Undying Hope (19 page)

He held her head, watching her face and the look in her eyes, needing to see the pleasure his body was giving her. Their emotions slipped and slid together in an erotic dance around them. Each move, each sound, brought them closer and entwined them together in a way from which he never wanted to be separated.

They came together in a primal union. Her body quivered around him. Still joined with her, he sank back down onto the floor in the middle of the hallway. He shoved them back to prop himself against the wall and held her straddled over him.

She let out a soft, little, dreamy sigh and dropped her head on his shoulder. Her finger absently traced along the muscles in his upper arm. “That was wonderful,” she murmured with a satisfied hum. “But this doesn’t get you out of taking me out.”

Donovan curled his body around hers. “I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

She giggled. “You’re going to spoil me.”

“So?” he said. “All queens deserve to be spoiled.”

She ducked her head against him. “I guess,” she whispered against his chest. “I just want time with you while I can have you all to myself.”

He reached over, snagged her dress, and then looped an arm around her bottom. He stood up with her in his arms. “You will always get my time.”

* * * *

After a lovely day seeing the Chicago sites, they ended up in one of Quinn’s clubs. They walked past the bouncer and right into a wall of deafening sound. His arm went tighter around her as he led her through the barrage of people and straight back to his office where it was quieter. Haven was able to breathe again. “You like all that?”

His mouth went crooked. “It’s good for people who don’t want to think.”

Haven sat down in his enormous executive chair and gave a sad smile. “But you want to think now?”

He picked her up and settled her on his lap. “I want you.”

His words were so simple and heartfelt she had to smile.

The office was utilitarian with only a filing cabinet and large desk. Security monitors stood out prominently in the darkened room. “Wow, you can see everything going on in here.”

“That’s the idea. I have a security room with double the monitors. The people in my club are safe. That’s why they come here.” A dark shadow passed over his face.

“What is it?”

He leaned his head against hers. “Don’t worry about it. I fixed the problem.” He pulled back some. “I need to talk to Martin, the manager, but after that, I am at your disposal all night.”

Haven bit down on her lip and grinned. “Do you dance?”

A look of horror and then panic crossed his hard features. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Uh-huh. I want you to dance with me, Quinn.” Her hand slid over his chest, her body pressing closer to his. “I like the way you move.”

He groaned and wrapped his hands around her hips, pulling her closer to him. “We don’t have to dance for that.” His voice was thick and husky.

Haven shifted until she was straddled over him. She bowed up, letting her mouth drag over his and then down his throat. He cupped her bottom and then moved his hands down to her thighs. He slipped his fingers up the shimmering fabric of the dress. Her body grew tight and throbbed with need. Teeth scraped over her exposed flesh. She moaned and dropped her head back, giving him access to her tender pulse point.

* * * *

He took his time, savoring the flavor of her, drinking in her scent. When her hips rocked against his, he slid his hand farther up her dress, his fingers pushing aside the barrier of her panties and sliding into her slick, hot core. She whimpered in ecstasy and moved with the rhythm of his hand. Her hands worked to free him from the confines of his pants. He lifted her up and then brought her down on him. She tightened around him with a sigh. He guided their pace with his hands on her hips, taking them to a quick frenzy.

Donovan held onto the jagged edge, urging Haven over before he let himself follow. There was more power in this joining than there had been before. As she fell against him, spent, he could feel the shift inside her and the calming peace of a decision made.

Her body trembled, a lazy smile on her delicious lips. “I want forever with you, Quinn.”

His eyes closed, and he held her close. He didn’t move, didn’t speak, and allowed her to wrap him in a sense of love and belonging.

He was so lost in her, he’d almost let his guard slip. With a quick jerking motion, he shot his hand up and snatched his suit jacket off the hook. He had it safely wrapped around her hips, covering where they were still joined, when the door opened.

“Someone had better be dead, Martin,” Donovan growled before he turned the chair around to face the door.

The dark-haired man stared at him. “You’re, sir, I mean, oh dear, I’m sorry. I hadn’t realized you were here—a woman. You have a woman in here with you.” The man kept stammering, his face growing redder and redder, and Donovan grew more disgruntled.

