by Addison Fox
She could list numerous people right off the top of her head, all show-business types. She’d learned loyalties didn’t run deep among the party crowd.
“Thank you,” she said instead, smiling up at him, her heart full. “You’re a kind and generous man.”
“I hate to interrupt this lovefest,” a voice said to the left of them. “But do you mind if I join you?”
Rafe.
“Of course not.” Gabe grinned. “Order a drink and take a seat. Where’s your lovely fiancée tonight?”
“Working.” Rafe sounded glum. “We have lots of holiday parties, and she’s overseeing all the florists who are doing the decorations. I haven’t seen much of her today at all.”
“It’s almost over,” Gabe said. Under the table, he nudged Meghan with his thigh, sending heat through her.
Rafe got his drink, a dark beer, and sat. They made small talk, all the while Gabe worked his hand up Meghan’s thigh. Finally, she grabbed his fingers and stopped him, unable to bear the embarrassment if his brother learned what he was doing.
The talk turned to the ongoing investigation about the shooter. “The police still have no leads,” Rafe said. “Have you given any thought as to where you might have seen that guy before?”
Meghan shook her head, glancing up in time to see Gabe shoot his brother a warning glare. “What?” she asked, looking from one man to the other. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Gabe sighed. “Rafe watched one of your music videos and saw a man in a gray hoodie sitting in the wings. It was hard to get a good look at his face.”
“Which video?”
“‘Melancholy Reset.’”
“Seriously?” This time, she had to laugh. “You didn’t recognize the guy wearing the hoodie? He’s even more famous than I am. He performed later in the video.”
“No.” Rafe shrugged. “I didn’t watch the entire thing and I’m not really familiar with your kind of music. Who was it?”
“Leoculous. He’s a popular rapper.”
After a second of stunned silence, Gabe laughed. “Well, I guess that proves there are a lot of men who own gray hoodies, bro. Just like I told you.”
Rafe gave them both a sheepish smile. “Sorry. But when you said that guy looked familiar, and I saw someone in a similar outfit in the video, I thought maybe I’d found the connection.”
“Good try.” Still chuckling, Gabe put his arm around Meghan’s shoulders and pulled her closer. “I feel reasonably confident that he wasn’t here at the Archangel, setting fire to our poker table.”
Chapter 13
After his brother left, Gabe and Meghan wasted no time hurrying up to his room. This time, he resolved to go slower. Every time they touched, he rapidly lost control. And with tomorrow night being the solstice and his Rejuvenation, he’d have to maintain restraint over his passion more than ever. He felt confident he could control himself until the Rejuvenation. Helios knew, he’d done it often enough.
But Meghan? He was powerless to resist her.
Once inside, they came together like a blazing inferno. They shed their clothes, each of them with a craving too urgent to be denied. Though initially, Gabe tried to stick to his resolve to go slower, when his skin touched hers he lost all restraint.
Together, they were explosive. When he and Meghan made love, the act felt like a form of rebirth in its own way.
He could love this woman, he realized. His insides flip-flopped as he realized this truth. He might already love her, not the fleeting, heady love of initial intoxication, but a deep, abiding and unshakable emotion.
With that thought, he fell asleep holding her in his arms.
The morning of the solstice he woke up ready, every nerve ending tingling. Aware. Being so physical with Meghan had helped calm the innate restlessness that usually intensified on that morning, right up until he actually Rejuvenated.
Still, a sense of nervous anticipation had him wanting to pace. Instead, he lay in his bed next to her and watched her sleep, his chest tight with affection.
When she stirred, her breath catching as her amazing green eyes flew open, he couldn’t help but smile. “Good morning.”
“Mmm.” Propping herself up on her elbows, she squinted at him. “I don’t suppose you have coffee?”
“Not yet.”
Her groan made him laugh out loud. “What do you have planned for today?” He wanted to make sure she stayed busy. The one thing he couldn’t do was let anyone interrupt or interfere with his Rejuvenation. The event didn’t take long, though when in the midst of burning his body to ash it felt like it took hours.
After, he always felt a little sore, his newborn skin pink and tender until he’d gotten a good night’s sleep.
“You ask me that this early?” She wrinkled up her cute little nose and considered his question. “My plans? Well, they’re sort of fluid. Work out, maybe. I might go check out the amphitheater again, test out the acoustics once more.” A quick smile made her eyes sparkle. “At some point, I’m even thinking of giving the slot machines another whirl.”
“Because we can’t all win the jackpot every time,” he teased.
“Oh, sometimes we can,” she breathed, trailing kisses down his chest and skimming over his abdomen. And she proceeded to show him how they’d both won the jackpot just right then.
Later, after showering and getting dressed, he took her downstairs for a late breakfast. His restlessness increased the longer he waited to Rejuvenate, but he was determined to make sure Meghan didn’t suspect anything was different about this day. “We have a champagne brunch today,” he told her. She rewarded him with an impish grin as they went into the restaurant. He’d called ahead and made a quick reservation. They were given the table he’d asked for, a small, very secluded spot. Once she’d taken her seat, she ordered a mimosa and coffee. He admired the graceful lines of her neck while she drank.
