“This? Right here?” He slid his other hand down and gave me a squeeze, and I sighed in pleasure. Darius did nothing by accident, and his firm, commanding touch was always welcome, especially when we were both naked and wet and slippery.
Gripping me tight, he lifted me up, and I wrapped my legs around his hips, pressing my mouth to his for a deep, sultry kiss. Hot water streamed down over us, and for a minute I lost myself in his kiss, in his touch, in our own little paradise where hunters and rogue supernaturals didn’t exist and our greatest concern was running out of hot water before we finished enjoying each other’s company in here.
But that wasn’t how the world worked.
I pulled back to catch my breath, and Darius offered a soft smile, blinking tiny drops of water from his thick, dark eyelashes.
“I hope I didn’t hurt you too much out there, love,” he said, concern shadowing his golden eyes.
“Not too much. Just the right amount.” I smiled to let him know I was okay, but he still seemed worried.
“Would you like me to leave?” he asked.
“Well, Iwasgoing to wash my hair, but since you’ve already so rudely interrupted, we might as well see where this goes.”
“Rudely interrupted? I’ve done nothing of the sort.” He set me on my feet again, then looked over the rainbow assortment of shampoos and conditioners Emilio had brought me, choosing one from the middle. “How are we feeling about…” He narrowed his eyes at the label. “Coconut Sunrise? Good heavens, who names this stuff?”
“I haven’t tried that one yet.”
“Right. Turn around, then,” he ordered, flipping open the cap and squeezing a dollop of shampoo into his hand.
I obliged, tilting my head back and closing my eyes as his fingers began to work their magic, gently massaging the shampoo into my scalp.
The shower smelled like a tropical vacation—rather, what I imagined a tropical vacation would smell like—and I couldn’t recall ever being so relaxed before.
“Does that feel good?” he murmured, his lips close to my ear.
“Mmm. I could very easily get used to this,” I murmured.
Everything inside me was melting under his divine touch.
“As could I,” he said, gently tipping my head back to rinse out the suds, making sure the water didn’t stream into my eyes. “But I’m afraid I can’t let you get used to it just yet.”
“Too late.” I turned to face him again, sliding my hands up over his shoulders.
His eyes were serious again, the space between his brows pinched.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I just spoke with my people on the east coast. I’m heading to New York tonight.”
My heart sank.
“They’ve finally made contact with Grinaldi,” he explained, stroking my back. “But the old codger refuses to discuss this with anyone but me directly.”
I sighed, trying not to show my disappointment and worry. We’d been waiting for news on the Grinaldi front for weeks; it was critical that Darius go.
Still, I didn’t love the idea of him heading off alone. What if it was a setup? The vampires who’d attacked us at Norah’s had once been patrons of Darius’s club, and they’d turned out to be traitors. And we still didn’t know where the southern vamps who’d ambushed us at the morgue had come from, or what connections they had to the hunter.
How did Darius know he could trust Grinaldi’s people?
“Will you have backup?” I asked.
“Traveling with me, yes. On the estate itself? I’m afraid not, love. Vincenzo Grinaldi is a traditionalist. The presence of my associates would signal to him a lack of trust, ending our meeting before it even began.”
“Doyou trust him?”
“Not in the slightest. But I assure you—no harm will come to me as a guest on his property. His adherence to the old customs is more legendary and unwavering than my own.”
