She shrugged. “Mom passed away when I was a baby, so I never knew her. There’s not much to talk about when you only vaguely know of someone’s existence. I won’t lie, though—there was a gap in my life without her. I saw what other girls got to do with their moms, so I wished she’d been around for that, but I had a pretty happy childhood anyway.”
“Your father was good to you, then?” These were questions he’d never felt he was allowed to ask. Delving into the personal was off-limits, but he’d already moved in with her, so he might as well risk it.
“He was a very good man.” Affection shone in her expression, as if the memories fell on the sweeter side of bittersweet. “He tried hard to be everything I needed—a mom and dad at the same time.”
“He didn’t succeed?”
“Oh he did, for the most part.” Her shoulder rolled forward, her fingers fiddling with her napkin. “I think I haven’t talked about him much because…well, it’s only been about six years since he died and the grief was pretty fresh when I moved here. Especially for Aunt Angela. Dad was her only sibling, and they were pretty tight. Talking about him seemed to hurt her, so I just learned not to.”
He could understand that. Any mention of his mother had stung for several years after she passed. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d thought about needing to tell her something, only to be assaulted by grief when he remembered she was gone. “You can talk about him with me. It won’t hurt me. It might be good for you too.”
“Maybe.” She smiled. “I still miss him. He’d have been really proud of everything Holly and I have done.”
“If my experience is anything to go by, I think you’ll always miss him. It’ll just be less painful to think of him as time goes on.” He set down his empty coffee cup. “It’s been over twenty years since my mother died, and I was a lot closer to her than my father. I still think about her, and my aunt tells the best stories of when the two of them were young. A long time ago.”
“But your aunt doesn’t like to be reminded of how long ago any more than she’d like to know she’s not your favorite cook. Am I right?”
“Exactly.” He winked at her. “But I meant what I said about your father. I wouldn’t mind hearing about how little Erin grew up.”
“Thank you for the offer. I’ll consider it.” She wagged a finger at him. “You’d better not ask my aunt to pull out any pictures of little Erin when we go for dinner.”
“Oh?” He chuckled. “Were you an awkward child? Bad teeth? Big hair?”
“I’ll never tell,” she said archly.
He pressed a palm to his heart. “Ah, now that’s not nice. If there were any pictures of young Luca, I’d show them to you.” He leaned forward conspiratorially. “I had 80s hair about fifty years too early. And I still have big teeth. Want to see?”
She scoffed, but her lips quivered as if she was suppressing her amusement. “Easy to say, since you don’t have anything to show me to prove it.”
“I could make so many ‘I’ll show you mine if you show me yours’ jokes right now.” He shook his head, and they both dissolved into laughter.
Just then, the waitress arrived with the tab, and he snagged it before Erin could. Her eyebrows winged upward. “I said I’d buy you brunch.”
“For our first date?” He tsked. “Sorry, I’m a little too old-fashioned for that. This one’s on me.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. “Fine. I’m going to the restroom, then we need to head to the bistro.”
“Sure, no problem.” He tossed enough cash on the table to cover the bill and a generous tip, checked his senses again to make sure there was nothing untoward in the crowd. Nothing he didn’t expect. The person paying the most attention to Erin was him. He rose to follow her to the dim hallway that led to the ladies’ room, waiting outside the door while she did her thing. Watching her walk away from the table had kept his gaze glued to her round ass. His palms itched to shape themselves around those lovely globes. Just thinking about it made his cock chafe against the confines of his slacks.
She opened the door, gasped and fell back a step when she saw him there. He crowded her into the room, then shut and locked the door behind them. He caught her mouth in a kiss and drove his tongue between her lips. Curling his hands over her backside, he groaned at the feel of her.
Her fingers balled in the lapels of his jacket before she pushed her way out of his arms. She glanced around, her eyes wide. “This is a restaurant bathroom. A million people come in here every day. You don’t know the last time it was thoroughly cleaned. Not every restaurant is up to the same sanitation standards that Holly and I set.”
