21 Shades of Night, page 286
He frowned and flicked on the overhead lights, before moving over to crouch in the middle of the dance floor. The ash that had been left behind after the bastard disintegrated had been ruthlessly collected, leaving not so much of a fleck of charred skin behind.
The door opened across the room, but he didn’t look up. “Thought you were having it out with Hayden?”
“She hasn’t forgiven me for ‘my woman’ comment yet.” Joining him in the middle of the room, Deacon crouched next to him. “You are becoming a huge pain in my fucking ass, Wade, you know that, right? This is a sealed crime scene you’re tampering with.”
The corner of his mouth winged up slightly. “I killed it. And I figure you need my help a hell of a lot more than you need me following rules right now.”
“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it.” Deacon dragged a hand over his face. “Walk me through it. What are we looking for?”
Tyler shook his head, his arms braced against his legs as he lifted his head and glanced around. “What did you see before I killed it?”
Deacon glanced around, too, as if looking for whatever Tyler was trying to find. “I don’t know. I thought it was human at first. Thought you’d gone off the deep end.”
Tyler nodded. “Until?”
“The eyes.” Deacon stood up and lifted his arms, stretching his muscles as he continued to scan the interior of the pub. Tyler’s respect for the man bumped up even more at the cold, calm intellect he saw in his face. “It wasn’t the red at first. I’ve seen some fucked up shit going on with junkies before, and you can buy contacts to turn your entire eyes black. It was the dead in them that caught me. It’s a quiet town. No one here has eyes that deadened.”
Tyler shifted his gaze to scan the faint outline from where the demon had fallen. “Did you see anything out of the ordinary while I was fighting it? Anyone just standing around, not surprised?”
This time, Deacon closed his eyes as he thought about it. “I was focused on Hayden at that point, getting to her before the crowd trampled her. She’s so petite, you know? But…” He opened his eyes and frowned. “For a second, I thought I saw a shadow moving toward the bar. Not a person, exactly, just the shadow of one.”
Tyler’s blood chilled. “Toward the bar? Where Shay was?”
Deacon nodded slowly. “Yeah. But before I could swing back around, it had vanished.” He raised a brow as Tyler got to his feet. “What are you thinking?”
“I don’t know yet.” He turned in a slow circle. “But like I said earlier, demons don’t fall the way this one did. I don’t want to say it, but I think it’s best you prepare yourself. Whether this thing followed me or not, there’s a reason it’s here. And the one thing I know for sure is that where there’s one, there’s bound to be more.”
Deacon stared at him, unblinking, before tilting his head back and closing his eyes. “My guys aren’t capable of killing a fucking demon. Hell, most of them haven’t even fired their weapons outside a shooting range.”
Tyler nodded and met Deacon’s gaze head on. “Which is why, starting tomorrow, you and I are going to train.”
* * *
SHE SMELLED LIKE Tyler.
She disinfected the table they’d had sex on, then decided to scrub the kitchen to within an inch of its life. She even got on her hands and knees to attack the corners of the floor with an old toothbrush, before washing down the top of the refrigerator.
And through it all was a montage she couldn’t shut off. Tyler’s face when he saw her naked. His face as he pushed her into orgasm just using his fingers. His face when he slid inside of her. His face when she came again. And then again.
His face when she said it was a mistake and he needed to leave.
He was the playboy, wasn’t he? For heaven’s sake, he had playboy written all over him, from that ridiculously cut body to that charming, wicked grin and those ‘come get what you want, babe’ eyes. So why the hell did she feel like she’d screwed everything up by telling him to leave?
She loved her independence, damn it. She’d fought damn hard for every ounce of freedom she had, and she’d vowed a long time ago to never give anyone an inch who could turn around and take it all. So the fact that Tyler had known her body better than she did, had known what she was capable of more than anyone ever had, scared the hell out of her. For so many reasons it was actually laughable.
Even if he didn’t have ‘one night stand’ written all over him, her family would never approve. And that was a road she’d never let Tyler walk down with her.
She sighed and threw the toothbrush into the garbage.
It was just one night, Shay. Get over yourself. He’s not out there crying into his beer that you kicked his ass to the curb.
Feeling slightly better, she headed down to her bedroom to take a much needed nap.
Someone knocked on the front door.
She snorted as she jogged over to answer it. Ivy forgot her key more often than she remembered it, which was why Shay had long ago made a spare for Garret.
She was already laughing when she swung the door open, only to go still as she found herself face-to-chest with a brick wall that could only be Tyler. No one else in town had that muscle, or size, or feel… or scent. The man smelled like sin and sex, and Shay had to bite on her tongue to make sure she didn’t swallow it.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she forced herself to tilt her head back and raise a brow at him.
Stay strong, Shay. Stay. Strong.
His dark blue eyes searched her face for a long moment, before he bent over and stuck his gorgeous face in hers. “You are full of shit, Shay Evernight.”
Even as her jaw dropped in shock, his mouth closed over hers. He kissed her like a man intent on taking a woman’s heart, and soul, and sanity with him when he finally left.
And she had no idea how to stop it.
