Sex Symbol (13 page)

The steak was cut in thin little strips and I watched as he took a piece between his fingers and sucked it down like spaghetti. It’s not as gross as it sounds, really. Actually, I was surprised that eating something completely raw wasn’t a lot worse. If I had to describe the way Eramus ate I would say that he did so…delicately. Maybe he was afraid of offending me.

“I thought you were supposed to be reading,” he said, smiling at me over his wineglass.

“You don’t look a day past thirty-two.”

His smile was thanks enough for the compliment. I never would have guessed his age if he hadn’t told me.

“How old were you when your grandfather retired?”

I deliberately didn’t mention this also being the same time that his girlfriend was killed. No need to bring up painful memories again.

“Twenty-three.” He finished the steak and sat the plate aside. “I worked alone for thirteen years before…”

“How did it happen?”

Eramus finished his wine as if he needed it before he spoke. “I would say that I was careless, but that’s not true. I was always careful. I just got in way over my head. I took on an alpha werewolf one night. The body armor I wore was made of silver. It covered me almost completely. Almost. During our fight he overpowered me, pinned me to the ground. I had his face straight down the barrel of my gun. But I couldn’t pull the trigger faster than he found the weak spot in my armor. Right across the throat.”

Fascinated by his story, I leaned forward to examine his skin. “You don’t have a scar.”

“That’s because after he slit my throat with his claw and left me, I regenerated quickly. By the time I had the strength to crawl out of the woods and check for other injuries, my tattoo was becoming visible.” He pointed to the large black pelt at the foot of the bed. “He was the last werewolf I ever hunted. The reason I have trouble sleeping sometimes…is because of what I did to him.”

“You shouldn’t feel guilty,” I said. My words surprised me just as much as they appeared to surprise him. “He could have easily killed you. That werewolf did what he did on purpose. That’s just plain evil as far as I’m concerned. He got what he had coming to him.”

“I thought so too. But sometimes I wonder if killing him made me just as much of a monster.”

His expression was so sad. I tried to think of a way to change the subject, at least a little bit.

“So, yesterday was the full moon. If you take wolfsbane to keep from transforming, what happens to you on the full moon?”

Eramus turned to the weather report before answering me, but kept the TV on mute.

“Normally I do transform on the full moon. But last night I was afraid that being in a new neighborhood and all, it might not be a good idea. It’s the only night I allow the beast to take over.”

I couldn’t seem to stop myself from moving closer to him. “How does it feel?”

“Like power and freedom.” He shook his head. “I suppose I expected to feel evil or sick or something. But I don’t. It feels good to be me.”

I reached for him and he didn’t withdraw as I ran my hand over his chest. The fine hairs beneath my palm were just as soft as the fur lying at the foot of the bed.

“I want to be close to you,” I said softly. “And I don’t know why. I’m not trying to have sex with you. I just want to be near you.”

Eramus touched the tip of my nose affectionately as he said, “There is something of the wolf in you, Lucy.”

My mind was filled with images of him rolling around naked in all those furs. I was overcome with the need to have him inside me. I shook my head and pulled back.

“What do you mean?” I managed to ask. “I’m not a werewolf.”

He smiled as he took a lock of my hair and wound it around his finger. “I’m not saying that you are. I’m saying that somehow there is wolf in you.”

“But how is that possible?”

“Werewolves don’t pass on their curse to their children. But it’s not unheard of for some trace to remain in your genetic makeup.”

“No one in my family is a werewolf either.”

He shrugged. “You can’t possibly know everything about every ancestor.”

Maybe I didn’t want to accept what he was saying, because I kept shaking my head slowly.

“No matter how attractive you might find me, to have a compulsion to touch me is something that only another wolf could feel.”

“Who said I have a—” The look on his face brought me up short. “All right, fine. So I feel compelled to touch you. So what?”

“I felt it when I kissed you,” he whispered. “I thought you’d like to know.”

Before I could respond Eramus rolled from the bed, leaving me cold in his absence.

“Where are you going?”

“To brush my teeth. Have you ever eaten raw meat?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “No, I haven’t.”

