Hungry for You (34 page)

“Door?” he mumbled against her flesh, not lifting his head.

Alex shivered as the vibration of his speaking went right through her, and then laughed at the absurdity of it, but glanced around.

“A couple more steps,” she gasped, running her hands down his back and scraping the nails back up.

When he pressed her against the door, she reached back to open it, aware of the soft murmur of voices below but unable to comprehend what was being said. Not that she cared what they said or thought below. She didn’t have the ability at that point; all she could think about was the sensation roaring through her body. She barely had enough spare brainpower to turn the doorknob, but she managed it, and the door swung open.

Cale immediately carried her inside. He turned to close the door by pressing her back against it as his lips let her nipple slip free only to nibble their way across to her other breast and claim that one. He was holding her high now, her legs around his waist rather than his hips, and Alex moaned in frustration as she writhed against him. She began to tug on his hair, just wanting him to lower her enough to allow her to rub against him again, and he did, but had to stop what he was doing to achieve it, and Alex found that frustrating as well.

She caught his face in her hands and lifted it, claiming his mouth with her own, and then tore her mouth away to glance around with surprise when he turned her away from the door.

“Bed,” he gasped for explanation. “Soft surface.”

Alex glanced back to him with surprise, amazed that he recalled that request at the restaurant, when she could hardly recall her own name. She’d have been happy for him to have ripped her pants off and made love to her right there against the door … At least until they woke up in a heap on the floor, she acknowledged,and then he was bending to the bed. He set her down gently, and then immediately kissed her again. She kissed back with all the passion only he could bring to life in her, but grabbed his hands when he reached for the waist of her jeans.

Cale paused and broke their kiss to peer down at her in question, and Alex immediately clasped his face in her hands.

“I like you,” she said breathlessly.

Cale blinked in confusion. “I like you too.”

“No, I mean it,” she said more firmly. “I like you. I’ve loved people I couldn’t stand to live with, my sisters for instance,” she added dryly. “Sibling rivalry was hell … But I like you, Cale. You’re funny and smart and considerate and sexy as hell, and I really like you.”

He smiled softly, and then turned his head to press a kiss to first one of her palms, and then the other, before meeting her gaze solemnly. “I like you too. You’re sweet and intelligent and ambitious and an amazing cook … Now let’s get you naked cause I like you best that way.”

Alex laughed and helped him undo her pants, then grabbed ahold of the bed to keep from being pulled forward when he dragged them off. Her panties went with them, and both items went flying over his shoulder, then Cale quickly shucked his own jeans.

“Mmm, soft,” he murmured as he climbed onto the bed to join her.

“You or the bed?” she teased.

“The bed,” he said dryly. “I don’t think I’ll ever be soft around you.”

“That’s good to know,” Alex gasped as he slid into her, warm and full and definitely not soft.

“Shut up and kiss me, woman,” he growled, withdrawing a little.

Alex laughed and did, covering his mouth and allowing her lips to part for his tongue to thrust in even as his body drove back into her.

“I think you can call this a success.”

Alex glanced to Cale as he paused beside her. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to lean into him as his arm slid around her waist, and his lips touched her forehead.

The night of the opening had finally arrived. It was an evening she’d feared a time or two might never happen, but here it was. The restaurant was finished, everything in its place, the new cooks in the kitchen working away and the dining room and bar area full of people mingling and partaking of her food and drink. Alex had arranged it to be more of a party than a restaurant night. The regulars at the original La Bonne Vie had been invited as well as friends and family, several local celebrities, Emile, of course, and the local press, who, thanks to Emile, had shown up en masse. It was definitely a success.

“You’re looking pale,” Cale murmured, peering down at her with concern. “Perhaps you should slip into the office for a quick refresher. It will only take a minute, and I’ll keep an eye on things here,” he added when she frowned at the idea.

“All right, then,” Alex grumbled with all the goodgrace of a child agreeing reluctantly to take cod liver oil. It wasn’t that blood tasted bad. She didn’t even taste it the way they’d shown her to feed, but it was the idea of actually consuming the blood. She hadn’t quite gotten used to that yet and found herself shuddering with distaste even as her fangs slid out eagerly to consume it. How messed up was that?

