Darkling (5 page)

Chapter Six

Niles rested his elbows on his desk and dropped his face
into his hands. Usually stress ate into his day and made it drag. Today stress
came in another form—curvaceous hips, dark wavy hair and a moonlit dance. Fuck,
what was he going to do about the raging hard-on he had? He hadn’t been able to
get out from behind his desk in hours. His need was that strong.

His phone rang and his neck muscles spasmed as he jerked
upright. He clapped a hand over the tense cord between his neck and shoulder
and lifted the phone to his ear.

“Niles Walker.”

“Man, it’s Brady.”

“Hey. What’s up?”

“There’s a rumor going around that you have a woman at your
place. A homeless woman.”

Niles shot a glance at his closed door. Why was Brady
calling instead of talking face-to-face?

“Is it true, Niles?”

He grabbed a pen from his desk blotter and spun it between
his fingers. “What the hell are you talking about? Where did you hear such a
thing?”

“Sharon from the East Branch Services was at the fight last
night. Said she’s seen the woman you were with.”

His heart slammed with excitement. Someone had seen Vega
before? Maybe he could glean more information about her. “Where did she see
her?”

“She apparently saw her wandering through the park. She said
she was staggering around, then pulled up her hood and lay down under a bench.”

God, Niles hated hearing about Vega being in distress. He nudged
his glasses up and massaged his eyes. “How does Sharon know it’s the same
person? There are millions of people in this city alone.”

“She says the woman has a very distinct appearance. A rare
beauty.”

Yeah, that summed it up all right. Rare beauty. Niles’ cock
leapt at the memory of Vega as she’d been last night, the dim light filtering
through the thin cotton of her gown…and of her mouth on him.

“Who cares if she is staying with me?”

“You know it violates so many rules, man. You want me to
cite them?”

Niles prickled with agitation. “You aren’t my superior,
Brady.”

“No, but I’m your friend. I don’t want to see you in trouble
because you couldn’t bear to put a beautiful face in line at the soup kitchen.”

Niles rocketed to his feet. “Why are you bringing this up
over the phone? If we’re friends, why not come into my office and ask me about
Vega to my face?”

A sigh sounded, followed by a short silence. “Look, Niles,
the whole department knows about it, and I was afraid that by talking to you in
person, it would only raise suspicion.”

So that’s why everyone in the office was steering clear of
him today. He’d mused over his luck when no one burst in with a question or a
phone call for him to pick up, but really no one wanted to be involved in his
little indiscretion.

“Look, Brady, I’ll be perfectly honest with you. She’s
staying with me, but the reason goes beyond her looks. I have to help her
because only I can.”

Where the hell did that come from? Why had he said that? Not
once had he thought about Vega this way.

“Oh I see how it is,” Brady said with a hint of humor in his
voice. “Well, I’ll say no more, Niles. Just be careful. I hope she’s worth it.”

“Keep your mouth shut, Brady. I’d do the same for you, you
know. And yeah, she’s more than worth it.” Without further pleasantries, he
replaced the phone on the receiver. He slumped against his desk and fought for
control of his feelings.

Actually his chest warred with many emotions—Brady had put
him on the defensive, but Niles owned an ounce of guilt for snapping at his
friend. He was utterly pissed at Sharon, who needed to keep her gossiping nose
out of his business. And his emotions for Vega were undeniable. The three “Ps”
lived in his soul for her—protectiveness, possessiveness and passion.

He glanced at the clock, knowing he should be working.
Shouldn’t even think about bugging out early to go home to Vega.

Home to Vega.
Those words felt so right.

In an instant, he made his decision. He had to get out of
this oppressive office and back to his apartment. What he’d said to Brady about
being the only one to help her suddenly felt true. If he could make her realize
he was her friend, maybe she’d open up to him further. Last night when they’d
talked together over a snack, he’d seen the first flowers of trust blossoming
on her beautiful face. Spending more time with her might be the answer.

On the flip side, he couldn’t really afford more time off.
But could he afford to hang out at the office with a harmful rumor hanging over
his head? If he went home, it might blow over sooner. Or it might exacerbate
the problem. Who knew?

