“Okay.” Her wings fluttered with excitement. “Anything else?”
“I’m forwarding a picture of an ear tag on the kelpie. I think the dobhar-chú had one too.”
“Someone is researching them?”
“There’s a slim chance we’re dealing with endangered species, so maybe?” That sparked an idea. “Check exhibits, zoos, preserves.” Of the para variety. “Private collections too.”
“That last one is classified, probably.” Her expression sobered. “Are you sure?”
“Very sure.” I patted her head. “I’m going to bang my head against the wall. I’ll check in when I’m done.”
That was code for spending my daily allotment of time with the grimoire.
Concern tightened her features, not for what she was about to do—the kid had no issue whatsoever with cyber breaking and entering—but for me. She was ready to be done with the grimoire too. I had decided to give it until New Year’s. If it didn’t give me what I wanted before then, I would find it out on my own, in my own time. Or not. But I had to remove the possibility the book could be used against us.
About the time I reached my room, I heard knocking and wondered if Aedan was checking in again.
“Are you literally banging your head against a wall?”
“No,” I called back to her. “It’s probably Aedan. I’ll get it.”
Flimsy excuse, but hey. I would run with it to avoid another session that only achieved wasting my time.
A tug in my middle told me who stood on the other side of the front door before I turned the knob.
“Asa?” I invited him into the entryway. “What are you—?”
Asa cradled my jaw in one fevered palm while stroking his hot thumb across my bottom lip.
“I thought you were Aedan,” I said dumbly, as he walked me back until my spine hit the wall.
“We’ll circle back to that.” His laugh blew warm breath across my cheeks. “Can I kiss you?”
Hands fisting in his lapels, I anchored him in place. “If you leave me hanging this time, I—”
His lips silenced mine with gentle pressure, their caress a tender exploration that turned my knees weak. I held on to my patience for as long as I could stand the tease, but my mouth opened, showing him what I wanted from him. He mimicked me, angling his head, deepening the kiss, and when I darted out the tip of my tongue to caress his, a growl built in his chest that rattled my back teeth. No, not a growl. Asa was purring. For me. And I wanted to purr right back. He tasted like dark roast coffee, and I drank him in with greedy gulps that shot straight to my head.
Dopamine achievement unlocked.
“Uh.”
Asa drew back, his grip on me all that kept me standing, and glanced over his shoulder. “Hi, Colby.”
“Well, this is awkward.” She flitted back a foot or two. “I’ll just, um, yeah. Go. To my computer.”
Pretty sure she broke the sound barrier escaping, that or Asa was making my ears pop.
“You taste even better than I imagined,” he murmured, pressing his lips against my throat.
“Ditto.” I arched under the scrape of his teeth. “Are you sure you haven’t done this before?”
A dark chuckle of pure masculine pride filled my ear. “I’ve had a long time to think about it.”
“You dream about kissing women, don’t you?”
“Every night since I met you.”
“That was smooth.” I slid my arms around his waist. “Much smoother than me.”