I wasn't sure how long I lay there before my dooropened. Mal could move silently when he wanted to, and I didn't hear anythingbut a whisper of clothing hitting the floor before he crawled into bed with me.
"Still awake?"
"No, I'm completely asleep right now," Igrumbled.
He pulled me against his chest, and I snuggled againsthim. "Find anything?"
"Not enough to make it worth leaving you alonetonight," he replied. "Take some holy water with you, if you canswing it, and that ceremonial knife I made for you. That and your innateabilities are your best protections. We'll just have to trust that Ezra hasyour best interests in mind, because I don't know what else to do except goalong and I don't think that will work."
"I don't wish I could take you, because I don'twant you to have to go to hell, but… I wish I could take you."
Mal chuckled. "I understand."
That did remind me of something, though. "Hey,any chance you'd be willing to be a point of contact for the shop? I haven'tbeen out of touch since I took over the place from my parents."
"Of course."
"Great. Quote night is coming up. You'll have tobrush up on your eighties pop culture."
"I spent most of the eighties trying to avoid theeighties," Mal admitted after a moment of silence.
"Then what are you doing with me?"
He chuckled. "You were barely even born in theeighties."
"Shh, don't tell anyone. That's a secret.Besides, I may as well have totally been an eighties child. It's my favoritedecade."
"I can tell," Mal said dryly.
"You can't disappoint the team for quote night.It's important," I insisted, a little ridiculously.
The vampire sighed. "I will do my best."
I really hadn't completely dealt with the fact that I'dbasically died a few weeks ago and avoided whatever afterlife awaited me.Probably hell if I was being honest. There was no way I would be consideredgood enough or pure enough for heaven. And now I was actually going to semi-voluntarilywalk into hell? I was definitely losing my mind.
Mal tightened his arms around me, somehow knowing justwhat I needed.
He kissed the side of my head, almost nuzzling me.
"You want me to hold you, or…" he trailedoff suggestively.
"Mmm, maybe just hold me right now. We'll seeabout the rest."
The vampire chuckled. "Now I know you're nervousabout tomorrow."
"Ah, yeah. The weird tug Ezra has on me isdistracting, too. Not sure I want to be dwelling on him when I should be lostin you."
Mal kissed me instead of answering.
I sighed. "I know Aaron is fine with whatever,but you're clearly not. What can I do to fix this?"
Mal shifted until he had me trapped between him andthe bed. I let him control me. I'd have let him do anything at that point. Ijust wanted everything to be okay between us before I left.
I let myself sink into his liquid brown gaze.
"Just come back to me, Chris. Everything else wecan work through and I promise I'm not going to let Ezra get between us. He'snecessary." Mal smiled. "If he gets over wanting to keep you all tohimself, I think I might even be able to like him, and I am grateful he wentout of his way to keep you alive. I know it was at Sabian's insistence, but hedidn't have to agree."
"He's not used to sharing," I replied.
Mal kissed me gently. "He'll have to learn."
"You're sure?"
He kissed me again and I opened for him, managing tolose myself in his embrace, the dance of our tongues as we kissed, and the feelof being possessed by this vampire.
"I'm sure," he answered me.
"I feel like I'm working toward securing analliance, mate," I admitted, laughing.
"Basically," he agreed. "So, as long asyou come back to me, everything else is okay. Now, do you want to keep talkingabout Ezra?" He shifted his weight as if to move off me.
I grabbed his shoulders, digging my fingers into hisbare skin.
"No. I'm pretty sure you're up to the task ofdistracting me."
"Only pretty sure?" Mal grumbled playfully. "I'llhave to try harder."
Before I could reply, he captured my lips again,devouring me, claiming me. He slid his hand up under my sleeping shirt andkneaded my breast, rolling my nipple between his thumb and finger until it wasa hard point.
I moaned as we kissed, pressing against him andwishing there was less clothing between us. He hadn't gotten dressed insleeping clothing, but I was wearing a shirt and underwear. I took advantage ofhis state of undress and slid my hand down his side, dragging my nails over hisskin before sliding my hand between us and stroking his hard velvety length.
He rumbled appreciatively, moving from my lips to kissgently along my jawline, before nibbling at my neck.
I tilted my chin, giving him full access and he tookadvantage, gently sucking on my skin at the base of my neck before biting me,hard enough to bruise but not enough to break skin. Someone was marking histerritory. I could hide the bruise with a T-shirt, but it would be there for afew days. I didn't mind one bit.
I'd gotten distracted from what I was doing with myhand, though I still had my fingers wrapped around Mal's wonderful cock. I gavehim a few more strokes before he had me distracted again. This time, he peeledmy shirt off over my head, making me give up my grip.
He worked his mouth lower, focusing on my breasts,worshiping each one of them in turn while I writhed in pleasure, my fingersburied in his shoulder length hair.
Mal was so good at making you feel like you were thecenter of the world, and he was making me melt. I really could not picture mylife without him in it, even after the short time we'd known each other.
Fuck, was this what falling in love was like? If so, Iguess I was well and truly fallen. I was too afraid to say anything, though, soI just lost myself in the sensations of Mal's expert love making.
He truly enjoyed making my body sing, especially as hecould feel my reactions to a degree
