no idea why I’d be tired.”
Smiling easily at her, he shrugged. “Don’t suppose you’d leave your door unlocked, would you?”
One ebony brow arched, her mouth curving in a slight smile. “I might.”
She surprised him a little when she lowered her head and kissed him, a quick, almost shy kiss. Then she stood up and gathered her clothes. Mike sat there and watched as she closed her eyes. Like a flash, she disappeared.
Flying—that was what that eerie ability had been tagged, although there was no actual flying. Just disappearing from one place and reappearing in another. It was a talent some of the more powerful witches had. Witches like Leandra.
And now the small cabin felt too large, too empty. With a sigh, Mike rolled from the bed and gathered up his own clothes.
Eli’s was only twenty miles away. If he hurried, he might be able to join her as she slid into sleep. He’d make sure he sent one of the others after her bike. She’d lose that hot temper of hers if something happened to the Harley they’d left downtown last night.
LEANDRA BLITHELY IGNORED THE APPRAISING LOOKS Mal kept sending her way. The nosy old bastard knew what had happened; there was no way to hide it from him, not when she could still smell Mike all over her. But she didn’t care if he knew, so long as he kept his mouth shut.
Hell, the entire Enclave probably knew at this point. She’d left her door unlocked.
Mike had slid inside her room, joining her on the bed just as she fell into an exhausted sleep. She’d woken up to the hot, silken caress of his tongue pushing in and out of her sex.
She should have known better, Leandra thought morosely as Mal followed her out on patrol. The old bastard lived to annoy her.
Giving him a mild look, she said, “I think I can handle patrol alone.”
Mal just smiled. “I didn’t realize you had outgrown the need for a trainer already.”
That was a sore point with her. She hadn’t wanted one at all. But she wasn’t going to let him get her worked up. “So you plan on becoming my shadow again?”
Mal shrugged. “Gets a bit tiresome just sitting around Eli’s all night and day. Might as well do something fun.”
“As in pestering me.”
Mal looked a bit affronted. “Only you would call my presence pestering .”
With a wicked grin, Leandra said, “Only me? I’d say Kelsey would agree with me.”
He glared daggers at her. Leandra chuckled, quite satisfied to have gotten to him before he got to her. Kelsey was his sore spot. The witch was completely oblivious to him. Even Leandra had to learn how to handle Mal’s rather overwhelming presence. With Kelsey, though, Mal only existed when she chose to pay him any attention.
They were silent for nearly an hour as they roamed through the hills, making their way closer to town on foot. Small houses dotted the hillside, but none of them called to her. Leandra didn’t have any destination in mind, couldn’t feel anything in the night that called to her.
It figures. Last night had been her night off, and she’d gotten jumped. Tonight when she was supposed to be working, she would find nothing.
“If anybody takes a good look at you, they will see that something has changed.” Mal’s voice was flat, completely unaccented. That only happened when he was trying very hard not to let anybody read him. “That is, those who didn’t hear you carrying on earlier.”
Leandra wasn’t sure what to think. Did he have a problem with what happened between her and Mike? That made no sense. Of all the Hunters she had met, he seemed to be one of the first inclined to forgive. Not just forgive, but welcome her. Slowing her steps, she turned and stared at him. Although little moonlight filtered its way through the dense growth of trees, she could see him clearly.
His face was a smooth, blank mask. Propping her hands on her hips, she said levelly, “You know as well as I that very few of them truly see me. And what do I care if they heard
Smiling easily at her, he shrugged. “Don’t suppose you’d leave your door unlocked, would you?”
One ebony brow arched, her mouth curving in a slight smile. “I might.”
She surprised him a little when she lowered her head and kissed him, a quick, almost shy kiss. Then she stood up and gathered her clothes. Mike sat there and watched as she closed her eyes. Like a flash, she disappeared.
Flying—that was what that eerie ability had been tagged, although there was no actual flying. Just disappearing from one place and reappearing in another. It was a talent some of the more powerful witches had. Witches like Leandra.
And now the small cabin felt too large, too empty. With a sigh, Mike rolled from the bed and gathered up his own clothes.
Eli’s was only twenty miles away. If he hurried, he might be able to join her as she slid into sleep. He’d make sure he sent one of the others after her bike. She’d lose that hot temper of hers if something happened to the Harley they’d left downtown last night.
LEANDRA BLITHELY IGNORED THE APPRAISING LOOKS Mal kept sending her way. The nosy old bastard knew what had happened; there was no way to hide it from him, not when she could still smell Mike all over her. But she didn’t care if he knew, so long as he kept his mouth shut.
Hell, the entire Enclave probably knew at this point. She’d left her door unlocked.
Mike had slid inside her room, joining her on the bed just as she fell into an exhausted sleep. She’d woken up to the hot, silken caress of his tongue pushing in and out of her sex.
She should have known better, Leandra thought morosely as Mal followed her out on patrol. The old bastard lived to annoy her.
Giving him a mild look, she said, “I think I can handle patrol alone.”
Mal just smiled. “I didn’t realize you had outgrown the need for a trainer already.”
That was a sore point with her. She hadn’t wanted one at all. But she wasn’t going to let him get her worked up. “So you plan on becoming my shadow again?”
Mal shrugged. “Gets a bit tiresome just sitting around Eli’s all night and day. Might as well do something fun.”
“As in pestering me.”
Mal looked a bit affronted. “Only you would call my presence pestering .”
With a wicked grin, Leandra said, “Only me? I’d say Kelsey would agree with me.”
He glared daggers at her. Leandra chuckled, quite satisfied to have gotten to him before he got to her. Kelsey was his sore spot. The witch was completely oblivious to him. Even Leandra had to learn how to handle Mal’s rather overwhelming presence. With Kelsey, though, Mal only existed when she chose to pay him any attention.
They were silent for nearly an hour as they roamed through the hills, making their way closer to town on foot. Small houses dotted the hillside, but none of them called to her. Leandra didn’t have any destination in mind, couldn’t feel anything in the night that called to her.
It figures. Last night had been her night off, and she’d gotten jumped. Tonight when she was supposed to be working, she would find nothing.
“If anybody takes a good look at you, they will see that something has changed.” Mal’s voice was flat, completely unaccented. That only happened when he was trying very hard not to let anybody read him. “That is, those who didn’t hear you carrying on earlier.”
Leandra wasn’t sure what to think. Did he have a problem with what happened between her and Mike? That made no sense. Of all the Hunters she had met, he seemed to be one of the first inclined to forgive. Not just forgive, but welcome her. Slowing her steps, she turned and stared at him. Although little moonlight filtered its way through the dense growth of trees, she could see him clearly.
His face was a smooth, blank mask. Propping her hands on her hips, she said levelly, “You know as well as I that very few of them truly see me. And what do I care if they heard
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