Savage Bayou (Things that go Bump in the Bayou Book 2)

by Alizabeth Lynn

  “Fuck this,” he muttered. He carted Ophelia to her bedroom and sat down on the bed with her in his lap. With a gentle finger, he turned her face to his and laid a simple kiss upon her lips. He pulled back and locked eyes with her.

  “You’re going to sit here, in my arms, and you’re going to cry. You are going to cry until you’re empty. Until you’ve got this out of you. You are not going to let this fester.”

  Ophelia’s lips trembled. Her body shook. “I’m not—I don’t want—why?”

  The last word came out on a sob, and Ophelia broke down. Her body turned. She wrapped her arms around Daniel’s neck and all-but melted against his chest. He stroked her back and held her in his arms until an hour before sun up, when she finally fell, exhausted, into sleep.

  Daniel placed Ophelia on the bed and removed her shoes. He positioned her head on her pillow and covered her with her comforter. She whimpered in her sleep, so he leaned down and kissed her forehead, feeling powerless against the waves of grief still emanating from her body.

  His footsteps silent on the carpeted floor, Daniel left the room. His best course of action would be to go home, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave her alone. Not when she was so vulnerable.

  He placed a quick call to Liam, and five minutes later went to meet his brother on the porch. Liam stepped up and into the light with a smile on his face, and a change of clothes in bundle in his arms.

  “Just like old times, huh, brother?” He handed the bundle over.

  Daniel forced himself to smile back as he reached for his clothes. He tucked them under his right arm. “Well, you know your blood sustains a lot longer than a human’s.” With a sigh, he jerked one shoulder toward the house. “I can’t stay this close to her without feeding before I sleep, and I refuse to take from her when she’s not coherent enough to tell me yes or no.”

  Liam pulled a knife from his pocket and positioned the blade over his left wrist. “Yeah, we wouldn’t want you treating her like a midnight snack, now would we?”

  “No, we wouldn’t.” Daniel watched with hungry eyes as his brother slit a thin line across one of his veins. Liam’s purple-tinted blood beaded and slowly dripped toward the porch. Lightning fast, Daniel shot out a hand and caught the drops in his palm. He closed his fist.

  “I don’t want Phia finding blood on her front porch,” Daniel responded to Liam’s curious look, “especially blood as unique as yours.”

  His brother smiled and held out his wrist. “Understandable. Now, let’s get this show on the road. The sun rises in half an hour, and this cut stings like a son of a bitch.”

  Twenty minutes later, Daniel stepped out of Ophelia’s shower and dressed in his clean clothes. He neatly balled up his dirty ones and tossed them into her laundry hamper. He didn’t think she’d mind.

  He left the bathroom and walked to Ophelia’s spare bedroom. He grabbed a couple of pillows from the bed. After pulling the dark blue curtains closed, just in case, he made himself a pallet on the floor of the spacious closet.

  His last thought before succumbing to sleep was that he really should have left Ophelia a note.

  Ophelia woke at half-past noon with a raging headache and no immediate clue as to how she ended up in her bed. Sitting up, she scrubbed her hands over her cheeks. Her eyes were gritty, and she felt as if she traded her tongue for a swatch of carpet.

  Gingerly, she gained her feet and padded barefoot to her kitchen. She grabbed a cup from the cabinet, and a spare bottle of ibuprofen from the nearest drawer. She filled the cup with tap water and downed a couple of the pills.

  The first sip washed the fuzzy feeling from her mouth, so she drank the whole cup, feeling more centered with every swallow. Ophelia sat the empty cup down, and walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Afterward, she went to her bedroom, and stripped off the clothes from the day before.

  She was on her way out of the room, intending to go back to the bathroom and shower, when she realized her house didn’t feel empty. Ophelia threw on a pale blue sundress and walked into her hallway, senses tingling. She looked around. Everything looked normal, but she still felt like something was off.

  She walked to stand before her front door, gazing down the hall, her brow furrowed. Ophelia remembered coming home the night before, and she also remembered Daniel taking her into her bedroom, but her memory was garbled after that.

