“Don’t stop,” she murmured, her voice low, breathy with desire.
He gazed up at her, momentarily at a loss as to what to do next. He hadn’t let himself care deeply for a mortal woman in centuries, not since Celestine DuBois. His affair with her had ended badly, as such things usually did, and he had vowed he would never again get emotionally involved with a mortal female. They were too fragile, too easily wounded. Too easily broken.
But Daisy…ah, his fair flower. Her very being spoke to something deep within him, something he had thought dead long ago, along with his humanity. What was he to do with her?
A streak of decency he had forgotten he possessed pushed its way through the hunger. Rising, he took her hands in his and pulled her gently to her feet.
“We should go,” he said, brushing a bit of sand from her hair.
She blinked up at him, her eyes wide, her lips slightly parted.
He brushed a kiss across her cheek. “It’s late.”
Stunned by the abrupt turn of events, Daisy slipped her clothes on over her damp bra and panties. Carrying her sandals in one hand, she followed Erik. Barefooted, they trudged up the beach to where he had parked the car.
She glanced at him from time to time on the ride home. Had she done something wrong? One minute, they were going at it hot and heavy and the next he was telling her it was late.
With a shake of her head, she stared out the window. It was probably just as well that he had called a halt to their lovemaking. If he had kept kissing her like that, there was no telling what might have happened.
When they reached the Crypt’s parking lot, Daisy stepped into her sandals. Erik opened the door for her, then walked her to her car. Feeling somewhat confused, Daisy reached into her handbag for her keys. Would he kiss her good night? Or good-bye?
Not quite meeting his eyes, she murmured, “Good night.”
“Dammit!”
Startled, she looked up at him.
He raked a hand through his hair. “The night shouldn’t end like this. Let’s go inside and have a drink.”
“You said it was late.”
“It’s not that late.” He smiled down at her. In spite of his vow to avoid mortal females, he was involved with Daisy O’Donnell, for better or worse. “What do you say?”
“I don’t think so. I need to shower and wash my hair.”
“You look fine to me.”
“I doubt that. But I’d be happy to meet you here tomorrow night for that drink.”
“I don’t think I can wait that long.”
Daisy shook her head. No way was she going inside looking the way she did.
“How about if I meet you back here in half an hour?” he coaxed.
“You don’t give up, do you?”
“Not when I see something I want,” he replied, stunned by the realization that all his good intentions in the world weren’t going to keep him from pursuing this woman. “Say yes.”
“All right.” What the heck, she didn’t have to get up early in the morning. “But you’d better make it forty-five minutes.”
Daisy drove home, took a shower, and washed and dried her hair in record time, her stomach fluttering all the while. In spite of what had happened on the beach, he wanted her. After pulling on a gauzy white skirt and a pale pink tank top, she stepped into her sandals, grabbed her handbag and her keys, and drove back to the Crypt. Erik’s car was already in the parking lot when she arrived. After locking her handbag in the car, she pocketed her keys and hurried into the club.
He was waiting for her at the bar, looking gorgeous in a black turtleneck sweater and black jeans. His welcoming smile warmed her right down to her toes.
“Hi,” she murmured, taking the seat to his right.
“Hi, yourself.” His gaze moved over her. “You look terrific.”
“So do you. Black is definitely your color.”
Erik grunted softly. It wasn’t really a fashion statement. Most vampires tended to dress in dark colors. It made it easier to blend in with the shadows, to stalk and catch their prey unawares.
When the bartender came to take their order, Daisy asked for a margarita. Erik ordered the house special.
“I’ll have to try one of those sometime,” Daisy remarked when the bartender served their drinks.
“I doubt if you’d like it.” He wasn’t crazy about it himself.
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “It’s an acquired taste. A margarita suits you.”
“How so?”
“Margarita means Daisy in Spanish.”
“Really? I didn’t know that.”
When the band struck up “Someone Like You,” Erik reached for her hand and led the way to the dance floor.
Daisy listened to the words of the song, thinking that if they were a couple, this would be their song.
“Daisy?”
“Hmm?”
“What would you say if I asked you to come home with me?”
She stared up at him, sorely tempted to accept in spite of the warning bells that went off in her mind. One night, she thought, what could it hurt? She contemplated it briefly. He would drive her home, take her into his house, into his bed, where they would share a night of unbridled sexual pleasure…. At this point, her imagination took over, since she had never experienced a night of sexual pleasure, unbridled or otherwise. True, she had been tempted with other men, even come close a time or two, and been called a tease when her good sense reasserted itself at the last minute.
Daisy felt a prickle of unease as Erik gazed deeply into her eyes, almost as if he was trying to hypnotize her. The first time she had seen him, she’d had the feeling he could see into her heart and mind, her very soul.
Taking a deep breath, she drew her hand from his. “I don’t think so.” In spite of her overwhelming attraction for him, it was way too soon. Even though she sometimes felt as if she had known him forever, it had been less than a week.
He smiled wryly, as if he had anticipated her reply.
Silence stretched between them. Daisy cast about for something to say, some safe topic they could discuss. She frowned a moment, then said, “You must have a lot of spare time, since you don’t work. What do you do to pass the time?”
