The Perfect Kiss

by Amanda Stevens

  “He’s waiting for me, I hope,” Eleni said, her tiny red mouth a perfect Cupid’s bow.

  Behind her, another voice spoke. “He’s waiting for me.”

  Zach hadn’t even seen Anya approach, but she was standing beside them suddenly, her silvery hair glowing like moonlight as it fell down her back. She, too, was dressed in black, a skintight one piece thing that molded to perfection every line and curve of her graceful body.

  Zach’s stomach tightened with excitement. Something stirred inside him, and he got up from his chair.

  The other two women were also staring at Anya, looking her up and down, their noses turned upward, their expressions faintly challenging. Anya met their gazes without wavering, her expression coldly determined. The tension bristled between the three for a moment, like alley cats staking their territory. Then Monique and Eleni turned and, without a word, drifted away into the crowd.

  Anya took the chair across the table from him, and Zach sat back down, his smile wry. “Why do I get the feeling something just went on here that I completely missed?”

  Anya shrugged, folding her lovely, pale hands on the table. On one slender finger, a ruby glistened against the whiteness like a dark drop of blood.

  “I shouldn’t have invited you here,” she said.

  “It’s different, I’ll grant you that. There’s an…uneasy feel to the place.”

  She seemed surprised. “You sensed that already?”

  “It’s hard not to. I’m a little surprised that you would pick this place. You don’t belong here at all.”

  Her eyes hardened, glistened like chips of ice. “How do you know that? You don’t know anything about me,” she reminded him coolly.

  Zach shrugged, watching the light play fascinating tricks on her face. Her skin seemed to absorb the light, then reflect it back. And her eyes were so clear, yet deep and extraordinary—he could easily sink into their depths and lose himself forever.

  “Maybe I don’t know anything about you,” he acknowledged. “Maybe that’s what I find so…interesting.” Sexy, he’d almost said. Appealing. Alluring. Captivating. She was all those things and more.

  The waitress arrived to take their order and was back fairly quickly with their drinks. He lifted his Scotch and water. “So here’s to getting to know you better,” he said. “And to a partnership that can be mutually profitable to us both.”

  He raised his drink to his lips, but Anya merely stared into her glass, seemingly mesmerized by the dark red wine inside. Then she lifted her gaze, and the look in her eyes made Zach’s senses spin completely out of control.

  They were the most haunted eyes he’d ever seen, and without thinking, without rationalizing his action, he reached for her hand. At first she withdrew, but then her fingers tangled with his, pale skin against tanned, cool flesh against warm, and for a fleeting moment in time, Zach had the strangest feeling that he’d just seen a glimmer of light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

  Then Anya broke the bond. She removed her hand from his and curled her fingers around the stem of the wineglass. She lifted the drink to her mouth, but the wine barely seemed to touch her lips.

  Zach drained the contents of his own glass, shaken by what had just transpired between them. He’d known from the first he was attracted to her, dangerously attracted, but that he could handle. That wouldn’t get in his way.

  But this other thing. This need that went beyond the physical was something he couldn’t understand, something he couldn’t accept. There was no room in his life for this. His feelings for Anya Valorian could easily destroy everything he’d worked so hard to achieve. She could make him lose his perspective, make him doubt his own judgment. Success was within his grasp. Vindication would be his at last. He couldn’t afford to let anything—or anyone—steer him from his course.

  He stood abruptly and grabbed his coat. “Let’s get out of here.” He half expected her to argue, but instead she gathered up her own coat while he threw some bills on the table, and together they made their way through that strange and parasitic-looking group who patronized Nosferatu’s.

  * * *

  Anya stood just inside the door of the club, and waited for Zach. It was cold outside, and he’d noticed her trembling, insisting that she remain inside while he hailed a cab.

  Why had she asked him to come to this place? she wondered in disgust, then in the next instant answered her own agonized query. Because this was a part of her life, a part of who she was, and in some perverted way she’d wanted Zach to understand that. She’d wanted him to recognize that the evil inside this place also existed inside her. She wanted him to realize that the uneasiness he felt in the club was just an echo of the way he felt around her. She wanted him to know…without really knowing.

  She couldn’t tell him outright, of course. There was no way she could ever tell him. He wouldn’t believe it, anyway, wouldn’t be able to accept it. He’d want to help her, and that she could never allow. Few people knew about her, and Anya intended to keep it that way.

  Her survival depended on secrecy.

  So she’d had him come here. She’d let him glimpse the darkness, let him feel the danger and evil that simmered inside this club and inside her soul.

  She’d expected his surprise, his confusion, even his disgust. What she hadn’t expected was his compassion.

  Zach Christopher was like no man she had ever known. He made her feel things that were utterly forbidden to her now. He made her want things that were lost to her forever. He made her want him, and that was the most deadly threat of all.

  To both of them.

  Anya closed her eyes and let herself feel his presence through the door. Even from so far away, she could feel his warmth, feel the disturbing emotions swirling inside him. And there was something else she sensed. Something dark and sinister.

  Evil.

  And it wanted Zach.

