by Tawny Taylor
Zane leaned in, cupped Bruce’s face. That was the chin he’d kissed and nipped a million times over the years. Those were the eyes he’d stared into when he’d been swept into climax. He wove the fingers of his other hand between Bruce’s. Looked down. That was the hand he’d held in times of joy and pain.
Fuck, could he do this?
“Zane, I love you,” Bruce said. “More than my next breath. More than life.”
Get it done. Quickly. Don’t give him time to be afraid. To suffer. You owe him that much.
Zane kissed him. It was a gentle kiss, full of tender emotions. “I love you, too.” He kissed Bruce once more, drawing in his flavor, committing it to memory.
This would be their last kiss. Bruce’s final moment of life. They’d share it, and Zane would do his damnedest to make it sweet.
“I can’t live without you.”
“You won’t have to.” Zane kissed Bruce’s eyelids.
Bruce lifted his free hand to Zane’s face. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Moving swiftly, Zane released Bruce’s hand, cupped the other side of his head, and jerked it to the side, snapping Bruce’s neck.
Zane caught his body as it collapsed, lifeless. He kissed Bruce one last time and looked into eyes that stared blindly but reflected Bruce’s emotions during that final second of life.
There was no fear in their depths. No pain. No anguish. Only love.
Tears of sorrow and guilt blurred Zane’s vision as he sat, cradling the man he’d killed. He didn’t hold back. He let the tears come. The awful, gut-wrenching sadness blasted over him in a series of waves. Vaguely, he heard the knock at the door. But he lacked the strength to walk. With Bruce’s upper body lying over his legs, Zane curled over him and rode out the storm.
Mandy pressed her ear to the door again. Someone was crying. Was it Zane? Or was it Bruce? Maybe Bruce had decided to kill Zane? If he was capable of doing what he had to her, might he be capable of that?
Remember, he hired someone else to do the dirty work.
Mandy knocked. No answer. She pounded harder. “Zane?” she called several times. “Are you okay?” Still no answer. She listened, holding her breath so she could hear better. If that was Zane, he was sobbing harder than she’d ever heard a man cry before. He was in agony. She ran to the nearest bathroom, the guest bathroom. There were hairpins in that one. She grabbed one and ran back to Zane’s door. It was still closed. Locked. She straightened the pin, and within seconds she had the door open.
Zane was sitting on the couch, curled over a limp-looking Bruce. Zane was crying, unaware she was there. Mandy clapped her hands over her mouth to keep from making any sudden loud noises and crept over to him. She set a hand on his shoulder.
He looked up. His eyes were bloodred. His face was blotchy and wet. “He’s gone,” he said.
Mandy wanted to ask what happened, but she couldn’t. “Are you okay? Can I do something?”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stared down at Bruce’s white face. A long minute later, he said, “Tell me you love me, Amanda. Tell me you’ll always love me.”
“I love you, Zane. I’ll always love you.”
He lifted those grief-filled eyes to Mandy’s. It was hard to look into them, to witness such horrible anguish. “I killed him.”
Mandy’s heart jerked in her chest. She felt her lungs squeezing tight, pushing the air out. “You ... ?”
“It was the only way. He would’ve died in prison. A slow death. So much pain. Too much. It was better this way.”
“Oh, God.” Mandy’s knees were like jelly. She crumpled onto a nearby chair. She had just witnessed Zane’s second killing in a short period of time. The first had been pure and simple self-preservation. This one was different.
A mercy killing.
She would have never believed it, but she respected him more for doing what he had.
“I loved him,” he said. “If there’d been a way for me to die instead, to suffer for him ... Fuck. I have no right to live, no right to love. I have no right to your love.” Zane covered his face with his hands. “I’m a fucking animal. A beast. Look what I’ve done.” He gently moved out from under Bruce, standing. He tugged her to her feet and pulled her toward the door. “You need to leave. Now.”
“But—”
“I don’t want you to see any more.” He escorted her down the stairs, to the door. “You’re safe now. Go.”
