Claude's Conquest (Maura's Men Book 2)

by Stella Williams

  “Do you want a real answer?” His eyes slid slowly over her body making her squirm.

  Only Claude could make her feel so hot and vulnerable with just a look. He took a step closer bringing the cup to her lips. They stared into each other’s eyes as she drank. His hazel eyes molten with desire as he watched her swallow. Only when there was nothing left did he pull the mug away.

  Gretchen felt a small drop of blood resting on her lip, but before she could lick it away, Claude reached up and ran his thumb across her lip. Gretchen held her breath as his finger lingered a moment before she tilted her head forward, bringing it into her mouth. She sucked the last drop away.

  “You’re playing with fire,” He growled, closing the space between them.

  Before she knew it, she was in his arms, and his head bent towards hers. Maybe she had taken her teasing a bit too far. She turned her head, shrinking away from him, and he immediately released her.

  Get a grip, Gretch!

  “I—I’ll see you at training,” She stammered refusing to look at him. Gretchen wasn’t sure if she was angrier with herself or Claude.

  He didn’t say anything as he stalked away.

  Claude watched as Gretchen positioned herself in front of her target. Her stance was all wrong. Her legs were too far apart, and her shoulders were way too stiff. He winced as she pulled back on the bow string. It was way too much.

  He wasn’t surprised when the arrow sailed right of the target, firmly embedding in the concrete wall behind it. Apparently she hadn’t retained any of the information from their last class.

  Either that or she was still upset about earlier. Claude hoped it wasn’t the latter. She had seemed tense from the start when he had brought her breakfast and apologized to her. Then things had gotten a little out of hand. He’d moved too quickly and now was back at square one. If it had been that much of a problem, she could have declined training today, but instead she was here with him, alone in the back garden.

  They had initially had lessons in the courtyard, but Gretchen’s lack of control and the wedding had moved them out to the back of the garden. With the way Gretchen was shooting today, it was a much safer situation, for others at least. He, on the other hand, was simultaneously in danger of being shot and mauled.

  The mauling he wouldn’t mind. Claude placed his hand on the small of Gretchen’s back, and she stiffened under his touch. It was Xander who had suggested he teach Gretchen archery. It was a good way for her to gauge her strength and get used to the new way her eyes could focus in on things.

  “Okay, now try to aim at the center.”

  “I was aiming at the center.”

  “Then, should we go back to the basics?”

  Gretchen glared at him, her lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t say anything.

  Progress, she’s still angry, but her silence means I haven’t completely ruined my chances.

  Claude smiled to himself and pressed his body closer to her back, lining up their bodies. He reached for the bow in her hands. Helping to adjust her position, he forced himself to stay focused on the task at hand and not on how good she felt against him. With Gretchen now in the proper stance, he leaned closer to whisper in her ear.

  He couldn’t help it. What kind of man would he be if he didn’t use the situation to his advantage? His gaze fell to her neck, where he knew a thick scar still remained even despite her change. He knew Gretchen was a little self-conscious of it since she wore turtlenecks every day, even on a warm afternoon like this one.

  “Carefully now.” His manhood hardened as he felt her slight shiver.

  Gretchen fought the shudder working its way through her body. Having him pressed against her this way was hazardous to her already unsteady nerves. Doing her best to ignore the sexual tension between them she slowly pulled back.

  She bit her lip to keep from moaning as Claude’s hand made its way up her body to stop her in the correct position. The warmth of his hand over hers was bad enough. She almost swooned when it returned to her hip.

  “That’s it, now release.”

  His voice, low and sultry, in her ear was almost too much. She didn’t so much as release her hold on the bow as she did lose all the strength in her body. It was all she could do not to melt into him.

  “Bulls eye!”

  She vaguely registered his words as he spun her into his arms and hugged her tightly against him. Her muddled brain refused to work properly. Should she push him away or just give in to her body’s urgings? She looked up into his eyes, and it was as if the world around them didn’t exist. It was just the two of them trapped in a fog of lust.

