Dark Desires

Disclaimer: all copyright and licensing rights belong to Laurell K. Hamilton and Jove Books published by the Penguin Group.


--2--

I set a new record getting dressed. The whole time a voice in my head alternately babbled incoherently and cursed my rotten luck. Shit. I so did not want to face Edward now. I didn’t know if he had heard what I’d been up to, but it was a natural thing. Right? Everyone has to take the edge off every once in awhile. It was nothing to be ashamed of. Right.

But, if he had come down the hall and seen me…God, I didn’t even want to think of that possibility. Could someone literally die of embarrassment? I was tempted to crawl out the window and save the answer to that question for another day.

Then again, he could have come in and made himself at home while I’d been in the shower. As much as I hated it when he broke into my house, I would jump for joy if that were the case.

I’d strapped on my knives and was reaching for my holster when I stopped myself. Was it a little over-kill to arm myself to the teeth just to talk to Edward? Sure, but fuck it. I shrugged the leather straps over my shoulders and holstered the Browning.

This was my house. If I wanted to walk around fully armed, that was my business. Just like it was my business alone if I wanted to practice a little manual sexual relief. Yeah, well, maybe if I told myself that enough times, I could walk back into the kitchen and face Edward without blushing.

I took a cleansing breath and walked back through the house to the kitchen. He was still sitting at my breakfast table, calmly sipping a cup of coffee. I watched his face as I passed, looking for any telltale signs that he had seen or heard me earlier. Of course, there was nothing in his expression to hint one way or another.

I grabbed a mug and filled it, then turned to face him. He was dressed in black from top to bottom. A leather coat hung behind him on his chair, but I didn’t see his Beretta anywhere. That didn’t mean it wasn’t close to hand, though. He’d had a haircut recently, and his hair looked really good. He looked really good. A spear of good old-fashioned lust shot through me. Damn, I needed to get a grip.

A chair was conveniently pushed away from the table, an invitation for me to sit down. I didn’t. Until I knew what he was here for, I would keep the better position of standing up.

He sat his cup down, a slight smirk twisting his lips. I fought to remain calm, suppressing the urge to drop my gaze and stare at my shoes. My guilty conscience be damned. I was not going to blush. The smirk could mean anything.

“So, what are you doing here?” I asked.

He shrugged. “What, no complaints about me breaking in? Why, Anita, I’m disappointed.”

Irritation flared for a moment. Typical Edward to avoid my question. I took a minute to study his body language, his expression. He seemed totally relaxed, but that didn’t ease my mind any. His smirk was starting to look suspiciously like a grin, though. And that sent red flags flying up all over the place. A feeling of dread began to settle around me.

Ted would grin at me, but Edward wouldn’t. And it was definitely Edward who was sitting at my table.

I had to set my mug down and clear my throat before I could speak. “No. Complaining never does any good. So, is there someone in town that’s dead I should know about?”

He leaned back and crossed his arms. The gesture was a relief because it meant he wasn’t going to draw down on me. However, the weight of his arms pulled his black t-shirt tight against his body, too. My heart rate kicked up a notch. The outline of his muscular chest was pure eye-candy.

His eyebrow arched for a moment before he replied. Shit. He must have noticed me staring. I silently cursed myself.

“No one’s dead,” He paused, his eyes glittering and sharp. “Yet.”

My attention snagged on the possible meanings of that statement. Was he saying that he had a target he hadn’t taken out yet, or that no one had made it worth his while to kill yet? I had to find out.

“Well, will there be?” I asked.

Edward stood up and I tensed. But, he just took his cup over to the sink before replying. “I hadn’t planned on it. Why? Are you going to let me kill the wolf man and fang-face?”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head at him. He knew better than to ask that question. The answer was always the same. Maybe he was just asking out of habit.

He stepped closer to me, within arm’s length. “I know you haven’t dated either one of them since well before you came to Santa Fe, Anita.”

“I don’t recall making my love life, or lack thereof, any of your business, Edward.” My voice was slightly breathy.

I’d tried to sound belligerent. Really, I had. But, he was standing so close, his body aggressively male, tempting to touch. I’d had so many dreams of him. Dreams of his skin against mine, my legs locked around his waist and my tongue tracing wet trails across his chest while he thrust into me. Heat settled in my gut. I was overwhelmed.

I stood there, my eyes taking him in as I waited for his reply. I’d seen him without his shirt before, and by the definition visible beneath his tight jeans, I knew the rest of him matched. He was lean, yet muscular…the body of an athlete. I itched to reach out and explore with my hands to see if the real Edward felt like the dream version.

My gaze finally traveled up to his face. An amused glint rested in his winter-blue eyes. I sighed and stepped away to take my turn sitting at the table. My expression hadn’t given away my thoughts. I was sure of it. So, the amusement he was showing must mean he was getting ready to give me a hard time over something.

Then again, a hard time with Edward might not be so bad right now.

Okay, scratch that. This was getting ridiculous. I was in big trouble if I was starting to think about the real Edward the same way as the fantasy Edward. Guilt flowed over me. Somehow, it seemed disrespectful to use him that way, as a fantasy. A blush finally started to heat my cheeks. Damn.

“Now, Anita, you know my business is anything I choose to make it.”

“Fine, Edward, whatever. Why don’t you cut to the chase and tell me why you’re here?” My guilt had done the trick. My voice finally sounded angry. Well, maybe bitchy was more accurate, but I’d take what I could get.

He chuckled. “Can’t I just drop in on a friend and visit?”

His comment shocked me, and he somehow looked sincere and mischievous at the same time. I wasn’t used to seeing emotions play across his face, actually reaching his eyes. The moment seemed surreal.

I snorted, and then laughed. Really laughed. After a few moments, I calmed and looked up at his grinning face while smiling myself. Time melted away, and I felt the comfort and camaraderie we had developed in Santa Fe coming back.

“Alright, my friend. So, what brings you to my neck of the woods?” I asked.

He took a couple of steps toward me. I looked up at him, noticing a distinctly predatory look in his eyes. The change in his demeanor had been lightening quick. My heart stuttered, and I tensed.

“I’m curious, Anita. Did you ever take my advice and find an uncomplicated fuck?”

I stared at him in stunned silence. The ability to paint a blank expression on my face deserted me, and I knew he was seeing every emotion that flashed through my eyes – shock, guilt, anger, and finally, desire. I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out.

Damn. With friends like Edward, who needed enemies?