Dark Experiments

by Lana Campbell

  Christian didn’t know what to say to that. Didn’t appear Nathan did either judging from his frown of displeasure.

  Mia did though. “I agree with T.J. I don’t think the man should face the same punishment as his sisters. But honey, he does have to be held accountable for the crimes he committed. Even though God forgives us for our sins, when we break man’s law we still have to pay the cost. I’m sure this Terry will be fine when all is said and done. It’s not something for you to be thinking on right now anyway. You were just released from the hospital. You need to be thinking about your health and future.”

  Tiffany let out a ragged breath. “I suppose so. Just know I will testify in his behalf. He’s as rough around the edges as barbed wire, and I know he doesn’t seem it, but the man has a conscience. He went against Charla’s orders and dumped the serum down the drain that she’d trusted him to give to Katie and the others twice a day.”

  “That is something redeeming about the man,” Mia said.

  “Right. And he took the time to make me a sandwich when I was having a bad reaction to that serum of Charla’s. It helped. I mean, I don’t know. Am I wrong here for wanting to see him have second chance at life? It’s bad enough he’s going to have to do it without his sisters.”

  “It sounds like he showed you much needed kindness in the midst of that harrowing ordeal,” Dannie remarked.

  Tiffany nodded, but still wore a forlorn expression.

  “I’m so glad you had an ally of sorts TJ,” Chelsie added.

  “So am I which is why I can’t stand by and let him fry. Nathan, don’t tell me you can’t pull some strings with his judge because I know you too well.”

  Nathan blew out a long breath. “If it means that much to you consider it done.”

  She patted her chest and smiled. “Thank you. What kind of punishment do you think he’ll get Nathan if you can sway the judge our way?”

  Dominic answered, “Most likely a very unpleasant work program. He’d be assigned an enforcer which in a nutshell is a vampire parole officer. They’ll develop a very tight relationship because he will go nowhere and do nothing not approved by his enforcer. Just like a prisoner on house arrest, he’ll wear an ankle bracelet which will track his whereabouts at all times.”

  “That doesn’t sound so bad,” Tiffany remarked.

  Dominic arched a brow. “It isn’t unless he fails to abide by the rules of the court. Vampire offenders who run aren’t thrown back into a prison like human ones. We have no prisons. If he chooses to run he dies and there are no second chances.”

  Christian heard her gulp and he reached over and took her hand. “He’ll be okay, Darlin’. You should take your mom’s advice, quit worrying and concentrate on yourself and your health.”

  “I have the rest of my life to concentrate on me. Nathan, you just make sure he’s treated right while he’s awaiting trial. Don’t even think about protecting me from being a part of all three trials. I will be there.”

  “You have every right to be.”

  She nodded but her expression remained tense. “It’s hard to pretend none of this happened. It’s a giant relief Charla can do no more harm, but what about the fallout from everything that’s happened?” She stared at Christian. I can’t even imagine how the families of those six people Katie killed are dealing. Have you heard anything?”

  Christian really didn’t want to delve into that hornets’ nest, but he understood Tiffany was trying to process everything that had happened, the same as himself and many others. “Noah has been handling the situation. Of course the families are devastated. Nathan, my partners and I decided to set up a trust fund for the family members of the victims.”

  “That’s great. I’m glad to hear that. Has any of this been in the media?”

  He glanced at Nathan, then Dominic because they’d been working with Noah to contain that disaster and he didn’t know the latest himself.

  Nathan answered. “It’s been contained as much as possible. Thanks to the quick thinking of Christian’s partner, Dr. Langston, everyone including the police believe it was a murder/suicide by a jilted lover. Dr. Langston convinced police that Christian rented out his lodge to the six people for a vacation stay and one of the six had a jilted lover who snapped. As much as all of us felt the families had the right to know what really happened, we simply couldn’t allow anyone to know a feral vampire was responsible for their deaths.”