  Scrunching up her eyes against the pounding in her temples, Ophelia forced her thoughts to align. She remembered locking up. She peered at the door. She remembered locking up, and the door was still locked. She didn’t have any clue how Daniel managed to lock it when he left. Her eyes widened.

  Unless he didn’t leave…

  Ophelia walked back down the hallway, where she noticed the hamper sitting inside of her bathroom door was full. She eyed Daniel’s clothes suspiciously, and spotted water droplets still clinging to her shower curtain. She couldn’t blame him for wanting a shower, but that didn’t explain her locked door.

  Ophelia turned and placed her hands on her hips, looking down at his clothes again. He might have gone home for clothes, but that would mean he came back. She turned toward the front of the house, past the closed door to her spare bedroom. She took two steps and stopped, looking back at the door. Neither she nor her aunt ever closed it.

  Her dwindling headache forgotten in her curiosity, Ophelia pushed the door open. She didn’t know what to expect, but the room was empty. She stepped inside as her confusion grew. Nothing seemed amiss.

  Shrugging, Ophelia prepared to turn and leave, but it dawned on her that the thin curtains were closed, when she knew she’d left them open after she washed them the week before. She looked around the room and noticed a couple of pillows missing from the bed.

  Stifling a baffled laugh, she bent down to look under the bed, but he wasn’t there. What the hell? She turned her gaze on the closet. No way. She walked over, cracked open the door, and there he was, stretched out across the carpet.

  Ophelia pulled the door open the rest of the way, flipped the light switch on, and leaned against the doorjamb. Her brain went into overdrive as she studied him, and she remembered everything from the night before. She sank to the floor with tears in her eyes, but they weren’t sad.

  She looked at Daniel with fresh eyes, unencumbered by her previous distrust. They buried her best friend’s brother in law, but rather than take advantage of Ophelia’s vulnerability, a vampire held her and comforted her when she fell apart. He’d kissed her before, with all the passion of a wanton man, but never pushed. And when she let him bite her, he still didn’t take more than she was willing. He’d saved her life once, and had her back since the night they met.

  There was nothing not to trust.

  Ophelia wiped the tears from her eyes and scooted closer to Daniel’s sleeping form. Her breath caught as her eyes roamed over his body.

  He had one muscular arm flung above his head, and the other crossed over his bare stomach. Ophelia watched the inhumanly slow, but steady, rise and fall of his chest. It dawned on her that he wasn’t completely at rest. In all her research since agreeing to work for Jeremiah, she’d found out a vampire could only recharge if their heart stopped beating. She didn’t know how it worked, but she suspected Daniel wouldn’t be at full strength when he woke that night.

  Ophelia’s gaze drifted to Daniel’s face, and thoughts of his sleeping habits disappeared from her mind. His angular cheekbones complimented his chiseled jaw. The days’ worth of stubble made him look peaceful, slightly mischievous, and very sexy.

  She stared at his lips, remembering how they’d felt against hers the few times they’d kissed: strong and gentle in the midst of her turmoil. But his kiss the night before spoke volumes more, reminding her yet again that although Daniel was a vampire, he held her, comforted her, and never once tried to force himself upon her in any way.

  Everything was falling apart, but during it all, a vampire was her rock. The absurdity of the situation was astounding. She al
so no longer thought he saw his wife inside of her. She might be sharing a dead woman’s soul, but in her weakest moment, Daniel looked into her eyes, not his wife’s.

  With that realization, Ophelia’s heart opened to him completely, no more uncertainty to shadow the love she felt. She reached out, and with a trembling hand, brushed a lock of soft blond hair from his forehead. Her thoughts skittered as his muscles bunched, and before she could blink, she found herself with her back pressed into the carpeted floor with Daniel looming over her. His blue eyes widened in shock, glowing faintly with desire when he realized he was pinning her down.

  He cursed, and Ophelia smiled. He started to move, but she raised her arm and placed a hand against his cheek. When tears threatened again, she held them back, though she couldn’t quite suppress the tremble in her voice when she spoke.

  “You stayed with me,” she whispered.

