With a Kiss (36 page)

Marcus tensed. Any trace of sleepiness fled from his body as if chased by some kind of predator that could even scare a vampire. “What’s wrong?”

Liam shook his head, rubbing his cheek against Marcus’ chest with the motion. “Nothing’s wrong, I just…I don’t want you to go to sleep.”

He was aware of Marcus frowning down at the top of his head, but Liam didn’t lift his gaze.

“Sometimes, with Ralph, when I knew he was in a bad mood. If we… I knew he’d go to sleep straight after we had sex, so I’d suggest we…”

“Oh.” Marcus didn’t seem sure what else to say.

“But with you, it will never be because I want you to go to sleep,” Liam whispered.

Marcus pulled away a little. Tucking a knuckle under his chin he made Liam look up and meet his gaze. “That might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard any man say.”

A blush came to Liam’s cheeks, but it was one of happiness, not embarrassment. “It’s true,” he said with a little shrug before snuggling back into the other man’s side. He closed his eyes. Sleep claimed him almost immediately.

Chapter Fourteen

“We won’t be dining alone tonight.”

Liam glanced across the car at Marcus’ profile. After an entire day of chasing an insane collie who could run a hell of a lot faster than he could, Liam had been looking forward to doing nothing more than snuggling up with the other man in the big double bed that he was finally coming to think of theirs instead of merely Marcus’. But, suddenly, the idea of relaxing flew from Liam’s mind.

He straightened up in his seat, giving Marcus his full attention.

“There are a couple of people I’d like you to meet with,” Marcus went on as he changed gears.

“Vampires?” Liam asked, hardly daring to hope. “The ones you’ve been speaking to.”

“No, there’ll be plenty of time for you to meet them later,” Marcus said, his eyes still firmly fixed on the road in front of him. “The people you’ll be meeting tonight are more important than that.”

Liam shifted slightly, shuffling his feet against the mat on the car’s floor. “Okay?” he hazarded.

Marcus’ hand came to rest on Liam’s knee. “There’s nothing to worry about. They’re going to be thrilled to see you.”

“Is it your family?” Liam guessed. A hand clamped down around his stomach as the prospect of meeting his boyfriend’s parents. A wave of panic raced through him. He had no idea what kind of person they might have imagined Marcus ending up with, but he was pretty sure he wouldn’t fit the bill.

It was going to be like when his parents met Ralph all over again, only this time—

Marcus let out a strange half laugh that cut straight through every thought in Liam’s head. “Vampires aren’t really a family orientated species in the same way humans are.”

“Oh…” Strangely enough, that didn’t make him feel any better. Liam’s hand went to his collar as he sought for reassurance. He studied Marcus’ profile, but his master seemed determined not to look back at him, not even for the briefest possible moment, no matter how quiet the road was.

Marcus squeezed Liam’s knee as if he were seeking to reassure him, but he still didn’t look in his direction. Marcus had to take back his hand in order to turn into the driveway leading up to the house. Liam’s leg quickly turned cold. A shiver ran down his spine.

The idea of curling up in their bed came back. Only this time, he just wanted to hide under the covers.

There was a car in the drive that Liam didn’t recognize. It looked far more sensible than Liam could imagine any of Marcus’ friends driving. He frowned at it as if the vehicle might speak up and tell him what the hell was going on. The car remained silent.

“They’re here already?” Liam blurted out. He looked down at his clothes. The bottom two thirds of the trousers were still covered in collie hair. He probably smelled like a wet dog after the way the little bugger had soaked him when he finally caught it to bathe it.

A shower and a change of clothes suddenly became essential, a little while to talk himself into appearing calm, even if he was sure no amount of time in the world would allow him to actually
be
calm, was even more vital.

Marcus pulled up and got out of the car. Liam tried to make his own limbs move, but they didn’t want to obey his brain. It wasn’t until Marcus turned chauffeur and walked around to open Liam’s door that he moved a single muscle.

Liam might have been completely incapable of getting out of the car. But, it turned out that he was very able to put his hand in his master’s grip and allow Marcus to guide him out of the low slung space and into the house.

“I’ll just go up and…” he began to whisper as they stepped across the threshold.

At that moment, a voice floated through to Liam from the morning room. He knew that voice. Liam looked up at Marcus. “I…I don’t understand,” he whispered.

Marcus said nothing; he just looked down at Liam, his eyes very serious. Liam stared up at him in return, really looked at him.

The vampire’s shoulders were tense, his jaw clenched. He hadn’t relaxed as they arrived home. Liam wasn’t the only one who was nervous about the people they were about to meet.

That same voice floated through the hallway again. Liam looked over his shoulder. Unable to resist its allure, he cautiously crept closer to the door. It hadn’t been shut tight behind the last person to enter. Keeping out of sight as best he could, Liam peeked in through the gap.

For a moment, all he was able to see was the back of Mr. Jenson’s coat as the butler walked past the door. Then, the view cleared.

Mr. Jenson handed Mrs. Jenson a drink. At any other time Liam would have been shocked to see them sitting in the morning room. They had their quarters and any suggestion that they relax anywhere else would have been met by stern disapproval, from both of them if no one else. But right then, Liam didn’t have any room left in his brain for any extra shock.

