Wicked Pleasure (22 page)

“Could be.” She twirled a strand of her hair around one finger as she watched him. “Fine, so I want Lynsay to see you as a regular guy, someone I'd like to spend time with. Besides, Lynsay and Dirk would start to get suspicious if they never got a look at you. If you have dinner with us, Lynsay can tell Dirk she met you.”

“So you're trying to protect me.” A day ago, he would've felt offended. Now, it was sort of nice to have someone value him enough to want to keep him safe. The truth? It was nice to have
Kim
wanting to protect him.

Before he ended up drowning in a sea of warm fuzzies, Brynn looked away, only to meet Sparkle's interested gaze. She'd finally planted herself in the middle of the couch. Ganymede had crawled into her lap. Chalk a point up for Sparkle. Brynn might not know what Asima looked like in human form, but he'd bet no one sat in her lap.

Sparkle studied him with a small secret smile that said she knew something he didn't. “I met Kim in the lobby, and since she was headed up here, I decided to tag along to say hi to Mede.” She tried on a regretful expression. “I was so disappointed when Kim told me he hadn't worked out for her. And imagine my surprise when she said he talked to you guys.” The glance she sent Ganymede said to expect reprisals. Soon. “I told him specifically not to do that.”

“Don't get your panties in a bunch.” Ganymede looked thoughtful. “That's if you're wearing any today.”

Sparkle abandoned her happy smile and narrowed her eyes to angry amber slits. “I don't give rewards to bad kitties.”

“No rewards?” Ganymede looked as though someone had taken away his ice cream.

Brynn wondered what Sparkle had promised Ganymede. It had to be food or sex. More to the point, why had Sparkle wanted Ganymede to masquerade as Kim's pet? Kim might buy Sparkle's story about wanting Kim to have a pet, but Brynn had known Sparkle longer than Kim had. Sparkle was working an angle. Too bad he didn't have the time to find out what it was.

“Hate to interrupt, but all nonhumans have to meet in the conference room at seven.” He'd distracted Sparkle. Ganymede looked relieved. “We have a demon problem in Galveston, so we need to make plans.” Brynn glanced at Kim. “Can you be there?”

Kim nodded. “Try to keep me away.”

He grinned at Ganymede. “Why don't you fill in the details for Sparkle? Maybe you can try out some Shakespeare on her.” He ignored the cat's glare. “I think Kim is right. We need to hit a few more places to see how widespread the problem is. See you guys at the meeting.”

Kim stood, and Brynn followed her toward the door.

Sparkle frowned at Ganymede. “Shakespeare?”

Ganymede puffed himself up and delivered his line in a James Earl Jones voice. “In thy face I see honor, truth, and loyalty.”

Sparkle's smile wasn't comforting. “No, sweet cheeks. In my face you see mad, bad, and a need for payback.”

Brynn stepped from the room and then quietly closed the door as Ganymede's eyes widened in panic.

 

Can we say overwhelmed? Kim had ridden with Brynn from one end of the island to the other, and she was still trying to come to grips with what she'd seen. “Demons are everywhere.” She slipped on the jacket she'd discarded earlier in the day. With the night came a chill breeze off the Gulf.

Brynn leaned against his car, arms folded across his spectacular chest, and eyes narrowed in thought as he gazed around Live the Fantasy. “We have enough time to check out at least one of the attractions to see if the demons were stupid enough to possess anyone in the park. They have to know what Eric, Conall, Holgarth, and I are.”

Darkness was falling, blurring the harsh lines of worry etched in Brynn's face, but doing nothing to diminish the wonder of his hair as it blew around his shoulders. “Or maybe not. Ganymede claims I don't give off demonic vibes. I wonder why?”

There was something important imbedded in Brynn's question, but Kim was too shaken to think about it now. She pushed her blowing hair away from her face. “The Grand 1894 Opera House was a real shocker. I guess I always thought of it as a symbol of Galveston, indestructible. It survived the 1900 hurricane, for heaven's sake. And now
this
?” She opened her arms wide to indicate the vast horror of what she'd seen. “Our peek inside blew me away. Can you believe they were performing Dante's Inferno onstage? And then everyone in the audience jumped up and screamed ‘Hell rocks.' It doesn't get any weirder than that.”

