by Lara Nance
“Why?” Gerri sat in a chair across from her.
She pressed her fingertips to her temples. She hadn’t explained about the armantor ceremony yet. She needed advice, so she launched into a brief version of the intimate revelations that occurred during her captivity.
Her friend crossed her legs and pursed her lips. She stared at Talia for several seconds before replying. “Tal, there’s no denying the chemistry between you and Drake. I saw it from the beginning, the night I picked you two up from that alley. If this armantor thing is true, maybe that explains it.”
Talia bit her lip. Of course, she’d already come to this conclusion. But what should she do about it? That was the question. “I know. The attraction is so overwhelming. I have to believe there’s some supernatural power behind it. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced with a man.”
“So, what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I was hoping you might have some advice.”
Gerri closed her eyes for a few moments. “I don’t think I have experience in anything remotely related to this. How can I possibly advise you? I guess you have to work it out with Drake in the end.”
That’s what she feared. Her affection for him would cloud her ability to work toward a decision. She suspected Drake wanted some kind of happy family scene that included Pip as their surrogate child. Was that what she wanted? It certainly wasn’t the direction she’d imagined for her life.
“Food’s ready,” he said, appearing in the doorway to the kitchen and holding a pair of tongs.
She and Gerri deserted their conversation and followed. The island counter held numerous platters of food. Talia picked up a mushroom cap stuffed with crab and melted cheese with her fingers and took a bite. Mmm.
Her assistant passed flutes of champagne and they admired the delicious feast. Drake had straight champagne, but Pip had his sippy-cup of blood sans alcohol.
“Here’s to DraculaVille.” Felix raised his glass high.
Drake came around the counter and gazed at her. “And to Talia, the mastermind.”
She smiled and touched the rim of her glass to his. “Next stop…Romania.”
“Something about going to Romania disturbs me,” he said, forehead wrinkled. “I wonder why?”
“Something about going to your vampire roots?” Gerri asked.
“Maybe.” He took a drink. “Sometimes I want to know more about vampires. Sometimes I wish I could forget about that part of my life.”
“You can’t deny who you are,” her friend said.
“No, but I do have to reconcile who I am with who I was.” He looked down. “I remember snippets of my past. I’ve followed the posts of my supposed friends on Facebook. It’s strange, like I’m looking at the life of a stranger, but one I intimately know.” He shook his head. “It’s very confusing.”
A sharp pang of jealousy shot through Talia’s heart. She had no idea he had dipped into his old life, possibly making contact with old friends. “Do your friends know you’re missing?”
“Not really. People post on my wall, but I think they just assume I’m busy and don’t have time to check it out.”
“Surely there’s someone that would miss you,” Gerri said.
“People at work?” Felix paused in his eating.
“I doubt it.” He shrugged. “I had just moved to San Diego from Los Angeles. I didn’t have many acquaintances there yet. As far as work, I sent them a letter of resignation right after Talia brought me here. They may think I’m strange to quit, but they’d have no real reason to call the police or anything.”
“So, what are you going to do?” Her assistant’s attention went to the food.
“I’m not sure. Maybe I should go to California and wrap things up so there are no questions. I apparently have a house that needs to be sold. Bank accounts to close. Who knows what else.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” her friend said.
Talia admitted grudgingly, “I suppose at some point you have to deal with the stuff you left behind.”
“Maybe knowing more about your past life would help you deal with what’s happened to you.” Felix spooned artichoke dip onto his plate. “It might explain how you feel about things.”
“Possibly.” Drake glanced at Talia.
“I don’t know about that.” She picked up another mushroom. “Maybe it would only make you more confused. I think you should deal with the present.”
“The present is confusing, too,” he said.
He directed that comment at her, and she was too confused to deal with his uncertainty. Instead of answering, she dipped hummus onto her plate and added pita triangles and cucumber slices. The discussion of their strange relationship would have to wait until they were alone. She had no intention of talking about it in front of Felix, Gerri and Pip.
Drake walked behind her and trailed fingers over her shoulder. A shiver ran down her back. What did he want?
Her cell rang. Harvey.
“Hello?” She scooped a dollop of hummus onto a pita triangle and popped it in her mouth.
“Hey, Tiger. Just got a call from the secretary. She wants you in Romania on Monday.” His voice sounded edgy, tense.
“You can’t be serious. I have to go to Romania now?” She slid off her stool. No way. She’d just gotten over being kidnapped by killer vampires.
“Why are you upset? You knew you’d have to go. It’s just sooner than anticipated.”
“Monday? Why so soon?” She handed her glass to Felix to refill. She needed more time to recover from her adventure and deal with Drake.
“They have investors they want to tie down before they announce the project to the public. They need you there to help with these crucial presentations.”
Drake’s eyelids hooded his eyes, and she couldn’t gauge his reaction. Damn it, she’d wanted some time with him. This was only going to make life more difficult.
“Tiger? I had Rhonda make reservations for you and Felix. Just go to the airport and pick up your tickets before your flight.”
She slapped a hand to her forehead. She had no way out. “All right. E-mail me the details.”
“Great. Congratulations again on a successful presentation.”
