Twice Bitten: An Argeneau Novel
Page 32
Nodding, Lissianna turned and slid from the room.
“Do you want me to stay or go?” Wyatt asked solemnly.
“Stay,” Elspeth said at once, alarmed at the mere thought of his leaving.
“Thank God,” he muttered, squeezing her hand gently. “I would have tried if you wanted me to, but don’t think I could have brought myself to leave you alone with him.”
“Afraid he’s here to drag me home?” she asked with a crooked smile.
“I won’t let him,” Wyatt said grimly.
“Neither will I,” she assured him solemnly.
“And I will not try.”
Elspeth glanced sharply to the door at that solemn comment, her eyes widening on her father. She’d thought he was downstairs and Lissianna had gone to get him, but he must have been in the hall to have arrived so quickly. And he’d obviously heard everything they’d said, Elspeth thought as she watched him approach the bed.
Aloysius Pimms had always seemed bigger than life to her. He was a beautiful man—dark hair, chiseled features, a generous mouth, and large silver-blue eyes with lashes so long and thick, any woman would have killed to have them. Aside from that, he’d always walked with an air of confidence that said there was nothing he feared. That confidence was lacking right now, however, she noted with surprise. Instead he appeared almost tentative.
Pausing at the side of the bed, he peered at her silently for a moment, several emotions crossing his face in succession and so swiftly she couldn’t really track them, and then he shifted his gaze to Wyatt. Giving a nod, he murmured, “You must be my daughter’s life mate, Wyatt. I didn’t see you come in when you all returned to the house, but Marguerite has spoken well of you.”
“You were busy calming Julianna and Victoria by the time G.G. carried me in,” Wyatt said quietly.
“Ah, yes,” her father said quietly. “Your grandmother doesn’t know about us, or that my daughter turned you.”
“No,” Wyatt murmured.
Elspeth’s father nodded, and then shifted his gaze almost reluctantly back to her. For a moment, he just stared at her, conflict on his face. Just when she thought he wasn’t going to saying anything at all, he blurted, “Ellie, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I knew your mother had some issues, but I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten.”
Elspeth opened her mouth when he paused, but then closed it again, not sure what to say. He should have known. There had been enough evidence of it, she was sure, but as Greg had suggested, she suspected he’d been blind to it to avoid having to do something about it.
“Yes, perhaps that’s true,” her father said on a weary sigh as if she’d spoken aloud. “Looking back I can see the clues and evidence of what she was doing, and I probably should have realized that she was more than just a little overprotective and a touch too controlling. But I promise you, I certainly had no idea you’d met your life mate on your birthday when you went missing four years ago, and that she’d taken the memory from you. I never would have stood by for that.”
Elspeth relaxed a little, and nodded solemnly before asking, “And now that you know?”
“I’ll ensure nothing of the sort ever happens again. To you or your sisters,” he vowed quietly.
Elspeth couldn’t help the doubt that slid across her face. It wasn’t that she doubted him so much as his ability to keep her mother from trying to control them again. It was so ingrained in Martine’s personality now that Elspeth found it hard to believe anyone could rein her in. So she was rather shocked when her father added, “Your mother has agreed to see someone about her . . . issues.”
“What?” she gasped with amazement.
Aloysius nodded solemnly. “It took some doing, but she’s agreed to speak to a professional.”
Elspeth figured the part about it taking some doing was the understatement of the century. By her guess it had probably taken a battle royal to get her mother to agree to such a concession. Possibly even the threat of his leaving her.
“Yes. That’s what it took,” he agreed solemnly, obviously reading her thoughts again. “But she agreed, so I don’t have to give her up, and all is well.”
“Thank you, Daddy,” Elspeth whispered, knowing how hard making that ultimatum must have been for him. Her father didn’t make idle threats. Had Martine not agreed to counseling, he would have left. Which was probably the only reason her mother had agreed to seek counseling. Elspeth didn’t know what that meant. Whether the counseling would do her mother any good or not when she was only going to appease her husband, but it was better than nothing, she supposed.
