by Terry Spear
Every step took a monumental effort, and more than once she moaned with pain. When she reached the hallway, she assumed the men sat in the living room as the lights were on in there, and the rest of the house remained dark. She inhaled the aroma of melted cheese and spicy lasagna. Her stomach grumbled with renewed gusto.
She headed toward the aroma, hoping the men had saved some for her. Her mind wavered, growing dizzier as she drew closer to the living room.
Before she came into view of the sofa, the carpeted floor rose up to her cheek. She cried out in pain as her injured shoulder hit the floor.
“Crystal!” Robert cried out. The stomping of feet followed, then hands grasped her shoulders. When someone else grabbed her feet, Robert said, “I’ve got her…I’ve got her.”
“You sure have,” Mark said under his breath.
Crystal floated back to the room with Robert’s strong arms wrapped securely around her.
His scolding began at once though. “What do you think you’re doing? You’ve lost enough blood and suffered enough injuries that you need to stay put.”
He laid her in the bed, and she frowned at him.
“I can’t get my nightgown on. And I’m hungry.”
To her surprise, he smiled. Turning to his brothers who hovered behind him, he said, “If you’ll give us some privacy, I’ll help the lady get dressed. And, Mark, if you’ll get her a plate of lasagna, I’m sure she’ll be extremely grateful.”
Mark shuffled his feet. Robert looked at Thomas. His older brother shook his head, then tugged at Samuel’s arm. “Come on. Let’s give them some privacy for a moment or two.” To Mark he said, “Hurry it up with the lasagna for her.”
“Right on it.” Mark dashed out of the room.
When Thomas closed the door behind them, Robert considered her nightgown. “I’m not sure what to do.”
“Maybe you have something else I could wear? Something that unbuttons? We could slide the sleeve up my injured arm, and then I can get the other sleeve on by myself.”
He stared at her nightgown. “But we’ll have to remove your gown.”
“Yes. Go get a shirt for me first.”
“Of course.”
He stepped into his closet, then pulled out a pale blue, short sleeved silk shirt. “Maybe this will feel soft against your skin.”
“I don’t want to wear your best shirt to bed, Robert. What if I bleed more? I can’t ruin it.”
“You’ll wear this. I’ll get another if that happens.” He set the shirt on the bed. “What do you want me to do now?”
“Can you close your eyes while you help me out of my nightgown?”
His lips turned up considerably. “Then I’d have to do an awful lot of groping to find my way around.”
She chuckled under her breath. “Listen, I can’t do this by myself. I get too dizzy when I stand, and I don’t have much strength to struggle with my clothes.”
Mark cleared his throat and walked into the room with a plate full of lasagna and a slice of bread on the side. “Samuel’s bringing you a glass of water.”
Robert pointed to the table. “Just set it on the bedside table. I’ll have to help her eat. She’s right handed.”
After Mark and Samuel left the food and water on the table, they hovered nearby. Robert raised his brows at them. “I’ll join you in a little while.”
“Sure you don’t need any help? Thomas says he should be the one to help the lady change.” Samuel smiled. “You know, being the oldest brother and all.”
“Yeah, well, the lady prefers me to do the honors. I’ll be there in a while.”
When the brothers departed the room again, Crystal tried to tug the nightgown out from under her.
Robert hurried to help. A scratching at the window made her heart jump. Had Nicolai returned? Or one of his bloodsucking converts?
Robert squeezed her hand. “They smell your blood.”
“Like before.”
He touched her nightgown. “Shall we?”
She nodded.
He eased the nightgown over her injured shoulder. Slowly, carefully, he pulled the silky material over her head and finally down her uninjured arm. He concentrated on getting her undressed and dressed again without injuring her.
His tenderness sent warmth coursing through her. Her embarrassment at exposing herself to him, turned into a desire to feel his bare skin against hers, their bodies locked together in a loving embrace.
He tossed the nightgown aside and grabbed the shirt, averting his eyes from her body. When he pulled the sleeve up her injured arm, she bit her lip, attempting to ignore the pain.
“I’m sorry, Crystal. I’m trying to go as slowly as I can.”
In truth he’d tried to go faster to cover her up so she wouldn’t feel so exposed, and she treasured his actions. When he readied her other sleeve behind her back, she twisted to get her arm in, but groaned again with the effort.
“Slowly, honey. We have all the time in the world.”
“Unless your brothers want to check on our progress again.”
Robert chuckled. “Can’t blame them there. Who wouldn’t want a chance with the seductress?”
“Some seductress. I’m a mess.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll argue you that point.”
Even now, his eyes clouded with desire and his voice, though joking, was husky and sexual.
Once she’d slipped her arm in the sleeve, he pulled it around front and buttoned it, his fingers brushing against her breasts. Her nipples quickly tightened as a rush of warmth filled her. The sensation made her close her eyes and lay back against the pillow to savor it. When he finished buttoning the shirt, she opened her eyes, wishing he’d touch every sensitive spot that begged for his caress.
She reached for his hand. When he clasped hers in his, she pulled his hand to her cheek and nuzzled it. “Make love to me, Robert.”
