Lindsay nodded, snuggling up against Dane’s chest. “I’ll try,” he promised.
“You’re a fast learner.” Dane laughed quietly. He could smell Lindsay’s sweetness under the muck
and smoke and the musk of other men. “But I might have to put you over my knee if you don’t hurry up.”
“No, thank you,” Lindsay muttered, stretching up to butt his nose against Dane’s chin. “I won’t run
away from you again.”
“Good.” Dane turned up a street that was better lit and they passed people who gave them odd looks.
“We’ll get a cab soon,” he promised. “Get you back to the hotel and you’ll feel better.”
Lindsay tucked his head against Dane’s shoulder, closing his eyes again. Nothing hurt anymore.
Dane’s blood bubbled with the satisfaction, however muted, of a kill, and the pure pleasure of being
claimed. He could have walked the whole way back without a second thought except that he didn’t want to
make Lindsay wait to get clean. It wasn’t only concern for the grubby little bunny, though. Dane wanted to
get the smell of other men off of what was his.
Eventually, Dane managed to hail a cab, though it took a handful of money waved at the driver to get
him to stop. Even in the cab, he didn’t let Lindsay go. It eased Dane’s pain to have Lindsay in his arms,
warm and alive and safe.
When the cab stopped, Lindsay opened his eyes and raised his head. “We’re back at the hotel,” Dane
murmured, and Lindsay closed his eyes again.
In the room, Dane finally put Lindsay down, tucking him into a plush chair so he could put away the
demon heart. Lindsay yawned hugely and rested his cheek against the back of the chair. There was color
under the dirt on his face. The little sleep had done him a world of good. “How’s your back?”
“Stings,” Lindsay murmured, pulling his feet into the chair and curling up. “Are you all right?”
Dane would feel better when he wasn’t carrying around body parts from an animal he didn’t plan to
eat. From his suitcase, he got the black and silver box that Ezqel had given him for the heart. The black bag
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that held the heart was still hot, but it hadn’t leaked any blood into Dane’s pocket. Dane tucked it carefully into the padded box, taking the time to knot the strings of the bag seven times.
“I’m fine. Wouldn’t have been a problem except for the dying thing.”
Dane took the knife from the sheath under his vest and laid it into the lid of the box where it fit
perfectly into an indentation there and glowed blue as the box locked. Once the light faded, he put the box in his suitcase. He started to take off the damned ring and pushed it back onto his finger with a sigh. They might need it again.
“I’m sorry you got hurt. And that I couldn’t help. Again.” Lindsay frowned. The little scowl was
rather endearing, really.
“Getting hurt is what I do.” Dane peeled off his vest; when he let Lindsay see him, the last of the scars
were still visible. “I get over it. Nice that you care. Thanks.” His tone was dry, but he meant the words. He was unaccustomed to the sentiment and it made him feel awkward, as though Lindsay’s concern was a coat
several sizes too small for him to wear.
“Can you do it a little less?” Lindsay tilted his head. “You’re a fast learner…”
Dane stopped getting undressed and glared at Lindsay a long moment before he laughed. “Smartass.”
Lindsay looked unrepentant as he laughed as well, wretched little brat that he was. It was good to hear him laugh. The animal in Dane couldn’t think beyond the moment and the man didn’t want to. Nothing could be
wrong in his world when Lindsay laughed like that.
“Come on.” Dane kicked off his boots. “We both stink.”
Dane’s pants were the next to go, and Lindsay was sure Dane could smell the lust that surged in him.
He’d seen Dane naked a few times, but the wonder hadn’t faded. Dane was gorgeous. As he stood up,
though, his lust was dampened by the pain from his back that made him wince and hiss in a breath. “Let me
just…” He started unbuttoning his shirt, his fingers awkward and slow.
“Let me.” Dane was right there, though Lindsay hadn’t heard him cross the room. He ran one hand
over Lindsay’s hair, so gently. With the other hand, he hooked a claw in the opening of Lindsay’s shirt and drew it to the hem. The fabric parted with a whisper and the shirt fell open.
Lindsay stared at his torn, stained shirt. It took a moment for it to sink in that Dane had sliced it open
and his razor-sharp claw hadn’t touched Lindsay’s skin at all. “Oh,” he breathed. “Thank you.”
“Don’t think you’ll be wearing it again.” Dane pushed the shirt back from Lindsay’s shoulders, his
warm palms skimming Lindsay’s skin, and let it fall. “It’s not really you anyway.” His long hair brushed
Lindsay’s cheek and he pressed a gentle kiss to Lindsay’s temple. “Let me help with the rest?”
Lindsay nodded. He hurt too much to be able to get his clothes off nearly as quickly as Dane could
and, if he was totally honest with himself, the show of control was intensely arousing. “Please. I think I like it when you help.” He had little hope of being less than honest with Dane.
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“I noticed.” Dane sniffed playfully in the hair over Lindsay’s ear before he sank to his knees and
unlaced Lindsay’s boots.
It was such an unfamiliar pose to see Dane in, but Lindsay was beginning to understand that those
kinds of things didn’t matter to Dane. He was beginning to understand a lot of things about Dane that he
hadn’t grasped before. Dane had almost died for him— again—and Lindsay knew now that these weren’t
isolated incidents. Dane would do anything he could to keep Lindsay safe. Lindsay hoped that someday
he’d deserve that kind of devotion.
Lindsay let Dane help him strip, swallowing hard as he felt the brush of Dane’s claws against his skin.
His clothes fell to the floor. God, that was really hot. After everything that had happened tonight, he
should’ve been curled up in the corner, shaking and terrified. Instead, Dane’s care and touches soothed him and let him move past the fear. Dane couldn’t fix everything, Lindsay knew, but he could fix a lot by being who he was and caring about Lindsay.
Dane stood, running his hands up Lindsay’s thighs and hips as he did, and all the way up Lindsay’s
body to cup his face. The touches left a trail of heat in their wake. Lindsay felt like he was burning up, and Dane hadn’t even kissed him yet.
Just like the walk back to the hotel, Dane scooped Lindsay up and carried him to the bathroom, only
this time, Lindsay was awake and aware enough to enjoy it. He gave Dane sweet kisses and soaked up the
warmth and the feeling of being cared for. Wanted. Dane wanted him.
Dane settled on the edge of the big, deep tub and turned on the water, still holding Lindsay to him
with one arm. His expression was definitely troubled and, though they were both filthy from the fight with
the guul, when Dane picked up a washcloth and wet it, it was Lindsay’s face he washed first.
Lindsay closed his eyes and didn’t move while Dane washed his face. When the cloth moved away,
Lindsay opened his eyes again. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing now.” Dane kissed his forehead. “Wanted that stuff off your face.” The unhappiness was
fading from his expression as he studied Lindsay’s clean face. “To see you.”
“Oh.” Lindsay couldn’t help but smile. He felt warm through at the idea that Dane liked looking at
him—at him. Leaning in, he nudged his nose against Dane’s chin and kissed him lightly on the mouth. “It’s me now.”