The Elemental Mysteries: Complete Series (38 page)

“S—so you’re just going to let him get away with doing that to my grandmother?
 
You’re just going to let him treat us like
food
?
 
Like property? I thought—”

She broke off when he jerked the car over onto a side street and slammed on the brakes.
 
He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him as his eyes blazed.
 

“Listen to me.
 
Lorenzo has many powerful,
powerful
friends.
 
As do I.
 
And his friends owe him favors, as do mine.
 
If I go to war with this vampire, people will be hurt, mortal and immortal.
 
Do you understand that, little girl?
 
People will
die
, Beatrice.
 
So you tell me how many people need to die because of an insult to your grandmother.
 
Because of an attack she survived.
 
How many?
 
Would you like my estimate?
 
I don’t think it would sit well with you.”
 

She sat with her teeth clenched and tried to hold back the angry tears that wanted to fall from her eyes.
 
“Fine.”
 

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes,” she hissed, blinking.
 
“I understand.”
 

He released her and carefully pulled the car back into traffic.
 
Minutes later, they were parking in the small lot behind The Night Hawk, and she was still fuming.
 

Giovanni leaned over and released her seatbelt before he grabbed her chin again.
 
This time, his fingers were soft, and his lips ghosted over hers in a delicate kiss.
 
The anger drained out of her at his unexpectedly tender gesture.
 

“Why—”

“Everything in there is for show.”
 
His accent was heavy and he wouldn’t meet her eyes.
 
“That was for me.”
 

He stepped out of the car and went to open her door.
 
As she stepped out, she said,
 
“Giova—” but he stopped her mouth with a kiss.
 

He kissed her, pushing her body into the side of the car as she pressed her lips to his and clutched his shoulders.
 
His tongue delved into her mouth and his hands gripped her waist.
 
She was light headed by the time he let her up for air.
 

“Oh…damn,” she breathed out.
 

His head bent and he whispered in her ear, “They’re watching.”
 

Giovanni placed his arm around her waist and walked her toward the back door of the pub.
 
She had no problem leaning into him and acting like he needed to hold her up; her knees were still a weak from the kiss.
 

Before they even reached the door, a dark-haired guard opened it from the inside and nodded toward them as he held it open.
 

He leaned down and whispered after they had passed by.
 

“I told you they were watching.
 
Assume that there are cameras everywhere.”
 

She nodded and tried to look casual.
 
She slid her arm around his waist as they walked, and Beatrice thought she heard a low rumble of pleasure in his chest.
 
He guided her toward the sofa near the fire, and Beatrice glanced up as he scanned the room.
 

“See anyone?”
 
His hair, she noticed from that angle, had grown a little since they had met.
 
His neck smelled like wood smoke and whiskey.

“Yes, he’s here, in the corner with Gavin.
 
And they’ve seen us, as have a number of other vampires in the pub.”
 

Her breathing picked up at the thought of Lorenzo so close to them, but she forced herself to relax as his arm draped across her shoulders.
 
She looked around the room, trying to seem brainless.

“Cool.
 
They’ve seen us.
 
Can we go now?”

He gave a grim laugh and sat back in the couch.
 
“We’ll have at least one drink, otherwise, Lorenzo might get suspicious, and…well, Gavin will just be insulted.”
 

“Who is Gavin anyw—”

“Kiss me.”
 

“What?”

“Kiss me, Beatrice, they’re watching you right now,” he murmured.
 
“Kiss me like you belong to me.”
 

She bit her lip before she turned her face toward his neck and began placing soft kisses there, slowly working her way up toward Giovanni’s jaw.
 
His skin was soft, with only a hint of roughness where stubble would normally grow on a man.
 
He remained almost impassive, holding still as she slowly worked her lips along the line of his jaw and closer to his mouth, though she could feel his heart beat a few times under her hand.
 

At the last moment, his chin tilted down and his lips sought hers.
 
She lost herself for a moment in the pure pleasure of it.
 
Ever since their first kiss in January, she had dreamt of the feel of his kiss, wondering what his lips could do to other parts of her body, but memory could not do Giovanni’s mouth justice.
 

It was soft and drugging. He captured her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged gently as she felt the soft curls of his hair against her cheekbone.
 
The vibrating energy she usually felt from his hands was far more potent on the sensitive skin of her lips and every touch only seemed to heighten the sensation.
 
Just the feel of their skin brushing together was as arousing as any intimate touch, and she could tell he was as affected by the contact as she was because his skin was burning like he had a fever, and she felt the soft rumble in his chest.

She lost herself for a few more minutes before Giovanni jerked his head away.
 
“That’s enough, tesoro,” he said clearly. “A glass of the eighteen year old Macallan for me, and a Laphroaig for the girl.”
 

“Yes, Dr. Vecchio,” she heard a waiter murmur behind her.
 

“You’ll like the Laphroaig,” he muttered quietly.
 
“It has a smoky flavor I think you’ll enjoy.
 
Also, where the hell did you learn how to kiss?”

