“We’d better get inside,” Marsten whispered as the cab pulled away.
He looked around, nostrils flaring, body tense, as if we’d just stepped into a trap…which we probably had. Definitely not the time to worry about my life’s recent crash and burn. When this was over, I should just be thankful I still had a life to repair.
“Good security,” Marsten whispered as I undid the dual deadbolt. “Are the other doors and windows—?”
“All armed. Motion detectors in every room, too. My mom worries.”
I hurried in to disarm the system. It was still active. If Tristan had beat us here, he’d backed off when he’d seen the security. This wasn’t the kind of neighborhood that ignored screaming sirens. Better to wait for us to disarm the system.
“What now?” I said as Marsten relocked the front door.
“Turn on a couple of lights, and stay away from the windows. Is that open land out back?”
“A park,” I said. “Mostly forest.”
“Good. That’s where I’ll try to get him then. Away from the houses. We’ll stay here for a bit, give him time to arrive and stake out the house. Then I’ll change and lead him into the forest.”
“Change?” The words “but I don’t have anything for you to wear” were on my lips when I realized what he meant. “Into a wolf.”
He nodded. “By far the preferred way for dealing with these things. Easier to track, easier to fight and”—a quick smile—“a built-in disguise if anyone sees me.”
I flipped on the living room and hall lights.
“What about the television?” I said. “Should I turn that on, too?”
A brow arch. “We escape death, flee to the safety of your townhouse…and watch television?”
“So what would Tristan expect?—” I followed his gaze to the stairs leading to the second level. “Ah, of course. You’d want a good night’s rest.”
“And that’s probably all I’d get,” he muttered. “Unless I set the place on fire first. From Tristan’s point of view, though, we just had a harrowing evening, I saved your life—”
“You did?”
“Play along. You take me upstairs—”
“Oh, reward sex.” I paused. “But for proper reward sex I wouldn’t take you upstairs. We probably wouldn’t even make it past the front door. I just push you against the wall, get down on my knees—”
He cut me off with a growl. “I’d suggest you stop there unless you plan to follow through.”
“Oh, but I would follow through…if you’d saved my life.” I swung around the banister onto the stairs. “Not that you’d let me, though. No sex unless it’s you I want, remember? No chaos sex. No reward sex. That’s your rule.”
He muttered something and followed me up the stairs.
At Marsten’s suggestion, the first thing I did was remove my dress…which sounds a whole lot more interesting than it was. As he pointed out, heels and a slinky yellow dress didn’t make good late-night commando gear. While he cleaned up, I put on jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers. Then we headed for my bedroom. Yes, I have a separate dressing room. It’s a three-bedroom townhouse—I’m just trying to make efficient use of space. Really.
I walked into my darkened bedroom, flicked on the light, then made a face.
“Sorry,” I said. “It’s a mess. I wasn’t expecting company.”
“Poor Doug.” Marsten walked to the unmade bed, plunked down on it, and gave it a test bounce. “Doesn’t get a lot of use, I’ll bet.”
“I’m picky. Sorry.”
A wolfish grin. “Don’t be. I like picky.” He pushed to his feet. “Well, no, usually I don’t like picky, but this time, I think I do.”
With a sidelong glance through the window, he put his arms around my waist, leaned down, and kissed me. It was a slow kiss, easy and relaxed, with none of the practiced attention to art of his first one.
“Setting the scene?” I murmured with a nod toward the window.
“A good excuse.” He kissed me again, then sighed. “You really are immune, aren’t you?”
“To what?” I caught his look and rolled my eyes. “Oh please. You really are vain, aren’t you?”
“I already admitted that. I can’t help it—I’m accustomed to having my attentions returned.”
“Ah.”
“Not even going to bite for that, are you?”
I stepped back and sat on the edge of the bed. “What? You admit that you find me attractive, so I’m honor-bound to return the compliment? Fine, yes, you have your charms.”