Anya Bast - Witch Heart

"I want to be there when you do."

She flinched. What an odd reaction. "Thank you. Really, this… searing of the elium to my seat, it isn't so different from the experiments that Rue did on me. He grafted daaeman magick onto my earth magick and I had to learn how to manage it. He totally altered my power that way. This is just on a larger scale, and I need to be sure of what he gave me in order to proceed. Tomorrow I'll find out what this is for certain, whether it's the elium or not."

He nodded. "I'll start talking to Micah about your problem tomorrow." He glanced at the clock. "Now it's time to get some sleep."

She made a scoffing noise. "Sleep? Tonight? I don't think so."

Yeah, I know what you're saying." He rubbed his chin. You have to be hungry. Want something to eat?"

She grimaced. "Almost all the food I've had so far has been disgusting."

He recoiled as if in shock. "Whoa! That's only because you haven't tasted my famous banana pepper sandwich." He drew her to her feet. "It'll help you sleep, promise."

"Banana peppers will help me sleep?"

"Yeah, it shocks your body right into a deep slumber. Kills all your dreams for the night as an added bonus. Works like a charm."

She laughed. It was a nice sound, full of joy. It was the first time he'd heard her do it. "At this point I'm willing to try anything."

Fifteen minutes later he slid his creation to the center of the breakfast bar in the middle of the kitchen and dug into his own sandwich with relish.

She eyed the hoagie bun dubiously. He'd scooped out the innards of the thick bottom half and replaced it with a mixture of salt, olive oil, capers and diced banana peppers. On top, he'd layered a little bit of prosciutto and some aged Monterey Jack cheese.

"What did you eat on Eudae?" A memory of the contents of Erasmus Boyle's refrigerator flashed into his mind. "Scratch that, maybe I don't want to know."

She picked up the sandwich and studied the end. "Actually, probably nothing you would find abhorrent. The Atrika are the ones with the nasty diet, raw rotting meat is their favorite. The Ytrayi and other daaeman breeds eat very healthy things. Some cooked meats. Lots of nuts, berries, and vegetables. I ate what they ate. It's quite good for you. Not, what do you call it? Junk food."

"You've never had junk food? Oh, man, you've missed out on part of your heritage. I've got a whole world of Ho Hos and Ding Dongs to show you."

"I had some yellow cakes with filling my second day here. That was good."

"Twinkies?"

She shrugged. "Maybe." Grimacing, she bit into his sandwich and chewed while Adam waited for her reaction.

Claire closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, a look of rapture passing over her face. "This is delicious."

Adam couldn't help the slow slide of his gaze over her plump lips, the curve of her chin leading to her throat, and the way her long eyelashes lay against her cheek.

She smiled at him. "If this is junk food, bring on the Ding Dings!"

Adam grinned. Gods, she was cute. He was trying not to look at her sexually, him being her protector and all. Ordinarily, it probably wouldn't bother him so much, but Claire was different. She seemed so innocent, new to this world. Of course, she wasn't. She was a grown woman in her early thirties. A woman who had seen and heard things so far beyond his comprehension he could barely imagine them.

He wondered if Rue had ever forced himself on her. Adam's fists twitched at the mere thought. He wondered if she'd ever had demon sex, voluntary or not.

There was no tactful way to ask that question.

"Ding Dongs," he corrected.

"What?" She batted long, dark lashes and crossed her legs. They'd bought her a few clothes today, so she wore a pair of new jeans. She grinned. "Oh, yes. Sorry."

She was starting to warm up. That was good. It was nor good that he was starting to warm up, too, and the reason why had nothing to do with his abilities. He watched her polish off the sandwich and practically lick the plate clean.

He cleared his throat. "We'd better at least try to get some sleep tonight." He took another bite of his sandwich.

Claire pushed the empty plate toward him and stared down at it. "About that." She drew a breath. "I haven't had one good night of sleep since I was pushed through. Well… if you don't count the times I was passed out or drugged." Her lips quirked.

"What can I do to help you?" he asked around a mouthful.

She raised her gaze. "Sleep with me."

ADAM CHOKED ON HIS BITE OF SANDWICH AND coughed. "Uh, what do you mean?"

"Since I was eight I've slept on the floor near Rue's bed. Every single night. I'm not used to beds or to sleeping alone. I've been having nightmares."

Claire. In his bedroom. When he was already fighting an inappropriate attraction to her? He wasn't such an uncontrolled cad that he couldn't resist her… he didn't think. Still, it wasn't the best scenario.

"Don't you think your nightmares might have more to do with your situation, Claire, and less to do with your sleeping arrangements?"

She pursed her lips. "No."

He sighed. "Look, no way am I letting you sleep on the floor. What was wrong with this guy Rue anyway—"

"Nothing!" she shot back. "It's just the way things are done there."

He stared at her for a moment, wondering how else things were done there. Adam wanted to ask her about Rue and if she'd ever been taken advantage of by him, but he didn't know her well enough to ask. It wasn't his business, even if his hands heated with anger at the thought of this woman being forced by demon scum.

"Look, that's not the way things are done here, okay? We'll move one of the twin mattresses into my room and you can sleep on that. No way am I letting you sleep on the hard, drafty floor of this old house."

"But—"

"No way." He used his cop voice. He hadn't used that one in a long, long time.

Her lips compressed for a moment. "I can try it."

"Trust me, you'll get used to sleeping in a bed. It's much more comfortable. Can I ask why he made you sleep you on the floor, Claire?"

He figured it was to show her she was lesser. Adam wanted her to say it. It was the first step in breaking through that weird Stockholm syndrome shit.

"The magick. Even at night his experiments worked in me. I slept on a cushion, not the floor, but it allowed me to be at the correct elevation for him to wake and make adjustments as I slept."

Adam bit back the lab rat comment poised on the tip of his tongue and nodded curtly. Hell, her sleeping in his room was probably a good idea anyway. They still didn't know if the dynamic demon duo had tracked them out of Chicago magickically or not. It was probably best she was near one of them in case they showed up during the night.

He nodded. "Let's move the bed then."

Between the two of them, the task was done quickly. Adam knew Theo would get the wrong idea because Adam had a certain reputation among the witches. That was something to deal with tomorrow. Tonight they needed to get some rest.

Adam came out of the bathroom, rubbing a towel through his hair. He'd barely managed to remember to put on a T-shirt and a pair of boxers before he'd exited. Normally, he didn't wear pajamas to bed. Probably better he did these days, anyway. He didn't want the experience of fighting demons in the buff.

Claire sat on the edge of her bed with her back to him. She was just pulling a nightshirt over her head. He got an eyeful of slender, creamy back tapering to a waist any man would want to nip at. He glimpsed the curve of a breast and the flash of one pretty pink nipple before the fabric sheathed her.

He stopped short, towel nearly dropping from his suddenly loose grip.