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I stood up and backed away "Yeah Leather?"

Rick laughed shortly "He didn’t tell you?"

"No, he didn’t tell me"

Rick reached out a hand and pushed a stray wisp of hair behind led not to lean in to his touch "You gonna invite onna kiss Aunt Jane?"

I tried not to laugh at the look on his face as he dropped his hand away fro, What are you doing here?

"Uh-huh" Angie tugged onwith Aunt Jane while onna kiss her? ’Cause I wanna watch You never did kiss her last time I was here"

I snorted Rick opened his ood iie Baby," I said "Uncle Ricky Bo is taking me to lunch"

A terrible thunder of running feet sounded at the top of the stairs "Jane!" Evan shouted "The wards!" He went silent when he saw us standing at the front door Out of breath, he leaned over the railing, staring "Son of a witch on a switch," he whispered, the words explosive "Angie?"

"Sure as heck wasn’t me," I said "I can’t touch your wards"

"Me neither," Rick said "Coo eat"

"But I wanna see you kiss her," Angie said

I picked up lasses and keys where I’d dropped theie’s curiosity and her father’s perplexity Rick stopped me with an arm across my path, an arm that snaked around rowled

Trying to keep the goofy grin off h to drape an arm around his waist He nuzzled my neck as I pulled him down the street "Feed ht of the house, Rick yanked me into an alcove, danced me back until my spine touched the wall of a house, and trappedthe way out, the other aroundhis face, he touchedme a chance to pull back I didn’t I pulled hiun at his side, the blade at his spine, and the welcohed into his ht have ue touched ainst his Rick lifted th kicked in The smell of his cat intensified His heart rate increased, and his phero metallic and bitter I realized he was in pain

I shiftedacross my jaw and down to my neck "Rick Stop," I whispered

His mouth opened The scent of cat intensified And his teeth claular A hold that a rasp hisfroht at asped a breath If he broke the skin"Rick Stop" He froze, his teeth clamped down, just to the point of pain "Stop," I said softer "Your cat is trying to corip relaxed, but stayed in place, as if he was confused As if his cat still held sway I let a hint of a sex in an alleyway"

Rick releasedcrude about saints and testicles I shuddered with laughter and easing heat Beast padded away froust "This sucks," he whispered back, his voice a lol "But you have a point about alleys I have a nice comfortable bed in a hotel Room service, whirlpool tub"

"You are evil," I said, tees andain He stopped, his breath hot on my skin, still damp and bruised from his bite He sniffed, stiffened, and leaned his body back from me "II bit you" He sounded surprised, andood, but not totally unexpected Rick had not been able to shift into his cat, held in huic woven into the tattoos on his shoulder, olden eyes, still visible aot hot when he ithto do with me No one knew