His gaze moved slowly over Jenny and Diana, but Liam barely paused to wonder what the hell they were doing there. He knew that voice and—

The breath rushed from Liam’s lungs as his gaze fell on the final two occupants of the morning room. His mother and father sat next to each other on a small sofa. They had to have been beamed down there from some sort of alien spaceship. There was no other explanation.

His father’s grip on his mother’s hand was white knuckled.

“Mr. Corrigan and Mr. Bates will be home soon,” Mr. Jenson said. Liam dragged his attention away from his parents for long enough to see the encouraging look Mrs. Jenson gave her husband. The butler cleared his throat. “In the meantime, if I may make an observation?”

Every occupant of the room seemed to nod in sync.

Mr. Jenson cleared his throat. “I’m sure you’ve heard enough horror stories about vampires and the way they’ve treated humans over the years. My wife and I practically raised Mr. Corrigan. We’re under no illusions about vampires in general or about him in particular. He’s been as guilty of unwitting cruelty as any of them in the past.”

“We,” Liam saw his mother look toward his father. A moment of silent communication passed between them. “We’re not looking to come between Liam and, and Mr.—”

“And Marcus,” Mrs. Jenson cut in. “There’s no need for formality.”

“Between Liam and Marcus,” his mother finished with a nod toward the other woman.

“It’s only natural that you have concerns,” Mr. Jenson said, with a glance down at the glass in his hand. “If they’d met under different circumstances, I’d even agree that they’d be warranted.”

There was no way Liam could look away from the scene in the morning room then. He hung onto every word as if it were a tabloid drama playing out right in front of him.

“In other circumstances, Marcus may well have used and discarded Liam like he would any other human. But, while he was in his coma he had no choice but to listen to Liam—to get to know him the way he’s never known another human and learn to see him as something other than a blood supply.”

Liam swayed closer to the half open door.

“He might never have fallen in love with him in other circumstances,” Mr. Jenson added.

Liam forgot how to breathe. Words continued to flow on the other side of the door, but he could only give them half his attention.

“That’s all very well, but if you’ll excuse me saying so, talk is cheap,” Liam’s father cut in. “If he’s so besotted with our son, it seems to me that he’d be the one who turned up on our doorstep, not his butler.”

Mr. Jenson smiled slightly. “At this point, Mr. Corrigan’s main concern is that you and Liam have the best possible chance to rekindle your relationship. And, since he’s well aware that he may well not make the best first impression it seemed best to us that you met those who have had the benefit of seeing how he treats Liam before you are actually introduced to him.”

“Oh?” Liam had almost forgotten how skeptical his father was capable of sounding. If every muscle in his body wasn’t frozen into place, he might have smiled at the memories the reminder raised inside him.

“Vampires don’t share well,” Mrs. Jenson said. “Young Master Marcus would be quite content to keep them both locked up in this house and for Liam to never lay eyes on another human. He didn’t agree to Liam working at the shelter or meeting with you, for his own benefit. And after the way Ralph treated him, it might have been years before Liam felt healed enough to suggest contacting you himself.”

Mr. Jenson nodded as he took up the story again. “I think we can perhaps all agree that Mr. Corrigan is doing the right thing by trying to heal the rift that Mr. Bates’ prior boyfriend created between you. However, he is still a vampire. I can’t guarantee he’ll succeed in pretending he’s enjoying it…”

“Liam?”

Liam took a step back. Tearing his eyes away from the view through the doorway, he turned toward Marcus. The taller man had been standing right behind him.

Liam tilted his head back. Their eyes met, and Liam knew he wasn’t the only one who had heard every word.

Liam swallowed several times in quick succession. Marcus held out a hand to him, his expression as guarded as it usually was when he encountered one of the animals at the shelter. He didn’t look scared as such, just very aware that he was facing a creature that could react in very unexpected ways to his actions. Liam took one step forward and suddenly he was in the vampire’s embrace.

“I…Thank you.” Liam wrapped his arms around Marcus’ neck, hiding his face in his shoulder.

Marcus said nothing; he merely patted Liam’s back in that slightly awkward way he had.

“You don’t mind?” Liam asked after a few moments, his words suddenly tumbled out faster than he could control them. “You said vampires aren’t family people and—”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t want you to be,” Marcus cut in, his tone allowing no room for argument. “A master takes good care of his pet. He doesn’t let him lose touch with his family just because he had bad taste in men before they met.”

Liam smiled against the other man’s shirt. “I meant what I said last night. I really do love you,” he whispered, unable to keep the words back.

“Yes,” Marcus said, very simply.

Liam glanced up at him.

“And Jenson was right,” Marcus said, the words soft and obviously intended for his ears only. “I fell in love with you long before I ever managed to open my eyes.” His tone was still very calm, as if there wasn’t anything at all wondrous or magical about that fact, as if he wasn’t giving Liam something more precious than he’d ever expected to receive.

Liam closed his eyes for a moment, just letting the fact sink in. Love. Not the poor mockery of the word that he’d shared with Ralph. The real thing. His head spun with the knowledge. How the hell was he ever going to live up to being the kind of man Marcus deserved?