Page 82 of Bloodhunter

“Oh,” she said. “What did Shane do? Did he hurt you?” Shewas breathless, eager. Her lips were parted, and she darted out her tongue towet them. She ran her hand up my forearm, then back down to entangle herfingers with mine. “Tell me.”

I glanced at Clayton. He stood frozen and pale, but he wasstaring at me, and the look in his eyes was vast and dark and hot and so very,very hungry.

“Yes,” I murmured, and put my attention back on her. “He wasbrutal. But brutal was what I needed at that moment.”

She let go of my hand and threw herself back in her chair.“Oh,” she said. “God, I am so jealous of you right now.” She blew out a longbreath. “I may try again with our Shane. He is so very fuckable. I’ll wear himdown eventually.” Then she sat up, a hand to her chest. “I am going hunting withyou tonight.”

“What?” I said. “No!”

“Oh, yes. The only thing I’d like better than catching Shanefull of death and sex would be catching Shane andyoufull of death andsex. We would have a wild, wild time, Trinity.” Her eyes shone, matched by hersmile. She clapped her hands. “Clayton!”

“Yes?” His voice was hoarse.

I kept my stare firmly and determinedly on Miriam.

“Would you like to watch me with Shane and Trinity?”

“I’d rather not say.”

She dropped her smile. “Clayton! Answer the question.”

Finally, I looked at him, unable not to.

He closed his eyes in a long, slow blink, then answered herquestion. “No.”

She gaped at him. “What?”

“No,” he repeated. “I would not.”

She tilted her head, then nodded, slowly. “I understand. Woulda starving man like to watch another feast if all he could do was smell thefood?” She stood and walked back to her desk. “That would be very difficult foryou. Torturous, even.” She smiled, happy. “We must make it happen.”

And once again, the hope bled out of Clayton’s eyes.

I stood. “You’re not going hunting with us, Miriam, and I amnot going to lose control if I have to battle the vampires again tonight.There’s going to be no…” I waved my hands as I headed for the door. “No orgy.So forget it.” I yanked open the door, then turned to face her. “And please,pleasedon’t tell Shane that I told you about all the crazy hot sex.”

She put her little hands over her mouth and burst intolaughter. Genuine laughter.

I stared at her, confused. “What’d I say?”

“It’s not what you said.” She wiped her eyes, smiling. “It’swho you said it to. I won’t have to tell Shane, darling. You just told himyourself.”

And when I jerked my head around, dread filling my heart, Ifound Shane standing just outside the doorway, watching me.

“Oh hell,” I said. Then I added, for good measure, because Iwas just that uncomfortable, “Sneaky bastard.”

I brushed past him and stomped away, Miriam’s bubbly,delighted laughter following me all the way to Stark’s Pizza.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“When are you coming back to work?” Derry asked, aftergiving me a hug. “I never see you anymore.”

“Ilivewith you,” I told her, though that was aboutto change.

“Yeah but you’re never there. And you’re never here,either.” She scowled.

“You look so much like your father,” I told her, grinning.“Especially when you frown like that.”

“Then I’ll smile from now on.” She flounced away.