  Tiffany huffed. “So, Noah enchanted the cops, and fed them that information, huh? I’m impressed.”

  Mia said, “Christian, I’m so very sorry for your loss there. It must be devastating for you and the clinic.”

  “Thank you and yes this whole thing is like picking apart remnants in the aftermath of a hurricane. Moral at the clinic is slowly improving. Obviously, we’re in desperate need of nurses. I can’t say things are good. I wish I could, but every life Charla and Katie impacted have suffered great losses. People will heal, but it’s going to take a good long time.”

  Tiffany squeezed his hand and gave him a compassionate smile. “How are all your patients, Christian? How are they dealing with all of this?”

  Her concern ran deep and it blessed him that she cared so deeply about others, strangers to her, but very much a part of his world. “Everyone has been discharged, that’s how well they’re doing physically. Right now, they’re very happy to have healthy pregnancies or babies and I believe those new little lives are going to do a great deal to help the moms and dads deal with all that’s happened. The V clinic has been fortunate. No one has blamed anything that’s happened on us and they easily could have.”

  “It wasn’t anyone’s fault but Charla and Katie’s,” she argued.

  He hunched a shoulder. “That’s true, but we hired Charla.”

  Dominic said, “Hopefully this too shall pass for you, our family and all the families affected, but if not, I’m retained and here for you as a brother as well as an attorney.”

  Tiffany flashed Dominic a smile as brilliant as his own. The man saw him as family. Christian knew the others did too. He’d always felt a part of the Davenport clan, but very soon he would be a literal member by marriage. Christian couldn’t wait.

  A lull fell into the conversation and Christian took the opportunity to present a much-needed subject change, one that would hopefully delight Tiffany. “Guess what? I have a surprise for you tonight.”

  “You do, huh? What’s that?”

  “Dinner at my place.”

  He could tell that made her happy. Him too. They needed some alone time. If he had his way, he’d have her full undivided attention for the entire weekend.

  “That sounds perfect, Christian. No offense to anyone here, but there’s too many people and too little privacy. I could really use some peace and quiet.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me and Dominic,” Dannie said, then winked.

  “Me neither,” Chelsie added with a big grin.

  “I’ll certainly miss not having you here, but it’s more important for you and Christian to relax and have some normalcy,” Mia said.

  Christian glanced at Mia and she gave him a conspiratorial wink because she was catering the dinner tonight. With Mia’s culinary talents it would be fare perfect for a romantic evening.

  Tiffany gave his rib a gentle jab with her elbow. Should I pack a bag?

  He took hold of her hand and squeezed. I’m counting on it, Darlin’.

  ***

  As soon as they entered Christian’s city cottage he dumped her suitcase on the floor and the ravaging began. He pulled her into his arms, but didn’t start with a kiss. He went right to what Tiffany knew he longed for most, a sampling of her blood. He scraped sharp fangs across her neck and she gasped as he made the small cut and began to suck. Sweet pain and lusty pleasure caused shivers and shocking pulsations deep in her core as he licked and drew on the wound he made. That craziness went on for a good long while. Like the first time they’d done this, their feelings meshed making th
e experience so intense, a two for one emotional special that left Tiffany breathless and weak.

  Out of the blue, he stopped, stepped back and stood there observing her.

  “What? Why’d you stop?”

  He sighed and rubbed a spot in the middle of his forehead. “Because I’m getting a little ahead of myself and I want to take things slower. I want to know we’re on the same page every step of the way because a lot has happened since the first time we did this. Memories need erasing and although I plan at some point soon to erase every bad thought from your head, I think we need time to discover one another without troubles being underlying factors. And I think we need to eat. That cake didn’t fill me up.”

  Tiffany smiled and stared at him, digesting those very sensible words. She’d been ready for fast, hot and heavy, but he made a good point. Their first time her fears of intimacy had blown apart the amazing experience. Slowly they’d built trust, then love, but V clinic issues wedged their way into every fiber of their lives. He was right. They really hadn’t had a moment to just breath and love each other.

