How To Marry A Millionaire Vampire (4 page)

“You’re not going to hurt me?”

“No, sweetness. I’ve had my fill of causing pain.” He smiled sadly. “Besides, if I really wanted to kill you, I could have done it a dozen times by now.”

“How reassuring.” She shuddered, and his arms tightened around her.

Across the street, a neon sign glowed. The neighborhood psychic was still open for business. Shanna considered making a wild dash across the street and calling the police. Or maybe she should ask about her future. Did she even have one, or had her lifeline run out? Strange, but she didn’t feel endangered. The Wolfman’s arms were strong.

The chest she was leaning against was broad and solid. And he claimed he wanted to protect her. She’d been so alone lately. She wanted to trust him.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and coughed. “Jeez, it stinks here. What is this place?”

“A cigar shop. I gather you don’t smoke?”

“No. Do you?”

He smiled wryly. “Only if I’m out in the sun.”

Huh? Before she could respond, a dark green car drove past them, and Wolfman started dragging her toward the curb.

“That’s Laszlo.” He waved to get his friend’s attention.

The green Honda Accord pulled over to double-park. The Wolfman strode toward it, pulling Shanna with him.

Should she really trust him? Once she got into a car with him, how could she escape? “Who is this Laszlo? Is he Russian?”

“No.”

“His name doesn’t sound very American.”

Wolfman lifted a brow as if he found her comment annoying. “He’s Hungarian, originally.”

“And you?”

“American.”

“You were born here?”

Now both brows went up. He was definitely annoyed. But he did have a slight accent, and she’d rather be safe than sorry.

The man inside the Honda fumbled around, and the trunk popped open a few inches. Shanna jumped, suddenly remembering there might be a body inside.

“Relax.” Wolfman tightened his grip on her.

“Are you kidding?” She tried to jerk away, but her attempt failed miserably. “Don’t you have a dead body in there?”

He sighed. “God help me. I suppose I deserve this.”

A short man in a white lab coat scrambled out of the green Honda. “Oh, there you are, sir. I came as quickly as I could.” He noticed Shanna and fingered a button on his lab coat. “Good evening, miss. You’re the dentist?”

“She is.” Wolfman glanced over his shoulder. “We’re in a hurry, Laszlo.”

“Yes, sir.” Laszlo opened the back door and leaned inside. “I’ll get Vanna out of your way.” He straightened, dragging a woman’s naked body from the backseat.

Shanna gasped.

Wolfman clapped a hand over her mouth. “She’s not real.”

Shanna struggled to escape, but he pulled her against his chest and held tight.

“Look at her, Shanna. She’s a toy, a human-sized toy.”

Laszlo noticed her distress. “He’s right, miss. She’s not real.” He pulled the wig off her head, then plopped it back on.

Oh God. Her Wolfman was not a killer. He was a pervert.

She elbowed Wolfman in the stomach, and catching him by surprise, she managed to pull away from his grasp.

“Shanna.” He made a grab for her, and she jumped back.

“Stay away from me, you pervert.”

“What?”

She pointed at the doll that Laszlo was shoving into the trunk. “Any man with a toy like that has got to be a pervert.”

Wolfman blinked. “It… it’s not my car.”

“And it’s not your toy?”

“No.” He glanced back. “Shit!” He seized her and shoved her toward the car. “Get in.”

“Why?” She grabbed each side of the doorway and locked her elbows. This was the maneuver that always worked in the cartoons when a cat didn’t want to be pushed into a tub of water.

Wolfman moved to her side, blocking her view. “A black car is turning onto this street. We can’t let them see you.”

A black car? Black sedan or green Honda. Those appeared to be her choices. God help her that she was making the right decision. She climbed into the backseat of the Honda Accord and set her purse on the floor. She looked out the back window, but couldn’t see a black car. Laszlo still had the trunk up.

“Hurry, Laszlo! We’ve got to go.” Wolfman got in beside her and shut the door. He glanced out the back window.

Laszlo slammed the trunk shut.

“Shit.” Wolfman grabbed Shanna by the shoulders and pushed her down.

“Aagh!” It all happened so fast. A whoosh of air and then, wham, her nose was pressed flat against scratchy black denim. Oh, great, she was facedown in his lap. Her nostrils filled with the scent of he-man and fresh soap. Or was that laundry detergent? She struggled to sit up, but he held her down.

“Sorry, but our windows aren’t tinted, and I can’t risk them seeing you.”

