by Lisa Kessler
He pulled on his breeches and shirt as he opened his door.
The buttons could wait.
“Gerard, is my task complete?”
The moment he entered the parlor he had his answer.
She stood at the window, turning just as he entered. Gerard came to him and immediately fumbled at the unfastened shirt buttons. Kane waved him away.
“Thank you, Gerard. That will be all.”
“But sir, your attire…”
Kane pulled his gaze from Marguerite and gave his servant his full attention, grinding his teeth to keep from shoving the man. “That will be all.”
Gerard gave him a proper nod, followed by a sigh of surrender. While he appreciated his employee’s intentions to make him appear a proper gentleman, it was wasted effort.
Kane had no intention of conforming to French society, and no desire to be a “gentleman.”
Once they were alone, he made his way to her, frowning.
She looked too pale. Her heartbeat fluttered, tempting him, but it was weaker than it should have been.
Tonight a large, gothic cross dangled from the choker adorning her tender throat, and a lace veil covered her face. Instead of the corseted gown draping her in yards of needless fabric, she wore a simple black dress that accented her pale skin.
She quickly focused her attention on the window again.
“The paintings you requested are on the table, Monsieur.”
Kane frowned, gently grasping her elbow. “Are you ill, Rita?”
“I fear I gave you the wrong idea last night.” Her blue eyes glistened when she looked at him through the dark lace.
Carefully, Kane lifted the veil, finding a dark bruise on her cheek and her lower lip swollen. Rage burned through him. He took several deep breaths to calm himself, but the jaguar within wanted its freedom, wanted to tear apart whoever had hurt her. “Who did this?”
She shook her head and stepped back. “It is none of your concern.”
He could hear her heart pounding, fast but light. “You are frightened.”
“If you wish to purchase a painting, please look them over. Otherwise, I will be on my way.” Her fingers closed into fists at her sides.
Kane stepped in front of her, blocking her path to the door. Emotions flared on her face and she flinched.
Her fear doused the heat of his rage and left him completely off-balance. Kane wandered over to the artwork, at a loss as to what he should say or do.
His gaze stopped on one of the still-life paintings. The composition seemed typical at first. A vase of flowers, some seashells…
And a decaying shark’s head.
He turned, lifting the painting toward her. “This is… unique.”
The lace veil covered her face again. “As I said, my master is not well. He calls that one Still Life with Flowers, Shells, a Shark’s Head, and Petrifications.”
Kane stared at the rotting shark skull, wondering what would possess an artist well known for his tender renderings of roses to sully their pure beauty with the corpse of a predator.
He replaced the painting. “He did this to you.”
“I am sorry the art does not meet your needs.” She crossed in front of him without making any contact. “I will collect my things and go.”
Kane gave her room, watching her slide the canvas back into her large velvet bag. “Forgive me if I have done something to offend you.”
She stopped for a moment and sighed. “I never should have come here last night.” Rita met his eyes. Kane caught a flash of the rebellion through her veil, the thief evident in her gaze. “I am no damsel in distress, and I do not need to be rescued.”
“The bruise says otherwise.”
A faint hint of color flushed her cheeks. “I am still alive.
Others have not been so lucky.”
His body tensed. “And if I offer to kill him for you?”
She surprised him with humorless laughter. “If only that were possible.”
“Is he so well-guarded?”
She rested the bag of canvases on his table and met his eyes. “Tell me why I needed to visit you at night, Monsieur.”
He frowned. “This was the time available to me.”
“Forget for a moment that I am a supposed weak-minded woman.” The rhythm of her heart increased. “Perhaps, imagine instead that I was truly Le Voleur D’or. Would I not look into the lifestyle of a wealthy man in my city? In fact, if I were Le Voleur D’or, I might even offer jewels to some of his staff in return for information.”
Kane’s heartbeat raced. What exactly had this clever thief discovered about him? None of his staff knew his hidden nature, although some of them might suspect him to be a demon. After all, he’d never been seen during the day.
He cleared his throat. “Why would Le Voleur D’or care about my lifestyle?”
“Is she not also a person? Perhaps she is forced to steal…” She paused and shook her head slowly. “This is not about a petty thief, Monsieur. This is about why you called me here at night.”
“Have you forgotten my name?”
She surprised him by taking a step closer. “I only call those I trust by name.”
“What exactly have I done to betray your trust?” He raised a brow at her innuendo.
She sighed and shook her head, reaching for her velvet bag. “You are a charming waste of my time.” She walked around him. “Au revoir.”
“Rita, wait.” She stopped, but didn’t turn to face him. “I want to help you.”
Marguerite froze in the doorway and closed her eyes. After receiving Gerard’s request for her presence that morning, she had made inquiries.
And they had confirmed her worst suspicions.
Kane Bordeaux was hiding something, possibly something horrific. She had suspected as much after touching his cool hand, cutting her tongue on his tooth during an impassioned kiss, and seeing her master’s violent reaction to catching his scent on her skin. She feared her suspicions were true. After discovering not a single member of his staff had ever seen him in the sunlight, her fears became real.
