Turned out it was none of that. In his own noble way, Adam Wright exterminated killer vamps before they got the chance to take another victim. In her opinion, he was just another slayer—just one with fangs and a fatal sun allergy.
That’s what changed, though. Though her uncle couldn’t understand why everyone let Adam get to it, it was obvious to Tabby. Adam might be a Nightwalker, a newly turned human, but he was also an ex-cop with Cage experience. The only reason he got caught was because he let Tabby catch him.
Not as a slayer, though, but as a woman. If it weren’t for their mutual attraction and his white knight complex that had him rushing in to save her, Tabby had no doubt in her mind that, despite her training and her skills, she never would’ve caught Adam Wright on her own.
Too bad she couldn’t tell Boone about any of that.
Instead, she focused on what her uncle had told her. He seemed set on involving the Eastern Pack and, while she couldn’t see what that would do for her right now, it never hurt to build bridges rather than burn them.
“Why don’t we try that tactic?” she wondered. “I can go try to get a meet with the Alpha, be a rep for the Society. See what they know. After what happened with Bowers earlier… I don’t know if he was a member of the pack or not, but he was a shifter in pack territory. They’re involved now.”
The more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea to Tabby.
In a lot of ways, the Pack was similar to the Society. It had its laws designed to protect its people. If she went as an ambassador with her uncle’s permission, she wouldn’t be breaking the code.
It was a win-win.
“Hold on, Tabitha. Daniels is the one with the most recent intel regarding the pack. Let me pass him over to you.”
“Boone, no, don’t do—hi, Eddie.”
“Tab. How’s it going? Ready to throw in the towel and come back home?”
Despite his teasing tone, Tabby’s hackles shot sky-high. “What do you think?”
The other slayer chuckled. “That’s what I figured. Well, I hope you’ll do better with a ground-level search because, from what I’ve gathered, the pack’s not going to be much help.”
“I don’t get it. Why not?”
“It’s pretty simple. They have more to worry about than one feral shifter and a couple of dead corpses. So there’s an unlicensed slayer in town. That’s our problem, not theirs. The new Alpha doesn’t want to get involved. Not when he has his people standing up against a bigger Para threat whirling around their territory. The same threat that’s filtering into Grayson. Woodbridge, too, it seems. Something’s at work, Tab. We don’t like it, but the pack’s staying out of it.”
Wait. So it wasn’t just about a single rogue Nightwalker after all?
Suddenly, Eddie’s frequent trips to check up on her made a lot more sense to Tabby. She knew what he was doing; his attempt to worm his way into her bed was still up there. But if there was a bigger threat brewing?
“How bad is it?”
“Right now it’s just whispers, yeah? But the way I see it—and your uncle’s on board with my thinking—if the humans partnered up with the pack last time, it might be a good idea to get an in with the new Alpha before the city gets wiped off the map. Too bad the new Alpha is a stubborn prick who’s been closing ranks around his pack.”
“Okay. So let me try and see if I can get him to change his mind.”
That way she could quash the whole “being shipped out of Grayson and into Woodbridge” thing. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the city yet.
Oh, who was she fooling?
She wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Adam.
“Nah. Boone’s got it handled. Since the new Alpha is still closed off to outsiders, he’s seeing if he can get a message to the retired Alpha. It’s a longshot, but it’s the only choice we have. If it doesn’t work, we’re going to think about moving a whole crew into Grayson to nip it in the bud.”
Tabby gulped.
She’d managed to hide her attraction to a rogue Nightwalker so far. By some fucking miracle, her discreet inquiries about the elixir hadn’t gotten out yet, either.
With Eddie and Boone and God knows who else peeking over her shoulder, how long before they figured out she’d already had plenty of chances to eliminate her true target—and that she hadn’t?
“Keep me posted,” she said because, well, it was all she could say. “I’ll keep my ears open. If the Para chatter picks up and I learn anything about what’s coming, I’ll tag Boone.”
“You know, I can always come back—”
“That’s alright.”
“If you’re sure—”
“I’m more than sure,” Tabby said firmly. “Help my uncle out. Anything comes up, you guys will be the first to know.”
Maybe.
After she finally got Eddie off the phone, Tabby traded her hunting clothes for a sleep tee and some comfy shorts. The rain she expected started around midnight. That, plus her renewed frustrations following the conversation with her uncle had her deciding to say fuck it and just go to bed already.
After the least twenty-four hours, she deserved some rest.
At the unexpected knock a few hours later, Tabby’s hand immediately slipped under her pillow. It was instinct. So what if she was half-awake? Years of training had her grabbing for her weapon before she even had her eyes open.
As her fingers closed around Venice’s hilt, Tabby woke the rest of the way up. She sighed, hoping that she dreamed the knock. The room was dark. It was way too late for visitors. It had to be a dream—
Knock. Knock.
Nope.
With a groan, she climbed out of bed. Her bare feet slapped against the wooden floor. She immediately went up on the edge of her feet, moving silently. Tabby rolled her head on her shoulders, shaking her wrists loose as she tiptoed out of her bedroom.