35
Robert smiled at Crystal. Sexy dimples punctuated his cheeks. His gorgeous brown eyes melted as his gaze met hers. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, warming her all the way to her toes. “Ask me to make love to you when you’re back on your feet, fully recuperated. Between the medicine and your injuries, you’re not yourself tonight.”
“I’m perfectly myself.” She touched his shirt, then gripped it lightly and pulled him forward. “Kiss me.” For whatever reason, the urge to have him make love to her, overwhelmed her better judgment. She wanted him, now, like she’d never wanted a man in her life. She tugged at his zipper, and he chuckled, but quickly removed her hand, then kissed it.
“I’m going to feed you before your food gets cold. You haven’t eaten all day, which is probably causing you to be dizzy. If I kiss you, you’re sure to pass out.”
She grinned at him. “You kiss that passionately, hmm?” But it wasn’t a kiss she’d settle for. She wanted all of him.
“Well, as lightheaded as you are, yes.”
He stuffed another goose down feather pillow behind her back, aiding her to sit up. Then he began the slow process of feeding her.
“Things have changed between us, Robert Parker.” She didn’t know why exactly, but somehow she couldn’t get her mind on anything but wanting him to make love to her, wanting to prove to herself that a hunter was the only one for her. She didn’t expect commitment, far from it. But she wanted—him, pure and simple. She ran her fingers over his thigh.
He took a shuddering breath. “How so?”
“You’ve gotten your family involved in protecting me. How am I going to convince you to go home to Oklahoma now?” In her heart, she knew he had to go, but her mind told her she wanted him. She had to have him. Would he make love to her, just once?
He offered her a mouthful of lasagna. “We’ll discuss it later.”
The scratching started up again. He shook his head and sighed deeply.
“I’ve got work tomorrow, Robert.”
“I’ll make sure emergency leave is approved for you. For me, too.”
; She hesitated to take the next bite of food he offered her. “I’m going to have to quit the Army, aren’t I?”
He took a ragged breath. “I can’t say what you have to do for certain, but I believe it would be in your best interest if you quit, yes.”
“So I can hunt full time.”
His gaze met hers. His eyes darkened instantly. “I don’t believe that’s the best role for you.”
“So what do I do? I have to work to support myself.” She glanced at his arousal. Even if he was saying no to sex, he wanted her. She reached out to touch him.
He gave her a half smile, grabbed her hand, then tucked it under the comforter. He raised another forkful of lasagna to her mouth. “I think the medication was an aphrodisiac for one injured huntress.”
She ate the next bite full. When he offered her the next forkful, she said, “What are thinking?”
“Truly, Crystal, this isn’t the time to discuss anything of significance…not in the shape you’re currently in.”
“You’re not thinking I should marry you, are you?” She wasn’t ready for marriage. She just wanted him to make love to her.
He chuckled.
Her face warmed. She’d just managed to embarrass herself. “I’m not hungry anymore.”
“You need to eat, to keep your strength up.”
“Lila said that to me, on more than one occasion,” she grumbled.
“The human host?”
Crystal nodded, then ate the next bite. “To keep my strength up when I had to face Nicolai.”
“He doesn’t want you weak when he attempts to take you?”
“Once, he did.”
Robert stared at her, then reached out to touch her cheek. “How? When?”
“When he took me from the hotel that one time. I was dog-tired from not getting enough sleep. I’d pulled two nights of duty close together. I tried to discourage him by reminding him he liked it that I fought him. He decided for that night, he liked me more vulnerable.”
“Which means he wants you any way he can have you.” Robert’s voice had grown dark.
He seemed angry. Why? Did he think if Nicolai was persistent enough she’d give in? She wrinkled her brow as irritation sliced through her, then she looked down at the empty fork. He filled it again and offered it to her.
After she ate the bite of cheesy lasagna, she said, “What happened in Nicolai’s house?”
“Nobody was there. It took us a few minutes to shred the drapes and bed curtains. When Mark noticed you weren’t in the rental vehicle, we knew you were trying to find Nicolai again. We figured it was in the house with the painted windows, but when we heard the gunshot fired, we had to check it out no matter what.”
“I saw a host at the window of the house next door. I had to investigate.” She touched the buttons on Robert’s shirt.
“Your hunter instincts.”
“Of course. They’re not totally useless.” She frowned.
He reached up and smoothed away the crease in her forehead. “But you should have alerted us first.”
“You told me to stay out of Nicolai’s house.”
He grunted with exasperation. “We told you to stay in the vehicle.”
“Well, I didn’t know if you were fighting vampires in Nicolai’s place or not. I didn’t want to distract you or your brothers from doing your jobs if you were.”
He hmpfed.
She shrugged her good shoulder. “I thought maybe Nicolai might have been in the house next door. If I’d had a chance at killing him, that would’ve been the end of my troubles.”
“If you didn’t succumb to his wishes.”
“You still don’t trust me?”
“I don’t think you can trust yourself.” He ran his hand over her good arm in a loving caress. “But it’s not your fault, Crystal.”
