Vampire Most Wanted (15 page)

Marcus grimaced and merely said, “We’re definitely life mates. One kiss and we both lost all sense.”

“Yeah.” Jackie sighed the word with a little smile and warned, “It’s going to happen again and again, and don’t think good intentions will stop it. One touch, a kiss . . .” She shrugged helplessly. “You two might as well just lock yourselves up in here for the next year and have fun, because you’ll be useless for anything else.”

“Somehow I don’t think Divine would go for that,” Marcus said dryly, carrying her through the RV to the bedroom at the back.

“No, perhaps not,” Jackie agreed, following, flicking on lights as she went. She paused in the doorway to the bedroom, turned on that light as well, and then watched him set Divine on the bed before saying, “Okay, so . . . then you might want to avoid certain situations.”

Marcus straightened next to the bed and raised an eyebrow. “What situations?”

Jackie pursed her lips and then began to list things off on her fingers. “Public elevators, movie theaters, moving vehicles unless someone else is driving—”

“You’re kidding,” Marcus interrupted with amusement. “Moving vehicles?”

“She’s not kidding,” Vincent said, appearing behind his wife. Slipping his arm around her waist, he tugged her back against his chest and kissed the top of her head before saying, “You haven’t lived until you find yourself flying down the highway at top speed with your life mate bouncing around on your lap, shrieking with pleasure like a crazed baboon.”

Jackie flushed with embarrassment and elbowed her husband in the stomach, making him release her as she muttered, “
You
were the one shrieking like a crazed baboon.”

“Perhaps I was,” Vincent agreed with a grin as Jackie pushed past him to get out of the confined space.

“I’ve seen your car,” Marcus said dryly. “I wouldn’t think there was enough room in that little Lexus to—”

“It’s a convertible,” Vincent interrupted. “The top was down.”

“Dear God,” Marcus muttered as he got the visual. He was surprised there hadn’t been a pile-up, or a video caught and put on YouTube.

“It was the middle of the night,” Vincent said with a shrug, and then added, “Thank God. I wasn’t much good for steering, and I damned near passed out before I could pull over to the shoulder and get us stopped.”

“You passed out on the side of the highway?” Marcus asked with disbelief. That seemed damned risky.

“Yeah. It was,” Vincent said as if he’d spoken the thought aloud. “We got lucky, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Marcus shook his head and then turned to peer down at Divine, quickly tugging her blouse back into place when he realized she was still on view. Only then did Vincent leave the door to join him.

“How did she take finding out you’re her life mate?”

Marcus grimaced. “She seemed a bit upset before I kissed her.”

“Hmm.” Vincent nodded, not appearing surprised. “Did she say anything useful before you two got too caught up?”

“Do grunts and moans count?” Marcus asked dryly. “It came over us pretty quickly.”

“Yeah, it does,” Vincent acknowledged. “Jackie wasn’t kidding about places to stay away from. She’s probably making a list as we speak.”

They both chuckled at that, but then Vincent sobered and said, “But in case she forgets it, definitely stay away from any grocery shopping at night. And the store freezer is not a good spot to drag her to if things get hot and heavy.”

When Marcus turned to peer at him with disbelief, he nodded solemnly. “I must have fallen off of her as I passed out. When I woke up three of the night crew were standing there gawking at us like idiots and my dick was frozen to a metal shelf.” He winced at the memory and muttered, “Nasty.”

Marcus shook his head with a sort of horror, and then grabbed him by the shoulders, turned Vincent toward the door and gave him a push to get him moving. “Get out of here. I don’t want to hear any more of this.”

“Just trying to give you some helpful advice,” Vincent said with a shrug, but he did leave the room.

Marcus walked over and was about to close the door when Vincent appeared again and announced, “I ran a hose to the water supply while you two were making out between the RVs. Since you were busy I hooked you guys up too and then plugged both RVs into the power supply. You have power and water if you want to take a shower and wash away some of that dirt.”

Marcus glanced down at himself, able to see just how filthy he was in the lit room. He was covered with a layer of dust so thick his black jeans looked almost beige.

“You’re welcome,” Vincent added as he turned and headed away.

“Thanks,” Marcus called out belatedly, but was frowning as he did. What had Vincent meant when he’d said
while you two were making out between the RVs
? Had he actually seen them? Or was he just guessing?