“They weren't human, Kimmie. None of them were.” Fo seemed energized by the knowledge. “You should've stepped forward and pushed my red button right then.”

Brynn's smile was a mere baring of his teeth. “You might've gotten a few, Fo, but then the others would've rushed Kim. They would've ground you right into the carpet.”

Fo's purple eyes widened. “Oh.” She peered nervously from the pocket of Kim's purse.

Kim walked beside Brynn as he strode toward the Wild West area of the park. It was almost dark, and the lights came on, bathing the scene in a pale glow. “Shouldn't the lights be brighter?” Somehow everything seemed more muted than she remembered from Saturday night.
More menacing.

He nodded. “A drop in power, maybe?”

Kim didn't want to think about who or what might be messing with Galveston's electricity. “Let's stop at the Dead Eye Saloon.” Music and voices drifted out of the bar.
Ordinary
sounds. She needed some ordinary stuff right about now.

Inside the saloon, everything looked normal, or as normal as an old Western saloon where people were acting out their fantasies could look. Everyone except them was in period costume. The dancing “girls” were middle-aged women kicking their legs in time to the piano, giggling, and having lots of fun. Kim wondered how much giggling they'd be doing if they knew what was gathering all over Galveston.

In darkened corners, men and women were acting out more sensual pretend games. And by the door two men were taking their make-believe argument into the street where it could be settled with a make-believe gunfight. Cool.

“How do the park's fantasies work?” Kim figured that Brynn was perfect for this park, a fantasy man living in a fantasy world. Make that a
dark
fantasy.

Brynn leaned against the bar and looked around. Every woman's cowboy. Maybe his jeans, biker boots, and black T-shirt didn't shout
cowboy,
but he wore an aura of oneness with his body, a lithe grace that said he could handle a wild horse or a wild woman with equal ease. A dangerous man. Clothes didn't make the cowboy, and from the stares he was getting from all the women in the saloon, Kim wasn't the only one who thought so.

“We keep the costumes in a small building next to the saloon. Before coming inside, people choose the costumes they want. If you weren't with me, someone would've stopped you for not wearing one.” He moved closer to be heard above the crowd noise, and she braced herself to resist his sensual pull. “Look around, and you'll see people wearing park badges. If you have a specific fantasy, you tell them, and they'll supply a costume and help you act it out. For example, one of those gunfighters who just left is a park employee.” As he spoke to her, he continued to scan the crowd. “Or you can just come in and enjoy the atmosphere.”

Kim took Fo from her purse. She shielded the detector's screen with one hand. “What do we have here?”

“All humans, Kimmie.” Fo sounded disappointed.

Brynn glanced at his watch. “It's time again. I'll go out and watch the gunfight, and then we can keep looking.”

Kim watched the crowd part for him as he left. Brynn had that effect on people. Surprised, she realized she felt a little lonely without him. That hadn't happened before. Especially with a man she'd only known for a few days. Putting Fo back into her purse, she ordered a drink from the bar and stood sipping it. This is how it would always be for him if he wanted to stay with one woman. Someone would have to love him a lot to go through a lifetime with a man who couldn't say no. To
any
woman.

“Looks like you've been deserted.” The male voice held a note of laughter in it.

Kim turned to the man standing next to her at the bar. First impressions—average height, short dark brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a nice smile. But he looked too civilized to ever feel at home in the cowboy outfit he was wearing. “He just stepped out to watch the gunfight. He'll be back.”

The man nodded. “I'm Vic Burton. I teach in Houston, and I'm staying at the castle over spring break. I saw you in the restaurant this morning. Have you tried any of the castle fantasies yet?”

Kim returned his smile. “Kim Vaughn. I'm staying in the castle, too, but it's strictly business. I'm an architect, and the owner hired me to plan a few changes to the castle.” A teacher? Couldn't get more ordinary than that. Then why wasn't her heart singing with joy?

