Wicked Fantasy (28 page)

Yep, cranky thoughts front and center. She hadn't seduced Conall. Asima had done her best impression of a bucket of ice cubes and put their lovemaking into the crisper until further notice.

And once she got past that biggie, there were still the problems of Dell, Morrigan, and the deal Conall had made with Edge. Oh, and gee, she'd almost forgotten she had a job. Payton wasn't a patient man.

“If you're finished gnawing on all our problems, you can open your eyes so we can begin to solve some of them.”

Conall's deep, sexy voice spread warmth all the way to her toes. She curled them in anticipation of another night spent with him. For just a moment, she celebrated the fact that he'd be with her for the rest of her existence. Then shame rolled over her. He'd stay because he couldn't leave, and she had no way of freeing him.

She opened her eyes.

He sprawled across the couch, dwarfing it with his large frame. “There's some good news. No reports of stolen jewelry.”

“Way to go, Edge.” She stretched and enjoyed the way his gaze followed every movement. “How'd you know I was awake and thinking about our problems?”

“I sense when you're awake, even if you don't move. Can't explain it.” He switched off the TV and then walked to her bed. He sat down beside her. “And you get this sexy little crease between your eyes when you're worried.”

“A crease between my eyes is sexy?” He had on a short robe and his hair was still damp from his shower. Gerry wanted to slide her fingers up his muscular thigh and right under that robe to see what she could find. She nixed the idea. If she found what she expected, they'd be off and running again. Too frustrating with Asima, the ice cube queen, right outside their door.

“Lady, everything about you is sexy.” His wicked grin said he knew what she'd been thinking.

“So what happened after I fell asleep?” When dawn caught her, she conked out no matter what was going on. If she was in the middle of making love with Conall?
That
would keep her awake. They'd experiment sometime—she thought of Morrigan—or not. Color her depressed.

“I went up and brought down Fo, Gabriel, and Conalla. They watched videos until I woke up.” He glanced away. “The kid's kinda cute. She liked me.”

Was there a female alive who wouldn't like him? Gerry didn't think so. Oh, and she couldn't forget the dead. All the dead women she knew would think he was pretty hot.

He quickly jumped to the next subject. “We have to bring Morrigan in on our plan to trap Dell.”

Awww. He was embarrassed because he'd admitted to thinking Fo's baby was cute. How endearing was that? She'd like to . . . “What did you say about Morrigan?”

“I've been thinking about motive while I was waiting for you to wake up. If the demon got to you, and I had nothing to do with it, Morrigan would have to release me from the curse.”

She nodded. “I guess you'd be an ordinary human again.”
Not
ordinary. Hook an extra onto the ordinary, and maybe you'd be close. “Doesn't the thought tempt you?”

Conall's gaze darkened. “Not that way. Never that way.”

His words warmed her from the inside out.

“That must be what Dell wants. Didn't he say you had to die so something else could happen?” Conall stood and began to pace.

“Yeah.” She splayed her palm over the spot where he'd been sitting and soaked in the heat that still remained from his body. Pitiful that even small warm crumbs excited her. “So what do you think happens as soon as you become human?”

He shrugged. “Right now I'm immortal. Not so easy to kill. Demon versus human makes it a little more one-sided. Nothing else makes sense. But why?”

“Maybe you have a friend somewhere who just wants you free of the curse. Have you considered that?”

Conall didn't even pause to think. “For eight hundred years I've fought and killed enemies of the Kavanaghs. When I wasn't fighting for them, I served them in other ways. I never had time to make friends.”

His comment wasn't a plea for sympathy; it was simply a statement of fact.

That made Gerry unutterably sad. “You've never seen him. Maybe you know him. He sure knows you. Or maybe someone powerful needed a demon to do his dirty work.”

“Could be. I've pissed off a few people over the centuries.”

“So what about Morrigan? Why does she have to be in on this?” Gerry hated dealing with the goddess.

