“Shh...” she whispered, pressing her mouth against his for a soft, quick kiss, knowing that anything more was only going to end one way, and as much as she craved making love with him, there were still things that needed to be said. Because she wasn’t giving up on this. “It’s going to be okay, Nick. Just trust me.”
He drew back his head and parted his lips, and she knew he was going to argue. But then he got a funny look on his face, and said, “There’s someone coming up the stairs.”
Her eyes went wide with panic. “Oh, my God!” she gasped, pushing him away and clambering to her feet. “That’s my grandmother! She doesn’t believe in knocking and there’s no lock on that door. Get your clothes on! She’s about to bust right in here.”
His brows drew together with a comical scowl. “She just walks into your room without knocking?”
Rolling her eyes, Lainey said, “I love her to death, but the woman has no concept of personal space.”
It must have looked like some kind of screwball comedy as they both tried to get back in their clothes before the door was opened. When Nick caught his foot in the leg of his jeans and fell over, his sexy bod sprawled across the floor, Lainey collapsed against her dresser, laughing so hard she was crying. He’d only just managed to get back on his feet, yanking the jeans over his lean hips, when they ran out of time. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, Lainey looked over and saw her grandmother’s weathered face poking into the room from around the edge of the door.
“There something you want to tell me, young lady?” Grandma Kate asked, her brown eyes bright with curiosity as she gazed at Nick, who had quickly moved to Lainey’s side.
Taking Nick’s hand, Lainey spoke in a breathless, excited rush. “Gram, this is Nick Santos and he’s.... Well, I love him! He’s the most incredible, wonderful man. And we’re, um...well, you see...”
Squeezing her hand, Nick got right to the point. “I’m going to marry your granddaughter, ma’am. As soon as possible.”
For a moment, there was nothing but a stunned, heavy silence. Then, with a knowing look at Nick...and a conspiratorial wink, her grandmother said, “I gotta say that I’m pretty excited about this wedding. It’ll be the first one I’ve ever been to that takes place at night!”
Lainey shot a stunned look at Nick, whose dark brows were raised with surprise, and then they both started to laugh.
She didn’t know how or why, but it was obvious that Grandma Kate had known about the existence of vampires all along.
Epilogue
Three months later...
The breeze that blew in off the Pacific this time of day was always his wife’s favorite. Lainey often would crawl out of bed at sunset and enjoy her first cup of coffee on the balcony that extended off the master suite, and as he climbed the stairs with her mug in hand, that’s exactly where Nick knew he would find her. She had only been a vampire for a few months now, and she still wasn’t strong enough to go out in the daytime. But he knew she didn’t mind.
As for Nick, he’d never dared to hope he could know happiness like this. Lainey had brought a light and warmth to his life that he’d never imagined could be his, and he was utterly devoted to her. His brothers teased him ruthlessly about being whipped, but he couldn’t have cared less. He knew that deep down the jackasses were just jealous that he’d found the perfect woman. When they finally found theirs, he’d be able to get his own back at them, and he was going to enjoy every ruthless moment of it. With his wife’s help, he had no doubt his retaliation would be satisfying and sweet.
For the first few weeks he and Lainey had been together there’d been countless arguments about their future. Still unwilling to put her through the excruciating process of becoming a vampire, he’d argued for her to remain human and for the two of them to grow old together. But in the end, it was his own greed that had been his downfall. Every time Lainey had talked about having an eternity to spend with him, his resistance had cracked a little more because he wanted as many forevers with her as he could get. The little imp had refused to marry him until he’d finally done what she called “accepting the inevitable,” and on a blustery autumn night, with his family gathered around for support, Nick had drained her of her life’s blood...and then filled her with his own.
They’d been married in a breathtaking ceremony at his parents’ vineyard in Spain two weeks later in front of their closest friends and family. And after a decadent honeymoon in Mauritius, where they made love on the beach every night beneath the ethereal glow of the moon, they’d moved into the new seaside, cliff-top home they’d found in Malibu. Still suspicious of how the werewolf pack had learned about his home in Moonlight Bay, Nick hadn’t been comfortable keeping Lainey in the house there. The estate had since been sold, the beach set up as a nature reserve in Ryan’s name, and their new home was listed in one of their new aliases, making it difficult to trace back to them.
Though Nick had gone into their marriage intending to quit his work as an Enforcer, it hadn’t worked out that way. Lainey had repeatedly argued that he couldn’t quit something that was so much a part of him just because of her...and then the headstrong woman had gone and employed his family’s help. Left with no other choice, Nick had grudgingly given in and resumed working with his brothers. And since Lainey had quit her job in San Diego, she’d decided to put her research skills to good use and help them with their investigations. Seb and Val now claimed that they didn’t know how they’d ever managed without her.
The only rough spot had been when the first full moon came. Overcome by lust and love, he knew he’d been too aggressive with her, not to mention insatiable, keeping her in bed except for those brief moments when she’d needed to eat or visit the bathroom. But she’d never complained, promising him that she’d loved every minute of it, and he felt thankful as hell that he had such an incredible woman.
