A Vampire's Saving Embrace (6 page)

“Yes.”

“Wow, I really
have
been living in a bubble, haven’t I?” She joked, her hand nervously twisting her ring as she tried to absorb this new tid-bit of information. But as hard as she tried – her mind kept going back to Desmond’s mouth on hers and she shivered slightly.

“Most humans do.”

She glanced out the window and realized with a start that it was already getting dark. She studied Desmond’s face closely, looking for any sign of fatigue - but all she saw was perfection. Absolute, unadulterated, male perfection. How the hell could the man look so GQ perfect
all
the damn time?

“Don’t you sleep?” she asked finally.

Desmond sat back down in the chair, his eyes studying her face. “I really don’t have a need to very often - no more than every few days, or if I have been injured and need time to heal.”

“Are you injured a lot?”

Desmond graced her with a solemn smile. “No…not anymore.”

“But you use to be?” She asked - the thought of him being hurt causing her heart to do a strange flip.

“Yes. But not for a very long time now. Believe me when I say - I lead a very quiet life here Abby.”

“How can you walk around during the day with all these windows?” She asked, glancing around the room curiously - wanting to know every possible thing about him. The man was completely fascinating.

“They are specially treated to block the sun’s rays yet let the light in. I find that I still enjoy the daylight, and I never stand directly in front of them for long.” They sat there in a comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally Desmond stood and smiled down at her. “Why don’t you relax for a bit while I prepare you dinner? You must be getting hungry.”

“You really don’t need to do that,” she argued, feeling like a total waste of flesh -but when her stomach grumbled a moment later at the thought of food - she smiled weakly, her face once again turning crimson. Damn, was it her stomachs insane ambition to embarrass her in front of this perfect man at every possible turn or what, she thought sourly - her mouth turning down in a frown.

“It seems that your body is telling you that I do,” he said - that damn grin coming to his lips.

“How does a vampire know how to cook anyway?” She demanded, her eyes narrowing slightly with irritation. It wasn’t bad enough that the man was strikingly beautiful - but he was also considerate and fun and … she stopped herself, hating how aware of him she was.

Desmond leaned down and touched his lips to the line of her jaw, right beneath her ear, sending that delicious heat back to the tips of her toes. She heard him inhale slightly and bit back the moan of encouragement that threatened to spring from her lips. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to feel his mouth once again on hers. “Food network,” he murmured, before straightening back up and leaving the room.

Chapter 3

Abby was restless, and she paced the room - trying desperately to curb her racing thoughts – but that was proving to be completely useless. It seemed that as soon as Desmond had left the room she felt…she stopped and glared out of the window and into the darkness - her brows furrowed in anger. She felt alone damn it, she grudgingly admitted - and that thought ticked her off. She felt alone, and vulnerable and restless!

Damn it! She softly cursed - not liking this feeling of dependency at all. She had never been one to rely on the company of others. She had basically been alone her entire life, and had come to the realization that that was just how she liked it. No emotional ties meant no heartache in her book - and she aimed to keep it that way. She had been hurt enough in her life, and had sworn to herself a long time ago that she would never feel that way again.

Her mother had always been so depressed and unavailable that she had learned at a very early age that she had only herself to depend on. And because they had moved around so much, she never really had the opportunity to make any real friends. She cursed under her breath again, knowing that that wasn’t the case any longer. Not since a certain vampire had walked into the picture. She chewed her lower lip as she debated whether or not Desmond would be angry if she went to find him. Just for some company, she silently told herself. He hadn’t told her that she wasn’t allowed to leave the confines of the bedroom after all, she rationalized. Making up her mind, she walked over to the door and cautiously slipped through and into the hallway – not at all sure what to expect.

As she slowly made her way down the hall, she was taken by all the lovely artwork adorning the walls. The pieces were light and airy, not at all what you would expect in a house of Vampires – although her experience on the subject was slim to none at best, she thought with a snort. Who would have ever thought that vampires actually existed? Or that they lived in beautiful homes with bright colors and light -and were drop dead gorgeous to boot! She shook her head slowly from side to side as she quietly tip-toed down the hall. She found the huge marble staircase and headed down slowly, unsure of why she was so nervous. When she heard pots and pans being knocked together she headed in the direction of the sound, her bare feet silent on the cool tile floor.

She stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, a smile coming to her lips at the sight of Desmond mulling about and her body instantly warmed. His back was to her as he faced the sink, draining what she believed to be pasta, and she once again noticed how perfect the man actually was as the muscles of his back moved and strained against the shirt that he wore as he moved gracefully about. Oh, Holy Hell! The man was edible. Who the hell needed food.

“You needn’t just stand there quietly, my pet,” he said, his back still to her. “You may come in if you wish.”

Abby blew out the breath she had been holding and sighed -damn his spidey sense! “I was bored,” she offered, walking over to stand beside him. “May I help?” Desmond graced her with that grin and again, her damned toes curled. Damn! Damn! Damn!

“You can stir the sauce,” he said taking a drink from the silver goblet he had beside the sink. “Would you care for a glass of wine?” He set the goblet down and not thinking, Abby reached for it to take a sip. With lightning speed his hand was around her wrist - stilling her. “Not from there, love,” he cautioned a strange heat in his gaze.

For an instant Abby was pissed. What - did he think he would get some sort of horrible, contagious fairy cooties if she drank from the same glass as he did? That really took some nerve. He was a vampire for God’s sake. He drank
other
people’s blood! Shouldn’t she be the one who was worried?

“I only wanted a taste,” she muttered softly- then with a note of annoyance, “I won’t infect you or anything. Just because I’m a fairy doesn’t mean you’ll sprout wings!” She bit out - but a moment later her eyes widened with embarrassment as her face turned bright red. “Oh, cripes. It doesn’t - does it?” She croaked – wincing at her stupidity.

Desmond burst out laughing, his fingers releasing her wrist and going to her lips. His index finger softly traced the lines of her mouth, his gaze heated as he remembered how these perfect lips felt beneath his - how sweet her mouth had tasted and he wanted nothing more than to lower his head and take them once again. Everything about this woman compelled him - her scent, her laugh – her eyes, and he just wanted to drown himself in her. It was a constant urge that was getting harder and harder to fight.

“That, my pet, is not wine,” he whispered, his eyes studying the curves under his finger with intense interest. “And, no – I will not sprout wings,” he finished, his eyes shining with humor and something else that Abby couldn’t quite put her finger on. It took a moment before the realization hit her, and when it did, she felt her stomach lurch. Oh, ick! She had almost drunk… Oh, man - now
that
thought was way up there on her gross-out meter! She could barely stand the
sight
of blood, much less the thought of drinking it.

“Oh, holy hell,” she breathed, her face turning crimson. “I am so sorry.”

“There is no need to be, my pet,” he assured her. “No harm was done.”

“Where do you…” she stammered – at a total loss. “What I mean is… um, where does it come from?”

For some reason, the vision of him clamped down on some strange woman’s neck caused an irritating tightening in her chest and a trickle of jealousy to ripple up her spine. Damn it all to hell!

“I have a nice little set up with the local blood bank,” he replied. “It never ceases to amaze me what money and a little compulsion can achieve,” he said –his voice low and serious, “besides -I have had my fill of hunting, so it is well worth the price.” Wow, she thought in wonder, if nothing else, this man was brutally honest.
Hunting? Compulsion?
What in the hell did all
that
mean?

“Well hell - never thought I’d see the day when Desmond LaGrange became domesticated.” A silky voice cut through the kitchen and Abby jumped- spinning around to see a large man leaning in the doorframe of the back door.

He was well muscled and tan, his hair - as black as Desmond’s, hung down his back in a thick braid that was interweaved with some sort of beading and long, thin strips of leather. His eyes were a deep rich amber and his wide smile showed perfect white teeth that seemed to glow against the deep bronze of his skin. “What? No apron?”

Abby unconsciously took a step closer to Desmond as the strangers eyes swept up and down her body in a slow, openly appraising way - causing her entire body to flush in embarrassment and make her feel uncomfortable.

