Romancing the Recluse

by Michelle M. Pillow

  “But…?”

  He touched her cheek and reached for the door. “I will come for you later.”

  She watched him leave before rushing after him. A woman and two children walked into the exhibit room. Samantha blinked, turning her back on them as she righted her clothing and pulled her sweater low over her pants to hide what they had done. Now that he’d pulled away, she noticed just how hot she was in the sweater.

  Viktor was right, of course. They shouldn’t be doing what they were about to be doing in public. The woman glanced at her but said nothing as she ushered her children along a wall filled with paintings.

  “Viktor, we can go to my—” Samantha began, turning around. Viktor was gone. “Viktor?”

  Hurrying to the door, she looked for him. He was nowhere to be found. It was like he just disappeared.

  “Viktor?”

  Chapter 5

  The tightness in his gut was going to kill him if it wasn’t released soon. The one time wasn’t nearly enough, let alone satisfying. He wanted to feel his mate’s body tightly clenching his, her pussy wrapping him like silk.

  If he didn’t know better, he’d think she secreted an aphrodisiac with her kisses as well. It might have been a while, but he was pretty sure he’d never felt desire like he did for Miss Samantha Egan. It took everything in him to walk away, but Viktor knew he had to show consideration for his mate from the very beginning. He couldn’t disrespect her and have their first coupling, the moment that would join them forever, be in public against a museum storage room wall. It was bad enough he’d let things go as far as they had. What had come over him? Had all those years in the cave made him forget his manners?

  Keeping back so she couldn’t see him, he watched her as she made her way down Fifth Avenue. It was now his duty to make sure she was always safe. Even now, he felt the beginning of a connection. Her body was stiff and he could easily detect the heightened state of arousal he’d left her in. He felt bad about it, but he had to do things right—if he could only remember what was the “right” way to court a woman.

  I need to be careful. I thought I was connected to Elise and I was wrong.

  Thinking of his long-dead lover, he frowned. There was something to Samantha that reminded him of Elise. Not her personality, per se, but the color of her green eyes. They were an exact match. Even the shape of their face was close. The big difference was their hair. Samantha’s hair was red where Elise’s had been black.

  Knowing it wasn’t fair to judge Samantha for Elise’s sins, he focused his attention on her and tried to keep an open mind. The truth was, aside from the feeling of being pushed toward her, he didn’t know much about her. Sex was sex, but love…

  Could he even think of loving her? He just saw her. Sexual impulses were something every man could feel for a number of beautiful women.

  The dawn of his six-hundredth birthday was pressing in on him. Why did he wait so long to leave his sanctuary? Even as he asked it, he knew the answer. Fear. He was afraid of losing his heart to the wrong woman. He’d made that mistake once.

  A doorman came out of a building and held open a large glass door, holding it open for Samantha. The man’s hand brushed her lower back as he guided her into the apartment building’s front lobby. Samantha smiled, her face brightening as she said something to the doorman. Viktor stiffened, suddenly feeling incredibly jealous.

  This isn’t good. Already I’m too protective of her.

  He fought every urge in his body that told him to go to her. Turning his back on her building, he forced himself to slowly walk away.

  Chapter 6

  “I don’t believe it. The reclusive dragon has finally arisen from his solitude. The family had almost given up hope.”

  Viktor glanced up from his hot tea in surprise. It was the middle of the afternoon and the sidewalks were crowded. He’d been waiting to detect Samantha’s scent on the air. Two days had passed since he’d seen her, but he knew he had to get his desires under control first. Just thinking of her made his body respond and he was beginning to doubt that time apart was the answer to his problems. Catching a pair of familiar old eyes, he grimaced. It was one of his cousins who spoke.

  “Good to see you too, old man,” Laurence said when Viktor didn’t answer. He grinned. His shaggy brown hair ruffled slightly in the wind and his dark green eyes sparkled with mischief. It was a look Viktor remembered well. His cousin had gotten him into plenty of trouble over the centuries.

