UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

HarperCollins Publishers

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

ALLIES

I pressed my body against him.

He took my shoulders and tried to push me away, gently, shaking his head, but my busy hands were insistent on touching.

Nothing else in the world existed in that moment. Just us. Nothing else mattered. I wanted him. I loved him.

“Don’t,” I said when he tried to grab my hands. He quickly covered my mouth with his hard hand and spoke lowly against my ear.

“Shut. Up.” And even that was sexy.

I wanted his hand on my mouth to be his lips. I stopped trying to push up against him, and concentrated on his hand. I pressed my lips against his palm, looking up at him as I did it. His breathing went ragged. I took one of his fingers and slowly kissed it. He stepped back and I ran my tongue slowly over his fingertip.

“Ah, damn it,” he whispered. There was flickering in his fiery eyes, and he yanked his hand from mine.

“Please,” I urged. I reached up and pulled my ponytail holder out, dropping it and letting my hair fall around me.

“I will tie you up again if you don’t behave,” he warned.

“Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

In a flash he grabbed me, turning and crushing my back into the giant entertainment center’s doors, making a superb racket, kissing me hard and pressing his whole body against mine. I welcomed his forceful hands and hot mouth. We made our way to the couch, where he fell on me and kissed me with a passion that obliterated all thought. I was lying on a cloud of bliss, my head a boggle of contentment, my body in its element against him. He was all I needed.

“We’re about to have company,” he said, but he didn’t stop kissing me, kissing my neck, touching me everywhere.

Company? But that didn’t mean we’d have to stop, did it? That would just be wrong.

There was a long string of insistent knocking on our door, but Kaidan mumbled for whoever was out there to go away. His hands were up my shirt, vibrant against my skin, making me gasp and moan.

“Oi!” shouted a familiar female voice. “Open the damn door.”

“I’m busy.” Kaidan bit my bottom lip with a nip, and a shiver rippled through me.

“The more the merrier,” Blake said. His voice didn’t sound completely right.

We paused and looked at each other. They were trying to stop us.

“Just ignore them,” I said. I grabbed his shirt and pulled it up, lifting myself up to kiss the skin on his chest.

He moaned, and was kissing me again.

“Don’t let that skank take advantage of you when you’re bored, son of Pharzuph.”

Ginger! Anger stirred and I tried to sit up, but Kai pushed me back down. I yelled in the direction of the door, “Who you callin’ a skank, you—”

Kai slapped a hand over my mouth and I struggled against him.

And then it was Kopano’s temperate voice that spoke, seeming to clear Kaidan’s head for the second it would take to pry him away from me and bring him back to his senses.

“Open up,” was all that Kopano had to say.

Kaidan stood abruptly, shuddering as he took another look at me lying there, still wanting him. Then he went and leaned his forehead against the entertainment center for a long moment before going to the door. I couldn’t move.

I heard the four guests pushing their way in and I felt furious at them for butting in. They looked upset with Kaidan—all of them were signing too fast for me, but I recognized caution and stupid.

Whatever.

I grabbed the beer from the coffee table and drank it all. Everyone was coming down into the living area. Their voices were excited, but when I turned to look, their faces were serious.

Kaidan looked at the empty bottle in my hand and clenched his jaw.

“Someone put on some music!” Marna said, stepping down into the lower suite where I sat.

“Ezzactly!” I slurred. “I been trying to say that.”

Marna pressed her lips together like she was trying not to laugh, but I didn’t know what was funny.

Someone opened the curtains, giving us a superb view of the city. Loud music came on, and the sisters stood in front of the wall made entirely of glass, dancing for all of Vegas to see. They were very good at keeping up appearances, considering that from the right angle outside the hotel, any Duke would be able to see us clearly with his extended sight.

“Come here.” Marna’s voice was seductive as she crooked her finger at me, and I went.

I didn’t have to do too much, since Marna danced around me, rubbing against me, slinking all the way to the floor and back up effortlessly with her hands against the sides of my body. I put my hands under my hair and lifted it up, moving my hips to the beat. When I looked up at Kaidan standing at the railing with the other guys watching, I saw the fire still in his eyes.

Ginger went to the banister, grabbed Blake’s hand, and pulled him down. She danced with him and it was, by far, the most sensual thing I’d ever seen. He kept looking like he wanted to kiss her, but she’d get within an inch of his mouth and cruelly turn, flipping her hair in his face. Marna came up behind Blake, and the twins danced with him in the middle. Their moves were so seamless that I swear they must have choreographed the dance. If these two sisters set their sights on a guy in a relationship, he didn’t stand much of a chance.

Kaidan hit a button on the wall, and electronically controlled curtains began to move inward. The second they were closed, the dancing stopped, and the twins walked away, leaving Blake standing there with his arms held out at his sides, like “what’s up with that?”

I laughed so hard I almost fell over. He came forward and stuck out his knuckles to me. I fumbled the first attempt, but was eventually able to bump his fist with mine.

“Anyone want a drink?” I asked loudly over the music.

“What have you got?” Blake asked.

We opened the fridge and found that we were sadly running low on the adorable bottles of liquor. But there was plenty of beer and wine.

“Here, Blake,” I said, “I know you want to party.” I tried to toss him a bottle of the beer, but it fell short and broke, fizzing all over onto the floor. Like everything else, it was riotous in my eyes and worthy of laughter. Blake shook his head and tsked from the side of his mouth.

“I’ll get my own this time.” He reached over me and grabbed one out, twisting the top and flicking the cap at Kaidan, who kicked it aside. Kopano picked up the broken beer bottle and threw it away, then tossed a towel onto the spot.

I looked around for Zania, but she wasn’t with them. I wanted to ask where she was, but something inexplicable kept me from speaking.

Ginger took a miniature bottle of wine. She, Blake, and I lifted up our drinks to give a cheer, and before my mouth was full with the first gulp, the bottle was snatched from my hand. I swallowed and gasped.

“Hey,” I shouted, “Give that—” Kaidan’s hand covered my mouth and he gave me a hard look. I wanted to throw a tantrum. Why was he being so mean? We were just trying to relax before . . . before what?

Ginger snorted, way too amused by the tiff between Kaidan and me. Was she laughing at me? Rage for all the nasty things she’d ever said made me lunge forward, but strong arms yanked me from behind. Kaidan still held me tight around the waist, and I kicked out, wanting to fight her. My only satisfaction was the pure surprise on her face and the fact that she wasn’t laughing anymore.

“Calm. Down,” Kai growled into my ear. I settled down, but was still breathing hard.