BloodlustandMetal (12 page)

“Why are you telling me this now? Are you trying to
blackmail me? Because if you haven’t noticed, I can’t get into any deeper shit
than I’m in already.”

“Just informing you. Let’s consider it a fair warning not to
play me. I’m putting myself out on the line to save your ass. If you screw me
over, I’ll make you regret it.”

Under my breath I muttered, “I’m sure you will.”

We didn’t speak much for the rest of the drive to London. My
mind was too preoccupied with all that happened in the last few hours. The same
man who had kidnapped me for money and brought me to Stefano ended up switching
sides. Originally I thought maybe he had changed his mind about me. That maybe
he believed I was innocent, and I don’t know, maybe actually had some feelings
toward me. But after what he revealed about clients and money, I had to wonder
if this was yet another ploy to get more money out of Stefano.

Regardless, I was relieved not to be a pile of ashes at
Stefano’s place.

We stopped in a Marks & Spencer on the way for me to
pick up some clothes and toiletries. I didn’t push my luck at Stefano’s and ask
to go pick up some personal items while we were there. If he changed his mind,
then it wouldn’t have been a very smart move. Devon picked up some groceries to
keep us going for the next couple of days.

Devon said, “If you try to run again, I will follow you. And
Stefano will find you. I urge you to stick with me—for your sake—to try to find
a way out of this.”

“I know, Devon. Trust me, every part of me wants to run away
again. But it won’t help me. Like it or not, you’re the best bet I’ve got.”

“Talk about pressure, eh?”

Armed with our supplies, we brought our bags to the car to
continue our journey.

Back at Devon’s flat, I had to get used to being here of my
own free will. Last time I’d been restrained to his bed, now I sat in the
living room while he changed in the bedroom. A vision of what we had done in
his bed earlier came back to me. I had to distract myself from thinking about
Devon like that.

“Do you live here year-round?” I asked, surprised at how
little furniture or signs of living marked the place. Besides the sofa, the
living room had only a desk with a chair. No television or the little things
you’d see lying around someone’s place. Notepads, pens, magazines, books—none
of that.

“I don’t spend much time here. I use this place more to
conduct business. My main place, the one I consider my home, is in the country.
It’s in an open space, which makes it easier for me to change and run free.”

“What do you change into?”

“Whatever I want.”

He walked out into the living room wearing only a pair of
jeans. Then he gave a dazzling grin that sent shivers into my core.

Always a man of few words. “What do you like to change
into?”

“A lion.”

My mouth dropped. I wouldn’t have believed him if I didn’t
scent the animal to know he was a shifter. Still, to see a fine male body, one
I had incredible sex with earlier, and then hear him tell me he changed into a
lion wasn’t a conversation I was prepared to have. Yet I recovered nicely.

“It probably wouldn’t be wise to change into a lion in the
streets of London.”

“It isn’t wise to change into a lion anywhere. You can’t do
it anywhere humans can see you and even if you’re in the jungles of Africa, you
take the risk of being hunted. But it’s the form I prefer. That and a hawk.”

“You can fly?”

He nodded. “That’s why I chose it.”

I had so many more questions to ask him about what it was
like shifting into all these animals, but he was standing before me without a
shirt and I found it hard to focus. The most magnificent form was the one he
was in now. A mouth-watering male body. My eyes traveled over his broad chest,
lingering on each indentation that carved out his six-pack abs.

“What else can you change into?”

“I can shift into any animal form I like.”

“That’s—that’s—amazing.”

“Funny coming from a vampire. Don’t you look at us as
animals? No, correction, stinky animals?”

The only scent I caught of him right now was luscious human
male. One that I could lick and nibble on. And bite…

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“Looks as if I lost you for a minute. Your thoughts trail
off somewhere?”

In an attempt to refocus, I diverted my thoughts. “Just
wondering why vampires and shifters have had this hatred for so long. Do you
know why it started?”

“No. But we tend to fear things we don’t understand. And
then cover that fear up as hatred.”

“So you hate all vampires? Or fear them? Or maybe you just
don’t understand them?”

“I try not to think about them too much. If they hire me for
a job, I take it. I might wrinkle up my nose at the thought of working for dead
things, but I take it. And you don’t smell half bad for a dead girl.” He leaned
in and inhaled the scent of my hair and then grinned. “Not bad at all.”

