Suddenly serious, Stephan replied, “No, Katrina, you never have to worry. I would never hurt you. Never!”
Kat watched as a flash of emotion crossed Stephan’s face. Could he have been hurt by what she said? She was only kidding. She knew she would be safe with him.
“I feel safe with you, Stephan.”
She knew him through Marcus, knew he was honorable, knew he would never hurt her, at least not physically.
But emotionally was another issue.
Being here with him, alone, made Kat’s heart race, not from fear, but from the strength of emotions running through her. She could fall hard for this man. And therefore, he could break her heart.
“I hope you mean that. I would hate to think you were regretting coming out with me. The thought that you might be afraid to be with me is inordinate.”
The sincerity in his voice stilled her feet. She looked up into his handsome face, easily reading his concern. “I’m not afraid to be with you,” she assured him, putting all the sincerity she could behind the statement.
He paused for a moment, his eyes searching her face as if he could see into her mind. Her breath hitched as she fell into the sapphire depths of his intense gaze and then the moment was broken by him giving her shoulders a squeeze before releasing her to fling the quilt onto the floor of the canyon. The fluffy white quilt was a stark contrast, in both color and texture, to the hard, red canyon floor.
Kat sat on the soft quilt listening to the sound of the rushing water, watching as Stephan withdrew the items from the cooler. He removed the contents one by one and laid each carefully on the quilt before Kat.
It looked amazing. He’d brought all her favorite foods. For the appetizer, Stephan produced a nutty Manchego cheese with crisp apples. He followed that by a loaf of French bread with a bruschetta made of diced tomatoes with onion and basil. A vinaigrette-based potato salad and cold sliced ham with a fruit glaze comprised the main course.
Katrina licked her lips and wondered how he knew just what she liked most. She didn’t miss the knowing smile that graced Stephan’s face. It was as if he had read her mind.
The food tasted delicious. As Stephan fed her, Kat chewed each bite slowly, savoring the exquisite taste. The conversation remained light while they ate, Stephan alternating between feeding her and himself.
Sated, Katrina leaned back on her arms. “I’m stuffed. I can’t eat any more,” she said as Stephan tried to feed her another bite of the glazed ham.
He dusted off his hand. “Want to walk off our dinner? We could explore the canyon,” he offered, rising to his full height beside her.
“That sounds lovely.” She allowed him to take her hand in his. The warmth from his large hand encircled her delicate appendage as they walked.
They strolled along the shore of the Colorado, hand in hand. Katrina took in her surroundings. The walls of the canyon rose around them, the jagged rock face casting shadows under the moonlight. The aromatic smell of shale and limestone mixed with the river to create a primal, outdoorsy scent that surrounded them as they wandered.
The soft scuffling sound brought them to a stop when they came upon a tan and black coyote with her three pups. Stephan squeezed her hand in a friendly gesture, as she watched the three pups nuzzle into their mother. A smile graced Katrina’s face when she heard one of the pups sing out, his cry high pitched and long, almost joyful.
Stephan stepped up behind Kat, his arm tightening around her waist, as he rested his chin on her shoulder to watch. She couldn’t ignore the fact that her back pressed firmly against his perfect, muscular body. The scents of dark sandalwood and honeysuckle mingled, surrounding her while they watched the coyotes. The feel of him mixed with his unique scent in a heady combination that made white-hot desire course through her veins. Kat sighed, her body screaming with the need to turn in his arms and feel his lips on hers.
His lips brushed her ear as he whispered, “They are beautiful, aren’t they?”
“They are so cute,” she replied, careful to keep her voice low. “Why is that one crying?”
“They’re singing. Coyotes love to sing. They sing to each other, at the moon, to show emotions.” The feel of his hot breath ghosting over her sensitive ear sent a tremor through her body.
“Oh look,” she practically squealed.
