Frost Burn

by Erica Stevens

“Twenty-three.” Her gaze remained riveted upon his as he held her stare. “Please, let me go.”

  He released her hand instantly, turned away from her and placed the chips onto the number twenty-three. He didn’t look at her as the little ball began to bounce around the wheel again. She was still staring at him when the number two was called. All the chips were claimed by a little man with a cigar hanging out of his mouth sitting opposite them at the table.

  What had he seen of her?

  Her stomach churned with apprehension as she pondered this question. But even more than her anxiety over what she might have revealed to him, the loss of contact with him left her feeling hollow. She dropped her hands down before her and rubbed at the back of the hand he’d been holding. Julian moved around her to stand next to the men who had been a part of the fight last night.

  A waiter arrived to take their drink orders. Julian waved him away, and as much as she would like to chug down a bottle of rum right now, she also shook her head no. She remained rigid beside Julian as she fought to keep herself from bolting out of the room, and this place.

  The wheel on the table began to spin again. She paid no attention to the bouncing ball; she felt as if she were looking through a fog as she watched Julian maneuver through the men. His arm brushed subtly against the arm of one of the guy’s.

  She didn’t know exactly when he came into contact with the other man, but after a few more minutes he bent low to whisper near her ear, “It’s not them. We can go.”

  Quinn forced herself to nod. She followed him mutely to the stairs and watched his back as he descended. The muscles beneath his form-fitting shirt rippled with every step he took. She opened her mouth multiple times to speak with him; every time she clamped her lips shut again.

  They were halfway down the shadowed hall when the question she’d been fighting against asking, finally tumbled from her lips, “What did you see when you touched me?”

  He spun toward her so rapidly that even with her vampire vision she barely saw him move before he had her pinned against the wall. He rested his hands on either side of her head and bent lower to look her in the eyes. She shrank away from him; doing everything she could not to touch him.

  A muscle twitched in his cheek, his eyes were as cold as the ice their color mirrored. “I can turn it off you know.”

  “Turn what off?” she managed to croak out because it certainly wasn’t her.

  “My ability. I can turn it off.”

  She swallowed as she searched his eyes. “Julian…”

  “I didn’t see anything when we touched because I wasn’t trying to. Whatever your secrets are Quinn, they’re yours to keep.” Relief swelled through her; she had only a second to relax before his finger slid over her cheek. She tensed at the hungry gleam that lit his eyes when his finger dipped toward her lip. “For now, but I think you’ll tell them to me one day. So you can stop going out of your way not to touch me.”

  His arrogance caused her temper to rise, but the feel of his finger against her skin turned her insides to goo. “I don’t have any secrets,” she managed to force out. “And I have not been going out of my way to avoid your touch.”

  “Don’t lie Dewdrop, it’s unbecoming.” She fought the urge to drive her knee into his groin. He must have sensed this as his mouth curved into a smile and his finger stilled on her lip. “Easy tiger.”

  The hair on her arms stood up, her skin became electrified when he leaned closer to her. How could she long to punch him in the face so badly and yet find herself so irresistibly drawn to him? Stepping away from him would be the best thing for her to do, but right now she found herself aching to know what those lips would feel like pressed against hers. She wanted the answer to that question more than she wanted to make him scream like a girl.

  The smile slid from his face, his eyes searched hers for a minute before he slowly bent his head. She’d contemplated what it would be like to kiss him, had been denying the truth she’d been yearning to do this since she’d first seen him. But no matter what she’d expected it would be like, nothing came close to the reality of it as his mouth took firm possession of hers.

  Heat sizzled over her body at the same time goose bumps broke out on her flesh. His hand encircled her neck; he pulled her closer to him as he deepened the kiss. Unable to stop herself, Quinn wrapped her hands around his powerful forearms and clung to him. His sinewy muscles flexed beneath her grasp, his tongue slid over her lips in a sensuous motion that made her head spin. She relented to the gentle pressure of his tongue and opened her mouth to him.

  A low groan escaped him; he tipped her head back further and tasted her in deep, thrusting pulls. His kiss was a drug that ensnared her as his tongue pushed her to heights of ecstasy she’d never dreamed she could attain. His body covered hers, his thigh slid between her legs as he pushed her into the wall. What his tongue did to her was nothing compared to what the feel of his firm body pressed flush against hers did. Every part of her begged for more of him, to feel bare flesh against bare flesh…

  Of its own volition, her power surged toward him. She could feel it connecting with him, drawing the essence of him forward and into her in a dance that caused her excitement to increase. Unlike the other times when she drained the life from someone, now she took and gave to him in equal measure. She tried to shut her ability down, but it had spiraled beyond her control, so had the reaction of her body. Releasing him, she slid her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

  Constraint became a thing of the past; the press of his fangs against her lips caused a moan to escape her. Another low rumble emanated from him when her tongue brushed over those fangs. He nipped at her lower lip, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to make her almost scream with desire. She impatiently tugged at his hair, pulling him closer but unable to get close enough.

