42nd & Lex

by Hofland, Bria

  “It’s my family crest. I got it a few years back just to remember them by.”

  “I like it. I’ve always wanted a tattoo, but they seem too… well, permanent.”

  “I never really thought of it that way.” Permanency on a vampire seems rather ironic actually. He is still rubbing my shoulders and I am very sleepy. If I can’t stay awake, I will be staying over again. That’s probably the point.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to turn into a prune.” I show Lucan my hands and then lift up one foot to examine it. I lose my balance and my backside slides off the wide step we’ve been resting on. Lucan’s reflexes have me steadied faster than I can react but our hands have come to rest in places very contrary to my request to take things slow. I’ve been leaning against Lucan’s naked body for an hour or more, but this is infinitely more intimate. We have both managed to keep our hands in respectable places until now. He is gaping at me, a look of shock and longing on his face. It does something to me.

  I slide my hands further up this legs and he takes a ragged, albeit unnecessary, breath. “This is not taking it slow,” he warns. His voice is barely above a whisper. His eyes are wide and unblinking.

  “I know. Maybe a little faster than slow is okay.”

  He doesn’t resist as I seize his mouth with mine, thrusting my tongue inside, capturing his. He groans under me and I feel the rumble of his voice all the way to my toes. His hands are in my hair but they are not pulling me back. I straddle his lap and lean into him to gain a little traction against the slick sides of the tub. His hands grip and knead my ass.

  Fireworks are going off in my belly and I have to come up for air. Shifting back on his lap I run my fingers down his chest. Thank God, he can’t amp me in the water or I am sure we would both be toast by now. Maybe this is why he’s letting me touch him this way.

  I quickly scuttle any thoughts he might pick up on and end our fun. His eyes are closed and he’s arching into the stroke of my nails on his pecs. I glance down between us in the water; he is completely aroused. Emboldened, I stop stroking and reach down to grasp him in my hands.

  Lucan’s eyes fly open and a pained hiss escapes his lips. “Abri, if we go down that road I will not be able to stop.” His voice is dark and sexy. His eyes are on fire, pleading with me to make up my mind and end his torture. I can hear my breath, ragged as it escapes my lips, and my heart thundering in my ears. This pause saps my courage and I let go.

  “You’re probably right,” I pant. “And I am still pruney.”

  The air is colder than expected when I pull away from Lucan and stand up. Lucan points to the vanity behind the tub. Two fluffy robes, like the ones in fancy five star hotels, are draped across it next to a stack of towel. I hop out and grab the nearest towel, careful not to slip and fall on the marble floor. Even though it gives off the impression that I am settling in for the evening, I cannot resist putting on the fluffy robe after I’m dry.

  “Are you coming?” I ask Lucan who’s sitting like a statue in the tub. He’s breathing again. Slowly in and out. “I’m thirsty.”

  He nods slowly and begins to rise. Suddenly embarrassed, I turn and head for the kitchen. Lucan is beside me in a flash fastening a towel around his waist. My eager hands want to snatch it and run. But that only lead to more not slow behavior.

  The fridge is stocked with a various assortment of beverages. I select a bottle of water and offer one to Lucan. He declines with a shake of his head. I look around for anything that might be of interest to him. There is a small Styrofoam soup container with red liquid inside.

  “That’s not blood, Abri. It’s sweet and sour sauce. To-Go blood would be barbaric.” It’s the first thing he’s said since warning me to stop.

  “Convenient is more like it,” I retort. This is his least human quality, and thus the one that should bother me the most, but it doesn’t. Lucan frowns. My cavalier attitude is obviously bothering him. “I’m just saying—”

  “Here’s a thought. You’ve seen my place, how about I come and see yours?” He effectively cuts me off, giving me something else to think about.

  “Ah, well, it’s more like a storage closet than an apartment compared to this place.” I say gesturing around. “Is everything okay? Do you want me to go?”

  “Aye, everything’s fine. I just thought if you wanted to go home I could at least give you a ride and you could give me the grand tour.”

