His nostrils flared as my hands slid lower, fingers deftly undoing both his belt and his fly. I leaned in to kiss him again, my hands busily touching and stroking and teasing, even as my tongue did the same.

‘‘I don’t know about him, but I’m definitely losing concentration,’’ the cab driver said.

I released Gabriel’s lip and peered over my shoulder at the man. I’d deliberately arranged myself so that he couldn’t see exactly what we were doing, although I suspected he had a good idea. He winked at me in the rearview mirror, and added, ‘‘That’s your address ahead of us. Would you like me to go around the block a few times?’’

I glanced down at Gabriel. His eyes were hot enough to leave scorch marks. ‘‘No, I think I’ve proven my point,’’ I said with a little smile as I restored order to Gabriel’s clothing.

‘‘You will pay for this torment, little bird,’’ he promised with a deliciously wicked smile.

‘‘Deal.’’ Reluctantly, I slid off his thighs and pulled my mind from where it was dwelling with loving detail on the image of Gabriel wearing nothing but whipped cream, and tried to focus on the matter at hand.

‘‘You’ll pay for that, too,’’ he murmured a minute later as he turned back to the cab to pay off the driver.

Fortunately for us both, Cyrene’s trail was still visible just outside the portal’s exit point, so I didn’t have to go back into the horrendous slaughterhouse. There wasn’t much traffic in the area, thankfully, which allowed me to slip into the shadows immediately.

‘‘It’s here,’’ I told Gabriel as I returned to the mundane world. ‘‘Faint, but visible—both Cyrene and a dragon.’’

‘‘Check in every fifteen minutes to tell me where you are. I’ll follow you that way,’’ he said, checking his cell phone to make sure it was on.

I nodded and prepared to move into the shadow world.

‘‘Mayling.’’

‘‘Hmm?’’

His eyes glittered brightly. ‘‘Remember that you are my mate. I know you wish to rescue your twin, but you are important to me. I would not like it if you were harmed in any way.’’

I smiled and leaned forward to give him a quick kiss. ‘‘You would be a very easy man to love, Gabriel.’’

His eyes searched mine for a moment, but he said nothing. I slipped away from him into the beyond, my attention locked onto the dim trail that was growing dimmer with each passing moment, but my heart . . . my heart was busy with other matters.

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-three

‘‘Show me,’’ Gabriel said about an hour later.