The kisses were hot, their hands everywhere. He let her back him toward the bedroom.

She got distracted with the sleeves off his shoulders and half the buttons undone. It didn't matter until she pulled back from his mouth. Arched away when he leaned forward to resume.

Star glanced up in confusion to find her looking expectantly past him.

He jerked free of her grasp, twisting, even knowing it was too late.

The lightest brush against his hair sent his hand up despite the fabric of his shirt jerked taut – his trapped arm yanked painfully along.

Those grasping fingers momentarily saved his throat from razor-sharp wire.

He kicked, laying his would-be lover out before backing the assailant behind him into the wall. Bucking and shoving as the tourniquet twisted tighter, unwilling to die easily.

Staggering around, he slammed into anything and everything. A frame crashed off the wall and shattered at his feet. Carefully collected knickknacks, pictures and books scattered, breaking and banging.

Summoning.

His odds went up with the footsteps on the stairs. Even as he blacked out he knew. Adrian - not the man at his back, once again with his back- had come to investigate the noise.