Lure of Forever

by Doris O'Connor

  Holding the phone to his ear, he looked like an intently listening statue. Coralie didn't know it was possible to remain that perfectly still. She couldn't even see him breathe. Then again, a man who sported fake teeth and held strange gatherings on his boat would no doubt perfect the art of pretense to such a degree, that he could pass for whatever he wanted to be. It would also explain his pale complexion and the fact that his body felt cool, too. Or maybe that was just her body temperature. She wrapped her arms around her waist in an effort to warm up. The damp clothes felt ice-cold on her skin and she couldn't stop the shivers.

  The gust of air raised her sodden hair off her forehead, before a warm soft towel was draped round her shoulders.

  "Forgive me. You must be frozen."

  She leaned back into the hard wall of muscle behind her with an involuntary sigh. His amused chuckle vibrated through her and she stiffened for an instant. What was so damn funny? And how did he get there so quickly, anyway? She was definitely coming down with something. She was seeing things. He’d stood a few paces away, talking on the phone only seconds ago, hadn't he?

  A second warm towel draped over her head brought another sigh from her lips. However he’d done it, it felt so good. Lucas moved her until she was seated on one of the plush chairs scattered around the room. He proceeded to take each strand of her hair and pat it dry, his long fingers kneading her scalp in a sensual massage. She closed her eyes with another sigh and simply gave herself up to the feeling of being pampered. A gust of cold air brought with it the smell of chocolate and Coralie opened her eyes to find the man standing in front of her with a steaming mug of the elixir.

  "Here, that should warm you up a bit."

  She wrapped her frozen hands around the mug, grateful to be sitting. Now that he'd dropped the vampire act, he was even more gorgeous. That smile alone ought to be patented. Had she still been standing, her knees would have wobbled. This was ridiculous. She didn't react to men like this, ever. They only ever wanted you for one thing, and as much as her stomach tightened in anticipation of the feel of his full lips on her skin, she couldn't allow herself to act on her desires. It was far safer to keep men at arm's length, especially ones with a dangerously seductive voice and the ability to make chocolate concoctions to die for.

  "I...I'm really..."

  She had to clear her throat to stop it from sounding so breathy. Sheesh, he's gonna think you're ready to jump him. Her hands shook at the image of doing just that, and she yelped when the shaking caused the hot brew to spill over her fingers. Before she could react, he was there licking the chocolate off her fingers, and she stopped breathing. Time stood still as Coralie sat watching him lick those digits, and when he cupped her chin to make her look at him, the heat in his gaze lit up every inch of her frozen skin, until she felt on fire from the inside out.

  He smiled at her and his thumb swiped across her bottom lip. He raised it to his mouth and sucked the drop of chocolate off with a wicked gleam in his eye.

  "Hmm. I could get addicted to hot chocolate."

  Oh, good God. If he made a move on her now, she would never find it in her to push him away. Damn her hormones. But instead of closing the distance, he got up and moved away. He mumbled something under his breath, before turning around to face her again.

  Coralie swallowed nervously at the changed expression on his face. Whatever he was about to say, she was not going to like it.

  "Tell me about this friend you were standing in for today." His voice held an urgent demand she was unable to ignore, even as her rational side protested the notion.

  "Why, what difference does it make?" He raised an eyebrow and Coralie sighed. She did owe him an explanation, of sorts. Even if it was just to make up for the mud she'd dragged in, and the hot chocolate, and the kneeing him in the balls––though he did deserve that.

  "I wouldn't ask unless it was important, Chere." His deep voice washed over her, the accent more noticeable than before. His eyes, darkened to a beautiful deep green, glittered like precious jewels. Not a muscle moved as he waited for her answer and Coralie's earlier unease returned with the force of a steam train.

  "Why is it important? It doesn't matter, surely. Her little girl was ill and I stood in for her. I quite often do. She needs the money and she's missed too many appointments lately as it is. The client paid up front and he paid extra, so she couldn't miss this gig. Only, now I've ruined it all by getting the wrong boat."

  "The only thing you've ruined is that scum's plans for the night." His growled reply shook with barely controlled fury, and that icy foreboding she’d felt before returned. "Getting on the wrong boat saved your life."

  Chapter Three

  Merde, she looked too pale. All the color had drained out of her face and she clutched the mug in a white-knuckled grip. Eyes resembling pools of molten chocolate seemed too big for her face, her luscious mouth pinched in a tight line, and every curve of her body screamed her anxiety as clearly as her rapidly beating heart. He had to strain to hear her whispered words.

  "What do you mean, it saved my life? Who was on the other boat?"

  Lucas sighed to himself. This would be so much easier if he could just take away her memories, but her mind was shielded from him. He had a hard time even picking up her emotions right now. The more agitated she became, the stronger the shields, and she seemed to have no idea she was even doing it. Interesting.

  "Damn it, answer me. You can't just drop a statement like that in the room and then do the big, strong silent act."

  The towel slipped of her shoulders as she spoke, and Lucas was momentarily distracted by the sight of her lacy bra, clearly visible through the damp fabric of her top. Her agitated breathing only served to demonstrate the fullness of her breasts, her nipples poking through the flimsy fabric in silent greeting.

