Des held the door, nodding for her to precede him inside. Once again, he watched the swing of her world-class backside as he followed her up the stairs. She’d been teasing him all day in a soft, clinging sweater dress cinched at the waist by a gold leather belt. The dark red of the knit suited her coloring perfectly, and it had taken enormous amounts of willpower to keep his hands to himself, especially after last night. Some visceral part of him had spent the whole day wanting to drag her close and shout, “Mine.”
So why was he following her home?
Because he was an idiot.
“So have you decided?” She stopped at the top landing and turned to him. “You all right? You haven’t said a word.”
“What was the question?” He looked up at her face.
She sighed. “Men. It’s called polite conversation. Learn how to do it. I asked what you were giving your sister for a wedding present. Kind of hard to shop for the couple who already has everything.” Aidan was ridiculously wealthy in both the human realm and Faerie.
“I have no idea.” He followed her into her apartment and automatically hung his jacket on the hook by the door beside hers. “What are you giving them?”
“For the shower? Sex toys.” She didn’t even look over her shoulder to see the shock on his face as she headed toward the fridge. “Want a beer?” Her red-and-gold heels got kicked into a corner when she was about halfway across the living room, so Des slipped out of his loafers and left those by the door as well, managing not to choke on his own tongue.
“Please.” He sat on the couch and waited until she’d returned with two opened beer bottles before he asked, “Sex toys?”
Lana’s grin was wicked. “Yup. Fun for him and her. Even added a pack of rechargeable batteries and the charger.” She sat on the opposite end of the couch and curled her feet up under her, tugging the dress down over her knees in one oddly graceful move. Her lower legs totally disappeared under the stretchy hem. How did women learn to do things like that?
“Well, that’s sure a wedding gift I hadn’t thought of.” He took a long swallow of the pale ale she’d given him, trying not to think about Lana’s personal experience with a variety of toys.
“No, that’s just for the bridal shower, which is designed to be kind of racy. For a wedding gift, I found some cool, hand-blown-glass Christmas ornaments made by a local craftsman. One’s a pirate ship in a bottle, since Aidan was once a pirate, the second is a star, since your sister told me that’s what her middle name means in Chinese, and the third is a Pegasus for Dina. There’s also a tree, for the entire Green Oak family. Each one has the date on the bottom, so I thought they’d be cool for remembering the year they all became a family.”
“That’s…remarkably thoughtful.” Des shook his head. Lord Green Oak was Aidan’s Fae title. Des’s niece’s favorite toy was a stuffed winged horse. Lana had pegged each of them perfectly. “All I’d come up with was a vase or an engraved silver tray or something.” He loved his sister, but this sort of thing was outside his comfort zone.
“You’ll be fine.” She shook her head and gave him a goofy little smile. “They’ll love whatever you give them.”
“Yeah, they will.” He had plenty of faith in their sibling bond, and Aidan was an all right guy for an elf. “But they won’t pull them out every single Christmas and remember their wedding, and think of me. You’ve got a real knack with people.”
“You know, that may be the nicest thing you ever said to me.” She reached over and patted his knee. “That wasn’t so difficult, was it? Now tell me why you’re so bent about this drug thing. We’ve faced down worse.”
Des inhaled a deep breath. She deserved to know the truth. “When I’m thinking rationally, I know you can handle yourself. There’s just something about you, though, that shorts out the logic circuits in my brain.”
Lana tipped her head, her teeth nibbling on her lush lower lip. “Is that a compliment or an insult?”
“I have no idea.” He grimaced and sipped his beer to stall for time. They were getting close to stuff he never, ever, talked about. But again, she probably had a right to know. Here goes nothing. “I tend to…well…freak out a little when demons are involved. Did Elise ever talk to you about…Dina? About why she thought Aidan wasn’t Dina’s father?”
He saw the oh, hell moment on her face and knew she’d forgotten about that. Slowly, she nodded. “I never heard the whole story, but…she was raped, wasn’t she? Before she knew she was pregnant.”
