He picked up the goblet. “I’ll have a refill waiting. And it’ll be warm. I didn’t warm it up the first time because I didn’t want to wake you.”
She slid out of bed. She was in the same bra and underwear she’d had on last night, so apparently, they really hadn’t consummated the marriage. Yet. Because she could see herself doing that part. Just not with the marriage attached to it.
Rules were rules. Especially when they meant surviving.
She glanced at the ring again. It was a stunner, but then, Julian never did anything by half measures. It was his blessing and his curse. She smiled at him, a little sick at how much she enjoyed his company. “I like you, Jules.”
He smiled back. “Always nice to hear from one’s wife.”
She ignored that. “But I can’t be married.” She used her standard excuse, because the awful truth was no one’s business but hers. “I’m not ready for that. My whole focus is my show and my career.”
“I won’t interfere, I promise.”
She couldn’t imagine that would be true. “But what kind of relationship would that be?” She tried to look appropriately disappointed, which wasn’t that hard. “What happened between us last night was fueled by alcohol, not love.”
“Maybe not on your end, although you had no problem professing your feelings last night.”
Now that surprised her. “Well, okay, but it’s not really how I feel now.” She tugged the ring off and offered it to him. “Please, Jules. I can’t accept this. It’s too much, and keeping it would be unfair.”
He retreated a step. “I don’t want that back. You picked it out. It’s yours.”
“Julian, come on. This isn’t some cheap little bauble. It must have cost a fortune.” She held it up. “Unless it’s not real. Is this one of those fancy fakes they sell at the casinos?”
He jerked back. “I would never marry you with a fake. It’s completely genuine.”
Of course it was. Because he was the same way. Completely genuine. And utterly worthy of a woman who could give him everything he deserved. “Then, by all means, return it and get your money back.”
“I don’t want to. I love you, Desdemona. And you might not feel that way about me yet, but can you say that’s not the path we were already on?”
She hesitated. It wasn’t her path and never would be, but she didn’t want to hurt him any more than she already had. “I…I don’t really know.”
“Well, I do. I’ve never felt this way about anyone in my life. And it’s been a long life. I’m not giving up this easily.”
She groaned. “I’m not saying I don’t want to see you anymore. I just can’t be married. To you or anyone.”
His jaw tightened, and hurt shone in his eyes, making her feel awful. But leading him on would be worse. She liked him too much not to be honest with him.
“One year,” he said.
“For what?”
“Stay married to me for one year. Nothing will change between us. I’ll come visit you once or twice a month, like I’ve been doing, and we’ll let things continue to progress the way they have been. I’ll make no other demands on you. And at the end of that year, if you still don’t love me, we’ll get divorced. I won’t give you a second of grief about it. You’ll never have to think about me again.”
It made her sad to consider her life without Julian. He’d become a friend. One of the few she had, which was deliberate, but she also knew that love was a fleeting thing and how quickly it could become something else. Besides, her career was just taking off. Being someone’s wife didn’t fit into that picture at all. But what was a year? In a vampire’s life, not much at all. “Nothing would change?”
“Nothing.”
She doubted that, but Julian had never been anything but honest with her. “We live our lives exactly the way we have been.”
“Exactly.”
She thought about it, tried to play it out in her head. He’d probably get bored before that many months passed. Maybe decide the divorce was the right way to go on his own. “I guess I can do that.” She held up the ring. “But I can’t wear this. It’s the size of a headlight. It’ll never go unnoticed. Not to mention I’d have to get Sam one.”
Her double, a lovely young woman named Samantha Arnett, did all of Desi’s daytime appearances. Sam could easily pass for Desi, because she was also a skinwalker, meaning she could mimic almost anyone. That made her the perfect double, and thanks to her, Desi’s vampire side remained a secret. And Sam was paid handsomely for her work. But not so handsomely that Desi wanted to shell out whatever this ring had cost. Even a fake would be pricey in order to get the quality necessary to make it seem real.
Julian sighed. “Fine, no ring. Just keep it somewhere safe until you’re ready to wear it.”
She held it out to him. “You keep it. Then, if the day comes that I do want to wear it, you can put it on my finger.” That day would never come, but that truth would only cause Julian to hurt more than he already did.
He frowned, but took the ring. “All right.” He studied the diamond, mouth still bent in frustration. “You’d better get in the shower. The show must go on.”
May
Julian stared out the windows of his penthouse in the Excelsior. He’d just gotten back from Vegas on the red-eye a few hours ago and had yet to sleep. The sun was up, and it promised the sort of day in Nocturne Falls that made you want to be outside, soaking it up. A gorgeous day, bright and sunny with a cloudless blue sky you could get lost in.
But all he could think about was how eight months had come and gone, and Desi’s mind hadn’t changed a bit. This last trip had been more of the same. No progress toward anything beyond a casual relationship. They were slowly learning more about each other, and becoming better friends, but that seemed to be where things stalled out.
Divorce loomed, and he was already heartbroken about it.
