She tipped her head to glance at him and her heart swelled at the look she saw on his face. So sweet, tender. His mouth curled into a warm smile, his eyes the shade of golden oak. “Yeah.”
“You know what this means?” He kissed her forehead, brushed away a strand of hair that had worked itself over her eyes.
“No.”
“It means we can take the second step if you want.”
Sophie’s heart leaped. What did this mean? She sat up and twisted, to face him. “But I thought we weren’t going to go any further. That the first step was as far as we needed to take it.”
Semireclined, his shoulders and head propped up on a pile of pillows, Ric ran his hands up and down her arms in a familiar comforting motion. “We don’t have to go any further if you don’t want to.”
“I’m not sure. I don’t know what it means. Will you tell me? Will it keep me from the Ancient One? Is that why you want to now? Or is there another reason?”
Did she dare hope? Could he need to feel close to her too? As much as she did him? Did he want to be fused to her like they were when they made love?
“No,” he said softly.
Her heart sank to her toes.
He cleared his throat. “I want to because my heart aches the moment our connection is broken.”
Her spirit took flight. He did crave that connection too! Just as much as she did! She briefly considered jumping up and doing a little naked happy dance but changed her mind when she took in his very grave expression. Wasn’t he happy?
“I’m weak. I’m selfish,” he said, yanking his hands from her. “I can’t be content with mere moments with you, with our souls joined. I thought I would be. I know it’s not what you want.” He sat up fully, mussed his hair by dragging his fingers through it, then turned his pleading eyes toward her. “You have no idea, do you?”
“No idea about what?” she asked, almost too thrilled to speak. He wanted her! She wanted him, like she’d never wanted a man before. Who cared if she’d known him only a couple of days? Some things a person just knew, right? And so what if he drank a little blood? As long as she didn’t have to watch, what did it matter?
“How beautiful you are. And how rare the kind of beauty you possess is.”
“It is?” Her cheeks flamed and she pressed her fingers to them in a feeble attempt to cool them. “I…wow. This can’t be happening. Pinch me. Pinch me now.” When he didn’t do as she asked, she pinched herself, half expecting to wake up alone in her bed. These days she could never be too sure. Dreams, reality, they’d sort of mushed together, the lines between them blurring. She pinched again, just to be sure.
But by golly, she didn’t wake up! She wasn’t dreaming. Ric was there, her adorable, sexy Ric. With her, looking flustered and confused. And she was happy. Oh, so happy.
“Does this mean you’re glad to take the next step then?” he asked.
“Tell me.” She traced the line between his pecs with her forefinger. “Will that wonderful connection last if I do? Will I hear your thoughts all the time? Feel your emotions? Share your joy, your pain? Will that empty spot in my heart be filled for always?”
He mashed her hand against his chest, sandwiched it between his palm and scrumptious golden skin with just a sprinkling of blond hair. “Not completely, not just after the second step. But we would become closer.”
“Closer?” she whispered.
“Yes.”
“I’d like that.”
His lips curled into a soft smile. “Me too.”
“Yeah?” Her face heated more. “Okay. I’m game. But please tell me step two doesn’t involve blood. Have I told you that blood absolutely grosses me out?” She felt her nose wrinkling.
“No, no blood. That’s later.”
“And I’ll still be able to eat food. Right? ’Cause I’m fond of my rotting animal flesh.”
“Yes.” He mirrored her disgusted look.
She clapped her hands. “Sounds like a piece of cake then.”
“I wouldn’t take it too lightly,” he warned. “The second step involves something that can be very difficult for some people, something foreign, frightening even.”
“Which is?” she prodded when he didn’t explain.
“I can’t tell you until the step has been completed.”
“Then how will I know what to do? How will I know when I’m taking the step even?”
“I hope you will know when the time comes. If not, then maybe it isn’t right for us to continue.”
“Oh, how I hate these blasted vampire mysteries. Why can’t you people make it simple? A couple of blood tests, a vow before a magistrate and be done with it?” Despite the fact that she knew he wouldn’t give with the information, she gave him an intimidating glare anyway.
