Once Bitten, Twice Shy (2 page)

I reached the bottom of the stairs safely and made my way to the kitchen. After my shower, my skin no longer felt ice cold, so I decided against hot tea and settled on sparkling water instead. I poured a glass over ice and headed out of the kitchen, passing through the room that housed the indoor pool on my way to the veranda.

It was a hot night, so I stepped out and shut the sliding door behind me. I sipped my water and sighed as a slight breeze caressed my face and lifted my hair away from my neck. Though my skin was no longer cold, my insides felt frozen. As the warm breeze flowed around me, I felt myself thaw.

The veranda ran the entire length of the rear of the house, which meant it was huge. There were seating areas, gliders, and even a porch swing, every few feet. I headed to the porch swing and sat on the padded surface, tucking one of my legs beneath me.

I turned my face toward the breeze and lifted my head. I sighed again as the scent of Carolina Jessamine and honeysuckle curled around me, light and sweet. Sitting outside in the dark, warm night, I felt a sense of peace spreading within me. I drank the rest of my water and placed the glass on the small table next to the swing. I used the toe of my other foot to push off and set the swing in motion.

Just as I was beginning to truly relax, a shadow detached from the darkness and moved toward me. I stiffened and opened my mouth to scream when the dark shape spoke.

“It is only me.”

As though I had conjured him with my earlier thoughts, Alexander Dimitriades stood before me, wearing nothing but a pair of black lounge pants and shadows. His olive skin stretched taut over bulky but defined muscles. I struggled not to stare as my mouth went dry. Too bad I had already drunk the rest of my water because I suddenly needed it badly. I had no idea what he was doing here. I knew he met with Conner earlier in the study, but I assumed he left afterwards.

My back remained stiff as he moved toward me, his feet silent as he crossed the veranda. I had the vague sense that I was being stalked by a predator and felt a chill race down my spine. Goosebumps broke out on my arms even though the night had to be close to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

As I watched him, I realized why. He moved like a large cat, graceful but with coiled strength, just waiting for the opportunity to pounce. I couldn’t say why, but that thought both terrified and excited me.

I didn’t speak as he came closer and used his hip to shove me to the side so he could sit with me. Because he was so tall and broad, there was very little room on the swing for both of us. In fact, my entire side was touching his and I was all but crammed against the arm of the seat.

As though he sensed this, Alexander raised the arm closest to me and laid it along the back of the swing. His fingertips grazed the bare skin of my shoulder where the large neck of my t-shirt had shifted. I shivered as another chill moved down my vertebrae. This time for very different reasons.

I cleared my throat, which felt inexplicably tight. “You decided to stay the night?” I asked lightly, desperately trying to be casual, even though my heart was beginning to pound against my sternum.

“Yes, Conner asked me to,” he replied.

As it wasn’t my house, I didn’t probe that subject any further. Conner could ask whoever he wanted to stay the night.

I changed the subject. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“No. You?”

“Not really,” I replied.

“Why?” His voice was quiet but I could still hear a trace of his Greek accent.

I shrugged. “It’s not home, I suppose.” There was no way I was explaining my nightmares to him.

He nodded and looked out on the backyard. His thumb moved lightly against the skin of my shoulder. I tried to shift away, but only managed to dislodge the neck of my t-shirt further, leaving more skin exposed. Alexander continued to trace random patterns against my flesh.

My only alternatives were to lean away from his hand, which would plaster me against his side, or to get off that damn swing pronto. I chose the latter.

I started to rise, but his hand landed on my shoulder, keeping me in my seat. My heart rate went from somewhat normal, to a fast and frantic pace. Oh, God.

“Calm, Ivie. I’m not going to hurt you.” He sighed. “I find it pleasant to sit with you.”

I swallowed my panic. “Look, Alexander,” I started.

He interrupted me. “Call me Lex.”

Okay, fine, whatever it took to get off this damn swing and back to the dubious safety of my room.

“Look, Lex, I’m tired, I think I’m going to head back to bed.”

This time he didn’t stop me when I scrambled to my feet. Instead, he stood with me, but he was too close. My chest tightened and I stumbled. Lex’s hands closed lightly around my elbows, keeping me upright.

“Careful,” he said softly.

I could feel the flutter of my pulse in my throat as I stared up at him. I wasn’t a tall woman, topping out at five-foot four, and Lex towered over me. He had to be six-two or six-three, easily. The shadows under the veranda hid most of his features from me but his eyes gleamed. I realized then that my hands were curved around his biceps. His rock hard biceps. Surprisingly, his skin was warm, almost hot.

Unable to tear my eyes away, I stared at the muscles in his arms, following the dips and bulges of his shoulders to his chest. I realized I was practically drooling on him and my eyes shot to his face. I saw a flash of white teeth and almost flinched before I realized he was smirking at me rather than coming in for the kill.

One of his hands lifted to my hair, wrapping a hank of it around his index finger. “Why are you afraid of me, little one? Do you think I would hurt you?”

Somehow the truth spilled out of my mouth without my permission. “I don’t know. I’ve been hurt before by your kind.”

The movement of his hand in my hair stilled and I felt the muscles of his arms harden further under my hands. This time I did flinch, worried that he was angry with me for my blunt words. His hand shifted from my hair to my cheek, but his touch was incredibly gentle.

“Never by me. Please do not blame the rest of my people for the brutality of a few. Just as there is evil among humans, there is also evil among vampires.”

I couldn’t argue with that because it was the truth. Still, he made me extremely nervous. I swallowed hard and wet my lips.

“Okay.” My voice lacked conviction.

The corner of his mouth lifted up. “You’ll see.”

