by Dee Carney
He’d worked with painstaking precision on the chart. “Show me.”
“Here.” She made a face. “And here.”
“Son of a bitch,” he said with a low growl. “I don’t know which one is correct. Fuck. I’ll have to—”
“You could hire me to do it.”
“What?”
Her words picked up speed, her enthusiasm growing. “Let me do this for you. Like a personal assistant or something. My mother worked on these in her spare time, and I know how to do the research. Let me—”
“No.”
“But Bast, it’s a win-win. For room and board. You’ve got this huge house—”
“No, I’m sorry. I won’t let you work on this.”
“But why not?”
He shook his head again, regret washing over him that he couldn’t share even this tiny snippet of his life with someone. Especially not a human. “Not this.”
“Wait, wait. Before you make a decision, just think. I’ve spent more than ten years working on my family’s genealogy charts. It took me less than two minutes to find not one, but two mistakes on yours. I’m not here looking for skeletons in the closet. Whatever secrets I find will go to the grave with me. I’m just looking for a way to not end up on the street tomorrow. That’s all.”
“I don’t know you and you don’t know me. Yet you want that level of trust?”
“Yes. I’m worth it. Give me a chance to prove it to you. Anything I find, anything at all, remains between you and me. I don’t have anyone else to tell, I swear it.”
“You swear a lot.”
“’Cause you keep putting me in situations that require it. Come on, Bast. What do you say?”
At some point he’d stopped believing she would be leaving in the morning. If he was wrong and she happened to slip out while he slept, he would deal with it later, but with everything within him, he knew he’d have a very difficult time letting her go. He didn’t question the why of it, not yet, but allowed his gut instinct, which had never steered him wrong before, to be his guiding light.
“No,” he said, still questioning the decision. Because he wanted this too. To be able to share this burden with someone else. Someone who’d shown him a little compassion. “While I appreciate your enthusiasm, this isn’t for you. I owe you a debt and will repay you.”
Her eyes flashed when she turned to him, a smile pushing her cheeks. “So I can stay tonight, right? And maybe beyond tonight?”
“Just one night.” He tried to keep his voice stern. Somehow not betray his own growing excitement. “One guaranteed night, but the next day...we’ll see.”
She launched herself at him with an impressive speed only a vampire could admire. Prepared for the attack, he opened his arms, letting her fall into them. The thoughts that raced through his mind when their bodies collided would have made a hedonist blush.
In the darkness of the room, the flickering white light from the monitor highlighted her in a breathtaking glow, the smile on her face brightening her face simultaneously. Her expression faltered for just an instant, as if she realized the faux pas of moving into such an intimate position. Bast tightened his arms around her though, letting primal instinct have its way.
“You are very tempting,” he said, his voice thick and strained. “I still don’t know if this is a good idea.”
“It doesn’t have to be a good idea. I need a place to stay and you need a nurse. That’s me. Kind of.”
“So I just became your boss? Kind of?”
Alice’s lips broadened into a mischievous smile. “Absolutely.”
“Is that so?”
“Oh, yeah.” Her gaze went to his chin, almost searing in its intensity. After a coy glance, she pushed away from him. Her fingers trailed over a letter opener he’d left on the desk, and something about the way she caressed the metal was both seductive and arousing. What he wouldn’t give to have her touch him again like that. She didn’t seem to notice his scrutiny of her, adding, “I mean, I don’t have any formal training or anything, but what could go wrong?”
He snorted. “That fills me with loads of confidence.” Bast folded his arms over his chest, at once confused and amused. “Why am I agreeing to it again?”
“I don’t see anyone else around, so I guess you’re stuck with me.”
No, he wasn’t, but damn if he could stop himself from behaving otherwise. “You’re so goddamned innocent. What if I’m trying to take advantage of you?”
“Nah, I don’t believe that. If you’re not still sick, you’re at least recovering. You wouldn’t want to drain the last of your strength on frivolous activities.”
He choked out a laugh. “Frivolous activities?”
She began backing away, one sure step behind the other. Her mood had buoyed, and he supposed having a place to stay for one more night had something to do with it.
Bast stalked after her, matching her pace. Slow. Methodical. A cat after his mouse. “You’re forgetting one thing, Alice.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“It’ll take a lot more than two or three hours of frivolous activities to drain the last of my strength. Don’t forget, I...”
Her breath quickened, and he watched the color in her face brighten.
“Don’t.”
He smelled her arousal now. Might have been the game quickening her breath; might have been his presence causing her eyes to dilate. Either way, he reveled in the signs that she was turned on.
“Get.”
