by Selena Blake
Valencia saved her life. Turned her. Gave her a home. Protection. Taught her the ways of the vampire. And what had Izzy done? Wrecked the most expensive car in V’s stable.
Oh heavens. She was going to pass out. Was it possible for a vamp to pass out?
She quickly sat before she fell. The handsome man sat next to her. She squinted at the upside-down car.
“Do you have any idea how much it would cost to fix,” she waved her hand in the general direction of the Bugatti, “that?”
Izzy felt lightheaded.
“Put your head between your knees,” he said, putting a hand between her shoulder blades. She wrapped her arms around her knees and let him push her forward.
“Surely if you can afford a Bugatti, you can afford to fix it,” he said several moments later.
She turned her head to the side and glared at him. It was not his fault, though. She was driving the ridiculously expensive car. She had wrecked it. “It is not my car,” she admitted and then hid her face against her forearms.
“Whose car is it?”
“My friend’s.”
“Surely he’ll understand the accident wasn’t your fault. A tire blowout isn’t anyone’s fault.”
Izzy frowned. “She,” she stressed the word, “will not understand.” She tipped her head the other way and stared at the car. Such engineering perfection. Ruined. Her stomach heaved.
He rubbed her back.
Who was this gentle giant?
“I took it. Without asking.” She lifted her head. “I—I could not resist. She sits in the garage begging to be driven.”
He laughed softly but she did not get the impression that he thought she was crazy. “It’s a shame to let something so beautiful sit idle.”
She turned toward him again. He was staring at her, his gaze tracing over her face. She got the feeling that he was not only speaking about the car.
There was something about his eyes that calmed her. An unusual shade of gray, almost silver. But he was definitely not a vampire. For starters, he was warm. And big. Really, really big. She hadn’t seen a single flash of fangs.
Up close, he was sinfully handsome. The kind of man a woman dreamed about but never actually met. Thick, dark eyelashes. A perfect nose. Kissable mouth. Strong, unshaven jaw. And dark hair that brushed his shoulders, giving him the perfect bad boy appearance.
Izzy was sure of two things. She’d totaled Valencia’s Bugatti and the man rubbing her back was not human.
Chapter Three
The lovely little vamp’s eyes fluttered once. Then again. Blood dribbled down her cheek, a dark contrast to her perfect pale skin, but almost the exact shade of her deep red lipstick. Despite her feistiness right after the crash, Shade got the impression that she wasn’t well-equipped to handle this situation. At the moment, she seemed more worried about the car than her own safety.
She sure was a tiny little thing. Her platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes reminded him of the porcelain dolls Germany was so famous for.
He glanced at the watch on his right wrist. Only a few minutes had passed since the accident but there wasn’t much time to lose. They needed to get her inside before the sun crested.
Unfortunately, she was quickly losing herself to delirium. The corner of her succulent little mouth turned up in a coy grin.
“You are cute,” she said in that adorable accent. Eastern European? Russian? He wasn’t sure.
“Thank you.” He pulled out his cell and hit the first number on his Favorites list.
“Pierre, send a wrecker, would you?” He gave his location. After clicking off, he returned his attention to the sprite next to him. “Come on. Let’s get you to safety.”
“V is not going to be happy with me. I could not help myself. It was like I was under a spell.”
Shade knew that feeling, all too well. The out-of-body experience. Synchronicity some called it. The moment when the universe seemed so perfectly lined up that anything was possible and an outside power, a higher force, had taken control.
He felt that way every time he heard the dealer shuffle the cards before a poker match. It was the same feeling he got when he pushed his car to the limits. And now, he felt it when he looked at this gorgeous vampiress.
He pushed to his feet and then swung her up in his arms. She did not freak out this time. If anything, she became more subdued. She was obviously still losing blood. It wouldn’t be long before her body began to shut down and she fell into a vampiric coma.
He was not equipped to handle that. Why wasn’t she healing? All the vampires he’d met were fast healers.
