by Various
Her legs relaxed, and she let out a long breath. The heat in her stomach faded, but he did not let his guard down, not yet. Her hand inched across his chest, and he twined his fingers through hers. She nuzzled his still bare chest, and he allowed just a moment’s happiness in her arms.
Diego studied her face. She would be beautiful in the moonlight. She stole his ability to think now. His mouth softened from its apprehensive hold. He would give her anything to make her happy. If she could accept this, accept him.
He had no life before her. He could see that. Endless battles with Brakka. Long, solitary nights of silence. He would not go back to that life. It had not been a life worth living. Titania had changed all of that.
Her voice, her compassion, her unselfish nature. With his arms around her, he rested, a smile on his lips for the woman in his embrace. When the sun began to beat at him, making his limbs heavy, he resented its rising.
* * * *
Titania woke with difficulty, feeling as though a heavy weight, like sandbags were pinning them in place. When it registered, the pounding on her door was loud enough to rattle her teeth.
“Damn it! Tani. Where the hell are you?”
She swallowed, tried to speak, but couldn’t. She just wanted to roll over and fall asleep again. The pounding took on a new cadence. “Come on, Titania. Laney knows you’re in there. Open this door!” Or I’m going to break it in. She heard him say it. She knew she did, except he was muttering behind a closed door.
Titania blinked and threw an arm over her eyes. Fading sunlight sliced into the room through gaps in her curtains. Her eyes did not appreciate it. They felt dry and hot. Probably from lack of sleep, or something, since everything was still so sluggish. The pounding renewed, harder, anxious, persistent. She adjusted the curtains with a flick of her hand and sighed in relief when the room dimmed. The door popped open with her next effort. She was getting a lot of practice with doors lately.
“I told you she was in here,” Laney said, glancing around the room while trailing Houston.
“Well, after the last few nights, I wanted to make sure.”
“I’m fine,” she croaked through dry lips. “Did you have to wake me up?”
Houston gaped at her. “You’re kidding, right? Even you don’t sleep this late.”
She rolled over, palming her hands under her cheek. “Why? What time is it?”
“Almost seven.”
“God!” Titania groaned. “Please tell me you did not wake me up at seven in the morning. You’re nuts.”
“No, Tani. Try seven at night. You’ve been out cold all day. The phone didn’t wake you up, and I’ve been beating the hell out of your door for ten minutes.”
She wrinkled her nose, trying to surmise if he was joking or not. His sarcasm was a little thick.
“I’m sorry, Houston,” she murmured, awake but barely. “I swear I never heard the phone.” Her brow furrowed. “After we stopped at the hospital, we stayed up kind of late. I think I fell asleep on him.” She giggled. “In fact, I know I did.” Memories of his warm shoulder were returning.
Houston shook her. “Tani, what is with you?”
“Houston?” Laney interjected. “I think you’re going overboard again. He obviously isn’t here now.”
“I know.” He relented. “Tani, I promised Laney I’d take her out tonight. Are you going to be all right by yourself?”
“Sure. Is there a shelf somewhere?” she asked him bitterly.
“Tani, that isn’t fair.” She felt his annoyance and wasn’t surprised when he tried to argue. “I’m supposed to take care of you. Your mother—”
“Isn’t here.” She sat up, giving up on getting more sleep. She brushed her hair from her face. “Look, Houston, I’m sorry, but you have to realize I’m not the sixteen-year-old, scared-of-her-own-shadow girl you met. I know how to protect myself, how to form barriers, and I hate the fact that since Diego has shown up, you’ve not only gotten more restrictive with me, but that you hate him.”
“And you refuse to take precautions. You can’t keep this up, Tani. Don’t you realize that?”
She glared at him. “And what do you think I’m going to do? Wear a sandwich sign proclaiming my identity as I walk around town?” She lifted her knees and dropped her head. “Just go, Houston. I want to shower. I promise to behave.” She was tired of fighting over this with him. He would never accept that she was a grown woman, rather than a helpless child.
His hand gentled, brushing at her hair before resting on her head. “Tani. I love you. You know I do. I’m not trying to restrict you, but think about this. You’ve had all sorts of trouble in the last two weeks. You’ve lost weight—don’t tell me you haven’t. I just want to make sure you stay in one piece, angel.”
Her voice was muffled by the blanket. “I know. I just need to be alone. Go ahead. Have fun. I’ll be fine.”
“She means it,” Laney said, tugging at Houston’s arm.
“Now you’re cross-examining me?” she asked tightly. First Houston, now Laney. What was she, five again?
“No!” Laney exclaimed. Laney sat on the bed next to her. “Tani. Regardless of Houston’s opinion, I’ve seen Diego with you. The last thing he would allow is for something to happen to you.” She found Titania’s hand, holding it. “I’ll admit, when I first met him, he scared me. I thought you were in way over your head, but not now.”
“What changed your mind?” she asked, ignoring the scowl Houston aimed at his wife.
“The way he looks at you. The way he walks with you. Like you’re the only thing on this planet that matters.”
“I should be. That’s what I pay him for. Why else would he act like that?”
Laney shrugged her shoulders.
