Yep, it might have been any of those things. But when he stepped out of the hotel to glimpse Lilah sitting on a bench at the edge of the garden, he knew precisely what was causing the nagging frustration.
His mood instantly lightened, his feet drawn by pure instinct across the terrace and along the paved pathway. He couldn’t resist joining the lovely female. And in truth, he didn’t even try.
As he neared, his hunter’s eyesight could read the title of the book she was engrossed in.
Shakespeare’s sonnets.
He smiled. He liked the thought she was a helpless romantic. He also liked the sight of her sitting as still and lovely as the orchids that surrounded her.
She possessed the lush, peaceful beauty of the gardens. As if she was a part of the magic. And perhaps she was.
“‘Who is the maid with silken hair
By clear Maine Water roaming?
For the fairy Queen is not so fair
As she in the lonely gloaming,’” he quoted in soft tones.
Lilah gave a small gasp as she jerked up her head. Clearly, she’d been too preoccupied with her book to realize she was no longer alone in the garden.
“You like poetry?” she demanded, not bothering to hide her surprise that he might enjoy something besides killing and maiming.
“I’m not a complete heathen,” he assured her.
She blushed. “I never thought you were.”
He moved to settle on the bench beside her. Close enough to feel her body grow rigid at the brush of his hip against hers.
“I sense your wariness,” he told her. “Is it because I’m a vampire?”
She blinked, as if offended by his words. “Of course not. I don’t have Inga’s prejudices.”
“Good.”
A silence settled between them, their eyes locked together. At the same time, the air sizzled with an awareness that was tangible.
Lilah’s blush deepened, her eyes shimmering with hints of gold in the moonlight.
Delectable.
“Did you find anything of interest during your stroll last night?” she abruptly asked, breaking the sensual spell that was wrapping around them.
He resisted the urge to take advantage of the smoldering hunger he could sense burning inside her. She was too skittish for him to press. He needed to let her take things at her own pace.
“Nothing,” he admitted, recalling the frustration that had blasted through him as he’d circled the extensive grounds around the hotel and even probed through the wetlands.
He’d caught the scent of sprites and fairies and even the stupid gargoyle, but none of them had led to the roof of the building. Which meant it had to be one of the guests or staff who’d taken the shot at him.
“Perhaps whoever it was ran away,” she suggested. “They would know you’re searching for them.”
He curved his lips into a smile. No reason to share that he suspected someone in the hotel. “Perhaps.”
“Hmm.” She wasn’t fooled. “You think they’re still here.”
“If they are, I’ll deal with them.” He shrugged, eager to distract her. “Tonight I’m on a different mission.”
She studied him, almost as if afraid to ask. “What’s that?”
“I’m searching for Levet,” he told her.
Something that might have been relief fluttered over her face. “The gargoyle?”
“Yes. He didn’t return to our room. Have you seen him?”
She shook her head. “No, but Inga has. She complained earlier that he’d stolen an entire tray of meat pies and she chased him into the swamps.”
Chiron rolled his eyes. On their journey to Florida, Levet had pillaged food from every bakery and farmhouse they’d passed. For such a tiny thing, the creature had the appetite of a full-grown troll.
“That sounds about right,” he muttered, wondering where the creature had spent the daylight hours. And, more importantly, why the hell he wasn’t busy searching for the key. “Irritating chunk of granite.”
She tilted her head to the side. “If you find him irritating, why would you travel with him?”
“A debt to an old friend,” he smoothly answered.
“He must be a very good friend.”
The familiar ache pulsed in the center of Chiron’s soul. He’d never considered Tarak a friend. He’d been his leader, his teacher, and the only family he’d ever had.
“He’s like a father to me,” he said in low tones.
She heaved a small sigh. “I can understand that.”
Unable to resist temptation, Chiron reached to trace her lower lip with the tip of his finger. He didn’t want to hurt her. Hell, that was the last thing he wanted to do. But he needed to know the truth about her past.
Not just because it might unravel the reason the witch’s spell had led him to this location. But because…
Chiron grimaced. He didn’t want to consider the fact that he wanted to know every intimate detail about this female because there was a voice whispering in the back of his mind that she was more than a passing acquaintance.
Much, much more.
“Lilah.”
She trembled beneath his light touch. “Yes?”
“Tell me who you are.”
He heard her breath catch at his soft question. “An owner of a demon hotel in the middle of the Everglades,” she said. “Pretty boring.”
“I didn’t ask what you did. I asked who you are.”
“Nobody.”
He continued to stroke his finger over her mouth, his fangs lengthening in anticipation. He ached to taste her. No. It was more than that. He ached to consume her.
“That’s not true,” he argued. “‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate….’”
“No,” she interrupted, sending him a scowl. “You’re cheating.”
He chuckled, savoring the small tremble of her lips. She could pretend annoyance, but her reaction to his touch was pure lust.
“Why?” he asked.
“I love poetry.”
He leaned forward, allowing his fingers to trail down the curve of her neck. “Tell me who you are.”
