“My vision is good, but that's about it. But then, my senses are not that much better in my dragon form.”
“I don't know a lot about dragons. I had never been around anything but werewolves and wolf shifters until I took over the Fraction.”
“I've been around them, but only for business and things like the party the other night, which was still Fraction business, even of it was dressed up in a ball gown and mask.”
“So, you don't know much more about my people than I know about yours?”
“Not much.” She gave him a wry smile, which he returned. They stood for a couple minutes, then Chris broke the silence.
“So, what are we going to do now? You said you don't want to wait for your brother to respond to your text.”
“Well, let's print off a list of the ATMs he's been to most recently. We can take a picture and ask people if they've seen him. Sound like a good idea?” Rachel looked back at him, hoping he wouldn't think it was a waste of time.
“It's something, which is better than nothing.”
“You have that picture of Emily with you?”
“I have a couple copies in my truck, will that do?”
“Perfect.” She opened Ricky's laptop, pulled up the bank's site again, and printed out the list of locations her brother had used. “Give me just a minute and we can go.” She went into her bedroom, used the attached restroom, changed shoes, and grabbed her purse. She could get away without it in the resort where everyone knew her and she just had to sign her name for whatever she wanted, elsewhere she might need her wallet. Besides, the bag gave her some place to keep the papers she'd just printed. “You ready?” Rachel asked Chris once she made it back to the living room.
“Whenever you are.”
“Great, just one more thing.” She went to the wall of photos and scanned it; she was searching for a specific photo. “There it is.” She reached up for a photo that hung over her head but couldn't reach it. A warm body pressed up against hers and an arm appeared over hers as Chris took the frame she'd been reaching for off the wall and handed it to her. Immediately, he stepped back and deep inside, she felt a pang of regret. His body next to hers had felt somehow right. “Thanks.” She glanced at Chris then back down to the photograph in her hands. It was Ricky, one of her favorites, and the only one that was just him. Her chest ached with the possibility of losing him. Pushing the thought away, she put the picture in her purse and took a deep breath. “All right, let's go.”
“You want to drive or you want me to?” Chris asked as they made their way to the elevator.
“You said your pictures of Emily are in your truck, which means we have to stop there anyway, so you might as well drive.” She knew most men didn't like not being in control of at least something, she didn't care about driving, so it was no big concession to let him have that.
10
Chris was strangely nervous as they made their way out to his truck. If he'd realized they would be going somewhere in it when he came to see her the night before, he would have brought a better vehicle. He hadn’t planned to spend the night, much less that she would want to go with him somewhere. Now he was kicking himself for bringing the truck, which was more than ten years old. He'd like to impress her and an old pickup wouldn't do that. Not that his old truck looked all that bad for its age, but still. He'd chosen this vehicle because he didn't want to draw a lot of attention to his visiting the dragon resort, like some of his other cars would.
On the other hand, it was a good vehicle for what they were going to do. It was plain and average; a newer, flashier car would draw attention and make them stand out. Another of his cars would mark them as outsiders, someone who didn't belong in the area, which would in turn, keep people from answering their questions, and they didn't want that.
Chris glanced down at what he was wearing, making sure it wouldn't cause them problems, a clean looking, if slightly wrinkled, cotton t-shirt and running shoes rounded out the rest of his outfit. Glancing over at Rachel, he considered her outfit as well. She was a little better dressed than him, but there was nothing fancy and nothing designer. She wore a pair of jeans, they were newer than his and fit like they'd been made for her, and a red blouse, which made Chris want to pull her close, kiss her hard, and see where it went from there.
It occurred to him that most people wanted to be armed for the rougher parts of town, but he didn't need to bother. He was easily ten times stronger than a human his size. He would have no problems even if they ran into another supernormal.
