McKenzie, Cooper - Saving Chloe (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Cooper McKenzie

  That thought stopped her cold, and she blinked. She had just met him and she was falling in love with him? Hadn’t her ex-husband and the two men she had dated since their divorce taught her anything? They had been out for what they could get. She had finally decided that they were not worth the time or effort it took to try and make them happy.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said instead. “Was there anything else you wanted?”

  “Oh yeah, I forgot last night, but I was wondering if you could whip up a batch of those cookies that Brian loves so much. He’s still raving over the last batch, and he’s a little miffed at me for staying out so late last night. I thought if you made him some cookies—”

  Chloe closed her eyes and counted to ten, but it did not help. She could already feel herself giving in to Jasmine’s whining, pleading tone. She knew that if she refused, the woman would not leave, only change the angle of her approach. She had learned that when Jasmine decided something, it was easiest to give in the first time she made her demands. She was much like a dog with a bone, worrying a subject until she got her way.

  “I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything today,” Chloe said with a defeated sigh.

  “Oh, thanks, sweetie. If you could make them today or tomorrow morning, that would be great. His parents are coming for lunch tomorrow, and they would make a great dessert,” Jasmine said as she headed for the front door, her mission accomplished.

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Chloe said. She tried but was not able to keep the snark out of her tone.

  “I’m late.” Jasmine grabbed Chloe and hugged her. “I love you, girl.”

  “Have a good day,” Chloe said, patting her back twice before she stepped back.

  Once Jasmine was outside, Chloe closed and locked the door, fussing at herself for giving in to the woman. Why couldn’t she say no? Why couldn’t she set boundaries with these people? Why couldn’t they just leave her the hell alone?

  With a resigned sigh, Chloe returned to her breakfast, only to find the oatmeal had grown cold and paste-like. “I wasn’t that hungry anyway,” she muttered as she scraped the rest of her breakfast into the garbage, and then filled the bowl with water.

  She would do dishes later. Right now, she had books to edit.

  * * * *

  By the time Chloe pushed the button and sent the second edited book to Stephanie, the editor-in-charge, she was as jumpy as water sprinkled on a red-hot fry pan, while at the same time wishing for a nap.

  The edits for the second book had gone easier and faster than expected once she’d put on her headphones. The long playlist of romantic classical music always helped her block out everything else and focus on her work. Sometimes she didn’t even need to play the music, just put the headphones on.

  Looking at the time, she understood why her stomach was cramping and growling at her. It was nearly two o’clock, and she hadn’t had anything but a half bowl of oatmeal and two sodas all day. After fixing a peanut-butter-and-honey sandwich, Chloe sat on the front stoop to eat. If she didn’t, she would forget to eat as she surfed the Internet.

  “Except for Jasmine and her cookie demand, I thank you for the quiet day. I really needed it,” she said out loud. She did not speak to any one higher power in particular, but to the universe as a whole. “Now I could use a nice relaxing rest of the weekend, if you could arrange that.” And preferably with Declan in my bed.

  As she sat there, Chloe thought she heard Declan speaking, telling her to go take a nap. When she looked around, she did not see him or anyone else around, so she brushed it off as her horny, vivid imagination working overtime. Then she started yawning.

  Three minutes later, she decided a nap would be a good thing since she still had cookies to make and expected she would be spending another evening with her neighbors. Somehow, being with those people and keeping up a façade of polite interest and congeniality exhausted her more than anything she knew.

  She wasn’t sure if spending an evening with Declan would be as tiring emotionally, but he was sure to wear her out sexually.

  After placing her plate in the kitchen sink, Chloe headed to her bedroom at the back of the house. Stepping into the room, she flipped on the ceiling fan then took a deep breath and sighed. She always slept wearing at least a T-shirt and panties. Without questioning her actions, she stripped off all her clothes and dropped them in a pile on the floor just inside the doorway.