To make matters worse, not a soul knew he was married. No one in the town, none of his friends, and none of his family. It was better that way, but it meant he was going to suffer this misery alone while being forced to keep a happy face on in public.
Maybe that’s what he deserved. This mess was rather of his own doing. But Desi had been as giddy about the idea of marriage as he had been that fateful night in Vegas.
That was truly the problem. It had been one night, fueled by champagne. He should have known it was the alcohol distorting her feelings. He was a fool for thinking otherwise.
And for being madly in love with a woman who didn’t share his plans for the future.
Yes, this was all on his shoulders. He’d man up and deal with it, but he didn’t know how he could get through this without it changing him.
His family would notice. They were so used to him being Julian the playboy, how could they not? But there was only one woman he wanted. The rest paled in comparison, and although he’d flirted and pretended to keep up the appearance that nothing had changed these past eight months, his heart belonged entirely to his wife.
He laughed bitterly. Did she ever think of him as her husband? He doubted it. Frankly, he wasn’t sure she thought of him at all. Perhaps that was unkind. She probably did think of him now and then, but certainly not with the frequency with which she invaded his thoughts.
And apparently, he was a masochist, because he sincerely hoped they could remain friends. Not having her in his life at all might be a fate worse than divorce.
He rested his forehead against the glass.
Being in love was rather awful. At least when it was unrequited. His brothers seemed to be managing their love lives very successfully. But then, they had devoted partners who loved them back.
That was the key. And the one thing he didn’t have.
He sighed and walked toward the bedroom. He needed a shower and then sleep. He was scheduled to be the VOD this evening. And being Vampire On Duty meant flirting and carousing with the female tourists. To be that “on,” he had to sleep this sullenness away, or he migh
t singlehandedly ruin the town’s economy.
He laughed at that thought, instantly feeling a little better. But the fact that he was known as a playboy was rather ironic. Women loved him. They always had.
Just not the right one.
Months ago, Willa Iscove, the fae jeweler in town, had helped him keep up his Casanova charade by making him a bespelled charm that allowed him to flirt and carouse with the women in town without them becoming suspicious when all he did at the end of the evening was wish them good night and send them on their way.
Thanks to her magic, the women left smiling and satisfied and under the impression that they’d had a much better time than they actually had.
Her charm had saved his reputation and helped him keep his marriage hidden. Could she also make him something that would mend his broken heart?
That was probably asking too much.
He tossed his travel-worn clothes into the hamper and walked into the bathroom. Just as he was about to crank on the shower, his phone rang. He’d never heard this particular ringtone actually come out of his phone before, but he knew instantly who the caller was because of the song.
As the opening lines of Whitney Houston’s Queen of the Night echoed through the room, he snatched the phone off the dresser and hit answer. “Desi?”
“Jules?”
“Yes, darling, it’s me. Shouldn’t you be asleep right now? It’s daylight there.”
“Yes, but something’s happened.” She let out a ragged sigh. “I feel awful for calling you about this. It’s not fair of me at all, especially with everything that’s going on between us, but I didn’t know what else to do. And…I don’t trust anyone else.”
“What happened?”
“It’s been, well, there was…” She swallowed.
She wasn’t the kind of woman who was ever at a loss for words. Plus, she sounded panicky and off-kilter, something else he wasn’t used to from her. It made the hair lift on the back of his neck, but for her sake, he kept his own voice light and jovial. “Hey, you can tell me anything, you know that. That’s one of the privileges of being married, so you might as well use it while you can. What can I do for you?”
An odd little noise came out of her. “I know I don’t have a lot of right to ask you for anything, but I don’t know where else to turn. And I really don’t want to disrupt your day, but I need your help.”
“You’re not interrupting anything.” He was as stunned as if she’d said she loved him. For her to come to him like this was progress. At least, that’s what it felt to him. Hope sprang to life. But then he focused on how miserable she sounded. “What do you need, Desi? What’s going on?”
Silence answered him for a moment. “I think…I think someone might be trying to kill me.”
“What the bloody hell?” Rage overtook him, and for a moment, the only word he could get out was, “Explain.”
“Sam—Samantha. My double. You know who I mean.”
He shoved a hand through his hair as he paced the bedroom. “Yes.”
“She was in a car accident today. A hit and run. The driver rammed into her, then took off. She’s got two fractured ribs and a broken leg.”
He stopped pacing. “That’s awful, but I don’t think that’s evidence someone’s trying to kill you.”
“There’s more, but…I don’t want to talk about it over the phone. Like I said, I trust you, but that’s about it right now.”
Her voice cracked on the last word, sending a shock wave through him. Desi was scared. That alone spurred him to action. The fact that she trusted him? Icing on the cake. “I’ll be there as quickly as I can. Stay in your apartment. The Skye Towers is safe. You should be fine there.”
“You’re coming today?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Oh, that’s great, thank you. And I can’t go anywhere anyway. At least until Sam’s leg is healed, because everyone thinks she’s me, and they’ll expect me to be recovering. The show will be dark until Sam’s better too. That’s just how it has to work, because the press has reported I was the one in the accident. It’ll be six weeks until I can work again, minimum, even though Sam will recover faster than that. Can’t let anyone know the truth about either of us.”
