“Sorry, I just figured…” he stammered, genuinely looking embarrassed now, and Liz almost felt bad for jumping all over him. “You’re just such a looker...I mean, if you were mine, I don’t think I’d let you out of my sight for a minute.”
His apology only served to anger her more. What the hell? “You listen to me–Bob,” she spit out, her entire body was rigid and she clenched her hands in her lap trying to calm herself, but it just wasn’t working. “I don’t belong to anyone, got it? And with a chauvinistic attitude like that, you’re going to die alone!”
“Hey, easy there. I’m sorry, okay?” he sputtered, suddenly seeming completely uncomfortable. “I didn’t mean to piss you off.”
Liz took another deep breath, and let it out slowly. “I’m sorry,” she said finally. “It’s just a very touchy subject.”
Paul had treated her like a possession from the start, and nothing angered her more than being reminded of that fact; she’d be damned if she were ever going to feel owned by anyone ever again.
He had always followed her on the very rare occasions that he had let her go out, and then practically kept her prisoner. Oh, hell no! She was never going to allow anyone that power over her again. Ever!
“Yeah, no problem,” he whispered, his eyes finally going to the road in front of him, and Liz let out a small sigh. Well, at least that ended that, she thought, a slight grin curling the corners of her mouth.
After what seemed to be hours of uncomfortable silence, but couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes, he pulled up in front of a beautiful Victorian, and Liz’s mouth dropped open. It had to be one of the most beautiful homes that she had ever seen.
Bob threw the car into park and hopped out, running over to the trunk to retrieve her bags as if Satan himself were at his heels, and Liz had to bite back a smile. Yes, she had gotten quite good at nipping unwanted attention in the bud.
He unloaded her luggage and opened her door for her, shifting his feet uncomfortably as he did. “That will be twenty-seven,” he informed her quietly, refusing to meet her eyes.
Liz rifled through her purse a moment before handing him the cash, making sure to give him a generous tip. After all she thought, feeling slightly guilty, he couldn’t possibly know how damaged she actually was.
“Keep it,” she murmured, trying to give him a smile when he looked up at her with wide eyes.
“Um, yeah...thanks. Here, let me take your bags…”He reached down, but Liz shook her head.
“No, really, that’s fine. I can manage.” She grabbed her bags and turned to start up the walk. “Thank you,” she called, before hurrying up the path and practically running up the stairs to the front door before anything else could be said.
When Liz struggled through the door and walked into the entryway, she was greeted by Brianna Melbourne in a rush of happy chatter. The pretty brunette ran over to her and whisked her suitcases from her hands.
“You must be Miss Chase,” she exclaimed happily. “Welcome! I was beginning to worry that you were lost.”
Liz smiled at the woman, instantly liking her. She just couldn’t help it. The woman exuded a calm, friendly vibe that was so rare these days. “My plane was delayed, and then baggage claim took forever. I’m so sorry.” Liz glanced at the grandfather clock and cringed when she realized that it was well after six. “I hope you didn’t plan on me for dinner or anything. I really should have called.”
“Oh, not at all,” Brianna laughed, motioning for Liz to follow as she headed for the stairs. “I was just beginning to worry that you had a change of plans and weren’t going to show. I’ll show you to your room and let you relax a bit. I’d be more than happy to whip something up for you if you’d like.”
“That is so kind, but no, thank you. I’m not terribly hungry. Actually, all I want right now is a long soak in a very hot tub, and then some sleep.”
“Of course, I completely understand. Travelling does take its toll.”
Brianna led her down the hall and stopped in front of the door at the end. Opening it, she motioned Liz in and quickly followed.
“I hope you like it,” she said, setting the bags down.
Liz gasped as she walked into the room and looked around. It was a huge, airy room done in different shades of lavender, with a huge sleigh bed and a fireplace–and Liz found herself suddenly hoping for a cold spell. She had never seen anything like it before.
