by Celia Jade
Then he lifted her leg and slid into her with ease. A moan escaped her and she clung to him as he took her with delicious strokes. There was a certain naughtiness about doing it in the shower that she liked, though she wasn’t going to tell him that. The combination of the warm water and the silky thrusts of his hard flesh made meaningless words tumble from her mouth.
He gave her a quick, possessive kiss. “I want all of you, Stephanie. Not just your body.”
Something shifted deep inside her as her mouth parted under the pressure of his. She thought she understood his meaning, but she couldn’t respond now, could barely think straight. His tongue jabbed against hers as his cock thrust harder, branding the very core of her. With a stab of alarm she realized that this man would leave a mark on her soul for the rest of her life. It was foolish to think she could forget about him.
Ripples of exquisite pleasure tore through her as she came apart.
Stephanie woke in Dex’s arms the next day. She hadn’t intended to stay. It got late and she’d fallen asleep. But waking up in his bed, cuddled against his solid warmth, felt completely natural. And real good. She followed the rhythm of his heart at her back.
“I love how you smell.”
His deep, morning voice roused her senses. “Don’t you ever sleep?” she responded with a smile.
“Not much when you’re next to me.” His hand pressed her closer.
“Mmm…all the more reason for you to keep away from me.”
He chuckled. “Nice try. Spend the day with me.”
“I can’t.”
There was a stretch of silence. “Are you going to see your family?”
She groaned. “Dex, don’t start that again, please.”
“Look at me, sweetheart.” His order was gentle but firm.
Stephanie turned around and met his gaze. The intensity of his eyes made her breath catch.
“I’m in love with you.”
He paused for a beat and she felt herself frowning, but her heart went into an erratic flutter.
“I can see a solid future for us, if you’re open to it. But I have no intention of living in secrecy because you’re afraid of telling your own flesh and blood that you’re dhampir.”
He’s in love with me. She wasn’t sure how to process this. Instead, she replied, “That sounds like an ultimatum.”
His breathing stilled and he looked at her for a long moment. “It is.”
She’d heard that odd gravelly tone in his voice before…right…once when she’d accused him of wanting to see her tattoo to make sure Victor’s visions had been correct. She yanked out of his embrace and got out of bed.
“You’re good at giving those,” she added, hating the bitterness in her voice. The annoyingly rational part of her brain was aware that she was making a defensive attack against the “in love with you” statement.
“Damn it, Stephanie—you’re evading the issue.”
She began looking for her clothes, which were mostly on the floor. He was quiet as she put on her panties and bra, yet she felt the wave of his displeasure.
Finally, she looked at him. “Why do you care if my family knows?”
The tension in his face was evident. “Mostly because it’s been eating you up for a long time.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I won’t deny it’s hard to live with this secret, but I’ve learned to deal with it.”
“You don’t have to.”
A frustrated sound pushed through her lips. “What do you want me to do? Say Hey everyone—just wanted to let you know I’m part vampire?”
He swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Something like that.”
“You don’t understand. It would tear them apart…my brothers…”
“But your mother loves you, right?”
Her eyebrow quirked. “Of course…so what?”
“Then give her more credit.” There was no mistaking the thread of anger in his voice.
Her brain froze for about ten seconds. Then she shook her head and tugged her top from under his pants. Dex got out of bed and she drew her eyes away from his rugged nakedness. When next she glanced at him, he was wearing black boxers, the crotch stretching over a prominent bulge.
She pulled on her jeans and began walking past him, but he held out an arm, stopping her. She looked up at his handsome face, reading the determined glint in the smoky eyes.
“I’d do anything for you, Stephanie,” he said.
A tremble came over her lip and she pressed her teeth into it. Quietly, she said, “I have to go.”
* * * *
Victor took another sip of the cappuccino she’d made. They were sitting on her narrow balcony, which had room for two chairs and a small round table.
“This is very tasty,” he said and leaned back. His strange, pale eyes twinkled with delight, yet even she could read the unease that lingered just beyond that.
She drank from her cup and smiled at him. “But you haven’t come here just for coffee.”
He hadn’t mentioned why he’d wanted to come by and she hadn’t asked, though she hoped it had nothing to do with Dex. She hadn’t heard from him in over a week. It was torture staying away from him, but she had no choice. He’d managed to break through the wall she’d built around her heart and snag a big piece of it. Sleeping with him had been a mistake.
Victor focused his eyes on her. “I’m here because two people I care about are clearly miserable. One is Dex and the other is you.”
She pulled her gaze from his. “I’m not miserable,” she replied, but then silently chided herself for lying to Victor. He could probably read her like a book.
He gave a gruff sigh. “I thought he would have convinced you at some point to divest yourself of this secret, but you’ve turned out to be as stubborn as him.”
Annoyance pricked her. “Dex sent you here?”
He shook his head. “Oh, no…no. He’s been withdrawn and ill-tempered for days now. I had to use magic to pry it out of him.” He paused. “I would have eventually brought it up anyway.”
She let out a small groan. “Not you, too.”
“My dear, any secret is a burden on the soul that grows heavier with time. Trust me when I say that souls can collapse. Not to mention that your kin have a right to know.”