  Heart pounding in her throat, Anya pushed at the heavy, wooden door. Unyielding, the door resisted even her strength. It was a barrier now as strong and insurmountable as sunlight. Anya leaned her shoulder into it, shoved with all her might. The door should have splintered into a thousand pieces from the force of her exertion, but it remained solid, invincible, as though a hand stronger than hers pushed from the other side. The sense of danger cloaked her like a dark and heavy shroud.

  Zach!

  She screamed his name silently in warning. What had she done by bringing him here? She had been so sure it would be safe. She didn’t think anyone would dare touch him here. Gershom was thousands of miles away.

  But now Anya was trapped inside.

  And Zach was outside, unaware of the danger that stalked him.

  * * *

  Then suddenly, almost as though it had merely been taunting her, the door flew open. Wind gusted in, tangling the long strands of Anya’s hair across her face. The draft seemed unnaturally cold. Shaking, but more from fear than the frigid air, Anya rushed through the door to the sidewalk.

  Zach was in trouble, desperate trouble. Like a shadow, the blackness crept over her. She could feel the danger all around them. All because of her.

  All because she had dared to want something that could never be.

  Frantically Anya scanned the street, her heart pounding painfully against her breast. The wind whipped at the black wool cape she wore. It tore at her hair, swept across her face like the cold hand of Death.

  Was that laughter she heard?

  Was it Gershom’s laughter that mocked her?

  “Zach! Zach, where are you?”

  “Anya! Over here!”

  At the sound of Zach’s voice, Anya whirled and saw him standing several yards up the street near the curb, flagging a cab. The approaching car’s headlights picked him out, illuminating him with brilliance.

  But all Anya noticed was his smile.

  He was smiling at her, and he was safe. She felt weak, dizzy with relief. Without stopping to think about her actions, she ran across the street toward
him. The moment she stepped near him, Zach placed his arm around her, so very naturally, drawing her against his warmth. His body was lean and hard, very solid and dependable. It was tempting to lean against him, to let him hold her, to let him make her feel safe again. Safe and warm.

  But that couldn’t be. That could never be. She was risking too much.

  And she had been warned.

  Across the miles, across the darkness, Gershom’s hold had tightened, reminding her all too painfully that she could never know the love of a man.

  “You’re so cold,” Zach murmured against her hair.

  As if to prove his point, Anya shivered. Zach tightened his arm around her, and she allowed herself to enjoy the sensation for a moment. But only for a moment. Then she pulled away, her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

  Fool! she admonished herself. Did you think you could get away from him so easily? Did you think you could forget who and what you are because you want to so badly? Did you think you could make the past go away by wishing?

  Bitter shame washed over her. Shame for what she had done so many years ago and for what she had become because of one impulsive night. And with the shame came sorrow, a deep, heavy despair for what could never be.

  She moved even farther away from Zach. “I’m fine,” she said stiffly, pulling her cloak tightly around her neck as if for protection.

  She saw confusion flash in his eyes, then anger. She knew her words had sounded harsh, cold, a rejection. But what else could she do? Zach Christopher had already gotten closer to her than any man had in a long, long time. How could she permit that? How could she knowingly place herself—and him—in a situation that could only lead to disaster?

  She climbed into the back of the cab, and Zach followed her, slamming the door. The sound seemed to echo a finale in the empty hollow that was her heart.

  “Where to?” the cabdriver asked.

  Zach turned to her, his expression resolute. “The night’s still young, and we still have a lot to talk about. Where shall we go, Anya?”

  She gave the cabdriver her address, then reluctantly turned back to face Zach. Her voice wasn’t as strong, nor as convincing, as she would have liked. “I think we’ve said all there is to say.”

  One brow arched sharply. “You may have said all you wanted to say, but I certainly haven’t. We had an agreement, remember? You were going to listen to my proposal.” Zach settled back against the shabby upholstery, but his gaze remained fixed on her. “Frankly, this whole routine is wearing a little thin, Anya. I’ve offered you a very generous contract. What more do you want?”

  Anya bristled at the unfair assault. “This isn’t a ‘routine.’ You made me a business offer, and I gave you my answer last night and again this morning. It’s your problem if you can’t accept it.”

  “Because it doesn’t make sense,” Zach countered. “You give me an answer that makes sense, and I’ll accept it without question. But this is crazy. I’m offering you the chance of a lifetime. Other models would kill for a contract like this—”

  “Then give it to one of those models,” Anya said angrily. “I’m sure there are dozens—hundreds even—more than willing to say yes to your steamrollering charms. I’m just not one of them.”

  Silence exploded between them. Zach’s eyes glittered coldly, reminding Anya all too clearly that ice could be just as dangerous as fire. She shivered, backing herself even more deeply into her corner.

  A mistake. He leaned forward, rapidly closing the distance between them. Her hand went to her throat as her heart began to pound, pound, pound….

  “I think I’m beginning to see.” His tone was low but deadly intense. “This is personal, isn’t it? It’s not the contract you object to so much, as me. Is that right?” Something flashed in his eyes, something that denied the frost in his tone.

  Anya’s resolve stumbled for a moment. Then she lifted her chin in defiance. “Of course not. This is a professional decision, nothing more.”