  Daniel looked abashed at the gratitude in her eyes, the glow fading from his own. “I—”

  Ophelia interrupted him by placing a gentle finger against his lips. “You stayed with me even though it meant you couldn’t rest like you needed to.” She moved her hand and pulled his head down to gently press her lips to his. “Thank you.”

  Daniel lowered his forehead to hers. “If this is my payment, I should do this more often.”

  Ophelia laughed, which caused her body to wiggle a bit beneath his. Daniel groaned and closed his eyes. “Phia, you might want to remember something.” He lifted his head and looked down at her, the blue glow blazing, illuminating the closet in a blue-tinted light. “I may be a vampire, but I am also a man, and you just woke me up.”

  It took Ophelia a moment to grasp his meaning, but when she did, she had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from giggling. He watched her with amusement in his eyes until she got herself under control. She lowered her hand and smiled at him. She gave his body as much of a once-over as she could from her position.

  “Yeah, as sexy as you are, I don’t think this is the right time. You know, since we’re on the floor in my closet…”

  His eyes mischievous, Daniel grinned. “So, you’d consider it if we were in a bed?”

  Ophelia’s jaw dropped. Daniel laughed, and before she could close her mouth, he took advantage of the opening. He fused his lips to hers in a kiss that sent her senses reeling, muddling any thought she had to get out of there before they went any farther.

  He deepened the kiss, sending her nerves skittering as their tongues tangled and danced together. The sensation left Ophelia weak in the knee, and she had no doubt she would have fallen had she been standing. Daniel could kiss like no one’s business!

  He nipped her bottom lip lightly, and moved back a fraction. Ophelia’s eyes were unfocused, but she could tell he was pleased. Daniel smiled down at her. She blinked her eyes clear and smiled back.

  Ophelia laughed and wedged a hand between them to press against his chest. His solid, muscular, sexy chest. She shook her head. “I really need to get out of here.”

  Daniel waggled his eyebrows at her, and leaned in for another kiss. While he toyed with her mouth, he trailed a hand down her side, caressing the side of her breast on his way to resting it on her hip. Her breath panting as she succumbed to his charms, she almost whimpered when Daniel pulled back again to look into her eyes.

  His hand moved to the hem of her skirt and his fingers skinned the skin of her thigh, teasing her with how near they were to her center. Daniel smiled wickedly, fangs peeking. “Do you really want to leave?”

  Unable to look away from his gaze, Ophelia shook her head. No, with her body vibrating like a plucked string at his touch, leaving was the last thing she wanted to do. His hand lifted her skirt, gliding against her naked skin, causing goosebumps to pebble down her legs. She sucked in a breath when his eyes darkened as he reached her bare hip. She’d forgotten underwear in her haste to find out why the aura of her house felt off.

  Blushing, Ophelia reached up and grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. She wouldn’t think if she couldn’t think. Almost as if her body belonged to someone else, she let go of him and reached between their bodies to fumble with the button of his jeans. When the fastener gave, she purred low in her throat, and Daniel chuckled.

  He nipped her bottom lip again and removed her hands from his waistband. She frowned when he moved back yet again, but her eyes widened when, in the blink of an eye, Daniel kicked his jeans off, leaving him completely naked above her. Ophelia was suddenly and intensely aware that her skirt was above her hips, exposing everything to him.

  He settled back down, feathering kisses along her jaw and gently kneading her breast with one hand. Arching her hips, Ophelia grabbed his biceps, her fingers digging in as he tweaked her nipple, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her body. She did whimper, then, as she thrust one hand between them, taking his hard length in her hand.

  Daniel hissed out a breath, and pressed his forehead to hers. “Phia, if you keep that up, this will be over a lot sooner than we both would like.”

  Ophelia laughed lightly and scraped her teeth over his jaw. Her hand tightened as she stroked the velvety softness at the core of him, and he moaned, moving his head so he could capture her lips with his. He thrust his tongue past the barrier, as eager to taste her as she was to taste him. Purring deep in her throat, Ophelia released her grip and raised her hips until they touched, center to center. Their lips fought an intimate battle, eyes open and locked on each other, each a sensual casualty of love’s war.