“I think it might be best if you sought counseling too,” he added now, and when she stiffened, he added quickly, “To deal with any damage your mother’s behavior and my lack of action may have caused. I don’t want the rest of your life affected by it. I’ll pay, of course. There’s no need for you to cash in one of your bonds or—” He paused abruptly, his gaze narrowing on her forehead as confusion covered her face. “You didn’t know about the bonds that were signed over to you at twenty-five,” he said slowly with a frown and then sagged slightly and shook his head, muttering almost to himself, “Your mother said she’d told you, but of course she didn’t. You might have used them to gain your independence.”
He ran a weary hand around the back of his neck, and then let it drop and said, “We can talk about that later. In fact, we can talk about everything later. I don’t want to wear you out while you are still healing. If you are willing to speak again later?” he added quickly.
“Yes, of course,” Elspeth said at once, and then, because he looked so uncertain, she added, “I love you, Daddy.”
A smile lifted his lips and he bent to press a kiss to her forehead, murmuring, “I love you too, baby girl. Everything will work out,” he added as he straightened. “This is the best thing for your mother. For all of us.”
“Yes,” she agreed solemnly, because he seemed to need the reassurance. Besides, while she wasn’t sure it would help, it might, and certainly couldn’t hurt.
Nodding as if in agreement with her thoughts, Elspeth’s father squeezed her shoulder and then held his hand out to Wyatt. “Welcome to the family, son. I hope to speak to you later as well and get to know you better . . . if you are willing?”
“Of course . . . sir,” Wyatt added the title of respect in a slightly bemused voice. Elspeth smiled faintly, knowing how odd it was speaking to a man you knew was your partner’s father, but who looked younger than yourself. Or at least, younger than Wyatt had looked when she’d first met him. While she knew he was thirty-six, he’d come out of the turn looking younger, although Meredith didn’t appear to have noticed yet.
“Until later, then,” her father said quietly, and then kissed her forehead again before leaving the room.
“Well, that was encouraging,” Wyatt breathed as her father pulled the bedroom door closed behind him.
“Yes,” Elspeth agreed. It was encouraging. Her father had convinced her mother to go for counseling. That meant they at least had a chance at a future relationship.
“A little bizarre, but encouraging,” Wyatt added.
Elspeth turned on him with surprise. “Bizarre?”
“The guy looks younger than you do,” he pointed out with a shake of the head. “Or at least the same age.”
“Ah,” she murmured, relaxing.
“And he looks like a male model, or an actor, or something. I mean, he could play Bond. He has the accent and everything,” Wyatt added.
“Yeah, he does,” she said with a grin.
“Between him and your mother, it’s no wonder you’re so gorgeous.”
“Sweet talker,” Elspeth said on a chuckle that turned into a husky cough.
“You need more water,” Wyatt said with concern and turned to grab the glass from the bedside table, only to frown when he saw it was empty. “Hang on.”
He was up at once and hurrying to the table to refill the glass from the pitcher that rested there.
“Thank you,” Elspeth murmured, accepting the water and gulping half of it down as he slid into bed next to her again.
“Do you want more?” Wyatt asked, taking the empty glass from her when she finished downing the second half.
Elspeth shook her head at once. “No, thank you. I’m good. Besides, you shouldn’t be running around. What if Meredith came back in while you—?”
“Yeah, I know,” he interrupted on a sigh and set the glass back on the bedside table. “I have to stay in bed for the next two weeks.”
“Three,” she corrected him apologetically.
Groaning, Wyatt flopped onto his back next to her. “Three weeks stuck in bed.”
“It won’t be so bad,” she said reassuringly. “I’ll keep you company.”
“Yeah?” he asked, turning on his side and propping his head on one hand to peer at her.
“Yeah,” she assured him. “And the good news is, Paul has been caught and is no longer a threat.”
“That is good news,” he agreed.
“Which means no more bodyguards,” Elspeth pointed out.