The engine started, and they were on the move. She felt the car vibrating around her, his jeans giving her a full facial massage.

She wiggled until her nose and mouth found a pocket of air. After a few deep breaths, she realized her precious pocket of air was the crevice between his legs. Wonderful. She was doing heavy breathing on his crotch.

“The black car is following us.” Laszlo sounded worried.

“I know.” Wolfman sounded annoyed. “Take the next right.”

Shanna attempted to roll onto her side, but the car made a turn, and she lost her balance. She fell against Wolfman, the back of her head bumping against his zipper. Oops. Maybe he hadn’t noticed. She wiggled forward, moving her head away from his groin.

“Is there a purpose for all this activity?”

Oh dear. He had noticed. “I—I couldn’t breathe.” She squirmed onto her shoulder and curled her legs up so she was lying on her side with her cheek against his thighs.

The car suddenly halted. Shanna slid back and knocked against his zipper once again.

He winced.

“Sorry.” Jeez. First she’d given him the knee. Now she was a head banger. How much abuse could a guy take in one evening? She inched her head forward again.

“Sorry, sir,” Laszlo said. “The light just turned red all of a sudden.”

“I understand.” Wolfman laid a hand lightly on Shanna’s head. “Could you stop wiggling, please?”

“Sir, they’re pulling up beside us!”

“That’s all right. Let them take a good look. They’ll only see two men.”

“What should I do now?” Laszlo asked. “Go straight or turn?”

“Make a left turn at the next intersection. We’ll see if they follow us then.”

“Yes, sir.” Laszlo was beginning to sound ill. “You know, I’m not trained for this sort of thing. Maybe we should call for Connor or Ian.”

“You’re doing fine. That reminds me.” Wolfman lifted his hips.

Shanna gasped and grabbed his knees to keep steady. The muscles in his thighs bunched and rippled beneath her cheek. Oh, Lordy, what a thrill ride.

“Here.” He lowered his hips back onto the seat. “I had your damned phone in my back pocket.”

“Oh.” She shifted onto her back so she could see. The car lurched forward, and she rolled into his groin, nose against his zipper.

“Sorry,” she murmured, and scooted away.

“No… problem.” He dropped the phone on the car seat. “I don’t think you should use it. If they know your number, they can trace any call you make and find your location.”

He moved his hand to her shoulder, probably hoping to keep her from rolling around.

The car swerved left. Luckily, she slid only a fraction down his thighs this time. “Are they still following us?” she asked.

“1 don’t see them.” Laszlo sounded excited.

“Let’s not celebrate just yet.” Wolfman looked from side to side. “Drive around a bit more to make sure.”

“Yes, sir. Shall we go to your home or the lab?”

“What lab?” Shanna attempted to sit up.

Wolfman tightened his grip on her shoulder and forced her back down. “Stay put. This isn’t over yet.”

Great. She was beginning to suspect he enjoyed manhandling her. “Okay. What lab?”

He glanced down at her. “Romatech Industries.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of them.”

He raised a brow. “You have?”

“Of course. They’ve saved millions of lives with their artificial b-blood. Is that where you work?”

“Yes, we both work there.”

Shanna breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s wonderful. Then, you’re into saving lives, not… destroying them.”

“That is our wish, yes.”

“You never introduced yourself. I can’t keep calling you Wolfman.”

His brows shot up. “I told you. I am not a werewolf.”

“You have a wolf’s tooth in your pocket.”

“It’s part of an experiment. Like the doll in the trunk.”

“Oh.” Shanna turned her head toward the front seat. “Is that what you’re working on, Laszlo?”

“Yes, miss. The doll is one of my current experiments. Nothing to be alarmed about.”

“Well, that’s a relief.” Shanna smiled. “I’d hate to think I was driving around with a couple of perverts.” She turned back to Wolfman, but her nose grazed his zipper. Oops. His pants hadn’t stuck out that far before.

She scooted back an inch. “Maybe I should sit up now.”

“It’s not safe.”

Right. And she was safe one inch from his growing crotch. Obviously, her earlier attack on his groin had not caused any lasting damage. Wolfman was well on his way to a full recovery. Very full. “So, what is your name?”

“Roman. Roman Draganesti.”

Laszlo spun around a corner too fast.

She slid against Roman. A huge, rock-hard Roman. “Sorry.” She tilted her head away from his erection. He was getting bigger by the minute.

“Where do you want to go?” Laszlo asked. “The lab or your home?”

Roman’s hand moved from her shoulder to her neck. His fingers gently stroked, drawing little circles on her skin.

