“Hop back up on the table. I want to check a few things.” He kept his expression suitably somber, not wanting to give away anything too soon.
“Why? What did you see?” Rafferty pushed himself back up on the examining table and set his crutches aside. “It looked good to me.”
“If you’ve had experience reading X-rays, why do you need me?” Seamus supported Rafferty’s lower leg and helped him flex his knee and ankle. “Does that hurt?”
When the vampire hesitated, Seamus gave him a stern look. “Don’t try lying about it. I’ll know.”
“Okay, fine.” He shifted restlessly, probably trying to gauge how much he could get by with.
“I’m not Joss, Rafferty. No need to act invincible in front of me.”
His boss grinned. “It doesn’t work with her, either. She sees right through the bullshit.”
Rafferty drew a sharp breath and winced when Seamus poked and prodded at the damaged muscles. “I can tell you this much—I’m tired of being treated like an invalid. But it hurts when I stand too long, it aches enough to keep me awake and I get tired easily. If I didn’t know better, I think I was getting old.”
Seamus rolled his eyes. “All normal symptoms. Considering how bad it was, it’s healing way better than expected. If you’ll take it easy for another week, you should be moving a lot better and able to terrorize everybody again.”
Seamus picked up the crutches and stuck them back in the supply cabinet and replaced them with a cane. “Give that a try.”
“Really?”
Rafferty immediately stood up on his good foot and gingerly put more weight on the broken leg. Taking the cane in hand, he hobbled back and forth across the small examination room. Seamus made a couple of suggestions to improve his patient’s gait and stood back out of the way while he practiced.
“Okay, I’m going to let you go home with that instead of crutches. Your wife has agreed to snitch on you if you abuse the privilege.”
“Thanks a lot, Seamus. As if she wasn’t already hovering enough to drive me crazy.”
“Behave, and she won’t have to. You can’t expect to be over an accident that bad this quickly. You need to keep feeding more than usual because your body needs it to heal.”
“Anything it takes to get me back to normal.”
As they walked out, Seamus asked, “Did Conlan ever find out what happened to cause the accident?”
Rafferty’s expression turned stone-cold. “Someone messed with both the brakes and the accelerator.”
“Any idea who’d do something that stupid?”
“Someone with a grudge against me—or Joss. We both use that vehicle.”
Rafferty kept his eyes focused straight ahead, making Seamus wonder if his boss thought that someone might be him. He felt compelled to defend himself.
“I was with Megan from late afternoon that day until they carried you in.”
They’d reached the front door. The waiting room was empty since Rafferty had been Seamus’s last patient for the day. He unlocked the door and held it open.
“I wasn’t accusing you of anything, Seamus.”
“Maybe not, but it needed saying. We both know I definitely had an axe to grind. The thought had to cross your mind.”
“Well, I won’t lie about that, but I dismissed it out of hand. I’m thinking it was more likely a parting gift from Banan Delaney. Conlan would love to have that jerk alone for ten minutes behind a soundproof door. Then we’d know for sure.”
“It sounds like something that bastard would do. But either way, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Confidence had nothing to do with it. I figured when you made up your mind to come after me, you’d make sure I knew it was you taking me down and why. It’s what I would do if the positions were reversed. This attack was more Banan’s speed—sneaky and cowardly.”
“I’m not sure whether to be flattered or insulted.”
“Maybe a little of both.” Rafferty laughed. He walked toward where Joss waited to drive him home, showing off his new skill with the cane.
Seamus watched until Rafferty made it all the way to the transport without mishap before closing the door and turning off the outside lights. As long as nothing new happened, the vampire was well on his way to being back to a hundred percent.
Right now, Seamus had something far more urgent to attend to, or actually someone. Megan. She was already waiting for him in his apartment. He sniffed the air in the hallway. Hmm. She wasn’t the only hot thing in his kitchen. Whatever she was cooking smelled delicious.
And so did she. Would it be rude to risk letting dinner burn by coaxing her into his bed before they actually ate? Probably. Oh, well, he’d waited this long. He supposed he could hang on for a while yet, but waiting wasn’t the only thing that was hard. He’d had that problem all day long every time his thoughts had strayed in her direction, which had been way too often for the good of his sanity.
Did she have any idea how good it felt to know she was waiting for him?
He stepped through the door and closed it behind him, shutting out the rest of the world. Barring blood and broken bones, nothing and no one better interrupt his plans for the evening.
“Hi. I’m in here.”
He followed Megan’s voice into the kitchen where she was stirring something on the stove.
“How’s Rafferty?”
“About as happy as you can expect a big, tough vampire to be when he’s hurting. I let him graduate to a cane, though, so that helped improve his mood some.”
“Poor Joss! He can’t be fun to live with right now.”
“Yeah, well, she knew what he was like when she married him. He’s among the most powerful of our kind, but almost dying from something as simple as a transport accident was a real shock to his system.”
He paused, thinking about what Rafferty had told him. “Actually it wasn’t an accident at all. Someone messed with the brakes and the accelerator.”
Megan gasped in shock. “Who would do such a thing?”