She swept her lashes downward, hiding her expressive eyes. “I can’t.”
Chiron allowed the tips of his fingers to linger over the pulse that raced at the base of her throat. “Can’t? Or won’t?”
“Can’t,” she breathed.
“Look at me,” Chiron entreated.
She gave a sharp shake of her head. “I might be isolated here, but even I know better than to gaze into the eyes of a vampire.”
His fingers skimmed up her neck, cupping her chin so he could tilt back her head.
“I’m not attempting to compel you,” he assured her. Compulsion was a trick used by vampires to lure humans into being willing prey. There were also a few vampires who could use it on demons.
“Then what do you want?” she demanded.
“The truth.” He waited for her to reluctantly lift her lashes. “Please, Lilah.”
“There is no truth,” she muttered.
He held her gaze, his powers still strangely muffled. Not that he intended to force his way into her mind.
He told himself it was because he had to earn her trust. If she realized what he was doing, she might very well throw him out, and the opportunity to find the key would be lost. Once she understood he wasn’t a threat, he could try to convince her to allow him to peer into her thoughts.
Perfectly reasonable and not at all self-delusional. Right?
“Truth is the only certainty in this world. It is stubborn and unwavering, even if others, or yourself, try to bury it beneath a fog of lies,” he said, speaking as much to himself as to his companion.
“A poet and a philosopher.” She tried to sound mocking, but he was acutely aware of her vulnerability.
His heart twisted. She was so unbearably young and innocent. And he was so old and cynical. The knowledge should have horrified him. Inst
ead, it only intensified his craving for her.
“No, I’m just a male who’s survived long enough to appreciate the finer things in life,” he told her, his gaze lingering on the earthy beauty of her features.
She trembled, but even as his head started to lower, she was abruptly surging to her feet.
“All right. The truth is, I don’t know what I am,” she confessed in harsh tones.
Chiron lifted himself off the bench, unnerved by his inability to resist the impulse to reach out and grasp her hand. As if he was being manipulated by a force beyond his control.
Magic? No. Something far more dangerous.
Fate.
He hurriedly slammed shut the door on his disturbing thoughts. There was nothing he could do to halt the inexorable tug of awareness between them. Nothing except try to concentrate on more important things.
“You don’t know anything about your heritage?” he pressed.
“No.”
“What about Inga?” He studied her tense expression. He didn’t need his powers to know she was telling the truth. She knew nothing about her dead family. “Surely she recognized the species of your parents?”
She shrugged. “She told me they were both mongrels. That’s why they were willing to hire a half-breed as a nanny.”
Chiron frowned. Mongrels weren’t unusual in the demon world. But it was odd that Inga hadn’t been able to determine their bloodline.
Was it possible the female was hiding something?
“That’s all?” he demanded.
Her wary expression returned. “Does it matter?”
It should. Unless Levet managed to locate the key with his dubious skills, Chiron needed information about the past to determine where it might be hidden.
But even as the knowledge seared through his mind, he was stepping forward. At the same time, his fingers trailed up her arm and over her shoulder.
“No. It doesn’t matter,” he said in husky tones, his curiosity captured as her thick curls brushed the back of his hand. “Your hair is damp.”
“I just finished my bath,” she explained.
“In the swamp?”
“Not quite.” Her lips twitched at his horror, then, taking a step back, she motioned toward a dark corner of the garden. “Would you like to see?”
A flare of excitement raced through him. There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice that told him she rarely shared her secret place. Not with anyone.
“Very much,” he said, readily following her as she pivoted to lead him toward the shadowed spot between two towering cypress trees. They paused, and he peered into the darkness with a sudden grimace. He was a vampire who’d lived in the desert for the past fifty years. The sight of black mud and slimy moss wasn’t particularly appealing. Clearly he should have left his expensive leather shoes at home. “It looks…boggy.”
She chuckled, reaching for his hand. “It’s magic. Come with me.”
Chiron hissed, his fangs throbbing as her simple touch sent a rash of electric awareness dancing over his skin. He didn’t know a damned thing about magic, but he knew he was being trapped ruthlessly in this female’s sensual spell.
Right now, he couldn’t make himself care.
In fact, he was an eager participant.
An icy chill raced over his skin, and once again, he caught the strange scent of salt. What the hell? On the point of asking Lilah if the bog had access to the ocean, he was distracted as the sticky mud and moss were suddenly replaced by a white marble grotto.
His brows arched as they climbed the shallow steps and passed through the fluted columns towering twelve feet in the air. Most astonishing, a spill of bright sunlight surrounded the grotto, as if it was noon instead of midnight.
Chiron instinctively flinched before accepting the golden glow was a part of the illusion. Amazing.
Entranced by the light he hadn’t seen in a millennium, Chiron allowed Lilah to lure him toward the center of the grotto, where a rectangular square was cut into the marble floor. It was filled with impossibly blue water sparkling in invitation.
He moved to study the statues, which had clearly been carved by the hand of an extraordinary artist. There were both male and female marble figures in flowing gowns with their hands outstretched toward the water.