  “Is it?”

  “Why do you find that so hard to accept? Am I threatening your business acumen?” Oh, why wouldn’t he listen to her? Why wouldn’t he take no for an answer? Anya moistened her dry lips, and his eyes narrowed as he watched her.

  Then he surprised her with a slow smile, an action that seemed even more dangerous than his anger. “I don’t feel threatened by you at all, Anya,” he said softly. “Do I threaten you somehow?”

  She moistened her lips again, feeling her blood heat with excitement. He was close, but she wanted him closer. “Yes,” she said breathlessly. “You threaten me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because…”

  Her voice trailed off as she stared into his eyes. Prisms of light from the passing bars and restaurants flashed across his face, making his features seem even more animated, more vitally alive. The ice in his eyes melted to liquid heat, and his expression deepened, became more intense. Anya felt her breath tighten in her chest. His hand on her arm felt hot, searing, like a brand. Her dark, hidden desires began to stir to life. Anya felt them rise up inside her until she trembled with contemptible need.

  She had to get away from him. Dear God, she had to get away, because his eyes told her that in another minute he was going to kiss her, and that she could never allow. Because if he kissed her, Anya knew there would be no turning back from the inevitable.

  “You threaten me…because you won’t take no for an answer.”

  He laughed softly, the low sound thrillingly masculine. “Then don’t say no. Just tell me what you want.”

  Anya swallowed, feeling the pull of his velvet coercion. He had no idea, she thought grimly. He had no idea what happened to men like him who wanted women like her. She steeled her resolve, tamped down the mounting excitement inside her.

  The cab pulled to the curb in front of her darkened house. Anya opened the door, but before she could flee, Zach grabbed her arm. “Anya…”

  For just a moment, she remained rooted to the spot. Their eyes locked. Then she withdrew her arm from his grasp and said very slowly, “All I want is for you to leave me alone. I have absolutely no interest in your business proposal—or in you. I see no reason why we should ever have to meet again.” Then she stepped out of the car, slammed the door, and ran up the sidewalk to the iron gate, slipping into the shadows without a backward glance.

  * * *

  Anya let herself into the house and leaned heavily against the wooden door, her heart hammering in her throat. Had she convinced him? Would he go away now? Would he leave her alone?

  Had she removed the threat to her safety?

  She was quite sure she had. Even Zach’s determination wouldn’t allow him to continue the pursuit in the face of such a blunt rejection. His pride would demand he forget all about her. He’d choose a new model now, perhaps someone more beautiful than she. Someone with whom he might eventually fall in love, she thought with a bitter pang deep down in her heart.

  Slowly, wearily, Anya climbed the steps to her bedroom. For long, silent moments she stood at the window and stared out at the cold, windy night. The aching knot inside her was despair, she realized. Despair that grew deeper and more complete with each passing year spent in the darkness.

  Ten years had passed since she had first met Gershom in Bonn, since she had first been captivated by a darkness she didn’t understand. Ten years had passed in obscurity until Anya had begun to think she might actually be free of him. But ever since she’d met Zach Christopher, Gershom’s presence had been all around her, circling her like a jealous, demon lover who had come back to lay claim to his possession.

  Anya sighed as she rested her forehead against the cold glass. What must it be like, she thought, to share a life with someone like Zach, to wake up in the sunshine with him every single morning? What must it be like to love someone selflessly and be loved in return?

  Anya had never known real love, except from her grandmother, perhaps. And Cora’s house in the country had been the only real home Anya
had ever known. Her parents had divorced when she was a child, and she had been shuffled back and forth between them, never really belonging in either of their new lives or to their new families. As often as not, she had been left to her own devices in the city.

  Then one summer Anya had been “discovered” on the subway returning home from school. Soon after, she’d been pursued by the top modeling agencies in the city. She’d quickly become seduced by the glamour and the attention. Her career had skyrocketed, and Anya had reveled in the adoration.

  But all too soon she’d realized that the outpouring of affection for her was only superficial. Without her great beauty, no one would really love her at all. No one would want her.

  That was why Gershom’s seduction had been so pitifully easy. He’d promised her eternal beauty, everlasting love, and Anya had been foolish enough to believe him. Her grandmother had just died, leaving her completely alone, and Anya, on her own in Europe at seventeen, had still desperately needed someone to cling to. Someone to love.

  If only her grandmother had lived, Anya thought with an edge of bitterness. How different her life might now be.

  For the first time in a long time, she allowed herself to think about Cora. Anya closed her eyes and, for a moment, conjured up the image of wispy white hair and warm blue eyes, of soothing, careworn hands and soft, gentle laughter. For just a moment, she let herself experience the memory of basking in the comfort of loving arms.

  The image flashed brilliant, then faded, like heat lightning in the dead of night.

  And when it was gone, Anya felt lonelier than ever as she stared out the window, waiting for the next sunrise.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Zach’s secretary held out a handful of pink message slips as he walked past her desk the next morning. He shifted his briefcase to the other hand and plucked the papers from her fingers without breaking stride as he headed toward his office.