She suddenly felt
extremely
vulnerable in only Desmond’s silk shirt - which barely hit her at the knees. She felt his arm slip around her waist in an almost possessive grip and let out the breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding – automatically relaxing with his touch. Christ! The vamp was like super-charged valium! As soon as he touched her - a soothing calm washed over her. Oh, who the hell was she kidding, she thought irritably – all it took was just being in the same room as him.

“Lucas,” he greeted, his arm tightening ever so slightly as his long fingers fanned out deliciously over her stomach - causing her to gasp. My God, she thought, what he could do with just a touch. And she found herself fighting the overwhelming urge to grasp his hand and guide it lower. Good Lord, Abby - she silently screamed at herself – stop it!

“Hey there, Des,” he replied, his eyes not leaving Abby for a moment. She felt Desmond’s body tense, and again swore she heard him growl, low in his throat - yet barely audible.

“Easy there, my friend,” Lucas said with a grin, finally meeting Desmond’s gaze. “I’m here to help, remember?”

Desmond nodded, and she felt the tension ease slightly. “Thank you for coming, Luke.”

“So,” he drawled, “this is the mystical daughter of the legendary Fey King?”

“Luke, this is Abby.” Luke went to take a step towards her, and Abby instinctively pushed back against

Desmond - slamming her back against his broad, solid chest and it felt as if she had hit a wall of granite. Damn, but the man was muscular!

There was a part of Desmond that swelled with pride as Abby pushed herself up against him - but there was also the part of him that knew that this was beyond dangerous. With the way his body was reacting to her tight little derrière as it pressed up against him - he knew that keeping his distance from her was going to prove difficult to say the least. What she did to his body with just her presence was bad enough – but what she did to him when they touched was so much worse. He needed to protect her- not lust after her like some sex starved adolescent. He stopped the thought cold. He had been on his own long enough to know that that was how it was meant to be, and this beautiful little slip of a woman could not be a part of that. She had no place in his world. What he was feeling was lust and nothing else – but who could blame him? The woman was sheer perfection. Who the hell
wouldn’t
lust after her? Luke was practically drooling all over himself, he thought with an angry scowl – his arm tightening ever so slightly.

“Don’t worry, princess,” Luke said with a grin, interrupting Desmond’s train of thought. “I promise not to bite. Well, that is - not unless you want me to. Then I’d be more than happy to oblige.” Abby swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to smile - ignoring his blatant innuendo. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, “it’s very nice to meet you.”

“So Chief, what do you need from me?” he asked, his face still set in that wicked grin as his eyes roamed over her face. “All you need to do is ask.” Even though the words were directed at Desmond, Abby couldn’t help but notice the slight leer he gave her as he spoke them.

“I need you and the pack to patrol the grounds. I don’t know how much Marcus has already told you, but Abby was attacked by a demon several nights ago, and from what is being said, they know of her and are willing to do whatever it takes to try and get their filthy hands on her.”

Luke gave a low whistle, his eyes once again traveling slowly over Abby’s entire body. “Well, I can’t say that I blame them,” he replied with a chuckle, “she smells
damn
good. Not at all hard on the eyes either.”

Again Abby felt Desmond’s entire body tense, “Easy wolf,” he growled in warning - but Lucas just broke out into a deep, rich
– completely,
amused laughter.

“Damn, blood-sucker,” he choked out – his eyes gleaming with humor. “Don’t go getting your fangs all up in a bunch. I’m just making a little friendly - completely obvious, observation. She
is
gorgeous after all. You can’t blame a guy for noticing. I mean, I’d have to be damn blind not too, and as you know – wolves have excellent sight.”

“Lucas…” Desmond growled and the man held up his hands in front of him in surrender even though his eyes stayed on Abby.

“Ok…ok, I’m done.”

“You had better be,” Desmond warned softly.

After a few moments, Luke’s smile faded, and he looked back to Desmond. “But in all seriousness Des – you know you have our protection - whatever you need, we are at your disposal. Now if the two of you will excuse me – I’ll go gather the pack and fill them in,” he gave Abby a slight wink and was gone.