Oh, hell no. Somehow, Mandy knew that if she walked out of his house now, she’d never be let inside again.
“You’re wrong.” Mandy took his hands in hers and turned to face him. “You love fiercely. With your heart and soul. I know now, after seeing you like this, grieving for a man you had no choice but to kill, that you aren’t a bloodthirsty beast. You will protect me, yes. But you’ll always think of me first. Just like you did for Bruce. I could never love and respect a man more than I do you. So please tell me ... please ...” A sob tore up her throat.
“Tell you what?”
She took a second to catch her breath. She was on the verge of losing this man, of having her heart ripped from her chest.
“Tell me I can spend the rest of my life in your arms, the rest of my nights at your side.”
Zane groaned. “Amanda—”
“Goddamnit, I love you.”
His gaze dropped. He pulled his hands free and shoved his fingers through his hair.
“You can shove me out the door, Zane, but I’ll be right there, waiting for you to let me back in. I’m not going anywhere. Period. I love you. You need me. You need love. You deserve love.” She blinked. Dammit, she was crying. “I need you.”
“But you deserve so much more—”
“Okay, you’re not the kind of man I’d once pictured myself spending the rest of my life with. I mean, you’re the epitome of the controlling alpha male, and I’m a headstrong, stubborn female. We’re bound to butt heads from time to time. And you’re not even technically a human. But after doing some soul searching, some talking to someone I trust, and even a little crying, I can’t deny the truth. I love you, dark secrets and all. There’s nothing you can say to change that.”
His gaze lifted to hers. He blinked. Then, moving so quickly she was caught off guard, he jerked her to him, gathered her into his arms, and kissed her.
So glad to be in his embrace, to feel his hard length against her, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him back. She let her lips, her tongue, her body tell him exactly how much she loved him. The message he sent back was just as emotion-filled and heart-touching. He loved her. There was no doubt.
When the kiss was over, he cupped her face and looked down into her eyes. “Be my wife. I want you. Only you. Forever.”
Her heart felt like it had taken flight. Those were the words she’d ached to hear. It was almost too wonderful to believe. She laughed and cried at the same time.
“So, is that a yes or a no?” he asked when she still hadn’t answered after several moments.
“One question.”
“Sure.”
“If I marry you, will you be snacking on me? Or will you be unleashing those fierce-looking fangs on someone else?”
“That is entirely up to you.”
“Good answer.” She flung her arms around his neck and gave him a great big kiss. “My answer is most definitely yes.” This amazing, mysterious, complicated vampire was hers. For the rest of her life. Her master. Her lover. Her fantasy-come-true.
Turn the page
for a sizzling preview
of Anne Rainey’s
PLEASURE BOUND
An Aphrodisia trade paperback coming November 2011.
1
Present day ...
She had sweet, gentle curves that the tight black skirt and light pink tank top couldn’t even begin to hide. Short blond hair framed a cute oval-shaped face. Pretty. Flirty too. Her smiles should’ve been pulling him across the room. Do it, dumbass. Walk over
to her, whisper some lame shit in her ear, and get laid. Great fucking advice. So, why wasn’t he listening to it? Easy. His dick wanted only one woman—and she was nowhere in sight.
Jonas slammed back the last of his light beer and stepped away from the bar. The neon lights, crowded room, and booming bass should’ve been exactly what he needed to get his mind off one Deanna Harrison. He had a feeling an earthquake couldn’t even manage to accomplish that goal.
After giving the little blonde a parting grin, Jonas headed out of the bar into the cold winter night. As he slid behind the wheel of his new black Dodge Charger, he felt marginally better, but not enough. Not nearly enough. He sighed and stared out at the darkness. Friday night and more than enough honeys to fill his bed for a week, and where was he? Alone. Again. “Christ, I’m an idiot.”