She held his gaze. “How so?”
He splayed his hands. “Say for instance—God forbid—that one of them needs a blood transfusion. Your blood would be deadly.”
A cold shiver went down her spine, even though she’d been aware of this. Of course, she’d never consciously donate her blood to a human. “I know, Victor. The genetics doctor went over that with me.”
Victor’s pale eyes flickered with sharp intelligence. “Well, consider this. Emergencies do occur, and you might find yourself in the rather unpleasant position of explaining to your kin why you can’t offer your blood.”
She digested this with a growing sense of anxiety. The possibility had never crossed her mind.
“Next, if you donate blood to banks, it means it’s available to the public.” He raised his thin shoulders. “Of course, they do all kinds of tests, but mistakes have happened.”
Stephanie swallowed hard. He made sense, of course.
He reached across the table and grasped her hand. “Your mother and your sister love you dearly.” Amusement danced across his thin mouth. “Your brothers will get over it.”
She’d never mentioned her sister to either Dex or Victor. Speechlessly, she watched the old man rise from the chair.
“Ray and I consider you family. You’ll have our support if ever you need it.” His smile sobered. “As for Dex—a fool could see he’s madly in love with you.”
Stephanie saw him out. He didn’t utter another word, but she was able to read the message in his last comment. She leaned against the door for a long time. Victor’s reasoning had turned hers upside down. Finally, she expelled a shaky breath and crossed over to the phone. She had to act responsibly for h
er family’s sake.
Her mother answered and Stephanie got to the point. “Hi, Mom. Are you expecting any visitors today?”
“No, honey. Care to visit your old mom?” She gave a light chuckle.
“Yep. I’ll be over in about an hour.”
Dex was a whole other matter.
Chapter Nine
Mom had been shocked, but she recovered faster than Stephanie had expected.
“I knew there was something, but I couldn’t put my finger on it,” she’d said while holding Stephanie’s hands.
It explained all the times her mother had questioned if she was well. She’d assumed it was because of her reserved nature or some argument with her brothers. The poor woman. And in between tight hugs and tears, she’d given Stephanie a scolding for keeping it from her all this time.
“Honey, now be honest with me. Do you suffer at all? I mean…those cravings you mentioned earlier…” Her mother’s voice wobbled on the word “cravings.”
Stephanie shook her head. “No…there’s no pain. It’s like a bad food craving.” When the cravings were unbearable, she’d head to Michel’s bar, but she spared Mom that detail. “I eat a lot of rare meat.” She allowed herself a smile.
Mom brushed her hand down her cheek. “Is there anything I should know—medically that is?”
She reached into her bag and took out a copy of the medical documents the physician at the private clinic had given her.
“You can have this document in case of emergency. It’s a thorough medical evaluation and it lists my blood type.” She paused for a beat as her mother’s gaze went over the first page. “I can’t donate my blood to humans and I can only receive a specific blood type. It’s all in there.”
Her mother took this in with a nod. “Okay. That makes sense.”
Stephanie decided it was time to broach the subject that had been eating at her conscience the entire trip up here. After a deep breath, she asked, “What about Kyle and Patrick? You know how they feel about—”
“What’s going on?”
Stephanie’s heart leaped against her chest as Kyle’s voice cut into hers. Oh, shit. What was he doing here?”
Mom seemed to sense her panic and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as she looked at Kyle. “We were having a mother-daughter chat, Kyle.” She cleared her throat. “You know I don’t like it when you walk in like that. You’ll give me a heart attack one of these days.”
“I didn’t mean to barge in, but the bell doesn’t seem to be working.”
Mom gave her head a quick shake. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot.”
It was true. Stephanie had to knock on the door.
“I was in the neighborhood so I dropped by,” he explained as his gaze swung from Mom to Stephanie, heavy with questions and, surprisingly, worry. Kyle rarely looked worried. He took a few more steps toward them and placed his hands on his hips.
“I heard the last bit of your conversation. What’s this about medical stuff and blood types—and me and Patrick?” There was tension in his voice, but any anger was imperceptible.
Her temple began to ache. This was the moment when her family fell apart because of her. A cold film of perspiration broke out on her forehead. God, she’d made a terrible mistake.
“I…it’s nothing,” she began, but her voice wavered.
“You’re scaring me. Are you sick, Stephanie?” Kyle questioned and then turned anxious eyes to their mother. “Mom, what’s going on?”
“Your sister isn’t sick, Kyle,” she replied calmly. “She’s perfectly fine.”
Kyle looked perplexed for a moment and then relieved. “Thank God for that. Some awful things went through my mind.” He heaved a sigh. “Anything else is minor.” He crossed to the armchair and dropped into it. “So, what’s the problem?”
Stephanie looked at her mother. “Mom, I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have said anything—”
“Nonsense,” Mom cut her off firmly. “We have the right to know this.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand…”
Her mother’s hand squeezed hers. “Please, honey. Trust me.” The words were gently spoken, yet the fierce protectiveness in her blue eyes was unmistakable.
