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The only question hat he would send after her next

Lost in her brooding thoughts Shay gave a startled shriek as she felt a s on the heargoyle forced to battle hellhounds, and denificent spell of darkness even as he is enduring a terrible craust

A portion of her tension eased at her friend’s fanificent spell, Levet, but in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been rather busy"

"Oui, oui," he snapped with an obvious lack of awe "Ding dong the dehtful handiwork so is not about to cave in and your oh-so-handsome vampire is not about to beco more than a pair of black silk boxers, Viper shifted to a e portion of his hidden lair Beside him Shay was sprawled in a restless slumber, her beautiful curls spread across the black satin pillowcases

Unable to resist tehtly stroke the rich darkness

He knew he should be resting After the death of the Lu it had taken hiather his human servants and put them on watch around the house, and to contact his clan to warn them to be on alert He didn’t truly believe that the mysterious master could launch another attack so swiftly, but he was determined to be prepared

It was only when he was confident he had done everything in his power to ensure Shay’s safety that he had joined her on the bed and allowed himself the luxury of sleep A sleep that had been disturbed far too early by the feel of a war the air

Well hell, sleep was overrated anyway, he acknowledged as he propped himself on his elbow to study Shay’s delicate profile

With a sense of wonder years that he had actually awoken with a woman in his arms

A vampire rarely equated sex with a relationship, and while they lived in clans they did not couple until they found their truethe feel of her satin hair as it trailed over his fingers Viper hid a snificent

Annoying as hell, but olden eyes roa his every feature before she realized what she was doing and abruptly stiffened

"Viper Is so?"

"No" He slowly s you"

She shifted uneasily on the satin sheets He was discovering that this woman was oddly shy when it came to intimacy As if she had little experience with desire

"What ti the cover he pulled it down to reveal the slender form barely covered by her robe "Do your wounds hurt?"

"No I’ers over the faint pink ?"

"I wish to assure myself that you are healed"

"You don’t have to touch ave a soft chuckle, his fingers deliberately trailing up her calf to toy with the back of her knee

"No, but it is a lot htened with disapproval, but he didn’t miss the faint shiver she couldn’t corimaced "Still in statue forlared at hirateful toad Levet saved your life"

Viper shrugged, far ers than the sleeping gargoyle

"That does not mean he couldn’t test the patience of a saint I have rudging amusement entered her eyes "He is, perhaps, an acquired taste"

"Like arsenic?"

"I should have let you beco toast, but I do know you should never have returned" He held her gaze with the sheer force of his will "Why?"

"Why what?"

His fingers tightened on her leg "Don’t pretend to be stupid, pet I’ence At least when you choose to use it Why did you return?"

Her gaze lowered, hiding her eyes behind the thick sweep of her lashes "I couldn’t leave Levet"

"The Lu wouldn’t have haroyle"

"You don’t know that for certain"

He leaned closer Close enough that her heat washed over his skin and the pulse of her heart was nearly tangible

It was his turn to shiver

He was a predator A creature meant to hunt and capture his prey without mercy He wanted He wanted to be deep in this woman To sate his lust as he drank of her blood