Seduced by the Night

by Robin T. Popp

  The water hitting her back ran down her sides and along her breasts until a steady stream ran from her nipples to the shower floor. The sounds of their coming together echoed in the stall, and the now familiar tension built low in her belly. She could do nothing more than hang on for the ride.

  Then Dirk changed his rhythm and when he buried himself, instead of pulling out, he moved his hips, sinking himself a little deeper into her. At the same time, he slipped one arm across the front of her hips to hold her in place while the other hand moved to her breast where he rolled and lightly squeezed her nipple between his fingers.

  The double assault was too much and she hit her climax with the force of a speeding car hitting a brick wall. She was still spiraling from the impact when Dirk tensed, spilling himself into her.

  For long moments, they remained joined together, the warm water coursing over them. Then slowly, Dirk eased himself out of her.

  “Wow,” he said, sounding surprised. “I think I’m still seeing stars. Are you all right?” He turned her toward him and tilted her head up so he could study her face, his concern obvious.

  “Never better,” she assured him, feeling a small thrill at his reaction.

  He took the soap and again lathered his hands. He started to bathe her, then stopped and gave her an apologetic smile. “We’re never going to get out of here if I do this. Tell you what. I’ll bathe and get out so you can finish.”

  It didn’t take him long and soon she was in the shower by herself, pouring shampoo into her hand to wash her hair as he dried off.

  “I’ll be out here waiting for you,” he told her. “You want your coffee before I go?”

  “No, I won’t be long.” She heard him leave and ducked her head under the water to rinse her hair. She quickly soaped off and rinsed her body, not letting herself think about the way Dirk’s hands had felt when he’d washed her. She was flushed by the time she stepped out of the shower.

  There was no noise coming from the bedroom as she dried and she wondered if Dirk had gone back to his room after all. Working a comb through her hair, she then wrapped a towel around her, and then stepped into the room.

  Dirk was there, standing beside the dresser, his expression dark and closed. Beside him, her new purple bra and panties lay on top of the dresser, next to the orchid and roses.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked.

  “I thought you ended the engagement.” His tone was unusually calm, but no less accusing.

  She stared, confused, at her engagement ring, now in his hand. “Where did you get that?”

  “I found it in your drawer when I went to get these.” He nodded to the lingerie on top. “I saw you pack them and wanted to see you in them. I’m sure it’s the last place you expected me to look. Sorry if I ruined your little scheme.”

  “What scheme?”

  He shook his head. “Now it all makes sense. You never really broke up with Miles, did you?”

  “Of course I did,” she snapped. “Do you really think I’d make love to you while I was engaged to someone else?”

  He closed the distance between them, his eyes flashing. “Yes, I do.”

  It was a slap in the face and she didn’t know if she was more stunned or hurt. “Why would I do that?”

  “Curiosity.”

  “About what?”

  His heated gaze raked over her and when he ran a finger along the edge of the towel where it wrapped across her breasts, she couldn’t stop her body from responding to his touch. Then she understood.

  His insinuation immediately ignited her temper and she knocked his hand away. “Get out of my room, now.”

  He didn’t move. Hurt and frustration swelled up inside her and she wanted to scream or cry, but she did neither. Giving him her coldest stare, she kept her voice steady and even. “Get out now or I will scream until everyone in the house comes running.”

  A full minute went by as they glared at each other. The closeness they’d shared so recently withered and died. Then Dirk snapped shut the lid of the jewelry box and tossed it onto the bed as he walked out of the room.

  Chapter 14

  Bethany couldn’t move. She was still tensed for a fight, her breathing erratically fast as anger and hurt burned deep inside her, making her sick to her stomach. Only when she realized Dirk wasn’t coming back did she allow herself to relax slightly.

