Page 79 of Blood & Ash

He returned his attention to Del. Her pulse moved beneath his hand where he touched her back, quicker from the dance but strong. Marcus realized he had counted the first four beats.

“Stop,” Del said.

He halted. “Are you dizzy?”

“No. Stop turning this into an examination.” She placed his hand lower on her waist. “Dance with me.”

Marcus did.

They left before midnight. The streets had gone quiet, and frost silvered the edges of the sidewalks. Marcus walked Del to Nightshade & Nettle without checking behind them more than twice.

At the shop door, Del unlocked the first ward and glanced at him. “Are you coming upstairs?”

Marcus heard the question she hadn’t disguised. “Do you want me to?”

“I wouldn’t have asked otherwise.”

He followed her inside. The shop smelled of beeswax, dried herbs, and the faint smoke that remained despite repeated cleaning. Del locked the door and reset the ward before leading him through the workroom.

Upstairs, she removed her shoes near the sofa and unpinned her hair. Dark curls fell around her shoulders. Marcus stayed near the door because moving closer felt like assuming an answer she hadn’t yet given.

“You’re doing it again,” Del said.

“Doing what?”

“Waiting for certainty.” She came to him and placed both hands against his chest. “I’m not certain about Arrow, the coven, or what happens when the next crisis arrives. I’m certain that I want you here tonight.”

Marcus covered her hands with his. “If you become tired or feel any pain, you tell me.”

“That was almost romantic.”

“It wasn’t intended to be.”

“I know.” Del reached for his tie. “That’s why it worked.”

She pulled him down and kissed him. Marcus let the restraint go slowly, giving her time to object as his hands settled at her waist. Del opened his collar and pushed the coat from his shoulders.

He unfastened the back of her dress. The fabric loosened and slid down her body, catching briefly at her hips before falling to the floor. Marcus looked at her without hiding what the sight did to him.

“You can touch me,” she said.

He cupped one breast and brushed his thumb across the nipple until it tightened. Del’s breath changed, and her fingers worked at the buttons of his shirt. She pressed her mouth to his chest as soon as the fabric opened.

Marcus lifted her and carried her into the bedroom. She wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing his throat while he crossed the room. He placed her on the bed with more care than she appreciated.

“I’m not going to break,” she said.

“I know.”

“Your hands disagree.”

Marcus removed the rest of his clothes. “My hands have had a difficult month.”

Del smiled and reached for him. The humor disappeared when her fingers closed around his cock. Marcus bent over her, bracing one hand beside her shoulder while she stroked him.

He kissed her until she released him, then moved down her body. His mouth closed over one nipple while his hand found the heat between her thighs. Del opened for him without hesitation.

Marcus touched her clit with his thumb and worked two fingers inside her. Her hips lifted from the mattress. He watched her face while he learned the pressure and rhythm that made her stop thinking long enough to feel.