Bite (Bloodlines Book 1) (20 page)

With a wicked smile, Dakota rolled them until she straddled Kieran’s waist on top. She lifted herself up before she dropped back down. Kieran groaned.

“Let’s test your theory,” she told him.

“It might take us a couple times just to be certain,” Kieran said as he planted his feet on the mattress then thrust up.

Dakota let her head drop back. “I agree.”

* * * *

Kieran pulled on his black boots as he watched Dakota dress on the other side of the room. After spending the rest of their weekend in bed, it was hard to watch her cover that magnificent body. Or he was just hard. Either way he took a step forward to stop her progress.

“No,” she said without even turning around.

“What?” he asked innocently.

“I can hear your feet moving,” Dakota said. “You stay over there.”

“I was just going to offer to help you,” he told her.

“I need to put my clothes on,” Dakota responded while laughing. “Not take them off.”

“You’re no fun,” he complained.

“And you’re going to make us late,” Dakota replied as she spun around. Her eyes widened and she licked her lips.

Pleased with her reaction, Kieran stood straighter and preened just a little. He liked the way that her gaze went up and down his body. It was almost like he could feel it. “What were you saying about being late?” he asked.

“Damn it!” she glared at him. “You’re wearing that on your first day?”

Kieran glanced down at his clothes. He wore dark black jeans that hugged his thighs, but he would be able to run in them if necessary, along with a red T-shirt on top of a white long sleeve Henley. He’d completed his wardrobe with his old, beaten-up black combat boots. He thought he looked decent enough. “Well, I’m not wearing a suit,” he said.

“You don’t have to look so good,” she said with a frown.

Was she jealous? Kieran smiled. “You don’t like it?” he asked as he ran his hand over his stomach, pulling the fabric tight.

“I hope you get patrol down in the tunnels or at the sewer plant,” she told him.

Kieran laughed before he stalked toward her. “You have an evil streak,” he accused.

“Remember that,” she said, then pushed up and kissed him hard.

As Kieran started to pull her close, she backed away and patted his chest. “Let’s go before you manage to distract me.”

“Fine,” Kieran said with a sigh.

He liked that she was smiling as she walked out of the bedroom. It felt like a brand-new life, being able to wake up with her before they both went into the office. He hoped that he and Remy found some action tonight. A good fight would just top off his day.

Kieran followed Dakota into the living space where she was gathering the rest of her stuff. “Are you coming back here after our shift?” he asked.

“I was planning on it,” she told him.

“Good.” He nodded. “Remy left me a message that Angel and her mate should be here in the morning. After we get some sleep, I’d like to meet them for lunch and wanted you to come.”

“I’d love to meet her,” Dakota told him.

“Good.” He nodded before he walked over to the table where he’d dropped his wallet and keys.

“Are you nervous?” she asked when she came up behind him.

“About seeing Angel? Nah, I’m pretty sure that she is aware that I know. And she’s right. I would have stayed with her, and in a couple months would have been bored out of my mind. Plus I would have never have come here and met you or found Jackson again,” Kieran said.

“I’m glad you did,” Dakota said. “But I meant at starting at a new division.”

Kieran scoffed. Was she serious? He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Dakota was watching him with her brows furrowed. She was! “You know I couldn’t give a flying fuck about anyone at your office other than you. As long as I get to check on Caspar’s status, I do my job and don’t need anyone other than my partner.”

Dakota shook her head. “I think you’re going to find things run very differently here.”

Kieran just shrugged. He opened the door and let her exit first. “It’s not like I haven’t met half the people who work with you. Dean’s had them following me the entire time. I can’t wait to get my payback on them.”

“Hey!” Dakota said. “They were just helping out their friend. They’re all good guys.”

“Then they need better friends,” Kieran said. “Besides if they can’t stand the heat they should stay out of the kitchen.”

“Oh God!” Dakota groaned. “That was terrible.”

Kieran laughed. Yeah, it had been corny but he liked his little sayings. They drove Remy crazy too.

“You’re going to turn my office into total chaos,” Dakota said.

