Shiela Stewart - [Darkness 08]

by Surviving theDarkness (epub)

  Oh how wonderful freedom was.

  “It’s a beautiful night. Let’s take a walk,” Deborah sighed as she snuggled closer to Zach while their hands linked.

  “Have you forgotten where you are? This is Jacob’s Cove. Home of the blood-thirsty,” Zach reminded her. “Not to mention it’s a full moon.”

  She’d noticed that but had forgotten the meaning. “Isn’t there anywhere we could go that would be safe?” When he stopped them, stood before her, she was a little baffled.

  “I know the perfect place. Do you trust me, Deborah?”

  “With my life,” she admitted with a light kiss to his lips.

  “Then climb on.”

  He changed into the most beautiful white horse she had ever seen. His mane glistened under the fall of the full moon, and his blue eyes twinkled with amusement. Without hesitation, she climbed up onto his back.

  “Wow.” He felt powerful beneath her and being honest with herself, it was rather a turn on.

  “Hold on.”

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, Deborah giggled as he galloped off. “This is so weird.” But she was having the time of her life. The air was warm and tossed her hair about as she rode. This was freedom; this was living. “I love this.”

  “Want me to go faster?”

  It was so odd hearing Zach’s voice coming from the horse. “Yes,” she laughed as he picked up the pace. “But don’t tire yourself out. I have plans for you.”

  “Do you now?” He flicked his mane. “Not to worry, I have plenty of energy.”

  She knew perfectly well how much energy he had and holding onto him felt the power he exuded in the muscles of his neck and the strength in his legs as he ran. He took her out of the city to a wooded area where the trees were just beginning to recover from their long sleep and the ground was rocky. When he came to a stop near a clearing, she slid off of his back, laughing as he changed back.

  “That was incredible.”

  “I’ve never done that for anyone else before.” He touched her face with his finger tips.

  Her heart swelled with love. “I feel so alive.”

  “There’s more.”

  Taking her hand in his, he led her forward to the edge of a cliff that overlooked the city. It was far off in the distance and all the twinkling lights looked like stars. It truly was a stunning sight. “It’s beautiful.”

  He turned her to face him. “You’re beautiful.”

  She went into his arms as his mouth took hers on a slow ride to desire. Her hands feathered through his hair and it reminded her of the horse’s main. His hands slid to her waist then up and under her shirt to find her bare flesh. He took her down, onto the ground, kissing her softly, caressing her gently, stirring her until she was putty in his hands.

  “I’ve never been so happy. I love you, Zach.”

  Bracing over her, he kissed her forehead, then each eye, the tip of her nose before touching her lips. “And I love you,” he murmured, then slowly stripped her of her clothing. He placed his beneath her on the ground and as he straddled her, his eyes took hers captive. “Forever and a day.”

  He slipped inside, took her up and as the orgasm filled her, she felt as if she were floating amongst the stars.

  ***

  “I have some stuff I need to do in my office,” Zach informed her as they entered the club.

  “That’s fine. I’ll hang at the bar with Wade and chat with Ginny when I can.” She kissed him softly, once, then twice before letting him go. “But first I want to take a shower. For some reason I have leaves in my underwear.” She laughed, feeling absolutely glorious.

  “Yeah, wonder how that happened.”

  “Mr. Adams?”

  Zach turned as did Deborah to the tall thin Barbie doll of a woman before them. “Yes.”

  “Linda Marcotte. I’m a reviewer for NightGuide New York. I’m doing reviews of several of your nightclubs for our magazine. It’s a pleasure to finally meet the man behind some of the most successful and sought out nightclubs in the world.”

  “I’m honored and it’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Marcotte.”

  Her face beamed with excitement. “Oh, the honor is all mine. I was hoping to manage an interview with you but when I came in your bartender explained that you were out for the night. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. But now you’re here and I’m hoping to scoop a few minutes of your time if your companion could part with you for a few moments.” She turned to Deborah with a smile then slowly her head tilted to the side. “I know you.”

  “As it seems, I do have some time to give you now, Miss Marcotte.” Zach stepped in front of Deborah obstructing Linda’s view.

  “Oh my lord! You’re Deborah Carmichael, the concert pianist.”

  “I am.” Deborah smiled politely.

  “So this is where you’ve been hiding. I can’t wait to tell my editor. I would love to set up a time for an interview with you, Miss Carmichael.”

  “That’s very nice of you, only I don’t do interviews any longer. I’ll just leave the two of you to your business.” She gave Zach a kiss before leaving the two. That was another thing she was not going to miss. Being hounded by the press.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  With the local newspaper spread out in front of her and a pad and pen on her left, Deborah searched for a place to live. Since coming to Jacob’s Cove nearly two months ago she’d either lived with Ginny or spent her nights at Zach’s. As of late she had spent more time at Zach’s than at Ginny’s. But it was time she found a place of her own. Though Zach had suggested she live with him, Deborah insisted she find a place of her own. She loved him; there was no questioning that, but she also felt that she needed some time on her own before making that commitment. He’d been such a tremendous help to her in healing, but they both knew the one major step she needed to take was living on her own.