“Well, it leaves a terrible taste in your mouth. Not to mention it probably gives bad breath.”

One minute I was listening to the sound of Eramus brushing his teeth, the next I was overcome with the urge to lie down. By the time he came back from the bathroom I was snuggled underneath the covers with my face pressed against his pillow. I felt like I’d been drugged.

“Are you okay?”

I could hear his voice close to my ear and feel him brushing the hair back from my face. His touch was soothing.

“Did you put something in my tea?”

“Of course not.”

My mind raced. What was wrong? Why was I so tired? And then it hit me.

“We had the same color cup,” I whispered, my voice getting lower.

“What?”

The bed sank down as Eramus leaned over me.

“The second time—you didn’t have wolfsbane tea, did you?”

“No, I had a sleeping draught, but I don’t feel…” his words trailed off. “Oh, shit. I don’t feel sleepy yet. Our cups must have gotten switched when you sat back down.” He pulled me against his chest so that I was almost completely on top of him. “I’m sorry, Lucy. Don’t worry, I’m just moving you so that I can keep you warm. Your body temperature is going to start dropping soon and it’s already going to be a cold night.”

Eramus opened his robe and I sighed as my face made contact with his bare skin. He scooted me up just a bit more and my forehead was against the curve of his throat. Even though I was afraid of what was going to happen, it was exactly where I wanted to be.

“Should I be this tired?” My speech was becoming slurred.

“No, but you had a dose strong enough for a werewolf.” He rubbed my back absently as he spoke and I liked it.

“Am I gonna die?”

He kissed the top of my head and my throat constricted with emotion. There was such tenderness in that simple touch.

“You’re going to be just fine. Now close your eyes.”

“Night, Eramus,” I mumbled against his neck.

“Sweet dreams, Lucy.”

I was in the parking lot of my old high school. The old building has long since been torn down and a new one built on the same site. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew this. However as I watched, construction was still going on. I was walking around, not sure why. The air was crisp and cool. Everything around me felt more alive and so did I. I took in my surroundings for only a minute before turning my attention back to the school.

I needed to get inside before they closed.

Without hesitation I took off on all fours, running through the grass and clay. The cold grass crunched beneath my palms and I loved the feeling. It was refreshing. The way the damp clay squished between my fingers felt better than any massage.

When at last I came to the door of the school I realized they might be put off by my appearance. After all, I was barefoot and had mud on my hands. The girl inside looked at me funny. I laughed, I couldn’t help myself. I mean, I’d just been running full out like an animal across the grass. What must she be thinking? I waved and said, “I need to wash my hands. Can you let me inside?”

She did. I washed my hands and she quickly locked me out. I laughed again, unable to recall why I was at the school in the first place. The next thing I know I’m in a mall. Don’t remember ever being in this mall before, but it had nice carpet. I couldn’t seem to get where I wanted to go fast enough. So, in front of everyone, I started running on all fours again. I didn’t get nearly as many strange looks as I’d expected. The carpet felt good and I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as running outside.

The cool grass crunching underneath my palms, the wind in my face, and a sense of absolute freedom. It felt powerful, good and free. No sooner had I thought of the outside then I was there. My arms couldn’t reach fast enough to meet the ground. My body felt more alive with every stretch of my limbs.

And then suddenly I was listening to a drum. Who the hell plays a drum in the middle of nowhere? It was getting louder.

Eramus’ heartbeat. That’s what I was hearing. I wasn’t running across a field, I was snuggled up against his chest. Feelings of warmth and safety were wrapped around me just as tightly as his arms. The sound was slow, rhythmic, entrancing in its simplicity. Without thinking I pressed my lips to his throat because it felt natural that I should do so. He stirred and snuggled me closer. I could feel his smile against my cheek as I drifted back to sleep.

*

The only reason I woke was because I was freezing. Cold was the first thing I was aware of in hours besides the sound of his heart and his slow, even breathing. I sat up and pushed back the covers. The light streaming in was a dull gray, proof that last night’s storm hadn’t passed.

“Eramus?” When he didn’t answer I scooted toward the edge of the bed. “Are you here?”

