8
K
ayla sat in the back of the black car with tinted windows that had arrived at the warehouse to pick them up, Ethan by her side. But they weren’t touching. They weren’t even speaking. The distance between them spoke of strangers, not of two people who’d shared the heat of passion and the victory of battle.
The closer they came to her apartment, the more Kayla’s stomach twisted in knots. What came next for her and Ethan? By the time they drew to a stop, she was ready to come unglued.
“I’ll walk you to the door,” Ethan said, moving to get out of the car.
Kayla grabbed his arm and he turned back to her, a brow lifting in question, those damn blue eyes fixing her in an intense stare. “Yes?”
She didn’t want him to do the gentlemanly thing and escort her to her apartment. Being a gentleman had never been what she’d wanted from Ethan. “I don’t need to be walked anywhere.”
“Humor me,” he said, as he had hours before in a similar situation.
She’d broken rules tonight. She couldn’t turn back time. The way she saw it, the damage was done. Tomorrow was a new day. No, damn it, she would not
humor
him. There was plenty more she’d be happy to do, though.
“If you want to walk to that door with me, then it better be to come inside.” She paused with intent. “To stay.”
Ethan stared at her a long moment. “You’re sure about this?”
She wanted this. She wanted Ethan. “Very.”
He gave her a short nod and then spoke to his driver. “We won’t be needing your services any longer this evening.”
A few seconds later, they stood at her door and Kayla handed over her keys to Ethan, per his insistence. No matter how much she didn’t care about him being a gentleman, he insisted on playing the role. She stood there on her front porch, her skin tingling with awareness as she watched Ethan turn the key.
He stepped inside her apartment, turning on the lights and motioning her forward. She went ahead of him, pausing on the bottom step. Ethan flipped the locks into place and Kayla had the satisfied feeling of shutting off the rest of the world. This was her place, her comfort zone.
She realized then that Ethan had willingly come to her territory, her safe zone. Prior to this night, she’d always assumed he’d demand she go to his. But the truth was, on many occasions he’d come to her, sought her out. Offered her help where he could have turned away.
Ethan turned to her. Appearing satisfied he’d completed his task, he walked toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She stood on a step that put them closer to eye level, and somehow that put them on even ground, offering a more intimate more intense connection.
“You can still change your mind,” he said softly. “In fact, you probably should.”
She narrowed her gaze on him, surprised by his words. “Why is that?”
His tone was dry. “Surely your Council wouldn’t approve.”
A tiny smile played on her lips. It was late to think of such things. “I doubt they’d approve of much I’ve done this night.” That brought her to an important subject. “Like me drinking blood.”
His lips brushed hers. “My blood,” he said, his voice low, almost possessive. “You drank my blood. Just as I drank yours.”
The way he said the words came out incredibly erotic. It was clear it aroused him to think of them sharing as they had. It shouldn’t do the same to her, yet, it did. Her nipples tightened and tingled, her body warmed.
“I need to understand,” she said. “I need—” He cut her words off with a kiss. A deep, passionate kiss. Kayla melted into him, her body sizzling and ready for more. So ready. She’d wanted him forever, it seemed. She’d resisted because of what was right and what was wrong. But as his tongue slid against hers, taking her deeper and deeper into the passion that burned between them, the lines of right and wrong faded. There was only this night, only the two of them.
Ethan’s fingers lightly brushed her hair from her face, his lips nipping and teasing, before he soothed her with a gentle caress of his mouth. “I swear I’ll answer your questions,” he finally said. “I know what you need—”
It was her turn to cut him off. Kayla kissed him again, inhaling his spicy male scent, so deliciously enticing. “If you know what I need,” she whispered against his lips, “why are we still standing on the stairs?”
Ethan didn’t argue, lifting her in his arms. She took his cue, wrapping her legs around his waist, letting him carry her up the stairs, eager for what came next.
At the edge of the living room, he paused, and she answered his silent question. “To the right, down the hall.”
Inside her bedroom, her curtains were open, moonlight spilling into the room in a silvery gray stream. Ethan set her on her feet beside the bed and their eyes held and locked. Together they undressed, no questions, no resistance. They both knew what they wanted, what they had wanted for far too long.
When clothes were no longer an obstacle, they faced one another again. Kayla reveled in the perfection of his body. Glorious from head to toe, he was all sinewy muscle, powerful and strong. Her gaze drifted from his broad chest to his flat, rippling abdominals to the hard length of his aroused cock. She would have reached out, would have wrapped her hand around the width, but Ethan took action first.
The next thing she knew, she was flat on the bed, Ethan on top of her, his shaft settling between her legs with delicious promise of what was to come next. And he was kissing her, kissing her with such passion, such intensity, she thought she would go up in flames. This was what she’d waited for, what she had fantasized about many a time.
Desperate for more of him, Kayla wrapped one leg around his calf, arching upwards, sliding her aching core along his long, hard length. Her hands went to his face, feeling the stubble of his jaw on her sensitive skin, amazed at how arousing it was, how something so little could be so sensual and sexy with Ethan.
“I want you inside me, Ethan,” she whispered hoarsely. “Like I’ve wanted that for a lifetime.”
Ethan responded by lifting himself up on one arm and looking down at her, his lids heavy, eyes dilated with passion. Suddenly his mood seemed to shift, to darken. He squeezed his eyes shut and tilted his head back, making a frustrated sound. The next thing she knew he was on his back, arm over his face.
