Page 70 of Marked By Moonlight

At noon, Gideon ordered two large pepperoni pizzas and watched in awe as Claire devoured one whole pizza herself.

Licking tomato sauce off her fingers, she caught him staring at her. “What?” she asked, looking adorable in his too-big shirt and with her mussed hair.

“Finished?” he asked.

She inspected the empty pizza box on the bed before nodding.

“Good.” He swiped the pizza boxes off the bed with one arm and tossed her on her back.

“Gideon!” She laughed up at him, a rich, throaty sound that rippled through the air and wrapped silken chains around his heart.

Holding her face in his hands, he stared down solemnly at her. “I’ve never heard you laugh.” His thumbs stroked her finely arched brows almost tenderly. “Not truly.”

“I haven’t had a reason lately.”

He frowned, not liking the reminder of all that was wrong, of all that stood between them.

“Until you,” she added, gazing at his mouth. Her fingertips traced its curve, almost as if she wished to erase the frown from his face.

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. “It feels good.”

“It sounds good,” he whispered, tugging her hand away so that he could kiss her deeply. An emotion very much like satisfaction tightened his throat at the sinuous way she arched against him. Satisfaction… and something else.

He realized he hadn’t felt this good in a long while either. And Claire was the reason.

The sound was soft, barely discernible—just a click. With her heightened senses, it might as well have been a foghorn blaring in her ears for all that it jarred her awake, pulling her from Gideon’s warm arms and a comfortable slumber.

Someone else was in the room with them.

Her senses hummed with awareness, but she waited silently, eyes closed. The wood floor creaked close beside her. Too close. Her eyes flew open, blinking rapidly at the black hole floating directly in front of her eyes. A gun barrel. And beyond it, a grim face of stone. Cooper.

Claire eyed him. Dark-haired. Dark-eyed. Thin, ruthless lips set in a narrow face. He gripped the gun with familiarity, like it was an extension of his arm. Not an ounce of softness detectableanywhere. There would be no reasoning with him. No pleading. He wanted her dead.

Funny. She would have willingly placed herself before his gun last night to spare Gideon. But not now. Things had changed. She had changed. Even if she had only a few more days, those were days she could spend with Gideon.

“Gideon.” She tapped the chest beneath her cheek with her fingers.

His chest moved beneath her cheek, alerting her to the fact that he was already awake.

“Put the gun down, Cooper,” he said quietly.

Claire didn’t breathe, didn’t move. Her fingers curled around Gideon’s bicep.

“Point that gun somewhere else.” Gideon’s voice lifted, rumbling beneath her ear, the command unmistakable.

Cooper glowered at her like she was something dirty on the bottom of his shoe. She self-consciously pulled the bedding higher to cover her nudity.

“Could have seen this coming with other agents.” Cooper’s cold gaze cut to Gideon. “But never you.”

“She hasn’t shifted yet. Hasn’t taken a life. She’s still got a chance. We can save her.” His hand gripped her shoulder, more to reassure him, or herself, she couldn’t guess.

Cooper gave a bitter laugh. “What chance?” His gaze swept over her, cold as winter sleet. She tightened her hold on the sheets, pulling them to her neck. One look in those eyes told her this man wasn’t interested in saving her. No matter what Gideon said in her defense.

Cooper frowned thoughtfully. “I had plans for you, Gideon. Saw you taking over after me. Just never would have pegged you—” He paused to shake his head fiercely. “You seemed impervious to a pretty piece of ass. Guess I was wrong. Hope she was good.”

A growl rumbled from deep inside Gideon’s chest. He tucked her more closely against him. So tight she could hardly draw air. It suddenly hit her that he was trying to make it impossible for Cooper to get a clear shot at her. At least not without risk to himself.

“You’re not killing her,” Gideon announced.

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