Fateful 2-Fractured (28 page)

He pursed his lips. “Yes, of course, but you
couldn’t take to the woods.”

“Figures,” she grumbled, folding her arms
over her chest, then jumped when someone rapped on the glass of her
door. She turned to see Max there. Danielle tried not to feel
embarrassed about what he’d witnessed earlier.

Ethan set his finger on a button to unroll
the window.

“Like what we picked out?” Max asked, his
gaze averted.

“If
I could
actually drive them, sure…”

Max grinned. “You should have seen
Ethan driving the Humvee home—just like a Brit—on the
left
side of the road. And the fool
that I am, I followed him!”

She turned to Ethan. “You didn’t!
Really?”

His guarded expression became defensive.
“I’ve been driving longer than you’ve been alive. It was an easy
mistake to make.”

“But dangerous.”

“Oh, trust me, people were more than eager
to get out of the way of that thing.”

She laughed. “I’m sure they were.”

Danielle considered the Humvee again, then
asked, “Is this really what you selected for me to drive?”

When he didn’t respond she realized the
truth. “You didn’t really get anything for me, did you?”

“Well,” he looked so guilty, “technically
this is for your safety…”

“But not really for
me
to drive.”

“I’m certain you can drive it.”
With your guards with you
, she
figured he added in his head.

“I have my own car, Ethan.” She set her jaw
when he didn’t respond again. “Max, help me out.”

He’d been snickering to himself through this
whole debate. “Just seduce it out of him, Danielle. I’ve seen you
do it quite successfully before.”

She measured her husband for a moment and
knew it would never work this time. “Please?” She tried
desperately. “Can I go get my Mini?”

“Oh, you have a Cooper?” Max said, his
expression brightening with the topic of cars. “What color is
it?”

“It’s blue and it has—”

“I cannot allow that,” Ethan ground out.

Max was forced to lunge backward when she
threw the car door open and left. The sound of Ethan following
caused her to scowl and pick up her pace, even when knowing she
could never outrun him, especially at night.

She made her way back to her—their—bedroom
and shut the door again. But she couldn’t lock it since Ethan broke
that.

She tried to ignore him when he rejoined her
in bed.

“Leave me alone,” she muttered when he
curled next to her and looped one arm around her waist.

“I’ll stay with you...” when he
trailed off she realized he really meant:
I’ll stay until you fall asleep
.

“I changed my mind.”

“I’m not that easy to get rid of.” He kissed
her hair, and she could feel his breath drift through to her skin.
“Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you about the Cooper.
I just want what’s best for you and this little one…” he said
softly as he stroked her stomach.

* * * * *

The next morning she awoke in her husband’s
arms just as she’d wanted. She could hear his heart beating inside
his chest underneath her ear, and she knew the sun had risen, so it
was more than possible that he’d left her after she’d fallen asleep
and returned before she’d awakened as he’d done in the past.

She twisted her face up toward his and asked
about it, knowing she shouldn’t. “Where did you sleep?” Her voice
came out on a sleep-rich whisper.

“Does it matter?” he responded while
shifting like the bed had suddenly filled with rocks and was
incredibly uncomfortable.

It was the most comfortable bed she’d
ever slept on, so she knew the source of his discomfort. It was the
distance growing between them because he was immortal and she was
not. At least he was
mostly
mortal right now. She believed that deep down he was still
probably trying to smooth things over from last night.

Danielle moved up his chest so they were
face-to-face. Their eyes locked and she felt herself fainting
again. She really needed to eat before she tried that because while
he was mostly mortal she was still extra sensitive to the curse
within him. Day or night. Barely holding onto consciousness, she
dropped her head to the cradle of his neck.

“Are you still with me, Danielle?”

“Uh-huh,” she managed weakly.

When the silence stretched out between them,
Ethan rolled their bodies, placing her on the bottom and matched
his gaze with hers again. It helped to be flat on her back when he
did that, but the bed started to move and her eyes slid shut.

“Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Just a little dizzy.”

“Nauseated?”

“No.” Still feeling like things between them
were unresolved, she was prompted to say, “About last night—”

“Shhh, I’m sorry about that, about
everything.”

When she opened her mouth again, he asked,
“What can I do to make it better?”

“Let me drive my Mini,” she tried.

“You can drive the Phantom,” he offered
after a long pause.

“I’m not sure I’m satisfied with that.”

“Please. Go easy on my protective nature,
would you?”

“Your
overprotective
nature, you mean.”

“I just worry. About you, about our child.”
He sighed. “This has been really hard for me.”

“All right, fine. I’ll drive the
Phantom.”

“And the Humvee?” He flashed a toothy grin
at her when she opened her eyes again.

“Fine,
and
the Humvee.”

“So we’re settled then?” he asked a little
too hopefully.

“Sure, I guess so—”

“Thanks,” he cooed as his mouth forced hers
to silence. Lips, tongue, breath. Oh, that breath…. He began
touching his lips to her skin with soft butterfly kisses, covering
every inch of her face and throat. Each kiss set her flesh on fire,
then it cooled just as his mouth left one place to ignite another.
He ministered to her in this way until she was overwhelmed with
sensation and forgot what they’d been talking about in the first
place. He was just too good at manipulating her but she couldn’t
find it in herself to be mad at him for it.

As his scent engulfed her, those hormonal
tears stung her eyes again. “I love you so much,” she sobbed. She
loved him even though he worried too much, and even though he used
his magic on her. In her heart she knew it wasn’t really to control
her but to help her cope with things that were likely stressing him
out as much as her.

Ethan said nothing as he brushed the tears
from her face, and then turned that passion into need with intimate
caresses. She felt his hands sliding up the sides of her hips and
ribs as he removed her nightshirt....

* * * * *

“Are you sure I’m forgiven?” Ethan asked,
tightening his arm around her waist. And that’s when she realized
how much he didn’t like having her mad at him. Clearly he wanted to
be forgiven very badly yet....

“For what, exactly? Because I can’t remember
much of anything at the moment.”

“For yelling at you. For hurting your
feelings. For embarrassing you in front of the others. For not
allowing you to drive the car you want.”

“Oh. You shouldn’t have reminded me.”

He blew that magical potion that she
couldn’t resist into her face and she drew it inside as greedily as
ever.

“Does that help?” he asked, again sounding
very hopeful.

She didn’t want to admit it, but after
releasing a soft groan, she said, “Yes, that always helps.”

Danielle looked up into his remorseful pools
of blue, with more than a hint of vertigo hitting her and she came
to understand he wasn’t using his magic on her to control her but
to comfort her.

“I just want you happy. More than anything.
And safe,” he said confirming the thoughts in her head. She watched
as his gaze shifted to the clock and back. “You have an appointment
with the doctor in two hours.”

Danielle groaned at that bit of news, but
laughed. “Way to ruin it.”

Chapter 18

Dumb Muggers

When Ethan returned with a hot breakfast,
she ate and then showered. Afterwards, she wrapped herself in a
towel, stepped back into the bedroom, then halted. She didn’t know
what to think about the gothic outfit laid out on the bed for
her.

“What’s this?”

“Your disguise,” Ethan said from the
closet.

She considered the black wig, the black
shirt and ruffled skirt, as she lifted the silver-studded black
belt and black combat boots. Then her eyes moved over the…. “Is
that…?”

“Yes, fake piercings, black eyeliner and
lipstick.”

She gawked when she saw the goth version of
Ethan exit the closet.

“Interesting look for you,” she said,
examining his all-black attire. He wore a tight-fitting t-shirt, a
pair of ripped jeans, boots, and— “You dyed your hair black?”

“It’s temporary dye.”

“You’re fast. Was I in the shower that
long?”

“You always take long showers, darling.
Should I time you next time to prove it?”

