As No'One orgasmed, Tohr's cock released again, the feel of her slick sex and her hips jerking and her voice crying out putting him waaaaay over the threshold: She was wet; she was open; she was ready for him.

She was luscious.

And as she rubbed herself against his hand, he wanted his mouth on her and his tongue up inside her so he could swallow what he had given her.

In fact, if she hadn't been locked against him so tightly, he would have moved into position right away, heading down her body and finding her with his lips. But there was no going anywhere at the moment. Not until both their rides were over and their muscles had unlocked from their bones.

Except... she didn't let go of him.

Even after her release had passed, her arms retained their shockingly strong hold on his neck.

When she started to shake, he felt every tremor.

At first he wondered if it was the passion returning, but it was quickly obvious that wasn't the case.

No'One was crying softly.

As he tried to pull back, she just gripped him more tightly, tucking her head against his chest and burrowing in. Clearly, she wasn't afraid of him, or hurt by him. But, God, still...

"Shh..." he whispered as he put his big palm on her back and began circling in gentle strokes. "It's okay...."

Actually, that one was a lie. He wasn't sure if anything was okay. Especially as she started to sob in earnest.

Given there was nothing he could do but stay with her, he dropped his head close to hers and yanked the duvet off his legs to cover her up and keep her warm.

She cried forever.

He would have held her even longer than that.

It was odd... providing her with a grounding place grounded himself, giving him a purpose and focus that was just as strong as the sexual ones had been only moments before. And in retrospect, he should have known this was coming. What had just happened was probably the first and only sexual experience she'd ever consented to. Female of worth from a high-blooded family? No way she would have been permitted to even hold hands with a male.

That symphath's violence had been all she'd ever known.

Goddamn him, he wanted to kill that bastard again.

"I don't... know why... I cry," she said eventually, the words dodging past her harsh exhales.

"I've got you," he murmured. "For as long as it takes, I got you."

But the emotions were passing, her breathing easing, the sniffling not quite as prevalent.

It was all over after one last shuddering inhale. Then she was still and so was he.

"Talk to me." He continued stroking her back. "Tell me where you're at."

She opened her mouth as if she meant to answer, but then just shook her head.

"Well, I think you're very brave."

"Brave?" She laughed. "How well you do not know me."

"Very brave. This couldn't have been easy for you - and I'm honored that you let me... do what I did to you."

Her face assumed a picture of confusion. "Why ever for?"

"It takes great trust, No'One - especially for someone with what happened to you in their background."

With a frown, she seemed to retreat into herself.

"Hey," he said, putting his forefinger under her chin. "Look at me." When she did, he traced her face lightly. "I wish I had something philosophical or poignant or... anything... to help you put shit in perspective. I don't, and I'm sorry for that. I know this, though. It takes true courage to break through the past, and you did that tonight."

"I suppose we both have courage then."

His eyes shifted away. "Yeah."

There was a period of quiet, as if the past had sucked all of the energy out of both of them.

Abruptly, she asked, "Why is the aftermath so awkward? I feel so... apart from you."

He nodded, thinking, Yeah, sex could be weird like that, even if there weren't complications of the kind they were rocking: Even if you didn't go all the way, the shattering closeness that was shared seemed to make the return to normal feel like distance in spite of the fact that you were lying side by side.

"I should go back to my room now," she said.

He pictured her down the hall, and thought that it seemed too far away. "Don't. Stay here."

In the dim light, he could see she was frowning again. "Are you certain?"

He reached up and tucked away a blond escapee from her braid. "Yeah. I am."

They stared at each other for the longest time, and somehow - maybe it was the vulnerable look in her eyes, maybe the line of her mouth; maybe he was reading her mind - he knew exactly what she was wondering.

"I knew it was you," he said softly. "The entire time... I knew it was you."

"And that was... okay, to use your expression?"

He thought back to his mate. "You're nothing like Wellsie was."

When he heard her clear her throat, he realized he'd spoken out loud. "No, what I mean is - "

"You don't have to explain." Her sad smile was so full of compassion. "You truly don't."

"No'One - "

She held up her hand. "There's no need to explain - by the way, the flowers in here are gorgeous. I've never smelled such a bouquet."

"They're out in the hall, actually. Fritz changes them every two days. Listen, can I do something for you?"

"Have you not done enough," she countered.

"I'd like to bring you some food."

Her graceful brows peaked. "I wouldn't wish for you to trouble yourself - "

"But you are hungry, right?"

