Ecstasy in Darkness (Alien Huntress #5)(20)
Author: Gena Showalter

This way, he wouldn’t make a play for her vein. Which meant she would be able to keep her desires and hormones under control. She hoped.

“So … your kiss was so hot, he wasn’t afraid you’d phone AIR and have them swoop in for a pickup while he napped?” Noelle asked. “Good going, Sans. I’m impressed.”

“Thanks.” Though she wasn’t sure she could take credit. He simply wasn’t scared of Ava, AIR, or anything they could throw his way.

Except … he trusted her to keep her end of their bargain. So, yeah, Noelle was kind of right. In a way, he believed in her. Baffling. Why would he believe in her? She’d stabbed him, for God’s sake.

“Want me to kick him out?” Noelle asked.

Ava fell into the chair across from her friend. “No.” Maybe she was just as brain-damaged as McKell, but she liked the thought of him here. Especially in her bed. Later, after she kicked him out herself, she could lie down and pretend to sleep, wrapped in his lingering heat.

“Gonna say anything to Mia?”

“Not yet.” She explained her deal with McKell, her vampire-hunting aid in exchange for his willingness to speak with Mia, and Noelle grinned the entire time.

“Ava Sans. Are you in love? Because I have never—”

“No!” she screeched. She gulped and lowered her voice. “No, I’m not in love.” She liked to think she was open to the possibly of one day falling in love, but she couldn’t even spend an entire night with a guy. She always ran at the first sign of commitment. Hell, she ran before the first sign.

She’d never found anyone worth the, well, work that always came with coupledom. Work that would ultimately lead to failure.

Someone always walked away. That’s just how people were. Kids left their parents, husbands left their wives, and wives left their husbands. Boyfriends and girlfriends realized they weren’t right for each other, saw someone prettier, sluttier, smarter, wealthier—pick your poison—and cut their losses. No one stayed together until the bitter end. And who would want to? Bitter ends sucked. So why not get what you needed while the getting was good, and then say good-bye before a single bad memory took root?

“But you’ve never bargained with a bad guy before, either,” Noelle said, dragging her from those dark, hopeless musings.

“He’s not a bad guy.” Wait. What? “I mean, he’s a bad guy, he’s just—”

“Nope. No take-backs. You think he’s special.” Noelle’s grin widened. “And let’s be honest. Only a girl in love would say that a guy like McKell is as pure and warm as the sun outside.”

“Will you shut up? I never said anything about the sun. And why are you here, anyway?”

Noelle allowed the subject change without comment. “Two reasons. A few agents are meeting for beers in a little while, and I wanted you to go with me. But you’re busy, so I’m not even going to ask.” She stood and pointed to an overstuffed bag beside Ava’s chair. “Second reason. I brought you my laundry. You got McKell, after all. Oh, and please remember. Light on the starch. And do yourself a favor and look everything over before you head to Suds and Bubbles. I hid a prezzie for you in between the costumes.” With that, she let herself out of the apartment, leaving Ava alone.

With the laundry. And the vampire.

Dismissed again. By her best friend, no less. “He came to me, so I don’t have to wash a goddamn thing,” she called, knowing Noelle was long gone.

“Still talking,” McKell shouted from the bedroom.

“Still annoying me,” she shouted back.

Seven

Dallas Gutierrez tipped back his beer and surveyed the bar. It was dim, crowded with humans and otherworlders, a veritable rainbow of differences, and on every wall was a holoscreen showcasing some kind of sporting event. There were three pool tables, and only seven scantily clad waitress taking care of everyone’s needs. He wasn’t positive, but he was pretty sure he’d nailed every one of those waitresses at some point in the last few months.

He was positive his friend Devyn had, before marrying his Bride, of course. The alien king—who had once collected women of every species, color, size, and occupation—had gone through a “service industry” phase. Not to mention the thousands of other phases. Then he’d hitched himself to Bride a few weeks ago and while Dallas liked the powerful vampire well enough, he wished to God she’d stayed home tonight.

Seriously. All his friends were pussies, pairing off and shit, forgetting they had male friends and needed to do guy stuff. Which was no biggie, really. He didn’t care. Except for the fact that he f**king cared! He’d assumed Devyn would resist commitment forever. Like him. But nooo. Bride had to come along and ruin everything. Now Dallas was on his own. Every damn night. No one to talk to, no one to share his problems with.

God. He was the pu**y now. Was he really jonesing to share his feelings?

It was just, sleeping around wasn’t fun anymore. He was tired of not knowing his partners’ names, of not caring enough to know their names. He was tired of everyone around him having someone they loved enough to spend eternity with, ditching him completely.

Eternity. Yep, that’s what Devyn and Bride had to look forward to. Which was why Dallas had asked his friend for one night. Just one damn night for the two of them to hang out like they used to. He specifically remembered telling Devyn to “leave the ball and chain at home.” So, of course, the bastard had interpreted that to mean his little wifey-poo needed to tag along and their sex toys, aka balls and chains, needed to remain in their bedroom.

Now the couple sat across from him. Cuddling. And a more sickening sight he’d never beheld.

Good thing he’d issued a few other invitations. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst, had always been his motto. He’d called two Rakans, two trainees, Mia Snow and Hector Dean. All had accepted. No, not true. He’d also called Jaxon Tremain, but the guy was currently on vacation with his wifey-poo. And that was probably for the best. Heads would have rolled otherwise, what with Noelle, Jaxon’s cousin, chasing that damn rabid vampire. She’d almost defeated the bloodsucking bastard, too, and that was a major turn-on.

No probably about it. Jaxon was gone, and that was for the best. Dallas’s libido would have been a harder blow than Noelle’s job. Shitty pun intended.

Dallas’s gaze shifted down the rest of the table. The Rakans were new hires, golden-skinned warriors with the ability to spirit-walk. Meaning, they could push their conscious minds out of their bodies, and watch and listen to all kinds of things without anyone the wiser.