Darkness Unleashed (Guardians of Eternity #5)(18)

“A shower.”

Confident there was nothing more threatening than the usual humans and a few water sprites that sang their siren song from the river, Jagr turned the corner and headed toward the main highway that cut through town.

Despite his swift pace, Regan easily kept at his side, her gaze warily searching the shadows, her body tense, ready for any unexpected attack.

Jagr should have been pleased. The woman was obviously smart enough to keep up her guard, despite the seeming lack of danger.

But he wasn’t pleased.

In fact, he was downright pissy. As if some latent, primitive part of his nature was offended she would question his right and ability to keep her safe.

Alarm trickled down his spine like ice, but Jagr grimly ignored the warning. Regan had been setting off alarms since he first caught sight of her. Instead, he slowed before the cheap chain motel with the blinking vacancy sign.

Regan frowned as he headed toward the far end of the building. “What are we doing here?”

“This is the nearest shower.”

“We’re checking into a hotel?”

“Tonight I prefer to skip the paperwork. The desk clerk is no doubt busy sharpening his skills at Guitar Hero.”

“Christ, what is it with you?”

“What?”

She regarded him with a sour expression. “One minute you sound like you just crawled out of a medieval crypt and the next, you sound like you’re a full-fledged member of Gen X.”

He shrugged, hiding his smile at her fierce need to keep him at a distance. And people called him antisocial.

“I watch TV.”

“Let me guess. You’re addicted to Dexter.”

“Actually I prefer Gossip Girl.”

Her jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

He moved toward the last door. “This one’s empty.” Placing his hand against the door, Jagr waited until he heard the click of the lock and pressed it open. Standing aside, he waited for Regan to march past him, her head high, her spine stiff.

Shutting the door, he held the bags toward the wary woman.

“Don’t turn on the light until you’ve closed the bathroom door. We don’t want to alarm the staff.”

She inched forward, clearly suspicious of his motives in bringing her to the hotel room.

“What are you going to be doing?”

“Keeping guard.” His brief amusement faded as the jasmine scent of her wrapped around him, stoking the hunger that smoldered deep inside him. The mere thought of her naked in the shower, with only a flimsy door between them…gods. Heat blasted through him, swirling through the air and making his voice thick. “Unless you have need of me?”

Snatching the bags, Regan backed toward the open door across the room.

“I’ve got it, thanks.”

Her tone was sharp, but Jagr didn’t miss the darkening of her eyes or the rapid beat of her pulse. He pushed from the door, the flames licking through his blood.

“My assistance would save time. I could scrub your back.” His gaze swept down the delicate curves. “Or your front, if you prefer.”

“Not even in your dreams, Jagr.”

Oh, she was definitely going to be in his dreams. The only question was for how many nights.

Or centuries.

“You did say you were in a hurry to get on the trail of Culligan.”

“Ha. Do I look stupid?”

The sweet, enticing scent of her arousal perfumed the air, but Jagr didn’t miss the hint of panic that flared through her emerald eyes. She desired him, but she feared that desire as much as she feared any emotion that wasn’t hate or revenge.

Damn. He moved forward, forcing himself to halt when a tremor shook through her body. She was going to bolt. He sensed it as clearly as if she’d tattooed it across her forehead.

“You look like a woman who has been knocked around enough to assume everyone is your enemy.” His voice was deliberately cool, his hunger firmly leashed. “I will not hurt you.”

She swallowed heavily, then predictably channeled her unease into anger.

“Because precious Darcy would be mad?” she sneered.

“Because I understand.”

“Yeah, right. Just keep watch, Hulkster,” she growled, her wolf prowling beneath her skin. “And don’t you dare come anywhere near this door.”

The door in question was slammed with enough force to split one of the wooden panels. Jagr remained in the center of the room, pretending that the image of Regan stripping off her clothes and stepping beneath the pelting water wasn’t searing through his brain. Then, confident she was actually taking the opportunity to bathe, he slowly backed out of the room and made a swift sweep of the neighborhood to make sure they hadn’t been followed.

Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he slipped to the back of the building and pressed himself against the worn bricks.

Nearly half an hour passed when the window next to him was shoved open, and a number of large bags were tossed onto the pavement. His lips twitched at the realization that Regan couldn’t leave behind her new clothes, even in her desperation to escape him.

Scooping the bags beneath one arm, Jagr straightened and turned, waiting for Regan to swing her legs (attired in a new pair of jeans), through the window. With a motion so fast not even a Were could follow, he scooped her off the ledge.