  She dropped her bow, arms coming up to circle around his neck. His head bent towards hers; lips slightly parted for a kiss. She tilted her head up to meet him.

  “It’s about time,” a voice said breaking them from the moment.

  Gretchen turned to find Xander and Cat standing a few feet away dressed in their fencing costumes, but missing their rapiers. They usually used the courtyard for their training, but Gretchen doubted they had come to this secluded corner of the gardens to fence. It was Xander who had spoken, and Cat was glaring up at him.

  Gretchen immediately pushed away from Claude. She ran down the path back to the house and up to her room. She was so embarrassed. How could she have let that happen? No, this wasn’t her fault. It was all Claude’s doing. Claude had done it again; he’d used her body’s reaction against her.

  Feeling overwhelmed by her warring emotions, Gretchen took a long hot shower before throwing herself into reading one of Felix’s papers on the MacDonald estate. She had read them all before, but now, knowing the truth, they read like fiction novels. Instead of a charming Scottish estate it was more Dracula’s castle. Its walls held the dark secrets of murder, slavery, and torture.

  In a way, reading them again was her way of grieving him. He had been a good friend to her. She had been horrible not to see what was going on when he had disappeared. Like now, even as she tried to focus on other things, her mind still kept drifting back to Claude.

  She was glad he had left her alone after their dance, but as soon as she’d seen him this evening he hadn’t relented. He’d brought her breakfast in bed and insisted on helping her adjust to her new abilities. When he was acting as a teacher, Claude wasn’t all that bad. Until today, he had been focused on the task at hand and not tempting her to jump him. It made him seem almost human, and her heart melted to him a little. Of course, that had been the problem all along. She couldn’t afford for her heart to become a puddle for him.

  “Don’t let him wear you down,” Molly said intruding on Gretchen’s thoughts.

  Gretchen started. She had been too caught up in her own head to notice that Molly had entered her room. Gretchen was grateful for both the intrusion and the advice.

  “No worries, Claude is not even close to what I want.”

  Molly rolled her eyes, chomping loudly on a piece of gum. It was a recent habit of hers, ever since Shane had let it slip that it was a major pet peeve of his.

  “I said not to let him wear you down, not lie to yourself. It will only be easier for him if you try and deny what you’re feeling. It’s better to accept it. That way you will be better prepared to manage your feelings around him.”

  “Is that what you do with Shane?”

  Gretchen knew she was playing with fire, but her tumultuous mood wouldn’t let her care.

  “Our situation is different.”

  Gretchen could see Molly mentally shutting down. It happened any time someone brought up Shane around her. Gretchen knew that there was still love between them. It was obvious in the way they acted around each other. You couldn’t possibly hate someone that much if there wasn’t already intense emotion. It was one of the things that scared her most about Claude. She might not love him, but she had a serious crush. It was just her luck that the first man she was attracted to in years was someone she had no business liking. Yes, Claude had saved her life by
turning her instead of letting her die in the forest, but that didn’t mean she should give him her heart.

  “Claude may not have betrayed me, but he has other characteristics that make him unacceptable,” Gretchen said hoping to end the conversation soon.

  It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk with Molly. Claude was a non-topic for Gretchen. It was no secret that Claude was a womanizer. No matter how different he acted around her, she wouldn’t be drawn in. That was exactly what had gotten her in trouble the last time. The reason she’d taken the internship with Felix and ran away to Scotland in the first place. That should have been the first warning, when Justin began making special efforts to talk to her and lure her away from friends.

  He had invited her out several times before that party, but she had always refused; partially because Gina had already staked her claim, and partially because she hadn’t been interested in being yet another conquest to him. That’s exactly what she hadn’t wanted, and exactly what she had become, just another of Justin’s conquests. Just thinking of it made Gretchen’s resolve harden against Claude. There was no way she would ever be conquered again. Her next partner would be just that, a partner. There would be equal surrender.