She shivered. Her heart started to race.

“We’ll take her to my home,” he whispered.

Shanna swallowed hard. Somehow, she knew she was taking a turn tonight, a turn that would change the rest of her life.

The car came to an abrupt stop. Her head wobbled with the car’s movement, rubbing against the strained denim of Wolfman’s beastly-sized erection. He groaned and fixed his eyes on her face.

She gasped. His eyes were red. It couldn’t be. It had to be a reflection from the red stoplight.

“Are you sure she’ll be safe at your house?” Laszlo asked.

“As long as my mouth stays shut.” He smiled slightly. “And my zipper stays up.”

Swallowing hard, Shanna turned away. She should have appreciated boredom when she had it. This much excitement could kill a girl.

So much for keeping his raging lust a secret. As far as Roman could tell, the lovely dentist in his lap had finally realized the futility of escaping his erection. Each time she succeeded in putting a little space between her head and his crotch, he rose to the challenge and filled the gap.

He was a bit amazed himself. He hadn’t experienced this much desire in more than a hundred years. Now, instead of bumping against him, Shanna was lying very still against his zipper. Her smoky blue eyes were focused on the car’s ceiling as if nothing was going on. But the blush on her cheeks and the occasional shudder that rippled down her warm body told him otherwise. She was extremely aware of him. And she knew he wanted her.

Roman didn’t have to read her mind to know this. He could read her body instead. The distinction was new to him, and the result was powerful, fueling his lust to a higher degree.

“Roman?” She glanced at him, her blush deepening. “I hate to sound like a nagging kid, but are we there yet?”

He glanced out the window. “We’re at Central Park. We’re almost there.”

“Oh. Uh, do you live alone?”

“No. There are a number of… people who live there. And I have security teams on duty day and night. You’ll be safe.”

“Why do you have so much security?”

He continued to look out the window. “To feel secure.”

“From what?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Oh, that’s informative,” she muttered.

Roman couldn’t help but smile. The lady Vamps in his coven were too busy trying to seduce him to ever show displeasure with him. Shanna’s attitude was a refreshing change. Though he did hope her irritation wouldn’t lead to another knee in the groin. Somehow, he’d managed to exist for a total of five hundred and forty-four years without experiencing that particular form of torture. Vampire killers went straight for the heart.

Though to be honest, Shanna was assaulting his heart. The dried-up husk in his chest was beating to an ancient, primeval drum. Possess and protect. He wanted this woman. And he wouldn’t allow his old enemy to have her or harm her.

But it went much further than that. He wanted to know why he couldn’t control her. She was a challenge that mentally, he couldn’t resist. And obviously, given his current condition, he found her physically irresistible, too.

“Here we are, sir.” Laszlo slowed to a stop, double-parking next to one of Roman’s cars.

Roman opened his door. Lifting Shanna’s head a fraction, he slid out from under her. She started to sit up. “No. Stay down until I make sure it’s safe.”

She heaved a sigh of frustration. “Okay.”

Roman climbed out and closed the door while Laszlo did the same. He motioned for the chemist to follow him a few yards from the car. “You did well, Laszlo. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, sir. Can I go back to the lab now?”

“Not yet. First, I want to you to go inside and warn everyone that we have a mortal guest. We need to protect her, but at the same time, she must not discover who we really are.”

“May I ask why we’re doing this, sir?”

Roman surveyed the street for any sign of the Russians. “You’ve heard of the Russian coven master, Ivan Petrovsky?”

“Oh God.” Laszlo clutched at one of the two remaining buttons on his lab coat. “They say he’s vicious and ruthless.”

“Yes. And for some reason, he wants to kill the dentist. But I need her, too. So we have to keep her safe without Petrovsky figuring out that we’re the ones interfering with his plans.”

“Oh dear.” Laszlo twirled the button furiously. “He would be so angry. He… he might declare war on us.”

“Exactly. But there’s no reason for Shanna to know about that. We’ll keep her as ignorant as possible.”

“That may be difficult with her living in your house.”

“I know, but we have to try. And if she finds out too much, I’ll erase her memory.” As CEO of a major corporation, Roman was constantly struggling to remain invisible in the mortal world. Mind control and memory wipes made the task much easier. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure he could erase Shanna’s memory.

He climbed the front steps to his townhouse and punched in a security code on the keypad by the door. “Explain things as quickly as possible.”

