Edge of Night (21 page)

Still, she stayed where she was until he set the last canister on the floor. Then they stared at each other across the distance for a long moment, silent. His eyes were back to their usual warm, dark brown irises, not a hint of red.

“Are you all right now?” The question was soft, but she knew he’d hear her.

Nodding, he shucked his ruined shirt and used it to mop up most of the blood on his skin, though a few dried smears still remained. He rose to his feet with his usual lithe grace, moving to shut the still-open front door. Once he locked it, he turned to approach her. “Are you?”

“A few scrapes and bruises.” She tried to smile, but didn’t quite make it. “Nothing too bad.”

It was always a little scary to be reminded how helpless she truly was in the face of magic. Somehow, it was scarier when that reminder came from the people she cared for. Holly grew haunted and feral around full moon, eating raw meat from Erin’s kitchen like the ravenous wolf she was. It was best to walk carefully around all the werewolves in her family at that time of the month. Once, when some warlock had tried to mug them, Selina had cast a self-defense spell that would have broken a mortal in half. The warlock was fine, used some kind of counter-spell that saved him, but it had freaked Erin right out.

Tonight had been more of the same. She wasn’t like most of the people in her life. Usually, she was okay with that, but it sometimes underscored her inability to protect or defend herself. The craziness with Asher when they’d dated, and now when she thought he might be coming back to dick with her again, made that feeling even more intense.

Luca drew her focus to him when he hunkered down beside her, picking up the wrist he’d manacled. An agonized sound issued from his throat and he drew the swollen wrist to his mouth to kiss. “
Tesorina mia
. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know.” She turned her palm over to cup his jaw. “I didn’t mean to hurt you either.”

Incredulousness filled his gaze. “You threw a knife, so you meant to hurt someone.”

Pulling her hand away, she looked down. “Not you.”

His palm curved over the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her curls. “Are you going to tell me about it?”

“About what?” She scrambled to her feet, almost tripping over her high heels.

He caught her elbow to steady her, easily rising to stand beside her at the same time. His brow furrowed, a tiny spark of anger lighting his gaze. “Are we really going to play that game?”

She folded her arms. “There’s nothing I want to tell you, Luca.”

Damn straight, there was nothing. If she didn’t want to tell her family about her suspicions, she certainly didn’t want to tell her FBI agent lover-slash-friend-slash-she-had-no-idea. Things between them were already complex and convoluted enough.

An impatient growl escaped him. “You knifed me tonight, Erin. That’s assault with a deadly weapon, in case you didn’t know.”

“You’re fine. Vampiric healing abilities for the win.” Yeah, it was bitchy. If it got him to focus on that instead of her reasons for throwing a knife at him, it was worth it. He shouldn’t be involved in this, and she wasn’t sure if she told him that he wouldn’t have some kind of legal agently requirement to
get
involved.

“
Erin.
”

“
Luca,
” she shot back in the same aggrieved tone of voice. “I carry a knife because I’m a single woman living alone in the city. I don’t have any magic powers, so I go with what I’m good at. I’m sorry you got hurt, but you scared me and I have a right to protect myself. If you want me to pay damages for your mental anguish, I will. I’m also happy to buy you a new suit.”

She braced herself for an explosion, waiting for him to read her the riot act, which she’d more than earned. It never came. He stared at her for so long she shifted uncomfortably, unable to hold his gaze. When he spoke, his voice was far gentler than she deserved. “I’d rather you just tell me why you were jumpy enough to be throwing knives at people standing on your welcome mat.”

The concern in his tone almost broke her resolve, made her sob out her cares and worries all over him.
No
. No, no, no. He was not some kind of knight in shining armor who was going to save her from her problems. She was a big girl and she was going to have to deal with this herself. Resisting the need to depend on a man who was only a temporary fixture in her life, she shrugged and turned away. “Maybe it’s better if you don’t hang out on my welcome mat anymore.”

