A Vampire's Promise

by Carla Susan Smith

  His hair shimmered in the glow of Francine’s dashboard lights. It looked silky and heavy, and I wondered how it would feel in my hand . . . or brushing across my skin.

  “Necessity, to begin with.” He glanced over at me. “But now I don’t think I could function during the day.”

  “Is this because of your job?”

  “Partly.”

  He was being vague—in the nicest possible way, of course—but I wasn’t so out of it that I couldn’t tell when a door was being closed on me. This was a man with secrets. Of course, everyone has secrets; it’s just that some are similar to keeping a tiger in a cage. You never know how dangerous it is until you rattle the bars. I decided not so much to rattle as to give a little shake.

  “What is it you do again?” I asked, with as much innocence as I could muster.

  “Oh, this and that.”

  Same thing he’d told me earlier. I looked over at him. His face was turned away as he concentrated on merging Francine into traffic. There were more cars on the road at this time of night than I would have guessed.

  “Are you in the import-export business?”

  I watched his eyebrows pull together in bewilderment. “Why would you think that?”

  Movies involving drug dealers—successful ones, that is—always show them working in the import-export business. I figured it was based on something factual because this and that was not an occupation. It was a way of telling me not to poke my nose into something that didn’t concern me. If he had a legitimate occupation, he would tell me, so all I could do was speculate that he was involved in something that was possibly illegal.

  Just because he doesn’t want to tell what he does doesn’t automatically mean he’s a criminal. There are plenty of occupations that, out of necessity, are performed at night.

  For some strange reason my inner bitch was taking Gabriel’s side. Pursing my lips, I shut her down, even though I admitted the truth of her statement. Maybe I was watching too much TV.

  “I have absolutely no idea why I said that,” I said with a smile, leaning my head back against the seat and closing my eyes. “I don’t make much sense when I’m tired.”

  The rest of the ride back to Rosie’s was uneventful, and silent as far as conversation went. I kept my eyes closed because I had a feeling that, given the opportunity, Gabriel might start questioning me again about my blackout. I couldn’t say he would, but there was something in his face that made me think he wasn’t buying my version of the event.

  Through half-closed lids, I saw his long fingers turning the dial on the radio as he searched for a station. His car was a classic, and I thought his sound system might need an upgrade. I changed my mind when the sound of something classical and surprisingly soothing spilled out of the dashboard.

  “Too loud?” He took his eyes from the road long enough to glance over at me.

  “No, it’s lovely.” I graced him with a real smile before turning my head so I could stare out the window, watching the dark night rush past us.

  There had been no respite with my eyes closed. Instead, I had been able to reassemble the image of Gabriel holding me in his arms much too clearly. It felt so real I could taste the sweat beading on his chest, hear the steady rhythm of his heart beating, see the fascinating way his eyes changed from normal to . . . I don’t know what. The physical hold he had on me leapfrogged to a scale I had never known before. My pelvis suddenly flared with a raw ache, as if reminding me. How was he able to do this to me?

  I searched for some sort of rational answer. Was this what people meant when they said they were instantly attracted to someone? Picking up on pheromones that caused a chain reaction directly linked to their libido? Or was I just hallucinating without the help of hormones? I had absolutely no idea. The only certain thing I was able to hold on to was the fact that I have never felt such an overwhelming urge to get inside a guy’s pants as I did right now. And I really needed to put some distance between the two of us before I did, or said, something stupid.

  Upset at being disregarded, my inner bitch chimed back in, dispensing one last piece of advice. Men like him don’t go out with girls like you . . . and they don’t sleep with them either.

  The neon sign for Rosie’s had been turned off, although there were a few lights still shining through the windows. Some last-call drinkers and the bar staff cleaning up would be my guess. I wondered if Miss Juicy was one of them. Saturday was probably a good tip night. I hoped Gabriel didn’t want to find out.