She curled against him as he made his way down the slope to his Ferrari. “Smell good,” she murmured against his neck.
“What’s your name?” he asked, trying to keep her conscious.
“Isa-dora.”
“Nice to meet you, Isadora. My friends call me Shade.”
“Shade?” Her head rolled back and she looked up at him. He felt like he’d been punched in the gut; lightning fast, but it still stole his breath. What was it about this woman that heated his blood and made him want to haul her off and keep her all to himself? She was young. He could sense her inexperience. But there was a worldly air to her as well. Something in her eyes told him that she’d done a lot of living in a short time. That she would be an interesting… companion.
He appreciated her honesty. And loyalty. It wasn’t often that he met someone who possessed those qualities in equal measure.
“My friends… Izzy. Call me Izzy.”
“Hold on tight, Izzy.” He felt the wetness seeping into his shirt cool in the night air. He bent low and opened the door. She weighed hardly anything at all and looked almost childlike inside his car. Her blood-smeared face made his breath catch and he quickly knelt next to the car and checked her pulse. Slow.
“Izzy… sweetheart, why aren’t you healing?”
Two tiny fangs peeked out from beneath her upper lip. “Tired.”
“I know you are, honey. Why aren’t you healing?”
“Blood… dis-bad blo… blood.”
Shade shook his head, unsure what to make of that. “Bite me.” He held his right wrist in front of her lips.
“Hmmm.”
“Izzy, bite me.” He heard sirens in the distance. Shite. Quickly, he strapped her in and slammed the door. Without a second glance in the rearview mirror, he started the engine and hit the gas. The moment he was in top gear, he checked Izzy’s pulse again.
“Izzy.” He used his other hand to undo the button at his wrist and jerk the sleeve up. Then he held out his arm in front of her. “Bite me.”
“Why?” Her voice was weak. Quiet.
“You need blood.” And his would help her heal quickly.
After a moment’s hesitation, he felt her teeth scrape his skin. He’d been with plenty of vamps, but none of them had touched him like she did. Soft, carefully cupping his arm as she held him to her lips. Her teeth punctured his skin and he sucked in a breath. The tiny pinpricks were barely painful and yet exquisitely erotic.
His cock filled with blood and he squirmed in his seat. Izzy drank slowly. He could tell she was growing stronger by the second. Demon blood did that.
Even though she had creamy skin, he could see her color coming back with the passing of each kilometer.
“Okay, honey, I’m going to need that arm back.”
She disengaged, swiping the tiny wounds with her tongue. He down shifted, pulling off the highway as she settled back in the seat.
There wasn’t a peep from his passenger as he negotiated the countryside. When he pulled up in front of his estate, the garage door was already open. The headlights swiped across the cavernous space, highlighting Pierre, his butler.
Pierre was under the mistaken impression that he owed Shade for saving his life. But Shade enjoyed the old man’s company.
The moment Shade exited the car, Pierre was at his side. “A little more explanation would have been good, sir. Mon Dieu, you worry me.”
“Pierre, old buddy,” Shade said, cupping Pierre’s shoulder, “I’m immortal, remember.”
“Yes, yes, you’ll live forever. But not if you get yourself killed.”
The old man had a good point. Even Shade’s pact with Luc didn’t mean he was invincible. Just an anomaly.
Shade circled the car and opened the other door. “Hope you’re prepared for company.”
“Company?” Pierre followed like a mother duck clucking over her ducklings, his hands folded together with worry.
“Car accident.”
“I don’t understand, sir.”
Shade huffed out a laugh and opened the passenger door. Izzy was still asleep but at least she’d stopped bleeding. He picked her up, careful not to reopen any wounds that hadn’t fully healed yet.
“I’ll go prepare a room,” Pierre said just before he flashed away.
Shade would never get used to that little party trick. He’d seen it hundreds of times. One second the vamp was there, the next millisecond, he was gone. From what Shade knew, it was a learned skill that only vampires possessed. He was jealous as hell.