He laughed, reaching out to cup her breast, his thumb sweeping over the tip. “I won’t let any of the nasty germs touch you.”
“How are you going to manage that?” Her face flushed. He could hear her heart-rate pick up, and the scent of her desire teased his nostrils. His lust spiked, the need to be inside her more than he could resist.
“Come here.” His gaze swept over her. She wore demure slacks and a simple blouse, but the fabric draped over her generous curves. “This would be easier if you were in a skirt, but I can get creative.”
If anything, her eyes grew wider. She licked her lips and stepped toward him. “Is it safe for us to do this here? Now?”
Nowhere was ever truly safe. Even his team’s headquarters had been host to recent tragedy. He gave her as honest an answer as he could, without worrying her more than was necessary. “I sensed nothing threatening. No one was paying any attention to us, and Gregor is keeping his eye on everything.”
She slid her hands inside his jacket, zeroing in on his nipples. “He’s going to know what we’re up to.”
Closing his eyes, he hissed in a breath as she continued to caress him. He loved her hands on him. “You think he can’t hear you moaning every night at your condo? Vampire ears are better than that.”
“I’m not the only one making noises when we do it.” She pinched his nipple.
He felt a satisfied grin quirk his lips. “I know.”
Dipping down to recapture her lips in a slow, hot kiss, he let his utter need for her close over him. He flicked open the buttons on her blouse and reached in to massage her breasts. The lace bra she wore would stimulate her nipples, so he rubbed the textured fabric against her sensitive flesh. The catch in her breath told him how much she liked what he was doing. That in itself was enough to feed his cravings.
She fumbled with his belt buckle, then unfastened his fly. He groaned into her mouth when her hand slipped into his boxers and closed around his cock. Rocking his hips, he thrust his dick through the tight ring of her fingers. It felt too damn good, and when her other hand slid in to cup his balls, he had to jerk away before he lost control like a teenager in the backseat of his daddy’s car.
“Turn around and face the mirror.” He nodded toward the sink. “Grab the counter. Don’t worry—you can wash your hands when we’re done.”
“You better make this worth the germfest.” She tossed her head, but did as he asked.
The sight of her bent forward, her slacks stretched tight over her ass, made his cock throb and his heart pound. He freed his cock as he stepped up behind her. It was quick work to reach around her to jerk open the button and zipper on her pants. He hooked his fingers in the waistband and pulled her slacks and lacy panties down around her thighs. There was no holding back his groan as the fresh aroma of her excitement hit his nose, the first wave of her sexual energy stroking over his senses. Gods, it went to his head faster than any drug ever could.
His hands curled around her breasts, pulling aside her bra’s lace cups until her warm flesh spilled into his palms. He twisted her nipples with slow precision, knowing exactly what she liked. Hard pressure, but not too rough. Watching her face in the mirror, he could see the pleasure overtake her as he toyed with those sensitive peaks. Her back bowed, her hips tilting in offering.
It was all the invitation he needed. “I c
an’t wait.”
“Good,” she gasped.
The first plunge of his cock into her pussy made him groan. Gods, the sweet liquid heat of her hugged tight around him, making him feel as if his skull might explode. Nothing was better than being inside her. Nothing. He withdrew slowly, savoring the drag of his flesh inside of hers. Shoving back in made his belly slap against her ass, and the sound reverberated in the small room. He kept his gaze on hers in the mirror while he fucked her, loving the way her every emotion played across her features. Lust, longing, need, and something tender enough to make his chest hurt. He didn’t know what it meant, but it was the kind of expression a man could see every day for his very long life and never tire of.
Sweat beaded on his forehead, his breathing sped, and her enthralling scent filled his lungs. She pushed into him, taking him to the hilt and clamping her inner muscles around his dick. He hissed at the resulting sensations—friction and heat. A wave of her energy hit him, feeding cravings that went far deeper than he could acknowledge. He closed his hands over her hips, pistoning in and out of her slick pussy.
