“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes, of course, my dear. It’s just a little disconcerting being in this home, considering all of the animosity between the detective and me.”
“Yeah, I bet. I’m sorry about that.”
“Plus I can smell you all over this place,” he said.
I blushed. “Huh?”
“Your scent is all over Vance’s home,” he clarified. “I don’t like it.”
“Oh…well, um, I have been here all day. I guess that makes sense.”
“I still don’t like it,” he growled.
I put my hand on my hip. “Since when are you so territorial?”
He looked around the room. “Since I realized I don’t like your scent in another man’s house.”
I took a deep breath. “Look, Leo, I think we should stop talking before this conversation heads down an ugly path. Thank you for bringing us back here. I’m going to stay with Erica. Vance has wards around the house so we’ll be safe. You need to get back before sunrise. I’ll call you later, okay?”
He took my arm and kissed my inner wrist. “Of course, my love. Call me if you need anything. I can send my day guy if need be.”
“Your day guy?” I asked. “What’s a ‘day guy’?”
“His name is Takk. He’s a were. I trust him implicitly to take care of anything while the sun’s up. Security, business, picking up drycleaning…if you need him for anything, he’s yours.”
“You have a servant?”
He grinned. “I’d like to think of him as my assistant…or a trusted employee.”
“Yeah, an assistant who’s also your bitch.”
He smiled and kissed me on the head. “Well, whatever you call him, let me know if you need him. Just don’t call him my ‘bitch’ to his face. Werewolves can be temperamental. Get some rest, my dear.”
“You too.” I closed the door behind him.
Twenty-seven
I wandered around the house for a while, not really knowing what to do. I was so tired, but my brain wouldn’t shut off. I
peeked in on Erica several times but she was sound asleep. I tried watching TV, but nothing but infomercials were on, so I decided to try a bath. I walked into Vance’s bedroom and noticed that he’d bought a new bed. The old chocolate leather headboard set had been replaced by a Mission-styled bed. His cream and light brown comforter set was now slate blue which complimented the mocha walls well. I’d hate to admit this, but I was relieved that he didn’t keep the old stuff after what happened. Not that I was thinking of ever being in his bed again, it was just nice to know that if nothing else, he felt guilty enough to get rid of the old stuff and buy new stuff. I walked into the beautiful golden bathroom that I loved dearly. With a shower big enough for a football team and a Jacuzzi tub built for two, it was definitely meant for indulgence. Twin sinks to my right framed in granite and a large walk in closet to my left told me that Vance had never truly given up on the idea of sharing his life with someone after Maria hurt him so badly. This was a couple’s bathroom. I started feeling grief that I wouldn’t be the other half of that couple, but I shook it off reminding myself that I wasn’t going to be sad over Vance anymore.
I started running the tap and searched under the sink for some bubble bath. I found the lavender scented kind that Vance and I once used together. Squashing the memory, I poured some in the tub. While it was filling, I walked back into his bedroom and opened the nightstand drawer. Bingo! His iPod was still there with headphones. I lit a candle on the bathroom counter, switched the overhead lights off, and climbed in the tub. I sank back, placed the ear buds in, and hit play. Coldplay came through nice and crisp, relaxing me big time. I started remembering my dream about being in Faerie with Vance. I knew that’s where it was because it matched the memories that he had shared with me. Despite my best efforts to change my train of thought, I lingered on how he felt inside of me…how I had woken up feeling like he was just inside of me. It felt so real…so good. I couldn’t help myself as my fingers moved down my body, cupping my breasts, tugging on my nipples, moving down to my needy core. I pulled on my nipples with one hand as I massaged my most sensitive parts with the other—all the while, thinking about being with him. After a series of frenzied strokes, I cried out his name as I came. Wow.
A knock on the door interrupted my afterglow. “Karli, did you just call me?” Vance asked.
Oh shit. Vance was home. And he’d heard me. I could feel my face redden in embarrassment.
“Karli?” he repeated. “Is everything okay in there?”
I cleared my throat. “Um, yeah, I’m fine. I was just taking a bath but I’m getting out.”
He cracked the door open, but was at least gentlemanly enough not to peek his head in. “Are you sure? You sound strange.”
“Yeah, I’m positive.” I looked over at the towel rack and noticed it was empty. Damn! “Uh, actually while you’re there, I seem to be out of towels. Would you mind?”
“Sorry, I just washed them. They’re still in the dryer. I’ll grab you one.”