The First Vampire

by Alicia Ryan

  Ariana rose to follow Justin as he headed for the door, but Ash didn’t move. “Aren’t you coming?” she asked him.

  He didn’t even turn to look at her. “No, you two go ahead. You don’t need me, and if you do, just ring Nancy to send for me. I’ll be in my study.”

  The weight of her disappointment took Ariana by surprise. Why did he affect her so? She looked at him, still standing against the mantle like some ancient warrior who’d been dropped into the wrong century. Oh, brother, she thought, almost embarrassed at the direction of her thoughts. When she turned to the door, it was to find Justin again watching her a little too closely.

  “Shall we?” she said brightly, indicating the door. Justin turned and preceded her into the hallway.

  Thankfully, the awkwardness passed once they were elbow deep in documents. Justin was frightfully bright and organized, and his rakish but good-natured sense of humor made the time pass quickly.

  When Nancy rang for dinner, Ariana was caught off guard. She looked down at her jeans, then up at Justin, who had continued to work. “I need to run and change,” she said. “Can you finish up here without me?”

  “Of course. Run along,” he replied, gesturing toward the door with a mock stern look. “You don’t want to keep the fearsome Nancy waiting.”

  Ariana closed her laptop. “Thanks,” she said as she bolted out the door. She didn’t want to keep Nancy waiting, but she also didn’t want to show up at dinner in jeans when Justin was in a suit. And she wanted to look nice for Ash.

  But not too nice, she cautioned herself as she perused her closet. Deciding simple was best, she traded her jeans for a little black skirt and some black strappy sandals. Matched with her off-white sweater set, it was elegant, without being too dressy or too sexy. Perfect.

  Ash was standing in the main foyer talking to Ben when Ariana came down the stairs. He, too, had changed and was now wearing an impeccable dark suit with a soft blue shirt and tie. Silver cuff links adorned his sleeves. Master, indeed, Ariana thought. If she didn’t stop finding things to admire about this man, she was in danger of becoming as besotted as Nancy.

  Ash turned as she approached, rewarding her with a slight smile.

  “Good,” Ariana said lightly, trying not to notice how his eyes raked her from head to toe. “If you’re out here it means I’m not late for dinner.”

  Ash’s smile widened. “You look stunning,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

  Ben disappeared down the hallway in the other direction, and Ash steered Ariana toward the main dining room with her arm through his.

  Trying to ignore the feel of his body next to hers as they walked, Ariana searched for a neutral topic of conversation. “Justin says he’s worked for you for twelve years,” she said, rather proud of herself for sounding so casual. “You must have a lot of faith in him.”

  “I do.” Ash nodded.

  “So, I’m still curious as to why you’re throwing him over for me and Roger.”

  Ash turned to look at her. “You know, you won’t have many clients if you keep advising them all against using your services. What would Roger say if he could hear you?”

  He was right about that, but Ariana couldn’t shake the feeling that she didn’t have the whole truth. Did it matter? Roger would say definitely not.

  Ash escorted her into the dining room, and Ariana reluctantly slid her hand from his arm and took a seat opposite Justin. Ash sat at the head of the table, and an improbable feast flowed forth from the kitchen, served on the most beautiful, delicate china Ariana had ever seen.

  “I see Bill is back in residence,” Justin commented two dips into his soup.

  “Yes, I had him come up for the weekend to keep you two sustained while you sort out where all my money is.”

  Justin harrumphed. “I know quite well where it all is. I’ve just never been able to persuade you to do anything sensible with about half of it until now.”

  Ariana tucked that little tidbit away.

  “Who is Bill?” she asked. “Whoever he is, he’s amazing.”

  “Bill O’Neill is an up-and-coming London chef. I helped him start his first restaurant, and he occasionally does me the honor of a private showing.”

  Soup bowls were whisked away by two young maids and replaced by a succulent Cornish game hen with spring root vegetables.