  Once naked, she crawled across the queen-size bed and curled up in the middle of it. She sighed as the gently swirling air moved over her body, caressing her skin. Hugging the spare pillow to her chest, she fell asleep instantly.

  * * * *

  Declan watched Chloe through the front window as she ate a late lunch.

  “Go and rest, my mate,” he murmured, knowing his eyes glowed red as he sent orders through their mental connection. “Sleep deep, for you will need your rest when I claim you this night.”

  Though she did not hear his words, he knew she would do as he directed, for with his first bite last night, they had bonded. Two more bites and she would be his for eternity, and they would be able to communicate telepathically. For now, it was enough that he could influence her. He continued watching as she yawned several times before standing up and going inside.

  He returned to work and tried to concentrate on business. Problem was, his cock had hardened as soon as he saw her, and it had not softened even though she was now out of sight. All he could think of was seeing her body without evening shadows and clothing to interfere.

  When he read the same e-mail three times and still didn’t know what it said, he decided it was time to give up and go to his mate. He needed to claim her before the so-called Porch People scared her away by telling her some of the wild tales about various generations of Flannery men, all of whom had been him, that had been circulating the neighborhood for decades. It had only been an hour since she’d laid down. Hopefully that was enough of a nap to see her through the rest of the day.

  After checking to see if anyone was within sight, Declan left his house and raced across the street to her front door. He touched the doorknob and muttered an ancient Celtic curse when it turned under his touch. She didn’t keep her doors locked at all times? He would have to punish her for not protecting herself, even if it was the middle of the day.

  Checking over his shoulder once more, he slipped through the doorway and closed the door. He took a moment to twist the lock in the doorknob then flip the dead bolt. Turning, he found himself in a colorful paradise. Though she’d only lived in the house a few months, he could see that his mate had a creative side to her personality.

  The décor was an eclectic mix of obviously treasured antique and sleek, modern pieces. That, mixed with the colorful pictures of sunflowers and inspirational sayings, gave the room a funky look he found as appealing as the woman herself. His cock hardened as he took a deep breath. The house smelled of his woman, sending his hunger for her even higher. Moving swiftly and silently, he headed down the hall. He found her in the last bedroom at the back of the house. Stopping in the doorway, he licked his lips in anticipation as he watched her sleep.

  She lay in the middle of the bed, her arms curled around a pillow. She looked like a child cuddling a stuffed animal the way she held it tight to her body. For a moment, Declan envied the pillow and then realized she held it much like a woman would hold a man she was sleeping beside. Was she dreaming of a man?

  Was she dreaming of him?

  After today, his woman, his mate, would never again have to sleep hugging a pillow for company. From now on, he would be beside her as she slept, holding her, comforting her, keeping her safe from the rest of the world.

  Declan thought of their future as he disrobed. He took a moment to hang his clothes on the doorknob, and then picked her things up from the floor. He folded them neatly and laid them on the dresser as she slept on.

  Once that task was completed, he eased onto the bed and moved to lie behind the still
-sleeping woman. He curled on his side and snuggled up behind her, wrapping one arm around her middle as he settled in. His cock throbbed as she wiggled back against him before stilling again.

  “Declan,” she breathed.

  She turned her head as if to look at him, though her eyes remained closed. His cock pulsed and pressed against the valley between her ass cheeks with growing excitement that she recognized him.

  “Yes, luv, it’s me,” he whispered as he brushed a kiss across her temple. “Rest a bit longer, darlin’. I’ll be here when ye wake.”

  “Okay,” Chloe murmured.

  When she rolled over, he shifted to his back and allowed her to snuggle up against his side with her head on his shoulder. He couldn’t help but grin as she draped her arm across his middle and held onto him just as she had the pillow only moment ago.

  Chapter 6

  Instead of going back to sleep, Chloe slowly eased awake. It did not surprise her to find Declan lying next to her. It just seemed right to have the man with her, like the dream she’d been having had bled into reality. The fact he was naked was a little disconcerting, until she remembered that for the first time in her life, she’d lain down for her nap in the buff herself.