  She went over to the bed and picked up the jewelry box. How had it gotten into her drawer? She distinctly remembered giving it back to Miles. She slipped the box into her purse and crossed to the dresser to put away the purple lingerie that Dirk had pulled out. Her eyes fell on the vase of roses and a memory from the night before surfaced. Miles could have slipped the ring into her drawer while she’d been filling the vase with water, but why?

  The only explanation she could think of was that maybe he was having trouble accepting that things really were over between them. If so, she’d have to explain it to him again when she gave back the ring.

  Dirk was another problem. Her feelings for him were complicated and it hurt that he didn’t trust her. After listening to the stories of his childhood, she understood why trust was hard for him, but she didn’t think she could live under the umbrella of continual suspicion.

  Besides, he’d hurt her, humiliated her. Every time she saw him now, it would be there, hanging between them, along with the memory of their lovemaking. The thought of living under the same roof with him for even another day suddenly became intolerable. After she dressed, she pulled her suitcases from the closet and began to pack her clothes.

  The vampires were still out there, but if she made good use of her daylight hours, she could be far away from Washington, D.C., by nightfall. She’d pick a destination at random, so there’d be no easy way to follow her.

  You’re running away. The words echoed in her head. No, it’s a fresh start, a defiant voice countered. There was nothing holding her here. Not Miles. Certainly not Dirk.

  What about the project?

  She paused in the act of folding a shirt. Her work was a definite roadblock. After last night, she was close to finishing. Just a few more tests—but there was still the question of what the drug was to be used for. It was a question only Miles could answer. If he was up to something illegal, then she’d walk; leave her work unfinished. If it wasn’t illegal, she’d finish it as fast as she could—and then she’d leave.

  Unbidden, her thoughts turned to Dirk. If a small part of her had hoped he would come crawling back, asking her for forgiveness, then it was time to face reality. Taking a deep breath, she finished packing.

  Minutes later, she went downstairs, helped herself to another cup of coffee, and then went into the living room where she found Lanie standing in the middle of the room, looking lost.

  “Good morning. Is something wrong?”

  Lanie jumped at the sound of her voice and then smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry. I’m looking for Gem. Uncle Charles asked me to keep an eye on her, but I sort of got distracted this morning when Mac came home.” She blushed, giving Bethany a pretty good idea of how, exactly, she’d been distracted.

  “Isn’t she on Julia’s desk?” Bethany recalled Lanie telling her how the small baby chupacabra had developed a sweet tooth and was constantly nibbling on the mints Julia kept sitting on her desk.

  Lanie shook her head. “It’s the first place I looked.”

  “Did you ask Julia if she’d seen her?”

  Lanie looked embarrassed. “Not yet. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. She already thinks one of us is playing a joke on her—I didn’t want her thinking it was me.”

  Bethany understood. Everyone liked Julia and though it was necessary to keep secrets from her, no one liked doing it. “I’ll help you look.”

  Lanie flashed her a smile. “Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Where have you looked so far?”

  “I’ve checked the study, the living room, and the kitchen. She’s not in my room and there’s n
o way she’d go to Dirk’s room.”

  “Why’s that?” Bethany asked out of curiosity.

  “She looks too much like the adult who attacked him,” Lanie said as they walked down the hall to check some of the other rooms. “He kicks her out whenever she wanders in by mistake.”

  “But Mac’s okay being around her?”

  “That’s a little different. Even though the adult attacked Mac, when Burton almost killed me, it was Gem who saved my life. Mac swore then to always take care of her.”

  They’d reached the room where she and Dirk had watched TV, and the conversation came to a halt as they searched it. It took time because they couldn’t do just a cursory look around. They had to explore every possible nook and cranny, wherever a playful creature might hide.

  After they concluded that she wasn’t in the den, they moved to the next room. Four rooms later, they still hadn’t found her. By now, Bethany knew Lanie was seriously worried about the little creature.

  Going into the kitchen for lunch, they were sitting at the table, picking over their food, when Julia walked in. She took one look at their faces and her own became concerned. “Something’s wrong.” It was a statement more than a question.