Alice squeaked when she bumped into a wall. Instead of fleeing for safety, she flattered against it. Her breasts heaved beneath the force of her quickened breaths. Her once-damp hair had dried into a small crown of frizz, the tips framing her face. She sucked in her bottom lip to chew on it, and he had a sudden flash of remembrance. As if they’d done this before.
“You don’t get...?” she asked softly.
He mentally shook off the sensation then crossed the few feet between them, blocking any retreat she might have had. “Sick.”
* * *
Oh, wow. Alice’s heart threatened to kick its way out, the excitement of the moment more than she’d faced in a year. Bast was so damned good-looking!
Her fingers crept over the tight terrain of his abdomen, the ridges and valleys of definition worth memorizing. His T-shirt clung to his body as well, jealously guarding a vision of near masculine perfection. But she’d already seen it. Even now, she slipped her eyes closed in order to recall the memory.
His kiss was possessive, laying claim to her lips as if he explored them every day of his life. Even the grip tightening around her waist was meant to ensure she submitted to being owned.
In another time, in another life, she would have relished it. Today, Alice had to wrench her mind away from drugging kisses and seductive holds. She ignored the feel of a man pressed tightly against her body, the evidence of his arousal burgeoning against her stomach. The days of being able to appreciate being a woman were long gone.
The way her stomach churned now was in response to his kiss. Not because she kissed him while plotting to steal his possessions.
And maybe if she told herself that enough times, she might actually start to believe it.
She’d gained a little of his trust and entrance to his home for the time being. Just a few more minutes—with another tiny sliver of trust erected—and she’d start to evaluate how to make gains from this situation. She had to. He had all of this, an
d she had nothing more than the clothes on her back. She hated this life, but she hated starving even more.
The moment she had the chance to repay him, she would. Either that or donate money to charity in his name. Ten years ago, if someone had asked her if she’d ever steal from someone, she would have scoffed indignantly. Knowing she’d never call herself a thief.
Ten years was a long time ago though. Since then, she’d eaten out of garbage dumpsters, had to sleep beneath overpasses and went days without showering or brushing her teeth. Just because she could work the system a little better now, snagging spots at homeless shelters and burying her pride long enough to accept hand-outs, didn’t mean she couldn’t use the extra money when it surrounded her on all sides. Like it did now.
Pushing away from Bast took a little more effort than it should have and she didn’t know if it was the man or what he represented that she clung to more. “Whoa,” she said after blowing out a breath. The man knew how to kiss. For sure.
His eyes were dark with promise. “You okay?”
The way her heart fluttered did not inspire confidence, but she nodded. Time to get him to show off. If she prodded just the right way, he’d want to display his wealth. That’s what men like him did. Women like her took advantage.
“It’s a little overwhelming.”
Bast frowned. “It?”
“You. Your home. Everything. It’s been great.” A quick glance to the side. Bashful. “Thank you.”
By stepping away, he took a little of the oxygen with him. “Come on. Let me give you a quick tour.”
“In case I stay more than a night?”
He hesitated before grinning. “So you don’t accidentally set off the alarm.”
By the end of the tour, her sense of direction remained challenged and yet she stood very impressed. His house echoed the owner: tasteful in an understated manner. A man’s home. She couldn’t help notice the lack of family pictures, or even pictures of Bast himself. There was nothing in the place that spoke of personalization. That the house belonged to him. It could have been anyone’s place of residence, and she would have been none the wiser.
Alice cleared her throat. “You have a lovely home.” So many nice things. Things she would never be able to afford on her own, not in this lifetime or another. “I’m surprised you live here by yourself.”
She’d taken note of every electronic device, which ones were portable. Estimated street value for some. It was almost a shame a woman with expensive taste in jewelry didn’t live here. Despite the prep work, without being left alone and handed some sort of map, it would be difficult to relieve Bast of some of his possessions. It wouldn’t stop her from trying to get something small. Something her conscience wouldn’t beat on her too badly about.
His insurance would cover the losses, no matter what she took. One day, when she was back on her feet, she’d mail him back the money, she reminded herself. That thought soothed some of her guilt. Just some though.
He paused before speaking, his attention drifting toward the front door just down the hall. A slight tilt of his head followed. “I live a hard life. Long hours, even longer—”
Ascending and descending chimes surrounded them from all sides. The sound of a doorbell, intrusive yet soothing. Despite herself, Alice started at the noise.
After a quick glance at his watch, Bast grumbled, “Stay here.”
She wasn’t wearing a watch, but it had to be somewhere around three or four in the morning. Who the hell was showing up at this man’s place at this time of the night? He didn’t seem particularly surprised. More annoyed.
He said he wasn’t a drug dealer, nor did he do anything illegal for a living.
Right.
