Sunglasses at Night (Claws Clause 3)

“You sure about that?” She tilted her head. “You’re not going to come up with excuses or run away again?”

In answer, Adam reached into his back pocket, pulling out the pack of condoms he picked up at the convenience store.

“Welp, that answers that.” On a laugh, Tabby backed into her apartment. “Okay. Yes, Adam. Come on in.”

He stepped into the apartment, swallowing a small smile when Tabby bounded around him, locking them both inside as if she wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to leave her again.

He wasn’t planning on it.

Tabby lifted her hand, scratching the top of her head, fluffing out the hair matted from sleep. One side of her oversized t-shirt slid past her shoulder, revealing bare skin and a hint of her breast.

No bra, he noticed.

His erection throbbed.

Tabby grinned, as if she could tell. “Well, I was sleeping before you got here. You tired?”

He gulped. “Not really.”

“Good. Me, neither. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to go back to bed.” She held out her hand. “You coming with me?”

He started to take her hand, pausing when the dim light overhead glanced off of his black Nightwalker claws.

His stomach flip-flopped.

The old Adam—the human male he once was—would’ve hoisted her up in his arms and whisked her away to the bedroom.

But that was the old Adam.

The new Adam was hot, he was hard, and while he wanted inside of Tabby more than he wanted another taste of her blood, he couldn’t bring himself to actually touch her with his Nightwalker claws.

Gloves, he thought ruefully, already regretting his rash decision to show up at her place. Maybe if he could cover them up, he wouldn’t worry so much about slicing her up. He’d gotten better at using them, but no matter how he tried to blunt them, the tapered edge was a dangerous and deadly point.

He pulled his hand back, retreating a few steps.

Tabby didn’t let him go much further.

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Tab—”

“I know what you’re thinking, champ. Stop it.”

“But—”

“Shh,” Tabby said. Quickly, she rose up on the balls of her bare feet, cutting off Adam’s next protest with one hell of a kiss. By the time she pulled away from him again, he couldn’t even begin to remember what he was going to say.

Which, he was sure, was just what she intended.

“Let me guess. You haven’t been with anyone since you’ve been turned.”

No point in denying it. He nodded.

“I figured. And that’s okay. Look. This is new to both of us. I’ve never slept with one before because, well, obviously—”

“You don’t have to worry about this being more than sex,” he blurted out. “I talked to Deb. She assured me that I can sleep with you if I want without any bond forming. It doesn’t just happen ‘cause I’m a Para right now.”

She blinked. “That, too. Um. Kay. That’s good to know.” She paused, a tease curving her lips. “Do I want to know who Deb is? Or why you told her that you wanted to sleep with me?”