Page 50 of The Incubus and the Bodyguard

“Got you,” she whispered.

Vlad shifted in his sleep beside her, his face peaceful for once. Delphine found herself watching him longer than she should, memorizing the way his lashes fanned against his cheeks and the slight parting of his lips.

She hesitated before reaching out and stroking a gentle finger across his jawline, like she had wanted to do at the restaurant.

Vlad sighed softly and turned into her touch, his breath warming her skin.

Desire and an emotion she refused to identify knotted her belly.

Delphine swallowed hard and got up to make another drink, Tarang’s knowing gaze following her.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

The smellof coffee and bacon roused Vlad from his uncomfortable position on the couch. His neck protested when he lifted his head off the back rest. Papers and laptops littered the coffee table in front of him, evidence of their long night searching through the security footage from the restaurant.

Delphine had cleared the takeout containers and covered him with a blanket.

Vlad blinked groggily and pushed himself up.

Morning light flooded the apartment through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Manhattan was already bustling beyond them.

He checked his watch. It was eight a.m.

Vlad fell back on the couch and closed his eyes. Part of him wanted to believe the last few days had been a dream. That he could pinch himself awake and somehow be in full possession of his powers again. That the curse that had robbed him and Tarang of their magic was nothing but a fading nightmare.

He only had to reach inside himself to confirm that the yawning darkness where his demonic energy should have been was still there.

Tarang’s rumble came to him then, along with the quiet sounds of Delphine moving around his kitchen.

“You’re worse than my uncle’s Rottweiler,” the super soldier told the tiger. There was a pause. “No, that wasn’t a compliment.”

The familiar huffed sheepishly.

The corner of Vlad’s mouth lifted despite himself.

It was clear from the last couple of days that Delphine already held a special place in Tarang’s heart.

He rose and headed for the kitchen, his steps quiet on the marble floor.

Delphine stood at the stove in fitted black cargo pants and a green sweater that hugged her curves. Her hair was pulled back in the French braid that had first caught his attention at the bar, the tips still wet from a shower. She flipped a pancake with practiced ease.

Tarang sat at her feet with a hopeful expression. His tail started sweeping the floor the instant he spotted Vlad.

“I see you’ve corrupted my familiar,” Vlad drawled.

Delphine glanced over her shoulder, one eyebrow arching in an expression that made awareness prickle his skin.

“He was already corrupt. I caught him trying to steal bacon while my back was turned.”

Tarang put on his best innocent face.

“Traitor,” Vlad murmured to the tiger. He poured himself a coffee from the freshly made pot and leaned against the counter. “Did you sleep at all?”

“A little.” Delphine transferred the pancake onto a plate already stacked with several others. “I found something interesting in the security footage.”

His pulse quickened at her tone. “What kind of something?”

“The kind that explains what happened at theOro Divino.” She turned off the stove and faced him, her gaze steady. “Let’s eat first.”

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