  “So, what did you have in mind first?”

  “Dinner here in about thirty minutes. I took the liberty of having your mom sneak something fancy for you to wear into your suitcase because I have a very special meal planned which I think knowing your tastes you’ll enjoy.”

  “Wow. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you’ll take the suitcase and go put on whatever your mom packed. By the time your done, dinner should be ready. After that we’ll see from there. But whatever happens tonight will be easy and natural. I want our first time to be just right because it will seal us as one forever. You do understand that?”

  His logic was unassailable as usual. “I understand, but I’m not afraid, Christian, if that’s what you’re getting at. I get what’s going to happen. If I had reservations I wouldn’t be here.”

  “Good, then humor me. Okay?” He reached down and grabbed her suitcase extending it toward her.

  Tiffany just wanted to please Christian. Obviously, he’d made some romantic plans which actually made her a little giddy. “Okay. I’ll go gussy up for you.” She took the bag and headed to his bathroom. Along the way, she noticed the place was immaculate. Either his cleaning woman got it together or he’d hired that team she’d suggested.

  The marble top vanity was wide, long and free of skivvies, dirty towels and shaving debris. She laid her suitcase between two round sinks and opened it. On top was a bright indigo blue dress with little diamond studded straps that cut downward into a deep V shaped bodice. She lifted it out and held it up to her body, noticing the hemline was just short of scandalous. “Dang Mom.”

  The thing was gorgeous, but something told her, her mother wasn’t the only closet conspirator. Dannie probably had a hand in this because a matching pair of satin pumps, silk and lace panties, diamond earrings and a necklace with a large teardrop sapphire were a part of the little trousseau. It all looked just like something Dannie would wear.

  All at once it dawned on her. Her family had purchased and prepared all this for her and Christian’s wedding night.

  “Oooh. Lord, am I ready for this?”

  Tiffany hadn’t arranged her life with specific plans to be a physical virgin on her wedding night, but she would be if this night progressed as everyone assumed it should. The notion that her whole family knew what she and Christian were about to do was a bit too medieval for her liking, but Tiffany knew in her heart she was ready. Her family saw this as her wedding night because it was in the world of vampires. Excitement and fear spun through her system, entwined threads she knew to be completely natural under the circumstances, but a little daunting nonetheless.

  Tiffany laid the dress across her suitcase then pulled her t-shirt over her head. She considered her reflection and smiled. Minus the slight dark circles under her eyes she looked damned good. However, by the time she finished, having all this fancy to work with and a little under eye concealer, Christian’s jaw was sure to hit the floor when he laid eyes on her.

  ***

  Christian was nervous. He had dinner ready and waiting for them in his dining room; two plates under silver domes with medium rare Kobe filets, asparagus with almonds in a lemon caper cream sauce and tiny roasted new potatoes. There were also two salads made with micro greens and some sort of fancy dressing, Mia had tried to explain. Nathan’s offering was an expensive bottle of red wine from his personal cellar. It sat open breathing and Christian smelled delicious oak and blackberry notes. For dessert, a tray of chocolate covered strawberries and truffles awaited them on the living room coffee table.

  He’d hadn’t gone too fancy for the occasion with his clothes. Just a suit jacket over his t-shirt and a pair of black jeans. He left his hair loose because he knew Tiffany liked it that way. A while back he’d thought about cutting it short, but now he was glad he hadn’t because she loved playing with it, and he loved when she wrapped a section or two around her fingers to pull him in for a kiss.

  Trouble was the entire meal grew cold because he was now certain Tiffany would never come out of that bathroom. It had been over an hour. He’d paced in front of his fireplace till the bottom of his cowboy boots were practically worn slick. He knew she was as nervous as he because he’d touched her mind several times. He couldn’t blame her. Tonight, was a first for him too. He was about to become life mated.

  He was tempted to touch her mind and ask her if everything was alright, then he heard the door to the bathroom open and he turned to face the hallway.

