Embraced by Darkness (22 page)

Right in a totally different way to how Quinn had felt right.

Which didn’t really make all that much sense.

“I’m an alpha,” he said. “It’s an alpha’s duty to protect his pack. You, my frustrating, annoying, and somewhat daft woman, are considered part of that pack for as long as we are together.”

I smiled and raised a hand, gently touching his cheek. “This evil was something you couldn’t protect me from.”

“Which doesn’t negate my need to try.” He took my hand and kissed my fingertips one by one. Warmth shivered up my arm and desire unfurled.

“I have warned you that my being called out on a job might happen at the most inconvenient times.” I raised my free hand and lightly traced my fingertips along his side to his hip, then let them drop, lightly caressing the thickness of his erection.

“And I warned you that one day I will ask you to leave said job.”

My hand stilled as I raised my gaze to his. “I can’t leave yet. Not in the middle of a case, and not until we know the results of the drug I was given.”

“I know, and I’m not asking you to do that now. But I do want you to make a decision.”

I resumed my caressing, enjoying the way his flesh throbbed and jumped under my touch. “I know. And I promise, I’ll make it soon.”

He touched a finger to my chin and guided my gaze back to his. “How soon? As I’ve already warned, I’m an impatient man.”

My gaze searched his, seeing the desire deep in those green depths. Seeing the emotion. Part of me ached to say yes, to commit to this big strong wolf and take the time to explore whether or not he truly was the one.

But I just couldn’t. Not yet. I didn’t believe in breaking promises, and if I committed, I would mean it.

Yet I was in the type of job where commitment and fidelity didn’t matter one iota. Where the only thing that
did
matter was getting your man and bringing him down any damn way possible.

And sometimes, that included sex.

I might be a strong psychic, I might be able to make some people believe whatever I wanted them to believe—including the fact that they’d just had incredible sex with me when the only thing I’d been fucking was their minds—but there was no escaping the fact that, sometimes,
real
sex would be involved.

And that I would more than likely enjoy it.

Truth was, I couldn’t commit to Kellen and do my job successfully. I might not have wanted this job originally, but I was stuck with it now. Besides, part of me really did enjoy the thrill of it. A hunter hunts, and there was no longer denying I was very much a hunter.

Yet how much longer could I put Kellen off? How much longer did I
want
to put him off? My dreams were right here for the taking, if I had the courage.

But after everything that had happened over the last few years, my courage when it came to emotional matters was extremely low. And part of me didn’t want to take that final step just in case fate leapt out and crushed me again.

“Answer me, Riley,” he demanded.

Oh God, oh God.

I closed my eyes, took a breath. Found courage where none existed. “Give me a week. I need to concentrate on this case first, then I’ll give you an answer.”

Okay, so it
wasn’t
a whole lot of courage I found. And while it wasn’t the answer he wanted, it wasn’t a denial, either. A week gave me time to think. Time to panic.

Time to find said courage and commit.

“It had better be the right answer.”

I turned onto my side, then leaned forward and kissed him. It was a sweet kiss, a gentle kiss. A kiss that hinted at possibilities. “I think it could be.”

“Good.” His hand slipped down my back to my rump, his touch sending little flash fires of desire skittering across my flesh. “Now, what do you think we should do to seal this deal?”

I shrugged lightly, a smile teasing my lips. “Break open the champagne?”

“We’ll save that for when you finally say you’ll go solo with me next week.”

“Ah. Well, what about a good quality wine?”

“I’m not into wine right now.”

“Then what are you into?”

“You,” he said, then claimed my lips again, his kiss a demanding thing, and so damn hot it had me melting.

After a while, his lips moved on, kissing my lobes, my neck, my shoulder, until finally, torturously, his tongue teased first one nipple, then the other, making them ache with a fierceness I’d never thought possible. I closed my eyes and arched my back a little, enjoying the pleasurable sensations pulsing through me. When he sucked one throbbing nub into his mouth, I groaned in sheer delight.

Then his tongue moved on, trailing liquid heat down my stomach as he tasted and teased. Anticipation sung through every fiber, so that when his tongue finally flicked over my clit, it almost undid me. And still he licked, tasted, and tantalized, until my whole body throbbed to the tune of that gentle yet insistent caress, and the tide of enjoyment threatened to overload my senses.

“Oh God, stop.
Stop
,” I murmured. “I can’t…it’s too soon.”

I wanted to taste him, caress him, build him to fever pitch, until sweat beaded his skin and his body ached with the need for completion. As mine did.

But he didn’t hear me, didn’t care. Just kept on tasting me with his tongue, flicking and delving and caressing, until the sensations overloaded my senses, and my body bucked in delight. My fists clenched, grabbing the sheet as I shuddered and drowned in a myriad of delicious sensations.

The trembling had barely eased when his lips caught mine again. He tasted of lust. Of love. Of me, and while I just wanted to keep on kissing him, I also wanted—needed—a whole lot more.

So I wrapped my legs around his body and let him slide deep inside. Slowly, gently, he began to rock. The feel of him, so hard and hot, penetrated every fiber and enveloped me in a heat that was basic and yet so very powerful. Gradually, his thrusts became more urgent, the need more intense. Jolts of pleasure ran across my senses, building to a second crescendo.

“I’m going to make you howl, Riley,” he whispered against my lips. “I’m going to make you mine, in every way possible.”

His powerful body stroked fast and deep, and yet it was his words that drove me insane with desire. I writhed against him, matching his rhythm, matching his urgency. Lust and sweat and desire built and built, the aroma so sweet and thick on the air that every intake of breath only inflamed already raging need.

