Night's Cold Kiss (21 page)

Hot hands, soapy bubbles, and warm water eased away her aches and pains, loosening tension and turning her to mush.

Christian gently washed the suds. He’d never experienced this kind of intensity before. Ever. Not even with Dominique, his wife, and especially not that conniving bitch, Carolina. His hand stilled above Antoinette’s perfect forehead.

Carolina.
His chest squeezed at the memory but not with the crippling, searing pain he’d come to expect. She’d done such a number on him, playing him from the start. Viktor knew it and had warned him, but he didn’t want to believe she could’ve used him so callously.

Embraced humans were prone to becoming dreniacs because they lacked control over their feeding urges. He’d been so sure that he could help Carolina overcome the bloodlust and control her hunger. But he failed, and she turned on him, trying to frame him for her kills.

If only he’d looked beyond her captivating beauty to see the self-centered, spoiled princess she really was. But he hadn’t. And he’d paid the price. A price he wasn’t willing to pay again. The memory of her scornful expression turning to terror just before he beheaded her still haunted him.

Antoinette stirred, bringing him back to the warm body between his knees. Her head lolled against his chest and he stirred in response to her warm breath caressing his skin. Her breathing was slow and even. She’d fallen asleep.

Antoinette was nothing like Carolina—the complete opposite in fact. But it didn’t guarantee she’d be any different in the long run. She was still human.

“Hey,” he said gently in her ear. “Why don’t you go get some more sleep?”

She opened her eyes and smiled. Not the usual half-guarded semi-smile that never quite reached her eyes. This
one went right down into her soul and reflected back through her whole body; the first truly honest smile he’d seen. And it made her so achingly beautiful, it nearly broke his heart.

“That sounds like a good idea.” She turned and kissed him lightly on the lips, and then giving the end of his nose a quick flick with the tip of her tongue, she climbed from the bathing pool.

His gaze wandered over lithe limbs and firm perfection honed by years of training. A bruise had started to appear on her left buttock and a hand shaped mark darkened her upper right arm. He’d been rough, but she had taken it all and given as good as she got. He rubbed his chin, remembering how she’d elbowed him there. He’d enjoyed more than the physical act, she challenged his mind as well as his body. But was it something more? Carolina sprang to mind again and he shook the destructive thoughts from his head. He was reading too much into this. After all it was just sex…right?

Antoinette pulled on one of the fluffy bathrobes hanging on a hook and wrapped it around herself. Her hand rested above the doorknob and she turned to him. “Thank you—that was nice.”

And then she was gone.

After dressing, Christian came downstairs he find Lilijana’s suitcase and several retail bags from expensive stores sitting by the front door. His mother was in the library reading a magazine. As he approached, she quickly shut the glossy fashion rag, but not before he caught sight of
The Economist
hidden inside.

“How is she?” she asked, flicking the pages absently.

“Asleep again.” He crossed to the bar and poured himself a whiskey.

She motioned for him to pour her a drink as well and he handed her his glass before preparing another.

“She’s getting to you, isn’t she?” Lilijana crossed her long, artificially tanned legs.

Christian worked at the lump in his throat and waved her comment aside. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes, you do.” She took a sip from her glass. “You have that look.”

Christian placed his untouched drink back on the bar. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You’ve felt an extra spark, something different. It’s written all over your face.” She stood and moved toward him. “You know your father felt the same when he first fed from me?”

“Yes, but you had Latent blood.”

She quirked a knowing eyebrow then took a sip from her drink.

The dots finally connected. “How? When? Obviously Antoinette doesn’t know.”

“None of Nicolae’s descendants know. How do you think your father was able to engage him in the first place? Ignatius knew the truth, knew that Nicolae’s mother was a Latent—like mine.”

“A Petrescu would never marry a Latent,” Christian said.

“Not knowingly, of course, but Nicolae’s father never knew and neither did his brother, the assassin…Emil.” Lilijana still had trouble saying that name. “Their mother only told Nicolae on her deathbed, and he revealed it to no one.”

“Out of shame, no doubt,” he said.

Lilijana shook her head. “Christian, you know better. Nicolae loved his children and family was always important to him—especially his mother.” Lilijana’s face grew sad.

Christian knew she remembered her own mother who’d been forced into prostitution to provide for Lilijana in a harsh and uncaring world—wanted by neither humans nor Aeternus and finally murdered by one of her clients.

“It does explain Antoinette’s skills and apparent empathy with animals,” Christian said.

