He caught her as she fell and laid her gently on the cool tile floor. The chill felt wonderful against her burning skin.
“Ric?” she said, making herself comfy. She lifted her hips to let him remove her panties.
“Hmmm?” he said to her thigh. He nibbled. He licked. He laved. He did all things that could be done to a thigh, then did the same things to the other leg.
“I’m seriously pissed at you,” she said on a sigh. Even she had to admit, she didn’t sound the least bit angry.
“Is that so?” he said to her other thigh. He moved his attention north, to her sex. “What about you, sweet thing? Are you mad at me too?” He pressed a finger inside and Sophie bucked against him, taking his finger as deep inside as it would go. “Mmmm. I’d say she’s in a fine mood.”
“We are going to…talk. About. It.”
“Yes, love. We’ll talk about anything you like. Whenever you like.” He pushed her top up under her chin and unhooked her bra, filling his palms with her breasts. He kneaded her soft flesh, rolled her nipples between his fingers until they were stiff, painful peaks. “Damn it, I can’t help myself. I want you all the time.”
“I want you all the time too,” she said breathlessly.
“No, you don’t understand.” He crawled on top of her, feathered soft kisses over her mouth until she could think of nothing but the way he tasted, and the way his weight felt, warm and reassuring, on top of her. The way her vagina burned to be filled. “I’ve never felt like this. God help me, I want to forget about the spear and shield and just stay in here with you making love until the end of time.”
She blinked open her eyes, which she hadn’t even known she’d closed, and searched his face. She saw the truth in his soft gold eyes. The need. The desire. The passion. And she mentally sent him all the desire she felt for him in return. Sent all her emotions, all her fears and doubts, too. She gave them to him with a kiss. When their mouths joined, their spirits joined as well, fused together like steel in a kiln.
His tongue dipped inside her mouth, sipping, tasting, taking. Hers stroked his, welcoming it inside, begging it for more.
As he shifted his weight, taking it off her, she caught his hands and placed them over her breasts in a silent plea for a caress. He answered her plea with light tickling touches, little circles around her nipples that made them tight and hard. Her blood pounded hot and fast through her body. Her need twisted and turned inside, tugging her muscles and tying them into tight knots. Her breathing sounded hoarse and fast in her ears.
She needed him. Now. “Ric,” she croaked.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
“Hey, Ric?” Barrett’s muffled voice sifted through the wooden door, putting an instant damper on the fire blazing through Sophie’s body. “Hate to…er, interrupt. But there’s a guy at the door. Says he’s a friend of yours.”
“Shit.” Ric shook his head, his shaggy hair brushing against Sophie’s belly, giving her goose bumps. “Sorry, sweetcheeks. Later, okay?” He helped her sit up, found her underpants and jeans; and, looking as sorry as she felt, handed them to her. “After we tackle the dragon.”
Quickly shimmying into her jeans—and intentionally forgetting to put on the panties—she said, “But we still need to talk. I was…um, I am…still mad at you. You’re still keeping secrets from me—”
Barrett knocked again. “Ric? He’s not going away.”
Ric pressed an index finger to Sophie’s lips, shushing her. “Later. I promise. I need to see who this is. I didn’t call anyone but Barrett.”
“Fine,” she grumbled. “If you don’t, I’ll make you pay.”
He opened the bathroom door. Sophie gave Barrett a guilty, fleeting look, as they exited the bathroom then took a seat at the small round table at the back of the bedroom, hoping the telltale blush on her face would fade soon.
No man had affected her like Ric had. She wasn’t sure she was so thrilled about that fact at the moment.
Ric went to the door, opened it a couple of inches, then said in a low, warning growl, “Julian? I told you to leave. What the hell are you doing back here?”
“What are you talking about?” Julian said, standing outside the doorway. “I’ve been sleeping for hours, since we arrived this morning.”
Puzzled by Julian’s seeming confusion, Sophie watched the men with keen interest. Ric looked like he was ready to strangle the Ancient One. The muscles in his arms strained into tight cords.
