by Jessica Lee
Elle nodded. “Okay. I have some stuff bookmarked for you to check out.” Kenric gave an affirmative lift of his chin, then returned his attention to Emily.
Emily gathered her work clothes, and Kenric escorted her to the garage.
He opened the door of a shiny black convertible sports car. It sat between a BMW and what looked like a Bentley.
“Is this a Lamborghini?” Emily swung a glance over her shoulder at Kenric before her rear came into contact with the most buttery-soft leather she’d ever sat on.
Kenric climbed into the driver’s seat and cranked the sleek speed machine. “Yes, it is.”
“What is it that you do, anyway, other than kill really bad vampires and drive very fast cars?”
“Let’s just say it doesn’t hurt to be in possession of a great deal of very old money. And a damn good stockbroker.”
“Ah, I see.” Emily stroked the rich feel of the leather bracing her thighs. Her butt was in cushioned heaven.
“Actually, this is a Murciélago LP 640 Roadster, to be exact.”
“Ooh la la. Sounds like it was built for speed,” she said.
He chuckled, and the black roadster rumbled forward like a predator on a leash, begging for release.
“Murciélago is Spanish for bat,” he said.
Emily glanced his way. A devilish grin sat on his lips.
“Oh, you would have a car named bat, vampire.” She laughed, and it felt good.
“Buckle up, Wildflower.” Kenric shifted and punched the accelerator, laying her back against the seat with the force of the acceleration.
Hot damn.
“You like that, don’t you?” Kenric’s azure eyes sparkled in the moonlight that beamed in through the open top.
She just smiled in answer to his question, allowing her head to plop against the headrest. Closing her eyes for a moment, she enjoyed the feel of the wind in her hair.
Relaxed, Emily lifted her lashes and rolled her head to the left. The breeze smoothed Kenric’s raven hair away from his face, accentuating the sharp and sophisticated lines.
He was beautiful, the scar on his right cheek the only imperfection she could find. Truly, it wasn’t a flaw at all. It reminded her of how much man lay beneath. Emily rubbed her palm over her breastbone as if she could calm the sudden jump in her pulse. Her hand dropped to her stomach, trying to calm the nervous flutters. She wished she could blame it on the intensity of the ride, but she knew they came from the man sitting next to her at the wheel.
As they neared Elizabeth Bay, she picked a star and made a silent wish toward the heavens for the drive to last a little longer. Because for right now, she liked how safe, happy, and free he made her feel.
But all too soon, it was over.
Kenric pulled into the hospital’s parking garage, and Emily directed him to the fourth level, where she’d parked her car the previous night. He pulled up into the vacant space beside her vehicle and cut the engine. She grabbed her things and made her exit.
Emily tossed her clothes into her car and performed a quick check that her wallet and cell phone were still in her glove box. She straightened and smoothed her shirt with sweaty palms. Could anything feel more awkward? This hadn’t been a date. It had been more like a kidnapping. But her captor hadn’t been human, and she’d somehow allowed herself to be pulled into his world and was about to help him commit a crime. She felt like she’d been strapped to a monster of a roller coaster, mad as hell for permitting herself to climb on board, but loving every minute of the ride.
“Do you want me to call you tomorrow evening so that we can coordinate when and where to meet? I’ll give you my number, and I would like yours as well…after I follow you home and make sure you’re safe,” he said.
“Oh, no. That’s not necessary.” Emily shook her head. She didn’t need this guy to know where she lived.
“I think it is. You’re under my protection now.” Kenric got out of his car, sauntered over, and, with a molten look, lifted a lock of her hair from her shoulder and gently pushed it back.
How could something as simple as a touch to her hair send electricity running through her insides? She opened her mouth again to say it wasn’t necessary, but ended up groaning in frustration instead. The firm set of his jaw declared he would see her home. What little she already knew of him told her he did what he wanted, permission or not.
“Fine. You win. This time.” Emily dropped into the seat of her very used Corolla, then glanced over her shoulder. “But don’t get used to it.”
One corner of his mouth lifted as if he found her humorous. “Warning noted,” he said.
