The Vampire Jonah

by Ann B. Morris

  Jonah waved the questions aside. “We’ll talk about that later. Right now, it’s you and your situation that most concerns me.” He glanced down at her arm and scowled. “Where is the watch? Didn’t I instruct you to wear it at all times?” Without waiting for an answer, he released her hand and looked around the room. He stopped his search when he caught sight of the watch on top of the dresser. He turned back to her, his eyes dark with anger.

  “You are never again to leave this room without the watch. If Scott had not acted quickly tonight, or if the monster that was waiting for you had somehow bested him before you entered the house, you’d be dead by now.”

  Jonah grasped both her arms and forced her to look at him. “Didn’t I warn you that you were to take no chances, that Zurik would do whatever it took to get to me through you?”

  She couldn’t breathe. “You mean it was him outside?”

  “No. It wasn’t him tonight, it was one of his followers, but . . .”

  She was pounding his chest with her fists before she realized what she was doing. “Then why did you let me go to the club? Why did you insist on it?”

  Jonah grasped both her wrists and moved her away from him. “It won’t happen again. If you go out again at night, you will be better guarded. But you must wear the watch for the extra measure of safety it provides.”

  She collapsed against him as the events of the night overwhelmed her. In spite of herself, she began to sob. It was suddenly clear to her. She wouldn’t be going home anytime soon.

  JONAH PUT HIS arms around Angela and pulled her close to his chest.

  Don’t cry. Please don’t cry.

  I never cry, damn it!

  It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You’ve had a terrible shock.

  The anger he’d felt earlier disappeared with her first tear. All he wanted to do was hold her close. But was it safe? Could he trust himself? Before he found his answer, Angela wrapped her arms around him and pressed her body closer to his. Her head tilted back and it was too late for second guessing. Their lips touched, and when her mouth yielded to the pressure of his lips, every resolve he’d made to stay clear of her vanished like mist when the sun rose.

  Her kiss stirred his soul. He yearned to bond with her the way a mortal seeks to bond with his soulmate. Every day of his vampire life, he had dreamed of such a union. And until now, no woman he’d ever known had even come close to fulfilling that dream.

  At the corner of her mouth, his tongue tasted the salt of her tears and his heart ached for her. But the ache in his loins for that which only a woman could give him erased all else from his mind.

  She yielded easily when he lifted her chin and trailed his lips along her jaw to its curve and downward, to her neck. Already, his gums had begun to throb in preparation for the descent of his incisors and his blood traveled through his veins with the speed of a bushfire. The Need had reared its hungry head.

  His tongue touched the vein at her neck. His senses went on overload. How easy it would be to sate his needs with the woman in his arms. But while one part of him craved to ravage her, another part of him fought to protect her. Suddenly, it was as if the hand of fate took hold of his wantonness and squeezed all life from it. This was not the way it was meant to be. Resolutely, he pushed her away, grasped her shoulders, and turned her toward the side of the room where the watch still lay atop the dresser. “Get the watch and put it on.”

  She tried to turn back toward him, but he nudged her forward. “Get it. Please.”

  This time, she moved to the dresser, lifted the watch, and clasped it on her wrist “I removed it before my shower and forgot to put it back on. I promise it won’t happen again.”

  “Make certain it doesn’t. It will work its magic, even against me, when I could do you harm,” he said, his eyes boring into hers across the room.She was fighting back more tears.

  He turned his head away from her. “You were a heartbeat away from allowing me to take whatever I desired from you. In any other situation, I might find that flattering. But not here. Not now. I am responsible for keeping you out of harm’s way. Even if the harm is of my own making.”

  When she was in his arms, he had sensed her fear. But he had also sensed something else. He had sensed affection, the precursor to love. And that was one emotion they must both avoid at all cost.

  The only sentiment allowed between himself and the woman in his house must be the driving passion to rid the world of Zurik. Once that monster was destroyed, they could both go on with their lives. And their dreams.

  The most likely obstacle now that could stand in his way was Julian’s call for him to come to New Orleans for the Transformation Ritual. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He would not think about that tonight. One challenge at a time was enough.

  ANGELA COVERED her face with her hands. She was mortified. Not only had she responded to Jonah’s kiss, she had actually encouraged it. To be honest, she might even have initiated it! She pushed her face deeper into her palms. This was so unlike her. Ever since she’d entered this house, she had not been acting like herself.

  But no one had twisted her arm to make her come here. She had volunteered to bring the blood substitute to Jonah, happy to be of help to him and excited at the prospect of exploring a little of the world outside her very narrow existence. But she hadn’t volunteered to become the target of a monster!

  Nor could she have anticipated what it would be like living day to day with a vampire who, in most regards, was almost as normal as any other man. Almost. That was the key word. How many men slept all day in a coffin? At least, she supposed he did, since she’d been told both Julian and Jerome did.

  Something inside her took an abrupt turn and she had a sudden revelation. She, Angela Martin, defender of women and children victimized by social and financial inequities, was herself behaving like a victim. Dropping her hands from her face, she spun around. That was going to change. “Please get out of my room.”