  “Ariana, I have to admit I’m intrigued by how a farm girl gets to be a New York City power broker.” Justin looked at her with a warm gaze and one eyebrow slightly raised.

  “I don’t know if power broker is the right term,” Ariana demurred. She looked again at Justin and knew he wouldn’t be satisfied with a polite brush off. Ash was rather pointedly studying his plate, though he didn’t appear to be eating.

  Ariana took a deep breath and shook her head. “I don’t know the answer myself. I was just never satisfied. I always felt like there was more to learn, more to do. And somehow in the process of trying everything, I found something I excelled at.”

  Justin smiled and cut an odd glance at Ash, who was now scowling. Ariana began to wonder why, but his deep frown soon lifted and the rest of the meal passed in pleasant conversation, though Ariana felt like an outsider for much of it.

  Ash and Justin had worked together for a long time and were obviously good friends. She envied Justin that. Ash seemed at ease when they talked.

  With her, he wasn’t at ease.

  Because I want you. The Voice was suddenly back in her head, and Ariana felt a blush spread to her cheeks. She looked at Ash. He and Justin were discussing a particular biotech company that Justin thought Ash should sell his interest in. Shit. She’d rather it turn out that he was a telepathic pervert than that she was a crazy pervert.

  A slight smile crossed Ash’s face. Ariana looked down before he could catch her studying him.

  “Oh,” she exclaimed, looking at her watch. “It’s almost 11:00.”

  Ash looked at her, still wearing that mysterious little smile. “Past your bedtime?”

  “No. I wanted to go see the moon garden.”

  Ash’s gaze stayed locked with hers. “I’ll take you.” He slid his chair back.

  “I didn’t know you had a moon garden here,” Justin said. “In fact, I don’t even think I knew there was such a thing. I’ll come along if you don’t mind. I’d quite like to see it.”

  Ash gave Justin a pointed look, which Justin just as pointedly ignored.

  This wasn’t good at all, Ariana thought.

  “You know, on second thought,” Ariana said, “I’m suddenly feeling tired. I must still be a little jet lagged. If you two don’t mind, I’m going to turn in.” She rose to go.

  Ash and Justin both stood. “Not at all,” Ash said. “Pleasant dreams.”

  “Good night, Ariana. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Good night.” Ariana pushed her chair back under the table and for the second night in a row beat a hasty retreat to her room.

  ***

  “Exactly what are you up to?” Ash said to Justin when he was sure Ariana was out of earshot.

  “I’m just trying to get to know her,” Justin replied. “She’s going to be in charge of your money for some period of time, so I need to be sure she knows what she’s doing.”

  Ash shot him a skeptical glare.

  “Okay, fine,” Justin admitted. “If you are really plotting some terrible end to this little play you’ve set in motion, I want to find out if she’s as bad as you say. So far, I have to tell you, I don’t see it.”

  Ash frowned. “Maybe not, but it’s there. It’s her and it’s there. When she was Delilah, I didn’t see it until it was too late, and I won’t make that mistake again.” He pushed his chair farther back from the table and stared down at his friend. “It’s noble of you to try to protect her, but don’t get in my way on this, Justin.”

  Justin slid his own chair back and went over to the sideboard to pour himself a drink. “Fine,” he said when he turned back to Ash, “but
you should try to keep a little more of an open mind before you do something that may only add to your long list of regrets.”

  Ash gave a low growl and stalked from the room.

  CHAPTER 24

  Ariana smiled and rolled toward him, never opening her eyes, pressing her naked body against the length of his.

  “Ariana,” he whispered.

  Ash groaned and ran his hand along the smooth curve from her waist to her thigh. His thumb rubbed the hollow just inside her hip bone, finding it as soft as he remembered.

  Ariana opened her eyes. There was a moment of surprise and confusion until Ash looked deeply into them and whispered to her mind, It’s only a dream.

  “I know,” she replied, smiling sleepily at him before pulling his head toward hers.

