A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton Page A

you break your promise.”
    He nodded. “Should I be expecting a lightning bolt?”
    I shook my head. “No, not a lightning bolt.”
    He’d started to smile, but when I didn’t seem to think it was funny, his smile faded. “I keep my word, Princess.”
    â€œI hope so, Detective, for all our sakes.”
    Eileen took me to one side, a few steps away from the detective. “What are you planning to do, Meredith?”
    â€œAre you a practitioner of any mystic art?” I asked.
    â€œI’m a lawyer, not a witch.”
    â€œThen just watch. It’s sort of self-explanatory.” I drew away from her gently and walked back to Alvera. I stayed farther away than I would have normally, just close enough that I could touch him. I’d had oil on my fingers, but some of it had rubbed off. I wanted this to work so I drew my fingers across my breasts where the oil was still slick and shining. Branwyn’s Tears had a long shelf life. I reached out toward Alvera’s face.
    He leaned back out of reach.
    I raised an eyebrow at him, hand extended in midair. “You said I could touch you.”
    He nodded. “Sorry, habit.” He moved a step closer to me but maneuvered us so that we were in full view of our audience behind the one-way glass. He visibly steeled himself not to flinch away from me. I wasn’t sure if he didn’t want me touching him because I was fey or because he thought I’d murdered someone by magic or because of some esoteric cop thing.
    I traced my fingertips along his full mouth until they glistened like lip gloss. His eyes widened, and he looked softly stunned. I stepped away from him, and he reached toward me, then stopped himself. He folded his arms across his chest and tried to talk, then shook his head.
    I went back to my chair and sat down. I crossed my legs, and the skirt was short enough that I flashed the lacy edge of the thigh-highs. Alvera noticed. He watched every move of my hands as I smoothed the skirt into place. I could see his pulse in his neck jumping under his skin. The wide eyes, the half-parted lips as he fought to control himself were very intriguing. It took more self-control than was pretty to not close the distance between us and make the first move. I was still safe behind Jeremy’s runes, but it was an act of will not to go to him.
    Eileen Galan was looking from one to the other of us, a puzzled expression on her face. “Did I miss something?”
    Alvera just kept staring at me, arms hugging himself, as if afraid to move or even speak, for fear that any forward motion would spill him over the edge and into my arms.
    I answered her. “Yes, you missed something.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œBranwyn’s Tears,” I said softly.
    Alvera closed his eyes, his body beginning to sway slightly.
    â€œAre you all right, Detective?” Eileen said.
    He opened his eyes, and said, “Yeah, I’m . . .” He looked back at me. “. . . fine.” But that last was barely audible. There was a kind of a panic on his face as if he couldn’t believe what he was thinking.
    I don’t know how long he might have been able to stand there, but I had run out of patience tonight. I ran my fingertip over the white, glistening mounds of my breasts, and that was all it took.
    He crossed the room in three strides, grabbing my forearms, lifting me to my feet. He was nearly a foot taller than I was, and he had to bend at an awkward angle, but he managed. He put those kissable lips against mine, and the first taste tore Jeremy’s careful spell away. I was suddenly a throbbing, needful thing. My body still wanted to finish what had been denied it earlier. I kissed him like I was feeding off of his soft lips, my tongue seeking for something deep inside him. My oiled hands caressed his face. The more oil that touched him, the stronger the spell. He lifted me around the waist, raising me to eye level so he