Dangerous (Courting the Darkness Saga) (8 page)

“It sounds a bit like a
pickup line to me.”

Drake looked confused.
“Pickup line?”
She nodded. “Please explain.”

She laughed lightly.
“Explain what?”

He crossed his arms
over his chest, studying her carefully. “I’ve never heard the term before. What
is a pickup line?”

Her eyes rounded. “You’re
serious, you don’t know?”

Drake shrugged. “I’ve
not been out much in the last fifty years. Please explain.”

“Well, um, a lot of
guys lie and tell a girl untrue things, like she’s beautiful, to get her to go
out with them or sleep with them.”

During her explanation,
the smile dropped from Drake’s face and was replaced with a scowl. “I do not
lie.”

Sherry took a step
back. “I wasn’t implying that you do—uh, just maybe
stretched
the truth a bit.” He lifted an eyebrow and continued to glare. “Oh, come on
Drake, I am not beautiful. You have
eyes,
you have to
see the same thing I see when I look into the mirror. Maybe you’ve been cooped
up in that warehouse too long. The attention you’ve shown me is flattering,
but—”

“You think I am playing
some sort of human game in order to trick you into my bed?”

She crossed her arms
over her chest. “Well, aren’t you?”

“I speak the truth; you
are beautiful. I do not need to resort to human tricks. If I want you in my
bed, you will be there. I will have no need of human games to get you there,
either.”

Her mouth dropped open.
“If you think you’re going to force me, then think again, bucko.”

When he grinned,
exposing his fangs, she took a hesitant step back. “I will not need to force
you, love. You will beg me to take you.”

He took a step toward
her and she
retreated
another step.
“Never.”

“Never is a very long
time.”

The softness in his
tone rolled over her, then through her. Her nipples beaded and heat settled at
her core. “Stop that.”

He caught her change in
scent and chuckled. He knew exactly what he was doing to her. “I have not
touched you, love.”

She didn’t think this
was the least bit funny. Just the sound of his voice made her ache for him. He
was
right,
she would be begging…she was almost to that
point now. She had to get away, now, because if he touched her again she would
be a goner.

She averted her eyes
and stepped around him, figuring that maybe if she ignored him he would give
up. She rubbed her hands briskly over her chilled arms. “Can we go now? This
place is kinda
creeping
me out.”

Desiree glanced at
Drake, then at Mica, unsure how to respond. “Sure, kiddo, I guess.” She looked
to Drake and shrugged.

Drake flipped out his
cell phone, bringing up the speed dial. “Sean, bring the Hummer to the
mausoleums.” He paused. “Yes, we have the women.” He paused again. “I know the
sun is up.... Idiot,” he growled under his breath. “Go into my chamber and get
three amulets, and bring two others with you.” Drake looked at his phone,
cursing under his breath. “Tell me again why I put up with you? Take one of the
amulets for yourself,
then
give one to Jacob and the
other to Jonah. They’re my best trackers.... Because Justin Hargrove got
away…you know what? Just send Jacob and Jonah, give the other amulet to Tracy.
You stay at the warehouse.... Because if I see you right now, I’ll rip your
fucking throat out.” Mica laughed out loud and Drake glared back. “
We need
the Hummer, now
!” he yelled into the phone.

Sherry started when he
snapped the phone shut. Mica was still laughing, but she was leery about
standing too close to an angry vampire. Skirting the smashed coffin, she sat
down next to Desiree on the bench.

Mica stood and clapped
his friend on the back.
“Trouble in paradise?”

Drake bared his teeth
when he growled, dropping his fangs. Still grinning, Mica took a step back.

“You’re walking on thin
ice,” was Drake’s reply.

***

Sherry sat in the back
seat of the Hummer next to Drake. Another vampire, Tracy, one of Drake’s
trackers, was behind the wheel. They were headed toward her house.

“I don’t know why you
wouldn’t let me ride home with Desiree and Mica,” Sherry said again for the
fifth time.

Drake refused to answer
after the second time.

Sherry sighed heavily.
“I need to go pick up my car.”

“I’ll have your car
delivered. For now you’re not leaving my sight.”

“This is ridiculous.”

“Hargrove is on the
loose. Normally a mere human wouldn’t cause me much concern. We’d track him
down and eliminate the threat. However, if he’s anything like his father, then
he’s a crafty little bastard. Desiree had to turn his father into a rat and
cage him to stop him. I’ll not leave you unprotected.”

Sherry crossed her arms
over her chest and huffed. “I don’t see what this has to do with me. He wasn’t
after me. He was after Desiree. Go bug her.”

“She has Mica to
protect her. I’m concerned about you. You know he’s a witch hunter, love. He
knows you’re a witch, and he’ll be after you too.”

She looked out the side
glass.
“Fine…whatever.”

He laughed softly. “You
are
stubborn.”

She turned her head and
glared, taking exception to his laughter. “Get used to it. I’m just getting
started. You’ll want to be rid of me soon enough.”

“Somehow I doubt that. I’ve
been around for over three hundred years. After a while things get a little
mundane. So far you’ve been quite entertaining. Not only are you beautiful, but
you possess a fiery spirit. Being in your company will prove to be anything but
boring.”

Arrogant bastard, I’d love to wipe that cocky grin off
his face
, she thought as she rolled
her eyes at his statement. “That’s wonderful; I amuse you, glad to hear it.”
Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “Whatever do I do for an encore?”

His grin broadened as
his eyes emanated an unnatural glow. “I can think of a few—” The scowl she gave
him stopped him in mid-sentence. The car coming to a stop in front of her house
allowed him the reprieve to change the subject. “We’re here.”

A smile touched her
lips as she breathed a sigh of relief. “Great. I just want to go into the
house, take a bubble bath,
then
go to bed and forget this
day ever happened.”