“I live on Magnolia Island.” She closed her door, the action a little harder than necessary but still pretty darn satisfying. Rolling down her window, Emily looked up and met his gaze. “Try to keep up if you can.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Chapter Ten
Two hours later, and Arran had yet to find any sign of Markus. He rolled his Ducati to a stop, snatched his helmet off, and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.
“Damn, voice mail again.” He clenched and unclenched his fist, waiting for the beep. “Markus, where the hell are you, man?” he growled out, wishing he had an addict’s head to pound his fist into and exorcise some of his frustration. “Call me when you get this, you bastard, and let me know you’re alive. If you don’t, I’m going to kill your ass and feed you to those fucking bloodsuckers.” With that said, he punched End Call on a snarl.
Only a few more hours remained before he would have to go in. “Fuck!”
He punched speed dial for the compound. Maybe they’d heard from Markus. If not, Kenric and Guerin needed to know he’d gone missing.
“Arran?” Gabrielle answered on the second ring, her voice urgent but soft and warm. “Are you okay?”
His pulse surged. She probably thought he must be close to death. He never called in.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He tried to sound calm and indifferent. A difficult feat, considering what had gone down with his partner tonight and the beautiful woman on the other end of the line that kept him tied in knots. “Markus and I took on a few DEADs. We got separated. Has he checked in within the last few hours?”
“No, he hasn’t.” Her words were hesitant. Probably from shock. He’d probably spoken more to her in the last minute than in the previous five years she’d lived on the estate.
“Inform Guerin and Kenric that Markus has gone missing, and I’ll be out searching until sunrise. Notify me immediately if you hear anything from him.”
“Will do.”
“Good.”
“Arran?”
“Yeah.”
“Be safe,” she whispered.
Arran closed the phone and rolled his shoulders. He didn’t need attachments. She especially didn’t need to attach herself to him. One big mistake he wouldn’t allow her to make. After what Gabrielle had been through, he definitely was not what she needed.
He cranked his bike and yanked his helmet into place. Twisting the throttle, he burned out, leaving a boiling cloud of white smoke in his wake. He hoped like hell that if he didn’t locate Markus before dawn, his partner found cover from the rising sun—before it found him.
…
Emily shoved the key into the deadbolt for her unit. The heavy fall of boots on the wooden steps behind her told her that Kenric was right on her heels. She wondered what he thought of her meager accommodations. Her gaze wandered to the complex’s faded brown paneling. It had seen better days. The constant salty spray coming off the ocean played havoc on any dwelling. Everything in the area appeared much older than its actual years. Her mom’s thirty-year-old condominium complex looked closer to sixty. Mom had loved it here, and Emily loved the memories—the ones before her dad had lost his battle with the bottle.
“Come on in—if you must,” she said, flipping the light switch to the right of the door.
Emily strode through the living area toward her bedroom, talking as
she went. “Make yourself at home. I’m going to change my clothes. I won’t be long.” She glanced back and pointed in the direction of the small galley kitchen. “There should be something to drink in the fridge. Oh.” She halted and then turned. “That’s if you drink anything other than—well—you know.” She shrugged, knowing her smile had to look uncomfortable.
“I can drink other things on occasion. If I wish. But I don’t necessarily get thirsty.”
He’d parked himself inside the closed front door, leaning against it in that casual, I-have-no-idea-how-sexy-I-look kind of way. The leather jacket he’d slipped on before they’d left and all that midnight wavy hair added to his bad-boy aura.
“Okay. Well, if you would like something tonight, there should be sweet tea and soda in there.” She backpedaled a couple of steps, then spun and headed down the hall.
Entering her room, she noticed the red light from the answering machine was blinking. She strode over to the table and groaned, knowing the callers were probably the people she despised most in the world. Bill collectors, or Jeff, her ex-fiancé. The thought of either made her want to hurl. Both hounded her constantly for money. She braced herself and pressed Play.