  The idea scared the living hell out of her. But she knew she needed to do it. She’d never lived on her own, not entirely. There had always been her mother when she’d been younger and out on the road. Then as she grew older, there was her bodyguard. Though he didn’t technically live with her, he was always around which meant she was never alone. This time, she would be completely on her own and that was what scared her.

  She circled another open apartment then wrote down the address and number on her pad. As soon as Ginny woke she’d ask her about the area and see if it was suitable to move there. Even though she’d lived in Jacob’s Cove in her youth, so much had changed since then—as in the monsters that now inhabited the city. Deborah didn’t want to live in an area known for bad behavior. That was just something she wasn’t ready for yet.

  When she heard the familiar footsteps of her friend descending the staircase, she got up and poured a fresh cup of coffee. Setting it on the table across from her, she poured herself a cup and was just taking her seat when Ginny walked into the room. She knew her friend well enough now to know that the first thing she did was grab a cup of coffee even before she spoke. Since she’d moved in, it had been Deborah’s cup of coffee Ginny habitually took. But Deborah had learned weeks ago the trick was to have a cup waiting. Not that she minded sharing her coffee with her friend. It was just nice to have the cup to herself from time to time.

  Grabbing the cup, Ginny took a long sip as she eyed the paper on the table. “What’s up?” she asked finally, taking a seat at the table.

  “I’m apartment hunting.”

  Ginny looked up at her friend, her brow rising. “Why?”

  “Because it’s time I moved out on my own.”

  “What’s wrong with living with Zach? You’re practically there every night anyway.” She sipped again, glancing down at the pad on the table. “Oh, you do not want to live there.” She tapped the third apartment on the list. “Vamp ce
ntral.”

  “Thanks. I want you to go over this list when I’m done and to answer your question, I need to live on my own for a while before moving in with Zach.” She crossed off the apartment Ginny disapproved of and moved on.

  Ginny took the pen from Deborah and crossed off all but two of the apartments on her list. “You’ve lived on your own forever. I think you’re just scared to commit.”

  Frowning, Deborah took the pen back. “I haven’t really been on my own because someone has always been there with me and I am not afraid of commitment.” That was absurd.

  Ginny left the table to rummage through the fridge. “You’ve never had a long term relationship.”

  “Because it was too difficult on the road.”

  “The right man would understand.” Ginny came back to the table with the pan of apple pie Deborah had picked up at the bakery the day before.

  “You’re having that for breakfast? Really?”

  “There’s fruit in it and pastry is often eaten for breakfast. Don’t change the subject.”

  “I wasn’t changing the subject. Statistics show that the divorce rate for stars and long distance relationships is pretty high. Right man or not, after not being with the one you love for weeks any person would grow tired of it and look elsewhere.”

  “Not if they truly loved the person,” Ginny responded then shoved a fork full of pie in her mouth.

  “Sometimes, love isn’t enough.” She let out a long breath. “Looks like I don’t have many options.”

  “Nope. Guess you’ll have to move in with Zach.”

  Slowly, Deborah looked up at her friend. She’d been duped. “You did this on purpose, crossing out all my addresses. Why did I think I could trust you?” She folded up the newspaper and placed the pad on top. “I’ll ask Wade. I’m sure he’ll be more helpful.” she added the last for spite.

  “Fine, you want to live on your own, then stay here.”

  “The point of living on my own would be the alone part, which I wouldn’t be with you here.”

  Finished with her pie, Ginny carried it back to the fridge. “Mitch and I discussed it and we’re going to live in his house. If you can wait another two weeks you can have this place.”

  “Are you serious?”

  Ginny laid her head on Deborah’s. “Perfectly.”

  “Will you sell it to me?”

  “If I sell it to you then you’ll never move in with Zach.”

  “We could both live here instead of beneath his club.”

  “Ah…so the truth comes out.” Ginny grinned as she refilled her cup. “Why don’t you want to live at his place?”

  “It’s not that I don’t like it but…well…it doesn’t feel like my home.”

  “Because…?” Ginny sat back down at the table, waiting for Deborah to respond.

  “It just doesn’t.”

  “Lame,” Ginny snorted.

  “Fine. It’s a little intimidating to see all the feminine products and clothing that aren’t mine.”

  “Ah…”

  “This would be our place. Only our place.”

  “Have you talked to Zach about that?”

  “I plan to.”

  “Might be a good idea before this relationship progresses. Well, I need to take a shower. Let me know what you decide.”

  Deborah sat at the table staring down at the pad before her. She knew Ginny was right. She needed to talk to Zach about it. Yet…

  ***

  Dinner was superb. It wasn’t just the meal, but the ambiance as well. Zach always made sure there were fresh cut flowers on the table and the tiny tea-light candles in the crystal dishes were always fresh. He was meticulous that way. Just like his obsession with having his fridge products in their specific places and his cupboard items perfectly aligned.

