Candy Houses

by Shiloh Walker

  “Damn it, Drew, I told you that nobody would hurt you.” She stared at him, her heart tripping a bit in her chest. “What are you trying to do?”

  “Save you…” He grimaced and tried to pull away from Shawn. Dark lashes fluttered over his eyes. “They can’t hurt you for telling me if I’m one of you, right?”

  “Saving me—?” She could smack him. Kiss him. Shake him. “Damn it, Drew. I don’t need saving. Nobody was going to hurt me.”

  “They…” Confusion fogged his eyes. Or maybe that was blood loss. “But he said you’d have to pay…”

  Shawn frowned. “He’s got good ears for a mortal.”

  Dakota ignored him, swallowing. “It’ll be okay. You didn’t have to hurt yourself just to keep me out of trouble.”

  He closed his eyes. “And what if I kind of wanted to be with you, too?”

  As her heart did another one of those funny stutters, footsteps sounded outside in the hall. “Healer’s here, kiddo,” Shawn murmured.

  “Be with me?” She shook her head. “But you dumped me. Damn it, no. We’re not talking about this. We’ll get you healed and then…”

  “No. Because if I’m healed, I can’t be with you…” He opened his eyes and stared at her. “Can I? Not for real. Not for good. That’s why, Dakota. I needed more and this is my only chance for it, isn’t it?”

  He shot the vampire holding his wrists a look. “Let me go.”

  “Don’t you dare,” Dakota snarled. “I mean it, Shawn.”

  The black man grimaced at her. “Dakota…ah, well. It’s kind of his choice…”

  Shawn let go.

  He slept.

  For now.

  Dakota sat at his bedside, feeling old. She’d slept until an hour before sunset, her body forcing it on her, even though she’d wanted to stay at his side. She was there now and she wouldn’t leave until he opened his eyes, and fed…so she wouldn’t feel so bad when she beat him.

  Damn it, she wasn’t ever going to forget what he’d done. She didn’t fully understand it, either. She realized he had some disturbed, twisted sense that he’d been helping her, and while it made some part of her heart warm a bit, she still wanted to beat him.

  “What were you thinking?” He’d slit his wrists. Damn it. He’d slit his damn wrists.

  She felt sick. Sick at heart, sick in her soul.

  She needed answers. She needed…

  Him. She needed him. She’d needed him for a very long time. Pretty much from the first night she had met him. The night she should’ve turned around and walked away. And now look what she had done. How badly she’d screwed up his life.

  Absently, she found herself thinking about what Shawn had said—what Drew had overheard.

  You’ll be the one paying for it… yeah. She guessed she was. But Drew was paying, too. And he didn’t deserve that. He didn’t deserve any of this.

  None of it.

  A moan came from the bed. Drew moved restlessly, tangled in the sheets. Rising, she moved to his side. The fever. It was coming back.

  He was burning—so damn hot. Was he sick? Had to be…couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, so fucking hot—why was he so fucking hot? Why couldn’t he breathe?

  What in the hell was going…?

  Pain gripped him, twisted him. Tore at him like it was going to rip him into shreds and just when he thought it would drive him to screams, it eased. And Dakota. He heard Dakota…

  It was Dakota, right? Her hand in his, her voice murmuring to him.

  But she couldn’t be. They were over, right?

  Images flashed through his mind—crazy images of glowing eyes, Nicole and Dakota. His mind couldn’t process it. Maybe he wasn’t sick—he could just be going crazy.

  A cool cloth stroked across his brow. And he heard her again, that low, sexy drawl that had driven him mad from the first, now so comforting. He didn’t understand her words, but he didn’t have to; she was there and that was all that mattered. He wasn’t alone. Listening to Dakota’s voice, Drew slipped back into sleep. He just hoped she was there when he woke up.

  She was there, all right. She was there. One look at her and he knew all the crazy dreams that had haunted him over the past hours hadn’t been crazy dreams. Not unless he really was going crazy.

  He opened his mouth to speak but he didn’t even manage a word before gut wrenching pain ripped through his belly. Dimly, he heard a knock at the door. But he was too busy wondering if he was dying to worry about it. Doubling over, he tried to breathe through the pain. Then a hand touched his brow.

  “You need to feed. That’s what’s causing the pain.”

  Feed… what? “Feed. What do you mean—feed?”

  “Sugar, you’re a vampire now. What do you think I mean?”

  He sucked in a breath and that was when he smelled it. Something lush, rich… ripe.

  Drew was barely even aware of the next few seconds. There was a woman there, and then she was in his arms. It was a blur—a hot, brutal blur. Some part of his mind remained sane, almost horrified. He had to stop, he knew he had to, but he couldn’t, he just couldn’t—it was so fucking good—

  And then two hands gripped his head, prying him away.

