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He closed his eyes and let out a long, loud sigh. “I’ll be there, no problem. It’s in the evening, anyway. But can’t you come in for a few hours in the morning? I need your help, Delilah. I wouldn’t ask, but…”
“But you can trust me.” It was my turn to sigh, and as I did so, I blew my bangs off my forehead. He knew I’d say yes; I could tell by his hopeful stance.
Shade wrapped his arms around my waist. “You could come in for the morning. Iris won’t mind.”
“All right. I’ll be here around ten but I have to leave by one. Maybe Iris will be too excited to notice.” Were we ever going to be able to cut loose again without some trauma spoiling our fun? Were we ever going to catch another break?
Chase hugged me, then shook hands with Shade, and we headed out to Bruce’s limo. It boggled the mind that only a couple hours before we’d been on stage, singing and drinking, and now we were facing another ride on the demon-go-round. I slid into the car and stretched out, and without a word, we headed off into the darkness.
Chapter 4
The alarm blared through my dreams, and I blinked, glaring at the light that was filtering through the curtains. My head was plagued with a case of thunderbolts from hell, and I realized this was the side effect of the damishanya. The pounding was worse than any hangover I could imagine.
There was something else…something about today that I needed to remember…
“Get a move on, woman!” Shade’s voice penetrated my foggy mind as he yanked the covers off me, exposing my all-too-naked body to the chilly air. “In the shower with you. You can’t go help Chase, or attend Iris’s wedding, smelling like a wet cat.”
Iris’s wedding! That’s right, tonight she was getting married and we had to set up all the decorations and get everything ready. I tried to force my eyes open as Shade grabbed my arm, yanked me none too gently to my feet, and gently trundled me over to the bathroom, where I heard the water running.
Grimacing, I squinted, trying to see through my eyelids, which were stuck together by gunk. I hadn’t taken off my makeup the night before. A glance in the mirror told me I looked like a fright.
The shock of the warm water on my skin hit me like a thunderbolt. I hated getting wet but couldn’t stand the thought of being dirty for long. Sometimes I wished I could just give myself a bath in cat form and turn back nice and spiffy clean, never needing a shower. I even refused bubble baths—the thought of soaking in a tub gave me the willies. No, showers were definitely the lesser of two evils. Sputtering, I ducked my head under and lathered up, quickly washing away any lingering grime, sweat, and mascara. As soon as I felt clean, I hopped out of the shower and pressed a soft towel to my face, wiping the water out of my eyes.
“Feel better?”
I peered over the top of the towel. Shade was leaning against the door, looking all too sexy and tidy. At six two, he was an inch taller than me, and his long, honey-colored hair shimmered with amber highlights and danced down his back in a tangle of curls, caught back in a neat ponytail till it hit his waist. His skin was a warm bronzish-brown, and he looked like an Asian-black mix, but it wasn’t human ethnicity that gave him the exotic look. He was part shadow dragon, part Stradolan—shadow walker. I wasn’t clear exactly what that side of his heritage meant, but I was slowly learning about him as the days and weeks passed.
He was wearing a pair of brown cargo pants, holding an olive green ribbed turtleneck. His abs—rippled, muscled, with scars here and there from the past—led up to a chest that looked strong enough to bend bars. He probably could, being part dragon.
I glanced over at the bed where his boots—hiking boots—sat on the floor. I licked my lips, staring at his feet. They were handsome feet…and many a times I’d grappled those ankles in cat form. He’d just laugh and scoop me up and rub my belly while I purred, and then he’d throw my fur mice for me.
The sight of him standing there, a soft, slightly sly smile on his face, made my heart stand still. Maybe it was the fact that Iris was getting married. Maybe it was the realization that we’d lost five members of the Supe Community to some mad bomber. But right now, right here, all I could think of was how happy I was that Shade was with me. He was here, alive, and I loved him.
I slipped over to him, dropped my towel, and reached out. He took my hands in his, leading me back to the bed, where he sat down and I straddled his lap, staring into his eyes.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“For what?” His gaze was heavy, lidded, sultry. I ran one finger down his nose, then hooked it into the corner of his mouth gently.
“For being here. For being with me. For becoming my anchor. My rock.” And then, leaning forward, I pressed my lips against his, feeling the creamy velvet of his hands catch me around the waist and pull me to him. His fingers sizzled against my skin, lazily tripping up and down my spine.
As he stood, I wrapped my legs around his waist and he turned around to lay me on the bed. I let go of his neck and fumbled with his belt, unbuckling it and unzipping his pants. He slid them down and off, standing between my legs still, staring down at me with a gentle smile as his erection grew.
I sucked in a deep breath, staring at him, feeling the pulse in my stomach grow as my nipples stiffened. I bit my lower lip, waiting, as he ran his gaze over my body, his eyes lighting up as he knelt between my legs, his arms on either side of my waist.
“You up to this today?” Shade always waited, always let me take the lead. I hadn’t been used to it at first, but now I welcomed the question. I was growing stronger, and he seemed to recognize that I needed to learn how to be in charge.
I nodded. “Oh yes. The damishanya twisted my stomach, but the shower made me feel better. I need you.”
And I did. The loss of my friends, the attack on the hall, the realization that Iris was growing away from us—that she was not just here to make our lives complete but that she had a life of her own—had all conspired to bring the tears to the forefront. I tried to blink them away, but they were stubborn and before I could help it, they spilled out, trailing down my cheeks.
“What’s wrong, baby? What’s wrong?” Shade stared at me for a moment, and then, quick as a cat, he was by my side instead of looming over me, taking me in his arms and holding me.
“I…so much has happened. The explosion…Iris is pregnant…Camille’s assault—and our father didn’t even give a damn.” The pressure in my chest was hitting me hard and I ducked my head as I cried, leaning into his arms, shaking.
Shade scooted so he was up against the headboard of the bed, pulling me with him till we were leaning back against it. He brought the covers up over us and tucked me against his shoulder.
“Camille will be okay. Your father will—or will not—come around.”
