“Very,” he rasped, head kicking back as I ran my fingers along the muscle. “I think you’re teasing me.”
“Maybe.” I started to pull my hand back, but Zayne was as fast as he was strong. He moved before I even realized what he was doing, shifting onto his back and pulling me on top of him. Somehow he’d gotten rid of the sheet. When the bare skin of his chest made contact with mine, I shivered from the pleasure of it. “You have amazing multitasking skills.”
“I do.” A hint of arrogance hardened his tone. He curled his hand around the back of my head, drawing my mouth to his. “Just remember, you started this.”
“I’m not going to complain,” I told him.
And I didn’t.
His hunger was evident in the way he kissed me, in how his hand skimmed the side of my body, of my breast. Zayne sat up, bringing me with him. Our bodies were lined up in all sorts of fun ways. My head fell back as his lips trailed a path of kisses down my throat. His hands went to my waist and he lifted me a few inches, and his lips were moving lower still. I gasped, jerking. He held me steady as he pulled me closer to him. Reaching behind him, I slid my hand over the base of his wing.
Zayne dragged me back down, against his chest. “You’re probably going to do that as much as possible, aren’t you?”
“Probably,” I admitted.
“Good.”
Then I felt the stir of air as he folded his wings around me, and the feel of the soft strength against my back and the hard heat of his chest pressed to mine had to be an aphrodisiac all by itself. We kissed again, and the only sounds in the room were that of us coming together, moving together. It was no less intense than before. Every breath and thought left me, and there was only him, how he felt and the maddening, tightening rush.
When our bodies finally settled and our breathing calmed, we were on our sides again. This time, there was no space between us. Exhaustion dogged me now, and I imagined it did so for Zayne. Just before sleep claimed me, I felt the soft weight of one of his wings settling over me, easing me into a blissful, dreamless slumber.
* * *
A distant thumping sound that steadily seemed to grow louder and closer wasn’t what woke me. It was the loss of all the wonderful heat of Zayne’s body.
I stirred, blinking open my eyes to see Zayne making for the door. He’d already put a pair of sweats on and was in the process of pulling on a shirt. The wings were concealed and the markings along his back were nothing but a blur to me.
“What is that?” I asked as the pounding continued.
Zayne glanced over his shoulder. “Someone’s at the door.”
“Sounds like we’re about to be raided by a drug task force or something,” I muttered, pushing the hair out of my face.
He chuckled. “How would you know what that sounds like?”
“TV.”
I thought he might’ve shook his head at me. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be right back. We’re not doing anything today other than sleep.”
“Witches,” I reminded him as I rolled onto my back. “We have to go see the Crone and give her one of your feathers.”
“Later,” he replied, and before I could respond, he was slipping out of the bedroom. The banging got louder, and then quieted when he closed the door behind him.
I wondered how were we supposed to get a feather? Pluck it from his...wings? That sounded painful.
My gaze slid to the floor-to-ceiling window. I could tell by the bright sunlight seeping under the blinds that it at least had to be late morning or afternoon.
While sleeping the day away sounded marvelous, I needed to get up. There was a lot of stuff to do, starting with the Crone and ending with Gabriel.
Yawning, I stretched and my cheeks flushed in response to the dull twinge in certain areas. Last night had been beautiful and perfect and—
A scream from the living room jarred me out of the pleasant, sleepy haze. I jerked upright and twisted at the waist, blurry eyes searching for my daggers as my grace pulsed in my chest.
“Oh my God!” came a high-pitched, feminine shriek.
Recognizing the sound of Danika’s voice, my heart slowed. Crap. We’d forgotten to call and give them more details. Guilt surfaced. They were very much Zayne’s family and time should’ve been made. We’d just been so caught up in one another and in the joy of being reunited, we hadn’t thought about anyone else.
Well, that wasn’t exactly true. We’d discussed Gabriel and Lucifer briefly.
Shifting toward the side of the bed, I happened to glance down. The sheet had slipped, baring my chest. I froze on the edge of the bed, feet settling against the cool hardwood.
“What in the world?” I whispered.
The mark I’d seen on my chest when I’d showered had darkened to a dusty pink. I gently touched the straight line between my breasts, just above my stomach. It was slightly raised, like a welt. At the ends of the line, where it had looked like blemishes the night before, there was now a clear, shaded circle at one end and another at the other end that wasn’t filled in.
I had no idea what could’ve caused that, but the skin didn’t hurt. It had to be some kind of scratch.
There was a burst of laughter from the living room, drawing my attention. Pushing aside the strange mark, I scrambled from the bed before someone opened the door. Though I doubted Zayne would allow that. Snatching another long, dark tunic tank top, clean leggings and underclothing, I hurried into the bathroom. I didn’t bother with a shower, just brushed my teeth, scrubbed my face until it was pink and, after a quick comb, tucked my hair into a bun that was sure to unravel within the hour.
Feet bare, I opened the bedroom door and padded out in the hallway. Bright sunlight poured into the living area, and although my eyes needed a minute to adjust, I saw that Danika was there, her long dark hair glossy in the sunlight, and...who I was guessing was Dez, based on the reddish glint of hair, standing beside Zayne. I wished I could see his expression, because he had a fist planted on the island, as if he needed to brace himself.
Nicolai was also there, one hand on Zayne’s shoulder and the other on his jaw. He was speaking too low for me to hear, but the sight of them standing there caught me in the heart. They were more than friends. In a way, they were brothers, and I could tell Nicolai seeing him after fearing he was forever lost was a powerful moment, thickening the air.
Feeling a little like I was intruding, I crept silently out into the living room. I made it about two steps. Almost as if Zayne could sense me, he turned from Nicolai. It struck me again how much more clearly I could see him compared to others. Granted, his features were like looking through a steamed window, but I could see his lips curling into a smile. I could see the way his lashes lowered halfway and feel the weight of his gaze.