  Deborah loved that about him. She loved everything about him, including his bizarre sense of humor. She could never be sure when he would show up in a different body, or as an animal. He preferred changing into animals, she noticed.

  As he cleared the table from their meal, which he had insisted he do, Deborah watched him work. And she thought about what Ginny had said to her.

  She really did need to talk to him.

  “Ginny’s decided to move in with Mitch,” she blurted out.

  “Has she? I suppose it makes sense. His place is bigger and closer to work for her. I assume she’ll be putting her house on the market then. I wish her luck.” He refilled her glass of wine then his before sitting down across from her.

  “Yes and no. I offered to buy it.”

  His left eyebrow curved up. “Did you?”

  “It’s a nice house and I feel really comfortable there—at home—and I love the gardens. I think it would be perfect for me.” She paused, toying with the glass before her. “For us.”

  He took a slow sip before responding. “Us?”

  She was doing this all wrong. “I thought maybe, you could move in with me.”

  He tapped the rim of his glass as he spoke. “I have a place here.”

  “I know, and it’s nice and convenient for you for work. But wouldn’t it be nice to get away from it all at the end of the night?”

  He took another sip. “Maybe.”

  “It really isn’t that far from here, Ginny’s house.” She loosened her grip on her glass, worried she might end up snapping it in two.

  “That’s true.”

  “I’ve never had a garden. I think I would like to give it a try.” She bit the inside of her lip, waiting.

  “I hear gardening can be very relaxing.”

  “So I’ve heard.”

  “And the bonus is, no girlfriends from my past to haunt the place.”

  She stared at him a moment before responding. “There is that.”

  Leaving his seat, he sat down beside her, taking her hand in his. “You think I haven’t noticed how uneasy you are here?”

  “I’m not uneasy.” Yes she was.

  He squeezed her hand. “We both know that’s not the truth. I told you weeks ago to make this place yours.”

  “I know what you told me. Still…”

  “It’s not the same.”

  She sighed deeply. “Yeah.”

  “Okay.” He lifted her hand to his lips. “Then we’ll move into your house.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Just like that.”

  Suddenly she felt a wave of relief wash over her and her entire body felt lighter. “I really do love you.”

  “How perfect is it that I feel the same for you?”

  His lips were so warm as they caressed hers, and she felt as if she could melt into him. When his cell phone went off and he pulled back, she actually sighed in protest.

  He answered it as he placed her hand to his cheek. “Zach here. Oh…yes, fine, I’ll be right up.” He tucked the phone in his pocket and kissed her hand. “I need to go upstairs and deal with a customer. I won’t be long.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  He kissed her once, hard on the lips before leaving the suite. With a heavy sigh, Deborah finished off her wine. That hadn’t been as hard as she’d expected. Now she just had to tell Bruce and Gary she wasn’t planning on touring again and she was set.

  Why procrastinate? Might as well get it over with. Grabbing her purse, she searched for her cell phone and came up empty. “I must have left it in the car.” With her car keys in hand, she left the suite and headed out the back way to her car. And there it was, on the passenger seat where she’d left it. Scooping it up, tucking it in her pocket, she locked her doors then headed back to the bar. She stopped short as a man stepped out of the shadows. Her heart sped up, her breath caught in her throat and she felt dizzy.

  When h
e stepped under the security light near the back door her heart began to pound.

  She’d come face to face with her abductor.

  “Hello, Deborah.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Deborah stared at the man who had taken her captive, tied her to a bed, stripped her down and molested her—and she was frozen to the spot.

  Again.

  “Long time no see.”

  Breathe. Think. Act for God sakes. What did Zach teach you? You can do this.

  Then it hit her. This wasn’t Peter Milligan. It was Zach, trying to teach her to face her fears. She let the air rush from her lungs and relaxed. “Nice try. You almost had me. Now change back.”

  He tilted his head in confusion. “You stumped me. I couldn’t figure out where you could have run off to. I searched the internet for sightings of you but there was nothing. It was like you dropped off the face of the earth. Then I saw the NightGuide New York Magazine and there you were. I had no idea you grew up here.”

  “This is getting old, Zach and I don’t have the patience for it.” If he wanted to play this silly game he could do so on his own. She wasn’t sticking around any longer. But when she headed for the door, he grabbed her arm and something made her belly flutter with nerves. When she looked up at his face, into his eyes, she suddenly felt very uneasy. “Stop this, now.”

  “I can’t, I have to have you, Debbie. You are mine.”

  Zach never called her Debbie. No one ever called her Debbie except… “Peter.”

  “I have really missed you.”

  Everything Zach had taught her about defense came barreling into her mind. She tugged at her arm and opened her mouth to scream. Her eyes went wide when he slapped a damp cloth over her mouth and nose and wrapped his arm around her body, pinning her to his chest. She kicked, she clawed and she fought but in the end, all her efforts went by the wayside as the world around her swirled again. Her legs gave way as the darkness swallowed her up.