In the end, he didn’t care. He left the office and went out
into the baking streets, drawn home to Vega like a planet to the sun.

* * * * *

The sunlight streaming through the parted draperies bore into
the folds of Vega’s brain.
Hot. Too hot.

She flipped over and fell off the sofa, striking the floor
with a hard thump. Pain shot up her hip. And gods, her elbow!

A sharp cry burst from her, followed by a laugh. She grabbed
her elbow and rolled around on the area rug as a strange pinging sensation
rippled up her arm. Damn this human body. Who could live with it for life?
Weeping, trips to the bathroom and now this hideous pain were only some of the
problems with her new body.

Her longing for Niles was another.

Memories of last night trickled in. Vividly she recalled the
way she’d explored her body while she thought of him. Sweet shocks speared her
pussy. She clamped her knees shut and lay still for a long minute.

A dark ache threaded through her body and threatened to
paralyze her. What was she going to do about these tumultuous feelings coursing
through her? The knowledge that she wanted Niles in a way she could never have
him seemed to amp up her need. Her pussy clenched hard, and a trickle of cream
wet her inner thighs.

Shar shar. Shar shar.

She snapped to attention and threw out her senses. A sound
like that could come only from a celestial realm.

The starscale.

She gathered her feet beneath her. Now wasn’t the time to
let her passions carry her away. She was alone in the apartment with the
starscale. Within minutes, she could have it in hand and ascend to her proper
home.

In a few strides, she was at Niles’ bedroom door. The scent
of his personal musk and lingering hints of his cologne overwhelmed her. She
drew a hitching breath. In all her existence she’d never experienced such
longing.

Again she heard that telltale metallic swishing noise that
drew her into the bedroom. Niles’ room was decorated in masculine shades of
blue and his taste in simple, angular design was apparent in his furniture. For
a brief moment, she was drawn to the bed. Before leaving for work, he’d hastily
made his bed. The blankets were rumpled and his pillow askew. She took a minute
to tidy them, then stepped back to look at her first attempt at housekeeping.

A certain pride filled her that she could contribute to his
world even in this small way.

I want to do so much more for him. I want to share his
life.

The words rose sharply in her being. Suddenly it was too
much. She folded in half around her tears. Why oh why had she allowed this
amazing man to bring her here? If she’d refused, she might still have found the
starscale, but she wouldn’t have lost a piece of herself to him.

“Vega?”

She whirled at Niles’ call. With her heart throbbing in her
throat, she stepped out of his room and toward the bathroom, hoping she
wouldn’t look like she was snooping—or about to steal a precious object.

“Niles.” At the sight of him, her heart took off at a faster
patter. His handsome smile cut into her soul. The thought of stealing the
starscale and leaving him threatened to choke her.

He advanced on her slowly, his broad shoulders taking up
most of the narrow hallway, his dark eyes smoldering from behind those sexy
glasses. Her fingers twitched to touch him and she folded them into fists to
control herself.

“Are you all right?” He stopped inches from her. Too far.
She felt her body leaning toward him.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”
Maybe because you were about to
steal the starscale and leave, betraying his trust in you?

“Your face is flushed.” He lifted a hand and skimmed her
forehead, trailing his fingertips down her cheekbone.

A shudder rocked her. When a sigh puffed from her lips, a
wrinkle appeared between his straight brows. He edged closer, until his chest nearly
brushed her aching breasts. At that moment, she knew only his touch would
dispel the heavy feeling in them.

“Not hot…” His voice came out hoarse.

“I told you I’m okay,” she responded breathlessly. A
wordless minute passed where they communicated only with their gazes. Her
senses seemed to sharpen at his presence. Lights danced in his eyes she’d never
seen before, his breath came faster and faster, and his scent shrouded her like
a warm blanket.

“Niles…”

He wrapped his finger around her wrist. “Yes, sweetheart?”

A shiver of passion snaked down her spine. “I like when you
call me sweetheart.”