Des pinched his nose, trying to block the visual, visceral memory. He heard the rasp of pain in his own voice. “There were three of them. I was fighting two, Elise one. But even though she had Wyndewin training, she was never that much of a fighter, not against something like that. By the time I’d killed the two, the other had dragged her into an alley. I killed him, but not before…” It was the greatest disaster of his life, his blackest moment. He’d failed his sister when she’d needed him most.
Lana set down her beer, took his from his hands and launched herself into his lap, wrapping him in a big, warm hug. “I’m so sorry, Des. You’ve got to know it wasn’t your fault. Bad stuff happens in a war, and keeping demons like that out of the city certainly qualifies. I know Elise doesn’t blame you in the slightest, and you can’t blame yourself. In the end, you saved her life, and Dina’s.”
Gods, she felt like heaven in his arms. He closed his arms around her and rested his cheek on the top of her head. “I know, but you’re talking about my little sister. I saw that thing…” He shuddered. “Anyway, I can still see that demon’s face when I close my eyes. And the fight was a close thing. He was strong—more so than Nightshade. When I killed him, there was an enormous magical backlash, and now we think Dina may have absorbed some of the energy of the blast. For a long time, we thought she was actually half-demon. She’s damn powerful.” Scarily so, sometimes. He loved her to bits, but sometimes she freaked out even him.
“That might explain her abilities. Or maybe she just got all of Elise’s power and all of Aidan’s.” Lana wriggled on his lap, and Des felt his body react. No one had ever turned him on faster or more strongly, and he didn’t know why. They were all wrong for each other.
But her words made sense. He ran his fingers through her hair. “Maybe. At least we know now that she’s half Fae, not half demon, which is a huge relief to Elise, and Aidan, too, I suspect. She’s something else, though. And now we have Fae-lupine halflings to look forward to with Fee and Greg. Wonder what they’re going to be like?” He was happy for his friends, but the idea of what was possible with their offspring was more than a little terrifying. The League was already worried—and his bosses didn’t even know all the details.
Lana didn’t leave his lap, but eased away from his chest so she could look him in the eyes. “Considering you’re none too fond of either elves or werewolves, I imagine they’ll be pretty weird by your standards.”
Des winced at the hit. “Look. I know I can carry a grudge too long, but I am trying, and I’m not about to take it out on innocent little kids. I don’t dislike Greg or George, or Ric or Aidan for that matter. It’s just—”
“Leaving me as the only werewolf of your acquaintance who you do dislike?” Her amber eyes narrowed and darkened to a rich caramel.
He scrubbed at his face with his hands. “Not what I meant, and you know it.” He never managed to say the right thing around Lana. Like wasn’t the right word for his confused emotions when it came to her.
“Maybe.” She tipped her head. “So what’s your beef against us anyway? I know the Wyndewin League thinks we’re all just trouble waiting to happen, but you ought to know better.”
“I do. It’s just a lifetime of conditioning, plus a stupid, personal thing I’ve never quite moved past.” And yeah, the League never let him forget. He leaned his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. Did they really have to talk about this? He took in the determined set of her chin. It seemed they did. “Have you ever won
dered why Elise and I moved to Detroit?”
“Yeah. You seem to be on good terms with your family in Vancouver.”
He nodded. “Exactly. Well, once in my life, right after college, I fell in love.”
“And?” Her throat worked as she swallowed. So she was bothered, thinking of him in love. Was that good or bad?
“And we got engaged. When she told me we had to hurry up the wedding because she was pregnant, I was thrilled.” He’d been an idiot. “Then one night I caught her and a ‘friend’ breaking into my Wyndewin superior’s office, using my keys and passcodes. Getting close to me had just been part of a plot with her lupine boyfriend to steal some magic artifacts from the Wyndewin. Turned out the so-called friend, the son of the local pack leader, was the actual father. He’d taken off, so she panicked and decided to marry me. Then when he came back, she reverted to using me for the keys and codes. He was killed, she went to jail and I had my rank stripped plus a big black mark on my file. The Vancouver pack never forgave me, which made it an uncomfortable place to work. Elise stood up for me, so she was asked to leave as well.”
