[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Last night, I d been so exhausted and in pain I never noted Tane s tattoo. I d seen it
poking out of his shirt collar on occasion. It crept around his shoulders from his back and
descended to mid bicep, a black tribal design that popped on his translucent skin. Water
poured over him in streams, meandered down his well-muscled body to pool at his feet.
A shiny golden ring pierced his belly button.
He rolled it in his fingers.  I got this before it became fashionable. A small token of
my pirating days. His hand trailed lower and drew my eyes until I realized where it
headed.
I jerked my gaze away and licked my lips. Pirate? Why didn t that surprise me?
His chuckle made me blush.  Is there anything else you need? If you re going to
stand there, you may as well get in and join me.
 When hell freezes over. I stepped away.
 Careful what you wish for. He shut the shower door.  I m almost done. Wait for
me in the living room. I m sure whatever crisis you have can wait another minute.
I stared through the frosted glass at Tane s silhouette. He scrubbed at his scalp.  I m
not staying.
 Fine, have a seat and order something to eat.
 That s not what I mean. I want to go back to my hotel.
 No.
I waited, but he continued to wash. Asshole. Rurik should be waking as well. I spun
and stomped back to the library. He would know how to get a taxi and get us back where
we belonged.
Something brushed past me and I stiffened from the touch.
Tane appeared before me by one of the sofas. A towel wrapped around his waist. He
lifted the phone to his ear.  What would you like to eat?
 Gwen fed me.
He set the phone down and leaned against the sofa with his arms crossed over his
chest.  I heard about your little hike.
 Then you know about the body? Gwen didn t waste time.
 Of course. He raised an eyebrow and frowned.  I have a traitor in my house and a
murderer. Do you think it s a coincidence?
For the last hour my brain had stopped working, reacting instead of planning. Maybe
a bit of overreacting tossed in the mix when I saw the luggage.  No.
 Do you think I should call the Rio law enforcement and have them investigate?
 Would they care? My words came out strained. He wanted to lead me somewhere.
 Not unless she belonged to someone important. He rubbed his thumb under his
chin and stared at the floor.  If I paid, some of them would care more, but if I m going to
hire a person, I want the best. With the last word, he fixed his gaze to mine.
 My sources tell me Colby s in town. I doubt he vacations.
I should have stayed in my room. This was why I hated Tane. He twisted my guts
and made me feel inadequate. One day I might learn to understand his subtle thought
processes. Not this evening.  He s here on business.
 I bet he couldn t resist meeting with you.
 Yeah, I saw him. My bottom lip began to ache and realized I d been chewing on it.
A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as if wanting to laugh.  A
bittersweet meeting I suspect. Did he treat you different now that you re with us?
 Yes. I snapped.  Get to the point.
 Contact him. He s more qualified to deal with this than the police. I ll use whatever
resources at my disposal to help resolve this problem. Maybe he can find a clue to my
traitor. He straightened and loomed over me.  And you re staying.
 I don t think so.
The darkness that gathered in his expression as he glowered almost drowned me in
doubt.  Gwen told me about your conversation on our bond. You ve cast uncertainty into
her. I forced my blood into you because you would have died without it.
Poof! Just like that, my anger shredded the doubt. I loved my rage at times.  Don t
go all humanitarian on me. I stepped into the center stage of his furious glare and poked
him in the bare chest.  You could have let Rurik do it instead, but no, you ve got an
agenda.
 Even if I could have freed him from the sword in time to try to save you, Rurik s
blood was not strong enough to bring you back from the brink of death. Fangs glinted
with the light as he let loose an inhuman growl.
Instinct made me duck and roll for the door but he caught me in his arms before I d
made it across the room.
He pressed me to his abdomen as he whispered.  Don t struggle. It makes it harder to
control. Hot breath panted in my left ear.  You re such a pest. My night has barely
begun and already you ve pissed me off.
The drumming beat of my heart slowed as we stood in this position for a moment.
Tane loosened his grip, but still held me.  You need to learn how to behave. A less
skilled vampire would have devoured you by now. He brushed my hair away from my
neck.  Stop influencing my staff. Challenge me in private if you have to or I ll be forced
to punish you in public. The cool touch of his tongue as he licked a trickle of sweat on
my skin made me jerk in his hold.  And I promise I won t be a gentleman.
Fangs closed around my pulse point. It stung as he bit into my flesh, yet the pain
lessened as he drew in my blood. I listened to his warning and didn t struggle. Tears
welled in my eyes. I d be damned to let them spill where he could see them.
He pulled away and licked my wound closed.  Very good, Rabbit. His fingers
trailed in my curls before he opened his arms.
If a black hole opened at my feet, I would have been happy to fall in it. Not wanting
to look him in the eye, afraid the tears would return, I stared at my hands.  I don t want to
stay here.
A knock at the door interrupted us. It opened and Rurik entered. Dressed in light
slacks and collared t-shirt, he was the image of perfection with his wet black hair slicked
back.  I wondered where you went. No surprise you ve found your way here. He set his
hands on his hips. I d known him long enough to see the hidden hurt in his eyes.
 Rabbit wants to leave. She came here to coerce me into letting her go. Tane, still [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]