She was the first to move, rocking her hips, joining them fully once more. Stephan kissed away the last of her trepidation, building her lust into a burning inferno that consumed her body with a scorching heat.
Fingers clenched in her hair, holding her still while he took her mouth, kissing her soundly until she felt him jerk. Swell inside her. He quickened their pace and brought Kat her release once more, this time her inner muscles milked his own release while she called out his name. He threw back his head and let out a triumphant cry. Together they tumbled into ecstasy.
Kat cradled Stephan in her arms, hugging him to her bosom. The rich, musky scent that was a combination of sandalwood and sex surrounded her, and she found herself smiling, happier now than at any other time in her life. She felt wanted, loved…cherished.
“I love you,” she breathed, forgetting Stephan had preternatural hearing.
“I love you too, Kitten.” Stephan rose on his forearms to look down on her. A smile came to his face. “I have an idea. It’s early yet, and you have some time before work. Let’s go over to the Florencia hotel. I want to ride the gondolas with you. After the ride, we could get something to eat.”
“I’d love that!” Her face lit up in anticipation.
“But first I have to know,” he said, looking down at her.
A confused look furrowed her brows. “Know what?” she asked.
“How was the experiment?” Stephan asked separating their bodies so they could dress and get ready for their date.
Amazing. Stupendous.
“So, so,” Katrina replied, fighting to keep the smile from her face.
Stephan froze. The look of concern and shock on his face forced the laughter from her lips. His face softened, then he pounced, pinning her to the bed for a punishing tickle.
****
Nicholai rang the bell and waited for the door to open. He fumbled with the listening devices hidden in the pockets of his brown slacks. His contact at VES offered not one but two of the small round devices to Nicholai, and he readily accepted both.
The guard who’d been introduced to him as Trace opened the door wide and motioned him inside. “Please come in, Mr. Peterhof.”
“I have come to see Andrea. Is she in?”
“Yes. Have a seat in the living room. I’ll get Mrs. Lucio for you.” The guard motioned for Nicholai to enter the room with a grand sweep of his arm. After watching Nicholai sit down on the couch, Trace turned on his heels, leaving the room to fetch the mistress of the house.
Moments later Andrea walked through the room wearing a dark purple pants suit. Nicholai didn’t know much about fashion, but he was sure the outfit was designer and very expensive.
“Good evening, Nicholai,” she greeted as he stood to kiss the back of her hand. “It is a pleasure to see you again.” Her toothy smile was blinding. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”
“I promised you some autographs, I believe. I had the chance to acquire them.” He handed her two eight by ten photographs of his dancers, each of which had been signed by the pictured performer.
Andrea’s eyes raked the photos. “Oh,” she squealed in delight. “I love them! Thank you so much, Nicholai.” Andrea turned her gaze back to him. Her assessing stare said she appreciated what she saw.
The warrior scanned the room, trying to determine where to put the listening device. Deciding most owners did not have many conversations in their formal living room, he needed an excuse to move throughout the rest of the house. Nicholai turned toward his hostess. “Excuse me, I need to use the facilities.”
“Of course. Go down the hall, it’s the third door on the right.”
“Thank you, Andrea.” He slipped her a sensual smile and made his way out of the living room. He heard an audible sigh escape her lips, sensed her admiring gaze on his back as his strides ate up the floor.
Nicholai stood in the small bathroom leaning on his hands as they rested on the granite vanity. He stared vacantly at his reflection in the mirror and tried to decide where would be the best place in the house to put the listening device. They were small enough to go anywhere, so he wondered just where the couple would most likely talk about a subject like a hunt club. He had considered the hallway, but thought better of it when he realized any conversations there would be brief as people used it to walk from one place to another. He considered the living room again, but decided it was too formal, not a place the couple was likely to spend much time.
Nicholai decided to place one device upstairs and one downstairs to allow for the best coverage. After a number of considerations, he finally determined one should go in the kitchen. He imagined long conversations would take place at the kitchen table over a meal.
