Stone Passions Trilogy (17 page)

“I can make you forget about Vaughn.” His hand slid down her throat in a sensuous caress as his eyes dipped briefly to her lips. Involuntarily, her tongue darted out and licked her lower lip and his smile deepened. Touching the damp spot with the tip of his finger, he murmured, “I wouldn’t even have to cast a spell. I could simply… kiss you.”

He bent his head and gently placed his lips on hers, pressing light kisses along the seam of her mouth. After a few moments when she didn’t respond, he looked at her, “Kiss me back, damn you.”

She shook her head no, “You’re not the man I want to be kissing.”

“I can smell you,” he growled, running his hand down her side and resting it against the bare flesh of her thigh. “You’re wet; you want me.”

“You’re delusional.” Her voice was barely audible because her body was responding to his seduction but she didn’t want him. “Why are you doing this? What are you trying to prove?”

His gaze moved once more across her face and he finally shrugged, “That you’re no different than any other girl, that a few stolen kisses can tempt you away from my brother.”

She sucked her lower lip between her teeth and shook her head, “But they can’t.”

“I haven’t even gotten started yet, sweetheart,” he threatened seductively. “All that lies between us is a thin towel and a pair of pants.”

“And permission on my part,” she added. Shaking her head, she met his eyes, “You don’t have that and you never will.”

“Does my brother mean so much to you then?” he asked softly, grabbing a strand of hair between his thumb and forefinger and bringing it up to his nose. Holding her gaze, he inhaled the scent of vanilla and Melanie, a slight smile playing about his beautiful mouth.

Dumbly, she nodded, unable to form words. Or thoughts.

He brushed the damp hair over her lips, his expression almost wistful as he watched the hair cling to her mouth. “You’re so damn pretty, so damn innocent, and you’re going to destroy Vaughn with your innocence.”

“I won’t,” she breathed.

He let out a humorless laugh as he sat up and stared down at her. His hands were shaking. “I’d do anything to protect him. Anything.”

“I know,” Melanie said softly, wishing she could reassure him that she was not the enemy. Carefully, so as not to dislodge her towel, she maneuvered her body so she was sitting on her knees, facing him. “But you must know that I’d never hurt him.”

“How are you even able to get up to the fourteenth floor?” he asked, his voice breaking in his misery. The anguish she saw in the depths of his eyes wounded her very soul. She wanted to take the pain away but she knew that she wasn’t the girl to do it. “You shouldn’t be here at all.”

“And yet here I am,” she murmured, holding her arms out to the side in a helpless gesture and shaking her head in sympathy. She was as lost as he was. “I can’t explain it, Armand. It’s just the way it is.”

She looked at him with compassion. There was no condemnation in the blue depths, only understanding and he had never felt such desolation as he did in that moment. There was going to be no hope for his brother. “It’s too dangerous for you to be here.”

She smiled self-mockingly at him, “You’re the only threat I’ve encountered and you’re not much of a threat.”

He choked on surprised laughter. Grabbing her shoulders, his hands moved slightly over her, needing to feel her. The silk of her skin beneath his palms, the barely hidden curves of her body beneath the towel, the earnest blue eyes that stared up at him and invited all types of hopeless desires…. She was all that led his kind to hell and gods above how he envied his brother.

Shaking his head to clear it of that dangerous thought, he knew it was time to finish what he came here to do. Softly, he murmured, “Tell me the name of your guardian, Melanie.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” she frowned, shaking her head in confusion.

He briefly looked around the small room before his eyes landed on her nightstand. Grabbing the pendant from the table, he held it up for her to see, “Who gave you this?”

Not taking her eyes from his, she caught her lower lip between her teeth as she took the necklace from his hands and draped it around her neck once more. Her fingers glided over the chain, straightening the kinks and then smoothing over the pendant as it settled between her breasts. Heat radiated outwards from the stone, warming her skin and she had the strangest feeling that it didn’t want her to betray Omari. “Is it wise to give you the name of the man who helped me?” 

Armand’s lips curled upwards in a trust-me smile, “I don’t need your help but you should know that the longer it takes me to discover his name, the greater the danger Vaughn will be in. You wouldn’t want that on your conscience, would you?”