“You don’t mean that.” His words were rough. With pain? Anger? She wasn’t sure, but it made her heart contract. His hands closed over her shoulders to pull her back against his chest. The warmth of his skin surrounded her. He rested his forehead on the back of her skull. “Why won’t you talk to me? I can help.”

“I don’t want or need your help.” Her lips shook when she spoke, and she was glad he couldn’t see it, or he’d pounce on her vulnerability. “That’s not the kind of relationship we have, Luca. Even if we are friends, this is supposed to be light and fun and distracting from our real lives, right?”

His grip tightened on her shoulders. Not enough to hurt, but enough so she knew what she said hadn’t been well received.

“
Right?
” she insisted.

“Yes,” he ground out. “But that doesn’t—”

“No buts!”

A hiss answered that, and he whipped her around to face him. “Damn it, Erin, you knifed me! That’s not exactly normal behavior for you. Something is going on.”

“Stay out of this. It’s not your business. Friend or not, I get to decide how far into my life I let you.” She glared at him, no easy feat with his nose a hairsbreadth from hers and frustrated rage radiating off him.

He scoffed in disbelief. “Are you kicking me out after you put a blade into my chest?”

That comment hit its mark, and pained regret pierced her. God, this hurt, but the reality was if she told him about Asher and he tried to intervene, he could be in danger. This accident was already more than she could handle. It was bad enough that she worried for her own safety. She wouldn’t put him in Asher’s line of fire too, FBI agent or not.

She lifted her chin, pushing aside any qualms she had about doing exactly what he’d accused her of. “If you’re staying here, it’s for sex, and that’s all. No touchy-feely pouring your heart out friendship bonding. I can’t imagine that knives are particularly arousing for you, so I assume you’ll want to leave.”

His pupils expanded until they nearly eclipsed his dark irises. “You assume wrong.”

“Oh, really?” She arched an incredulous eyebrow.

“Really.”

His lips slammed down over hers, his tongue driving into her mouth. Her protest was muffled, and his arms were like bands of steel holding her in place. She tried to shove against his shoulders, but it was about as effective as pushing a brick wall. Nipping at her lower lip, he rubbed his front against her without loosening his grip. The friction stimulated her nipples, and the press of his erection was unmistakable. Heat wound insidiously through her body, robbing her of the will to fight. No matter what logic told her, instinct told her something else. She wanted him inside her, thrusting deep until they both screamed out their release.

A tiny, final spark of sanity made her bite down on his tongue. He grunted in pain, jerking back. Their gazes met, locked. He looked as stubbornly determined as she felt.

That was probably a bad sign, she just didn’t know how bad. He had a ruthless streak, she knew, but he’d never used it against her before. She had a feeling her reprieve on that score was over.

A quiver of anticipation and trepidation shook her, but she made one last ditch effort to put the brakes on this madness. “Maybe you should go.”

“Not a chance, sweetheart.” Fury spiked through him. She really thought he’d be dismissed so easily when it was obvious she was in trouble? He clenched his jaw and felt the prick of his fangs as they scraped his lip.

His hands were shaking. Gods, how often was he livid enough to be shaking with it? Almost never. He was known for his control. He was analytical, even in high-pressure situations. Hell, he’d been told he had ice water for blood.

And Erin could shred his self-discipline with a few words. He wanted to take her over his knee and spank her. Before he’d even finished that thought, his hand shot out and caught her arm. He steered her into the bedroom, with her digging in her heels the whole way.

He sat on the bed, his fingers still locked around her arm. He had her flipped neatly over his lap in half a second. She squeaked and struggled, but she couldn’t escape him unless he allowed it.

“You said I could stay for sex, and I intend to do exactly that.” His palm cupped her ass through the ridiculously short and skimpy dress she wore. Gods, she looked like sex walking in this thing. That thought shot straight to his cock, and he grew iron hard.

“Luca, let go of me right now!”

