Forever and a Night

by Lana Campbell

  Nathan was right about that, she thought with a bit of envy. Mia felt hard pressed to refuse. “Sure.”

  She followed him out of the restaurant onto Bourbon street, which as usual teemed with people and vehicle traffic. Food smells and music from numerous clubs along the block engulfed the night air, inviting people to come inside their establishments, listen and indulge in their cuisine and drink. When she glanced at Nathan, she noticed he stared at a bar across the street which she knew to be country/western.

  He glanced down at her. “Would you like to get a drink or something to eat?”

  “Fine. I suspect you have some things you want to talk to me about before I begin working for you.”

  “There are many things I’d like to talk with you about, but tonight they won’t be about business.”

  Before she could consider a reply to the ambiguous comment, he grabbed her hand and led her across the street. When they entered the bar she smiled, because one of her favorite country songs played and the dance floor was packed with couples doing a two step. She hadn’t gone out dancing in years. Occasionally, she and Daniel had before their once happy life unraveled.

  “Want to dance?” Nathan asked and nodded toward the floor.

  She blinked at him. “Seriously? You know how to two step?”

  “No. I know nothing about this genre of dancing, but I can see it resembles ones I’ve learned in the past and I’m a quick study. If you aren’t afraid I’ll embarrass you, let’s give it a try.”

  She didn’t know what to make of the man. She was skeptical, but intrigued.

  She’d been so determined to keep things professional between them, but God have mercy, the way he looked at her now, with those beguiling violet eyes, so hopeful and genuine, how could she refuse? “Fine. Let’s go for it.”

  Three dances later, including a double two step, they hit an empty table to sit for a spell. He waved over a server. When the girl arrived, Nathan said, “What would you like to drink?”

  She hunched a shoulder. “I don’t know. A Corona with lime sounds good.”

  To the server he said, “Make that two, plus two Patron shots and menus, please.”

  When the girl left, Mia said, “What are you up to, Nathan? Dancing. Now plying me with food and liquor? Sounds to me like your fixing to breach our contract.”

  He grinned and took her hand, threading their fingers together. “Would that be so bad?”

  Mia stared at their fused hands. A ripple of excitement shot through her, followed by a healthy dose of sensibility. “Yes, it would be very bad.”

  He gave her a rakish smile. “Sometimes bad can be good. Think of it this way, the minute I kiss you you’ll be a millionaire.”

  Mia couldn’t help herself, she laughed, then said, “A million dollar kiss? Dang. It’s almost worth the breach of contract to see how good that could be.”

  His expression grew ripe with desire, but a bit of amusement still hovered there. “I tell you what. I’ll give you a million dollars for every kiss you’ll give me tonight.”

  Mia extracted her hand from his. “If I took you up on that offer, which I won’t, you’d be bankrupt by morning.”

  That comment seemed to greatly please him. His eyes literally glittered with anticipation and desire. “I’ll suffer the financial consequences.”

  Mia bit back a grin. Lord, he was a merciless flirt. “Well, I’m not that cruel. I’ll leave you with your riches.”

  “I wish you wouldn’t.” He leaned in, his face inches from hers. “Kiss me, Mia.”

  He was serious. Desire shimmered in his eyes and his expression was pregnant and determined. Normally, she had a constitution of steel, but his look, proximity was like an emotional welding unit, melting her resolve into liquid metal. She gave him his wish, leaned in and fused her mouth to his.

  His mouth devoured, his tongue thrusting inside to both brand and explore. Fiery need exploded through her veins, and her body ached for his touch. The breath she’d been holding, shuddered from her throat into his mouth, a groan catching in there somewhere.

  Mia thought she knew what passion felt like, but what blazed between them now was like a forest fire no amount of water could extinguish. In the early years with Daniel, when they’d still been kids, that first love had been amazing, but she realized their attraction had been a warm, summer rain shower compared to this tsunami happening between her and Nathan. The lust and need unfurling between them felt like an uncontrollable force of nature, wild, out of control and she wanted the waves of it to engulf her.