Haven’s laughter filled the room. She sounded embarrassed. “Did you need something?”

Martin lifted his hand, his finger pointing at the file cabinet. “I, um, yes, an employee file, I needed a file. My apologies, Miss, Mr. Donovan, I didn’t know you were here.” He rummaged through the cabinet, his gaze focused in front of him. He snapped up the file and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Quinn was still rumbling, and Haven laid a hand on the side of his face. “It’s okay. I thought you’d locked the door.”

He snorted. “He still should have knocked.”

“Maybe, but this is not a killing offence. He just needed a file, and I assume he’s allowed, because you’re not thinking of killing him because he took it.”

He gave a hard stare, the one he knew made his men obey without question. “Haven, that man is going to have fantasies about you tonight.”

She laughed at him. “And I will be safely next to you. Stop worrying. You can’t police the world’s thoughts. I am sure all the sales women at the mall are having naughty fantasies about you right now.”

His anger peaked and then began to subside. “I still don’t like it.”

“No, but this is funny. We were almost caught like a couple of teenagers.”

He couldn’t stay angry when there was so much joy and life in her. He gently eased her off his lap. “There is a bathroom right over there.”

* * * *

She winked at him as she started toward the restroom. “Go deal with your business. I’ll find my way to the bar, and when you’re done, I want that dance.”

Quinn waited until she came out. His arm hooked around her. “I am not letting you out of my sight, woman.”

They walked out into the pulse-pounding music, and Donovan escorted her over to the bar. He lifted her up on the barstool and then rested his head against hers. “Be safe. I need you.”

“I’m falling for you.”

Every other sound in the club faded away. The most goofy, beautiful smile spread across his face. He dipped his head down to give her a long, tender kiss. “Be safe, love. I will be within eye sight.”

Haven watched him walk away before she turned to the bartender. He was looking at her with wide eyes and a knowing grin on his face. He glided over to her. “What’ll it be?”

“Water is fine, thank you.”

He winked at her, grabbed a bottle out of the cooler, and handed it to her. “Never thought I’d see the day Donovan would bring a woman here. You must be something special.”

Haven smiled, a little shy. She easily found Quinn in the crowd. He stood at least a head taller than everyone else did. She turned back to the bartender. “Maybe.”

Haven settled against the bar while Quinn made his rounds, stopping to talk to people occasionally. His gaze found her frequently, that goofy smile still lighting his rugged face. She absorbed the sights and sounds of the club. It was the best imitation she’d ever seen of a Roman village. The architecture astounded her, and the costumes the servers wore could have stepped out of a history book, but then, she knew that Quinn had probably actually been there himself. She sipped at her water and had fun watching him. Even if he didn’t realize, he enjoyed working here, being a part of something normal.

She smiled when Quinn’s eyes found her again; then she sat up board straight when his smile faded. His entire body coiled, and then he sprang into action. He was coming at her in a dead run, leaping over the table, people, and chairs in the way. Haven scanned the bar to find a weapon. She knocked the stool over and darted out of the way when Kyros tried to grab her. She snatched a beer bottle from the bar and broke the end. He advanced on her. She cut the side of his face with the jagged edge of the bottle as the bartender came over the counter after him. Kyros wrapped a hand around the bartender’s throat and snapped his neck. Haven bolted toward Quinn, who was charging toward her. Kyros caught her arm and twisted it behind her until she dropped her weapon. He yanked her close to him and licked the side of her face. “You taste better with blood, my dear.”

Then he pressed something against the side of her throat that pinched. He let her go, and she staggered backward. Donovan crashed into Kyros, sending them both sprawling across the floor. The music stopped. Club employees were herding people away from the chaos. Haven’s vision went blurry and the room spun. The floor came up too fast, and everything in her world went black.

