Quinn kissed the side of her neck, right where he’d bitten her. The skin was tender, but not raw and bleeding the way she’d assumed it would be.
“I have to go, sweetheart.”
Eve’s stomach plummeted. “You don’t have to,” she whispered, knowing it was going to hurt when he left.
He kissed her forehead and rolled to the side, taking her with him. “It’s late, and we’re driving back tonight.”
“You could stay here.”
“An enticing offer,” he murmured, taking her mouth in another luscious kiss. “But I have enemies.” He slipped his arm out from under her and stood, taking all that heat and desire with him.
Eve watched him get dressed, unsure what she was supposed to think about that last statement. He had enemies. And so. . . . What? Was he implying she could be bought? That she’d give him up to those enemies? Or maybe it was that he didn’t want to put her in the path of the people—vampires?—who meant him harm. Maybe he was worried about her safety, rather than his own.
She could ask him. But he might not tell her the truth, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know which one it was, anyway.
Fully dressed, Quinn bent over and pulled the covers up to her chin, then kissed her again. The kiss was still delicious, but some of the explosive anger between them—the very thing that had triggered their earlier passionate collision—had returned. He bit her lower lip as he pulled away, tugging it between his teeth just enough to hurt.
“Be good, Eve.”
“I will if you will,” she responded, eyeing him uncertainly.
“You’ll hear from me,” he growled, and then he was gone, using that damn vampire speed of his that didn’t even give her the satisfaction of throwing something at him.
QUINN MOVED, USING his vampiric gifts to get away as far and as fast from Eve’s flat as his considerable power allowed. It wasn’t only that he needed to meet up with the others and get back to the Ballsbridge house. It was also to escape the overwhelming temptation of Eve herself. For the first time since he’d been made a vampire, he’d considered remaining in his lover’s bed through the day. It was insane and dangerous. Even if he’d been able to trust her, and he wasn’t yet certain that he did completely, her tiny flat wasn’t equipped to provide him with a secure daytime resting place. He’d never seen her place in the daytime, for obvious reasons, but he doubted the pale curtains on the main window blocked the sunlight, and the door was so flimsy as to barely qualify.
Garrick would knock his lights out for even thinking about it. Even Adorjan might be tempted to set aside his respect for Quinn’s position and whack some sense into him.
Reaching the now-deserted pub, he was happy to see the Range Rover still standing in the parking lot, looking like a metal and glass indictment of his poor judgment. At least according to Garrick. Striding over to the vehicle, he dug in his pocket, then realized he didn’t have the damn key. Even if his cousin had left it unlocked, he couldn’t—
“Looking for this?” Garrick strolled out of the pub, dangling the key fob from his fingers.
Quinn winced privately, but reminded himself he was the vampire lord here, not Garrick. “Great, you’re here. Where’s Adorjan?”
Garrick studied him for a moment, then drew a deep breath. “He’s waiting at the house. You want to stay here or—”
“No, we’re going back to the city, and we’ll have to ignore the speed limits to do it,” Quinn said, sliding into the passenger seat.
His cousin joined him, punching the ignition before he was fully seated. “I’ll let Adorjan drive. He’s been dying to break the law ever since we got here.”
Quinn thought that they’d already broken more than a few laws. Murder, for one. Smuggling, criminal conspiracy, racketeering . . . He could go on. But all he said was, “Good. Because we’re going to be breaking a few more very soon.”
Chapter Eleven
Dublin, Ireland
QUINN WOKE IN THE security of his new private suite in the Ballsbridge house. It was nice to finally have a safe place to spend the day, but all he could think was that it would be even nicer if a certain hot redhead was waking up next to him. He quashed that thought before it was fully formed. Sure, he was attracted to Eve. What man wouldn’t be? She was gorgeous and sexy and as fiery as hell . . . and if any other man laid a hand on her, he’d kill him.
His eyes flashed open. Christ, where had that come from? He couldn’t get involved with Eve or any other woman. He had a challenge to win and a territory to run. Hundreds of vampire lives depended on him. He didn’t have time to worry about a woman, other than as a source for blood. And if spectacular sex went with it, all the better.
He sat up, and his senses automatically spread through the rest of the house, touching every living person—human or vampire. He sensed Garrick and Adorjan rising to wakefulness, as more of the others began to stir with every minute that passed. By now, his vampires were all well-rested and well-fed, a strong fighting force that would be tested over the next few nights.
It was while he was showering that he sensed another presence on the estate. One who couldn’t match a vampire’s strength, but who was powerful all the same.
“Damn it, Eve,” he muttered, toweling himself off quickly. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“DAMN IT, EVE, WHAT the fuck are you doing here?” she muttered to herself as she watching the closed gate through her binoculars, waiting for the almighty Quinn to grant her entrance. The human guards who’d been there when she’d first parked down the street were being replaced by vampires. The two groups were consulting, giving a shift report, she supposed, as if this was some ordinary corporate headquarters instead of a vampire’s lair. It shouldn’t have surprised her. Quinn was a bossy guy. He probably did run his vampire empire, or whatever they called it, like a corporation. She’d like to see that board meeting. Did they serve warm blood in flasks, instead of water? Did vampires drink water? They drank booze, so why not?