Chuckling, Cale hugged her close and bent to press a quick kiss to her lips. “Poor darling. You’ll adjust soon.”

“You keep saying that,” she murmured, toying with his tie. “But it hasn’t happened yet.”

“It’s only been a couple of days, love,” he chided. “Give it time.”

“Hmm.” She smiled faintly. “I appear to have a lot of that now.”

“Yes. You do,” he said solemnly. “Not regretting it already, are you?”

“You’re kidding, right?” she asked with amusement. The last two days since she’d woken from the turn had been amazing. Now that she’d stopped trying to keep him at arm’s length with her professional footing nonsense and agreed to be his life mate, her life had become almost blissful. They made love every chance they got, which was amazing of course. Alex was sure there was nothing that could beat immortal sex. Except there was in some ways, and that was when she and Cale were together and unable to make love, which had been an awful lot these last two days as she’d had to cook at the old La Bonne Vie, and he’d refused to leave her alone until Jacques was found. While there had been desire and need sparking between them underthe surface, there had also been witty discussions and gentle teasing and easy affection that she reveled in as he sat on the counter and watched her cook.

She really did like this man, and of course she definitely wanted him, but she also loved him, and while Alex had said that to him when she’d agreed to the turn, she thought now that perhaps she hadn’t really, because what she felt for him seemed to grow stronger every day and sometimes actually hurt. She could look at him and feel an actual ache in her chest. Or perhaps that’s how love was. Perhaps it just grew stronger with time, she thought, and assured him, “I’m very happy with my decision.”

“Good.” He smiled and kissed her nose before releasing her. “Go on. There’s a surprise waiting in your office too.”

“Oh?” she asked with interest. “What kind of surprise?”

“Go and see for yourself,” he insisted, giving her a little push.

Smiling, Alex moved quickly through the milling crowd, thanking people as they congratulated her on the new restaurant, the food, the drink, the service. She was beginning to think she would never get to her office, when Sam suddenly appeared to grab her hand and drag her the rest of the way.

“Wooh! Thank you.” Alex laughed as they escaped into the kitchen and the door swung closed behind them. “I was starting to think I’d never make it out of there.”

“Yes, you did look like a damsel in distress with all your admirers fawning over you,” Sam teased.

“Yeah right. Besides, I
was
a damsel in distress. I need a little pick-me-up to sustain me, and Cale says there’s a surprise in my office too that I want to see,” Alex said, moving away from the door.

“Did he?” Sam asked innocently.

Alex slowed and eyed her narrowly. “You know what it is.”

“Who me?” She batted her eyelashes and urged Alex to keep moving.

Alex snorted. “You are such a—” The words died in her throat as she stepped into her office and spotted Jo seated in the chair, her feet on the desk.

“Finally!” Jo dropped her feet to the ground and came around the desk. “You took forever getting her here.”

“Jo!” Alex gasped, rushing forward to hug her little sister. She just as quickly pulled away to peer at her, noting that while the turn had added some weight to Sam, and removed a couple of pounds from herself, it didn’t appear to have changed Jo at all except that she had a healthy glow to her now. They all did, she acknowledged, and asked, “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be traveling in Europe with Nicholas. I thought you couldn’t make it.”

“And miss your big day?” Jo snorted. “Not bloody likely. Of course we flew back for the party.”

“Oh.” Alex stepped back to peer at her, and then shifted to slip her arm around Sam too and include her as well. “It’s pretty awesome isn’t it?”

“Way awesome,” Sam assured her.

“It’s the start of a chain, my dear,” Jo announced. “Ipredict that within the next ten years, there will be La Bonne Vie restaurants across the globe.”

“Not that,” Alex said on a laugh. “And I assure you I have no desire to open more restaurants. I meant us. Here. The three of us with men who love us and whom we love.”

“Immortals who love us and whom we love,” Sam said solemnly.

“We should have a joint wedding,” Jo announced suddenly.

“Oh, God, don’t start talking wedding already,” Alex said with disgust. “Cale and I just got together. And I hate weddings.”

