by Brenda Trim
A large, hot hand settled on her back. “Why doona you have a seat, I’ll make you a drink.” She lifted her head as the deep timber of Zander’s voice sent goose bumps coursing down her spine. When she met his gaze, the emotions she saw reflected there floored her.
“That would be great, thank you.” She walked over and settled into one of the chairs at her kitchen table. Cailyn helped Zander, giving her space to regain her composure. Still, no one was eating and the tension in the apartment could be cut with a knife. That didn’t work for her. Not tonight.
She took a deep breath and leaned back in her seat. She threw her hands up in exasperation. “For craps sake people, lighten up and eat.”
Orlando and Santiago chuckled and headed over. “You don’t have to tell me twice. I’m as hungry as Cailyn. Can I make you a plate?” Orlando asked.
An animalistic noise sounded in the apartment. Was Zander growling? As he approached her she lost her train of thought. It flew right off the track and the heat that she felt before was now a blazing inferno. She wasn’t ready for what she saw in his eyes, didn’t think she ever would be. Her devotion to Dalton produced guilt far too potent to ignore. Besides, she loved Dalton with all her heart, it didn’t matter how much Zander excited her.
He prowled up to her and set the shiny bag in her lap then propped his hands on the arms of her chair. His hair brushed her cheek when he leaned over to whisper in her ear. His breath was a lover’s caress against her cheek. She had to change her imagery. He wasn’t her lover, and never would be. “For you, my sweet, Lady E. I hope these bring a smile to those luscious lips of yours.”
She sat stunned as he kissed her cheek. He hovered, waiting for her to lift her head. Chicken that she was, she shook her head and kept it downcast. She had no room for a relationship and couldn’t give him what he was asking. He finally relented and straightened before picking up a plate. Only when he began piling it high with food did she lift her head. She wondered how her life had become so out of control.
She met her sister’s questioning gaze, not going there right now, and turned her attention back to the shiny bag. “Thank you. As much as I love presents, you shouldn’t have,” she murmured.
“Nonsense. ‘Tis nothing. The drinks are ready, but I agree with your puithar. I’d feel better if you had something in your stomach before you drink. Can I get you some food?”
Guilt, sorrow, anger, desire, and confusion all battled within. Too much, it was all too much for her. “Drink please. I promise to eat, but I need a drink,” she uttered hoarsely.
Feeling awkward with the bag sitting in her lap, she peeked into it and pulled green tissue paper out, revealing several small boxes. A musky, oak fragrance wafted from the bag. It was Zander’s masculine scent, and it drove her crazy. Her skin felt tight, as a zing ran through her body. Her head swam. Where was that drink?
She clutched the paper, fighting a warm rush. He was bold. And, if she wasn’t mistaken, he was quite interested in her. She glanced over at him and the lust was back in his eyes. It slammed into her and she blushed furiously. She was in uncharted territory. She and Dalton had been high-school sweethearts, and she was not familiar with how to handle the situation.
She picked up the first box and lifted the lid. They were all boxes of gourmet chocolates. Yum, she loved sweets. Before she indulged, she met Zander’s gaze and felt an odd constriction when his eyes revealed nothing. She stood on shaky legs and took the three steps to stop in front of him. She had to crane her neck to look up at him.
“Do you give all your friends expensive candy? If so, I’m glad we became friends. Thank you for the treats.” She stood on tiptoes and stretched her arms around his neck, hugging him. Every muscle in his body tensed and she worried she had offended him until he softened and clasped her back. Zing!
Her sister cleared her throat, rather loudly, behind her. It was surprisingly difficult for her to let go of Zander. Once she finally released him and tried to turn, she was unable to move. Zander still had hold of her. She looked into his eyes and murmured, “You have to let me go now.”
One corner of his mouth lifted along with one of his eyebrows. “Do I? I’m not accustomed to following orders. Typically, I’m the one giving them,” he laughed, winking at her as he loosened his hold.
