“I admit he was a little aggressive with his flirting,” Lydia said, “but I’m sure he’s harmless, and we’ll be surrounded by people.”
Hannah wanted to argue, but she wasn’t sure how to voice her concerns.
“You have to go to the party. I won't take no for an answer,” Lydia insisted.
“You never do,” grumbled Hannah.
Chapter Three
Lydia and her friends were relentless. They thwarted every attempt Hannah made to avoid the party. They even convinced her to buy a new outfit. She did manage to steer clear of any piercings or tattoos. As much as she grumbled about the shopping trip, she loved her new jeans. Trish, who also had an ample backside, had no problem finding jeans that fit her. The night of the party, Hannah wore her new See Thru Soul acid washed skinny jeans, and a white knit tank with a scooped neckline and red lacing that went up the front. A pair of red open toe pumps completed her ensemble.
Trish, as designated driver, was behind the wheel of Lydia’s Acura MDX. Lydia had started drinking early, and never could hold her alcohol. After two wine coolers, Lydia was already tipsy.
The party was being held at an estate about ten miles into Los Malos Canyon. There were several cars parked around the large house. It was hard to make out very many details since the sun had already set. A large grassy area surrounded the house and there was a parking loop in front. The two-story mansion had a stone exterior, large windows across the front, and at least four chimneys. Above the front porch there was a semi-circle deck. About fifty feet from the main house sat a small cottage.
As they walked to the house, Hannah tugged uneasily at her shirt. It wasn’t overly tight, but it still kept riding up.
Trish slapped at Hannah’s hand. “Stop tugging at it or you’ll stretch it out!”
Not for the first time, Hannah wondered if she should have faked an illness to get out of going to the party. Her nerves were making her a little woozy and she worried she might actually throw up.
“You look great. If I had a body like yours, I'd be wearing less than that.” It was a shock coming from Caitlin, because it seemed like a genuine complement. The more time she spent with Caitlin the more she agreed with Trish. Once you got past the fact that she was a bitch, Caitlin was likable, as odd as it sounded.
“I still think you should’ve gotten your belly button pierced.” Trish added. “It would have been totally hot.”
“Unless it got horribly infected,” Caitlin chimed in cheerfully. “Oozing piercings aren’t exactly sexy.”
It was just as dark inside of the house as it was outside. Hannah could see two sets of stairs that led to the hallway upstairs. There were two doors at the end of the foyer, and each room looked crowded.
Lydia took off without a backward glance. This would have bothered Hannah if she hadn’t known that Lydia was off in search of Dominic. Staying with Lydia made it much more likely that she’d run into Aiden.
“I’d better make sure she doesn’t do anything so embarrassing that even I wouldn’t post it on Facebook,” Caitlin said, and then rushed after Lydia.
Trish looped her arm through Hannah’s and led her into the party. What had looked like two rooms was actually one large room. Either someone had removed most of the furniture or the room was normally fairly empty. There were tables along the walls, a few sofas along the edges of the room, and a bar. The music was loud enough to make conversation difficult.
Even though Trish didn’t know Hannah well, she insisted on staying by her side. They danced, and every once in a while Trish would lean in to critique the clothing worn by another guest. Caitlin came by to tell them Lydia was having a great time with Dominic, and then hurried back into the throng of people. Hannah was thankful for the large gathering, because it made it easier to steer clear of Aiden. She still had no idea why she wanted so desperately to avoid him. He just made her uneasy.
“I’m going to find a bathroom.” Hannah nearly shouted at Trish over the music. In truth, she was perspiring and she wanted to put some antibacterial hand sanitizer on her underarms, but who admits something like that?
“Okay, I’ll come with you,” Trish said.
Hannah waved a hand at her. “Don’t worry; I’m old enough to go to the bathroom alone.”
There were so many people in the hallway that Hannah found it difficult to squeeze through them. Another guest directed her toward the bathroom, but he seemed uncertain. Hannah walked along the hallway, relieved by her temporary reprieve from the crowd. She looked around for some sign of the restroom and slammed into a very solid chest. When she looked up, ready to apologize, the only words that came out were, “Good God! How many of you are there?”
The man she had run into bore a striking resemblance to Dominic and Aiden. He seemed amused by her question. “Six in this house.”
He was so incredibly attractive that she forgot her question. “Huh?” she asked.
“There are six of us in this house,” he explained. “I assume you’ve seen my cousins.”
“Sorry, I’m not usually this inarticulate.” Hannah’s face flushed.
“No need to apologize. You seemed lost in thought, and then I ran into you.” His assurance was very kind.
She laughed, and it felt good to break the tension. “I’m pretty sure I slammed into you, but thank you for trying to ease my embarrassment.”
“Can I help you find something?”
“Yes, I’m looking for the restroom,” she replied.
“Just keep going this way.” He pointed the direction she was already headed. “It’s the third door on the left. Will you be okay getting back to the party on your own?”
“Yes, thank you.” She hesitated, and then asked, “Will I see you there?”
He shook his head. “I gave my cousins permission to host the party here, but I don’t care much for parties. Enjoy your evening.” With that, he continued to walk away.
