"Mine is not to question why; mine is but to do and die . .."
"You will not be dying," Styx sliced through Cezar's mocking words.
Cezar shrugged. "Not even the Anasso can make such a claim."
"Actually, I just did."
"You always were too noble for your own good, Styx."
"True."
Awareness feathered over Cezar's skin. Anna was headed toward a side door of the reception room.
"Co home, amigo. Be with your beautiful werewolf."
"A tempting offer, but I will not leave you here alone."
"I appreciate your concern, Styx." Cezar sent his master a warning glance. "But my duty now is to the Commission, and they have given me orders I cannot ignore."
A cold anger burned in Styx's dark eyes before he was giving a grudging nod of his head. "You will contact me if you have need?"
"Of course."
Anna didn't have to look at Conde Cezar to know that he was aware of her every movement. He might be speaking to the gorgeous man who looked remarkably like an Aztec chief, but her entire body shivered with the sense of his unwavering attention.
It was time to put her plan into motion.
Her hastily thrown together, fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants, stupidest-plan-ever plan.
Anna swallowed a hysterical laugh.
So, it wasn't the best plan. It was more of a click-your-heals-twice-and-pray-things-don't-go-to-hell sort of deal, but it was all that she had at the moment. And the alternative was allowing Conde Cezar to disappear for another two centuries, leaving her plagued with questions.
She couldn't stand it.
Nearly reaching the alcove that led to a bank of elevators, Anna was halted by an arm suddenly encircling her waist and hauling her back against a steely male body.
"You haven't changed a bit, querida. Still as beautiful as the night I first caught sight of you." His fingers trailed a path of destruction along the bare line of her shoulder. "Although there is a great deal more on display."
An explosion of sensations rocked through Anna's body at his touch. Sensations that she hadn't felt in a long, long time.
"You obviously haven't changed either, Conde. You still don't know how to keep your hands to yourself."
"Life is barely worth living when I'm keeping my hands to myself." The cool skin of his cheek brushed hers as he whispered in her ear, "Trust me, I know."
Anna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."
The long, slender fingers briefly tightened on her waist before the man was slowly turning her to meet his dark, disturbing gaze.
"It's been a long time, Anna Randal."
"One hundred and ninety-five years." Her hand absently lifted to rub the skin that still tingled from his touch. "Not that I'm counting."
The full, sensuous lips twitched. "No, of course not."
Her chin tilted. Jackass.
"Where have you been?"
"Did you miss me?"
"Don't flatter yourself."
"Still a little liar," he taunted. With a deliberate motion, his gaze skimmed over her stiff body, lingering on the silver gauze draped over the swell of her breasts. "Would it make it easier if I confess that I've missed you? Even after one hundred and ninety-five years I remember the precise scent of your skin, the feel of your slender body, the taste of your ..."
"Blood?" she hissed, refusing to acknowledge the heat that stirred low in her stomach.
No, no, no. Not this time.
"But of course." There wasn't a hint of remorse on his beautiful face. "I remember that most of all. So sweet, so deliriously innocent."
"Keep your voice down," she commanded.
"Don't worry." He stepped even closer. So close that the fabric of his slacks brushed her bare legs. "The mortals can't hear me, and the fey know better than to interfere with a vampire on the hunt."
Anna gasped, her eyes wide. "Vampire. I knew it. I..."
She pressed her hands to her heaving stomach as she glanced around the crowded room. She couldn't forget her plan. "I want to talk to you, but not here. I have a room in the hotel."
"Why, Miss Randal, are you inviting me to your room?" The dark eyes held a mocking amusement. "What sort of demon do you think I am?"
"I want to talk, nothing else."
"Of course." He smiled. That smile that made a woman's toes curl in her spike heels.
"I mean it. I—" She cut off her words and gave a shake of her head. "Never mind. Will you come with me?"
The dark eyes narrowed. Almost as if he sensed she was attempting to lead him from the crowd.
