by Addison Fox
“I’d like to see where people live,” she said.
“People? Like regular people or the famous ones?”
She squirmed a little. “People like me.”
People like Meghan Frost. He’d gotten pretty darn good at forgetting she was famous.
“Are you thinking of buying a place here?” He hoped not, at least not yet. Though her residency definitely could be extended, right now the contract was only for three months. Plus, if he were honest, he really liked having her living in the hotel.
Her shrug didn’t really answer his question. “I’m really just curious,” she finally said. “I just want to see where people like Celine Dion have their houses.”
“Most of the true celebrities live in seclusion,” he told her. “And we can’t access their estates. But I can show you where some of the rich have their mansions.”
She nodded, gazing out the window at the scenery. The dry dirt mountains weren’t a spectacular as the Rockies, but they carried their own kind of beauty.
Since the storms usually came from the south or southeast, he took her west, to the Summerlin area. “Red Rock is my favorite.” And also where his parents lived. “And not because of the two Arnold Palmer–designed golf courses or the huge clubhouse. But because the residents have access to the Red Rock National Park and Conservatory. It’s amazing.”
She regarded him curiously. “You sound like you’ve been there.”
“I have.” And that was all he wanted to say on the subject. “The community is gated, though. Most of the really nice ones are.”
They drove to the area known as The Ridges next. He stopped at a local coffee shop and they sat outside on the patio and drank their lattes. No one even spared her a second glance. Gabe couldn’t get over how ordinary she seemed. With the oversize glasses she wore today, only her high cheekbones and the perfect bow of her mouth gave testament to her amazing beauty.
He felt a flash of pride that she was with him.
After their coffee, they made a short visit to the edge of Red Rock. The storm clouds continued to gather, but so far he saw no sign of rain or lightning. Aware when it came on, it would be sudden, he wanted to keep watch just in case they needed to park and get out of the streets.
The gathering storm, though still far away, clearly made Meghan uneasy. She sat up straight, unable to resist constantly checking the sky. Sunny in the north and west, and gray in the south and east. A sight you only saw on the prairie or the desert.
Meghan sighed. Every time she shifted in her seat, he ached to pull the car over and kiss her. At one point, the setting sun reflected off a metal roof, making the rocks look as if they were on fire. Again, the urge to Rejuvenate stirred in him. He tamped it down, focusing instead on his desire for the beautiful woman next to him.
Unfortunately, at this point the two cravings mixed. Woman and flame, the desire for both, shot like lightning through his blood.
“Look,” Meghan gasped. “The storm. It’s closer. And moving quickly.”
So it was.
“No worries.” He kept his voice calm. “We’re heading back now. I promise you, I’ll keep you safe.”
The storm kept advancing as they made their way back to the Archangel. He avoided the Strip as long as he could, weaving through back roads with the assurance of someone who knew all the shortcuts.
When they pulled up to the valet, he looked at her. “Here we are. All safe and sound.”
She gave him a relieved smile as he took her arm and helped her out of the car.
They’d barely made it inside when the sky opened. Rain—not in drops, but a deluge—sheets of rain so heavy the visibility instantly became zero.
“Wow.” Meghan stopped and stared. “It doesn’t rain like that in LA.”
He nodded. “It hardly ever rains like that here, too. Are you ready to grab dinner? I have a reservation at the steak house, but I can cancel that if you’d rather go elsewhere.”
She swallowed, then lifted her chin and met his gaze. “I’d rather go up to your room,” she said. Somehow she managed to sound bold and nervous and sexy all at once.
* * *
Meghan thought she might choke on the words, but she’d never wanted anything the way she wanted this. Him. Naked, with his body deep inside her.
His gaze darkened at her words. “Come on,” he said, taking her arm as they rushed to the elevator. Once inside, the doors had barely closed before he hauled her up against him, letting her feel the proof of his arousal as he pressed against her. “Are you sure?” he growled.
Instead of answering, she pulled him down for an urgent and passionate kiss.
Somehow, they made it from the elevator to his room, still locked in an embrace. He fumbled with his key card, managing to get the door open. The second he kicked it shut behind him, he backed her up against the wall.
“This isn’t going to be gentle or kind,” he told her, his hands already underneath her shirt.
She tossed her head. Her grin felt as savage as her need. “Good. Because I want it hard, fast and deep. And now. Right now.”
A bark of laughter escaped him. “Me, too.”
His touch blazed a path of heat on her skin. A moan escaped her. “My clothes,” she managed. “They’re in the way.”
“All in good time.” With surprisingly gentle fingers, he tugged her shirt over her head before he eased the silky cups of her bra away. Once unbuckled, he let it fall to the floor.
She reached for him and he stilled her grasp. “I want to look at you,” he rasped.
The sensuality in his voice banished her shyness. Head up, she stood still, her entire body aching, and let him look his fill.
“Now it’s my turn,” she said, her voice a husky echo of her own need. She let her hands slide across his muscular abdomen, tugging his shirt from his pants and fumbling with the buttons.