  Francine slid over the gravel toward the POS, which looked positively forlorn. The monster wheel guardians were long gone, leaving her all alone. Pulling alongside, Gabriel killed the engine and got out. Coming around, he opened my door for me, and even though he’d done it earlier, I was still flattered by the gesture. Most guys these days wouldn’t have bothered. I gave him my hand as I got out, moving forward as he shut the door behind me. He gently muscled me back until I was pinned against the car. Tipping his head, he looked down at me, frowning just a little.

  “What did I do wrong?”

  His question took me by surprise, and I drew in a sharp breath. He was close enough that my breath also caught the scent of him, which made my head spin and my stomach roll in a really good way. I immediately became flustered. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Then why are you angry with me?”

  I stared back up at him, feeling my own forehead furrow in puzzlement. “I’m not angry with you.”

  “Could’ve fooled me.”

  Where the hell was this coming from? He stepped back, and my head began to clear, letting me see the expression on his face clearly. It told me that, as far as he was concerned, there was a problem, one that was escalating. He wasn’t going to be satisfied until it had been resolved one way or the other. Trouble was, I had no idea what was going on.

  “Why did you shut me down in the car?” He took a step toward me. “And don’t give me that bullshit about being tired. I thought we were having a good time.”

  “We were—I was!” I protested.

  “So why the change in attitude?”

  I dropped my eyes, afraid that he would read the truth in them. What was I supposed to say? Looking at you makes me want to see how big the back seat of your car is, especially from a horizontal position? Somehow, I didn’t see that going over too well. The only vibe I’d gotten that he was physically attracted to me had come via my little sex fantasy. Sure, he’d held my hand in the movie theater and behaved possessively in front of his Russian pal, but that was a far cry from saying I want to jump your bones. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to look at him. Aw, shit—no fair! He’d folded his arms across his chest.

  “Trust me, Gabriel,” I began, “you didn’t do anything wrong. The problem is with me—”

  The angry, impatient breath he blew out cut me off. Okaaaay. Apparently he didn’t much like where I was going with that one. I decided to try a different approach. Honesty. Shit.

  “Look, it’s been a while since I last went on a date, and to be honest, I never was much good at them to begin with.” I saw his shoulders relax. “When I arrived here tonight I was going to tell you the whole date thing was a mistake and we should just forget about it.”

  “Then why didn’t you?”

  “I don’t know . . . I honestly didn’t think I would have to . . .” He looked puzzled. “I thought you’d be a no-show.”

  He looked insulted that I considered him capable of such a thing. “I wouldn’t do that,” he said stiffly.

  “Yeah, well . . .” I scuffed the toe of my boot in the gravel, kicking up a gray cloud of dust that dulled the polish. Keeping my eyes downcast, I continued. “Anyway, when I got here tonight you didn’t really give me a chance to speak, and you still seemed to want to go out with me, so I thought what the hell, let’s give it a whirl and see what happens, and . . .”

  “And?”

  I raised my head. “And I had a good time.” I could see a glint of frustr
ation in his eyes. I didn’t blame him. As excuses went, this was pretty lame. I plowed on before he had a chance to stop me. “So much so, it made me nervous. I was opening up to you in ways I’ve never done before, certainly not on a first date, and I think being so comfortable with you . . . well . . . I’m just not used to it.” He stared at me with a look I couldn’t read. “Believe me, Gabriel, you did absolutely nothing wrong.” I shoved my hands in the front pockets of my jeans and hunched my shoulders up to my ears, feeling like I was twelve.

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded miserably. “Yeah . . . I’m sure.”

  There was a long pause before he said, “Do you promise to tell me if I do?”

  My heart skipped a beat, and an unexpected warmth bloomed in my chest. Not the fiery burn-a-warehouse-down-to-the-ground inferno that I had felt before, but more of a nice roasting-marshmallows-over-a-campfire heat. Gabriel had phrased his question in the present tense.

  “You can trust me on that one,” I said with a shaky laugh.

  Completely at ease, he came forward, his wide shoulders blocking the sight of my car and reminding me just how big he was. “I really had a nice time tonight as well.”

