He moved to stand directly in front of her, his cool power flowing around her with his intoxicating scent. She would never again smell cedarwood without the memory of this male haunting her.
Of course, it was very likely that he would haunt her even without the scent.
He was etched so deeply on her soul, there was no way to get rid of him. No matter how many centuries passed.
“I’ve paid attention,” he assured her.
“Paid attention to what?” Her voice was ridiculously husky.
Xi stepped even closer. Close enough for her to appreciate the velvet darkness of his eyes and the flawless perfection of his pale skin.
“Everything.”
Brigette sucked in a deep breath, savoring the shiver of awareness. During the long hours they’d raced in pursuit of Maryam and Roban, she’d been exhausted, frustrated, and terrified she might fail to prevent whatever horrifying plan they had devised. And she was still all those things, but for the moment, the sensations that sparked through her body overwhelmed everything else.
She hovered between sanity and the urgent desire that pulsed through her with a raw, primitive beat.
It’d been so long.
And she’d never, ever needed a male like she needed Xi.
Plus, the sun was shining. They were trapped in the private motel room. It offered the perfect opportunity to forget her worries and concentrate on something less stressful.
Not that being near Xi didn’t involve stress. But it was stressful in that delicious, heart-pounding, tingly-all-over sort of way she craved.
The endless reasons she should give into temptation raced through her mind as she glanced down, stroking her fingers over the cashmere softness of the sweater he’d brought her. A distant memory of taking pleasure in her rich gowns and satin slippers echoed like a picture that was faded and fuzzy.
“I spent centuries wearing whatever was available. I lost all interest in material things,” she admitted in low tones, lifting her head to meet his mesmerizing gaze. Another shiver raced through her. “I lost interest in a lot of things.”
“Including your own happiness?”
Brigette tossed the clothes onto the smallest chair, the familiar guilt pressing against her with an unbearable weight.
“Power was more important.”
“And now?”
“Now, I don’t deserve happiness.”
He brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Do any of us truly deserve happiness?” The tips of his fangs gleamed in the dim light. “We simply grab it when it’s offered.”
Brigette’s gaze locked on the fangs. Weres didn’t drink blood, but claws and razor-sharp teeth were always a part of sex. At least, if it was good sex.
The awareness that had been ignited from the moment she’d caught sight of Xi blazed through her. More than that, there was an awakening of…something in the center of her being. A sense of emerging from a darkness that had enveloped her for hundreds of years.
Please don’t be hope, she silently begged.
She pressed her hands against his chest, dismissing her pang of fear. Beneath the thin material of his black sweater, she could feel the steely hardness of his muscles.
“How do you grab happiness?”
Xi’s eyes darkened, and an icy breeze tugged at Brigette’s hair. As if he was losing his fierce control over his emotions. Excitement blasted through Brigette. She wanted him to lose control. She wanted him raw and abandoned.
“Do you want me to demonstrate?”
Her hands trembled as they stroked over his chest. Xi wasn’t the only one losing control.
“I…” The words threatened to lodge in her throat. “I want you.”
Xi gathered her in his arms. “How much?”
Brigette struggled to focus on his words. It wasn’t her fault. Being pressed against Xi’s hard body was turning her brain to mush.
“What?”
He smiled, revealing his huge fangs. “How much do you want me?”
Oh. Her mouth went back to the Sahara Desert. Hot and dry. “A lot.”
Xi chuckled as her words came out as a croak. Lowering his head, he used the tip of one fang to trace the line of her jaw.
“Amateur.”
Brigette felt as if there was a vice around her chest, making it difficult to breathe. It’d been so long, and the need swelling inside her was more intense than she’d ever expected.
“What are you talking about?”
“I need to hear more than just a lot,” he complained, nipping her lower lip. “I want you to tell me that you want me so much that you ache.”
It took a moment for Brigette to realize that Xi had sensed she was being overwhelmed. His teasing was an effort to ease her tension.
The knowledge melted her heart in a way that was far more dangerous than the desire pulsing through her.
Brigette scored her nails down his chest. “I want you more than that turkey sandwich and potato chips that are calling my name.”
“Better.” Xi lifted his head, his eyes smoldering with a dark fire. “I want to taste you from the top of your silken curls to the tips of your tiny toes.”
She pressed her nails deeper and was rewarded by his low grunt of desire. “How do you know my toes are tiny?”
Xi smiled at the unmistakable challenge.
“Let’s find out.” Holding her gaze, Xi gracefully lowered himself to his knees. Then, wrapping one hand around her calf, he lifted her foot off the ground and pulled off her boot and sock. “Just as I suspected.” He kissed the tip of each toe. “Teeny tiny perfection.”
Brigette’s heart quivered, something more than mere lust cascading through her as he tugged off her other boot and sock to nibble her toes. She reached down to touch his dark hair. It was as soft as satin beneath her fingertips. Her hand drifted to the amazing tattoos, tracing the sinuous snakes that coiled along the sides of his skull.
At the same time, Xi’s hands skimmed upward to efficiently deal with the holster that held her dagger before unfastening her jeans and shimmying them down her legs.
A frost coated the paneled walls as Xi took in the sight of her lacy panties. Brigette shivered, but it wasn’t from the cold. Inside, she was a raging inferno.
“This is unexpected,” Xi growled.
A stupid blush touched Brigette’s cheeks. “They were in the clothing that Maryam gave me when I first arrived in Chicago.”
“She might be evil, but she has fine taste in lingerie,” Xi murmured.