In a show of brotherly support, Barrett stepped up behind Ric and the two created a rock-hard vampire wall, blocking Julian from coming inside.
Because Sophie could no longer see Julian’s face, she was forced to wander closer. She tiptoed up behind the brothers and peered between them.
Julian was speaking in an earnest voice, explaining how he couldn’t have been in the room when the attempt on Ric’s life had been made. And Ric was shaking his head and throwing icy glares back. Clearly, he wasn’t buying the story that Julian was telling now any more than he’d bought the one he’d tried to foist on them earlier.
But Sophie had to give Julian credit—he was a convincing liar. Although she’d been told Ancient Ones were not fond of telling an untruth, she knew he was lying. He had to be this time. She’d seen him earlier, with her own eyes. And he had no valid explanation for how that could be.
Finally, clearly having heard enough, Ric shoved Julian back out into the hallway and slammed the door. He turned, facing Sophie, and paced the small area of floor between the foot of the bed and the dresser.
Whew, that was one red face. He was beyond pissed and it was obvious Barrett knew it too. Barrett was trying to reassure Ric that they’d find out the truth and get whoever’d tried to slice him up like deli meat.
Sophie’s heart ached for him. Yes, there was fury and his anger was intimidating. But there was also vulnerability. And fear. And frustration.
And perhaps that was why she was so confused. Because despite everything, in her heart she wanted to believe Julian. His stuttered, lame explanations made him look more guilty than innocent, yet there was something in his eyes that spoke of his innocence.
Regardless, she trusted Ric and more than anything she wanted to give him her unquestioning faith and support. Urgh! What a mess! If Julian was speaking the truth, why wouldn’t he remember being in the room with them earlier? And if he was guilty, why would he come back, knowing how furious Ric was?
Something didn’t add up.
“Ric?” She had to ask him, see what he thought.
“Forget about that dumb shit for now,” Barrett said in a cool tone. He sat in the sole chair in the room and crossed his ankle over his knee. “We’ve got to take care of that dragon first. And since you don’t know squat about dragons, that’s going to take all your attention. Shut up and listen. I’ll give you a crash course in Guardians.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Looking anxious, Ric sat on the bed, waved at his brother. “Go ahead, I’m all ears. Tell me everything you know and don’t leave a single thing out, even the most insignificant detail.”
“Okay. But this is going to take a while.”
“That’s fine. We’ve got all afternoon.”
Chapter 15
“Why did I know I’d get dog duty?” Sophie asked, scowling at the raw steak hanging from her pinched fingers.
“All you have to do is wave that steak and toss it into the dog run,” Ric said, pulling the black ski mask over his face. “Then, when all the dogs are in the pen, close the gate. I know you can handle it. You’re a brave, capable woman.” He gave her shoulders a quick rub, which she assumed was meant to reassure her. It didn’t. But she wasn’t about to tell him that.
“No, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. I’m not brave. We’ve covered this subject already. I’m a chicken. Grade A. Can’t you see my feathers? The little red rubbery thing hanging from my chin?” She pinched at the skin under her chin. “What’s that thing called?”
“A wattle,” B
arrett said, pulling an identical mask over his face. With both of them dressed in the same head-to-toe black, faces covered, hair concealed, it was almost impossible to tell them apart.
“A what’ll?” Sophie asked, dropping the steak into foil and wrapping it up. Her hands were slimy. Ick.
“No, wattle,” Barrett repeated, shaking his head. She glared at him when he started an eye roll.
“Don’t you dare.” She went to the bathroom, washed her hands, then secured her hair into a tight, low ponytail. That done, she returned to the room, tucked the meat under her black sweatshirt, and pulled on her ski cap. But unlike the guys, she left her face uncovered. “Don’t you think those getups are going to set off a few alarms when you go walking through the hotel lobby?” she asked. “It’s bad enough you’re wearing all black. But a ski cap in this weather is a bit lame.”
