Free Breaking the Nexus (Mythrian Realm) by Lindsay Avalon

felt…right. He didn’t have a logical explanation for the way he wanted her. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to protect a woman, he was a cop for heaven’s sake. He’d aways been able to maintain his objectivity, but Sha was different. She was special. Touching her was like touching a live wire, and it hadn’t sated his desire an iota to kiss her. No, if anything, it had intensified it.
    As much as he craved to have her in his arms, it was a bad idea on so many levels. Sex with a witness could be a death knell for a career, not to mention it would cloud his judgment. If only he could convince his body it was a bad idea. He looked to where she was stretched out on the couch, fast asleep. Once inside, she’d stayed awake long enough to eat the sandwich he’d thrown together before she started to nod off, nearly falling out of her chair. She had wanted to wait for Ian so she could get the latest updates, but he’d managed to convince her to take a nap until he arrived.
    Showing her how to work the microwave and refrigerator and watching her face light up with childlike curiosity had been priceless. If he hadn’t already believed her story, and how could he not after the incidence with the freaking banshee, her utter fascination would have convinced him of her sincerity. So many questions raced through his mind about where she came from, but they’d have to wait for now.
    He rose and grabbed a quilt one of his sisters had given him for Christmas and shook it out, spreading it over her body. She was curled on her side, her hands tucked beneath her cheek. In sleep she looked so serene, but awake she was a spitfire; never had going head to head with someone been so much fun. Tucking the blanket around her, he indulged himself in a single caress over her hair before returning to the kitchen to review the case files.
    Going over his notes after the events of today was surreal. How was he supposed to look at the photos of the runes and not think that real magic could’ve been involved? He snorted. God, listen to him. If someone had told him a few days ago he’d be contemplating the use of actual magic in a homicide, he’d have had the person committed for psychiatric observation.
    Hell, the only reason he wasn’t checking himself into the nearest psych ward was because he’d seen that creature with his own eyes. A shudder rippled down his spine at the memory of the banshee. He still had a hard time reconciling that thing had been female. Something told him that if Sha hadn’t blasted it into oblivion, it would have sliced and diced him as deftly as the chefs on those cooking shows his sisters loved.
    Going down in the line of duty was a possibility every cop had to come to terms with; going down because a nightmarish monster wants to make you dinner was not what he’d signed on for. Lucky for him, Sha remained cool under pressure. She’d been magnificent, facing down the banshee without hesitation. Granted, she’d also been somewhat foolish and scared ten years off his life, but he had to admire her courage.
    Hours later, Connor surfaced from the endless sea of papers and crime scene photos, his neck and shoulders stiff form being hunched over for so long. A glance at the clock told him it was approaching midnight. Holy crap how was it midnight already and where was Ian? He should’ve been here by now.  
    A thread of worry began to wind through him, not for his partner since he could handle himself, no he worried what else could have gone wrong today. The scene had been chaotic with multiple accidents when frightened bystanders tried to flee, but it shouldn’t have taken this long to wrap up; most of the legwork would’ve been done by uniforms.
    A knock at the door broke his train of thought. Speak of the devil, that must be him now. Rising, he went to the door, hand on his holstered gun just in case. He’d taken precautions to ensure they weren’t followed, but it never hurt to be safe. Through the