“It’s absolutely gorgeous,” she breathed, taking it all in.
“There’s a beautiful terrace through those French doors that overlooks the garden, which is my pride and joy,” she explained, walking up beside Liz and smiling warmly. “And the bathroom is right through there. It has an amazing claw foot tub,” she said with a wink. “There’s a great variety of bath oils and such, so please, help yourself.”
“Thank you, Miss Melbourne.”
“Oh, please,” she laughed in response, “Call me, Brianna.” With that, she turned and headed for the door. “If you change your mind and decide that you are hungry, please feel to come down and make yourself at home. The kitchen is to the left at the bottom of the stairs, and there are fixings for sandwiches and also some leftover gumbo and cornbread.”
“Thank you, Brianna.” Liz murmured, still glancing around the room in awe.
Brianna started to walk through the door, but suddenly hesitated. She turned back to Liz and gave her a smile. “Oh, I almost forgot. We do have one other guest. He’s really a night owl, but I’m hoping the two of you will run into each other. Okay, then. Relax, take your bath, and get some sleep. There will be scones put out in the morning and of course, fresh coffee.” With that, she dashed through the door, closing it quietly behind her.
Brianna walked down the hall and hesitated just outside of the door next to Liz’s, her face lighting up with a satisfied smile. “I think she’s the one, my friend,” she whispered, then moved away from Marcus’s door and down the stairs, humming softly to herself as she went.
Chapter Three
Liz kicked the covers off with an irritated groan and eased herself from the bed. She walked over to the French doors and stepped out onto the terrace, taking a deep breath. The cool night air caressed her skin, causing gooseflesh to break out, and she sighed contentedly. Her nightmare had caused a sheen of sweat to cover her body, and the breeze was a much welcomed relief.
She glanced out over the gardens and smiled at the quiet beauty of it all. The grounds were beautiful. Perfectly manicured, with a lovely fountain and pond set in the middle, and she had the overwhelming urge to go down and sit–just surrounding herself in its tranquil peace, but instantly decided against it. She didn’t want to disturb the others in the house because of her insomnia and never-ending night terrors.
Her stomach grumbled slightly, and she realized with a start that she was finally hungry– famished in fact. Walking back through the doors she looked at the bedside clock and saw that is was just a little after three. Damn, she thought with a frown, she couldn’t go down and grab something…could she?
Her body’s noisy protest a moment later made up her mind and she quietly left her room and headed downstairs.
Liz moved silently down the stairs and slipped into the kitchen, stunned by the mere size of the room. It was every chef’s wet dream! Having grown up in and out of foster homes, Liz wasn’t used to this type of grandeur, and she felt a bit intimidated by it all. She lived modestly at best. Her apartment back in Chicago could barely be called a one bedroom, but it was hers, and that was all that mattered to her.
She slipped over to the refrigerator and peeked inside, hoping to find something easy to nibble on. She didn’t want to wake the house clattering about in an unfamiliar kitchen, no matter how much she would have loved too. Liz’s one passion had always been cooking.
She rifled around and decided just to grab some cheese and a few pieces of bread.
“Bri’s gumbo is said to be fantastic,” a deep, husky voice floated on the air from behind h
er.
She squeaked out in surprise as she whipped around, dropping her snack on the floor in the process.
Liz’s heart jumped up into her throat at the sight standing so casually in the doorway of the kitchen, illuminated only by the light of the refrigerator. The man was a mountain of muscle, and quite possibly the most handsome man she had ever seen. His strong, chiseled features belied the softness she could see in his expression–even though the room was in semi-darkness. It was as if it exuded from his very pores.
She felt her defenses instantly go up, and she watched him cautiously as he studied her from head to toe a moment before gracing her with a smile that made her weak in the knees. Geez! Who in the hell smiled like that? Easy, Liz, she silently berated herself. He’s a man! And an extremely large one at that!