“Dell has to believe it's all real. He won't buy the act if he doesn't see that Morrigan accepts your death. He'll want proof that I'm human again. Morrigan gives legitimacy to the whole thing.”

He stopped pacing and flung himself down on the couch again. The robe rode high on his thighs, and she knew if she slid down on the bed a little more she might be able to see . . .

She lifted her gaze to meet his. He grinned. “Concentrate.”

“I am.” On many things. Multitasking was her gift. “I suppose we'll have to meet with Morrigan before we hunt down Banan and Destiny.” She'd hook those two up even if she had to drag them kicking and screaming to the bed.

He nodded.

She sighed.

“Dress and then let's do it.” Conall rose to grab some clean clothes he'd flung over the chair. “I got some things from my room before I went to bed.”

“That couch doesn't look too comfortable. Can't you get another bed in here?”

“I didn't sleep on the couch.”

She flicked a quick glance to the other side of her bed. Extra pillow with head indentation. Uh-oh. “Isn't this going to make resisting temptation a little tough?”

“Sweetheart, it's lights out as soon as your head hits that pillow. You have no temptation to worry about.” His grin was wry. “I suffered enough for both of us. But I couldn't sleep all scrunched up on that couch. Not that I did much sleeping tucked up next to you.”

“What did you sleep in?” This was important stuff. She needed to know.

“Briefs. Had to stay decent for the kid.” He grinned. “Otherwise . . .”

“I get it, I get it.” Oh boy. Now the mental image of his almost-naked body resting next to her all day would haunt her night. “We have to take care of Banan and Destiny fast and then find a spot safe from Morrigan. Once she gets her tail feathers back, maybe she'll get bored and leave.”

Frustration darkened his eyes. “How long can we live like that? Can you see us in a hundred years? Two hundred? Still sneaking around behind the goddess's back?” He turned away from her.

“Maybe we'll just be friends by then.” Did she believe that? No. But if saying it made things easier for him, hey, she could give him the words.

Conall looked back at her. He'd replaced the frustration with a savagery that had her thinking about pulling the covers over her head.

“Friends?” Bitter laughter. “Friendship is too bland a word to describe anything I'd ever feel for a Kavanagh. I'd use high-impact words like hate and . . .” He shook his head like he was trying to clear it. “Forget it.”

Gerry didn't want to forget it. She had to know what the missing word was in that sentence. But now wasn't the time to bug him about it. She scrambled out of bed, grabbed her clothes, and headed for the bathroom.

She came out a short while later dressed in a cotton skirt and camisole. And yeah, she was trying for the flirty girly look. So? She didn't have to dress like a member of PUFF every day.

Conall had just come in the door. He stopped and stared. Then he gave her a slow sexy smile that made her wish she had more than one flirty girly outfit. “You're beautiful. Always.”

Gerry blinked. How could those few words light her up inside? Jeez, she must look like one of those carved pumpkins people put candles in at Halloween.

Since she didn't know what to say, she resorted to a question. “What were you doing?”

“Asima's still camped outside the door. I told her to find Morrigan and tell her we wanted to talk.”

Gerry frowned. “Do you think she'll listen to—”

A force flung the door open so hard it bounced off the wall where it hung drunkenly from one hinge. Holgarth would have to fix it. Again.

Gerry looked up, expecting at least a seven-foot mountain of muscle to be standing in the doorway. Nothing. She looked down. Morrigan, still pretty much tailless, stood there. Asima hovered behind her.

Conall looked past the goddess to Asima. “What the hell did you tell her?”

Asima yawned, a study in feline boredom.
“That I'd heard sounds of passion coming from the dungeon. I told her if she hurried she'd catch you in the act.”
She slid a sly glance at Morrigan.
“Conall's a fast finisher. Too bad for you.”

The goddess fluffed up her feathers and walked into the room. “Just wait until I get my feathers all back. You'll be hiding somewhere you think is safe, hoppin' and boppin' toward an ultrafine orgasm, and poof, I'll be there.” She opened her beak wide and tried out a chorus of “I'll Be There” before taking her usual perch on the coffee table. Everyone winced. “But I'm in a good mood tonight, so I won't bore you with the gory details of your punishment.” She turned her beady gaze toward her tail. “My tail feathers are growing back.”

