The front door crashed open against the wall. “Thank God you’re home,” her sister said.
Carrying the shoes into the living room, she greeted Barbara with a hug. “What’s up?” Then she saw her shy, little, ten-year-old niece, Francine, lurking in the doorway. “Hi, honey.”
“Hi, Aunt Wendy.” She stared at her tennis shoes, her hands shoved in the pockets of her baggy jeans.
“I got called in for a last-minute dinner meeting with a client, and I need you to watch Frannie for me.”
Wendy shook her head. “I can’t. Not tonight.”
“Rick’s out of town. You’re the only one I can get on short notice.”
“Not tonight, you can’t. I have a date.”
Her flamboyant sister, dressed in an elegant navy-blue business suit, tipped back her blonde head and laughed. “Right. How about an excuse I can believe?”
Pain cut through Wendy’s heart at the cruelty. Her sister, five years older than her and definitely the pretty one of the family, had treated her like the redheaded stepchild her entire life. The fact she was the red-headed stepsister didn’t make it any easier.
Then she glanced at her dear niece and sighed. She didn’t get to see her very often as it was.
“I’ll be back by midnight,” Barbara said. “She hasn’t had dinner yet, either.”
Wendy swallowed her disappointment. Dante and the sex she’d been anticipating since last night could wait. Barbara brushed the kid off so much, Wendy wasn’t about to do it, too. “Fine.”
“Thanks, sis.” Barbara sent her one of those I-knew-you’d-cave grins then walked out the still open door without so much as a goodbye to her daughter.
“Come on inside, Frannie,” Wendy said. “I’ve got to make a phone call, and then we’ll order a pizza or something. Does that sound good?”
The little girl shuffled into the living room and sat down on the couch without a word. Wendy shut the door, her heart twisting. She knew all too well what it was like to be pushed to the side. Barbara and Rick had a kid because it had been the fashionable thing to do, and now neither of them had time for her. Barb was an attorney for a big real estate firm, and Rick worked for a national bank and was out of town on business more than he was home.
“Be right back,” Wendy said, grabbing the cordless phone off the charger in the kitchen. Then she picked up her purse and headed into the bedroom to call Dante and cancel their date.
After pulling his business card from her wallet, she sat down on the edge of the bed and dialed the number he’d written out for her.
On the third ring, the phone was answered. “’Ello?”
She frowned. That wasn’t Dante. In the background, loud, big band music played. Her stepfather used to listen to the stuff. Glenn Miller, if she guessed correctly.
“’Ello? Anyone there?”
“Umm... This is Wendy. Is Dante there?”
“Ah, yer the woman he’s been cookin’ for all day.” The man’s thick Irish brogue would have made her smile if his words didn’t make her feel like crap. He must be the roommate.
“May I speak with him, please?”
“Just a minute, lass.”
The music grew softer in the background, though she could still hear it plainly, and then a shiver ran down her spine as Dante’s rich voice came on the line. “Wendy?”
She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath to calm her nerves. “Hi, Dante.”
“Hello, my sweet.”
Ugh. Could he make this any more difficult?
“Something’s come up—”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
She almost dropped the phone at Dante’s bark, but when she heard the change in the music in the background, she realized he wasn’t talking to her but the roommate. Loud, thumping, grunge metal had replaced the upbeat rhythm of “In the Mood”.
“Hold on a minute, sweets,” he said, his voice lower. Then she heard, “Turn that shit off.”
“She’s a modern woman, mate. She ain’t gonna wanna hear no orchestra.”
Wendy grinned. She much preferred Glenn Miller over grunge. Then her smile slipped, and her shoulders slumped. It wouldn’t matter.
“Find something soft, then,” Dante said. “Do you like Sting?”
It took a moment for her to realize he was speaking to her again. “Yeah. But, Dante. Something’s come up, and I’m not going to be able to make it tonight.”
