by Kate Wendley
He opened his arms and began to guide her just so, but she stepped into him like she’d done this a thousand times. He stilled as she nestled close, confused about whether to be jealous about her being used to this kind of platonic intimacy, or turned on to have her body pressed so firmly against his. Jealousy won out as he encircled her in his arms. “Have you flown often with others?”
“No. Only once, and that was a long time ago. With my Maker.”
His anxiousness calmed, but having her this close, her scent drove him mad. She smelled like sweet soaps and a summer breeze, and felt incredibly right cozied into him. He wanted her so, so badly, but he didn’t do a thing to betray her trust. Instead, he more quietly said, “I’m going to use my power to wrap around you so I can keep a good hold on you. Tell me if it feels too tight.”
She just as quietly said, “Ok.”
He enveloped her in his energy and had to focus to keep his calm. He wasn’t physically touching her all over, but he could feel every inch of her as if his bare skin was against hers. His voice sounded intimate, even to himself, when he said, “How are you doing? Is this ok?”
She let out a shaky breath. “Yeah, I’m good.”
He hesitated, briefly deciding to hell with it and stealing a taste of those luscious lips, but he stopped himself. He’d promised her no funny business and he intended to keep her trust in him, so he slowly took to the air instead. She lightly gasped, then smiled as she looked all around.
He flew over the buildings first, pointing out which one he lived in, then took her higher, heading in a slow, lazy circle around his property to show her how secluded they were out here. He felt proud of his home and liked showing it to her. He pointed out the perimeter, slowly circling around until they were deep in the tree line, as far from the apartments as he could get and still be on his land.
**
The view from high above the ground was beautiful, magical even, but Harmony’s mind was too focused on Ethan. His arms felt sure and strong around her, his energy like a blanket that hugged every inch of her body. Her mind wandered to imagining them underneath a set of blankets.
It probably hadn’t been a good idea for them to go flying if he was going to keep his promise to not try anything funny with her. Or maybe he was testing her. Was he trying to see how riled up he could get her before she fell all over him, then claim he’d actually kept his word? Tricky, sexy, bastard…
Not that it mattered. One day at a time had always been her motto, and tonight she was having a good time.
Ethan spoke a little loudly so she could hear him over the wind. “I bought this place because of how secluded it is. We have a buffer from the rest of the city out here. It’s a lot less crazy than Anthony’s home. I’m not sure how he can stand it up there around so many people all the time.”
“But you don’t mind hanging out at the club? You’ve been there every night since I’ve been in Atlanta.”
His energy instantly tensed around her. “I’m waiting for someone and I assume he’ll show up there when he gets to town.”
She felt bad for killing the mood and tried to change the subject. “It’s beautiful out here. Your home’s in a lovely location.”
He studied her face for a long moment. “I’m glad you like it.” Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the sudden intimacy in his eyes. He too quickly pulled his gaze away and guided them into the dark forest, then carefully settled them within a tangle of thick, heavy branches of a large oak.
He lightened his magical grip on her and she relaxed into her perch as the big tree lightly swayed under their weight. “This is a gorgeous view, Ethan. Do you hang out here a lot?”
His eyes lazily roamed from her to out into the night. “Not a lot. Sometimes.”
After a time of just enjoying the scenery, she said with a smirk, “I heard you were something of a playboy, but you don’t really seem like it to me.”
He didn’t snap back with the flirty teasing she’d hoped for, and in fact he didn’t react at all. The silence grew as he kept staring out into the night and she wondered if she’d been reading his seeming attraction to her all wrong.
He finally turned to her and said in a curious tone, “It’s true that I indulge with shifter women from time to time. My wife was the only woman I’ve ever felt a connection with, so once my urges are satisfied for a night, why lead anyone on when nothing else is going to happen between us? Perhaps I’m wrong, though. What’s your opinion on that?”
Her heart dropped as the intensity between them cooled. “Your wife? Where is she now?”
He sounded distracted when he said, “Gone. Passed away.”
She stared at his profile as he looked out into the night again. She’d never loved someone enough, or felt settled enough, to consider marriage. It made her think more of Ethan that he had… if he was telling the truth, that was.
“I’m sorry to hear you lost someone so close to you. I didn’t mean to bring up a painful subject.”
He looked thoughtfully at her. “Thank you. And please, don’t feel bad for asking. I’ve had quite a long time to live with it. Over three hundred years, actually. But tell me, what’s your opinion on me satisfying my needs without continuing a relationship? Does that make me a bad person?”
She blew out a breath. “Is this a trick question? Are you going to drop me out of this tree if I say the wrong thing?”
He abruptly laughed, a twinkle in his eye as he watched her. “Not at all. Should we go inside though? It’s cold out here.”
When she cautiously pressed closer and felt his power more snuggly envelop her, the small smile on his face made her excited and nervous all over again. His arms felt cozy around her, and a gentle squeeze from him made her feel like he wanted to be more than just friends.
He whisked her through the trees and back into the open night, eventually depositing her in front of his building. He spread a hand towards the front door as it opened on its own. There was no teasing in his eyes when he said, “Let me show you around inside. My place is this way.”
