him, but his scent lingered on the pillow shar

ds, striping the black sheets. Everything in Damon's room was h

r stood open. St

htgown was ripped and tossed on the f

ower s

ater shining on his chest, tattoos curling over his should

my sheets," he sai

tted a small red smear

He pulled on black trousers, left his shirt un

k my ankle, steady and unhurried, and started unwrapping the bandage. He didn'

u last night," he said,

. "You...

d and sharp-smelling on my cut. I sucked in a breath, biting back

ch dropp

andage. Then he finally looked at me. His eyes wer

oes tha

're moving in

e. "Wi

ped movements. "You're a target. The best way

I was a thing, s

to stay in her

ide of my hips, trapping me. His face was so close, I could see the scar a

mattering the second yo

but it punched the

l eat. You'll stay w

, stiff

Good. Get up. Wear the b

still warm from his bo

ooth silk, nothing out of place. Another remin

his desk, phone pressed to his ear. "Double the patrols. Rer

cked at s

call. "We'r

he

o look pretty. Smile when you

car, city blurring past. Marco drove. Anto

igh-end restaurant. Pr

t around the edges but with shar

hen his gaze landed on me, warm and curious. "And yo

k. Possessive. "Elena, my uncle Vincen

my knuckles. His smile was g

numbers, shipments. I tried to follow, but none of it

ike your new home

adjustment

patted my hand. "If you need anything, or j

m. Human. For a second, I felt like

side. They talked by the window, voices hushed. I

tense. Damon star

seems nice

s man at that table." He turned to me, eyes sharp. "

y. I waited in his bedroom, perched on

ord. He just undressed with his back to

ht clic

acing the wall, pre

ss dipped when he got in. He stretched

ere in the dar

ut through the q

ce him, slow, careful. The moonlig

st night the man who grabb

me. "Scar

he ceiling. "And

look on his face, co

half-light. It felt like the room shrank,

e said, v

shed my hair off my cheek, gently tucking it b

b brushing my lower lip.

like he was talking to himself, "asks

Every muscle in my body went tight,

mine. His eyes held onto me daring me

ck instead. His lips burned against

close enough to scare, not

ed, voice rough. "Every g

flushed and tingling. Then he ro

to s

ill hot where he'd kissed me. The cruelty wa

rom

, I wasn't sure if I w