Dark Promises 5: Tarnished

by Elisa Adams

  He went back into the bathroom, pulled the shade down over the gaping window and turned the shower on hot. She wouldn’t be back for a while yet, most likely not until she thought he’d had time to fall asleep, and he had some time to kill. Might as well spend it cleaning her off his body. Not that he wouldn’t be covered with her scent again soon. He had no plans to keep his hands off her. It hadn’t taken him long in life to learn that sexual chemistry didn’t necessarily mean emotional chemistry. He didn’t have to like Becca to want her.

  His cock rose a little at just the thought of wanting her again, and it got even harder when he grabbed the bar of soap from the ledge and lathered up his body. The soft, clean scent reached his nostrils and made his gut tighten. It smelled just like her. Just like the smooth skin he wanted to lick every inch of. The nipples he wanted to roll over his tongue and nip with his teeth. The soft, creamy thighs he’d have his face between while he made her come with his mouth.

  Shit. Why did she affect him so much? It wasn’t right. She killed his kind. He should hate her, but he couldn’t bring himself to muster the emotional. He still felt a strong, out-of-place protective instinct where she was concerned, since Ellie had been so specific in the fact that she felt Becca was in danger. Even knowing Ellie had set him up didn’t diminish the instinct. Someone needed to save Becca from herself. It shouldn’t be him. Couldn’t be him. But he wanted it to be—a fact that made no sense to him at all.

  He washed his hair using her shampoo—yet another thing to remind him of her softer, more feminine qualities. Within minutes the steamy shower had filled with her scent and his cock was fully erect. It throbbed and a drop of pre-cum leaked out of the tip. He’d protested being tied up, and it had been uncomfortable, but at the same time it had been exciting in a strange way. A way he’d never before experienced. Never wanted to experience. But now that he’d done it, he wanted to do it all over again. At least he did if it was Becca who’d bound him to the bed. She could do it again to him anytime she wanted. But it wasn’t something he was sure he wanted with any other woman. With Becca, all the rules had changed.

  Even better than being bound and having her straddle his face had been what had come after. Becca, tied to the bed, writhing under him as he fucked her hard. He’d love to tie her up again. There were a hundred things he’d love to do to her in that position. Helpless, at his mercy and loving every second. She might have gotten off on fucking him while he’d been bound, but she’d liked her own wrists bound better. Her ever-expressive eyes had told him that. She’d wanted him to take charge. Practically begged him to do it with her gaze.

  And he’d nearly been overcome with the urge to release the ties and pull her close.

  Stupid. Crazy, stupid and probably suicidal. But she got to him. He couldn’t stop his mind from reacting to her on some base level. He’d always loved a challenge, and so far she’d proven to be one of the hardest ones he’d ever faced. He couldn’t let himself care about her, but somehow she’d gotten under his skin. It was crazy, but he couldn’t stop if from happening. Didn’t even want to, though that was another huge mistake.

  He took his cock in his hand, letting the hot water rinse his body clean. Becca had held him like that, that first time. Just before she’d opened her mouth around him and encircled him in those lush lips.

  He groaned in response to the memory of her soft lips, the warm cavern of her mouth enveloping him. The tongue she’d used to expertly manipulate him to orgasm within minutes, like a human teenager with out-of-control hormones rather than the centuries-old vampire he was. He wanted that feeling again. He wanted it to never end.

  His hand stroked along his hard length, mimicking the movements of Becca’s mouth the night before last. He’d taken her hard and fast that night, once he’d recovered from the excellent job she’d done sucking him off. He’d worried briefly about hurting her, but she hadn’t complained, not even once. She’d done all she could to encourage it. Pushed him into taking her in a way he’d never taken a woman the first time he bedded her. Usually he liked to take it slow, get to know her body and what she liked before he brought his own desires into the mix. Becca’s wants and needs seemed to match his perfectly.

  The memories of mounting her in such an animalistic way nearly sent him over the edge, but he held back. He leaned against the smooth tile wall, his hand stroking and squeezing at a leisurely pace. The whole time he wished she’d come back through the window and finish him off. Jerking himself off was fine, but he’d much prefer a woman’s hand or mouth. Or cunt.

  His shuddered, jerked, as his impending release wound tight inside him. She’d felt so perfect around him, squeezing him as he thrust in and out of her wet cunt. So damned perfect. A damned perfect match for his needs. Sex with Becca would never, in a million years, be boring.

  He came on that thought, his semen spurting onto his hands and the shower floor, washing down the drain along with the scents of her soap and shampoo. It was a long time before he had the strength to push away from the wall and climb out of the shower. By the time he did, the water had started to run cold and his legs shook so hard he was afraid they’d fall out from under him.

  Once dried off and dressed, he snooped through her bathroom cabinets until he found what he needed. A hairbrush, toothpaste, a razor and a can of shaving gel. The shaving gel scent was peaches and cream, but at the moment he didn’t have much choice. Either use the girly scent, or leave stubble burn on the inside of Becca’s legs once he got her naked on the bed with his face between her thighs.