  He pulled back for a second, stood, hauled her off her chair and plastered her against him. She didn’t fuss, but went back to kissing him like a teenager desperate to shuck her virginity. God, he tasted so good. She couldn’t get enough. Neither could he, she realized when his hands began to explore her body, one settling on her breast, teasing the nipple into ripeness. The action caused pulses of desire to shoot through her system with such ferociousness it was all she could do to hold back a scream.

  Someone clearing their throat, yanked them out of their crazy mode. Mia looked behind Nathan and saw their server, who had a tray in her hand with drinks. Her expression was bored. No surprise. This was Bourbon street.

  Her face gaining heat, Mia resumed her seat as the girl placed the bottles and glasses on the table. Nathan sat down, glanced over the menu and gave a food order, confirming it with her first. Once the server disappeared into the crowd, he handed her a shot of Patron and took the other. “Shall we make a toast?”

  She frowned, aggravated at herself for caving to him. What was wrong with her? She’d been all about maintaining a professional relationship, then the first time he pulled out the heavy flirting guns, she’d waved her white flag of surrender, like a big, fat sissy. “To what? Insanity? Honestly, Nathan, where can this lead?”

  “Who knows, but after that kiss which just cost me a million dollars, don’t you think it would be worth it for us to find out?” He winked at her and lifted his shot glass.

  She knew he teased and she studied him for a spell. She found nothing duplicitous in his expression. He actually seemed nervous, hanging on her response.

  Mia groaned, fully aware she’d made a big mistake allowing that kiss. With it, she’d just opened Pandora’s box. Now she was a victim of its’ contents and she was hankering to rifle through and see what other intriguing things it held regarding Nathan. “I don’t know about this, Nathan. I won’t sacrifice my job for a momentary whim on either of our parts. I think we both need to exercise some serious prudence here.”

  Her reply didn’t seem to ruffle him in the least. He grinned and said, “I think you’ve exercised enough prudence for a lifetime. You aren’t the prim and proper country girl you always portend. That kiss just proved it. You don’t strike me as a coward either. Maybe I’m wrong. When’s the last time you crawled out of your comfort zone to take a risk?”

  She huffed. “Are you kidding? The day I signed that contract with you.”

  He shot her a pointed look. “That was no risk. That was a sure thing. You’re job is secure, Mia. You’ll be even more secure if you choose to end it. I like you and I simply want to get to know you better. I couldn’t pressure you into something if I wanted to. I’ve met very few people with a moral constitution as rigid as yours. I admire that about you. I hope you have enough confidence in me to realize I’d never do anything to compromise your value system from this point on.”

  Mia stared at him. Boy, he had a slick tongue. He seemed to know what to say to either assuage her fears or use her values against her for coercion in a way that was buttery soft and never made her feel pressured. “Then a toast to possibilities, because at this point, I have no clues about you, Nathan.”

  That comment seemed to please him, based on the fervid look in his eyes. He touched his shot glass to hers, then said, “Better yet, to adventure and surprises because I have a few of both planned for us tonight.”

  Mia watched him toss ba
ck the shot. She knew Tequila had one heck of a slap, but not to be bested, she repeated what he’d just done. It burned a little, but to her surprise, the expensive liquor was actually quite smooth. She squeezed the lime in her beer and took a drink.

  She remembered his comment. “What kind of surprises?”

  “When’s the last time you went out to enjoy the city and all it’s delights and culture?”

  Mia’s brows knit because she couldn’t remember. She’d lived here nearly five years, but her life had been like a circuit—work, go home, tend to personal matters, sleep and go back to work again. “What did you have in mind?”

  He gave her an enigmatic smile. “You’ll see.”

  True to his word, after a dozen or so dances and dinner, he took her for a long walk on Bourbon Street, then a carriage ride. The driver, skilled to tell tales of the historical places they passed, kept the journey fun and entertaining. At one point the carriage passed St. Louis Cemetery Number One and the driver began to regale them with stories of Marie Laveau because her grave was here. Mia was enthralled with the information. In all the time she’d lived here she’d never seen the popular tourist spot.

