Midnight Temptation

by Shari Nichols

  After getting bitten for the first time in over a century, Garrett’s stomach wanted to revolt. He held it together with one thought in mind—Gillian. By the time he parked his Jeep and walked the remaining block to Gillian’s store, the last fleeting colors of daylight seemed to bleed away into the sky. The sun slowly dipped below the horizon in a burst of orange fire. People bustled through the streets, coming and going from work on this crisp, fall evening. Leaves swirled through the air and landed on the sidewalk.

  If the spring water did as promised and severed the bond Lawrence had on Brooke Corey, then it was well worth the effort.

  Now he’d just have to wait to hear back from the Brotherhood. He hoped it would be soon. They were running out of time, and the investigation kept leading to one dead end after another. The captain had lost all confidence in finding the rest of Lawrence’s victims before one of his cronies killed again.

  He’d never gotten the chance to talk to Gillian this morning and hoped his midnight confession hadn’t scared her away. He found himself thinking about her all the damn time. His body tightened with need when he imagined finally taking her after all these months.

  When he got to the front of the store, he peered through the window and caught a glimpse of Gillian walking around. She wore a purple, silk button-down shirt. Black jeans showed off her long legs. Raw desire gripped him just looking at her. He tracked her movements as she took a seat on a stool. Then, he caught sight and scent of a young vampire sitting across from her. He appeared tall with shoulder-length, sun-streaked blond hair and a sleeve of tats emblazoned across his arm. His look practically screamed artist or musician.

  From the way the bastard unabashedly stared at Gillian, Garrett could almost guess the train of his thoughts—something along the lines of what she looked like naked. Jealousy and a powerful need to protect her rose up inside him like an angry monster. That was his fake girlfriend in there. He knew it was stupid and irrational, but he couldn’t seem to keep the swirl of emotions raging inside him in check.

  Gillian held up a tarot card to the encroaching piece of shit. He reached across the table and took it from her hand, his fingers closing over hers, and Garrett saw red. What if he was sent from the Brotherhood? Could he be checking up on her? Perhaps he’d been sent to scare her? Sure, his partner might be inside guarding her, but he couldn’t forget what happened the last time.

  With a curse, he marched through the front door and cased the store to make sure they were alone. He stormed up to the vampire and scowled down at him. “Hello, I’m Garrett, her boyfriend.”

  Natalya darted out from behind a bookshelf. “I believe that’s my cue to go. Have a great night everyone.”

  “Garrett? I didn’t hear you come in.” Gillian got to her feet. “This is Lucas. He's one of my customers.” She shot him a warning look for his rudeness.

  “Nice to meet you, Lucas.” He didn’t want to pull the detective card, but he couldn’t resist. Garrett flashed his badge. “The store’s closed.”

  “Lucas, you don’t need to go.” Gillian’s brows rose. Her eyes darted to Garrett’s and fire burned in their depths. “We were just finishing a reading.”

  Garrett pointed to his watch. “It’s past five. Time to go.”

  “I was just heading out anyway.” Lucas grabbed his jacket and stood. “I didn’t know you had a cop for a boyfriend.” His voice brimmed with disdain. “If you two ever break up, let me know. I’ll see you around, Gillian.”

  “I’m truly sorry about all this.” Gillian led him to the front, and with one last look at her, Lucas exited the shop.

  After she locked the door and closed the shade, Gillian spun around with her hands on her hips. “What the hell has gotten into you? I get that you have to be cautious, but he's a friend and a customer, not some stranger.” When he simply stared at her, she sighed, looking drained. “Whatever, enough about him. I’ve been sitting on pins and needles all day waiting to hear back from you. Did you get the water?”

  He tapped the front of his pocket. “I’ve got it right here.” He decided to omit the gory details about exactly what it entailed.

  “Oh, Garrett! I’m so grateful.” Gillian approached him, and he held up his hand.

  “This conversation isn’t over.” His tone came out harsher than he intended.

  She sighed. “We’re back to Lucas?”