“If you girls are done with this little gossip swap,” Houston said.
“What is the deal, Houston?” Tani swept her gaze to his and realized he was dressed in more than jeans and that Laney wore a nice gown. “Oh, hell. I’m sorry. I completely forgot. Happy anniversary.” She gave him a sheepish smile.
“Forgiven. Now we are leaving.” He looped Laney’s hand into his own. “We’ll see you later.”
“I won’t have hurt feelings if you don’t,” she called. Houston winked broadly and closed the door behind them.
Awake but not by choice, she took a leisurely shower, feeling restless. After sleeping all day, she felt energized after all but falling over last night. She was probably catching a bug, something that would put her out of commission for weeks. Not something she had time for. She still wasn’t hungry, and that was definitely worrying her more.
After her shower, she drank a bottle of water and made herself drink half a bottle of juice. The thought of food made her stomach hurt too much. She was getting sick, she thought with a strong touch of disgust. Just great. Half a tour to finish, and she was coming down with God knew what. She prayed it wasn’t something worse.
Looking at her clock, she knew Diego would be arriving soon. With the hotel only a few blocks from the San Francisco Wharf, escaping for a few minutes was a lure in itself. She made a promise to not be out too long. She just needed to feel normal again, human, and not trapped. She stuffed some money and her card key into a front pocket and left her room.
Light stabbed her eyes the second she walked outside the building. She blinked heavily, tears streaming down her face. Their sensitivity was new and sudden. Probably part of whatever else this is messing with me. Out of necessity, a little booth with tourist trap written all over it was the first place she found. She played and posed, picking out a pair after several minutes. Her eyes were still sensitive to glare, but at least she could walk with her eyes open.
She strolled along the sidewalk and laughed to herself when no one even looked sideways at her. “Told them so,” she muttered. “Like anyone would care. I’m not that big a deal.” She purposely didn’t meet any gazes, keeping to herself. A tourist out enjoying the sunset. It wasn’t hard to blend in, either. It was gradua
l when it happened, when she let the angst and tension fade to relax.
She believed no one noticed her at all until her feet hit the wharf. Someone was watching her. Their intense gaze felt like a weighted blanket. She covertly searched from behind the tinted lenses of the sunglasses. That was when she remembered Diego’s warning. Like now was a good time to remember it, when she was probably already in trouble. Tani hadn’t tried to purposely forget. Between Houston and her exhaustion, she barely remembered to brush her teeth this evening. She shook her head, keeping her gaze lowered when she couldn’t find anything that told her who it was watching her, hearing the berating Houston was going to give her over this. The feeling of being watched didn’t go away as she walked either.
She should know better by now than to purposely thumb her nose at Houston. Not watching where she walked, with her thoughts racing around Diego and Houston, she smacked right into a solid chest. She gasped, stepping back in mortification, her cheeks burning. “Oh! I’m so sorry! I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“Neither was I,” the man said. “My apologies to you.” His piercing gaze narrowed. “Do I know you?”
Titania was quick to deny it. “No, I’m sure we’ve never met.” She took another step back, swallowing once. The urge to slam up walls was powerful. There was too much going on around her on the wharf. The cacophony of sound and nuances made it too difficult to define where the threat came from. The sense of being watched was still there. She fought back the shiver.
“They say a friend is simply a stranger you haven’t met yet,” he said, a smile touching briefly on his lips. It didn’t reach his hawk-like gaze. He held out his hand. “I am Tenorio. Albert Tenorio. My friends call me Ten.”
“Tani.” Her hand vanished in his larger palm. She purposely kept her thoughts blank. His touch made her skin crawl. He had been the one watching her. She was positive of it.
“Unusual name,” he coaxed, relinquishing her hand with dragging slowness. She felt his deep curiosity and was thankful when he let her go. She didn’t offer her full name. She rarely did in public. “I think I do know you,” he said, tucking his chin into cupped fingers, staring at her.
She wanted to turn and walk away. When he spoke again, she knew she was out of luck.
“Now I know!” he crowed between them. “Titania Alcott. The singer.”
She let her gaze drop. “I try to stay low-key to avoid getting mobbed. I like a normal life,” she explained with a touch of warning.
“I can understand that. I’m well known in New York myself. Hard to walk around Manhattan anymore.” He gestured to an empty railing to the side of the causeway walk. The bark of sea lions came from below the spot he was indicating. “Please, just a moment of your time. I would love an autograph if I’m not being too presumptuous.”
She hesitated. He was, but she would never say it. Her mother had raised her better than that. She looked around at the throng of people in motion around her. They would be in plain sight and not too far from a glowing street lamp. “All right, but just a few minutes.”
Albert turned, strolling casually. He put his hands into his pants pockets. “I’d heard you were very kind.”
He leaned against the rails on a hip, leaving gapped space between them, and she breathed a little more easily. “If you have something,” she hinted, wanting to leave this man far behind and soon.
“I do,” he said as if drawn from his thoughts. He patted a shirt pocket. “Ah, yes, here we go.”
She accepted the business card and his pen. “Do I make it to you?”
“That would be generous of you.” His smile was easy. It didn’t blend with the threatening aura he exuded.