A grunt escaped him as if he’d been punched. His fingers
tightened on her wrist, and she felt herself being pulled into him. Tendrils of
heat flooded her. He cradled her face in one big palm and dropped his mouth to
hers.

Her breath caught. His lips against hers were an invitation
to sin. He held the kiss for a long moment. Up close she saw his eyes pinched
shut and allowed hers to slip closed too.

He withdrew a hairsbreadth. “Vega,” he whispered a split
second before he claimed her mouth again.

This time he wasn’t gentle. Through his hard lips, he fed
her his need. She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him down just as he
prodded her lips apart with his tongue.

She gasped at the first hot sweep of his tongue against
hers. The velvety movement ignited her. The hard knot in her core pulled taut
until she thought she’d scream from the delightful pressure.

He angled her head and drank from her, taking what he wanted,
plundering her mouth. Her knees went weak and he lashed her tighter to his
muscled body. Using his thumb, he applied pressure to her chin, forcing her
mouth wider for his exploration. Shudders ran through his strong shoulders and
sent shocks through her hands.

A sweet, musky flavor filled her head as he devoured her.
She clung to him. If she didn’t, she’d melt into a puddle at his feet. Her new
body felt hotter than she’d ever been aglow in the night sky.

She twisted her fingers in the hair on his nape and sucked
on his tongue.

A growl burst from him. He sank his teeth gently into her
lower lip and tugged. She answered his sound with a moan of her own.

He released her wrist and clamped his hand on her waist,
swaying her hips against his. Electric need vibrated her core as she was
brought up against his erection.

“Niles,” she gasped into his open mouth.

All of a sudden, his muscles stiffened under her fingers. He
pulled back but she followed him, hungry for more. Insatiable.

He gripped her upper arms and pushed her back enough to
break their kiss. She stared up at him in confusion. What had she done wrong to
make him stop ravishing her?

His dark gaze bore into hers. “I’m sorry.” His voice cracked
on the words.

She shook her head slightly, unable to process what was
going on. “Why?”

“For taking advantage of you. I never should have kissed you
now or touched you before!” He twisted away from her and pinched the bridge of
his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

She blinked at the force of his words. “I-I don’t
understand.”

He made a sound like a sob. Grasping her hand, he pulled her
toward the bedroom door, then changed course and towed her into the living
room. His touch scalded her fingers. She locked her gaze on their threaded
fingers and wished to feel more of his touch on her flesh.

Once in the living room, he spun to face her. “Forgive me
for that. I understand if you want to find another place to stay. You probably
should find a new place to stay, but Brady’s right. I couldn’t bear it. I still
can’t. Damn.”

She blinked at him. What was he talking about?

“I can see you don’t totally understand what I’m talking
about. Who could? I’m a rambling idiot.” He caught up her other hand and faced
her squarely. “Listen, Vega, I shouldn’t have laid a hand on you. I don’t want
you to ever believe I expect things like that. I took you in because I truly
want to help you in any way I can. The moment you tell me what you’re looking
for, I can hopefully put it within your reach. In the meantime, I don’t want to
violate the trust you have in me by getting…physical with you.”

She squeezed his fingers and went on tiptoe, seeking more of
his enflaming kisses. “I don’t want to stop.”

A pained look creased his features. “Ohhh. That’s not going
to help me maintain control. All right, Vega, do you understand what I’m
talking about when I say I want you to learn to trust me enough to tell me your
problems and let me help you?”

Her throat clogged with tears. Yes, she knew. He’d given her
unconditional trust by sharing his home and provisions and caring for her. What
had she given in return? She’d told him almost nothing about herself, though
she had no reason to think he wouldn’t believe her.

And she planned to steal the starscale out of his bedroom…

The hot, dreaded tears began to fall. “Yes, I understand,
Niles. Thank you for being so kind to me.”

He drew her into his embrace with a heavy sigh. The instant
he touched her, she knew he’d lost his battle for control. His arms flexed and
a shudder ran through him. He drew back a fraction—long enough to meet her
gaze.