  Snarling, snapping, he fought with whoever it was tearing him away.

  That hot, heavy fog only got worse. Then somebody was whispering to him. “Calm down, sugar. You can do this—you made it through the worst. You can make it through this, just trust me. Breathe, just breathe. That’s it, sugar… that’s it.”

  Sugar…

  “Dakota.”

  A hand touched his face. “Yeah. It’s me. I’m here. You with me?”

  Misery gripped him. What had he done? “That woman—what…how could I…aw, fuck…”

  “Come on now. Open your eyes.”

  He couldn’t. Not ever again. What had he been thinking?

  “Beth.”

  “I’m here, D.C.” That voice—Drew didn’t know that voice.

  Opening his eyes, he found himself staring at Dakota’s face for a long moment. Then, he shifted his gaze past her and saw the other woman. She had blood all down the front of her shirt. But she was alive. Alive—how?

  “What is going on?” He sat up, looking between Dakota and the other woman.

  “Don’t you think you’ve got enough to process right now?” Dakota’s eyes, dark and gentle, rested on his face. “Beth, thank you.”

  “Not a problem, Dakota.”

  Drew called out after her, but he was ignored. Ignored, and left alone with Dakota. “How is she still okay?”

  “We can talk about that later. Right now, we have more important things to talk about. Like me beating you, for example.” She jabbed a finger into his shoulder. “What were you thinking? You have any idea what you did to me?”

  Scowling at her, he rubbed his shoulder. “Damn it, what are you trying to do—put a hole through me?” Then, giving into the urge, he reached for her. As bad as he had felt earlier, as sick as he suspected he should be, he shouldn’t have been able to do it. Hell, he shouldn’t even be alive. But he pulled her into his lap like she weighed nothing. He actually ended up using too much force—and they ended up on the floor when he lost his balance. That was just fine with him. Fisting a hand in her dark hair, he closed his eyes. “Well, I guess I understand a little bit more about all those secrets you always kept. But, Dakota, security? Couldn’t you do any better than that?”

  “Shows how much you know.” She sniffed. “I do work in security, just not the sort you would think. You still haven’t answered me. What in the hell were you thinking? You didn’t have to do that—you didn’t have to do this. Not for me. I don’t think you realize exactly what you have done. This is permanent—it can’t be undone.”

  “What makes you think I would undo it?” Opening his eyes, he stared at her, combing his hand through her hair to toy with the ends.

  “Duh.” Rolling her eyes, she shifted around. As she did, Dakota grew aware of one thing—Drew
was feeling better. A lot better. Swallowing, trying not to think about it, she stared at him. “Drew. Two things, one… you dumped me. Two… your girlfriend is here, she’s a vampire—you’re a vampire—maybe you two can ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after… if you really love her. If you don’t, you’re stuck in one very long life and you very well may hate it. It’s not a fun one, and it can be pretty damn lonely. You shouldn’t have done this.”

  “My girlfriend.” He rested his hands on her thighs. He had a look in his eyes, a heated, slumberous one that she knew all too well. “You know, you really ought to tell me how you knew about her. She’s not exactly my girlfriend. We were kind of dating, and we were going to get more serious. But…” He sighed and shrugged. “Then the other night happened. And we need to talk about that. About just what did happen.”

  Stiffening, she stood and moved away. “I didn’t hurt her. Somebody else did. They’ve already been dealt with. I got there too late to save her—she was already bleeding out. I did the best I could, and the best I could do was bring her over. I realize it’s not good enough, but it was—”

  “Hey, that’s not what I’m talking about. I know you didn’t hurt her. Already figured that much out. It just took me a while.”

  She shivered as his voice sounded in her ear. Close, very close. He was already so quiet…usually, it took a baby vamp a while to settle into their skin. It wasn’t taken him much time at all.

  As his hands closed around her shoulders, she set her jaw. “Then what else is there to talk about?”

  “Don’t you think maybe we can worry about Nicole and everybody else later?” He pressed his lips to her shoulder. “Right now I want to talk about you. You’re right, I don’t fully realize just what I did. But I do know one thing—I did this because I knew it was the only way I could have what I really wanted. I broke things off with you because I didn’t think I would ever have that. And as I was, I guess I was right. This sounds crazy, but while you were talking with that guy, I started seeing things—images in my head—I saw me, like this, I knew this was how I had to be if I wanted to be with you. And I wanted that more than anything for the past two years. I just didn’t think I’d ever have it—that was why I ended things.”

  He tugged on her shoulders, forcing her to turn around. “I leaped before I looked. There is no doubt about that. Am I going to regret it? It’s possible. But the only way that will happen is if I did it for the wrong reason—I did it for you, because I think you feel the same way about me that I feel about you. I love you. I’ve been in love with you almost from the time I met you. I just didn’t think you were right for me, because of all your secrets.” He grimaced and reached up, probing his mouth. “I wasn’t prepared for this kind of secret, though. It wasn’t you that needed to make some changes. It was me. And I’ve done that. So… am I right or am I wrong? Did I do it for the wrong reas—”

  The rest of the sentence never made it out of his mouth. Dakota lunged for him.