The morning after the night Nick had finally tracked Lainey down in Alabama, she’d had a long talk with her grandmother and learned much about her family that she’d never known before. According to Kate, her son’s research into ancient texts had convinced him that there was a hidden world living among humanity in secret. A world that consisted of creatures and species most humans relegated to the realms of fiction and literature. It was a bittersweet moment for Lainey because she knew that Ryan might have been more careful if he’d known the true extent of the danger when he’d gone to investigate in Moonlight Bay. Her grandmother told her that her father had wanted to tell her and Ryan the truth someday, but then he’d passed away, and she just hadn’t had the heart to do it herself. She’d been worried about how they would react to the news and now blamed herself for not coming forward sooner, but Lainey had refused to let her feel guilty. As much as she grieved for her brother, the last thing she wanted was for Kate to spend the last years of her life burdened by grief.
They were expecting a visit from Kate closer to the holidays, but today it was his parents who were coming to visit. Though Nick had known they would be accepting of the woman he lost his heart to, he’d never realized how completely they would come to love her. But then this was Lainey he was talking about, so he should have.
With his wife’s coffee in hand, Nick had almost made it to the top of the long, winding staircase when he heard a knock at the front door. Turning to head back down, he called out over his shoulder to let her know his parents were there and made his way to the Spanish-tiled foyer. Setting her mug down on a table beside a vase filled with vibrant flowers, Nick pulled the heavy wooden door open just as Lainey came rushing down the stairs with an excited smile on her face. Her colorful, floral halter top and sexy low-rise jeans made him grin despite his concern that she wasn’t up for this visit. She hadn’t quite been herself the past week, tiring easily and losing her appetite.
Though he hadn’t said anything to her yet, Nick was worried that he’d been taking too much blood from her. But as his parents stepped inside, his mother took one look at Lainey as she reached the bottom of the
stairs, her happy exclamation laying his concerns regarding feeding to rest...and giving him an entirely new mountain of worries to conquer.
“Oh, you precious, beautiful girl!” his mother said in a delighted rush, hurrying toward a startled-looking Lainey. “I knew it the moment I set eyes on you. You’re making me a grandmother!”
His gorgeous wife, in typical Lainey fashion, shot him a stunned, breathtaking look of joy—then immediately passed out. Nick caught her in his arms before she hit the floor, and with a low, excited rumble of laughter, he told his parents they would join them later, then carried her up to their bedroom. When her lashes fluttered open a minute later, Nick was cuddled next to her on their bed, his face close to hers, his heart so full he thought it might burst. Now that he knew, he didn’t know how he’d missed the obviousness of it, except that he’d never really been around many pregnant female vampires.
“Are you okay?” she whispered, locking her bright gaze with his. “I know you didn’t marry me expecting to start a family so soon.”
“I couldn’t be happier about the baby, Lainey. And just so you know, I married you because I love you. Because I’ve pledged my heart and body and soul to you. And because I need you by me every day, and every night, until I take my final breath.”
“I hope that day never comes because I want to be with you forever.”
“You really think there’s anything in this world, or beyond, that could keep me from you?”
With a smile, she said, “No.”
His voice got lower. “You know your man well, little vampire.”
“I love him even more.”
“Tell him again,” he murmured, lifting the hem of her top so that he could lean down and trail a line of tender kisses across her belly. “Because he never gets tired of hearing it.”
Running her fingers through his hair, she said, “I love you, Nick. Now. Tomorrow. Forever.”
Moving over her, he said, “I’ll hold you to that, Lainey. Because you’re mine.”
“I’ve never wanted to be anything else,” she whispered, and with the sweet, blistering touch of her mouth against his, he knew it was true.
* * * * *
VAMPIRE ISLAND
Lauren Hawkeye
Dear Reader,
The scenery surrounding a vampire tale is often like the creatures themselves—dark and full of shadows and mystery. When casting around for a premise for this story, I considered London, Paris, Ireland…where might an encounter with a vampire occur?
I decided that I wanted to do something a little bit different. Vampires are beautiful and deadly…. I thought that a tropical setting could be, too. Danger could lurk amongst the vices offered in paradise…and so the idea for Vampire Island was born.
I do hope you’ll enjoy your visit to the island. If you’d like to tell me about it, I love hearing from readers! Find me on the web at www.laurenhawkeye.com.
Happy reading,
Lauren
For Ann Leslie,
whose nurturing nature is much appreciated.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
Chapter 1
Isla Miller was not ready for the blast of humidity that descended on her like a wet blanket the moment she left the cabin of the boat.
Gasping a little for breath, she shifted uncomfortably as perspiration broke out over her skin, causing her sundress to cling and her pale red waves of hair to wilt. It was a radical change from the thin, dry mountain air of Colorado, and she wasn’t entirely sure she liked it.
Maybe she should have stayed home.
Trying to keep her tread steady as the boat swayed beneath her feet, Isla looked hopefully to the captain for help disembarking. The man who dressed like a pirate had, however, thrown her bags over the edge of the vessel, onto the wide wooden dock, and scrambled back to the far side of the craft, where he looked to be preparing for departure already.
