Midnight Temptation

by Shari Nichols

  Darkness fell over the sky, lifting the protective cover of twilight. Coming out here had been a really bad idea; in fact, probably one of her worst yet. She’d been so caught up thinking about her argument with Garrett, that she’d lost track of time. Her gaze darted around the deserted park right off Frank Sinatra Boulevard. From what she overheard Garrett say to Natalya, this wasn’t far from the area where the police had found the body of Serena Bensen. The thought sent a surge of adrenaline rushing through her veins. She fought the panic rising from her throat.

  Her music suddenly stopped, and her fear spiked. She glanced down at her phone. Crap, the battery was dead. With everything going on today, she’d forgotten to charge it. Dark clouds hovered overhead. A loud clap of thunder boomed in the sky and she jumped. A sense of dread twisted in her gut. The next moment, rain came crashing down in big, fat drops, soaking her straight to the bone. She ran for cover under a tree.

  Through the corner of her eye, a shadow passed and then disappeared from view. She tried to sense if it was a mage, human, or animal, but the rain made it impossible to detect. She crouched into a ball to stay hidden, wishing she hadn’t been so careless and foolish.

  The wind picked up, rustling the leaves and her heart began to pound. She wished like hell she could call Garrett. An image of him catching her in his arms at the hotel, and then another of him rushing through the door of Starbucks in search of her, flashed through her mind in a colorful montage. All he ever tried to do was protect her, even from the very beginning. The realization brought tears to her eyes.

  Even though she’d only been gone for a short time, she already missed him. If he was willing to try, then so was she. She was done with being scared. And she realized, as she got to her feet, she was running away from him when she should be running toward him. She’d been trying to avoid this very thing her whole life. But she didn’t want to run away anymore. Another shadow passed and the wind began to howl, making her whole body tremble. She willed herself to get it together and figured she had two choices, stay here and cower, or face her fear head-on. So she turned around and headed back to Garrett’s apartment, running as fast she could.

  Garrett paced back and forth across his basement. “We need to get a layout of the house.”

  “The moment you gave us the address to the party, we sent the Bat out to do surveillance of the outside.”

  The Bat was a fully operational, invisible drone that came with microphones. It could take photos and record video, yet was only the size of a matchbook. One of the many perks of going to work for MBI was that Alex got to play with all the cool gadgets. Once the bat was in place, they could get a feed of the other victims, and then they’d make their bust. He hoped it would be enough to put all of these bastards deep in the bowels of Hellios forever.

  “What’s the plan for covers? How will you get the rest of the agents inside the party?” Garrett asked, hoping like hell this worked because there was too much at stake for something to go wrong now.

  “Smith did some digging and found the name of the security firm contracted for the night of the ball. He had a little chat with them, and they were more than willing to cooperate. He posed as one of their guards, which allowed him access to the house. He managed to get in and discreetly lay surveillance equipment and microphones, so we can listen to all of Lawrence’s conversations. He cased the property, but sadly none of the women are there yet, or we’d send our guys in.”

  “Does Smith know where the women are being held now?”

  “No, but he overheard one of the guards say all the women will be brought in at some point before the party. Teague’s calling the builder to get the blueprints. After everything’s in place, we’ll have a better idea as to the rest of our covers.”

  “Speaking of covers, Sebastian Beam’s going to need a costume for the occasion.”

  “I’ll have one of our guys set you up with something. I wanted to give you a heads up on the credit card Lawrence used to pay for his hotel room. It’s linked to an LLC, some shell corporation operated by Malcom Von Scrivner. He has quite a laundry list of felonies, including money laundering and kidnap. He’s your sire?”

  Garrett gritted his teeth. “One and the same I’m afraid.”

  “There’s something else you should know. Joe Tate sent me the coroner’s report. He found traces of paint and wood chips under the nails of the last vic.”

  “It sounds like our killer could be a handyman.” Garrett pulled his notebook from his pocket. “I’ll check the address of the Macheo girl and see if there was any remodeling going on in her building.”

  “Good idea. Hold on a sec.” Alex swore under his breath. “I need to pull over, visibility’s shit. I’m driving and it’s coming down hard.”

  Garrett used the interruption to tune into the sounds coming from upstairs. He could only hear the storm raging outside. He couldn’t detect Gillian’s heartbeat anywhere in the house. “I have to go. I think Gillian took off. I need to find her.”

  “Call me back when you do,” Alex said, ending the call.

  Taking the stairs two at a time, Garrett called her name over and over again, but it was useless. He could tell by the icy sensation filling his chest, he was too late. She was already gone.

  Garrett searched the neighborhood, but Gillian was nowhere to be found. He tried to pick up on her scent, but it was lost in the rain. She’d stopped answering her phone. God, if something happened to her he would never forgive himself. Shaking his head, he refused to let his mind go there.

  Between the agents and his partner, they’d called all of the witches from the coven to see if they’d heard from Gillian, and so far, no one knew of her whereabouts. He reached for his cell out of his pocket and dialed Alex’s number again. He answered on the first ring. “Garrett? Nothing on this end. Any word?”