  He caught her in his arms.

  “You idiot…” She muttered against his mouth. “You stupid idiot. Yes, damn it. I love you.”

  He groaned and trailed a hand down her back, toying with the hem of her dress. “Good.” His other hand, he wrapped around her waist, locking her body against his.

  She rocked against him, pressing closer, but it still wasn’t close enough. Questions, demands, everything else faded from her mind. The two of them had plenty of time to talk, to figure the rest of things out. Right now, a bigger need dominated her mind.

  “You know what, sugar? It’s been like…three months since I’ve seen you naked.” She caught his lower lip between her teeth and tugged. “That’s way too long.”

  “Is it?” He caught the hem of her short black dress and pulled—too hard.

  Dakota heard fabric tear and she might have been irritated, but the befuddled look at his face distracted her. “You’ll have to get used to it…you’re stronger than you were.” Shrugging out of the remains of the dress, she dealt with her bra and panties, lifting a brow at him. “I like my pretty stuff in one piece.”

  He was still staring at the ruins of her dress. With a look at his hands, he shook his head. “I didn’t…I mean…”

  “Shhh.” Catching his hands, she brought them to her breasts. “That’s some of the stuff we need to talk about. But later. Touch me. I won’t break or tear, I promise.”

  “But…”

  “Touch me.” She moved closer, crowding closer and going to work on his jeans. “Just touch me…please. Damn it, I thought I wouldn’t have this again, be with you again.”

  She could feel the burn of his hunger, too, a purely physical hunger now. But he was worried…that she could scent, wrapping in the air around them. Staring at him from under her lashes, she smiled. “Drew…you should know…I play dirty.”

  For a vampire, lust and the desire for blood often went hand in hand. Her fangs had been threatening to emerge; now she let them. As she rose on her toes to kiss him, she bit her own lip just before she pressed her mouth to his.

  He stiffened, went to jerk away. Chuckling, she clutched him tight. “Baby…you can’t hurt me this way.”

  “Dakota…”

  “You won’t hurt me.”

  He shuddered. Then, with force that would have bruised her had she been human, he hauled her against him. There was barely enough room between them for her to push his jeans out of the way. She managed though. He sucked on her lip and the sensation was so damn erotic, it drove her insane…

  Tearing her mouth away, she gasped, “Bed.”

  “Fuck the bed,” he growled. He lifted her up.

  And then, without waiting another second, he pushed inside.

  Oh…hell…

  Groaning out his name, Dakota gripped his shoulders, sinking her nails into his shoulders. Her head fell back and dimly, she found herself thinking, it was damn good thing she didn’t have to breathe…because she couldn’t.

  Strong hands gripped her hips, dragged her up. “Look at me.”

  Forcing her eyes open, she stared at him, into those beautiful eyes that had haunted her dreams for the past two years. Curling arm around his neck, she pressed her brow to his. “I love you.”

  “Yeah?” A slow, heated smile curved his lips. “I love you, too…”

  His hands curled into her ass as he turned and took a few steps, until she had the wall at her back. “I’m not going to break a wall, am I?”

  Dakota laughed. “If you do, you won’t be the first…” She gripped his hips with her knees. “Now stop talking. Make love to me already.”

  “Bossy…bossy…” His eyes glowed as he pulled back.

  Then he surged back against her, deep, hard. She cried out, arched her back. He did it a second time, a third, as he worked a hand between them and stroked his thumb over the hard knot of her clit. Hot, liquid delight burst through her. Her heart ached for him and the pleasure, even as it tore into her, it remade her.

  “Mine…” he muttered against her neck. “Finally mine.”

  “Always. I always was, sugar.” Arching her neck to the side, she pressed him closer…she needed…

  As he sank his teeth into her neck, they both exploded.

  Fuck…

  “I bit you.”

  His head was still reeling. Shuddering, he lifted his head and stared at Dakota’s neck. Then he gaped at he realized the holes were closing. “I…fuck. I bit you. And you’re healing.”

  “You bit me…and I loved it. Now take me to bed,” she said, her low, raspy voice smug and pleased. “And maybe this time, I’ll bite you. Later on, we can have that talk…”

  “But…”

  She pressed a finger to his lips. “Later. We have plenty of time to talk, sugar. We need a night just for us…”

  Dazed, stunned, he looked back at her neck. Then into her eyes. She was smiling. Didn’t look worried at all. Shit. She was right.

  “Yeah.” Dipping his head, he whispered
against her mouth, “You know what…yeah.”