Yup, collectors. Including one call from the bank holding the lien on the condo. If they didn’t have her payment soon, she risked foreclosure. Why she had allowed Jeff Monroe to convince her to borrow so much money, she’d never understand. She took a deep breath and released it, blowing the bangs out of her eyes.
The next three messages mimicked the first. Payment due immediately. Then she came to Jeff’s. Of course he’d called. Why the hell would he even think of giving her more than a seventy-two-hour break from his bullshit? His deep voice, scratchy from years of smoking, filled the bedroom. “You owe me. Pay up, bitch, or I’ll make sure you wish you did.” The call ended. It was always the same threat.
What had she ever seen in him? She’d been too young and too desperate for attention. So eager to jump into the arms of the first man who acted as if he wanted to take care of her. Never again. She slammed her finger down on the delete button.
Emily changed into a pair of her own cotton sweats and a matching T-shirt. She brushed her teeth and ran a brush through her hair. Kenric had already seen her without makeup, so no sense in going there. Turning off the bathroom light, she grabbed the door frame and took a deep, calming breath.
He wasn’t in the living room when she returned. Ice clinked against glass in the kitchen. Maybe tonight, he had a taste for something…cold.
“Thirsty tonight?” Emily nodded at the drink in his hand. He stood in the open door of her avocado green refrigerator, pouring a glass of sweet tea.
“No. Actually, I made it for you. You still need to drink a lot of fluids.”
“Thanks. By the way, here’s my cell number.” Emily held out a slip of paper. She’d jotted it down before leaving the bedroom. Kenric silently moved toward her over the black-and-white tiles.
“How do you do that?”
“Do what?” He stopped in his tracks.
“Move like that?” She pointed to his boots. “Without a sound. It’s spooky. It’s like you’re not really here. I’m looking at you walking toward me, but I can’t hear you.”
“Sorry, I didn’t realize I was doing it.” Suddenly, the sound of his boots returned. The hard soles thumped the floor as he took the final two steps to hand her the tea.
“Thanks for the tea. That was very thoughtful,” she said, reaching for the glass. Her fingers brushed his. He didn’t let go. She glanced up, and for a moment, she found herself captured by his gaze. Long dark eyelashes overshadowed striking blue eyes. A faint smile lifted his lips. She hoped her T-shirt and bra were thick enough to hide the effect he had on her nervous system.
“It was my pleasure,” he said and handed her the glass before he took the piece of paper and slipped it into his pocket.
“So, what didn’t you realize you were doing?” Emily crossed her arms over her chest and headed into the living room.
“I imagine I do it without thinking anymore.” Kenric’s deep voice followed her. “We’re able to silence our movements. It’s essential when we need to feed, and when we hunt the ones who enjoy killing. We have the ability to levitate and move without striking the surface. In effect, we glide.”
“Incredible,” Emily said as she took a seat on her overstuffed, brown-and-white-checkered couch. “I can see where that would come in handy.” The ice cubes twirled in her tea while she fidgeted with the glass. She glanced up and smiled. “I have to say, though, it’s still spooky.”
He laughed, then added a warm smile. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall beside the sofa.
“You are so refreshing.”
Man, he curled her toes with the sultry sound of his voice. “Gabrielle seemed nice,” she said, covering up her reaction. Real smooth transition there, girl. You’re not obvious at all.
“Yes, she is.”
She cleared her throat and stared at the ice in her drink. “I noticed she didn’t make the same pledge as Logan and Guerin. She is part of the Enclave, right?”
“Elle is human. She works with us, but she’s not an Enclave warrior. She’s been with us and under my protection for five years now and is an invaluable part of our team.”
“She’s human? I didn’t realize. She’s under your protection, too—like me.” Wonder how many beautiful women he thought needed his private security services?
“Are you two close?” She chanced a glance from under her lashes. He stared back at her, a slight grin lifting his lips.
“What? Why are you grinning at me like that?” She had to resist the urge to kick him in the shin and knock that smile right off his mug.
“Are you jealous, Wildflower?” He moved away from the wall and came closer. With the tips of his fingers, he lifted her chin. “She’s family. Like a sister whom I care a great deal for. But that’s all there is. And in case it’s the next question coming, you are the only woman whom I’ve placed under my protection outside of the Enclave.”