Slowly, she turned. Why did he have to look so heavenly in the moonlight? His unkempt blond mane framed his tanned, chiseled face, and her eyes couldn’t help but feast on his bare chest. Rarely did a French gentleman ever show his flesh so brazenly, but Kane bore no shame in his body.
He looked as if he’d just lain with a woman, and in spite of Marguerite’s fear, she flushed with heat at the thought.
Her gaze stopped at a large scar on the left side of his chest just over his heart. Had someone tried to end his existence just as she wished to end her Master’s?
He took one step closer, jarring her from her thoughts.
“I can help you.”
“I do not believe you can.” She moved to the door, hoping her stern expression masked the fact that her heart now resided in her throat. “You cannot even trust me with the truth.”
Something flashed in his blue eyes, but instead of attacking her, his mouth curved into an inviting smile. “You intrigue me, Le Voleur D’or. Give me this night to prove myself to you. I give you my word, if I do not, I will never contact you again.”
She rolled her eyes. “I never confessed to being Le Voleur D’or.”
“Not in so many words.” Kane offered her his hand.
“There is something I would like to show you.”
Surely, if he intended to kill her, he would have done so already. She had given him ample opportunity. Against her better judgment, she left her things in his study and followed Kane to his stable.
Six grey Arabians greeted them, nickering and pawing at their doors.
“My friends, this is Marguerite Rousseau.” He approached the black Friesian stallion flipping his head at the end of the barn aisle. Kane smoothed the beast’s forelock and ran his hand down the sleek curve of its neck.
“This is Kukulkan.”
Marguerite approached the massive horse, smiling when his upper lip r
ubbed at her outstretched hand. “You have an interesting name.”
“He is named after a Mayan god.”
“Mayan?” She ran her hand down the stallion’s neck.
“Yes. Do you know of their race?”
He stood so close behind her that a single step back would press her against his still bare chest. Marguerite resisted the temptation, keeping her focus on the majestic animal in front of her.
“They were natives in the New World, no?”
“My people.”
Marguerite turned and found herself so close to him that her heart fluttered and her skin tingled with heat. “But they have been gone…”
His cool fingers brushed her cheek, and she lost her train of thought. He lifted her veil and his gaze fell to the cut on her lip, his thumb barely touching her mouth.
He met her eyes. “They are not gone.”
Kane bent to kiss her lips with enough tenderness to make her heart melt. No man had ever kissed her with such care. Her lips tingled with his affections, and gradually he coaxed her mouth open so he could taste her. She moaned and allowed her hands to explore his bare, chiseled torso.
When Kane broke the kiss, her knees felt weak. He reached up to run his thumb along her lower lip, and she realized there was no pain. No swelling.
Marguerite gasped, bringing her hand to her healed mouth. Her eyes met his, but before she could inquire, Kane kissed her forehead.
“Do you ride?”
Derailed by his question, she stepped back, glancing down at her inappropriate riding attire. “I did not come prepared.”
“Does that mean you do ride?”
“Yes.” Marguerite raised her chin slightly, trying not to smile. “My father taught me. I am a fine equestrian.”
The mention of her father tugged at her heart. He’d taught her to ride before her mother died. Before wine and ale became his mistress.
“Your father owned horses?” He entered a darkened room beside the stalls.
Her back stiffened, ready to defend her family’s poor station. “My father managed a stable for a Marquis.”
But Kane returned without a trace of judgment in his eyes. She’d never met such a baffling, wealthy Frenchman in her life.
“We did not have horses in my homeland. I had never ridden until I arrived in France.” He handed her a pair of breeches. “You can wear these.”
She glanced at the riding pants. “And what will I wear for a blouse?”
He gestured to her dress. “You wear something underneath that. Some sort of under clothes?”
She nodded. “Yes, but…”
“That will do. How many layers of fabric must you bury your skin beneath?”
Her eyes wandered over his bare chest. “Are you going to button your shirt?”
“Does it bother you if I do not?”
She would embarrass herself if she answered truthfully.
“You have no love for clothing.”
“Humans are the only creatures in this world that seek to cover themselves as if the sight of their true form were something offensive.” His gaze ran over her entire body. The deep timber of his voice teased her heightened senses, and she ached for his attentions. “But I suppose clothing does make one hungry to learn what treasure lies beneath.”
She wet her lips, clutching the riding pants tighter, trying to remind herself she had every reason to believe Kane hid a monster inside him not so different from her master. “I should put these on.”
His heated gaze followed her into the room that housed the saddles. While she pulled her dress over her head, she could hear Kane readying two horses. The cool night air chilled her until her nipples protruded through her thin shift.
Once she laced the front of the breeches, she stared down at her simple, off-white shift and sighed. It was still too long. Lifting the hem, she brought it up to her waist and did her best to knot the fabric around her.
It would have to do. At least she could use her legs now.
She exited the room and Kane straightened. The desire, etched plainly on his face, made her heart flutter, and she savored the way his breath caught at the sight of her.
