She swallowed. “It’s not that easy.”
“I know, but my guess is that you cling to it because you’d feel cruel for laying to rest what happened … as if that’s the same as saying it didn’t matter. It’s not the same. Just as it’s not bad to live and enjoy your life. You don’t need to cart these memories and that needless shame around with you. You’ve got to find a way to let it go. Especially because I won’t tolerate anything or anyone—that includes you—causing my girl pain.”
Devon took in a long breath through her nose. “I’ll work on it. I promise.”
“Good.” Wanting to lighten the mood, Tanner added, “Now that you’ve got regular access to superior sperm, I can’t see pregnancy being a problem.”
A laugh bubbled out of her. “Did you honestly just say that?”
“Well, you have.” He brushed his nose over hers. “So, what time are you moving your stuff in here tomorrow?”
She sighed. “Tanner, seriously, would it kill you to ask me to move in instead of making presumptions? I mean, if I tried telling you what—”
“Okay, okay, so that didn’t come out right. Look, I’m not always going to phrase things in a way you like. I’ve been a sentinel for centuries, I’m used to issuing orders and being direct about what I want. It doesn’t mean I see myself as in command of you. You’re my equal, my match, and I respect the hell out of your strength. I don’t want to control you. But it’s in my nature to take control of situations.”
That made Devon’s hackles lower, because she knew he was right. There was no sense in viewing his take-charge demeanor as a sign of disrespect.
“I want you to move in. I like starting my day with you right here. I like that the first words you’ll hear will be mine. So, will you please give me that?”
Quite frankly impressed he’d asked her so politely, she said, “Yes, I’d like that. Happy now?”
He hummed. “Ecstatic. And I’m positive you’re just as happy right now. I mean, we both know your heart has longed for this since the day you met me. Longed and pined and yearned. All that emotion you’ve been trying to hide—” He laughed when she hit him with a pillow. “I’m feeling the love, kitten. I’m seeing it right there in those pretty green—Shit! Do you always have to go for my eyes?”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Standing in the VIP glass box of the hellhound racing stadium a few evenings later, Devon put a hand to her fluttering stomach. Floodlights illuminated the large oval dirt track that had just been prepped for the next race—one in which Tanner’s hound would partake.
She turned to face the girls and Keenan, who were relaxing on the row of leather seats. “God, I’m so nervous.”
An announcement was made over the intercom only moments ago, informing the spectators that the race would soon begin. Lots of people milled about the tiered grandstands, private boxes, and spectator area overlooking the track. Gambling addicts often frequented the place, but they weren’t the only attendees. There were also couples on dates, clusters of women having a girls’ night out, and even groups of men casually discussing business ventures.
“Tanner’s hound will be fine,” Harper assured her, perched on the edge of the seat directly beneath the ceiling fan. “It always is.”
“Yeah, and if hellhound racing wasn’t so brutal and rife with cheating, vicious motherfuckers, I’d be a lot less tense.”
“You’ve been edgy all day,” said Khloë, slurping on her soda and pointedly ignoring that Keenan—who was on bodyguard duty—was frowning at her.
“People keep looking at me.” Devon scratched at her arm. “I don’t like it.” Which was why she was glad to be in the private box. It was sweet with its comfy seating, multiple TV screens, floor to ceiling view, and personal server who came and went.
Raini smiled, dipping a nacho in the cheese dip. “Well of course you keep getting funny looks. It’s not every day that a hellhound claims a hellcat, is it?”
No, it wasn’t. Tanner had instructed members of his lair’s Force to pass on the news, so it hadn’t been long before it became widespread. And it was clear to see that most were stunned.
Harper and Raini had been just as shocked when she told them. Khloë, however, had nodded and said, “I knew the canine would pull his head out of his ass sooner or later, now where’re the donuts?”
If the girls had possessed Devon’s sense of smell, they’d also know that she now wore his scent on her skin. Literally. The smell of Tanner was faint, but it was there, and no amount of soap would wash it away. That kind of thing happened sometimes with demons, but only when they were intimate on more than one level. That was why her scent was now embedded into his.
“Your feline is definitely okay with this?” asked Raini.
“Very okay with it, which surprises me. It wasn’t so long ago that it was directing lazy snarls his way. There was no aggression or malice in them. Just plain exasperation.” Devon’s brows lowered. “Now it’s sort of smug. But not smug that it has a mate. It’s something else, I’m just not understanding it.”
“Huh.” Harper twisted her mouth. “You don’t think your feline was testing him, do you?”
Devon tilted her head slightly. “What do you mean?”
“Well, hellbeasts look for strength in their partners,” the sphinx pointed out. “They tend to test them to be sure they’re worthy. Your demon would have known how interested you were in Tanner, and it would have sensed his interest in you. But it would also have considered any inaction on his part to be a show of weakness, right?”
“Right,” Devon agreed.
“So, maybe it started driving you to find a mate merely to see what Tanner would do about it. Your demon would have needed to know you were important enough to him that he’d push aside all his bullshit to have you. It would have needed to be sure you’d be his priority and that he’d be someone it could trust to give you what you needed.”
“That would explain your feline’s current mood,” said Raini. “It’s smug that its plan paid off.”
A smile tugged at Devon’s mouth. “That ruthless little shit.”
“It’ll always be ruthless when it comes to your well-being.” Harper shrugged. “That’s just the way our entities are.”
“What I really like is that you won’t have to worry about any other people trying to kidnap you.” Khloë slyly took one of Raini’s nachos. “The broker’s dead, so the deal is void. Whoever’s behind it—and I agree with Tanner’s theory that it’s probably Leticia or one of her vexing spawn—might make another move of some kind, but I doubt they’ll be able to recruit someone into helping them. Not now that Tanner’s made it clear to God and everyone that you’re his.”
“Whoever it was must have been responsible for the damage to your apartment,” said Keenan, stretching his legs out in front of him. “That seemed more like a feminine tantrum than a masculine one. Was there something in your living room that could have set them off? Like a photo of you and Finn together?”