Page 91 of Shifted Desire

He smiles quizzically when our lips part and he finds me frowning. “Not in the mood for kissing?”

“What? No.” I kiss him, a bit too sloppy, but he smiles against my lips. “I always want to kiss you,” I murmur.

“Mmm, good.” Our mouths meet, and when my tongue slicks against his, he groans. “But if you kiss me like that, we’re never leaving this room.”

I let out an exaggerated sigh that makes him laugh, and he helps me up from the bed, though I’m the strongest I’ve been in a long time. I don’t care if I don’t need his help as he eases my panties back up my thighs or when he slips my dress back on over my head, because it’s so nice to have those small gestures of care.

Once we’re both dressed, I’ve gotten my panic about the feelings for Nathan that I shouldn’t have let myself name down to a low simmer. Though when he reaches his hand out to thread his fingers through mine and lead me back out into the club, I swear he can feel how fast my heart is beating for him.

I’m so distracted by it that I don’t notice the pair approaching us in the hallway back to the main room before it’s too late.

“Sam?”

I blink out of my stupor at the sound of my name. Right in front of us stand Mona’s best friends, Grace and Blair.

The buxom blonde smiles at me, though it doesn’t quite meet her eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“That’s a forward question to ask a girl,” I say, forcing a teasing lilt to my tone.

Nathan looks at me, then over to the pair, a question in his eyes.

Fuck, we’re still holding hands.

It takes everything in me not to drop his hand and shove him away in my panic about being seen together.

They don’t know who Nathan is, and they won’t unless I introduce him. It’s not weird for me to be at The Vault with a hot older man on a weekend unless I act like I’ve been caught doing something wrong.

It’s fine. Totally fine.

Blair glares at me, her vampiric red stare far too keen. Is it because of her general distaste for me, or because she knows something’s up?

Grace at least seems thankfully oblivious to the stakes of them stumbling upon us, laughing at my retort. “No, I meant that I didn’t expect you to be here the same night as Max and Mona.”

The floor drops out from beneath me, my stomach flip-flopping violently. “Shit!”

Nathan tenses as well, his hand in mine tightening in a much more subtle sign of his panic. He looks at me, brow furrowed, and I feel like the world’s biggest idiot.

“I forgot to check the calendar. My brother and I have an arrangement to make sure that we’re not here on the same night, and I got so caught up that I didn’t even think to check and…”

Nathan releases my hand, and I wonder if he’s going to bolt like I want to, but he wraps an arm around my waist and kisses my cheek. “Breathe, baby. It’s okay. It’s an honest mistake.”

I don’t miss how Blair raises a brow at Nathan calling me “baby”.

Gods, I’m going to barf.

“Yeah, it’s totally fine!” Grace says amiably. “They just got here and are chatting with some friends, so there’s no risk of seeing anything you’d rather not. You can wave hello and goodbye, and everything will be fine.”

“I doubt that,” Blair replies drolly.

“I can’t let them see me!” I blurt at the same time, then wince.

The vampire flashes a fanged grin at her girlfriend. “See?”

Grace’s smile drops, brow furrowing. “I’m missing something.”

Nathan gives my waist a squeeze. “She’s worried about being seen with me.”

“Why? Who are you?” Grace asks, finally giving the werewolf at my side more than a cursory glance.