She shifted, trying to spread her legs further, but her pants trapped her. He saw frustration cross her face, and she whimpered. Bending down, she let her forehead rest on the back of her hand. The position let him drive a little deeper into her, and his fangs emerged from the resulting sensation.
“You feel so good inside me, Luca.” She groaned, her body rocking from the impact of his thrusts.
His chuckle was a ragged rasp of air. “You have no idea how good it feels to be inside you.”
She glanced up to grin at him in the mirror, and that made his chest tighten even more. He loved that no matter what he wanted or where he wanted it, she was right there with him. He’d never had a woman match him so well sexually.
“I’m really, really close.” As if to prove her point, her pussy fisted tight around him, a precursor to climax.
He moved faster and faster, feeling orgasm boiling up from his balls. She clamped a hand over her mouth. Her moans had grown too loud and echoed off the tile walls. Good idea. The last thing he wanted was the restaurant owner coming to bang on the door to see what was going on in here.
Time to send them both over the edge.
Leaning over her back, he delved between her thighs to rub his fingers over her wet flesh. He traced along the stretched lips of her pussy before his fingertips danced across her clitoris. He extended one talon and flicked it hard over the tight little bundle of nerves. She screamed against her palm, her eyes rolled back in her head and her body shuddered. Her pussy spasmed around his cock, milking his shaft. Her energy slammed into him, the rush of her satisfaction sinking into his skin, boiling his blood.
“Erin, I—” He’d never know what he intended to say because orgasm closed over his head and dragged him under before he finished the thought.
He jetted his fluids into her welcoming heat, riding her through both of their climaxes. A low sob broke from her and then her legs collapsed out from under her. He caught her against his chest, holding her close, stroking a few loose curls back from her face. She turned her head and kissed his jaw, her breath rushing over his skin as she sucked in oxygen.
There was a long moment of utter peace that wrapped around them. He leaned against her and she leaned against him, each of them working to steady their erratic heart-rates and breathing. He dropped a kiss on her lips, savoring the flavor of her. Her tongue swept out to tease and taste him, and her teeth nipped at his lower lip. He shuddered, his cock giving a final throb that made him groan.
Gods, she was perfect.
They disentangled themselves and took a few minutes to clean up. He laughed at her for scrubbing her hands twice, and she flicked water in his face, which just made him laugh harder. She smiled as she dried her hands on a paper towel. “All right, we should probably get back to the car.”
“Right, right. We wouldn’t want your produce to wilt before you get to play with it.” He sighed. “Slave driver.”
“Mmm. You make such a good little slave too.” She fluttered her eyelashes. “Will you fan me with palm fronds while I cook?”
“You seem to have a fetish for palm fronds, since you’ve mentioned them before. But I think fanning you with them while you cook might be the recipe to start a kitchen fire.”
She chuckled. “Spoilsport.”
“Yes, I take away all your fun.” Before he turned for the door, he gave a pointed look toward the sink she’d just been bent over.
By opening his senses as wide as they would go, he could take in every being within the building. He was reaching for the lock when he paused. Something…brushed his consciousness. Something that sent a chill down his spine. Hatred. Vengeance. It drifted like smoke on a breeze, disappearing before he could pin down where it came from, and if it was aimed at Erin.
He stretched his senses until he found Gregor and projected a private thought to the other vampire. “Gregor, I sense something.”
“Yeah, I felt it too, but it’s a fucking parade of people in and out of this building. There are four restaurants stacked on top of each other.” His frustration rang in his tone. “I can’t figure out who or where it was coming from.”
Erin started to speak behind him, but he held up his hand for silence, focusing on the mental communication with Gregor. “The where I’ve got. It wasn’t far from us. I have Erin holed up in the restroom.”
He could all but hear the other vampire’s snort. “Bad plan. No escape route.”
“We weren’t in here to escape.” Luca did his best not to roll his eyes. Erin came up and caught the sleeve of his shirt. She didn’t say anything, but he could feel her urgency.
