Destined for an Early Grave

trophies for hunting season. Am I wrong?”

His lip curled. “Still brassed off at me, I see. Then you should enjoy this—Marie wants to meet you, and she refuses to let me be present when she does.”

I laughed with a sharp, self-satisfied guffaw.

“God, Bones, you must have argued yourself blue in the face. Hell, I like her already.”

“Thought you’d fancy that.” His expression told me how unamusing he found it. “Should I leave you to your braiding and take myself to bed? You seem to find Liza’s company preferable to mine.”

“Really annoying when you have to sit back and twiddle your thumbs while the person you love goes off into danger, isn’t it?” I said, not feeling guilty in the least.

“I didn’t relish the thought of leaving you behind,” he shot back. “Yet you’re almost cackling over your chance to do the same to me.”

Liza’s head swiveled back and forth between the two of us. Since I still had three of her braids in my hands, however, that made it more difficult.

“You didn’t care how I felt, as long as I stayed behind,” I flared, the tension from the past several days catching up with me. “So yeah, I’m enjoying the payback. Guess that makes me shallow.”

“It makes you a spiteful brat,” Bones snapped, striding forward until he loomed over me. “What say you to that?”

I dropped Liza’s braids and got to my feet. So the gloves were off, huh? “That it takes one to know one. What’s the matter? Are you mad that you sauntered in there, swinging your dick at Marie and reminding her about old times, but you didn’t get the results you wanted?”

“For your information, I have never shagged Marie.” Bones actually jabbed me in the chest as he spoke. Liza scrambled out of the way.

I gave an incredulous glance down at his finger, still pressed into my chest. “Get that off me or I’ll knock it off.”

His brow arched in open dare. “Take your best shot, luv.”

You asked for it. My fist connected with his jaw. Bones ducked before I could land another one, green flashing out of his eyes.

“Is that all you’ve got? Not nearly good enough.” And he jabbed me in the chest again.

Oh, it’s on now, honey!

I grabbed his wrist and yanked, kicking his shin at the same time to throw him off balance. He was too quick, though, leaping over my sweeping leg and using my momentum against me. One light shove in the back had me sprawling into the couch. Liza let out a horrified bleat.

“Please, both of you, stop!”

I ignored her. So did Bones. My pulse sped up in anticipation as I got to my feet. The opportunity to blow off some steam with a full-fledged brawl sounded great to me. From the glittering green in his eyes, he was game, too.

But just to be certain…“Sure you want to play rough?” I asked, keeping my mind blank of my intentions.

His smile was smug, taunting, and sexy as he let me draw close. “Why not? I’m winning.”

I smiled back. Then I rammed my fist into his stomach. Take every cheap shot, Bones had taught me when he trained me years ago. Who said I didn’t pay attention?

But instead of doubling over like I’d expected, he flung me straight up over his shoulders. My body cracked against the ceiling, knocking the wind out of me. I had a split second to kick off the crown molding before he flew at me, and he hit empty space instead. I rolled when I hit the floor, knocking over the coffee room table in my scramble to get away.

He was on me in the next moment. A gloating smile met my gaze as Bones pressed his full weight down to hold me. The top of my robe had sagged open, leaving my bare breast rubbing against his shirt as I squirmed under him. He glanced down, tracing the inside of his lip with his tongue.

“Give up now?” he asked.

My heart hammered with excitement even as I wanted to smack the smirk off his face. He’d left my arms free, which was a mistake.

“Not yet.” I reached behind me and grabbed the first thing my hands made contact with. Then I heaved it over my head at him.

The marble coffee table split into large pieces when it crashed over Bones. It hit his head, dazing him, which I took advantage of. I’d wiggled out from under him and was about to crow over my victory—when I felt twin iron bands cut into my ankles. I tried to twist away, but he held on, shaking the table remnants from him. The only thing in reach was the pewter serving platter. I grabbed it and brandished it like a weapon.

“I’ll use this next!” I warned him.

Still gripping my ankles, Bones blinked up at me. I glanced around, seeing Liza in the far corner with her hand stuffed in her mouth, horrified. Hopscotch and Band-Aid lingered near the doorway, not knowing what to do.

All at once, I started to laugh.