Hannah hurried to the bathroom, feeling a little foolish. What on Earth was wrong with her?
When she finished freshening up, she slid back out the door, and ran into another chest. A shiver of fear ran down her spine. It was Aiden. The reason for her discomfort was still unclear, but she suddenly wished she had brought Trish with her.
“Why were you talking to Nathaniel?” Aiden asked quietly. He was crowding her against the wall.
“Aiden!” she said with a startled squeak. “You scared me.”
He continued to move in closer until his body was almost pressed against hers. She felt the heat radiating from him. Either he had no concept of personal space or he was trying to intimidate her.
“You remember my name?” The smile he gave her was one of boyish delight. “You are so sweet, so perfect, such a wonder,” he murmured. His expression held a strange mix of awe and desperation.
“You hardly know me,” she said, and gave his chest a little shove.
He didn’t move back at all. “I saw you with the baby. You’ll be a wonderful mother.” After that bizarre statement he repeated his original question. “Why were you talking to Nathaniel?”
The question confused her. “I don’t know who that is.”
“My cousin,” he explained. “I saw you talking to him in the hall.”
“I bumped into him when I was looking for the bathroom. He was just giving me directions. I didn’t even know his name was Nathaniel.” She tried to duck under his arm, but he moved his hand lower on the wall and it landed on her hair. “Would you like to walk me back to the party?” She tried to smile, but her lips trembled.
He placed both hands on her cheeks, and spoke in a soft commanding voice. “You would rather stay here with me. You trust me to take care of you.”
She felt the strange mental push again. Suddenly, part of her did want to stay, but her mind rebelled against the idea. She blinked to clear her head, and said. “I would rather go back to the party now.”
His eyes reflected his conflicting emotions. He appeared both irritated, and t
hrilled by her resistance. “Don’t be frightened, Hannah,” he whispered as he leaned in closer. “Everything will be fine. Just relax and everything will be fine. I would never hurt you.”
She thought he was going to kiss her, but he stopped just short of her lips. She fought the compulsion to stay with him, to just let him touch her. She started to feel drained, her body felt heavy. It was hard to stay upright. Using the last of her strength she kneed him in the groin and shoved him away.
Aiden howled in pain. “Bitch!” he growled and made a grab for her. He caught the top of her shirt, just as she toppled backward. She could feel his anger as he lunged toward her. With her eyes shut tight, she turned her head to the side, and then she heard a loud crash.
“What the fuck, Nathaniel?” Aiden yelled. His Irish brogue was suddenly much thicker. “Why don’t you mind your own business?”
“What you do in my house is my business.” Nathaniel’s voice conveyed barely suppressed anger.
Carefully, Nathaniel knelt beside Hannah. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, and managed a faint reply. “Just a little rattled.”
He stared at her a little longer, obviously doubting her words.
“I saw her first,” Aiden spat out angrily. “You can’t have her.”
Nathaniel looked just as perplexed by the situation as Hannah. “You need to leave. Pack your stuff and get out.”
“Not without her. She’s mine!” Aiden argued.
Nathaniel lunged at him, grabbed the collar of his shirt, and slammed him against the wall. “I don’t know what has come over you, but this is my house. I won’t have you attacking people in my home. Now go before I have you removed.” Nathaniel stepped back, but kept his eyes on Aiden.
Aiden stared at Nathaniel for a long time before he nodded his agreement. He looked down at Hannah and something like guilt flashed across his face, or maybe she just imagined it. He stared at her for so long that she could have sworn he was going to say something, but then he just walked away.
Nathaniel knelt beside her again. “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“I’m sorry about what just happened with my cousin. Please tell me what I can do for you.”
She looked up at him. He had icy blue eyes and looked a great deal like Aiden. His voice was so deep that she could almost feel the air vibrate when he spoke. “Thank you for what you did for me just now. I don’t understand what happened. It was all so strange.” She trembled. “For a minute I felt like he was . . .” Her voice trailed off. None of what she had felt made sense at all. She was shivering. “I’m so cold.”
He sat beside her and carefully placed his arm around her. She sighed as she felt his warmth seep into her body.
“He’s never acted like this before. If I’d seen something like this coming, I never would have let him stay here.” Nathaniel seemed more than sorry. He seemed embarrassed by Aiden’s behavior. “My name is Nathaniel. I admit this is an awkward time for introductions.”
“I’m Hannah.” Her own voice sounded distant.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hannah.” His head inclined in a polite bow. “I wish that we could have met under more desirable circumstances.”
“Thank you again. You really are my hero.” Hannah felt more composed, and actually managed a weak smile. “Maybe you should get a white horse for those occasions when you feel the need to ride to the rescue.” Okay, that sounded really lame even to her foggy brain.
He smiled back. “I have a white horse, but I rarely ride her in the house.”
Hannah giggled at the image.
“I really should find my cousin and my friends. I don’t want them to worry about me.” When she tried to stand her legs wouldn’t hold her weight.
“Hold on.” He placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her in place. “You can’t go back to the party like this.”
“What’s wrong with . . .?” Her voice trailed off when she noticed that Aiden had torn her shirt pretty badly. That discovery made her blush and scramble to pull the fabric over her exposed bra.
