“Demons.” Dorn spat the dirty word.
Kassern reeled with horror. “When can I bring her?”
“Immediately. The bacteria reproduces at more than ten times the rate of normal bacteria. It is also undergoing extremely rapid genetic mutation, no doubt intentional, rather than the random changes we would expect to see. We can’t be too careful until we understand it more. I need to run several tests and find out how her body is resisting it. How is the wound?”
Kassern raked his hand through his hair, wanting to hurt something. “It seems not to be progressing any further than a rough bruise.”
“Bring her to the Grotto at first chance. I am confident in three days, I will have an antidote.”
“I’ll get her now. Dorn?”
“I’ll hold things here. We’ll keep all activity under the radar while you’re gone.”
Kassern nodded, rubbing his mouth and looking around, feeling disoriented. The idea that Karly was so close to death ripped his angelic control apart. Kassern tried to figure out how to break it to her that they would have to leave immediately.
She would resist, no doubt, insisting that the wound was nothing, so he would have to convince her to go. Not to mention, he wanted to spend one more night with her first, since he would likely not get to touch her while there. Just the idea made his entire body ache for her. “In the morning. I’ll bring her in the morning.”
“Good idea.” Dorn gave Kassern one hard slap on the back.
Unfortunately, Kassern's worries took away any enjoyment of the highly unusual display of affection.
The sooner he had Karly looked at the better. This was good. Of course it was, he needed to act like an angel and not a pussy-whipped human.
** ** **
Exhaustion pulled at Sam, bones and muscles filled with a liquid ache on top of the waves of painful tremors that kept rolling over her. Despite the soul-deep weariness, she forced her reluctant brain to consider the cozy warmth surrounding her.
The most delicious scent filled her senses, all fresh and warm and… Male? Surely she was imagining it?
The question forced her brain into the next level of alert.
She was cold, bone deep and deadly, but a source of magnificent heat held direct contact with her skin. The surface was firm but giving, silky smooth but textured. Skin?
She climbed to the next level of awareness. Searching for details, she found hard muscle and amazing contours. Big.
A dream no doubt. No man would be naked and pressed up against her. It was the pitiful truth, even if it hurt. She might as well enjoy. No doubt imaginary men were the only kind she'd ever have the opportunity to make love to.
She needed no further incentive to snuggle closer, molding her body to the big muscular frame of her dreams. His scent was addictive and she drew it deeper into her with every breath. She nuzzled her face in even closer and gave in to the temptation to slide her lips along the silky skin at the base of his throat.
The dream man sucked in a breath and held it, muscles tight. Mmm. What an amazingly vivid dream.
Warm satiny skin begged to be tasted and Sam obliged. Her tongue slipped between her lips for the tiniest sample. Delectable. She had to have more. The tip of her tongue moved of its own volition, tracing the line of his collar bone then settling back into the notch at the center.
Dream man’s throat moaned, barely audible, and strong arms pulled her closer to his body while one big hand slid down her back to lightly cup her ass. He shifted a little to his back and brought her partially atop him, allowing her better access to that wondrous chest. The hand on her butt slid down the back of her thigh and applied gentle pressure to draw her leg up.
An inferno of a massive erection twitched against her inner thigh, drawing a moan from her. Damn, how vivid and realistic could a dream be? She ached, knowing any minute she’d wake up alone in a cold bed in her second story bedroom of the ranch house. She trailed little kisses down the center of his chest, occasionally veering to the side to taste an incredible pec.
Dream Man moaned again and trailed the hand still on her thigh back upward, taking the time to stop and caress her muscled curves, and made her wish she'd shaved her legs more recently. Then magical fingers found the groove at the top of her thigh and slipped forward to nestle next to her sex.
"Mmmm, yes." The breathy whisper escaped with a desperate ache for more. She paused to swirl her tongue along the underside of a well-developed pec, reveling in the little shiver that passed through him.
Those fingers moved over her cotton panties to settle across her lips with the lightest touch, almost tickling. He grunted a little—frustration?—and slipped his fingers inside the elastic at the leg. The tips combed lightly through her pubic hair, tightening muscles she'd never known about. Incredible heat and tension built fast, settling right above her pubic bone, making her push toward it.