Naturally, it didn’t work.
Ric knew Sophie was annoyed and frustrated but he was powerless to tell her more. It was the way it was, the way it had always been. And he knew that if he took shortcuts, there were too many consequences to pay.
Although he was overjoyed by the fact that she wanted to take the second step, which up until this very moment he hadn’t thought he wanted, he was worried about her, about the dangers she would face with each step, the risks she would be forced to take.
There were reasons for those risks but he still regretted having to put her through such grueling tests. Failure would cost her more than she could afford to lose, more than they both could afford to lose.
Still, he couldn’t ignore the calling any longer. Her spirit spoke to him, pulling him closer, snaring him in its grasp until he knew he was powerless to break free. He didn’t want to be free any longer.
They were bound even before they’d taken the first step. He knew that now. And he feared they were destined to complete all five steps, despite the risks.
He stood.
“Where are you going?”
“We’re going to get you something to eat before you collapse from starvation, and then I have some work to do if we’re going to find those relics and save your friend.”
“Excellent plan. But how about me? How can I help?” She scrambled to reclaim her clothes and put them on. “I can’t sit around and do nothing. I’ll go crazy.”
“We’ll…er, talk about it later.” He hated to see her cover her body. But they were close to finding the relics; he could feel it. His people’s suffering would end soon. He had to stay focused. Somehow. And keep Sophie out of his way.
He had the perfect solution.
Chapter 11
Like both times before, Sophie knew her Ancient One was in the room before she’d fully awakened. What she didn’t know was who else was in the room with them both.
She could swear it was the crisp sting of testosterone flooding the room that made her pull herself from the incredibly amusing dream she’d been enjoying. It couldn’t be anything else. The room was silent and dark. Noise hadn’t awakened her. Light hadn’t either. Nope. Had to be male hormones. She wondered what she’d done to deserve such a glorious awakening.
Her eyelids fluttered open at the sound of a low, threatening growl, like the warning rumble of a dog.
“Ric?” she said, spying him first. Speaking of dogs, his stiff stance reminded her of the posture her childhood dog took when she spied a cat on the loose. Her dog, Daisy, had been nothing like her name suggested. She was no pansy, either; never took mercy on a stray cat once she had hold of it.
Sophie’s gut instinct told her Ric would be no less vicious once he had his hands wrapped around his prey. In a way, that thought made her warm and tingly inside. The combination of sex appeal and danger was something she’d never tasted before in a man. It was a very spicy, intoxicating flavor.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
His answer was in the form of a continuing glare in the general direction of the bathroom. Naturally, Sophie let her gaze follow the line of his unwavering one.
“Oh,” was about all she could think to say for a secon
d or two. “Hello, there,” she said to the familiar Ancient One, his stiff pose mirroring Ric’s, as he stood frozen just inside the doorway. Her gaze ping-ponged between the two men a few times, then, slightly dizzy, she said, “I feel like I should make some introductions. Ric, this is the Ancient One. Ancient One—by the way, it’s getting real old calling you that so I think I’ll call you…Andy—this is Ric.”
Both men flinched. Muscles bunched, teeth gnashed, cockles raised. Oh boy. Seeing an old-fashioned vampire rumble coming on, she climbed from the bed, grabbed the two-ton book she’d picked up during her earlier trip to the library off the nightstand, and positioned herself between the two glaring men.
Whew baby, now that was a position to be in. The testosterone floating about the room was almost enough to knock a girl out. Sophie practically fell over—undoubtedly overdosed on the stuff—then recovered by musing on the wonder of having both men making love to her at once. Oh, wouldn’t that be heaven? One to pleasure her above the waist, one below? Or front and back? The options were endless.
When neither man spoke, she said, brandishing her book like a raised sword, “I don’t suppose there’s any hope we can settle our differences and all be friends?”
“She’s mine. I found her first,” Ric growled like a Neanderthal man…bedecked in Ralph Lauren.
