*****
Vivi stared down at her mate. He was lying half on and half off the bed, pants on, and his shirt wrapped around his head. She was shocked he hadn't suffocated. The entire suite reeked of whiskey.
"Dammit Hal!" she muttered. "This wasn't why I wanted him to be unable to walk in the morning," she griped.
She should have known she was going to find her mate like this when she passed her squire out cold on the floor next to the coffee table in the family room snoring like a freight train.
She struggled to remove Etain's boots. "At least they weren't kidding about the soundproofing otherwise Hal would keep me up all night." The second boot flew off with the third tug, and she landed on her tailbone. "Sonofabitch!"
She lifted his feet up onto the bed and made sure he was lying straight with no limbs contorted at weird angles. She stared and then smiled. "Maybe I should take off his clothes. I mean, to get comfortable." Vivi said out loud to convince herself.
It took her another fifteen minutes to work him out of his clothes, but the effort was worth it. Lying in only his boxer briefs she could stare at his body all she wanted.
She was going to remove his boxers, but decided against it. It would be like opening a Christmas gift early. She tilted her head and sighed. Her mate was absolutely, freaking perfect.
Like most fae his skin was a honeyed golden color. His white-blond hair contrasted against the warm tones of his skin. He wasn't bulky but everywhere she looked seemed to be taut skin pulled over toned muscles. Her mouth was literally watering at the thought of licking his neck and drinking from him.
She pulled up the expensive duvet and covered him gently. Shaking her head at her own misfortune she decided against a shower. What was the point? She hadn't done anything to get dirty and there would obviously be no claiming tonight.
She stripped out of her clothes down to her panties and put her undershirt back on. After everything she had been told today concerning the virus, she was simply tired and didn't feel like unpacking. She turned off the light and climbed into bed next to her mate.
To her surprise, he flipped over on to his side and pulled her into the curve of his body. When he buried his nose against her neck and sighed happily she found she couldn't stay mad at him. Closing her eyes she enjoyed being warm for the first time, in a long time.
CHAPTER FOUR
When Etain woke he honestly thought he was dying. It was a physical effort to peel one eye open. The other one was beyond him. He looked down and froze. Where were his clothes? What happened with his mate last night? He had to suppress a groan. Though he was still in the process of waking up, his body was raring to go, he was harder than he had ever been in his entire life, and mate's rounded backside was pressed against his overly enthusiastic groin sending shockwaves of pleasure through him.
His traitorous arm was wrapped around her waist and was cupping one of her full breasts in his hand. He closed his eye and rested his cheek against the back of her head.
"I'm awake you know." He pried both eyelids open as his mate turned in his arms to face him. "You alive?" she asked grinning.
"I am not quite sure." He turned his head sharply to one side and sighed in relief when it cracked.
There was a knock at the door. "Wake up! Rise and shine kiddos! If you don't hurry you won't get any of my cinnamon rolls."
"Your squire is a sadist," he grunted.
She snuggled in under his chin, and he kissed the top of her head.
"Did you try to keep up with him?" she asked.
"Yes, though I do not believe I did a very good job. There was drinking, singing and..." He winced. "I think I may have promised to name our first child Hal."
She giggled. "Have you seen my squire? What on earth made you think you could keep up?"
"I could not say no." Even to his own ears his explanation sounded pathetic. "I am sorry about ruining our first night together. I assure you I usually never overindulge like this," he whispered his apology feeling as though he had ruined their mating.
She pulled back to look up at him. "You took the first steps toward building a relationship with a man who has been my like a father to me all these years. I could never hold that against you. I know you made an impression. He doesn't make cinnamon rolls for just anyone." She kissed his chest.
He felt a renewed sense of hope. Maybe he had a chance after all.
"How did things go in the lab?" he asked, forcing his eyes to focus. He could have sworn he had perfect vision before the whiskey.
She frowned. "The virus is no longer visible, so we will be trying a method I developed using vampire blood to help treat the sick."
"You found a way around the bonding?"
"Yes, though I've never tried it on shifters." There was trepidation in her eyes.