She hit END, putting her cell phone on the counter, and glanced at her assistant. “I don’t believe it. We have to go to Romania on Monday.”
“Wow, that was fast.” Felix poured champagne in his glass.
Talia placed more food on her plate and went to the living room, her thoughts jumbled and confused. On top of all the work and activity of the past forty-eight hours, her body ached with lack of sleep. She’d hoped after the presentation tonight she could sleep in for a couple days and take time to begin work on the next phase of the project. Instead, they forced her back into the deep end of the pool after she’d struggled to crawl her way out.
She sank onto the sofa and rested one hand on her forehead, eyes closed. Where did this leave her and Drake?
“Penny for your thoughts.” His voice broke into her reverie.
She removed her hand from her eyes. His gaze, warmly lit, softened. His forehead, however, buckled in concern.
“I’d need at least a dollar.” She smiled and made room for him to sit beside her. Gerri, Felix and Pip laughed about something in the kitchen.
“You’re not too happy about going to Romania, are you?”
She snorted. “To say the least. I’m tired, Drake. Really tired. The last thing I wanted was to climb on a plane Monday morning for a twelve hour trip to a foreign country.”
“I wish there was something I could do to help, but I feel powerless.” He settled in his seat and draped one arm behind her over the back of the couch. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”
“I have no idea. Those guys are so unpredictable. I can never anticipate their next move. I hope no more than two weeks.”
His eyes narrowed. “I have a bad feeling about Romania.”
“Why?”
“I can’t bas
e it on any facts. Perhaps it’s because I’m a vampire. I sense danger there.”
She had a bad feeling, too, but it had more to do with lousy hotels, poor service and crappy food. “You could always go with me.” She cast a hopeful look in his direction.
He stared at the floor for a moment. “Actually, I was thinking I might go to California while you’re gone.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “By yourself?”
“I need to put an end to my existence there before someone becomes too interested in my disappearance.”
She took a deep breath. At least he didn’t say he needed to meet someone. “But how will you get there? You need to travel at night.”
“I know. That’ll be a challenge, but there should be a way to manage it. Maybe I’ll take a bus or the train for short segments.”
“I don’t know. Seems risky.” If he left, she’d be terrified something would happen to him. Damn this whole armantor business. The connection she felt with him had nothing to do with the emotional buildup of a normal relationship. They’d only kissed twice, yet their lives had completely entwined in some weird way.
Felix and the others trailed in from the kitchen. “Want to switch to red wine, Tal?” he asked, holding up the bottle.
She raised her glass and he poured the ruby liquid into it. “Thanks.”
“So, what are the plans?” He placed the bottle on the coffee table and took a chair.
“I’ll know more when I get Harvey’s e-mail with the details. I don’t even know how long we’ll be gone. Pack for a couple weeks, to be safe.”
Her assistant glanced at Drake. “What will you do while Talia’s gone?”
“I don’t know.”
Talia yawned. “For now, I’m going to bed. I have about a week of sleep to catch up on in two days.”
“I guess that’s our hint to leave.” Gerri laughed.
“You can stay if you like. Just don’t make a lot of noise. If anybody wakes me, I’ll feed you to one of the vampires.”
Pip squealed in laughter.
She sat forward, ready to stand.
Drake placed a hand on her shoulder. He leaned close and whispered. “Tomorrow night we’ll be alone.”
A shiver ran over her skin. She nodded and stood. Anticipation burned in her chest like a hot stone. What would he say to her? More importantly, what did she want him to say? She didn’t have a clue. On one hand, having him tell her that he loved her and wanted to be with her always would be music to her ears. On the other hand, such a proposition frightened the hell out of her in terms of what it meant for the future.
“We’ll drink very very quietly.” Felix put a finger to his lips and grinned.
“Drake won’t be cooking tomorrow night, so there’s no need for you guys to create excuses to come over.” She gulped the rest of her wine. “I’m ordering in Chinese, and I’m not getting out of my pajamas all day.”
“Are you trying to tell us not to come over tomorrow?” Her assistant laughed and winked at Gerri.
“That’s right, Igor. You got a problem with that?” She planted her hands on her hips.
“I keep telling you, Igor is from Frankenstein.” Felix threw up his hands. “Not Dracula.”
Her friend laughed. “You mean Renfield, I think.”
Pip blinked in complete confusion, but snuggled beside Drake on the couch.
“Whatever. Just keep it quiet tonight, and leave me alone tomorrow.” She headed down the hall, soft chuckles from the living room floating after her. She couldn’t help smiling.
Tomorrow was soon enough to worry about Drake and their relationship. Tonight, she would put that out of her mind and just dwell on how great it was to be home and surrounded by friends who cared about her.
She closed her bedroom door and leaned against it. Fatigue sucked the life from every inch of her body. A frisson of warmth tickled her. Drake. Even from here she felt his emotional pull. She pressed a hand to her abdomen, hoping to suppress the urge to go to him.
Chapter 33
“Hey.” Drake strolled into the living room, stretching his arms over his head. His muscles flexed under his T-shirt. He combed his fingers though his hair, slicking it from his forehead. One hand tugged on the waist of his drawstring pants, exposing his taut abs.