He shrugged. “Whatever pleases me at the moment.” He drew her closer, his breath fanning her cheek when he murmured, “Right now, you please me.”
The words, combined with the silky tone of his voice, sent a shiver of pleasure through her.
His gaze moved over her face. “I would like to please you, in return. Change your mind. Come home with me, pretty flower. Let’s go exploring together.”
It was the most intriguing offer, and the scariest, she had ever received. For a moment, she could only stare at him, all the while fighting the urge to take a walk on the wild side with Erik Delacourt, but try as she might, she simply couldn’t go home with him. She could stake a vampire, but she couldn’t muster the courage to surrender to the look in this man’s eyes, a look that promised pleasure unlike anything she had ever known, if she could just summon the nerve. But she couldn’t, at least not at the moment.
He read the answer in her eyes before she spoke her refusal aloud.
“Perhaps another night,” he said, “when you’re feeling braver.”
Daisy frowned. How did he know what she was feeling, thinking? Maybe those deep dark eyes really could see into her heart and soul. Heaven knew this wasn’t the first time he had voiced what she had been thinking.
There was a brief silence as the song ended, and then the strains of a slow ballad filled the air. Daisy had thought they would return to the bar, but Erik didn’t let her go. Content to be in his arms, she rested her head against his shoulder. She had never danced with anyone so light on his feet. He moved like liquid silk, every movement smooth, unruffled, unhurried. The look in his eyes made her feel beautiful, the intensity of his gaze made her feel like she was the most important thing in his life. What would it be like to go home w
ith him, to run her hands over his broad chest and flat belly, to feel his hands moving in her hair, caressing her bare flesh…
His voice, soft and sultry, sounded in her ear. “Are you sure you won’t change your mind and come home with me?”
“Quite sure.” Lifting her head, she took a deep breath. “I think I’d better go.”
“Let me walk you to your car.”
She didn’t think that was a good idea. She needed to put some distance between them, but it seemed rude to refuse.
She was acutely aware of him as he followed her around the edge of the dance floor toward the exit. He was tall and broad, but it was more than his imposing stature that she was aware of. Erik Delacourt radiated power and authority. Men with his confidence and self-assurance were usually CEOs of large companies who were accustomed to making decisions and giving orders. But Erik wasn’t a businessman or a tycoon. By his own account, he was a man who spent his time doing what pleased him.
And she pleased him.
She slowed her steps as some inner sense of self-preservation warned her not to let him think she was afraid of him. Afraid of him? Where had that thought come from? She wasn’t afraid of him. Was she?
In the parking lot, she pulled her keys from her skirt pocket and unlocked her car door, slid behind the wheel, and rolled down the window. “Good night.”
“What?” He lifted one brow. “No good-night kiss?”
The prospect of having his mouth on hers sent a frisson of heat straight to the pit of her stomach. Before she could refuse, he leaned down and claimed her lips with his. She had thought his kisses on the beach were the ultimate aphrodisiac, but this kiss was deeper, hotter, more persuasive. It was like Christmas morning and Fourth of July skyrockets all rolled into one. She moaned softly when his hand caressed her nape, then slid up to cup the back of her head as his tongue plundered the depths of her mouth. It made her toes curl inside her shoes.
She felt hot all over when he took his mouth from hers.
“Good night, little flower,” he said, his lips curved in a knowing grin. “Sweet dreams.”
Sweet dreams, indeed, she thought as she drove home. She could only imagine what kind of dreams his kisses would inspire. Something sexy and X-rated, no doubt. Lordy, the man’s kisses should come with warning labels. Just thinking about being alone with him made her skin feel tight and her heart pound with anticipation. Where had he learned to kiss like that? She had been kissed lots of times. It was a pleasurable experience, but no other man had ever made her feel the way Erik did. His kisses urged her to throw caution to the wind and the consequences be damned. She fanned herself with her hand. No doubt about it. Erik Delacourt and his kisses were a volatile combination, dangerous in the extreme.
At home, she took a long, cold shower, brushed her teeth, slipped into her favorite Snoopy sleep shirt, and climbed into bed, only to lie there, wide-awake, her fingertips pressed to her lips.
If she went to the club tomorrow night, would he kiss her like that again?
Would she still be able to deny him what they both wanted if he did?
Chapter 9
Friday morning, Daisy decided she had avoided doing her job long enough. It took considerable effort, but she pushed all thought of Erik Delacourt and his sizzling kisses out of her mind. She ate a quick breakfast, made her bed, and then read her e-mail.
Humming “Someone Like You,” she shut down her computer. The morning mail had brought her a dozen new orders. It was time to put her fears behind her and get back on the street. She had bills to pay, after all.
After dressing in a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, her favorite jacket with the roomy pockets, and comfortable shoes, she grabbed her handbag, her keys, and her compass and left the house. Surprisingly, she didn’t feel the least bit of anxiety at going out on the streets again. She had destroyed a vampire and in so doing, she had proved she could handle herself when the going got tough.
