More of his kisses.
More of his blood.
More of his body on mine.
My hands slid under his shirt, tracing the lean lines of his body, the slow taper of his waist into the hard muscles of his back. I pressed my nails into his shoulders.
"Raine," he gasped, dragging his lips away, and something about him being as breathless as me from our kiss made me preen. I caught his lips with mine again, sliding my tongue into his mouth, tasting him, teasing him, daring him to take more.
He growled low in his throat, his hands sliding down my back to grab my ass. Then he tore himself away. "Raine, I-" his body seemed to shudder. "I want to court you properly."
Ugh, I'd just had this issue with Walker, my sexy, yet upstanding, Sheriff lover. He had wanted to do it properly and I'd almost died without ever knowing exactly the depth of his love. I wouldn't make that mistake of waiting around with Nico, but I could respect his need to take it slow. So I dragged my hands from under his shirt and nodded. "Okay. We can do it slowly. We have eternity, right?"
A sad smile tugged at his lips and I desperately wanted to kiss it away. "It seems like I've been waiting for eternity already." He straightened, and pushed the tray of brownie monstrosity toward me. "Do you want to take these home or should we..."
"Trash them? Yeah, let's do that. I love the guys. I wouldn't want my cooking to be the thing that sends them permanently to the grave."
Nico laughed, cleaning up all the ingredients, still staring at the brownie like the failed cake would tell him where it went wrong. I could tell him where; the moment he put a wooden spoon in my hand, the whole recipe had gone wrong. I picked up the pan and took it to the trash can. Angeline had taken the time to empty it on her way out of town. She was considerate like that. Damn I missed her.
Wiping down the surfaces of the kitchen, because somehow I'd managed to get flour in places that I hadn't even been cooking, I shook my head. How was anyone ever going to forget that this had been someone else's dream that I'd stolen? Hell, if you added my friendship with Ella and Cresta, owner of the Boutique and Beauty Salon respectively, I sometimes felt like I'd stolen Angeline’s life.
When the place was sparkling and untouched again, I stood back. This was mine now. Beneath the guilt and dread, a trickle of excitement bubbled against my ribs.
"Let me treat you to lunch," Nico said softly, bringing me out of my thoughts. I nodded and walked back out through the shop. I threw a quick look at the library of books, looking glorious even in the dull street lights. I locked up the doors, pocketing the huge skeleton key.
Nico held out his arm, and I wrapped my hand around his bicep. “We will come back tomorrow and try again. Don’t be disheartened.” It was hard not to be a little disappointed that I wasn’t a baking goddess straight away, but anything worth learning was worth the time.
We strolled across the square human slow, enjoying the full moon on a perfectly clear night. Apparently everyone had the same idea today because the diner was almost filled to capacity with the lunch crowd. I spotted Judge at the counter, but I hesitated, looking over my shoulder at Nico. He smiled warmly, motioning me forward. “Let us go sit with your lover.”
“You don’t mind?”
He shook his head. “On the contrary, Raine.” He left it at that.
Judge looked up when he heard us approach, and his smile when he looked at me was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. It was pure temptation, like sex and sin in one expression. “Hey, Rainey Day. You hungry?” His eyes told me he didn’t mean for cheese fries.
I leaned in and kissed him, because I would definitely be taking him up on that later. But right now I wanted cake.
Well, maybe a little.
I sat beside Judge and Nico took the other side of him. Despite the fact that he’d pledged to the town, people still hadn’t warmed up to my drifter, probably because it had gotten out that he’d been an Enforcer once upon a time. The fear of the Enforcers had only doubled since Lucius’ little foray into town.
But Nico didn’t have that standoffishness. Nico was more powerful than anyone really comprehended, except for Judge and X who were almost related to him, and me because I had tasted his blood and I knew deep in my soul he was powerful. Even now, the small taste of his blood was a vivid memory. I wanted more, but the idea scared the shit out of me too.
I looked over at the man in question, who was perusing the menu like he hadn’t seen it every day for the last hundred or so years.
Beatrice bustled over. “Hello, Lass. I saw your young man in here earlier with-” she lowered her voice. “Alexander of the Shifters.” I nodded. “It's why it is so busy now. Everyone was waiting for them to leave.”
I winced, and she must have read the apology on my lips because she waved a hand at me. “Don’t even think of apologizing. You have no control over the people of this town. But this good-for-nothing has been warming my counter watching over him like a mother hen.”
I raised an eyebrow at Judge, who just grunted. “He’s fucking old and a shifter. I don’t trust him with Tex.”
He may as well have taken out a huge billboard that said “I love Tex” in flashing neon colors. I didn’t press it though, because Judge was more skittish than a manwhore at a shotgun wedding.
“He’s got Tex’s best interest at heart,” I said to Beatrice.
She scoffed. “Yeah, I’m sure it's just altruism he has in heart.” She gave Judge a soft look, and then cleared her throat. “What can I get for you, Nico?”
Nico got a steak, and I got one too, plus cake. “Bert has been experimenting with deep-fried cake pops for you, Lass. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
I groaned and made literal heart eyes. “I love him so much.”
Beatrice laughed. “Don’t tell him that, or he’ll be petitioning to join your harem.” She waggled her eyebrows and I blushed a ferocious shade of red. Judge laughed, and even Nico was grinning as she bustled away.
“Don’t you laugh,” I said to Judge, nudging him in the ribs.
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Rainey Day.” I leaned my head on his shoulder and he didn’t disappoint me. He kissed my forehead. “You smell like smoke.”
I nodded, giving Nico the stink-eye when he chuckled. “I was over at The Immortal Cupcake. I was trying to bake.”
Because he had excellent survival skills, he didn’t acknowledge the fact I said trying. Definitely not succeeding. I told Judge about the dick on my doorstep, and my visit from Lucius, both of which made him frown and look at Nico, who looked equally perturbed. Logically, I knew it was a problem, but it was hard to think of him and be horrified when I wanted to hump his mirror image into next week.
We demolished our food in companionable silence, talking about how Lewellyn over at the recycling plant had reattached his finger himself with fishing line rather than go see the new doctor in town. Apparently, having the Executioner as a doctor was freaking the townspeople out, which was concerning to Nico but amusing as fuck to Judge.
Eventually, Bert emerged from the kitchen with little balls of deep-fried goodness dusted with powdered sugar.
They smelled amazing. When he placed the whole bowl in front of me, I didn’t hesitate to taste one. Bert loved creating me deep-fried amazingness, and I enjoyed eating the guilt free food. Coronary disease? Didn’t matter when your heart hardly beat.