  Nuzzling her cheek against the skin of his chest, she took a deep breath. “Mmmm, you smell good.”

  “Shhh, you’re supposed to be sleeping,” he whispered softly. Turning his head, he brushed a kiss across her forehead.

  “I took my nap. Now I’m awake,” she said softly as she slowly ran her fingertips down his chest and past his belly button.

  All at once she wanted to touch him and have him touch her before he fucked her, until neither of them could move. She made a disappointed sound when his free hand shackled her wrist and pulled it back up to his chest before she reached his cock.

  “But I want to play,” she whined.

  She didn’t fight as he lifted his hand and kissed the pad of each finger. She giggled softly when he licked across the center of her palm, before kissing it as well. He laid her hand in the middle of his chest with his hand covering it to keep her from moving.

  “Soon enough, little one. Right now we need to talk,” Declan said.

  Shock and hurt shafted through her at his gently spoken words. It was never a good thing when a man said, “We need to talk.” It usually meant heartache and the end of whatever sort of relationship she’d been involved in.

  When she tried to roll away, Declan tightened the arm wrapped around her back, holding her securely to his side.

  “Shhh, it’s nothing bad,” he said.

  “I don’t believe you.”

  She struggled even harder for her freedom, but all she got was a sharp swat on her ass for her trouble. She didn’t stop struggling until she received a second, even harder slap.

  “That hurts,” she yelped.

  “It’s supposed to. Now, are ye going to stop behavin’ like a child, or do I need to put you over me knee for a real spanking?”

  Declan’s tone was a harsh threat, and Chloe knew he wasn’t kidding. She stopped struggling but did not relax. She couldn’t. He wanted to talk, which in her experience meant bad things. She lay tense and silent, waiting for him to tell her he was actually gay, and his lover wanted her head on a platter. Or that she was a shitty fuck and needed to watch more porn to learn how to properly have sex with a man.

  She sniffed and blinked her eyes several times to keep the tears that filled them from falling. No need for him to know how hurt and scared she was.

  “Okay, so talk,” she said in a tight voice.

  He brushed his hand up her side then around to cup her breast. “How old do you think I am?” he asked as he tweaked her nipple.

  Chloe tilted her head back and looked at him with disbelief in her eyes. “Oh, I’d guess thirty, maybe thirty-five.” She jumped when he began to laugh as he hugged her tight.

  “Thank ye, darlin’. Ye just made my entire year.”

  “Why? How old are you?”

  Declan took a deep breath. “Six hundred and thirty-six.”

  “Bullshit.” The word was out before Chloe realized she’d said it.

  She moved fast and suddenly. Pulling from his arms, she sat up so she faced him then backed across the mattress until she could go no further without falling off the bed. She stared at Declan, waiting for him to yell at her for swearing. That had been one of her ex-husband’s biggest pet peeves. Once she was alone, she’d loosened the leash on her cursing, especially since meeting Ray of the Porch People who couldn’t say a sentence without the word “fuck” in it.

  She watched Declan sit up and move to lean against the headboard. He crossed his ankles, which pushed his large, hard erection into prominence. That reminded her that she was naked, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. Instead of feeling embarrassed, she went on the defensive.

  “How can you be that old? It’s not possible.”

  She watched as he slowly nodded. “It is if you’re a vampire.”

  Chloe blinked. “Vampires aren’t real.”

  Declan just smiled and nodded. “Yes, darlin’, they are.”

  Chloe swallowed hard. “You’re telling me that you are a 636-year-old vampire?”

  “Yes, darlin’, that’s exactly right. I built that house across the street in 1920. The story around the neighborhood is that I’m the great-grandson of the original owner. You’re the first human I’ve shared this with in more than a hundred years.”

