perfectly good name."
"If you live in Romania."
"What's wrong with living in Romania?"
"Nothing. But you don't. Steve's a good American name."
"Why must Americans change things? Simplify them?"
"Because we're good at it."
"What about diversity? Multiculturalism?"
"What about it?"
He was babbling. He didn't babble. He was the strong, silent type. Ask anyone who knew him who didn't flinch or faint at the sight of him. Which was about three people in the world. Three people too many. "I'm going to have to work on my numbers."
Selena wasn't the flinching or fainting type. And she knew exactly what he was talking about. "It only cuts down your Christmas list."
He couldn't stop himself. "What does?"
"Making everyone scared of you."
"It keeps me alive."
She knew what he meant this time, too. "Revenge isn't what keeps you alive. It's only what keeps you going."
But how did she know? And why did she care? Not because she was a companion and she must care, he was certain of that. It shook him down to the soul. "You make me crazy."
She grinned. "Good."
The next thing he knew, she was on the floor beneath him, with her shorts pulled down and her bra hiked up. They were both breathing very hard. It tickled when her nails scraped across his back with all her strength. "Sex is no substitute… for co… munication."
"And it's hard on the knees," he acknowledged. "This floor is hard." That said, he hauled her up and over his shoulder.
On the way to the bedroom, she said, "I'm not impressed."
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He laughed. "Give it a few minutes."
At no point over the next several hours did he bite her.
Selena didn't know which was worse, having him in or out of her bed. No. The in bed part was fun, it was living in suspended animation the rest of the time that sucked. For that, she hit him on the shoulder once she finally recovered her breath and her senses after a particularly prolonged and intense orgasm.
"Okay," she admitted. "I'm impressed."
She expected and received a smirk. Then he rolled over and lay on his back, his long body stretched out beside her, and groaned. "That wasn't supposed to happen."
She wasn't sure if she was amused or annoyed at his sounding so chagrined. "Pleasure before business?"
"Turned out that way."
"I didn't figure you came back because you were horny."
"You should be offended."
"Cut the old-world gentleman crap. I'd rather know what you're doing here."
They spoke while staring up at the ceiling. Selena glanced sideways at the alarm clock on the nightstand.
It was very late at night or very early in the morning, depending on how you looked at it. Either way, Steve got to sleep all day; she didn't.
He turned toward her and lay a hand flat on her bare stomach. "You know what I'm doing here. I've had a talk with Ariel. I've seen the body you brought him."
"And…?" she prompted.
"Ariel no longer remembers you," he told her. "But, knowing you — "
"You don't know me."
"I doubt he'll forget you for long. You should keep your nose out of strigoi business."
"Not when they kill people in my town."
"It is not a companion's place to keep the nests honest. Ariel's a good Nighthawk."
"So was Maria, you told me once. Until she decided not to be anymore."
"Point taken." He flopped back onto his back, not touching her at all. She made no attempt to cuddle or cling to his warmth.
They'd never discussed Maria after her execution, any more than they discussed anything else. He'd come to town two years before, done his job, and left. During the proceedings, there had been a brief sexual interlude that utterly changed her life, ripped away all her psychic barriers, introduced her to the underneath world, and he left her to cope on her own. Steve didn't hang around for the aftermath. Two Page 52
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
years she'd waited, wanted, and dreaded his return.
"If you live in Romania."
"What's wrong with living in Romania?"
"Nothing. But you don't. Steve's a good American name."
"Why must Americans change things? Simplify them?"
"Because we're good at it."
"What about diversity? Multiculturalism?"
"What about it?"
He was babbling. He didn't babble. He was the strong, silent type. Ask anyone who knew him who didn't flinch or faint at the sight of him. Which was about three people in the world. Three people too many. "I'm going to have to work on my numbers."
Selena wasn't the flinching or fainting type. And she knew exactly what he was talking about. "It only cuts down your Christmas list."
He couldn't stop himself. "What does?"
"Making everyone scared of you."
"It keeps me alive."
She knew what he meant this time, too. "Revenge isn't what keeps you alive. It's only what keeps you going."
But how did she know? And why did she care? Not because she was a companion and she must care, he was certain of that. It shook him down to the soul. "You make me crazy."
She grinned. "Good."
The next thing he knew, she was on the floor beneath him, with her shorts pulled down and her bra hiked up. They were both breathing very hard. It tickled when her nails scraped across his back with all her strength. "Sex is no substitute… for co… munication."
"And it's hard on the knees," he acknowledged. "This floor is hard." That said, he hauled her up and over his shoulder.
On the way to the bedroom, she said, "I'm not impressed."
Page 51
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
He laughed. "Give it a few minutes."
At no point over the next several hours did he bite her.
Selena didn't know which was worse, having him in or out of her bed. No. The in bed part was fun, it was living in suspended animation the rest of the time that sucked. For that, she hit him on the shoulder once she finally recovered her breath and her senses after a particularly prolonged and intense orgasm.
"Okay," she admitted. "I'm impressed."
She expected and received a smirk. Then he rolled over and lay on his back, his long body stretched out beside her, and groaned. "That wasn't supposed to happen."
She wasn't sure if she was amused or annoyed at his sounding so chagrined. "Pleasure before business?"
"Turned out that way."
"I didn't figure you came back because you were horny."
"You should be offended."
"Cut the old-world gentleman crap. I'd rather know what you're doing here."
They spoke while staring up at the ceiling. Selena glanced sideways at the alarm clock on the nightstand.
It was very late at night or very early in the morning, depending on how you looked at it. Either way, Steve got to sleep all day; she didn't.
He turned toward her and lay a hand flat on her bare stomach. "You know what I'm doing here. I've had a talk with Ariel. I've seen the body you brought him."
"And…?" she prompted.
"Ariel no longer remembers you," he told her. "But, knowing you — "
"You don't know me."
"I doubt he'll forget you for long. You should keep your nose out of strigoi business."
"Not when they kill people in my town."
"It is not a companion's place to keep the nests honest. Ariel's a good Nighthawk."
"So was Maria, you told me once. Until she decided not to be anymore."
"Point taken." He flopped back onto his back, not touching her at all. She made no attempt to cuddle or cling to his warmth.
They'd never discussed Maria after her execution, any more than they discussed anything else. He'd come to town two years before, done his job, and left. During the proceedings, there had been a brief sexual interlude that utterly changed her life, ripped away all her psychic barriers, introduced her to the underneath world, and he left her to cope on her own. Steve didn't hang around for the aftermath. Two Page 52
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
years she'd waited, wanted, and dreaded his return.
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