Marcus sighed and closed the bedroom door. It didn’t really matter what Vincent had meant. If the man had seen them . . . well, Marcus could hardly make him unsee what he’d witnessed, so he might as well just forget about it, Marcus told himself as he crossed the bedroom to the door to the bathroom.

He grimaced when he saw the size of the room. It was little better than an airplane bathroom with a shower on the end, Marcus thought, but knew that wasn’t true. It was a little roomier than that, but would still be a bit confining for a man his size.

Shrugging, he turned on the water and quickly stripped his clothes.

Fifteen

D
ivine woke up with a terrible need to relieve herself. That was her first and only thought as she sat up in bed and swung her feet to the floor. She hurried to the door, thrust it open, and then paused abruptly as she recognized Vincent and Jackie’s borrowed RV. She’d forgotten for a moment that this wasn’t her RV. In her RV, the bathroom had been along the sidewall outside the bedroom. In this one . . .

She turned and hurried back across the room, rushing into the bathroom there. Divine hiked up her skirt, tugged down her panties, and settled on the toilet so quickly she probably would have been a blur to anyone watching. Immortal speed rocked, she thought on a little sigh of relief as she proceeded to—as a carnie she once knew would have put it—piss like a racehorse. She’d
really
had to go. Probably all the blood they’d given her for the healing, Divine thought, and wondered that the noise she was making wasn’t drowning out the sound of the rain outside. She’d been vaguely aware of the sound of splashing water as she woke up, but hadn’t paid it much attention. Now, however, it seemed louder to her, almost like the water was actually falling—

Her bowed head jerking up, Divine peered at the shower across from her, noted the figure inside, and couldn’t hold back a muttered “Oh crap.”

“Please don’t.”

Marcus was in the shower with his very bare back to her, but she could hear the amusement in his voice as he said those words and knew he was teasing her. She wanted to give a light chuckle and say something witty. After all this wasn’t the first time she’d been caught out in a situation like this. She’d lived too damned long not to have experienced this or a similar scenario a hundred times over. But none of those scenarios had included Marcus, and rather than handle it with the insouciance she wanted to, Divine groaned and closed her eyes as her face flamed what she suspected was a violent red.

“I guess this means the romance phase of our relationship is over, huh?” he teased.

Divine’s eyes popped open at the sudden silence as the sound of running water suddenly stopped. He’d turned off the shower. That meant he’d be getting out, she thought with dismay.

“I mean they say once a couple starts doing these kinds of things in front of each other, the honeymoon stage is done and they’re into the relationship phase.” Marcus stepped out of the very tiny shower, into the tiny room just inches away, and grabbed a towel to quickly dry himself, elbows banging into the wall as he did.

Divine bit her lip and belatedly dropped her skirt, letting it settle around her. She then tried to sit there, pretending she was sitting on a chair rather than the porcelain throne, all while avoiding looking at a very big, very naked Marcus standing just inches away from her.

“Stop staring at my cock, you’re making it grow.”

Divine blinked at those growled words, mortified to realize she
had
been staring. So much for avoiding looking . . . and damn, it
was
growing.

“You’re still staring,” he warned.

“Well, stop waving it around in front of me if you don’t like it,” she snapped, forcing her eyes away. “Cover it up or something.”

Marcus chuckled and then caught her face with one hand, to turn it back and up so he could press a kiss to her lips. She suspected he’d meant it to be a quick peck. It didn’t end up that way. Fire leaped between them at the first touch, both mouths opened, tongues were engaged, and Divine so forgot herself she was about to wrap her arms around his shoulders and climb him like a telephone pole when he suddenly broke the kiss and straightened.

They were both panting and simply stared at each other briefly, then Marcus growled, “I’m going to go lay down. Naked.”

Divine’s eyes widened and she watched silently as he snatched his clothes off the floor, turned, and slid out of the room, tugging the door closed. She sat there for one more moment, before moved to action. She finished her business, and almost raced out of the bathroom after him, but then caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror over the sink as she washed her hands. She was a mess, hair mussy, skin filthy . . .

Turning to the shower she opened the door and twisted the knobs to get the water running, then quickly stripped her clothes.

Divine spent much longer in the shower than she normally would have, mostly because once she was in there she started to think of all the reasons why she shouldn’t have done what she had, and shouldn’t do it again. The main reason was that she was a wanted woman, hunted by the man Marcus apparently worked for. Not that he’d admitted as much yet.

