Phantom Shadows (25 page)

Richart nodded. “When I returned to UNC, I was surprised to see just how many had escaped our attention.”

“Good.” Chris made a few more notes. “Something else to have in our arsenal then. I’ll have them in the hands of every immortal and every Second in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia by nightfall tomorrow. We don’t know how much territory these guys are covering.”

Maybe this
was
a truce. That would be such a relief.

Melanie patted Bastien’s knee under the table.

Bastien caught her hand and held it against his thigh.

“Stay alert,” Seth commanded. “This is the second time they’ve managed to surprise us. Let us ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

Chapter 10

As the meeting concluded, Bastien released Melanie’s hand and rose.

Beside them, Richart vanished as Melanie scooted her chair back and stood.

Tanner circled the table. “Do you want me to accompany you tomorrow night when you meet with the vamp?”

“No. I’d rather you stay here.” Where it was safe. And where he could rub elbows with David and Darnell. Those two could befriend a badger. If
they
liked Tanner, they would do their damnedest to ensure everyone else did, too.

Just look how they were constantly pushing Bastien on the others.

“Only if you call me before and after your meeting.”

“Of course.”

Tanner clapped him on the shoulder, then headed into the kitchen.

As the other attendees left the table and milled around, some dropping onto the living room sofas and others venturing downstairs, Sheldon sidled up to Bastien. “So.” He cleared his throat and looked around furtively. “I thought I’d hang around here today. See what’s doin’.”

Bastien glanced at Melanie, who shrugged. “And you’re telling me this . . . why?”

He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Richart’s going to spend the day with you-know-who, so I thought you might like to have the house to yourselves.” Dangling a set of keys in front of Bastien, Sheldon looked from Melanie to Bastien and waggled his eyebrows.

Bastien took the keys. “You do realize everyone in this house just heard you.”

Oops
written all over his face, Sheldon turned around and jumped when he saw everyone staring at him.

Lisette raised one eyebrow.

“What I meant to say was . . . Richart needs his car back. Gas it up before you drop it off.”

Bastien sighed. “Smooth. Don’t worry, everyone, I’m just going to give Dr. Lipton a ride back to the network.”

All returned to their conversations.

Melanie waved good-bye and followed him out to the car.

Bastien opened the passenger’s door for her, waited for her to get settled, then closed it and strode around to the driver’s side. Neither spoke as he started the engine and left David’s estate behind them.

Minutes passed.

Melanie leaned closer and glanced at the instrument panel, then shifted back to her side.

A few minutes later, she did the same.

“Checking my speed?” he asked, wondering what drew her interest.

She shook her head. “Watching the odometer. We’re about six miles away from David’s, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now we can talk without any of them hearing us. Are you really taking me to the network?”

He had intended to but . . . “Do you
want
me to take you to the network?”

“No.” Short. Simple. Sweet.

And just what he wanted to hear. “Do you want me to take you home?”

“I don’t know. Sheldon did go to all the trouble of coming up with that
grrreat
cover story so we could have Richart’s house to ourselves.”

Bastien smiled. “Sorry about that. Sheldon has shown me the benefits of thinking before one speaks.”

She laughed. “And yet I like him.”

“Yeah. I can see why Richart hasn’t killed him yet.”

“If you’d like, we could go to my place. I should warn you, though, that I’m not the tidiest person in the world. At the office? Yes. At home? No.”

We.
Bastien’s attention zoomed in on the word. “I think I’ll head to Richart’s house, if that’s okay with you. After the night we’ve had, I’d prefer the added security it offers.”

“True. Richart’s it is.”

Melanie was a little surprised when Bastien capitulated so easily. She had expected him to embark upon yet another verbal dissertation on the many hazards of dating him.

Her eyes narrowed. He didn’t intend for them to go their separate ways at Richart’s, did he?

She wouldn’t put it past him. He seemed determined not to cast a pall over her with his presence. She didn’t think he had even realized that some of the immortals—definitely Richart, possibly his siblings—were starting to soften toward him.