  “He's a vampire, Gillian. Do I need to remind you of what happened yesterday? How about the day before?” His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten this angry. “Innocent women are showing up dead. You need to be more careful.”

  She nodded. “I get it, but I can’t shun every male that darkens the doorstep. He works next door at the hardware store for God’s sake.” She stared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. “I sense there’s something else bothering you.”

  “Dammit, he was flirting with you. I could tell by his body language, and I didn’t like it, okay?” Garrett growled, not able to keep the possessive tone out of his voice.

  “Seriously?” Gillian shot back.

  “Ahem.” They both turned to find Saje standing behind them with a sheepish expression on her face. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I overheard you managed to get the water. I’m going to finish the potion back at the greenhouse.”

  “You weren’t interrupting. I was just having a lover’s quarrel with my fake boyfriend,” Gillian said with a lift of her chin before her gaze darted to Garrett. “The potion should act as a kind of antidote to Brooke’s bond with Kurt. Can you please give Saje the water?”

  “I hope like hell it works.” Garrett took the small glass vial from the front pocket of his suit jacket and handed it to Saje with a nod. “Good luck. I appreciate all your help.”

  “It’s my pleasure. I’d do anything for Gillian and Brooke. They’re like family. I’ll be in touch. I think you two need some alone time.” Saje picked up a large, leather-bound book on the counter on her way out.

  Once the back door slammed shut, Gillian reached for a large key ring and began locking the glass cases around the shop, refusing to look at him.

  “I thought you understood that part of this cover entails us in an exclusive relationship. At least do your part to make it look believable.” Saying the words made his nostrils flare.

  She looked up at him and her expression might as well have said, “Screw off.”

  It took more than that to deter him. “Can we talk about this?” He shrugged out of his jacket and laid it on the stool she’d been sitting in. After he rolled up his shirt sleeves, he stepped closer to her. He wasn’t going anywhere until they hashed this out.

  “What’s there left to say?” Gillian used a candle snuffer to extinguish the numerous candle flames around the room. She closed out the register and then turned to face him. “Except for maybe, ‘you’re being an asshat, and that was a crappy thing to do.’”

  “Maybe we should start with why you’re deliberately trying to blow this cover? Unless of course, you’re interested in that guy?”

  Hurt and anger flared in her eyes. “Are you really going to ask me that question after last night?” She walked to the brick wall and flicked off all but one light, casting the store in a dim glow. “I told you already, he's a customer.”

  Garrett followed her, closing the distance between them. “Maybe I am being an asshat, but it sure looked like something was going on, and I think I have a right to know.”

  “Now you’re talking out of both sides of your mouth, Garrett. You want me to tell you if I’m interested in someone else when we’ve never talked about our respective love lives. Your reputation with the opposite sex is not a big secret. But do you think that’s in any way my business? No, dammit!”

  “Yeah? Well, that’s where we disagree because I’m making this my business.” He reached for her waist and hauled her up against his chest. He tilted his head to the side and his mouth clamped down on hers in a searing kiss. At
first, she resisted, pressing her hands to his chest. But then, as he deepened the kiss, she moaned and wound her hands around his neck. Her tongue darted into his mouth and tangled with his. A fuse ignited inside him.

  The kiss became rough and possessive. He wasn’t gentle, and God help him, he didn’t think he had it in him at this point. He wanted her so much and had for so long. Raw desire coiled down his spine and shot straight to his groin. He devoured her, taking her prisoner. To hell with what he’d said earlier about taking his time and going slow. All rational thought flew out the window when he saw her talking to another male. He needed to kiss her and touch her like he needed air. He wanted to wipe away any doubts from her mind and make her his.

  Her fingers dug into his hair, and she kissed him back with hot, fiery lashes of her tongue. Her sweet taste exploded in his mouth like ripe fruit. He smelled her arousal, which only spurred his own.

  He wanted to pleasure her, make her scream his name, but first, he needed her to be sure. With a gasp, he pulled back to gaze into her eyes. “Tell me you want this, Gillian, or tell me to stop.” He rested his forehead against hers, breathing hard and fast, his body strung tight with need. He’d let her dictate how things would go, even if it killed him. After what she’d been through, she deserved to call the shots.