“Here,” he said, yanking the shirt apart. He helped her undo his belt, the force of his arousal straining against his pants.
Throat dry, she carefully unzipped him, helping him out of his underwear so that he finally sprang free.
“Magnificent,” she murmured, longing to take him in her mouth and taste him, all of him. When she bent to do just that, he stopped her.
“Not yet. Not the first time. I want inside you first.” And then he captured her mouth with a kiss.
Openmouthed, she drank him in, showing him with her tongue what she wanted to do to the rest of him. Unbelievably, his body stirred and swelled even more.
“Now,” she ordered, panting as she tried to catch her breath. She wanted him to push her up against the wall. “Take me now. Please.”
Half laughing, half growling, he moved them both toward the bed. They fell together, side by side at first, as his hands and mouth and tongue sent currents of desire pulsing through her. She writhed against his touch, needing more than a finger inside her. Nearly mindless with need, she touched him, too, with her hands and her tongue, exploring all the parts of his body that she wanted—save one. That one, hard and huge, pressed into the side of her thigh.
The less he gave her, the more she wanted. Dizzy with need, she tried to climb on top, to settle herself over him and take him deep inside her slick, moist heat. Again he laughed, the deep sound of his masculine virility only making her want him more.
“Patience, little one,” he drawled. “Don’t rush things.” He grabbed a condom and slid it over the engorged length of him. Ironically, this only increased her frantic craving.
“I’ll show you patience,” she gritted, twisting enough so the tip of him pressed close enough that one swift move would have him inside her.
His laughter died. His gaze glittered dark heat. Rising above her, he used his large hands to pin her down. Moaning, she arched her back, and he took her nip
ple into his mouth, suckling until she thought she would die if he didn’t...
Then. And then, with one swift move he entered her, filling her. She gasped at the sheer size of him, and gasped again as he slowly began to move.
Her body throbbed. With each thrust, she met him halfway until the movements became a dance of explosive harmony.
The flames built, higher and higher, until she shuddered and shattered into a fiery flare of ecstasy. A second later, he followed her.
They held on to each other while their pleasure ebbed. She sighed, loving the sound of his heartbeat slowing against her ear.
She felt reborn, a new woman who’d risen from the ashes of her former self. About to voice this, she reconsidered and said nothing.
Outside, the torrential rain continued. Water roaring and wind howling provided the perfect excuse to snuggle under the sheet in Gabe’s muscular arms. Sated, she let her eyes drift closed.
His phone buzzed. They both glanced at it. It buzzed again and Gabe groaned and reached for it. “It’s Rafe,” he said. “He knows I’m spending time with you, so he wouldn’t be calling me if it wasn’t urgent.”
With a sleepy yawn, she snuggled under the sheet and shamelessly eavesdropped as he spoke to his brother. The short conversation had Gabe climbing out of bed and searching for his clothes.
“What’s happened?” she asked, sitting up but keeping the sheet pulled up to cover her nakedness.
“A flash flood. Water filled the lowest level of our parking garage. Some people were trapped. Rescue operations are under way. Las Vegas PD and the fire department are on-site now.”
Chapter 9
“What?” Meghan stared. “Here? How is that possible?”
“It’s rare, but does happen.” Gabe shot her a look, his expression unreadable. “Rafe says he’s been trying to call me for a good while now, but I wouldn’t answer my phone. I turned it to Vibrate, but I still should have heard it.”
Of course neither of them had. They’d been kind of busy. Still... His clipped words and tense jaw told her he blamed himself for not being there.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“No.” Eyeing her, he softened his bleak tone. “I’m sorry. I’d much rather spend the rest of the evening with you.”
She nodded. “If you’d like, I can wait here until you get back.”
“That’s up to you.” He headed toward the bathroom, made a quick stop to clean up and check his appearance, then went for the door. “I’m not sure how long this will take. I might be gone a few hours or until the morning. There’s no way to know.”
“I understand.” Instead of blowing him a kiss, which would have been corny, she smiled. “If I’m asleep when you return, just wake me up.” The huskiness in her voice left no doubt as to how.
“I will,” he said. And he was gone.
The instant the door closed behind him, Meghan knew she wouldn’t be able to nap, not now. All traces of sated sleepiness had vanished. Instead, she located the remote control on the nightstand and clicked on the large, flat-screen TV he’d hung on the wall.
Sure enough, the news had picked up the story. Propping herself up with two pillows, she settled in to watch. Startled, she realized the lower level of the parking garage was where she and Gabe had left his car with the valet when they’d arrived back. As the reporter talked about a white van with occupants still trapped inside, she realized but for a matter of timing, this could easily have been them.
* * *
Gabe mentally chastised himself all the way to the elevator. Once inside, he forced himself to let it go, aware if he kept this up, he’d ruin this potentially beautiful thing that had started between him and Meghan.
Instead, he emptied his mind, aware he’d need to focus on the current crisis. When the elevator let him out at the lowest level, he sprinted toward the parking garage area.
Turning the first corner, a small crowd of people blocked him. Shouldering his way through, he looked for Rafe’s tall form.
