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her flesh, gently easing his fangs from her vein.
Grateful the thirst had been tamed, thankful
invincible strength had returned to his body, he
sealed the small puncture wounds on the side of
Elsie s neck. Offering a subliminal suggestion that
she deserved a nice long vacation somewhere
tropical, he sent her on her way.
 Jamaica, she muttered faintly as she plodded
down the hallway.  I bet Jamaica be plum bee-u-tiful
this time a year. I gots ta git me one o them pretty
drinks with those colorful lil umbrella s& 
Grimacing, wiping the dampness from his lips,
he eased back into the hallway and darted back to
the office in which he d left Kate. She was still curled
up on her side. Still out cold. Drawing her up into
his arms, he strode from the office.
He didn t care how much she might rail at him
later. Her shift was over. He was taking her home.
The corridors passed by in a blur as he raced
through the hospital once more. This was getting
ridiculous. He never should have allowed her to
come here in the first place& at least, not without
him. He d seen more of the inside of a Human
hospital tonight than he had in all his six centuries.
Cool, damp air rushed over them as he stepped
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Brenda Huber
outside into the night. Kate stirred in his arms,
moaning softly. Glancing down, he paused near the
bus stop, his gaze searching her face for some sign of
consciousness.
In the blink of an eye, Kate became a squirming,
snarling, fighting bundle of resistance. Clamping his
arms more tightly around her, he ignored the
startled glances aimed their way and called,  Kate,
it s me& Styx& you are safe, querida.
She froze. Her head whipped around, bumping
his chin.  Nico?
His heart bumped, throbbing inside his chest at
the sound of his name his real name upon her
sweet lips. Big, beautiful green eyes blinked up at
him in confusion. Her befuddled gaze slid over his
shoulder to the hospital, dipped to their bloodstained
clothing, then scoured his face. Understanding
dawned.
 Nico! Her arms wrapped around his neck, and
she squeezed so hard that, had he been Human, she
might easily have snapped his neck. Kisses rained
down upon his face amid hysterical sobs.
Releasing her legs, he anchored an arm around
her waist, pinning her to his chest. The tips of her
toes dangled a full foot off the ground. He caught the
back of her head with his large palm, holding her
still long enough to capture her lips with his.
Without preamble, he slanted his mouth and sank
his tongue deep inside her mouth. Kate s legs
wrapped around his waist, clamping tight.
Startled gasps erupted all around them.
Unwillingly tugged back to the here and now, Styx
tore his lips from hers. Bemused, she stared at him
for a long moment before her situation fully sank in.
 Oh God, she panted as her feet dropped to the
pavement.
And still he held her trapped against him,
refusing to relinquish the feel of her in his arms.
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Cravings
Warm. And alive.
 Let go, she hissed.
 No& I m taking you home.
She pushed at his arms, but he refused to budge.
 Damn it, Styx. I have to go back. They need me.
 No.
Energy surged unexpectedly, just beneath the
surface. Ozone crackled in the air. A chilly wind
swirled around them. His hands, his arms, the front
of his body& everywhere he touched her& suddenly
stung. Startled, he released her. Kate staggered
back, clearly drained, straight into the path of an
oncoming bus.
Furious, Styx leaped forward, jerking her back
to safety. Back into his arms. Right where she
belonged. A heated explosion of Spanish rent the air.
How dare she use her magick on him like that? Dios,
she was going to drive him out of his mind yet.
 No, Kate. You are going home. He tossed her
over his shoulder, a conquering warlord claiming the
spoils of battle. Too drained to argue, she sagged
against him. Satisfied, he braced the small of her
back with his hand and strode down the sidewalk,
leaving shocked gawkers behind.
A few blocks later, however, she was straining
against him once more.
 You can let go of me now, she muttered
against his back.
He didn t reply, just kept walking.
 Damn it. Put. Me. Down. She twisted around
as best as she could, batting her ponytail out of the
way.  People are staring.
Again, no response. He wasn t going to stop until
he had her safely behind lock and key.
 For God sakes, Styx. Someone is going to call
the police if you don t put me down. How would you
explain this? When he continued on in determined
silence, she thumped her fists against his back.
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Brenda Huber
 Damn it, I don t know what barbaric century you re
from, but men just don t walk around with women
tossed over their shoulders like this.
Frustrated, he heaved a sigh and stopped. She
was right. He was calling more attention to them
than necessary. Bending at the waist, he lowered
her feet to the ground, but he caught her by the
shoulders before she could step away. He fought to
control the rage pulsing in his veins, fought to be
gentle with her and not crush her in his strong
hands, but, by the slight widening of her eyes and
the soft hissing breath she sucked in between
clenched teeth, he wasn t altogether certain he d
succeeded.
 You will never, never use your magick on me
like that again, he demanded, giving her a rough
little shake.  You will never shock me or stun me
again when I am trying to protect you, comprende?
His nostrils flared. His burning gaze bore into
hers, and, he was fairly certain, the tips of his fangs
were visible as he spoke.
Wide-eyed, she nodded& just the tiniest jerk of
her head& but it was acceptance.
Satisfied, he released her shoulders, but
captured her hand before she could turn away. He
had no explanation for it, but he needed to touch her
right now. Needed physical contact more than he
needed oxygen.
Kate squeezed his hand. Perhaps she needed the
contact too.
Glancing around them, she frowned.
 Where are we?
 I don t want you taking the same route to and
from the hospital anymore. Your patterns are too
established. It s too dangerous. Al-Rashid could have [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]