“Yes, sir.” Laszlo swung open the door and was greeted by a long dagger aimed at his throat. “Eek!” He stumbled back, bumping into Roman, who stopped him from falling down the stairs.

“Begging yer pardon, sir.” Connor slid his Highland dirk back into the sheath hanging from his belt. “I wasna expecting you at the front door.”

“I’m glad you’re vigilant.” Roman pushed Laszlo into the entryway. “We have a guest. Laszlo will explain.”

Laszlo nodded, his fingers fumbling once again for a button on his lab coat. Connor shut the door.

Roman hurried down the steps to the Honda. He yanked the back door open to find Shanna pointing her Beretta at him.

“Oh, it’s you.” She blew out a sigh of relief and dropped her gun back into her purse. “You were gone so long. I was beginning to think I’d been abandoned.”

“You’re under my protection now. I’ll keep you safe.” He smiled. “At least, you no longer want to shoot me.”

“Yeah, that’s always a positive sign in any relationship.”

Roman laughed, a rusty sound, but a definite laugh. God’s blood, how long had it been since his last laugh? He couldn’t even remember. And there was beautiful Shanna, returning his smile. The lovely dentist had brought a spark of life back into his godforsaken, endless existence.

Still, he should fight this compulsion to be with her. After all, he was a demon. She was a mortal. Historically, he should be seeing her as lunch,craving her blood, not her company. But he did want her company. It was as if his mind was waiting for the next words to come out her mouth, just so he could have the pleasure of responding. And his body was waiting anxiously for the next accidental touch. Hell, accidental wasn’t enough.

“I probably shouldn’t trust you. But for some reason, I do.” She climbed out of the car, and instantly his entire body wakened to her proximity.

“You’re right,” he whispered, lifting a hand to touch her cheek. “You shouldn’t trust me at all.”

Her eyes widened. “I… I thought you said I was safe.”

“There are different kinds of danger.” He skimmed his fingers along her jaw.

She stepped back, but not before he felt a shiver run through her. She turned toward his townhouse, shifting her purse to her shoulder. “So, this is where you live? It’s very nice. In fact, it’s quite lovely. Great neighborhood.”

“Thank you.”

“Which floor are you on?” She rushed her words, apparently trying to pretend there was nothing going on, that the air between them wasn’t sizzling with sexual awareness. Maybe she didn’t feel it. Maybe it was just him.

“Which floor would you like?”

She glanced his way, then her gaze locked with his. Her chin lifted slightly, her mouth slowly falling open. Oh yeah, she was feeling it. She sounded breathless. “What do you mean?”

He stepped toward her. “They’re all mine.”

She retreated a step. “The entire townhouse?”

“Yes. And I will provide you with a new wardrobe.”

“What? Wait.” She broke from his gaze and squeezed between two cars to step onto the sidewalk. “I’m not going to be your… kept woman. I have my own clothes, and I’ll gladly pay for room and board.”

“Your clothes are in your home, and I doubt it’s safe for you to go back there. I will provide you with clothing”—he stepped onto the sidewalk beside her—“unless you’d rather go without.”

She gulped. “A few clothes will be fine. I’ll reimburse you for them.”

“I don’t want your money.”

“Well, you’re not likely to get anything else!”

“Not even a little gratitude for saving your life?”

“I am grateful.” She glared at him. “But you can expect all my thank-yous to be extended in a vertical position.”

“In that case, let me remind you.” He stepped closer. “We are vertical right now.”

“I… suppose so.” Her glare dissolved into a look of wary speculation.

He moved close enough that only a fraction separated his chest from her breasts. He placed a hand on the small of her back, just in case she tried to step back. She didn’t try.

He touched her cheek, so soft and warm. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. He skimmed his fingers down to her neck. Her pulse throbbed, quickening its pace. When she opened her eyes, there was trust in them. And desire.

He pulled her against his chest and brushed his lips across her temple into her soft hair. He’d seen her shocked expression earlier when his eyes had turned red, so just to be safe, he wanted to avoid eye contact until her eyes were firmly shut and her lips parted, begging for their first kiss.

He smoothed her hair back to expose her neck, then slid his mouth down past her sweet ear to the throbbing pulse.

With a sigh, she tilted her head back. He inhaled her scent, Type A Positive. It was coursing through every cell in her body. He ran the tip of his tongue along the artery and felt her shudder in response. He risked a look at her face. Her eyes were closed. She was ready. He moved in for the kiss just as a block of light suddenly fell on them.

“Oh, bugger,” a Scots accent rolled the final r. Connor had swung open the front door.