That was the kind of thing that a demon could put to good use.
Cradling the sleeping beauty in his arms, he took the stone stairs one at a time, rather than his normal two. He didn’t want to jostle her awake. Knowing his luck, she’d deck him in the nose. Again.
For such a tiny little thing, she sure did pack a punch.
And as impressive as that punch was, he had no desire to make her feel uneasy. There was something about her… something he wanted to keep. Hold on to. Have in his life. Maybe it was the feistiness she’d shown as she sat bleeding. Or perhaps it was the utter loyalty to her friend. It was probably the fact that she hadn’t been able to resist the pull of the gorgeous Bugatti Veyron.
Shade wouldn’t have been able to resist, either.
The pixie in his arms didn’t move as he strode down the long corridor to the grand living hall. Nor did she make a peep as he ascended the two stone staircases leading to the hall of bedrooms on the third floor. He stared at her the whole way, unable to help himself. He couldn’t come up with any reason that made sense, but she was a novelty he could get used to.
Though he’d enjoyed his share of women since he’d made his pact with Luc, he’d never met one quite like her. So dainty, graceful like a willow and yet strong like an oak. Both summer and winter. Vulnerable and fierce.
The second he stepped into the guest bedroom Pierre was preparing, her eyelids snapped open. Icy aqua eyes pegged him for a solid second. He wasn’t sure who was more startled, but then she hissed and leapt from his arms. Her nails sliced his jacket and down his arm as she shoved away from him.
He saw everything happen in slow motion. Her graceful back handspring, the way Pierre spun around, leaning across the bed to protect his creation. Eyes wide, the old vamp stared at her as she crouched between the two chairs at the foot of the bed. She moved like a well-trained assassin.
He inspected the tattered edges of his jacket where her claws had entered. Pierre wouldn’t be pleased about Shade ruining another custom coat.
“Glad to see you’re in good spirits, little one.” Shade cocked his head and waited to see what she’d do next. Her distrust didn’t surprise him, nor did it wound him. But the wary look in her eyes solidified his resolve to earn her trust.
He didn’t know why. Normally, he didn’t care what others thought about him. But something about her called to him, made him want to soothe her. Protect her from whatever it was that lurked behind those beautiful blue eyes.
Her gaze dropped, searching the floor as if she’d find the answers there. Then she craned her neck and peered over the end of the bed to look at Pierre.
“Where am I?” she asked, pegging Shade with a glare.
“My house. It’s almost daylight.”
As if the thought had just occurred to him, Pierre bolted into action. Spry for an old guy, Shade would give him that. Vampires didn’t suffer from things like arthritis. Pierre gave her a wide birth as he side-stepped his way around the perimeter of the room.
Izzy watched every step he took. The moment he drew the shades and pulled the curtains closed, her shoulders dropped a fraction. The hard glare she’d pegged him with softened and became curious.
What a fascinating creature she was.
Shade flipped a switch on a nearby lamp and was rewarded with a quick jerk of her head that sent her beautiful blonde hair flying.
“You’re safe here,” he assured her. For a reason he didn’t want to examine, it was important to him that she felt safe. Secure. That he made her feel that way. What the hell was wrong with him?
Her eyes widened and her chin pulled back, and then up. “I’m not safe anywhere.” Concern pinched her brows. She pressed two fingers right above her nose and rubbed up and down. Then she shook her head and stared at him. He couldn’t quite figure out what it meant, but it was intense.
“Where’s Gorgeous?”
It was Shade’s turn to frown. “Who?” She licked her lips. Oh damn. The added moisture made her crimson lips shine. Now he wanted to taste them.
“The car. What happened to the car?”
“I had someone tow it to town. Don’t worry, he’s top-notch.”
He could see the wheels turning. Reaching out with his mind he heard a colorful variety of words racing through hers.
Pierre skirted the edge of the room again and paused in the doorway.
“If you need anything else, mademoiselle, please let me know.”
