Page 90 of Let Sleeping Vampires Lie

But as a future I hadn’t allowed myself to want.

His lips brushed the top of my head, a quiet promise.

CHAPTER 15

Getting up should have been simple.

It wasn’t.

For a long moment I just lay there, cheek pressed to Constantine’s chest, listening to the slow, steady drum of his heart. His arm was a heavy band around my waist, his palm splayed over my lower back as if he were afraid I might evaporate if he let go. The room was quiet—curtains pulled tight against the city, the bedside lamp still on its lowest setting, casting an amber glow over tangled sheets and discarded clothes.

My body felt loose and heavy, languid in a way that had nothing to do with sleep. Every nerve hummed with the echo of his hands, his mouth, the heat of his body moving over mine. Yet even with that bone-melting warmth still clinging to my skin, reality coiled at the edges of my mind like cold smoke.

Valerian. The clan. Rene.

And the auction.

Con’s fingers traced a slow, idle line along my spine. “We should get up,” he murmured, voice a low rumble under my ear.

I made a small sound of protest and burrowed in closer. “That sounds like a terrible idea.”

His chest shook with a quiet laugh. “As much as I would like to keep you here, the world refuses to accommodate our preferences. I need to know if Julian found a way to nudge the approval process for the auction.”

The word auction landed like a pebble in my stomach, sending little ripples of unease outward. The artifact. The next piece in the nightmare puzzle Valerian was assembling.

I tilted my head back to look at him. In the soft light, his eyes gleamed molten-gold, the red ring around his pupils faint but present. His hair was mussed beyond his usual controlled chaos, and a mark from my teeth marred his shoulder. I’d been careful. So damn careful. But I’d left something on him anyway.

He reached over, brushed a knuckle along my jaw. The tenderness of the touch almost hurt. “The point is, if anyone can get us into that auction without drawing too much attention, it’s Julian. But I want to know how far he’s gotten. The sooner we confirm you are approved the better. Also, I’m curious about the guest list and if Valerian is on it.”

That name chilled the lingering warmth between us. I exhaled slowly. “You really think he’ll be there? At the auction?”

“Not in person.” Con’s expression hardened, the commander slipping back into place. “He rarely risks his own skin when he can send others. But Cerise? Absolutely.” His gaze flicked to my throat, then back to my eyes. “Which is why we go in prepared. And why I need you stable.”

“I’m stable,” I said automatically.

His brow arched.

“I am.” I pushed myself upright, gathering the sheet around me. The movement sent an ache through my muscles, a reminder of how thoroughly he’d worshipped every inch of me. My cheeks heated, and I was suddenly very aware of my nakedness and his un-dressed state. “I just… also happen to be terrified, exhausted, and magically compromised. But stable.”

His mouth curved, not quite a smile. “You do realize that when you list it all out like that, you sound completely unfit for duty.”

“Luckily, I thrive on poor life choices.”

“That part I cannot argue with.”

He leaned in, kissed me once, slow and lingering. Not the hungry, devouring heat from before. Something softer. Anchoring. The kind of kiss that felt like a promise, even if we both knew promises in our world had a short life expectancy.

When he pulled back, his gaze lingered on me for a beat longer, then he slid out of bed. The sheet fell away from his torso, revealing the strong line of his shoulders, the scars webbing his back in pale-silver arcs. He tugged on his discarded pants, then bent to retrieve his shirt from where it had landed near the dresser.

I watched him dress, the domestic intimacy of it twisting something sharp and fragile in my chest. For a moment, I let myself imagine mornings like this without the specter of war. Con wandering around in half-buttoned shirts, me stealing his daggers, Raven yelling at us for leaving weapons on the floor, Rene complaining about the noise.

It was such a stupid, human dream.

My hands tightened on the sheet. If Valerian had his way, none of us would live long enough to be bored.

“Hey,” Constantine said quietly.

I blinked, realizing I’d drifted. He stood beside the bed now, shirt hanging open, eyes searching my face.