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“No time,” Hunter said with a rough, disappointed tone. “Serrish is already waiting, and when I get you naked again, I’m damn well going to take my time.”
I blew out a breath and crossed my arms. “Fine.”
Hunter dropped his gaze and smirked. “Pout all you want. When you cross your arms like that, it presses your tits together. I rather like it. Gives me a few ideas of what other parts of your body might be fun to put to use.”
My cheeks heated, not only at what he said but how he’d said it. Sure, men had dirty talked before, but it was always whispered, as if shameful the dimness of a dark room. Hunter said it without an ounce of shame, as though we were discussing something far less personal and vulgar.
“People could hear you,” I said, my voice low.
“They can also see your cleavage, so I’m sure they’d agree with me. Care to ask?”
I narrowed my eyes, since there weren’t any words that could adequately explain just how little I wanted him to do that.
He let out a long sigh, as though I were truly frustrating tohimbefore nodding toward Serrish’s tent. “Come along, then. Let’s finish here so we can get back to the normal world where there aren’t people who might kill us.”
Grant lifted an eyebrow.
“Fine. Where there are other people who want to kill us but at least we have the sun.”
“Fair enough.” Grant flanked my other side, and we made the short walk to Serrish’s place. The same people who had milled around the night before seemed to be out and about again. Many stared at me, and all of them with the same look of disgust.
“Why do they hate me so much?”
“Because you’re a human.”
“So? I haven’t done anything to them.”
“Not you, maybe, but your kind. There’s a reason they live here, Ava, and it’s because humans have been, generally, violent, aggressive and sadistic.”
“Well, they need to get over it. I’ve never done a thing to them. They can’t blame me for what others of my kind have done. I’m not them.”
“Last I checked, you weren’t too trusting of vampires,” Grant pointed out.
I went to argue when nothing came out. Damn it, I hated when someone made a good point. “Shut up,” I muttered as we entered the tent.
It had changed from the last time. It still seemed to be the same general dimensions, but in the center was a single pillow. Outside of that rested a circle of thick salt. Serrish walked around the outside of the circle, lighting candles and incense that sat on tables near the outside edge of the tent. “You’re late,” she said.
“Had to find Ava something to wear,” Grant said. “She ruined her other clothes.”
I shot him a dirty look but kept my mouth shut. After the possessive way Serrish had spoken about Hunter, we probably didn’t need to mention that Hunter had actually ripped them.
“Sit.” Serrish nodded toward the center of the tent, inside the circle.
I stepped over the salt, like carefully. While I wasn’t an expert in magic, I knew damn well not to fuck with a salt line. I lowered myself to the ground, wincing a bit as I did so.
Huh, I hadn’t realized just how sore I was.
Hunter offered me a knowing grin, as though that wasthe sign of a job well done.
Serrish finished lighting candles along the edge before she returned and lowered herself on the single pillow. She was graceful, dropping to a cross-legged position like the best trained yogi around.
She closed her eyes, her back straight and her hands set loosely on her knees. I recognized the stance from every stupid yoga class I’d tried to take, when they opened with people centering themselves.
And suddenly I worried we were wasting our time. Maybe she wasn’t useful at all—just some new-age person who was doing exactly what I could do myself.
I opened my mouth to say such a thing, but as though he expected it, Grant elbowed me. At a sharp look from him, I quieted down.
Long minute passed without Serrish doing anything. She breathed slowly, in and out, with an even and unbroken pace. Grant and Hunter didn’t appear bothered, but then again it was easier to wait when they knew what to expect.