  He shaved quickly, ran the brush through his hair and borrowed her toothbrush to clean his teeth. Though his body urged him to sleep, cleaning up refreshed him a little. He wouldn’t sleep now, not while he waited for her to come home. He’d meant it when he told Rex he valued the element of surprise, and his body was used to being deprived. He’d survive, though when this ordeal was over he might need to sleep for a week.

  When he finished he left the room and wandered down the short hall to the main area of the house, where he started pulling the shades on the many windows closed. A little sun was one thing once in a while, but bathing in it would do some damage. No sense risking a major sunburn. Once he finished his task, he settled onto the couch to wait for her to come home.

  * * * * *

  Becca sat on a park bench downtown, watching people pass by. No one even gave her a second glance, despite the puffy slippers. Strange that the world had gotten so informal that she could walk around in her pajamas and no one would say a word or shoot her a questioning glance.

  A variety of people passed her on the street—businessmen and women in dark power suits, young mothers pushing small children in baby carriages, teenagers who didn’t look old enough to be home from school on the Monday morning. A cool breeze muted the warmness of the spring day. The sounds of cars and motorcycles filled the air around her. Dogs panted and barked as their owners walked by. Just a normal day in Ardon, Pennsylvania. But her life was anything but normal.

  She squinted into the brightness, not for the first time wishing she had her sunglasses. They were in her car, and she couldn’t go back to the house yet. She had to make sure Wil had enough time to fall asleep. Unless he’d left. That was always a possibility. One she hadn’t thought of until now. Could he have left in the middle of the day? Vampires weren’t supposed to be able to go out in the sun for more than a minute or two. That was what she’d always been told. But what if it wasn’t true? What if Kel had been wrong? Her mistake could very well get her killed.

  There were some things Kel had been evasive about, some things he’d told her she didn’t need to know. Well, she needed to know them now. He’d always insisted they work only at night, insisted that vampires couldn’t tolerate the sun. But how would he know that with absolute certainty? Most of what humans knew of vampires were legend and myth. Stories that had been passed down in so many different ways that everything blended into what vampire hunters liked to call knowledge, but mo
st of them had no real facts to back it up. Kel had trained her, and trained her well, but passing information from human to human only went so far.

  She had to talk to him. Now.

  She pushed up from the bench and rushed down the sidewalk in the direction of the apartment Kel had rented when he’d moved out of the house they’d been sharing. It was a ten minute walk from downtown, but she made it about half that. By the time she stomped up the two flights of stairs and banged on his door she was out of breath and her face flamed from the effort.

  After a few minutes he answered the door, shirtless, his hair disheveled and a look of confusion on his face. He took in the sight of her and muttered a soft curse. “Morning, Becca. Ever hear of calling first?”

  “I have a problem.” She didn’t wait for his answer, just pushed the door open and stepped past him into the tiny space.

  She shook her head at the sight of his apartment, still baffled that he’d chosen to move out of the luxury rental into what amounted to not much more than a closet. A studio half the size of her living room. A card table sat against the wall by the door, flanked on three sides by scuffed metal folding chairs. A countertop refrigerator and a hot plate were his kitchen appliances, and a small black and white TV on top of the card table served as his entertainment. The only other furniture the room contained was a mattress tucked into the far corner.

  “Do you have any idea how early it is?” he asked, his eyes narrowed and his arms crossed over his chest.

  “It’s the middle of the morning.” She shook her head. “How can you live like this? You’re not poor, are you? I know what you make, Kel. You should have plenty of money.”

  He shrugged. “Money comes and goes, Becca.”

  Something inside her hitched at his tone. What was wrong with him? He’d moved into this dump, tried to cut all ties with her more than once. They’d been so close, she still saw the caring in his eyes. It wasn’t her. It had to be something else.

  An idea hit her and she sucked in a breath. “Kel, are you using drugs?”

  This, at least, got a laugh out of him. His expression softened and his body relaxed, but not enough for her comfort. “No, honey. I’m not using drugs.”

  But there was something going on. She heard it in the words he left unspoken. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “There’s nothing to talk about. I told you before. I’m burnt out. I need some time away from everything. Now why don’t you tell me why you’re here since you’ve already woken me up? I’ll never get back to sleep now.”

  She flopped down into a creaky chair and snuck a sidelong glance at Kel. Tall and athletic rather than overtly muscular, he kept his light brown hair cut in almost a military fashion. His brown eyes were warm, despite his aggravation at being disturbed at what he considered an ungodly hour. He grumbled and complained a lot, but she knew he didn’t mean it. “Like I said, I have a problem. Do you have any coffee?”

  His answering laugh was a rough, grating sound. “Give me a second to wake up. It was a long night.”

  She swallowed hard, wrung her hand in her lap. Her gaze moved to the closed bathroom door. “Are you alone? Did I interrupt anything?”

  “Nope. Nothing to interrupt in a long while.” He waggled his dark eyebrows at her. “Why? You interested?”

  She pushed up from the chair and walked to the counter where the coffeemaker sat. She needed her daily caffeine fix before the headache started, and Kel looked like he needed it more than she did. If he was just going to stand around and complain, someone needed to take action. “Where’s your coffee? I’ll make a pot if you just get the can for me.”