Wyatt stilled at the words.
“We can spend three weeks in bed. Alone,” she added.
“Alone in bed for three weeks,” he said with a slow smile, and reached out to run his fingers lightly over her cheek. His smile then faded and his expression became serious and he said solemnly, “I love you, El. You may not be ready to hear that, or—”
Elspeth pressed her fingers to his lips to silence him, and when he raised his eyebrows, said, “I am ready. I love you too, Wyatt.”
He stayed completely still for a heartbeat, and then asked, “Are you sure?”
“Oh yes,” she assured him. “How could I not? You’re a good man, Wyatt. A strong man, a smart man, a considerate one, and you’re an amazing lover with loads of control and, as Lissianna put it, a monster between your legs. How could I not love you?”
Wyatt blinked. Then a laugh slipped from his lips and he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. “Damn, I’m the luckiest man,” he growled, and pulled back to assure her, “I’m still going to woo you. You deserve wooing, Elspeth. We’ll go to the movies, eat popcorn, go to The Night Club and dance. And you have to go on girls’ nights with Lissianna and the other gals too, ’cause I plan to hang out with G.G. once in a while,” he announced almost apologetically. “But we’ll visit museums and the science center, and—Oh! I’m going to take you camping.”
“Camping?” she said uncertainly.
“Yeah, you’ll love it,” he assured her. “A little tent, a hibachi, sleeping bags, making love in the woods and the lake. I’m going to show you such a good time, we’ll . . .”
Elspeth smiled at Wyatt’s enthusiasm as he painted a future for them that was miles away from the life she’d had under her mother’s control. Catching him by surprise, she rolled him onto his back and shifted to straddle him.
Wyatt fell silent at once, his eyes widening, and his hands reaching to clasp her hips as he began to harden under her.
“I think you need to start showing me a good time now, Wyatt,” she whispered.
“Oh El,” he breathed, running his hands up her back. “Didn’t I tell you we just seemed to jibe that first time we met? We did,” he assured her. “And we are now too, because there’s nothing I’d like more in the world than to show you a good time.”
Smiling, Elspeth bent to kiss him, already anticipating his showing her that control she loved so much. She was a lucky woman.
About the Author
LYNSAY SANDS is the nationally bestselling author of the Argeneau/Rogue Hunter vampire series, as well as numerous historicals and anthologies. She’s been writing since grade school and considers herself incredibly lucky to be able to make a career out of it. Her hope is that readers can get away from their everyday stress through her stories, and if there are occasional uncontrollable fits of laughter, that’s just a big bonus. Please visit her on the web at www.lynsaysands.net.
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By Lynsay Sands
Twice Bitten
Immortally Yours
Immortal Unchained
Immortal Nights
Runaway Vampire
About a Vampire
The Immortal Who Loved Me
Vampire Most Wanted
One Lucky Vampire
Immortal Ever After
The Lady Is a Vamp
Under a Vampire Moon
The Reluctant Vampire
Hungry For You
Born to Bite
The Renegade Hunter
The Immortal Hunter
The Rogue Hunter
Vampire, Interrupted
Vampires Are Forever
The Accidental Vampire
Bite Me if You Can
A Bite to Remember
A Quick Bite
Tall, Dark & Hungry
Single White Vampire
Love Bites
Surrender to the Highlander
Falling for the Highlander
The Highlander Takes a Bride
To Marry a Scottish Laird
An English Bride in Scotland
The Husband Hunt
The Heiress
The Countess
The Hellion and the Highlander
Taming the Highland Bride
Devil of the Highlands
The Loving Daylights
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
twice bitten. Copyright © 2018 by Lynsay Sands. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.
Digital Edition MARCH 2018 ISBN: 978-0-06-246887-1
Print Edition ISBN: 978-0-06-246897-0
Cover design by Nadine Badalaty
Cover illustration by Tony Mauro
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HarperCollins is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers in the United States of America and other countries.
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Lynsay Sands, Twice Bitten: An Argeneau Novel