have to trust my instincts.”
Shadows danced across her face, drawing his attention to her beautiful mouth. He wanted to taste it. Badly.
Tearing his gaze from her lips, he stared beyond the windows instead.
“Do me a favor?” She crossed her arms over her chest, her demeanor tense and uncertain. “It’s weak and stupid and a totally female thing to ask, but can you hold me, just for a minute?”
His heart punched at his ribs. Warning bells chimed in his head, loud and clear, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse her.
Awkwardly, he placed his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. Her body fit his so perfectly, as though she were made for him, as though he’d held her in his arms a thousand times before. With a weary sigh, she glided her palms across his waist to rest them on his back, and her feminine warmth seeped into his flesh, thawing everything frozen inside him. Giving in to the sweet pleasure of it, he propped his chin on the crown of her head and closed his eyes, blocking out the fraudulent glint of the moon.
Chapter Fifteen
Marcus awoke the next morning to the sound of Regan shuffling through the hotel room, clad in the blue dress again. It wasn’t nearly as flawless as it had been yesterday. The material suffered from the effects of snags and tears, but it still fit her figure like a glove.
She’d spent the night in the bedroom with Ben, while Marcus had slept on the couch. Sunlight filtered in through the windows to swamp his face, forcing him to squint. Sliding her feet into her shoes, Regan tugged at the dress, then made a beeline for the door.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
She jumped, pressed her palm to her heart and turned to look at him. “You scared the shit out of me. I almost forgot you were there.”
Lazily raising himself to a sitting position, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Not sure how I should take that.” He stood and stretched, secretly enjoying the way her catlike gaze glided over his body, even though he knew it spelled trouble. “You still haven’t answered my question. Where are you sneaking off to?”
“I thought I’d visit the hotel gift shop, find something a little more appropriate to wear. Don’t take this the wrong way, but your taste in women’s clothing sucks.”
She’d done it again—made him want to laugh. He’d felt more pleasure and amusement these past few days than he’d had in centuries.
“Since I left my backpack in the Jeep, I’ve got nothing else to wear besides this.” She spread out her arms, giving him a clear view of her perfectly proportioned body. “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s looking a little used.”
He still liked the dress, but he knew better than to debate fashion with a woman. “Need a credit card?” His subtle way of reminding her not to use any of her special abilities so as to avoid leaving a trail of energy behind, which could lead the Watchers right to them.
“Don’t worry. I’ll just have them charge everything to the room.”
“And the kid?”
“ Ben’s still sleeping.” He wondered if she’d purposely emphasized the boy’s name to draw attention to the fact that he rarely used it.
She placed her hand on the doorknob, turned to look at him. “Do me a favor?”
Her words brought to mind last night, the way he’d held her in his arms, the way her body had molded to his and made his blood sizzle with a desire he’d believed long dead.
She must have caught a flicker of something in his eyes, because a potent flush spread to stain her cheeks. “Give Ben a bath when he wakes up. He’s a mess after our hiking expedition yesterday.”
All traces of amusement fizzled away. “Wait a second—”
“See you in a bit.” She flashed him her most glorious smile, then shot out of the hotel room, leaving him behind to wonder what the hell had just happened.
Regan mindlessly selected a few items from the racks—several boring blouses, two nondescript pairs
C. J. Cherryh
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