"Well... yes..."

"So I'll be back in a minute."

He shifted off the mattress quick, and unconsciously braced himself for the world to tilt wildly. But there was no light-headedness, no need to reclaim his balance, no loopy shit. His body was raring to go as he walked around the foot of the bed -

No'One's eyes fell upon him, and the expression on her face stopped him dead in his tracks.

That speculation was back in her eyes. Hunger, too.

He hadn't considered whether there was ever going to be a repeat when it had been happening. But given the way she stared at him... the answer would appear to be a big "yes," at least from her point of view.

"Do you like what you see," he asked in a too-deep voice.

"Yes..."

Well, didn't that get him hard: Below his waist, his cock shot right back to attention - and damned if her eyes didn't lock on and watch the show.

"I have other things I want to do to you," he growled. "That could be just the beginning. If you want."

Her lips parted, her eyelids sinking low. "Do you want that?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Then I would say... yes, please."

He nodded once at her, as if they had struck some kind of deal. Then he had to force himself away from the bed.

Going over to the closet, he pulled on a pair of jeans and went for the door.

"Anything in particular?" he asked before he left.

No'One slowly shook her head, her lids still low, her mouth still parted, her cheeks still flushed. Man... she had no idea how enticing she looked in that big, rumpled bed, her robe draping off the side of the mattress, her neat-as-a-pin hairdo feathered with blond wisps, her scent as strong and seductive as ever.

Maybe food could wait. Especially as he noticed that her bare legs were showing in the midst of the tangled duvet.

Yeah, he had plans for them. Over-the-shoulder kinds of plans -

Abruptly, she yanked the covers over her crippled one, hiding it from him.

Tohr marched right back over to her, and resolutely pulled the duvet back where it had been. Tracing the badly healed wounds with his fingertips, he met her squarely in the eye.

"You're beautiful. Every inch of you. Don't think for a moment there's anything wrong with you. We clear?"

"But - "

"Nope. I'm not hearing that." Bending down, he pressed his lips to her shin, her calf, her ankle, tracing the scars, caressing them. "Beautiful. All of you."

"How can you say that," she whispered, blinking back tears.

"Because it's the truth." Straightening, he gave her a final squeeze. "No hiding from me, okay. And after I feed you, I think I'm going to have to show you just how serious I am."

That made her smile... and then laugh a little.

"That's my girl," he murmured. Except... shit, she wasn't his. What the hell had come out of his mouth?

Forcing himself back to the door, he stepped out into the corridor, shut her in and -

"What the fuck?" Lifting his lower leg, he inspected the bottom of his bare foot. There was silver paint on it.

Glancing at the runner, he found a trail of... silver paint heading down the hallway toward the second-story balcony.

With a curse, he wondered which of the doggen was working on what part of the house. Good thing stains made the poor bastards cheerful; otherwise Fritz was going to be pissed.

Following the line of drops to the head of the great staircase, he descended to the foyer along with them.

The mess went right out into the vestibule.

"Sire, good day. Do you require anything?"

Tohr turned to Fritz, who was coming through the dining room with some floor polish. "Hey, yeah. I need to get some food. But what's up with the paint? You guys doing something obscene to the fountain out there?"

The butler shuffled over and frowned. "There is no one painting anywhere in the compound."

"Well, someone's pulling a Michelangelo." Tohr sank down on his haunches and dragged a finger through one of the little pools...

Wait a minute - not paint.

And the shit smelled like flowers.

Fresh flowers?

In fact, it was the scent that had been in his room.

As his eyes shot to the door to the vestibule, he thought of the shower of bullets he had walked into. And worried that a miracle hadn't been the reason he wasn't dead, after all.

"Get Doc Jane, stat," he barked to the doggen.

Ah, yeahhhh, Lassiter thought as he rolled over on hot stone and started to sun his bare ass. That's what's up....

All things considered, it had been a good day to get shot at.

Well, night, rather.

Make that season.

Thank the Maker it was summer: Lying on the front steps of the mansion, the brilliant July megawatts beat down on him, the rays healing his bullet-ridden body. Without it? He might well have died again - which was not the way he wanted to meet up with his boss. Indeed, the sunlight was to him what blood was to the vampires; a necessity that he really enjoyed. And as he bathed in the stuff, the pain faded, his strength returned... and he thought of Tohr.