At least, she thought they were.

The ride to Richart’s home was a comfortable one. Instead of worrying about what would or wouldn’t happen once they reached it, Melanie asked Bastien what exactly had happened on the night he had kidnapped Sarah and ended up laughing herself silly when he told the tale.

She was sure it hadn’t been funny at the time, but Sarah really had done her darnedest to thwart him and escape. Bastien had been so shocked and baffled by her actions. Melanie had to applaud him for his patience.
And
for not holding a grudge. He made the whole kidnapping sound like a Three Stooges skit.

They were both still chuckling when he parked in Richart’s driveway, got out, and guided her up to the front door.

Upon stepping inside, Melanie was surprised to find Richart waiting for them.

“Finally!” he said. “I forgot to give you the code for the alarm system and your phone is off.”

Bastien stared at him. “You trust me with your security code?”

“No. I’ll change it tomorrow. Right now, I don’t care. I’m eager to get back to Jenna. So, here.” He handed Bastien a sticky note. “Make yourselves at home.”

As soon as the tacky paper stuck to Bastien’s finger, Richart disappeared.

Bastien looked at Melanie as silence surrounded them.

Seconds later, they were in each other’s arms, bodies straining against each other, lips melding in a searing kiss, sticky note sticking to who-knew-what.

Melanie rose up onto her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck and clung tightly.

Bastien ravaged her lips, his kiss fierce and demanding, his hands . . .

Anticipation seared her as he slid his hands over her back and up her sides, his fingers grazing the sides of her breasts.

He raised his head. When his eyes met hers, they glowed brighter than she had ever seen them. “Wait,” he murmured, voice hoarse.

Melanie dropped back onto her heels, wanting to scream.

“No, it isn’t what you’re thinking.”

He must have felt the twinge of disappointment and frustration that had struck her. She had assumed he was going to try to dissuade her one last time.

“I don’t want to stop. I just want to slow down a little.” He shook his head. “I’ve been fantasizing about this for too long. I don’t want to rush it. I want to savor it.”

Melanie’s heart raced as she nodded. “Savoring sounds good.”

He smiled. Such a tender smile. His face relaxed, looking youthful and utterly irresistible.

Reaching up, she touched his stubbled cheek.

Who else ever saw him this way?

Bastien captured her lips once more. When his tongue delivered a tantalizing stroke, she parted her lips and drew him in.

Some of the urgency may have been tempered, but there was no less passion. Fire heated Melanie’s blood as he drew her close, pressed every inch of her front to every inch of his.

Bastien’s body heated as Melanie buried her hands in his hair, her fingers grazing his scalp. He wanted to go slow. He really did. But he could feel everything she felt.

When he slid one hand up to caress her breast, he felt the sharp arousal that darted through her. When he drew a circle around her tight nipple with his thumb, then pinched the sensitive peak, he felt the shock of electricity that shook her and shortened her breath. When he trailed his lips down her throat over her shirt and closed them over her nipple through the soft cotton cloth . . .

Bastien groaned. There were definite perks to his gift. And being able to feel exactly what pleased her had to be the best one.

Melanie moaned. Bastien’s mouth was so warm and wet and he knew exactly how to use it to rekindle the desperate need that had claimed her earlier. Her breath shortened. Sliding her leg up the outside of his thigh beneath his coat, she hooked her knee over his hip and ground her core against the hard bulge behind his zipper.

His hand tightened on her breast. His lips sucked harder. He gripped her hip with his free hand, then cupped her ass and urged her to rock against him. “Wrap your legs around me.”

Melanie didn’t hesitate. Jumping up, she wrapped both legs around him.

He turned and pressed her up against the nearest wall. “Perhaps I was mistaken,” he said, eyes blazing down at her as he thrust against her. “Fast and hard has its merits, too.”

Melanie nodded, pleasure consuming her despite the material that separated them. “Fast and hard is good.”

Their surroundings blurred. A second later, they were in the bedroom Melanie had used earlier. Bastien kicked the door closed. “Take off my coat,” he ordered.