“Ah.” Amusement rang in Gregor’s mental tone. “I’ll do a sweep of the place and let you know if I find anything.”
“Thanks.”
It took less than thirty seconds to get a response. “You’re going to want to see this.”
The tension in the room grew thicker, and Erin’s fingers tightened on his sleeve. “What’s going on?”
Resisting the urge to draw his weapon, Luca pulled her to one side so his pistol was within easy reach. He opened the door and motioned for her to follow behind him. “Gregor found something interesting.”
She groaned, hitching her purse onto her shoulder. “I hate when you guys use that word. It never means anything good.”
“Well, at least we’re consistent.”
She gave him a dirty look and didn’t respond.
Leading her out into the hallway, he keep his senses open, heard every heartbeat, smelled every trace of perfume and sweat, saw every shiver of motion as he reentered the dining room. The onslaught of information pressed down on him like a smothering blanket and the headache began to pound at his temples again, but by force of long habit he ignored the discomfort and focused his abilities to their greatest advantage.
Gregor stood with his back to them, looking at something on the table they’d just left. It hadn’t yet been cleared, which was strange because they’d been gone at least ten minutes and the wait staff had appeared more than efficient. The tingle of warning that went down Luca’s spine every time something was off in a case hit him. He shifted to one side so he could see around the other vampire’s shoulder.
Between the plates sat a rectangular white card and a streak of brownish black that looked like a twig. It took him a moment to realize that the twig was a dead rose—the peach petals had withered to a brittle brown. This was one of the two missing blooms from the bouquet that had been redelivered to Erin’s office last week. Gregor had his cell phone out and was taking pictures of it from every angle.
“Oh God,” Erin whispered as she peeked around Luca. He felt her body jolt, and then she pressed her face against his back.
“There’s more than just the flower,” Gregor said grimly. He pocketed his phone and slipped on a pair of thin leather gloves. Then he picked up the card Luca had written on when the flowers were o
riginally sent.
Thank you for the amazing omelet. And everything else. Delicious. -L
Gregor flipped the card over so they could read the back.
Thank you for the amazing view of you fucking him like a whore in his kitchen. Little sluts like you should be punished.
Erin sucked in an audible breath, a tremor running through her. “That was the night I thought I heard someone following me when I left work. I drove to Luca’s and…he was watching us. Oh my God. I think I’m going to vomit.”
Rage flooded Luca, made him want to hunt down and kill whoever was doing this. The need was so sharp his hands shook, a red haze filling his vision. He wrestled the vengeful anger into submission, shoved it into the deepest corner of his soul, and forced himself to think with the icy control he was famous for. He took in a breath, loosening the jaw he hadn’t realized he’d clenched.
He nodded to the rose. “We’re going to need to talk to someone with psychometry skills.”
“Not that many of those around.” Gregor pulled a plastic bag out of his coat, carefully lifted the flower and bagged it along with the note, sealing both inside. “You know someone we can talk to?”
“Yeah.” Luca’s smile held no humor. “Someone who hates working with law enforcement because we always want him to touch disturbing things.”
The redhead cut a look in his direction. “Can you get him to play along?”
Since the man in question was family, and the importance of family was the one thing drilled into every Cavalli—whether you were married or born into it—Luca didn’t have to think too hard on his answer. “Yes. He’s out of town until Sunday, but he’ll play along if I ask him.”
“Then you can take this.” Gregor handed the sealed bag to Luca.
“We don’t want to dust that for prints?” Erin asked. “What’s psychometry?”
“The ability to read the history of an object by touching it.” Luca glanced down at her, noting that her chin was tilted at that obstinate angle he adored so much. She wasn’t going to let this bastard get her down, and he saw a rage that matched his firing in her gaze. “And we sent the original roses to be printed, and it came back with nothing but my prints, the florist’s and yours. This was in the possession of your stalker for much longer. A psychometrist has a better chance of getting a reading from this, but only if we don’t muddy the signature with more people touching it to get prints.”
Edge of Night Page 26