  “If assholes could fly this place would be an airport,” Molly huffed, twisting a strand of her hair, “This isn’t getting either of us anywhere. Do you want to be bad and sneak out for ice cream? I’m sure you can still taste that now, right?”

  “Are you sure we can get away with it?”

  “Why not? Xander and Cat are in their own little love bubble. Claude is out already and Shane. Well to be honest he’s probably in a drugged stupor.”

  “Drugged stupor?”

  “Never mind, let’s just go,” Molly said, grabbing Gretchen’s hand and dragging her to the door.

  Gretchen was surprised how easy it had been to leave. She hadn’t exactly tried it before, but the way the men of the house talked about security, Gretchen had been sure there was an entire private army waiting for any sign of unauthorized movement. Instead, Molly had gotten into one of the three sleek black sports cars parked out front, and they had driven passed both guard stations with no issue. Gretchen hadn’t thought about leaving the mansion before. The threat of Maura looming and adjusting to life as a vampire had kept her mind occupied enough not to wonder too much about what lay beyond the walls of the mansion.

  They passed two ice cream shops before Molly pulled into the parking lot of one on the other side of town. Gretchen didn’t question Molly’s motives for choosing this particular one, but she was sure it was probably the furthest one from the house. It was a little weird for Gretchen to be out in America again. She hadn’t realized just how much she had changed during her stay in Scotland. They went to the counter and ordered their ice cream before seating themselves in a window booth. Molly apparently didn’t feel the need to hide out.

  “I never realized how suffocating being in that house was until now,” Gretchen said after savoring her first bite of chocolate ice cream.

  It wasn’t like they didn’t have ice cream at the house, but somehow being out here instead of there, made it ten times better. Almost as if her sense of taste was increasing instead of decreasing as it had been the past few months.

  “You are totally right. I can almost taste the strawberry flavor.”

  “I understand the boys being on red alert because of Maura, but seriously I have nothing to do with that mess. As soon as I learn how to manage this whole vamp thing, I’m leaving.” Gretchen scooped up another spoonful of her desert.

  “Maura won’t be looking for me either. She has already had her fill of me. As soon as I find a decent job, I’m leaving too.”

  “You will definitely be gone before I will. I mean look at Cat, she’s had five years and is still dealing with things.”

  Molly scrunched up her face.

  “That’s because the boys shelter her too much. I’ve had less time to adjust then she has, and I was doing perfectly well before I realized Maura and Declan were insane.”

  “I know you spent a lot of time with Declan, but I can’t imagine him being a normal human being.” Gretchen pondered aloud.

  “Oh, he wasn’t, but I owed him my life.” Molly shrugged.

  “That’s how I feel about Claude. I don’t know if this crush is more Stockholm syndrome than anything real.”

  “Exactly, now that you realize what it is. It will be much easier for you to ignore him.”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  “Well, if you really think its Stockholm syndrome, then you should move out with me. I can help you deal with your change, and you can keep me company. One thing about being a vamp is the loneliness. It’s what drew Shane out the night we met.”

  “I don’t need any more reassurance. I’m sure that’s what this is.”

  “Then it’s settled. As soon as I can find a job and a place, we’ll blow that Popsicle stand,” Molly said, a smile on her face.

  It was the first time Gretchen had seen Molly smile, and it made Gretchen smile as well. They were in this together now. It was only a matter of time before they wouldn’t have to worry about Claude or Shane ever again. A part of Gretchen felt relieved, but the other felt sorry for Shane. Although she understood the need for independence, Gretchen was also certain that Molly and Shane were soul mates.

  Smiling to himself, Claude strolled through the garden to the shed where they stored their practice equipment when it wasn’t in use. He doubted Gretchen would be available for archery lessons again after the scene back there. If only Xander and Cat had kept their honeymoon in the bedroom, the things that could have and should have happened between Gretchen and himself.

