“I like this side of you.”

“Which side is that?”

He tipped her chin up with his fingertip. “The playful Helena only a few people get to see. My beast presses against my skin, wanting to come out to play too.”

She swallowed hard. Her magick rose and she let it for long moments before she got herself back under control.

“Stop that. I’m totally okay with playing. Later.”

He smiled, kissing her again quickly before stepping back. “Count on that. Find me when you’re ready to go home. I’m working in the conference room next door.”

FAINE, his hand at Helena’s back, passed through the front doors of Wild Darkness. He couldn’t resist another look at his woman from behind in the tiny scrap of a dress she’d worn that night. She did indeed have gorgeous legs. Most of which were showcased. High heels on her feet tilted her ass just right. Her tits swayed hypnotically as she moved.

Damn. She was fucking beautiful. His own personal siren.

All in all, he had no complaints. The males could look all they wanted, but she was his. He’d been content to drink some tea and watch her get ready. She fascinated him. All hard edges and kicks to the face and then she could be found lining her eyes and putting on just the right shade of red lipstick. She smelled like heaven. Her perfume spicing the scent of her magick.

She wore tiny panties and a bra that heaped her breasts up, showcasing them perfectly in the neckline of the sparkly silver dress she wore. All her flesh tempted him. So much tawny delight.

He smiled. Later he’d slowly divest her of every last scrap of it in their bed.

They found the table her friends had grabbed for them all earlier and then he spun her, pulling her close and bending to speak in her ear. “Shall we dance?”

She nodded, a smile marking red glossy lips.

And, as it turned out, she did fuck like she danced. She moved with a great deal of passion and self-assurance. Like she fought. He hadn’t seen her this carefree, not outside their bed. He was immensely glad they’d come out. People around saw her, knew who she was.

It was good for them to see her in a social setting. He really got that as he noted people’s faces once they recognized her. Yes, they needed to be safe, but they needed to live too. What was the point of surviving the Magister and working so hard for their rights if they hid in their houses all the time?

Life was to be lived. She put her own on the line for them every day in ways they would most likely never truly understand. But just seeing her there, shaking her ass, smile on her face, her magick floating around her like golden dust motes, it made a difference and he approved mightily.

Hell, she needed it too. Needed something that wasn’t work, or downtime related to being ready for the next bout of work. Constantly being on guard wasn’t good for her. For anyone really, but she was his to protect.

And, he could admit, he liked that they had couple time. Social time when he got to know her friends better and they him. Sure he knew most of the people on the hunter team, at least by sight. But this was different. He was there not just as a guard, but as Helena’s man. He knew they understood it. Liked the approval he saw in their eyes as well.

“Would you like a drink, alamah?”

She got close, smiling up at him. No one had ever used a pet name before. Not more than honey or babe. Alamah was hers alone. He gave it to her and it made her happy. It was really nice to be happy, damn it.

“That would be really good. Jack and Coke please.”

One of his brows rose as he bent and kissed her quickly. “I don’t think I’ve seen you drink more than a beer before. I can’t wait to see this.”

He spun her artfully and guided her back to the table, and before he could move toward the bar, a cocktail waitress made her way over.

“Hey guys!”

It was a girl Helena and Lark had gone to school with. A cousin of Helena’s assistant, Sasha.

“Hey Carla. How are you? Looks jumpin’ in here tonight.” Marian grinned as she took the place in.

“It is. And it’s good for people to see you all here. My boss is positively giddy. He wants me to tell you drinks are on the house and to thank you for helping people feel safe. It’s hard to go out right now. You know? But if the Hunter is here with part of her crew, it’s good.”

Helena was glad they’d come. Even if she planned on getting the hell out in an hour or so because Faine looked good enough to eat and she was going to at the very least lick him—a lot—once they got home.

Carla took their orders and their thanks and headed off to get their drinks.

Helena had a great time. Drinking and laughing and dancing with her man. And it felt, somewhere in the back of her mind, like the calm before the storm.

The drink was good but she wanted to dance and he obliged, taking her back out there. Of course he was good at that too. The man was sex on legs and he moved like it.

Never in her life had she imagined being with a man like him. Men like him were fantasies. They were in books or movies, but real-life men were different.

But there he was, looking smooth and sexy, and his gaze was only for her. Well, his gaze flitted around much like hers did, but his personal gaze, the one where a man saw a woman—that was all hers.

It humbled her, even as it filled her with wonder and satisfaction, that he wanted her the way he did. Supported her. Listened to and trusted her. Even with the weight of everyone’s trust and fear on her shoulders, it was easier with him there at her side.

About an hour later, he pulled her close and she tiptoed up. Of course he was still way taller but thankfully he bent down to meet her halfway. His hand slid around her, settling at her hip. The heat of him burned through her dress, against her skin. Her skin he knew so very well.

“I really think we should go home.”

The awesome thing about Lycians is that they didn’t really get drunk. Not the way humans or witches did, though he did say in Lycia they brewed some type of ale stuff that actually stayed in their system in a way human alcohol didn’t. That night he’d had a drink but it was through his system in less than ten minutes. He was alert and ready to drive home, though she was moderately tipsy. No need to wait any further for ravishment.

“I’ve just been waiting for your signal.”

They quickly said their good-byes and headed out. People waved as they made their way from the club and his car was waiting in valet when they got outside.

“It’s nice to feel like we’re all on the same page for once. Positive instead of terrified. Though.” She shrugged, settling back into the seat as he headed for the freeway. “I suppose the terror will be back by morning.” Every night there was something else. Every dose of the morning news had multiple stories of some violence somewhere. Fires. Graffiti. Attacks on schools and community centers. It sucked.

“Let yourself have just one night of happiness. Yes, morning will come with sad news, the way it has for some time now. But we have each other. We had a lovely time with friends. It’s all right to be young and in love. Yes?”

She took his hand. She could blame the four Jack and Cokes later. “It’s all right be to be young and in love, yes. Or four hundred years old and in love. Even tomorrow when there will be bad news it’ll be okay. Thanks for coming with me tonight.”

“There’s really no way I’d have missed you in this outfit.”

She laughed. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I haven’t worn it in a long time. I was worried it wouldn’t fit.”

“It’s just perfect.” A smile ghosted his lips. “I can’t wait to get you out of it when we get home.”

She let go of a delighted laugh. “Well good. That’s the point of living with you. Having full-time access to all the filthy sexual services you provide.”