Page 76 of Chasing Savannah
Chapter 25
A total of six women had been attacked. The latest one happening last night. She had been attacked leaving her job, before the person who was to be her partner arrived to pick her up. Derrick growled and wiped the steam off the bathroom mirror. He’d left Callie’s house just a little while ago. Her sister Mallory had screamed at him the whole time he was there.
Callie had been shaken, but had fought off her attacker, at least according to her. He didn’t trust Callie, her sister Mallory, or their brother Ryan. Even after admonishment from the Felix, they were still talking about proposing peace between the prowls. He’d spent a better part of the morning questioning them. The three of them claimed not to know who the prowl was, or where they were located. Which was different from their claim that they’d heard from the other prowl’s Felix. They were lying. He just needed to find out why. He sighed and dried off. He needed to be downstairs, updating Carlos. They also needed to go over the upcoming council meeting, and yet...
He was fucking tired, and cranky.
Even as he and Carlos trekked their territory late into the night, familiarizing themselves with the territory, the attackers had been a step ahead of them, as though they had inside information on their patrol routes. The prowl land was vast and the responsibility added tension to his already tightened shoulders. He sat on the edge of the bed and wished his mate was near. His panther was getting harder to control, especially since he’d gotten a taste of her last night.
He was sliding a pair of jeans up over his hips when his doorbell rang. He frowned and walked into the living room. He paused near his couch, a familiar smell hardening his body.
Savannah was at the door.
He took a hasty look around, snatching up clothes and stuffing them into the hallway closet. He rushed to the door and opened it.
She smiled at him and his chest tightened. Her hair was braided in cornrows, and she wore a pair of black jogging pants that were ripped at the knee and a cropped sweatshirt. The way the pants fit had him salivating slightly. Her eyes were as busy as his, traveling up the length of his body. She stopped to ogle his chest a moment.
She cleared her throat. “Are you going to invite me in? I come bearing gifts.” She held up the cake dish she was holding, wafting it under his nose.
He hadn’t even noticed she was carrying it. He stepped back. “Please, come in.”
He stopped her as she passed him. He lifted her chin and kissed her. Her lips parted immediately and he drove his tongue into her mouth. She pulled back and smiled and walked into his apartment. The worries from his day shed as her power entered his space. His panther rolled in his body, her soothing magic dissipating some of the stress from his morning. He grabbed the dish she had and walked it into the kitchen. He came back to find her wandering the room.
She gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry for not calling ahead. It was kind of spur of the moment.”
He shrugged and closed the distance between them. “You’re welcome in my apartment anytime. As a matter of point, I can’t wait until the day we mate so we can move into the penthouse together.”
“Carlos’ apartment isn’t the penthouse?”
“Nope. We’re still waiting on it to be done. Plus, we’re waiting on our mate to decorate it, so…” he leaned down and kissed away the stunned look on her face.
God, he couldn’t get enough of kissing her. He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. He lifted her to get a better angle on her mouth and wrapped her legs around his waist. He nearly lost it. He pushed his hard-on into her center and she whimpered and that sound was nearly his undoing as the memories from last night swamped him.
She pulled back breathing hard. “I didn’t…”
He kissed her neck, pulling the skin into his mouth and biting down. She moaned and dropped her head back. He opened his mouth right over her throat under her chin, his teeth aching with the need to bite down and claim his mate.
“Derrick,” she whispered.
“Yes, kitten.”
“I came to talk to you.”
He sighed and released her neck. “About what, babe?”
She didn’t move her legs, so he walked them back to the sofa and sat with her on his lap.
“Let’s talk then.” He nibbled on her neck.
She tapped his shoulder. “I can’t think when you do that.”
“Fine.” He pouted, giving one last lingering kiss to her lips. “I’m listening.”
She traced his face. “I have no idea what to say. I’m nervous.”
“What did you bring me?” He rubbed her back.
Her face lit. “Red velvet cake.”
