Cursed (The Brookehaven Vampires #4) (17 page)

“No I don’t. It’s not like that,” I protested. At least, that’s not the sense I had gotten from Phoenix. You know, the whole two times I’d seen him.

“I know,” Oliver said. “If that were the case, the boy would have to be an idiot to call your boyfriend’s phone to speak to you.”

Talking to Phen had triggered a memory. “Hey,” I said.

He glanced away from his phone to me, and
I just about lost my train of thought…he was just so breathtakingly gorgeous. And mine.

I regained myself. “You once told me that you and Felix were next in line to run Brookehaven.”

“Yeah…” he responded, clearly wanting to know where this was going. He lifted his head and gave me his full attention.

“Phen told me that he is in line to take his father’s place. Is this true?”

“It is, but Phoenix is still very young. He is years away from ruling.”

“So you or Felix will take your leader’s place if something happens to him?”

“Felix will,” Oliver said, rather bluntly. He returned his attention back to his phone.

“What do you mean? You told me that once you were bonded, you would be next in line.”

“I stepped down,” he said. He looked over at me, his expression…apprehensive, as if he thought I would not like his answer.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because that is not the life I want for us.”

“Oh.” He had no reason to be concerned. I liked this answer. I didn’t want to share Oliver, especially with an entire coven. I
couldn’t even imagine what that would be like or entail.

“In the beginning, it was exciting when I had been considered to take our leader
’s place. But now, it’s just not appealing.” He flashed me a faint smile. “Especially after watching our leader for several years, it’s not me. I’m the tech behind Brookehaven, not the leader.”

I smiled at him, happy, and actually very relieved.

“What?” he questioned, a smirk forming in response to my smile.

“I love you,” I told him.

It made me feel so loved, so cared for, and so safe that he’d looked at this whole scenario logically. But that was who Oliver was, level-headed and safe. And hot, and smart, and funny, and MINE. Mine, mine, mine! I was especially happy about that last part.

Oliver
flashed me a sexy half-smile. “I love you,” he said.

He leaned across the console and kissed me, just a quick peck on the lips. However, I grasped the front of his shirt when he tried to pull away. His eyes met mine. I felt a wicked little grin form on my lips. It was my turn.

“Remember all those times I tried to seduce you in the car?” I questioned, low and seductively.

He nodded, his breath shuddering, his eyes growing intense with excitement.

I kissed him soft and slow, gently nipping at his bottom lip. Then I let go of his shirt and sat back in my seat. “Whose turn is it?” I asked as I took his phone and pulled the game back up on the screen. I glanced over at him. He looked…well, lost and confused. I felt a little bad, but just a little.

He was speechless, and it took him a few minutes to come back to himself. When he finally did, that was about the time his phone rang. It was time for us to head inside the airport and meet Levi.

The private airport was separate from the main airport. It was off to the side, and it was pretty well hidden, unless you were actually looking for it. As Oliver opened the door for me, I discovered that it really wasn’t all that big, unlike the main airport, which was a couple stories high and pretty big in comparison. I stepped inside and was surprised at how small it was in comparison to the main airport. And it was surprisingly basic. There were just a few dark blue, plastic chairs lining the wall that the entrance was on, with a counter opposite.

A random airport employee stood behind the counter. He requested Oliver’s ID, which he quickly gave to the guy. Then the man informed us that Levi would be inside shortly. We took a few steps away from the counter and waited while the airport guy busied himself at his station.

A single door led off to the side to where those who had landed would enter. We faced that door while waiting for Amber’s brother.

“Do you think Levi will be keeping his clothes on this time?” I asked.

A sharp laugh escaped Oliver. “Don’t count on it,” he playfully responded.

I smiled up at him and he hugged me to his side. Being a part of Oliver’s world certainly was interesting. It was nice to finally see the other side of him—his work side.

“We probably won’t see much of him,” Oliver told me as we waited.

“Why’s that? Because of Nikki?”

“Nah, she will try to avoid him as much as possible. Levi is what we call a Night Walker. Most of the time he sleeps during the day. He has a sun allergy. The sun’s rays are very draining to him. He claims it’s getting better since he has bonded with Nikki, but he still prefers the night. It has been a part of him for a very long time.”

“Ahh,” I said, with a nod. I didn’t fully get it, but I tried. A sun allergy? I thought of Amber, wondering if she suffered from the same ailment. Questioning Oliver about this, he confirmed my suspicion.
Interesting.

The door swung open, and Levi strutted toward us. He was tall, and lean, and blond, and…
dang
. There was just something about him… Something overly attractive, and very sexy. How the hell was this Nikki able to resist him? Was she stupid? Was she full of drama, like her sister?

Oliver nudged me. I turned my attention to my boyfriend. He was giving me a troubled look,
and his brow was crinkled. I made a mental note to keep myself in check when gazing upon the luscious Levi.

Returning my attention to the man getting closer to us, I thought
Stupid, drama, whatever, Nikki is a lucky girl.

Oliver nudged me again. I didn’t look at him this time. I did however feel my eyes widen in surprise at my wandering thoughts. I about smacked myself.

“My friend!” Levi announced as he reached us. He clapped Oliver on the shoulder. He was a good three to four inches taller than Oliver’s six-foot-one frame. Levi then looked down at me. “What a delight it is that you have brought the beautiful Delaney Alexander,” he said as he smiled even wider at me. “It is a pleasure to see the both of you.” Levi had the same accent as his sister. I hadn’t noticed it before, probably because he was naked. I had been focused on other “things” that day, or rather, had been trying
not
to focus on those things.

