Page 278 of Flirting with Darkness

Again, he silently studied her, but didn’t ask her a million questions like normal people did.

A second later he moved, and the lights clicked off.

The harsh buzz of the fluorescents disappeared, and the darkness wrapped around her again like a blanket – comforting and soothing.

Nova let her eyes adjust and then followed him through the back room of the mortuary and to some kind of basement. This time she didn’t hesitate. She followed him down the dark stairs and watched as he tossed the body into the incinerator.

A moment later it got hotter than hell and he crossed his arms over his chest, the light of the flames framing his body as he watched the wolf burn to ash. “Wanna grab some pizza?”

8

NOVA

They sat in the booth of the dimly lit pizzeria together, silently eating pizza with all the toppings.

Nova grabbed her beer and downed as much of it as she could in one go. The food was good here and so was the beer. It was definitely going on her list of approved eateries.

Dex grabbed another piece of pizza and she watched as he tipped his head back to let the cheese fall into his mouth. Time seemed to slow down and she froze mid swallow. Why did everything he do look like a striptease?

Then he shoved almost the entire piece of pizza in his mouth and she nearly choked.

“Damn, boy.”

He stopped like she’d caught him doing something naughty and looked at her in shock.

Nova smirked. “Save some for the rest of us.” She grabbed the last slice of pizza and took a bite, making sure to keep her eyes down.

Dex was dangerous, and not just because of what he might be.

Yes, whatever and whoever he was, was very dangerous.

Nova hadn’t realized he’d killed two other shifters on her trail. When he came back to the mortuary with all three bodies, her jaw had hit the floor. He’d said he’d go back and clean the alley, and this time, she’d believed him.

But he was also dangerous because she couldn’t stop fucking gawking every time he moved.

At least there was no one else in the pizzeria this late at night, and she liked the feel of the candlelight with a few choice electric bulbs. They were the old, yellow kind – not LEDs which made the light softer and gentler.

Even still, Dex had picked the darkest corner of the pizzeria. Though she wasn’t sure if it was for her or for him.

Her baseball cap was on the booth bench beside her with her jacket. Nova didn’t see the point in wearing it anymore, not when he’d already seen, but it was habit to let her hair fall in front of her face. She’d only been doing it nearly her whole fucking life.

Nova ripped her pizza into pieces, thinking about the way Dex had gone straight into the bathroom when they’d arrived. His gloves were clean now, but he was still eating with them on.

Like a weirdo.

She placed a pepper on her tongue and wondered if he’d tell her what he was if she asked.

Even now, there was a strain between them despite how relaxed he seemed to be. She knew he had a million questions for her, and was no doubt wondering why she didn’t seem bothered by death and the disposal of bodies.

Telling him she was also a hunter before she knew who and what he was…

It was too much of a risk, and if the paranormals in town knew a hunter had arrived, that would only make her job harder.

Nova dared a look up and was relieved when she saw him staring out the window instead of at her. She placed a small scrap of pizza in her mouth and considered him as she chewed.

What if he was one of the ones she’d been sent to report on?

So far, there was nothing she could put in her report about him specifically. Nova didn’t know what kind of paranormal he was, and she wasn’t ready to have this become part of her job. Not when he’d saved her life.

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