My heart began racing so I stepped back. It was difficult to
focus when he was so close. “How the heck are we going to do this? Figure out
who stole the painting, the money?”

“It’s the new millennium so we’ll start with the tools of
the age. The internet. Let’s see if we can bypass the lock and get back into
your account. Otherwise we’ll go to the bank in the morning.”

He sat down at a roll-top desk and opened his laptop. After
bringing up my bank’s web page, he asked, “What’s your user name?”

“I’m not going to tell you that.”

“I’m trying to help you,” he said.

“You weren’t until a few hours ago. It’s kind of hard to
suddenly turn off my defensive radar and trust you.”

“Are you kidding me? I’m working for free to help you right
now.”

“That doesn’t mean I can trust you. There’s got to be
something in it for you. I’m guessing more money.”

“Fine.” He pushed back the chair. “Go ahead, log yourself
in.”

I sat down and started a private session in the browser
before I tried to log in. Faced with the security warning again, I tried other
options. Maybe I could reset my password; I knew all the security questions.

No luck. All my attempts gave me the same message. I had to
talk to someone at the bank.

“Besides the millions that were funneled through my
account,” I asked Devon, “did you notice anything else that stood out?”

He ran his fingers over his shaved head and I found my eyes
followed his movements.

“No. Why haven’t you logged in all this time?” Devon asked.

“I’m not dumb enough to leave a cyber trail. Stefano may not
be good with computers, but he has money and resources.”

“That was smart. When I looked into your account activity, I
didn’t find anything to help me track you.”

“You hacked into my account. Looked into my background.”

“You know this already. I track people down. The internet is
the greatest invention for bounty hunters with computer skills.”

“Yes, I know you did. I meant that more out of outrage rather
than ignorance. Why does it irk me so that you’ve pried into my life and
background?” I said.

“Invasion of privacy?”

“Yes!”

“Especially for a vampire who has to live in the shadows,
exist underground.”

I nodded. “Exactly.” Sizing him up, I then asked, “How would
you know this?”

“I’m a shapeshifter. I live in solitude and have to hide my
true self from the humans around me.”

“Interesting.”

“In what way?”

“As different as our kinds are, it’s funny to think we have
some common ground.”

He looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. “I think
you’re right.” He then said, “What did you think when you learned shapeshifters
exist?”

“I never would have imagined the idea when I was human.
Funny how becoming a vampire opens your perspective that the world isn’t just
run by humans. But I only learned about shifters from a vampire’s point of
view, from Stefano’s crew. And as you probably know, they focus on the animal
part.”

“Have you met other shifters before?”

“No. You’re my first.”

“How did you know what I was?”

“Your scent.”

“How do I smell to you?”

“Different from a human. And different from an animal. Sort
of a combination of both.”

“Do you find it offensive?”

“No. Initially the new scent struck me as odd because it was
unfamiliar.”

“I was hoping you’d say alluring. Irresistible. Undeniably
sexy.”

“Maybe a little.” My voice sounded strained, as if coming
from someone else. He walked closer, a predatory look in his eyes.

“Just a little?”

I knew I should back off, but my feet stayed planted. Why
was he looking at me that way? Why was my body heating up from my core out? In
a voice almost as soft as a whisper, I managed to say, “Maybe more.”

He stood inches from me now, so close that it was difficult
for me to concentrate.

“Even when you swore you hated me, a part of you was
attracted to me in some way.”

My cheeks flushed as I remembered how we clashed. How we
fought. How we kissed. And later how I seduced him. I’d told myself it was a
ploy to lure him to do my bidding, but it was only partly true and it backfired.
And then how we came together, unable to quell the passion between us.

“I don’t know why you’re bringing that up now.”

“Look at me.” He put his hand on my chin and tilted it up.

My eyes darted around the room. When I relented and looked
into his eyes, I saw the heat reflected within, as if a fire smoldered beneath
the surface.

We were alone in his flat. Nothing to stop us from
rekindling that exquisite passion. Nothing except—Stefano.

My fate. We had less than twenty-four hours now. I couldn’t
afford to divert our attention to anything else besides why we were here. To
find out who stole the money and clear my name.