“We aren’t going through the lobby,” Ric said. He pointed at the window. “We want the hotel staff to think we’re still here, just in case something…unfortunate…happens, like a dragon dies tonight and it’s somehow traced to us. Claiming we were in our room all night by ourselves is not much of an alibi, but it’s better than nothing.”
She followed him to the window. The very hard asphalt parking lot below was a long, long way down. She felt sick. She felt dizzy. The world started spinning and she had to back away from the window. Way, way back. “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m not Spiderman. I can’t scale walls with my super-sticky spidey web. And I can’t jump. If I lived—which is a big if—my leg bones would be splinters. And that’s assuming I landed on my feet. Imagine what my head would look like if I landed on that instead. Ever seen that comedian who smashes watermelons on stage for kicks? What’s that guy’s name?”
“Gallagher,” Ric said.
“Huh? Who’s Gallagher?” Barrett asked.
“The guy who used to smash watermelons. You have your meat?” Ric asked, taking a step closer to her.
She saw a sparkle in his eye and wished she could see the rest of his face. It was, after all, a very adorable face. Especially when he was sporting a “fuck me now” look. She guessed that was the expression he was wearing at the moment.
Then the sparkle dimmed when he took a second step.
“Yesss.” She took a step backward. What was he up to? She wasn’t liking the gleam she saw in his eyes now. Cold determination.
“Good.” He lunged forward, caught her by the waist, and crushed her against him. That wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was mighty nice. She tipped her head, hoping for a kiss. Unfortunately, he didn’t remove his mask.
She motioned toward his face. “Um, this might be better if A, you took that thing off, and B, you sent your brother on a little walky-walky for a few minutes.” She glanced over her shoulder at Barrett and gave him an apologetic smile. “Give us maybe fifteen, twenty minutes? You don’t mind, do you?”
Barrett didn’t respond.
Then, taking her by complete surprise, Ric got all cavemanish, tossed her over his shoulder like a barbarian, and jumped up on the window ledge.
“What the? Oh, God! I’m going to die. Ric! Stop!” Her fingers closed around the cool aluminum window frame and she hung on for life as he pushed the sliding window open. Cool, damp night air brushed her face like invisible feathers. “Ric? What are you doing? Are you going to throw me?” While she was grilling Ric the caveman, Barrett pried each finger free. “Ric!” she shouted, too afraid to fight. They were, after all, on a narrow ledge five stories above the ground. She swatted at Barrett and tried to get a hold on the window frame again, but Ric shimmied out away from the window on the narrow ledge outside. “Ric!”
“Shhh! Trust me?” Ric asked.
“No! Not when you’re standing on a window ledge holding me like a sack of potatoes.”
“Trust me?” he repeated, setting her on her feet next to him. Instinctively, she wound her limbs around him like a grapevine around a wooden stake. He felt stable and strong, even standing on a five-inch ledge.
She hesitantly glanced down. The parking lot was a long way down. Surely he was just testing her, to see if she was really capable of trusting him. “Okay. I’ll trust you. A little. Later. Like when we’re back safe and sound inside. But—”
“Trust me,” he repeated, firmer, wrapping his arm around her waist and hauling her against his side.
“Okay. Okay.” She let her head fall to the side, rest against his bulky upper arm. “You made your point. Now let’s go back inside—”
Ric jumped, taking her with him.
“Ric!” Sophie clung to him like a drowning woman to a life preserver. Midair, she gritted her teeth, tensed every muscle in her body, and clamped her eyelids shut, waiting for the impact of her body against rock-hard concrete.
It was taking a long time getting to the ground. She took those precious moments to pray for forgiveness for everything she’d ever done wrong in her life and then listed all the sins she hadn’t had the chance to commit yet.
Life was so unfair!
Their landing was tooth jarring, but surprisingly lacking in the pain department. It was as if Ric’s legs had been made of rubber, or the concrete had turned to a big foam mattress. They bounced slightly and then Ric set her on her feet.
Naturally, as always the case when she’d had a near-death experience, her knees were like butter. They gave way and she landed on her butt. She gaped up at the caveman and struggled to catch her breath. She swore her lungs had completely collapsed somewhere on their descent. She guessed between the third and second floors. “How?” was all she could say.