She’d already agreed to a tour, so she followed him upstairs in the completely normal looking apartment building, then down a hall where he pointed to the door at the very end. “That’s where Kaia lives.”
“Anthony’s girlfriend? The human woman?”
“Yes.”
“You have humans living here? I thought we weren’t supposed to let them know about us. Is Atlanta different?”
Ethan smiled warmly. “Kaia’s the only one that lives here. And no, humans shouldn’t generally know about us. There are a few exceptions in Atlanta, though, as I’m sure there are in other cities.”
As she wondered why he cared so much about Anthony’s girlfriend, Ethan was already opening the door next to Kaia’s. He gestured her inside, and she had a moment of clear thinking enough to wonder what she was doing here. Did he think she’d be another one of his flings that he’d toss aside after his urges were satisfied? And she’d be stupid to forget he was a powerful Master Vampire, but damn he was sexy and sweet to her in all the right ways.
Ethan cocked his head and politely said, “Would you like to come in for a bit?”
If this was how he acted with one night stands, she guessed she couldn’t complain. Not that she intended to give herself to him tonight, even if he asked for it, but he was fun to hang out with. Or maybe she just liked all the anticipation of whatever was going on between them.
His place was exactly what she’d expect it to be. Stylish and expertly decorated, but in a way that felt like you could sink down anywhere and get lost in the comfort of it.
She sat on the overstuffed, caramel colored sofa where he gestured, and her eyes fell on a lovely painting above the television set. It was of a beautiful woman rising out of the ground in a column of mist. A full moon hung heavy and bright above her head in the dark night sky, and a couple of exotic looking butterflies fluttered around her.
“Wow, that’s nice.” It was a litt
le unexpected to see such a sensuous picture in a man’s house.
“You like it?” He looked uncertainly at her.
“Yeah, it’s gorgeous.”
He sat across from her and she couldn’t stop herself from imagining a whole lot of scenarios of naughty things they could be doing together.
She blurted out, “You only have flings with shifters?”
He seemed a little startled by the question, but said, “Yes.”
She felt briefly stupid for bringing up that bit of gossip she’d heard at the club, but then thought to hell with it. She was too old to care about niceties sometimes. “Why?”
He looked plainly at her. “Because to have anything more could only be long term for them, not for me. And because I don’t want a personal relationship with someone who’s constantly fawning at my feet. Being powerful is a blessing and a curse.”
She couldn’t help a sarcastic chuckle at that.
He looked mildly irritated, then reluctantly smirked. “You find that funny?”
The expression on his face made her burst out laughing, and he fell into it with her.
She teasingly said, “You’re a real heartbreaker, aren’t you?”
He made her burn up when he replied, “I’m sure I could say the same about you.”
The intensity between them spiked again, and he quickly changed the subject. “Are you seeking asylum in Atlanta? From your Maker?” He looked calm and at ease as he sat back and crossed his ankle over his knee.
She forced herself to sit back and relax as well. “No. Samson doesn’t care where I wander off to. I’m just here because I wanted to try out someplace new.”
He casually nodded as he watched her. “I’m glad you chose Atlanta. The scenery has brightened considerably since your arrival.”
She felt a blush creep into her cheeks. His intense gaze and smooth flirting felt more exciting than if they’d just fallen all over each other. They made small talk for a while, slipping in a little teasing here and there, but family duties frustratingly intervened.
When Ethan finally ran out of polite ways to talk around the fact that he didn’t want to talk about his family’s business in front of her, he asked if he could take her home. She got the point… his business was none of her business.
By the time they pulled up outside of Anthony’s, she was back to thinking she shouldn’t be hanging out with a Master Vampire. It could be dangerous to her health. She dejectedly reached for her door handle to let herself out, but stopped when Ethan touched her arm. “Can I show you around the city tomorrow night? Take you for a drive?”
She reluctantly smiled at his innocent gaze. She’d never dared get this close to a Master before, but she was here to check out the city, after all. What better way to get to know Atlanta than to have Ethan be the one to show her? She just hoped this didn’t all blow up in her face. “Sure. That’d be nice.”
He reached for her hand and lay a chaste kiss on it. “Tomorrow night. I’ll see you then, my beautiful butterfly.”
She stared into his eyes, a heavy silence between them. Something was definitely growing in their relationship, scary and beautiful as it was. “Tomorrow night.”
As she got out of the car, he said, “And you won’t need your weapons. I promise.”
Tension rushed out of her and she laughed out loud wondering how he’d known she’d hidden a couple daggers on herself tonight. He drove off with a twinkle in his eye, and she knew without a doubt he was going to be a hard one to walk away from when the urge came to move on again.
Chapter 9
Harmony headed happily inside to pick out the perfect outfit for her date with Ethan tomorrow night, but her steps faltered when she spied Anthony and Sebastian across the club. They stood side by side with crossed arms and frowns on their faces as they leaned against the wall between Anthony’s office and the vampire hall. Neither were talking as they looked over the crowd, and she took a moment to figure out if there was a way to inconspicuously slip past them to get down to her room.