Lilijana placed her empty glass on the bar. “Yes. Sometimes the genes come out more strongly in later generations, as seems to be the case with Antoinette. However, I don’t think she should be told. With her past history…it may just send her over the edge.”

The heavy throbbing of helicopter rotors grew louder in the darkness from beyond the huge bay window. A single shaft of light appeared above the trees.

“Oh good, here comes my escape back to civilization. This has all been such a trial.” Lilijana reverted to her usual rich-bitch demeanor—almost. She gathered up her handbag and winked before slipping on diamond-studded designer shades.

He caught her hand before she turned away. “Thank you, Mother.”

She reached out and cupped his cheek, her mask briefly slipping again. “Just don’t ever do that to me again.”

He pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Take care of yourself.”

She patted his cheek and then dropped her hand. “Kavindish…Kavindish where are you?”

The butler appeared a few seconds later carrying her bags.

“It’s about time. I don’t know how Christian puts up with your incompetence,” she huffed.

Kavindish’s eyes darted between Christian and his mother. “Neither do I, Miss Lilijana. I’m very fortunate to have such an understanding employer.”

Lilijana stomped toward the door but when she reached Kavindish she leaned in closer and whispered, “Take care of my baby.”

“I always do, Miss Lilijana.”

After a fleeting smile she straightened her shoulders, tossed back her hair, and continued through the door. “Well, come on, stop dawdling, I don’t have all night.”

As a lover, Christian was as insatiable as Antoinette turned out to be. She enjoyed taking him as often as he took her. Sometimes their lovemaking was rough, almost violent and yet at other times it was slow and tender. But no matter how good it was, Antoinette couldn’t bring herself to spend the day sleeping beside him. That would be far too intimate.

She enjoyed what they had now, with no thoughts of a future. But still, when Christian suggested it was time to return to New York City a few days after his near slip into the Dark Sleep, she almost didn’t want to leave. Once back in the real world she knew it would all change.

They’d been back at the town house barely an hour when a heavy banging rattled the front door. Antoinette put down the newspaper she had been leafing through.

As she came into the foyer Susan answered the front door. Oberon pushed past the maid and stopped in front of her.

“You’re back!” Those intense black eyes filled with a thousand questions bore into her.

And she knew why he was here, given the expression on his face. “You’ve seen him.”

“Yes.” Oberon straightened to tower over her. “He came here looking for you.”

Fear spiked, but was quickly replaced by anger at Dante’s nerve. “Did you get him?”

“No—he got away, again.” Oberon dropped his gaze to his feet. “I wasn’t ready for him because I didn’t expect him to be back so soon after you pumped him so full of silver slugs.”

“Who are you talking about?” Christian asked from the top of the stairs.

“You didn’t tell him?” Oberon asked, tilting his head.

She tried to tell herself there hadn’t been time, but truth was she knew that he’d never believe her without proof and she hadn’t been ready to leave the temporary haven of his estate.

“Tell me what?” Christian asked, as he reached the bottom of the staircase.

“We had a run-in with Dante Rubins—he’s the Fang-Whore Slasher.”

Christian looked like he’d been slapped. Hurt eyes turned on her. “You’re sure it wasn’t just some shifter of something?”

“It was definitely Dante. I recognized his scent from years ago,” Oberon said. “But we’ve had another sighting since.”

“Where?” Christian asked, coming closer.

“In the park across the road from this house.”

Antoinette shuddered.

Christian wrapped an arm around her. “Are you sure the source is reliable?”

“Very!” Oberon’s gaze dropped to Christian’s hand at her waist, then lifted to meet her eyes before continuing, “It was me.”

She stepped away from Christian’s embrace. She needed to face this on her own, and for some reason she got the impression the ursian didn’t approve. Why she should care didn’t matter. What did was that she could only rely on herself—no one else. No matter how good the sex.

Oberon stared at her a minute longer then turned to Christian. “But it looks like we should work together.”

“Maybe,” Christian’s tone held an edge of suppressed anger. At Oberon or at her? She couldn’t be sure.

“Look, Laroque. I know we’ve bumped heads before, and we’ll do it again. Dante killed Sir Roger so he’s involved in this conspiracy thing you and Dushic were looking into. And right now, the best chance we have of finding who’s behind this is to work together. Find that out and we find who killed Dushic, Williams, the ambassador and anyone else.”

Christian looked away. Antoinette could almost hear him thinking. Oberon was right and Christian knew it.

He turned back to the ursian. “You and I both know that Dante doesn’t have the brains, cunning, or self-control to pull off something like this.”

