47

His groan reverberated right through me, and he drew away, his chest heaving with each breath. “You’re so difficult to resist.”

“Then don’t…” I lifted an eyebrow, but he grinned and shook his head.

“You need to eat, just like you needed to relax and sleep last night. And I need to let you do that.”

“Such a gentleman,” I teased, but gratitude almost lost against the irritation inside me, because morning sex sounded pretty fucking good, actually, regardless of what Nic thought I needed. “But I am completely available to meet all your needs, too.”

I pushed the blanket from myself in a bold reveal then groaned at a sharp knock at the door.

“Raincheck?” Nic grinned as he tossed a T-shirt toward me and I slipped it on. “It’s Aimée,” he murmured, and I nodded, knowing better than to ask how he knew.

Vampire hearing, vampire sense of smell. Vampire telepathy for all I knew. Something that gave him a superpower, anyway.

He wandered back to the door, still wrapped in the ridiculous throw, and his muscles bunched and shifted as he moved, although he looked to be giving it extra sway. Then he glanced over his shoulder and grinned. Yeah, definitely extra sway, and it totally worked because my fingers itched to touch him.

He opened the door then opened his mouth to speak, but he didn’t get a word out before Aimée barreled past him and came to an abrupt halt when she saw me.

“Oh, thank fuck,” she said as she rushed the rest of the way to my side. She grabbed me and squished me into a tight hug, my head against her boobs, while Nic watched, an amused smile playing on his lips.

“I’m going to take a shower.” He headed toward the bathroom. “I won’t be long.”

“I won’t leave her side for a moment,” Aimée declared as she folded herself up on the comforter beside me.

“Not necessary.” I smiled at her before I took another bite of my beignet, my lips still tingling from Nic’s kisses.

“Absolutely necessary,” she countered. “Fuck, you gave me a scare yesterday, Leia.”

I glanced at her and raised my eyebrow. “I gave you a scare? How about the one Valérie gave me?”

Aimée paled. “I am so sorry. I never should have let you be alone. I just thought… I thought I was close enough. I didn’t even imagine that a trip to the bathroom… Nic was close, the guys were around, I didn’t see any unknown vampires. I didn’t think. Valérie was staff.” She took a couple of deep breaths. “Nic almost lost you and it was my fault for letting my guard down, and I’m so sorry. I won’t even blame him if he exiles me or something.”

“Exiles you?” I laughed. “What the hell for? For letting me go to the bathroom alone? I’ve been doing that for a lot of years now, thanks.”

She glanced away. “For nearly getting his true mate killed. His queen.”

I ignored the reverence in her voice and waved my hand. “Everyone is so serious. Valérie overplayed her hand and you stopped her.” I didn’t feel nearly as casual as I sounded, but I couldn’t handle too much more vampire guilt from Aimée. “Thank you for being there. I couldn’t have fought her off on my own.”

The crushing panic threatened to settle in my chest again as memories of struggling under Valérie’s weight and strength rushed through my mind, but I pushed it away, focusing instead on the anger that had burned through me later.

“You’re too fragile as you are,” Aimée chastised me gently as she pulled me into a hug. “We can’t let this go on.”

I choked out a laugh against her soft, blonde hair. “Short of walking around in a full suit of armor, or with Jason at my heels every second of every day, there’s not a whole lot we can do.”

She stilled, the seconds drawing out as she said nothing. Then she sighed. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Me too.” I rubbed her back as a surge of emotion filled my eyes with tears. Shit. I wasn’t used to friends and affection, and I especially wasn’t used to a friend who felt almost like a sister. “I don’t know what I would have done without you,” I whispered as I clung tighter to her.

The bathroom door opened and steam billowed out, bringing with it Nic’s spicy scent. I relaxed, releasing Aimée and shoving another bite of beignet into my mouth so I didn’t gape at Nic by mistake.

He wore more or less the same thing every day, but he seemed to look even more mouthwatering since we’d had sex the first time, like if I got too close, I might accidentally touch him, might accidentally start removing his clothes, might accidentally jump his bones, or something.

His black shirt was still unbuttoned, and it moved as he walked, teasing me with hints of his chest. His black pants were perfectly tailored and clung across his strong thighs and ass. He lifted his hands, his nimble fingers making light work of his buttons as he fastened them, and I followed the movement downward, almost feeling like I had X-ray vision for a moment, as my gaze landed on the front of his pants.

I looked away, but not before a corner of his mouth tilted like he’d read my mind.

“See something you like?” His voice was low, sexy, dangerous with promise, and Aimée covered her face.

“Sister in the room, you guys.”

“Well, that’s easily remedied, though, Aimée. The door’s over there.” Nic jerked his head in the direction of the door he’d mentioned then grinned. “But alas, I’m the one who needs to use it.” He focused back on me. “I need to go to the club. I need to find out what happened last night, interview my staff at the casino about Valérie and what they know about her motives…”

He trailed off, his face grim, and I shivered. There was probably a lot in his head I didn’t want to know. A lot in a vampire’s head I never wanted to know.

“I just need to make sure nothing like that ever happens again.” Desperation flickered through his gaze then seemed to form a crease between his brows.