  “Laurie,” Viktor acknowledged, standing to look the man over. “The years have been kind to you. Though truthfully, I thought you’d be shot by now. Last time I saw you we were running from the law in a carriage. Tell me, did you ever return whatever it was you stole from the Duchess?”

  It was his cousin’s turn to grimace. “Ugh, I still maintain that I didn’t take a thing that didn’t already belong to me. And don’t call me Laurie. It’s a girl’s name nowadays.”

  Viktor smirked even as he stood up. “It was a girl’s name then too.”

  “Very funny, old chap,” Laurence said, chuckling as he grabbed Viktor in a firm hug. “Why the heck didn’t you look me up?”

  “I didn’t know you were in town.” Viktor returned his cousin’s brief affection. “Last I heard you were hiding out on Mount Everest.”

  “Actually, I was climbing it in human form,” Laurence laughed. “I just wanted to see if I could.”

  “And did you?”

  “For the most part. Friend of mine got into a little accident and I had to fly him down. The look on his face was priceless. Though he was grateful enough to help me get my current job.”

  Viktor glanced around to see if anyone had heard the comment about flying.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Laurence said. “This is New York. There are stranger things than us residing here. Besides, no one cares about anyone else. They all mind their own business not wanting to be involved.”

  “Sounds lonely.”

  “Yeah, well, it is what it is.” Laurence shrugged, taking a seat at the small sidewalk café table. Waving to a waiter, he said, “Coffee.” The young man nodded and went inside the restaurant.

  “If not for me, what are you doing here?” Laurence asked as Viktor took a seat next to him.

  Viktor shrugged, also taking a seat. “No reason. Just traveling and thought I’d see the New World.”

  “Oh,” Laurence paused as the waiter set a cup of coffee in front of him. Absently, he thanked the young man before continuing, “I thought it might have something to do with a certain big six zero zero birthday coming up.”

  Viktor couldn’t answer.

  “So it is!” Laurence clapped, laughing. “Brilliant! Have you seen her? Do you know who your destined mate is? Is she—?”

  “I don’t know,” Viktor interrupted, not wishing to discuss his possible mate’s attractiveness with his long-lost cousin. It might have been years, but that didn’t matter to their kind. Whenever a Dracodomus met with one of his kind, it was like no time had gone by. The bond was always there. “I’m thinking of going back home. It’s much less complicated in the mountains.”

  “And a lot lonelier. Besides, you know what happens to our kind when we don’t find a mate. Sure, you’ll still live, but you’ll become one of those crotchety old dragons no one wants to sit next to during parties.”

  “We have parties?” Viktor chuckled, trying to dismiss his cousin’s words.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Actually, I hardly know what anyone means anymore.” Viktor glanced around. Seeing a group of kids walking by, their pants hanging down low on their hips to show their underwear, he gestured to them. Leaning forward, he whispered, “Has there been some sort of plague I don’t know about?”

  Laurence laughed. “Oh, you have been away too long.”

  “What do you know about it?”

  “More than you think.”

  “My brother always did have a big mouth,” Viktor shook his head.

&
nbsp; “It wasn’t Zarek who told me about Elise. Everyone knew what she was, you just didn’t want to listen. The whole family tried to warn you about her.”

  “That’s comforting.” Viktor shifted awkwardly in his seat. He’d never talked about Elise to anyone. Even as he didn’t wish to discuss her now, he found that the pain of her betrayal had lessened with time. “So, what are you doing here?”

  “I have a job dating items of antiquity. I figured since I had seen most of them firsthand that dating them for the modern world shouldn’t be a problem. Truth is, I’ve got them all fooled. They think I’m some kind of genius with a photographic memory. Anyway, it gives me something to do and the ladies seem to like rich, handsome, charming, smart guys.”

  “Still modest, I see,” Viktor drawled sardonically.

  “Did I mention confident?” Laurence added with a short, teasing laugh.

  “Enough,” Viktor waved his hand to stop his cousin from continuing along the same path of conversation. “Pretty soon you’ll be trying to lay out your long list of conquests for me to look at.”