“Rafferty figures someone with a grudge against him or Joss—like me, for instance.”
She went from concerned to furious in a heartbeat. “He can’t possibly believe that’s true! You would never do such a cowardly thing.”
“Actually, Rafferty agrees with you. Besides, the night it happened I was with you.”
He eased up behind her and slid his hand around her waist, moving slowly so as not to startle her while she was so close to the burner on the stove. “As I recall, you kept me pretty busy, both before and after the clinic closed.”
He lifted her hair to the side so he could kiss her neck, liking the way she shivered in response. Then he traced the shape of her ear with the tip of his tongue. “The after part was my favorite.”
“Keep that up and I’ll never finish cooking dinner.”
He looked over her shoulder to see what was simmering in the pot. “That smells good. You smell better. Delicious, in fact.”
She giggled as he resumed what he’d been doing. Finally, it dawned on him that he hadn’t seen the baby. He looked out toward the living room.
“Where’s Phoebe?”
Megan leaned back against him and looked up at him over her shoulder. “Seems Aunt Joss wanted to babysit for a few hours. I’m supposed to pick Phoebe up on my way home. You know, sometime around dawn.”
Her pretty eyes grew heavy-lidded with promise. “We have almost six uninterrupted hours to linger over dinner…and dessert.”
All of his blood rushed south—again. “Perfect. How soon can we eat?”
“In big a hurry, are you?”
He let his hands do a little wandering. “Dessert’s my favorite part of the meal, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since I walked you home last night. I want to make sure we have plenty of time to do any of that lingering you mentioned.”
“I thought you might feel that way. Hand me those bowls and I’ll get dinner on the table.”
“I
can’t wait.”
Chapter 13
Megan refused to be hurried. Yes, they were headed toward Seamus’s bed—or maybe his couch, because that was fun, too. But moments like this should be savored, not rushed. Even if it was becoming increasingly difficult to not grab Seamus and drag him to the floor.
But tasting his passion would come soon enough. She’d spent hours putting this meal together, pulling out all the stops. Not that she felt the need to impress Seamus with her culinary skills, but this meal, this night and this man mattered.
Finally, she brought out the dessert, a personal favorite, a light confection of whipped cream and fresh berries. Nothing too heavy, but luscious and bursting with flavor. Seamus’s eyes widened at the sight.
“I wasn’t kidding about loving dessert,” he said as he eyed the bowl she set down between them. “But why only one spoon?”
She scooped up a bite and held it up to his mouth. “I thought we could share.”
If his eyes had been caressing her with hot looks before, the temperature simmering between them ramped up geometrically as he accepted the sweet offering. When she leaned in close and licked the small bit of whipped cream off the corner of his mouth, his fangs ran out to full length. That pleased her. He took the spoon and followed her in the dance, gently feeding her a plump berry smothered in cream.
And that pleased her even more.
“How can something so cool make me so hot?” His voice had dropped low, gravelly thick with the promise of what was to come.
And, please God, soon.
Seamus studied her face as he fed her another bite. The berries filled her mouth with a burst of bright flavor.
“This is wonderful, but I’m ready for our real dessert.” He set the spoon aside, calmly picked up the rest of their berries and cream and set it in the refrigerator.
How could he think of such mundane details when she was about to melt into a puddle of need right there on the kitchen table? Then he held out his hand for hers, tugging her to feet. She’d thought he was going to kiss her, but instead he led her out of the kitchen, right past the living room and into his bedroom.
“You cannot imagine how much I’ve been thinking about this moment, Megan.”
When he reached out to cup the side of her face, she turned to kiss his palm, tasting the slightly rough surface of his skin with the tip of her tongue. He groaned and brushed his thumb across her lips.
“I want to take this slow, to make it good for you, but I’m afraid my control is a bit shaky right now.”
She loved having that much power over him, to know that her kiss and her touch were enough to bring him to his knees. Which she just had. Literally. He knelt in front of her, laying his face against her stomach as his hands swept up the backs of her legs from ankles straight past the hem of her dress and on up to cup her bottom.
Her bones melted. She slowly sank down, straddling his lap as she lowered her mouth to his. As she tongued his fangs, he freed up his hands to start stripping away the layers of clothing that separated them. Her sweater was the first to go, followed by her bra. He paused in his quest long enough to pay homage to her breasts with his lips and tongue and teeth.
Her turn. She unbuttoned his shirt, taking her time, drawing out the process to torment him, only to realize that she was torturing herself at the same time. Finally, he muscled them both back up off the floor in an impressive display of his vampire strength.
“I need your skin against mine. Please.”
She’d never deny such a simple request. No other man had ever looked at her with such stark hunger. Stepping back, she quickly finished the job he’d started, letting him look his fill when she stood before him, wearing nothing more than the smile on her face.
“Your turn.”
He immediately toed off his shoes, but she pushed his hands out of the way when he reached for the button on his jeans.
“Let me.”
She eased the zipper down slowly, too slowly, given the impatient expression on her lover’s face. But he didn’t complain at all when she removed his boxers at the same time as she stripped the denim down the long length of his legs. In seconds, all was revealed for her viewing pleasure.
