Grimm Consequences by Kate Serine Page A

he’d actually put his filthy hands on her. Caressed her. I made a mental note to tear the bastard’s hand off and shove it up his ass when I saw him again.
    But what had me worried most was that when he’d been standing there behind her, I hadn’t been able to dematerialize to get to her. Something had interfered with the tether that bound us together in the Here and Now. And that scared the shit out of me.
    If that connection was ever severed, it would release me, send me roaming free with nothing to keep me here in my corporeal form. I would become nothing more than a fleeting shadow, a half-caught glimpse in a mirror, a sudden uneasiness in a dark room. Except on those rare occasions when I could appear in solid form for a few stolen moments.... And now, after having known Tess’s love, having held her in my arms, tasted her kisses, only being able to see and hear her but never touch her again except for a brief brush of phantom fingers, would be a special kind of torture. But I knew a few things about torture, too. And Demetrius had better pray it never came to that.
    â€œNate?”
    I started at the sound of Tess’s voice. It was only then that I realized we were sitting in my driveway.
    â€œYou okay?” she asked, eying me warily.
    â€œYeah,” I lied. “Why?”
    She swallowed hard. “You, uh . . . you went all Ghost Rider on me there for a sec, except without the flame. Just smoke and shadow and . . . death.”
    Shit.
    I ran my hand over my face, assuring myself that my form was holding once more. I’d never seen what I looked like as a Reaper, but based on the expression on Tess’s face, it wasn’t pretty. God, if she was growing wary after only catching a glimpse of me, what would she think if she saw me in full-blown Reaper mode?
    â€œYou saw me on the day I found you,” I reminded her. “Was it the same? What did you see then?”
    She lifted a hand and cupped my cheek. “I wish I could remember. But I wasn’t frightened that day. That much I know.” She heaved a frustrated sigh. “I don’t understand all this crazy Reaper shit that’s going on, Nate. But I’m trying.”
    â€œTess, you never have to be afraid of me. I’ll never harm you—I swear it.”
    â€œScared of you, spooky?” She tossed a saucy grin over her shoulder as she opened the car door. “As if,” she scoffed. “Besides, it’s me . I don’t scare easily.”
    I watched her walk up to the house, her hips swaying in that seductive way she had when she wanted me to follow. “I hope you’re right, sweetheart,” I murmured as I threw off my seat belt to go after her. “I hope you’re right.”

Chapter 6
    â€œYou look beautiful.”
    Tess struggled with the hem of the little black dress she wore, shimmying her hips a bit as she worked to cover her thighs. She paused long enough to send an irritated glance my way. “I feel like an idiot in this dress.”
    I was grinning as I took her hand and pulled it through the crook of my arm. “Come on, sweetheart,” I said, my voice a little gruff with growing desire as I led her toward the restaurant. “You keep doing that with your hips, we’re never going to make it to dinner.”
    She sent a sidelong glance my way, her lips curving into a smile. “Yeah?”
    I groaned as her eyes took on the particular light that alerted me to the fact that I was going to be a very happy man. But before I could reply, Gran appeared, grinning from ear to ear, her boyfriend Eddie Fox in tow.
    â€œOh, my darling! Look at you!” She took Tess’s face in her hands. “My beautiful girl—the Assistant Director of the FMA.”
    Tess tried to smile, but it was rather smooshed and distorted by Gran’s enthusiastic affection.
    â€œShall we head inside, ladies?” Eddie asked, gesturing toward the door. As I