Sabrina snorted. “Um, yeah, which is why you jump on this bronco and not let go. Here’s the deal. You’re worried about the time it took from meeting to dating. You’ve always been cautious when it came to love and relationships. Now you find something, and it’s all comfy and happening like lightning, but you’re scared. Knock, knock, anyone home? He’s giving you space, backing off, giving you options to put distance between you two. That, in my book, says he cares a hell of a lot more than this being a fuck buddy kind of thing.”
Rose allowed the words to sink in.
“Look, take a day or two apart from him. If you can. If it were me, I’d handcuff him to myself and not let him out of sight. But I’m kinky like that. Separate yourself fully and see how you feel, okay? Crap, they found me. I gotta go. I think they want me to do this thing called work. Lubs you, Rosie Posie.” Sabrina hung up leaving Rose feeling as if she’d found her center again.
“I think I’ll do that.” Ignoring the lurch in her heart, she took a shower and got ready to meet him. I’ll stay with him tonight, and then see what happens. I have the Ball to concentrate on anyway.
She grabbed her overnight bag, purse, and headed out the door to the parking lot. An Aston Martin DBS UB-2010 sat idling at the curb. She gave a low whistle, admiring the sleek black car. A small part of her giggled at the thought of riding around in James Bond’s car. Draven got out and made his way around the front. “Bag?”
She gave him her overnight bag and waited while he opened the passenger side. Before she slid into the car, Rose got up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. He groaned and wrapped his free arm around her waist. Sighing against his mouth, she melted against him, savoring the hard wall of muscle and heat of his body. Heat? She stepped back and eyed him more closely. He had the flush of life in him. Placing a hand over his heart, she felt the steady thud. With a frown, she looked up at him again, feeling a bit hurt that he’d fed, but not on her.
“Blood bag, honey. When I got home, I realized that my energy was lagging.” He bent down and kissed her lips before moving away to place her bag in the trunk. Once she was inside and buckled up, he joined her and they were off. “I’ve got everything ready. Do you want do the picnic now or drop everything off at the house?”
“Picnic now. I have to talk to you.” She didn’t miss the way he stiffened. Rose didn’t have to be a vampire or shifter to know he was scared.
Chapter Nine
Draven’s heart tattooed an S.O.S in his chest. His grip on the wheel tightened as his body heat spiked. Licking his lips, he tried to go for nonchalant. “About what?”
He sucked in a breath when she placed a hand on his thigh and gave it a squeeze. “We’ll do this now, if it will help. I’ll be honest; the speed with which this relationship is going scares me. We’ve known each other two days, and half of the first day you irritated me. I’ve decided to spend the night with you tonight. But until the end of the week, I want to keep things at dates, slow down. You’ve tried giving me space, and I didn’t take it. Looking back now, I suppose part of that was fear. I’ve been burned in the past, and you’re too good to be true.”
Her hand stroked up and down his thigh, setting off another wave of heat that flowed straight to his groin. His balls drew closer to his body, while his cock thickened, filling with blood. He loathed the decision to have a blood bag before meeting her. His brain was already floating away, allowing his libido to do the thinking. Gripping the wheel tighter, he tried to ignore the tightening of his body and the way the interior of the car became smaller and hotter. Her hand moved closer to his groin, and for the first time in his life, he found himself praying to a higher being that she wouldn’t touch his cock. If she did, he knew he’d pull over the car and fuck her. Getting arrested for public indecency was not on his itinerary; what was, was getting to the picnic in one piece without crashing.
The air around him thinned as the scent of her need increased.
“I just want to take things slow, but not break it off with you. Do you understand?”
Her nails dug into his thigh, and he whimpered in response as his cock jumped. He wanted to feel those nails biting into his skin, raking his back, chest, anywhere she could reach. Blowing out a breath, he nodded.
“Draven, tell me you understand.”
He couldn’t. He didn’t even know what the hell they were talking about. Her hand moved closer, her fingers mere inches away from his aching shaft. Biting his bottom lip, he jerked the wheel, turning into the parking lot of the park. Her little scream heightened his desire. Once the car was in a spot, his hand scrambled to unbuckle his belt. Fumbling, he managed to push the button when he felt a slap on back of his head.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Rose demanded.
Looking up, the fog of arousal had cleared enough to see fear dance in her eyes. Her chest rose and fell as she panted. “You almost got us killed!”
Hanging his head, he groaned. “I’m sorry, baby. I lost my head. Your hand was on my thigh and it hasn’t been even an hour since I’ve fed. I lost my head and let my cock do the thinking. Do you want to go home?”
Sending up a silent prayer that she still wanted to do the picnic, he waited. A small tap on the window caused her to scream again.
“Drav, you in there?” Torger called out.
Hesitation stayed his hand, fearing the worst, before he hit the button to let the window down. His voice was shaky, and he felt a bit jittery. “Yes?”