What she needed to do was to learn what she could from Marcus, find out what he knew, what Lucian knew, and what she could do to keep her son and herself safe. That thought firmly in mind, Divine finished her shower and stepped out to quickly dry herself. She then eyed her clothes with distaste. They were filthy, but it didn’t seem smart to walk out of the bathroom in a towel, not if she wanted to actually talk to Marcus and not end up naked and unconscious in the bed.

Grimacing, she picked up her blouse and gave it a shake, then donned it and used the towel to brush away what she could of the dust and dirt clinging to it. Once satisfied she’d done the best she could with the item, Divine did the same with the skirt. She just couldn’t bring herself to re-don her panties and bra though. This would have to do, she decided, took a deep breath, pinned a smile on her face, and left the bathroom.

Divine had expected Marcus to be waiting for her in the bedroom, so was a bit startled to find it empty. After a hesitation, she moved to the bedroom door and opened it to peer out into the rest of the RV, surprised to find him working busily in the kitchenette. He was even dressed. Sort of. The man had his jeans on, but was shirtless. He was a beautiful sight like that, his still-damp hair slicked back, chest muscles glistening in the overhead light and rippling as he sliced cheese on a cutting board on the table.

“Stop looking at me like that or we aren’t going to get to eat this lovely fare Jackie made for us,” he said without glancing up, his voice light.

Divine relaxed and even managed a smile. Moving toward the table, she said just as lightly, “It looks to me like you’re the one making this lovely fare.”

“I washed the fruit, took the salad out and put it in bowls, and am now cutting cheese, but Jackie made the casserole that smells so delicious,” he assured her and then finally glanced up. His eyes began to glow as they slid over her in her still slightly dusty clothes and then he lowered them again to what he was doing. “Damn, I was sure I was hungry for food when I smelled it, but now—”

“Now
I’m
hungry,” Divine said firmly and sat down at the place setting across from him. She also forced herself to stop gawping at his chest like some lovesick calf and, instead, focused on examining the contents of the table.

The casserole did smell delicious and everything else looked good too. Still, Divine was surprised when her stomach suddenly grumbled. It was a sound she hadn’t heard since . . . well, she couldn’t remember when she’d last heard her body make that sound. It had been a long time since she’d last eaten food, and just as long since she’d felt hunger. Like most immortals she’d stopped eating after a hundred years or so of living. Eating had grown tiresome and food had seemed tasteless and boring.

It didn’t smell boring or tasteless now.

“Here.” Marcus picked up the cutting board and used the knife to slide several pieces of cheese onto her plate. He then set that down and scooped up some casserole to add to her plate as well before pushing the bowl holding the grapes and strawberries next to the bowl of salad he’d set beside her plate. “We have a couple of dressings to choose from. Apparently it goes on the salad, but I don’t know what’s good and what’s not.”

Divine shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out,” she said, reaching for a grape from the bowl. She popped it into her mouth, bit into it, and closed her eyes as the sweet juice burst across her tongue. Dear God it was . . . luscious, lovely, sweet, wet.

“Try the strawberries,” Marcus suggested when she reached toward the bowl again. “They’re even better.”

Divine immediately changed direction, reaching for the red fruit instead of the green, seedless balls of juice called grapes. She popped one of the berries in her mouth and bit down and found he was right. The strawberries were—

Marcus glanced up from his cutting with surprise when Divine grimaced and spat out the slightly chewed strawberry. He glanced at it briefly and then wrinkled his nose. “I don’t believe you’re supposed to eat the stem and leafy bits. I’ve seen others eat them and they leave that part.”

“Oh,” Divine muttered, using the napkin he’d set beside her plate to wipe her mouth.

“Try another,” he suggested, picking up a large plump one and holding it out. “Just bite the fruit off though; I’ll hold on to the stem and leafy bit.”

Divine hesitated and then leaned forward and carefully bit into the strawberry, avoiding getting too close to the leafy end. She started out watching Marcus’s face as she did, but the sudden flaring of silver in his eyes made her lower her eyes. It was a relief when she finished the action and sat back.

“Well?” Marcus asked, and she didn’t miss the husky note in his voice.

Divine was silent for a minute as she concentrated on chewing up the fruit and then swallowing, but she smiled then and nodded. “Yes. They’re lovely. Much better without the stem and leafy bits.”