“Ouch. I can see how that would leave some emotional scars.” She stroked his shoulder. “And elves?”
He shrugged. “A minor thing, but it’s mostly the general sense of superiority some of them present toward humans. Back in high school, they were the princes and princesses, better than the rest of us because they were virtually immortal. Some of the girls made Elise’s life hell by constantly reminding her how she’d age and die while they wouldn’t. Until I got to know Ric and Aidan, I hadn’t met any who went out of their way to change my opinion.”
Now Lana laughed. “Guess she showed them.”
Des had to think for a minute but then he laughed, too. “You’re right. I wonder if she’s run into any of them Underhill, come to think of it.” Not only was Elise life-bonded to an immortal and would share his life span, but Aidan was a lord, a member of the ruling council of the Fae. As Lady Green Oak, Elise most likely outranked the elven girls who had tormented her.
“Anyway,” he continued, “add that up with the fact I’ve spent the last fifteen years hunting rogue non-humans, and I guess I did develop a pretty big chip on my shoulder. As my sister reminds me on a regular basis, I can be a bit of an ass.” He looked into Lana’s eyes and spoke sincerely, twisting one of her curls around his fingers. “I’m sorry.”
“Accepted. You can be an ass. But I’m starting to get why. And I like that you give a damn.” She stroked her hand down his cheek. “You do give a damn, don’t you? And not just about your sister. That’s why you don’t want me to do this. It isn’t that you don’t think I can, it’s that you’re afraid I’m going to get hurt, like Elise did.”
He tucked the strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s my job to chase immortal bad guys. Your jobs are serving beer, playing bass and taking classes. Isn’t that enough of a load for one person?” It would destroy him if anything happened to her on his watch. Couldn’t she see that?
“First of all, the band doesn’t play that often anymore. Secondly, I manage the bar now, but I have really good help. By January, Kurt and Ben will be running it on their own.” When Greg had moved out, they’d hired two young werewolf brothers as assistant managers, with the understanding that they’d be promoted if everything worked out. “And thirdly, my classes are basically done. This semester was just about wrapping up my thesis. I turned in the final paperwork last week. The only reason I still go to campus is for the occasional discussion seminar, and those are only for another week.”
“Still…” He squeezed his eyes shut. “That isn’t what I meant.”
“I know.” She kissed him on the nose, bringing a lump to his throat. “And after January, I expect to have a real, normal nine-to-five job, which will be weird, to put it mildly. But right now, I can help, and I’m going to. So get used to the idea.”
“I give up.” He held up both of his hands in mock surrender. “You’re going to do what you want to anyway, so I might as well at least be in the loop.” So he could worry.
She leaned in and kissed him. “See, I knew you were smart.”
His resistance shattered. He closed his arms around her, one tangling in her hair and one clamping down on her backside as he kissed her back with the longing he’d been fighting all day.
She straddled his lap, her dress riding up high enough that his hand easily found the top of one of her thigh-high stockings. He groaned as he traced the lace band at the top. No garters.
She tried started to unbutton his shirt, but he heard her swear as her claws emerged and she tore one of the buttonholes.
“Shred it. I don’t care,” he muttered as he bent to kiss her neck and her ear. His hands wandered up under her dress farther to find a scrap of a thong, and his cock pulsed as all the blood drained from his head. “Oh hell, Lana. All day, all you had on under that dress was this?”
“Uh-huh.” She wiggled her hips in his lap, grinding her hot, damp core down against the bulge in his slacks.
Without warning, Des stood, causing Lana to shriek and hold onto his shoulders.
“This time, we’re using a bed,” he said, striding toward the hallway. He wasn’t in the mood for another quickie on the couch. “Which door?”
