He didn’t mind being assigned as a hunter, but now there was no way he could get involved with Wendy. At least not until this situation was closed and the killers were taken care of.
Chapter Four
Wendy sat at her desk, Dictaphone headphones on her head, doing her transcriptions Monday morning. The gold embossed business card Dante had given her kept drawing her attention though. She’d come across it when she put her keys away after she left home to walk to work, and now it sat there on her desk, mocking her. Echidna’s Cave. The name was as exotic as the man who owned the store.
She typed away, mindlessly transcribing Dr. Thompson’s notes, but her mind kept wandering back to Dante. Tall, gorgeous Dante Rainaldi. His smile, the feel of his arm around her as he’d walked her home. The soft kiss he’d placed on her cheek before he turned and walked away, leaving her to quiver with arousal and want of more of his touch.
Wendy jumped when someone touched her shoulder, and she jerked her head around, ripping the headphones from her head.
“Hey, Wend,” Cathy, one of the nurses said with a grin. “Didn’t mean to startle you. It’s lunchtime. Wanna run next door and grab a bite?”
“Umm...” She glanced at the embossed business card. “Thanks, but not today. I have an errand to run.”
Cathy shrugged. “Okay. I’ll see if Jane wants to go.”
Wendy’s heart thudded as Cathy walked away. She hit the foot pedal on the Dictaphone to stop the tape and laid the headphones on her desk. She would do it. She was going to go see Dante.
His shop was just a few blocks away. She could drop in and have a look at what he...had to offer.
Her hands began to sweat. Maybe he gave his card to everyone. Advertising or something.
She bent and pulled her purse from the bottom drawer. What could it hurt? She’d just go in there and be all nonchalant, act as though she were just there to see what he sold. Since she was positive he couldn’t be truly interested in her, she wouldn’t look as if she was there for him. Curiosity about the store, that was all.
She signed out on the white board in the nurses’ station and headed out of the clinic. In the hour she had for her lunch break, she’d stop in, see Dante—no, see his store—and grab a sandwich on the way back to eat at her desk as she got back to work.
She headed down 4th Avenue with a smile on her face and her heart thudding against her ribs so hard she felt a little dizzy. Her blood pressure skyrocketed the nearer she got to the address on the card. She couldn’t do this. He’d know she was there to see him.
He’d invited her, though.
He was just being nice to a lonely old woman sitting alone on her birthday.
She stopped walking in the middle of the sidewalk a half block from his shop. Someone bumped into her from behind. She mumbled an apology and moved up against the building. Why was she doing this to herself? Asking for rejection was really what she needed right this second, wasn’t it?
Chewing her lip, she examined the business card gripped in her hand. The sun broke through the clouds and glinted off the gold embossing. It was stylish and classy, just like Dante.
She glanced down at herself. Frumpy, chunky, and wearing dark blue hospital scrubs.
This year was supposed to be different. She’d promised herself. She was worthy of a man like Dante. Maybe not Dante himself because he was too young for her, but... She closed her eyes and leaned against the rough brick wall. The sun warmed her face, and she forced her breathing to slow.
What was the worse possible scenario if she went to his store?
He wouldn’t recognize or remember her. He’d give her a blank look and ask if he could help her.
That wouldn’t be so bad. She could play it off.
No, worse than that would be him looking at her as if she were nuts for actually having shown up. If he was just a slick bullshit artist, he’d never expect her to be there.
The sun dipped behind a cloud, and a breeze flung her hair into her face. She pushed away from the wall and headed down the sidewalk. This year was supposed to be different. If she played it safe her entire life, she wouldn’t get anywhere. Going to his shop would be the first step of her asserting her newfound...what? She hadn’t found anything. She could still back out. Her life wasn’t so bad as it was. She didn’t need a man’s approval. Friday night had simply been a diversion. He’d made her feel...nice.
And then she was standing in front of Echidna’s Cave, staring through the window at a gorgeous, Asian dragon carved out of black marble, its head reared back, forked tongue slithering out. It was perfectly carved, just like Dante.
Grow some balls, Wend. She nodded and sucked in a calming breath. He’d invited her. It didn’t mean anything except to get another customer into his store. So she’d...browse.
Taking the five steps past the display window, she read the name printed in gold script on the door and reached for the handle.
The bell over the door tinkled. “I will be with you momentarily,” Dante called from the back office of Echidna’s Cave. But then he glanced up from the customs forms he’d been filling out for an overseas shipment. What he saw on the closed circuit television hanging in the corner of the room made his heart skip a beat.
Wendy. She’d come. His spirits soared. Then they crashed to his stomach with a hard twist. Fuck.
She wasn’t supposed to be here. She couldn’t be. He couldn’t have her around right now. Not until the situation with the slayer had been dealt with.
He stared at the monitor as she clutched her purse in both hands and examined a Persian rug he’d picked up over a century earlier.
He’d invited her to come, but he never thought she would. He’d pegged her for shy and insecure. She’d been so unsure of herself the other night, he’d been positive he was the one who would need to do the pursuing.
She moved on to the jewelry display and leaned over the counter, the camera at a perfect angle to see her lovely, rounded ass.