Melanie hurried to peel it off his broad shoulders.

“Now my shirt.” He lowered her feet to the floor.

She was already on it, hands shaking with need as he nibbled her throat and continued to fondle and tease her breasts.

Warm, tan skin stretched taut over muscle drew her heated gaze and demanded her touch. Leaning forward, she drew her tongue across one masculine nipple.

She felt a tug, looked down and saw bare skin from her waist up. No sweater. No shirt. No bra. “How did you do that?”

“I’m immortal.”

“Cool.”

“If you liked that . . .”

Lifting her, he crossed to the bed and laid her atop the covers.

He blurred as Melanie felt another tug. She looked down . . . and her boots, socks, pants, belt, and panties were all gone.

She grinned. “I like this. Now do you.”

Laughing, he blurred for a split second, then stood naked before her.

Melanie laughed with delight and pulled him down atop her.

Bastien captured her lips once more, consuming them as their limbs tangled and teased. Flames scorched her with every touch. Every stroke of his tongue. Every caress of his fingers as they slid down her stomach to brush her clitoris.

She gasped.

“You’re already wet for me.”

She nodded, head falling back.

Bastien parted her legs with a knee and settled his lower body between them. She was so beautiful. So passionate. As eager to please him as he was to please her. She slipped a hand between them and curled her delicate fingers around his heavy erection.

He hissed in a breath as she squeezed and stroked, inciting a riot within him even as he did the same to her. When she guided him to her entrance, he forced out a gravelly protest.

“I want to taste you first.”

“Taste me later. I want you inside me.”

He wasted no time, plunging in to the hilt, groaning at the feel of her tight, moist warmth.

She caught her breath. Moaned. Writhed beneath him as he had imagined her doing too many times to count since he had met her.

“So good,” she murmured, gripping his ass and urging him on as he withdrew and thrust again and again.

Melanie gazed up at him. Bastien’s hair tumbled down and caressed her already sensitive flesh as he moved against her. Those eyes . . . She couldn’t look away from them as he reached between them and stroked her with his fingers in time with his thrusts.

A climax rippled through her, stealing her breath, splintering her thoughts. Bastien stiffened above her and shouted her name.

Sheer ecstasy.

As the last tingles faded, he lowered his forehead to hers. Melanie wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close, loving the feel of his big, muscled body on hers, though he supported the bulk of his weight with his forearms.

As his breathing evened, Bastien titled his head, touched his lips to hers in a profoundly tender kiss, then drew back and smiled down at her.

He was so beautiful. So perfect.

And she loved to see him smile.

She loved to
make
him smile.

She grinned up at him.

His eyes narrowed with amusement-laced suspicion. “What are you thinking?”

“I was thinking immortal speed isn’t just a plus on the battlefield. You stripped me naked in only a couple of seconds.”

“I can do more than
that
in a couple of seconds.”

“Really?” She couldn’t imagine what.

He winked, then blurred.

A second climax drove through her, catching her totally off guard. She thought she may have even screamed with it, gripping the sheets with fists as her body convulsed over and over again.

When she opened her eyes, Bastien was grinning down at her as if he had never moved.

Melanie stared up at him in amazement. She didn’t even know what he had done—it had happened so fast—but her heart raced madly and . . . she didn’t think she had ever come so hard in her life.

“What the hell was that?” she panted.

He laughed. “Another benefit of being an immortal.”

That was one hell of a benefit.

He left her long enough to turn the overhead light off, then hastened back to bed. Reaching down, he pulled the covers over them both and drew her close.

Quiet enfolded them as they lay in the dark. Weariness snuck up on Melanie and weighed her down. Though she was tempted to try anyway, she thought she would have been too tired to do anything other than lie there like a limp noodle if they made love again.

Almost dying was apparently exhausting . . . and continued to mess with her head in slow moments like this.

What must Bastien have thought earlier tonight when she had basically voiced a living will?

“Do you think I’m paranoid?” she asked softly.