She tried to dismiss the edge of danger surrounding this man. Maybe it was just his nature, not aimed at her. He was probably just a very sharp-minded business shark.
“Do you have a date in town?” he asked, striking a simple conversation.
“Last night. I’ll be leaving soon.” She scribbled out her name with a quick bit to Ten, as he liked to be called, she thought with a hidden grimace. He could think he was one, but not for her. She feared that was just what she had walked into. Literally.
His fingers captured hers when she offered the card back. “I understand you have an incredible following for your concerts.”
A frisson of warning slid into awareness. This was not a random encounter, and this man was not a fan. Her first reactions had been on the money. A gentle tug did not get her fingers back. Her mistake was giving him the benefit of a single doubt. Fear crawled upward, wrapping around her spine to chill her.
“So does Celine Dion,” she replied, keeping her own expression and her thoughts blank. She couldn’t let him know she knew what was going on. That she was trembling with fear.
He cupped her captured hand within both of his. “I believe you are even better. I have heard your music,” he said, his tone dropping, his dark gaze boring into hers.
She found herself drawn into them, his fingers holding her tighter, pulling her closer still. Pressure built in waves beneath her temples. He was murmuring quiet words, something that was so quiet, it didn’t even seem as though there was sound, but some part of her knew what he was saying. She was trapped, listening. It felt like she was sinking…
“Titania, there you are.”
She snapped around, blinking, dazed, yet relief immediately filled her at the interruption. Diego’s expression was merciless when he focused right at the man holding her captive.
“Would you mind releasing her?” There was nothing in his voice or his expression that gave the threat away. It literally vibrated from his entire being.
“My apologies,” Ten was quick to say. He faced Diego and offered his hand. “Albert Tenorio. Ten, if you like.”
He ignored the offered hand, staring unblinking into the other man’s gaze. “If you will excuse us,” he said. He curved a protective arm around her shoulders and led her away from the railing without any further discussion.
She followed without question, still feeling the other man’s disturbing gaze on her until they had walked a distance into the milling crowd.
He tugged her into the shadows of a shop. “Promise me. You will never, ever do that again.” He engulfed her in his arms, burying his face into her hair. The musky scent of his leather jacket filled her senses. He always smelled so good.
“Give an autograph?” Her voice shook now that the threat was gone. Like now was a good time for her heart to panic.
He groaned. “No. I almost was not fast enough. That man, Tenorio, he knows what you are. He is the threat I felt last night.”
“What?” she squeaked. She groaned when it hit her with force. Flashes of the last few minutes popped into her thoughts. “He was trying to hypnotize me.”
“Yes, cara.”
“Oh, God,” she whimpered. She didn’t argue when he tucked her into his solid chest. “I had no idea.”
“Because you do not expect it, you do not purposely look for it. And not for it to happen to you.”
“I should have known. I knew he didn’t feel right.”
She felt him smile into her hair. “It is not in you to think that way.”
“But how did he know where…I mean, I just wanted to take a walk.”
“He is watching the hotel, honey. If you had been where I left you last night, I would have had a chance to warn you.” She winced imperceptibly at the scolding.
“I know,” she said, her tone apologetic. She tilted her head back and found his pale gaze. “How did you know where I was? I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Cara, I always know where you are,” he said as his mouth captured hers.
There was no restraint this time as desire flooded her, exploded from him. Her heart felt like it would burst under the onslaught of his lips, of his tongue as he demanded her surrender, and she gave in to it easily, completely. His lips blazed a trail as flames licked into life on her skin. Her insides turned molten when his
hands smoothed down her back, then fisted into her loose hair. Desire grew into a heated ball of need that spread through her stomach and lower.
He groaned deeply, rising from her lips. He let his head rise to rest on the wall of the building. “I am taking you back now. No arguments.” His eyes were closed.
Titania’s fingers glided from the curl of his rich hair to trail a path to his lips. She felt a shudder travel through his great chest at her exploratory torture.
“Cara, you cannot do that.” His voice rumbled, it was so low. Her heart jumped when he snagged the tip of her finger between his perfect white teeth.
She drew her hand down his front, splaying her fingers over the strength of his chest. She knew she’d burn down to an ember if he didn’t kiss her again.
She felt the sound as it grew beneath her palm. A growl. A roar. It didn’t matter because his lips were finding hers again, and she was lost.
Chapter Eleven
Diego’s world exploded. His heart raced. His lungs ached. His body burned. And he controlled none of it. Her kiss was the heaven he had always dreamed of, but knew he had been cursed from for eternity. He knew there was no chance of reprieve for them this night. No chance of an interruption, of an irate, suspicious Houston to bring out a Herculean strength to avoid confrontation or discovery.
The need outweighed the reasons. His hunger had outgrown his apprehensions. He held beauty in his arms, unlike any other in his long lifetime.
He had fed quickly on his way to the wharf. That delay was why he had almost been too late. He dared not be around Titania while still suffering from his rising hunger. She was too close to converting as it was. He had not missed the addition of her sunglasses that evening either.
There would have been no one who could control him then. He had no idea how he would have reacted to finding her in danger if he had still been feeling that hunger.