  Her chest heaved and her lips parted. “Garrett, please don’t stop.”

  Those few simple words were all the encouragement he needed. His lips trailed kisses along her neck. When he unbuttoned the first button on her blouse, her breath came out in short, little rasps. When he sucked on her shoulder and nipped at her collarbone, she moaned.

  “I love how responsive you are. You drive me insane.”

  He unbuttoned the next button, and then the third, until her bra was exposed. And not just any bra, this one was black and lacy and pushed her breasts up to her chin. Staring at her, he licked his lips. He eased the cup down, exposing her areola and the rosy tip of her nipple. His erection throbbed and he pressed it against her thigh.

  “Gillian, you’re so fucking hot,” he rasped and closed his mouth over her nipple.

  She arched into him, whispering incoherent words of pleasure. He sucked on her breast and then moved to suck on the other one until she clawed at his back.

  “Your mouth feels so good. Don’t stop, Garrett.”

  His name on her lips made him wild. In the wake of his raging lust, relief washed over him. Despite her worries and distraction, she was right there with him.

  He shifted his hips so they pinned her against the wall. Then his fingers trailed up her leg to her inner thigh. He cupped his hand over her crotch, and she let out another moan. He felt her heat, even through her jeans. His fingers went to her zipper, and then his cell buzzed.

  The unfamiliar ringtone made him hesitate for a moment. “Shit, it’s my burner phone. It’s about the case.” When his breathing became normal again, he pressed a button and put the call on speaker. “Sebastian Beam here.”

  “Good evening, Mr. Beam. This is Jason Massey. I wanted to let you know that we received your paperwork along with your wire transfer. Everything appears to be in order. I’d like to welcome you into the sanctity of the Du Sang Brotherhood. There’s a party in Greenwich, Connecticut on Halloween that I’m sure you’ll want to attend. It’s a masquerade ball.”

  “I’ll be there. I’m looking forward to it. Send me the address.” Garrett ended the call and glanced over at Gillian. She watched him with weary eyes.

  He cupped her cheek. “That was good news. We may have found a way to rescue Brooke and all the other victims. Once we get the address of the house, we can send an invisible drone and get a visual on the victims. Then, we get the task force in place.”

  A mixture of hope and gratitude flashed in her eyes. “I pray this works. I can’t believe the party’s on Halloween. It’s when the veil between this world and the afterlife is at its thinnest and magick is at its strongest. This has to be a sign that we’re on the right path.” Squaring her shoulders, she gave him a hard look. “The potion Saje is helping me with requires my blood to break Brooke from her bond with Lawrence, and it must be done before the next full moon. I’ll need to perform a spell at the same time. You may not get her away from him without making sure her bond is broken first. So like it or not, Garrett, I’m going with you.”

  Chapter 23

  “This isn’t open for discussion. You’ve already explained to me how both the spell and the potion works, countless times I might add, and I’ve told you we will get your blood beforehand. You’re not going with me, and that’s final,” Garrett said in a raised voice and turned away from her.

  He grabbed his cell off the breakfast bar. It had been beeping nonstop since the moment they left the shop. “Are there any new leads about Brooke? What aren’t you telling me, Garrett?”

  They’d both changed out of their work clothes, her into sweats and sneakers, Garrett into jeans and a t-shirt.

  Moving from the dining room to the kitchen, their argument continued. “No one will see me. I’ll be wearing a mask. I can find a way to sneak in.” Gillian groaned and her eyes slid to the fridge. She got out a water pitcher, poured some into a glass and took a sip, hoping to calm down.

  No matter how hard she tried to convince him she needed to go to that party, Garrett wouldn’t budge. They couldn’t seem to get past this one sticking point, but Gillian wasn’t giving up.

  The protective look on Garrett’s face had ceased to be endearing an hour ago. “There’s no way to keep one eye on you and attempt to get Brooke out of there safely. Do I need to remind you of what almost happened to you the last time? You could’ve been killed. The women at that party, outside of the victims, will all be law enforcement. It’s no place for a civilian.”

