his face.
One of these days she was going to have to start that quilt, or she’d just be a no good liar. . . .
She floated to the mini fridge to snag a bag of blood. It smelled dank and plastic-y. If Rune was toxic, then why had his flesh smelled so enticing? Even now her fangs were sharpening.
Aching.
She’d sensed power in him, there for the taking. That pulse point had called to her as little else in her life ever had.
Just because he was poisonous to others didn’t mean he would be to her.
When had rules ever applied to Jo?
Her gaze fell on his bone thingy again. Why did he keep it? For years to come, she would imagine scenarios for it.
Unless she met him for their date and simply asked him.
EIGHT
Y ou’re good, female, I’ll give you that,” Rune said as he entered the courtyard.
The voyeur was sitting on the edge of the fountain, skimming her delicate fingers across the water’s surface, her black nails glinting. “Be specific. Good at lots.”
The mere sight of her made heat rush through him, pooling in his groin. When he’d scented her a couple of blocks away, he’d had to force himself to slow his steps. “Where did you learn to steal like that?”
She quirked an eyebrow. “Practice.”
“I never felt you near my . . . pocket. Are you a thief by trade?”
“I guess you could say I’m between jobs.” Her lips curled, like that was an inside joke. “You showed; does this mean you’ll join me for coffee?”
“Return my belonging,” he said as he closed in on her, “and I might only spank you.”
“And that’s a hard no on java.” She rose and squared her shoulders—as if they were about to spar.
How strange. Aside from Allixta, no females opposed him. They were too busy trying to land him. “What could you want with such a useless trinket?”
The voyeur reached into her skirt pocket, then held up the talisman. “I want it, because
you
obviously want it.”
His gaze locked on the piece. “It’s of no value.” It meant
everything
. “I’ll have it back simply because it’s my belonging.”
“See, here’s the thing—this is now my belonging. I stole it fair and square. What’s it for, anyway?”
“It’s not
for
anything. As I said, it has no value.”
It’s merely the thing I care most about in all the worlds.
The nerve of this bitch!
“What do the symbols mean?”
“That’s not your concern.” He didn’t know!
Captured and enslaved young, his dam had only remembered a limited number of runes to teach her son. That talisman had been the sole possession she’d had on her, yet even she couldn’t read it.
Unless Orion could help him decipher the markings, Rune would
never
know—because his mother’s breed of demon had gone extinct, their lore lost.
All Orion had told him was that the answer lay in Gaia.
The voyeur pocketed the talisman again. “I might consider returning it if you answer some of my questions.”
His ire was at the ready. “You do
not
make the rules.”
“I do if you want your ‘trinket’ back.” She gave him a sardonic wink.
Her defiance was so unfamiliar, he felt his cock stirring. “Brazen little thing, aren’t you?”
“Brazen is when you can’t back it up.”
She couldn’t know he was a Møriør, but she should still fear him as a much larger male. He stood well over a foot taller than she, and easily had a hundred and fifty pounds over her. “You dig your own grave. Unless . . .” His gaze fell to her lips. “Perhaps your mouth can yet convince me not to whip that pert ass of yours raw.”
She laughed at him.
He leaned forward, feeling the overwhelming need to shut her up—with his mouth over hers.
Kiss her quiet.
How quiet would she be screaming in agony? Frustration simmered.
In a drawling voice, she said, “I suppose retreating is another choice for you. Turn around and walk away. Perhaps the sight of your ass can yet convince me not to whip it raw.”
He stalked closer. “Are you a mad one then?”
One of these days she was going to have to start that quilt, or she’d just be a no good liar. . . .
She floated to the mini fridge to snag a bag of blood. It smelled dank and plastic-y. If Rune was toxic, then why had his flesh smelled so enticing? Even now her fangs were sharpening.
Aching.
She’d sensed power in him, there for the taking. That pulse point had called to her as little else in her life ever had.
Just because he was poisonous to others didn’t mean he would be to her.
When had rules ever applied to Jo?
Her gaze fell on his bone thingy again. Why did he keep it? For years to come, she would imagine scenarios for it.
Unless she met him for their date and simply asked him.
EIGHT
Y ou’re good, female, I’ll give you that,” Rune said as he entered the courtyard.
The voyeur was sitting on the edge of the fountain, skimming her delicate fingers across the water’s surface, her black nails glinting. “Be specific. Good at lots.”
The mere sight of her made heat rush through him, pooling in his groin. When he’d scented her a couple of blocks away, he’d had to force himself to slow his steps. “Where did you learn to steal like that?”
She quirked an eyebrow. “Practice.”
“I never felt you near my . . . pocket. Are you a thief by trade?”
“I guess you could say I’m between jobs.” Her lips curled, like that was an inside joke. “You showed; does this mean you’ll join me for coffee?”
“Return my belonging,” he said as he closed in on her, “and I might only spank you.”
“And that’s a hard no on java.” She rose and squared her shoulders—as if they were about to spar.
How strange. Aside from Allixta, no females opposed him. They were too busy trying to land him. “What could you want with such a useless trinket?”
The voyeur reached into her skirt pocket, then held up the talisman. “I want it, because
you
obviously want it.”
His gaze locked on the piece. “It’s of no value.” It meant
everything
. “I’ll have it back simply because it’s my belonging.”
“See, here’s the thing—this is now my belonging. I stole it fair and square. What’s it for, anyway?”
“It’s not
for
anything. As I said, it has no value.”
It’s merely the thing I care most about in all the worlds.
The nerve of this bitch!
“What do the symbols mean?”
“That’s not your concern.” He didn’t know!
Captured and enslaved young, his dam had only remembered a limited number of runes to teach her son. That talisman had been the sole possession she’d had on her, yet even she couldn’t read it.
Unless Orion could help him decipher the markings, Rune would
never
know—because his mother’s breed of demon had gone extinct, their lore lost.
All Orion had told him was that the answer lay in Gaia.
The voyeur pocketed the talisman again. “I might consider returning it if you answer some of my questions.”
His ire was at the ready. “You do
not
make the rules.”
“I do if you want your ‘trinket’ back.” She gave him a sardonic wink.
Her defiance was so unfamiliar, he felt his cock stirring. “Brazen little thing, aren’t you?”
“Brazen is when you can’t back it up.”
She couldn’t know he was a Møriør, but she should still fear him as a much larger male. He stood well over a foot taller than she, and easily had a hundred and fifty pounds over her. “You dig your own grave. Unless . . .” His gaze fell to her lips. “Perhaps your mouth can yet convince me not to whip that pert ass of yours raw.”
She laughed at him.
He leaned forward, feeling the overwhelming need to shut her up—with his mouth over hers.
Kiss her quiet.
How quiet would she be screaming in agony? Frustration simmered.
In a drawling voice, she said, “I suppose retreating is another choice for you. Turn around and walk away. Perhaps the sight of your ass can yet convince me not to whip it raw.”
He stalked closer. “Are you a mad one then?”
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