“I’ll try to keep a lid on things whenever she’s around,” he promised.
“I will, too.” She sent him a wry smile. “She’s the only reason I’m not climbing you like a stripper pole right now.”
Groaning, he dropped his head back. “Don’t say things like that when you know I can’t act on them.”
She grimaced. “Sorry. I’m actually surprised I said that at all. I’ve never been what one might call bold or aggressive when it comes to sex.” She bit her lip as a new worry dawned. “Shit. I hope I don’t end up boring you in bed.” Her husband had tried to blame his cheating on her inability to satisfy his sexual needs.
Straightening his head, Nick stared at her with what could only be described as patent disbelief. “Are you serious?”
Unfortunately, old insecurities didn’t die easily. “Yes. My husband—”
“Was an asshole. Does this look like you bore me?” He motioned to the very enticing bulge in his pants.
Heat wriggled through her once more, leaving all kinds of tingles in its wake. “No.”
“Damn straight. And I will prove how much you don’t bore me several times a day as soon as your daughter leaves.”
Several times a day? Really?
She drew her tongue across her lips as she imagined it. “Okay. I’m going hold you to that.”
He groaned again as he stared at her mouth. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”
“Make what easy?”
“Waiting.”
“Hell no. If I have to suffer, you do, too.”
He laughed.
“I know we can’t fool around.” Becca could wake and come looking for her at any moment. “But can I hang out with you down here for a while?” Now that she knew he cared, she couldn’t seem to spend enough time with him.
He smiled. “I’d like that.”
The world outside his windows lightened to gray in anticipation of sunrise as Nick stared down at the woman beside him.
He and Kayla had eaten a few slices of cold pizza as they slumped on the sofa and watched a movie. He couldn’t say which one. He had been more interested in watching her than the film. He loved her laugh, the way her eyes would light up and she’d glance at him every time something funny happened so he could share her amusement. He loved the way her cheeks flushed with embarrassment when her eyes teared up over someone dying. He especially loved the way she leaned against him as her thick lashes began to droop. Loved the feel of her drawing her legs up and curling into him as she fell asleep.
His cell phone buzzed on the table beside him. Nick picked it up and glanced at the screen.
Oliver.
Keeping his voice low, he answered. “Hey, man. How’s the vacation going?”
“Meh,” his gruff Second replied. “Apparently I don’t know what the hell to do with myself when I’m not keeping an eye on your ass. And I don’t mean that literally. I have no interest in eyeing your ass.”
Nick laughed.
“How’d your hunt go?” Even though Oliver was on vacation, he called Nick before sunrise every morning to double-check he was doing okay without him.
Nick glanced at Kayla to make sure she still slept. “I didn’t hunt tonight.”
“Why not?” Oliver’s tone sharpened. “Did something happen?” Immortal Guardians didn’t take nights off. Vampires vastly outnumbered them, so it wasn’t an exaggeration to say humans would suffer if Immortal Guardians took vacations.
“Kayla was in an accident,” he disclosed softly.
“Shit. How bad was it?”
“Bad. It might’ve been fatal if we hadn’t intervened. I called Seth in, and he healed her before they could take her into surgery. He had to leave some superficial wounds—mostly scratches and bruises—to make covering it up at the hospital easier.”
“So she’s okay?”
“Yeah.” He cuddled her closer. “She’s good.”
“Where are you?”
“Home.”
“Is Kayla there with you?”
“Yes. She’s asleep. Becca is, too. The hospital called Becca in North Carolina and put her in a panic. She knew it would be hours before she could get here, so she called me. I had Reordon fly her in while Seth, Eliana, and I took care of things at the hospital.”
“Sounds like you had a long day. Sorry I wasn’t there to help out.”
“Don’t be. You haven’t taken a vacation in years. And after what happened at the base, you more than deserve one.” Oliver and some of the other immortals’ Seconds had backed them up—along with a huge contingent of network special-ops soldiers—when they’d helped Seth blitz the military base that had been under Gershom’s control and liberate their brethren within. Oliver had been among the injured. Though Seth and the other immortal healers had spared him and the others a long recovery period, Nick still felt guilty… as he always did when one of his Seconds was injured or slain in the line of duty.
“I still say Seth should’ve left me with a scar or two,” Oliver grumbled. “Chicks dig scars.”
Nick laughed.
“I could’ve accidentally flashed one or two at a club, then evaded answering any questions so the women would get all intrigued and shit and think I’m a former Secret Service agent or a war veteran or something.”
Nick shook his head with a smile. “You are a war veteran. They just aren’t aware of the war we fought.” The war with Gershom had been an intense one. No enemy in Nick’s long lifetime had proven a greater challenge.
“So are you going to make me ask?” His Second didn’t have to specify what.
Nick glanced down at the woman cuddled up to him. “Yes, I told Kayla what I am.”
“All of it?”
“No.” He grimaced a little before admitting, “I left out my gift and what I do for a living.”
“Wuss.”
Nick laughed. “Hey, you said yourself—it’s been a long day.”
“Excuses, excuses.”
“I know. But I’ll work my way up to the rest.”
A beleaguered sigh carried across the line. “If I have to cut my vacation short and fly home to play matchmaker for you, I’m gonna kick your ass.”
“Don’t cut your vacation short.”
“Don’t fuck this up.”
“I’ll sure as hell try not to.” He really would.
“Good. I’ll let you get back to it then. Take it easy, man. And keep me posted.”
“Why?” Nick asked with a grin. “So you can share all the details with your sewing circle?”
“Fuck you.”
Grinning, Nick returned the phone to the side table and enjoyed holding Kayla for a little longer.
Her warmth permeated his clothing and sank through his skin, reaching all the way to his heart. Her scent grew more and more familiar, soothing him like the scent of fresh-baked cookies, as the fragrance of whatever soap they’d used to clean her at the hospital faded.
He hoped like hell he wouldn’t fuck this up. Because he wanted to have many more moments like this one. Millions more.