“I’m bunking off. So what would you two lovely ladies like to do tonight now that I’m free?”
Loosing a sigh of regret, Nicole rose. “Nothing actually. Becca’s had a long week, so we were just about to head back to the dorm.”
“Great. I’ll come with.”
Nicole started to set her beer down but fumbled it, spilling most of what remained on her shirt.
Becca hastily grabbed some napkins and shoved them toward her. But Nicole had already accomplished what she’d meant to do. She now reeked of alcohol.
Impressive. That had seemed one hundred percent real. Nicole could act. If she hadn’t told him earlier that she’d planned to do it, he would’ve thought it an accident.
She scrubbed at her shirt for a few seconds, then gave up and tossed the napkins on the table. “Ready?”
Becca smiled. “I think you may have had too much to drink.”
“Nah, I’m fine,” Nicole insisted with a smile. When she turned away from the table, she staggered and seemed to lose her balance.
“Woah.” Sean clasped one of her arms to steady her. “No way am I letting you get behind the wheel. Let me drive you both home.”
“Hell no,” Nicole grumbled. “You keep driving on the wrong side of the road. We’re just gonna walk back to campus.”
Becca nodded.
On their way to the door, Nicole lurched sideways and bumped into a guy sitting at the bar.
“Hey!” He swung around with a scowl that vanished the moment he saw who had bumped him.
“Oops,” Nicole said with a crooked grin. “Sorry.”
He sent her a leering smile as he admired the way her wet shirt clung to her breasts. “You look like you could use a ride home.”
Sean wrapped an arm around her. “She already has one. Me.”
“Are you sure she wouldn’t rather leave with me? She’d love it if I gave her a ride.”
Sean’s hackles rose. “Bugger off. She’s mine.”
Beside him, the man’s friend leaned in and mumbled something crude that made Sean want to wipe the floor with both of them.
Becca took his arm. “Let’s just get her home before she pukes.”
Sean committed both A-holes to memory so he could teach them some manners if he ran into them again.
A chilly breeze buffeted him as they stepped outside, clearing his head of the weird fog of fury that had gripped him.
No wonder Nick was so protective of Becca. Predators seemed to lurk everywhere.
Once they passed several groups loitering in front of the bar, the trio turned a corner and headed up a much quieter street.
“Way to overact,” Nicole grumbled, her usually enticing gait still marred by the occasional stagger.
“I wasn’t overreacting,” he countered, ideally to remind her that Reed might be listening if he was out of sight somewhere, stalking Becca. But his mind lingered elsewhere. Those words—she’s mine—had felt right, falling from his lips. A little too right. Dropping his arm, he took her hand and twined his fingers through hers. “Nice jacket, by the way. I was wondering where I left that.”
“I didn’t think you’d mind if I borrowed it.”
“Not as long as you don’t get sick on it.”
Her lips quirked up. “You won’t get in trouble for ditching work, will you?”
“Nah.” Although Nicole might kick his ass later for ignoring her wishes and joining them. He just hadn’t been willing to risk her or Becca coming to harm and was still a little surprised that Kayla and Nick had agreed to this.
“Well,” Becca offered cheerfully, “I’m glad you could join us, George. I was a little nervous about going out tonight and feel safer with you here.”
Nicole snorted a laugh at the fake name Becca bestowed upon him.
He grinned. “It’s my pleasure.”
Sean kept up a running conversation with them as they strolled back to Duke and made their way onto campus. He kept his senses peeled for any hint that someone followed them. His sharp gaze caught no movement in the shadows. His sense of smell failed to detect the aroma of blood that often accompanied vampires, but the cologne he’d applied to disguise his own scent hindered him. No stealthy tread echoed theirs. Even with base boom-boom-booming in the distance from what sounded like one hell of a party, he would’ve heard it if someone matched their steps.
The crisp breeze strengthened, dragging his shirttail back. Were he human, he would wish he had a jacket. As an Immortal Guardian, however, he could control his body temperature, often as an afterthought, so his hand kept Nicole’s nice and warm.
She laughed at something Becca said, drawing a smile from him. He liked Nicole’s laugh, the feel of her small hand in his, and the memory of her kiss.
That was going to stick with him.
“Thanks for walking us home,” Becca said, jolting him from his thoughts.
He feigned disappointment. “I can’t join you inside?”
Nicole shook her head. “We’re having a girls’ night, remember? That’s why you were working late tonight. That and the deadline you have to meet next week.”
“Bugger. I forgot.” He released her hand. “Are we still on for tomorrow night, then?”
“Yep.”
“Okay. See you around seven?”
“Sure.”
Sean pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“Seriously?” Becca said dryly. “You can kiss her goodnight, George. Like a real kiss. I told you it won’t make me feel like a third wheel as long as you don’t start groping each other.”
Nicole’s eyes shot to his.
Sean sent her a cocky grin. “You heard her.” Sliding an arm around her waist, he drew her up against him. When she made no objections, he dipped his chin and brushed his lips against hers. Once. Twice. Gentle explorations. Curious to see if the electric shock the first one had sparked had just been a fluke.
It hadn’t.
When Nicole rested a hand on his chest and slid it up to cup the nape of his neck, lightning struck. Fire raced through him, speeding his pulse and driving his heartbeat to drum in his ears. His heightened hearing caught the rapid thumping of her heart, along with the slight catch of her breath.
Did she feel the spark, too?
Her lips parted. Sean slid his tongue inside to stroke hers. So unbelievably good. Nicole pressed closer, rising onto her toes as she wrapped her other arm around his neck. Her hips shifted against his. Her breasts brushed his chest.
Hard and aching for her, he clutched her tighter.
Becca laughed. “I said not to grope each other. You—”
Thud.
Sean jerked his head up in time to see a blur of motion streak away.
Becca no longer stood beside them.
“Oh shit!” Slipping behind him, Nicole leaped onto his back. “Go!”
Tucking his arms under her knees, he took off.
“Was it Reed?” she asked, holding on tight as he raced forward at speeds that made the buildings around them blur.
“I don’t know.” He’d been too busy losing himself in their goodnight kiss, which was supposed to have been for show.
Dumbass, he chided himself.
The vampire only had a few seconds’ head start but led them on quite a chase. They left Duke behind and flew through Durham, passing cars and pedestrians who would only notice a breeze. Sean tore around the side of a building in an area of town he wasn’t familiar with and skidded to a halt in a narrow alley. The two buildings rose on either side of him, looking industrial in nature. No bystanders were visible and—