Nathaniel removed his grey dress shirt, and wrapped it around her. “You should lie down for a while,” he said as he took in her fragile condition. “I’m sure I can find your cousin. What does she look like?”
“My cousin is the cute blonde pixie with your cousin Dominic.” A thought occurred to her. “Please tell me he’s not a psychopath too.”
He shook his head. “She should be safe with him. Perhaps you can send her, and your friends, a message on your phone.”
She felt like an idiot for not thinking of that herself. Her head rested against the wall. She meant to reach for her purse, and take out her phone, but she didn’t move. “Why am I so weak?”
After a brief hesitation, he answered, “It’s probably the shock. Let’s get you out of the hall so you can rest. Do you want one of your friends or your cousin to come sit with you?” He stood, and looked around uncomfortably.
She was embarrassed to hear herself ask, “Will you stay with me?” If she wanted to lie to herself, she could say that she didn’t want to take her cousin or friends away from the party, but that wasn’t why she’d asked him to stay. She didn’t want to explain this to them, and she felt safe with Nathaniel. Crazy, after what his cousin had tried to do, not that she really understood what he’d tried to do.
He looked a little surprised, and pleased. “Can you walk on your own, or would you like me to carry you?”
When she tried to stand, her legs gave out, and before she knew it she was being cradled in Nathaniel’s arms. She just didn’t have the energy to argue, so she rested her head against his chest.
He carried her down the hallway and up the stairs. The noise from the party grew faint, so she knew they were moving away from that end of the house. Hannah knew it was unwise to let a stranger carry her off to some isolated place in his home, especially after his cousin had just assaulted her. Even with that knowledge, she felt no anxiety about her predicament. This, she decided, was proof that her mind was not fully functioning that night. Maybe she had hit her head on the wall.
He brought her to a large bedroom suite, and set her down on a chocolate colored sofa that she practically sank into. Then he went into the sleeping area and returned with a plush blanket which he wrapped around her. Sitting in the bedroom of a strange man really should have made her nervous, but it didn’t. Clearly her sense of self-preservation was malfunctioning.
“Do you want anything to eat or drink?” He looked around. “I can go down to the kitchen.”
She shook her head. “What happened out there?” she asked without looking up at him.
“What do you mean?” he asked cautiously.
She started to tell him, but realized how crazy it would sound. It had felt as if Aiden was trying to control her thoughts, but that wasn’t possible. Then she had felt as though he was draining the energy from her. All of it was crazy. Finally, she shook her head. “Never mind, I don’t know what I’m talking about.”
He opened the bar fridge in the corner, pulled out a small container of orange juice, and then found a package of cookies in the little cupboard beside it. “Here, these will help you get your strength back.”
After taking them, she offered him a weak smile. “Did I just give blood?”
She expected him to laugh at her joke, but he hesitated and examined her closer before he answered, “No, that’s one thing I’m thankful for tonight.” Finally, he sat down in the armchair by the sofa.
Hannah took a moment to study him closer. His features were hard, and incredibly sexy. He had a square jaw, high cheekbones, and blue eyes framed by long dark lashes. His nose was slightly too big, but that imperfection only added somehow to his appeal. His dark hair was short and neatly pushed back. The man must lift weights! It was the only explanation for his broad shoulders and muscular arms. Her eyes wandered across his powerful chest, noticing every detail from his smooth bronze ski
n lightly dusted with dark hair, to his brown nipples. His stomach muscles were firm, and well-defined.
Her face felt hot. Conversation seemed like a lifeline. At the very least it would take her mind off of his bare chest. “Are you okay without a shirt?” Very bad choice of topics! How could she find him attractive after what had just happened? Okay, so she was traumatized, not dead.
“You need it more than I do right now,” he said, but then he noticed her discomfort. He looked a little sheepish, as he went into the sleeping area.
While he was out of the room Hannah sent a text message to Lydia and Trish to let them know she was okay.
Nathaniel returned wearing a black tank top. It wasn’t a big improvement over his bare chest, but she supposed it would be rude to ask him to wear a parka.
Hannah yawned. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m so tired. You’ll probably think I’m crazy, but it felt like he was stealing my energy, draining it from my body.”
Nathaniel looked startled, but recovered quickly. “It’s very common to feel drained after a traumatic experience. Should I leave you alone so that you can rest?”
She shook her head. “Stay with me.”
There was an uncomfortable silence, before he asked, “Are you a student?”
She nodded.
“Did you grow up around here?”
“I just recently moved here.” She was silent for a moment then added. “I know this sounds stupid, but I kind of ran away from home.”
He chuckled. “Aren’t you a little old to run away from home?”
“I told you it sounds stupid,” she said with a weak laugh. Her eyelids felt heavy. “Did you grow up in this area?”
“I’m not sure I grew up in one particular place,” he said after some thought. “My father traveled a lot, especially after my mother died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago,” he assured her, “but thank you,”
“Am I keeping you from something?” Hannah remembered that he’d looked like he was heading somewhere when she’d first run into him. This couldn’t be how he had planned to spend his evening.
Vampires and Vixens (Psy-Vamp) Page 2