  “Hey, just because you’re turning six hundred, don’t take your ill humor out on me. I wasn’t the one who made you spend all that time alone in a cave. If you’d have come down sooner, you’d have had more time.”

  “Keep talking, Laurie. Your time is coming soon. I’ll remember everything you say to me and turn it back on you. See how you like it then.”

  Laurence frowned, toying with the coffee cup handle. “Ugh, I know. I broke up with my girlfriend so I could go tomcatting with a clear conscience. She’s a sweet girl. You’d like her.”

  “You’re a real gentleman.” Viktor laughed, shaking his head.

  “Hey, what can I say? She is a sweet girl with a good heart. It’s just, well, she wasn’t really mine to be with. I was just keeping her warm for someone else.”

  Viktor raised a brow and drawled sarcastically, “Yeah, I see what you mean about your charm. You’re a real gentleman, aren’t you?”

  Chapter 7

  “Ahhhh!”

  Samantha screamed, jumping up on her couch. Her heart thundered in her chest, her system jolted into action by the sudden scare of the little scaly creature running across the floor of her apartment. Glancing around, she stayed on the couch. The servants were gone and she was all alone in the apartment. She reached for her phone, knowing before she tried to stretch across the impossible distance that she’d never get it. The phone was on the other side of the room.

  “Oooh,” she whined, leaning over the back of the couch to eye the floor.

  The lizard thing was right underneath her. Did she chance making a run for the front door? Did she go to the phone in search of an exterminator? Did she stand on her couch, grossed out until someone came?

  “Could I be any more girly?” she mumbled to herself. Even as she said it, she couldn’t get the nerve to jump off the couch and face her irrational fear.

  “Samantha!”

  Samantha jolted in surprise as a loud knocking sounded on her door accompanied by the masculine voice.

  “Samantha? Are you all right? What’s going on in there?”

  She opened her mouth to respond, only to scream as her door came crashing open. “Ah!”

  It was Viktor, wearing black slacks. They fit him perfectly, snuggly hugging his hips and showing off his trim waist. A looser linen shirt covered his muscles while molding to them at the same time. Her mouth still hanging wide, she blinked in amazement. Her heart beat faster, speeding with each second she looked into his dark eyes.

  “Viktor?” she asked. “What are you doing here?”

  He stormed into the room, glancing around as if ready for a fight. Tension rippled over his tight muscles with each step. His eyes lit, actually looking as if a fire burned within their dark depths. She was too stunned to take note of it for long.

  Samantha’s stomach pulled in anticipation. This had to be a dream. What was Viktor doing here? Now? Crashing through her door like some superhero ready to protect her?

  He narrowed his eyes, managing to look very aggressive and somehow erotic at the same time. This man had been in her head since the first moment she saw him, tormenting her every thought. Each nerve ending inside of her tingled to life, responding to the beastlike movements of his body. Fog enveloped her senses until she forgot everything but the man stalking around her living room as if waiting to fight for her. The look of him was damned sexy. Viktor’s nostrils flared and he turned his attention onto her.

  “What is it?” he demanded, his voice carrying a low growl to its tone. “What danger?”

  “Lizard,” she managed, in shock over his bold entrance. Samantha couldn’t take her eyes off him.

  “Where?” Viktor glanced around the house, eyeing the ceiling.

  “Lizard,” she said again, blinking rapidly to collect her thoughts. “Under the couch.”

  “Lizard?” he repeated, his body relaxing some. “As in a small reptile lizard? An actual lizard?”

  Samantha nodded, confused. Remembering the flames encircling his pupils, she looked at his eyes. They were normal. She must have imagined seeing the fire. Still standing on the couch, she shifted her weight, working her feet on the cushioned seat as she nervously swayed back and forth. Her irrational fear of the lizard was replaced by hot, fiery desire for the man in front of her. Remembering the way his body felt pressing hers into the wall, she trembled. Two days hadn’t been long enough to rid her of her desire for him. Cream rushed to dampen her panties and the all-too-familiar tingling of arousal ran rampant over her flesh.