The apartment wasn’t warded. No point. It was a temporary rental, the witches charged through the nose for their ward spells, and, most importantly, Tabby was a slayer. If a paranormal threat snuck up on her while she was sleeping, her family would mourn her, but they’d still agree that she’d had it coming.
Apart from Eddie and Adam, no one else had approached her apartment while she was in town. She doubted she’d be seeing the Nightwalker anytime soon, and if Eddie got off the phone only to leave HQ and drive into Grayson again, he would totally earn a stab from Venice.
So, moving carefully, she approached the door.
Through the wood, he heard her soft groan and knew that she was up. The creak of her bed shifting carried all of the way from the bedroom, the quick slap of skin against the floor before it stopped just as suddenly.
Adam let out a nervous exhale. He couldn’t believe he was doing this. It was about half an hour before sunrise and he was taking a huge risk, going to Tabby’s place instead of retreating to his basement.
Of course, he did it on purpose, didn’t he? Whether she invited him into her bed again or not, he was banking on her kindness. No way Tabby would throw him out of her apartment so close to dawn, right?
He really hoped so.
After a few more seconds, the door pulled open. And there she was. Wearing an oversized shirt that fell past her ass, almost hiding the tiny cotton shorts that revealed her strong, shapely legs… oh, and the way she wore her hair down while she slept. Whoa. It must have been damp when she went to bed because the normally straight strands had a bit of a wave to it.
She looked like a fucking angel.
Adam sucked in a breath.
This might be a mistake, but it would be the best mistake he ever made.
“Adam?” Her voice, scratchy from sleep, shot straight to his cock. He was already semi-hard as he rode the elevator up to her place. Just the way she said his name had him finishing the job. “What are you doing here? And if you give me some bullshit about being in the area, you can stay out there. You won’t get an invitation into my place out of me.”
“That’s just a legend.” Another way both myth and pop culture got vampires wrong. “I don’t need to be invited in before I can cross your threshold.”
“I didn’t say that because you’re a Nightwalker.” Tabby let out a snort. “Para or human, you’re still a good guy. If I told you no, you’d stay out there. I’d put money on it.”
She’d win that bet, too. No point in agreeing, though, when she gave him the perfect opening.
With a sly smile, he braced one arm against her doorjamb. She could try slamming the door shut but, even if she actually did, his stocky upper body would only block her from closing it all the way. Adam was still outside—purposely so—though he shifted closer to her.
“Oh, yeah? But what if you said yes?”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because… and you can tell me to fuck off if I’m out of line, Tabby, but… because I think you made it pretty clear that you want this as much as I do.”
“You sure about that?” She tilted her head. “You’re not going to come up with excuses or run away again?”
In answer, Adam reached into his back pocket, pulling out the pack of condoms he picked up at the convenience store.
“Welp, that answers that.” On a laugh, Tabby backed into her apartment. “Okay. Yes, Adam. Come on in.”
He stepped into the apartment, swallowing a small smile when Tabby bounded around him, locking them both inside as if she wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to leave her again.
He wasn’t planning on it.
Tabby lifted her hand, scratching the top of her head, fluffing out the hair matted from sleep. One side of her oversized t-shirt slid past her shoulder, revealing bare skin and a hint of her breast.
No bra, he noticed.
His erection throbbed.
Tabby grinned, as if she could tell. “Well, I was sleeping before you got here. You tired?”
He gulped. “Not really.”
“Good. Me, neither. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to go back to bed.” She held out her hand. “You coming with me?”
He started to take her hand, pausing when the dim light overhead glanced off of his black Nightwalker claws.
His stomach flip-flopped.
The old Adam—the human male he once was—would’ve hoisted her up in his arms and whisked her away to the bedroom.
But that was the old Adam.
The new Adam was hot, he was hard, and while he wanted inside of Tabby more than he wanted another taste of her blood, he couldn’t bring himself to actually touch her with his Nightwalker claws.
Gloves, he thought ruefully, already regretting his rash decision to show up at her place. Maybe if he could cover them up, he wouldn’t worry so much about slicing her up. He’d gotten better at using them, but no matter how he tried to blunt them, the tapered edge was a dangerous and deadly point.
He pulled his hand back, retreating a few steps.
Tabby didn’t let him go much further.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“Tab—”
“I know what you’re thinking, champ. Stop it.”
“But—”
“Shh,” Tabby said. Quickly, she rose up on the balls of her bare feet, cutting off Adam’s next protest with one hell of a kiss. By the time she pulled away from him again, he couldn’t even begin to remember what he was going to say.
Which, he was sure, was just what she intended.
“Let me guess. You haven’t been with anyone since you’ve been turned.”
No point in denying it. He nodded.
“I figured. And that’s okay. Look. This is new to both of us. I’ve never slept with one before because, well, obviously—”
“You don’t have to worry about this being more than sex,” he blurted out. “I talked to Deb. She assured me that I can sleep with you if I want without any bond forming. It doesn’t just happen ‘cause I’m a Para right now.”
She blinked. “That, too. Um. Kay. That’s good to know.” She paused, a tease curving her lips. “Do I want to know who Deb is? Or why you told her that you wanted to sleep with me?”
