Page 51 of Paws and Claws

They gave their statements while the officers processed the scene, detailing everything they'd overheard about the weapons and Quinn's involvement. Tabitha kept her magic active until each Hunter was properly cuffed and their weapons secured as evidence.

"Good work tonight," Dominic said as they watched Quinn being led away. His presence beside her radiated warmth and authority.

"Want to grab a drink and celebrate bringing down some bad guys?" She suggested with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I promise to behave. Mostly."

"How about back at my place?" He smiled, and Tabitha's heart skipped.

The engine of Dominic's classic Mustang purred as they cruised through the empty streets. Tabitha's wild magic still tingled, making the sequins on her black dress shimmer with residual purple energy. The leather seat was cool against her bare shoulders, and Dominic's body beside her radiated that delicious post-fight heat.

"Did you feel it too?" His eyes flickered to her briefly. "The way our energies connected?"

"Like nothing I've ever experienced." Tabitha shifted in her seat to face him better. "My wild magic usually fights everything, but with you it just... flowed."

"You're pretty incredible, you know that?" His voice dropped lower, sending shivers down her spine. "And absolutely gorgeous in that dress."

Heat bloomed in Tabitha's chest. She'd never seen this side of the usually rigid sheriff - all raw power and unguarded compliments. It was intoxicating.

"You're not so bad yourself, Sheriff." She trailed her finger appreciatively over his broad shoulders. "Especially when you let that lion out to play."

The engine revved as Dominic accelerated, and Tabitha couldn't help but grin at his response. Who knew the lawman could be so... primal?

22

TABITHA

Dominic’s Mustang rumbled into the garage, the engine’s growl echoing off the walls before he cut the ignition. The sudden silence felt heavy, charged, like the air before a storm. Tabitha’s heart thudded in her chest, her wild magic still buzzing beneath her skin from the night’s chaos and the lingering thrill of Dominic’s proximity. She turned to him, her blue eyes locking with his intense green gaze. Something in his expression made her breath catch—something raw, hungry, and entirely unguarded.

“You look incredible in that dress,” he murmured, his voice low and rough. His hand reached out, cupping her face, and the warmth of his touch sent a shiver down her spine. “Watching you tonight, how fierce you were, how powerful... It really turned me on.”

Before she could respond, he leaned in, his lips capturing hers in a kiss that was all fire and urgency. Tabitha melted into it, her hands instinctively tangling in his dark hair. He tasted like adrenaline and the faintest hint of whiskey, and she couldn’t get enough. His other hand slid up her thigh, the heat of his palmsearing through the fabric of her dress. She let out a breathy laugh against his lips, pulling back just enough to tease him.

“Sheriff Blackmane, are you breaking your own rules right now?” she purred, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw.

He growled, nipping at her bottom lip. “You’re the only thing I care about right now.”

Tabitha giggled, the sound bubbling up from deep in her chest. She hadn’t expected this side of him—this fierce, unrestrained version of the usually buttoned-up sheriff. It was intoxicating. His hands moved to her waist, pulling her closer, and she gasped as her body pressed against his. The leather seat creaked beneath them, the car suddenly feeling far too small.

“We should take this inside,” he breathed against her ear, his voice sending a fresh wave of heat through her.

She nodded, her fingers fumbling for the door handle. “Lead the way, Sheriff.”

They stumbled out of the car, their hands all over each other, their lips meeting again and again as Dominic guided her toward the house. The cool night air did nothing to temper the fire between them. Her dress clung to her as his hands roamed her body, and she could feel the hard lines of his muscles beneath his uniform shirt. Her wild magic seemed to spark in response to his touch, leaving faint purple trails where her fingers brushed his skin.

“You’re going to ruin this dress,” she teased breathlessly, breaking away from his lips for a moment as they crossed the threshold into his house.

“It’s already ruined from the fight,” he muttered, meeting her lips again, his hands sliding up her sides.

Tabitha laughed against his lips as he backed her toward the living room, unzipping her dress in the process. Her fingers worked at the buttons of his shirt as her dress fell to the floor. She stepped out of her dress, and he shrugged off his shirt,revealing the toned, broad chest she’d been admiring earlier. Her hands explored the planes of his chest as she kissed him hungrily.

He then picked her up effortlessly, his hands gripping her thighs as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her to the leather couch, gently laying her down before following her, his body covering hers. His mouth found hers again, hot and demanding, and she arched into him, her hands tangling in his hair. His lips trailed down her neck, nipping and sucking at her skin, and she let out a soft moan.

“You drive me crazy,” he muttered against her throat, his hands sliding up her thighs.

“Good,” she gasped, her fingers tracing the muscles of his back.

The night’s adrenaline and their shared chemistry had stripped away any pretense of restraint. When Dominic’s mouth found its way between her thighs, all coherent thought left her, replaced by a white-hot ache of pleasure. She let out a series of broken gasps and moans, her fingers gripping his hair as he worked her body with a kind of hunger she’d only ever fantasized about.

“Don't stop,” she breathed, her voice trembling. He didn't, his movements continuing in a way she exactly needed.

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