He was silent, and in the background Sting’s soft voice crooned.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know this is last minute, but my sister needed a babysitter, and I couldn’t say no.” She’d never been able to say no to Barbara. She would have tonight, though, if it had been for anything other than taking care of Frannie.
“I see.” He sounded...hurt.
So was she. It had been a very long time since she looked forward to anything as much as she had this date. “My sister has a business meeting and didn’t have anyone else to watch her daughter.”
“How old is the child?”
“Ten.”
“Please hold a moment,” he said, then the sound of music muffled.
Wendy rubbed her forehead and tried not to let the disappointment overwhelm her. She had to think of Frannie. She’d order a pizza and dig out the few Disney movies she owned. Maybe they could walk down to the—no, the ice cream shop closed at six on weekdays. She had some microwave popcorn.
“You’re welcome to bring your niece,” Dante said, his voice low. “I have been anticipating your arrival all day. The chicken is already in the oven, and there is enough for another person.”
Oh, how she wanted to! “I don’t know... She’s very shy.”
She could hear the smile in his voice when he said, “Not unlike her aunt, then?”
Wendy chuckled. “Worse.”
“You wanted a chaperone. Now we will have two.”
She didn’t want a chaperone. He was the one who’d suggested it. She wanted to be alone with him. But perhaps a date that didn’t lead to sex wouldn’t be horrible. Part of her had no idea why they would do it, because it wasn’t as if Dante wanted... What did he want?
Shaking her head, she sighed. There was no explanation as to why he’d asked her over in the first place. If all he wanted was sex—and from the way he touched her and tried to seduce her she assumed he did want sex—he could have it with any woman in all of Seattle. She’d bet even a lot of happily married ones could be swayed into cheating by him.
“Say yes,” he whispered, and her body shuddered with suppressed need.
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
She shook her head. How could he sound so genuinely happy? If it wasn’t sex—since he supplied the chaperone...
“We will see you in approximately twenty minutes, then?”
She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. Twenty minutes would be exactly six thirty, when she was supposed to be there. She grinned. “I’ll call the cab now. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“I await your arrival with anticipation, my sweet.”
She heard the click of him disconnecting the call. Good Lord, the man had a vocabulary that would make an English professor swoon. He was awaiting their arrival with anticipation.
Blowing out a deep breath, she dialed the cab company she always used. When she finished the call, she went back into the living room to find Frannie still seated on the couch, staring into space.
“Change of plans, honey. We’re going to my friends’ place for dinner. Sound good? Taxi’s on the way.”
Frannie gave a one-shoulder shrug but didn’t speak.
Talk about a strange turn of events. From expecting hot, torrid sex to sharing dinner with a roommate who liked grunge rock, and a little girl who couldn’t even look her aunt in the face.
Chapter Six
“Yer a fool, mate.”
Dante tried to ignore Digger as he lit the candles on the mantle.
“She was
backin’ out. Ya shoulda let ’er go. You know that would be best right now.”
He laid the lighter on the mantle and turned around to face his friend. “And if I let her go now, there might not be a second chance. She’s skittish enough as it is.”
Digger rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “Yer a good lookin’ guy. If she wants ya now, she’ll want ya when things have settled.”
Dante headed back to the kitchen and went to work quartering cherry tomatoes for the salad. Digger would never understand. Hell, he didn’t even know why his attraction to a woman he barely knew was so strong. What he did know, though, was that when she was near him he felt...alive. He wanted to live. Needed to find out if the attraction between them was as real and as pure as it seemed.
He could still feel the precious kiss she’d given him.
“Are ya in love with the woman?”
“Perhaps,” he muttered as he slid the sliced tomatoes off the cutting board into the glass salad bowl.
“But ya just met ’er.”
He set down the board and knife and propped his hands on the counter. “I cannot explain it. There is something about her that calls to me as no other woman ever has.” He raised his eyes and met Digger’s steely gaze. “More so than Mary. Maybe even more so than Kayla.”
Digger’s eyebrows rose.
Dante nodded slowly, his lips turned down in a frown. “Now do you see why I am doing this?”