Emily pulled her chin free. “Well, it’s nice to hear that you care so much about each other. And just so that we’re clear here…,” She hesitated a second to make sure she had his complete attention, “…I’m not jealous, and like I’ve said before, I’m not yours or anyone else’s wildflower.”
She leaned forward to set her tea on the coffee table—and missed. The glass hit the floor and shattered. Tea and shards of glass flew in all directions across the pale hardwood floor.
“Oh, my God!” Emily jumped to her feet and bolted into the kitchen. After snatching a towel from the counter, she hurried back to the wet mess, forgetting she was barefoot.
“Ouch!” Damn.
“Be careful.” Kenric grabbed hold of her while she hobbled on one foot. “Here, let me help,” he said, tugging at the dish towel.
“I’ve got it.” She yanked the rag free and dropped to the floor, mopping at the sticky mess. “If I’m capable of creating this mess, I think I can clean it up.” God, she was so embarrassed.
“Damn.” Emily jerked her hand from the soaked towel. She peered at the center of her palm.
“Let me see.” Kenric knelt down beside her and wrapped his hand around her wrist.
“I’m the nurse here. I’m all right.” Emily tried to pull free from his grasp.
“Let me help you. You’re shaking—it’s okay.” He held her hand steady.
How did he do it? Make everything better with his gentle words and the touch of his hand? She quit her struggles and allowed him to help. She peered over his shoulder as he worked the glass free from her palm. He ran the pad of his finger across the surface. A small drop of blood formed in the center of her hand. Before she could react, he lowered his head.
His lips touched the sensitive center. She gasped. The warmth of his tongue brushed across the wound. She nearly came unglued. Christ, how could something so simple feel so erotic? From under his lashes
, his blue eyes met hers. Without words, his gaze alone told her he enjoyed her taste.
“Let me take care of you,” he said, lowering her hand. He reached for her foot.
She opened her mouth to protest, but no sound emerged.
He pulled the shard free, and then his warm lips met the sole of her foot. A whimper came out of nowhere. That had to be her. His tongue moved to her ankle, and a moan filled the room. Oh yeah, that was her.
No. no. no. Too much, too fast. What was she thinking? Emily jumped up. She grabbed the towel and limped toward the kitchen. “Uh…I’ll be right back.”
…
Kenric couldn’t fight back the growl that rolled from his own throat. She’d tasted like sin, and he’d lost his soul to her flavor. He’d healed her foot, and now he wanted more. Much more. The sound of her pleasure-filled moan, and her passionate gaze, had blasted the lock off his control. Thank God she’d jerked away when she had. He couldn’t have borne another minute without touching more of her.
Emily stepped back into the room, another glass of tea in her hand. Kenric moved to one end of the couch and took a seat. Without a word, she eased down onto the opposite side. He didn’t have to be a vampire with supernatural senses to detect the thick wall of tension growing between them.
“Listen…,” Emily cleared her throat. She glanced in his direction then stared off at some invisible spot on the far wall. “I think I should make it clear that I’m not ready or looking for a man, of any kind, in my life.” She traced the edge of her glass, then turned and this time met his gaze. “I agreed to help you get what you need from the hospital, and I’ll keep my word. But after that…”
“That’s all I ask…” Kenric inhaled deeply. “Nothing more.”
“Good.” She nodded, then took a sip of her beverage.
“Good.”
She leaned forward and placed her glass on the table. “I’m glad we agree.”
“We do.”
“You’re so not my type anyway.”
“I’m not your type…?” The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. “Because of what I am?”
“Could you blame me if it was? The first time we met, you bit me.” She shifted in her seat and met him head-on. “But that’s not the whole issue. You’re a bit of a control freak. Good Lord, you even have your own Enclave.” Emily shook her head. “Vampire or not, you would drive me crazy wanting to control my life. Been there, done that. Got the T-shirt, memories, and bruises from the trip. Not going back.”