“Uh, hello? Found her?” Sophie turned to give him a good dose of ugly eyes. “First, have we forgotten I’m still in the room? And second, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t treat me like someone’s misplaced…er, basketball. Last I read, that finders-keepers expression didn’t apply to people.”
“You do not deserve her,” Andy retorted, giving Ric his own dose of ugly eyes. “You’re not telling her everything. As I am sure you know, the law states your lies make her free to make her own choice.”
Sophie waved her book in front of Andy’s face in an effort to get him to look at her. If they were going to fight over her, they’d better at least look at her! “Excuse me, I appreciate your thought process here, but his lies have nothing to do with my choices. And I have no idea what law you’re referring to, but as an American citizen, I’ve always been free to make my own decisions—men, homes, cars, jobs, the whole nine yards.” She poked him in the chest. Her knuckle popped and she yelped, shaking it. “I never even let my sister have a say when it came to men. That was probably stupid. No, I admit that was absolutely stupid. My sister could spot a loser from five hundred feet, but still, you get the point. No one tells me who I sleep with and whom I don’t.”
It looked like neither man was about to listen to a word she said—typical. Like a couple of children, they continued glaring at each other and hurling insults. Ric stiffened at Andy’s questioning of his breeding and hurled back a stinger of his own, topping it off with, “Why don’t you go find a nice cool mausoleum to cozy up in? No one here has an interest in cozying up with the likes of you.”
“Hey, speak for yourself,” Sophie said, not so much because she was even considering making kissy faces with Andy—though the thought had crossed her mind once or twice—but more because if there was one thing a man could do to really piss her off, it was speak for her. She gave Ric a shove, which didn’t budge him even a fraction of an inch. That made her even madder. “I have my own mouth, tongue, and vocal cords, Ric!” she shouted, like that would do any good. “And I’m quite capable of using them, thank you. But I’ll keep you in mind as a standby if I ever get laryngitis. And you—” She whirled around to address Andy again.
“I’m giving you exactly ten seconds to leave,” Ric growled from behind her. She could imagine his dark-eyed stare still focused on Andy.
“—you behave yourself,” she scolded Andy, feeling like she was dealing with a couple of toddlers fighting over a favorite toy. “I appreciate the fact that you offered to help us, but please, this isn’t helping.”
“Ooh, ten whole seconds.” Andy, again ignoring what she said, despite the fact that she was standing in front of him waving her arm like a deranged chicken, chuckled at Ric’s bravado. He checked his fingernails, glanced at his wristwatch until the full ten seconds had passed, and a few extras—Sophie counted them in heartbeats—then grinned. “I appreciate the offer but I think I’ll stick around a while longer. Sophie and I have some things to discuss.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” Sophie nodded.
“Don’t believe a word this man tells you. He doesn’t care about you,” Ric said, finally addressing her but his gaze still firmly fixed on Andy.
That set off another round of insult volleys. The language flying between the two was enough to make a sailor blush. Sophie was tempted to take notes, just in case she needed some colorful insults later. Instead, she stood between them, watching the action and musing about the crazy twist her life had taken recently.
Well, this was interesting, if a little bit scary. Sophie had never been fought over by two men, let alone two amazingly gorgeous, incredibly powerful men. Except for the fact that she was slightly leery of the second one, didn’t know how much she could trust him, she might’ve been giggling like a schoolgirl. The fact that she had no clue how powerful either was, or how much damage they could do to each other, also dimmed the giggle factor a bit. Plus, the fact that both of them were essential to her search for a couple of moldy old artifacts that she needed to kill the stupid snakewoman married to her best friend brought the potential glee factor down even a few more notches.
Somehow, she had to diffuse this situation. Pronto! Before the bodies started flying. As it was, the two men were slowly inching their way closer to each other. Their puffed-up chests and thrust-up chins were no more than a couple of feet apart now. And she was still wedged in the middle, but losing breathing space fast.
She dropped the book on the floor and put both arms out, to keep the men apart, at least enough to allow her an occasional deep breath, and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Enough!”