He raked his hand down his face. One down, now where to place the other one. He tried to imagine where he would want to talk with a heartmate, if he had one. An image of himself lying in bed talking at length with a lover came to mind, so he decided the master bedroom would be the second place.
Now, he just had to figure out how to get into those rooms. He washed his hands, as if he had used the facilities and opened the door, stopping short when he almost collided with Andrea.
Nicholai flashed her his sexiest smile, the one that made most women melt in his arms. He looked down at the mistress of the house. She gazed back at him with passion sparkling in her eyes and smiled, offering him a drink.
“You read my mind, I’d love a drink.”
“How about some coffee?”
“That would be perfect,” he purred. “Can I help you get it?”
“No, you go back to the living room. I’ll take care of it.”
He watched her saunter down the hallway, then he turned and followed her rather than doing as she had instructed.
Andrea was preparing the coffee maker, pouring water into the top, when Nicholai came up behind her on silent feet. “I can help with that,” he offered, causing her to jump.
“No, no you go sit down. I’ll just be a minute. I’ve got this.”
“Do not be silly. You are with child. The least I can do is help make some coffee.” He moved closer and took the ground gourmet coffee from her hands, purposely sliding his own hand over the top of hers as he grabbed it.
Andrea turned her back and made her way to the kitchen table, giving him the opportunity he needed. He quickly reached into his pocket, withdrew one of the tiny devices, and slipped it under the counter.
His fingers fumbled with the device, turned it over and stuck it against the underside of the counter. He risked a glance over his shoulder to assure his hostess was oblivious to his devious behavior.
A groan of frustration nearly escape his throat. Before he could set the device, Andrea turned around. He quickly leaned against the countertop, effectively hiding the hand with the bug.
“Where do you keep your coffee cups?” he asked, hoping to distract her so he could set the bug.
“In the cabinet to the right of your head.”
He reached with his free hand to take two mugs from the cabinet while his other hand firmly pushed the bug into place.
Hoping the device would stick, he slowly withdrew his hand, carefully lifting one finger away from the counter at a time. Relief flooded him when the device did indeed stay put rather than falling into his waiting hand. The sound of the coffee pot gurgling brought his attention to the counter. The aroma of the Columbian brew filled the kitchen.
“Cream and sugar?” he asked.
“I take my coffee black.”
“As do I.”
“Something we have in common.” Andrea smiled.
He poured two cups and brought them over to the table. After handing one to Andrea, he slid into the empty chair across from her and blew across his cup.
As they talked about nothing in particular over their coffee, Nicholai’s mind continually tried to come up with a plausible excuse to get upstairs into the master suite. He couldn’t use the bathroom excuse again, although after drinking
the coffee, he was beginning to wish he had actually used the facility earlier.
Desperate to find an excuse, his mind threw out some wacky ideas. He could say he was tired and needed a nap. He could claim he wanted to see if the upstairs was as clean as the downstairs. He could make a run for it, hoping no one would catch him before he could plant the thing.
Yeah, definitely not good ideas, he chastised himself. Come on, you are smarter than this.
Finally his mind came through, giving him a plausible idea. Knowing she’d designed and decorated the house herself, he decided to play on Andrea’s pride.
“You know, the last time I was here, you gave me the fifty cent tour. Could I get the full two dollar tour? Your home is beautiful, and I’m in the process of renovating mine. I’d love to see your rooms, especially the master bath, and get some ideas for what I might want to do in my own home.” He waited, hoping she wouldn’t think the excuse odd.
Andrea beamed. “Sure, I’d love to show you the rooms upstairs. I’m sure you’ll get some wonderful ideas.”
He exhaled a relieved sigh and followed her as she led the way up the stairs. She gave him the full tour, all the guest rooms as well as the library.
In the library, Nicholai hesitated, second guessing his master bedroom choice.
