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Opening a search engine, he began to type. “Chelsea Clifton. Who are you?” Information popped up, and he began to sort through it, immersing himself in the research, an unwavering awareness of Luna sleeping in the other room as natural to him as breathing.
Chapter Fourteen
Luna rolled onto her stomach and groaned. The last thing she remembered was the comforting sound of Kade’s heartbeat, the warmth from his skin, and a sense of well-being that made her toes curl.
She patted her hand over the sheet beside her. It was cold. Had he slept at all? And where was he? Funny, there was no sense of panic, no worry he’d slept with her and snuck out while she was sleeping.
What time was it? Daylight streamed through the window giving her a partial answer. It wasn’t night. With no phone and no clock on the nightstand, that’s as good as she could get. She had no idea how long she’d slept, but considering how rested she felt, a substantial amount of time had passed.
Pushing upright, she looked around the room and got her first twinge when she noted her clothes were missing and his duffel was nowhere to be seen. She was about to toss aside the covers when she sensed movement in the doorway.
Wearing nothing but a faded pair of jeans that fit him to perfection, he leaned against the doorjamb, one arm raised over his head to rest against the frame. His biceps bunched and flexed. A tuft of hair was visible in his armpit. His chest was devoid of hair, which seemed odd for a werewolf. She had no idea if that was normal or if it was due to his status as a lone wolf. It certainly made the tattoo easy to see.
“What time is it?” Her voice was rough. Not to mention her hair was a mess of tangles, her skin sticky. She tucked the sheet around her and tried to act casual, unsure how to handle their “morning after.”
“Almost five.”
“In the evening?” She’d never slept that long in her life. Then again, she’d never had a day like yesterday before. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she took the sheet with her. It was silly to be shy around him after last night, but she wasn’t used to parading around naked. She wasn’t a prude. It was more a lack of confidence…and experience. There hadn’t been that many men in her life. Certainly none like Kade.
“You needed the rest.” He pushed away from the doorway and prowled toward her, his gaze assessing, but not in a sexual way.
“Did you sleep at all?” It wasn’t easy to act casual while she was aroused and naked but for a thin covering.
He hunkered down in front of her and brushed a curl over her shoulder. “I caught a few hours.”
She pressed against her stomach when it growled. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I figured you’d be hungry when you woke. I had food delivered. How are you feeling?”
“Good.” It was a polite, surface answer. One designed to deflect further questions. When he tilted his head to one side and frowned, she sighed. If she wanted him to open up, she had to be willing to do the same. “Honestly, I need a long, hot shower, and I’m starving. Other than that, I feel normal, at least physically.” Mentally and emotionally were quite different stories. And she wasn’t about to mention the slight soreness between her legs. “Ah, where are my clothes?”
“I washed them.”
“You did? I mean, thank you.” Could things be more awkward? Should she bring up last night or pretend it never happened? This was why she didn’t do relationships. She sucked at them. And this was no time to be making such important decisions. Both their lives were up in the air. The sex had been off-the-charts amazing, but that could be due as much to a potent combination of proximity, chemistry, and their shared experience of danger. Nothing about Kade would ever be normal or safe, the two things she’d always wanted.
He snaked his hand around the back of the neck and tugged her forward. When his mouth touched hers, all her worries dissolved. Parting her lips, she invited him in. Taking her time, she explored. He tasted like rich, dark-roasted coffee.
Her stomach chose that second to rumble again. With a sigh, he pulled away and frowned. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that straight off. I meant to give you space.”
“Space is overrated.” His broad smile had her core pulsing. So much for being sensible. Sighing, she shoved her hair out of her face.
“Damn, I want nothing more than to take you back to bed, but…” He straightened to his full height and jammed his hands into his pockets. “There have been some developments. Get your shower and we’ll talk while you eat.”
Being a responsible adult sucked, but their problems wouldn’t wait. They were lucky they’d had last night and today.The calm before the storm.The phrase popped into her head, and she knew it to be true. Whether it was based on a premonition or fear, Solange wouldn’t be sitting around doing nothing. Not when there was so much at stake.
Immortality—mankind had been searching for it for centuries, maybe millennia. And there were three people on the planet who had it. Or maybe there were more. Who knew what other creatures were out there? But there were three wolves that had it. And one of them was hers.
The possessiveness was as natural as breathing. The connection to the gray wolf had existed for as long as she could remember. After last night, it went beyond dreams and an actual wolf. Right or wrong, now it also included the man.
“Is there time or should I dress so we can leave?” As much as she’d kill for a shower, it wasn’t worth their lives.
He pressed his hand against her cheek. “There’s time. Go on. I’ll leave your clothes on the bed.”
She caught his fingers before he withdrew and squeezed them. “Thank you.” His gray eyes flashed. For a split second, it seemed as though the black ink of his tattoo did, too. Then it was gone.Must be a trick of the light.The bedroom got the evening sun, and it was bright.
He groaned and leaned forward, taking a deep breath. “You smell like me, like us. It’s so fucking sexy.” When he stepped back, there was no disguising the bulge in the front of his jeans. An answering throbbing began inside her. Cursing under his breath, he stalked out of the room.
Taking advantage of the moment, she dropped the sheet and bolted for the bathroom. With the door closed, she leaned against it and stared at herself in the mirror. Her face was flushed, her lips slightly swollen. There were also faint bruises on her hips, vivid reminders of their lovemaking. With a groan, she pushed away and headed straight for the shower.