The couple watched as the pups began to wrestle. On shaky legs they stumbled over one another, nipping each other’s ears and paws. Stephan laughed, the sound stirring something within her chest that caused her heart to flutter. Katrina tilted her head, looking up at him. “I love the way you laugh,” she said on a sigh. He didn’t do that nearly enough.
The look on his face softened, making butterflies dance in her stomach. She pulled her eyes away from his and gazed on the coyotes as a flush heated her cheeks.
The mother coyote ended the match when she noticed they had an audience. With a quick nip she brought the wrestling to a halt and led the pups into an opening in the canyon wall.
They stood for a minute longer, Stephan still holding Kat. She loved being in his arms. Being held by him seemed so right, and she was in no rush to let the moment pass. Unfortunately, as moments in time do, it moved on too quickly.
Slowly Stephan’s arms fell from around her. “Shall we?” he invited, gesturing back toward the area from which they came.
As they approached the quilt, Kat stopped and cocked her head to one side. She could hear a soft melody drift along the wind. “Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?” Stephan held a straight face.
“Either I’m losing my mind or I hear classical music.”
Stephan smiled wide, flashing his perfect white teeth. “You aren’t losing your mind. I thought you might like some music this evening.”
“I don’t see any radio. What, are you a magician? How did you get music out here?”
Stephan looked at her with the Cheshire cat smile. “I may have a few tricks up my sleeve.” He offered her his hand. “Would you care for a dance?”
Kat smiled as she placed one hand in his and rested her other hand on his muscular chest. “I’d love to.”
He held her close, making her very aware of how her soft curves fit perfectly against the hard plane of his body. He tightened his grip around her waist, sending a wave of pleasure zinging through her body. The masculine smell of his cologne encircled her in the scent of dark amber with a hint of vanilla. They swayed gracefully to the music as Stephan twirled her around the canyon floor in the moonlight like a professional.
“You are an excellent dancer,” Katrina commented while he dipped her.
“Thank you. I learned to dance as a young man. I grew up expected to attend balls so I had to learn all the modern dances. I guess the notion was so ingrained that I have continued to learn the newest dances of today.” He spun her under his arm before bringing her back up against his body once more. “I find dancing is one way to fit into human society.”
He kept his arm about her waist and grasped her hand in a gentle embrace. He gazed deeply into her blue-gray eyes while they danced. He moved with a grace only one of his kind could possess, taking her breath from her lungs. Each sway fluid, each step sure. He was poetry in motion. A perfect partner.
The moonlight cast a silvery glow over the canyon. Stephan moved with an elegance no human could ever hope to match, but Katrina was determined to try. She loved the feel of his muscular arms around her, guiding her over the ground. It felt like dancing on a cloud.
As the piece came to an end, the couple stopped. Stephan took her chin between his finger and thumb and gently brought his lips to meet hers in a tender kiss. His kiss, feather light, made her stomach knot when he touched his lips to hers.
Kat’s arms encircled his back, and she pressed her body into his. Her fingers roamed, tracing each muscle, sending little sparks of want through her. Stephan moaned softly against her lips as if need coursed through his body in response to her touch.
He lifted her green
T-shirt and splayed one of his large hands against her stomach feeling his way up to cup the weight of her breast in his hand. He rubbed his thumb across her nipple, making the pink bud harden against her lace bra. He deepened his kiss, squeezing her body closer to his.
She melded into him as she ran her hands up his thick biceps, bringing them to rest on his shoulders. She swept her fingers lightly over his chest, opening his shirt so she could touch his bared skin and taut muscles.
He lightly kissed along her jaw, trailed down her neck. His tongue flicked out, tasting her creamy skin. His lips parted, teeth raked her delicate skin. A shiver went through her and her fingers flexed around his biceps, anchoring her as the sensations he created threatened to carry her away.
His muscles flexed under the pads of her fingers. He went stone still. She felt him inhale deeply, his lips closing to hover just above her skin.
He straightened, pulling back to create space between them. “What is your favorite flower, Kitten?”
Kat blinked, not sure she had heard him correctly, still lost in the erotic sensation of Stephan’s lips on her neck. “What did you say?”