“This is me.” Chris unlocked the doors with a touch of the remote in his hand and the headlights flashed. He'd had to park in a small, single layer lot off Carson Avenue because his truck was too tall for a garage. A glance at her face revealed no judgment about his truck, but he wasn't sure yet if she could keep what she was thinking from her face. She may have a killer poker face, but he wouldn't know. Though, thinking back, he was certain she hadn't intended for him to hear her thoughts as they went to her apartment, so she may not have that good of poker face. Instead of getting in behind the wheel, Chris went to the passenger's side and opened the door for her. “Do you need help climbing up?” He gazed down at her. She wasn't very big and the truck was lifted, the bottom of the door came to her waist.
“Maybe, give me a second though.” Her eyes scanned the opening then she reached up and took a firm grip on the door handle and another on the edge of the seat as she put her foot on the step that hung below the door frame, but still above her knees, and hoisted herself up. Once she stood on the chrome tubing step, she had no trouble making it the rest of the way in. “I got it.” She turned back to him with a grin. Her happiness at being able to make it up was obvious, but Chris made a mental note to bring a lower slung vehicle the next time so she could get in and out more easily.
This was his play truck, the one he would take out to run through the mud when there was a good rain storm, or just to climb hills and ravines when there wasn't. The lifted suspension was good for that, but she didn't need to fight to get in and out every time. He waited until she was seated then closed the truck door before going around to his side and climbing in.
Chris glanced across the seat at Rachel as he started the truck, letting the first powerful roar of the engine vibrate through him. Some guys went to the gym to pound out their frustrations, Chris got behind the wheel of a finely tuned engine. He glanced over at Rachel again to see how she reacted then put the truck in reverse and backed out of the parking space. With practiced ease, he put the standard transmission in first and pulled onto the road toward the first ATM on their list.
It was almost six o'clock when Chris dropped Rachel off at the MesoAmerican.
“I'd like to take you out tonight,” he said as he pulled up next to the hotel. “Dinner, maybe a little more. Show you my place.”
“I'd like that.” She gave him a tired smile. They'd stopped at least at a dozen places and showed at least fifty people pictures of both Ricky and Emily, but had not found anyone who could remember seeing them.
“I'll pick you up at what, eight? Is that enough time for you to shower and do whatever you need to do?”
“Eight sounds great. I'll be out front waiting.”
“No, I'll come inside for you. Elevator or front desk, it's your choice.”
“Front desk is good.”
“All right, I'll see you in a couple hours.” Chris leaned across the seat and gave her a lingering kiss before putting the truck in park and climbing down to help her out.
“You didn't need to do that,” Rachel said as her feet touched the ground. “I could have gotten down on my own.”
“I didn't want to risk you falling and getting hurt.” Chris dropped another light kiss on her lips before releasing her and watching her walk into the casino. Once she was inside, he got back into the truck and headed home.
Chris walked into his apartment and went straight to the bedroom. He peeled out of his clothes and stepped into the shower.
As much as he liked the scent of Rachel on his skin, it was his habit to shower first thing in the morning, but he hadn't wanted to risk making her uncomfortable by asking. Besides, he hadn't had anything clean to put on.
As the hot water cascaded over him, and the heat helped his muscles to relax, he replayed scenes from the night before through his mind. It had been one of the most amazing nights of his life.
It's because she's ours. His wolf's voice growled into his head.
I know. We're working on that, but it's not as simple as I know you would like.
Ours. That is all that matters.
I know you think so, but it's simply not true. I don't want her to leave like our mother did.
Our mother was not mated to Father. His mate was Tiffany.
Just give me some time to make this work, okay? Chris sighed. His wolf couldn't seem to grasp that women didn’t like to be told what to do or that they belonged to someone. Rachel was older, so she might accept him without knowing much more about him, or werewolves, but he didn't even know how dragon's felt about their people mating with non-dragons. Rachel hadn't seemed to care last night, but that didn't mean the rest of her Fraction wouldn't.
