A Vampire for Christmas

by Laurie London

  “It will get blood all over it.”

  “It won’t be the first time. Now sit still and let me do this.”

  Eagan hissed when he peeled the towel away from her hand. “Damn, that’s deep. Okay, we’ll do this the hard way.”

  He caught her chin in his hand. “Open your eyes and look at me, Della.”

  Although his voice remained calm, she didn’t mistake his request for anything other than a direct order. She stared down into his blue eyes. No, right now they weren’t blue at all, but black. “Eagan, your eyes!”

  “I know, but don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you.”

  That darkness in his gaze was swallowing her whole. She could still hear him talking, but from a long distance away. He smiled at her. Such a sad, sad smile on his handsome face. And when had his teeth gotten so big? Not all of them. Just those two.

  He was nodding, so maybe she’d said all that out loud, although she didn’t think so.

  He kept talking. “Breathe slowly, Della, and everything will be fine. Some of this is going to seem weird, but I’m hoping you won’t remember any of it. I swear you can trust me not to hurt you.”

  She smiled down into those blazing black eyes. “I know that, Eagan.”

  Then he did the oddest thing. He raised her hand up to his mouth and licked her blood-drenched palm.

  MAN OH MAN, HER BLOOD was so damned sweet. Eagan lapped at the open wound, letting the coagulant in his saliva do its job. Already the flow was growing more sluggish. He turned his attention to the rest of her hand, cleansing the surrounding skin so he could make sure there were no other secondary wounds.

  She’d sure done one hell of a number on her hand. What was she doing messing with a knife this late at night? She had to be tired after putting in a full day and half the night waiting on her customers.

  By the time he got the worst of the blood cleaned away he knew there was no way he was going to be able to block this from her mind. Although the chemicals in his saliva would eventually seal the wound closed, they weren’t powerful enough to make the resulting scar fade fast enough to keep her from seeing it.

  The other problem was the potential damage to tendons and nerves. Della needed her hand to do her job. Seattle offered some of the best medical care in the world, but the healing properties of his blood would beat a surgeon’s best efforts. It wouldn’t take much. Just a few drops.

  She was already going to freak out over this. He might as well go for broke. Della might hate what he’d done, might hate what he was, but he could live with that if it gave her back full use of her hand.

  He covered the wound with the bloody towel to keep her from seeing it closing up on its own accord.

  “I’ll be right back, Della. You need fluids.”

  She frowned. “Shouldn’t we go to the hospital? I need stitches.”

  His hold on her mind was already slipping, which meant he needed to get moving. “It’s not as bad as you thought, but I’ll keep an eye on it. If you need emergency care, I’ll see that you get it.”

  In the kitchen, he rooted through the industrial refrigerator for something that would cover the taste of his blood. The best he could come up with was a bottle of chai tea. He cut into the pad of his thumb and squeezed a few drops of blood into a mug and then added a few more. Better too much than too little. After adding the tea, he gave it a quick stir with his finger and hurried back to Della.

  He shoved the mug into her free hand. “Drink this down.”

  “Bossy.”

  “I know, but this is the best thing for what ails you.”

  She dutifully took a sip. Her eyebrows drew together in a frown. “What is this?”

  “Chai tea.”

  “It doesn’t taste like any tea I’ve ever tasted.”

  “I added my own special blend of ingredients.” That was true enough.

  After several sips, she smiled. “I like it. You’ll have to give me the recipe.”

  He knelt by her side again. “How about I promise to make it for you anytime you want some?”

  She drained it to the last drop. Already her color was improving and her eyes looked more focused. On him. Really seeing him for the first time.

  “Your eyes,” she whispered, reaching out to touch his cheek. “I wasn’t dreaming. They are black.”

  Her gaze dropped to his mouth. “And your teeth. What happened to them?”

  He rocked back on his heels, putting that much room between them. The bleeding had stopped, but the scent still hung heavily in the air, leaving his control shaky.

