No Fear

by Allie Harrison

  “Yes, but I’ll be all right. Are you warming up?”

  “Not much. I can’t believe how cold I am,” she said, leaning against him. Her words were still broken as she shivered. “It’s more than just from the storm and the dropping temperature. It’s like I’m cold on the inside, and no matter how much you turn up the heat, it just can’t reach the cold.”

  “We’ll get you warm, honey,” he said softly. “Just be patient.” He slipped her sodden jacket off her arms and let it land in a wet heap on the floor as he stood holding her, letting the hot spray of water wash down her back. When that didn’t seem to work, he let go of her long enough to rip open her shirt. He couldn’t care less about the buttons that popped free under his hand, allowing the hot water to rain over her bare flesh.

  “It’s like it suddenly hit me,” she said, her words unsteady with her shivers.

  “What?”

  “Everything you said. It all seemed like a mind game; unimportant really, until I felt how easy it was for him to touch my back. I then realized how easy it would be for him to do other things,” she admitted. “When I made those comments earlier about him kissing my neck or unbuttoning my shirt, I was only kidding. Now I realize that if he can touch me, maybe he really can do those things to me.”

  James slipped his hands beneath the soaked blouse that clung to her, and he gently rubbed down the length of her back to warm her. He felt her softness as well as the gooseflesh that covered her. He turned the water hotter.

  Her breasts filled the black, lacy bra she wore. James did his best not to stare at that enticement. He was too concerned about getting some much-needed heat into her.

  To distract himself, he said, “I don’t think he can touch you here.”

  “What if he can?” she asked, a thread of panic in her voice.

  “Then I’ll take you somewhere else. But for now I need to get you warm. Then I’ll make some soup and some hot tea for you,” he said through the stream of water hitting them. “We’ll get you warm both inside and out.”

  “It’s like I’m more than just scared. What’s wrong with me?” she asked, her words still shivering with the rest of her.

  James heard her voice shake with cold fear. “I think the shock of all of this is just getting to you. We’ll have you warm in a few minutes,” he reassured.

  “This doesn’t seem to be working,” she replied, sounding as if she were on the verge of tears.

  James pulled her shirt completely off. His soon followed, and he dropped them onto the growing pile of clothes before he pulled her against him in an attempt to send his own body heat into her. “Hold on to me.”

  She molded against him and wrapped her arms around him. The lace of her bra brushed his skin and felt nearly as enticing as her softness. Wrapping his arms completely around her, he held her tightly and rubbed her back. She pressed against him, and he felt her breath and her cold cheek on his chest. She had no idea how sweet she smelled, even through the constant spray of water.

  Without thought, he unhooked her bra. She didn’t argue. She didn’t even gasp at its sudden looseness. She simply moved slightly to allow it to be added to the pile of clothing near their feet.

  With only the sound of the spray and the beating of the rain on the roof, they stood so close together that it was hard for James to tell where he ended and Emma began. And yet, he was aware of every inch of where her softness pressed against his body. Just as he was aware of every breath she took and every beat of her heart.

  “Do you think I’m pretty?” she whispered.

  Her words caught somewhere deep in his chest. He was doing his best to do what was best for her, and that was to get her warm. Yet the feel of her was taking its toll on his control. He wished she would stick to the idea of just getting warm. He knew he was certainly getting warm, and soon it would be embarrassingly apparent to her.

  “I think you’re beautiful, but right now we need to get you warm.” He closed his eyes, hoping that if he didn’t see her, he could keep his mind—and his body—on the job at hand.

  “You really think I’m beautiful?”

  She sounded so wistful that for a moment he couldn’t breathe. “Yes. Now I need to get you warm.”

  “You are. Just keep touching me like this.”

  “You don’t feel like you’re getting any warmer,” he pointed out. “You’re still covered with goose pimples. And you’re still shivering.”

