He chuckled in a way that warmed my entire body. “Oh, cupcake, you in my bed, wearing my tee… I’ll be back as soon as humanly possible.”

He kissed my lips, hands venturing underneath my tee for a decadent moment.

I was no longer lapsing back into unconsciousness, desire waking me up.

“Later,” Rowan promised, cupping my breast while peppering my neck with kisses.

“Later,” I repeated, already aching for him.

I smiled at the sounds of Rowan getting up, getting dressed then kissing me once more before leaving the room.

Though I lapsed back into sleep, it was thin without Rowan there. I was listening out for him, expecting him. So I heard the gentle rap on the front door.

Maggie heard it too, her collar clanging as she growled softly, getting up from her bed.

My spine tingled with unease as I sat up in bed, holding my breath, listening.

The knock sounded again, not so gentle this time.

I heard Maggie get up from her bed and run out of the room, growling some more.

“Shit,” I whispered, throwing the covers back and running after her.

I cried out as the movement caused pain to spear my side. Gritting my teeth, I ignored it, hating that my body was manifesting all of my stress in this way.

I felt a semblance of relief when I didn’t hear her barking or tearing an intruder apart. Plus, I was pretty sure an intruder wouldn’t knock on the front door of the biggest badass in town in the middle of the night.

Rowan Derrick had some big ‘don’t fuck with me’ energy.

But Rowan wasn’t here. And although I was pretty sure he had an impressive cache of weapons—considering his Army background and overall badassery—I also knew he was likely sensible enough to keep them somewhere safe and hidden that I couldn’t find in a pinch.

At least I had Maggie, who was sitting at the front door when I crept up, still growling lowly. I took it as a good sign that she wasn’t barking like mad. Dogs had a good sense for things, didn’t they? If she smelled an intruder, I thought she’d act a little more concerned.

“Rowan, open up! I know you’re in there, I can hear Maggie,” a voice yelled through the door.

A female voice.

One sounding impatient and familiar to Rowan. Familiar enough to be acquainted with Maggie, and to turn up at his house in the middle of the night.

“Shit,” I grumbled under my breath.

I could run away and hide and hope the woman went away. It was probably the most sensible course of action. She wasn’t here for me. Rowan wasn’t here. No good could truly come from me opening the door.

So, of course, I opened it.

I wasn’t sure who was more shocked, me or her.

I’d been expecting it to be someone who looked like this woman, but I’d also been harboring a hope that it was one of his sisters coming to visit unexpectedly or an eccentric aunt who kept vampire hours.