  “It’s the blood, Della. It calls to me.”

  “That makes no sense, Eagan. Why would you say such a thing?”

  He stood up. “Because it’s true. Sit still while I get you another drink.”

  And throw the blood-soaked towel outside in the trash and pour bleach on it to kill the scent, which was making it nearly impossible to keep his vampire nature under control. For both their sakes, he also needed to mop up the gruesome trail that stretched across two rooms.

  He didn’t bother to hide his unnatural speed while cleaning up. He could hear Della moving around. Based on her footsteps, she was in the ladies’ room washing her hand.

  “What the heck? That’s not possible.”

  While waiting for her to reappear, he refilled her tea, this time without the extra ingredient. He poured a glass for himself, too. A stiff shot of scotch or three would’ve done him more good, but that wasn’t an option right now. He leaned his shoulder against the wall and waited for the inquisition to begin.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  DELLA STARED INTO THE mirror over the sink and tried to come to terms with what she was seeing and figure out whatever it was that Eagan was trying not to tell her. Her stomach lurched in fear when she held her freshly washed hand up to the bright light overhead to study her palm. It hadn’t changed since the cold water had washed away the last of the dried blood.

  A long, jagged line stretched from just under her forefinger down to her wrist. A reddish scar, not an open wound. How was that possible? The scar itself was proof enough that she wasn’t dreaming that she’d cut herself badly and bled her way to the front door. That much she remembered. After that the facts became fuzzy. Eagan had appeared out of nowhere to keep her from hitting the floor.

  What next? His eyes had gone all weird and so had his teeth. Who had solid black eyes? No one. Who had such long canine teeth? Not Eagan the last time she’d seen him. What had changed?

  At first she’d thought he’d leaned in closer to study her wound. But no, he’d licked her hand, over and over again. She closed her eyes as she remembered the soft bobbing motion of his head as the smooth velvet of his tongue had swept across her palm.

  What had he said? The blood called to him. Who said something like that?

  A soft knock at the door reminded her she wasn’t alone.

  “Della, please come out or let me come in. We need to talk. I won’t hurt you.”

  She hadn’t locked the door, so there was nothing keeping Eagan out. He was waiting for an invitation. “Come in.”

  The bathroom wasn’t big. Just three stalls and a counter. She watched Eagan’s reflection as he eased into the room, moving slowly and obviously unsure of his welcome. When he realized where she was looking, he grinned, briefly revealing those freaky teeth.

  He gestured toward the mirror. “That’s a myth, by the way.”

  “What is?”

  He edged closer, but managed not to block her access to the door. “That I have no reflection. I also like garlic.”

  “You’re not making any sense, Eagan.”

  But he was. Horrible, terrifying, but amazing sense. All the pieces shifted and turned until one by one they fell into place. A single word filled her mind, shouting its truth even though common sense and reality said it couldn’t be true.

  Eagan was already nodding. “The word you’re looking for is vampire. Believe me, if I could make you forget this night ever h
appened, I would. My people are gifted with the ability to affect a human’s thoughts, but there’s no way to deny the scar on your hand.”

  She stared down at her palm in wonder. “My hand is almost healed.”

  Holding it out for his inspection, she asked, “How is that possible?”

  That same sad smile was back. “My saliva has a coagulant that stopped the bleeding, but my blood has even stronger healing properties. I put a few drops in your tea. By this time tomorrow, that scar will have all but disappeared.”

  Her lips curled in distaste. “Your blood! Why would you do such a thing!”

  Eagan flinched as if she’d hit him. “Because you cut your hand bad enough to cause permanent nerve and tendon damage. I couldn’t let that happen, not if I could prevent it. Now, if you’re all right, I’ll be going.”

  He stopped in the doorway to pull out a business card and sat it on the counter. “I have no right to ask you to keep this between the two of us, Della, but it would be better for all concerned if you did. Here’s my number if you should ever want to talk…or anything.”