“No.” He swatted her backside.

She jolted, and the movement against his dick made him groan. He stroked lightly over the place he’d hit. “You did stab me, after all. Shouldn’t there be a little retribution for my pain and suffering?”

A quiver ran through her, and he heard her swallow, but she’d stopped struggling. A whiff of her excitement hit him, and it was pure aphrodisiac. Still, it was nothing to the wave of sexual energy that pulsed out from her. Gods, she was perfection in his arms.

“Luca…”

“Do you want to talk to me about who you thought you were throwing that knife at?”

“An intruder,” she snapped back. “Now let go of me.”

“Don’t lie to me.” His hand came down on her ass again, harder this time.

She clutched at his leg, her nails digging into his flesh. An insignificant sting after the blade. He smacked her again, then again. A low moan spilled out of her, and his cock throbbed in response. He grabbed the hem of her skirt and jerked it up to expose the barely-there black panties she wore. He groaned while brushing over the red marks his spanking had left. She whimpered, subtly arching into his hand. After tracing the edge of her panties downward, he dipped between her thighs. She was wet, soaking after just a few slaps.

“Ooh.” She squirmed, tried to work herself on his fingers.

He let her for a moment. Feeling the energy building within her, letting it break over his senses and heightened his arousal. She made a choked little sound when he withdrew his hand from her damp pussy. He set about spanking her in earnest. Peppering the slaps over her round buttocks, down the tops of her thighs and back up again. Every so often, he would pause to fuck her with his fingers, driving deep until she quivered, her body going taut as orgasm almost took her. Then he’d go back to spanking her. Each of her whimpers and groans fueled the need pumping through him.

He thought about tossing her on the mattress and taking her, but this was a long game. Breaking her control while holding on to his own. Usually, he didn’t doubt his ability to do just that, but this was Erin. She pushed his boundaries, his temper, his self-discipline. Time to get away from the bed before he gave in entirely to the temptation she presented.

“You know, I still have some blood on me, thanks to you. I think it’s time for a shower.” He stood and set her on her feet. Her knees buckled, so he swept her into his arms and walked into the bathroom. “You can share with me.”

She shook her head, the lust slowly clearing from her blue gaze. “Maybe I don’t want to share with you. I said you could stay for sex. Spanking, teasing and not letting me come was
not
sex. In fact, it was pretty mean.”

“You have no idea how mean I can be, but you can make this stop any time you want.” He set her down on the vanity counter, grinning as she winced when the cold stone hit her no doubt scorching-hot ass. “Just tell me what’s going on.”

Jaw clenching, her gaze sharpened. “No.”

“Then take your clothes off or I toss you into the shower that way.” Reaching into the stall to twist the knob, he got the water running. He eyed her dress. “Silk doesn’t hold up well when wet.”

“I better get to come this time or I
will
kick your ass out,” she muttered.

He didn’t bother to reply. It was an empty threat and they both knew it. She couldn’t force him to leave unless he was willing to go.

She lifted her legs to unfasten the strap on her heels while he toed out of his shoes. He went to work on his fly, and he watched her gaze follow the movements of his hands. Her breathing was rapid, and he could sense the pounding of her heart. It did nothing to calm his libido when her blue eyes locked on his rigid dick. Gods, he wanted to fuck her hard and fast, but that wouldn’t get him what he wanted from her: information. The truth.

Something was very wrong, and he needed to know what. More, he knew she’d been hiding this for some time, and he hadn’t paid enough attention to it. She was scared of something, and his head had been so wrapped up in the Hammond case he hadn’t noticed the full import of the changes in her behavior.

Slithering off the vanity, she reached behind her to unzip her dress. It fell in a silken pool around her feet, leaving her in nothing but her black panties. They were so sheer he could see the dark thatch of hair between her thighs. She wore no bra and her nipples were tight buds he wanted to suck until they turned cherry red. He fought a groan at the sight of her. “Everything off.”