Page 41 of Shield and Savior

I take out the hotel room key from my pocket, and she gives me a glance. “You planned this?”

Shaking my head, I inform her, “I planned for a secure location on the premises in case something happened. I didn’t think I was going to need to protect the bride from you, though.”

Izzy rests her head on my shoulder. “See, that’s where you went wrong.”

The minute the elevator door opens, I usher her down the hallway and push open the door to the room, doing a quick walkthrough. Safe, secure. It’s pretty basic—bathroom, king-size bed in the center. Nothing spectacular—but it’s clean. And private.

Honey Badger would die if she was in a room like this. Alana might grumble about the lack of USB chargers. Izzy takes one step in, and her jaw drops. “This is like a rich person’s grown-up room. Look at that bed.”

Fuck. Yet another layer to her.

Teenage mom, living alone, making ends meet. Besides the family vacation to Disney, has she ever been on vacation? Is this her first time in a hotel room as an adult?

She’s missed out on way too much. And I’m gonna fix that, starting right now.

I pull her into my chest and whisper, “You’re adorable.” My fingers trace up her spine before resting at the base of her skull.

She tilts her head. “Adorable, willing to start a war over baked goods, and an expert on Bigfoot and his southern cousin the Skunk Ape.”

It’s a deflection, like she’s not one hundred percent comfortable right now. She doesn’t break away from my touch, but she’s still trying to figure out exactly what to do next.

I’ll play along. “Skunk Ape?”

“Yeah, he’s a bipedal humanoid Sasquatch who lives in the swamps of the south. There are entire documentaries and TV shows about people hunting him down. His most disgusting feature is his bad smell.”

“I find it impossible that something might smell bad in a swamp,” I say sarcastically. This is not exactly the sexy conversation I had hoped for. “But why don’t we watch one of those documentaries next week when Drew goes to bed.”

Her eyes light up as she throws her arms around my neck, pressing her body into mine. “I like everything about that.”

Good. Her breath hitches as I dip toward her lips. My forehead presses to hers, and her eyes haze over as they flutter shut. I move one hand to her hip, lacing the other through her hair at the base of her skull. We linger there, breathing each other’s air.

I expect her to pull away, but when she doesn’t, I take my chance. Our lips press together, soft and tentative, like we are waiting for the other to retreat. Her tongue flicks against my lips, and it’s all the go ahead I need. My fingers grip her head, holding her in place as our lips and mouths explore. She moans, and it sparks a feral craving inside of me to make her do it again.

Her hands work across my chest, up my neck, until they reach my hair. She moans again as my grip on her hip tightens. Her dress feels so soft against my hand, tempting me to touch as much as I can.

The idea hits me.

Oh, she’s about to have a great night.

I drag my mouth down her neck, raking my teeth against her soft tender skin. “Do you want me to stop?” I ask.

“No,” she gasps, with a slight edge of panic.

“Good.” I break my lips from her skin and say, “Go sit on the bed.”

Her eyes flash with excitement, and it’s like I can hear her thoughts, “It’s so fancy.” She sits, leaning back on her elbows, her arms holding her up. Her lips are swollen from our kiss, and pink flushes across her chest.

I open the plastic container with the chocolate cake as she watches me. “You’re going to eat this cake and talk all about the Skunk Ape while I do everything in my power to make you scream my name.”

Her jaw drops. “Um, the Skunk Ape isn’t exactly the sexiest cryptid.”

“I’m well aware. But this is about you.” I hand her the container and drop to my knees. She shivers as my hands slide up her warm thighs where her dress falls open. She stares at me, half disbelieving but mostly curious. “Go on.” I nod to the plastic container sitting open in her hands.

“What if I get icing in your hair?” she asks.

I can’t help but laugh as she hisses when I spread her thighs, splaying my fingers against her lush, soft skin. “Not a concern right now, Izzy.”

She moans as my lips kiss up her thighs. But I’m not sure if she’s reacting to the cake or my mouth. And it doesn’t matter. I want to hear it again.

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