“You okay? I was just asking if you could point me in the direction of the trails. You know me and directions.” Torger rubbed his neck. A bright pink stain appeared on his cheeks, neck, and across his bare chest. A glance down had Drav closing his eyes and praying for mind bleach. Torger had an erection.
“Fine, um, can you point that thing in another direction. And, um, straight until you hit the pine trees; the trail is there.” Draven prayed his friend would leave quickly and that Rose hadn’t seen any of Torger’s package.
“Ooops, sorry man, full moon. Okay, thanks. Take care and be careful, okay? Saw the way you came into the parking lot; scared the shit out of me; thought there was trouble.”
Still not looking at the other man, Draven squeezed his eyes shut. “You’re telling me. I’m fine, a bit blood drunk. Fed about thirty minutes ago. It’s still infusing into me. Went a bit uh, nuts due to outside stimuli.”
“Yeah, well be careful. Gotta go. The wolf wants to run.” The sound of Torger’s retreating footsteps was a relief. Draven didn’t open his eyes until he was sure that Torger was far away from the car.
“Um, he’s naked,” Rose pointed out.
“Yes.” For a moment, jealousy flared inside so hot it scared him. A glance at Rose showed her wide eyed, yet the air in the car remained the same. Relief stole through him at the realization that she wasn’t attracted to his friend. “It’s the full moon.”
“I know, but he’s naked. Like isn’t that illegal or something?” Rose rubbed her eyes.
Her question drew out a chuckle. “Honey, they need to be naked to shift. So everything is okay.”
“Yeah, but he’s like, really naked, no shoes,” she said.
Draven reached out and caressed her cheek with his fingertips. “Do you want to be naked, too?”
“No, I want to smack you again. Next time, don’t drink and drive.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. He in turn started laughing, long and loud.
After he out of the car, he popped the trunk, hit the toggle button and locked the car. No one would steal it, but he didn’t put it past someone to plant something in his car. It was close to an election season. He grabbed the picnic basket and blankets out of the trunk. After taking her hand, Draven guided her into the woods. A cool breeze blew around him, bringing with it the scent of wolves, evergreens, and earth. He began to calm down and breathe it all in. That small contact from holding Rose’s hand set him at ease. The world and his job didn’t exist outside of these woods. In the
here and now, he could find out more about this special woman following him into the woods, despite his actions.
“I’m sorry. When a vampire feeds there’s a time period for them to adjust, even the older ones need to acclimate to the new blood in their system. So everything is intensified: touch, arousal, scent. When you had your hand on my thigh, I lost it. It felt so damn good. I got too eager to touch you, taste you, fuck you again. I’m sorry I scared you. I don’t ever want to do that again.” A glance back showed Rose’s gaze squared lower than his back. He smiled. “Are you watching my ass?”
“What?” She looked up and gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry.”
“I’m pleased you find it attractive. Did you hear anything I said?” He hoped he wouldn’t have to repeat himself.
“Yes I did, and I understand, but next time, warn me, or better yet, wait another half an hour until you’re fully adjusted and call me if you’re going to be late. I don’t mind. Where are we going anyway?” Her gaze lifted, her eyes dark, inquisitive.
“To watch the wolves run. It’s a wondrous sight, and I think you’ll love it.” He prayed she would.
“I’m sure it is. I’ve heard of it, but was always told no human should be out in the woods during a full moon. It’s not safe.” A tremor laced its way through her voice.
“You have me. I won’t let you come to harm, on my life and blood, I swear it.” That last part was an oath vampires swore by, it was unbreakable, and to go back on his word after such a promise would make him inferior and no better than those who used vampirism as a way to get laid.
“Wow, pretty heavy promise there. You could have just told me you’d let me run while you fended them off, but I’ll take it.”
He burst out laughing. Her levity had lightened the mood. “Thank you. I needed that.” Silence fell between them as he lead her deeper into the woods. The scent of earth increased, joined by the light perfume of night flowers. The crunch of their shoes on grass sounded. Not even the animals or insects stirred. It felt as if the Earth held its breath for what was to come. A howl came from the distance. The mournful sound slithered down his back and raised goose bumps. Somewhere out there, Torger was running free in his wolf form.
They arrived at a small meadow. High grasses and wild flowers swayed in the gentle breeze.
“We’re downwind of the usual trails that the wolves use during the run.” He released her hand, took out the blanket from the picnic basket, shook it out and placed it on the ground. After smoothing out the material, he started to set up the food. Rose moved around him.
“This is beautiful. I never knew I could come here.” She sank down on the blanket, her gaze wandering around their surroundings.
“Yeah, most of the places like this are sectioned off as shifter only spaces. These trails are for the wolves. To the north are for the feline shifters, and to the west are for the reptiles. The south is for the lesser groups of shifters, like bears or ferrets, raccoons, rabbits, deer, those kinds of things.” His mouth twitched as he held back a smile. “The birds are free to roam wherever they want, if they can fly.”