“Which is exactly why we should have one big one,” Jo said at once. “Less work for each of us. Besides, it doesn’t have to be right away, next year sometime maybe. We can—” She paused and glanced to Sam curiously as she began to shake with silent laughter. “What?”

“I was just thinking how wonderful this is,” she admitted with a grin, and then burst out with a full laugh, and said, “And they kept telling me it wasn’t going to happen, that three sisters wouldn’t find life mates. Ha!
Ha
I say!”

“Wait, wait.” Jo pulled away and rushed to the small refrigerator in the corner. “We need a drink to toast that.”

“The only thing you’re going to find in there is blood,” Alex said dryly.

Jo grimaced as she opened the door and peered inside to see that this was true. She wavered for a moment and then shrugged. “Ah, what the heck.”

“I better get the blinds,” Sam muttered, and rushed to the blinds as Jo retrieved three bags of blood.

Alex quickly closed the door as well, and then turned back to accept the bag of blood Jo was holding out.

“Okay,” Jo announced as she handed a bag to Sam as well. “We say, ‘Ha!
Ha
I say!’ together, and then slap the bags to our teeth. It can be our own private toast from now on.” She paused to glance from Sam to Alex with concern. “You
can
both bring on your own teeth without Cale and Mortimer turning you on first, right?”

Alex raised her eyebrows. “I seem to always need blood and just seeing it brings them on. Cale has never had to turn me on to get them out,” she said, and grimaced at the way the fangs in question mangled her words. They had made an appearance the moment she’d seen the bag of blood.

“Me too,” Sam said, the two short words coming out “me thoo.”

“Huh.” Jo frowned. “Must have just been me.” Shrugging, she raised her bag. “Okay. Together now.”

Alex shook her head at the silliness of it, but they had always got silly together, and she too said, “Ha!
Ha
I say!” as her sisters did, and then slapped the bag to her teeth. They then stood there, grinning like a trio of idiots around their bags as they waited for them to drain.

“We should have toasted to us,” Jo decided with a little sigh as she tore her empty bag away a moment later.

“We’ll do that with champagne later,” Alex decided, ripping her own bag away. “The Willan sisters are worthy of a sparkling toast.”

“Is there champagne?” Jo asked with interest.

“It’s being chilled. It should be ready after the others leave. But there are all sorts of other goodies out there if you’re thirsty or hungry.”

“I’m starved,” Jo admitted. “We came right here from the airport.”

Alex arched her eyebrows as her gaze slid over Jo’s slinky, long black dress. “You flew here like that?”

“Are you kidding? I flew here pretty much naked most of the time,” she said with amusement, and when both sisters’ eyebrows flew up, explained, “It was a company plane. Bastien sent it for us, and Nicholas and I were alone in the passenger section. I’m now a member of the mile-high club several times over. That man can’t keep his hands to himself.”

Alex gave a laugh. “And I suppose you wanted nothing to do with it and were trying to fight him off?”

“Oh, good Lord no.” Jo chuckled. “I may even have started the getting-naked part. He, however, started the touchy-feely business. I was trying to behave myself until then.”

“I didn’t hear that, I so didn’t hear that,” Sam said, tossing her own bag away. “You’re my little sister. You don’t have sex. You’re still a virgin, and as far as I’m concerned will be until I die.”

“What about Alex?” Jo asked with amusement.

“Her too,” Sam assured her. “Neither of you have sex, and that’s that. When the babies come, I will exclaim with amazement over the fact that immaculate conception happened again.”

Alex and Jo laughed at the claim.

“All right, Alex, we’ve hogged you long enough. We should let you get back to your opening,” Sam said more seriously. “We can catch up later back at the house. Have one of our girly nights.”

“Are you staying at the house?” Jo turned to Alex to ask with happy surprise.

Alex grimaced. “Yes. Mortimer and Cale insist on it until Jacques is found.”

“Jacques Tournier?” Jo asked with a frown. “What—?”

“I’ll explain,” Sam interrupted firmly. “Alex, you really should get back. One of the reporters might be panting for an interview.”

Alex nodded, but said, “I need to use the bathroom first. You two go ahead.”

“All right, we’ll hold down the fort in your absence,” Sam said, ushering Jo toward the door.