“I asked what your favorite flower is.”
Kat blinked up at him in surprise. “Uh…tulips, I guess.”
“I’ll be right back,” he said and disappeared before her eyes, a wisp of smoke was all that remained behind.
Kat looked around, unsure what had happened. One minute Stephan was there, the next there was only a little black smoke. He had disappeared like a Vegas magician.
“Stephan,” she called out, turning a tight circle. “Stephan, where are you? If this is a trick, ha ha ha. Very funny. You can come out now.”
Katrina looked around for any sign of him. Finding none, she wandered back to the blanket, hoping either Stephan or the helicopter would return soon. Trying to push away the growing feeling of abandonment, she sat down on the soft quilt, listened to the gentle music, and watched the waterfall.
Panic threatened to rise as she looked around her. She tried to focus on the gentle, comforting sound of the water, the delicate melody of the music, but found it impossible. Her mind kept returning to the fact that she was alone, a city girl surrounded by unpredictable nature.
Just when she decided to get up to pace off her growing anxiety, she felt Stephan’s presence behind her. She turned to look at him. He stood over her, a commanding presence bathed in the light of the moon. The incredible sight eased the panic. He handed her one perfect white tulip.
“Where did you get this?” her voice full of wonder.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it,” she said, twirling the delicate flower between her fingers. “It’s perfect, but where did you go?”
He knelt next to her on the quilt. “I went to get you the best tulip I could find.”
“You disappeared,” she said, the look on her face making it more of a question than a statement.
“Yes.”
“How can you do that?” She had never seen anything like that.
Stephan gave a shrug of his broad shoulders. “It’s something most vampires learn to do as their powers grow. Surely Marcus has dematerialized for you.”
“No, I’ve never seen him do that. In fact, I don’t think he knows how.”
“He can’t?”
“I’ve never seen him, if he can.”
“Huh.” The perplexed look on his face made her wonder what he thought. “I’m sorry if I scared you. I just assumed you had seen Marcus dematerialize. I did not intend to frighten you, Kitten. I was only gone five minutes.”
His hand reached out and cupped her cheek. Kat’s gaze raked Stephan from his boots to his head. The heat from the desire coursing through her veins burnt the last of her fear away. She sighed and smiled. “It’s okay. Now that you are back, everything is fine.”
His features softened as if he believed her and was much relieved. It was cute to think that he had been concerned about how she saw him. His eyes darkened with lust as he stared down at her. Scared definitely wasn’t the emotion she was feeling now.
She felt wanton. Sensuous. Alluring.
He moved. At first, she thought he would kiss her, then he turned. From the cooler, he pulled a bottle of Cristal champagne along with two glasses and a bowl of strawberries. He sat behind Kat, cradling her against his chest as he poured the champagne. After handing her a fluted glass, he said, “I really am sorry, Kitten. I would not have vanished like that without explanation if I had known you hadn’t seen that before.”
Kat snuggled into his welcoming body, allowing his heat to warm her. “Tell me about what you did. What’s it like?”
His warm breath blew against her ear as he spoke. “Basically you will your body to dissipate while your consciousness streams toward a destination.”
“Can you go anywhere?”
Stephan offered Kat a strawberry which she took a bite of when he held it to her mouth.
“Only to places I’ve been before. You have to know where you are going. You can’t just imagine a place and then go there.”
“So where did you go to get the tulip?”
“A little shop I know of in Virginia.”
“Virginia? As in the state? But you were only gone a few minutes!” Kat could not keep the incredulousness from her voice as she halted Stephan from placing another berry in her mouth.
“It’s an almost instantaneous process. I just have to picture a destination, and I’m there.” Stephan pushed Kat off his chest. “Here, sit up for a minute, and watch.” With that, Stephan appeared on the opposite side of the river waving at Kat.
“Oh my…that is amazing.” Faster than the blink of her eye, Stephan returned to his place behind her and picked up another strawberry.
