Night's Pleasure (16 page)

He scraped his fangs along her throat. She stirred but didn't wake.

It took all the self-control he possessed to pull away. Cursing himself, he carried her up the stairs and put her to bed before his hunger overcame his willpower, and then he left the house.

A thought took him into the town. Although it was little more than a stop-off place for tourists, it boasted several nightclubs, all of which were open.

He picked the one closest to the edge of town. Going inside, he took a place at the bar, ordered a glass of dry red wine, and waited.

It didn't take long. A woman who had been sitting by herself moved toward him, her hips swaying provocatively, her lips parted in a smile that told him all too clearly what she wanted. He watched her saunter toward him, her black leather skirt so tight, he wondered how she could walk at all. A low-cut, off-the-shoulder, pink sweater revealed an expanse of creamy white skin.

Rane smiled back. Though she didn't know it, only one of them would get what they wanted that night.

“I'm Diane,” she said, sliding onto the bar stool next to his. “Can I buy you a drink?”

He lifted his glass. “I have one, thank you.”

“Anything else I could get you?”

“I don't know,” he said, willing to play the game. “What do you have in mind?”

Her fingers trailed down his chest, then settled on his thigh. “Don't you know?”

“I've got a pretty good idea,” Rane replied, thinking there were all kinds of predators.

She slid her hand up and down his thigh, moving a little higher each time, until Rane caught her hand in his. “Let's take it slow, shall we?”

She shrugged. “Slow or fast, honey, whatever you want. My place is just around the corner.”

With a nod, Rane put his glass on the bar. “Let's go.”

She lived in a modest cabin at the end of a long driveway. A single light burned in the window.

He waited on the porch while she opened the door. She was a few steps inside before she realized he hadn't followed.

“What are you waiting for?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

“An invitation.”

“Well, come on in, sugar,” she purred, tossing her handbag and keys on a shabby green-and-gold sofa. “I've got something to show you.”

Rane grinned as his tongue brushed his fangs. “I've got something to show you, too.”

“No! No!”

Savanah awoke to the sound of her own frantic cries ringing in her ears. Jackknifing to a sitting position, she glanced around the unfamiliar room, then placed a hand over her heart, hoping to calm the panic that roiled up inside her. Where was she? Where was
he?

The thought had no sooner crossed her mind than Rane burst into the room. “Savanah? What's wrong?”

Momentarily speechless, she stared up at the man outlined in the doorway. The frightening creature from her nightmare. She blinked and it was just Rane standing there, his brow furrowed with worry as he moved through the dark room toward her.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She nodded, her heart still pounding in her ears as her gaze moved over him. He was shirtless and barefooted, his hair sleep-tousled. “I'm sorry. I had a bad dream.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and switched on the table lamp. “Better?”

She nodded, the last vestiges of her nightmare vanishing as welcome light filled the room. “What time is it?”

“A little after four.”

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up….”

“You didn't.” Brushing a lock of hair from her forehead, he smiled reassuringly as his fingers caressed her cheek. “Everything's all right. Go back to sleep. I won't let the bogeyman get you.”

With a nod, she slid under the covers and closed her eyes. But what if he was the bogeyman?

 

Her nightmare seemed foolish in the morning. Sitting up in bed, Savanah stretched her arms over her head. A glance out the window showed the sun was up and shining brightly.

She wondered where Rane had gone. She had invited him to share the room with her, but maybe he preferred to take his rest alone.

Going into the bathroom, she washed her face and brushed her teeth and then, because she hadn't done it the night before, she unpacked her suitcase. Even with all she had brought, her clothes took up very little room in the enormous closet. She considered unpacking Rane's suitcase, and then decided against it, thinking he might not like her going through his things.

After slipping her mother's Vampire-hunting kit under the bed, Savanah went downstairs. Coffee. She needed coffee—lots of it. And something to eat.

She peeked into the other bedrooms on her way to the kitchen. Both beds were empty. He wasn't in the rec room, either.

Frowning, she wondered where Rane had gone. Not outside, surely. He had to be in Mara's lair, she thought, since it was the only place she hadn't looked.