Oberon nodded. “He’s masochistic, dangerous, and downright insane if you want my opinion, but someone else is pulling his strings, and we just have to find out who it is.”

Christian smiled. “Oberon—you’re not just the pigheaded son-of-a-bitch I took you for.”

“Yes, I am,” Oberon folded his massive arms across his chest. “But that doesn’t mean I’m stupid. I’m not even supposed to be on this case, but I can’t let it go. So are you in?”

“I have a lead that I have to follow up tomorrow night.”

“Okay, I’ll be back at sunset.” Oberon pulled out a tiny skull key ring and twirled his keys on his index finger. “And keep her close—Dante wants her bad.”

Antoinette shuddered and didn’t pull away from Christian’s arm this time. “I will.”

Oberon nodded and left. She listened to the sound of his Harley fading into the distance before turning to Christian.

“So what’s this lead?” she asked.

He turned his back to her. “It’s nothing concrete. I’d rather not say until we’ve checked it out.”

“I thought we were working together.”

He remained silent for a minute longer. “It’s something I found out about the cult.”

“The AR cult?” she asked.

He hung his head before raising it again to look at her. “Valerica may be involved.”

Antoinette’s eyes prickled at the memory of Viktor lying on the car-park blacktop as Christian made his promise. “I’m sorry,” she whispered into his ear.

He turned, wrapping his arms around her. “You’ve nothing to be sorry about. I promised Viktor I would protect Valerica, but if she really is part of this I can’t keep that promise.”

“You’re doing the right thing.” She pulled back to look at him. “But protect her if you can.”

There was no love lost between her and Valerica, but Viktor had been a good man and her friend. He kissed her, softly at first, then more fiercely as his need grew.

“Shouldn’t we at least go to your room before the staff see us?” she whispered to the ceiling as he spread tiny kisses across her neck. Without a word he swept her up and carried her upstairs.

Christian woke to find the bed empty—as usual. The sun was close to setting—the ever present haze of the daylight hours still buzzed in his mind.

Hunger growled in his veins—he’d have to feed before he went out. He’d been careful not to feed during lovemaking with Antoinette. It was still too early. Sitting on the side of the bed, he ran a hand over his face then got up to dress.

He found her where he expected—sprawled on her stomach in her own bed, the covers kicked off and only a pair of panties covering her firm rear end. She never stayed with him through the day, always leaving to shower and sleep the day away on her own. It bothered him that she wouldn’t stay.

Cerberus raised his head from his usual position on the end of her bed and wagged his tail. Christian pulled back a blond lock and kissed her ear. She purred. He traced kisses down her backbone, hovering over her tattoo and then moving
down her side, caressing the swell of her breasts pressed against the sheets. She turned, giving him better access but he straightened and lightly smacked her ass.

“Good evening, sleepyhead,” he said, enjoying the sight of her nakedness.

“Hmm…now that’s some wakeup call.” She smiled and stretched. “But you’re not going to stop there, are you?”

“Oberon will be here in less than an hour. Remember?”

“Ah yes—and you’re off to visit your old girlfriend.”

There wasn’t any trace of irritation or jealousy, just the plain and simple statement, yet somehow the lack of emotion burned him. It’s only sex…
right?

Who are you trying to kid?

She sat up, rolled onto her knees, pressing her naked breasts against his chest. “You can spare a few minutes before you go now that you’ve woken me like that.” She pulled his hand down the front of her panties.

His fingers slid into her hot opening, slick with her excitement. He groaned and his trousers felt a whole lot smaller than they had been a moment ago.

Her hand crept down his torso to the bulge in front. “Ah, now that’s what I want.” She unzipped him and dropped to take him in her mouth.

Oh my.
He thrust his hips forward so she could take more and her tongue flicked over the head on the backward stroke. His fangs descended instantly. He could sense her blood pumping through her veins and his gut clenched.

“No,” he said, pulling away with great difficulty. “I have to feed first.”

She sat back on her heels. “It’s been a week since you last took blood from me and Kavindish has been feeding me plenty of red meat.”

Christian shook his head; he was getting far too much of a taste for her blood. “It’s not a good idea.”

“Why not? You’re hungry, I’m here.”

“You’re not my fang-mistress.”

She rocked back and placed her hands on her thighs.

“Christian, we agreed. It’s just sex, nothing more. Don’t read anything else into this deal.”

“I’m sorry.” He reached out and pulled her down against him. “I just don’t want to take advantage. A few weeks ago you’d have taken my head off for even suggesting it.”