“I’m…I’m so sorry,” she choked out, trying with everything that she had to calm her beating heart. “I didn’t mean to wake you… but I…I was hungry, and I tried to be quiet…” she hastily explained, feeling her cheeks flush, and cursing herself for sounding like a blathering idiot!
Marcus felt a strange vibration ripple through his body when the mortal turned around and looked at him. She was absolutely breath taking. She was tall, at least five-nine he surmised in an instant, and curvy. Her dark mahogany hair fell in waves around her face and over her shoulders, hi-lighting her most compelling feature–her deep, blue eyes. They were the color of the finest sapphires, and Marcus found himself getting lost in their steady gaze as she watched him watching her. Jesus!
He mentally shook himself and gave her a smile, but when she nervously began to explain to him why she was in the kitchen, and apologize for waking him, he felt the overpowering urge to pull her into his arms and comfort her. Just what in the bloody hell was that about?
“Don’t apologize,” he murmured softly, and took a step closer, breathing in her scent. This lovely mortal smelled like cherry blossoms and orange, and for a fleeting moment, he felt the urge to lean forward to see if she tasted the same. He shoved the thought away and bent down to pick up the fallen cheese and bread. “This isn’t much of a meal,” he observed, standing and dropping the food onto the table next to them.
“I didn’t want to wake everyone,” she explained softly, taking a step back from him when he leaned down to pick up what she had dropped. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable in only her sleep shorts and tank top, and inwardly cringed at the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Oh, damn it! She unconsciously crossed her arms over her chest and fidgeted from foot to foot.
“Well, I was up,” he explained quietly, his eyes scanning her face. “And I believe Bri is out for the night. Knowing her, she won’t be back until dawn.” Marcus knew that Brianna had gone to a gathering of her Coven and would not be back until well after the sun rose.
He reached over and turned on the kitchen light, wanting more than anything for her to feel comfortable. With his advanced vision, he could see her as plain as day, but he knew that hers was limited and he didn’t want her to feel intimidated by him. Why? He had no idea, but he could feel her unease rolling off her in waves and only wanted to ease it for her. He knew that because of his size, that he could be intimidating to say the least.
Liz blinked at the sudden flash of light and gave him an uncomfortable grimace. “Sorry,” he apologized with a soft chuckle. “But, it would probably be best if you closed the fridge.”
“Oh! Of course,” Liz squeaked, closing the door quickly. She watched him intently, still shifting from foot to foot and feeling a strange mixture of about a hundred different emotions all at once, and…it was unsettling. A part of her wanted to run, while another part wanted so much to stay and talk to this man.
“I’m Marcus LaGrange by the way,” he said with a grin, offering her his hand. When she reached out to take it, he couldn’t help but notice that her hand trembled ever so slightly–and again he had the insane urge to pull her into his arms and soothe her.
“Elizabeth Chase,” she replied softly, and quickly shook his hand before immediately pulling it away as is she had been burned. “I’ll just get out of your way,” she said, taking a step to move past him, but his hand on her arm stopped her dead in her tracks.
Liz felt a current of something that was a lot like electricity run up her arm when Marcus touched her, and a gasp slipped past her lips. She looked up into his face, her eyes wide and her mouth going painfully dry in an instant when she met his steady gaze.
“You haven’t eaten,” he whispered, the smooth, husky tone of his voice causing a shiver to run across her spine.
“That’s…that’s okay,” she croaked. “I’ll just wait until morning
Liz had spent more than a few hungry nights as a child, and figured that she could handle one more. The effect this man was having on her had killed her appetite anyway. This all seemed much too dangerous for some reason–but not in the normal sense. This was different somehow.
“Why don’t you let me warm something up for you,” Marcus said, guiding her over to the table with a gentle hand to her back, and pulling out a chair for her.