  His tongue ran over his bottom lip; he was still able to taste her green apple flavored lip balm. It was one of her pleasant little quirks. Most women went for the cliché cherry, but not Gretchen. The sweet yet tart flavor suited her perfectly. She was all girl next door until you got under her skin.

  “Deny it all you want darling, but you’re mine,” he said out loud, mentally congratulating himself for finding a crack in her defenses.

  Just thinking about her different layers had Claude mentally stripping her out of that damned turtle neck and jeans she was so fond of wearing. Claude was all for progress, but women in pants were the worst. He preferred them in dresses and skirts, especially the modern versions of such garments. They were perfect for easy access. Stumbling on a crack in the path, his body tipped forward making his sunglasses slip from his face.

  The instant searing pain as the rays of the early evening sun reached his naked eyes had him scrambling to get them back into place. It wasn’t that they couldn’t survive sunlight, like common folklore led humans to believe, but the drawback to the enhanced visual acuity was that your eyes were much more sensitive to light. Going out in full sunlight could be excruciatingly painful, even with the aid sunglasses. He fought the urge to rub his eyes knowing it would only feel like he was rubbing sand into them.

  His attention now firmly back to the task at hand, he picked up his pace. He could daydream later. Right now he needed to get inside so his eyes could stop feeling like sandpaper. That didn’t mean that as soon as he was finished put their equipment away, he wouldn’t go straight to Gretchen room and persuade her to pick things up where they were so rudely interrupted.

  “What in the hell?” he muttered when he opened door to the equipment shed.

  It was a complete mess inside, which was unusual. Xander was a stickler for order, and he would never stand for such disrespectful treatment of his equipment. Almost nothing was in its correct place. Even more unusual, there wasn’t a single trace, other than the mess, that anyone had been to the shed since he had arrived earlier to retrieve the equipment needed for today’s lesson.

  The only person who didn’t leave any trace of their presence was Molly. You could sense her physical presence, but that was it. Nothing about her lingered in her absence, it was a trick that
even Maura hadn’t mastered.

  “That red-headed she-devil,” he cursed.

  It bugged him just how little they knew regarding the details of how she was turned. By all rights, she had been dead, decapitated, with no way of coming back to life. Claude had even attended her funeral with Shane and Cat; he’d seen her body lowered into a proper grave. It still gave him the creeps every time he saw her.

  “Soulless, man-hating witch,” he continued.

  Molly appeared to be human. Her skin still held color, her touch was human warm, and even her sense of taste remained the same, if her gusto for eating real food was to be believed. The only thing that signified her change was, well, she had come back from the dead, had fangs, needed to drink blood to survive, and like the rest of them preferred to live a mostly nocturnal life.

  “What the hell happened here?” A voice said from behind him.

  Claude turned to see Xander standing in the doorway. His jaw set in anger. He was surprised Cat wasn’t attached to Xander’s hip, like they had been ever since the incident at MacDonald Estate.

  “It was like this when I got here. There’s no trace of anyone though,” he replied, earning an incredulous look from Xander.

  He watched Xander study the scene and come to the same conclusion he had earlier.

  “I think it’s time we had another talk with Cat and Shane about Molly,” Xander said, before storming off towards the house.

  As much as Claude would love to see Molly given the boot, this wasn’t going to be good. Xander’s temper could very well get them all in a world of trouble. There was too much at stake to make any rash decisions. Besides, they had already decided that keeping Molly close was better than having her vulnerable to Maura again. At least having her at the mansion, they could keep an eye on her, and make sure she wasn’t helping Maura in her plans for revenge.

  He tossed down the equipment still in his hand and went after Xander. At the very least, he could calm him down before he faced off with those two. Shane was usually pretty timid, but Molly was his mate, he would kill for her. Molly was also Cat’s best friend, and those two had been virtually inseparable since Molly’s surprise return. How Cat had ever forgiven Molly for threatening her life, Claude had no idea, but he did know that Cat was fiercely protective of her anyway. There wouldn’t have even been a wedding if Xander hadn’t relented on having Molly stay.