive spots.
“You looked bored before the fight,” he went on, voice deepening, “and I thought, ‘Ah, another useless politician.’”
“Understandable presumption,” I said, arching to give him better access. If I was risking losing him forever, I at least deserved a quickie before summoning Ashael.
“Then, on the battlefield,” Ian said, his strokes becoming more possessive, “you tore through a group of ghouls until all I saw was flying body parts. At that moment, I had my first premonition about you, and it seared through me as if I’d been branded from above: she is mine.”
“Yours,” I agreed, turning around to kiss him.
Three hard knocks on the balcony glass doors shattered the moment. Ashael stood outside, wearing two thick, hooded coats that covered all his skin except for his face, which now had a very baleful expression.
“I didn’t spend the last thirty-six hours straight convincing Yonah to help us only to stand out here and burn while waiting for the two of you to finish copulating.”
“Come in,” I said, reluctantly stepping away from Ian.
Ashael teleported into the bathroom while I closed the drapes. With a sigh of disappointment, Ian put on his trousers.
“Yonah agreed to help?” I asked Ashael.
He peeked out, saw that the sun was now blocked from streaming in, and threw off his cloaks, revealing a designer jacket, a sleek bronze shirt, and black denim trousers.
“Yes, mostly. He’ll drop off the reinforcements, but he won’t stay to fight, and convincing him to reveal himself to so many strangers after he’s been in hiding