by Black, Jaid
“Sorry,” one of them muttered. “We didn’t realize you were having a private moment. We just rushed in, worried about you.”
“Drag the hunter out and give me a minute.”
“Yes sir,” they said in unison, moving to grab the human from the floor, and hauled him off by his limbs.
Blaron cursed as he straightened the lass’s robe. He bent, grabbed his sword, and slid it into the scabbard he’d had sewn on the side of all his kilts. He damned the males for their quick response and himself for losing his mind over a sweet-smelling female who fascinated him.
His hands slid under the lass, he cradled her gently in his arms and walked out of the room with her snug against his bare chest. He glanced around his home for the last time. He couldn’t come back. It would be too dangerous.
Both brothers waited near the front door. One of them stepped forward, his arms lifting. “I’ll take her from you, sir.”
The other one offered a hooded cape. “This should shield you from the worst of it. We parked the van in the driveway. We have a team on motorcycles scouting the area. It will be the last thing the hunters ever do if they try to follow.”
“I have her. No one touches her but me.”
“But the sun wi—”
“Just toss the damn thing over my head and wrap it around me.” Anger stirred. “She’s mine and not to be touched by another.”
Both males backed up instantly, alarmed. The one with the cloak hesitated and approached.
“Apologies. I didn’t know you’d taken a companion.”
Blaron stared down at the scarred yet beautiful face of the woman sleeping peacefully in his arms. “Nor had I until I kissed her. She’s the one.”
Shock still reverberated through him. Every vampire wanted to find the perfect companion but he’d never expected to find his. It had seemed more of a romantic myth but nothing else could explain the way they’d both lost their minds the moment their lips had touched.
“Send in a cleanup crew to remove all trace I was ever here and inhale her scent to track where she came from. She lives across the street but I’m not certain which house belongs to her. Pack her up and make it look good when you do what needs done. She won’t be returning.”
Chapter Four
Matty was slow to wake, a haze of sleep and erotic dreams tempting her to keep her eyes closed. She may have drifted back off but a big, warm hand on her bare hip slid upward to her lower stomach.
“Wake for me, lass,” a husky masculine voice with a sexy accent rasped near her ear. “You need to eat. I’ve been worried about you.”
Alarm jolted her to full wakefulness as her eyes flew open to stare into the handsome face of her neighbor. Kilt was in bed with her, it was dark inside whatever room they were in, and only a few small lamps gave off enough light for her to see by.
“Easy, lass. You’re safe. We’re underground inside a club a friend of mine owns. My home has been compromised and we’ll stay here until we find somewhere else to go.”
She was pinned by his hand on her stomach, one of his bare, muscular thighs was over the top of her naked ones, and a sheet was tangled between them. “What am I doing here? Where are my clothes?” Her hands yanked the sheet up higher on her chest. Her breasts had barely been covered.
“It wasn’t safe for you to go home. Remember the hunter?”
“You bit me.” She remembered that.
“Aye. I did. I’m sorry about that but I was lost to the passion. You’re fine. I’d never harm you but I admit I took a little much. It made you weak and sleepy. Are you ready to eat? I have a fine meal awaiting you.”
More of her senses were waking once she got past the alarm of being naked in an unfamiliar place with a stranger. The room was chilly, she smelled food, and it was unusually quiet. A vampire had sex with her and had bitten into her neck. She blushed and tried to wiggle away from him. He hesitated and moved his leg to release hers while his hand unpinned her. She lunged away, rolled, but kept the sheet fisted in her hands.
The bed was a large four poster and she gasped when she nearly rolled off the edge. It was higher from the floor than any bed she’d ever been on. She stared down at the concrete floor, knew that would have hurt if she’d taken a dive, and an arm hooked around her waist to drag her butt a few inches back from the edge.
“Careful.”
“Where did you say we are?”
The bed moved as he sat up and she turned to glance down his body. The sheet had been pulled nearly off him when she’d tried to flee. Only part of it covered his hip but there was no missing the condition of his body since the material tented over his lap. Her gaze flew to his face.
“Underground. There’s a club above us but we’re safe. No one knows where we are or that this place even exists. Would you enjoy a bath before your meal? The club serves to both my kind and yours. I’ve been assured the food is top notch.”
She gaped at him a little. “It’s a vampire club? Seriously? Isn’t that a bit obvious if you’re trying to hide your existence?”
“Aye but we fit better in the setting. It’s too cliché to be believable.” He hesitated. “Don’t feel fear. No one will touch you.” He hesitated. “What’s your name?”
Her cheeks burned. She’d had sex with him, shared a bed afterward even if she hadn’t been aware of it, and they hadn’t even exchanged names. “Matty. And yours?”
“Blaron.”
She stared at Kilt. He was so handsome and his long hair against his tan skin drew her attention. The desire to touch him made her hands clutch the sheet tighter. “I should go home.”
He hesitated. “Why don’t you eat first? I’ll draw you a bath.”
He rolled the other way, leaving the cover of the sheet, and she couldn’t help stare at his perfect, beefy ass. It was paler than the rest of him, obvious he had tan lines, and that confused her as he slid off the bed. He bent, reached for something on the floor, and when he straightened, he pulled up a red kilt. He secured it at his waist and turned to face her.