Moistening her lips, she asked, “What kind of danger?”

“The very worst kind,” he answered his expression meaningful. Reaching out, he ran the back of his fingers along the smooth curve of her cheek, “Tell me the name, Melanie. Don’t let anything happen to my brother.”

She caught her lower lip between her teeth as she heard his words, felt his touch, and she was tempted to give him what he wanted. Yet something prickled at the back of her head, something that said all would be lost if she trusted him with the name and she would lose Vaughn before she ever really had him. If she told him Omari’s name, what would happen? Shaking her head, she said, “No.”

He closed his eyes in pain and let out a long breath. “Hellfire.”

Unable to bear any more of his torment, she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and pulled him to her body, hugging him. She felt his jaw flex against her collar bone, felt his breath against her skin. “I’m not a threat, Armand.”

His body jerked as he guffawed but he didn’t pull away. He didn’t return the hug either. “You have no idea how big of a threat you are and I hate you for what you are doing to Vaughn. You will destroy him.”

Her brows twisted together at those words because they didn’t make any sense. She only just met Vaughn, how could she be doing anything to him? Yes, the sex was phenomenal and she had the euphoric feeling that maybe he was her soul mate, but it was still so early in their relationship. “I wouldn’t….”

Armand pressed his nose against the curve of her neck, breathing in her fresh, clean scent. It was intoxicating and he could understand Vaughn’s willingness to risk it all for her. But she was still a human and it didn’t matter how delicious she smelled, how luscious her body felt in his arms, she was human.

Uncomfortable with her benevolence, he shrugged out of her arms, forcing himself to stand up and walk away from her. He took a breath before turning around and facing her, “You don’t belong here, Melanie. I am going to make sure you are gone before any more damage is done.”

She put her hands on her waist, her elbows sticking out in a defiant pose, “And I say I do belong here, in this apartment and possibly even with your brother. And nothing you do or say will change my mind.”

“I’ll tell Vaughn you slept with me,” he threatened, narrowing his eyes as he looked at her wearing nothing but a towel and that damn pendant. She actually believed she could win in a battle between the two of them. He almost admired her for her foolishness. 

“I thought we had come to an accord so why are you doing this?” she scowled, ignoring the way her heart rate increased at his words. Vaughn didn’t know her very well and with the way they got together, it wouldn’t be too much of a leap to believe she would sleep with Armand. Hell, for all Vaughn knew, she had slept with half the male population of Minnesota, that she always had wild and reckless sex with random strangers in the bathrooms of bars.

But there was something about Vaughn, something that made her feel like she belonged somewhere, with someone. He made her feel bold and beautiful and reckless and he was worth fighting for, even if she was on the same side as his brother.

He looked at her as if she were mad. “Leave Vaughn alone.”

“No,” she firmly replied, standing up and jumping down to the ground. She crossed the floor until she stood toe to toe with him, tilting her head back to glare up at him, folding her arms across her chest. “I will not leave him alone.”

“Then I will personally hold you responsible for whatever befalls him,” he snarled, crossing his arms over his chest, mirroring her image. He was even bigger than Vaughn and she felt like a Chihuahua going up against a Rottweiler. He could eat her up and spit her out before she even knew what hit her. Nut he could also be fiercely loyal and protective of those he loved and she respected the hell out of that.

Going up on her toes, she pressed her index finger into the solid walls of his chest, “I’ve told you, Armand, I am not going to hurt him. I would never hurt him.”

“You don’t know that.” He shook his head, his expression so full of sorrow she was momentarily stunned. All she could do was stare up at him, at the raw beauty of his sculpted face, made even more captivating by the jade green color of his too-knowing eyes. “Just being who you are hurts him.”

“Tell me what you mean,” she whispered. As she continued to stare into his eyes, an ominous chill went down her spine and she shivered. Still, she refused to look away, hoping he would explain his words, explain why he believed she was a threat. He believed it so strongly that he was willing to seduce her to keep her away from Vaughn. If she only held his gaze long enough he would tell her everything. Or she would see it in the depths of his green eyes. If she only looked hard enough….