“Yeah. I see. Do ya think she can handle what ya are?”
He shrugged. “I do not know. She’s so...” He sighed. “...innocent.”
The doorbell rang, and Digger followed him to the front entryway. He glanced up at the ceiling, pulling himself back together. It hurt to admit how much he craved Wendy. Not just her body, but her soul. He’d never loved another woman the way he had Kayla. Wendy had the ability to finally make him forget how sweet life had been when he was human, and Kayla had loved him with all her heart. Loved him enough to turn him into a vampire in order to save his life.
The bell rang again, and he plastered a smile on his lips before pulling open the door.
Dear God, she was gorgeous. The green dress set off the flecks of gold in her sparkling eyes. Her hair was softly curled and floating around her shoulders. She was free of makeup except for a soft pink on her lips that made them shine. His smile no longer needed to be forced.
“Good evening, Wendy.” He looked down to the petite blonde child at her side. “And who do we have here?”
The girl sidled into her aunt and ducked her head.
Wendy laid a hand on the girl’s shoulder and hugged her close. “This is my niece, Frannie. Can you say hello to Mr. Dante and...” Her gaze traveled to his side.
“This is my roommate, Digger O’Toole.”
Digger stepped forward and extended his hand. “Nice to meet ya properly, ma’am.” The humor in his voice was enough to make Dante want to slug him.
They shook hands. Dante stepped to the side and held the door. “Please, come in.”
“Mmm. Smells good,” Wendy said as she ushered Frannie into the foyer.
“Garlic chicken parmesan.” He closed the door then laid a gentle hand on Wendy’s back because he couldn’t go a moment longer without touching her. “Come into the kitchen while I finish the preparations?”
She nodded.
“I’ll set the...uh...coffee table,” Digger said with a snicker in his tone.
Dante narrowed his eyes at him.
“Coffee table?” Wendy asked as they walked into the kitchen.
As Digger pulled plates from the cupboard, he chuckled. “Dante had a little accident with the dining table and hasn’t bothered to fix it yet.”
“Ignore him. May I get you two something to drink?” He went to the fridge and drew out a bottle of wine.
“Beer for me, mate,” Digger said as he walked out of the room.
“Frannie?” he said softly. “Would you care for a Coke?” He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen anyone so shy. Her big blue eyes turned to Wendy, and Wendy nodded.
“Yes, thank you.”
He pulled out a can of Digger’s cola and put ice in a glass from the refrigerator dispenser. “Why don’t you have a seat here,” he said to Frannie as he set her drink on the breakfast bar in front of a high stool, “and I’m going to have Aunt Wendy help me get the dessert started.”
The tiniest of smiles curled Frannie’s lips as she climbed up on the stool.
Wendy sent him a brilliant smile, which made him feel warm. Too warm. “Come here, sweetheart,” he said softly as he took a bowl of strawberries from the other counter and set them in front of her. “As soon as the chicken comes out, I will drop the cake in the oven...” He motioned to a bunt pan sitting on top of the stove. “...and we will have fresh strawberry shortcake.”
She licked her lips as she set her purse on another of the stools. “How did you know that was my favorite?”
He wanted to kiss her, but when he glanced at Frannie, the girl was watching them. “I am lucky, I suppose.” He winked and handed Wendy a paring knife. “If you can take off the tops and slice them? I will finish with the salad.”
Wendy smiled, but her gaze remained locked on his mouth. He grinned, took her by the shoulders, and gently nudged her around to face the counter. “Behave, sweets,” he whispered in her ear and breathed in her warm, lilac scent. “Your chaperone is too attentive.”
She giggled and set to work on the strawberries. He was loathe to let go of her. She was so soft, and her bare arms were warm and silky. He slid his hands down to her elbows. She shivered, and goose bumps popped out beneath his fingers. Damn chaperones.
He slowly pulled away and moved next to her, back to the cutting board, and sliced the red onions. He stood so close, he could still feel the heat from her body against his arm.
