Now she was a problem that had to be eliminated.
As soon as fucking possible.
Chapter 10
When the camera turned off, he went to her. Niol took Holly’s hand and pulled her away from the cops and into the shadows.
He wanted to kiss her so bad he ached, but the cop, the shifter jerk, had made him…worry. “Come home with me tonight.” Sure, he had guards on her, but having her in his house, in his bed, that was different.
He could protect her then.
Better than he’d protected Gillian.
She blinked. Dammit, he loved her eyes, glamour or no. Because in her eyes, he could see what she felt. Fear. Anger. Lust. “We tried that,” she said quietly, licking her lips, “we barely made it through the door before-”
Niol’s mouth crashed down on hers. He was starving for her taste. The day had been so long and he’d found himself thinking about her, wanting her, too much.
Her lips were so soft and when those lips parted, he couldn’t control the groan that rose in his throat. His tongue swept inside her mouth, tangled with hers and tasted the sweetness that was…Holly.
He pushed her against the brick wall, caging her with his body, and she kissed him-kissed him with the same wild hunger he felt. Her hands wrapped around his neck, the tips of her nails stinging his flesh.
His cock stretched toward her, stiffening with arousal. Too many clothes were between them, too many cops around.
A piss-poor place to get her naked.
But if he could just get Holly back to his place…
Niol tore his mouth from hers. “We wouldn’t make it past the door this time.”
Her breath caught. “That a promise?”
Absolute guarantee. Her breasts teased his chest, the nipples tight, and he could remember those sweet pink nipples so vividly. But he wanted to see them again. Suck them again.
Make her moan and come again.
Make those green eyes darken to sexy black.
And he’d show her this time, she’d see the change-
“Ah, Holly?” A cough, from too close by. “Are you, um, finished here?”
Niol’s hold on Holly tightened. The cameraman. Ben or Bob or something.
“We…need to get back to the station. I got more footage-we can edit and record a segment to air for tomorrow morning, too…”
Niol turned his head very, very slowly and met the guy’s stare. Human. Nervous, shifting from foot to foot.
Holly’s hands fell away. “I’ll be-right there, okay? Just give me a minute to…finish up.”
A quick nod and the human scurried away.
A minute? Niol raised a brow and glanced down at Holly. “Love, I can be fast when the need arises, but what I have planned was going to take a lot longer than a minute.”
She almost smiled. Almost. And he liked her smile. That slow curve of her lips. The wink of her dimple. The way her nostrils flared just a bit when her mouth lifted.
But the smile never fully matured and she shook her head, saying, “I’ve got to put the story to bed.”
Um, and he wanted to put her to bed. “We need to talk, Holly.”
“Talk?” Her brows rose. “I didn’t think talking was what you wanted.”
Not first, but after the hunger was slaked. “Last night…I want to make sure-”
“You were right.” She breathed the words, looked stunned by her admission, and shook her head. “I don’t know how it’s even possible, but…you were right.”
His confusion must have shown because the woman had been damn doubtful at his place and just as furious as he’d been.
Her shoulders moved in a little roll. “I went to see an expert earlier. She confirmed what you’d told me.”
An expert. The only supernatural expert he knew in the city was most definitely a she.
The Monster Doctor. Emily Drake. “You went to see Emily?” He’d planned a little visit to the Monster Doctor himself. Now, it looked like that trip wouldn’t be necessary.
He’d almost been looking forward to seeing Dr. Drake again. Once, Niol had thought about using the doctor-a woman with her special talents sure would have come in handy in his world.
But fate had intervened and Emily had slipped away from the demon world.
For the time being.
“You know Dr. Drake?” Holly seemed surprised.
“Well enough,” was his reply. Emily. He’d met her years ago, when she’d stumbled into his club, drawn by the power of the Other. He’d watched as that dick Myles tried to control her and then watched her fry the demon to ashes.
Not a woman to be messed with, unless you were looking for a serious psychic burn.
And, now, well, you didn’t screw with her unless you wanted an attack from her very jealous and protective wolf shifter lover.
He still didn’t get that connection.
“She told me…” Holly glanced to the left, probably to make sure her cameraman wasn’t around. “She told me she knew the first minute she saw me. How is that possible? How could she know, how could you…but I didn’t?”
Damn good question-and one that Giles had better be finding an answer for.
She looked so worried that he wanted to kiss her-right between her furrowed brows.
Hell. What was the woman doing to him?
He was so not the comforting type.
The wild-sex type, yeah. The ass-kicking type, yeah. The fear-me type, yeah-all him.
Not the hold-a-woman-and-let-her-cry type.
She was screwing with his head and right then, he couldn’t afford that distraction.
Not until the demon hunter was crossed off his list.
“Come with me to my place,” he said again. “We’ll talk. I’ll tell you all I know about-”
“Demons.”
She’d always been curious about his kind. Maybe too curious. Perhaps because deep down…she’d suspected?
Ben’s shoes crunched gravel as he headed toward them, again, and Holly shook her head. “I-I have to go to the station.”
“After.” A demand.
Her lips firmed.
Maybe he should have made the demand softer but soft wasn’t his style, either. But he tried now, for her. “I should have…handled things differently last night.” He just hadn’t counted on getting punched between the eyes. Or grabbed so hard by the balls, but lust could do that. “I thought you were playing me, I didn’t realize-”
“That I didn’t know what the hell was going on in my own life?” Shadows flickered in her eyes. “What can I say? That is the story of my life. Didn’t know Zack was screwing around and the bastard was right in front of me-”
Who the hell was Zack?
“Didn’t know my own brother was fighting for his life, until I walked in and found him dead on the floor of his bedroom.”
Well, shit.
“So really, I guess this isn’t that unusual, is it? Some reporter I am.” She tried to shove past him.
He wasn’t going to allow that. Not at all. She couldn’t run from him, from what was between them, not yet. “You’re a fucking fine reporter.” A compliment he’d give…oh, no one else in her profession. “You care and you try to help other people.” Not his way, but it worked for her.
“Niol…”
“As for being a demon, that doesn’t change who you are. You’re still the same. Your eyes change-big deal. You’re still you. ”
Crunch. The damn cameraman.
“Uh, Holly?” He inched closer. “I got to go…it’s gettin’ late.”
What, did the forty-year-old have a curfew? Niol bit back his snarl. “Your place,” he managed. A concession, one made to make her feel as if she had some of the control. “I’ll be waiting for you.” Getting inside wouldn’t be a problem for him. He’d take care of his business, grill Giles, then take his lover.
Hesitation from Holly, enough to make him clench his back teeth, then…a slow nod.
He kissed her again, ignoring the human and taking his time with her mouth.
Yes, he’d wait, but he’d be damned if he waited long. Once she closed the door of her apartment, she’d be his.
“So…who the hell is Zack?” Niol demanded when he stormed into Giles’s office.