His Dark Embrace

Pulling his cell phone from his pants’ pocket, Thorne punched in the number for the Scarlet Cabaret.

Sam paced the living room floor, his hunger growing with every step. He needed to feed, badly. It was probably a good thing Sky had gone to bed, he thought darkly. He wouldn’t want to be responsible for what might happen if she was in the same room with him now. Dammit, where was Thorne?

Sam clenched his fists. He needed to go out, but he couldn’t leave Sky home alone. His steps grew shorter, quicker. His veins felt like they were constricting. His fangs ached. He had known hunger as a mortal, but this was a hundred times, a thousand times, worse. Where the hell was Thorne?

Sam went to the window and peered outside. It would only take him a few minutes to go into town and locate some unwary mortal.

He couldn’t wait any longer. With his mind made up, he turned away from the window. He had taken only a few steps when Thorne appeared in the living room, accompanied by a tall brunette wearing a long black cloak over a black dress. She appeared to be about fifty years old.

“Sam, I’d like you to meet my friend, Olivia. Olivia, this is my brother-in-law, Sam.”

“Uh, I’m pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

“Thank you.”

Sam looked at Thorne, wondering who the woman was and why he had brought her home.

“She’s agreed to let you feed off her.”

“What? I ...” Sam shoved his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. He was hungry, sure, but this woman was old enough to be his mother.

“You can take care of it in here,” Thorne said, “or take her up to your room if you’d rather feed in private.”

Olivia removed her cloak and laid it over the back of the sofa, then held out her hand. “Sam, is it? Don’t be shy.”

Feeling like a teenager sneaking a girl up to his room for the first time, Sam took the woman’s hand and led her up the stairs.

Thorne grinned as he watched Sam and Olivia leave the room. For a moment, he stood there, thinking Sam was in for a treat. Olivia’s blood was clean and sweet, almost as tasty as Skylynn’s.

Her name had no sooner crossed his mind than she came down the stairs, her slippered feet making a soft shushing sound.

“Who was that woman?” Skylynn asked, her voice low.

“A friend of mine.”

“Oh?” There was a wealth of accusation in that one, simple word.

“She frequents one of the clubs I visit from time to time.”

“I see.” Sky pulled the bathrobe tighter, as if it could protect her from a truth she didn’t want to hear. “And what kind of club would that be?”

“Calm down, Sky Blue. She’s a vampire groupie. Sam needs to feed and I don’t want him going out alone as long as Desmarais is prowling around.”

“Oh. You’re right, of course.” She looked at him a moment. “You’re not going to”—she cleared her throat—“to drink from her after Sam’s done, are you?”

“No.”

“Good. Because if you’re thirsty ...”

“I appreciate the offer, darlin’, but that’s not why I married you.”

“I know, but I’d rather you drank from me than from some other woman.”

“Don’t be jealous, Sky Blue. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“It means you’re with another woman.”

“I’m not ‘with’ them.” He knew where she was coming from; he understood her jealousy. After all, few things were more intimate than a vampire feeding, which was why, in all his long life, he had rarely fed on men unless there was no other choice. Women tasted sweeter. They smelled better. And it was just more appealing, more natural, to take a woman in his arms.

“I’m sorry,” Sky said. “It’s just that this is still so new to me. If you’re thirsty or ... or hungry ...”

“Oh, I’m hungry, all right.” He pulled her up against him, his hand stroking her back. “Hungry for you.”

“I think I can fix that.” She took his hand, a seductive smile on her lips as she headed for the stairs. “Dinner for one in the Sky Blue room. No waiting.”

Chapter 44

“What are you doing?” Cassandra fired the words at him like bullets. “I’ve warned you time and again to leave Kaiden Thorne alone.”

“I haven’t touched him,” Girard retorted hotly.

“You’re splitting hairs. You kidnapped his girlfriend, or wife, or whatever she is now, and her brother. You killed Lisa Rawlins for no reason. Are you trying to make me destroy you?” She tossed her head. “Assuming that neither Kaiden nor Lisa’s father beats me to it.”

“Kaiden Thorne killed my wife! Am I supposed to just forget that?”

“If you want to go on existing, I suggest that you do.”

For a moment, they stood only inches apart, glaring at each other.

“It’s not that easy,” Girard said, his gaze sliding away from hers. “I loved Marie. She was my whole life.”

“You’re not a slayer anymore, Girard,” Cassandra said flatly. “You’re a vampire now. Whatever happened in your mortal life has no bearing on the present. The sooner you put your old life behind you, the happier you’ll be.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” he said, his anger returning. “You’ve been a vampire for so long you’ve forgotten what it was like to be human!”

She regarded him for a moment, her eyes cold and hard. “Perhaps I made a mistake in bringing you across.”

“No. I like being what I am. And I’m good at it. You said so yourself.”

“This is my last warning, Girard. This isn’t my territory, but I will defend it, and Kaiden, if necessary.” She fixed him with a hard stare, her eyes glowing red, her power burning into him like sparks from a wildfire. “You would do well to remember that.”

Chapter 45

The next few days passed peacefully enough, although the strain of worrying, of being unable to go out during the day, was beginning to wear on Skylynn’s nerves. Kaiden had assured her that there was little to worry about from Desmarais when the sun was up, but if that was true, why had Kaiden insisted she remain inside during the day? The only time she’d been permitted to leave the house had been to go grocery shopping, and that had been at night, with Sam and Kaiden accompanying her.

Kaiden hired a professional bodyguard to stay with her during the day. His name was Jasper Curran, but everyone called him Tank, probably because he was built like one. For all that he was the biggest man she had ever seen, she rarely knew he was in the house. He stayed out of her way, checked the grounds regularly, and drank an enormous amount of black coffee. He showed up at sunrise, and left at sundown. Even though she had objected at first, she found his presence comforting.