“Of course I am,” Kieran agreed. “That’s what makes this job fun.” He laced his fingers in hers as they walked to the elevator. Kieran pressed the button with his free hand while Dakota just stared at him. “What?”

“Could you just try not to break anyone the first week you’re there?” she asked.

“I promise,” he replied.

The elevator opened, and they stepped inside. The ride down was quiet but it was a comfortable silence. When the door opened on the casino, the loud cling of the slots and people talking had him scowling.

He loved living in the hotel but he could really do without the crowds of the casino. He followed behind Dakota, keeping his gaze on her ass and ignoring everyone else. Dakota had on a pair of gray slacks with a bright-blue button-down shirt. He liked the way the cotton pants framed her pert butt.

“Eyes up, buddy.”

Kieran snapped his head to the side and saw Jackson strolling toward them. He smiled at his old friend. “As long as I’m the only one looking it’s all good.”

Jackson laughed. “It’s good to see you.” He held his hand out to shake.

“Yeah, sorry I didn’t return your call.” Kieran glanced at Dakota. “We stayed in the last couple of days to relax.”

“No problem,” Jackson said. “Hey, Dakota.”

“Hi, Jackson,” she greeted then turned to Kieran. “Why don’t I get the car pulled around and meet you out front?”

Kieran nodded and smiled. “Thanks.”

The two of them waited until Dakota had disappeared into the mass of people before Jackson spoke.

“I just can’t get over the fact that you’re with a shifter,” Jackson said.

Kieran narrowed his eyes.

“I don’t mean anything bad by it. I’ve tried to move on myself but I still get flashbacks sometimes,” Jackson said.

“I do too, and before I met Dakota, I couldn’t have ever imagined I’d be with a shifter this way. But the very first night I saw her there was just something that made me want her so bad,” Kieran explained. “I thought I could fight it, for about five minutes, but Dakota wouldn’t allow me to push her away.”

“You’re a lucky man,” Jackson told him.

“I know,” Kieran agreed.

“I thought maybe we could get dinner one night this week. The three of us. I’d like to get to know her too,” Jackson said.

“We’d like that,” Kieran agreed.

“Great.” Jackson grinned.

“I don’t know my schedule yet but I can get back to you,” Kieran told him.

“Cool,” Jackson said. “I’ll let you get to work then.”

Kieran slapped his buddy on the back. “I’ll be seeing you then.”

“Oh, I got Remy set up in a room last night. I figured it would be easier being close together.”

“Thanks,” Kieran said with sincerity.

“And if you guys need any help with Caspar’s case, I have some of my own research,” Jackson told him.

“On Bradley?” Kieran asked.

“On all of Mount Fauna and the other places,” Jackson said.

“I’d like to take a look at it,” Kieran decided. He’d never researched his own case, but maybe it was time. Kieran had buried it all down deep, but with the support he had it was time to finally heal all his old wounds.

“I’ll arrange for you to have copies of my files,” Jackson told him.

“All right,” Kieran said. “I better go before I make us any later.”

“Have a good first day,” Jackson called as Kieran waved.

Dakota was already outside waiting in her SUV by the time he stepped out. If he was staying in Vegas, and it looked like he was, he needed to get a bike. He’d really enjoyed the one that he’d borrowed. Not that he didn’t want to drive in with Dakota but he wouldn’t mind exploring the town on his own.

He pulled open the passenger door and climbed inside. “Jackson would like to have dinner this week.”

“That would be good,” Dakota said.

“You just want to interrogate him again,” Kieran accused.

Dakota shrugged but was smiling. “Whatever needs to be done.” She drove out of the hotel parking lot and turned into traffic.

“Do you like working nights?” he asked. As much as the two of them had already been through, there was still so much that he didn’t know about Dakota.

“I guess,” she said. “I’ve been doing it so long that it just feels natural to me. I have no problem sleeping during the day.”

Kieran didn’t either. “So are you going to go by your place before you come back to my suite?” he questioned.

“I already told you I was staying the night again,” she said.

