Daegan came out of his room then, wearing a tuxedo perfectly tailored for his perfect body and perfect face. Fucking perfect. Even from here, Gideon could tell how good he smelled, because of how the servant"s mark heightened his senses. He"d been smelling that particular musk all day, thanks to that never-ending kiss while shoved against Daegan"s door.

Yeah, he was totally fucked-up. Before he could figure out how to absent himself until Anwyn had joined them, he noticed the man"s cuff links. Gideon raised a brow, recognizing the shape. “You"re kidding, right?”

Daegan lifted one wrist to better display the tiny silver and diamond bats. “A gift from Anwyn, a couple of years ago. Her charming wit.”

Fortunately, the door to her room slid open then. Typically female, she"d timed her entrance last, and it was well worth the wait. While Gideon wasn"t surprised that she rendered him temporarily speechless, it was something to see Daegan"s overwhelmed expression.

During the week, she wore some enticing and attractive outfits, determined not to slum around their apartment like some pathetic psych case—her own words—as well as to practice getting dressed without the benefit of a mirror. He remembered the very first night in Atlantis, how she"d come to him as a Mistress, pure sex in latex and lace. But this . . .

His soul rolled out in front of her, a coat he"d willingly throw over any mud hole to keep her from soiling her feet.

The dress was a teal sheath that glittered as she moved, a handful of tiny sparkle points like stars in the night sky. It clung from breast to midthigh and had no sleeves. She"d draped a transparent silver wrap over her arms. It picked up the topaz-and-diamond set at her throat. Her hair was twisted up on her head, all those little feminine tendrils artfully arranged on her slim neck.

Suddenly, he was greedy, wanting to jump forward in time to see her at the end of the night, when she"d let it tumble down. She"d step out of her elegant heels, accept his and Daegan"s embrace as they worshipped her body with mouths and hands, bringing cries of pleasure from those wet, glossy lips. They were frosted a kiss-me deep rose and she"d sprinkled some kind of glitter dust across her breasts. A temporary tattoo of a blue-green fairy was high on one ankle, a further accent for her killer legs that her high heels made it impossible to ignore.

Of course Daegan was the first to recover. Crossing the floor, he lifted her hand to his mouth, giving her fingers a kiss that included a secret caress of his tongue between two of the digits. Gideon registered it because he saw her reaction to it in her mind.

He was so out of his league. He should be driving the car, or staying home to watch cable in a bathrobe, like a sitter waiting up for the parents to return.

“Oh my God, Gideon. Look at you.”

Anwyn was so overwhelmed by the sight of her vampire hunter, she missed his reaction to her and Daegan entirely. For once he was smoothly shaven, the hard jaw clean and handsome.

Despite Daegan"s teasing, his hair had been brushed so it feathered over his forehead and lay gleaming on his broad shoulders. He looked as devastating in a tuxedo as only a handsome, rugged man could. His midnight blue eyes were gratifyingly riveted on her. She felt Daegan"s amusement with the male, mixed with something else, something she herself was feeling.

Moving to Gideon, she realized with a combination of joy and sweet sorrow why he was rooted to the spot. Reaching up to touch his face, she passed her thumb over his lips before he could speak.

“Daegan received a kiss from this mouth earlier today, but my servant didn"t give me the same pleasure. I think you owe me that now.”

She"d noted that he responded to the formally worded commands far better than he realized.

They were a trigger, as if they made something deep in that chivalrous soul leap over his usual cynicism and self-deprecation. They were pushed aside, and he desired nothing more than to serve her every wish. Pressing against him, she slid her fingers up into that silky hair.

Blissfully, that was all it took. When she took his mind out of the equation, things were far simpler for him.

His arms banded around her, bringing her even closer, so close she stepped out of one shoe and curled a bare foot around his calf as he cupped the base of her skull and kissed her deep and desperate, letting her feel the delicious desire race through every inch of his hard body. He was trying to be a gentleman, but his hands crept down, and at her sound of encouragement, he closed them over the thin, stretchy fabric to find she wore nothing beneath it. His cock leaped against her belly.

While Gideon gripped her buttocks, Daegan"s fingers whispered over the bare skin revealed by the dress"s low back. When he traced her spine, he dropped a kiss between her shoulder blades, making her shiver.

“Okay, enough.” She pulled free, laughing. “You two are taking me to dinner. Keep that up and we won"t leave this room. Really, I"m totally bored with both of you. I"ve had all the sex I can stand.”

