Keri Arthur - Fireborn

“And what about Rory?”

He practically spat the name, and it made me even angrier. “He’s out for the night. And he’s probably enjoying himself a whole lot more than I am.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he growled. “You seemed to be enjoying yourself just fine with that Fae.”

My eyes widened. “You were watching me?”

“I told you we were.” His expression closed over sharply. The darkness within him didn’t retreat, however. It was as deadly and as alluring as ever.

I shivered and walked over to the planter. “No, you told me Adam the vampire was watching me.”

“Adam is my partner.”

I paused and looked over my shoulder. “You? The man who thinks all nonhumans should be dead, with a vampire partner? Yeah, right.”

“I don’t believe that,” he growled. “I never have.”

“Then why say it?”

He snorted, his expression dark, angry. But deep in the unlit recesses of his eyes, there were also the stirring ashes of hurt. “Because when you discover the woman you love is fucking another man, you tend to say things you otherwise wouldn’t.” He paused, then made a sharp motion with his hand. “That, however, is the past, and totally irrelevant. Protecting you, and checking everyone you interact with, isn’t. And that duty, unfortunately, has been handed down to me.”

I finally found the USB and swung around. “And what did you find out about my Fae?”

“Nothing yet. But if there’s anything to find, we’ll find it.”

“And if there’s not?”

He shrugged. “Then you running into him like that really was nothing more than a coincidence.”

I snorted softly and tossed him the USB. He caught it easily, then said, “What’s this?”

“Notes from four of the five notebooks I transcribed. Mark’s caution rubbed off, and I usually keep a copy aside just in case the files went missing in the system or something went wrong in the transfer.”

“What about the fifth one?”

I hesitated, then admitted, “I didn’t get around to copying that over.”

“Well, at least you’ve done something that vaguely resembles smart,” he muttered, studying the USB like a scientist might a bug.

I glared at him for a moment, then said, voice flat, “Get out of my doorway.”

He glanced up, surprise flaring in his eyes. “What?”

“I said, get out. Leave this building. Now ,” I added, when he didn’t immediately move.

He raised an almost mocking eyebrow and half turned away, then paused. His shadowed blue gaze met mine a final time.

“One thing you should know,” he said softly. “I don’t believe in coincidences. Trust me, Red. The Fae is up to something.”

And with that warning hanging in the air, he left.

Thankfully, by the time I got to bed, I was too goddamn tired to dream about anything. My sleep was long and blissful, and I woke refreshed and filled with anticipation for the day ahead.

And not even Sam’s warning could dampen that.

Even the weather gods seemed to be on my side. After the rain and the cold of the past few days, they’d pulled something magical out of the bag, presenting Melbourne with clear blue skies and an almost springlike ambience.

Given I wasn’t exactly sure where Jackson was taking me—and to be honest, didn’t really care—I went with a swirly, flowery skirt and tight-fitting shirt and teamed them with gorgeous leather boots with heels just high enough to flatter my calves while still being comfortable enough to walk a fair distance. Rory still wasn’t home by the time I was ready to leave, so I left him a note, then happily made my way down to the foyer.

Jackson was waiting for me, looking decidedly sexy in faded jeans that emphasized the muscular length of his legs and a black, short-sleeved shirt that made the most of his shoulders and arms.

His gaze skimmed me as I walked toward him. “You,” he said, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close, “look fucking amazing.”

And then he kissed me, not sweetly, not gently, but with a fierce hunger, as if he intended to make love to me here in the middle of the foyer.

To say we were both more than a little breathless when we finally parted was an understatement.

“If breakfast is anywhere near as good as that kiss,” I said, my breathing erratic and my voice little more than a husky whisper, “I’m going to be a mighty happy woman.”

He smiled, caught my hand, and led me out of the building. Just for a moment, awareness prickled my skin. It wasn’t sexual in any way, but rather the sensation of being watched. I glanced around casually, but couldn’t see anyone obvious. But then, I hadn’t last night, either.

Jackson’s mode of transport wasn’t exactly what I’d been expecting, but it did totally suit him. It was a big red pickup truck whose nose and tail had been decorated with flames, and it looked as powerful as its driver. I couldn’t help grinning. “And here I was thinking flame decorations were so last century.”

“Only for those not Fae.” He opened the door, ushered me into the passenger seat, then ran around to the driver’s side.

The engine came to life, loud and growly. As he reversed out of the parking spot, I said, “Where are we headed?”

“Seeing it’s such a lovely day, I thought we might picnic in the hills.”

“But not at a popular tourist spot, I gather.” My hopes of seduction would certainly take a tumble if that were the case. Although with the Fae, you could never be entirely sure. According to Rory, they had a tendency toward exhibitionism.

He grinned. “Oh, trust me, we’re headed where few tourists go.”

Again Sam’s warning nudged my consciousness, and again I stoutly ignored it. It wasn’t like I couldn’t protect myself—I just needed to keep aware. To not get so carried away by desire that I ignored any warning signs of trouble that might inadvertently be revealed.

“And am I allowed to know the whereabouts of this mysterious, empty spot?”

“I own some land that runs alongside the state forest not far from Woodend.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Why would you own land up there? It’s not like you could create any sort of fire up there, especially in summer. The Country Fire Authority would be all over it in a flash, given how dry the state usually is. I would have thought the drier, hotter areas up near Mildura to be more your style.”

“It is, and I do own land up there.” He glanced in the rearview mirror before adding, “But it’s also nice to own something within easy driving distance of the city. I might not be able to enjoy the pleasure of fire very often, but I can enjoy the wild peace of the place. I’m Fae first and foremost, remember.”

“So you’ve built a home up there?”

He shook his head. “ That would defeat the purpose. And before you ask, there’s no toilet. But I do have plenty of trees. And loo paper.”

I snorted softly. Talk about roughing it. He was looking in the mirror again, and something in his manner had my skin prickling. “What’s wrong?”

“I think we might have someone following us.”

I relaxed. “We do. My boss was murdered last night, and the police are worried that whoever did it might come after me.”

“I noticed we were being followed last night. This isn’t him.”

He’d noticed? How? While I might have sensed the vampire named Adam when I’d walked to the bar, I’d certainly had no sense of him when we’d left. But then, the Fae’s senses were pretty keen. “Well, no, because it’s a different person doing the day shift.”

He gave me a wry smile. “Yeah, I guessed that. But I don’t think this is your official tail. He’s way too close, and that suggests inexperience.”