Talia swallowed and closed her computer. She placed it on the sofa, averting her gaze from his alluring body. “Hey, yourself. Sleep well?”
Pip zoomed past, still in his Batman pajamas headed for the kitchen. “Hey, Mom.”
She chuckled. Little monster.
Drake perched on the edge of a chair opposite her. “Yes, very well. How about you? Are you rested?”
She curled her feet under her. She had stayed in her black silk pajamas. “Mmm. I got up at noon. Can you believe that? I haven’t slept that late in ages. I’ve been lounging here all afternoon and playing Yoville on Facebook. I can dress my little avatar in snazzy outfits and decorate my many homes with expensive furniture, all from the comfort of the sofa.”
Drake’s lips curled in a grin. “That’s ridiculous.”
“I know. But I’ve never allowed myself to indulge in such trivia. I’m always too busy to play.”
Pip came into the living room, a ring of red over his upper lip.
“Wipe your mouth,” Drake said, pointing toward the bathroom.
Pip grinned and trotted down the hall.
Drake stood and stretched. “I’m going to get dressed.”
She wrapped a leopard print throw around her shoulders and tucked her hair behind her ears. Anticipation warred with dread in her breast. Even though she’d lazed around all day, her nerves stayed on edge. As the sun had set, her pulse raced, at her thought of Drake rising and confronting their future.
He strode in a few minutes later wearing black jeans and a white shirt, unbuttoned at the collar. “Want some wine?”
“Sure,” she said, loving the lithe way he moved, sleek and silent, like a panther.
“Mom, where’s my Nintendo?” Pip padded into the living room, mouth now clean.
“It’s in the night stand drawer,” Drake said as he returned, two goblets of wine in hand. “Why don’t you play in your room for a while. I need to talk to Talia.”
Pip gave her a sympathetic stare. “Is Mom in trouble?”
He chuckled. “No, she’s not in trouble. We just need to talk some grown up talk.”
The boy’s bottom lip came out. He trudged toward their bedroom. “Okay.”
“And close the door,” Drake called.
The slam echoed up the hall.
“Thanks.” She took the wine he offered, and he joined her on the couch. Her pulse sped and she couldn’t meet his gaze.
“I’m developing a taste for wine.” He smiled, holding up his glass and admiring the red liquid as it swirled.
“So, are we going to talk about wine?” Might as well get this over with. She sipped and glanced at him sideways.
“You’re such a fascinating person. Do you know that?” He laughed. “I’m constantly amazed by you.”
She grinned. The tension in her shoulders relaxed a bit. “Why do you say that?”
“I’m thinking about everything that’s happened since we met. I don’t know anyone else would have dealt with it and survived the way you did. You didn’t just survive. You triumphed. You beat everything thrown at you from demanding bosses to killer vampires.”
A flush crawled over her skin and a warm glow entered her heart. “Well, when you put it like that…” She laughed. “I am pretty great.”
He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, sending shivers along her spine. “I’m so lucky you were the one who found me in that gutter. Do you think it was fate?”
“Fate?” She glanced at him from under her lashes. “Maybe. It certainly started a series of unavoidable events.”
His fingers lowered from her hair to trace the line of her jaw. Her whole body trembled. She held her glass with both hands so he wouldn’t se
e them shake.
“Talia,” he whispered, leaning closer. “I meant it when I told you I loved you.”
“You did?” Why was it suddenly so hard to breathe? She had to get control so they could discuss this like rational adults.
He took her glass and placed it on the coffee table, then snaked a hand around her neck, pulling her to him. The softness of his touch belied his strong fingers.
“Absolutely. I want you. Do you feel the same way?” The air from his words brushed against her ear sending tingles down her neck.
“Yes” she whispered. “More than you can know.”
Control gone, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his.
He fell backward across the couch cushions. She sprawled on top of him, gasping for air. His hands pressed against the small of her back, bringing her tighter against him.
She crushed her lips to his and twined her legs around his. She gripped them like a lifeline. Passion burst like an exploding volcano in her chest. Reason fled as their lips moved hungrily, tongues circling. God, she wanted him and she didn’t care about the consequences. Nothing mattered except this closeness. This complete aspect of joining with him.
She ground her hips against his. He ran his hands over her buttocks, and she groaned. “Drake, Drake…”
“My Talia,” he whispered against her ear, nibbling on her lobe.
The coolness of his skin excited her. She couldn’t get enough of pressing her body against his. She needed more. She half rose and reached for the buttons of his shirt. She fumbled to make her trembling fingers work them open.
His hands moved up her sides to her breasts, squeezing their firmness and teasing her nipples. She paused, gasping until the surge of passion passed and she could open her eyes.
“Mom? Dad? What are you doing?”
Talia froze. Drake’s hands fell away. Pip stood across the coffee table and stared at her, a questioning look on his face. He’d changed out of his pajamas into jeans and a Spiderman sweatshirt, and grasped his Nintendo in one hand.
She sat, slapping a hand to her pajama top to make sure it hadn’t come undone. “Nothing. We’re…uh, just, uh wrestling.”
“Why?” He tilted his head.