  “Stop,” Nathan said to the driver.

  The man looked back at him, curious, but obeyed.

  Nathan stepped down from the carriage and extended his hand to her.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Come on.” He grinned enigmatically.

  Committed to adventure, she took his hand and stepped down.

  Nathan pulled out his wallet and handed the guy a bill. “Thank you for tonight. We won’t be needing your services any further.”

  The man’s gaze narrowed on him. “If you’re thinking to go into the cemetery, it’s closed and locked.”

  “Of course. We just wish to walk for awhile.”

  He shrugged, slapped the reins on the horse’s hindquarters and the carriage rattled off down the street.

  Mia shook her head, curious to the root of mystery in his expression. “What are you up to now?”

  “Would it frighten you to see the cemetery at night?”

  She glanced at the front gate, then back at him. “The guy just said it was locked and if you think I’m scaling that concrete wall, you’re crazy.”

  He chuckled. “No need for wall scaling.” He took her hand and led them to the entrance.

  Mia noticed him stare intently at the gate. He stepped forward, grabbed a rung and swung it open. She gasped. “It’s unlocked! How could you have known that?”

  “We just got lucky. Come on.” He pulled her inside and closed the gate behind them.

  They hadn’t gone but a few feet when she broke from his grip. She pinned him with a chastising frown. “We’re going to get in so much trouble if we get busted, Nathan. I love your sense of adventure, but I have no desire to spend my night in a holding cell with a bunch of hookers.”

  He laughed. “Mia, the things that come out of your mouth sometimes. You delight me. Trust me, you’ll be meeting no hookers tonight. Come on.” He took her hand and began leading her through the isles of above ground monuments.

  Occasionally, they paused to look at an interesting or historically significant one, but when they arrived at Marie Laveau’s, a chill of intrigue mixed with a spooky sensation made goosebumps bloom across her skin. People still worshiped her to this day. There were flowers, bottles of liquor in front of the tomb and a few other weird offerings.

  “This is supposedly Marie Laveau the First’s resting place, but there is some controversy over that, “Nathan commented.

  Mia had never been here before, but she’d heard the tales. “I know. Some people have told me she was not only a voodoo priestess, but a witch or a vampire.” Mia glanced over the bronze placard on the side of the monument. However, it was too dark to read the inscription.

  “She was not vampire,” Nathan said.

  The surety in his tone made her glance up at him. “You’re funny. Like there are such things as vampires.” His expression squirmed with a look that mimicked guilt. Weird, she thought.

  “Jazerra comes here.”

  Mia wasn’t all that surprised by the comment. “She’s into the voodoo thing, huh?”

  “Very much so. I’m just lucky she hasn’t put a curse on me. I’m sure she’s been tempted over the years. I aggravate her at times.”

  Mia offered him a mischievous smile. “If I catch her chanting and slaughtering a chicken, I’ll give you a heads up.”

  Nathan started laughing again. Mia loved their banter, loved this totally unexpected evening. She looked at the tomb and thought, if this was a first date, it needed to go into the annals of some of the strangest ones ever. “I’m having fun, Nathan,” she confessed. “You aren’t the stuck up, rich dude I thought you were.”

  “I appreciate that insult laced compliment. I’m having a great time too.” His expression turned solemn. “I want you to know I’m taking what’s happening between us very seriously. I won’t hurt you, Mia. I don’t expect you to fully believe that right now, but I’ll prove it to you in time.”

  Mia allowed him to draw her into his arms and rested her her head against his shoulder, inhaling his wonderful scent. She believed him and she was starting to trust him. She couldn’t fathom why he had romantic designs on her. He was so hot, and because of who he was, she knew he could have any woman in the world, far more beautiful and cultured than she.

  New, exciting feelings were sparking inside her, however she had no intentions of putting on rose colored glassed just yet. She’d ride the rails of this thing to see where it took them. In the meantime she intended to keep her eyes wide open.