“That really isn’t necessary,” she protested, not liking the way her body reacted to the feel of his hand at the small of her back. Normally, she would have been hit with a panic attack at the gesture, but this man’s touch only evoked a small tingling where his fingers touched her. A tingling that was far from intimidating and she didn’t understand it. His mere size should have sent her running for her room, but instead–she admitted with a small sigh and a relaxing of her shoulders–she found herself feeling….safe. And that thought was enough to instantly get her defenses up once again.
“Nonsense,” he chuckled, and the sound was so warm and comforting. It was masculine and easy, and seemed completely genuine. “It might be a bit late for Bri’s gumbo,” he laughed, as he moved gracefully over to the refrigerator and peered inside. She found herself watching him from the corner of her eye and wondering how someone so large could move so smoothly. Not to mention the absolutely wonderful view of his perfect backside that she had. Ugh! “She enjoys spice, and it might be a little hot for you at this time of night.” He studied the contents before him a moment before glancing her way with a raised brow, and Liz’s breath hitched in her throat. “How about some eggs?”
Liz tried desperately to find her voice, but could only nod slowly. Her heart was beating in her chest a mile a minute and her hands were growing clammy. Damn it! Just what in the hell was wrong with her?
She took a shaky breath and straightened her spine. “You really don’t have to put yourself out, Mr. LaGrange,” she finally managed to choke out, praying that she sounded much more confident than she actually felt. This man affected her in ways that were just so not good.
Marcus grabbed a carton of eggs and closed the refrigerator. He walked over to the stove and grabbed a pan from the cabinet to his left, and Liz couldn’t help but wonder if he lived here with Brianna. The thought that the two of them were a couple was a bit...what? Disappointing? She chewed at her bottom lip as she pondered why she should even care. This man, no matter how devastatingly handsome he was, was a complete stranger to her. And the fact that she didn’t feel the need to run from him was throwing everything off kilter.
“Scrambled, okay?” he asked, abruptly jerking her from her thoughts. “And, please, call me Marcus…especially since I am cooking you breakfast,” he finished with a wink that caused her face to instantly heat.
“Yes…um, that sounds wonderful…Marcus.” She sputtered, and realized that his name coming from her lips felt nice and easy.
She watched him as he moved about and felt her stomach flip slightly when he began to scramble the eggs, the muscles in his arms flexing with his movements. Oh, dear Lord! The man had the body of a God!
Marcus went about cooking the lovely mortal’s eggs, trying desperately not to notice the way that she watched him. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth when he caught her studying him from the cor
ner of her eye.
Damn, but she was beautiful, he mused, painfully aware of how her eyes sparkled and danced as she kept stealing glances, and how her cheeks flushed slightly, as if afraid of being caught. There was something about her that intrigued him. She seemed like a frightened rabbit that was ready to bolt at the smallest movement, yet he sensed a strength in her that was fascinating.
“So, are you in NOLA for business?” he asked, dropping two slices of bread into the toaster. “Would you like some coffee?”
“Yes…to both,” Liz answered softly, for some strange reason wanting to tell him why she was really in town, and not give him her standard answers. Why, she didn’t know–but she pushed the thoughts aside as she watched him turn on the coffee pot. “I…I help people relocate for their jobs.” The lie passed her lips before she could stop it and she felt a pang of guilt.
Marcus studied her for a moment, silently wondering what she was hiding. He could hear her heart rate pick up when she answered him, and knew that she wasn’t being completely truthful. He held her gaze, willing her to tell him the truth–but got nothing. What the bloody hell! He tried again; pushing a little harder this time, but still came up blank. This just could not be. He couldn’t compel her!
Liz watched silently as Marcus’s expression changed from an intense stare to one of surprise, and wondered what she could possibly have done. Her face grew warm as he continued to gaze at her in silence–seemingly puzzled. She twisted her hands in her lap as she sat there quietly, growing increasingly uncomfortable by his intense scrutiny of her.
Marcus' Mortal Embrace (Book 3) (The Supernatural Desire Series) Page 2