Page 49 of Reapers Don’t Ride

“And the dancing?”

Was that a question I was supposed to be able to answer? “It wasn’t as unpleasant as I expected. They’re all very capable, other than Rafe, and I wasn’t exactly surprised by that.”

“I don’t like it.”

“That’s because you’re so jealous and possessive of me.”

His arms tightened around me for a moment before relaxing. “Of course. It’s also because it seemed like an elaborate plot for all of them to catch your scent.”

I frowned in the dark. “So they can track me? Why would they want to do that?”

“Perhaps because you’re suddenly taking Chira to a spa.”

“Ah. And Shane still doesn’t understand my motivations for liberating her from the goblin. He’s suspicious and will send someone to follow me.”

“What are you really doing?”

I smiled and blinked against his skin. They were called butterfly kisses, I remembered from another life ago. “We’re going to the spa. On the way, we’ll buy some clothing for her. Did you notice what she’s wearing?”

“Rags. A rags to riches story?”

“Yes. I’m a fairy godmother.” I batted my lashes against his skin again.

“Why are you blinking so much in the dark? Also, I’ve never met a more godmother-like fairy.”

“It’s the fangs. Nothing screams godmother like fangs.”

“Yes, screaming godmother sounds incredibly perfect for every fairy tale.”

I batted my lashes against his skin again, but that time he pulled me close so that I wasn’t able to butterfly kiss him.

“You’re ruining my airflow,” I said, squished together like that. He smelled so good, but he felt even better. Any second now, I’d lose control and taste him. Maybe I’d use my fangs. Maybe not.

“It tickles.”

“Really?”

“Really. Do you want to see?” He released me and shifted so we were sideways, still in his dark, death-wing cave, and then he butterfly kissed my cheek. Then my chin. Then my lips. It was incredibly tantalizing, so soft and delicate, so tempting and agonizing.

My whole body was on fire while I held perfectly still and his lashes kissed the rest of my face. When he pulled away, I was hyperventilating without breath, without life, without movement.

I shuddered and slipped out of his wings, climbing out of the downy soft feathers I wanted to drown in. I had to get away from him, or I would lose control.

He sat up, frowning at me as I went to the kitchen to grab a bag of blood. “I should come with you to the spa tomorrow.”

I clamped my jaws on the blood bag and started sucking deep and hard from the unsatisfying liquid. “No,” I said, taking a break from drinking, giving him a firm look. “It’s girl time. Chira was very specific.”

“I see. And cleaning the entire building?”

“I was smelling for demon and making sure I knew where everyone sleeps.”

He blinked at me. “Then Shane knew what you were doing. Turnabout and all that.”

I smiled at him, my teeth likely stained pink from my blood. “If I didn’t make him nervous, he’d be an idiot. He’s surprisingly bright, and I can’t quite pinpoint what he is. Not fairy, but he has a soft heart.”

He frowned slightly. “Soft heart? So that’s what you’d go for, if you were going to kill him?”

I shrugged. “I could use his family to distract him while I poisoned him. Or slip in a dagger during a scuffle.”