Smiling with new confidence, she slid behind the wheel. She drove with one eye on the road and the other on the needle of the compass, which jumped and quivered when she turned down a cul-de-sac in a very old, very elegant part of town. There were only three houses on the street, each separated from the other by large yards and tall fences. The needle turned red when she neared the house on the left. It was set well back from the street. The windows carried a dark tint, no doubt to block the sun’s light. For all that it looked abandoned, the house itself was in good repair. There was no grass in the front yard, only a variety of cactus plants that needed little watering.
If it hadn’t been for the blinking red needle on her compass, she would have sworn the house was empty. She wasn’t sure why she felt that way, and then grinned. Technically, no one “lived” there, unless the vampire had a human companion. Daisy shook her head. She knew there were people who served the needs of the Undead and counted it a privilege to do so. She had never understood the attraction.
After making sure she had everything she needed, Daisy stepped out of the car and walked up the narrow walkway to the front porch. She rang the doorbell, heard it echo inside the house. When there was no answer, she knocked. And when there was still no answer, she got out her handy-dandy lock pick and went to work.
Minutes later, she stood just inside the doorway, her head cocked as she listened to the house, and heard nothing. A quick glance showed a large living room with a corner fireplace, leather furniture, and mahogany tables. Thick, floor-length drapes kept the sun at bay.
The compass guided her through the living room and down a narrow hallway, which led to a stairway. Moving cautiously, she tiptoed down the stairs, which ended at a large steel door. She assumed the door led down to the cellar. A common vampire resting place. She glanced at the compass in her hand. In the dim light of the stairwell, the needle glowed bright red, assuring her that she was in the right place.
Tucking the compass away, she pulled a syringe from a pocket of her jacket and then regarded the door, wondering if she should have brought her crowbar with her. Only one way to find out.
She was reaching for the handle when the door swung open to reveal a tall man clad in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else. Several candles burned in the room behind him. The light cast dancing shadows on the walls and gilded his thick black hair with silver highlights.
Daisy’s heart jumped into her throat, and then plummeted to her toes. “You!”
A slow smile spread over Erik Delacourt’s handsome face. “Does this visit mean you’ve decided to go exploring with me?” he asked, a wicked gleam in his dark eyes.
“Hardly.” Vampire. Vampire! The word screamed inside her mind. He was a vampire. Now that she knew, she couldn’t believe she hadn’t realized it sooner. Lordy, not only was he a vampire, but she had let him kiss her. Not once, but several times. She had even considered going to bed with him. The memory should have disgusted her, but it didn’t. Why didn’t it? She would have to examine her feelings about that later. Right now, she had to get out of there before he…no! She wouldn’t think about that. And yet she couldn’t stop herself from imagining him bending over her neck, his fangs at her throat as he drained her dry. Or worse, made her what he was.
“So, you didn’t come to go exploring the dark side with me.” Erik folded his arms across his chest. “Why are you here?” He glanced at the syringe clutched in her hand. “Don’t tell me, you’re working for the Red Cross. I didn’t know they were going door to door collecting blood these days.”
She forced a smile. “Very funny.” She took a step backward, wondering what the odds were that she could outrun him.
She jumped when the door at the top of the stairs slammed shut. She was well and truly caught, she thought. Like a rabbit in a trap.
He grinned at her, and his eyes glowed as red as the needle on her compass. “Welcome to my parlor, said the spider to the fly.”
“What do you think you’re doing?” she exclaimed.
“Isn’t it obvious? You were
about to leave. And I want you to stay.”
“Why?” She slid her hand into her pocket, her fingers curling around the wooden stake inside. Yet even as she contemplated driving it into his heart, she knew she couldn’t do it. It was one thing to destroy a vampire you had never met; quite another when you had kissed him.
“Come now, my little flower,” he chided softly. “You must know why.”
She took another step backward and tripped on the bottom step.
His hand shot out, catching her before she fell. “Careful.”
Daisy shook off his hand, and even as she did so, she knew it was only because he let her. He had a grip like iron. “Let me go! You have no right to keep me here.”
“And you have no right to take our blood.”
“I can do whatever I like,” she retorted. “It’s you and your kind who have no rights.”
He regarded her curiously for a moment. “You’re the one they call the Blood Thief, aren’t you?”
“Of course not!” Even as she denied it, fear coiled like a snake in the pit of her stomach as her newfound courage deserted her. It was one thing to face a vampire when he was lying helpless in his coffin, quite another when he was wide-awake and towering over you.
He gestured at the syringe in her hand. “Then why are you here, with that?”
Thinking quickly, she said, “I indulge, from time to time.”
“Is that so?”
“What if it is?” she asked with a nonchalant shrug. “It’s perfectly legal.”
“Is that how you get your kicks? Stealing our blood?”
“I don’t have to steal it. You can buy it online.”
“Let me get this straight. You can buy it online, but you decided to cut out the middle man by breaking into my house. What were you going to do? Siphon some of my blood and drink it on the premises?”
“Yes. No. I mean…”
“Why drink from a bottle when you can enjoy it fresh and warm from the source? I’m told you get a better high that way.”
At the thought, Daisy felt all the color drain from her face. She couldn’t think of anything more repulsive than drinking vampire blood. She had never understood how her clients could drink it, or why they wanted to.
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