I nodded, just wanting to get the hell out of there, but Lex continued to stare at me. Considering how dark it was, I couldn’t see his expression, but I was sure he could see my face clearly. Donna told me vampires had phenomenal vision, even if it was almost pitch black.

I wasn’t sure what he saw as he looked at me, but he took a step back and removed his hand from my face.

“Goodnight, little one,” he said.

“Night,” I mumbled before I skirted around him and practically ran into the house.

I felt his eyes on me until I disappeared through the door.

T
he next morning,
I dragged myself out of bed. I felt like someone had beaten me during the night because I hadn’t gone back to sleep after my late night run-in with Lex. I was exhausted. Still bleary-eyed, I staggered down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Donna stood by the coffee maker with a steaming mug of coffee in her hand and another on the counter next to her. When she saw me, she nodded to the cup.

“That one’s yours,” she said.

“You are a goddess,” I mumbled.

I snatched up the cup and sucked in a huge sip. The coffee was hot and strong. In other words, perfect. Donna smirked at me, but I could see the concern on her face.

“Rough night?” she asked.

I sipped my coffee and shrugged one shoulder. I honestly didn’t want to talk about it.

It became clear to me that Donna wasn’t going to let it go when she said, “I heard you get up. Was it the same nightmare again? The one where you’re being chased through the woods?”

I scowled at my coffee and drank more. She was still standing there, looking at me, waiting, when I lowered the mug.

I sighed. “Do you have to ruin such a good cup of coffee with this conversation?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“Fine,” I huffed. “Yes, I had that nightmare again. And, no, I couldn’t go back to sleep. I got up and drank some water and had the shit scared out of me by your hubby’s skulking friend.”

Donna’s brows lowered. “He’s not my hubby yet. And I don’t think it would be smart to talk about Lex while he’s in the house. That man has sonic hearing, even better than a typical vampire’s.”

I shivered when she said the V-word. Then I did it again when I realized that Lex probably heard everything I just said, no matter what part of the house he was in. “Really?” I squeaked.

“Seriously,” she said, nodding her head. “Plus, that man is scary intense when it comes to you.”

I took a huge gulp of my coffee, coughing a little when the hot liquid poured down my throat.

“Are you sure you don’t want Conner to wipe your memory of the event, Ivie? He said he could do it. That you would remember you had been taken, but not the actual details.”

This wasn’t the first time that she offered, but it was the first time I was tempted. The nightmares were still plaguing me months later. I wasn’t sleeping, I was barely eating. For the first time in my life, I was losing weight without really trying. My mother, who was constantly on my ass about my weight, would be so proud. It seemed that getting kidnapped and attacked by a vampire was the best diet available.

I hadn’t told Donna the whole story of my abduction. I don’t know why, but I just couldn’t share the details with her. The fear, the pain, the things that
monster
said he wanted to do to me. Just the memory made my skin break out in a cold sweat.

I opened my mouth to tell her yes, that I did want Conner to wipe my memory, but I couldn’t do it. It felt weak and I was not weak. There were people in the world that had been attacked and suffered much worse than I had. They didn’t have the option to forget and they recovered. I could do the same.

I closed my mouth and shook my head. “No, I can deal. It’s just going to take a little time.”

Donna’s expression said loud and clear that she didn’t believe me, but I ignored her and continued to drink my coffee.

“Well, if you change your mind…” she trailed off as I just looked at her over my coffee cup and raised a brow. “Don’t lift your damn eyebrow at me! I just want to help.” She paused. “And how the hell do you lift just one eyebrow anyway? I can never do that.”

I smirked at her but didn’t answer.

“Good morning.”

At the sound of that Scottish brogue, Donna and I both turned to the door to watch her fiancé, Conner, saunter into the kitchen. It was barely seven in the morning and he was already showered and dressed in a gray suit that was perfectly tailored. I knew it had to cost more than one month’s rent on my apartment because the fabric had a subtle sheen I’d only seen on the most expensive designer suits. His shirt was a lighter gray and his tie was almost white the gray was so pale. It was a good look.

Conner grinned at me and I realized he knew I was drooling over him.

I glanced over my shoulder at Donna, knowing that she would be able to hear my thoughts if I was broadcasting them that loudly. “Sorry.”

It was her turn to smirk. “It’s okay. Fangboy is a hottie.”

I couldn’t help it. I snorted as I laughed. I didn’t know if I would ever get used to the fact that one of my best friends could now snatch thoughts out of my head, hypnotize me into doing whatever she wanted, and drink blood. It was mind-boggling. Though the hypnotizing thing might come in handy if one of my co-workers ever pissed me off. I was pretty sure Donna would be more than happy to make my boss think he was a spider monkey and brainwash him so that he would go around humping office furniture while howling at the top of his lungs.

When she giggled, I knew that she read my mind again.

“Stop that!” I snapped.

“Well stop blaring your thoughts at top volume and I’ll stay out of them!” Donna argued.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, lifting my cup to drain the last of my coffee. After months, I should have been much better at controlling my thoughts.

Conner was still grinning at our byplay, and likely the wild images I was thinking, as he sauntered over to the coffeemaker. After he poured himself a mug, he brought the carafe to me and poured more coffee into my mug.

“Thanks,” I said.

He was still smiling, his gorgeous blue eyes twinkling with humor. “You’re welcome.”

I grabbed the sugar bowl and creamer and doctored my coffee so that it was sweet and light, the way I liked it. As I stirred the hot liquid, I felt him enter the room. I don’t know why, but it seemed like every nerve ending in my body snapped to attention whenever he got within a hundred feet of me.

“Good morning.”

I shivered at the sound of Lex’s sexy, deep voice. His accent was barely noticeable, but still enough to make every word he spoke sound incredible. He probably could have read the ingredient list off a cereal box and I would find it hot as hell.