Shoving the key into the ignition, Jonas started the car. Listening to the hum of the engine as the beautiful machine came to life sent a shot of pride through him. He loved his car, but as he drove out of the parking lot and headed toward the highway, Jonas’s mind turned toward another beauty, Deanna. The way her eyes lit with mischief whenever she saw him. Only Deanna could make a smart-ass comment sound sexy. What would it take to slip past that exterior? To reach the passionate woman beneath? And she would be passionate; Jonas felt it in his gut. A woman like Deanna would burn him alive in bed. If he could ever get her to stop rejecting him.
Without thinking, Jonas automatically took the on ramp, which brought him in the direction of Deanna’s house. “Ah, hell. Clearly my dick is now in complete control.” The part of his brain that controlled rational thought seemed to switch off the minute the woman’s image slipped through the cracks.
As he approached her house, Jonas stiffened. There weren’t any lights on, which meant she was out. “It’s Friday night—of course she’s out.” With a guy? “Now that’s a hell of an ugly thought.”
Jonas drove up the street a little ways, then parked along the curb. No reason why he couldn’t wait for her to return home. He needed to be sure she was safe, didn’t he? Jonas got out of the car and locked it. Jogging the short distance to her front porch gave him a chance to think about his actions. Deanna was a grown woman. She had every right to date whomever she chose. To come home late. Hell, stay out all night. None of his business, of course. The logical discussion didn’t stop him from selecting the chair situated in the shadows of her porch. Dropping into it, Jonas pulled his leather coat around him tighter and relaxed, waited. His head started swirling with images of Deanna and some faceless stranger. Kissing. Touching. Another man’s hands stroking her alabaster skin. Another man’s tongue teasing her plump lips. His temper flared.
Please, for both their sakes, let her be out with friends.
When a car pulled into her drive, Jonas stiffened. Definitely not Deanna’s red coupe. The big, silver Lexus looked expensive, fancy. Is that the type Deanna went for? The clean-shaven, suit-wearing type? Jonas rubbed his jaw, then cursed when he felt the rough stubble there. Watching from the shadows, he saw Deanna lean toward the driver. He couldn’t make out any more than their shapes. Was she kissing him? Was the asshole staying the night?
“Not damn likely.”
When she opened the passenger door and stepped out, Jonas breathed a sigh of relief. She waved and the car started a slow glide back out of the driveway. Jonas waited. When she stepped onto the porch, he got a better look at her. She wore a pair of red heels and a matching slip dress with a little black shawl wrap. The dress hit above the knee. Classy, but sexy—and too freaking revealing for his peace of mind.
“Even though it’s winter and that dress is clearly not designed to keep a body warm, you sure are heating me up pretty damn fast.”
At his words, Deanna jumped and screamed. Jonas shot out of the chair and grabbed her by the shoulders in time to keep her from tumbling off the porch. “What the hell, Jonas? You scared the crap out of me!”
Feeling like an idiot, he mumbled, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
She shoved out of his arms and slapped his chest. “Why are you lurking in the dark? Are you spying on me?”
Her eyes flashed fire and ice at the same time. How did she do that? It captivated the hell out of him. “Who’s spying? I just came for a friendly visit.”
“You know very well you’re spying.” She bit the words out between clenched teeth.
He leaned close, inhaling her floral scent. Lilacs. She always smelled like lilacs. Delicate and gentle. Two things Jonas didn’t know shit about. If he had any decency at all, he’d leave.
“A visit, Deanna.” He stepped back and let her pass. “I’m not allowed to visit?”
She pulled open the screen door and shoved her key into the dead bolt. “No, you aren’t. Now go away. I’m tired.”
Her voice had lowered to a quiet, husky tone. It snaked up Jonas’s chest like a caress. It pissed him off that she could get to him so easily. “Is that why you sent your date home? Because you’re tired?”
She pushed her door open, then turned to him. “That’s none of your business.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Go home, Jonas.”
Jonas closed the distance separating them. “Let me come inside, Deanna. We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t,” she gritted out, her voice not quite as steady as before. “You need to go home and I need to sleep.”
His temper flared. “Why won’t you give me the time of day?”
Deanna shook her head and looked away.
Jonas cupped her cheek and forced her back around. He wouldn’t let her hide from him. Not ever. “This isn’t all one-sided,” he whispered. “This desire, you feel it too. I know you do.”