  “Okay, but I wouldn’t park the Evora in front of my building very long, it’s liable to be gone or spray painted by vandals in ten minutes.”

  “We can take something else. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to your new car before your friend Brooks has a chance to gawk at it again.”

  “My. New. Car.” I stutter, my mouth falling open after the last syllable. “You’re giving me a car. That car. And you’ve known me for two days. No, I can’t accept that, Lucan. Honestly!”

  “I will not take no for an answer. You’ll just keep it parked here and use it when you want.” His tone is firm and I really don’t want to argue. It’s not as if he can force me to drive it after all. If saying yes will make him happy I will do it. I probably owe him this much after nearly molesting him just now.

  “Okay,” I relent. “But it is really too much, Lucan.”

  ***

  Lucan opens the door to a Honda Civic for me deciding nondescript is the best mode of travel for my neighborhood. It is nondescript indeed, cloth seats and a stock radio. It still has that new car smell. Leo waves goodbye to us from his office and we’re off. The streets are empty again but Lucan doesn’t push the Civic like he did the Evora. I switch on the radio hoping to find a song I can hum along to that will disguise my thoughts. While I want to spend the night with Lucan again, I need some space to digest everything that has just happened. Mostly, I am just mad at myself for stopping. I think I catch him raising an eyebrow at me out of the corner of my eye.

  We find a parking spot near my building and Lucan expertly navigates a parallel parking maneuver. I am again reminded why I don’t have a car in the city; parallel parking is not something I excel at. Lucan has been quiet the entire ride. I think he may be in shock.

  “Okay, here we are. It’s not much, but it’s home.” I unlock the front door to my walk-up and hold it open for Lucan to follow me in. “We have to walk up the stairs, the elevator’s busted.” Not that Lucan will mind, four flights of stairs is nothing for him.

  When we get to my front door, I hesitate. “Don’t be shocked. It’s no Cloud Club,” I warn as I open the door.

  My living room consists of a battered couch I salvaged from friend in college and some cinderblock bookshelves. An old school, tube TV that was a high school graduation present from my dad sits on top of a plastic milk crate I borrowed from Chen’s Deli the week I moved in. Lucan is surveying the room. A small smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.

  “Why Abri, I love what you’ve done with the place. What is this motif? Early Frat House?” I know he is kidding but I feign a pout, crossing my arms and sticking out my lower lip.

  “Oh ha, ha,” I huff. “So I haven’t exactly up graded since I left school. I have student loans to pay back.” I know my apartment is sad, but my plan had always been to hold off until I met The One and just buy good furniture with him. Lucan smirks as that thought crosses his airwaves.

  “I’d offer you something to eat or drink but…well, why don’t you sit down? I’m going to change out of this suit. I’ve been professional enough for one day.” As I walk into the bedroom, the thought crosses my mind that what I did the last time I took off this suit was very unprofessional. I hear Lucan chuckle in the next room. Relief that he is not upset with me floods my chest. Shaking my head, I shut the door for some mental and physical privacy and let out a silent, happy scream.

  There is a pair of cotton shorts and a faded law school t-shirt left over from some class fundraiser on my floor so I put them on. They are not exac
tly alluring, but a hell of a lot more comfortable than suits and heels. When I open the door again, Lucan is looking at the various family photos sitting on my makeshift bookcases.

  “Is this your mom?” he asks, pointing to a picture of my mom and me.

  “Yeah, that was at her house in Dallas last Christmas.”

  “Dallas is a nice town. The Enclave has an outpost there. Do you visit her often?”

  “Not as much as I should. She’s remarried now so it’s not like she’s alone, but I know she misses me.”

  I flop down on my couch, a small cloud of dust rises around me. I hope Lucan didn’t notice, but I am sure his keen eyesight picked up on it. He doesn’t react, which is nice of him. “Sit,” I offer, pushing a blanket my grandmother knit for me off to one side.

  Lucan sits down and I tentatively lean into him, putting my head on his shoulder. He relaxes and leans into me as well. I can feel the hum of the amps coursing between us and it’s dragging me under. Before we can really start up a conversation, I feel my eyelids growing heavy.