  “I still haven’t found her. She was angry when she left,” Garrett said, making his way back up his street, praying she’d turn up.

  “What happened?” Alex asked, sounding concerned. “Did you two get into a fight?”

  “Gillian said I didn’t understand her cabin fever, and perhaps that’s true. She’s insisting on coming with us to the party to sever Brooke from her blood bond. According to her, the potion only works using her blood, and Gillian must perform the spell at the same time, but it’s one hell of a risk. And it doesn’t excuse the way she’s behaving, taking off and acting reckless, putting herself in danger—worrying me sick.” Garrett picked up his pace, his fear mounting with every step.

  “Gillian is a ballsy witch. Look what she did to Greystone? And what about the flunky who came after her outside her shop? She messed him up with her hairspray trick. Like it or not, she can handle herself, Mulroney. We need to consider her help if there’s even a chance she can break Brooke from her blood bond. We can find a way to get Gillian into that party and keep her safe. I’m not about breaking the rules, man, but this time, we can make an exception. Take it from me, if you care about this girl at all, and I know that you do, stop acting like a prick. Put your pride aside and let her in. I made the same mistake with Willow and I almost lost her.”

  His words struck a chord. Panic gripped Garrett like a vice around his throat. “I’ve got to go. I need to find her.” He couldn’t let his mind contemplate the alternative. After he shoved his phone back in his pocket, his gaze darted up the block in search of her, but with the storm raging on, the streets were empty.

  When his phone remained silent, he started to imagine the worst. He decided to drive around the neighborhood to cover more ground and headed to his Jeep. With his keys in hand, he jogged up the block and spotted Gillian sitting on his front stoop.

  With his heart in his throat, he wanted to run to her—crush her in his arms. But he stopped in his tracks and stared, hoping she was real.

  She got to her feet when she saw him. Regret and desire burned in those gorgeous brown eyes of hers. “Garrett?”

  “Where did you go? I’ve been lo
oking all over for you, calling you every five minutes and you don’t pick up.” Did she know he’d been going out of his mind? If she had any idea just how much he cared, she’d probably run again in the other direction.

  “I needed some time alone, and then I came back to talk.” She pushed her soaking hair off her face. “I’m sorry about not answering my phone. I didn’t mean to worry you. I guess it would suck if something happened to your star witness,” she joked, looking miserable.

  “You think I was worried about you because you’re my witness?” Saying the words out loud filled him with pain.

  She shook her head. “No, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry for running away. It was selfish and childish of me. And I’m sorry for those things I said to you earlier. I didn’t mean to hurt you. My words were spoken in anger, and a whole lot of fear. I got frustrated. I realize now that you’re only trying to protect me and Brooke, but that’s not the only reason I ran.”

  He took a tentative step closer and remained on the sidewalk while the rain continued to pound down on them. “Why did you run?” he asked in a choked voice. “What was the other reason?”

  “I want to get close to you, and you won’t let me in. I’ve been trying to fight this thing between us.” She swallowed hard, and his gaze darted to the pulse point pounding at her throat. “And the truth is I’m not sure I want to fight it anymore.”

  Without conscious thought, his feet seemed to move through the gate to the bottom step. He gazed up at her wet, tear-streaked face, and guilt surged in his veins. For the first time in over a century, he felt alive again, and all because of her. Even if she didn’t know it yet, she was the one in control. She held all the cards in her hands. And it killed him that he’d hurt her enough to make her cry.

  “What are you saying, Gillian?”

  “When I close my eyes, it’s your face I see, your kiss I crave, even in my dreams. No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop.”

  Was he hearing all the things he’d been dreaming about for months? He continued to stare at her, and her gaze filled with such longing, it made his chest tight. “Do you understand what you’re getting yourself into?”

  “Nothing will keep me from wanting you, Garrett. I—”

  He didn’t let her finish. He climbed the steps, bent his head, and sealed his lips over hers. The taste of her was like a balm to his soul. Her tongue tangled with his in deep, velvety strokes, leaving him breathless. The kiss became demanding and possessive, filled with all the passion he’d been restraining for months now. She moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his neck. Shaking with lust, he pulled out his keys and reached past her hips, fumbling with the lock, his lips never leaving hers. The door slowly creaked open.

  With a curse, he broke the kiss, and alarm set in. “What the hell…”

  “Shh,” she soothed. “It was me. I forgot my key and used magick to open the door. I only came out here when I sensed you near. I needed to see your face.”

  “Gillian,” he whispered, breathing her in.

  His lips found hers once more. They tumbled into the apartment, and he kicked the door shut with his sneaker. After engaging both the deadbolt and flipping the doorknob lock, Garrett pinned her up against the wall. They tore at each other’s clothing. First, her soaked sweatshirt, and then his rain slicker hit the floor. He flicked the clasp on her bra and slid the straps down her shoulders. She shivered. The scrap of lace landed on the floor with the rest of the discarded, wet clothing.