I quietly giggled to myself. Oliver shot me a dirty look that I tried my best to ignore.

“Ah,” Levi said as we headed out of the building and to the car. He carried a regular black umbrella to cover himself from what was left of the sun’s rays. He was also pulling his luggage along behind him, the wheels of the suitcase thumping over the cracks in the parking lot. “I am pleased to see you have replaced your car. That other automobile was dreadful.”

I climbed into the backseat so Levi could have the front. He thanked me very politely.

As we drove away, heading back to the hotel, Levi took a deep breath, then he exhaled, a wide grin appearing. “Congratulations,” he said, turning his attention to Oliver.

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was talking about
and why he was congratulating my boyfriend.

“I take it this information has yet to be documented,” Levi continued.

Well, that answered that question.

With his sunglasses in place and his face straight forward, Oliver nodded.

Levi, also wearing a dark pair of sunglasses, nodded in return as he turned his attention out the passenger window.

I
t was kind of weird, no, it was
really
weird, and uncomfortable, that my boyfriend had just been congratulated for having had sex with me. Right in front of me, no less. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat behind Levi.

“So,” Levi began, pulling his eyes away from the view outside, “do tell me of these angel troubles you have been having.”

Oliver gave Levi details on our troubles with Zane, to which Levi responded, “It would appear as though Lucifer was only the first in a long line of deranged Fallen.”

It was an unexpected comment that no one elaborated on. I was curious, you know, if the stories of Lucifer were true, and if so, had he been assigned to someone? But I was not comfortable enough with Levi to ask him, well
…anything, actually. So, I stayed quiet the entire ride back to the hotel.

At the hotel, Levi was checked into the room across the hall from ours. Before retiring to his room for a “nap,” he requested we meet him for dinner later that evening, downstairs in the hotel’s restaurant. Oliver kindly accepted, and then Levi went into his room.

I had a mini panic attack once we were in our room. “I don’t have anything to wear to dinner,” I told Oliver, somewhat frantically. “All I brought was jeans! I saw the way those people downstairs dress. I’ll look like a bum!”

“Calm down, Laney,” Oliver said, a chuckle escaping him as he pulled me into his arms. “Levi will probably be naked, anyway.”

I looked up at him, completely baffled. “They’ll let him do that?”

“No,” Oliver answered, laughing.

I smacked his arm. “You’re mean,” I joked, calming down.

“You should have seen your expression,” he said, his laughter dying, his lips meeting mine, soft and cool. I felt every part of me relax and melt against him.

Pulling his lips from mine, his dark green eyes gazed down at me while his strong, cool arms held me against him.

“There’s a mall not far from here,” he said. “Would you like me to take you shopping so you might find something to wear?”

I nodded, my lips finding his as soon as his words had stopped.

“Before or after I take these off?” he said seductively, his finger teasing across the top of my jeans while his lips worked their way across my jaw and down to my neck.

My head fell to the side, exposing my neck as an invitation. He held me close with his hands on my back. His breath was cool on my neck; it made me shiver with anticipation. Then he stopped. He released me and took a step back.

My head snapped up and my eyes met his, narrowing on him.

“Payback,” he said. He grinned at me.

I raised an eyebrow. “Really? But
you
started it,” I argued, not believing what he’d just done—leaving me hanging like that.

“
I
started it?” he questioned in disbelief, a smirk working its way to his lips.

“Yeah,” I said, putting a hand on my hip. “Just before Felix got here,
and
after he left.”

He grinned at me. “Well, that was an accident. We had company.”

“You knew he was coming!” I protested. “You also knew room service was on their way with breakfast.” He was
so
not putting this on me. If he wanted to play this game, he would be sorry. I narrowed my eyes on him again, and with a wicked little smile in place, I said, “And what about after he left, huh?” I eyed him for a second while he fought back a grin. “You did it on purpose!”

Still trying not to smile, he said, “I needed to get something for your hand.”

I shook my head, trying to hold back my own smile that was fighting its way to the surface. “You will be sorry,” I said.

Light laughter escaped him. He stepped forward, reaching for my hands. “Okay, okay. No more. I’m sorry.” He pulled me to him and looked down into my eyes. “Truce?” he asked in a soft, apologetic tone.

I tipped my head to the side while my eyes stayed on his. A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. “I think not,” I told him. I pulled myself free of his stunned grip and walked away.

He stared after me as I headed to the bathroom to compose myself and have a quiet laugh. He was going to be sorry.

Something Pretty

After a quick, private laugh, and a moment to freshen up, I left the bathroom. “You still taking me shopping?” I called from the bedroom. He was standing where I’d left him in the other room, just outside the bedroom door.

“You change your mind about teasing me?” A grin formed as he turned his attention to me.

“Nope.” I responded as I grabbed my purse. “Shall I call a cab instead?” I turned back to him, my eyes meeting his. “Maybe one of the nice bellmen would be happy to take me shopping,” I teased.

His
eyes narrowed on mine.

Okay, I may have gone too far. He was right in front of me a moment later, looming over me. My breath caught in surprise. His eyes bore down on me. Chills covered my body
—the good kind. I could actually feel his need for me. It was like his body was calling to mine, enticing it to be one with him.

I swallowed hard and placed my palm on his nice, firm chest. I smiled up at him, trying to control my hormones. “Calm down, Oliver. I was only kidding.”

He grabbed my face with both hands and kissed me, hard, crushing his lips to mine. It was difficult to resist that kiss, not to mention his hard body against mine, and his scent that was currently filling the room and making my head spin. Yet, somehow I did.