  “You should go to bed. I’ve kept you up too late this week.” He tries to shift out from underneath me without disturbing me too much.

  “Okay,” I murmur. With that, Lucan picks me up and carries me to bed. I am too sleepy to put up a fuss at being carried or be embarrassed by the twin bed I sleep in. Lucan kisses my forehead and pulls the comforter around my shoulders before turning out the light. “I’m sorry I molested you earlier,” I say as I snuggle deeper into the covers.

  “I’m not,” he whispers. “Goodnight, love.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Thursday I have hearings all day and I am too tired to do anything more than call Lucan when I get home. I can hear the disappointment in his voice but he respects my need for sleep. I want to see him too, but it feels so good to lie in my own bed. I am asleep by seven thirty.

  Friday is a complete blur. The weekly staff meeting runs until nearly lunch and my afternoon is full of missed phone calls and emails. Max has taken the afternoon off so I am on my own. I am mentally drained by the time I shut down my computer at seven o’clock. Lindsey’s office is empty so I head down to Brooks’ office. Nada. His computer is on and the Lotus website is on the screen. I will have to let him in on my little secret soon, maybe even let him sit in the driver’s seat. I gather my purse and head to the elevators. Since I am alone, I head straight upstairs.

  Lucan isn’t home so I take the liberty of making myself a drink from the wet bar and turning on the enormous flat screen that hangs on a half wall near the couch. Within minutes, I am zoning out to some show on the Food Network. The chef is making double chocolate chip cookies and my stomach starts to rumble. I toy with the idea of searching the kitchen for the necessary ingredients but realize I will be the only one eating them. Lucan has done so much for me already and there isn’t anything I can think to do in return. Where I come from girls bake cookies for new beaus but my new beau isn’t going to eat any cookies, no matter how good they look. My stomach growls again so I go in search of a snack.

  In typical Lucan fashion there is a note on the counter offering up the contents of the kitchen for my snacking pleasure. The pantry is full of all the basics, popcorn, chips, pretzels, cheese doodles, and candy. Lucan’s note doesn’t mention when he will return so I send him a text after opening a bag of popcorn.

  “I’m home. ;o)” I type into my phone.

  “Be there soon.” Is his reply.

  The elevator wakes me when it rumbles to life at the far end of the room. As soon as the gate creaks open, I know something is wrong. The air is heavy with a strange acrid smell. A man steps off the elevator and looks around as if he is unsure of his bearings. Lucan is obviously wealthy enough to have a staff of some kind but surely he would have warned me of anyone coming up to the apartment. Whoever it is, they have an inhospitable air about them. My eyes dart around looking for something heavy and weapon-like in case the need arises.

  “Can I help you?” I ask in my most assertive tone, usually reserved for New York street crazies and irate opposing Council.

  “Hello, Abri Cole,” he says as he crosses the room. Something in my gut tells me he does not work for Lucan. His movements are awkward but they are still faster than a human’s. It is probably a safe assumption he is a vampire. There is no use in looking for something heavy now. Nothing I can wield will do the necessary damage.

  “Can I help you?”

  “You are just as pretty as he said you were.” The man—er, vampire, is a few feet from me now with only the giant glass coffee table between us. He is wearing a business suit, expensive but in need of a dry cleaning, and his tie is loose around his neck. His hair is disheveled and he needs a shave. His face is familiar, but I am sure he is not one of the vampires I saw at the Enclave. I don’t really care to ask for elaboration on who “he” is but I want to keep him talking and not attacking until Lucan gets home.

  “You know my name. What’s yours?” I ask. My phone is on the coffee table, far enough away that I cannot risk reaching for it to call Lucan.

  “My name is Mark,” he replies almost too eagerly. A sloppy grin spreads across his face while his eyes dart around the room unable to stay focused on any one point.

  “What do you want, Mark?” Mark. Has Lucan mentioned anyone named Mark?

  “Nothing.” His fangs are elongated and he licks at them absentmindedly.

