Page 15 of Tall, Dark & Horny

“Good.”

Then he kissed me. The press of his lips against mine wasn’t rushed or tentative. It was a deliberately slow claiming. His hand curved around the back of my neck, thumb brushing just beneath my ear. The heat of his mouth slid over mine like a promise, and everything else faded into the background. Including the part of me that still tried to deny that any of this was real.

The only thing I was aware of was Adan. The feel of his lips. The quiet strength in his touch. And the sudden, breathless awareness that something in me was changing—responding to him in a way that defied logic.

I swayed toward him, wanting more, but then he stilled. His hand tensed slightly at my nape, and he pulled back, just enough to rest his forehead against mine. His breathing turned ragged, his voice rough with restraint. “Something’s wrong.”

A knot formed low in my stomach. “What do you mean?”

“A ripple in the wards.” He pulled away, his hand lingering on my neck for a heartbeat longer. “I have to check on something.”

Disappointment and confusion churned in my chest, but I nodded. “Okay.”

His gaze swept over me as though he didn’t want to forget a single detail. “I’ll see you soon, Calliope.”

He turned and walked away, his powerful stride already shifting into something more purposeful…and dangerous.

I entered my suite, and the door closed behind me with a soft click. But I didn’t move right away. My fingers brushed my lips as my heart thundered in my chest.

The kiss had shaken me for all the right reasons. But it was the look in his eyes as he walked away that really made my knees go weak.

7

ADAN

Istalked down the hallway the moment I was out of Calliope’s sight. The pull to return to her coiled like a chain around my ribs, but the disturbance in the wards throbbed hard enough to demand my attention.

The echo of her kiss still lingered on my lips. After pulling it deep into my lungs, her scent remained. Subtle but heady. A potent blend of wild honey and distant thunderstorms.

My demon snarled inside me, furious at the interruption. He was pissed as fuck at being forced to leave her side.

I should have been back in my mate’s suite, tasting more of that sweet skin. And finding out exactly how far she was willing to let me go. Instead, I was heading toward a problem. One that would regret existing the moment I laid eyes on it.

I took the side stairs down two levels and emerged into the east wing, where the pulse had originated.

Kastiel was already waiting for me.

The head of security stood with his arms crossed and his obsidian eyes tracking my approach. Built like a fortress, he gave a curt nod in greeting. “Adan.”

“Talk fast.”

“A shifter guest lost his temper in the games room. Loud. Threatening. Nothing that broke your laws, but enough to trip the aggression ward.”

My jaw flexed.

“The staff handled it. He was drunk. Minor property damage.”

“What kind of shifter?”

“Mountain lion. Loner pack.” Kastiel tilted his head. “Young and stupid.”

I exhaled slowly. Not worth branding or tossing out, but close. “Warn him. If he so much as raises his voice again, I’ll handle it personally.”

“Understood.”

I looked around the corridor, feeling the faint hum of wards restoring themselves. The glyphs overhead had already begun to cool.

“Anything else?” I asked.

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