  She struggled to regain control of herself when he broke off the kiss. Cloudy with passion, his eyes had deepened to the blue of the Mediterranean Sea as they held hers. He was the most magnificent man she’d ever seen, and if he said one conceited, asshole comment right now, she would blast him so violently she’d shoot him straight through the wall across the hall.

  He didn’t say anything stupid though. Instead, his finger brushed over her lower lip again before he took a small step away. Her hands twitched to grab him and pull him back against her, but his next words stopped her, “The sun will be up soon.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jerked from sleep, Julian blinked against the sparse illumination filtering through the heavy drapes. Frowning, he tried to figure out what had woken him when he heard a low moan from Quinn’s bedroom. He swung his feet to the floor and rose swiftly. He moved so fast across the small space it felt as if he were flying over the floor. Grabbing hold of the knob, he thrust it open before he could stop to think about what he was doing.

  Quinn lay in the middle of the bed, her pale skin vibrant against the midnight blue sheets and her chocolate colored hair. Sweat beaded over her forehead and across her upper lip; her hair stuck to her cheeks and forehead. The faded red t-shirt she wore had bunched up around her stomach to reveal her cotton shorts. His eyes narrowed on another red, puckered scar just beneath her sternum.

  Another scar? What had happened to this girl?

  His mind spun through the possibilities, his blood boiled at the torment she’d experienced in her short lifetime. If anyone could relate to cruelty, he could. He’d bestowed enough of it upon this world and he’d also experienced more than his fair share. The Commission had been the worst of it, but he’d been beaten and brutalized by older vamps before he’d been old enough to defend himself against them.

  When she revealed her secrets to him, he’d gladly tear the head off of whoever had done this to her. Until then, he’d have to bide his time and hopefully earn her trust enough to get her to open up to him.

  He stood in the doorway, uncertain what to do as she thrashed to the side and released another low moan. She was having a nigh
tmare but wasn’t in any real jeopardy; he knew she wouldn’t want him here. When tears began to streak down her face, he found himself unable to resist her.

  She moaned again and thrashed to the side. The sheets tangled around her legs and fell across the floor. Reaching out, he placed his hand on her shoulder to wake her. He’d braced himself and shut his ability down before touching her, a barrage of images still slipped through to flood his mind. The images of her nightmare were too much to keep out; they were too vibrant and real for her.

  Screams resonated in his head; blood splattered around the room much like paint being thrown onto a canvas. A man fell to the ground, followed by a teenaged girl with hair as dark as Quinn’s, and brown eyes. Life still glimmered in the man’s eyes, but the teen girl stared sightlessly at the ceiling over her head. He remembered the man and girl from the family picture he’d seen the first time he’d touched Quinn.

  The pull she had over him wasn’t broken until she bolted awake; her golden eyes were dazed as they rolled toward him. She stared at him unseeingly before reality crashed over her. She didn’t bolt up in the bed or grab at the covers. She simply stared at him with tears sliding down her face.

  “You were having a nightmare.”

  Her gaze slid away from him; she focused on the small TV on her bureau. “No more zombie movies for me before bed,” she murmured.

  He didn’t question her on the lie; she’d only be angry with him for seeing things he knew she preferred to keep to herself. He’d never intended to tell her he could shut his ability off, but he’d grown so tired and frustrated with her going out of her way to avoid him that he’d caved on his decision. Now that he’d touched her and tasted her though, he wanted even more of her, or at the very least he wanted to curl up beside her, draw her into his arms and chase her nightmares away. It killed him not to be able to hold her, to console her and kiss the tears from her silken skin.

  “Quinn…”

  “I’m fine,” she whispered. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

  “Don’t be sorry.” Unable to stop himself, he bent and placed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m here if you need me.”

  The wounded look in her eyes when they met his made his heart ache. He’d never felt this urge to protect someone so fiercely before, not even with Cassie. But then, Cassie had never been his to take care of, and Quinn was staring at him with eyes that shimmered with moisture.

  “I’m fine,” she whispered again. “You can go back to sleep.”

  He brushed the hair back from her face before stepping away from her. It took everything he had to keep walking, but he knew when he wasn’t welcome somewhere.

  “Julian.” He turned back in the doorway to look at her. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders as she sat up on the bed. “Thank you.”

  “Anything for you, Dewdrop,” he told her with a smile and left the room.

  Walking back to the couch, he knew there would be no more sleep for him tonight. Not now that he realized those last four words had been the truest four words of his life.

  Julian kept his arm draped over his eyes as he listened to the sounds of Quinn moving about her room. He gritted his teeth together and launched up from the couch when the shower turned on. Prowling the living room, he felt like a caged lion as he paced from the doorway to the window and back again. His skin felt too small for him. All he wanted was to go into the bedroom, pull her into his arms and crush her against him. He could lose himself in her again like he had for those few minutes in the movie theatre gaming house.

  He never should have kissed her; he never should have gone into her room last night, but there was something so damn irresistible about the stubborn woman. He was supposed to be trying to keep her safe, not molesting her in the hallway of someone else’s house. He wasn’t supposed to be entering her room when she was vulnerable and trapped within the memories haunting her, but it was impossible for him to fight the pull of her.