He picked up the plate of food he had set down and she smacked his arm. “Well, aren’t you Mr. Bossy Pants?” she teased and smiled then turned to her sister and took the drink she was holding out to her. “Thanks, sis. And, I promise I will eat. In fact, I plan to start with these chocolates.”
She sipped her drink and retrieved a box. She popped one into her mouth. Delicious. Chocolate and tequila, her favorite combination.
Orlando stopped next to her and picked up her empty glass. “Would you like me to refresh that?” A man after her own heart and he didn’t even gripe at her about eating.
She beamed at him and replied, “Yes, thank you.” A pleasant buzz was humming in her system thanks to her empty stomach.
She grabbed her chocolates and went to the living room. A salted vanilla caramel was calling her name. “Mmmm,” she moaned. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the candy. They popped open when the cushion next to her dipped. Zander had joined her on the futon. A quick glance around told her Cailyn was talking to Santiago on the other side of the small room and Orlando was in her kitchen. All of a sudden her apartment felt even smaller.
Distracting herself from his presence, she picked up a honey saffron and lavender chocolate and took a bite. Not as good as the caramel. It was impossible to ignore his magnetism. She tucked her legs up under her, sitting cross-legged and turned toward Zander. “You mentioned giving orders. What do you do?”
He set his fork down and put his arm across the back of the futon. “I head up a large…corporation. We deal with safety and security. What aboot you? The other evening you only mentioned being a student. Do you work as well?”
She took a bite of a peppercorn chocolate. Ugh, she placed the uneaten portion back in the box. She didn’t want to be rude, but that tasted awful. Where was her beverage? “Orlando, where is that drink?” He was handing it to her as quickly as the question left her lips. She took a healthy swallow and washed out the flavor. Peppercorn and chocolate should never be paired together.
“I’m a waitress at Earl’s. It’s close to UW and the schedule works with my classes.” She picked up more candy.
*****
Zander watched Elsie eat another caramel. The way she moaned her pleasure and closed her eyes was maddening. He clenched his fist and gulped his margarita. He needed to cool down. A bath in a tub of ice may do. “You like those,” he observed. He gave a mental headshake. This was a human he was flirting with. One who had no desire to betray her dead husband. He needed to stop pushing this. He didn’t need the problems that came along with a human.
“Mmmm, these are incredible. My favorites are the salted vanilla caramels. The others are…unique. But, I could live on those salted ones,” she moaned in ecstasy as she ate another.
She had a drip of caramel on her lip that he wanted to lick off. He ached to lick many places on her delectable body. That was not helping to calm his raging erection. His fangs shot down for the hundredth time since entering her apartment. Definitely not helping. How they ached to sink into her flesh to taste her life’s blood. That was an urge he almost couldn’t control. It had been too many months since he had been able to feed properly. He desperately needed blood.
“You will have some every day then,” he declared. He would buy the damn store to see the joy on her face.
She had finished her second drink and was waving her cup at Orlando. She already had the warrior wrapped around her finger as he jumped to refill her glass. And she called him bossy.
“Uh, I hate to tell you this, Mr. Bossy Pants, but you can’t say that. And, you definitely can’t buy me some every day. We aren’t in a relationship,” under her breath she whispered, “those days are over for me�
� unaware that his preternatural hearing picked up every word. That affected him more than he cared to admit.
Still, his eyebrow arched imperiously and he took on the challenge she unknowingly issued with her words. “Doona be so sure aboot that, lass. I have powers beyond your imagining,” he whispered in her ear.
She laughed out loud at that. “Oooh, I have powers beyond imagining. What can you leap tall buildings in a single bound? Oh, or do you have x-ray vision?” She threw her head back and really laughed at that. The joy in her expression was breathtaking. He sat up straighter knowing he had brought her happiness.
Her sister strolled over and sat between him and Elsie. She grabbed up the empty candy box and huffed, “Wow, El, you could’ve saved one for me. It is so good to hear you laughing again. And, I will help pay for the candy if it gets you eating.”
The sight of Elsie sticking her tongue out at her sister brought the blood right back to his groin. “Sorry, biz-nitch, they were too good to stop eating. Like Lays chips, you can never only eat one.” She was tipsy and fun when she had a bit to drink.