  Surprise registered on Jonah’s face. He took a step forward. “Angela—”

  She turned away from him. “Please leave.”

  “I will leave you alone as soon as the air is cleared between us.”

  What now? Should she keep her back to him and hope he got the message?

  “Please, Angela, your stubbornness is not going to help matters at all.”

  Her stubbornness? That did it. She spun around. “And exactly what is it that needs clearing up? That you kissed me?”

  “That we shared a kiss. Under the circumstances, it was bound to happen.”

  “Under the circumstances?” she sputtered, surprised she could even get a word out clearly. “Under what circumstances? That I am a prisoner under your roof?” She felt her throat clogging, but she’d be damned if she’d cry again.

  “I thought we went over all of that. Your being in this house is not exactly making my life a party. We both have much to gain or everything to lose. The outcome will depend on many things, not the least of which is our cooperation with each other.”

  That did it. She took a few steps closer to him, close enough so she could look him directly in the eyes. Wrong decision. Looking into those two unusual eyes was like looking into the center of a cyclone. She was swept away by their depth, and at the same time, felt the familiar nudge at the back of her mind.

  I confess I had a moment of weakness. It will not happen again.

  She wanted to tell him he was not entirely to blame, but she couldn’t put her feelings into words, not even silent ones.

  I’ll be leaving you now. He glanced down at her wrist. Remember, it is your best defense.

  I’ll remember.

  After the door closed behind him, she threw herself facedown across the bed, her fingers curled into her palms. She would not cry again. She would not. Neither would she admit that being in Jonah
’s arms and succumbing to his charms was bound to happen. She had simply been captivated by him when her defenses were down. But, if that were true, and he had not deliberately set out to win her over . . .

  She rolled to her back and draped her arm over her eyes. The weight of the watch brought the last few minutes back in sharp focus. She let her mind drift to the way she had felt in the safety of Jonah’s arms. And the kiss. The kiss. It was as if she could still feel his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and gave herself up to the emotions the memories evoked. And with those feelings came a sense of weightlessness, a drifting that carried her to a place both strange and familiar at the same time.

  Greetings, Angela Martin.

  The soft, melodic voice came from nowhere and caused her to tremble.

  You need not fear me.

  Somehow she knew it was the goddess Lilith.

  She tried to speak but couldn’t.

  You will soon be faced with the decision to follow your heart or turn away from its plea. Whatever your decision, it must be freely made. If you heed your heart’s wish, I will remain with you forever. If you refuse, there will be no consequence to you and this moment will be erased from your memory. The choice is yours.

  Angela opened her eyes to a feeling of contentment like she’d never known before. She’d had a far more restful sleep than she’d expected after the upsetting events of the night. She lifted her arm and glanced at the watch. It was barely an hour since she’d closed her eyes, and yet she felt as rested as if she’d had a full night’s sleep.

  Her lips widened into a smile when she remembered Jonah’s embrace and the kiss they’d shared. For some reason, she wasn’t as angry with him as she’d been when he’d insinuated he had not been the only one to enjoy the kiss. Perhaps all she’d needed was some sleep and a clear mind to put things in perspective.

  She rolled to her stomach. Was she admitting she had welcomed Jonah’s attention? If she had, what did that say about the decisions she’d made to keep her distance from him? And wasn’t that what he wanted as well?

  With an agonizing groan, she rolled to a sitting position, her senses on high alert. Now that the feeling of euphoria she’d felt upon first awakening was beginning to diminish, she could see how impossible it would be to think about any pleasurable contact with Jonah. With a vampire. She would make certain their relationship remained simply that of two people temporarily thrown together and forced to fight a common enemy.

  She released a sigh of satisfaction and once again closed her eyes. Now that she had sorted out her feelings and gotten her priorities on the right track, maybe she’d be able to go back to sleep. But it was not that easy. There could still be a monster lurking outside the house. Zurik. Her heart thundered in her chest.

  She glanced at the window. All she could see was darkness. The night was her enemy. She would wait until dawn before she dared close her eyes again.

  Chapter Eight

  AFTER HE LEFT Angela, Jonah entered his quarters, retrieved the letter Scott had left for him the previous afternoon, and lowered himself onto the leather recliner. He read the first line again. Your live audition at Carnegie Hall is scheduled for Saturday, January 7.

  For most of his life, it had been his heart’s desire to sit on the stage of the most famous concert hall in the world. It was a desire he had always believed would forever remain unfulfilled, since auditions were normally held during the hours vampires slept. Unless those hours were changed, he didn’t stand a chance. But wonder of wonders, it had happened. The audition committee had decided to allow some musicians to pre-audition by video submission. In addition, there were so many requests for auditions, the performance schedule had been extended to the nighttime hours. The opportunity of his life—his very long life—was now open to him.