“I’ll explain later. We need to get going.”
Sophie double-checked to make sure she was really as okay as she thought she was—she’d heard shock did crazy things to a body, like make a person walk around with missing limbs and such.
No blood. No protruding bones. All parts checked out okay. Another miracle. Miracle?
Maybe there was hope they’d defeat the dragon tonight after all.
She stood and turned around, just in time to watch Barrett fall from the sky behind her and land lightly on his feet like a freaking ballet dancer. “Oh my God, I want to know how you guys do that!”
“It’s a vampire thing,” Barrett explained as he headed toward a black Suburban parked only a few feet away. He opened the rear passenger door for her, then slammed it shut after she climbed in.
Ric and Barrett took their seats in the front and off they went, to the dragon’s little bungalow on the quiet tree-lined street a mile or two down the road. For the second time in the last twenty minutes, Sophie was glad her stomach was empty.
Ric’s mind worked over every piece of information his brother had given him about the Guardians. As it looked now, he’d be lucky to get in and out of that house with his hide intact. His brother, a member of an elite Immortal police force, was his only hope of making it out alive.
But he had no choice. This was it, his chance of getting the spear and shield. A once-in-a-lifetime chance. If he failed, he had no doubt the relics would vanish. The Guardian would send them off to another Guardian through the underground system of couriers they used. Impossible to trace. He’d never get this close again.
During their earlier visit, he hadn’t been able to breach the dragon’s mental defenses, but he had been able to intercept bits and pieces of what the Guardian had mentally said to his mate: “That’s the Wissenschaft and his woman. They’re here for the items we talked about.”
That was enough for Ric. No doubt thanks to either Maggy or Julian, the Guardian not only knew who Ric and Sophie were, but also what they were after.
But most important, the Guardian knew where the spear and shield were. He had to. Despite the fact that wisdom would dictate the relics needed to be moved, Ric felt in his gut they were still in that house. Somewhere. The Guardian was not threatened, which meant he was prepared.
What sort of defenses would the dragon use to keep them from it? Kingsley was a red drago
n. His element was fire, heat. Thus, Ric fully expected to be blasted with flame. Not a particularly pleasant way to spend the night, especially since as a vampire, fire was not something he could easily defend himself from.
Adrenaline was coursing through his body, making him tense, his senses focused and alert as they parked the car. Sophie looked scared and the need to ease her fears burned in his heart. Unfortunately, there were good reasons to be afraid and he didn’t want her going into this without knowing how grave the situation was. Fear wasn’t always a bad thing.
Her gaze sought his. “Ric?”
He pulled the ski mask up and gave her a serious look. “Sweetcheeks, this is it, our only chance. And I’ll be honest with you, we’re not prepared. This Guardian is a red dragon, a fire dragon. The most dangerous.”
“Why don’t we wait then? Call for more help?”
“There’s no one I can call. If I knew a mage, that would help….” He didn’t hold back the sigh sitting in his throat. “If we don’t do this tonight, the Guardian will move the relics.”
“You know he has them?”
“I have a good feeling. But if we don’t get them tonight, we won’t find them again. You know what that means for your friend?”
She dropped her gaze to her feet. “But you’re risking your life to save his. If you fail, you’ll be gone. Dao will die. I’ll…lose everything that matters.”
Guilt pricked at his heart. She didn’t know his true intentions yet. He hoped when she learned what they were, she’d understand.
“Then I won’t fail.” He pulled her into his arms, crushing her soft body against his. In his mind, he tried to prepare himself for the possibility that he might never hold her again. He listened to her quick, panting breaths, inhaled the bitter scent of her fear, and almost told Barrett to forget it.
And then he reminded himself of his reason for finding the spear and shield.
There were few things that were worth risking life and limb for. There were few things that were worth risking the life of his dearest brother for, and of Sophie, a human who had no idea the true power of the relics she sought. A lovely, kind, intelligent, sexy, delightful human he adored.
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