All those lean muscles and supple strength drew her like no other lover ever had. She closed the distance between them, taking her time, feeling his heat long before she actually felt the rough slide of his skin against hers. His hands eased her firmly against him, leaving no doubt about how much he wanted her.
“Kiss me, Megan.”
He tasted of whipped cream and berries. His tongue enticed hers to join in swirling play as his arms wrapped around her, gentle bands of steel that lifted her up enough that his erection slid between her legs. He rocked against her core; the slight friction had her wanting so much more.
She raised her right leg, wrapping it around his and opening herself up to more of the same. He murmured his approval, but made no effort to take them to the next stage. As much as she loved his foreplay, it also frustrated her. Finally, she pulled away and gave him a hard shove, sending him sprawling back onto the bed.
His smile promised swift retribution. Perfect. It was just what she wanted.
He liked Megan’s playful side and that she wasn’t at all shy about what she wanted. What she hadn’t taken into account was a male vampire’s dominant nature. He was willing to let her have her way with him—up to a point. He wanted to make a few demands of his own, and that moment had arrived.
He remained motionless, waiting for his lady to join him on the bed. She crawled up on the bed, prowling closer, her fangs showing as she made her approach. When he pounced, she was too startled to do more than let out a short squeak before he’d flipped her onto her stomach. He stretched out on top of her, careful not to crush her, but letting her know that this was how it was going to be.
She immediately bent her head to the side, offering herself up to him. Oh, yes, this was going to be good. He nipped at the nape of her neck and rocked against the sweet curve of her backside.
He’d never had a woman all but purr before, but Megan thrummed with pleasure as he let her feel the length of both his cock and fangs. Her scent filled the air as she arched up against him.
With one hard thrust he took her, giving her slick heat only seconds to adjust to the sudden invasion before he started moving fast and hard. She chanted his name in counterpoint to the rhythm he established, making him hunger for far more than the spiraling tension between the give-and-take of their bodies.
Finally, when he couldn’t wait another heartbeat, he sank his fangs into the rich flavor of her vein. As he drank deeply, she screamed in release, her body convulsing under his. He paused long enough to give her a small window of relief before once again driving her up and up. Suddenly, there was no sense of time or space, just the pounding of two hearts and two bodies, until in a moment of perfect accord, they shattered in a kaleidoscope of colors and sensations.
Seamus wasn’t sure he’d actually survived the experience, but at the moment, he was okay with that.
“Wow.” Megan reached back to touch his face. “That was amazing. Or maybe incredible. Or both.”
He kept his face nestled in her hair, his arm around her waist as they lay spooned in the bed. “I’d say let’s try that again, but it might be a while before I can. I’m pretty sure more than just my brain got fried.”
When she giggled, he felt the vibration through his entire body. To his surprise, a certain part of his anatomy immediately stirred back to life. He cuddled closer to share the good news with Megan.
She instantly rolled over to face him, a huge smile on her face. “Hey, is that for me?”
“I do believe it is.”
“Perfect.”
And he did his best to make sure it was.
Seamus opened the driver’s door for Megan, reluctant to watch her drive away after the hours they’d spent together.
“Can I ride as far as Rafferty’s with you? I’ll go on m
y nightly run from there.”
Her eyes lit up. “Sure, but haven’t you had enough exercise for one night?”
He climbed in the other side. “Well, I could be trying to impress you with my incredible stamina…or I can admit that I just wanted an excuse to stay with you for a few more minutes.”
“Good answers—both of them.”
As she steered the transport away from the curb, the headlights hit the trees across the field that backed up on the clinic. For a second there he thought he spotted someone just inside the treeline. “Can you slow down for a second, Megan?”
“Sure. Is something wrong?”
He studied the woods, but whatever he’d seen—or thought he’d seen—was gone now. “No, everything is fine. I thought I spotted someone cutting across country toward the infirmary. I didn’t want to take off if someone needed me. We can go now.”
As Megan hit the accelerator, he looked back one more time. Still nothing, but he had the strangest sensation that someone had been there, someone who hadn’t wanted to be seen. But until he could verify his suspicions, he didn’t want to worry Megan.
He’d take a slightly different route on his run and check out that stand of trees. If no one had been there, fine. Maybe his imagination was working overtime. But if someone really had been watching them from the safety of the deep shadows, the real questions were why and, more important, who?
He wasn’t worried about himself, but damned if he’d put up with any more threats to Megan and her daughter.
Megan tapped him on the shoulder. “You’re looking pretty fierce there.”
He’d been so lost in thought that he hadn’t noticed they’d already arrived at Rafferty’s house. They both climbed out of the transport, and he looked at her over the roof. “Sorry. I was just thinking maybe that run home was going to be harder than I thought.”
She walked around to his side. “I can always drop you back at your place on my way home.”
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close. “No, that’s okay. I need the exercise. Besides, I’ve got reasons to keep up my strength.”
“Really? And what might those be?”
Vampire Vendetta Page 17