McKenzie, Cooper - Saving Chloe (Siren Publishing Classic) (4 page)

“I said, go away,” Declan repeated in a tone that matched hers for its chill.

If it wasn’t against vampire as well as human law, he would drain the bitch in a minute for her badly timed intrusion. But then he would have to dispose of her body, and nowadays that was more difficult than even fifty years ago, when one could just take them out and dump them in the woods.

“I don’t know who you think you are, but that”—she pointed toward Chloe, who shifted to look over her shoulder—“is my friend. I need to talk to her, and though you’re cute, you are being a pain in the ass. Now release her and go away so we can talk.”

Her attitude was so demanding and condescending that Declan had to take a deep breath to calm himself. Though he wanted to show her attitude, vampire-style, he didn’t want to frighten Chloe. Not yet. It was too soon. If he let loose with fangs and claws and a little bloodletting, he would lose any chance of winning his mate.

“Declan.” Chloe patted his chest to pull his attention away from the blonde. “Let me talk to Jasmine,” she whispered too softly for the other woman to hear.

“Are ye sure, darlin’?”

Chloe nodded as she lifted the hand that had patted his chest to his cheek. She stroked it and smiled. “I’m sure. Just don’t go too far, okay?”

“Never again,” he said with a smile.

He looked at the woman and frowned. “Turn yer back, wench,” he said in the voice that he used to manipulate humans without their realizing what was being done. He’d been using it at a reduced wattage, but Jasmine seemed unaffected to this point. So he upped the power, something he never did with humans, but apparently had to with this woman.

Blinking, Jasmine frowned at him then whirled around and stared out at the street. He lifted Chloe off his lap and yanked his shorts and boxers up as his mate quickly hooked her bra and buttoned her blouse. With one last lingering kiss, he sat back down on the top step.

“Ye can turn back now,” he said with a smirk.

When Jasmine turned and glared at him, he lifted one eyebrow, just waiting for her to object to his continued presence in Chloe’s yard. Then he allowed his fangs to drop just enough that when he gave her a false smile, she saw them.

* * * *

As she slowly left Declan’s arms, she realized he was right. These so-called friends were human vampires. They sucked time, energy, and life right out of a person. Turning, she looked at Jasmine in a new light. As she approached the other woman on legs that felt like cooked noodles, she watched as Jasmine shot Declan a dirty look. Then the other woman blinked and looked almost frightened. When Chloe reached her side, Jasmine turned her back to the house, forcing Chloe to walk around her in order to talk face-to-face.

“What do you want, Jasmine?” Chloe asked.

Even if the other woman couldn’t make it out, she heard the tone that combined sated sleepiness with annoyed resignation. The editing had taken its toll, and fantastic sex with Declan had drained all her tension away. All at once, she really did feel completely drained—emotionally, spiritually, physically. Would it matter to her friend that sheer willpower was all that was keeping her on her feet?

Probably not.
She answered her own question as she looked into Jasmine’s face. The woman had on her “I need a favor” expression. Chloe had learned during their first few meetings that what Jasmine wanted, Jasmine got. It did not matter to her how much whining or wheedling she had to use. In the end, she always won. Normally, Chloe found it easier to give the woman what she wanted the first time she asked instead of listening to her carry on.

“I wonder if I can bum a soda for the morning. We’re out, and I don’t get paid until next week.” Jasmine grabbed her arm again and pulled her all the way to the street.

“Yeah, sure, why not,” Chloe said with a sigh.

Turning back, she decided to make Jasmine wait outside while she fetched the requested soda. This was not the first soda her friend had “bummed” and no doubt would not be the last. Tonight, at least she could refuse Jasmine entry to her house. Otherwise, Jasmine would settle on the couch, and it would be another two hours before she left again, and it would not bother her that Declan was sitting on the porch steps waiting for her to leave.

“Who is that guy? And what were you doing kissing him? I thought you’d broken up with Bill and were giving up on men?” Jasmine just about drooled as she questioned Chloe.

“I did break up with Bill. That’s Declan,” Chloe said.

She walked away without saying anything further. She knew Jasmine would have a dozen more questions, but she didn’t want to give out any more information about the man she’d just had the most amazing sex with.

Not that she could share too much. After all, she had not learned much about Declan Flannery, other than he was good-looking, made love like a sex god, and recognized human vampires at fifty paces.

“Chloe?” Declan stood as they approached.

“I’m okay.” Chloe didn’t stop, but climbed the steps beside him, finding herself leaning heavily on the handrail. “I’ll be right back. Jasmine needs a soda. Then we can get back to what we were doing,” she said with a smile.

It took less than a minute for Chloe to retrieve a can of her favorite soda from the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and return to the porch.

“Good night, Jasmine. Enjoy the soda.”

“But, Chloe, I wanted to talk to you,” the woman whined.

“Not tonight. I’m tired, and Declan and I were talking,” Chloe said, not sure where the strength came from.

She had never been able to get the upper hand with Jasmine before. Glancing at Declan, she raised an eyebrow. Was he somehow infusing her with this ability to deal with Jasmine without giving in to her?

Finally, Jasmine got the not-so-subtle hint and slowly backed down the sidewalk. “I’ll drop by tomorrow to see how you’re doing,” she called over her shoulder as she headed home to her husband who was no doubt asleep by now.

