“I think I may have found something. There’s a potion that cleanses the blood. But it requires the water from Sybil’s Cave.”
“Sybil’s Cave?” Gillian repeated. “I’ve heard those caves are seriously creepy. I thought that water only worked to cleanse a vampire’s blood. Do you think it could work on a human?”
Saje placed a hand on her arm. “I think there’s a good chance, but we’d need to ask a vampire first. I think that’s a question for your fake boyfriend.”
Chapter 19
Garrett stepped into a deserted corner of the bar with Teague on one side of him and Smith on the other. A glance over his shoulder ensured they were alone as much as they could be at a crowded restaurant.
“What did you come up with for my new identity?” he asked, relieved Kurt Lawrence had never gotten the chance to see his face in all the commotion at the penthouse. A part of him felt guilty for talking shop at his best friend’s engagement party, and the other part of him feared time was running out for Brooke Corey.
Smith handed him an envelope. “You’ll be going undercover as Sebastian Beam, a joint venture capitalist who travels all over the world and has lots of coin, but zero time for dating. You’ve been highly recommended by David Jackson, aid to Congressman Stevens, which gets your foot in the door. Once you make the formal inquiry about seeking a blood bond, using the intel we obtained from Greystone, we wire twenty-five thousand big ones to a Swiss bank. And if all goes according to plan, you should gain entrance into the Du Sang Brotherhood.”
“What do we have here?” Garrett patted the envelope before tucking it into the empty pocket of his suit jacket.
“The usual: driver’s license, passport, burner phone, and we even got you a black Amex card. Try to go easy.” Teague smiled and reached for a handful of peanuts from a bowl on a table. “After we get confirmation on the bank wire, then we wait for you to get the go-ahead and get the location for the next house party. All we need is proof that Brooke is there. Once we get an exact location, we send an invisible drone over.”
“That’s where we come in, bust up the place, and save the girl. Well, that’s the plan anyway.” Smith glanced across the room at his date. “Now then, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have a very attractive woman waiting for me.”
“Don’t let us stop you.” Garrett gave Smith a playful slap on the back.
He searched the room for Gillian. Every so often, he’d tune in to her and pick up on her conversation. So far, she was nailing the whole charade. It impressed him how she managed to handle herself and the other women. Her friends regarded her with genuine respect and affection.
Garrett turned his attention to Teague and held up his glass. “This sure as hell better work. It sounds like a long shot, and Brooke’s life is on the line, along with a lot of other women.”
“Keep the faith, man.” Teague took a swig from a pint glass. “I get that this has gotten personal for you, but you need to keep your perspective. How’s the whole pretend love thing going with Gillian? You two look pretty convincing.”
“So far so good.” Garrett tried to play it cool. “She hasn’t put any sort of hex on me, and we made it through the first few days without any bloodshed. I’d say that’s progress.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it’s a real drag pretending to be in love with a beautiful woman.” Teague smirked and angled his head in Gillian’s direction.
An image of Gillian’s long legs and shapely ass in her short, little cocktail dress flashed through his mind. A hot wave of lust crashed over him. “It’s not as easy as you might think.” Walking around his home in a constant state of arousal was a far cry from easy. And after their near kiss, he’d be forced to take another cold shower.
The lights dimmed and one of his favorite songs At Last began to play. Somehow Gillian must’ve sensed them talking about her because she turned, and those beautiful brown eyes found his in the crowd.
“Sorry, but duty calls,” he murmured to Teague and smiled wide.
He finished the rest of his scotch and set his glass on an empty table. Garrett crossed the room, passing Alex and Willow on the dance floor. They swayed to the music as they gazed into each other’s eyes. Seeing them, so clearly in love, warmed his heart and gave him hope for the world. It also made him more determined than ever to find Brooke and give her the same chance at happiness.
Once he made his way to where Gillian stood surrounded by her friends, he extended his hand to her. “May I have this dance?”
Color rose on her cheeks. “Of course.” She let him take her hand and lead her out to the dance floor.
When they were a safe distance away from the other girls, she leaned in close to him. “I don’t think this is such a great idea,” she whispered. “We’ve never danced together before and there are just some things you can’t fake.”
“I can guarantee that I’d never, under any circumstance, make you fake it, Gillian.” The quip made her blush even deeper, and he fought the urge to wrap her in his arms and kiss her right there. “Trust me, just follow my lead. Try and relax.” He gripped her waist possessively, and something raw and primal rose within. Even if this was all for show, the vampire inside of him wanted to brand her as his own, let everyone know she was his. But she wasn’t, not really. He had to remind himself of that simple fact.
“Do I have a choice in the matter?” Gillian asked with a grin and placed her hand on his shoulder.
Then he did what he’d been dying to all night long, he pressed her flush against his body. Her breasts crushed against him, and he wanted to groan, loving the feel of her curves. Amazed at how well they fit together, he glided them around the dance floor. Every eye in the room seemed to be watching them move to the soft beat of the music.
Her hips swayed, and from what he could glean from her body language, she wasn’t immune to him, not at all. A combination of relief and satisfaction gripped him hard.