“Funny, I don’t have that problem with Lays. It’s John I can never get enough of,” her sister tossed back.
Elsie broke into a bout of laughter then stopped and gaped at Cailyn. “I can’t believe you said that in front of all these guys.”
Santiago settled his bulk on the floor and leaned back against the wall. “It’s no big deal, we’re family now.”
Elsie smirked. “In that case, I need another drink, Cabana Boy,” she called to Orlando.
“Sure thing, cupcake. Always at your service,” Orlando said and bowed before her with a flourish. Sarcastic as hell. Yeah, she liked him.
A knock at the door interrupted. Zander opened his senses and noted it was Gerrick and Jace. He watched Elsie’s superb ass sway as she rose and walked to answer the door. He wanted to take a bite out of that fine flesh. And, his fangs were back. They wanted to sink into the vein running up her inner thigh. He cursed under his breath.
“Um, may I help you?” Elsie asked, confusion on her face. She didn’t know who Gerrick and Jace were.
Gerrick rubbed his free hand down his chin, clearly uncomfortable. “Yeah, Orlando sent us a text and asked that we bring this over.”
“I’ve got this, El. Here’s your drink. Go back and join Zander and your sister.” Orlando pushed her back into the apartment.
“You had better start explaining or else,” she exclaimed with her hand on her hip. Orlando began talking and for once he was grateful for the insouciant warrior. It eased the tension. “Honey, I cannot watch the Mariners on that dinosaur you call a TV. Plus, our Blu-ray won’t play in your ancient VCR. And, I can’t let you paint my nails without the proper chick-flick playing,” he teased Elsie and bumped her hip with his.
“You assume I will allow any of you back into my house. I don’t need a new TV. Mine works perfectly fine.” He braced for a battle with Elsie. He already understood how stubborn she was.
Orlando chucked her chin lightly. “Ouch, that hurts. I thought I was irresistible. Think of this as being on loan.”
Elsie flipped her hair back over her shoulders, causing her curls to bounce before they settled over her back. The honeysuckle scent hit him again. He wanted this human beyond all reason. She was going to be the death of him. “Like I’d let you watch sports on my TV. No, it’s perfect for Food Network,” she retorted. “Snap to it, would ya? I want to watch that movie you promised.”
Saucy wench. He may have fallen in love.
CHAPTER SIX
Cailyn gaped at the hot men who seemed to have taken over her sister’s little apartment, and life. Despite how most of them were beyond domineering, she was mesmerized by the gorgeous one with the beautiful, amethyst eyes and long, black hair. Something stirred in her chest and reached for him. A fantasy about undoing his long braid and running her fingers through it as he pleasured her body popped into her head. Surely, she wasn’t that drunk, she’d only had two drinks. Having such thoughts was unlike her, especially considering she had a boyfriend she adored.
“Jace, Gerrick, this is my sister Cailyn,” Elsie introduced the two new guys as they carried a TV between them. Gerrick was frightening and it was hard for her not to stare at the scar on his face, so her gaze remained trained on Jace with his captivating amethyst eyes.
Jace smiled slyly and set the box down. He reached a hand toward her and murmured, “It’s nice to meet you as well, Cailyn. Orlando didn’t warn me how beautiful you and your sister are. I suspect he was hoping to keep you for himself.” He laughed when Orlando began punching him and cursing at him. Cailyn watched him and wondered at the feel of his full lips. Would they be soft when he kissed her? She cursed as her thoughts once again turned carnal.
Her sister plopped down next to her and heaved a sigh as the guys went about setting up the electronics. Cailyn wasn’t fooled though. Her sister had not smiled so much since before Dalton died. She grabbed Elsie’s hand and squeezed it. “They are something else aren’t they?” she asked her sister.
“Yes, they are eye candy,” Elsie muttered and they fell into a companionable silence, watching the men work.