His cock jumped, and visions of her writhing in ecstasy on her bed flashed through his mind. He licked his lips, his gums tingling with the urge to release his fangs.
Settle down, man. You can’t have her right now.
He stood up and rounded the desk to the doorway. She stood up straight, and her brilliant green gaze snagged his heart. Dear God, she was gorgeous. Even better than the other night. Her face was clean of makeup, and her hair flowed in soft waves around her shoulders. The medical scrubs hugged each of her luscious curves, their dark color making her skin look like porcelain.
“Well, hello there, Wendy.” He smiled as he stepped up to the counter opposite her. As much as she shouldn’t be there, he couldn’t deny the pleasure coursing through him because she’d sought him out.
He held out his hand to her and, when she slipped her small palm against his, he raised her fingers to his lips and kissed them. This time her scent was a little antiseptic, but he still savored a hint of lilac.
Her lips parted on a soft sigh, the sound like a stroke over his nerve endings. His cock pressed against his briefs, and he longed to suck her fingers into his mouth and taste her.
“Welcome to Echidna’s Cave.”
Her big, brilliant eyes were wide with surprise, but a slow smile curved her sensual lips. “Thanks.” She didn’t pull away from his touch, which pleased him.
“You came from work?”
She nodded. “Lunch break.” Her pulse thudded at the base of her throat so hard he could hear it, almost feel it as if it were his own. His nostrils flared slightly as he got a whiff of her sudden arousal. He stroked his thumb over the backs of her fingers, and she shivered. When her tongue peeked out and stroked along her lower lip, his knees almost buckled from the lust coursing through him.
“I’m glad you came,” he said, his voice a little rougher than normal.
“Why?”
Her question startled him speechless. Why?
She pulled her hand from his and clutched her purse again. She
glanced down at the display case between them. “I mean...” She shrugged. “Do you hand your cards out to everyone you meet?”
Oh. His heart twisted. How could someone so sweet, gentle and beautiful be so self-doubting? How could he turn her away now? If he pushed her away, postponed his courting of her until things were settled, she’d never trust him again.
He reached across the counter and touched the edge of his finger under her chin until she looked up at him. “I gave you the card because I wanted to see you again.”
She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth for an instant. “Why?”
He smiled. “Because it has been many years since I met someone as extraordinary as you.”
Her brow puckered into a frown. “What’s that mean?”
So mistrusting. Someone had hurt her. It would take tender care to bring her around to believing in him. He wished he were a simple man, and that his secrets weren’t such that could destroy the blossoming attraction she held for him. “Sweet Wendy,” he murmured as he coasted the back of his finger along her silken jaw line.
She jerked back, and her brow puckered in what looked like confusion. “Be straight with me.” She shook her head, her hair brushing against her shoulders. “Why did you give me your card?”
“Because I had hoped you would come by so I might see you again. And you did.” He smiled slightly and leaned over, propping his elbows on the glass display case, bringing himself down so he was face to face with her. “You do not know how pleased you have made me.”
Her hand shook slightly as she raised it to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Okay. You saw me. I should get back to work.” But she didn’t turn away from him or move toward the door.
“Why did you come, Wendy?”
She licked her lips again, and his cock twitched with each beat of his heart.
“Did you enjoy our conversation the other night?”
She nodded slowly, her eyes showing her wariness. Like a skittish little bunny. He ached to take, to possess, making him feel as if he were the Big Bad Wolf.
He kept his voice soft when he said, “Perhaps you are a little attracted to me?”
Her nostrils flared slightly. Her gaze never wavered, but she didn’t answer. None was needed. He could smell it on her. She wanted him, craved him nearly as much as he did her.
“I find you very attractive.” His eyelids drooped slightly as he remembered her touching herself and calling out his name as she came. “I would like to have you over for supper.”
She swallowed so hard it was audible in the silent store. Then she shook her head. “That doesn’t make any sense. You’re years younger than me and...” She glanced around the shop before her gaze zeroed back in on him. “You’re rich and sophisticated and...and young.”
“I am older than I look. Is age and financial status so important to you?”
Her lips parted, but she didn’t respond.
He grinned. “I thought not. What is important to you, Wendy? A man who will treat you as if you were a princess? A man who will worship your body with his own if you allow him?” He raised an eyebrow as her pulse sped and a fine sheen of perspiration shone on her top lip. He longed to taste her excitement. To lick her skin and revel in her flavor.
He dropped his voice to a whisper. “A man who craves you so much he hasn’t been able to erase your image from his mind since he left your side two nights ago?”
Her body fairly quivered with excitement. His briefs constricted against his rock-hard erection. He wanted nothing more than to leap over the counter separating them, pull her against him, and sink deep into her slick heat. And she would be slick. Hot. Shuddering with her longing for his touch. Oh, yes, she was ripe for the plucking.
“How... How old are you?”
Still fighting it. What a wonderfully innocent woman. “Older than you’d think.” He was tempted to enter her mind and discover the reasons behind her insecurities—he didn’t believe the fact she thought him years younger than herself was the only problem—but he fought the urge. He had ways of persuading her, if he chose to employ them, but he wanted her as a man wanted a woman, not as a vampire looking for a quick meal.