“So, Frannie,” he said as he glanced at the girl. “Where do you go to school?”
The child glanced at Wendy then down at her untouched glass of cola. “In Lynwood.”
“She goes to the Brighton School. She’s a very gifted little girl.”
There was no mistaking Wendy’s pride in her niece, and he smiled. “I’ve heard that is an exceptional school.” It was a very expensive private school. Children who went there in elementary more often than not went on to Ivy League universities.
Frannie shrugged.
Well, if he’d feared having a child in the house would be disruptive... “What do you enjoy doing when you are not studying?”
Again, the girl shrugged.
“Come on, Frannie. It’s okay to talk to Dante,” Wendy said softly. “Why don’t you tell him about the camp you went to last month?”
Her lips curved a little, and she finally looked up. “We studied marine life of the Pacific Rim.”
“My goodness, that sounds interesting.” He sent her a sincere smile and held a sliver of almond out to her on the palm of his hand.
Tentatively, she took it from him and ate it. He sprinkled the rest of them on the salad.
“What was your favorite part? I’ve always been fond of orca. I find them beautifully fascinating.”
“Jellyfish,” Frannie said, then giggled and ducked her head.
He chuckled. “How about starfish?”
“I got to hold a purple one with white spots. It was really pretty.”
Dante nodded. “I’m not so fond of jellyfish myself. I was once night diving off the coast of Hawaii and was stung by a man ‘o war.”
Frannie made a face. “Did you have vinegar to pour on it?”
He chuckled. It had been years ago, when the belief that urinating on the sting would help. Digger had enjoyed pissing on his leg.
“Naw,” Digger said as he came back into the kitchen and slid onto the stool next to Frannie. “He’s tough. Besides, I took care of it by—”
Dante cleared his throat, cutting him off.
Wendy laughed and bumped his arm with hers. Then she let out a
little gasp.
The tangy scent of blood caught his senses, and he turned to her. She lifted her thumb to her mouth. His gut tightened with need.
“Come here,” he said, taking her to the sink. When he pulled her hand from her mouth, a bright red drop oozed from a small cut on the tip of her thumb.
Without thinking, he raised her hand, slipped her thumb into his mouth, and lightly sucked the drop away. His fangs descended as heat blossomed through him. His cock throbbed to fullness. She was as sweet and pure as he knew she would be. He hadn’t tasted blood so uncontaminated in years—decades. Stifling a moan of pleasure, he slowly licked the pad of her thumb, careful not to catch it on the razor sharpness of his fangs. His saliva would close the wound. What he wanted was to suckle more from her.
“Dante?”
He glanced into her eyes but quickly looked away. It would be too easy to mesmerize her. He licked the last of the glorious blood from her finger then held up her hand to show her. “Just a tiny scratch.”
Her eyes widened as she examined her digit. She gave a nervous laugh, and he could smell her arousal. What he wouldn’t give to be alone with her right now. To whisk her away to his bedroom and make love to her. To sink his cock deep within her heated depths and his fangs into her neck where her pulse beat hard and fast.
“Is dinner done yet?” Digger asked, obviously trying to break the spell. “I’m starvin’. How ’bout it, Frannie? Hungry?”
Dante let go of Wendy and stepped back. He needed to get himself under control. Get his teeth back where they should be. “Would you pour some wine for Wendy, please?” he asked Digger. “I’ll be back in a moment or two.”
Leaving Wendy standing by the sink looking a little shell shocked, he made a beeline for the restroom.
Holy Mother of God. He leaned against the closed door and willed his body into submission. If he didn’t get her alone soon, he wasn’t sure he’d survive.
—
Wendy stared at the red mark on her thumb. She’d seen the blood. The cut had been deep. She’d jerked when she laughed, and the point of the little knife had sliced into her. All that remained was a tiny, red mark. Was she hallucinating? No, she knew she’d bled. So where had the cut gone?
Dante’s Salvation Page 7