  “Just keep touching me,” she said softly. “Your touch feels so right, so perfect. I think I may have known that. I just didn’t realize it before now.”

  James let out a heavy breath that sounded loud through the spray of water. She obviously had no idea what her touch did to him. Right then his heart raced in his chest. His stomach was clenched because there had to be river of fire burning out of control there, and the river flowed south. She told him his touch felt right. He’d waited five long years to touch her, and he’d never wanted anyone more than he wanted her. Yet, control was the key. He glanced down at her, saw her pulse in her throat and fought to keep his fangs out of sight. He licked his lips and brought some moisture to his dry mouth. He had to clear his throat before he could speak. “You might have known it when?” His words were spoken through a tight, scratchy throat, and he wondered if she noticed how harsh his voice sounded.

  “The first time you cut your hand and I had to stitch you up. Don’t you remember? You said you broke a glass and cut your hand while you were cleaning it.” She turned slightly so she could look up at him. Her hair glistened with moisture from the spray. Her nipples were suddenly hard peaks that pressed against his chest.

  He could hardly breathe, much less reply. When he finally managed it, his words were rough and nearly painful in his throat. “I remember.”

  “Why didn’t you ever touch me before this?” Her voice was low and throaty and so seductive his knees went weak.

  “Because I was afraid I’d scare you away,” he admitted. He now used his entire palms to massage her back. Her gooseflesh was beginning to fade. “Don’t move.” She obviously had no idea what kind of reaction she caused him. He felt as if he might explode. He’d heard that for vampires, the desire, the need for a soul mate, could drive one mad, could cause a frenzy, and he now understood that. He worked continuously to keep his teeth normal as her sweet woman—his woman—scent filled him. One slight move from her—the simple slide of her hand down his side or a single palm against his chest, and he’d be forcing her to the floor and ripping off her jeans.

  “James?” Emma suddenly wanted to tell him that she’d dreamed about him the night before. She wanted to tell him that he’d made love to her in that dream and that he had touched her just as he touched her now.

  “Yes?” His name, spoken in her husky voice, grated against his resolve.

  She opened her mouth to tell him, but then closed it. The idea simply seemed like too much of come-on line, and she didn’t want to take the chance that it might offend him. And if that night of terror five years ago had taught her anything, it was that time should never be wasted over something as trivial as a misunderstanding.

  “Make love to me,” she said simply. “I want to feel you touch me all over just as you’re touching me now.”

  James couldn’t reply. He merely groaned and sealed his lips over hers.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The Energy of Water

  Lily entered her apartment to find Mr. Warner, or Quinn, as he’d instructed her to call him, waiting for her. No matter how hard she tried, she simply couldn’t remember his first name as being Quinn. And she couldn’t seem to get used to calling him that. Perhaps she’d call her mother and ask her to send her high school yearbooks to her. Maybe if she saw his picture, things wouldn’t seem so confusing.

  Her headache and queasiness all but disappeared the moment she met his gaze. Even the need to call her mother and get her hands on a yearbook didn’t seem so important when she looked into the deep darkness of his eyes. />
  “Lock the door,” he said.

  She did as he instructed. Then, without thought, she moved around the apartment, knowing he watched her, and she lit every candle she owned. There were two on the table, three on the coffee table and an entire grouping of six on a shelf on the wall. Then she opened the kitchen window slightly so she could let in the energy of the storm.

  It was after she opened the window that she noticed the rich aroma of heavenly stew throughout the entire apartment. Stew, her favorite supper on a cold, wet night. How could he know?

  Only after she lit the candles and opened the window did Quinn approach her. He kissed her passionately and teased her tongue with his. He didn’t seem bothered at all by her wet clothes. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too,” she breathed between kisses. She still couldn’t believe he was with her, holding her in his arms, kissing her. It left her feeling guilty about him leaving his wife and baby. They need him, a little voice inside her head reminded her.

  His lips were hot, and he warmed her cold body in an instant. And Lily found she needed him, too.