  He could hardly believe his good fortune when a relative of one of his Watchers had secured him a spot in the limited pool of video submissions. The video had received unanimous committee approval and he was granted a seated audition before that committee next Saturday night in the historic Stern Auditorium. The selected performers would then be invited to participate in a full symphony recital later in the year. His lifelong dream was so close he could almost touch it. He pressed the letter close to his heart.

  And then reality set in.

  Saturday was five days away. Anything could happen between now and then. Anything. Julian could call. The mountain could blow. Angela could need him. He crushed the paper in his fist and threw it across the room. He’d be damned before he let anything, anyone, stand in his way.

  He jumped up and rushed to the mirror in the bathroom. Evidence of another battle with some of Luther’s minions stared back at him. For the next few days, he would have to make a special effort to avoid getting injured, especially in his face. Even though his wounds healed quickly, some left scars. He certainly didn’t want to stand before the audition committee looking like he’d just returned from a street fight.

  Back in his bedroom, Jonah snatched the crumpled letter from the floor and went to his desk. After he smoothed out the piece of paper, he picked up a pen and wrote a message to Scott.

  Since the distance to New York was too far for him to tele-transport in one trip on Saturday, he would have to travel there by plane on Friday night. Scott would need to reserve a room for him for Friday night and the following day. After his audition on Saturday, he would take a flight back home. After that, all he and Scott had to do was figure out a way to darken the hotel windows so he could enter his death sleep.

  He checked his watch. It would be daylight soon. He had barely enough time to go to the main part of the house and leave the letter with its instructions for Scott on the dining room table.

  On his way back to his quarters, he glanced in the direction of the guest bedroom. Each step he took was a battle as he fought to keep thoughts of Angela out of his mind. But he had to. Dawn was breaking, and both his strength and his spirit were weakening. There was too much at stake for him to risk even the slightest misstep.

  Inside his quarters, he slammed the door shut behind him, staggered across the room, and wearily climbed into his coffin. For twelve hours of every day, he left behind mortal cares and slipped into the problem-free world of the undead. But not tonight.

  Tonight, as he closed his eyes and prepared himself for the realm of the death sleep, the taste of Angela’s kiss remained hot and sweet on his lips.

  AT FIRST LIGHT, Angela burrowed her head in her pillow, closed her eyes, and immediately fell asleep. Her cell phone woke her at nine o’clock.

  It took a few seconds for her to wake fully enough to realize where she was. She stumbled out of bed, but by the time she reached the dresser where her cell phone was charging, the ringing stopped. She checked the screen for the caller’s number. It belonged to the law firm where she hoped to soon become an associate.

  Still groggy, she went through the steps for message retrieval, knowing before she heard the voice on the other end what the message was likely to be—would she please return the call at her earliest convenience.

  She set the phone down and went into the bathroom. After she brushed her teeth and washed her face, she pulled on a pair of jeans and a knit shirt, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains. Another dreary, dismal day in the life of Angela Martin, reluctant guest and demented vampire prey. She let the curtain fall back in place, unplugged the cell phone from the charger, slipped it into her pocket and headed to the kitchen. She needed coffee.

  She found Scott in the kitchen retrieving an ice pack from the freezer. He turned toward her, a crooked smile on his battered face. She couldn’t stop an unintended gasp from escaping.

  “My God, Scott, you look terrible.” Realizing how insensitive she sounded, she briefly closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t a very nice thing to say to someone who save
d my life.”

  Scott waved her apology aside. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it.” He held the ice pack to the side of his badly bruised face. “I’d say it looks much worse than it is, but to be honest, it hurts like hell.”

  She moved to the coffeepot on the counter.

  Scott took a seat at the breakfast bar. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “Frightened, confused, upset, angry. Not much different than I felt yesterday. Except that now, each of those emotions is more intense.” She poured a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter. “Thank you for protecting me. Lord knows what would have happened if—”

  “But it didn’t. And it won’t. It wasn’t my first fight, and I’m certain it won’t be my last. You won’t be put in peril again.”

  She wished she could be as certain as he sounded.

  “Is there anything I can do for you today?”

  She chuckled. “I think you’ve done enough for quite a while.”

  “Believe me, I’ve been in worse situations.” He repositioned the ice pack. “Did you see Jonah last night?”

  She was wondering when he would get around to that question. “Yes. He came to check on me. To make sure I was okay.”

  Scott changed the position of the ice pack on his face and grimaced. “I know he was very concerned about you.”

  Mention of Jonah brought back thoughts of the night’s events in vivid detail. His anger over her not wearing the watch, his eagerness to comfort her. The kiss. Why couldn’t she get that kiss out of her mind? It wasn’t as though there was something between them. Or even the possibility of it. She had a sudden break in the clarity of her thoughts as they tumbled around in her mind like laundry in a clothes dryer. She tried to grasp one of them and hang on to it, but it slipped away. What was she struggling so hard to remember?

  “Angela?”

  Her head snapped up at the sound of Scott’s voice.

  “You looked like you were somewhere else.”