She didn’t answer that. “Now you look like a
real vampire,” she teased.

“Is this how vampires dress?”

“Maybe.”

“Since when have I ever dressed like
this?”

“My proper British man would never dress
like this, at least not that I know of. So I guess you’re not a
real vampire, then.”

“This, my dear, will keep us unseen as we go
to the doctor’s office.”

“Why such extremes?”

“Well, while you should be here in Glenwood
Springs, you shouldn’t be going to the doctor. I’d be surprised if
we were ever recognized in this.”

Me too
, she
thought. “I really have to go to the doctor like this?”
I wonder what she’ll think of me.

“Yes.”

“In what car?”

“We’ll switch cars a few times, and go to a
few other places first.”

“Are we going to this much trouble every
time I go in for a visit?”

“We will if we have to, but hopefully we
won’t.” He lifted the shirt from the bed. “Hurry up now, let’s get
you dressed.”

Danielle let out a long exhale as she
lowered onto the sofa when they returned. The trip had been
exhausting. Not only did she still dislike doctors, they’d switched
cars three times on the way back, and had changed out of their
costumes at the second switch.

Of course she knew these visits were
necessary and she had liked Ethan’s doctor choice for her, but
somehow that never completely soothed the distress of it all. She
turned to Ethan as he sat down next to her and said, “Hit me
again.”

He chuckled, leaned closer and exhaled his
breath over her face. “Better?”

“A little,” she said, savoring the vampire
magic she could sense within him no matter where the sun was in the
sky. But that hadn’t really been enough to comfort her distress
either and she pushed to her feet, “I need to paint, and listen to
heavy metal,” she said making her way to her studio, but not
without staggering a little.

With
Nickleback
blasting in the background, she
sketched out a self-portrait of a gothic, pregnant girl, who was
scowling intently with her eyes, but smiling gently with her lips.
And felt much better.

“Hmmm,” Ethan said from the doorway. “Not
your usual style, but I like it. How did you manage to express
sadness and joy at the same time?”

“I don’t know really. I guess it’s just how
I’m feeling right now.”

His arms went around her. “I hope the baby
is the joy part.”

“It’s both,” she admitted.

He turned her gently to face him and cradled
her face with his hands. “It’s the doctor business that makes you
sad, but you feel joy about our child.”

She could see that he knew his observation
was accurate, and nodded to confirm it for him. He understood her
so well, and accepted her regardless. She felt she needed to do the
same for him, even when he wouldn’t let her have her Mini, and was
grumpy after hunting.

While Ethan was gone hunting that night, she
went to take pictures of her artwork to sell. But found that they
were missing.

“Where did my paintings go?” she called out
to anyone who might answer.

After a moment of silence, Richard strode
into her studio and said, “I took them to be framed for you.”

“You did?”

He nodded, averting his gaze since the sun
had set.

“Oh. But they didn’t need to be framed.”

“I don’t see why not. Nice work, by the
way.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Which ones did you
like?”

“The gothic girl was fascinating, but I
favored the fairies.”

“Really? I never thought you’d be fond of
fairies.”

“I’ve met the little buggers. What’s not to
like?”

Danielle opened her mouth and then closed
it, then opened it again. “I plan to sell those paintings on eBay.
Will they be back soon?”

She was surprised when he started to
sputter. “You
can’t
sell
them. That wouldn’t be right. You’ve captured their little spirits
too well. Those paintings must hang here.”

“But I can’t always use Ethan’s money. I
want my own funds, and that’s what I do.” She stabbed a finger
toward the unfinished painting on the easel. “That’s what I can
sell.”

“Ethan’s fine with you spending his money,
simply due to the fact that you’re his wife.”

Danielle frowned and folded her arms. “The
paintings are for sell, and they’ll get more money framed, so
thanks for that. Plus I need to go get more cadmium green paint.
I’m out, and I think I should go alone. If I was immortal, that’s
what I would do.” She said the last bit just to get under his skin
for always telling her what to do.