  “I made supper for you,” he said.

  “It smells delicious. And it’s really strange, but I’ve felt horrible all day. But suddenly I’m fine and starving and can’t wait to devour a big bowl of stew. Did you go to the store? I might have had a few old carrots in the bottom of the fridge, but I know I didn’t have the ingredients to make an entire pot of stew.”

  Lily moved to the stove where the large pot simmered. She lifted the lid and inhaled deeply the heavenly scent.

  “Yes, I went to the store,” he replied, coming up behind her. He put his arms around her and pressed her body against his. “You feel wonderful.”

  “I feel wet, and I’m getting you all wet.” She replaced the lid.

  “I don’t mind you getting me wet. I love the feel of you,” he whispered in her ear.

  Lily snuggled against him, relishing in the warmth and strength in his body. “I still can’t believe you’re here.”

  “It’s what I’ve wanted for a very long time.”

  That guilt touched her like icy fingers on the back of her neck. “But what about your wife? Your baby?”

  He turned her to face him and halted more questions with a touch of his fingertips to her lips. “No more questions now. We’ll work it all out, I promise. Why don’t you go take a shower and put on something more comfortable? Then the two of us can have a leisurely supper. Did you tell anyone I was in town?”

  “No. I still find it so hard to believe you’re here. I was afraid when I got home, you’d be gone, so I didn’t tell anyone,” she admitted.

  “Good.” He kissed her. “Later tonight we’ll talk and work everything out.”

  She smiled up at him, thinking everything he suggested sounded absolutely wonderful. “All right,” she said softly.

  He kissed her once more, sweetly, passionately, sending something that felt like an electrical current pulsing through her. Then he let her go.

  But he smiled at her. Lily loved his smile. He looked at her now, just as he had when she was in his classroom and she got the highest grade in the class. She had always wanted to hug him when he handed back her tests and looked at her with that wonderful I’m-so-proud-of-you smile on his lips. She wanted to hug him now. She wanted to simply melt into his arms.

  “Your shower’s waiting,” he said. “When you’re done, we can snuggle on the sofa, and I plan to hold you in my arms all night. While you’re in the shower, I’ll dish out supper so it can cool.”

  Lily nearly giggled with giddiness at the anticipation. To snuggle on the sofa, eating her favorite supper and listening to the rain pounding on the roof while she was in Mr. Warner’s arms sounded wonderful. Still, it was hard to leave him, even long enough to go and shower. But her wet clothes were now sticking to her and rubbing in all the wrong places.

  Strangely enough, the moment he wasn’t holding her in his arms, coldness grabbed and held her like a tight fist, and her stomach rolled, as it had done most of the day. As she entered the bathroom, Lily ignored it and grit her teeth to keep them from chattering as she closed the door and peeled off her clothes.

  She turned on the shower and let the water heat up, then climbed under it and closed the stall door behind her. The water was warm and sent steam all around her. She took a deep breath before beginning to scrub herself with her scrunchy, which was filled with scented soap. She didn’t want to stay any longer than necessary in the shower when the man of her dreams waited for her.

  The man of her dreams. He was really here. She licked her lips and could still taste the minty freshness of him.

  Soap bubbles gathered around her toes. The water was warm, steamy hot really, and still she felt cold and shivered. Suddenly, the spray burned her skin. And yet, she was covered with goose flesh. Without thinking, she stepped back out of the spray and reached for the nozzle to turn down the heat. When she turned the handle for the hot water, it came off in her hand and scalding water shot out at her with enough force to nearly cause her to slip on the wet porcelain.

  She screamed at the sudden burning stream of water.

  But Quinn must not have heard her over the sound of the running water and the storm since he didn’t come to check on her.

  Well, then, she’d have to let the water run while she climbed out and yelled for him to come help her. She reached for the shower door handle while working to avoid the hot water.

  The handle came off in her hand just as the hot water nozzle had.