Shade crossed his arms over his chest and felt like preening when her eyes followed the movement. In fact her gaze swept over him like a paintbrush, narrowing as she studied his face.
“If you’d like to take a shower, the bathroom’s through there.” He nodded toward the door on the wall to her left.
Her frown deepened. Absently, she ran her fingers through her hair, twisting it into a single sheaf and draped it over her left shoulder. Blood had matted the pale strands, darkening the color, caking at her temple.
She didn’t take her eyes off him. And if he wasn’t mistaken, she was shaking.
“I’m not going to hurt you, vamp. You’re welcome to sleep as long as you like.”
“Why are you being so nice?”
Why indeed when she seemed hell-bent on making him out to be the devil himself. Luc would get a kick out of that.
The truth was he didn’t have an answer to that. He rarely allowed anyone in his home. Not that he was a hermit, but he liked his privacy. His space. He liked his things just so and having people stomping through his house tended to change the energy.
He’d partied hard in his youth. Now he liked his peace and quiet. Unknowingly, she played havoc with his sanctuary. The memory of her in the seat next to him, her lips on his skin… and now. Seeing her here, in his home, he would never be able to erase the memory of her scent.
Even now, less than an hour after meeting her he was consumed by her. Obsessed. Not good for a demon.
Obsessed or not, he wasn’t mean by nature. But that didn’t explain the surge of feeling overwhelming him now. He needed a time-out. A long walk. Some fresh air to clear his head and examine… everything.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” He dropped his arms to his sides and noted the way she sucked in a breath and tensed. Verdammt. The woman had trust issues.
He rubbed a hand over the scratch marks on his arm. She glanced at the hallway, gauging if she could make it past him. He raised an eyebrow.
Not likely.
“You dislike my company so much, my little vamp?”
She blinked, obviously surprised she’d been caught.
“That’s all right. No offense taken. Take your time.”
He backed out of the room and pulled the door shut behind him. One hour. That should give her time to clean up. But then he’d check to make sure she was okay.
Since he’d watched, helpless, as her car went flying e
nd over end and his heart had almost failed him, he was anything but all right.
Chapter Four
Izzy tipped her head back beneath the warm spray. She kept her eyes open, not trusting the man. He was too good-looking. Too big. Too raw.
Though he’d saved her life by bringing her here, protected her from the sun, and he seemed… nice, she knew to keep her guard up. She didn’t like the way her body reacted to his voice, as if he were an old friend and could be trusted absolutely.
She soaped herself up and examined everything she could remember about the morning. Everything up until the crash. And then right after when she’d first heard his voice.
What had she been thinking? She hadn’t been thinking. It was as simple as that. She would have to tell Valencia what she had done.
Her stomach ached at the thought. She would own her mistake, take responsibility. Once Valencia got home. There was no reason to ruin V’s trip. And there was nothing V could do anyway.
Massaging shampoo into her hair, she stared at the door that joined the bedroom and the bathroom. Maybe the man’s mechanic would have good news. Then again, how good could it be? She could not remember the accident. But the car was upside down and she’d been on the ground several yards away.
Had the man rescued her? Pulled her to safety? She really should thank him. Later.
And if the car could be fixed, how much would it cost? The vehicle itself was outrageously expensive. She nibbled on her fingernail as she made a mental calculation.
No. She definitely did not have that kind of money lying around for repairs, much less replacement. But perhaps she could get it. She was good enough at the cards.
Yes. That was brilliant. That could work.
Having money for the repairs would soften the blow when she told Valencia. She rinsed her hair, shut off the water, then reached for a towel.
The handsome man with the beautiful gray eyes knew how to live. His towels were just as thick and fluffy as the ones at the mansion. Nothing but the best for Valencia Fabelle. Fancy towels. Palatial French chateau. World-class car.
Izzy frowned at her reflection. This was not one of her finer moments. And it was no time to be feeling lightheaded. She rubbed a finger between her eyebrows to soothe the ache. Forward, Isadora. Always forward.