“This is nice,” she told him, smiling as she caught him watching her. “The rosy afterglow from earlier, now food and champagne. It doesn’t get much better than this.”
He laughed out loud, because she was right. Impulsively, he leaned across the table and kissed her, a lingering kiss that might have turned into more if they weren’t out in public. He couldn’t seem to stop touching her. Even now, when normally all he could only think of was fire.
“Stop,” she said halfheartedly. And then giggled as she took another sip of her drink. “People are going to stare, and you know how I feel about attention.”
“No one can see us,” he pointed out. “I asked for this table on purpose. Not only are we behind a pillar, but that huge potted plant blocks us from view.”
“Oh.” Leaning forward, she scooted her chair over and nibbled on his lips. “In that case...”
Laughing, he shook his head. “Let’s eat first. We need fuel to give us energy if we’re going to go another round.”
A dusky blush spread across her cheeks. “You know, at the risk of scaring you off, you make me happy. I can’t stop smiling,” she said. “Thank you for that.”
He smiled back, taking her hand from across the table and twining his fingers in hers. “Right back atcha.”
“This might just be the best Christmas ever,” she began, glancing around the crowded restaurant at the other diners as if needing to see if anyone noticed her joy. “Oh, no!” Her smile vanished and she pulled her hand free. Looking down and swallowing hard, she doubled over slightly, looking as if she’d been punched in the gut.
“What’s wrong? Are you ill?” Instantly concerned, he reached across the table to try and recapture her hand. This time, she avoided his touch.
“No.” She shook her head as she straightened, her eyes bleak. “Nothing like that. It’s just... See that man over there in the buffet line?”
&nbs
p; Following the direction of her gaze, he spotted a tall, lanky man with short, curly black hair. “Him?”
“Yes.” She took a deep, shaky breath. “That’s my brother Damon. I just texted him a few days ago and let him know where I was. More than anyone else, he’s aware how badly I want to be with family during the holidays. I can’t believe he’s in Vegas and didn’t even bother to let me know.”
Tears shimmered in her eyes. With jerky, angry motions, she swiped at them using the back of her hand. “It’s Christmas,” she said, her voice unsteady. “He could have at least tried to pop in and say hello. Or something.”
Stunned, Gabe glanced from her to her brother and back again. He could see the family resemblance, especially in the high cheekbones and sculpted features. Definitely her brother. Which boggled his mind. Gabe’s family—loud, demonstrative and close-knit—would never have done something like this. In fact, it was so out of the realm of rational behavior that he wasn’t sure what would be the right words to say. “Maybe he doesn’t know you’re here?” he tried, watching as the man walked to his seat.
She shook her head violently. “Oh, he knows where I am. They all do. I invited them all to share a meal with me on Christmas Day. I’d planned to make reservations at one of the restaurants. But every single member of my family, including Damon, let me know they had other plans.”
Though this time she managed to keep her voice level, he couldn’t help but see the pain in her eyes. For one second, he felt a flash of violence. He wanted to go over to her brother and haul him up out of his seat and shake him.
“Are you going to let him know you’ve seen him?” he asked quietly, since that’s what he would have done.
“No.”
Their breakfast arrived, but Meghan had clearly lost her desire for food. She picked at her omelet, and while he felt terrible for devouring his corned beef hash and eggs, he’d worked up quite an appetite.
“You’ve got to eat,” he pointed out. “Especially if you plan on working out the way you do. Your muscles need protein.”
Relieved to see a tiny smile lifting the corner of her lips, he continued eating. Finally, she picked up the fork and ate a bite. Then, studiously avoiding looking anywhere else, she demolished her omelet with a methodical intensity before starting on the toast.
Looking past her shoulder, Gabe saw the man she’d identified as her brother grab his jacket and leave. The jacket appeared to be a gray hoodie.
* * *
Meghan knew she should have been used to the way her family acted and shouldn’t let their actions hurt her. But of all her siblings, she and Damon had always been closest. She couldn’t understand why he’d come to Vegas and not even make an attempt to seek her out.
Damon. Her throat ached as she fought to keep from doubling over at the pain of her own brother’s complete and utter betrayal. He knew where to find her but simply hadn’t cared enough to contact her. Unless maybe he planned to surprise her on Christmas itself.
Possibly, she thought, at first desperately clinging to a tiny thread of hope, he would after the winter solstice, after the hunt. In fact, what if he wanted to spend Christmas together for the first time ever?
Just as quickly as she’d allowed herself to consider this possibility, she squashed it. While she loved him, she knew all too well Damon’s flaws. The hunt came first. Always had, always would.
The hunt. The damn, stupid hunt. If Damon was in Vegas, that meant he’d brought others and they were hunting here. Here? In the land of glitter and sin? Why would they think one of their mythical Helios would be here? No doubt this was the reason her brother was here. If she remembered right, there’d been a news story a while back about some guy bursting into flames, which would have drawn all kinds of crazy talk about Helios. She knew such things had happened before.
She didn’t get it, but then she never had. And she’d let her seeing Damon ruin the magical morning she and Gabe had shared. Being with Gabe made her feel blissfully alive. Beautiful, both inside and out.