“But I’ve learned a few things since then.” She looked into his eyes, into his soul. “I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want to. Besides, I’m not exactly on the losing end of the bargain.”

“You’re not?” he teased. “And what would you be getting from this?”

She hit him with the pillow, then grew serious. “I’ll hunt dreniacs and I’ll kill them. But I think I’ve learned the difference between an Aeternus and a dreniac. I realize now that I saw you all as one and the same before. Until Viktor opened my eyes. Besides it’s not a forever deal.”

He couldn’t face the thought of her leaving him just yet and silenced her with his mouth. Her face turned up to him and he cupped it between his hands, deepening the kiss until he could no longer stand it. Leaning forward, he pushed her gently with his body so she lay back across the bed. Her legs wrapped around his hips, pressing her mound against him.

“First I feed,” he murmured against her lips and moved down to her body, kissing, tasting, wanting. He tore her panties away.

“I wish you would stop doing that, I’m starting to run out,” she said, coming up on her elbows and looking down at the torn remnants of her underwear.

He grinned. “I’ll buy you new ones.”

She threw up her hands and lay back again. He probed between her nether lips, savoring her private taste. She moaned and pushed herself against his questing tongue. He slipped deeper into her hot, wet opening—her flesh pulsed. He drove his tongue in and out as she moaned and wrapped her fingers in his hair.

He pulled away and watched her face as he replaced his tongue with his middle fingers, rubbing her hard nub with the
pad of his thumb. She watched what he was doing through hooded eyes, her hips moving in time with his strokes as he quickened the pace. Steady, thrusting, rising to meet his palm, driving his fingers deeper and deeper.

He bent his head to the spot between her thigh and her mound and buried his fangs into the hot vein pulsing just below her soft, sweet skin. She screamed his name and bucked against him as she came hard and fast. As her orgasm subsided, he drank her sweet nectar. How he craved the taste.

When he’d had his fill, he sealed the puncture marks and raised himself up on his hands, moving over her.

Christian hovered above Antoinette, his fullness pressing against her hip and his face shining with fresh blood. Her blood.

Moving deftly, she flipped him beneath her. The smile slipped from his mouth briefly with surprise, but was soon replaced with desire as she straddled him. His gaze roamed her body like invisible fingers rippling across her skin, causing her nipples to pucker and her skin to burn. When he reached for her breasts, she caught him by the wrists, pushing them above his head.

“First I feed,” she murmured, just as he’d done to her. Then she mimicked the path he had taken down her body—kissing, tasting, wanting.

When she reached his trousers, she pushed them down his hips and pulled them over his feet, holding them up. “See, that wasn’t so hard to do—and you can still wear them again.”

He chuckled. “Point taken.”

She bent over him again and took his silky length into her mouth, stretching her jaws and fitting in as much as she could. Her hair fell around her face, brushing her cheeks and pooling over his groin.

Christian gathered it in his hands, pulling it aside. “I want to see you.” His voice heavy with his need.

She smiled around him, meeting his eyes as she moved up and down. She could feel the tension building in him and stopped. He groaned and almost came off the bed as she nipped the soft flesh inside his thigh.

She felt heavy and empty between her thighs. She needed to be filled and straddled his hips, gliding him into her slick opening. He didn’t move—just lay buried in her secret fold. She slowly tilted her hips back, and then thrust forward. The air hissed through his teeth and he quivered beneath her. She repeated the move. Christian closed his eyes, lips parted, and fangs elongated. Instead of being repulsed, the sight of his fangs now excited her.

She repeated the movement and this time he met her halfway. Again they stopped, eyes locked, totally motionless except for the trembling of their flesh, the pulsing of their blood and the beating of their hearts. Hers fast and heavy pounding in her ears, and his the much slower beat of an Aeternus, but no less powerful beneath her palms resting on his chest.

She began to rock her hips back and forth, at first slow then steadily building rhythm, thrust, and speed. Soon he was raising his hips to meet her, faster and faster.

He reached up and grabbed a breast with each hand, cupping them, squeezing her full nipples. She tilted back her head, her hair swaying against her lower back and bottom as well as his inner thighs.

His hips bucked, rising higher, he moved his hands to her hips to bring her down on him as hard as he could thrust up. Suddenly his shoulders came off the bed and his head fell back to let out a roar as he drove home the last few hard, shuddering strokes.

She lay across his chest—spent. “Now, don’t you feel better?” she asked. “I know I do.”

Christian stroked her cheek. “Yes.”

But his voice sounded distant, almost sad.