Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(81)

The door swung open. It wasn’t Miranda. Della curtseyed. And Della was so not the curtseying kind. She waved her arm for him to enter as if

she were playing a part in a play. “She waits for you in her bedchambers, my dear.”

Okay, she wasn’t just acting strange, she was talking strange. He grinned. “You’re weird.”

She looked back at Kylie. “Just like my friend, Miranda.” Accent hanging on, she waved an arm toward Miranda’s bedroom door. “Go. You have

been summoned.”

Kylie laughed.

“What?” He sensed he’d missed part of a joke. Or was the joke on him? He recalled Miranda somehow knowing he’d kissed Bell. This morning,

she’d seemed to believe him about only kissing her for an alibi, but maybe now …

“Everything is bloody fine.” Della laughed. “Your girl is just covered in pleeeaasure tattoos. For your eyes only.”

Perry didn’t follow, but … “Her tattoos are back?”

Kylie nodded.

Was that freaking Miranda out? It would him.

He started toward her door, then remembered and turned around. “Burnett wants you and Kylie in the office. Now.”

“Trouble?” Della lost her accent.

“He’ll explain.”

Miranda’s door swung open. Hungry for the sight of her, he turned. And what a sight. She stood there in running shorts and a pink tank top.

Every inch of bare skin was covered in pale tattoos. He’d never thought of himself as a tattoo-loving guy, but that could change. It had

changed. She looked … hot.

Before he could stop himself, he envisioned her naked and with the pink swirly pattern painting her curves.

“Hey.” He wanted to move in for a kiss, but hesitated. Miranda didn’t like to be pushed. Nudged, maybe. Pushed, no. But there was a fine

line between those two.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yeah. I promised I would be, didn’t I?”

She stared at him. Just being in the same room somehow lightened the weight he’d flown here with.

“We’ll go,” Della said.

Perry had completely forgotten they were still there.

“The room reeks of pheromones.” Della chuckled.

“Drop it,” Miranda snapped.

“Come on.” Kylie used her “bad Della” tone and she caught the vampire’s elbow and pulled her out.

Just before Kylie shut the door, Della called back. “Hey, bird boy, you can thank me later.”

Perry looked back at Miranda. “What do I need to thank her for?”

Miranda rolled her eyes. “With Della? Who knows?” She glanced away quickly as if it wasn’t altogether true. But that was okay. Girls kept

secrets.

Realizing they stood in silence and were completely alone, he let his gaze move over her again, taking in every painted inch. Like a canvas,

her body was covered. “So they’re back.”

“Yup.”

“I’d say they kind of look hot, but I’m not sure you want to hear that.”

“I don’t.” She frowned. “They freak me out.”

“Can you still make them go away?”

“Don’t know.” She looked down at her feet in flip-flops. “Go away.”

A spot of bare skin appeared on the top of her feet and chased the tattoos up her legs leaving clear skin. In a few seconds, the tattoos were

off her arms and face.

“Have you learned anything about them yet?” he asked.

She frowned. “One of Holiday’s old college professors, an Englishwoman, was here, but she didn’t have answers, just more questions.”

Miranda told him about the woman’s tattoo and what she said about her mother and grandmother being mystic witchs.

“That explains Della’s accent?” He grinned.

“She can be such a twit.”

He considered what else Miranda had told him. “I still say you called me when you were hurt. So maybe—”

“It was a fluke.”

He remembered her knowing about the kiss, and wondered if that was a fluke, too. He started to mention it, but bringing up the kiss didn’t

seem smart.

Then when he least expected it, she stepped closer. Closer was good. Perry wished she’d walk into his arms. Let him pull her against him. He

needed it as much as he sensed she did. But again, he didn’t want to push.

Flipping her hair off her shoulder, he shifted his gaze to the curve of her neck. Everywhere he looked at her she had curves and he longed to

explore each and every dip and valley. The earlier image he created flashed in his mind. So beautiful, so naked.

“Perry?”

“What?” He realized she’d been talking while he’d been enjoying …

“I asked if you found anything out.”

“Yeah. I—”

“Tabitha? Did you find anything out about her?” Desperation sounded in her voice.

He wished he had news on that. He wanted to be her hero.

“No. But I think I have a location on the guy who’s behind the robberies. We’re about to go there now.”

Worry filled her eyes. “I’ve texted her like five times today. She hasn’t answered. Do you still think Tabitha’s with Anthony?”