“I’ll retrieve you a robe from the bath. My friend who owns the club has these guestrooms stocked with spare ones.” He walked into the darkness, out of the reach of the dim light, and bright light came on across the room from the open bathroom door. She glimpsed a large tub and he returned holding a blood-red robe.
“It’s a bit gaudy. I apologize. A nice pale blue would be more fitting for your creamy complexion but beggars can’t be choosers. We’re at the mercy of my friend for a few days.”
“Um…”
He stopped at the edge of the bed feet from her, dropped the robe, and arched a blond eyebrow. “Is there something you wish to ask me?”
“You have tan lines.”
“It was from before. You stay the way you were when you were changed. I was a farmer once and spent a lot of time in the sun.”
“You mean before you became a vampire?” It felt odd even saying that word aloud.
“I went to war with my friend who now owns this club. One night a saucy wench came to comfort some of the injured lads in camp. She chose me and I believed I’d gone to heaven when she lured me out into the darkness.” He paused. “I was flattered she seemed to want me out of all the others she could’ve picked. I was a lad, she was pretty, and I thought she wanted to share her charms. It turns out she was looking for some sturdy warriors to travel with and protect her. She turned me and my friend.”
Matty let that information settle. “Where is she now?”
He hesitated. “She died a long time ago. She had a preference for feeding from large humans such as myself. One night she didn’t distract him enough before she sank her fangs into him.”
“I’m sorry.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. “Did you love her?”
He shook his head. “I detested her, she wasn’t likeable, but she taught us how to survive. We owed her and we did our best to protect her. She never allowed us to go hunting with her though. One night she chose to feed off a male w
ho fought back. He was skilled with a sword.”
She wasn’t sure what to say. They stared at each other. He took a step back.
“Dress in the robe, eat, and take a bath. Don’t leave the room. I need to make some arrangements and will return soon.” He stared at her. “No one will harm you but I can’t promise that if you were to reach the club above us. There are unfamiliar vampires up there who don’t know you are with me. It wouldn’t be safe.”
“Okay.” She wanted to go home but eating and take a bath first sounded good. He couldn’t do anything until the sun went down and she couldn’t have slept all day. She wished there was a clock but a quick sweep of the room with her gaze didn’t show one. “You’ll be right back?”
“Twenty minutes at most. Just stay inside the room and no one will bother you. I stay here occasionally.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything, Matty.”
He said it in a husky, sexy way with that accent of his that she loved to hear. “Why do you always come home in a limo right before dawn? What do you do every night after you leave home? Do you have a job?”
He hesitated.
She had a sinking feeling from the little information she learned that she knew what he did at night. “You hunt for food?”
“No. I’m a bagger now. My hunting for blood from hosts is long over as soon as we were able to bribe blood banks into selling it to us. Not all vampires share that approach but we don’t like harming anyone. My friends and I actually go after vampires who kill humans. It’s too dangerous these days to do it and it’s no longer a necessity to survive. I don’t drive and that’s why my friend who owns this club sends a car for me every evening.”
“Will you be working tonight? Can you drop me off at my house?”
He hesitated. “I’m taking the evening off. We’ll talk when I return. Eat, lass. Enjoy a warm bath.” He glanced around the room. “It may look a bit rough with the concrete but the amenities in the bathroom are very modern.”
He spun on his bare feet and walked to the door. His sword rested against the wall. He grabbed it up as he jerked open the door and disappeared into the darkness. No lights lit the hallway. She shivered at the thought of trying to sneak out. She was in some basement. The smell of food drove her to inch closer to the side of the bed, release the sheet, and slide off the edge. The cold floor made her shiver as she tied the thick, fancy robe around her waist.
* * * * *
“What are you doing?”
Blaron frowned at his friend. “Asking you for the night off and can you have someone find me a good home? I’m not holing up with you for long, Lethal.”
“I’m stunned you brought a human here.”
“She’s special.”
Lethal tilted his head and a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I see. You fed from her, I take it? What happened to your sworn oath of not taking blood even from willing women?”
Anger tensed Blaron’s body. “She’s the one.”
Shock gripped the other vampire’s features. “How did you find her?”
“She found me. It seems she’s a neighbor, saw a hunter sneaking into my home, and came to save me.”
“That little thing you carried in came to your defense?” He chuckled. “What did she do? Scream to warn you?”
“She had hog tied the hunter by the time I reached them. She’s quick and smart.”
“Have you told her that you plan to keep her?”
“I’m getting there.”
“Good luck. I take it she knows what we are?”
“She guessed before she ever met me. She’s a brave lass.”
His friend leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk he sat behind. “Good luck telling her the truth. She won’t be happy.”
“Maybe she will be.”
Lethal chuckled. “Always the optimist. Let me know how it goes or perhaps I’ll hear the screaming from my office. We’ll go hunting without you tonight. You stay to inform your lass of her future.” He opened a drawer and withdrew handcuffs lined with fur. “Here’s to love. You may need these to convince her to stay.”
Blaron stood. “I won’t be needing those.”