He’d left my dry clothes at the foot of the bed and I got dressed before pulling his robe back on.

When I went downstairs he was nowhere to be found. I did find where he’d started to make coffee. Fresh beans had been ground and were still sitting in an open canister on the counter. I found the coffee filters easily enough and in no time at all had a fresh pot brewing.

Even though I couldn’t see Eramus anywhere, I could feel him. With that thought my strange dreams returned. Running on all fours? Was that because of what he’d said to me? Surely I must have been influenced by our conversation just before I fell asleep.

Eramus came inside as I turned around, soaked to the bone and looking hot as hell. He was wearing jeans again and a white t-shirt that clung to him like a second skin. Every ridge and curve beneath the wet fabric was perfectly outlined. He was a work of art. I would say that nothing was left to the imagination, but that’s not true. The more I looked, the more I imagined how it would feel to touch him. I imagined the wet skin beneath those clothes and how exciting it would be to peel him out of them. I could feel my mouth watering and licked my lips involuntarily. He hadn’t shaved this morning and a light stubble was visible along his jawline. It suited him. Not only that, but his hair that had been shaggy yesterday looked almost chin length this morning.

Eramus pushed his wet hair back from his face and smiled as he looked at the coffeepot.

“Did you decide to make the coffee yourself so I couldn’t drug you?”

I shook my head. “I was just trying to be nice.”

He opened the cabinet, took out a dish towel and draped it over his shoulders. All the while I watched the way his back flexed, every movement visible beneath the tight wet shirt. When he turned around I’m surprised my expression didn’t give away my thoughts. Or maybe it did and he was too nice to say anything.

“I’m really sorry about that. The chamomile tea I drink is laced with other things to help me rest. It tastes so close to that Breakfast Blend stuff that I didn’t notice the difference. My carelessness is inexcusable. I hope you’re not upset.”

He should have been freezing. He’d just come in from a cold drizzly day and yet when he moved near me I could feel the heat rising from his skin.

“I’m not upset.” I couldn’t stop myself from touching him. As I placed my palm flat against his chest I remembered what Eramus had said. A compulsion to touch him, that’s what he’d called it. At first I didn’t want to accept that, but it was true.

My hand traced the front of his wet shirt idly, admiring the curves that I could just barely see. “What time is it? I didn’t see a clock.”

“It’s morning.”

“I know that,” I said, laughing softly. “What time of the morning?”

“Thursday morning.”

“What?! Are you kidding? You’re kidding.” I said the last quickly, not waiting for an answer.

Eramus took a coffee mug down from the cabinet. “Sorry, but it’s no joke. It’s Thursday morning. I told you the draught you had was strong enough for a werewolf. What would have helped me to get a good eight hours rest made you sleep since Monday night.”

I stammered for a minute or two before something coherent finally came out. “But I’ve got a job, a business to run.”

“Your phone is working, by the way. I called Justina and let her know what happened.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Maybe I was still dreaming? “You told her what happened? What did you say?”

He pulled out a chair and when he sat down I watched the way the wet jeans clung to his thighs. Damn. I had the vulgar urge to walk over and cup his package in my hand.

“I told her that you’d been chased over here by a werewolf. I told her everything. Well, almost everything.”

“So, you told her the truth?”

“Of course. We didn’t do anything wrong. You needed a place to stay and I let you stay here. Other than that, our tea got mixed up and you passed out for a while.”

“Wow. It doesn’t sound like such a big deal when you say it.”

He laughed. “It isn’t a big deal unless you want to make it one. The shop has been running just fine.”

My jaw dropped. “You’ve been going by the shop?”

“Just to see how things were going in your absence. I figured you’d want to know stuff like that.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“And to answer your other question, no I did not tell her I’m a werewolf. It’s not wise to let too many people in on a secret like that.”

“Hmm.” Everything he just said was running around in my head in an incoherent jumble while I turned back to the coffeepot. I guess my brain was trying to wrap itself around what was going on. Finding out my hot neighbor was actually a hot werewolf was quite a shock. Realizing I’d just used the words “hot” and “werewolf” in the same thought was another.