  She pulled the towel back up with an exasperated, "Men," and pinned him with a stare that any vampire hunter of old would have been proud of. "Stop staring down my cleavage and explain yourself. Has this something to do with the phone call you took?"

  "Oui, et non, Chere. The phone call was from Ion. He was too late to ascertain much, but there had been a boat moored around the next bend. Whoever was on it left in a hurry, presumably when you didn't show up, or rather when your friend didn't show up. You did say you were standing in for her."

  Foutre, she went even paler at those words.

  "So you're saying he was after Jerry? He booked her in order to do what, exactly…kill her?" Her voice broke on the last few words. "But why, and what makes you think that? Oh my God, has he killed others?" Coralie sagged back against the cushions at his silent nod, as though she needed the support.

  "He picks on women on their own, late at night. Blondes are his preference, but if you'd walked onto his boat, I am pretty sure your hair color wouldn't have saved you. I am hazarding a guess your friend Jerry is blonde."

  He smiled grimly when she whispered her assent. This had to be Jacomo. It had his telltale signature all over it. The demon had found a way through the gates that separated his shadowy world from Earth, and he needed human blood to survive. Unfortunately for the women he picked, he also liked to play sadistic games, and the last two hundred years of exile seemed to have only increased his thirst for mutilation. The sight of his latest victim had shocked even Lucas, and in his three thousand years of existence, he'd seen it all. Or so he thought.

  He couldn't very well share that with the human in front of him. Even one as gifted as Coralie appeared to be wouldn’t be able to cope with that knowledge. If she even believed him, that is. Presented with a room full of vampires and shifters, she'd refused to believe her eyes, after all. If he started talking demons, she'd probably have him carted off in to a mental asylum.

  "But surely, that would have been all over the papers. I mean, if there is a serial killer on the loose, we would know. We should know, damn it. Jerry needs to know. Hell, all the girls do."

  Red stained her cheeks the angrier she became.
She was truly beautiful and looked ready to go into battle. Boudicca had nothing on her right now, and he'd known the great warrior intimately.

  "How do you know all this? And why are you just standing there? Shouldn't you phone the police or something?" Coralie glared at him.

  As if they could deal with this. Jacomo was his and his alone. He wasn't the council's assassin for nothing. Lucas's grim laugh had Coralie rounding on him with narrowed eyes.

  "I fail to see what's so amusing about wanting to phone the police. It's what any sane person would do. Oh, I forgot, you vampire wannabes have too many screws loose at it is."

  She stopped ranting when his warning growl registered and her eyes grew huge again. He forced himself to unclench his fists and took a step towards her. She sank further back into the cushions and he followed, his hands on either side of her shoulders, his face inches from her. She swallowed visibly and he raised his eyebrows.

  "Screws loose? Vampire wannabes?"

  ****

  Oh no, now he looked ready to kill her. Me and my big mouth. Mum, God rest her soul, always said it would get her into hot water. He was too close. She couldn't think when he was this close, and he looked furious with her.

  "I…I am sorry, but you have to admit that's weird."

  She held her breath as he continued to glare at her. And damn if it wasn't the sexiest sight ever. She clamped her thighs together and crossed her arms in an effort to hide her body's all too obvious reaction to his nearness. His smile in reaction didn't reach his eyes, and Coralie breathed a sigh of relief when Lucas straightened and stepped back.

  "Weird is as weird does. That's not the issue here. And don't worry. The police will be informed when there is something to tell. This is out of the jurisdiction of your ordinary cops. We will get him. I will make sure of that."

  "You will?"

  Lucas nodded and shrugged his impressive shoulders as though the discussion they were having was an everyday occurrence. Then again, maybe it was to him. She had no idea what was going on here or who he was, but clearly her earlier assumptions were way off base. Right now he didn't look weird or funny in the head, but downright lethal. The coiled strength emanating from him coupled with his raw masculinity made for a heady aphrodisiac.

  Good God, she'd turned into Jerry. Her friend flitted from man to man like bees between flowers. If she was here she would have jumped him already, consequences be damned. The thought of Jerry brought her to her feet. She had to warn her. Maybe knowing there was some sicko out there, killing women, would bring her childhood friend to her senses and she would join Coralie in the bakery she worked at. Boring, but safe. Too boring for Jerry up till now, but better bored than dead.

  She shivered at the mere thought of losing her oldest friend. She had lost too many people already.

  "We need to get you out of those wet clothes."

  Lucas's voice seemed to have dropped several octaves and her stomach dropped right with it. A shiver of a different sort went through her. Good Lord––that voice ought to be outlawed. Get a grip, girl, really.

  She blinked when his hand gripped her under the elbow and propelled her to her feet. The move brought her breasts in direct contact with his chest, and instant heat flooded her cheeks. An answering heat coiled low in her abdomen and she stepped away.

  His eyes glittered in silent amusement when she glanced up at him, one eyebrow raised in challenge. Damn the man, he knew exactly what effect he had on her. Could this whole day get any more weird or embarrassing? Before she could come up with a smart comeback, however, he propelled her into a bedroom. The sight of the huge bed covered in silk sheets sent her heart into overdrive.