  Bethany wasn’t sure Lanie would say anything to the woman, so she did. “I’m afraid that the gargoyle statue is missing. It’s kind of a long, complicated story that I’m not at liberty to share, but it has great sentimental value and it seems to be missing. Have you seen it?”

  For a moment Bethany thought Julia might know something. Her eyes grew wide and though she was too refined to let her jaw hang open, Bethany got the impression she was nevertheless dumbfounded. “I . . . I,” she swallowed. “No. Are you sure you looked everywhere?”

  “Not yet,” Lanie admitted, her voice sounding resigned. “I guess I’ll have to go through the rest of the rooms in the west wing.” She pushed away from the table, leaving her food untouched. “I think I’ll keep looking.”

  Bethany started to stand when Lanie waved her back. “I know you have better things to do. I’m okay looking by myself, thanks. There’s no real urgency until nightfall.” She gave Bethany a meaningful look. “Then I’ll have to ask Mac and Dirk for help.”

  “Are you sure, because I don’t mind helping,” Bethany said.

  “Yes, thanks. I’m sure.”

  Bethany watched her walk out of the room. Julia now seemed preoccupied so Bethany finished eating lunch. She really needed to talk to Miles.

  “I have to run into town for a bit,” Julia announced suddenly.

  Bethany jumped at the opportunity. “Would you mind if I went along? I need to do some work at the lab.”

  At first she thought Julia might say no, but then the woman smiled. “Of course not. I’ll drop you off. Let me make a quick phone call and then we can be on our way.”

  Julia left the kitchen and hurried to the study where she closed the door. Her heart was racing and she fought to stay calm. What had she done? What had she been thinking? Of course they wouldn’t throw away the statue. How idiotic of her to think otherwise.

  She knew Lanie wouldn’t find the statue in the west wing. In fact, Lanie wouldn’t find the statue anywhere on the premises because the trash collectors had come earlier that morning.

  Picking up the phone, she called the number for the waste management company. It took the better part of ten minutes, but she finally got the information she needed. Grabbing her purse, she went back into the kitchen to find Bethany waiting for her.

  “Ready?”

  Bethany nodded, and for a brief second, Julia was tempted to tell her what had happened. Then she thought better of it.

  Forty minutes later, Bethany climbed out of Julia’s car and watched the woman drive off. She knew there was something troubling her, but Julia hadn’t shared and Bethany hadn’t pried.

  As the car disappeared from sight, Bethany hurried toward the front entrance of the Van Horne building, constantly scanning her surroundings as she went. She remembered what Dirk had told her about vampires hiring humans to help them during the day, but thought if she remained alert, she’d be okay. She was almost to the door when she saw a familiar-looking man walking out. It took her a minute to remember where she’d seen him, but it finally hit her. It was the same man she’d overheard talking to Miles; the one with the orange hair.

  Hurrying past him, she went to her lab, picked up the phone, and dialed Miles’s office, only to be told by the secretary that he was in a meeting. After getting the secretary’s agreement to call her when Miles was free, Bethany put on a pot of coffee and, while it brewed, reviewed her notes up to this point. She couldn’t help the sense of urgency pushing her to hurry. The one lesson she’d learned was that she absolutely didn’t want to be at the lab after dark.

  Going to the refrigerator, she pulled out the last batch of synthetic extract that she’d made and carried it to the table. About to pick up a tube to examine under the microscope, she hesitated, hand suspended over the rack as she did a quick count. Nine tubes, which meant three were missing. She counted again and came up with the same results.

  Going back to the refrigerator, she checked inside, wondering if the missing vials had fallen out or gotten misplaced. She went back to her notes from the night before, in case she’d used more of the synthetic than she could recall. She hadn’t.

  The ringing phone startled her and she hurried to answer it.

  “He can see you now,” Miles’s secretary informed her.

  Promising to be right down, Bethany put the vials back in the fridge and walked out.