  His eyes faded back to their usual beautiful shade of blue. As the door drifted shut, she reached for the card. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but all it said was his name and a phone number. Not much in the way of information. Nothing like Eagan McHale, Vampire. Or Hero. Or Rescuer of Damsels in Distress.

  She shoved the card in her pocket, determined to hold on to that much of him. Maybe she should be scared, but she wasn’t. Eagan had just taken her whole worldview and shattered it, but he’d also saved her. In her book, that made him a hero in every sense of the world. He’d also had to reveal his secret life to her, trusting Della with his truth before walking away. Why? Because he’d assumed she wouldn’t want him to stay.

  Silly man.

  Tearing out of the bathroom, she ran straight through the diner and out into the cold Seattle night. Where was he? She looked up and down the block. Nothing. She stared at the alley across the street where he’d stood before. “Eagan!”

  She strained to listen. All she could hear was the distant traffic on the interstate. “Eagan, come back. Please.”

  Nothing but silence. She fingered his card in her pocket. At least she had a way to get in touch with him. The only question was if she should try now or wait. Her eyes burned with tears from the shock of everything that had happened combined with a profound sense of loss, as if she’d let something precious slip through her fingers.

  Time to go inside. She still had a mess to clean up if she didn’t want to answer a lot of awkward questions in the morning. But before she went inside, she froze. That same feeling of being watched was back.

  She closed her eyes, afraid to look, and even more afraid that she was imagining things. “Eagan, tell me that it’s you.”

  His voice came from right behind her shoulder. “Are you sure you want it to be?”

  Two steps backward was all it took to bump into his solid strength. “Very sure.”

  He didn’t back away, but neither did he embrace her. “I can’t change what I am, Della.”

  “I don’t remember asking you to.”

  When his hands came to rest on her shoulders, she tipped her head back to look up at him. The blue in his eyes was ringed with a circle of black. Striking, but not scary. The tips of those long teeth were a little unnerving. When he realized that she was looking at them, he clamped his lips shut.

  That’s all it took to have her spinning around to face him. She brushed her fingertips across that stern mouth and followed up the caress with a soft kiss. “Sorry, Eagan, I didn’t mean to stare. This is all new to me.”

  He remained stiff, poised as if to disappear again if she made the wrong move or said the wrong thing. Okay, if he needed her to take charge, she would, starting with trailing her hands up the length of his arms up to encircle his neck. She slowly eased forward, closing the last small gap between them, seeking his warmth.

  Rather than rush things, she laid her cheek against the staccato beat of his heart. Had he just pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head? Maybe. She hoped so. She sighed as his arms slowly wrapped around her with a gentle strength that made it clear he wouldn’t be letting go anytime soon.

  Time to step up the game.

  “Kiss me, Eagan.”

  He looked so darn serious. “You’re playing with fire here, Della. There are things you should know before we go any further. About me. What I am and what I do.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “It’s just a kiss, Eagan.”

  That was a lie, and they both knew it. That didn’t mean that she was strong enough to resist temptation, and evidently neither was he.

  He tipped his head at just the perfect angle to mate his mouth to hers. She smiled against the gentle pressure, loving the soft feel of his lips. She traced the full curve of his mouth with her tongue. When she felt the tips of his canine teeth, she paused long enough to test their sharpness.

  Eagan growled deep in his chest, ramping up their embrace from a slow burn to a total conflagration in only seconds. The fire slid through her veins, through her bones, to pool hot and deep within her. She raised up on her toes, frantic to get closer, demanding he fill the emptiness that had haunted her life for far too long.

  A single kiss would never be enough, not when she needed so much more from him. With considerable effort she managed to pull away long enough to say, “Let’s go inside.”

  And if she hadn’t made her intentions clear enough, she added, “Take me upstairs, Eagan. Now.”