Shanna jumped, then stared at the doorway.

“What’s wrong?” Laszlo asked. “Uh, maybe we should shut the door.”

“No way!” Gregori’s voice piped in. “I want to watch.”

Shanna eased back, blushing.

Roman glared at the three men squeezed into the doorway. “Great timing, Connor.”

“Aye, sir.” Connor’s complexion turned a few shades lighter than his red hair. “We’re ready for you now.”

Maybe it was good timing after all. Now that he thought about it, Roman figured his mouth would taste like blood, and given Shanna’s fear of the stuff, the kiss could have been a disaster. He’d have to be more careful in the future.

Future? What future could there be? He’d sworn never to involve himself with a mortal again. Once they figured out who he really was, they invariably wanted to kill him. And who could blame them? He was a demonic creature. “Come.” He took her by the elbow to escort her up the stairs.

She didn’t budge. She was frozen in place, staring at the door.

“Shanna?”

She was staring at Connor. “Roman, there’s a man in your doorway wearing a kilt.”

“There are a dozen Highlanders in the house. They’re my security force.”

“Really? How amazing.” She proceeded up the stairs without him. Without even glancing his way.

Damn. Had she forgotten their embrace already?

“Welcome, my lady.” Connor stepped back to let her pass. Laszlo and Gregori moved back, though she appeared oblivious to their presence.

Smiling, she faced the Scotsman. “My lady? I’ve never been called that before. It sounds almost… medieval.”

With good reason. Connor’s Old World charm was really old. Roman rushed up the stairs. “He’s a bit behind the times.”

“Well, I like it.” She scanned the entry hall with its polished marble floors and sweeping staircase. “And I love this house. Absolutely beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Roman locked the door and made introductions.

Shanna turned her attention back to Connor. “I love your kilt. Which plaid is that?”

“‘Tis the tartan of the clan Buchanan.” He bowed slightly.

“And the little tassels on your socks—they match your kilt. That’s so cute.”

“Och, lassie. Those be flashes to hold up my hose.”

“Is that a knife?” She leaned over for a closer look at Connor’s socks.

Roman suppressed a growl. Next she’d be telling Connor his hairy knees were cute. “Connor, take our guest to the kitchen. She may be hungry.”

“Aye, sir.”

“And have your men conduct a full surveillance sweep every half hour.”

“Aye, sir.” Connor motioned to the back of the entry hall. “This way, miss.”

“Go with him, Shanna. I’ll come for you shortly.”

“Aye, aye, sir.” She gave him an annoyed look, then followed Connor to the kitchen, mumbling, “I should have shot him.”

Gregori whistled low as the kitchen door swung shut. “Sweet. Your dentist is one feisty little babe.”

“Gregori—” Roman gave him a stern look that was ignored.

He adjusted his silk tie. “Yeah, I think I need a check-up. I’ve got a cavity that needs to be filled.”

“Enough!” Roman growled. “You will leave her alone. Understand?”

“Yeah, we know. We saw you drooling on her outside.” Gregori strolled toward Roman, his eyes twinkling. “So, you got the hots for a mortal, huh? What happened to the ‘never again’ speech?”

Roman lifted an eyebrow.

Gregori grinned. “You know, I could tell she really likes those guy skirts. Maybe Connor could loan you one of his.”

“They’re called kilts,” Laszlo said as he fiddled with a button.

“Whatever.” Gregori looked Roman over. “So, how sexy are your legs?”

Roman gave him a warning look. “Why are you here, Gregori? I thought you were going out with Simone.”

“Oh, I did. I took her to this new club over by Times Square, but then she got mad cause nobody recognized her.”

“Why should they?”

“She’s a famous model, bro! She was on last month’s cover of Cosmo. Don’t you keep up? Anyway, she was so pissed off, she threw a table across the dance floor.”

Roman groaned. Becoming a vampire could vastly increase one’s strength and enhance the five senses, but unfortunately, it did nothing to improve one’s intelligence.

“I thought it might look suspicious for someone that skinny to be so strong,” Gregori continued, “so I took care of it. I erased everybody’s memories and brought her back here. She’s with your harem now, getting sympathy and a pedicure.”

“I would prefer that you not call them my harem.” Roman glanced toward the closed parlor doors. “Are they in there?”

“Yeah.” Gregori looked amused. “I told them to stay put and be quiet, but who knows if they’ll behave?”

Roman sighed. “I don’t have time to deal with them. Call your mother and see if she’ll keep an eye on them.”