  “Bethany, this is an unexpected surprise,” Miles said a few minutes later as she entered his office. “Are you alone?”

  She ignored the question. “I think we should talk.”

  “Of course. Let’s sit down.” He led her to the sofa off to one side of his office and sat beside her. Being alone with him now felt awkward. It more or less confirmed her suspicion that it would be difficult to continue working for Van Horne Technologies.

  “I wanted to talk to you about the plant extract.”

  “Okay.”

  “I created a nearly perfect synthetic replica days ago but there’s an element in the original sample that eludes me. I’m afraid that until I can figure out what it is, the synthetics are unstable. The chemical bonds won’t hold them together and the resulting elements could be very dangerous.”

  “I’m not sure I follow,” he said.

  “It’s sort of like table salt,” she explained, “only on a more complex scale. When sodium and chlorine are chemically bound together, they make table salt, completely palatable. But if that chemical bond breaks, we end up with sodium, which is a volatile explosive, and chlorine, which is a poisonous gas—neither of which is particularly healthy to ingest.”

  Miles’s brow furrowed but he didn’t say anything.

  “I want to know what you’re planning to do with the extract if I succeed in duplicating it.” She kept her gaze level and steady, willing him to take her seriously. “I know about Mr. Santi.”

  “You do?” She could tell the news caught him off guard.

  She nodded. “Yes. I came up here to talk to you the other day and he was in your office. The door was open and I overheard your conversation.”

  His eyes narrowed as he studied her. “What, exactly, did you hear?”

  She was skating on thin ice and debated how much further she could bluff her way through the conversation because she hadn’t actually heard that much. “Enough to know that you’ve got a deal with him to distribute the drug.”

  Miles nodded solemnly. “Yes, that’s true—and you’re afraid that I’m doing something illegal?”

  She nodded. “I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you.”

  Something flashed across his eyes that she couldn’t interpret, but then he smiled, taking her hand in his. “I’m very fortunate to have someone who cares about me. As a matter of fact, I am trying to work out a deal with Mr. San
ti, but it’s all perfectly legitimate. You see, Mr. Santi is with Burkford Pharmaceuticals.”

  “He is?”

  He nodded. “It’s a relatively new company that deals in herbal-based remedies. Because they’re still starting up, they have to outsource much of their baseline research on new drugs. All strictly on the up and up, I assure you.”

  A smile spread across Bethany’s face as she digested what he’d told her. “Oh, I’m so relieved to hear that. I can’t tell you the things I imagined.” She wanted to laugh at her own foolishness. “Mr. Santi doesn’t look like your typical drug rep—I’m afraid I assumed the worst.” She sobered as she saw Miles’s understanding expression. “I’m afraid that I thought the worst of you, too. I’m sorry.”

  He patted her hand. “I can’t have you thinking I’m a saint in all of this,” he replied. “The truth is that Burkford Pharmaceuticals is paying Van Horne Technologies a hefty fee to analyze the extract.”

  “But they’re paying it over the table,” she said.

  “Yes.” For several moments, he gazed at her, and then something in his eyes changed. “I know I saw you last night, but I miss you.”

  In that moment, she knew that she could tell him that she’d changed her mind and he’d take her back. Things could return to the way they’d been before Dirk and the vampires. For the briefest moment, it was tempting, but then she knew she wouldn’t do it. “Miles, I—”

  “Please, don’t say it,” he interrupted her. “Hearing it once last night was enough. I don’t think I can handle a second rejection in so many days.” The smile he gave her was bittersweet. “I’m glad you came to see me. Like I said before, it’s nice to know you still care.”

  “I’ll always care,” she said, meaning every word. Feeling uncomfortable once again, she knew that she couldn’t leave until she took care of one more thing. Reaching into the pocket of her lab coat, she pulled out the small jewelry box and held it up, watching his face. He had the decency to look abashed. “I think you forgot this last night,” she said.