  "Sit down. I'll find you something to wear." His breath fanned along the sensitive skin on her neck. Her knees gave way and she practically fell at the foot of that luxurious bed. He smiled his approval and turned his back on her. Against her will, her eyes strayed to his tight backside, showcased in expertly faded denim. Coralie bit her lip. Really, girl, stop it.

  Looking around the luxurious bedroom didn't help to distract her. Whoever Mr. Delicious was, he liked his creature comforts, even on a canal boat. Understated elegance was the word that sprang to mind. And he must like his security, if the metal shutters against the portholes were anything to go by.

  He cleared his throat and she forced her eyes back to the man in front of her. He'd stopped rummaging through the huge wardrobe and stood watching her with a wary expression. He held a pair of ladies' jeans and a turquoise t-shirt in his hands.

  "These should fit. You look about Marnie's size."

  For some reason, the fact that he could produce ladies' clothing at the drop of a hat sent bitter disappointment coursing through her. What did you think, stupid, that a man like him would be unattached? He probably had a string of girlfriends, damn him. And why the hell did that bother her so much, anyway?

  "Are you sure your girlfriend won't mind you dishing her clothes out to strange women?"

  Her toes curled under in her sodden boots as his intense gaze raked over her slowly, a sardonic smile curling his full lips. Heat spread through her veins in response to his slow appraisal of her body, and when his eyes came to rest on her nipples they reacted with embarrassing predictability, straining against the confines of her bra. She resisted the urge to wrap her arms over them. Damn it, she was not going to be that easy, her body's demands be damned. And how could she even react to him like that, when there was a killer on the loose?

  The thought of what could have happened had she not mixed up the boats acted like a cold shower to her wayward thoughts, and she shivered anew.

  "If you'd rather freeze to death, be my guest." He threw the clothes on the bed next to her and started to walk away.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. These will be lovely, thank you."

  He turned back around at her reluctantly delivered apology, and his eyes narrowed for an instant. A small muscle ticked in his jaw. His eyes held a faraway expression and she couldn't help but wonder why he suddenly seemed sad.

  "Not that it's any of your business, but Marnie is Ion's wife. She left those behind last time Ion used the boat for the weekend. I don't do girlfriends."

  The slam of the door was far too loud on the quiet boat.

  Chapter Four

  Lucas forced himself to relax his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. He hadn't been this aware of a woman since his human days. What was it about her that awakened a side of him that had lain dormant for years? Enclosed in the close quarters of his old sports car, her natural scent wrapped itself around his senses, and he swallowed the groan as his body responded instantly, again.

  When she had sat on his bed, looking up at him with barely concealed hurt in her soft brown eyes, it had been like a punch to his gut. Clearly hurt by the suggestion of her wearing another woman's clothes, he'd ground out an explanation through his clenched teeth and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him like a goddamn teenager.

  He didn't do emotions, for fuck's sake. What was wrong with him? Damn Ion and Marnie and their happily ever after. Good for them, but he most fucking definitely didn't need one, and why this little human made him think of it was completely beyond him.

  He glanced across to her now. Sat curled up on the seat, her head resting against the window, arms folded, she was a study in concentration. His fingers itched to rub away the worry line between her eyebrows. She had been full of questions when she re-emerged from his bedroom––questions he'd fended off as best he could, without scaring her witless or giving too much away, mindful of the fact that he still couldn't read her thoughts.

  That had to be the reason for his interest in her. Well, that and the fact that he'd been too busy investigating the spate of murders across Europe to sate his body's demands in a willing female. Murders that had grown more and more brutal and careless, finally sparking the council's interest and his involvement. The news that Jacomo had indeed escaped the demon realm and was now st
alking Lucas's neighborhood had been terrifying. There were too many people he cared about here. Ion's pack was on full alert after a thwarted attack on one of their females, a human/shifter hybrid. Louisa was recovering slowly, but it had shaken everyone up. And now this little human had not only interrupted their meeting, but Jacomo had once again slipped his grasp.

  Images of Coralie in Jacomo's leathery hands had him swearing under his breath.

  "Are you okay?" Her soft hand on his thigh and the concern he saw in her eyes meant his voice was gruffer than he intended it to be.

  "You have no idea how fucking close you came to being slaughtered tonight. What were you thinking, coming out dressed like that to a remote location?"

  Her eyes widened in horror and he regretted his harsh words immediately.

  "I told you. I was standing in for Jerry and I'm worried enough about what she chooses to do for a living without that reminder and your chauvinistic attitude. If men didn't get a kick out of seeing women prance around half-naked, she wouldn't need to. Don't tell me you didn't get a hard-on seeing me in that get up…" Her voice trailed off. Crimson stained her cheeks and she slammed her hand over her mouth. "I… I… oh, shit."

  Amusement bubbled through him, even as his dick reminded him forcefully that he didn't need her half-naked. Imagining what she was hiding under the sensible clothes she now wore, her feet bare after she’d thrown off her ruined boots in disgust earlier, was even more of a turn-on.