  Daniel pressed the tip of his manhood against her entrance, and rubbed. The friction stole Ophelia’s breath, and she locked her legs around his back, pulling him closer. With a guttural moan, he finally entered her warmth, and the feel of him moving inside her, faster and faster, had her blindly shouting his name. Fire consumed her body with every thrust. Her nails scored his back, but he never slowed.

  His lips cruised over her jaw and down to her neck as his hips moved impossibly fast. His tongue swirled over the pulse beating madly beneath her skin. Moaning loudly, she lifted one hand, holding his head there. His fangs scraped, once, twice, stoking the fire ever higher. Ophelia tilted her head farther to the side, a blatant invitation, and he didn’t need any other signs. With a hiss of pleasure, Daniel’s fangs pierced her throbbing vein. He sucked in time with each thrust of his body, and Ophelia shattered, her body going up in pleasure’s flames.

  With a growl, Daniel left her neck, his mouth seeking hers. He sucked her bottom lip, his every thrust pulling her orgasm higher until she screamed out his name. Then, with his own moan of satisfaction, his body shuddered, and Daniel followed her over the edge of bliss.

  Long minutes passed before they both stopped shaking. He rolled off of her, scooted against the wall, and pulled her into his lap. Her breathing ragged, Ophelia leaned her head against his shoulder, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips. She tasted the coppery flavor of her own blood, but instead of embarrassment, she savored it. Her vampire had marked her for the second time. She was his. She peeked up at him through her lashes. His smile held all the enjoyment of the cat that ate the cream. She laughed low. She had woken him up, after all.

  Daniel kissed the top of her head. “Care to tell me what’s so funny? Laughter doesn’t exactly boost a man’s ego.”

  Ophelia cleared her throat, but it took a few tries before she could speak. She looked up at him, humor in her gaze. “Oh, I’m not laughing about that, Daniel. Your performance was more than satisfactory.” Ophelia blushed, and his mouth twitched.

  “Well, as long as I put on a good show.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she slapped his shoulder.

  “You know what I meant!” She grinned at him. “I was only thinking about waking you up at such an inopportune time.” Her lips quirked. “I obviously got what I deserved.”

  Daniel laughed and kissed her. “That you did, but why is it such a bad time?”

  Ophelia leaned back and looked up at him. “It’s
bad because I know I shouldn’t have bothered you before dark.” She said. “I was just—”

  Daniel sat her on the floor and stood up so fast, pulling on his jeans so quickly, Ophelia stopped talking and nearly cricked her neck in her haste to look up at him. The expression on his face was a mixture of fear, shock, and curiosity. He stared through the door.

  “I thought you had the light on in the bedroom. Even in a half-sleep, I’ve never fully woken up during the day.” Daniel’s voice was hushed, almost reverent, as he watched the sunlight spill across the room. He stepped toward the door.

  “I have to know,” he whispered, and before Ophelia could stop him, he moved into the path of the sunlight.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Daniel turned to Ophelia as she rose to her feet. His eyes were full of wonder, brighter and more powerful than her own could ever be, and she couldn’t think of anything to say. He was a vampire. His skin should have started to smoke the minute the sunlight touched his skin, yet there was no reaction at all. Just like when you flung your power at him.

  Saying nothing, Daniel walked from the room. Ophelia scrambled to her feet to follow him, righting her dress as she went. He paused for only a moment when he reached her front door before pulling it open. Ophelia reached him as he stepped out onto her porch. She stood beside him, amazed. His eyes were squinted against the brightness, but his skin remained unmarred.

  Daniel stretched out a hand, letting it rest directly in a beam of light. He turned his stunned gaze to hers. “I haven’t felt this kind of warmth in almost three-hundred years.” He tilted her chin up and kissed her lips in the bright afternoon light. “Thank you for waking me up.”

  Ophelia reached up and touched his cheek, her thumb caressing the stubble there. She smiled. “Any time.”

  Daniel reached up and grasped her hand in his, gently pressing a kiss into her palm. “Will you do me a favor?”