Bones’s mouth twitched. Liza’s eyes bugged when he let out a chuckle. It grew even as mine did, until he let go of my ankles and we were laughing helplessly together.

Bones shook the marble remains from his head, still laughing. “Bloody hell, Kitten. Never thought to be flogged by my own furniture. Do you know I saw bloomin’ stars when that cracked over my nog?”

I knelt next to him, raking my fingers through his hair to get out the last of the table’s shards. His eyes were bright green, and the laughter caught in my throat when he yanked me closer and kissed me.

His mouth was hard, demanding a response. The adrenaline inside me changed to something else as I gripped him back with equal urgency. I had time to hear the door shut behind the hasty retreat of our three onlookers before his body flattened mine.

“We haven’t sparred together in quite a while,” Bones murmured as his mouth slid down my throat. “I’d forgotten how much I enjoy it.”

His hand caressed up my thigh without restriction, as I still had nothing on under the robe. A primal sound came from me when his fingers stroked between my legs.

“Seems you enjoyed it, too,” he whispered.

I tugged at his shirt, ignored the pieces of the table everywhere, and slid my legs around him.

“I need you.”

I wasn’t just talking about how much I wanted him. I’d hated the distance between us the past few days. Right now, I was desperate to feel close to him. To believe that everything would work out, no matter how crazy things got.

He pushed me back against the couch, yanking down his pants. I groaned at the deluge of sensations his first thrust caused, biting his shoulder to keep from shouting at how good it felt.

Bones pressed my head closer as he moved deeper inside me. “Harder,” he said with a moan.

I sank my teeth in, swallowing his blood when I broke his skin. The small wound healed as soon as I drew away to kiss him.

His mouth covered mine, stealing my breath with the intensity of his kiss. “I love it when you bite me,” Bones growled once I broke away to gasp in air.

I held him tighter, my fingernails digging into his back. “Show me how much.”

A low laugh escaped him. He began to move faster.

“I intend to.”

Bones woke me with beignets and coffee, and we lingered in bed a while afterward. The surliness between us from before was gone, at least for the time being.

Since my meeting with Marie was tonight, we were still under her guest column, so we still had safe passage in the city. To take advantage of that, we toured the French Quarter. I didn’t need a jacket with the hot August weather, but I did put on sunscreen.

Bones led me from Bourbon Street to Jackson Square, then to the Saint Louis Cathedral, which looked very similar to some of the churches I’d glimpsed in Paris. After that, we stopped at Lafitte’s Blacksmith shop, one of the oldest buildings in the Quarter. While outside sipping a gin and tonic at one of the tables, I looked up to find a ghost suddenly standing next to us.

“Sod off, mate,” Bones told him. “As I was saying, luv, during the Great Fire—”

“It’s wretched justice that only the crazies care enough to talk to you when you’re dead,” the ghost muttered. “No vampire or ghoul will even bid you good day.”

Bones made an irritated noise. “Right then, good day, now off you go.”

“She’ll wonder who you’re talking to,” the ghost smirked in my direction. “Think you’re mad, she will—”

“I can see you,” I interrupted.

If someone partially transparent could look baffled, he did. Eyes that might have been blue narrowed.

“You don’t feel touched,” he accused.

“You mean psychic? I’m many things, but not that. Isn’t it a little rude, though, to plop down and start chatting away when we were having a conversation? You didn’t even say ‘excuse me.’”

“Kitten, I warned you about talking to them.” Bones sighed.

“I didn’t think you’d speak to me,” the ghost replied, starting to smile. “The undead”—he nodded at Bones—“just ignore us. They’re among the few who can see us, but they don’t even care!”

He spoke with such impassioned resonance, I would have patted him if he had been solid. Instead, I gave him a sympathetic smile.

“What’s your name? I’m Cat.”

He bowed, his head going through the table. “I am Fabian du Brac. Born 1877, died 1922.”

Bones leaned back in his chair. “Fabian, splendid to meet you. Now, if you please, we’re rather busy.”

“You’re Bones,” the ghost stated. “I’ve seen you before. You’re always too busy to talk to us.”

“Bloody right I am, nosy spectre—”

“Bones.” I tugged his arm. “He knows who you are!”

“Kitten, what does that…”

His voice trailed off as what I was mentally shouting penetrated. Then he turned his full attention to Fabian and smiled.