Chapter 10
TYLER HADN’T MEANT to let it get so far. He’d only meant to tell her he wasn’t that easy to kick to the goddamn curb. But then she’d opened the door looking so completely adorable in a tiny pair of shorts and tank top, his common sense and training had gotten lost in his sheer need to taste her again. Just one more time.
Twisting her hair around his fist to pull her even closer, he groaned at the soft, erotic feel of those curves pliable against his hardness. And when the moan escaped her throat and her arms wound around his neck, the only choice he had left was to pull back or face going down a road he was nowhere near ready for.
“I’m sorry.” She shivered once, long and slow, before her head dropped back so she could see his face. “Why are you here?”
His grinned and couldn’t stop himself from leaning down to brush his lips over hers one more time. Christ above, she was like a goddamn drug. When he pulled back, he had to set her away from him before he gave in to the urge boiling inside of him and took her against the door.
Shay slumped against the door, her beautiful face dazed. Somehow, it made him feel better. If she was going to keep him off-balance, she damn well needed to be on unsteady ground with him.
When he realized she was still waiting for an answer, he shot her another grin. “I wanted to tell you I know you’re full of shit. You like me, and you’re damn scared about it.”
For a moment, she looked like she was going to slam the door in his face. Not that it would do any good—he wasn’t going any damn where until he was good and ready to go— he could see all over her face she didn’t like him reading her so easily.
It wasn’t that he meant to. He just didn’t know how to stop.
“You’re right,” she said easily, smiling as shock rippled through his body. “I like you. Are you happy? Will you go now?”
He dragged his hand over his stubbled face to hide his smile.
“Actually.” He straightened, crowding her into the house. Her eyes went wide as she noticed the backpack slung over his shoulder. “Do you mind if I crash here tonight?”
Shay gaped at him. “Why? You have a perfectly nice room at the bed and breakfast waiting for you.”
He shrugged. “Thought you’d be a little freaked out about the demon thing.” When she only lifted a brow at him, he laughed quietly and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Alright.” He leaned down and braced his hands on either side of her hips. “It isn’t about me. Deacon mentioned seeing a shadow heading toward the bar while he was going after Hayden.”
She studied his face for a long moment, before she exhaled slowly. “You think the demon had something to do with me?”
“I don’t know.” He tossed his bag on the couch and turned to face her, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He kept his gaze level, serious. No matter how distracting she was, he’d never let a woman cloud his judgment over a hunt. “But I’ve been doing this long enough to trust my instincts, and my instincts are saying you’re messed up in this somehow.”
The fear that iced over her whiskey eyes raised every hair on the back of his neck, and dread pooled in his gut. But just like that, it was gone, and his fiery gypsy was back.
She rested her hands against the arm of the couch behind her and tilted her head back so their faces were so close together he could almost taste her mouth. “If I let you stay, we need ground rules.”
He nodded, his hands skimming up to her hips and back down her thighs. Before she knew what he was doing, he’d hooked his hands under her knees and jerked her into him. He lowered his mouth to her throat, sucking at the pounding pulse there. “I’m listening.”
“One night.” She crossed her ankles behind his ass, pulling him in closer to that part of her he was starting to worry he was getting addicted to. “Tomorrow you’re back at the hotel, and this never happened.”
He nodded, prepared to offer his soul for one more chance to be inside of her wet heat. “Deal.”
* * *
WHILE SHAY WOULD never classify herself as the quintessential ‘good girl,’ especially with some of the crap she’d had to do in her lifetime to uphold the Evernight name, she’d never considered herself a bad girl.
But what she had with Tyler, what she wanted with him, was to be bad. Very, very bad.
She also wanted him not to put the pieces of her life together.
She was unbuttoning his flannel, desperate to get to his skin and explore this time, when the door behind him flew.
Ivy gasped. “Um…ew.”
Tyler stiffened against her mouth, and while her eyes went wide, he closed his and dropped his brow against hers. “Can you make her go away?”
Shay had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Or crying. “I can’t, I’m sorry. She lives here.”
He let out a sound that was suspiciously growl-like before he shook himself and straightened. “I should get some research in, anyway, and you should probably get a few hours sleep before dawn. It’s been a long night.”
She didn’t want to agree with him, but she was exhausted. They’d only gotten a couple hours of sleep before Deacon had interrupted them earlier, and Tyler’s mother had been keeping her awake for days babbling about her son.
She must have frowned without realizing it, because his brow furrowed.
“What is it?” he asked.
“It’s just––-“ Her voice cut off because, damn it, here it came. “It’s been quiet.”
A crease appeared between his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Your mother. She’s been really quiet the last few hours.”
The shadows that flicked over his face had her heart aching. His voice was quiet, and as confused as she felt. “Is that good?”
“I don’t know,” she murmured, honestly. “It happens, but not like this. Not just radio silence out of nowhere.”
The grin he flashed her didn’t quite reach his eyes. “In all fairness, we were kind of… involved earlier. I don’t think she’d have stuck around to watch that if she didn’t have to.”
Her head bobbed as relief flashed through her.