Chloe stood on the sidewalk and watched for a moment to make sure Jasmine wouldn’t change her mind. Then she turned back and jumped. Instead of waiting on the stoop, Declan stood about five feet behind her.

“Want to really make the HVs crazy?” Declan said as she walked up and into his welcoming arms.

“HVs?”

“Human vampires. Want to drive them crazy?” Declan wrapped his arms around her for a moment before dropping them to wrap one around her shoulders as he turned them toward his house.

“And how would we do that?”

“Spend the night at my house. That way they won’t be able to bother ye anymore tonight. Then in the morning, after ye’ve gotten a good sleep in me arms, ye can return home. With any luck, one or two of them will see ye crossin’ the street. When they start badgerin’ ye with questions, ye’ll jest have ta be strong like ye were with Jasmine just now.”

While Chloe was flattered and tempted by Declan’s suggestion, now that the fog of instant, intense sexual attraction had been satisfied, she felt confused and guilty. Her gut clenched, painfully telling her that in the long run, spending the night in this man’s bed might not be a good thing.

Besides, you still have another book to edit,
her sensible side reminded her.

“I’m sorry, Declan, but I can’t tonight,” she forced herself to say as she took a step away from the body that felt so good wrapped around hers.

Before she could turn away, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back to stand beside him. Wrapping his arm around her, he held her close to his side as he walked her to her front door. He stopped at the bottom of the steps to her tiny porch and turned her to face him.

Looking deep into her eyes, he said, “It’s okay, darlin’. I understand. Sleep well and get yer work done tomorrow so that tomorrow night, when we’re together again, we can play without interruption.”

Chloe nodded then wondered why she had turned him down. It wasn’t like she had never spent the night with a man before after just meeting him. Why was she putting Declan off?

“Would you like to come in for a few minutes instead?” she asked, after Declan leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss across her lips.

He slid a hand around to hold her head still as his cheek brushed against hers until his lips were at her ear.

“Not tonight, my darlin’ Chloe, but soon. I see yer exhausted, and dealing with that woman has put me off as well. Now go inside and sleep well tonight,” he whispered in her ear before pulling back and looking into her eyes again. “I’ll see ye tomorrow once ye’ve finished yer work.”

Chloe relaxed and agreed immediately. “I’d like that. Good night.”

As she went inside, she pushed away the regret of turning down a night in Declan’s bed. Instead, she focused on everything she needed to do before she could be with him again. Peeking out the window in the living room, she watched as he stopped at her sidewalk, held out his arms, and stood there for more than a minute. She thought she heard him say something, but couldn’t be sure. Finally, he dropped his arms and continued across the street and into his house.

Only then did she step outside again.

Looking to the stars overhead, she said to whatever higher power might be listening, “Please, put up one of those deflector shields like they had on
Star Trek
to keep everyone away until I finish working tomorrow.”

Chapter 5

Chloe woke up feeling rested and relaxed and ready to tackle a day of editing. Hopefully there weren’t too many problems and she could get both books turned in before the day was over.

Ten minutes later, as she ate breakfast while editing, someone knocked on the front door. She immediately recognized the solid, sharp thumps. Only one person had a knock with such attitude. What did Jasmine want this early in the morning?

Looking down at her oversized “Geek Snoopy” sleep shirt and shorts, she shrugged as she crossed to the front door and opened it.

“What’s up, Jasmine?” She didn’t smile or try to cover up the fact that she was still in her nightshirt. After all, it was early, and Jasmine was intruding, so what did she expect?

“Are you going to the farmer’s market today?” Jasmine asked as she pushed past Chloe and entered the house. “You’re not even dressed yet. What’s wrong?”

Chloe watched as the woman circled the living room as she always did, as if looking for clues to some mystery only she knew about. “I’m not going today. I’m spending the day working, though I think I’m coming down with a migraine.”

“Oh, you poor baby.” Jasmine stopped her snooping long enough to look at her. “You do look a bit peaked. Maybe you shouldn’t be making out with strange men so late at night. I don’t think you should see that man anymore. He’s not very friendly. Winston has invited him to several Porch People gatherings, but he always refuses. And I’ve never been able to read him like I do everyone else. It’s like he’s got no soul or something.”

Jasmine prided herself on being able to read people and tell whether or not they were inherently good or bad, liars, cheaters, or worse. Everyone she came into contact with heard about it and got read.

Chloe ground her back teeth together to keep from screaming for Jasmine to stop talking to her like she was a child. They hadn’t been making out. They’d had the best sex of her life, and she didn’t care what Jasmine and the rest of the Porch People thought of Declan. She was already half in love with him.

That thought stopped her cold, and she blinked. She had just met him and she was falling in love with him? Hadn’t her ex-husband and the two men she had dated since their divorce taught her anything? They had been out for what they could get. She had finally decided that they were not worth the time or effort it took to try and make them happy.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said instead. “Was there anything else you wanted?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot last night, but I was wondering if you could whip up a batch of those cookies that Brian loves so much. He’s still raving over the last batch, and he’s a little miffed at me for staying out so late last night. I thought if you made him some cookies—”

Chloe closed her eyes and counted to ten, but it did not help. She could already feel herself giving in to Jasmine’s whining, pleading tone. She knew that if she refused, the woman would not leave, only change the angle of her approach. She had learned that when Jasmine decided something, it was easiest to give in the first time she made her demands. She was much like a dog with a bone, worrying a subject until she got her way.

“I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything today,” Chloe said with a defeated sigh.