Unease had worked itself back into Kyle’s face. “Would someone tell me what’s going on here?”
Mom turned to him. “Kyle, there’s no problem, nothing for you to worry about…but there is something you and the rest of the family should know.”
He inclined his head. “Okay.”
Stephanie had never felt more helpless. She wished the floor would open up and take her in. Tears pricked her eyes. She’d never be able to forgive herself.
“You are aware that we didn’t know much about Stephanie’s father, right?”
He gave a brief nod.
“Well, three years ago, your sister saw a doctor who ran some tests and she discovered something…unexpected…about her genes.” She paused and Kyle leaned forward, his large body visibly on edge. “She kept this from us because she was afraid that it would cause a rift in our family. Something I would not allow under any circumstances,” she added pointedly.
Kyle was pensive for a bit. “I wouldn’t want that either, despite our differences.”
When his gaze met Stephanie’s, she read the honesty in his eyes and she relaxed a fraction.
“Well, that’s good to hear,” Mom replied. “Our Stephanie is dhampir.”
She closed her eyes for a second and braced herself for the explosion. As seconds of heavy silence ticked by, she forced herself to look at Kyle. He’d gone rock still and his complexion was turning different shades. In the end, he looked almost ashen. She pressed her hand to her stomach, hoping she wasn’t going to be sick.
Slowly, he got up and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes shifted blankly to the floor. Finally, he said, “I’m going outside.”
As he turned away, Mom said, “Kyle, I know this is a shock, but remember what I said before.”
Stephanie understood the message, which was a gentle warning. Though it wasn’t fair, really. If her brothers didn’t want to have anything to do with her because of her genes, it was their right. She began to voice this, but her mother cut her off with a raised hand.
Kyle glanced at them and nodded. “I just need some fresh air.” He disappeared into the kitchen and they heard the slide of the back door.
Stephanie broke down. “I’m sorry, Mom…”
“Shush. I won’t have any of that…”
Five minutes later, she pulled out of her mother’s arms and wiped her eyes. “I guess I should go.”
The back door slid open and her mother gave her a teary smile. “Stay a bit longer.”
For the first time in three years, Stephanie felt at peace with herself. As she parked in one of the few empty spots opposite her building, her phone buzzed, indicating a new message. She accessed her inbox and saw the message was from Dex. Her pulse skipped anxiously as she opened it. Hi, Stephanie. I just want to know you’re well.
Her heart clenched almost painfully. He’d told her he was in love with her and she’d reacted like…she groaned…a bitch. She began responding to the message, but changed her mind. A mischievous smiled curved her mouth as she got out of the car and hurried home.
She spent a few minutes going through her closet before she chose a simple black cocktail dress with a zipper that ran down the side. It was one of her favorites because it hugged all the right places without looking trashy. She slipped into high pumps. In the washroom, she looked at her reflection, noting the color on her cheeks and the pulse that fluttered faster than usual at her throat.
She touched it. Just the thought of Dex made it race. Somewhere in the depths of her awareness, she’d known that she would lose the foolish battle against her desire and her need for this man—would have gone to him regardless of her family, regardless of anything.
In the living room, she sent Dex a text message and waited. Her phone rang seconds later.
>
“Hi, Dex.”
“Stephanie, you said you weren’t feeling well.” The edge of concern in his voice was apparent.
“Yeah…it’s a fever.”
“How high?”
“I don’t know…I feel like I’m burning all over.”
“Oh, man…are you home?”
“No…I’m driving.”
She heard his breath expel.
“Why the heck are you driving? Go home and I’ll come by in ten minutes.”
His response squeezed her heart. “Well, I’m not far from your place.” Please be home.
She picked up his surprise in the pause that followed.
“I’m here. Drive carefully,” he replied.
“See you soon.”
Stephanie felt a pinch of guilt for making him worry for no reason and dashed out of her apartment. As she drove, she enjoyed the different emotions that zigzagged through her, including a few that were new, but not unrecognizable. She pressed on the gas, eager to share these with Dex. And so much more.
* * * *
A shock of emotions went through him as Dex looked at Stephanie. He took in her hot little dress and slim, bare legs. Had she been to a party? He closed the door behind her and touched her forehead. No fever.
He frowned. “You don’t feel hot.”
She looked up at him with innocent eyes that sent an arrow of heat to his cock.
“I told you, I’m burning up.” Her tone was sober. She walked past him and tossed her purse on a chair in the living room.
His gaze swept down her back, lingering on the tempting curve of her hips and backside. A groan rose inside him. God, this woman… He closed the distance between them in a few strides and raised her chin. Her delicate smell spiked the rush of his blood.
“What’s going on, Stephanie?”
She brushed her fingers along one side of his jaw. “Mmm…I like the stubble,” she purred.
His cock twitched. “No games. I meant what I said about secrecy.”
He’d decided to stay away from her and it was killing him. There were moments when he’d regretted his ultimatum, afraid he’d lose her forever. But he’d had his share of lovers. With Stephanie it had to be all or nothing. If it meant a hole in his heart, then so be it. After much brutal analysis, he’d given up and let his instinct do the thinking. It had never let him down before.