After showering, Chris put on a pair of comfortable jeans and a flannel shirt. He didn't have time to deal with anything major, but he needed to check in to make sure his orders were being followed and that there had been no Fraction business that came up while he had been gone. A cloud of unease settled over him as he thought about Emily. She was younger enough than him that she'd tried to tag along with him, and he'd been nothing but annoyed. Who wanted a little girl trailing after you to tattle about the stuff you knew you weren't supposed to do but tried to get away with anyway?
Chris had heard rumors she was dating some supernatural that wasn't a werewolf, and he'd been so relieved she'd moved on from stalking his every move, he hadn't cared. Now he regretted that. Not that she had dated outside their kind, he was glad she had, because if she hadn't he might not have ever met Rachel. And he couldn't regret that, no matter how it turned out.
Barefoot, he took the stairs down one floor to his office. Before going to his desk, he stood for a moment, facing the glass wall that normally sat behind him while he worked. He loved that it let in so much light and kept him from feeling closed in while he had to spend so much time indoors. Scanning Las Vegas Boulevard, he watched the tiny little people scurry from building to building far below. That wasn't the part he liked, he liked being able to see past the crowd of people jammed into the town like sardines to the open space beyond, getting a good view of the mountains that skirted the area. When having too many people around weighed on him, this was the second-best therapy he had. First was to get out of town and to shift, run, and hunt.
Chris stood staring out the window for several minutes before turning and taking a seat behind his desk. There, he checked messages, contacted the on-shift supervisor, and double-checked with security to make sure there was nothing that needed his attention.
Forty-five minutes later, Chris leaned back in his chair and stretched, flexing the stiff muscles in his back from being bent over his desk studying the pages that had awaited him. A glance at the clock on his desk told him he needed to get a move on, so he headed back up the stairs to his apartment to change.
Chris pulled up in front of the MesoAmerican and got out. He handed the keys to his Lamborghini Centenario to the valet.
“Keep it close, I'll be right back out,” he said to the uniformed kid before taking the steps two at a time up to the door. He paused inside the door to orient himself, as this wasn't the door he was used to using. Once he adjusted to the light and noise, he realized the front desk was nearby. Heading in that direction, he spotted Rachel as she approached the area herself. The sight of her nearly took his breath away.
She wore a simple black dress, and a pair of heels, which couldn't be comfortable but made her legs and ass look amazing. He wanted to go down to her place right then and there, forget about dinner and his place, but he had a strong desire to see her hair spread across his sheets. He wanted to be able to smell her skin even when she wasn't there.
“Wow.” He let her see him looking her up and down, knowing she would like that he appreciated the effort she'd put into looking nice for him.
“You think so?” Rachel spun then turned back to him.
“I do.” He stopped in front of her and offered her his arm. “You ready?”
“I am.” She brought her hand up from underneath and gripped his forearm. “Where are we going?”
“That's still a surprise.” Chris glanced at her from the corner of his eye and couldn't help but chuckle at the dirty look she shot him. “You can be as unhappy as you want, I don't care. Teasing you like this is fun.”
“Meanie.” She bumped him with her shoulder as they made their way toward the door.
Outside, Chris found that his car was still sitting in the entryway, he held out his hand, the valet dropped the key into his palm, and he hit the button to unlock it.
“Thanks,” Chris barely looked at the man as he stepped past with Rachel.
“This isn't what I was expecting.” She glanced at him a moment, a slight crease between her eyes.
“You had a hard time getting in and out of the truck, so I brought something easier to get into,” he glanced down at her feet, “especially in those.”
“That's sweet. Thank you.” Rachel stretched up and placed a kiss on his cheek. Chris opened the car door and held it while she climbed in, then went around to the driver’s side. “Besides, it's not like it's a hardship to have to drive this.” Unable to resist, he revved the engine before pulling out onto the street.
Rachel laughed. A light, happy sound that made his wolf roll against the inside of his skin. It was a sound and a feeling he would love to get used to.