Marcus grinned and settled in the seat across from her. They were silent for several minutes as they began to eat. All of it was good, but the casserole was amazing. What had Marcus called it? A sausage, potato, and cheese casserole? The various flavors blended beautifully in her mouth. They hadn’t had food like this the last time she’d eaten.

“Divine?”

“Hmmm?” she asked, trying the salad next. Not sure which dressing she’d like, Divine had put a creamy concoction called ranch dressing on half her salad and another one called balsamic something or other on the other half. She tried the ranch first and found it surprisingly tasty. But it made her wonder what the balsamic one tasted like and she scooped up a bit of salad from that side to try next.

“Would you tell me a little about your life?”

The question made her pause with the salad halfway to her mouth. Setting the loaded fork back, she peered at him silently.

“Anything,” he said quietly. “How long have you traveled with carnivals for instance?”

Divine relaxed a little and contemplated her fork. She didn’t suppose answering that would be a problem or reveal anything she shouldn’t. “Pretty much since carnivals began,” she said, and then added, “Well, I think the first one was around for a couple years before I joined a competitor in 1901.”

Marcus nodded and took a bite of casserole.

Relaxing even more, Divine slipped the balsamic salad into her mouth and felt her eyebrows rise. She thought she might like this better than the creamy one. It had a bit of tang to it that she enjoyed.

“And before the carnival?”

Divine swallowed her salad and took a drink as she thought, and then set down her glass and admitted, “Before turning to carnivals I rode and lived with the Comanches.”

Marcus’s eyes widened incredulously. “Seriously?”

She smiled faintly at his expression and nodded. “They called me Naduah.”

“Naduah,” he murmured. “That’s pretty. What does it mean?”

“That depends on who you ask,” she admitted with amusement. “I was told by the chief who gave me the name that it meant ‘she who carries herself with dignity and grace.’ However, a rather nasty and jealous maiden once told me it means ‘she who keeps warm with us,’ and the way she said it suggested I did so in a rather X-rated fashion.”

Divine grinned at the scowl this brought to Marcus’s face and shrugged. “As I said she was jealous. The chief listened to me when I advised him and allowed me to ride into battle with the men. I suppose she thought I’d slept my way into the chief’s good graces to be allowed to do so.” She smiled and then added, “Even if the chief was wrong and it did mean ‘she who keeps warm with us,’ it would be true. I shared their fire of a night.”

“You couldn’t have stayed with them for long. They would have noticed your not aging,” he said.

“There were different tribes of Comanche; the Yamparikas, the Jupes, and the Kotsotekas, and they all had different bands.” She shrugged. “I moved around the various bands for a while, but no, I wasn’t with them for as long as I’ve moved around with carnivals.”

“And before them?”

Divine sighed and set her fork down. “Marcus—”

“Tell me . . . please,” he added softly, and then offered, “If you do I’ll tell you about myself.”

She stared at him briefly, then nodded and picked up her fork again; gathering some casserole on it, she took a bite, chewed and swallowed and then admitted, “Before the Comanches I was with the Romani.”

“Gypsies,” he said softly and she nodded.

Divine smiled crookedly. “They called me Nuri. It means Gypsy.”

“So even to the Gypsies you were considered a Gypsy?” he asked with amusement.

She smiled wryly. “Well, I moved around even more than they did. I’d travel with a group for five or ten years and then leave and find another. I traveled most of Europe with different Romani groups before sailing to America.”

“I’m surprised they let you travel with them,” he said quietly. “I understood the Romani didn’t embrace outsiders.”

Divine smiled with amusement and reminded him, “I’m immortal, and we can be very persuasive.”

“Ah.” Marcus nodded. “A little mind control, a little influence and bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, you’re in.”

“Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo?” she echoed, eyes wide with disbelief.

Marcus flushed. “There’s a little girl named Livy who was staying with a friend while I was there and she had a thing for Disney movies.”

“Ah,” Divine said solemnly, but she suddenly had an image in her mind of Marcus watching a Disney cartoon with a little girl in pigtails. She had no idea if this Livy wore pigtails, but that was the image that sprang to mind. It was a beautiful image. She thought he’d be good with children. What would their children look like, she wondered, and then pushed the fantasy aside. He might be her life mate, but she could never claim him as one so long as he worked with Lucian.