Adam flushed. Between the blood rushing south and the blood flooding his cheeks, he’d need a refill sooner than later. Hopefully later because, damn it, that teasing expression had him about to drop to his knees for this woman.
She hadn’t moved away from him. No. She actually tipped closer.
To his unending surprise, his slayer wanted him, too.
“You know what? On second thought, it doesn’t matter. Right now it’s just you and me and…”
She moved into his chest. His fingers flexed, desperate to reach for her, but he still couldn’t bring himself to do it.
She knew.
How?
No clue.
But Tabby knew.
“Can I touch you?” she murmured.
Adam swallowed roughly, fighting back his aroused moan. Her hands on him felt like heaven. “You never have to ask me that,” he told her gruffly. “If you want it, my body is yours.”
Her sweet voice developed a husky edge to it. “You might just regret saying that to me. I’m a slayer. I can kill you in a hundred different ways.”
That shouldn’t be anywhere near as sexy as it was. He angled his head, tucking his chin so that he was staring straight into her dark brown eyes. “If you wanted me dead,” he rasped back, “I’d already be dust.”
“Exactly. Lucky for you, I know just as many ways to make you feel good.”
She placed her palm beneath his pecs. Adam jolted in place, her caress an electric shock that nearly brought him back to life; a fucking astounding feat for a dead man. As her hand traced down his torso, whispering over his t-shirt before boldly cupping his cock, he knew that maybe she was right.
She might just kill him—but if the promise in her boast had any truth to it, he’d be a happy bastard for a little while before he did.
13
If she didn’t have her hand wrapped around the hard, heavy length of his erection, Tabby might wonder if she was taking things too far. If she was being too pushy.
He could say no anytime he wanted to.
Adam was an adult. So was she.
And Tabby would never forgive herself if she left Grayson before she gave in to her attraction to this Nightwalker.
Besides, he brought the condoms. You don’t bring condoms to an obvious hook-up unless you’re down for sex. Like she told him before, that was all the answer she needed.
She used her fingertips to gently stroke his cock. My body is yours… if that’s how he honestly felt, she was going to take it.
“Come with me,” she murmured, slowly drawing her hand away from him. To her delight, his whole body jerked, his hips thrusting in her direction as if his abandoned dick was eager to have her stroking it again.
Without looking behind her, Tabby strolled slowly to her bedroom. She didn’t have to look. She knew without a doubt that, as if he was a puppy on a lead, he’d follow her wherever she went.
She paused when she crossed the threshold, turning into Adam. Like she thought, he was right on her ass. His hands shot out, clasping her around her middle, squatting enough so that he could immediately begin grinding the bulge in his jeans against her aching pussy.
Oh, yeah.
They were so doing this.
Almost reluctantly, Tabby pulled away from Adam. She booped him on the nose with her pointer finger, grinning in delight when he threw his head back and swallowed his groan. She could see his fangs protruding past his bottom lip, longer than they’d been anytime except for when he bit her.
Holy Jesus, would he bite her tonight?
And why did just thinking that have her growing even wetter?
She swallowed, trying to control her near irresistible urge to just throw herself into his arms and demand he impale her. Fangs. Dick. She wasn’t picky.
So long as it was her Nightwalker.
The reminder slammed into he
r. Nightwalker… and it was nearly dawn.
“Stay here,” she murmured.
As if he was going anywhere else.
The shades covering the bedroom window were already drawn. With a rough jerk, Tabby pulled the curtains tightly closed. She grabbed the comforter, looping it over the curtain rod.
The whole room was dark to begin with. Thanks to her set-up, it prevented any sunlight from peeking in as soon as dawn broke. Dashing back to the door, she closed it three-quarters of the way, blocking any of the sunlight from the living room while still leaving just enough illumination that she could see.
Perfect. Now they could take all the time they wanted. Adam didn’t have to worry about the sun, and Tabby…
With as little light in the room as there was now, there was something she’d been dying to do again.
She hurried back to Adam, grabbing his hand and leading him toward the bed. With a gentle push, she had him seated on her side. His claws bit into her sheets, his back ramrod-straight as he waited for her to give him some sign that he could touch her back.
Not yet.
He was following her lead. Until she managed to snap the last of his iron-clad control, Tabby was going to take total advantage of that.
She climbed into the bed, plopping next to him. Adam turned toward her. Her hand trembling from a combination of lust and anticipation as she reached out, sliding the sunglasses from his nose.
He let her, though the way he tensed up again told Tabby that it took a lot of self control to keep Adam from snatching his shades back.
Folding them and quickly dropping them on the nightstand before he could ask for them back, she said, “I want to do this. Totally on board. But… I want to look in your eyes. I want to see them and know what you’re thinking… can I do that?”
His jaw was tight, his teeth clenched together. He jerked his head.
A nod.
Good.
He lowered his gaze, not quite looking at her. Tabby bent her knees, following his eyes as they darted away. She wanted him to be able to see her expression, too, when she told him what she thought.
Sunglasses at Night Page 13