Forcing her thoughts away from such trivial considerations, she continued her surveillance. She was there to talk to Quinn, to settle, once and for all, what this thing was between them. And, also, she admitted grudgingly, to finish their discussion about her vampire killing. Whatever else happened between them, she knew she couldn’t go on as she had. Now that she’d gotten to know—and, er, fucked—Quinn, and after meeting his cousin, and even Adorjan, she couldn’t justify killing every vampire she met on a dark street. Yeah, sure, Adorjan was a scary motherfucker, but that didn’t mean he deserved to die. There were plenty of scary humans, too. Some of whom were even involved in the kind of crimes that had gotten her brother killed.
And that was the other truth she’d had to face. Her beloved brother, the most important person in her life, had been involved in a criminal conspiracy dirty enough that it had gotten him killed. It destroyed a little piece of her soul to admit that. The same man who’d soothed her skinned knees and cheered her football games, who’d screened her dates and yelled louder than anyone at her graduation, had been a criminal. She didn’t know why he’d done it, or even what he’d done to make his criminal bosses angry enough to murder him. But Quinn was right. Alan hadn’t been an innocent mowed down by evil vampires. He’d put himself at risk and paid the price. But had he considered the price she’d pay if he died? Not the vampire hunting—that was on her. But what about the empty spot in her life that no one else would ever fill?
She sighed and rubbed her eyes, telling herself she was tired, not crying. When her eyes blinked open, she saw that the gate finally had been rolled back. Not all the way, but just enough to—
A knock of her window startled her into a high-pitched shriek. She glared at the man standing outside her car door, looking in. Not a man, she realized, catching the glint of red in his eyes, but a vampire. Of course. She buzzed the window down just enough to hear
him.
“What?” she demanded. “This is a perfectly legal parking spot, and—”
“Lord Quinn has invited you to join him.”
That’s what he said, but what he clearly meant was that Quinn had ordered him to drag her inside kicking and screaming, if he had to.
“Fine,” she said and buzzed the window back up. She’d hoped to force the vamp to jump back in order to keep his nose from being squished, but the damn window didn’t move fast enough. He gave her a smug look, which she ignored. She’d intended to go in and see Quinn anyway, so what difference did it make how she got there? She was curious to know how they’d spotted her. She was well down the block, under a tree, with no lights anywhere.
Shoving the expensive binocs inside her pack, she hefted it onto her shoulder and climbed out of the car, closing and locking it behind her. The locks wouldn’t stand against vampire strength, but they might deter crooks of the human variety.
“Lead the way,” she told the vamp, but he shook his head.
“I don’t think so.” Something about the way he said it made her think he knew how she’d spent the last few years and wasn’t willing to give her his back. On the one hand, yay her! for having a big bad vamp afraid of her. On the other hand . . . shit, maybe she’d killed one of his friends. Maybe even someone he loved.
This whole “vampires are people, too” thing sucked.
The vampire guided her all the way into the house, then up the wide stairway with its exquisite crystal chandelier. The first floor—what Americans, and probably Quinn, called the second floor—was a long hallway, with subtle sconce lighting that hadn’t been there the other night. Or maybe it simply hadn’t been turned on. With the extra light, she could see details. The dark wooden wainscoting consisted of panels that were lovingly detailed, probably antique, and the raw silk wallpaper above them would have cost more than all her belongings combined. It was all terribly beautiful, and it all fit with what she knew of powerful vampires. They had money. Sorley’s house wasn’t as tasteful as this, but it was stuffed with priceless antiques, and the house itself was in one of Dublin’s most exclusive neighborhoods. If she’d once doubted Quinn’s determination to rule Ireland—not his singled-mindedness, but the practicality of such a goal—she didn’t anymore. Not after seeing how he was settling into this house. And not after witnessing his ruthlessness the other night, or the way the vampires around him treated him like royalty.
She looked up to find Garrick standing outside the open door to Quinn’s office, giving her a death stare. She might have won over Quinn, but his cousin still hated her. She smiled brightly, but his expression didn’t change.
“I’ve got this,” he told the vampire who’d brought her this far.
She turned to watch as the vamp didn’t say a word, simply spun on his heel and headed back downstairs.
“Lord Quinn is waiting for you,” Garrick said, drawing her attention.
She noted the formal address, figured it had some meaning for him, but didn’t know how she was supposed to react. She gave him another bright smile and said, “Thanks,” then walked past him into Quinn’s office, head held high.
“Close the door, Eve.” Quinn’s voice from behind her sparked a shock of remembered lust, her breasts seeming to swell as an ache settled between her thighs.
She had to draw a careful breath before she turned to meet his bright blue gaze, knowing he’d see the desire in her eyes if she wasn’t careful. It would be a mistake to let him have that much control. He was already arrogant enough. He gave her a knowing look, and Eve swore inwardly.
Standing near the discreet bar tucked against one wall, he lifted a beautiful crystal decanter filled with dark gold liquid and poured himself a drink. The dark, peaty scent of Irish whiskey filled the room as he held up the decanter. “Drink?”