Everyone leaned in to take a look. Sure enough, little feathers were sprouting from her bare behind. Conall didn't know whether to cheer or curse. That's because he didn't know how the return of her tail feathers would affect Gerry and him.

“We need to talk.” Conall wanted to get this over with. “A demon is trying to kill Gerry.”

Morrigan cocked her head to stare at them from bright black eyes. “Why?”

Score one for the goddess. She got right to the point.

Gerry moved closer. “He said I had to die so something else could happen. If I die, you'll release Conall from the curse. Once he's not immortal anymore, he'll be a lot easier to kill.”

“Who wants you dead, O'Rourke?”

Conall could see interest gleaming in those eyes. She must be getting bored walking around the castle threatening guests and driving Holgarth crazy.

“That's what we want to find out. We'll set a trap and invite the demon in. If he thinks Gerry's dead and you've canceled the curse, he'll make his move on me. But we need you to pretend to make me human so he'll think it's all legit.”

The goddess wiggled her bare ass in frustration. “If I had my tail feathers I could whack the demon in a nanosecond by just thinking about it. Now I can only do the small stuff—opening doors, pissing off wizards, and . . .” She glanced back at her tail again before casting a sly glance Conall's way. “Ending curses.”

“Uh, goddess, will you leave when your feathers are all back?” Gerry sounded hopeful.

Conall could've told her the goddess lived to disappoint.

“Definitely. I've had enough of this place.” Morrigan hopped to the floor and headed for the door. “But I'll always keep an eye on you, warrior. You'll never know when I'm going to pop up.” She paused in the doorway. “Count me in on your plan. Call when you need me and—”

“I know, you'll be there.” They all listened in pained silence to a final chorus by Morrigan of “I'll Be There.” Conall thought she and Asima should team up and record a few songs. They could title the CD
Tunes to Drill Teeth By.

“I used to like that song.” Gerry evidently didn't think much of the goddess's chances on
American Idol
.

“I don't trust Morrigan. Once a bitch, always a bitch.”
Asima had put Morrigan firmly in the can't-be-redeemed column of her personal spreadsheet.
“Protecting you guys is exhausting. I think I'll take a break for a while. Bast will fix everything when she gets here.”

“And that will be when?” Gerry sounded like she didn't believe it would happen anytime soon.

“When she gets here, of course.”
Asima stared at the door hanging drunkenly from one hinge.
“Morrigan enjoys making a dramatic entrance.”
She padded into the hallway, tail waving gracefully.

“Holgarth's going to have a hissy fit over the door, isn't he?” Gerry raised her hand. “No, don't bother answering that. Can we hunt down Banan and Destiny now?”

He grinned. “Impatient?”

“You bet. The faster they embrace their inner lust, the faster we'll be rid of at least one problem.” She glanced pointedly at his robe. “Get dressed.”

Conall could do that. And get some of his own back while he was at it. He untied his robe and shrugged out of it. Ignoring her gasp, he walked over to his clothes. Her gaze seared a path down the middle of his back and fixed on his ass.

“I thought you said you wore briefs.” Her voice was raw, hungry.

His cock wanted equal attention, so Conall turned to face her. She didn't meet his gaze.
Her
gaze had better things to do.

“To bed, not after my shower.” He rubbed his hand across his chest.

Her gaze slid up to follow the motion. “We don't really have to find Banan right now. We could sit around and talk for a while.”

“About what?” He'd never make a sexual tease. A tease was cool and calm, always under control. His cock didn't know the meaning of cool around Gerry. It was threatening to run away from home if he didn't give it what it wanted.

“I don't know.” She moved closer. “Maybe about how much I want to close my fingers around your shaft and slide them up and down, up and down, up—” She closed her eyes and gripped her lower lip between her teeth.