Heart of Darkness

by Lauren Dane

  “Broken. Three times.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “I’m not surprised. It suits you. Being totally perfect might offend the gods.”

  The sweet confused pleasure on his face made her weak in the knees.

  And then his mouth was on hers again, his taste back where it belonged. Rough hands hauled her close as she opened to his tongue, groaning as he nipped her bottom lip.

  The music from outside thumped against the walls, the bass line throbbing deep in her belly.

  His hands were on her hips and sliding upward to cup her breasts.

  Hers were on his belt, yanking at it when someone banged on the door and he broke the kiss with a snarl.

  “We’ll pick up where we left off later. I’m sorry.” He touched his forehead to hers before easing away, but keeping her hand in his.

  Simon came in and looked between the two of them. “Evening, Meriel. You look beautiful. Dom, we need to move some cash to the safe. We’re at capacity. Bar’s been full all night long.”

  “Of course.” He turned to Meriel. “I need to sign some paperwork. Would you like a drink while I do this? I’ll set you up at my table; no, not the one with all the women in it from last night.”

  “Am I that obvious?”

  He kissed her again, hard. “Bloodthirsty.”

  It was rather exciting to know a man like that thought her bloodthirsty.

  “Let’s get you settled and then I’ll make very quick work out of this business to get back to you.”

  True to his word, he escorted her to a table in a far corner. It was tucked back into an alcove of sorts, but offered great views of the entire club. She liked to watch him change from her date into a business owner. He lost all that roguish charm and hardened his features while keeping them polite.

  “Now lookie here.”

  She turned in her seat to take Gage in as he slid into the booth beside her a few minutes later.

  “What on earth is Meriel Owen doing right here in a box that looks a little like something the owner would use?” His smirk made her laugh.

  “I’m here on a date with Dominic. This is his table. He had to go sign something or whatever.”

  “Is this why you sounded so sad this morning?”

  “This is such a long story I honestly don’t have the energy to recount it all to you now.”

  “Nell’s back tomorrow. If I can see how different your magick looks, you think she’s going to miss it?”

  “If I tell you, it’s as my friend, not as a member of council staff.”

  “I would never betray your confidences, Meriel.”

  “He’s my bond-mate.” She blurted it, knowing if she didn’t, she’d never get it out. “But he grew up outclan. He’s not ready yet and he doesn’t have to be. He needs time and I’m giving it to him.”

  Gage nodded, blowing out a breath. “All right. Can I help at all?”

  She let out the tension from holding her breath. “You just did. Thanks for listening. Anything new on the mages?”

  “And you are?” Dominic slid into the booth on Meriel’s other side, getting so close he enfolded her into his side, his arm along the back of her seat.

  “This is Gage. He’s a friend and also runs the hunter crew for Nell. Gage, this is Dominic.”

  Gage gave Dominic a long up-and-down look and Meriel leaned back into Dominic, needing to soothe. Which worked because the tension in his arm lessened and he slid his fingertip in a figure eight up and down her shoulder.

  “I wanted to come out here to check the place over. See where I stood on the topic of this place being allowed to remain or not. I like what I see. Strong wards. I worry about the line of entry being through a space filled with humans. But I believe we can benefit from a place all the local Others are able to hang out and be ourselves.”

  “Allowed to remain?”

  She turned to look at him. “I told you exposure is a risk and that we had to assess all risks.”

  He interrupted before she could continue. “And you never thought to tell me any of this? About some move to shut me down? How the hell can I trust you enough to be your bond-mate and all that jazz if you don’t tell me everything?”

  It hurt that he’d think she was capable of such a thing. “In the first place, I’m not hiding anything. I just referenced a time when I told you about the exposure issue being a problem. Secondly, there is no move to do anything. We saw you were stealing. I dealt with it. That’s what the clan knows. But I’ll have to give a report on this place and of course one of the chief issues is going to be how safe this place is. To ignore that would be folly. It would be irresponsible of me both as the next in line to take over Owen and as your bond-mate to pretend away reality.”

  “So you had this guy come to spy on me here?”

  “Yes, frequently when I send out my spies I have them sit and have a drink with me and introduce them, complete with a reason for their being here, to you. I’m so devious that way.”

  “This is totally not going in the right direction.” Gage put his drink down.

  Meriel held a hand up to stay Gage. “No. You don’t need to explain yourself. I already did.” She turned her attention back to Dominic. “And if that’s not enough, we have a far bigger problem than the existence of this club.”

  She made to scoot out of the booth but Dominic put a hand on her wrist. Not confining, which would have resulted in an injury. “Wait.”

  “Meriel? Are you all right? We can go right now.” Gage said it to no one but her, which allowed her to catch her breath.

  The tension ramped up as the two men both sought her attention. Both protective in their own way.

  Dominic leaned in, his lips at her ear. “I’m sorry. I snapped at you and made a judgment that wasn’t fair. We should talk. Don’t leave this way.”

  She hesitated. This was what she’d talked to Nell about a few times. That disconnect between what they’d grown up with and what their significant other understood and trusted. But more than that, clearly Dominic had trust issues. Which was such a cliche.