This could also be a good place for a device, he thought, suddenly wishing he had three of the devices instead of only two. Indecision gripped him. Andrea made the decision for him by hustling him from the room toward the master suite before he could plant the device.
“I saved the best room for last. Right this way.” Andrea licked her lips, glancing over her shoulder to rake Nicholai with her stare, her desire for him palpable. She looked at him like a lioness would her dinner. Nicholai could swear he actually heard her growl as she opened the double doors to her suite.
She ushered him into the room and crossed to her bath. As she went into the bathroom, he spotted the perfect place for the second device—the bookcase built into the wall beside the bathroom door.
Using his incredible speed, he whipped one of the books from the shelf, placed the listening device against the back of the case and put the book back in place. He sent a silent prayer up to the heavens for the speed and grace his vampiric abilities gave him as he made his way to the bathroom.
Nicholai joined his hostess in the bath, carefully looking around and asking enough questions to seem truly interested. Andrea proudly shared the details of her home with him, moving closer until their bodies brushed against each other. Nicholai’s eyes widened, instantly realizing it had been a bad idea to get Andrea to bring him to her room.
He feigned interest in the Jacuzzi tub, and leaned over for a closer look hoping to put some space between him and the female. Andrea came up behind him, leaned against him as she touched the faucets to point out the brand.
Nicholai straightened. She obviously needed a stronger hint, putting space between them wasn’t enough.
He knew he was in trouble as Andrea leaned into him once again and suggested, “Why don’t we try out the bath…together?”
“Excuse me?” Nicholai turned toward the door, eyeing the exit. “What about your mate?”
“Gage? He knows I appreciate a handsome man. Especially one who moves like you do. The way your muscles ripple under your clothes when you move—it’s driven me wild since I met you. I’m betting you are the kind of man who would know how to satisfy a woman. And personally, I wouldn’t mind finding out whether or not I am correct in that opinion.” Andrea lunged, desire in her eyes.
****
Stephan sat in his living room, the plasma showed some team Marcus apparently loved, but the game didn’t interest him. His attention rested on the picture he fingered.
When he and Kat had ridden in the gondola, a ride attendant took their picture. Kat begged him to buy the souvenir and now he was glad he had. He ran a finger along her face, marveling at how beautiful she looked. Her smile lit her eyes, making them sparkle. Her face, so young and creamy smooth. He could almost feel the softness of her skin as his imagination took over.
Lost in his mind’s eye, he barely registered Marcus whooping beside him in the leather recliner when the phone rang. It took two rings for him to notice, and by then Marcus had already reached for the phone and brought it to his ear.
“Hello,” he said, turning down the TV. “Great. Okay. I’ll go check right now. Hold on.” Marcus placed his fingers over the mouth piece and addressed Stephan. “It’s Nikko. He planted the bugs. I’m going to go see if we’re up and running.”
Stephan strolled behind Marcus into his room. The Alpha leader took notice of the changes that had been made to the bedroom. Along one wall stood a long table holding two PC’s each with large monitors and earphones.
Marcus sat at the table and brought the machines online. They whirled to life, both screens containing a series of wavy green lines. Marcus lifted each set of ear phones and gave them a listen. He smiled, obviously liking what he heard. He turned and looked at Stephan. “The computers are set up to record 24/7. I’ll be able to review everything the devices pick up,” Marcus explained, pointing to the lines on the monitors. “The lines become wavier as people talk, letting me know which ear phones I should be listening to.”
Marcus put the phone back up to his ear. “We’re up and running, man.” Marcus paused. “Yeah, both.”
Stephan stood behind Marcus, and an extended silence filled the room while Marcus intently listened to Nicholai.
“No way!” said Marcus and stifled a laugh. “I can’t believe she did that. How did you get out of there?”
Another long silence ensued, during which Marcus covered the phone receiver with one hand and snickered quietly.