“Off with ya, missy!” His words were barely intelligible over the sudden roar of the motor. “Yer stayin’ or yer comin’ back, but best decide right quick!”
Isla blinked, not impressed with the service. That said, it had been far more difficult than she had thought to find transport from the small Tahitian airport out to Ile de Nuit. She had wandered nervously in the airport, searching for a sign with her name, held by the person who was supposed to collect her and take her to the resort. Finally an announcement over the static-filled PA system had connected her with Gaspar, who told her that he was her personal concierge for the week and that he was so very sorry—he had thought that their shuttle boat would be repaired by this time, but it was not. If she waited an hour and had a meal—on them, of course—they would come to get her.
If she waited an hour, she’d lose her nerve entirely and book a flight back home. She cringed when she thought of the fit her mother would have when she found out that Isla—predictable Isla—had hopped on a plane and taken off for parts unknown without her approval.
Isla decided that she would rather stay and wait it out than return home early and face that. She hadn’t had many options for transport to the island, and the persistent old man who had followed her around the airport had finally worn her down.
Now she was feeling another change of heart. She wavered, not sure if she should actually disembark, or if she should go back to the airport and catch some transport back home, where she could curl up with a skinny cappuccino and a Matthew McConaughey movie. She could forget all about this trip, which had been foisted on her by her friend Jessie Spencer, and which she would never have agreed to if the details on the island hadn’t sucked her right in.
“Ye look like a good girl, lassie. Come on back to shore.” The words of the would-be pirate were what finally nudged Isla into action.
She wondered if all of the locals were as superstitious as this old man. Although the trip had originally been booked for Jessie, work had interfered, so her friend had given her the trip as a gift. Well, truthfully, Jessie had begged Isla to go in her stead. Isla knew how excited her friend had been, and though she wasn’t overly interested in a resort of any kind, she hadn’t been able to let down her best friend.
When she had, she’d warned her about the lore that surrounded the island. Locals thought that the island was full of vampires and werewolves and all kinds of things that went bump in the night—and during the day, apparently, or else the supposed vampires weren’t very smart for settling on a tropical, sunshine-filled island.
She wasn’t overly worried. Jessie was obsessed with the paranormal, which was why her friend had decided on a trip to this specific resort. For her own part, Isla didn’t believe in spooky creatures, so the island’s reputation didn’t matter much to her.
Isla figured that this was a publicity stunt. She had grown up in a household with a mother who insisted that the paranormal didn’t exist and that humans were ridiculous for perpetuating the legends. Isla hadn’t even been permitted to watch Sabrina, the Teenage Witch or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
As she looked around at the beautiful turquoise water, clear sky and white sand, she wondered why the resort would need any kind of publicity stunt.
It was beautiful. Though she had initially questioned Jessie about her resort selection—her lawyer friend was far more likely to enjoy a quirky gothic tone to her holiday than Isla was—now she was beginning to see why her friend had been so set on visiting the island.
It was beautiful. It was peaceful.
And better yet, it was miles away from her overbearing mother and her two perfect sisters.
The disreputable old man gunned the motor of the boat, urging her along. Frowning a bit—her version of a scowl—Isla shouted to him to wait a moment, then clambered over the edge of the boat. When she landed on the
dock, she was red-faced and rumpled—not the sort of dignified impression that she’d hoped to present.
But then, she never came across as dignified, a fact that her family never let her forget.
Behind her, the motor of the small boat roared. She waved an American bill in her hand to leave him a tip, but the operator of the boat had already shoved the throttle back and was chugging quickly away from the dock.
Isla thought that she saw the old man cross himself dramatically as he piloted the boat away. She closed her eyes, then opened them again.
No. Surely not. Isla rolled her eyes. If vampires were roaming the island, then they were certainly hiding their existence well. There were no bodies, no missing persons reports...no evidence of anything other than a beautiful, lush resort that stood on an island with a wealth of local lore.
She’d checked. Not that she didn’t trust Jessie to have chosen a safe vacation spot—but she knew her friend had a fascination with the supernatural. A few missing persons reports might just draw Jessie in, rather than repelling her. Thanks to the superstitions of Mr. Pirate, Isla was not feeling very positive about the start of her trip.
“Mademoiselle Miller?” Agitated, she turned as the voice with the lovely, cultured accent spoke her name. When she saw the speaker, her jaw dropped in disbelief.
“Um. Well. Hello.” The man who had spoken was possibly the most perfectly beautiful person that she’d ever seen in real life—the type who looked as if he’d been airbrushed. Blond, with intense violet eyes, he had pale, perfect skin that gleamed in the bright sunlight.
Something about that seemed off to her, but she was far too off balance from the journey to think what it was. Still, even though he wasn’t her type, he was very easy on the eyes. Pursing her lips with a hint of amusement, she began to see yet another reason that her man-hungry friend had chosen this place.
Darkest Desire of the Vampire: Wicked in MoonlightVampire Island (Harlequin Nocturne) Page 13