“What?” she asked.
 
“Not playing the part well enough?”

She felt his lips ghost over her temple.
 
“Playing it to the hilt, tesoro.”
 
His head bent down to murmur in her ear.
 
“But back off a bit if you don’t want me to really bite you.”
 
His mouth opened, and she shivered when she felt his fangs scrape along the edge of her jaw.
 
“You’re testing my instincts, Beatrice.”
 

“Oh, okay.”
 
She took a deep breath.
 
“Backing off, just a bit.
 
Got it.”
 

“Now relax.”
 

“Kind of hard to do right now.”
 

“Try, because they’re coming over here.”
 

His hand slipped down to curl around her waist, and he pulled her closer.
 
She looked past the fireplace and saw Lorenzo and Gavin strolling across the pub.
 

“Giovanni,” Gavin called.
 
“How lovely to see you.
 
You
really
should come in more often.”
 
She saw Gavin glance at Lorenzo behind the blond vampire’s back.
 
She had a feeling that Gavin Wallace wasn’t terribly happy to see Giovanni’s son either, and it made her like him, just a little.
 
“What brings you out this evening?”

“Just out for a drink after dinner.
 
How is Houston, Lorenzo?”

“Oh,” Lorenzo replied, “it hasn’t given up all its treasures just yet.
 
I’ll be around for a while.
 
Don’t worry.”
 

“I don’t.
 
Worry, that is.”
 

“Good to know.”
 

She glanced between the two vampires as they stared at each other.
 
She was trying to observe them while still looking vapid.
 
She wasn’t quite sure how well she did, but by the carefully controlled smile on Gavin’s face, and the twinkle in his eyes when he caught her notice, she wasn’t very convincing as Giovanni’s brainless meal.
 

“Your drinks, Dr. Vecchio.”
 
The server placed the two glasses of amber whisky on the coffee table in front of them.
 

“Well,” Gavin said, “we’ll let you enjoy your drinks.
 
Excellent choices for both of you.
 
You must have very discerning palates.”
 
He winked at Beatrice behind Lorenzo’s back and mouthed ‘call me’ to Giovanni with a slight frown.
 

“Goodbye for now,” Lorenzo said.
 
“I’ll be seeing you around.”
 

“Looking forward to catching up.”
 

They walked away, and Giovanni and Beatrice both lifted their drinks.
 

“Cheers,” she muttered and clinked the edge of her glass with his before she took a sip.
 
“Here’s to fooling no one.”

Chapter Eighteen

Houston, Texas

June 2004

“What’s that?”

He turned, embarrassed when she walked into the kitchen.
 
Carl waved to him from the door then walked outside to make his rounds around the house.
 

“This is…a cake.”
 

“You like cake?”

He frowned.
 
“I was told you do.”
 

Beatrice’s mouth dropped open in shock.
 
“You got me a cake?”

“You’ve just graduated, and your grandmother isn’t here.”
 
He cleared his throat.
 
“I called Caspar.
 
He suggested a cake.
 
I’m sorry if it’s—”

“I love it.”
 

The corner of his mouth lifted.
 
He was pleased she was happy with the gesture, even if she hadn’t tried the cake yet.
 
“Your grandmother informed Caspar that your favorite flavor was lemon cake.
 
I’ll confess, I ordered it.
 
I can’t imagine you want me baking anything.”
 

Beatrice grinned and set her school bag down before she walked over to join him at the counter.

“It’d be kind of cool to see you try to cook something with your hands, though.”
 

He snorted and turned to take the small lemon cake out of the pink box.
 

“Have you ever done that?
 
Cooked something with your fire?”

He shook his head.
 
“Not anything you’d want to eat, Beatrice.”
 

“What?
 
Why—oh
ew
!
 
You’ve killed things that way, haven’t you?”

He shrugged.
 
“What did you think when Carwyn said I liked my enemies ‘extra crispy?’”

“I’ll admit.
 
I chose not to think about that too closely.”
 

“Stick around for five hundred years or so, and you’re bound to make a few enemies.”
 

“I’ll keep that in mind.”
 
She peeked over his shoulder and smiled.
 

Giovanni winked as he cut a piece of cake.
 
He placed it on a small plate, and handed it to her.
 
“Now, wait just a moment…”
 

He walked to the refrigerator and retrieved a bottle of champagne, which he twisted open before he grabbed two flutes from the butler’s pantry.
 

“Come now.
 
Dining room.
 
You can’t have your graduation cake standing in the kitchen.”
 

She followed him to the dining room table, and Giovanni quickly flicked small flames toward the white tapers Caspar kept out.
 
He poured the wine for them both and sat down next to her.
 

Lifting a glass, he toasted.
 
“To you, Beatrice De Novo.
 
Congratulations on your college graduation.”
 

“Thanks!”
 
She blushed with pleasure as she sipped the champagne and took a bite of cake.
 
“It’s delicious.”
 

He nodded in satisfaction as he sipped the champagne.
 
“Excellent.”