  Their lips met, and Ash tightened his grip on her hip. He kissed her deeply. He wanted her to dream about this even after he was gone and to think about it all day tomorrow. Justin be damned.

  Her body cleaved to his like a magnet, seeming to remember its place nestled into the hollows of his larger frame. Her mouth welcomed the forceful invasion of his tongue.

  Ash wanted to punish her. He wanted to stay and lose himself in her.

  He didn’t know what he wanted.

  He dragged his mouth away from her full lips and moved it slowly down to her left breast where he took her nipple in his mouth and suckled hard. Ariana threw her head back and gave a breathless moan.

  It’s her, all right. His Delilah. He’d made love to her in his dreams a thousand times. He knew everything about her. He knew where she liked to be kissed, how soft or hard she liked everything he did to her. It gave him an advantage, but he told himself it was only fair. His 3,000 years of suffering should count for something.

  The hand on her hip slid inward, over her pubic bone to the warm, moist folds between her legs. She was so wet for him, the knowledge almost did him in. He had enough power to make her think this was a dream, but he couldn’t create desire from nothing. She wanted him, and it was heady knowledge.

  Ash hesitated, resting his head between her breasts. Ariana reached for him and pulled him back to her.

  “Don’t stop,” she whispered.

  Ash claimed her mouth once more, pillaging it with his tongue as his hand pillaged her warm center. Her hips writhed against him in a rhythm he still remembered. When she broke off their kiss and threw her head back, Ash wanted so badly to be inside her. He wanted to feel her body close around his in that one passionate embrace that was like no other. But this wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

  Not giving himself time to think, he slid farther down her naked form and turned his face first one way and then the other against the soft insides of both her thighs, feeling her flesh quiver against his cheek. When his tongue finally descended on her needy flesh, she gave a shuddering moan that reverberated through both their bodies.

  Joined to her once more, Ash forced himself to go slow, to let his tongue be warm and heavy. Then he pressed and sucked at her in ways her writhing hips told him her body remembered. When her breath started to come faster, Ash raised his head and looked at her.

  She was magnificent in desire, her body a curved temple where he had wanted to worship until his last breath left him. Little had he known that she had been conspiring to bring him to that very end, all those years ago!

  He looked down at his erection straining against the front of his jeans and refused to speculate on how long it had been since that had happened. Instead, he turned his attention to the silky feel of her skin as he slid his hand slowly along the outside of her thigh.

  He wanted nothing more than to feel that skin pressed against his own flesh, urging him on, but the sheer force of his desire gave him pause. No, he thought, that wasn’t quite right. It scared the hell out of him.

  He took a deep breath he didn’t really need and then soothed her back to sleep. Rolling to the edge of the bed, he watched as her breathing slowed.

  What was he doing? He had loved Delilah so much. When she betrayed him, he’d thought none of it was real, that she’d been out to get him all along.

  Now, here she was again, with no memory, hardly even knowing him, and she responded to his touch with the same fever as before. And he to her, even though it should be impossible. For heaven’s sake, she’d only been here two days, and already things weren’t going according to plan.

  Ash levered himself off her bed and forced his traitorous eyes to focus on the door. He got to the other sided of it without turning back and then made his way to his room at the other end of the house. Even at that distance, however, his mind refused to give him any peace. He grabbed two bags of blood from a small refrigerator he kept in the corner. He had a microwave, but skipped it, draining them both cold.

  He had to put Ariana out of his mind. He had a plan for her. He just needed to stick to it. He meant what he’d told Justin. He’d been fooled by her before, and she still threatened to get the better of him, but this time he was forewarned.

  CHAPTER 25

  James strained to hear Keller’s response, but missed it. He couldn’t believe he was actually listening at a keyhole. The door to his own room stood open, ready for him to make a quick escape. He’d been spending most of his free time this week at Luc’s, honoring his bargain, but his investigation had brought him back to Council House. He’d been about to knock on Keller’s door when he heard the two voices from within.