He leaned against his horse. “Breeches become you.”
Marguerite laughed, shaking her head. “I have never looked less ladylike, Monsieur.”
He sobered. “I hope you will soon call me by name.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat, reminding her of the wound hidden beneath her choker. “I am no fool.
Danger has many faces.”
A muscle in his cheek jumped. “You are not, and never will be, in danger with me.”
“For my sake, I hope you mean that.”
Chapter Four
Kane kept a tight rein on Kukulkan. “Easy now.”
He soothed the energetic stallion through the rolling hills outside of Paris. This was the area he usually gave his horse free rein to run, to stretch his gait until the wind stung his face.
Kane glanced over his shoulder, smiling as joy radiated from Rita’s features. In the moonlight, astride his mare, Candide, Rita’s golden curls blew behind her. She looked completely free.
He faced forward again, guiding his horse through a patch of trees, and pulled him to a stop at the rise of the hill. Kukulkan threw his head, hooves dancing in place while they waited for Rita. She brought Candide to a stop beside him, calming Kane’s stallion for a moment.
“It is beautiful here.”
He’d never brought another person to the lake. The moon’s reflection sparkled on the surface of the water, and the jaguar inside him paced, aching for freedom. How much longer could he deny the beast?
Kane swung his leg over the back of the saddle and landed beside his horse. He led Kukulkan to a nearby tree, tied him loosely, and withdrew a fresh loaf of bread, cheese, and a bottle of red wine from the saddle-bag. Whether Rita wanted to admit it or not, she needed the nourishment.
When she had dismounted and tied the mare, he took her hand and led her to the water’s edge. “Are you hungry?”
She took the bread from him without answering. He opened the wine, watching her bite into the roll. Rita took the glass and swallowed.
“Will you not eat with me, Monsieur?”
He sighed and sat beside her, staring at the water. “We continue this dance, and you demand honesty, but will you be honest with me in return?”
“I am not the one with a secret.” She sipped the wine.
“Why do you steal?”
Rita turned toward him, and for a moment he believed she would deny her crimes, but again, she surprised him.
Instead of answering, she reached back and removed the choker, exposing a vicious wound in her neck. Angry scabs covered the puncture wounds, and her tender throat was swollen and bruised.
The jaguar roared inside of him. His eyes warmed, and he knew they would glow crimson. Struggling to contain his rage, he turned his attention to the water. “Your master is a vampire.”
“I steal to buy safe passage across the sea.” She fumbled with her necklace again. “As long as he drinks from me, he can find me anywhere or force me to return to him. But even his power cannot reach across the ocean.”
Kane took a slow breath, caging the beast inside him before gazing at her again. He caught her hand, stopping her from replacing her choker, and drawing her attention to him.
“You do not need to hide from me.”
He stared at her, memorizing every curve of her face.
This woman, a mortal, knew immortals existed. She stared into his eyes, suspecting he wasn’t human.
This moment with her, under the cool glow of the moonlight, was more honest than anything he’d experienced since the night he left his brothers and his world behind.
He hesitated, not willing to break the spell.
While she watched, he brought his hand to his mouth, cutting his index finger on his fang. She flinched, but did not turn away. As his blood beaded at the end of his finger, he reache
d toward her. “Let me heal you.”
She leaned away from him, shaking her head.
“My blood healed your lip. It will do the same for your throat.”
Her fingers trembled, tracing her bottom lip. He could see the hesitation in her features, but slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet his. Without a word, she tilted her head.
Tenderly, he pressed his finger over the puncture wounds.
“It tingles,” she whispered.
He could hear her heart racing. Knowing she feared him made his gut twist. “I am no vampire, Rita.”
He expected her to be relieved. Instead, she jerked away from him in anger. “Still you lie to me. I know your secret, and yet you continue to treat me like a fool.”
She rolled to her knees, but he caught her wrist before she could get up. “I would never consider you a fool. You trusted me with your truth. Give me the chance to share mine.”
“There is no point.” She sat, crossing her arms. “I will not leave one undead master for another. I would rather die.”
Kane let out an exasperated sigh, disgusted that she believed him to be undead—a vampire. He took her hand and placed it against his bare chest, over the scar. “Tell me what you feel.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “Your heart. It beats.”
“Yes. I live each night when the sun dies.” He released her hand, encouraged when she didn’t yank it away. “A vampire’s body leeches off of humanity in order to appear to live.”
“Do you drink blood?”
Kane nodded, shocked that it felt so simple to free such a long-guarded secret. “I am a Night Walker, Rita. We do drink blood to live, but unlike vampires, we have a purpose.
I feed on humans who harm others. You can inquire with my staff. None of them have ever been bitten or harmed by me in any way.”
“How can you be certain of a man’s guilt?”
Another question. Perhaps she might believe him.
Eventually. “I can hear the thoughts of the mortals around me.”
She tensed, concern lining her face.
Kane shook his head. “I have never intruded into your mind. If I had, I would have known you lived with a vampire and would have handled all of this more…gracefully.”
