Changing Beauty (Book 2) (The Deadly Beauties Live On)

by C. M. Owens

  Ella walks up beside me, warily watching over her shoulder, on alert since she was nearly taken by surprise.

  “It makes me wonder what else we’ve released,” she says quietly. “This is a little harder for me to shake off than it is for you. I’ve never been attacked before like that. I’ve always been aware when there was a threat.”

  Hell, I spent the better part of my life fending off worse attacks than that. It barely registers on the oh-shit-meter.

  “We didn’t have time to investigate each cell,” I remind her, but then curiosity strikes. “Why did the masked crusader act like he knew you?”

  She shrugs. “I don’t know. His voice… There was something about it. But I don’t know.”

  She’s not making any sense now, apparently lost in thought.

  “Use a portal or something to get back to your house,” Gage groans. “You can’t walk around naked.”

  I’m not going to tell him that I suck with those portals that Kimber seems to use so effortlessly. The last time I tried, I ended up running from motherfucking pixies because I landed in the wrong plane.

  I don’t feel like fucking with pixies right now.

  I turn around, walking backwards so he gets the full view of my front. “You really do sound envious.”

  He flips me off even as Kimber laughs and soothes his ego with a kiss. “Thad, I hate to tell you this,” Kimber drawls, “but Gage has nothing to worry about. All immortals are well built.”

  I laugh ridiculously hard while turning back around as Gage growls. She forgets he hates knowing he’s not the only immortal she’s been with.

  “I was trying to help,” she says innocently, but I can almost hear the mocking smile in her voice.

  “It didn’t help,” he grumbles. “Stop encouraging him.”

  As they playfully bicker, I take inventory of my shoulder. Shit. That’s nasty.

  The flesh has been ripped away, and blood is spilling much too generously. Most immortals would already be passed out.

  “You need blood,” Ella points out, looking at my shoulder. “And food. And rest.”

  I don’t know if it’ll be fully healed before I go to pick up Roslyn, but it’d better look a hell of a lot better than this.

  “Just get me back and patch me up. Someone can cover my shift while I try to sleep it off.”

  She grabs my wrist, dematerializing us, and suddenly we’re walking through my house. Roslyn’s scent is everywhere, but I can tell she’s not here. I’m disappointed and relieved at the same time.

  I’m not sure it’d be easy to explain being naked with Ella and bleeding from my shoulder. But at the same time, I’d love nothing more than for her to be here while I slept.

  My smile kicks up when I think back to being in bed with her this morning. It was cute how she was smiling at me, even though she thought I was a lizard that had gotten trapped in the house.

  I wanted to put my arms around her and hold her, but I also didn’t want to freak her out.

  There will be time for more. Especially if I get Sierra to change her.

  Chapter 8

  ROSLYN

  I really hate Wendy, and I haven’t even met her yet. She’s a slob. A weird, freaky, possibly cult-involved, inconsiderate slob.

  My house is a wreck, and Thad will be here later. Does the girl own anything that isn’t just thrown around? And what sort of gothic, satanic shit is she into?

  There are so many weird books, drawings, and freaky weapons scattered about that it’s seriously creeping me out.

  “What is up with all this?” I ask Jenny, motioning to the knives and daggers.

  “Oh,” she groans. “That’s my insane cousin believing in things like werewolves, vampires, and witches.”

  She mocks clawed hands and makes a hissing noise that actually has me laughing.

  “You’re not serious, are you?” I ask her.

  “Very. Girl is fucking crazy. I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten, or I would have told my mother there was no way she could come here. Now I’m a little too scared to make her leave. She’ll be gone by Monday, though. Sorry about this.”

  Jenny just apologized. Wow.

  “So why does she believe in this?” I ask, flipping a page to see something labeled as a Spidress. A spidress is a creature who has spider-like attributes. Kill the queen, and you harm the entire swarm.

  Spiders don’t swarm. And they have eight legs. Is she supposed to be the female equivalent to Spider Man?