“Did you create it?” he asked, his tone hushed. There was an atmosphere of peace in the grotto that touched even his jaded soul.
She smiled, obvious pleasure on her face as she glanced around the open space. “No. It must have been the original builders. I couldn’t see through the illusion until Inga brought me here.”
He turned to study his companion. If Inga had only been at the hotel for a brief time before the death of Lilah’s family, how had she known about this place? As far as he knew, ogres had no talent for sensing illusions.
“Inga,” he murmured. “I think I might need to have a few words with her.”
Lilah snorted, clearly amused by the thought of him trying to have a conversation with the large, ill-tempered ogress.
“I wouldn’t suggest it. Not unless you’re willing to risk another brush with death.”
He stepped toward her. “I thought you claimed she didn’t murder your guests.”
“As long as they leave her alone.” She gave a lift of her hands. “If you start forcing your company on her, I make no promises. Her temper can be very ogrelike when she’s provoked.”
He shrugged. Inga might be dangerous to most demons, but she was no match for a vampire. Not unless she had some devious traps set around the hotel.
He had every intention of cornering the female before the night was over, but for now, he wanted to enjoy a brief moment of solitude with Lilah.
Taking a step toward her, Chiron was caught off guard when the water suddenly began to spin in the middle of the pool and then shot upward in a spray of droplets that glittered like diamonds.
“This is stunning.”
“It’s my favorite place,” she told him with a small, satisfied sigh. “I could stay here and never leave.”
The water settled back into the pool, and Chiron turned his head to study Lilah’s delicate profile. He appreciated her love for her home, but he didn’t like the thought that she preferred to stay here forever.
Especially if it meant she would be here without him.
“It’s magical, but there are other beautiful places beyond the Everglades,” he told her.
She turned to meet his gaze. “Any particular location?”
“Vegas. Monte Carlo.” He shrugged. “Paris.”
Her lips curled into a grin, amusement sparkling in her eyes. “Isn’t that where your resorts are?”
Bewitched by the sight of her rare smile, Chiron moved to stand mere inches from her. Her scent filled his senses, heating his blood so it started to flow to parts of his body that tingled and hardened in reaction.
“A few of them,” he admitted. “You should visit.”
“Hmm.” She pretended to consider his suggestion. “Perhaps I will. One day.”
Chiron wasn’t satisfied. He didn’t want vague promises. He wanted to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would see Lilah strolling through his casino while he worked, and sharing his bed when he slept.
The realization rocked through him, making it feel as if the ground had just shifted beneath his feet.
He reached up, framing her face in his hands. “When?”
She stood quietly beneath his touch, the sound of her racing heartbeats a sweet melody to his ears.
“I’m not sure,” she breathed.
“Soon?”
“I…” Clearly sensing he wasn’t going to be satisfied until she agreed to his demands, she gave a slow nod. “Yes, soon.”
“Do you promise?”
She licked her dry lips. “I’ve never traveled away from here.”
His gaze was locked on her damp mouth. It looked as luscious and edible as a ripe berry. “I swear you’ll be safe in my hands.”
&nbs
p; “I’m sure I’ll be protected,” she murmured, “but I’m not sure I’ll be safe.”
“I’m not going to pretend I don’t want you,” he rasped.
He heard her suck in a sharp breath. “As dinner?”
“I want to nibble you from head to toe and everywhere in between,” he said, taking a step forward, and then another. He was subtly herding her toward a nearby column. “I want to run my fingers through your hair, and savor the sweetness of your lips. I want to strip away your robe and run my hands over your naked body. And I want to feel my fangs sliding into your flesh as I sip your blood.”
She made a strangled sound as her back hit the marble column.
“Dangerous,” she muttered.
“More dangerous than I ever imagined possible,” he agreed, wondering if she felt the same tug of destiny.
She shivered. “Chiron.”
He allowed his gaze to skim over her face. Her honey skin was luminous in the faux sunlight, and her eyes were pools of molten gold.
Stunning.
“I’m beginning to understand the allure of staying in this spot and never leaving,” he told her. “It’s like the world outside doesn’t exist. In here, it’s just the two of us.”
Their gazes locked, awareness pulsing in the air between them.
Then, as if unnerved by the sheer intensity of their mutual passion, Lilah lifted a hand to press it against the center of his chest.
“You’ll soon be bored and ready to leave.”
He frowned. Was she trying to convince him or herself? “How can you be so sure?”
“You have a business to run.”
He did, of course. And under normal circumstances, he refused to spend more than a few hours away from the office. And that was when he was traveling from one resort to another.
A successful business empire didn’t happen by accident.
Since arriving at the hotel, however, he’d barely spared a thought for work. He was too bewitched by Lilah to spend time worrying about costs and profits.
He lifted his hand to brush his finger down the clenched muscles of her jaw. “I pay an enormous staff an obscene amount of money to keep things running smoothly for me.”
Darkness Returns Page 8