After breakfast, Savanah showered and dressed. Being in a strange house, a Vampire's house, made her feel decidedly uncomfortable. Without Rane to vouch for her, she had no idea how she'd explain her presence if the owner showed up.

With a shake of her head, she went out by the pool. It was a beautiful day, mild and clear. The patio was shaded by a white latticed cover that made pretty patterns on the cement. Birds sang in the trees, sunlight sparkled on the surface of the pool. She wished she had packed a bathing suit and then, looking around, decided she didn't need one, since a high wooden fence surrounded the backyard. There was no other house for miles.

Feeling daring, she undressed and dove into the pool, yelping as her sun-warmed flesh hit the cool water.

After a few laps, the water didn't feel so cold anymore. She swam for twenty minutes, enjoying the beauty around her, the feel of the water moving over her bare skin, the warmth of the sun's light on her face. Poor Rane, to forever be denied such simple pleasures.

She floated for a few minutes, her eyes closed, her thoughts drifting toward Rane, as they did so often. Abruptly, she opened her eyes, unable to shake the feeling that someone was watching her. She glanced around, but there was no one in sight. The only other living thing in the vicinity was a bushy-tailed squirrel watching her from the branch of a tree that hung over the fence.

With a shiver of unease, Savanah climbed out of the pool, grabbed her clothes, and hurried into the house to dry off.

Later, feeling somewhat bored, she found Rane's car keys and drove into town. The car was like the man, she thought. Smooth and sleek and a little bit dangerous.

Savanah eased off the gas as she turned onto the main street. She hadn't been able to see much of the town when they stopped at the store last night; this afternoon, she noticed how quaint the buildings were. The streets were clean, lined with tall pines. A pretty park made a splash of green at the end of the town; several young women and children were frolicking in a pool located near the center of the park. A number of people were standing in line at the corner Cineplex. On the spur of the moment, Savanah decided to take in a movie. It was one she had been wanting to see, a remake of an old John Wayne flick, and she couldn't think of a better way to forget her troubles than to lose herself in a good, old-fashioned, shoot-'em-up.

As it turned out, the movie wasn't as good as she'd hoped, but then she wasn't surprised. Remakes were rarely as good as the original. After leaving the theater, she stopped at a small café for a tuna salad sandwich and a chocolate shake, then browsed a couple of gift shops. At the Bon Ton Ladies Shoppe, she bought a green polka-dot sundress, a pair of white sandals, a bathing suit, and a beach towel. She added a hot pink T-shirt and a pair of jeans for good measure, and headed for home.

Only, the cabin in the woods wasn't home. Sadness fell over her like a dark cloud. Her father was gone and home would never be the same again. Perhaps she would sell the house….

Shaking off her maudlin thoughts, she focused on the scenery. Tall trees and lacy ferns grew on both sides of the winding road. Wildflowers in rainbow hues grew intermittently, adding splashes of color to the edge of the roadway. She hit the brake when a doe bounded across the road. Slowing down, Savanah took a deep breath, thinking the winding mountain road was just as dangerous, in its own way, as the five o'clock traffic back home….

Home. Tears burned her eyes and she let them fall, hoping they would help to wash away the grief that welled up from deep inside.

It was just after sunset when Savanah pulled up in front of Mara's house. She sat in the car for a few minutes; then, shaking off her melancholy, she grabbed her purse and shopping bags and went inside.

Rane was waiting for her just inside the front door. “Where have you been?”

“I went into town.”

“Do you think that was wise?” A muscle throbbed in his jaw as he fought to control his temper. “Have you forgotten why I brought you here?”

“I thought it would be all right during the day. The Vampire…”

“Isn't working alone,” he reminded her. “Werewolves have no aversion to the sun.”

“I guess I just wasn't thinking.”

“Well, you'd damn well better start! These people are playing for keeps, Savanah, remember that.” He muttered an oath as her eyes filled with tears. Drawing her into his arms, he said, “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, but you've got to be more careful. I can't protect you if you're not here.”

She dashed the tears from her eyes. She wouldn't cry. Rane was right. She had to keep her wits about her.

“So, what did you buy?” he asked.