  Psycho.

  “She found a book about our ‘heritage’ back when we were kids. Then she found a trunk of antique weaponry and some necklace. She swears that she can see things others can’t when she wears that necklace. I think she’s bat-shit crazy. She made me wear it once, and I didn’t see a damn thing besides a cute guy with a charming smile. She swore he had fangs and blue-glowing eyes. I told my parents she needed to be committed.”

  I shudder. This freak is staying in our house? What if she assumes I’m one of her delusions? I think I’ll stay the hell away from her and all of her deadly, sharp objects.

  “So…” Jenny lets her voice trail off, and I immediately tense, knowing what she’s about to say. “You didn’t come home last night. But you stopped in at the neighbor’s house. Are you two…”

  Again, her voice trails off, but the meaning is clear.

  “We’re… talking,” I say nervously. Thad thinks she’s annoying, but she’s also more aggressive than I am. What if he eventually gets tired of my much slower pace?

  We literally spent the better part of the day just talking. Occasionally he’d kiss me, but he was trying to be good and patient. I still feel like I know nothing about him.

  “Hmm,” she says more to herself than me. I don’t miss the flash of envy in her eyes, and I don’t blame her for having it.

  Suddenly, the doorbell rings, and I glance at the clock. Jenny tosses a blanket over all the weapons and weird books, hiding them from sight because that shit is embarrassing. It’s only eight, so it can’t be—

  The door opens, and in walks Thad without waiting to be asked in. Jenny sucks in a breath, and I’m fairly sure I lick my lips.

  His blonde hair is sexily tousled. His T-shirt says something about spawn and life… no idea. It’s hard to focus on the words of it when it’s stretching across his muscles the way it is. His jeans fit him in a way that shouldn’t be legal, and his eyes are intensely trained on me. He almost looks irritated.

  “Come on. I need you at my house,” he says, confusing me.

  I start to speak, but he grabs me at my waist, surprising me, and starts guiding me out. I’m barefoot, but I don’t protest as he leads me away.

  Just as I start to speak, he spins me and lifts me until my face is level with his, and his lips attack mine. I moan when his tongue slips between my lips, seeking, searching, and obliterating me.

  My hands go to his hair as my legs wrap around his waist, and he growls low in his throat when his hands slide around to hold my ass. He blindly carries me into his house, and in no time, I’m on his bed with him between my legs.

  Slow down.

  Just when I decide to break the kiss, he pulls back, taking the decision out of my hands as he stares down at me with narrowed, somewhat curious eyes. Then he stands up and… drops his pants. Oh damn.

  His boxers are tented, reminding me just how big that thing is.

  “What…wh-what are you doing?” I stammer, sounding like an idiot again.

  He continues studying me as he climbs in bed beside me, and my breath catches in my throat as he tugs me to lie on top of him. For some reason, he keeps his shirt on.

  “I can’t sleep, and I need to sleep at least a little. I keep worrying about where you are. Now you’re in my house, so I don’t have to worry about it.”

  I’m torn between grinning and furrowing my brow in confusion. I think I do both.

  “Why are you worried about where I am? I was just next door.”

  �
�Not good enough,” he says around a yawn, pulling me tighter against him.

  My body shifts so that one leg is across his waist, my side is on the bed, and my front is very firmly pressed against his side as he lies flat on his back. He has one arm around me, holding me possessively, and his other hand is splayed across my bare leg, making me hate and love these short shorts right now.

  My head nestles against his shoulder, and my hand that isn’t lost between us is gently drawing patterns on his chest as though it’s the most natural thing in the world.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, a little concerned by his weird actions.

  “No. I’m not. You’re all kinds of in my head. I’m better now that you’re here. Don’t leave. I seriously need just a little sleep,” he says, yawning again.

  I thought he was working until later, but I don’t complain as I get comfortable against him. This should freak me out a little, but the weird part of me loves it.