  Gage waited, but looked out at the room instead of at her, giving her privacy to react.

  “You’re being a rude asshole,” she said equally quietly.

  “I know. I’m sorry. I felt broadsided. I know you told me about the exposure thing.”

  If she could show as much honesty when she got called out for being an asshole, she’d be proud.

  “Please stay.”

  It would be like this from time to time. She understood that to her toes. He was a bossy, incorrigible man on many levels and she was a bossy woman who loved rules. They were bound to clash. So, she supposed, the real issue was how they got past it.

  “All right.”

  He kissed the corner of her mouth and then turned his attention to Gage. “I apologize for my manners.”

  Gage nodded. “And I apologize for how I brought the subject up.”

  “Moving along.” She squeezed Dominic’s hand. “We need to talk about Rodas.”

  “I had to call Nell. This is too big not to relay. I caught her before they were boarding their flight home anyway. She’ll be in touch when she gets back. I told her to sleep first and she was mean to me.”

  Meriel laughed. Oh how she’d missed her friend.

  They spoke about the situation for some time. Dominic put in his opinion here and there, never in a pushy way. He had a lot of great insight about people and how they acted. He’d be so good at her side, would help her examine issues from a different perspective.

  Multiple times they’d been interrupted, or rather, Dominic had been called away to deal with this or that. But it was good. It gave her a chance to watch him in action.

  Gage tipped his glass in her direction. “Your mother was right to hand this over to you. There will be a time, very soon I think, where working with witches across practice and clan affiliation will be necessary to protect ourselves. You’ve known this for some time now. I respect the job you
r mother has done. But your vision is what’s needed to lead the next generation.”

  She blushed, glad for the darkness in the club. “Thanks. I just hope we’re catching this early enough to combat it.”

  Gage’s usually amused expression went hard. “We’ll take this shit out. Period. Listen, we’ve spent two hours talking about this. It’s Friday night and you’re on a date. I see a lovely woman at the bar who really appears to need some company.”

  She looked to see who he meant and grinned, shaking her head. “Go on then. Make her night.”

  Gage’s mouth tipped up into a sexy grin. “He’s all right. Your Dominic. Gonna be a lot to handle so it’s good he’s your bond-mate. Another woman might get swallowed up by a man like him.” He leaned in to kiss her cheek and she knew without even looking up that Dominic’s attention had been snagged and he’d be making his way back to her.

  “Thanks for listening.”

  “I told you already, I’m your friend.” He slid out and moved toward the bar, snagging the woman’s awareness immediately.

  “Hm. He likes touching you.”

  She turned to Dominic and laughed right in his face. “He likes touching me? And the eleven thousand woman who’ve given you an arm or chest full of mammaries as you’ve walked around here being all bossy and stuff? What’s their excuse? Have you known them their entire lives like I have Gage?”

  “No. They’re meaningless and also, I never claimed to be rational when the subject is you.”

  Disarmed and flattered, she snorted. “You are aware that I’d never let anyone but you get away with this sort of thing, right?”

  Grinning, he pulled her close. “Yeah. It gets me hot.” He kissed her long and slow there in the dark, the music around them, the heat of all the bodies, the scent of magick and sex everywhere.

  Though she’d never been the make-out-with-a-man-in-a-nightclub type, she sure was just then. Like whoa.

  “We should go.”

  He was so close, his heat against her face. She so should not. Yes, they had sexual heat. No question they wanted one another. But that wasn’t the issue.

  He walked her to the car and once they were both inside he turned to her. “You’re going to make me wait, aren’t you?”

  “We’ve known each other a few days. I keep telling you sex will make this need stronger. You’re going to see me tomorrow night anyway.”

  He groaned and scrubbed his face with his hands. “We both know this is going to happen.”

  “Exactly. So why rush?”

  “You’re holding sex hostage.”

  She burst out laughing. “Is that what you think? Really? Oh, Dominic.” She shook her head. “I want it as much as you do, silly. This isn’t easy for me either. I’m not holding anything hostage. Such an assertion is insulting. Like I’m some dumb bimbo who has to trick you into sex.”

  She straightened her spine and he groaned again. Lethal, this woman. And still he smiled because she totally caught him.

  “Fine, fine.” He pulled away and headed back to her place. “And I don’t think that, by the way. The last thing you are is dumb. It’s all the backup of sperm in my system.”

  She laughed again, the annoyance gone from her features.

  “I have to go to New York on Sunday. I’ll be back Thursday unless something dire comes up. That friend I told you about? He’s opening a new club and we’re going to be talking about some possible joint business ventures. The rest of my group of friends will be there too.” He realized he wanted her to know he’d be back.

  “Oh. All right then.”

  He pulled up in front of her building. “Have a coffee with me?”

  Chapter 10

  DOMINIC was fairly sure he’d never wanted to have sex more in his entire life. And that included the year he was fourteen.

  He’d picked her up at her place for the opera and she’d come to her door looking like she’d stepped from a magazine ad. Hair in a chic updo. She wore some sort of fancy dress and equally fancy shoes. No one could accuse Meriel Owen of not dressing up enough for an evening out.