“I understand.” Being constrained by human limitations for the sake of secrecy was the price of being a supernatural sometimes.
“I knew you would.”
“Six weeks, six months, whatever, it’ll be fine. It’s not a good idea for you to return to work until this problem is solved anyway. If someone means you harm, I’m going to deal with it. Now stay put. I will be there as quickly as I can. I love you.”
“Okay.” Her voice was soft and full of relief. “Thank you, Jules.”
“You’re very welcome. See you soon. Try to get some sleep.”
“I will.” She hung up.
He did the same, then immediately called his brother Hugh.
“Hello, Julian.”
“I need the jet.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
Julian rolled his eyes. “Yes, hello, I hope you’re all well, but this is an emergency. I need the jet.”
“An emergency? What kind?”
He ground his back teeth together. His two older brothers never took him seriously. Granted, he’d sort of allowed that over the years, as it played into his persona and made his life pretty carefree, but now was not the time for a thousand questions. “A friend is in trouble. Is anyone using it or not?”
“No, you can take it.”
“Great, I’ll explain more when I can. Have to run. Love to Delaney and George.” He hung up and dialed the airfield where they kept the family plane, then the pilot they had on retainer, making all the necessary arrangements for his trip to Vegas.
With that handled, he dressed quickly, then packed an overnight bag just in case. He locked up and headed downstairs.
The doorman’s brows shot up as Julian walked through the lobby. “Leaving us again so soon, Mr. Ellingham?”
Julian nodded. “Can’t be helped, Freddy. Keep an eye on things. I won’t be long.”
“You got it, sir.” The man tipped his head as Julian left.
He slid into his GranTurismo, thankful that the Maserati was capable of high speeds without effort, and took off, his only concern for the beautiful vampire awaiting him in Vegas.
Desi knew she should be dreaming by now. The sun was high in the sky, prickling her skin, and daysleep tugged hard, but she was too keyed up to let it take over. Normally, when she couldn’t sleep during daytime hours, she’d stand in front of her UV-proof windows and pretend she was outside, but right now she didn’t even want to go near them. Not even the ones that overlooked the enormous private balcony that was part of her Skye Towers condo. Being seen, however remote the possibility, just wasn’t a good idea.
Instead, she was holed up in her room, sprawled on the bed watching movies, blinds closed. Except she wasn’t really watching the movies so much as they were providing a background for her speeding thoughts. It was hard to concentrate on frivolous entertainment when someone was out to get you.
She tipped her head against the headboard and stared at the ceiling. She’d had stalkers before. A few overzealous fans, really. But nothing like this. Never anything where whoever was after her had repeatedly attempted to physically harm her. And as far as the person out to get her now knew, they had harmed her. They just didn’t realize it was actually Sam who’d been the victim of the hit and run.
The fact that there had been actual violence freaked Desi out. The random crazed fan rarely did more than write a threatening note and, even then, those were isolated cases.
Until this one. And this one was hard to pin down. Whoever it was seemed to think she was a vampire but had also attacked her (Sam) in daylight. She wasn’t sure what they thought about what she really was. Did they think she was a vampire who could daywalk? Was that what had gotten this person so upset? If only she could make sense of everything t
hat had happened so far. Someone was definitely targeting her. But why? To what end?
But thinking about it over and over only stressed her out more. She could feel the tension knotting up her muscles and tightening around her head like a clamp.
She tried to focus on the movie, but still ended up checking her phone every couple of minutes. The text she was looking for, the one telling her Julian had arrived, had yet to come. Where was he?
On his way, she knew that. But the waiting, combined with her out-of-control thoughts, was getting the best of her. Maybe she should go work out. A good run on the treadmill might do her some good and, since the Towers were home to all kinds of supernaturals, no one would blink when her speeds far exceeded the standard human’s.
Except what if the person who was after her had a spy in the building? Or what if they lived here? She bit her lip. They seemed to think she was a vampire after all. They might be a supernatural too.
She put her hands on her head and groaned. “C’mon, Julian, I need you.” But even as she said the words, she knew she didn’t have a right to them. If she wasn’t going to give him what he wanted, it was unfair of her to ask him for anything.
And yet, she was asking. She had no choice if she wanted to live. At least, that’s how she felt.
But his impending arrival came with a brand-new set of thoughts. Like how he was in love with her and she couldn’t reciprocate those feelings. She liked him very much. Trusted him implicitly, which was a true accomplishment for her and the reason she’d called him. But love…that was not in the cards for her. Not ever again. And especially not with another vampire. Plus, Julian deserved someone without all of her baggage.
Which meant she was knowingly using him. Because there’d been no question about whether he would help her. Julian would do anything for her. He’d told her that time and again.
Fortunately, today was the first day she’d ever needed anything from anyone in a very long time. She hated the feeling, because it came with memories best forgotten. Not that there had been anyone around to ask for help then.
The Vampire's Accidental Wife (Nocturne Falls Book 8) Page 2