  Within minutes, his breaths are even, and he’s sleeping peacefully, as though all is right with the world. I can’t help but smile as I snuggle in closer, brushing my lips against his shirt and wishing it wasn’t on.

  The more I edge up on his shoulder, the sweeter he seems to smell. It almost makes me hungry. At the same time, another type of hunger stirs deep inside me, causing my center to actually heat and throb.

  The sweet smell cascades through me, pleasurable and teasing in scent. My mouth waters as the scent grows stronger, and I shift again as more desire stirs. I don’t know what that smell is, but it’s driving me crazy. It’s almost like honey laced in pheromones, even though that sounds completely ridiculous.

  His grip on me tightens, as though he’s subconsciously hanging on to me in his sleep, and I don’t stop the small sigh of contentment that passes through my lips. I shut my eyes, hoping I can block out the strange scent that seems to be growing stronger. I’ll ask him what it is whenever he wakes up.

  ***

  ROSLYN

  Soft, divine lips move along the side of my neck, and I moan. The light rumble of sleepy chuckling wakes me up, and my eyes open to see the blonde hair to my right.

  “Thank you for staying,” Thad’s sleep-rasp voice says, eliciting chills all down my body. He’s not supposed to sound even sexier after waking up.

  His hand curls around my waist as he pulls me closer, making sure there’s no air between our bodies. I can’t fight my stupid smile as I glance over at the clock.

  “It’s after ten,” I tell him.

  “We’re about to go,” he mumbles, still sounding tired.

  “Or we can stay and sleep some more,” I say, but not because I’m tired. It’s because he is acting exhausted.

  “As much as I’d love to continue holding you in bed, I have to be there. We’re looking for… someone. Actually two people. Bounty hunters, remember?” he tells me. “That’s why we’re having the party—to lure them to us.”

  He kisses the side of my neck again, and I arch into him like he owns my body’s responses. He grabs my hip, roughly pulling me against his very hard erection that jabs into my stomach through the boxers.

  Does he need a permit for that thing?

  “Should we get going?” I ask weakly as his hand reaches around and firmly cups my ass.

  When his lips find mine, I moan again. How can he taste so good after just waking up?

  I battle with myself to pull away, but he just pulls me closer until I’m on top of him, straddling his waist as he continues to devour me. It’s not until he strips me out of my shorts that all the little warning bells go off, and panic tries to creep into my mind. How did he get them off so quickly?

  “Thad,” I whisper, but he ignores the weak plea as his fingers toy with the hem of my shirt.

  “Thad,” I say firmer, even though my body remains compliant.

  He rises up and flips me under him in one smooth motion that turns me on and startles a gasp out of me at the same time. He studies my eyes for a second, then his gaze sweeps down my body, fixing on the thin, cotton, unattractive panties I never meant for him to see.

  I was going to change into something sexier, but he stole me from the house before I could, damn it.

  “So fucking sweet,” he mutters under his breath, but his gaze is almost hungry as it stays fixed on my… um… wet panties. Damn. He inhales sharply and groans low in the back of his throat. “Sweet,” he says again, shaking his head.

  Double damn.

  His eyes flick back up to mine as a lazy, lopsided grin forms on his face.

  “You know you’re mine, right? At this party, don’t bother trying to flirt with anyone else. It’ll just get someone’s ass kicked. Obviously not yours, but I’m sure the guy will regret flirting.”

  He says this with a smile, as though it’s no big deal that he just essentially threatened to fight a guy for flirting with me. My stomach flutters, informing me that my body enjoyed the threat. My mind is warning me this is messed up, yet for some reason, I’m heated to the core and needing him even more. Something’s wrong with me. What the hell?

  His smile falls when he takes in my face, apparently misreading what he sees. “I mean it, Roslyn. I don’t share.”

  The possessive tone and subtle growl has my body humming with even more need. I’m twisted.

  “You’ve been perfectly blunt. I’m just… I’m confused. Why?”

  That has him surprised or befuddled. “Why what?”

  “Why would you get into a fight just because someone flirts with me? That’s a bit of an overreaction.”

