Circle of Desire (Damask Circle 3)
Page 18
“You’d better go inside,” he whispered, his breath hot and unsteady against her lips. “Because I want you so bad I’m tempted to finish this right here and now.”
She stepped back and suddenly remembered how to breathe again. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not pushing when you knew you could.”
His smile was a little wry. “Trust me when I say it’s little more than self-interest.”
“Meaning?”
He brushed his fingers down her cheek, and she had to check the urge to step right back into his arms.
“Meaning I have every intention of making love to you as often as I can over these next few days, and if I pushed now, that wouldn’t be likely to happen.”
His words did little to ease her heart’s unsteady pounding. “Self-preservation indeed.”
He shrugged. “I’m a werewolf caught in moon fever. I need sex. But it’s you I want this phase, no one else.”
Then she had to thank the moon’s presence, because without it she might not be standing here with this man. Might not have the promise of mind-blowing sex to warm her dreams.
“Will you be able to sleep on the sofa, or would you prefer to take the bed?”
“I’m not going to be able to sleep anywhere.” His voice was ironic. “Not for a while yet.”
Her gaze flicked down. “Oh. Sorry.”
“I’m not.” He leaned forward and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Pleasant dreams.”
She had a feeling they would be beyond pleasant. As she headed inside, she thought she heard a sigh of disappointment coming from her grandmother’s bed.
WARMTH CARESSED HER FACE, WARMING HER SENSES. KAT yawned and stretched, then opened her eyes. Her watch showed it was just past twelve. She hadn’t slept long enough, but it was all the time she could afford.
She found a clean shirt, dug up a skirt, then headed into the bathroom. By the time she’d showered and dressed, her grandmother was awake and sitting at the table reading the paper. Ethan had come inside and was on the sofa, talking into a cell phone. But his gaze met hers and the arousal was instant. The sooner they got down and dirty, the better off they’d both be.
She turned on the kettle, then crossed her arms and leaned a hip against the small counter. “The aches better?”
Gwen grinned and said softly, “Better than yours, I’d wager.”
“Don’t start on me. It’s likely to get unpleasant.”
“This i
s exactly what I was talking about. Totally disagreeable when unsatisfied.”
“Gran—”
Gwen held up her hand. “All I’m saying is these old ears are deafer than you think.”
“Yeah, right.” The woman had the hearing of an elephant. She just didn’t have the floppy ears to go with it.
The kettle whistled shrilly. Kat made them all a cup of coffee, handing one each to Gwen and Ethan before sitting down at the table with her own.
“So, have you tried to do a reading yet?”
“Briefly. You know how difficult it is when I’ve just woken.”
Kat nodded. “See anything of use?”