Coveted - Book 3 in the Gwen Sparks Series by Stephanie Nelson Page A
Authors: Stephanie Nelson
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“I have to find answers. Otherwise you may not live through the week. Especially when you don’t take precautions.” He gave me a chiding look.
“How do you plan to find answers?” We’d made it back to the apartment. We climbed up the staircase and I fished my keys out of my pocket and unlocked the door. Dorian’s strong hands slid over my shoulders and he turned me around to face him.
“I have to leave, Gwen. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.” He moved his hand up my shoulder, to my neck and cupped the side of my face. Brushing the pad of his thumb along my jawline, he leaned down and pressed the softest kiss to my lips.
“Leaving is the last thing I want to do, but finding answers could save you and that’s more important than my need to stay by your side.” He spoke against my mouth, his breath caressing my lips.
The idea of Dorian not being around twisted my heart. I knew he’d come back, but that could be days or months. The Dorian leaving was different than the Dorian who arrived at the castle in Moon a month ago. This man still had hard edges but they were softening, and it pained me to see him go. I may be reluctant to enter into another relationship, but I’d come to think of Dorian as my friend— even if that friend occasionally kissed me.
“When?” I mumbled.
“As soon as I’m done helping the FPD.”
I nodded and looked down at my hands. Turning, I opened the door and stepped inside. Dorian followed, closing the door behind him. A small part of me was angry with the angel of Death for leaving me at such a vulnerable time, but I wouldn’t voice those emotions. Dorian needed to find answers for what he was experiencing and who was I to stand in his way? He’d given up his life to help me out and now I had to let him get back to it.
“Alright,” I said, crossing my arms and staring at him. “Good luck.”
He crossed the room, stopping just in front of me. We watched each other for a few lingering moments until his lips were on my mouth again. There was nothing soft about this kiss. It was urgent, hard and possessive. A delightful tremor ran through my body as his arm snaked around my waist and pulled me tighter to his body. If only all moments could be this delicious.
“Whoa,” Lauren said behind us. The door slamming shut was like the snap of a hypnotizer’s fingers, awakening me from a dream.
Dorian pressed one last kiss on my lips before he turned away and disappeared through the door. I caught Lauren’s smile but wasn’t in the mood to return it. Turning, I headed to my bedroom and prayed sleep would claim me fast.
I don’t know why I thought finding information on a secret, underground group of evil rogues would be easy. It wasn’t like there was an evilrogues.com. (Yes, I tried it.) I had woken up at 4 a.m. and spent the morning hunched over my laptop sifting through websites until my eyes burned and I couldn’t see straight anymore. There were a few conspiracy theorist blogs where they mentioned the idea of a group like the Veil, but they also thought there were subliminal messages on children’s televisions shows. After reading it, my brain hurt and my patience was thinning.
I must have drifted off because I woke up on the sofa, my laptop discarded on the floor and infomercials for slimming lotion squawking from the television. The good news was I hadn’t dreamt about assassins or sharp daggers. As I tried to sit up, the throw blanket got tangled around me like some sort of cotton boa constrictor. I fought my way out, yanking and lifting until I was free to stand. Talk about an early morning workout.
Rubbing my blurry eyes, I padded into the kitchen in desperate need of coffee. While I waited for it to brew, I headed down the hall to the restroom, pausing in front of Dorian’s bedroom door. It took me a moment to realize he wasn’t behind it. Turning the knob, I opened the door; half hoping he would be sleeping under Fiona’s frilly
“How do you plan to find answers?” We’d made it back to the apartment. We climbed up the staircase and I fished my keys out of my pocket and unlocked the door. Dorian’s strong hands slid over my shoulders and he turned me around to face him.
“I have to leave, Gwen. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.” He moved his hand up my shoulder, to my neck and cupped the side of my face. Brushing the pad of his thumb along my jawline, he leaned down and pressed the softest kiss to my lips.
“Leaving is the last thing I want to do, but finding answers could save you and that’s more important than my need to stay by your side.” He spoke against my mouth, his breath caressing my lips.
The idea of Dorian not being around twisted my heart. I knew he’d come back, but that could be days or months. The Dorian leaving was different than the Dorian who arrived at the castle in Moon a month ago. This man still had hard edges but they were softening, and it pained me to see him go. I may be reluctant to enter into another relationship, but I’d come to think of Dorian as my friend— even if that friend occasionally kissed me.
“When?” I mumbled.
“As soon as I’m done helping the FPD.”
I nodded and looked down at my hands. Turning, I opened the door and stepped inside. Dorian followed, closing the door behind him. A small part of me was angry with the angel of Death for leaving me at such a vulnerable time, but I wouldn’t voice those emotions. Dorian needed to find answers for what he was experiencing and who was I to stand in his way? He’d given up his life to help me out and now I had to let him get back to it.
“Alright,” I said, crossing my arms and staring at him. “Good luck.”
He crossed the room, stopping just in front of me. We watched each other for a few lingering moments until his lips were on my mouth again. There was nothing soft about this kiss. It was urgent, hard and possessive. A delightful tremor ran through my body as his arm snaked around my waist and pulled me tighter to his body. If only all moments could be this delicious.
“Whoa,” Lauren said behind us. The door slamming shut was like the snap of a hypnotizer’s fingers, awakening me from a dream.
Dorian pressed one last kiss on my lips before he turned away and disappeared through the door. I caught Lauren’s smile but wasn’t in the mood to return it. Turning, I headed to my bedroom and prayed sleep would claim me fast.
I don’t know why I thought finding information on a secret, underground group of evil rogues would be easy. It wasn’t like there was an evilrogues.com. (Yes, I tried it.) I had woken up at 4 a.m. and spent the morning hunched over my laptop sifting through websites until my eyes burned and I couldn’t see straight anymore. There were a few conspiracy theorist blogs where they mentioned the idea of a group like the Veil, but they also thought there were subliminal messages on children’s televisions shows. After reading it, my brain hurt and my patience was thinning.
I must have drifted off because I woke up on the sofa, my laptop discarded on the floor and infomercials for slimming lotion squawking from the television. The good news was I hadn’t dreamt about assassins or sharp daggers. As I tried to sit up, the throw blanket got tangled around me like some sort of cotton boa constrictor. I fought my way out, yanking and lifting until I was free to stand. Talk about an early morning workout.
Rubbing my blurry eyes, I padded into the kitchen in desperate need of coffee. While I waited for it to brew, I headed down the hall to the restroom, pausing in front of Dorian’s bedroom door. It took me a moment to realize he wasn’t behind it. Turning the knob, I opened the door; half hoping he would be sleeping under Fiona’s frilly
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