  He softened his tone, changing it to a husky whisper that was ten times worse than the liquid silk. I could feel my spine start to liquefy, and I pressed myself back against the Fairlane so I wouldn’t fall down. The image I’d seen before in my brain seizure suddenly flashed in my head. I closed my eyes and saw him as he was then, all muscle and golden skin. And very, very naked. I swallowed. He noticed.

  “Rowan?” Mild concern sounded just as good delivered in the same husky voice.

  “I’m fine, really, I’m fine.” This whole reassuring thing was becoming exhausting.

  “Would it be okay if I called you?”

  It took me the space of two heartbeats to realize that the planets and stars were in perfect alignment, and the gods were smiling down on me. This really was my lucky night. I didn’t know if I was glowing; I felt as if I should be, but I was certain that if not for the couple of tons of steel propping me up, I definitely would have fallen down. My legs were that unsteady.

  Gabriel leaned back, watching my face. I couldn’t begin to imagine what it was he saw, but I tried to be cool and behave as if stunning men who dripped massive amounts of sex appeal asked to call me all the time. I know I failed miserably.

  “Um, that would be nice,” I said, hearing my phone number fall out of my mouth before I could change my mind.

  He repeated the string of seven digits once, committing them to memory, and then leaned back toward me. Placing his hands very deliberately on Francine’s powder blue roof, he caged me with his body. I reached up and put a palm tentatively on his chest. He was solid, all muscle, and suddenly the idea of seeing him stripped down became nerve-wracking, especially when I thought of how soft my own body was. I made a mental note: first thing Monday morning I was going to join a gym and tone up. Leaning his head a little farther forward, Gabriel brought his mouth to my ear. I found myself hypnotized by the hollow at the base of his throat.

  “May I?” he whispered.

  I raised my chin so I could look in his eyes. Big mistake. They were huge and luminous, framed by thick, dark blond lashes; I could see shades of green hidden in their depths. I wanted to jump off the edge and drown in them. “May you what?” I must have missed something.

  “Kiss you.”

  I didn’t say anything, I couldn’t say anything, but I didn’t need to. Gabriel took my silence as implied consent and leaned forward, his mouth on mine. And he knew how to kiss.

  I suffered a pang of disappointment when he pulled away, wishing the moment had lasted longer, but when I opened my eyes I saw the look on his face change. It became hungry and wanting. He pulled me into his arms, and I molded myself against him, my arms going up around his shoulders, hard muscles flexing beneath my hands as the powerful strength of his torso pushed back against me.

  And this time he really kissed me. It wasn’t his eyes I should have been worrying about, it was his tongue. Velvet soft, it teased the corners of my mouth before gliding smoothly inside. Probing gently, he filled me with the promise of things I didn’t even know I wanted. Keeping one hand cupped behind my head so I couldn’t pull away, he dropped the other to my breast, caressing the fullness as he ran his thumb over my nipple. Even through the shirt and lacey cup of my bra, it burst into life, becoming erect under his guidance, begging for more. His hips surged forward, his spine clenched and his erection pressed itself into me. I felt, rather than heard, him groan in frustration at the barrier of clothing that stood between us.

  “Rowan!” he murmured urgently against the corner of my mouth.

  I didn’t know my name could sound so erotic, and it felt good to know I wasn’t the only one who wanted to get horizontal. And then the reality of what was happening, what I was hoping for, gave me a wake-up call. Images of my past failures in attempting sex rushed into my brain. Every muscle in my body froze, making Gabriel immediately pull back and stare down at me.

  “Goddammit!” He ran it all together like one word. “I’m sorry, I should have known better. Too much, too soon, right?”

  “No, you’re just fine,” I reassured him, my voice breathy.

  While I was thrilled to know he felt the same attraction I did, I was also scared to death that this would turn into another dismal failure. And I couldn’t bear to have that happen. Not with him.