  Without waiting for a response, she brought the carafe to the sink and filled it with water. By the time she walked back to the coffee maker, Kel had placed a small can of ground coffee next to it.

  “Thank you.” She smiled at him before filling the filter basket with coffee, closing the lid, and turning the machine on. She turned back to him with her hands on her hips. “And you know damned well I’m not interested.”

  He clucked his tongue. “Too bad. We could have had a really good time together.”

  She glanced at him. Despite his easygoing nature, she knew him well enough to know he wasn’t always so genial. He could be a hard-ass when he wanted to be. She’d seen him in action more than once. She wouldn’t want to be on his bad side.

  “Nah. We’re friends. We’re not really compatible any other way.”

  His eyes narrowed and his smile grew. “What I wouldn’t give to prove you wrong right now.”

  He flirted with her—with all women—all the time, but she knew better than to think he meant anything by it. It was just part of his personality. He’d made it clear early on, back when they’d first met and he’d agreed to train her despite his misgivings, that he wasn’t interested in anything more than friendship. They were too similar to get along as anything more than friends, and they were both happy with it that way. At least they had been until a few months ago, when he’d started acting strange.

  Maybe he was telling her the truth. Maybe it was just burnout and he’d get over it given enough time and space.

  Or maybe he was lying through his teeth.

  She had a sinking suspicion it was the latter, but in the three years he’d known him he’d never lied to her before. He wouldn’t do it without good reason. So if it was time and space the guy wanted, that was what he’d get. After she got the answers she needed. And if she planned to get them today, she’d have to wait for him to wake up a little more before she started badgering him.

  She swatted him on the shoulder. “Give it up, Denison. You know you don’t mean it.”

  “You wound me, Rebecca.” He put his hand to his heart and shook his head, an mock expression of pain on his handsome, boyish face. “Now what is that problem you had to come rushing over here to tell me about?”

  “In a second.”

  Once the coffee had finished brewing, Becca poured two mugs and brought them to the table. She grabbed the milk out of the fridge while Kel got the sugar bowl and added three heaping spoonfuls to his mug.

  She wrinkled her nose. “That’s so gross.”

  “Better than drinking it with none.”

  She poured milk into her mug and then passed the jug along to him. When she’d had a few sips and given her breathing a chance to calm after the stress of the past few days, she opened her mouth to speak.

  “I have a couple questions for you before we get to that.”

  Kel’s eyes darkened and he leaned forward, all joviality forgotten. This was the Kel she knew well. Calm, serious and collected Kel who always got the job done with an efficiency that inspired awe and envy. When he spoke, his tone was short and even.

  “Nothing personal.”

  He wasn’t asking. He was telling her that personal questions wouldn’t be tolerated. It raised her curiosity even more, but she ignored the urge to ask him about it. She has more important things to find out. “No, nothing personal. Don’t worry, your secrets are safe.”

  The fear that flashed across his eyes—an expression he’d never shown her before—clenched her stomach.

  “Good. What is it you need to know?”

  “Can vampires stand prolonged sun exposure?”

  “That’s basic, Becca. We’ve already been through that before. No, they can’t.”

  “But what if you’re wrong?” she asked, her mind flashing back to Wil at her house—or maybe out looking for her as they spoke.

  “Trust me. I know this for a fact. You’ve been hunting for three years. I’ve been hunting for eight. Since I was fifteen years old. I know what I’m talking about. I’ve seen a lot more in my time than you have.”

  She swallowed hard. She hated to dispute what he said, knowing he’d only get angry, but she had to be sure. And she did have some personal experience with Tony, though at eighteen she hadn’t paid attention enough to remember what was fact and what was fiction. “I remember Tony going
outside during the day.”

  Kel’s expression darkened even more. “With you, or alone?”

  “Alone.”

  “Then he probably had someplace dark to hide. Vampires pretending to be humans can be very sneaky, and in today’s world of nontraditional schedules, they easily can slip into a near-human existence as far as outward appearances go.”

  He was right. She knew it. But it didn’t clear things up at all in her mind. “So hypothetically speaking, a vampire wouldn’t be able to leave the safety of a house in the middle of the day and spend hours searching around town, right?”

  “No.” He let out a breath. “Spill, Becca. What the hell is going on?”

  “Okay, here’s the thing. Do you remember the vampire I told you about last time we spoke? The one who’d been hanging around Rex’s bar staring at me?”

  “Yeah. I remember.”

  “Two nights ago I brought him home with me.”

  “You do that all the time. What’s the problem?”

  “He’s still there.”

  Kel just about jumped out of his chair. His eyes widened and he slammed his fisted hands into the tabletop. “What do you mean by that? Please don’t tell me you have a vampire, alive, still tied to your bed. I trained you better than that. You wouldn’t be that stupid.”

  Wanna bet? “Well, he isn’t exactly tied to my bed anymore.”

  Kel said nothing for a few minutes. He drained his coffee in one gulp, set the mug down with a heavy thump, and glared at her. “That’s stupid, Becca. Plain stupid. Now he’s going to be after you and—”

  “Actually, I don’t think so.” She dropped her gaze to the table, her face flaming. “I have a funny feeling I may be able to trust this one.”