“There you are.” His brother spotted him first and grabbed his arm, moving him past the police who were keeping the gawkers back.
“How bad is it?”
“We got them out,” Rafe assured him, the glad news not matching the darkness in his gaze.
“And? What are you not telling me?”
“There were three of them. All men. They declined medical attention.” Rafe swallowed tightly. “While everyone was busy checking to make sure there weren’t any other people trapped, those three from the van disappeared.”
“Disappeared? That doesn’t make sense. They left their vehicle?”
Rafe nodded. “It was a rental. The police are checking now to see who rented it. It’s what we found inside that worries me.”
Somehow, Gabe thought he knew what Rafe’s next words would be before he said them.
“Weapons.”
Gabe swore. “Guns?”
“Some, yes. But there were also crossbows and containers of metal-tipped arrows.”
In other words, Hunters.
“We’ve got to find those men,” he said. “Did you get a good look at any of them?”
“Not really. Everything happened so fast. I was more concerned that no one was killed than getting an ID on the victims.” Rafe swallowed hard, a muscle working in his jaw. “I’ve got people reviewing the security footage now, but we may have no luck. The flood waters shorted out some of the cameras.”
Gabe squeezed his brother’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. You know they’re still here somewhere, lurking around. It’s almost the solstice. They’ll come out in force then.”
“Which definitely means we both need to be extra careful.”
“Agreed.” Every year, Rafe worried. And, given the sheer numbers of Hunters who showed up in Vegas every three months, he had good reason. This was why they’d built the cement bunker in their private garden to begin with. To protect them from alert Hunters. Though the hunt was centuries old, Gabe often wondered if a Hunter would know what to do with a Helios if they were lucky enough to catch one. Would they kill them? Or just try to torture information out of them? He hadn’t ever heard of such a thing actually happening, so he wasn’t sure. The gateway to the world of the Ancients remained safe.
“Looks like the rain has stopped.” Rafe pointed. Now, instead of sheets of windblown precipitation, they could actually see more than a few feet.
“Hopefully the water will go down.”
As quickly as it had come, it receded. The fire truck that blocked the street entrance to the garage moved off, lights still flashing. While Gabe and Rafe stood watching things return to a semblance of normality, a uniformed police officer came over.
“We’ve learned the guy that rented the van used an alias and fake ID. We can’t find any info on him, though we did get some photos from the car rental place’s security cameras. ATF has been called and we’re confiscating the weapons for them. They’ll likely run serial numbers on the guns to see if they’re registered to anyone. We’ve been talking to witnesses, including the rescue team, to try and get a description of the three men, but so far we don’t have a whole lot.”
“There was too much going on,” Rafe put in, his expression glum. “We’re hoping we might have some security camera footage.”
“If you do, please notify us.” The officer shrugged. “We’re going to keep a few of the barricades up until all of the water has run off. Just count your blessings. It could have been worse. At least no one was injured or killed.”
Yet, Gabe thought. The presence of Hunters in large numbers virtually guaranteed an incident of some sort would happen on the twenty-first. In their desperate attempt to find a living, breathing Helios, the Hunters sometimes latched onto an unsuspecting hu
man. The Archangel always discreetly upped their security force on those four special days each year. So far, they’d managed to stave off anything truly serious.
After the policeman had walked off, Gabe studied his brother. Rafe’s frown had deepened.
“It’s going to be all right,” Gabe said. “It always is. We go through this four times a year.”
“I know.” The determined tilt of Rafe’s chin lightened Gabe’s heart. “It just seems like Mother Nature is cooperating with them this time.”
“Or the opposite. Think about it. The flood almost ended them. While they managed to escape, they not only lost all their weaponry, but we now know for sure they’re here.”
“And how many there are.”
Gabe nodded. “True. Unless there’s more than one pod at our hotel. You know how Hunters are always competing with each other.”
His statement made his brother groan, which in turn had Gabe trying to hold in his mirth.
They both finally chuckled and the last remnant of tension dissipated.
“Where were you?” Rafe asked. “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
“With Meghan.” Gabe put a wealth of emotion in those two words.
Rafe grimaced. “I’m sorry, man. I hope this didn’t completely total your day.”
“Nothing, and I mean nothing, could ruin this day. Even this.” Gabe couldn’t help but give a quick flash of a grin.
“Wow.” After a second, Rafe grinned back. “It’s about freaking time.”
“Yeah.” Gabe took a deep breath. “I think this might be the start of something great.”
For whatever reason, Rafe’s laugh sort of irritated him. “Three months of something great, if you play it right.”
Though Gabe nodded, he realized Rafe didn’t really understand. When it came to Meghan, Gabe wanted more than just fun and games. Actually, he might be in trouble. Because Meghan Frost was a delicious puzzle he wanted to explore, piece by fascinating piece. Three months suddenly didn’t seem nearly long enough.
For the next several hours, both Gabe and Rafe handled damage control. The press, the customers, even the employees were shaken by what had just happened. Flash floods, though an ever-present danger in a parched desert like Vegas, were still rare enough that people were always shocked when they occurred.