Born in Blood (The Sentinels #1)(87)

“Hell no,” the servant barked, his eyes bulging as he shoved away from the door.

“Excuse me?”

Tony flinched at the lethal warning laced through Zak’s tone.

“Our deal never included being a sidekick to a zombie,” he muttered.

Zak smiled with frigid amusement. “Is your objection to being a sidekick or working with the dead?”

Unable to find the humor in the situation, Tony began backing out the door.

“I quit.”

“Tony.”

Zak’s voice was soft, but filled with enough power to make the henchman halt in his tracks.

“What?” Tony rasped, his belligerent attitude unable to disguise his fear.

“You will be assisting Frank,” Zak informed him, his tone flat. Uncompromising. “Whether you’re alive or dead while you’re assisting him makes no difference to me.”

“Hey, sleepyhead.”

Callie woke for the second time, her earlier nightmare forgotten as she felt warm, male lips tenderly stroking over her cheek and caught a delectable scent filling the air.

Oh... yum.

She couldn’t decide which was better. The arousing sensations of Duncan’s light caresses or the aroma of cinnamon and butter and warm maple.

It was the growl of her stomach that decided.

“Hmm,” she murmured, lifting her lids to discover Duncan seated at the edge of the bed with a tray filled with food perched beside him. “Do I smell waffles?”

He nodded. “I made them fresh.”

“You made them?” Scooting up to lean against the headboard, her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the fluffy waffles perfectly browned and dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar with a dollop of whip cream on top of the stack. Beside the plate was a tiny jug of maple syrup and on the other side a bowl of ripe, red strawberries. “Liar.”

“Busted,” he admitted with a boyish grin that tugged directly on her heart. “I did order them. Does that count?”

Callie swallowed a resigned sigh. He was unshaven, wearing a plain white tee with faded jeans, and his hair was tumbled onto his brow. He should have looked scruffy.

Instead, he was indecently, gloriously male and so beautiful she wanted to crawl into his lap and beg him to hold her for the next eternity or so.

Lost in the fantasy, it wasn’t until a golden brow arched that she was jolted out of her lovesick daze.

She grimaced. Man, she had it bad, bad, bad.

“Only if there’s coffee,” she forced herself to tease.

His grin widened. “Your wish is my command.”

He bent down to grab a cup of coffee he’d set on the floor, waving it beneath her nose before pressing it into her outstretched hand.

Breathing deeply of the rich aroma, she took a sip, sending Duncan an appreciative glance. He’d remembered she took three sugars with a dollop of cream.

“Perfect,” she murmured, setting aside the coffee to break off a corner of the top waffle to dip it in the syrup before popping it into her mouth. “Is there a reason I’m being so shamelessly spoiled?”

He shrugged. “Because I like to spoil you.”

She believed him. Duncan was a tough, macho cop, but he was also a generous lover who would always seek to please his partner.

“And because you’re worried about me?” she asked softly.

“That too.”

She grabbed a strawberry and pressed it to his lips.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“For what?” He took a bite of the berry, his gaze never wavering from her face. “Breakfast?”

“That too.”

They shared an intimate smile, both recalling the long night filled with enough passion to light the world on fire.

The gold shimmered in his hazel eyes, suggesting that Duncan would like to do more than just remember the pleasure they’d shared.

“What time will your watchdog be arriving?” he asked, his voice a husky rasp.

Leaning to the side, she grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand to read the message she knew would be waiting for her.

She wrinkled her nose. “In half an hour.”

“Damn,” Duncan muttered, leashing his ready desire. “Where are you supposed to meet him?”

“In the parking lot.”

He frowned. “What parking lot?”

“Here.” She watched his frown deepen. “Is something wrong?”

“How does he know where I... wait.” He held up a hand, rolling his eyes. “Stupid question.”

She nodded. It had been a stupid question. “Fane is nothing if not thorough.”

His jaw tightened, but he made a visible effort to keep his expression bland. “Will you return to Valhalla?”

“Yes. I have to report to the Mave.”

“A shame.” His gaze traveled down to where the blanket barely covered the curve of her br**sts. “I have a much better way to spend the day.”

“Don’t you have to work?”

“Yep.” His smile was wicked. “But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t rather spend the day with you.”

Impulsively she leaned forward, pressing a lingering kiss to his lips.

“I know the feeling.”

“Mmm.” His hand cupped her nape as he parted her lips to stroke his tongue into her mouth, tasting her with blatant hunger before pulling back with a rueful sigh. “Eat your breakfast before I forget we don’t have time for this,” he commanded.