“Wow. Will we see all of them out and about tonight? Or will we only see the wolves?” She settled down on the blanket, stretching out her legs in front of her and leaning back on her hands. The mood around them settled into a relaxed vibe.
“Maybe the bats or birds, but only the wolves. If we see another species out and about they probably got lost.” He poured the wine, handed her a glass and settled down across from her.
“Thank you for sharing this with me.” She gave him a smile that warmed his heart. “How are you feeling? Better?”
Taking a mental inventory of his emotional and physical state, he felt centered. “I’m good, much calmer now. Thank you for asking.”
She shrugged a shoulder and took a sip a wine. “Can I ask you a question?”
“You can ask me anything you want. I’m an open book to you.” Draven watched her face for any signs of hesitation.
Rose rocked a bit before opening her mouth. “Why don’t you like your connection to Dracula mentioned?”
He licked his lips and drew in a deep breath. “To the outside world, Dracula is a rock star, the first vampire. To us in the community, he was a glory whore who allowed himself to be exposed. The details were exaggerated, but it put us all in danger. If someone had thought it was real… It didn’t help that he wasn’t the least apologetic about it.”
“So, it’s not just a sore subject for you, but everyone. It’s understandable.” She nodded. “I guess if everyone asked questions about your connection to Dracula then you wouldn’t get anything done, huh?”
“Yeah. I try to keep my distance from him. He’s tried to email me a few times, but I don’t respond. Mother and father don’t even mention him.” A sense of loss and confusion rose up.
“Do you want to know him? Get to know him?” she asked in a soft, soothing tone, as if trying not to set off a powder keg. He wasn’t sure why she was acting like this.
“Yes and no. The stories may be exaggerations, but he’s done some terrible things. Awful things. I don’t know. What’s wrong?” Studying her face, he watched her chew on her bottom lip.
Without looking at him, she answered. “Before I came here, I had a client. He was a nice person, always sending me gifts and stuff. Anyway, after the whole fallout with my mentor, he stopped by the office and saw me packing, asked what happened. I told the whole, sordid tale. I don’t know why I did that. I mean he was a stranger and all. He may have been nice, but it was weird how I found myself telling him the intimate details of my humiliation. After I was done, he handed me a brochure for Draven’s Crossing, and after that, I got an offer from the agency, all expenses paid, including the move and my rent paid for the first six months. I was floored. I almost didn’t take the offer; it seemed so out of place. I think maybe…his name was Vlad, the client.”
She twisted the hem of her sweater, still not looking at him. “Today, I got an email from him saying he’d be in town to see his great-grandson, and he wanted to catch up with me. I just, something about how you described him. Whenever he walked into a room, all eyes would go to him. He seemed to revel in the attention. Always made a show of his appreciation with lavish gifts, although you couldn’t get him off his Blackberry to save his life.”
Draven felt as if he sat on pins and needles. “What makes you think that it’s him and not someone else? Vlad was a popular name among the vampire community for a bit, well, for the newbies. They didn’t understand why we came to hate that name.”
“I don’t know, I…at the end of the email he told me to tell you hi.” She moved away.
Anger welled inside of him. He growled. “This is bullshit. He used you to get to me, the asshole.”
He rolled onto his hands and knees and crawled over to her. Trying to calm the maelstrom at the outrageous behavior of his ancestor, he reached out and caressed Rose’s check. “It’s okay, honey. You’re not in trouble. I just don’t like him using you. It’s okay. I don’t care how you got here. What matters is you’re here now.” He settled down next to her, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him.
“I didn’t really think about it until I asked about him, and then it clicked. I thought maybe he was a campaign donor or something. Your description of him struck a chord in me and made me remember.” Rose buried her head into the crook of his neck. Her hot, humid breath pressed against his skin, pushing away his anger and reminding him that there was much she didn’t know about the paranormal world.
“You couldn’t have known.” He ran his hands through her hair and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “He’s a master politician, which is why he wasn’t exiled. It’s also been said he has the gift of foresight, short visions into the future. So he was probably positioning you where he wanted you. This, here and now is us, our decision. I would understand if you wanted to take time to figure things out, though.” As much as he didn’t want to utter those words
, he could feel her tension. “This is as new for me, but I can see that we’re moving too fast for you.”
The sounds of the nights and distant howling cut through the silence that had fallen between them. Her body stiffened against his. He waited for her to say something, confirm what he’d thought.
“I am scared about the way things have progressed,” she started off.
“We have gone from zero to three hundred in under thirty seconds,” he admitted. “What do you want to do?” Draven buried his head in her hair and inhaled the soft, sweet scent.
“I want to see how I feel if you give me two days or more. Let me work on this campaign and see what happens. No dating. Just work.”
He wished he could see her face. The tone of her voice was gave him nothing.
Draven's Crossing: Tempestuous Crossings Page 11
