“Wasn’t planning on it,” she replied. “He’s got two legs.”
Daemon wasn’t deterred. “Then why don’t you come over here and spend time with me?”
I rolled my eyes.
“I don’t think there’s room for me on that lounge.” She folded her arms. “And as I much as I love you two, I don’t want to get that close.”
By that point, Daemon had successfully captured everyone’s attention. “I’ll make room for my sister,” he cajoled.
“Uh huh.” She spun around and stalked over to the patio. Pulling out a chair, she plopped down next to Archer and shoved out her hand. “I don’t think we’ve been officially introduced.”
Archer glanced down at her slender hand, then at Daemon for the tiniest second, and then he took her hand. “We haven’t.”
Six feet and a lot of inches of alien stiffened behind me. Oh dear.
“I’m Dee Black. I’m the sister of the douchebag known as Daemon.” She smiled brightly. “But you probably already know that.”
“That he’s a douchebag or that he’s your brother?” Archer asked innocently. “The answer is yes to both.”
I choked on my laugh.
Heat rolled off Daemon. “Am I also the brother who’s going to kick your ass if you don’t let go of my sister’s hand? The answer is yes to that, too.”
Dawson snickered from his chair.
I found myself smiling. Some things never changed. The overprotective side of Daemon was still an overbearing ass.
“Ignore him,” Dee said. “He has poor social skills.”
“I can vouch for that,” I threw out.
Daemon knocked his foot off my hip, and I glanced back at him. He winked and said in a low voice, “That is so not happening.”
Archer still hadn’t let go of Dee’s hand as he talked with her, and I wondered if he was doing that to goad Daemon or if he just wanted to hold her hand. Daemon opened his mouth to say something jerkish.
I grabbed his ankle. “Leave them alone.”
“No can do.”
Sliding my fingers under the hem of his jeans, I met his stare. “Please?”
His eyes narrowed into incandescent green slits.
“Pretty please?”
“Is there sugar on top?”
“Maybe.”
“There has to be, and there better be a lot of sugar.” He sat up fluidly and moved so that his knees were on either side of my hips. He wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. I turned my cheek toward his. A shiver skated over my skin as his lips brushed my chin. “I needs lots of sugar,” he added. “What say you?”
“Leave them alone and maybe,” I replied, more than a little breathless at the prospect.
“Hmm…” He tugged me back into the V of his legs. “You drive a hard bargain.”
Something really dirty popped into my head, and I flushed.
Daemon leaned back, head tilting to the side. “What are you thinking, Kitten?”
“Nothing,” I said, biting my lip.
He didn’t look convinced. “Are you having impure thoughts about me? Gasp.”
“Impure thoughts?” I giggled. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
Daemon’s lips brushed the lobe of my ear, and another shiver made its way down my spine. “I’d go that far and then some.”
Shaking my head, I realized Daemon was thoroughly distracted from who Dee was talking to. She owed me. Not that being in Daemon’s arms and feeling the length of him was a chore or anything. Not when his fingers started toying with the hem of my dress, the back of his hand lazily brushing my thighs.
Dawson and Beth were the first ones to call it a night. They shuffled past us, Beth sending me a smile and a soft “good night.” Matthew and Lyla were next, though they seemed to go in different directions. I couldn’t let myself entertain any other idea there. That would just be gross, because Matthew had been my teacher.
Night broke and everyone else headed inside, including Archer and Dee. As they entered the sunroom, Daemon craned his neck so far I thought his head would fall off, which was pointless because they both were going upstairs.
I decided to keep that observation to myself lest he go tearing after them.
Only Daemon and I remained in the courtyard, staring up at the star-ridden sky. As soon as we were alone, I crawled into his lap, tucking my head under his chin. Every so often he placed a kiss against my forehead, my cheek…my nose, and every time he did, he erased another minute of the time spent with Daedalus. His kisses really did have the power to change lives. Not that I’d admit that. His ego was ginormous as it was.
We weren’t talking, because I think there was so much to say and, at the same time, there was nothing to be said. We were out of Area 51, and for that very second we were safe, but our future was unknown. Daedalus was searching for us, and we couldn’t stay there forever. It was too close to Area 51, and with this kind of sizeable population there were too many prying eyes from people who would begin to ask questions. Luc had the LH-11, and we had no idea what it was truly capable of or why Luc wanted something so volatile. There were the hybrids and Luxen back at the facility and those kids…those freaky kids.
I had no idea what was going to happen from here on out, and even thinking about it scared the ever-loving crap out of me. Tomorrow wasn’t guaranteed. Neither were the next couple of hours. My breath caught with that realization, and I stiffened. The next minute was unknown to us, and it might not even come.