* * * *

Donovan didn’t have to see Haven fall. He felt the moment she dropped out of consciousness. The power of his
treòir
lashed out, shaking the building as Donovan slammed his fist into Kyros’s face with bone shattering force. Kyros’s eyes rolled back in his head. The
treòir
wouldn’t allow retribution while Haven still breathed. They had to save her. Donovan left Kyros there as he dragged himself to Haven only a few feet from where he’d been. Her body was limp and lifeless on the floor. Soul-
shattering grief sliced through him as he collected her into his arms. He closed his eyes, his mind connecting with hers, but there wasn’t anything solid for him to hold onto. He was losing her. Her heartbeat was faint, and her breathing was too shallow.

He connected with his brother.
“Riordan, brother, I need you! She’s dying!”

Riordan’s response was quick.
“What happened?”

“I don’t know. He injected something into her.”

“Poison.”
Riordan’s presence turned calming.
“Do you know what kind?”

“Get me what was in his hand,” Quinn said to the person standing next to him. He didn’t know who brought it to him a moment later because all of his focus was on Haven. He studied the air syringe and then twisted it open with one hand and sniffed. “
Bitter Almond
.”

“It’s cyanide! Get her into your office and lock the door. Now! You don’t have much time.”

Donovan rose up off the ground with her cradled against his chest. The inside of him threatened to explode, but he held himself together because Haven would need him. He didn’t talk to anyone. He made a path to his office with one look and got there as quickly as he could. He closed and locked the door with no explanation to his employees and laid Haven on the couch as gently as he could.

“We’re alone,”
he said to Riordan.

“You’re going to have to do a blood exchange. It’s the only way to counteract the toxin.”

Donovan squeezed his eyes shut and then pulled out the buck knife he always had on him. His hand circled around her wrist and, by sheer force of will, pierced her flesh. Crimson collected at the surface and then pooled before dripping onto the floor. He lifted her wrist to his mouth and drank. Her taste was coppery sweet. When he knew he had enough, he pulled his head back and brushed his thumb over the wound, closing it with a small release of energy. He merged his awareness with hers. Her heart and lungs were starting to shut down from the poison so he breathed for her, letting his heart beat for hers. The cyanide seeped through him, his blood identifying it and neutralizing it. His body shook with pent up anger and soul-blinding fear. The
treòir
raged to get out. When he knew her body could wait no longer, he rolled up his sleeve. He cut his wrist and then put the wound to her lips. “Drink, Haven, sweetheart, drink.” His voice sounded hollow and broken to his own ears.

Her tongue swept across his skin in a weak motion. He held her head there, giving her the strength needed to save her life. Gradually, she was able to do it on her own. He pulled away from her when power surged through his body. She whimpered and then went rigid, her mind trapped in a silent scream. His blood caused her this pain, but once wasn’t enough to complete the conversion. He crawled up onto the couch and wrapped himself around her, absorbing as much of the pain as he could until her body accepted what was happening. Slowly, the tension eased from her muscles when he could feel a hint of her awareness coming back. She began to breathe on her own, and her heart no longer labored to beat.

Loath to leave her even for a second, he went to the adjoining bathroom so he could clean the blood from his arm, and then brought a washcloth with him to wipe the blood from her face and his own. He threw the cloth into the trashcan and then curled back around her on the couch.

“When will I know if she will make it?”
he asked Riordan.

“When she wakes up, she’ll be weak and disorientated. You are going to have to tell her what happened.”

“I know.”
He dragged in a breath to help steady his frayed nerves. There was no screaming outside his office. He should check on the humans, but he wouldn’t leave Haven.
“I need you and Wolf.”

“We’re already here. Brogan alerted us to the problem.”

* * * *

Wolf stalked through Coliseum. His senses stretched out to help him find a hint of where Kyros might be. Employees corralled the humans onto the dance floor where Memphis would be able to give them a gentle compulsion to forget what they’d seen.

Kyros was in league with a meirlock Hunter. There was no other way to explain how he or Brogan wouldn’t have felt Lazarus opening a portal for Kyros. He sniffed every corner, searched under every table, but he wasn’t able to find anything but the air syringe. He didn’t need the videos in Quinn’s security room to know more than Kyros had been here. The stench of evil was too strong to come from one meirlock.