  At first, she simply thought, gosh these fixtures are older than the landlord led me to believe. But then the water really began to burn her.

  When she looked down and noticed that the water wasn’t going down the drain very quickly, her heart began to race. Within a matter of seconds, it pooled over her feet, its heat burning her toes.

  Lily screamed in earnest and slapped her hands against the glass of the shower door. It didn’t open.

  “Quinn! Help! Quinn!”

  When the water reached her knees, Lily looked up to see the shower door went clear to the ceiling. She was completely enclosed within the stall.

  Still screaming under the burning force of water, she grabbed her plastic bottle of shower soap and attempted to break the glass. The door didn’t even crack under her forceful blows. After several attempts to break the shower door, Lily lost her footing and slipped.

  She went down hard on her left hip and cried out in pain. The two feet of water churning there didn’t break her fall at all. But she did choke on it. Quickly, she scrambled to her feet.

  Her heart beat painfully in her chest. Her throat was just as painful from her screams. And the palms of her hands were red and stinging from slapping against the glass door.

  Yet that ended within what felt like mere seconds as the water reached her shoulders. Because the resistance of the water slowed her momentum, she couldn’t hit the glass as hard. She felt the drain with the soles of her feet and couldn’t feel anything blocking it, so she didn’t understand why the water wasn’t draining.

  The water reached her neck, and Lily tried to stretch taller to keep her toes on the floor. She tried to scream again, but only managed to get a mouthful of water that choked her.

  * * * *

  Deke arrived at Lily’s apartment mere minutes after she did. At her door, he stood silently and touched the wood, channeling all his energy, all his concentration, on the woman inside. She was close; he felt her presence. He smelled her—she smelled of the diner and flowery shampoo, as well as a lovely perfume. Underneath it all was her own unique woman scent that reminded him a bit of baby powder. He touched the door lightly and focused on Lily. She spoke to someone, speaking softly and telling that person she missed him.

  Yet, Deke detected no one else in the room. He didn’t even feel the presence of a pet—a dog or a cat. Maybe she had a bowl of goldfish, but he didn’t think she would sound so breathless when she spoke to goldfi
sh, or even that she might miss them when she went to work, for that matter.

  He heard her start the shower and even detected the difference in the sound of the water when she climbed under the spray. Channeling more energy to her, he felt her heart beating. It was easy to mentally touch her, easy to feel her closeness. And her scent, even under the spray of the shower, was enticing, inviting.

  Suddenly, something changed. He wasn’t quite sure when he noticed it, but her heartbeat quickened, and a sense of urgency emanated from her. Deke didn’t understand what was wrong with her. She was still in the shower. And yet he felt . . .

  Fear.

  Terror.

  He pressed both hands to the cool wood of her door, and he felt something else. Something he couldn’t quite define—another presence, not human.

  He leaned back from the door and easily kicked it open just as he heard Lily scream for help, but her cry was muffled.

  The presence had been near the open window and now was gone.

  It took all Deke’s control not to go tearing after it, to find out who and what it was. But Lily had to be his concern. He felt her terror is if it were his own, and he moved to the bathroom as quickly as the creature had disappeared. He was forced to kick in the bathroom door, too.

  Lily was in the shower, screaming and beating on the glass. He pulled the door open easily and she fell, wet and slippery and still screaming, into his arms.

  She was warm and wet and soft. But there was more to her touch. It sent something pulsing through his blood, filling him with unexpected heat, with need—with longing and desire.

  It stopped him short, and he knew without a doubt.

  Lily was meant for him, chosen through time to be his soul mate.

  “Damn,” he muttered aloud. He took a deep breath, working to calm his insides, which felt as if they were suddenly in overdrive, but all he managed to do was inhale a lungful of her clean, baby-powder scent.

  “Lily, Lily,” he said softly, talking in a hushed voice and trying his best to calm her screams as well as her racing heart.