them.
Christian wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her throat while she tended eggs on the stovetop, raising goose bumps all along her arms. And when she turned from the stove, Michael caught her and pressed his lips to hers.
Yes, maybe she could get used to this.
Making light conversation that didn’t go anywhere near Louis or what had happened the previous night, she fixed all three of them plates while Michael served them coffee.
They finished breakfast and Christian pulled her into his lap. Moving her hair to the side, he laid a line of kisses down her neck. He murmured, “What do you have planned for the day?”
She glanced out the window. The rain from the night before had left the world soggy and misty. “This afternoon I need to go to work.”
“Not without one of us by your side,” answered Michael.
“Yep,” replied Christian right away. He looked at Michael. “You want me to take the day shift, you the night?”
“Sounds good.”
She slid off Christian’s lap. “What’s the deal?”
“What do you mean?”
“You guys think I need a babysitter?”
“Not a babysitter.” Michael stood and started to clear the table. “A bodyguard. You can’t be alone right now.”
She glanced out the window again, toward the woods, and hugged herself. “You know, it’s strange. I didn’t have the sense he meant to hurt me. He had a chance, after all, and he didn’t take it.”
“Yeah.” Christian pushed a hand through his hair, mussing it further. “But we don’t know what he meant to do. We have no idea what’s going through Louis’s head. He’s unpredictable.”
Michael clanked plates in the sink while he washed them. “We need to go to the council this morning and alert them to Louis’s presence. We need to form a posse to find him. I can go to my kiss and Christian can go to his pack.”
“You won’t…hurt him, will you?”
The room went silent.
Fear surged up her spine. “It’s not his fault he’s this way!”
Michael turned to face her. “It’s not yours, either.”
She made fists at her sides and turned her face away.
“I don’t know what they’ll decide to do with him,” answered Christian in as gentle a voice as she’d ever heard from him. “He’s a menace, Kylie, pure and simple. It’s his nature. You know that. How much guilt would you feel if Louis killed an innocent person?”
“Just—” She let out a slow, careful breath. “Try to convince them not to harm him if you can.”
“Agreed,” said Michael, “but there are no guarantees.” He pulled her into his arms.
Her head fit just perfectly under his chin. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of his warm, strong arms around her. “Thank you.” He tipped her chin up and kissed her softly, his tongue slipping between her lips and rubbing up against her tongue. It speared pleasure through her body and made her recall the night before—the press of their bodies, the slide of their skin.
She wanted all that again. And again. And again.
Christian came around to her back and pulled her gently from Michael’s arms and into his own, giving her the same knee-buckling treatment. He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “I think I can speak for both myself and Michael when I say I would prefer to stay here this morning. However, we need to take care of Louis.”
Take care of Louis . It sounded threatening and she pulled away a little.
She gritted her teeth and suppressed the sudden sting of tears. She backed away from him. “I’m going to take a shower,” she mumbled and walked out of the room.
Kylie wiped down the bar and jerked her head at the next customer, Mac Rory. “Have you decided?”
“I’ll take a Yorkshire, chilled.”
Nodding, but not looking at him, she turned to fill his order for a bottle of pig’s blood. The bar was packed tonight, undoubtedly because word of the were and vamp posses had gotten around. Everyone now knew Louis was back.
Christian wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her throat while she tended eggs on the stovetop, raising goose bumps all along her arms. And when she turned from the stove, Michael caught her and pressed his lips to hers.
Yes, maybe she could get used to this.
Making light conversation that didn’t go anywhere near Louis or what had happened the previous night, she fixed all three of them plates while Michael served them coffee.
They finished breakfast and Christian pulled her into his lap. Moving her hair to the side, he laid a line of kisses down her neck. He murmured, “What do you have planned for the day?”
She glanced out the window. The rain from the night before had left the world soggy and misty. “This afternoon I need to go to work.”
“Not without one of us by your side,” answered Michael.
“Yep,” replied Christian right away. He looked at Michael. “You want me to take the day shift, you the night?”
“Sounds good.”
She slid off Christian’s lap. “What’s the deal?”
“What do you mean?”
“You guys think I need a babysitter?”
“Not a babysitter.” Michael stood and started to clear the table. “A bodyguard. You can’t be alone right now.”
She glanced out the window again, toward the woods, and hugged herself. “You know, it’s strange. I didn’t have the sense he meant to hurt me. He had a chance, after all, and he didn’t take it.”
“Yeah.” Christian pushed a hand through his hair, mussing it further. “But we don’t know what he meant to do. We have no idea what’s going through Louis’s head. He’s unpredictable.”
Michael clanked plates in the sink while he washed them. “We need to go to the council this morning and alert them to Louis’s presence. We need to form a posse to find him. I can go to my kiss and Christian can go to his pack.”
“You won’t…hurt him, will you?”
The room went silent.
Fear surged up her spine. “It’s not his fault he’s this way!”
Michael turned to face her. “It’s not yours, either.”
She made fists at her sides and turned her face away.
“I don’t know what they’ll decide to do with him,” answered Christian in as gentle a voice as she’d ever heard from him. “He’s a menace, Kylie, pure and simple. It’s his nature. You know that. How much guilt would you feel if Louis killed an innocent person?”
“Just—” She let out a slow, careful breath. “Try to convince them not to harm him if you can.”
“Agreed,” said Michael, “but there are no guarantees.” He pulled her into his arms.
Her head fit just perfectly under his chin. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of his warm, strong arms around her. “Thank you.” He tipped her chin up and kissed her softly, his tongue slipping between her lips and rubbing up against her tongue. It speared pleasure through her body and made her recall the night before—the press of their bodies, the slide of their skin.
She wanted all that again. And again. And again.
Christian came around to her back and pulled her gently from Michael’s arms and into his own, giving her the same knee-buckling treatment. He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “I think I can speak for both myself and Michael when I say I would prefer to stay here this morning. However, we need to take care of Louis.”
Take care of Louis . It sounded threatening and she pulled away a little.
She gritted her teeth and suppressed the sudden sting of tears. She backed away from him. “I’m going to take a shower,” she mumbled and walked out of the room.
Kylie wiped down the bar and jerked her head at the next customer, Mac Rory. “Have you decided?”
“I’ll take a Yorkshire, chilled.”
Nodding, but not looking at him, she turned to fill his order for a bottle of pig’s blood. The bar was packed tonight, undoubtedly because word of the were and vamp posses had gotten around. Everyone now knew Louis was back.
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