  “Why are you telling me?”

  Chloe wrapped her arms around her middle and with her right hand, pinched the skin of her left hip. She jumped when pain flashed through her. Okay, so she wasn’t asleep. Maybe working two jobs had tilted her over the edge of exhaustion into insanity?

  “Because, sweet Chloe Templeton, for six hundred years I’ve been looking for the woman who would give my life meaning. When ye moved into this house, I found her. You are the woman I’ve spent my life looking for. You are the woman I will spend the rest of my life with. You are the woman I will love, protect, and cherish for the rest of eternity. You are my mate.”

  “You’re a vampire,” she said, backing up another few inches until she overbalanced and fell to the floor. “Please don’t eat me.”

  Declan was off the bed and kneeling at Chloe’s side almost before she hit the floor. She struggled, but he lifted her easily and cradled her against his chest as he stood again. “Shhh, sweet Chloe, it’s all right. I’d never hurt you. You are my mate, my reason for being. No, little one, I’m going to love you from now until the day we turn to dust together.” He laid her on the bed then crawled back onto the mattress and crouched half over her.

  Chloe looked at him, still in shock by his announcement. “You can’t love me. You don’t even know me.”

  “I know you, little one. I’ve been watching you since you moved in. You are a beautiful person with a caregiver’s soul who can’t seem to say no to anyone who uses the word “need” in a sentence. You’re gentle, kind, and giving to everyone. That’s how you’ve gotten into such trouble with those human vampires. You don’t know how to draw the line and refuse. That’s what I’m here for. I will protect you from them. I’ll protect you from everyone and everything, including yourself.”

  “Show me,” she demanded.

  Declan lifted his head and looked at her. She watched as his eyes turned from pale blue to deep crimson, and his eyeteeth elongated until he looked like a vampire from the movies.

  She made a whimpering sound, and just as quickly, he transformed back into the Declan she had an ever-growing hunger for.

  He cuddled her close, soothing her with gentle strokes up and down her back. As she lay in his arms, she felt more conflicted by the minute. Her brain screamed that he was crazy, and she needed to run away from him as far and as fast as she could. Her body countered with a demand to love him until neither of them could move.

  Her muscles grew so tight that when he brushed a kiss over her left nipple, he
r brain shut down, leaving only the body’s hungry demand for the man. Lifting both hands, she threaded her fingers through his silky hair.

  “I need,” she whispered, not sure what she was asking for, but certain that only he could provide it. The news that he was a vampire was shocking, but even more so was the need for him that fear had not quenched in the least.

  “I know, little one. I’ll take care of you. I’ll take care of everything. All you have to do is relax and enjoy.” He murmured the words around her nipple as his free hand touched the inside of her knee.

  Chloe shifted on the bed and spread her legs as he trailed his fingers up the inside of her thigh. He stopped just an inch away from her open, wet pussy. He shifted and began kissing, licking, sucking, and nibbling his way down her body.

  She began to pant when he stopped and worshiped at one breast as his fingers plucked at the other.

  “Like that, do ye, luv?”

  “Mmmm.” It was all Chloe’s brain could come up with as a response.

  She slid one hand under his hair and grabbed at the base of his skull as he turned his body over. She couldn’t help but giggle when his tongue circled her belly button before dipping in and swirling around the small crevice.

  In the next minute, her breathing hitched as two fingers brushed up her center, parting her pussy lips as they made their way to her clit. They circled the knot of flesh but did not touch it directly.

  “Declan, please,” she begged. She spread her legs even wider and arched her hips up, hoping to force his touch on the nerve center. “Need. You. Now.”

  “Shhh, darlin’,” Declan said as he shifted to lie between her thighs.

  She lost hold of him as he kissed his way from navel to clit. When he reached the top of her mons, she pulled her knees to her chest, spreading them even further apart. She sucked in a breath when two fingers slid into her at the same moment he swirled his tongue around her clit.