“I’ve been picking up on some of your conversations, and you were amazing out there,” he whispered close to her ear, his lips brushing over her skin, earning him a shiver.
“I’m just trying to stick to the script. Did you hear the part about making a potion using the water from Sybil’s Cave to bring Brooke out of her blood bond?”
“I must’ve missed that part. There’s only one way I know of to break a blood bond and that’s to go cold turkey. Nowadays, certain drugs can numb the effects, but there’s nothing fool-proof I’m afraid.”
“Look, I get what you’re saying, but we need to try.” Maybe it was the flicker of desperation in her eyes, or the subtle catch of her breath. Either way, he couldn’t seem to say no to this woman.
“Vampires guard those caves twenty-four-seven. It’s going to take some finagling. Gaining access to the springs will be no easy task, but I’ll see what I can do.”
Her smile made his chest swell. “Thank you.” She glanced at their joined bodies. “You’re incredibly graceful for a man of your size. Where did you learn to dance like this?”
“In Vienna, back in the late 1800s, when I was a much younger man. The world was a different place then. Everyone danced. If you wanted to touch a woman in public, you had to dance with her.”
“I think it’s safe to say we were doing very different things in our youth,” she teased.
“I did hear something about you joyriding in Ellen’s car when you were underage. It seems you were quite the lawbreaker.”
Her lips curved into a genuine smile. “As I recall, some of the girls and I were playing Truth or Dare. It was a tradition of ours, and I never turn down a dare.”
“I’ve never played the game, but I’m familiar with how it works.” He ran his hand down her back.
The crowd began to tap their glasses to get the future bride and groom to kiss, pulling Gillian’s attention from him. With a flourish, Alex dipped Willow low, bent over her, and planted a long, deep kiss on her lips that resulted in a round of cheers and whistles. The tapping resumed, and it
seemed like every eye in the room became focused on them.
“Now this is a tradition I’m familiar with. Everyone’s watching. I think they want us to follow suit—prove that we’re a real couple. We should probably oblige the crowd.” He leaned closer and wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck. “Think of this as a dare.”
Shock crossed her face, and she pressed her hands to his chest. “You’re not going to kiss me right here in front of everyone?”
“No,” he said, angling his head closer to hers. “You’re going to kiss me, and if I were you, I’d make it look good.”
Gillian hesitated for a split second, then closed her eyes and pressed her mouth to his. At first, the kiss was soft and sweet, tentative, but when Garrett nipped at her bottom lip, a soft moan bubbled up from the back of her throat. It was like lighting a match to tinder. His hand tightened around her waist, and she molded against him. Her lips absorbed him like a drug. They tasted soft and sensual—purely male with a hint of scotch and mint. His tongue tangled with hers in slow, wicked laps. She met him stroke for stroke, losing herself in the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his erection pressed against her thigh, hard and incessant. Considering where they were, and what they were doing, her first instinct was to pull away, but she couldn’t. The kiss was just too good, and she’d been fantasizing about this for months. Her breasts grew heavy and aching, her nipples tight.
But then the voice in her head whispered, this isn’t real, which meant this ridiculous sexual attraction could only lead to one thing—heartache. With a gasp, Gillian broke the kiss and pulled away, panting.
The whole room erupted in a chorus of loud whoops and claps. She laughed, embarrassed and aroused. “What have we done?” she murmured, trying to catch her breath.
When her eyes met Garrett’s once more, she couldn’t mistake the smoldering heat burning in his. “I think we’ve proved our point.” He linked his fingers with hers. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 20
When they got back to Garrett’s apartment, he shoved the key into the lock, opened the door and let it slam shut. After he punched the numbers into the keypad on the wall, he made a beeline for the liquor cart. He poured half a glass of scotch into a sniffer and took a long swig. Sadly, it did nothing to tame the swirl of emotions raging inside of him. He held up the decanter. “Would you care for an after-dinner drink?”
Her expression grew weary. “No, and maybe you shouldn’t either. Haven’t you had enough to drink tonight?” A sudden heaviness filled the air, dampening the light mood from the party. Only a few hours ago he’d seen her laughing and smiling. He didn’t want to be the one to cause the tightening around her eyes.
“Liquor doesn’t affect vampires the same way it does humans.”
He wanted to caress every inch of her body, taste her beautiful lips again, and steal every breath. He wanted to claim her over and over again, give her unimaginable pleasure until she could take no more.
But he simply stood there brooding instead.
Gillian set her evening bag on the chair and took a step closer, resting her hands on her slender hips. “Garrett? What’s eating at you? I sensed something was wrong the moment we left the party. You didn’t say a word to me in the car.” Her beautiful brown eyes latched onto his and filled with hurt. “Is there something you’re not telling me about this op?”
“It’s nothing,” he snapped, and immediately regretted his tone.
Now she thought he was angry with her. The truth was he was angry at himself for being weak. Why couldn’t he leave well enough alone?
“I don’t believe you. You’re slamming doors and walking around here with a scowl on your face,” she pointed out. “What’s wrong?”
