tonight,” I said, waving away the question and my concern. “She brought it up. I talked to Gorman, too.”
“You what?” Saber pushed out of the desk chair. “Did he have a weapon? That order of protection against him is still in force. We can lock him up for a damn-long time if you report the contact.”
I held up a hand. “No weapons and I don’t want to file a complaint. Gorman is imagining a vampire invasion again. He thinks he saw a couple of eighty-year-olds fly.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Could I make that up?”
“I can’t decide if Gorman is an idiot, a paranoid idiot, or an idiot on some seriously disturbing drugs.” He pulled me into his arms and nuzzled my neck. “Did I mention I like this dress on you?”
“I believe you said you’d like it better off me.”
His cobalt eyes darkened, and his sexy smile smoldered me to my toes.
“I do.”
The moment hung suspended until Pandora chuffed.
Time for me to go.
“Downsize so you won’t freak the neighbors,” I warned as I opened the door.
She did and slipped out. Derived of her playmate, Snowball twitched her tail and headed for the kitchen.
I batted my eyelashes and sashayed into Saber’s embrace.
“Now where were we?”
Within the space of a long, deep sigh, he stripped me of my Cinderella dress and carried us to our own fantasyland.
The afterglow of our loving should have been beacon bright, but I found myself crying softly.
Saber must’ve felt my tears on his chest, because he turned me over and wiped my damp cheek with his thumb.
“Hey, was I that bad?”
“No, that good. Like you were before your trip.”
“So these are tears of sexual ecstasy?”
I gave him a watery chuckle, but my voice caught as I whispered, “Deke, I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t,” he said, nestling me to his side. “We’re going to beat this. We have a prime suspect now, and that’s more than we had this afternoon.”
“What if we can’t find and destroy Starrack? Or get to him before the Void cuts loose to do its own thing?”
“I contacted Jim Crushman in Atlanta. Crusher will put out the word through the merc network, and they’ll contact their informants.”
I pulled back enough to blink at him. “Mercenaries have informants?”
“Human and supernatural. Gnomes mostly, but I can’t mention a particular group. Triton’s note said Cosmil is making inquiries through his contacts, too.” He hugged me close. “If all else fails, we have to hope Lia can track Starrack.”
“Or the Void.”
“Or both.” He kissed my forehead. “Now remind me what you have scheduled with Maggie so I can help you work around your oldmaid duties.”
“Old maid?” I echoed with a playful punch to his ribs.
“You are a whopping 228 years of age.”
“Don’t make me hurt you.”
“Tell me.”
“We have the caterer, the florist, and the cake-tasting meetings tomorrow and Thursday, then the bachelorette get away to Fernandina Beach is Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. And isn’t Neil’s bachelor party Saturday night?”
“Mmm,” he murmured, and kissed my temple.
A lingering kiss that migrated to my cheek.
I cleared my throat. “Then I have the bridal shower here next Saturday.”
“Uh-huh,” he breathed in my ear.
“And the couples shower and barbeque is Sunday at your houhowza.”
His next kiss landed in a place that robbed me of speech, robbed me of coherent thought, and rewarded me with joy.
An hour later, Saber slept. I lingered beside him for a while, basking in a sated stupor. Our joining might have been better than normal, but I’d keep diligent watch for signs of the illness. And pray I never saw them. I would not want to live with the horror of that sight.
Snowball jumped on the bed and curled herself around Saber’s head, which was my cue to get up, toss on a nightshirt, and get to work.
After hanging my costume in the closet, I made a beeline to the living room to work at my laptop.
“You what?” Saber pushed out of the desk chair. “Did he have a weapon? That order of protection against him is still in force. We can lock him up for a damn-long time if you report the contact.”
I held up a hand. “No weapons and I don’t want to file a complaint. Gorman is imagining a vampire invasion again. He thinks he saw a couple of eighty-year-olds fly.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Could I make that up?”
“I can’t decide if Gorman is an idiot, a paranoid idiot, or an idiot on some seriously disturbing drugs.” He pulled me into his arms and nuzzled my neck. “Did I mention I like this dress on you?”
“I believe you said you’d like it better off me.”
His cobalt eyes darkened, and his sexy smile smoldered me to my toes.
“I do.”
The moment hung suspended until Pandora chuffed.
Time for me to go.
“Downsize so you won’t freak the neighbors,” I warned as I opened the door.
She did and slipped out. Derived of her playmate, Snowball twitched her tail and headed for the kitchen.
I batted my eyelashes and sashayed into Saber’s embrace.
“Now where were we?”
Within the space of a long, deep sigh, he stripped me of my Cinderella dress and carried us to our own fantasyland.
The afterglow of our loving should have been beacon bright, but I found myself crying softly.
Saber must’ve felt my tears on his chest, because he turned me over and wiped my damp cheek with his thumb.
“Hey, was I that bad?”
“No, that good. Like you were before your trip.”
“So these are tears of sexual ecstasy?”
I gave him a watery chuckle, but my voice caught as I whispered, “Deke, I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t,” he said, nestling me to his side. “We’re going to beat this. We have a prime suspect now, and that’s more than we had this afternoon.”
“What if we can’t find and destroy Starrack? Or get to him before the Void cuts loose to do its own thing?”
“I contacted Jim Crushman in Atlanta. Crusher will put out the word through the merc network, and they’ll contact their informants.”
I pulled back enough to blink at him. “Mercenaries have informants?”
“Human and supernatural. Gnomes mostly, but I can’t mention a particular group. Triton’s note said Cosmil is making inquiries through his contacts, too.” He hugged me close. “If all else fails, we have to hope Lia can track Starrack.”
“Or the Void.”
“Or both.” He kissed my forehead. “Now remind me what you have scheduled with Maggie so I can help you work around your oldmaid duties.”
“Old maid?” I echoed with a playful punch to his ribs.
“You are a whopping 228 years of age.”
“Don’t make me hurt you.”
“Tell me.”
“We have the caterer, the florist, and the cake-tasting meetings tomorrow and Thursday, then the bachelorette get away to Fernandina Beach is Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. And isn’t Neil’s bachelor party Saturday night?”
“Mmm,” he murmured, and kissed my temple.
A lingering kiss that migrated to my cheek.
I cleared my throat. “Then I have the bridal shower here next Saturday.”
“Uh-huh,” he breathed in my ear.
“And the couples shower and barbeque is Sunday at your houhowza.”
His next kiss landed in a place that robbed me of speech, robbed me of coherent thought, and rewarded me with joy.
An hour later, Saber slept. I lingered beside him for a while, basking in a sated stupor. Our joining might have been better than normal, but I’d keep diligent watch for signs of the illness. And pray I never saw them. I would not want to live with the horror of that sight.
Snowball jumped on the bed and curled herself around Saber’s head, which was my cue to get up, toss on a nightshirt, and get to work.
After hanging my costume in the closet, I made a beeline to the living room to work at my laptop.
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