“I know,” Kieran told her. Damn, how should he word his request? Fuck it, he was a blunt guy so why beat around the bush? Dakota already liked him. “If you wanted to go by your place and grab some more clothes, we could do that after our shift. Maybe enough for the week. I wouldn’t mind seeing where you live either.”

Dakota glanced at him. “Sounds good to me.”

Kieran relaxed into the leather seat and peered out of the window. His new city was bright and happening. A woman in a miniskirt was dancing on the side of the road while a small three-piece band played.

Across the street from her, three young teenagers were riding skateboards right in the middle of the strip. His town was full of eccentric people. If he had to be surrounded by way too many people, at least these guys here would amuse him.

With his luck, he and Remy would probably get the patrol of the worst part of town but Kieran was actually looking forward to it.

Before Kieran realized it, Dakota had driven away from the excitement of the Strip to the building that they used for a cover. She didn’t pull up to the front but instead drove around to where the guard was on duty, blocking the entrance to the parking garage.

“He needs to keep an eye out for someone trying to sneak inside,” Kieran commented as Dakota slowed.

She snorted. “I think they’re more worried about people trying to escape, not breaking in.”

“That’s the first problem,” Kieran commented.

Dakota came to a stop then rolled down her window. The guard bent and peered inside the vehicle.

“Hey, Dakota.”

“Hi, Charlie,” Dakota said. “This is Kieran, he’s a new agent.”

Charlie nodded. “I’ve been warned.”

Kieran growled and bared his fangs.

“Fuck!” Charlie said as he went pale and scrambled away. He hit the button to raise the lever, allowing Dakota to drive through.

Dakota sighed as Kieran laughed loudly. “You didn’t have to scare him.”

“I love this!” Kieran slapped his hands together and rubbed them. “I am going to have so much fun!”

“Shit,” Dakota muttered as she pulled into her parking space. “I hope they upped their insurance.”

That sent Kieran into even more laughter. He wiped the tears from his eyes before he finally got control. Yeah, he was really enjoying the twists and turns his life was taking. He lifted Dakota’s hand and placed a kiss on the back of it. He’d corrupt her in no time at all and he knew she was going to enjoy every second of it.

Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:

Birds of Prey

Crissy Smith

Excerpt

Chapter One

The call came at five in the morning.

Cody fumbled on the nightstand beside his bed and knocked something onto the ground as he reached for his cell phone. “Hello?”

“Agent Johnson,” Commander Jacob Green’s brisk voice came through loudly.

“Yes, sir?” Cody replied with a wince. It was Sunday and his day off. He’d gone out the night before with Zak and Jamie and had only climbed into bed three hours ago. Sadly, he’d crawled into bed alone but with too much alcohol in his system. If he was being called in, a hangover was not going to help.

“I need you and your team to report to a scene,” his boss told him.

Cody sat up and rubbed his hand roughly over his face. “Okay.” It wasn’t normal procedure to call in one of the teams that wasn’t on the schedule. His superior had also never phoned him personally before.

“I’ll text you the address,” Commander Green said, lowering his voice. “It’s going to be a long day.”

“Understood, sir,” Cody replied, before his boss disconnected the call. Even if he didn’t understand yet, he wasn’t going to argue with his employer.

He only had to wait a few seconds for the address to be sent to his phone. And that was all he got.

1125 Lake Shore Drive.

No names or information on what he and his team would be walking into. Not normal at all.

He forwarded the text with the addition to report ASAP to his unit.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he couldn’t hold back a groan. He should have known better than try to match shots with Jamie, but the bear shifter had kept pushing.

Zak had just laughed at them as they threw back round after round.

It wasn’t the first time he’d made the mistake of trying to take his buddy on and it probably wouldn’t be the last.

Cody needed coffee. Strong and black, and a lot of it.

He walked to his closet and pulled out a clean pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. He tossed them on the bed as he crossed to his dresser. He yanked out a pair of boxers and socks. His boots were still right next to the bed where he’d kicked them off earlier.

Dressing quickly in what he considered his daily uniform—jeans, shirt and boots—he was once again glad that he was part of a field team and rarely had to put on a suit. He preferred to be comfortable when he worked.