“All right, something is eating at me. I don’t know how to say it without shocking you.” He glanced down at his hands, and they now shook with lust. He imagined her lush flesh beneath his fingertips, learning every curve of her body. He looked up and concern flashed in those beautiful eyes, leaving him helpless to do anything but tell her the truth. Hell, he owed her that much. He left his glass on the cart and stalked closer to her.
“Try me,” she whispered in a soft, feminine voice.
He moved closer still, until they breathed the same air. Her delicious lavender scent invaded his nostrils, adding further to his torment. “Fine, you want the truth? Here it is. I can’t keep up this charade any longer. I know it hasn’t been easy for either of us, but all this pretending is killing me. The truth is I want you, Gillian. So damn much it hurts.” He exhaled and waited for what felt like an eternity for her to respond.
Her pulse pounded at her throat. She reached out to grip the arm of the barstool for support. The rush of her blood moving through her veins became music to his ears. Even if she couldn’t say the words, she felt it too. “Garrett, please don’t. What happened back there won’t happen again. I can’t do this with you.”
“You can’t? Or you won’t? I realize what I’m saying goes beyond the limits of professionalism. You’re a witness in a case involving family. But I just can’t keep this to myself any longer,” he said on a ragged breath. “I think about you all the time. When I hear your name or you walk into a room, I’m captivated. I have been since the very first moment we met.”
She swallowed hard and her eyes filled with desire. “This is too much to take in right now.”
“You need to hear this. In all my years on this planet, I’ve never met a woman with your strength or your courage. Your compassion and loyalty to your family and friends makes me want to be a better man.” His gaze swept over her, taking in the freckles across the bridge of her nose and the sculpted angles of her face. If he admired her for an eternity it still wouldn’t be enough. “You’re so damn beautiful, you turn me inside out,” he whispered, and pushed a silky strand of hair behind her ear, needing to touch some part of her.
“I don’t know what to say. There’s no denying your charms, Garrett.” Her breaths came out in soft, little gasps. She bit down on her full lower lip, and he wanted to do the same, devour her…explore that lush mouth of hers when no one else was around.
“Whatever you’re thinking I don’t like it.”
“I’d be lying if I said your reputation with women didn’t make me cautious.” She placed her hands on her temples and rubbed, looking torn.
“Gillian, there’s something you need to hear, something I’m not proud of. I started dating a woman right after we met.”
She turned away. “I don’t think I want to hear about you having sex with another woman, Garrett.”
He reached for her arm and turned her around to face him. “I slept with her thinking I could push you out of my mind. I knew immediately it was a huge mistake. It was your face I saw when I closed my eyes. All those times I came by the coven and poked around under the auspices of official police business, all I wanted was to see you. If that makes me the worst kind of bastard, then so be it. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
Trading barbs with her was something he looked forward to and found far more intriguing than anything that came before her. Without trying, she’d blazed into his life like a fireworks display, and he was still reeling.
Her mouth fell open, and she gazed at him in confusion. “If that were true then why didn’t you get my number from Alex or ask me out? Why wait all this time?”
The question gripped him like a hand around his throat. His entire body reacted, blood coursing through his veins like fire. “The truth…I’m a coward. I was too afraid you’d reject me and I couldn’t take that chance. The first time I saw you, Gillian, you took my breath away. I’ve never had that kind of reaction to a woman in all of my many lifetimes. At first, it scared the hell out of me, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get you out of my mind. Say you feel the same way. Don’t try and deny that there’s something between us.” He stared at her in a silent challenge.
Her beautiful brown eyes lit with a mixture of caution
and desire. “Yes, I feel it too. If I’m honest with myself, I’ve been aching for you for months now. I want you too, Garrett, more than I’ve ever wanted anything or anyone. But your past with women terrifies me. I’ve told you I have abandonment issues. Falling for a vampire would be like stoking the fire.”
Her words gripped him like a vice, a savage hunger spread from his fangs to his groin. She wanted him more than anything. His cock throbbed against the front panel of his dress pants to the point of pain. If she only knew how much he wanted her, it might scare her away.
“I understand you’re afraid, and you have every reason to be. I know what I’m asking and I have nothing to offer, no real future to speak of, but I can’t deny this attraction, and neither can you.”
“Garrett.” Her voice came out like a plea.
“I want this to be real. I want you in my bed.” He placed her hand on his chest, and she gasped. Her fingers burned a trail of heat through the thin silk of his dress shirt. “If I still had a heart it would be beating right now, only for you. Please tell me you want the same thing and put me out of my misery.”
“I don’t know if I can give you what you want,” she whispered. “My track record with men…”
He cut her off by placing his hand on her hip and bunching her dress into his fist. A surge of possessiveness rose inside him. “There are some things you can deny, but your arousal isn’t one of them. Jesus, I can smell you. I need to taste you. One kiss, Gillian, when no one’s watching.” He didn’t wait for her to respond. His mouth swept over hers, and a blistering heat ignited inside him.
He licked at her bottom lip, and his fangs grazed the edge, making sure not to draw blood. When she wound her arms around his neck, he delved his tongue into the moist heat of her mouth. He wanted to exhaust all the passion he’d been restraining—that had been building and simmering for months now like a slow flame. He took in the sweetness of her lips, not able to get enough, and a wave of desire washed over him.
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