  My heart is beating wildly in my ears. Mark scares the crap out of me with his wild eyes. He hasn’t noticed this fear from what I can tell but I still want more distance between us. There is no way I will be able to withstand any amps he might want to lay on me.

  He is still looking around the room at nothing in particular and wringing his hands. He strikes me as being somewhat simpleminded which probably has no effect on his ability or his desire to kill me.

  “Well, Mark, then I’m going to have to insist that you leave if there is nothing you want. I was just about to leave myself,” I lie.

  He looks crestfallen but doesn’t move. Another wave of stench overtakes me and I stifle a gag. It is like rotting garbage, or rotting flesh, and it’s emanating from Mark. A few more minutes pass, neither of us moving or talking. Suddenly, he sniffs the air and cocks his head to the side as if he’s heard something. I strain to listen for sounds of Lucan on the floors below but hear nothing. In three quick strides he is at the elevator. Instead of getting in, he opts for the adjacent stairwell and makes his retreat.

  I run to the still swinging door of the stairwell and throw the lock. The emergency stop button in the tiny elevator wont budge so I pull the grate closed and latch it. This will not stop Mark if he returns but it might slow him down.

  My cell phone is ringing on the coffee table. It’s Lucan. “Lucan!” My voice is desperate and weak.

  “Abri! Thank God, you answered. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, fine. How—” Lucan cuts me off before I can ask how he knew I was in danger.

  “Go into the bathroom, lock the door, and don’t open it for anyone. I have a key.”

  “How did you know?”

  “I could smell him as soon as I got inside the building. He must have come up just ahead of me. Don’t worry love all will be well. Just get into the big bathroom and lock the door.” The line goes dead. While it seemed like it had been an hour or more since Mark stepped off the elevator, it had only been a few minutes according to my watch. Not even long enough for Lucan to make it from the lobby to the first set of elevators below, let alone wait for the iron beast to chug its way down two floors and back up again.

  I skid across the polished floor and round the corner into the bathroom. Once the door is secure, I sag breathless on the edge of the tub. The last time I was breathless in here was a much more enjoyable occasion. Outside, the city looks as peaceful as it did last night, a stark contrast to the scene I imagine taking place below between Lucan and Mark.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  There are solid,
sure footsteps coming across the floor outside and I hold my breath. I want to call out for Lucan but decide better of it, no need to give up my position if it isn’t him. Not that a vampire couldn’t already hear me, smell me, or even think me crouched in the bathroom.

  The lock turns and Lucan opens the door. His eyes are glowing red instead of their normal icy blue. His fangs are fully extended and his shirt is bloody. There is a shriek that I realize all too late is coming from me.

  “Fuck,” Lucan says as he turns away from me, hand over his mouth. “I’m sorry love. Give me a minute. Fuck.” In any other circumstance, I would have giggled at how his extended fangs gave him a slight lisp. If he hears my observation, he doesn’t acknowledge it as he turns to leave.

  “No wait,” I manage to choke out.

  “There is no need to see me like this.” He’s out the door. I try to follow him but he is gone by the time I cross the threshold back into the main room.

  “Lucan!” I am afraid to be alone in the apartment not knowing how the battle turned out. Mark didn’t look like he would put up much of a fight but there was obviously blood drawn. Lucan is outside on the building’s steel curve again. I tap on the glass like a mad woman and yell. “Come back in. It’s okay.”

  He is pacing back and forth on the narrow steel curve of the building’s façade. It makes me nauseous just to think about it, let alone look. I turn to go back to the couch and wait. Lucan is behind me before I can take two steps. He sweeps me off my feet and carries me into the living room. There is just the slightest hint of red in his eyes and I reach up to touch his face. He stiffens his hold on me ever so slightly. With a smile, I lean in and kiss his lips, showing him that I am not afraid.

  “Is everything ok?” I venture. “Was he gone?”

  “It’s fine now. I’m not sure how he found you here but he won’t be bothering us again.”

  “You killed him!” Creepy vampire or not I cannot condone killing, at least not without a good reason. “I don’t think he was here to harm me. He was too—”