Strong arms came around me as his rhythm began to falter, water-slick hands sliding over my face, my breasts, my hips before he sucked air between his teeth and tilted just so and that was it. The world went white before my eyes, my whole body condensing into a single point of pleasure. A toe-curling orgasm broke over me that left me shaking and laughing up at the ceiling as he finished in a staccato frenzy of motion.

And someone knocked on the door.

Mircea cursed in a string of low-voiced Romanian, his head against my neck, his wet hair trailing over my breast. After a moment, he snatched a big Turkish towel off a rack and wrapped it around me. I leaned against the wall, weak-kneed and breathless, as he wrenched open the door. "Yes?"

One of the blank-faced masters was there, radiating disapproval. "The Consul wanted to be sure you received her message," he rumbled.

"Tell her I will be with her momentarily," Mircea snapped, and slammed the door in his face.

"Marco says you can't do that to the older masters," I informed him as he dried off with abrupt, angry motions.

"You shouldn't take Marco's advice too much to heart. He is one of those he spoke to you about—one who has reached the farthest limit of his power. He is having, I think, some trouble accepting that."

"It still wouldn't hurt to be polite."

"It is obvious that you have yet to meet the family. I am terrorized by them, not the other way around, I assure you."

Mircea reentered the bedroom and started throwing on clothes without his usual grace. I followed, sitting in the teepee. "When will you be back?"

"Not for hours." He paused to kiss me quickly. "Get some sleep."

"I'll try." I was exhausted, but my brain didn't seem to know how to cut off anymore. When the endorphins wore off, I'd probably be wide awake, staring at the ceiling, thumbing through my ever-growing catalogue of horrors. It wasn't a pleasant thought."Do you want some help?" he asked, sitting beside me.

I nodded. Anything to avoid replaying today's events or seeing Rafe like that again. . Mircea's arms slipped around me and a wave of peace flowed over me better than any drug. I hadn't expected it to take hold so fast. I had a dozen things to talk to him about, to ask. . and suddenly I couldn't think of even one. Sleep was dragging at my consciousness, my body going thick and heavy, and I couldn't make myself open my eyes again.

"It's over; everyone's safe," I heard him murmur. The arms tightened abruptly. "Even you."

I had no idea what that meant, but I was drifting. Mircea's hand was running slowly up and down my spine, the other heavy on the back of my neck. I breathed out and let the weight pull me under.