Sometimes it struck him, how contemporary she was. Her movements fluid as she absorbed into the radiance of the dance, he couldn’t imagine how repressed she must have been in her time as a human. Living human experiences to the fullest, she flowed with the progression of time and culture.
Eyes blue as the rare moon, she beckoned him closer. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he didn’t lead, but moved in the rhythm she’d set. Leaning down, he kissed the pulse of her neck and murmured, “You astonish me.”
Sliding her hand under his shirt, her palm covered his skin, her fingers teased. The rumbling of the crowd, the thunder of the bass, the vibration of the floor all faded, and he could sense nothing but her. Moving with him, she embodied the seduction of the music.
Turning in his arms, she leaned into him. His palm splayed over her abdomen, he held her tight against him. “You and Gi seemed close,” he said.
“Jealous?”
“Maybe.”
She increased the pace. “An old flame, and now a dear friend.”
“Can we trust her?” The beat pumped in tune with her pulse, and he found his slowing to match.
“She’s one of the good ones. If I didn’t trust her, I wouldn’t have brought you here.”
He gripped her waist and spun her to face him again.
Her mouth quirked up in a feisty grin, eyes sparking with intrigue.
“Protecting me?”
“Even the fiercest hunter needs someone to watch his back.”
In her spiked heels, her height matched his. He leaned in and took her mouth, wordlessly saying what she refused to hear.
As the song faded, he released her. “We have work to do,” he murmured. Linking their hands, he led the way through the crowd and into the crisp cool of the night. Firing up the engine, he took off across the city.
Shimmering lights accented the history of the city, modern mixed with ancient, yet Adair predated most of it. Despite the late hour, the city hummed, and he wove through traffic, around the Arc de Triomphe, and hooked onto Avenue Kléber. After the glowing lights of the Place du Trocadéro, he followed Gi’s directions past the Monuments aux Morts, beyond a cemetery encased in a small forest, and down narrow alleys between houses that had been there since before the village was incorporated.
Halting outside a humble townhouse, he glanced up at the simple facade. “Are you sure this is it?”
Adair reached across and eased down the window. “You’re thinking like a demon hunter. Tell me what you smell.”
“Dog shit.”
“Smartass. What else?”
Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply. “Fresh blood. Human.”
“Good. Not easy to pick up, so deep within the house and surrounded by the normal scents of life. Now listen. How many?”
Scowling, he shut off the engine. Through the nearest window, he heard a trio by the upstairs window, chatting about who’s turn it was to order dinner. Rustling in another room. “Some upstairs. A few more down. Maybe a basement.”
“We’re outnumbered.”
“I’m always outnumbered. Come on, let’s go.” Bennett flashed her a wink before reaching for the door.
“Wait for your team. I’ve avoided Cambria for good reason. She’s powerful, and she’s ruthless.”
“Perfect. I’ve been wanting to stretch these wings.”
Grinding her teeth, Adair hissed, “This is exactly how Calloway got ahold of you. From the sound of things, this is how you lost Quinn, and I’m not talking about the break-up. You can’t go barging in without a plan against one of the oldest vampires on the planet. We need better reconnaissance first.”
Shifting into neutral and taking his foot off the brake, Bennett released a heavy exhale. “Yeah. You’re right. But without my boorish recklessness, we would never have found Ryan, and Typha would have unleashed the demon realm on Earth. Feral werewolves would have torn me to shreds. Without it… you wouldn’t be back in my life.” He trailed off at the end, realizing he’d yet again said exactly the words to drive her away again.
Chewing her cheek, Adair shook her head. She opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again and stared out the window at the empty street. “You’re not even armed. We weren’t planning on this tonight. Let’s come back tomorrow night after we’ve had time to prepare.”