  But he should be fighting against her in every way in order to ensure she was never hurt again. All he’d ever done in his life was bring misery to others. And death, he’d brought a lot of death into other’s lives. From what he’d seen she’d had far too much of that already in her life.

  He’d never hated his ability before; there had always been things he’d never wanted to see from a person, but he’d always been able to use that to his advantage. Tormenting people and vampires with his knowledge of their pasts and loved ones was something he’d thrilled in. He’d wielded his ability with more lethal intent than he’d wielded his fangs over the years.

  Now, he cursed it. Now he found himself wanting to comfort someone rather than use his knowledge to crush her with it; something he most likely would have done just two years ago. Quinn was everything he would have despised then. Good, loving, caring, and able to keep her murderous impulses under control when he’d never bothered to even try.

  Frustration built within him. He had this knowledge, and there was nothing he could do with it. Not until she opened up to him, but she was willful and hiding behind her trauma.

  And he might be the worst possible man for her to open up to. He wasn’t right for her, he’d never been right for anyone. There was too much in his past. He’d spent these past two years trying to be different, but there were things he’d done in his lifetime no one should know or be exposed to.

  She was a vampire, but she was also an innocent, something he never had been, not even when he’d been human. He’d only bring her more hurt, something he refused to do. She was just so tempting with her full mouth, haunted eyes, and that defiant thrust of her pointed, scarred chin.

  The vibration of his phone drew his attention to where he’d plugged it in by the rickety TV stand. If he didn’t think she’d kick him in his nuts and stake him in his sleep, he’d replace all of her shitty furniture, but going against her wishes would only push her further away and that was the last thing he wanted. Grabbing the phone, a smile curved his mouth when he saw Cassie’s name on the screen.

  “Hello Buttercup,” he greeted. “How are things in the tundra?”

  Her cheerful chuckle caused him to smile more. He may not be in love with her anymore, he’d managed to move on from that over the last two years, but he still loved her dearly and she would always be one of the most important vampires in his life. He’d discovered he was capable of becoming a better man because of her; he owed her his life and so much more.

  “It’s not that bad up here, if you came back to visit more often you would know that,” she chided.

  “We’ll be back soon. I’d prefer to wait till spring but I’m sure we’ll be back before then. How are things?”

  He could feel her sober up across the airwaves, feel the smile leave her face and her laughter fade away. “Everyone is doing well; Barnacle misses you.” Barnacle was one of the children they’d taken under their protection a couple of years ago. They’d found him, and other orphaned children under the control of The Commission. It was also where they’d first encountered and befriended Lou. “Devon does too. He’s a little outnumbered by women up here right now.”

  “Better him than me,” he replied with a laugh. “Now, what’s wrong?”

  “How can you always tell?”

  “It’s in your voice; what’s wrong?”

  “I had a vision.”

  He turned away from the closed door of Quinn’s room and paced toward the kitchen. “What did you see?”

  Silence drifted across the airwaves. He could hear her moving about; picture her walking out of one room and into another. “A desert, a woman with brown hair and golden eyes.” Julian stopped pacing; he turned in the doorway to look back and make sure her door was still closed.

  “What about her?”

  “She’s in danger. I didn’t see what is after her but I got this…” she broke off as she searched for words. “This impression of danger. She must be kept safe. I don’t know why, I only know we have to protect her. I don’t know how you’re going to find h
er…”

  “I think I already have,” he said quietly. “Scars on her face?”

  “Yes.”

  His hand tightened around his phone as the water of the shower turned off. “We’ve found her. Her name is Quinn.”

  “You have to get her somewhere safe.”

  “That’s a problem seeing as she won’t leave. She kind of reminds me of someone else in that way.”

  Cassie chuckled. “I have no idea who you’re talking about.”

  “I’m sure you don’t. We’ve already encountered a group of vampires after her. One of them informed us that a vampire also had a vision about her. The vamps are hunting for her, but they don’t know where she is or what she looks like. There’s another evil in this town too.” He quickly explained what had happened in the bar the other night and the hunt he’d been on ever since.

  “You’ll find them.” He could hear her fingers tapping against a countertop. “Why are they hunting her?”

  “She’s powerful, extremely powerful, and I think they’re trying to become the new Elders. Or trying to regain a threshold of their former power in the world by forming an alliance.”

  She made a hissing sound. “Julian…”

  “It’s not going to happen, Cass,” he assured her. “I won’t allow it. Besides, just because some of them may be amongst the oldest still in existence that doesn’t make them an Elder. None of them will be able to make it through me.”

  “Maybe we should come down there.”

  “No.”

  “But what if something happens?” she asked worriedly.

  “We’ll be fine,” he assured her.

  “We can help keep her safe.”

  “And you could end up becoming a target for them. She is extremely gifted and stronger than she should be, but they’d completely bypass her if they believed they had a chance of getting their hands on you. No matter how powerful she is, you’re stronger, Solar.”

  He could practically hear her teeth grinding over the airwaves. “I hate it when you call me that.”