When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity #1)(53)

Crawling from beneath the covers, she discovered that someone had kindly left a pair of jeans and a T-shirt on top of the dresser. There was also a new white lace thong and matching bra.

She grimaced. She had never been much of a thong woman.

Probably because she hadn't been a size two since grade school.

Beggars, however, could not be choosers. After slipping on the tiny underwear, she pulled the T-shirt over her head before padding into the outer room.

A wave of relief rushed through her as she discovered Dante standing beside the wall refrigerator, looking extraordinarily fine in a pair of leather pants and black silk shirt he had yet to button. His silken hair was still loose about his alabaster face, and the candlelight shimmered in his silver eyes.

Fine, indeed.

So fine that Abby barely noted the empty cup of blood he set aside at her approach.

A smile twitched at his lips as he allowed his gaze to take a slow, appreciative survey of her scarcely covered body.

"Nice, lover. Very nice."

Abby rolled her eyes, although inwardly she did a bit of preening. And why not? No one but Dante had ever made her feel as if she were thong-worthy.

"What time is it?"

"Almost nine."

Abby blinked in surprise. "Why didn't you wake me?"

'You needed your rest." Dante reached into the refrigerator to pull out a plastic cup. "Here."

Abby regarded the offering with a wrinkled nose.

"I don't suppose it's that hot fudge sundae you've been promising?"

His smile widened. 'The next best thing."

She thought of the green guck with a shudder. "Liar."

He moved forward to press the cup into her reluctant fingers, his lips brushing the top of her curls.

"I'll make you a deal. You finish that and I'll buy you as many hot fudge sundaes as you can eat."

Abby briefly sucked in the male scent of his cologne before stepping back to regard him with a suspicious glare.

"Okay, what's going on? Zombies? Wizards? The end of the world?"

A raven brow arched. "What are you talking about?"

'You're never this easy to get along with."

He gave a startled chuckle. "Me? Lover, I'm not the difficult one." Dipping his finger into the neckline of the T-shirt, he gave it a tug to inspect the barely-there bra. "Of course, there are moments when you are less difficult than others. Like when you-"

She swatted his hand away. "Dante, I'm not going to be distracted."

He gave his fangs a meaningful lick. "Actually, I think I'm already distracted."

Damn. Her ni**les hardened. Determinedly she kept herself from melting into a puddle.

'You're up to something. What is it?"

"Nothing."

'Try again."

He hesitated and Abby felt her stomach muscles tighten. She wasn't going to like this.

"I have an errand I must run," he at last confessed.

"What sort of errand?"

"I'm returning to Selena's house to see if there are any clues to where the witches might have gone."

She considered his words a moment before giving a nod of her head and setting aside the cup o' goo.

"Not a bad idea. Let me take a shower and—"

He reached out to grasp her arms in a firm grip. "I'm going alone, Abby."

"No."

'Yes."

Her temper soared as she poked him in the chest. Hard.

"Dammit, Dante, it's a little too late to try and keep me out of danger."

"I will not have you taking unnecessary risks."

"The only risk is leaving me alone. You're supposed to be my guardian."

His expression hardened at her stubborn determination.

"You will not be alone here. Viper will keep you safe."

Abby was not impressed. Viper might be all kinds of delicious goodness, but the last time they had stayed at this hotel, they had nearly died.

"From zombies?" she demanded with a poke. "Dark wizards?" Poke, poke. "Creepy crawlies we don't even know about yet?"

Grasping her fingers, Dante lifted them to his mouth to give them a lingering kiss.

"He'll be on his guard this time, I swear. Nothing will get past him."

"I don't care."

"Abby—"

She threw her arms about his narrow waist and pressed her face to his chest.

"Damn you, I can't do this alone," she muttered. If something happens to you, I won't be able to go on."

He lightly stroked her hair. 'You will have to."

"No, I can't." She pulled back to regard him with a resolute frown. "We're in this together, buster, and if you leave here, I'll follow you. I swear I will."

His jaw briefly tightened before he gave a rueful shake of his head. "You truly are a pain in the ass, lover."

"But a most beautiful pain in the ass," a hypnotic voice husked from directly behind her.

"Exquisite," another deeply accented voice concurred.

With a jerk of surprise, Abby turned about to dis-cover two male vampires standing far too close for comfort.

"Holy… freaking… cow," she breathed, her jaw dropping.