She grabbed the door
handle and shot out of the car.

***

A bubble bath and bed, hummm, that sounds intriguing
, he thought. He only paused a moment to appreciate
the twitch in her hips as she rushed toward the front door. Her short skirt
left little to the imagination.

His cock hardened in
anticipation, the ache intensifying with each delicate step. He couldn’t
remember ever being this obsessed with a human before. All he could think about
was burying
himself
deep within her and hearing her
scream out his name as her body quaked and milked him with her own orgasm. His
cock twitched and strained against the zipper with that thought. “I’ll have you
yet,” he said under his breath.

“Sire?”

“Take the Hummer back
to the warehouse. I’m staying here. I’ll call when I’m ready for you to pick us
up.”

Tracy turned in the
seat. “
Us
, sire?”

Drake spoke as he slid
out of the SUV. “Yes, she’ll be staying with us. It’s no longer safe for her
here.”

Tracy grinned, exposing
his fangs. “The witch is not going to like that one bit.”

Drake leaned into the
Hummer slightly before closing the door. “I’m counting on it.” He heard Tracy’s
laughter as the door closed.

***

As soon as Desiree
placed her purse on the end table Mica swept her off her feet and sat down on
the couch with her in his lap. “I want to hear no more arguments about a body
guard. Hargrove could have killed you and your friend today, and if we hadn’t
bonded it would have taken me a lot longer to find you. As it is you need
healing, again.” He smiled. “It seems that the last time I rescued you from a
Hargrove your face was in the same condition.” He raised an eyebrow. “Are they
naturally abusive men or….”

She smiled sheepishly.
“I guess I don’t know when to shut up.” She furrowed her brow. “What do you
mean ‘need healing again,’ as if you had healed me? I healed on my own last
time, thank you very much,” she said in irritation,
then
his smile grew. “Are you implying that you could have healed me?”

“I—hmmm—I sense that to
tell the truth will irritate you. However, you did heal immediately after we
bonded.”

Did I?
she
thought, searching her memories. Her eyes widened.
I did.
“How did you do that?”

“You drank from me when
we bonded. My blood has healing properties.”

“If you could have
healed me all along, then why didn’t you offer to heal me sooner?”

“At the time I didn’t
think you would be too cooperative with me opening a vein and telling you to
drink. Also, there was the issue that I was supposed to deliver you to Drake
and leave. Giving you my blood would have given us a connection. I would have
always been able to feel you.”

“Would that have been
so bad?”

“To walk around with a
perpetual hard on for a woman I couldn’t have? What do you think?”

She laughed. “Um,
knowing you, I believe that you probably would have killed someone or
challenged Drake for me.”

“I believe I did that
last night.” Mica said, and the smile fell from Desiree’s face as she
remembered the events. Drake had refused to let her leave with Mica, and they
nearly fought. She had threatened to throw a fireball at Drake. They were very
fortunate that he found humor in the situation. “Lucky for us that Drake didn’t
have us both put to death for treason.”

Desiree shuddered.
“Drake is dangerous. Mica, I’m worried about Sherry.”

Mica sighed. “I don’t
think he’ll harm her. I haven’t seen Drake show this kind of an attraction to a
woman since his wife died.”

“I thought you said
that when mates bond, if something happened to either of them the other would
die.” Mica nodded. “If that’s the case, then why
isn’t
Drake dead now?”

“I said wife, not mate.
He was married to her when he was still human. She died in childbirth along
with the babe.”

“Women have babies
every day; it’s generally no big deal. What happened?”

“This was a little over
three hundred years ago. Many women didn’t survive childbirth back then. The
child was breech, and she bled to death. Drake blamed himself.” Mica frowned as
he thought back. “Come to think of it, there are many things about Sherry that
resemble Cara. Her hair color is about the same, and her eyes. Yes, her eyes
resemble Cara’s.”

“Sherry is
not
Cara.”

“I know, and I know
Drake knows that too. It just might explain his sudden interest in your
friend.”

***

Is it even still the same day
? Sherry wondered as she dug through her purse looking
for her house keys. So much had changed in the course of a few hours. She was
physically and emotionally exhausted. Her attempts at resisting Drake were
wearing her out. Her mind was at constant war with her hormones, her body
betraying her at every turn.
Just
concentrate on getting inside,
she thought.
He’ll grow bored waiting in the car and will eventually give up.
Desiree’s right. I got a little too close to the flame and I’m gonna get burned
if I’m not careful. Where are those keys, dammit?
She pushed her wallet
aside and her fingers grazed the key ring.
Yes.

As she pulled the keys
free, Drake plucked them from her fingers.

She frowned, reaching
for the keys. “Hey, what do you think you’re doing? I thought you were still in
the car.”

He jingled them just
out of her reach, flashing a smile. “I’m opening the door. I can’t protect you
from the car.”

As if to reinforce his
words, the Hummer pulled away from the curb and rounded the corner,
disappearing from sight. She was now alone with Drake, and that scared the hell
out of her. With as much resolve as she could muster she looked him squarely in
the eyes. “I’m not inviting you inside. Vampires can’t come into a person’s
home unless they’re invited.” At least she hoped they couldn’t.

He turned the key in
the lock, pushed open the door, and crossed the threshold. “That’s a myth,
love.” He continued down the hall, checking every corner.

She stomped her foot in
frustration, then chased after him. “Stop, Drake, I didn’t invite you into my
home. Where do you think you’re going?” She ran up behind him. “You are not
king in my home. This is my castle, not yours.” She reached out, grabbing his
arm to stop him. She knew what she said was childish, but there was no way she
wanted him traipsing about her home like he owned it.