  In the light from the hallway, he got a better look at her. The sight of her breasts, full and lush with dark areoles and rosy tipped nipples, made his chest swell. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

  If he was gentleman, he’d run a hot bath for her, make her a brandy, but right now nothing in the world could keep him from touching her, tasting her, making her come.

  “Garrett,” she breathed and looked at him with naked desire burning in those brown eyes.

  “It drives me crazy when you say my name like that.”

  He cupped her cheek and pressed his erection against her thigh to emphasize the point. Panting, he fought the need to take her right there against the wall like a rutting animal, but he couldn’t. He wanted their first time to be something special—something they’d both remember.

  “Baby, you don’t know how many times I’ve dreamed about doing this, of having you look at me the way you are right now. But I’m afraid I won’t be able to take it slow and sweet the first time.” Later, he’d cherish her for hours if she let him.

  “I hear slow and sweet can be highly overrated,” she said, breathing hard. “We’ve had six months of foreplay. I’m ready and I don’t want you to be gentle. I need you, Garrett, every part of you.” Her voice sounded raw like broken glass.

  She slipped off her sneakers and her soaking socks. He removed the last of her clothing, and she kicked them to the side. She stood before him naked, except for a black, lace thong. Not able to control himself any longer, his fangs descended fully from his lips, and he let out a growl. He tugged at the thong, and the sound of the rip echoed through the hallway.

  “I’ll buy you another one,” he promised between kisses.

  She curled her hand around his cock and rubbed him through the denim. He let out a low hiss. “It’s okay. If you recall, I have plenty.”

  “How could I forget? I haven’t stopped thinking about what you might be wearing under your clothing ever since.” He slid off his wet sneakers and rid himself of his jeans, pushing them down, and tossing them into the pile. Only his boxers remained.

  “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this.” She shook her head as though coming out of a dream.

  He could barely catch his breath to tell her all the things he wanted to say for months now. “Gillian, I vowed that if I ever got the chance to finally make love to you, I’d cherish your body and worship you for hours, but right now that’s not happening. I need to be inside you. Are you sure you’re ready for this?” He could barely restrain himself any longer. He rubbed his cock against her moist heat, wanting to explore every inch of her luscious body.

  “Please, Garrett. Don’t make me wait.” When her voice filled with need, something primal and possessive clawed at him. He captured her mouth with his in a long, deep kiss. With a playful nibble to the corner of her bottom lip, he curled a finger into her wet folds and groaned at finally being able to touch her naked flesh.

  When a sweet moan fell from her lips, he added another finger until her head fell back in ecstasy. His cock damn near ached and his tongue had gone fuzzy. She was so wet and ready, so perfect for him in every way. He rubbed and flicked his thumb over her tight little nub, taking her to the brink and back again, drawing out every breath and moan from her lips. All he wanted to do was give her pleasure.

  “Yes, yes, don’t stop, right there! She dug her nails into his back. “Garrett,” she whimpered. He gave her another open-mouthed kiss, savoring the taste of her.

  Her hips started to shake, so he increased the motion with his fingers. When she began to pulsate and tighten, he knew she was close. Her body shuddered, and then she went off like a rocket. Breathing hard, her head fell back against the wall. “Oh, God.”

  “Fuck, you’re beautiful to watch.”

  He kissed her temple and then pressed his forehead to hers. His erection throbbed to the point of pain. He rubbed it against her thigh, barely hanging on by a thread.

  “You need to say what you want, Gillian. Are you sure? Do you trust me?”

  “I do trust you, so much.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged him down in a passionate kiss. A fire spread from his fangs to his groin, threatening to overtake him. She moaned and clawed at his back, her urgency matching his own.

  She slid her mouth down to bite his ear and murmured, “I know what I want, and I want you, Garrett. Your turn to get naked, Detective.”

  He ran his hands up and down her arms. The heat from her skin whispered thr
ough his veins and seeped into his blood. “I think for once we can agree, Miss Howe.”

  A smile spread across her beautiful face. “It’s about time.” She tugged at his boxers, and his cock sprang free. Her brilliant eyes widened with appreciation. “Wow, just wow,” she murmured and continued to stare at him in awe, humbling him beyond words.

  He wanted this woman like no other.

  He lifted her into his arms, and she wrapped her long legs around his waist. In a tangle of limbs, he headed to the living room with her lips fastened to his and their breaths mingled together. His fingers brushed over her nipples and covered her breast. She let out the most exquisite sounds of pleasure. They didn’t even make it to the couch. He practically fell onto the floor, taking her with him, his body absorbing the fall. They laughed, and the sound became sweet music to his ears. Damp strands of her hair brushed over his skin, tickling his chest.

  “Garrett, we don’t have protection.”

  Her slender fingers reached down and traced a line from his forehead to his temples and then moved to his jaw.

  He silenced her with another long, wet kiss. “There’s no need to worry about a condom. Vampires can’t procreate, nor catch diseases.” His need for her frightened and exhilarated him all at once, and to know he could be inside her without barriers made it even hotter.

  A beautiful smile spread across her face. “Then we’re in business.”