Wicked Fantasy by Nina Bangs

close to you until we figure out where the danger’s coming from.”
    â€œI can take care of myself.” Uh, no, you can’t. “Well, at least I can take care of myself when I’m awake. It gets a bit problematic when I’m sleeping. Maybe I’ll get myself a big junkyard dog. How’s that sound?”
    He turned those gray eyes on her and the fierceness there backed her up a step. “I’m the only big junkyard dog you’ll ever need. Deal with it.”
    â€œI don’t want you.” All right, so there were degrees of wanting. She didn’t want him trailing her to the Forever Young Beauty Salon and Spa, ready to lop off Gaston’s head if he cut too much off the bottom.
    But yeah, a little self-honesty never hurt anyone. She could feel the slide of her fangs every time she thought of him in her bed, or on her floor, or hell, in her closet. Who cared. The place was incidental. Just imagining the hard thrust of his body into hers curled her insides into tight steel coils.
    Conall studied her. After maybe a century, she’d get the hang of that expressionless mask other vampires wore so well. Right now, though, he could read every emotion in those green eyes.
    They had something in common. He didn’t want to be her protector, and she didn’t want his protecting. But no matter how hard he denied it, there was lust between them, an ocean of it. He was kicking and flailing away like crazy, but the sex tide was dragging him in deeper and deeper.
    He stopped walking outside the Sultan’s Palace. “Let’s apply logic to this situation.”
    She grinned up at him. “Logic is good.”
    â€œYou’re a vampire, so you can hold your own from dusk till dawn. But after that? Look what almost happened tonight. Locks will keep out humans, but not beings like Asima. I can make it hard for someone to get to you during the day.” He’d have a talk with Eric. The vampire had enough power to throw a mind shield over any door that would keep humans and nonhumans out. Maybe he could teach Gerry how to do that.
    â€œMakes sense.” She looked like she was really considering it.
    Conall pressed his advantage. “I can help with your job. Sure you have vampire strength and speed, but Jinx almost got to you. If you’re hunting nonhumans, some of them will be more powerful than you are. Then what? Morrigan gave me the physical strength to protect you against almost anything.”
    â€œYou know, it might work.” Her expression turned calculating. “I could use you.”
    Use me, babe. He pushed the thought aside as soon as it surfaced. The part of him that craved using had no working brain cells.
    â€œMy boss asked me to stay here for a few more nights. He got a tip that a serial wife killer was in the castle.” She frowned. “I’m just supposed to identify and observe, not try to apprehend him. Burke will do the actual takedown. Anyway, it would mean a promotion if I could catch this guy before Burke gets a crack at him. You could help.”
    â€œBurke?” A serial killer in the castle? Holgarth would have to get on this fast. Publicity brochures would not tempt future guests with promises of good food, comfortable beds, exciting fantasies, and their very own encounter with a serial killer.
    â€œMy boss doesn’t think I’m powerful enough to handle the really dangerous criminals. He’s sending in someone more experienced. That would be Burke. I’d like to prove him wrong.”
    Not good. Sure, Conall craved action, but he didn’t want to spend centuries saving her cute behind from homicidal entities. See, he was mellowing. He could actually admit that, yes, a Kavanagh behind could be cute.
    â€œI still have a problem, though. I can’t sense nonhumans. That’ll come with age, but until then . . .”
    â€œYou’re screwed.”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œI might be able to help