After breakfast, she’d come back to her room, telling Gabe she needed some time alone. Clearly preoccupied, he’d readily agreed, explaining that he had quite a bit of work to catch up on and would also be unavailable the rest of the day.
“What about tonight?” she’d teased.
Instead of answering, he’d kissed her until her head spun and she forgot what she’d asked.
Gabe had turned out to be more than a welcome distraction. They’d clicked instantly, and the chemistry between them was unbelievable. Initially, she’d sort of thought once they’d gotten the sex out of their systems, the insistent craving would fade, but it hadn’t. Instead every touch, every kiss, every smile only made her want him more.
Even stranger, he seemed to feel the same way. Could she possibly have found love?
As usual, even in her private thoughts, she shied away from the word. It was too soon, too fast. They’d only known each other five days. Real love, true love, took time to nurture, to grow. It didn’t burst into one’s life like a lightning strike setting a lone tree on fire. Or did it? She wasn’t really sure. In truth, she had no way of knowing since she’d never been in love before.
Shaking her head at her own odd observation, she listened as Christmas music piped in from somewhere drifted up to her balcony. Usually, holiday music made her sad. Now, mingled with the grief over her brother’s betrayal, she had hope. Instead of feeling nostalgic for something she’d never had, Gabe had ensured that this Christmas, she’d no longer be alone. That certainty brought her great joy and a feeling of optimism about the future.
It was hard to believe that Christmas was right around the corner. Just four more days until families would gather together for church and opening gifts, seeing what Santa had brought the children, a huge meal with everyone gathered around a well-decorated table. At least she thought that’s what the rest of the world did. She’d always felt like a stray dog with her nose pressed against the window, watching the well-fed warmth and laughter inside and wishing she’d be welcomed.
Shaking off her melancholy, she couldn’t help think of her family. It still hurt to know they wouldn’t be thinking of her. Not on this date.
Today was the winter solstice. A big day for Hunters. Instead of planning the Christmas celebration, her family would all be gearing up for the hunt.
Random Rejuvenation was part of the lore, though legend had it that true Helios only burst into flame four times a year.
No. She wouldn’t think of her family and their all-encompassing traditions that they valued more than her.
Still full from the huge breakfast, she yawned. A nap seemed like a good idea. Grabbing the do-not-disturb sign and hanging it on her door, she crawled beneath the covers and tried to fall asleep.
Though usually when she napped, she slept a couple of hours before rising and going in search of food. Today, maybe worn out from all the energetic sex, when she finally raised her head from her pillow to glance at her clock, she was stunned to see six hours had passed. Lunchtime had come and gone.
Stretching, she yawned. Her body must have needed the rest. Barefoot, she padded into the kitchen, scarfed down a bag of trail mix and headed into the shower. On her way there, she detoured and made a quick call to room service, ordering a grilled chicken salad and iced tea, along with a bottle of that same white wine Gabe had brought earlier. She asked that it be left unopened so she could keep it chilled in her mini-fridge to enjoy whenever she wanted.
Later, cleaned up and wearing fresh clothes, she ate her meal and wondered what Gabe might be up to. She’d checked her phone a couple times and he hadn’t called. He hadn’t even texted, which was unusual. She figured he must really be busy at work.
Wandering out onto her balcony, which had rapidly become her favorite part of her suite, she thought she’d sit awhile and maybe even w
atch the sun go down.
Below, the noise and bustle of the Strip made her feel hollow. She thought longingly of Gabe’s private garden, wondering if he’d mind if she retreated there for a while. When he finished up with work, they could share the bottle of wine.
Cheered, she grabbed her wine, a corkscrew and a couple of glasses and rode the elevator up one floor to his, using her room key to grant access as she’d seen Gabe do before. She wasn’t sure it would work, but when the elevator started moving, she shrugged. Apparently he’d either granted her access or his floor wasn’t as well secured as he’d thought.
Once there, she stepped off the elevator and took a deep breath. She’d seen a lot of fantastic things hanging out with other rich and famous stars. Even other stars’ Bahamian estates paled in beauty compared to this. A peaceful green oasis in the middle of concrete and neon. Already feeling better, she walked around the well-tended gardens, smelling the riot of beautiful flowers, wondering about the man who could arrange something like this here in the desert.
When she came across the hidden grotto where she and Gabe had shared their picnic meal, she went inside. She’d never experienced anything like this place. Just being here brought her a sense of calm akin to meditation.
Pouring herself a glass of wine, she sat back, enchanted by her surroundings, happier than she’d been in a long time.
Movement in the direction of the elevator caught her eye. When Gabe stepped out of the building, she smiled but remained hidden. She’d wait to surprise him once he got a little bit closer.
But instead of heading toward her, he headed around to the back of the garden, toward an area she’d glanced at but skipped, assuming it was where they kept supplies or trash.
Curious, she set down her wineglass and followed. If he turned and saw her, she’d simply smile and wave. Her entire body tingled at the thought of how he’d react. A kiss would only be the beginning.
As she rounded the corner of the building, she saw Gabe step into a three-sided concrete structure. Before she could call out, he raised both arms to the sky and instantaneously burst into flames.