  When he hesitated, she caught his hand in hers and tugged him along in her wake. As soon as they were inside with the door locked against the world outside, he pressed her against the wall for another soul-searing kiss. His powerful hands kneaded her bottom as he rocked against her, the rigid proof of his desire for her all too clear—and impressive. Her desire for his touch was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.

  There were too many layers of clothing between them, though, when she was craving skin-to-skin contact. While she loved how Eagan looked in his leather duster, right now she wanted the coat gone. He smiled against her mouth as she jerked it down his arms and let it fall to the floor.

  She was that much closer to all that sleek muscle. Next up, his shirt. But as she tugged it free of his jeans, a car drove down the street, its headlights passing over them. Della froze at the reminder that they were standing where anyone could see them. If the two of them were going to follow this encounter to its logical conclusion, the front of the diner was not nearly private enough.

  “My bedroom is better suited for this sort of thing.”

  Eagan rested his forehead against hers, his hands stroking her back. “Only if you’re sure, Della. I can stop now. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to if we go much further.”

  Ever the gentleman. She placed the palm of her hand over his heart, glad that she wasn’t the only one with a pulse running at the red line. Staring up into his eyes, now more black than blue, she let her hand slide down and down until she cupped him through the heavy denim.

  “I want you.” She gently squeezed. “I want this.”

  He caught her wayward hand in his and brought it up to his lips for a soft kiss. “We should talk about what could happen if I take your blood again.”

  She was in no mood for conversation. Before she could protest, he swept her up against his chest, guiding her legs around his waist.

  “But not now. We can talk afterward.”

  She buried her face next to his neck, drawing his scent deep into her lungs. “Perfect.”

  And it would be. She just knew it.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  NOW THAT HE NO LONGER had to hide his true nature from Della, Eagan didn’t hold back, taking the stairs three at a time. At the top, he headed straight for the bedroom and that brass bed that had haunted his thoughts for days. Not to mention his dreams. From the way Della dug her fingers into his shoulders and scrunched her eyes,
maybe the speed hadn’t been such a good idea. He gave her a quick squeeze, hoping to reassure her.

  Thanks to his night vision, he moved easily through the shadowed rooms. He considered the lamp beside the bed, but wasn’t sure if she’d want it on. The lights from the small Christmas tree by the window would be enough.

  “I’m going to put you down now.”

  Della nodded and released her death hold on him as he lowered her slowly, waiting to make sure her legs would support her before letting go. He crooked a finger and used it to lift her chin, trying to read her mood without invading the privacy of her thoughts.

  “You still up for this?”

  To his immense relief, she smiled, a teasing glint in her dark eyes. “As long as you are. If not, I’m betting I can fix that.”

  She waited to see if he got the joke and looked pleased when he grinned. Damned if he could remember ever laughing with a lover.

  “Believe me, I’m definitely up for it.”

  To prove his point he picked her up by the waist and tossed her down on the mattress and followed her down, making a place for himself between her legs. Her eyes widened as he rocked against her, the slow friction driving both of them a little crazy.

  She dragged him down for another of her mind-frying kisses as he worked his hands underneath that great ass of hers. God, he loved its perfect shape and fit. She immediately lifted her legs high around his hips, slowly driving him crazy as she brought her core into direct contact with his erection.

  Time to get shed of all these clothes. He rolled to the side and stripped off his shirt. Della followed suit, sending her Santa T-shirt flying through the air to land on the rocker across the room. His pants were a little trickier to deal with, but the jeans along with his boxers closely followed.

  When Della stood up on the mattress to shimmy out of her jeans, he was pretty sure his tongue was hanging out. All those luscious curves just for him. When she hooked her fingers in the elastic of her panties he stopped her. There were some jobs a man wanted to take care of himself. He knelt in front of her and ran his hands up the back of her thighs to support her as he nuzzled the soft curve of her belly and then worked his way lower. Her breath caught in her throat as he reached the juncture of her legs, testing and tasting with his tongue.