“End of the hall.” She buried her face in his neck and nibbled as he stalked toward paradise. He could barely believe this was about to happen again.
“Did you wear those stockings just for me?” His voice was thick as he wondered what color the thong was. Last night was supposed to have gotten her out of his system, but if anything, his desire for her had only increased after that one fast coupling on the couch.
“I hoped so,” she admitted softly.
Des carried her into her bedroom and laid her down on the bed, ignoring the crumpled sheets and messy room. Des had already guessed she wasn’t as tidy as he was. It didn’t matter.
“Tell me you have condoms,” he murmured as he peeled off the torn shirt. She pulled her knit dress over her head, leaving her in a lacy red bra and thong, along with the thigh-highs. His dick pulsed at the vision she made.
“I do, but I told you, it’s taken care of. I’m a responsible adult, Des.”
He paused, wanting to trust her and wanting to be safe. His erection tented his boxers until he stripped those off as well. Her breathing quickened as he stepped to the bed and crawled up over her. To his own surprise, trust won.
“All right, chán-láng, you win.” He used the Chinese endearment without thinking. Sometime last night the name had popped into his head and he’d been subconsciously using it all day. “I’m clean, though I know you’re immune to most diseases. But I haven’t been with anyone in almost a year.” He played with her thong, before rolling it down her legs, leaving her slick flesh bare to his gaze. Briefly, he wondered if she waxed or shaved.
“It’s been closer to two for me, believe it or not.”
He was a little surprised and a lot pleased but didn’t say anything. He was too busy playing with her nipples through the red lace.
She shuddered. “Between work and school and the band—there just hasn’t been time.”
He felt a broad grin spread across his face. “Then we’ll have to make up for lost time, won’t we?”
Chapter Three
A little after noon the next day, Lana looked across her kitchen table and felt her world spinning out of control around her. She couldn’t believe he’d not only spent the night, but was now freshly showered and sharing a brunch of scrambled eggs, bagels and strawberries—pretty much everything she’d had in her refrigerator.
She’d thought Wednesday night had been about scratching an itch, but last night, she’d only wanted him more. Having him open up about his past ramped up her urges even further. There was nothing sexier than a big, bad alpha showing his vulnerable side. When he’d carried her to bed, they’d taken it slow and it had been so intense she’d practically blacked out when she came. This morning
’s lovemaking had been sweeter and more playful, with a misty, dreamlike quality to it. Far from getting him out of her system, she now craved his touch with a need that was more emotional than physical—and that scared the living hell out of her. It was fine that her friends and cousins were all settling down, but Lana didn’t think she was ready for that yet, although at thirty-two, her biological clock was beginning to tick. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she’d figured on spending a year to get established in her new career, and then maybe she’d work on finding a mate. Only after that would she even think about starting a family.
Des had the potential to derail all her carefully constructed plans. The good news was that she didn’t think he wanted to be tied down any more than she did.
“You awake over there?” He helped himself to the last half bagel and smeared it with cream cheese. “Looked like you were zoning out again.”
She wanted to ask him what was going on, but wasn’t sure she wanted to hear his answers. Instead she shrugged. “Trying to make sure there’s nothing I need to get done today, but other than check through inventory sometime this weekend, I’m completely free. You want me to make a couple calls now, or wait until I’m on campus Monday?”
He paused for some time, chewing and then sipping his coffee. Finally he shrugged. “If you made the calls today, I could back you up more easily.”
“Okay. I’ve got a sometimes-lab-partner whose boyfriend deals a little to support his own habit. She doesn’t know me well enough to be certain I’m not into experimentation, especially if I’ve got a new guy in town. Can you thicken up the Canadian accent?”
“You betcha,” he said. “Eh.”
Lana winced at the blatant parody. “Fine. I’ll make the call as soon as I clean up in here.” There was no food left on the table, so she couldn’t pretend they were still eating.
Motor City Mage Page 4