  The instant he saw her, his entire body flushed with heat. Sweat began to bead on his forehead, upper lip, neck and chest. His male part instantly rose to attention. He couldn’t help it. She was a vision, an angel. The most beautiful thing he’d ever laid eyes on. Her hair was down. Silky auburn ringlets, dozens of them framed her face painted with just the right amount of makeup. Her eyes were shadowed in a blue color to match the sexy little dress that left way too much to his already vivid imagination.

  She came toward him and he met her at the entrance to the living room. Without a word, he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her rose painted lips that tasted of bubble gum. He made the kiss brief because he didn’t trust himself to not ravage her on the spot. Kisses were great but he wanted far more. He wanted to be buried to the hilt inside her while his fangs sank into her shoulder drawing on her sweet life essence, his venom and cum exploding into her body at the same moment. That would happen later. For now, he wanted to enjoy her company and well look at her because he’d never seen her so utterly feminine. He liked her tomboyish side, but he loved seeing her as the seductress she was at the moment.

  “Dinner is served, Darlin’.”

  She grinned. “I’m afraid to ask what we’re having if you cooked it.”

  Christian could only shake his head. Leave it to Tiffany to ruin a romantic moment with a joke. “No, Darlin’. Your mom brought over dinner, while you were, uh, doing this.” He swept a hand across the front of her silky dress, stomach to hemline, stopping when his palm reached flesh he wanted to explore more than his next breath. “You’re beautiful, you know. An absolute vision. In fact, I’m tempted to forgo dinner and move on to the main course.”

  She let out a dark, sexy laugh. “I like that idea a lot, but I’ve been raised to not waste food, clean my plate and all that.”

  Christian smiled. He loved her wit. Life with Tiffany was going to be so much fun. He wasn’t naive though. She’d test him to his limits no doubt. She was a hard-headed piece of work used to getting everything her way. He’d have to exercise extreme patience because as Mia once said, she didn’t play well with others. Maybe due to her career, perhaps fear of intimacy, she’d lived a rather sequestered life socially, but that was all about to change. Once she became a full-time participant in his life she’d never be a loner again.

  “Well, then let’s eat, Darlin.” He took her hand and led her to his dining room where they feasted, talk
ed, laughed and reveled in each other’s company.

  “You look especially nice tonight, Christian. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear a suit jacket. What did you have in mind for dessert? And please don’t be cliché with your answer.”

  He chuckled. “I don’t need to be cliché. You already know where tonight will lead, but that’s not written in stone, Tiffany. I think the most important aspect of tonight is being alone and discovering things about each other we never learned in all the years. We haven’t had much opportunity to court like a normal couple.”

  Tiffany pushed her plate back and laid her linen napkin atop. “I’ll say. Hey. I have a fun idea how we can discover each other’s deep dark secrets.”

  “Really? I’m almost afraid to ask what you have in mind.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

  “It’ll be fun. I promise.” She picked up the wine bottle and filled both glasses. “Here’s how it works. It’s a game called Never Have I Ever. You say something like, oh, never have I ever rode a horse bare back if you’ve never done that. If I have then I have to take a drink of wine. If I haven’t then you do.”

  Christian chuckled. “A drinking game. I like it already. Okay, ladies first. You start. What have you never ever done before.”

  She tapped her chin and twisted her lips into a thoughtful pout. “Alright. Never have I ever taken a bath or shower with someone.”

  “Oooh. I think I like the way this is going, but you got me there.” He took a sip of wine.

  “Oh, well no hard feelings. This is a get to know one another game.”

  He grinned. “I never said who it was with. When Asa and I were little boys around three or under and we were sleeping over our moms would bathe us together.”

  Tiffany giggled. “That doesn’t count. Of course I took bathes with my sisters when we were tiny.”

  “Alright. I guess we both drink on this one.” He took a healthy sip as did Tiffany, then he said, “Never have I ever been in love before you.”