  “I don’t know where it came from,” she said. “It’s just. Could you get it? I hate creepy crawlies.”

  Ugh. I sound like such a girl!

  Viktor’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Smirking, he said, “You are a girl. Well, a woman at any rate.”

  Samantha shivered. Had she said that out loud? She couldn’t remember. There was something about seeing him in her living room that took her breath away and made her temperature jump about ten thousand degrees. Her pussy heated, feeling so hot she thought it might incinerate her with the need to be filled.

  Striding over to where she motioned, he didn’t say another word as he gracefully dropped onto his stomach. Samantha leaned over the back of the couch, bracing her weight on her hands as she eyed his tight body from above, thoroughly enjoying the view. His tight ass flexed as he adjusted himself, leading her eyes down over his muscled thighs.

  “Mmm,” the small sound left her throat before she could stop it.

  Viktor glanced up at her. His eyes swept over her flushed face before turning back to search underneath the couch. He held out his hand, keeping it still. Thinking to hear him whisper, she leaned closer. Whatever he said, she couldn’t make out the words. Suddenly, a little head poked out from under the edge.

  “Eww,” Samantha whispered, bracing herself unnecessarily.

  “He won’t hurt you,” Viktor said quietly, holding his palm out. The creature scurried forward onto his hand only to freeze. He stroked the reptile’s head, running his fingertip down its back to its narrow tail. The creature was only about three inches long. She felt a little foolish for being so frightened by it. “He’s just scared.”

  “Scared?” Samantha repeated, mesmerized by the stroking movements of Viktor’s strong finger. Her clit throbbed and her thighs tightened. How nice it would feel to have those thick, long fingers inside her pussy, gliding in her cream, becoming so wet that they’d glide to her ass to fill it as his hard dick filled her ready cunt.

  “It’s only a newt and he’s not very old.” Viktor’s tone was low and soothing, as if he talked more to the animal than to her. “

  His words brought her mind away from sex.

  “Actually, it looks like he just underwent his first metamorphosis into his eft stage,” he continued. “When he undergoes his next metamorphosis he’ll technically be called a newt.” See these red spots along its dorsal surface? Aren�
�t they exquisite?”

  “Yeah, really beautiful,” she mumbled, obviously not seeing what he was seeing. The man really knew a lot about newts.

  “Hmm, he wants water,” Viktor said quietly.

  “What? You can talk to animals?” Samantha asked skeptically. She was still a little shaken from the startling the newt gave her.

  Sorry, the eft.

  “I can’t believe you’re scared of a little thing like this.” Viktor stood. The lizard sat on his palm, not moving, as if it was quite comfortable right where it was. “He’s so tiny.”

  “Hey, fear of scaly little reptiles is a natural and very common thing. They’re just so… Eww.” Samantha stepped off the couch, trying not to make any sudden moves as Viktor carried the lizard toward her front door. It leaned oddly on its hinges.

  “You have any young boys living on this floor?” he asked. “My guess would be that he belongs to them. It isn’t likely that he came up here on his own.”

  “I’m the only one on this floor. There are no children. The penthouse is mine.”

  “Hmm,” Viktor eyed the door frame as he walked past. “I broke your door rescuing you. Sorry about that. I’ll fix it.”

  “Wait,” Samantha followed him as he disappeared into the small entry hall between her front door and the elevator. She caught up to him just in time to see the elevator door closed. “What are you doing here, Viktor?”

  “Rescuing you from a great beast,” he said, holding up his little friend as the doors slid shut in his face.

  “Wait a minute. How did you even get up here? Viktor?”

  It was too late. He didn’t answer.

  Samantha frowned, staring at the elevator for some time. It was disturbing to know that he’d somehow gotten past the doorman. Herman never let anyone by who wasn’t on the list. And where exactly was Peter who manned the elevator? With a sigh, she went to study her broken door. The frame was cracked from where he’d busted through. “How in the world did he know where to find me?”