She touched his shirt again and played with a button. “Will you hold me tight and chase away my nightmares again?”
“Thomas says I might injure you or cause you pain if I sleep in here with you tonight.”
“What do you think?”
“I think I should heed his words.” He scooped another mouthful of cheesy noodles onto the fork.
“But?”
“No buts about it.” He raised the lukewarm morsel to her lips.
“All right.” Her brows rose in defiance. “Then tell Mark he can stay with me tonight.”
Robert grinned. “He’d jump at the invite, but no way would I do such a thing to my kid brother.”
“I’m that dangerous?”
“That you are. Frankly, he couldn’t handle you.”
“But you can.”
He chuckled. “Not me either.”
“I guess not Samuel either.”
“Nope.” He motioned with the fork again.
She smiled. “Well, all right then. That leaves Thomas and me. Tell him my listening to the beat of his heart will help lull me to sleep, like yours did last night when Nicolai made such a racket outside the bedroom.”
She ran her fingers over Robert’s chest. “I’d prefer your chest to snuggle against, as I’m familiar with it, but Thomas will have to do, if that’s the way you feel about it, Captain.”
He grinned at her. “I’ll let him know you said so. Finished with your food?”
She ate another bite. “Yes, thank you.”
“Would you like anything else?”
She smiled.
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Anything more to eat?”
“Hot fudge sundae. I already put my order in earlier.”
“All right, be right back.”
When he left the room, the scratching at the window grew louder. Could Nicolai hear or sense when she was alone? Was it even Nicolai or someone else who made the awful noise against the glass?
Like before, she was drawn to the window to investigate. Was it her hunter instincts? Or the screwy gene that urged her to do so? Whatever it was, she couldn’t sit still any longer. She had to look into it like a cat had to check out the scratching noises of a mouse inside a wall.
She gingerly climbed out of bed. With her feet planted firmly on the floor, she lumbered over to the window with a stiff stride.
With her left hand, she pulled the curtains aside. Then she reached for the wand. The scratching ceased. Did he know she came to see him? Her heart thundered. If she could only kill him now she could be free to…to…to what? Being attached to Robert could only cause his undoing, if he was even inclined to want her like that.
She twisted the wand, opening the blinds. Nicolai stared at her, his dark eyes piercing hers with desire. He held his hand to the window. His gaze shifted to her injured shoulder. Though the shirt hid the bandages, she imagined he could smell the bloodied wound. Then he looked down at the window latch. He so wanted to will her to do his bidding. He couldn’t, and a slight bit of satisfaction filled her.
She held onto the windowsill, her strength dwindling. Instantly, he placed both hands on the window as if he tried to catch her before she fell.
36
Crystal heard footsteps approach down the hall. Robert would be furious with her for wanting to see Nicolai. Forgetting to close the blinds or curtains, she tried to make it back to bed. Halfway there, her knees buckled.
When he walked into the room, his face reddened as he saw her crumpled on the floor. “Crystal.” He placed her bowl of ice cream on the bedside table and rushed to her. After lifting her in his arms, he carried her back to bed.
He didn’t say a word, just covered her with the comforter, careful not to hurt her injured shoulder. He kissed her lips softly at first, then pressured her to part them for deeper penetration.
With her free hand, she touched the buttons on his shirt pulling him closer. He cradled her face in his hands and kissed her until they both had to catch their breaths.
He nuzzled her forehead with his mouth. “I think I’ve done enough damage tonight.” He turned and stalked across the floor to the window.
“I…I’m sorry, Robert.”
Turning toward her, his face softened with a half-smile. “Don’t be.”
“I had to know if it was him. I don’t know why. Part of me wanted to end it tonight.”
“In your condition, there’d only be one way it would end.”
She clenched her teeth, hating that she was so powerless to do much of anything in her weakened condition. “Will you sleep with me?”
Robert glanced at the window. “To keep you safe, yes.” He grabbed her bowl of ice cream and sat on the bed. Smiling, he spooned up a scoop. “Ready for your chocolaty dessert?”
She couldn’t understand his attitude. Why hadn’t her actions angered him more? “What’s wrong with me, Robert? You must hate me.”
“You can’t help the way you are. If I can accept that, you should be able to. Part of me wanted to know if he’d be bold enough to come here, too. But part of me wanted to keep you out of his sight. If he can’t see you, I feel he can’t get to you.”
“You’re not safe with me. Kissing me in front of him was the wrong thing to do.”
“He thinks he’s claimed you…but only a hunter can truly have you. We’ll deal with him later. Enjoy your sundae before it melts.”
“Then you’ll join me in bed?”
He glanced back at the window. Worry etched across his wrinkled brow. “Yeah.”
She assumed he didn’t trust her to attempt to see Nicolai again if he left the room. Maybe even let him in. But she couldn’t, could she? Damn her abnormality.
“I’ll tell my brothers we’re going to watch a movie.”
“And then you have to chase my nightmares away.”
He chuckled. “I’m not giving them any excuses. I’m staying with you the night and that’s that.”