What a dumb-ass, pulling a move like that in the alley. What in the name of all that was holy had the fucker been thinking?

Whatever. There had been no way he was going to let that bastard walk into all that gunfire without protection. The pair of them had come too far to crap out just as progress was being made.

And now, thanks to his having turned himself into a pincushion, Tohr and No'One were having sex.

So all had not been lost. He was, however, seriously thinking of punching that Brother in the balls as payback. For one, that shit had stung like a motherfucker. For another, if this had been December? He might not have made it -

The sound of the heavy front door swinging open brought his head up and around. Doc Jane, that fantastic healer of theirs, burst out like she'd planned on having to run some distance.

She skidded to a halt so she didn't trip over him. "There you are!"

Oh, look, she'd brought her fun box with her, the little red cross denoting emergency supplies.

"Helluva time to get a tan," she murmured.

He rested his head back down, his cheek lying flat on all that warm rock. "Just takin' my medicine like a good little patient."

"Mind if I examine you?"

"Will your mate kill me if you see me naked?"

"You are naked."

"You're not looking at my business side." When she just loomed over him without further comment, he muttered, "Fine. Whatever - but don't stand in my sun. I need it more than I need you."

She put the box down next to his ear and got on her knees. "Yeah, V told me a little about how you work."

"I'll bet. You know, he and I have had our go-arounds." The SOB had even saved him once - which had been a miracle given how much they hated each other. "We've got history."

"He mentioned that." Her words were spoken with distraction, as if she were checking his holes out. "You might have some lead left in you - do you mind my rolling you over?"

"The lead doesn't matter. My body will consume it - provided I get enough sunshine on my shoulders."

"You're bleeding badly still."

"It's going to be okay."

And he was beginning to think that wasn't a lie. After it had all happened, he'd kept himself invisi and had hidden in the passenger seat of the Mercedes that had taken Tohr back to the clinic. Minute he'd arrived at medical central, he'd stolen some bandages and gone mummy on his own ass so he didn't bleed all over the place. There'd been no reason to hurry outdoors - there had been no sunlight available at that point - or at least not enough to make a difference. Besides, he'd thought he'd just walk it off.

Nope. It was shortly after he'd gone up to that bedroom with Tohr that he'd recognized he was in trouble. Breathing got harder. Pain got hotter. Vision started to fritz out. Fortunately, the sun had fully risen by then.

And he would have had to leave about the time No'One showed up anyway -

"Lassiter. I want to see the front of you."

"That's what all the girls say."

"Do you expect me to roll you over? 'Cuz I will."

"Your mate's not going to like this."

"As if that's going to bother you?"

"True. It actually makes it worth the effort."

With a groan, he shoved his palms into the shimmering silver pool of blood beneath him, and flopped over like the side of beef he was.

"Wow," she breathed.

"I know, right? Hung like a horse."

"If you're really nice - and you live through this - I'll promise not to tell V."

"About my size."

She laughed a little. "No, that you assumed I'd look at you in any fashion other than professionally. Can I bandage any of these?" She touched him lightly on the pec. "Even if I leave the bullets in, maybe it would slow the bleeding?"

"Not a good call. Sunshine and surface area are what it's about. And I'm going to be fine. As long as we don't cloud up."

"Should we be getting you a tanning bed?"

Now he laughed - which made him cough. "No, no - has to be the real thing."

"I don't like the sound of that rattle."

"What time is it?"

"One twenty-six."

"Come out in another thirty minutes and see where we're at."

There was a period of quiet. "Okay. I will. Tohr will want an - " Her phone went off, and she answered it with, "I was just talking about you. Yup, I'm with him, and he's... bad, but he says he's taking care of himself. Of course I'll stay with him - no, I'm good on supplies, and I'll call in another twenty minutes. Fine, ten." There was a long pause and then she took a deep breath. "It's - ah - it's a lot of gunshots. In his chest." Another pause. "Hello? Hello, Tohr -  Oh, good, I thought I'd lost you. Yeah - no, listen, you gotta trust me. If I thought he was in danger, I'd drag him kicking and screaming into the foyer. But to be honest, I'm watching him heal as we speak - I can see his internal bruising dissipating with my own eyes. Okay. Yup. Bye."

Lassiter didn't make any comment on all that; he just stayed where he was, eyes closed, body solar-paneling its way back to health.

"So you're the reason Tohr got out of that alley alive," the good doctor murmured after a while.

"I don't know what you're talking about."