  She’d been elegant and beautiful on his arm. He’d never been to the opera and found himself totally falling into the story. But never enough not to be totally aware of the way she smelled. Or of the rise and fall of those ridiculously beautiful breasts heaved up at the bodice of her dress.

  She’d shared a big part of herself that evening and the one before. She’d shown him some of her magick, had helped him with his. They’d debated politics both witch and human. She was a fierce opponent and their discussions had the sort of heat that only left him craving more.

  They stopped by Heart of Darkness for a bit, but all he really wanted was her. All to himself. “My building has a rooftop garden. Would you like to come up and see it?”

  She grinned. “Is that like asking if I want to see your etchings?”

  “It is a lovely garden, even in the cold and wet. And yes, it would leave us astonishingly close to my place. Where my bed is.”

  She watched him, clearly wrestling with herself. He gave himself stern lectures to let her figure it out without any pressure.

  “I suppose I like gardens.”

  “So glad to hear that,” he said as he pulled her from the booth.

  He was pretty sure if he didn’t get inside her soon he might die. She was something else and he wanted more.

  “FEELS like you can see my building from here,” she said as she shivered just a little.

  Nice opportunity for him to touch her though. He took his suit jacket off and put it around her shoulders and held her to his side.

  “My father has a garden. Like an acre and a half of garden. Every year he takes on some new project and my mother just sighs and tells him to get on with it. He loves working in the dirt.”

  “Are you a gardener?”

  She laughed. “No. I am a disaster with plants. I can’t even keep a houseplant alive. At work my office has fake plants in it. What about you?”

  “I haven’t been up here in ages. I like gardens and all, but I’m not usually around during the day.”

  And then she turned to him, remaining in his arms. “I’d like to go inside now.”

  He tried to remain nonchalant but it was a chore not to drive her down to his place at a harried pace. As it was, it wasn’t until he’d closed the door, locking it as he watched her toe her pretty heels off, that he allowed himself to believe it was going to happen. She turned her head, still slightly bent to get her shoe loose, a sexy smile on her face.

  “I swear to you I totally am fine with whatever increased connection we gain after we have sex,” he blurted and she straightened, one hand on her hip, head cocked to the side.

  “I don’t know if you are really. But looking at you right now, feeling the way you make me feel … I can’t seem to find any willpower at all to make you wait. Hell, make me wait. I want you, Dominic. The need will grow, but I can’t manage to tell you no anymore. I’m not expecting more than sex from you at this point. Feel what you’re supposed to feel.”

  She reached up to the neck of the dress and undid something. The material slid from her body and pooled at her feet.

  “Uh …” was all he could think to say as he looked his fill at her.

  Her smile lost all its caution and he found that a good reason to get out of his shirt. He missed the buttons a few times because he couldn’t take his gaze from her bare breasts. Just beautiful.

  She stepped to him, gently moving his hands from the way and finishing unbuttoning his shirt and the cuffs. “I love it when a man wears French cuffs with cuff links. It’s so deliciously old-school and gentlemanly.”

  That’s always what he’d thought too. He’d watched Cary Grant in the old movies as he’d been growing up. It hadn’t been a casual coincidence that he’d ended up with French cuffs and a tray full of cuff links. Each set had been a way of telling himself he’d made it. Built himself into a success.

  “Your breasts l
ook even better when you’re so close I can see how tight your nipples are.”

  Her skin, so warm and very soft, drew his lips. He took his time, tasting and teasing. Wanting to savor her now that he had her in his bed.

  Of course now that he had her here in his bed, he was totally going to keep her.

  He paused at the base of her neck, feasting on her frantic pulse and the echo of her soft, sexy moans.

  He heard the intake of breath when he pulled away. Liked the way she licked her lips as she looked at him. Hungry. Loved the confident way she slid a palm from the waist of his pants, up the wall of his chest and around the back of his neck. Her nipples brushed against him and they both groaned.

  “You’re nearly naked. In my front hallway. It’s like Christmas and my birthday all at once.”

  She laughed and he twirled her, drawing her back to his bedroom and his bed. They paused at the doorway where he backed her up against the jamb while he made quick work of the barely there panties she had on.

  “Now I’m totally naked.”

  He walked her back until she landed on his bed. “You are. My favorite.”

  And that wasn’t a lie. She was long and curvy. Her skin was pale and pretty. The only tattoo she appeared to have was the mark at her wrist, but he liked the pierced belly button. He bent to tug it with his teeth.

  Everything in him wanted her. Wanted this beautiful, intelligent and strong woman all for his own.

  “I’m naked,” she repeated, waving her hand at him, “and you’re not. You’re giving me a bad case of the sads, Dominic. Why do you want that?”

  Before he could answer, she sat up on the bed and pulled his belt off, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants and shoving them down his legs. “There. I did most of the work for you. Get to it.”

  Laughing, he kicked the clothes off and leapt on the bed to straddle her body. He couldn’t recall the last time he ever laughed this much with a woman, much less one he was having sex with. Probably because he never had.

  Those lush lips, glossy and swollen from his kisses, called to him again as he pulled her so she rested on top of him, close enough to touch.