“Take them. It’s best to be prepared.” All humor faded from his features. “She’s a danger to us if you don’t convince her to stay with you. You brought her here and I don’t wish to close the club down.”
“She has no idea where we are.”
“She’s guarded to make sure she doesn’t snoop around or try to leave?”
“No. She won’t flee.”
Lethal stood, glaring. “She is the enemy if she does. Are we clear?”
“Perfectly.” Blaron gripped the handle of his sword. “Don’t threaten her, Lethal. She’s mine and we’ll fight if you try to harm a hair on her precious head.”
Lethal’s stance relaxed. “Make sure we have no reason to come to blows. Friends are hard to keep as the years wear on. I don’t want to lose you.”
They regarded each other and Blaron released his sword. He grabbed the handcuffs off the desk. “I’ll be in my room.”
“Have fun!”
Blaron departed quickly. “Asshole.”
“It takes one to know one.”
Chapter Five
Matty rose from the warm bath, her hair washed, and tucked a towel around her body. The door in the other room opened. She froze, afraid it might not be Kilt but instead some other vampire. The door closed and she heard a growl.
“Matty? Are you in there?”
“I’ll be right out.”
She knew that Scottish brogue. He’d come back. She dried off quickly, wished for clothing, but only had the robe to put on. The blood red color of it made her feel like a walking advertisement for a vampire meal on legs. Bad pun. Don’t go there. Her hand hesitated at the door but she turned the handle, opening it up.
It surprised her to see that Kilt had showered and changed. His long hair was still damp and the sight of him in loose black pants was enough to make her gawk. He looked like some kind of blond pirate out of a film with his long hair, the breeches, and a sword hung low from a belt secured at his waist. He stared at her with his sexy eyes when she finally stopped noticing his shirtless, muscled chest. The guy had the best body she’d ever seen.
“You ate.” He looked pleased as he smiled. “I take it was enjoyable? The plate is clean.”
“They serve good food. You were right.”
He shrugged, drawing attention to those broad shoulders. “I had heard but I don’t eat food anymore.”
“Ever?”
“I used to but it’s been a long time.”
“So you can eat it though?”
He hesitated. “I don’t need it and I lost the urge to eat with others a good hundred years ago. Blood is what I need.”
She unconsciously reached up and touched her neck. There wasn’t a mark where he’d bitten her, she’d check in the mirror, but the memory remained. Kilt followed her hand with his gaze and licked his lips. The air between them seemed to warm up in the chilly room as both of them were reminded of what they’d done together on his desk.
Matty dropped her hand quickly. “Have you eaten?”
He hesitated. “Are you offering to feed me?”
She took a step back and bumped the doorway of the bathroom, missing the opening, and halted. “No.”
He reached for his waist, unfastened the belt, and turned his back on her to place his sword on the table by the bed. She watched him, leery of what would happen. The guy weighed at least a hundred pounds more than her and was bodybuilder big. Their gazes met when he faced her.
“I fed and showered to give you time to yourself. We need to talk.”
“Yes, we do. I need to go home. I’m sure that I’m safe. That jerk was after you, not me.”
“You haven’t asked what I did to him.”
She hesitated. “I don’t want to know.”
“Fair enough.” He took a hesitant s
tep toward her. “I’m an honorable man. I want you to know that. You’ll learn but we don’t know each other well.” He stopped feet from her, watching her closely. “I’d never cause you harm and I’d give my life to protect yours. Those are things you can always count on from me. I’m honest and I can pledge total loyalty to you. I’m a bag feeder so there won’t be any other women in my arms.”
Mute, Matty listened. It sounded as if he were trying to make something more out of the crazy one-morning stand they’d had. Her heartbeat increased. The idea of dating him wasn’t totally a bad one. She’d never forget him and admitted he’d become a part of her life while she’d watched him from her bedroom window. He said he wouldn’t be returning to his house and that meant she wouldn’t see him again as soon as they said goodbye.
“In the old days a vampire couple would’ve fed off humans. The best way to assure a human could survive without knowing what we were was feeding off them during sex.” His cheeks blushed slightly. “Those days are over and I’d kill anyone who touched you even for feeding purposes.”
“Um…” No words formed.
“I’m saying this wrong. I’m not good with words but the passion between us can’t be denied. I’m attracted to you, the sex was incredible, and sleeping with you wrapped inside my arms, against my body, was heaven on Earth. I’ve never known such rightness as touching you.”
For a guy not good with words, he said the right ones to melt her heart. She still couldn’t talk though. He shocked her more by dropping to his knees before her and stared up at her face with sincerity.
“You bring me to my knees. I pledge my life to yours, Matty. I’ll do whatever it takes to convince you to be my companion.”
She swallowed hard. “What is that? Your girlfriend?”
He hesitated and offered a hand, holding it out to her. She placed her trembling one in his. He brought it to his lips to place a kiss on the back of her hand, turned it in his, kissed her palm. His gaze never left hers.
“It’s a lover, a friend, and you’d use the term wife. It’s a lifetime commitment and we don’t age. I’m going to be honest with you. It’s forever and that could be a long time. I’ve met a vampire over a thousand years old.”