The sound of someone knocking on her door broke the spell, though they continued to stare at one another. Clearing her throat, she called out, “Come in.”

The door opened and she knew without looking who it was. Vaughn’s voice was filled with confusion as he asked, “What’s going on here?”

“I didn’t sleep with him,” Melanie said, trashing any attempt Armand might have made to use that balderdash. Sticking her tongue out at Armand, she turned around and faced Vaughn. Staring too long into Armand’s eyes probably would have been unwise anyway. “Your brother had some concerns and we discussed them.”

“In nothing but a towel?” Vaughn asked, his eyebrow arching in disbelief. Still, he crossed the room and put his hands on her shoulders, needing to touch her.

“Well, the room is rather small and there isn’t a lot of privacy,” Melanie explained matter-of-factly. “I couldn’t very well drop my towel and get dressed in front of him.”

“You could have taken your clothes into the bathroom and dressed,” he offered, a smile playing about his lips, obviously amused instead of angered by Melanie’s temporary ridiculousness.

“Oh,” Melanie said honestly. Dumbly. “I didn’t think of that.”

He chuckled, pulling her into his arms and hugging her. “Were you able to settle your differences at least?”

“No,” she answered frankly, putting her arms around his waist and breathing him in. He felt like heaven. “But I think we have come to an understanding of sorts.”

“And what’s that?” Armand asked wearily from behind her.

“It’s quite simple,” she said, looking over her shoulder at the green-eyed man. He was looking at her with the strangest expression, determination and resignation in his eyes. She wasn’t sure it boded well for her… in fact, it probably didn’t. Swallowing against her reservations, she told him, “I convince you that you’re wrong.”

“That might take a while,” Vaughn chuckled, squeezing her closer and kissing the top of her head. She took strength in the brief kiss.

Holding Armand’s green gaze, she offered a tentative smile, “I plan on being around for a while.”

Armand waved his hand through the air as if he were washing his hands of her, which she knew wasn’t true. He would continue to fight her until the end. Armand looked at his brother over the top of Melanie’s head, “Don’t make any promises you cannot keep.”

“I never do,” Vaughn said solemnly, holding her tighter. He and Armand were obviously continuing a conversation that they had started earlier, one that was about her but didn’t include her. She tilted her head back and looked at Vaughn’s face, seeing how his jaw was clenched as he continued to hold Armand’s gaze. Maybe there was something more to staring contests than she thought, considering how close she felt to getting some answers earlier. Or perhaps she was just imagining things.

Melanie felt the tension tighten Vaughn’s muscles as the silence became weighted and seemed to drag on and on. Gently, she ran her fingers up his spine as she looked up at him. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

His eyes closed and his nostrils flared slightly as he took a deep breath. With an indulgent smile, he looked down at her, “I know, love. I know.”

Armand let out a low growl of disbelief as he stormed past Melanie and Vaughn, slamming the door behind him as he left the apartment. After another moment’s silence, Vaughn stepped back, taking Melanie’s hands in his and meeting her gaze, “So, are you going to tell me what really happened this evening?”

“I told you,” she said with a crooked smile, her eyes drifting briefly to the left. “He had some concerns about my… intentions and I disagreed.”

“And nothing else happened?” he asked, his gaze intent as he looked at her.

Widening her smile, she shook her head, “Nothing at all.”

His brows pulled together, as if he weren’t sure he should believe her or not. Not letting her smile falter even a little bit, she said, “Truly, Vaughn, nothing happened. Well, he did want the name of the man who gave me this necklace but then said he didn’t need my cooperation.”

For some reason, this admission did not go over well with Vaughn. He closed his eyes and turned away from her, running his hand through his golden hair. Melanie was more interested in the play of his muscles than whatever alarm her words caused. The tight t-shirt he wore only emphasized his masculinity, his strength. She could see the muscles bunch and flex as he moved, the play of cords and sinew was so sexy.

God, he had held her in his arms as they had sex!

“What are you?” she asked softly, her gaze moving to his head as he turned around. She saw the panic in his golden eyes yet she continued. “You’re not a vampire or incubus, are you?” At his slightly horrified expression, she quickly added, “You know, needing something from me to survive? My blood or sex?”