"I haven't decided. You haven't given me much incentive to leave a room filled with beautiful woman who are interested in sharing a lot more than conversation."
Her brows lifted. She wasn't the easy mark he remembered. She was a woman—hear her roar.
Especially if he had even a random thought of ditching her for someone else.
"I doubt they'd be so interested if they knew you are hiding a monster beneath all that handsome elegance. Push me far enough and I'll tell them."
His fingers lightly skimmed up the length of her arms. "Half the guests are monsters themselves and the other half would never believe you."
A shiver shook her entire body. How could a touch so cold send such heat through her blood?
"There are other vampires here?"
"One or two. The others are fey."
She briefly recalled his mention of fey before. "Fey?"
"Fairies, imps, a few sprites."
"This is insanity," she breathed, shaking her head as she was forced to accept one more crazy thing in her crazy existence. "And it's all your fault."
"My fault?" He lifted a brow. "I didn't create the fey and I certainly didn't invite them to this party. For all their beauty they're treacherous and cunning with a nasty sense of humor. Of course, their blood does have a certain sparkle to it. Like champagne."
She pointed a finger directly at his nose. "It's your fault that you bit me."
"I suppose I can't deny that."
"Which means you're the one responsible for screwing up my life."
"I did nothing more than take a few sips of blood and your—"
She slapped her hand across his mouth. "Don't you dare," she hissed, glaring at an approaching waiter. "Dammit, I'm not going to discuss this here."
He gave a soft chuckle as his fingers stroked over her shoulders. "You'll do anything to get me to your rooms, won't you, querida?"
Her breath lodged in her throat as she took a hasty step back. Damn him and his heart-stopping touches.
"You really are a total ass."
"It runs in the family."
Family? Anna turned her head to regard the large, flat-out spectacular man who scowled at them from across the room.
"Is he a part of your family?"
An unreadable emotion rippled over the chiseled, faintly golden features. "You could say he's something of a father figure."
"He doesn't look like a father." Anna deliberately flashed a smile toward the stranger. "In fact, he's gorgeous. Maybe you should introduce us."
The dark eyes flashed, and his fingers grasped her arm in a firm grip.
"Actually, we were just headed to your room, don't you remember?" he growled close to her ear.
A faint smile touched Anna's mouth. Ha. He didn't like having her interested in another man. Served him right.
Her smile faded as the scent of apples filled the air.
"Anna.. . oh, Anna," a saccharine voice cooed.
"Crap," she muttered, watching Sybil bear down upon them with the force of a locomotive.
Cezar wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "A friend of yours?"
"Hardly. Sybil Taylor has been a pain in the freaking neck for the past five years. I can't turn around without stumbling over her."
Cezar stiffened, studying her with a strange curiosity. "Really? What sort of business do you have with a fairy?"
"A ... what? No." An
na shook her head. "Sybil's a lawyer. A bottom-feeder, I'll grant you, but—" Her words were cut off as the Conde hauled her through the alcove and, with a wave of his hand, opened the elevator doors. Anna might have marveled at having an elevator when she needed one if she hadn't been struggling to stay on her feet as she was pulled into the cubical (which was as large as her LA. apartment) and the doors were smoothly sliding shut. "Freaking hell. There's no need to drag me around like a sack of potatoes, Conde."
"1 think we're past formality, querida. You can call me Cezar."
"Cezar." She frowned, pushing the button to her floor. "Don't you have a first name?"
"No."
That's weird."
"Not for my people." The elevator opened and Cezar pulled her into the circular hallway, which had doors to the private rooms on one side and an open view to the lobby twelve stories below on the other. Tour room?"
"This way."
Anna moved down the hall and stopped in front of her door. She already had her card key in the slot when she stilled, abruptly struck by another night when she had attempted to best Conde Cezar.
The night her entire life had changed ...
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
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Copyright © 2008 by Debbie Raleigh
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off. ISBN: 1-4201-0575-2
Guardians of Eternity 03 - Darkness Everlasting Page 33