  Chapter 7

  When Nathan entered his kitchen the next morning for a cup of coffee, he found Julia and Dimitri eating at his breakfast nook in front of the bay window that gave way to the east side of the house.

  “Good morning,” Julia chimed, smiling at him.

  He didn’t have to smile back because he’d been wearing a perm-a-grin since the moment he’d taken Mia back to her apartment building last night in his limo. She was an amazing woman. Beautiful. Fun. Witty. He was in love. The new experience had him twisted into knots. Good knots and reasonable, he supposed. He’d waited over a hundred and seventy years to find his mate. He’d finally admitted to himself what he felt for Mia was indeed, true love.

  He poured himself a cup of coffee and joined them.

  The couple studied him for a few moments then looked into each others eyes, mind speaking.

  Dimitri broke the silence. “Care to tell us about your evening?”

  “No. It was good. That’s all I’m going to say.” He sipped on his cup.

  “You are no fun, Nathan,” Julia groused, then grinned. “It’s happening between you two as I told you it would, no?”

  “It is,” he allowed.

  Dimitri’s expression wasn’t quite as boisterous as his wife’s. “You’d better have a plan for telling her, Nathan and soon. I know you thrive on danger and intrigue, but this situation with your future life-mate hanging in the balance is not one to be trifled with.”

  Nathan knew that. Sleep had evaded him most of the night because he’d been mentally scouting numerous ways to reveal the truth to Mia. How did you tell a human you were in love with that you were a vampire? he thought. He’d been so desperate for answers, he’d considered Googling it, but reasoning prevailed. “I’m hoping if she falls in love with me, she’ll accept the truth. I can’t tell her yet. I’d loose her.”

  Julia reached across the table and clamped a hand over his. “You won’t loose her. However, if you aren’t honest with her, you’re journey together might take a serious detour. Depending on how readily she forgives, you could loose years with her.”

  He pulled his hand away and speared them both with a hard look. “How do you expect me to tell her I’m not a member of the human race? Don’t you think I’ve been wracking my brain for a way to tell her that won’t cause her to feel bet
rayed. Terrified? I’ll have to tell her everything. What I did to her.” Nathan paused and glanced up. “God, I don’t want to even imagine her reaction. Even if she can get over that, I can’t see her accepting what she’d have to do to be with me.”

  Julia pursed her lips and gave him a chiding look. “If humans did not accept the turning when they fell in love with one of our kind, do you not think our people would have become extinct long ago? Our born females are so few. You know that, which is the reason many of our males end up mating with humans. She will accept you Nathan, but what she won’t accept is lies. Something terrible happened to her with her ex-husband. She did not share details, but I know she was horribly wounded. I doubt she could suffer another betrayal. I can tell she is a woman who demands honesty. I wish I had some simple answers for you, my darling, but I don’t. The only advice I can give you is don’t wait too long.”

  He gave her a single nod, then went back to nursing his coffee. Their advice was spot on. He’d been thinking the same things. Never in his life had he been so stymied about getting from a point A to a point B. Somehow he had to find that link because there was no way he would hurt or loose this woman.

  ***

  Mia was a nervous wreck when she arrived at Nathan’s the following Tuesday morning. She embarked on a job with an employer she wanted to assault in a few sexual ways that might be illegal in some states. Not that she would make an attempt to execute any, which was exactly the problem. Their complicated relationship was the epitope of sexual frustration.

  She was now all his. Employment wise anyway. They’d been texting and talking by phone all week. The conversations had been light, teasing, some business information weaved in, but she’d refused his offers to see her. She’d needed space, needed time to think about the night that had altered their relationship.

  Logically, she knew there was no going back to the pre-kissing era. She wasn’t sure she wanted to. She also wasn’t sure she wanted to move forward with Nathan. Her job factored into this thinking. If things crashed and burned between them, sure, she had a million dollar settlement, but her conscience wouldn’t allow her to take the money. It was unearned. She’d never cash that check.