  “I get it, but I’m not just a civilian. I’m Brooke’s family and a powerful witch,” Gillian shot back. “You said the agents will also be there to protect me. I’ll be okay. I wouldn’t take such a risk if I wasn’t sure I could pull this off.”

  “Gillian, you’d be putting the entire op at risk. You need to let the police and the agents handle this. I’m done with this conversation. I’m sorry, but this is a critical time in the case. I’ve got work to do,” he said and walked to the dining room where his computer sat chirping on the table.

  He took a seat in an armchair and began typing. His body language became stiff and unyielding. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get through to him. Whatever progress they’d made over the past few days seemed to fly out the window. His guard was back up.

  Gillian tugged at the collar of her sweatshirt, feeling like a caged animal. She needed to get outside and work off this anger. “I’ve been under fake light all day. I want to take a walk and stretch my legs. The fresh air and the trees will replenish my magick.” If she could get close to water that would be even better.

  “No, it’s going to be dark soon,” Garrett murmured, not bothering to look up. “It’s too dangerous. You need to stay put for now.”

  Something in her snapped. “I’ll tell you what’s dangerous, me staring at these four walls for days. I’m tired of being told what to do by you.” She was done with this whole, ‘I’m in charge’ detective routine. “You can’t keep me here.” She walked to the wall of windows and glanced at the gray, stormy sky and the first sign of the moon looming above the clouds.

  “You’re being unreasonable, Gillian.” Garrett came up behind her and drew the blinds. Then, he glanced over at her with a sigh. “I understand this must be difficult for you. We’re so close to getting Brooke back. You need to be patient a little while longer.”

  “You’ve been asking me to be patient, and I have, but it’s not about having patience.”

  What if the potion or the spell didn’t work and they couldn’t bring Brooke back from the blood bond? Her stomach twisted into knots thinking about the story of his sister going mad. Gillian couldn’t bear the thought of the same thing happening to Brooke. There were too ma
ny ‘what if’s’ and risks to calculate. Her mind blurred with all the things that could possibly go wrong.

  “This is about me not following your rules.”

  “You need to stop right there.” His gaze bore into hers as he took a step closer.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why? What are you going to do? Don’t pretend you understand what I’m going through. This case doesn’t touch you personally. There’s nothing at stake for you, Garrett. No one for you to lose.” The moment she said the words, she regretted them. Her hand flew to her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be so callous. I’m not thinking clearly.”

  “You’re right. I have no family to speak of anymore.” His voice sounded hoarse. “And while I did experience something similar many years ago with Sadie, I don’t know what I’d do, or how I’d feel in your shoes. All I can offer you is my word. You need to trust me.” His phone buzzed. He lifted it up and glanced at the screen. “I’m sorry. I need to take this in private. Stay put.” He put the phone to his ear and headed downstairs into the basement.

  Her skin burned under the thick cotton of her sweatshirt. The sensation of being caged in became overwhelming and sent her in a tailspin. Before she said something else she regretted, she decided to go for a run and clear her head. She stalked to the barstool and grabbed her phone, along with her earbuds out of her purse. With a deep breath, she headed for the front door, risking the chance of a vampire lying in wait, ready to pounce on her. But she desperately needed to do something with the blazing anger and uncertainty boiling up inside of her.

  She jogged down Garden Street at a steady pace with Snow Patrol blaring in her ears. Her heart pounded in her chest. But if she didn’t work off some of this angst, she’d lose her mind.

  After a few blocks of pulling fresh air into her lungs, she started to feel better. With every step, some of her anger and frustration melted away. Her head began to clear as she edged closer to the river. When she slowed down and took deep, steadying breaths, her mind drifted to Garrett. She didn’t know why he had managed to get under her skin more than any other person. The pragmatic voice in her head seemed to know the reason. A sense of love radiated from her chest, the kind she’d never felt before. The feeling enveloped her entire body and scared the living hell out of her. A sharp pang cut through her and made her ache. Now looking back, she’d been the one who’d been unreasonable.