  Before this moment, sex had never been a subject that I spent a lot of time obsessing over. I’m pretty sure my prior unsuccessful attempts were the reason for my disinclination to review the matter. The prospect of sex leading me into foolish or reckless behavior had always been laughable, until now. It had been a while since I’d had anything more than a lukewarm interest in a guy, but what was running through me now was a ravenous force that threatened to overwhelm me. An oxyacetylene torch had fired up, and my body was responding to Gabriel with a need I didn’t know I was capable of feeling.

  Unfortunately, this newfound lust, no matter how compelling, also brought with it a major obstacle. My relative lack of experience with sex. Of course I know all the mechanics. I was probably one of the few kids who actually paid attention in sex ed class, and I have a more than passing knowledge of foreplay, but I’ve never actually closed the deal. As far as sex goes, I’ve only got my learner’s permit.

  My brain suddenly balked at the idea of telling this walking aphrodisiac the full extent of my inexperience. Even if gut instinct said he would have no problem finishing what he started. Broken zipper? Hah! He’d just rip the offending article of clothing off with his bare hands. Muscle cramps? Plow right through them! Premature ejaculation? Never gonna happen!

  With Gabriel I had the feeling there would be no frustrated, unfulfilled promises. This was a man who could realize every sexual fantasy I had, and then give me some I hadn’t even thought of. So would it be too terrible to let him figure out for himself that I was still technically a virgin? Provided of course we actually made it to the naked-in-bed scenario.

  Abruptly he let go of me and stepped away. The expression on his face was searching. Without thinking, I looked at his erection pushing hard against the denim of his jeans, my brain as scrambled as my libido.

  “I need to go home,” I muttered awkwardly.

  My body protested, screaming for more up-close and personal contact with his. Perhaps Gabriel was right. It was too much, too soon, and tempting as the back seat of his car might be, I didn’t want to do something I would later regret. If I was going to lose my virginity, then it would happen in the proper surroundings. And preferably in a bed.

  Gabriel stared at me, and I saw something in his face I hadn’t noticed before. A sudden vulnerability. In a flash of intuition I realized that in spite of his good looks, or perhaps because of them, I wasn’t the only one holding something back. Being beautiful can open up a lot of doors, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they al
l should be opened. Some are best kept closed. And tightly locked.

  Yeah sure, Gabriel was drop-dead gorgeous, a feast for the eyes in more ways than one, but there was more to him than that. There had to be. How often had anyone ever bothered to look beneath the surface to see what was behind the window dressing? What dreams did he have? What hopes? What fears? I wasn’t the only one who needed some reassurance.

  “You’re gonna call me, right?”

  Lifting his head, he gave me a look that was so sensual it almost took my breath away. “Yeah, I’m gonna call.”

  I nodded, not trusting my voice to speak. Another look like that and to hell with regrets, I’d let him take me across the hood of the Fairlane any way he wanted. I turned with my hand on the door of the POS. “Can I ask you something?”

  He inclined his head. “Of course.” He was, if nothing else, unfailingly polite.

  “What were you doing out here last night?” I nodded toward the building at the other end of the lot, noticing it was completely dark now. “Really.”

  A slight hesitation, barely an intake of breath, but I noticed it. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

  “Oh c’mon, let’s not play games.” This had been bugging me ever since I first saw him leaning against the bar. “You don’t belong in a place like this, no matter how much you try to dress down, and I don’t think any woman in her right mind would stand you up.”

  “Why not? You thought about doing it.”

  Ouch. “Yeah, but I didn’t follow through, did I?”

  He smiled at me, a heartbreaking lift of his lips. I had to stop myself from reaching up and putting my fingers against his mouth.

  “I never said I was stood up.” No, he hadn’t. “I only said I was waiting for someone.” He looked thoughtful. “So tell me, Rowan, where do I look like I belong?”

  I could feel my cheeks heating up as I shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know, some swanky nightclub in either L.A. or New York.” And with someone who looks like Katja on your arm, I added silently.