Cailyn found she was helplessly transfixed by Jace’s bulging biceps as he hefted the TV out of the box and helped mount it on the wall. The muscles in his arms rippled under his dress shirt. And, damn, his chest flexed, straining the buttons. She prayed some of them would pop off and give her a peek. His chest tapered into a perfect V at his waist. Her gaze traveled down his pants, which he filled out nicely in the front. Righty. Her mouth watered. She wanted a view of the back, too, and almost asked him to turn around. She slammed her lips back together before the words flew out. He may not appreciate her ogling, and she had a boyfriend back home.
She tapped into her ability and tried to listen into his thoughts. It was surprisingly difficult for her to pick up on anything. She caught snippets. Enough to determine that he was a doctor and was anxious to get to the hospital where he worked.
Without conscious thought, fantasies of them intimately entwined played through her mind. A peculiar energy raced through her blood-stream as she obsessed over this stranger. No matter how hard she tried to pry her eyes away, they didn’t budge. She had never seen such a handsome man. It took every ounce of her energy for thoughts of her boyfriend, John, to penetrate her lust-driven brain.
She stood, needing to get out of the room. It was one thing to fantasize about other men, but she was perilously close to acting on her desires. Her fingers itched to run across his copper skin. As long as she was involved with John, or any other man, indulging was off limits.
*****
They had placed the TV on the wall when Jace was hit by the most delectable aroma. An enticing, cinnamon scent mixed with a hint of sultry, feminine heat teased his senses. He flared his nostrils and drew in a deep breath. His body hardened as he became unbearably aroused. This time, unlike previous encounters with females, his arousal was not accompanied by anger, shame, hopelessness, and unbearable thoughts of his past.
No time to make sense of everything, his cell phone vibrated with a text message. “Hey Santi, I have to get to Harborview. Catch you later. I’m on patrol with you and Rhys tomorrow night, right?”
“Yeah. You okay?” Santiago’s concern was clear. He hoped the shifter didn’t get a whiff of his arousal.
“I’m fine, there’s been an emergency at the hospital,” Jace responded, as he made his way to the front door.
“Ok, see you later. Thanks for the help.”
“Sure. Elsie, Cailyn, it was nice to meet you. Hopefully I’ll see you again soon,” he called to the two females. He allowed himself one last look at Cailyn. He had been covertly stealing glances at her since he arrived. She was stunning with her heart shaped face and hazel eyes. And then there were her full, big breasts. They way her flesh overflowed from the v-neck sweater should be outlawed.
He scrambled out the door and gulped down the
fresh air once the door shut behind him. It wasn’t enough as the image of her was imprinted on his mind forever. Disconcerted by the arousal, he scrambled for the nearby bushes. Anger coursed like lava through his veins as he lost the contents of his stomach. It was always the same.
*****
Excitement raced through his veins as Zander impatiently wiped the rain from his eyes. He missed her already. It had been several hours since they talked. He shook his head in disbelief. Him, sitting and talking with a human. He was a man of action and struggled to sit through council meetings when they ran long, but he loved every second of being with Elsie. He had never enjoyed anything more in all of his seven hundred sixty five years, and wanted to be back in that apartment with her.
He had learned so much about her. They couldn’t be more different. She loved to cook where he knew nothing about the task, he had cooks for that. She touched everyone around her for the oddest reasons and he suspected she liked the physical contact. He was more comfortable with several feet of space between him and those around him. Except where she was concerned. He wanted her as close as possible.
He could use someone like her to help him run the vampires. She went out of her way to make sure each of them felt welcomed and their needs were met. The only thing he gave was orders. It would go a long way with his subjects and warriors if he focused on them as individuals. That was impossible for him given the burden of ensuring the safety of humans and supernaturals.
The differences between them highlighted everything he needed in his life, as well as her fragile, human nature. She was vulnerable and could be taken at any moment. She was determined to get vengeance for what happened to Dalton and wasn’t going to let that go until he had killed every skirm. He forced back his anger over that before it led to him doing something irrevocable. He hadn’t experienced this fear since his parents had been killed. He loved her tenacity, but it was a double-edged sword.