She tread cautiously closer, and of course Anthony noticed her. That intense, otherworldly sensation that nothing escaped his notice crept up her spine again. It made him feel like one of the scarier Masters she’d ever come across, even though he’d never actually done anything to her. She’d met some crazy Masters over the years, but most of them had freaked her out because of the sadistic things they did to people. Anthony was scary just standing there, doing nothing at all.
But she was staying in his home, so she decided to do the courteous thing and say hello since it wouldn’t kill her to stay on his good side… she didn’t think.
“Good evening Harmony.”
She realized too late that she’d stopped a little too far away. It made it obvious she feared him, but it would be even more awkward to step closer now. Instead she inclined her head and said, “Master Anthony.” She said hello to Sebastian as well, but all he did was give her a head bob in acknowledgment.
Anthony said, “Are you finding your way around Atlanta all right?”
She suppressed a smile as warm thoughts of Ethan stormed through her mind. “Yes sir. Master Ethan’s been showing me around.”
Anthony looked at her more thoughtfully. “You’ve chosen your friends wisely. Ethan’s a good ally to have.”
Ally. That word made Ethan sound impersonal and cold, something she knew he wasn’t. A cold bastard didn’t have friends he cared about introducing her to, and for sure not a family that he made it a priority to take care of.
Anthony looked more intently at her, a small frown coming to his face. “Are you hungry? Did you not get enough blood from your shifter when you fed?”
Her heart thumped in anxiousness that he could read her so well. She had been too nervous to feed fully tonight. Shifters may only be mortal creatures, but they were still deadly powerful. She’d seen way too many fights between them and vampires over the years. Sometimes the vampire won, but sometimes they didn’t.
She felt Anthony’s claustrophobic energy around her and she tensed even more.
He flatly said, “I’ve put a sound barrier around us. Tell me what’s happened. Were you hurt by your feeding partner?”
She briskly said, “No sir.”
“Did your volunteer not allow you enough blood?”
She just as briskly said, “No sir. I mean, it wasn’t like that.”
“Then what?” His eyes went wide. “Is your feeding partner threatening you in some way?” He looked livid at the thought.
She put her hands up and took a step back from both Anthony’s and Sebastian’s intense gazes.
“No sir. I just wasn’t comfortable with him in my private space.”
Anthony calmed and gave her a knowing look. “They only go down there for your convenience. You can meet them up here instead and use one of these rooms for privacy.” He gestured to the doors along the wall next to his office.
Sebastian muttered, “What level is she?”
“About a three and a half. Bring her a four.”
Sebastian gave Harmony an indifferent look before stepping away and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. And she had no idea what they meant by her being a three and a half. Was that good or bad?
“Really, sir, I’m all right. I don’t need to feed any more tonight.”
“Then you can meet this person now and make arrangements for tomorrow. You shouldn’t feed from the same shifter every night anyway. This will be your alternate. Besides, if you’re spending time with Ethan, you shouldn’t let yourself be weak around him.”
Her mood dropped. No matter how normal she tried to pretend she was, she was always inevitably reminded that she was vampire and that life for a vampire was all about making sure you didn’t seem weak. She was so irritated at Anthony for shattering her fantasy that life might be different here in Atlanta that she almost told him to go to hell. As tempting as it was, though, she wasn’t stupid. Anthony was Master of this entire territory, including Ethan
, and she never wanted a reason to find out exactly how powerful he was.
**
Anthony made sure Harmony’s new feeding partner was acceptable before letting her excuse herself. He wasn’t going to be responsible for her not getting enough blood, especially not if she was becoming friends with Ethan. That was the last thing he needed the man to be irritated at him for.
Sebastian’s second, Torin, joined them after Harmony got squared away. Anthony gestured for the wolves to follow him into his office.
“How are the computer classes going, Mr. Blankenship?”
Torin’s attention became transfixed on whatever Sebastian was doing at the computer. “They’re fine. I’m doing the lessons.”
Anthony curiously watched Torin. He and Sebastian spent years hating each other, so it was interesting to see how quickly they became friends after an apparently necessary threat from Anthony.
Luckily Torin decided he wanted back into the decision making in the family bad enough that he finally accepted the fact he’d never be alpha again so long as Sebastian was around. But Sebastian didn’t so easily forgive and forget all the years of anger at Torin for making his life a living hell. He already struggled with people not wanting to be anywhere near him because of his unusual ability to read minds through touch. For Torin to encourage people to ostracize him even more had just been cruel.
It took Sebastian years to gain control of his ability, and being shunned by the very community he was supposed to be a part of only made that difficult time that much more brutal. It looked like he’d come a long way in forging a new relationship with his pack, though, thanks to Torin.
“I have a proposal to make to you both.”
Torin and Sebastian both turned their attention to him as if he was just some guy in the room. It was an expression he rarely saw on people and it almost made him laugh.
“My father’s returning soon.”
Sebastian’s eyes went wide. “What? You have a dad?”
Anthony chuckled. “Why yes. Believe it or not, I do.”
Sebastian scoffed. “That’s not what I meant. I meant−”