“Her mouth says one thing, but her body . . .” Daegan tried to dip under the short skirt and she spun away from him, grabbing hold of Gideon to thrust him in front of her.

“Protect me from this insatiable pervert, Gideon.”

“What"s he going to do, hit me with that enormous hard-on you"ve given him?” Daegan scoffed.

The banter loosened the tightness in Gideon"s chest. It had been nearly a month of life-and-death situations, tears and denial, anger and unexpected rages, but this moment was perfect.

They"d done the right thing. Maybe Anwyn wasn"t the only one who"d needed this. Her lightheartedness was infectious.

Also, he"d helped make this happen. So maybe, at least for tonight, he did deserve to be here.

Her eyes laughed up at him as she traced a quick finger along his jaw, her mouth softening and getting serious at once. “Of course you do. You belong to me, Gideon. I want you here, and so does Daegan.”

“It"s too much trouble to slough him off. Like a wart, it"s easier just to accept he"s attached.” Daegan offered her his right arm. “Are you ready, cher?” Shifting to take Gideon"s left arm, she smiled at them. “Yes. And thank you both for going with me.”

“Actually, I"ve got several supermodels holding a table for me. I"m only hanging out with you two losers until I get there,” Gideon mentioned. When Anwyn pinched him, he grunted.

“Ow. That was entirely unnecessary.”

“I should have pulled out the harness to keep you in line tonight,” she threatened darkly.

“One with a phallus that vibrates, so you"d worry more about coming during dessert than teasing me.”

“Promises, promises, cher,” Daegan said. “I wouldn"t mind seeing you in one, so you would be deliciously wiggling and squirming. Perhaps each one of us could put a hand on your thigh under the table, tease your pussy while you ate—”

“I"m leaving,” she decided, freeing her arms and skipping to the door. “You are not going to tempt me, Daegan Rei. Not tonight. Tonight I am going out to play. Coming, boys?” Exchanging a glance, they moved to follow her. Daegan held the door for her, though when he gestured Gideon forward, the vampire hunter shook his head. “After you.”

“Don"t trust me at your back, vampire hunter, or did you want a chance to grab my ass?”

“I never trust anyone at my back. And was that a request?”

Anwyn turned in the hallway. Had Gideon actually just flirted with Daegan? Anticipation leaped in her own breast as Daegan"s eyes intensified to flame, the sensual lips curving in a dangerous smile. “Better start getting used to having me at your back, Gideon. I intend to have you both tonight, and I will.”

With that remarkable and tantalizing statement, he gave Gideon a shove, sending him out the door ahead of him.

7

IT had been a long time since Gideon had participated in any group event that wasn"t crashing a church barbecue or pancake breakfast to get a low-cost homemade meal. This high-dollar event was about as alien to him as the tux, but the food was good. Their private table was close to the stage, where a jazz band provided entertainment. Between sets, there were presentations about the food from the chefs who"d made it, or discussions of the vintages that were being poured. They were on the outer edge of the front row, so Gideon didn"t feel hemmed in. He suspected Daegan liked the position for the same reason. In contrast, they chose seats on either side of Anwyn, protectively flanking her.

She"d slid out of her shoes and curled her feet beneath her, so she was now leaning toward Gideon. Daegan was rubbing her bare feet with idle fingers, moving in easy circles. Her hand lay on the chair arm, and when Gideon joined his hand to it, she sent a smile his way, her head cocked, listening to the jazz selection being played.

In this light, he could see the faint reddish hue of her irises beneath the normal color, but it was a trick of the light, not a warning of an attack. A couple of times in the car, she"d gotten tense, but he"d teased her out of it and Daegan had followed his cues to do the same. Now she was as relaxed as she"d seemed in a while. Still, mindful of the lessons learned and the system they"d agreed upon, he kept his antennae cued to her mind at all times, ready if that changed.

Faithful as a diabetic, she also discreetly used the monitor Brian had given her to check her blood and temperature reading every fifteen minutes.

Daegan looked a little less pale. He"d gone out briefly at dusk, before they"d gotten dressed, and apparently found someone to take care of his breakfast. Anwyn had noticed, picking up the perfume of the woman from whom he"d taken blood. While she hadn"t seemed particularly pleased about it, she hadn"t said anything. Guy had to eat, after all. And it sure as hell wasn"t going to be Gideon.

“So why don"t you have a servant?” he asked Daegan, not wanting to go back to that sticky subject, in case Anwyn caught the stray thought.

Daegan shrugged. “The life I currently lead wouldn"t work well with a constant companion.

There"s less liability in hunting alone.”