Vivi Anna - Releasing the Hunter

She cocked her hip and pinned him with a look she hoped came across angry and not sexually frustrated. “Do I seriously have to go over the rules of our limited partnership again?”

“No.” He shook his head. “Just messing with you, boss. I know that there couldn’t possibly be a sexual being under all that steel and ice.”

She gaped at him. But he never gave her a chance to respond before he was bouncing on the bed, stuffing the pillow behind his head and closing his eyes.

“Since we have some time to kill, I’m going to catch a few more hours of sleep.”

She glared down at him, but he was impervious to it. After another minute, he was snoring soundly.

Angry, she stared at him some more, willing him to wake up and fight with her. That way, maybe she wouldn’t be so aware of the muscle tick at his strong jawline and the urge she had to trace a fingertip over it to smooth it away.

She turned around on her heel and paced the room. She’d gone too long without a man in her life. Her libido was flaring up like a bad rash. She thought it ridiculous that just having this man stretched out on the bed in front of her, his long legs spread a little, with his deep breathing and his tantalizing male scent in her nostrils was enough to have her heart racing and her gut swirling.

Clenching her hand into a fist, she rubbed it down her leg. She had to get it together. There was no time for distractions. Especially tall, dark and extremely dangerous ones like Ronan. If she wanted to catch Sallos and send him back to hell she had to concentrate on doing just that. And not on fantasizing about the cambion in the bed in front of her.

She also needed more sleep. She was running on barely three hours and had to get some more if she was to be fully functional later when they would have to battle a Great Duke of Hell.

She turned and looked at the bed again. Ronan had the right idea. It irked her that he could turn it off just like that though. Close his eyes and be out instantaneously. Ivy’s brain just didn’t work like that. She was constantly thinking, constantly worrying. Constantly on the lookout for the next big thing to sneak up behind her and bite her on her ass.

She sat down on the bed, then lay back. She had to shove Ronan over a bit so she could fit comfortably. Her elbow did nothing to move him. Then he just mumbled and turned over onto his side. It made enough room for her to sleep.

She tucked a hand behind her head and closed her eyes. She willed herself to sleep. And not to think about two hundred pounds of pure masculinity lying next to her and how it would feel if he rolled right on over top of her and pinned her to the mattress with the sure power of his massive frame.

She imagined he would nudge her legs apart with his knee and settle in between her thighs. She would feel the hard length of him nestled against her groin. She’d be eager for him, open for him, wet for him....

Cursing, she sat up, got off the bed and went to sit in the chair. She slid down and put her feet up on the table. She’d slept in worse places.

Ronan opened his eyes. He stared at the hotel wall. He didn’t dare turn around to see if Ivy was sleeping or not. It had taken all he had not to grin when she’d glared down at him earlier. He’d faked falling asleep. He was sure his snores sounded authentic. But he’d been wide-awake the whole time. Awake and aware.

Especially when she’d plopped down beside him on the bed. He’d been vividly aware of her then.

Her scent had tickled his senses. His gut had clenched, as had his hands. They’d wanted to reach over and touch her. Especially now that he’d seen her in the shower. After seeing parts of her incredible body through the tears in the shower curtain, he could think of nothing else but touching her. To see if she was as strong and hard as she looked. If her soft parts were as silky as he imagined they would be.

He wanted to see if she would yield under his caresses or fight him all the way. Either one would’ve been fine with him. Just as long as he could have her hard and fast.

He’d been warned that she was difficult to work with, impossible to deal with and a massive pain in the ass. He’d experienced all that firsthand. Despite all of that, though, he wanted her. He wanted to melt that icy exterior of hers. To prove that there was an actual feeling woman underneath all that prickly armor and attitude.

He loved a challenge. He’d been dealt one right after another his whole life. He’d survived being infected with demon blood. He could survive and would even flourish under the reign of one Ivy Strom.

So he closed his eyes once more and calmed his mind. He’d need another good five hours of sleep before he could even fathom dealing with her again.

After rushing around town shopping and doing damage control on Ivy’s safe house—it had been burned down to the ground and they couldn’t get to the safe in the backyard—Ronan and Ivy checked into the San Francisco Marriott Marquis.

The pretty hotel clerk handed Ronan back his credit card. “Thank you, Mr. Ennis, we have you checked into one of our executive suites for one night.”

Ivy rolled her eyes at him as he grinned at the clerk. “Thank you, Holly.”

“My pleasure.” Holly batted her eyes at him. “Do you need help with your bags?”

“No, thank you. My wife likes to handle that.” Leaning on the counter, he smiled at Ivy. “Don’t you, darling?”

It took all she had not to bop Ronan in the mouth. Instead she gave him a tight smile and rolled both bags. Without waiting for him, she started for the bank of elevators.

She couldn’t believe she let him talk her into posing as a couple, but it made sense and would help them keep a low profile until they found Sallos and trapped him so they could interrogate him. She’d even agreed to tone down her usual harsh exterior.

When they went shopping she bought a pantsuit in cream and three-inch heels in gold. She was wearing the outfit now and it wasn’t as uncomfortable as she’d first thought it would be. The silky material of the trousers actually felt nice on her skin, luxurious even. And the heels, well she kind of liked them. Made her legs feel more powerful. They did amazing things to her calf muscles. She also bought a cocktail dress for later at Ronan’s encouraging. They were going to be going up to The View Lounge tonight on reconnaissance.

Ronan caught up to her at the elevators just as one chimed and its doors opened. Some people streamed out, and Ivy and Ronan went in alone. Ronan pressed the button for the fifteenth floor.

“Do you really have to flirt with every woman we come across?” She’d meant to joke with him, but even she could hear the slight bitterness in her voice. She coughed into her hand afterward to cover it, but by the glint in Ronan’s eye he’d heard it loud and clear.

“Are you jealous?”

She snorted. “Not likely. It’s just bothersome, especially since we should be playing it under the wire. Do we really want people to notice us?”

“It never hurts to be charming to people. When the shit hits the fan and bad stuff happens, do you really think that pretty young thing at the counter is going to tell the cops about the seductively attractive man she flirted with at the counter? Or would she be more inclined to mention the quiet shifty-eyed steely couple that checked in mere hours before everything went down?”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Just because I can see your point doesn’t mean you are right.”

“Yeah, it does.”

The doors opened; Ronan grabbed his bag and walked out. Ivy followed him. They walked in silence down to their room. Thankfully, they didn’t run into anyone who would force them to play the happy married couple.