“Nothing much. A sundress and some shoes, a bathing suit…”

He looked down at her, a roguish grin playing over his lips. “You didn't wear one this afternoon.”

“How do you know?”

“I watched you swimming in the pool.”

She blinked at him. “I knew someone was watching me.”

“Did you?”

“Where were you? I didn't see you?”

“Up in the attic.”

“Is that where you…ah, slept?”

“No. I slept in Mara's lair.”

“What were you doing in the attic, then?”

“Watching you.” He ran his fingertips over her cheek. “It would be a shame to hide that beautiful body under a bathing suit.”

Knowing he had been watching her swim and that he found her beautiful unleashed a flurry of butterflies in her stomach.

“Maybe we could go skinny-dipping together sometime,” she suggested.

“I'm game if you are.”

Heat pooled low in her belly as she visualized the two of them swimming naked in the moonlight. What would it be like, to feel the length of his body pressed against her own, wet skin sliding intimately over wet skin?

His grin told her he was thinking along the same lines. “Perhaps in an hour or so,” he said, “after we've both had time to dine.”

His words were like a splash of cold water in her face, reminding her anew that although they sometimes thought alike, they were worlds apart.

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Keep the doors and windows closed and locked. I won't be gone long.”

She nodded, her mind shying away from the image of Rane bending over some poor unsuspecting woman, his fangs piercing the tender flesh of her throat, stealing her life's essence, and perhaps her life, as well. What was she doing, spending time with a Vampire, when she was supposed to be hunting them, killing them? It was a question she had asked herself before, a question with only one answer, foolish as it was: she was in love with him. It gave new meaning to the phrase “dying for love.” And yet, even if she didn't have deep feelings for Rane, she knew she would never be able to destroy him. He had comforted her when she needed comfort most, looked after her, brought her here to protect her. She laughed softly. Maybe love really was blind.

For Savanah, dinner was a chicken Caesar salad, a thick slice of cantaloupe, and a glass of iced tea. For some reason, swallowing the tea made her think of Rane, out prowling the shadows looking for prey. What was it like, to exist on a warm liquid diet? Did he ever miss real food, or think about sinking his teeth into a tart apple or a juicy orange instead of living flesh?

Repulsed by her thoughts, she put the glass aside, washed up her few dishes, and went downstairs to watch a movie. If she had thought to forget about Vampires, she had picked the wrong night to watch the tube. It seemed every movie channel was featuring films about the Undead, from the old black-and-white Spanish version of
Dracula
to the latest remake of
Dark Shadows.

She was flipping through the stations when Rane materialized on the sofa beside her.

“Sheesh!” she exclaimed, startled by his sudden appearance. “Give a girl a little warning, will ya?”

“Sorry.”

She looked at him, wondering who he had fed on and if he had left his prey alive.

He cocked his head to one side under her perusal. “Want to tell me what that look is for?” he asked, then grunted softly. “Never mind, I'll bet I can guess.”

“I'll bet you can, too, since you read my mind so well, so often.”

“I don't have to read your mind, Savanah. It's written all over your face. You're wondering who I fed on, and how I picked her, or him, and if they're dead or alive.”

“You can see all that in my expression?”

“Am I wrong?”

“No,” she admitted.

Rane blew out a sigh. “She was a middle-aged woman with sad blue eyes and pretty brown hair and I left her where I found her, none the worse for wear. Happy?”

“I'm sorry,” she said, her voice tinged with frost. “It's none of my business.”

“Savanah, I can't change what I am. I wouldn't if I could. I love you. I think you love me. Do you want to try and work through our differences? If not, I'll protect you as best I can, but you won't see me anymore.”

She stared up at him, her mind running in a dozen directions at once. What did she want? How could she be a hunter and have a Vampire lover? Did she want to face the future without him in it? He might be a Vampire and loving him might be dangerous, but her life had definitely been more exciting since they met. Could she live with the differences between them? Would those differences bring them closer together, or eventually drive them apart? He would never look any older than he did now. How would she feel when she was wrinkled and gray and he still looked the same? Would their relationship even last that long? Would it be better to end it now?