“Couldn’t sleep?” Davis asked.
“Araminta was hungry again.”
“Well, sure. It’s been at least an hour and a half since you last fed her. What did you expect?”
“I swear, it’s as if she’s been possessed by the spirit of a teenage boy.” She paused. “What are you doing out here?”
“Thinking.”
“About the case?” she asked cautiously.
“And other things.” He paused a beat. “Mostly other things.”
She wanted to ask him what other things he was thinking about, but she reminded herself that she didn’t know him well enough to push into his private space.
Max chose that moment to hop across the three-foot span that separated the two balconies, showing no fear of the three-story drop to the ground, and landed on the railing next to Celinda. He chortled politely to her and then tumbled down to the floor. He disappeared into the room to join Araminta on the desk. Celinda heard more crunching noises.
“Bet I could do that,” Davis said, studying the distance between the two balconies.
“Do what? Jump from your balcony to mine?” She shuddered. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Why not?”
“Because it would be a dumb-ass risk to take, that’s why not. Good grief, you might miss, and then I’d be stuck having to explain to Mercer Wyatt why he’s never going to get his relic back.”
Davis’s teeth flashed in a brief, wicked grin. “Nice to know you care.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve got a vested interest in you. The way I look at it, you’re all that’s standing between Araminta and me and the boss of the Cadence Guild. I want you to stay safe. No taking chances. Got it?”
“Got it. Hang on a second.”
He vanished into his room. She waited for him to reappear, wondering what was going on.
A moment later he walked out onto her balcony.
“Made it,” he said. “Rest assured, no extreme risks were taken.”
She shivered but not from the cool night air. He was standing very close to her, so close that she could detect a lot more than his psi power. She was intensely aware of every aspect of him. Her pulse was already thrumming faster, and she could feel the now-familiar flutter in the pit of her stomach.
“Good to know,” she whispered. “Because I really don’t want anything to happen to you.”
He smiled slowly. “I appreciate that, even if the only reason you want me around is because I’m your shield against the Cadence Guild.”
The intimacy of the night and Davis’s own uniquely compelling aura enveloped her, affecting all of her senses. Sensual excitement effervesced through her veins. Mr. Almost Perfect.
She was suddenly sure that she could not only leap from one balcony to the next, she could probably tap dance along the railings. Who cared about the risk?
“That’s not the only reason I want you around,” she said.
She was amazed by the sound of her own voice. It was downright sultry. She was positive that she had never sounded sultry before in her entire life.
Davis gripped the lapels of her robe with both hands and tugged her closer. “You’re sure?”
She was having trouble breathing now. But in a good way. A thrilling way.
“I’m sure,” she managed.
He tightened his grip on her robe and kissed her.
Impossible as it was, she was certain that Davis’s energy and her own somehow came together in a resonating pattern that set fire to the night. She was suddenly swept up in a delirious cascade of invisible psi.
Just like last night, she thought. She should probably call a halt to things before they went too far. Just as she had last night. One-night stands were against all the rules.
But with this man she no longer cared about the rules. She didn’t want to waste time planning for the future because, given Davis’s attitude toward matchmaking and Covenant Marriage, they probably didn’t have one. Tonight might be all they had together, and she intended to seize the moment.
That realization alone was enough to tip the scales of common sense.
She closed her hands fiercely around his shoulders, glorying in the feel of sleek muscle and warm male skin. He responded with a heavy groan and deepened the kiss.
When she sighed a little and parted her lips, he shifted his hands, tightening them around her waist. He was heavily aroused. She could feel him and knew that he wanted her to be aware of the effect she was having on him.
Exhilaration arced through her. She suddenly felt incredibly sexy and wildly feminine.
Boldly she broke free of the kiss to press her lips to his throat. A shudder went through him. Without warning he scooped her up into his arms, high against his chest, and carried her into the darkened bedroom.
She thought he was going to put her down on her bed. Instead, he took her through the connecting door into his room and stood her on her feet. She saw that the covers had been kicked down to the foot of his bed. Davis had obviously had as much difficulty sleeping as she had.
She was so intoxicated with the heady, exuberant wonder of what was happening that she almost lost her balance.
Davis caught her with one hand, undid the sash of her robe, and peeled the garment off her shoulders. It pooled around her bare feet, leaving her in her pale green satin nightgown.
Davis smiled slowly at the sight of the gown. He ran his fingers under the edge of the tiny straps, just touching her skin.
“Nice,” he said. “Very nice.”
“I got it on sale last month,” she confessed, before stopping to think. “I’ve been saving it for a special occasion.”
He looked pleased. “Like tonight?”
She smiled. “It certainly looks that way.”
His laughter was sexy and incredibly intimate. “Looks like this is my lucky night.”
He picked her up and put her on the rumpled bed. Straightening, he stripped off his trousers and tossed them aside. He wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
A tremor of unease went through her. But before she had a chance to reconsider the wisdom of what was about to happen, Davis came down beside her on the bed. He leaned over her, trapping her between his braced elbows, and began to kiss her hungrily.
The kisses rained down, dampening her mouth, her throat, heating her blood. Hot energy pulsed, Davis’s and her own, resonating once again in a pattern that drove both of them to a higher level of excitement. It had never been like this with any other man, she thought. Perfect.
She forgot her momentary misgivings. Eagerly she explored him, savoring the muscular contours of his back and hips. When her fingers closed around him, he sucked in a deep, shuddering breath.
“I won’t last long if you keep that up,” he warned, his voice low and husky.
Thrilled, she tightened her fingers a little, challenging him. This time his low laugh sent small, exciting chills up and down her spine.
He slid the satin straps off her shoulders and eased the gown down her body, all the way to her ankles. He dropped it onto the floor beside the bed.
He found her breast with his mouth, and she forgot all about teasing him. She gasped and sank her nails into his back. Her entire body ached with need. Every inch of her skin was shatteringly sensitive.
Davis’s big, warm hand slid down her waist, across her stomach. He curled his fingers into the hair at the juncture of her thighs.
She kissed his shoulder, licked him, and then, on impulse, tested his skin with her teeth. He made a soft, hoarse sound and then he caught her nipple very gently between his own teeth His fingers slid lower, seeking secrets.
She stopped breathing. Everything inside her tightened to an unbearable degree. She could feel her own slickness and knew that his hand must be covered with the moisture.
When he moved on top of her a short time later, she was trembling with anticipation and desire.
