Page 37 of Fanged Desire
Hunter cocked her head to the side, closing her eyes and cinching her brow like this detective work was giving her aheadache. “We wait. Keep an eye on the club and the spa. If she shows up, we follow her.”
I nodded, though the frustration gnawed at me. All of my pent-up anxiety clawed its way back to the surface, drowning out the thrill of Hunter’s presence.
Every second I spent waiting, every moment that passed without progress, felt like a second wasted. Every second drove Penelope further and further away from me; she was slipping through my fingers like smoke. It was like trying to hold onto a dream, one that faded more and more each day until I wasn’t sure if it had been real to begin with.
What if it was already too late? What if I did find her, but the gap between us had grown so wide, so vast, that I’d never be able to cross it? The more I searched, the more impossible it felt, like the world was conspiring to keep her just out of reach. The guilt gnawed at me, sharp and relentless.
When I tilted my head, Hunter was looking at me again, those sharp eyes noticeably softer than usual. “You’ll find her, Addison.”
The way she said my name, low and certain, had something warm and welcoming unfurling in my chest. Hunter didn’t say anything else. She didn’t push or try to comfort me with empty words, and for that, I was grateful. Her presence was enough to subdue the storm inside my head.
After a beat I shook my head, lightening the mood with a twirl as I got to my feet. “You came here for a dance and I’ve given you a pity party. Let me make it up to you.”
Hunter sank into the sofa and tilted her head back, her expression turning playful. “I came here foryou, Addison. Like I said before, I enjoy the company – sad girl or seductress.”
My pulse quickened just from the way her eyes lingered on me.
The way she looked at me was different from anyone else – shesawme, like she appreciated the effort I put into everything,from the way I danced to the tumultuous thoughts in my head. It was unsettling... and yet, being around her felt like slipping into warm water after a freezing day. I didn’t have to perform with her. I could justbe.
But that was dangerous – because no matter how good it felt, I couldn’t afford distractions. I had to find Penelope. Everything else, including the attraction that simmered between us, had to wait.
With a shake of my head, I slipped into the role I was supposed to play and began my dance, moving to the slow rhythm of the music. I turned slowly, arching my back in a way that always got clients' attention – not that Hunter needed coaxing to keep her eyes on me. Something about the way she looked at me made the room feel smaller, hotter.
But my mind was already wandering back to my next problem. “I’ve got that presentation at the spa soon. I need to impress Esmerelde if I want to stick around long enough to cross paths with Catherine, but... I have no clue how to give a massage.”
Hunter chuckled, a low, pleasant sound that did dangerous things to my insides. “Aren’t you supposed to be a doctor?”
“It’s not the same!” I turned quickly, timing my temperamental stomp with the music. “I know how to cut and stitch muscles, not... knead them into submission. Massage therapy is way out of my wheelhouse.”
“Oh please, it’s easy.” Hunter’s grin turned playful and she sat up slowly, her dark eyes gleaming with something mischievous. “Just come up with some elaborate pressure point jargon, poke some muscles, and Esmerelde will be eating out of your hand.”
“Or she’ll kick me out the door when she realizes I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“You’re way too in your head about this. But if it worries you that much–” Hunter pushed herself off the couch, stalking toward me with a silky smile. “I could teach you.”
My pulse quickened as she moved closer, and I cursed the way my breath hitched when she stood right in front of me, close enough that I could trace the subtle curve of her lips.
“Come on,” she murmured, gesturing at the sofa behind her. “Take a seat.”
I swallowed hard, my heart pounding, but I did as she asked, lowering myself onto the sofa. It felt strange – like we were switching roles, with her seizing control and leaving me waiting for whatever came next. But it was also... thrilling.
Hunter moved behind me, her fingers brushing my shoulder lightly as she gathered my hair and draped it over one side. The casual intimacy of the gesture sent my heart into spasms.
“Now,” she whispered, her breath warm against my skin, “relax.”
Her hands found my shoulders, and the moment she began to knead the tension from my muscles, my whole body melted beneath her touch. Heat bloomed low in my belly, spreading through me in waves as she worked her way down my back, her fingers firm but impossibly gentle. I’d seen the violence those hands could accomplish, I’d never expected them to be soft.
“See?” Hunter murmured and I stiffened as her breath brushed my neck, her voice smooth and teasing. “Easy.”
I closed my eyes, biting down on my lip to keep a soft, traitorous sound from escaping. Every touch was careful, deliberate, designed to drive me to something treacherous. My skin buzzed beneath her fingertips, and my thoughts grew hazy, slipping away under the pressure of her hands.
“Is this... supposed to feel this good?” I asked breathlessly, tilting my head back slightly to look at her.
Hunter only laughed, the sound low and dangerously seductive in my ear. “You tell me.”
Her hands traveled lower, brushing just beneath the line of my ribs, and the tension in the room shifted – thicker, heavier, the kind of tension that begged to be broken.
And then, I couldn’t help myself. I twisted slightly, meeting her gaze, my heart racing. Her eyes were darker now, hooded, and I knew – without a doubt – exactly what she wanted.