Suddenly, Marcus straightened and shook his head, a disgusted look on his face. “Man, well go take a shower and scrub yourself down, then try to get some sleep. We’ll call you if we hear anything. Later.”
With a punch of a button, Marcus clicked off the phone and looked at Stephan. “You aren’t going to believe this!”
Stephan listened intently while Marcus relayed the story of what had happened between Nicholai and Andrea. A smirk brought one corner of Marcus’ mouth up as he spoke. “Okay, so Nikko was planting the bugs and the first one went off without a hitch. But the second one was a problem.
“He put the thing in the master bedroom. Apparently, he convinced Lucio’s wife that he was renovating his place and wanted decorating ideas. Specifically he needed bathroom ideas.”
Marcus shifted his weight to his other foot as he continued. “When Nicholai turned to exit the master bathroom, Andrea leaped, throwing herself against him. He tried to back away from her, but the tub caught his knees making him fall off balance.” Marcus’ chuckle broke his explanation.
“And this is funny why?” Stephan shot his friend a sardonic look.
“His butt landed on one of the faucets, breaking it off causing the pressurized water to spew out. Of course, with his ass in the way, the water only had one place to go, up his butt. And that caused Nicholai to lurch up, knocking Andrea back.”
Marcus’ deep laughter echoed in his room. He took a deep breath and continued. “Picture this, the water, now flowing freely, coated the marble floor. Andrea lost her footing and screamed. Wanting to protect her and the baby, Nicholai grabbed ahold of her as she was falling, but he too slipped on the wet floor.”
Stephan crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head, picturing the bathroom scene. He chuckled.
“Wait.” Marcus wagged his brows up and down. “It gets better. To protect her, he twisted their bodies so Andrea would land on top of him instead of the hard marble floor. The two of them landed on the floor with the water from the faucet raining down on them from above.
“Drenched by the newly made water fountain, Andrea leaned down trying to kiss Nicholai. He said he flipped them over so he rested on top of Andrea, pinning her to the floor to avoid the kiss. Of course, it was preci
sely at that moment one of the guards burst into the room, having heard all of the commotion, and misinterpreted what Nicholai was doing. The guard pulled him off of her and threw him out of the house.”
Stephan shook his head slowly, before running a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe Lucio’s wife threw herself at him, especially when the female is pregnant.”
“Apparently the baby isn’t affecting her libido.” A wry look lifted one corner of Marcus’ mouth.
Stephan was still wearing a no-freaking-way look on his face when he glanced down at his watch. “It’s time to go pick up Kat. I’ll be back in a few.”
“I can pick her up if you’d like,” offered Marcus.
“That’s okay. I don’t mind picking her up.”
“I bet you don’t,” bantered Marcus with a grin before wishing him safe travels as he turned back to the monitors and donned the ear phones with a tired sigh.
He was in for a long night, and any other time Stephan would be willing to help, but not tonight.
Katrina was waiting.
Chapter 21
Stephan walked into Marcus’ room and crossed to the listening station where Marcus sat wearing a set of earphones. He clamped his hand down onto Marcus’ shoulder. “Well, my friend, anything yet? It’s been three days.” Stephan voice sounded hopeful, even to him.
“No.” Marcus looked up at him and slid the earphones to his neck. “Still nothing.”
“Damn. I’ve got a bit of a problem. I need your help.”
Marcus lifted one eyebrow questioningly and waited for him to continue.
“I have something special planned for Kat tonight. Could you arrange for her to have tonight off?”
Marcus hesitated. “I guess so, but the manager won’t be too happy. I’ll make some calls and see if I can find someone to fill in for Kat.”
“Thank you, Marcus. I owe you one.” Stephan turned to leave, ready to begin his evening.
“Mind sharing why I’m going to piss off my manager, again?”
Stephan smiled. “I have something special planned. That’s all I’m going to tell you. It’s a surprise, and I know how Kat can pry information out of you.”
Alpha Mine (The Alpha Council Chronicles) Page 14