“It is convenient.” Stephan shrugged, then held the berry to her lips.
She chewed and swallowed the proffered fruit. “I bet it is. Think of all the money and time you’d save by getting from place to place like that.”
“It’s not always possible to get to places like that. If you are going to dematerialize you have to be careful. We can’t do it where humans are likely to see. We can’t do it to new places we’ve never been before. And it is considered rude to do it into someone’s home.”
Kat leisurely ran her finger around the top of her champagne glass. “So you mean that if you were to appear at someone’s house, you wouldn’t materialize inside?”
“No, I would arrive on their doorstep and ring the bell just like any civilized person.” Stephan took a sip of his champagne.
“Huh.” Katrina’s unfocused gaze stared across the Colorado as she considered the information Stephan shared.
“I’d like to propose a toast.” Stephan effectively changed the subject as he raised his glass. “To the beauty of this majestic place, and the woman whose beauty far surpasses the nature surrounding her.”
Warmth spread throughout her body, though whether from his words or the champagne, she couldn’t be sure. They clinked their glasses together, and Kat smiled around the rim while he drank.
As the evening hours wore on, they spoke of their lives. Stephan shared how he’d come into his wealth by investing in art galleries and real estate throughout the world. They discussed Kat’s passion for dance and desire for a family. The moon provided soft light while they talked about their past and present, carefully avoiding any talk of the future and their place in it.
The couple had just finished off the bottle of Cristal when Kat yawned discreetly behind her hand. As if on cue, she heard the hum of the rotors from the helicopter when it crested the top of the canyon on its way to retrieve them.
Snuggled safely against Stephan in the aircraft, Kat carefully cradled the delicate tulip in her lap, closed her eyes, and smiled. This could be the start of something beautiful, she thought as she let the gentle swaying of the helicopter lull her to sleep, taking her to dreams of Stephan.
Chapter 11
Katrina sat on the black l
eather couch looking at the now wilted tulip in the crystal vase on the coffee table. It had been five days since Stephan gave it to her, five wonderful days. She and Stephan had painted the town neon red, each night a different adventure.
They’d gone indoor skydiving. Of course, Stephan had taken all of ninety seconds to acquire the skill. While he did tricks and turns in the wind tunnel, Kat needed the steadying hands of an employee just to stay horizontal over the huge fan. But she had such fun; she did not care how much better her date had been than her.
Stephan took her dancing at the hottest club in town. It amazed Kat that no matter which club they went to, Stephan seemed to know the bouncer by name, and they easily passed through the velvet ropes. No matter how crowded, no one forbid them entrance.
They dined in the finest restaurants located high above the strip. Sometimes they ate Mediterranean cuisine, other times it was Parisian, but always it was a wonderful experience. The portions were gourmet small, but with six to eight courses, neither Kat nor Stephan left hungry. Each time, Kat marveled at the view from the sky high restaurants, the neon vista never a let-down. Looking down on the strip reminded her of being in the helicopter and the memory of which made butterflies flutter in her stomach each time she remembered their first date.
They’d even gone on a tour through the desert on an ATV. As they explored the desert, Stephan pointed out the wildlife that scurried around in the night. The guide brought a small UV light which caused the scorpions to glow blue-green and yellow like walking desert jewels. Katrina reveled at the sensation of him in her arms as she sat behind him on the ATV. Her arms wrapped around his waist, her soft breasts pressing into his back as they rode. She especially had enjoyed how his abs felt when she traced the outline of his corrugated stomach with her fingers while they bounced along the terrain.
Kat was having the time of her young life. Stephan was like no man she’d ever known. Though incredibly good looking, with a body to die for, that wasn’t what drew Kat to him. It was the way he looked at her, the way he treated her. His power was so strong even Kat could feel it fill a room, but yet with her he was gentle, so careful with her it was as if she was as delicate as the tulip she sat looking at.
Alpha Mine (The Alpha Council Chronicles) Page 7