“Devon.” My quiet voice didn’t sound quite like my own.

“What?”

“We can’t do this. Stefano.”

He took his finger off my chin and sat back. “You’re right.
I should be thinking about why we’re here and what we need to do. Sorry. It’s
hard when you’re so close. And you smell so good.”

“A vampire smells good to you?”

“I don’t know why—but yes. Irresistibly good.”

He backed away and his sudden distance hit me like a loss.

“It’s still night,” he said. “I can’t call anyone just yet.
I’m going to poke around online to see if I can get any leads. And then we
should get some sleep. We’ll go to the bank first thing in the morning.

“Okay,” I said, looking at the sofa.

“Take my bed. Don’t worry, I’ll stay out here on the sofa.”

In his room, I put on a pink thigh-length cotton nightshirt
I’d picked up at the store. In his bed, the memories of the passion we had
shared came rushing back to me again. I breathed in the scent of the sheets and
inhaled the scent of Devon and me together there not so long ago.

Then again, this was also where he held me captive. Too many
thoughts swirled in my head that I was unable to process how I should react to
him. Just because he was now helping me, could I forgive him for what he’d done
to me? And there had to be something in it for him. Money. It had to be money.
Wasn’t that all he cared about?

My body definitely had its own opinion on the matter of
Devon; one that didn’t care about motives or reasons. Just pure and simple
longing for the exquisite male being in the next room.

I could call to him now. Invite him in.

No, stop thinking about him. Go to sleep.

My body was so screwed up by the events and the jet lag and
my internal clock adjusting to the new sunlight hours that it was difficult to
get to sleep. Not to mention all the worries in my mind. Who stole the painting
and why were they framing me? Would the bank provide any answers? It seemed
that my fate was in Devon’s hands.

I tossed and turned while images of making love to Devon
penetrated my mind. Images then turned into a full-blown fantasy. My hands ran
over my breasts, as I visualized his hands touching me. My sensitive nipples
immediately hardened into peaks, longing for his fingers to touch them, his
mouth to warm them. Running my hands down my body, I discovered how wet I was
already. Ready for him.

I reached inside me to moisten my fingers and then found my
oversensitive nub, waiting. Anticipating. For several minutes, I touched myself
while fantasizing about Devon until I couldn’t take it any longer.

Climbing out of his bed, I opened the door and saw him still
sitting in front of his laptop.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Making sure we’re all set for the bank tomorrow.”

“Are we?”

“Yes.” He cocked his head as he examined me. “You okay?”

My cheeks must have been flushed and my breath still ragged
with longing.

“No.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I want you. I need you. Come to bed with me.”

His face contorted with a jumble of confused emotions, but
he recovered quickly and stood. “You sure?”

“Yesss,” I purred.

In a few strides, he made it to me and grasped both sides of
my head in his hands, forcing me to look at him.

“What is it? Another ruse?”

I would have shaken my head, but couldn’t with his hands
keeping me still, forcing me to look at him. “No ruse.”

“Don’t you hate me?” His blue-green eyes searched mine,
which made it difficult to think. The heady scent of his masculinity and animal
magnetism inclined me to close my eyes and breathe him in.

“Yes. And no. I don’t understand you. Or what you’re doing.”

“But you want me?”

I took his hand and placed it over my breast, sure that he
already noticed my erect nipples poking through the thin cotton. His fingers
caressed my nipple through the soft fabric.

“I’m confused and I’m scared. And I don’t want to think
anymore.”

He reached under my nightgown and up to my pussy, which was
weeping with anticipation. A low, guttural moan escaped him as he inhaled
sharply.

My lips trembled as I focused on the lust-filled expression
that came on his face. Then he leaned down to kiss me and I wrapped my arms
around him as I savored the taste of his mouth once more. I jumped up to wrap
my legs around him and he caught me, carrying me back into the bedroom and
placing me on the bed.

“I’ll get your mind off everything else,” he murmured.

Then he pulled my nightshirt up over my head and began a
sweet, sensual assault on all my senses, kissing and licking my sensitive skin
until he finally reached my thighs. I writhed on the bed, waiting, waiting for
more. He finally kissed me there, licking and sucking until my body tensed and
I grabbed the sheets. Already so on edge, it didn’t take much to send me over.