She stood out of his reach beyond the counter, looking so unsure of herself, gripping her purse as if it were a lifeline.
He broke eye contact and reached for a business card from the holder near the cash register. He scribbled out his address and phone number on the back then held it out to her. “Six-thirty tomorrow night. I will cook you dinner.”
She glanced at the card, then back at him. “I...don’t think that’s a good idea.” He heard the longing in her voice, saw it in her eyes.
“Are you afraid of me, Wendy?”
She shook her head, the denial too quick to be believed.
He smiled. “What if we had a chaperone?”
Her brow wrinkled slightly in an adorably confused frown.
“My roommate. What if he were to join us? Would that make you feel better?”
“You have a roommate?”
He nodded. “Digger O’Toole. He works nights in a bakery. You may leave before he goes to work, if that would make you more comfortable.”
She glanced around the shop again, and he supposed she was wondering why a wealthy antiquities dealer would need a roommate. He didn’t, of course, need one, but he and Digger had been together for centuries. Without Digger looking out for him, he was sure he’d have succeeded in killing himself before now. What a shame it would have been to die before he met this glorious woman.
She looked back at the business card. “I’m still not sure.”
He lowered his hand and then slowly rounded the end of the counter. “Have I not proven myself to be a gentleman? Have I done anything to cause you to fear me?”
“No...” The word came out on a soft sigh.
“Then have dinner with me. Please.” He stepped up to her, so close he could feel her warmth and breathe in her sweet scent. Lilacs and warm, aroused woman.
“Maybe lunch would be better?” Her words rushed out. “Do you have someone to watch your store? There’s a deli next door.”
He glanced out the front window. The sun was bright today. He couldn’t. If it were a dark, rainy day, he’d gladly close the shop for an hour, but he wouldn’t put himself in the sunshine. Never again unless absolutely necessary.
“Alas, I cannot.”
She once again sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. Her breathing had sped with his nearness, as did her heartbeat. “Is this something you do often? Invite unsuspecting women to your house to seduce them with dinner and your silver tongue?”
A chuckle slipped out of him before he could stop it. “You are precious.” He raised his hand and laid it gently against her cheek. “No, my sweet. It has been a very long time since I...” Craved, he almost said, which was the truth. “Since I dated.” He shouldn’t have pushed for her to come to his house, but being in public with a human female right now, with the possibility of a slayer on the loose... He couldn’t take the chance with her safety. She would be safe in his home with both he and Digger there to protect her and themselves. The house was a virtual fortress against the outside world when needed.
She leaned slightly into his touch, and the simple action was so innocent it nearly took his breath. Yet, she still didn’t take the card from his fingers, nor did she give any response to his confession. Ten years he’d been without a woman’s touch. Ten years since he allowed himself the pleasure of a woman’s body. And then it had been a one-night stand. He wanted more from Wendy. He needed her heart. Her soul. Her...love.
He closed his eyes and leaned into her slightly, dipping his head to touch his cheek against hers. He breathed her in. “Please,” he whispered in her ear.
She trembled, and her blood rushed through her veins with a roar. For the first time in over a century, he wanted to turn his head and sink his fangs into a woman’s giving flesh. He knew she would taste sweeter than anything he’d ever experienc
ed.
“Okay,” she said on a shuddery sigh, her warm breath tickling his skin.
He skimmed his beard lightly against her cheek, pulling a breathy laugh from her, before he turned to place a soft kiss against her fragrant skin. “Thank you.” When he pulled away, he lifted the business card between them. “What would you like me to make for supper?”
She took the card, and that’s when he saw the other one she still held in her fist. He smiled to himself. If nothing else, he’d made an impact on her Friday night.
“I’m not picky.”
“Anything I should avoid making?”
“Shellfish. They give me hives.” Her smile was more relaxed now, as if making a decision had calmed her nervousness.
“Very well.” He glided his fingers over her cheek and along the line of her jaw. He fought the urge to kiss her full on the mouth. He would save that for later, after she became more relaxed around him.
“Dante?”
He lifted his eyebrows in question, unable to take his gaze from her. Her skin was milky white, as smooth as silk. Warm. He skimmed his thumb down her neck, feeling her heavy heartbeat.
“When you touch me, I can’t think.”
“Perhaps thinking is overrated. Sometimes it is better to simply...feel.”
Her bottom lip quivered as she exhaled. Her lips parted, as if she were about to speak, but then her eyelids drifted shut. She tipped her head slightly, giving his fingers free roam of her lovely neck.
His fangs started to descent, but he gritted his teeth to hold them back. Not now. Not yet. Maybe never with this woman, no matter how badly he needed to taste her. He refused to frighten her. She fed his soul—he could find blood anywhere.
So instead of kissing her neck for fear he wouldn’t be able to control himself, he leaned down and placed his lips against her forehead. “You are beautiful.” He skimmed his lips down the line of her nose and kissed the tip. She tasted of sweetness mixed with the tang of salt. Perfection.
Dante’s Salvation Page 5