Well, at least that made her feel a little better about lifting any valuables he’d happen to leave lying around. His ill-begotten gains would become hers. Unfortunately, during her recon, she hadn’t noticed much that would be easily removed. The letter opener. Maybe some of the silverware. Maybe he left some cash in his bedroom, the one place she hadn’t failed to notice they hadn’t gone.
Would the visitor be there long enough to serve as a distraction? She could hear Bast’s voice and that of some other man not too far away. As tempting as it was to peek around the corner just to see the other individual, it was more tempting to shuffle back to the office, if she could find it quickly, and have another look at the bric-a-brac. Torn, unable to decide between waiting or going, she held her breath and listened hard.
“If not tonight, when?” the man asked. His voice had risen, and she couldn’t tell if he was closer or just plain angry. There was an edge to his words that put her own nerves on notice.
“Things have come up.” Sebastian’s tone, on the other hand, remained even-keeled. He was patient, as if explaining the concept of calculus to a child.
“Things? What kind of things could have come up which make you forget your duty to the Council and the community?” Louder now. “If this responsibility is more than you can bear, step down, Bast. There are at least another dozen men who would happily take up the task, and at least half of them deserve it more than you.”
Whoa. Alice froze in place, all plans for leaving vanished. Sebastian might not be a drug dealer, but whatever position he held must have been in a precarious place. And she thought things had already gotten interesting tonight.
“Is that a challenge, Cicero?” There was a level of calm menace in his words. “Any time you want to challenge me for leadership, you only have to say the word.” His voice dropped lower. “Go ahead. Say it.”
God, she wanted just a teeny peek at this guy. Anyone stupid enough to want to take on Sebastian on purpose must have balls the size of Africa.
Fortunately for her, she didn’t. She’d stay tucked away and out of the path of two heated males. Maybe figure out if his bedroom was the third doorway on the left or the second one on the right. Had she been in either? Damn, she couldn’t remember.
Their voices dropped, deflating her growing curiosity, and Alice took that as her sign. With as much stealth she could muster, she backed into the hallway.
She counted darkened doorways, sorting through her memory to identify where each one led. A few she recalled; some she couldn’t. Something told her she’d been down most of them though.
Doing an about-face, she peered in the other direction and almost cursed. If she was right—and she was pretty certain about it—Bast’s mystery bedroom lay this way. Wouldn’t matter if she could get there without passing the main hallway, where Bast and his friend were convening. But she couldn’t. Not without being seen if one or both men faced this way.
Okay, so do a little recon. Figure out if she could sneak by and then make a decision from there. That ought to work.
Coming to a crouch with painstaking slowness, Alice prodded herself to dart her head out, eyes trained toward the direction of their voices. It didn’t have to last more than three seconds. Just long enough to capture their image in her brain and then decide if she could dash across the opening.
She inhaled and exhaled twice. Once more. Ignoring the riot of voices telling her this was a bad idea, Alice peered around the corner. When her gaze collided with the two men standing in the foyer, she forgot all about stealth.
Sebastian easily stood six foot two or three. There was no way he weighed less than two hundred pounds. But Cicero?
Crap. He just about towered over Sebastian and looked like he could take her benefa
ctor down without much problem. Pitch black eyes peered out over a prominent nose and thin lips. Dark skin was sensual against a silken fall of long black hair. He was Middle Eastern in looks. Alice hadn’t thought tall, dark and handsome meant much these days. But staring at him now, she reconsidered. While he didn’t have the same innate magnetism as Sebastian, Cicero made her swallow in appreciation.
There were two drop-dead gorgeous men squaring off less than ten feet away. At some point during the night she must have died and gone straight to heaven. As cliché as the saying went, it explained her situation better than anything else.
Cicero turned those glittering black eyes toward her, and Alice’s heart roared. He scanned her in a single visual sweep, as if he took in every detail of her face, memorizing every cell. “What do we have here?”
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. It was supposed to be just a glance at the men. Not a full-on ogle.
His lip lifted in distaste as he turned toward Sebastian. “Is this the reason you’re putting off the men for another night?”
Sebastian glared at Alice. “No, she’s not the reason.”
“Fuck her. Feed from her. Whatever...but do it, get rid of her and then get your fucking priorities in order. The full moon is seven nights away.”
Stepping into Cicero’s way, blocking him from her sight, Sebastian’s body swelled with agitation. “You report to me, not the other way around. What goes on in my private time is none of your damned business.”
“Except I plan on reporting your casual indifference to the Council, so it just became my business.” A pause. “But I’ll make you a deal. Let me feed from her too and instead of reporting you, I’ll just wait for you to hang yourself with your own ineptitude. She looks sweet enough. I haven’t had a pure human in some time, and it’s almost worth staying quiet for a few days.”
“I don’t kill them,” Sebastian said quietly.