“True.” She smiled. “Thanks. I know it sounds weird to worry about this, but constant is good in my life. I’m a big enough freak as it is, with dead people popping up to babble at me every moment of every day, but at least I know I can expect it. Silence changes the game. That worries me.”
He pushed his hand through his chin-length hair as he stepped back. “Go rest. It’ll be okay.” He leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose in an affectionate gesture that had her close to tears, the damn bastard. “I promise.”
When she didn’t move right away, he lifted a brow. “Do I need to carry you?”
She snorted out a laugh. “No, I’m alright.” Since Ivy was just standing there, staring at him with wide eyes, Shay grabbed her hand, and tugged her with her toward the bedrooms. “Goodnight, Ty.”
“Goodnight, babe.”
Ivy followed Shay right into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. “Holy…you slept with him? You slept with Tyler Wade?”
Shay collapsed backward on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “I’m not giving you details, Ivy.”
The teenager laughed as she laid on the bed next to her and grabbed her hand. “It’s okay, I don’t want details. That’s gross. Just tell me if it was as good as you thought it would be.”
Shay blew out a breath and closed her eyes. “Better.”
“Really.” Ivy let out a soft humming sound before she turned her head to look at her. “So that explains that.”
She cranked one eye open and looked at her. “It explains, what?”
Ivy grinned. “Why you look like you were knocked sideways and screwed blind seven ways to Sunday at the same time.”
Unexpected tears welled in her eyes, and before Ivy could see them, Shay leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I need some sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow, alright?”
Concern marred Ivy’s brow. “Shay—“
She cut her off. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
She didn’t move until Ivy had left, and then it was just to cover her eyes with her arms. She felt Gemma’s presence a second before the ghost spoke.
“Don’t hurt him.”
Shay didn’t open her eyes. “What do you want from me, Gemma? I got him here, but now what?”
“Do what I couldn’t. Protect him.”
Chapter 11
THE VISION CAME wrapped inside a dream. By the time Shay realized what was happening, it was too late for her to stop it.
Four. She was on orgasm number four, and as her body rode the undulating waves that swamped her from the inside out, her fingers tightened around the scarf binding her wrists. Desperate for something to hold her down before she lit off straight into the stars.
Grin wicked, blue eyes savage and possessive, Tyler sat back on his knees and stroked his hands up the insides of her thighs. His thumbs slicked over her wetness, sending her sensitive body into another round of tremors, even as her hips took on a mind of their own and lifted in offering.
Gods, did she offer. He’d made her greedy, and her body recognized the source of her pleasure. Craved more. Craved all.
“Mine.” The words fell harshly from his perfect mouth, as if ripped from his soul. Reaching over, he snagged an ice cube from the glass on the nightstand, and crushed it in his mouth. “Say it, Shay. Need to hear it.”
Her heat clenched at the promise in him, soaking her as if her insides had turned to liquid and needed release. But it was the shadows in his eyes that threatened to send her flying—that need in him that went beyond anything, beyond craving, straight into hunger. For her. For the words he waited patiently for her to give him.
She didn’t close her eyes. She wouldn’t have, even if he’d let her. It was always like this between them, and he’d continue to hold himself back until she gave him what he asked for. He hung, heavy and aching between her legs, but still, he kept himself leashed.
“Yours.” No choice. She had no choice in it, never had.
He dropped his head as those wide, strong shoulders relaxed, before his mouth closed over her. Pleasure star-burst behind her eyes as he licked at her, lifting her hips to him as if trying to get her closer as her orgasm built…but it never came.
They stood deep inside a forest, Tyler’s arm hanging limply at his side and his cheekbone slashed as they squared off. His green Henley was ripped to shreds, his jeans torn and bloody at the knee. And this time, it was heartbreak that was shattering her. Hers. His.
Oh, gods, his.
“Why, Shay?” His voice was gravel over broken glass, harsh and desperate. “Why would you lie?”
No. No, that wasn’t right. She wouldn’t lie to him. She opened her mouth to tell him that, to ask him how he’d been hurt, but the words wouldn’t come out.
“I’m sorry.” Shaking her head, she stepped toward him. And though her mind was screaming at her, all she felt was cold. “But you knew what I was.”
He moved so quickly she could barely track his movements.
Gripping her arms, he yanked her into his chest. “Not this, damn you! You don’t have to do this!”
Her head fell back as he shook her, but all she could do was shrug.
“Yes,” she whispered, “I do.”
His eyes blanked, the fire inside him shutting down degree by degree. And by the time he’d released her and stepped back, there was nothing left of Tyler for her to see. He’d gone away, somewhere she couldn’t follow.
So, using the magic she’d sworn never to use, she watched as blood cascaded from the fist-sized hole in his chest, his heart slipping out of her bloody fingers.
“Shay?” The rough, familiar voice washed over her. Her eyes popped open. Tyler leaned over her in her bed, his nose nearly touching hers as he scowled. “You with me?”
“I’m fine. Bad dream.” Tears stung her eyes.
Shifting to the side, she slid out from beneath him and climbed off the mattress, deliberately not looking at him. That hadn’t been a dream; they’d been visions. Plural. And she had no idea which one of them would come true, or if it was a warning that whatever she found with him would end in his death.