On a sigh, Deanna closed her eyes tight. “Just because there’s an itch doesn’t mean we should scratch it.”
Damn, her skin was as soft as flower petals. He stroked his thumb over her lower lip and found it plump, inviting. His dick hardened beneath his jeans as he imagined those full pink lips wrapped snug around his cock.
“An itch, huh?” he growled. “Is that the way you see it?”
She opened her eyes and stared up at him. The angry glare she shot him wasn’t at all what he expected. “You had your chance once. You blew it.”
Genuinely confused, Jonas dropped his hand. “Chance? You’ve shot me down at every turn, Deanna.”
She squinted and pointed her finger at his chest. “You took my brother’s side.”
He shoved a hand through his hair and prayed for patience. “Wade?”
“Yes. At Gracie’s apartment. When we were there helping clean up the mess that freak left behind. You sided with Wade. Some stupid nonsense about the sister code. Remember?”
Ah, it was all coming together finally. Gracie had been a client of his and Wade’s investigation business, but she’d quickly become the love of Wade’s life. Unfortunately, she’d been having trouble with a deranged stalker. When the creep had broken into Gracie’s apartment and tore it all to hell, they’d all rallied together to help Gracie put things back in order. Once again, Jonas had seen a chance to ask Deanna out, but she’d shot him down. Then Dean and Wade, her two overprotective brothers, had gotten involved. Jonas and Wade were not only business partners but also friends—an annoying little fact that forced Jonas to back off in his pursuit.
“Wade is like a brother to me,” he explained, “and he reminded me of that. It’s not cool to chase after your friend’s baby sister, Deanna.”
She quirked a brow at him. “And yet here you are.”
“Yes, smart-ass, here I am,” he said softly. “I talked to Wade. He’s still not crazy about the fact that I’m hot for you, but he’s not going to stand in my way either.”
If anything, her frown turned darker. “You asked for his blessing?”
“Uh, something like that, yeah.”
“He’s not my father, Jonas. I’m a grown woman. Wade has no right to interfere in my personal life.”
“Right or wro
ng, Deanna, Wade will always look out for you. Dean, too, for that matter.”
She sighed. “And let me guess, Wade threatened to castrate you if you hurt me. Is that it?”
Jonas propped a fist against the doorjamb, then wrapped his other hand around her waist to keep her from bolting through the open door. “The last thing I want is to hurt you, Deanna.”
Deanna’s slender fingers gripped onto his forearm. “No,” she whispered, “you just want to get me into bed.”
He let his hand move lower, until he was mere inches from the sweet curve of her ass. “I want you like hell. Just looking at you makes my dick hard. But there’s more than that between us.”
She shook her head, maybe a little too vehemently, Jonas thought. “No, there isn’t.”
“There could be,” he murmured as he dipped his head and brushed her lips with his. “If you’d stop playing so hard to get.”
The hand she had on his forearm tightened, but she wasn’t pushing him away. “I don’t want to be another in a long line of conquests, Jonas. This isn’t a game for me.”
“If all I wanted was a few hours between the sheets with a warm, willing woman, I would’ve taken that cute little blonde up on her offer at the bar I went to tonight.”
Her nails dug into his skin. “Cute little blonde?”
He nodded, enjoying the note of jealousy in her voice. It served her right, considering how jealous he’d been when he’d seen her in that Lexus. “She sent me all the right signals too. But the only woman I want isn’t in some bar.”
“She’s not?”
“Uh-uh. She’s standing right in front of me.” He looked down her body, his gaze snagging on the fullness of her breasts pressing so enticingly against the thin material of the dress. “And she’s so pretty too.”
Deanna dropped her hands and sighed. “I can’t do this, Jonas. Please.”
“Why? It’s just a date. We can go real slow, I swear.”
The satin skin over her cheekbones, the same skin he wanted to press his lips against, tautened. Jonas ached to take the starch right out of her. He wanted to watch her go all soft and rosy for him.