“Oh God…” The rest of the words did become a howl of utter pleasure as my body bucked wildly against his. He came with me, his roar echoing across the silence, his body slamming into mine so hard the whole bed shook. In the midst of all that pleasure, his lips caught mine, kissing me hard as our orgasms ebbed and sanity returned.

I opened my eyes, stared into the green of his. Saw my future there, if only I was brave enough to take the chance.

He rolled onto his side, then gathered me in his arms. “Make me a promise,” he said softly.

“What?” I said, sounding more reluctant than was probably wise.

“No sex outside what you have to do for work. Just you and me, for the next week until you give me the answer.”

“Okay.” I didn’t even have to think about that one, which I guess was surprising given my reluctance to fully commit to the man.

Though I guess I was only agreeing to something I’d harassed Rhoan into in his relationship with Liander.

“Thank you,” he said, and continued to hold me while he fell asleep.

Me, I didn’t sleep, no matter how much I needed to. My mind was too busy mulling over promises, possibilities, and the right thing to do.

R
hoan had the coffee made and waiting by the time I walked in our apartment door the following morning.

“What, you’ve suddenly gained sister radar or something?” I said, as I wrapped my hands gratefully around the mug of steaming liquid. Melbourne had pulled another of its weather tricks, and it was as cold as hell outside.

“It sounded like a herd of elephants running up the stairs,” he said, amusement twinkling deep in his gray eyes. “Knew it had to be you. Light of foot you are not in the mornings.”

“If I wasn’t so grateful for the coffee, I’d kick your kneecaps.” I took a sip and sighed happily. Hazelnut might not be “in” when it came to coffee these days, but it had always been my favorite. There was just something about the sweet, nutty aroma that made my taste buds do happy little handsprings. “So, did you talk to Liander last night?”

He nodded. “I actually sat him down
before
sex and talked to him. He understands. He’s not happy, but he does understand. You?”

I screwed up my nose. “We talked. I said I’d give him an answer in a week.”

“Coward.”

“Totally.”

He grabbed my arm and tugged me into a hug. “Just don’t lose this one through fear, sis. He’s a good man. And rich, which is always a bonus.”

I snorted softly and pulled away. “Money isn’t everything.”

“Maybe not, but it sure as hell can make things a whole lot more pleasant.”

“So why are you still here rather than living the high life at Liander’s?”

“Because I value freedom more than money. And he’s clingy enough. Can you imagine what it would be like if I lived with him?”

Actually, I could, and there was no way it would be as bad as my brother was imagining. I drank some more coffee, then said, “You heading into the Directorate this morning?”

He shook his head. “I’m doing the legwork for a case the night boys are having trouble with. Seems we may have a day-walker on our hands.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Day-walker?”

“A nonhuman with vampire tendencies.”

“But not actually a vampire?”

“No. They tend to be psychos who like the taste of blood. We’ve had to track down one or two of them during my years as a guardian.” He shrugged, like it was no big deal. “How about you?”

“Gotta go in and write up a report, then I might head over to that club and see if I can track down the man matching the picture Adrienne drew.”

“You think he might be involved in Adrienne’s disappearance?”

“Probably not, but right now, he’s my only lead.”

“You
could
wash your hands of the whole thing, you know.”

“And leave Mom hanging? Sorry, not going to happen.” I hesitated, remembering yesterday’s events. “And besides, we now have the joy of Patrin and his bodyguard coming down for more regular reports of our progress.”

Rhoan’s fingers flexed. “Good. I believe there is some unfinished business between the two of us.”

“As I mentioned, he has a bodyguard.”

“So?”

“So knowing Patrin, he’s probably the type to shoot first and ask questions later. And I don’t want a dead brother.”

He snorted softly. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Only Superman can run faster than a speeding bullet, bro.”

“So I’ll disarm the bodyguard before I beat the crap out of Patrin.”

“Good.” I drained the rest of my coffee in several scalding gulps, then dumped the mug into the sink. “Be sure to let me know when it happens. I’d like to watch.”

“I heard that about you.”

I slapped his arm as I walked out. His laughter followed me into the bathroom. By the time I’d showered and dressed, he’d gone. I scooped up my keys, wallet, and ID, but left my gun tucked safely in the security box. Jack would have a pink fit if he realized I didn’t actually carry, but I hated the feel of it on my body. Hated the weight of it, however slight that might be.

Once back at the Directorate, I plonked down on my chair and began typing up the report of last night’s events. Technically, I could have handed it over to the liaisons, but Salliane was down there. And as much as I loved teasing the cow, I just wasn’t in the mood for any of it right now.

With that done, I picked up the files I’d printed out yesterday and began reading through them. Wading through files of death and destruction was never an easy thing, and some of these murders were so gruesome—so cold—they made my heart ache.

In the end, I found three possibilities. I went back into the database and requested complete details on all three, then logged off the computer and got the hell out of there.

It was just after one when I arrived at Mirror Image. In daylight, the place really did look like a massive factory, the unadorned concrete walls reaching toward an inhospitable sky. There had to be at least two hundred cars sitting in the parking lot. This place was certainly pulling in the customers.

The heady smell of sex and lust stirred the air as I grabbed my pass and headed in, and my pulse quickened. I might have had an amazing night of sex, but the wolf within was always ready for more.

The bouncer, a big white wolf, gave me a wicked smile of greeting as I handed him the card. He swiped it through the reader, then handed it back. “You’ve access to all areas. The boss upgraded it this morning.”