For the first time in close to a half hour, the room was swallowed up in complete silence. She could actually hear herself breathing.
“Ric, Andy, you both say you want to help me but all you’re doing is making things worse! Stop acting like a couple of children, shut up, and let’s figure out what we need to do to find the stupid spear and shield. I have a lamia to kill! And I intend to do it with you or without you. Both of you!” She turned to Ric first and was pleased to see he seemed to have simmered down a bit. It wasn’t more than a degree or two, but it was something. “Please, Ric. You don’t know what this means to me. My best friend is dying, being sucked dry by his wife, a woman I introduced him to! Darn it, it’s my fault. I’m going to cause the death of yet another person—”
Ric began, “You’re not responsible—”
“Just like my poor little sister. I caused her death too. It was all my fault. I knew she was in danger but she was doing it for me…and…” Sophie swallowed several times as rage, regret, guilt burned a hole in her belly. “I couldn’t tell…. She died because of me, because of a lie.”
Both men stood silent, looking at her with wide, unblinking eyes.
Finally, an eon or so later, “How does he think he’s going to help us?” Ric grumbled, pointing at Andy.
She began, “He says—”
Andy interrupted, “I know where to find the items you need. The harp and the sword.”
“Harp?” Sophie repeated. “We aren’t looking for a harp. We’re looking for the shield. The Magen.”
“See?” Andy gave her a doleful shake of his head. “That Wissenschaft has led you astray already.”
“I have not!” Ric said. His chest muscles flexed under Sophie’s fingertips as she pressed her hand against his shirt, with the misguided but hopeful intention of holding him back. “I have brought her this far.”
“Into the hands of the one who would see her fail,” Andy challenged.
“I know Margaret Mandel is a lamia,” Ric said.
“Not only a lamia but also Lisse’s si
ster,” Andy corrected.
“Her sister. What’s that matter?” Ric shrugged his shoulders. “We know she was lying about the shield and spear. And we had no intention of searching out the gentleman in Chicago.”
“A poor decision,” Andy said, also looking like he was cooling down. “He is a Guardian.”
“Guardian of what?” Sophie asked, finally feeling like they were getting some useful information.
Andy took a seat in a chair that was almost too small to hold his bulk. “Since the lamiae do not procreate, they must protect their population. They pay anyone, humans, dragons—”
“Dragons?” Sophie interrupted, disappointed. So much for her hopes of getting useful information out of this one. “Like the fire-breathing, scaly monster, overgrown reptile variety?” She stole a glance at Ric and noticed he looked as surprised as she did. Or was that something else? Fear, maybe? She turned back to Andy and chuckled, even though the last thing she felt like doing at the moment was laughing. “Real-live dragons. That’s funny.”
“You laugh?” Andy raised one ebony eyebrow.
“Surely you don’t expect me to believe there are real dragons prowling around the earth,” Sophie said, hoping he was kidding, hoping this whole conversation was a joke. Fighting a half woman, half snake was scary enough. Dealing with a dragon—big teeth, fire, scales…big teeth!—that was another thing altogether.
“Yet you believe in vampires, the Wissenschaft, Ancient Ones, and lamiae,” Ric pointed out.
What was this? Were those two joining forces? She was beginning to wonder if that was such a good thing. “You’re standing here.” She poked at Ric’s chest. “See? Solid, firm. Real. And him too.” She poked at Andy’s chest to illustrate. “And in case you’ve forgotten, I’ve been bitten by both of you bloodsuckers, so I know your fangs are real too. How can I not believe in you? But I can state unequivocally that I’ve never, ever seen a fire-breathing dragon…that is, outside of the movies. In particular, the one in Shrek was frightening. And a girl dragon to top it off. She was tough. Whew. That fire breath was something. Wouldn’t want to mess with her. Poor Donkey!”
A Vampire Bundle: The Real Werewives of Vampire County, When Darkness Comes, Real Vamps Don't Drink O-Neg, & Hunted by the Others Page 75