“What is it?” she asked, confused and lost by the sudden change. “Ethan—what is it?”
He inhaled and let it out before turning to his side to face her, his weight on one elbow. “Your mother was a Watcher. What about your father?”
She shook her head. “What?” she asked. “My father? Men aren’t Watchers. He was human.”
“Are you sure?” he questioned. He hesitated, then asked, “Could he have been a vampire?”
No.
Why would he say such a thing? Her throat went dry, her heart beating at double time. The implications of what he suggested could make her an outcast in her world. It would certainly strip her of her post.
Ethan didn’t say things without reason, which made his question all the more disturbing. “You think he was a vampire?”
He gave a short nod. “I believe you have vampire in your bloodline, and it makes sense that it was your father.”
“Because I drank your blood and it made me stronger,” she stated, assuming that was where he’d drawn his conclusion. Surely, her mother would have told her such a thing. Wouldn’t she have? Yes. Of course. “I would know.”
“It’s more than that.” He ran his hand down her hair, moving closer again. “From the moment we met, we were drawn to each other.”
“That means nothing,” she said, rejecting that as a reason to claim a vampire in her lineage.
“Tonight in that club, you were on fire,” he explained. “You know why?” He let the question linger in the air for several seconds, clearly not expecting her to answer. “You were on fire because my mating instincts were on fire as well. There is only one mate for a vampire, little one, and some never find that person. Tonight I confirmed what I’ve suspected a long time now. Tonight everything inside me said that mate for me is you. I know it sounds impossible. I refused to believe it myself. But any doubt I had disappeared when I tasted your blood on my tongue.”
She shook her head. “That can’t be.” Kayla sat up and moved away from him, back against the headboard, knees to her chest. “I . . . no. This can’t be.” A thought occurred to her and she stiffened. “Oh God. We drank from each other. Does that mean . . . is that . . . are we . . . ?”
He came to her then, his hands going to her cheeks. “I would never bind you to me without your consent.”
She knew that. She did. And it comforted her to realize that. “How does a vampire mate?”
“Three blood exchanges must take place. The third must be done while making love.”
Kayla digested his words, thankful that nothing could happen she didn’t control. He kissed her forehead, a tender act she felt from head to toe. Then, he moved away, leaving her feeling empty and alone. He said nothing more as he pushed to his feet and reached for his pants.
“Where are you going?” she asked, unable to stop herself, though, Lord only knew, she tried.
He glanced over his shoulder before turning to face her. “I can see you need some time to process all of this and I’m going to give it to you.” A muscle in his jaw tensed. “I’m asking nothing of you, Kayla. I simply thought you have the right to know what I believe to be the truth. This is our secret.” He grabbed his shirt and shoved his arms into it, leaving the buttons untouched. “I’m headed out of town anyway. I need to see my king. It would be best to tell him about Rigo in person.”
Her stomach twisted in knots. She should be glad he was leaving but she wasn’t. She should be glad he wasn’t pushing this mating thing. Yet, again, she wasn’t. “I thought you were staying here to fight the Brothers?”
“Oh, I’ll be back before the Brothers have time to regroup, you can count on that. I won’t leave you to deal with them alone. A mate protects his woman.”
The prospect of his return brought relief that lasted all of a second. Her tempter flared at his possessive macho attitude. None of this changed anything about her world or her life. “Damn it, Ethan,” she spat, glaring at him. “I am a Watcher, as much a warrior as you. I
don’t
need protecting.”
She crawled across the bed to the edge of the mattress and stood up, facing him, intent on getting dressed. But the instant she was within arm’s reach, Ethan pulled her close, his warm body enclosing hers, creating a rush of red-hot desire.
“You argue about not needing protection,” he said, “but say nothing of my claim that we are mates.”
She settled her hands on his chest, the familiar banter of their relationship offering her comfort. “Because it’s a crazy notion not worth arguing about. And stop twisting my words. You’re infuriating.”
“So you’ve told me often,” he said, his hand sliding over her bare ass, molding her to his hips.
He was hard again, just as she was wet. There was no question they turned each other on. No amount of ice she tried to create survived the fire.
“We might be forced to deny our bond, but I
will
be close by, looking after you. I have since the day you arrived in this city and I don’t plan to stop now.”
Arguing was no use and she knew it. She also knew it was well past time she took control again. Kayla slid his shirt off his shoulders. “You talk too much,” she said. “If you really want to take care of me, then shut up and fuck me.”
His lips lingered above hers, teasing and tempting. “I won’t fuck you, little one. But I will make love to you.”
Hmmm. She liked that. Actually, both options sounded rather enticing. “Would you consider doing both?” she asked, her hand sliding to the front of his pants, tracing the ridge of his erection.
“Perhaps,” he said. “After I’ve made love to you three or four times we can discuss other diversions.”
She smiled, shoving his pants down his hips. “Promises, promises.”
A moment later, she lay on her back, his weight on top of her, his kiss more passionate than any kiss she’d ever known. And when he slid his hard length inside her, he filled her with more than satisfaction. He filled her with certainty.
Kayla knew in that moment that whatever the future might hold for her, Ethan would be there. And, as always, he would be her biggest secret.
Once a delicious temptation, he would be an indulgence she could never turn away.