Lie Down with Dogs by Hailey Edwards Page B

waist. His fingers grazed higher, leaving trails of warmth in their wake, until his broad palm rested confidently between my shoulder blades.
    “Follow my lead,” he said.
    After a few false starts, he taught me a basic box step. Putting those new moves to the music left me muttering counts under my breath and curling my toes out of fear his quick steps would crush my feet through my socks.
    “You’re overthinking it.” His grip on my hand tightened. “Focus on the music.” His voice turned persuasive. “On me.”
    Against my better judgment, I did as he asked, falling into his dark eyes, following his lead as he hummed along with the music. The longer we danced, the easier we moved, until my legs were sore and my breathing labored. Color splashed his cheeks, and his devilish grin widened.
    “It can be like this every night once we’re together.” He sounded wistful.
    I misstepped, almost tripping us both, and spun out of his arms. “Is that what this is?”
    He stood there, chest heaving, eyes shining, saying nothing. It was answer enough for me.
    I shook my head. “I thought you were supposed to be teaching me how to survive Faerie.”
    “You will learn, but until then, you have me.”
    “That’s been your plan all along.” I felt like an idiot for not seeing it sooner. “The consuls think you’re here, teaching me how to rule Faerie while you’re really here trying to seduce me through my dreams.” When would I learn that trusting Rook never ended well for me? “You want to keep me dependent on you, even if my glaring ignorance gets me killed.”
    Muscles leapt in his jaw. “I would never let you be harmed.”
    Bitter laughter spilled over my lips. “Oh, that’s right. If I die, so do your dreams.”
    “Thierry...”
    “No.” I backed away from him. “I’m out of here.”
    I woke in my bed, fists clenched in the covers and heart racing with anger. Then, to compound a frustrating situation, I did the one thing even dumber than falling for Rook’s shenanigans. Yet again.
    I called Shaw.
    Shaw picked up just as I was getting nervous he might not. I should have taken the cosmic out I had been given, but no. I hung on the line, counting the rings until they almost put me to sleep.
    “Hey.”
    His graveled voice jolted me as I drifted halfway between sleep and wakefulness.
    “Thierry?”
    “Sorry.” I shifted onto my side. “I’m here.”
    “You’re up late. Are you keeping night hours?”
    I worked dusk until dawn most times because the hunting was easier, but there was no point now.
    “Not so much.” I rubbed my eyes. “How about you?”
    “If I hadn’t forgotten to turn off my ringer, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
    “I shouldn’t have called so early.” A guilty twinge hit me. “I’ll let you get back to sleep.”
    “You called for a reason.” He sounded more alert. “What’s up?”
    I reflected on the details of the dream and decided to make this about him. “How’s your case?”
    Maybe too alert. “That’s not why you called.”
    Damn him for knowing me so well. “It’s complicated.”
    “You should print that on business cards.” Amusement saturated his voice. “Do you really want details?”
    “Spill.” As I said it, I realized I meant it. I hoped his trip wasn’t a bust like mine had been so far.
    “I exhausted my best lead.” He exhaled. “One grainy security feed placed Jenna in the area, but now I don’t know if I can trust myself to be objective. It looked like her, but not like her. She was rail thin for one thing. Jenna was always curvy, especially after she had the kids. Her walk was all wrong, her motions jerky and uncoordinated. Things change in ten years, but that much? I’m not convinced it was her.”
    I sensed he wanted to say more and gave him time to force out the words.
    “All this time I figured she was gone,” he said softly. “That was the only thing that made sense. She wouldn’t have left my brother. She loved