  He absently runs his hand down my hip, then it becomes a more possessive touch when he grips me tighter, nudging one of his legs between mine.

  “I’m not stupid enough to think no one will flirt with you, Ros,” he says before leaning down and brushing his lips across mine once again. My heartbeat speeds up, and reflexively, I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck. “They’ll only get their asses handed to them if you flirt back. If you touch them, I might lose it. I’m not joking or trying to scare you. I’m simply stating facts.”

  The logical part of my brain that points out how crazy that sounds is eclipsed by the lusty half that enjoys the meaning behind the words. I push closer, and when our lips connect, something primal inside me stirs. Hungry, savage, consuming… The kiss grows out of control, and before I know it, Thad is firmly nestled between my legs, letting me feel that monster of a weapon he has nudged against my panties.

  I whimper, moan, and… growl? Did I really just growl?

  It only seems to fuel him, and I hear the distinct sound of material ripping seconds before I feel air rush against newly revealed skin. His body heat swarms me as he thrusts against me. The only thing separating his hard, huge erection from finding out how truly ready I am for him is the thin boxers he has on.

  A low rumbling, sexy sound vibrates from his chest and eases into my mouth as his tongue does wickedly wonderful things. My legs lock around him, practically inviting him in as I lose all control.

  More heat swarms me, and Thad gets more aggressive, his sounds turning almost animalistic as he rips—yes, rips—my shirt down the middle, severing it from my body with nothing more than a small tug of his hand. For some reason, the need to feel him inside me only grows with that instead of slapping me with a warning.

  He reaches between us, pushing his boxers down, and I don’t protest when I feel the tip of his—

  “Thad, I—Oh shit!” a man says, laughter echoing through the room from behind Thad.

  My blood freezes, and I squeal as Thad drops to my body, covering me as he glares over his shoulder at the laughing jerk who just interrupted.

  “The fuck?” Thad growls.

  More laughter sounds out. “Sorry. Everyone was worried since you’re never late, and you’re late.”

  Thad glances at the clock and rolls his eyes. “We’re about to leave,” he grumbles.

  I swallow hard, happy that he’s still shielding me from the eyes of whoe
ver the familiar voice belongs to. But at the same time, I’m silently questioning my sanity. I went from almost telling him to stop, to essentially begging him to not stop.

  “Looks that way,” the guy drawls, sarcasm oozing from his tone.

  Thad, for once, doesn’t seem amused.

  “Gage, five seconds is all you have to walk away before I get pissed.”

  His jaw ticks, and silence suddenly fills the room.

  “Dude, you need to chill before showing up. The hell is wrong with you?”

  Thad swallows, and his head turns as his eyes flick down to mine before turning back to Gage.

  “I’ll talk to you later. We’ll be there soon.”

  Gage must walk out, even though I never hear the doors opening or closing. I’m every color of red there is, and I really don’t want to face that party now. Gage will probably tell everyone what we were about to do.

  Thad’s eyes find mine once again, and he lets out a frustrated sigh while slowly moving away from me. Immediately my eyes fall down to the part of him that was almost inside me. But he covers it with his boxers as he stands.

  And his shirt is still on. Why that irritates me, I don’t know.

  “I guess we really should go,” he says, not sounding the least bit happy about it.

  I glance down at the fact I’m naked, except for the scraps of material of my shirt that are still on my arms and back. His gaze heats, contradicting his resolve, and I wrap up in his sheet to hide myself.

  Why do I feel like I’m burning up right now? I usually only feel this hot when I’m pissed because my blood pressure goes haywire. I guess lust can cause that issue, too, but it never has before.

  Shit. What if I have one of my blackouts just because things in the bedroom get heated?

  Double shit.

  “You okay?” he asks, prompting me to look up again. He’s studying me with concern in his eyes, meaning my worry must be clearly etched on my face.

  With a smile I don’t feel, I cock my head to the side. “Just a little embarrassed that your friend almost walked in on us… um…”