She shook her head. She’d never been much of a whiskey drinker, for all that it smelled divine. A half-pint of ale was more her speed, and she rarely finished even that. “Did I interrupt something?” she asked, fighting to keep the snark out of her question. “Your cousin didn’t seem happy to see me.”
“Well, you’ve been killing vampires, lass, and he doesn’t want me dead.”
Eve couldn’t stop the jerk of surprise that had her eyes going wide and her mouth opening in shock. “I’d never hurt you,” she breathed.
Quinn gave her a bemused smile and settled behind his desk, studying her.
She knew it was stupid, but her feelings were hurt. She hadn’t expected a soliloquy of everlasting love, but a hello kiss would have been nice. After all, they’d practically attacked each other last night, as if they couldn’t get enough. He’d even taken her blood! And now, he was treating her like an annoying neighbor.
Fine. Who cared?
Too restless to remain still under that careful gaze, she wandered over to the window, which mostly looked out over the side yard, with its winding path and carefully manicured shrubbery. If she looked left, she could just see the detached garages, which hummed with activity. Lots of coming and going, though she didn’t know what for.
“Why are you here, Eve?” Quinn asked.
She swung around and tilted her head curiously. “How did you know I was here in the first place?”
He shrugged. “I always know where you are.”
“What does that mean?”
He gave her a vague look. “I’m a powerful vampire. I keep track of the people who matter to me.”
She experienced a moment of pure, feminine satisfaction at that admission. She “mattered” to him. But then she frowned. Damn him. What did that mean?
“I have a question,” she said abruptly.
There was that bemused smile again, as if he found her entertaining.
“Is this real?” she blurted out. She’d never wanted anyone the way she wanted him. No matter how cool he pretended to be, he’d been just as hot for her as she’d been for him. And that had never happened to her before. So she needed to know. “Are you doing something to me? To us? Making me want you the way I do?”
The elegant crystal tumbler thumped to the desk, and she thought for sure the glass would shatter under the crushing grip of his hand. “Fuck, Eve,” he snapped. “I thought we were past this.” He threw the glass at the empty fireplace, breaking it anyway.
The office door popped open almost instantly. Garrick took a half-step into the room, his gaze sweeping over her, before landing on Quinn.
“It was just a glass,” Quinn said quietly, glancing at his cousin. “Thanks, Garrick.”
Garrick gave Eve a careful look, said, “My lord,” and ducked back out again, closing the door.
Quinn waited a moment, then stood and leaned over his desk to say tightly, “No, I’m not doing anything to you. No one’s doing anything.” He gave her a look that was hot with more than just anger. “I want you. But I’m not going to live with this constant suspicious bullshit. You either deal with what I am, once and for all, or go find some nice Irish lad, have lots of boring sex, and pop out a bunch of babies.”
It was Eve’s turn to be pissed. Hell, she had a right to be pissed. He wanted her? Well, then, why the fuck hadn’t he acted like it when she’d walked in? And what the fuck was up with the, “I’ll be in touch,” line when he’d left her this morning? That wasn’t something you said to a person who mattered.
She stormed around his desk, ready to get in his face, only to find him giving her that damn bemused look again. She tightened her hand into a fist and swung at his smug face, but he caught her hand with ease.
“No hitting,” he said, laughing.
She ground her teeth so hard, she could hear the noise. “For the record,” she growled. “I don’t want some nice Irish lad, and I sure as hell don’t want a swollen belly.”
He raised one eyebrow. �
�What do you want?” he purred.
She glared at him, then sighed in resignation. “For some reason, you fucking American bastard, what I want is you.”
Quinn reached out, wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, and pulled her in until she bumped against his chest. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” he murmured, his whisper a warm brush of air against her ear.
Eve felt her temper rising again, since he’d been the one being an arse about things, but he didn’t give her a chance. Twisting his fingers in her hair, he tugged her head back, met her eyes, and said, “Good evening, Eve.” And then he kissed her, melting away her anger and destroying any thoughts she’d had of resisting.
“Damn you,” she whispered, when they came up for air. His arms tightened and he kissed her again, deeper this time, his big hands sliding down her back to cup her ass and press her against his erection. Eve moaned softly, pushing her breasts against his chest and shivering with perverse pleasure when her tongue caressed his fangs.
Lifting her easily, Quinn swiveled to place her on his desk, then stepped between her thighs and pushed her legs wide, until the thick bulge of his erection was nestled against her sex. Hips flexing, he rubbed over her swollen clit until she found herself grinding against him, her arms twisted around his neck to keep him from moving away. She leaned back to tug his shirt out of his slacks, and he took advantage, slipping two fingers into her blouse and popping the buttons one by one until he bared her bra, and then twisted the front catch open on that, too. The bra fell away to either side, spilling her breasts into his waiting hands. Leaning forward, he drew the tip of one into his mouth, stroking her nipple with his tongue, sucking it to a stiff peak before biting just enough that she could feel it, and then grazing his fangs over the soft flesh until he drew the smallest trickle of blood.
Quinn (Vampires in America: The Vampire Wars Book 12) Page 27