  “Is it ready?” Keller asked.

  “It is,” an unfamiliar voice answered. “All that remains is to deliver it.”

  “How soon?”

  There was a brief pause. “Soon. We cannot afford to delay. Already the half-human one pushes the bounds. The blood of Lilith is seeping into the blood of Adam, corrupting it from within. It’s not enough that she has created us. She seeks a portal back into our world.”

  “All strains of Lilith need to be wiped out, Keller. You know this. She is an abomination. We are only ever one human-vampire pairing away from creating a creature strong enough for Lilith to enter.”

  “I will be pardoned?” Keller asked.

  “You will be celebrated, Keller. Maybe not at first, but, with time, even they will see that you did what was best.”

  “The order will restore my name?”

  “They will,” Keller’s guest responded. “You will be restored and added to the annals at Clonfert. As if you never left.”

  The sudden shifting of furniture sent James scuttling back into his room. He closed the door gently, just as Keller’s door opened.

  One pair of footsteps faded down the hall toward the main staircase. James sagged onto his small bed in relief. He hadn’t been discovered, and now he really had something to tell Toria.

  A knock at his door startled him. Stay calm, he told himself as he pulled the door open. Keller can’t suspect.

  But it wasn’t Keller. “You’re right,” the other man said, baring his fangs and forcing his way into the room.

  Oh crap, James thought, immediately realizing he had no defenses. Power dripped off this one, whomever he was, much as it did Ash.

  Wait, James thought, grasping at straws. Maybe he couldn’t overpower him, but that didn’t mean he was defenseless. He opened his mouth and screamed.

  The intruder started, and it took him a second to recover; but when he did, he belted James a blow across the face that threw him across the room.

  ***

  “Memnon, what are you doing?” Keller demanded, coming out of the room next door.

  “Just taking care of a loose end,” Memnon replied. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

  “No,” Keller insisted. “Don’t hurt him.”

  Memnon hesitated. “We can’t let anything get in the way, Keller,” he explained. “Our plan—God’s plan—is almost ripe, but your nosy little friend here overheard everything. We can’t let him tip off the others.”

  Keller frowned. “He won’t say anything. Why don’t we just tell him th
e truth?”

  “We can’t take any chances,” Memnon argued.

  “Alright,” Keller acquiesced, “but we’re so close. Can’t you hold him wherever you’ve been keeping the others? Then, when everything is ready, he can be included.”

  Memnon frowned, but was forced to agree. He couldn’t risk alienating Keller. He needed his help.

  He swung the unconscious James over his shoulder and headed for the window at the end of the hall.

  CHAPTER 26

  Ariana groaned and turned away from a single beam of sunlight forcing its way between the heavy drapes. She blinked once, then twice, remembering the dreams in which she had succumbed to the skillful caresses of her newest client.

  Great, she thought. Just great. Today wouldn’t be at all strained.

  Then she smiled. She didn’t know what the real Ash would be like, but dream Ash was… dreamy.

  Deciding she couldn’t stay in bed all day fantasizing about Ash, or Samson, or anyone else her fevered brain might decide to cast him as, Ariana put two feet on the floor and told them to carry her to the shower.

  She wasted no time, but Justin was already hard at work when Ariana stepped into the war room less than an hour later. He greeted her with a warm smile. “You’re looking refreshed. I trust you had a good sleep?”

  Ariana smiled, remaining noncommittal as she walked around the table to peer over his shoulder. “What are you up to so early?”

  “I was feeling a wee bit guilty that I didn’t have everything netted out for you,” he answered. “I’m just putting the finishing touches on the overview. I’ll have a more detailed summary by this afternoon.”

  “Great. I could stand to devote some time to my other projects anyway,” Ariana said, crawling under the table once more to unplug her laptop. “My other files are in my room, so I’m going to work up there for a while. I’ll be back by tea time.”