11
“Besides, it's not like it's a hardship to have to drive this.” He grinned and revved the engine a moment before pulling out onto the street.
Rachel laughed. “I'm not all that into cars, but what is this?”
Chris glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he maneuvered the sleek, low riding car through traffic. “It's a Lamborghini Centenario.” He ran one hand lovingly over the wheel. “Up until recently, it was one of my favorite things.”
Rachel shook her head once, she knew what a Lamborghini was, more than expensive, but the model meant nothing to her. She just didn't care about cars that much. “Up until recently?” She frowned, wondering what had upstaged the car.
“Yep,” Chris reached over, picked up her hand, and kissed the back while meeting her gaze. “Very recently.”
Oh. He meant her. Wow. What could a girl say? She knew some men loved their cars like children, and to think that she'd moved up in his esteem so quickly? She was a little floored at the idea. “Oh, um. Wow.” He must have been serious when he said he was looking for a relationship and not just a fling. She understood that, she had meant what she'd said as well, but even then, this was a little fast.
No, it's not. He knows you're his just like he's yours.
Will you stop that and stay out of this?
Why? It's my life too. He's my mate too. Rachel looked at him from the corner of her eye, trying to watch him a moment without him realizing what she was doing. Her mate. Was she ready for that? It looked like whether she was ready for him or not, here he was, and her dragon was bound and determined to see to it that she ended up bound to him.
“How fast does this thing go?” she couldn't help but ask.
“Over two hundred.”
“How fast have you had it?” Rachel knew it was going to be high. Why would a man own a car that would go that fast without trying it out at least? And that was a normal human, a werewolf had faster than normal reflexes, of course he'd tested the capabilities of his toy.
“Um. About one eighty.” Chris glanced at her. “You want to go for a ride? We can eat once we're through if you would like.”
“Sure. It sounds fun.”
“Buckle up.” He shifted gears and changed lanes as he headed for the interstate instead of wherever he'd planned to take her. She reached back and grabbed the seat belt, buckling it around her as he hit the ramp onto the highway out of town.
Twenty minutes later, they had left the lights of town behind and were on the long, nearly empty, stretch of highway 95. Once there were only a couple of headlights visible, Chris floored it, and the car shot forward.
Rachel's first instinct was to hold on tight, but after a moment, the urge passed. It only took a few seconds and the world was flying by in a way that reminded her of flying, without the physical and psychic drain of trying to control the air around her enough to lift her body. She tilted her head back and laughed, loud. The ride was more exhilarating than she had imagined, and she loved it. After a few minutes, he took his foot off the accelerator and let the momentum carry them a while longer, slowing without hitting the brakes. When they slowed enough that they were going the speed limit, Chris glanced over at her.
“I take it you enjoyed that?”
“Oh, yeah.” He pulled over at a wide spot on the road and turned around.
“I'll take the trip back to town at a calmer speed.” He glanced over and laid one hand on her knee. “How would you feel about opening the top?”
Rachel’s heart raced, and she knew her face had completely changed. “The top opens?”
Chris grinned and hit something and the top slid open. Wind whipped her hair everywhere, and she couldn't help but laugh. She loved the wind in her face and the crisp night air. She had no idea how long they'd been on the road, or how far they had gone. Right now, she didn't care.
Chris pulled the car up in front of the main entrance of Lunar Obsession. After getting out, he opened her door for her and handed his keys to the valet who called him sir and said they'd take good care of the car, parking it in his normal spot. Rachel watched as they went back to the car, then turned her attention back to her date. He escorted her through the large glass doors, which led directly to the casino floor. Rachel noticed he didn't pause as they walked in or look around at all. He knew exactly where he was going as he led her across the floor, between rows of slot machines and around tables. At the entrance to a high-end steak house called Harvest Moon, Chris walked past the line of a half dozen people waiting to get in and around behind the hostess.
Revealed by Desire Page 6