“So is that guy your husband?” Vic smiled his wonderful, ordinary smile at her and watched her hopefully from his ordinary blue eyes.

“No, just a friend.” Who happened to be an anything but ordinary demon of sensual desire.

“How about doing a castle fantasy with me? I'm not here with anyone. Bet it would be fun together.”

Wow, she was having a conversation with a real human male, an
ordinary
human male. She couldn't pass up a shot at a normal guy, even if there wasn't instant chemistry on her part. “How about Wednesday night?” Brynn had said he was off tonight and tomorrow night, so she'd have to keep that time free to do demon stuff.

He nodded, and his smile widened. “Terrific. I'll meet you in the great hall at eight.”

Without warning, Brynn's emotions flowed over her—anger, confusion, and a feeling he tried to hide. What feeling? Inquiring minds wanted to know. This was only the third time he'd lost control of his emotions enough for her to pick up on them. The very fact that she could read them reminded her she wasn't as normal as she'd like to be.

While she tried to make sense of his emotions, she felt Brynn behind her—his heat melting into her back to warm her all the way through, and his scent, a mixture of raw need and male possessiveness. Wait, possessiveness didn't have a scent. So how did she recognize it? Interesting.

“If you're ready, we can leave now.” Brynn's voice had all the warmth of an Arctic ice floe.

Kim turned and smiled up at him. He'd wiped his face clean of all expression, but his eyes were hot with something very male and very primal. Jealousy? Satisfaction filled her before she could plug the source. She didn't want a demon to feel either possessive or jealous about her.
But do I still think of him as a demon?
She wouldn't go there right now.

“Brynn, this is Vic Burton. He's staying at the castle for spring break.” She glanced at Vic. His expression was open and friendly. Couldn't he feel the danger swirling around him? Guess not. “Vic, meet Brynn McNair. He and his brothers run the Castle of Dark Dreams.”

Back to Brynn, whose expression was still, well, expressionless. But his eyes blazed with a desire to stake his claim. “Vic asked me to do a castle fantasy with him on Wednesday. Should be fun.” And it would be, but not because of Vic. Okay, so she wanted to see Brynn in action during one of his fantasies.

Brynn nodded at Vic, but he didn't offer his hand. “Nice to meet you.” His eyes said
not
loud and clear. “I'll have to make sure your fantasy is memorable.”

Uh-oh. That sounded like a warning to her. Vic's smile faded. He couldn't help but feel the waves of aggression hitting him in the face.

“Sure. Can't wait.” He cast an uncertain glance toward Kim.

She shrugged. “Guess we'd better get going, Brynn. We have to be back at the castle by six or else Lynsay will come hunting for us.”

Kim let Brynn guide her out the door before saying anything. Once outside, she moved away and then met his gaze. “What was that all about?”

He didn't try to hide his confusion. “Damned if I know. I wanted to rip him apart for planning a fantasy with you.” He shifted his gaze somewhere past her shoulder. “Jealousy? I've never felt possessive about any woman.” His expression hardened. “I don't want to feel that way now.”

“Because?” She knew why, but she wanted to hear him say it.

He started walking toward the next building on the Wild West street. “Because wanting to be with you, feeling possessive, is an invitation to disaster.” Abruptly, he stopped and sat down on a bench. She sat next to him.

“Look at me.” He sounded way too serious.

Kim looked. She understood why Vic had acted uncertain. It didn't matter what term you used, dominant or alpha male, Brynn would always be the leader of the pack. So that would make it twice as hard for him to submit to women like Liz. She pushed aside the sympathy he'd hate.

“I have to keep leaving you every fifty-five minutes, and if I forget, then I start ripping my clothes off no matter where I am. Suppose you were in a meeting with an important client and that happened? You'd be ashamed of me.” His expression said his own shame would trump hers every time.

Kim shrugged. “No problem. First off, I don't think you'd want to be sitting in on any of my meetings. If you were, I'd just make sure you were sitting next to me. When I sensed the change starting, all I'd have to do is lean over and whisper that I didn't want your body.” A lie, but she wouldn't tell him that.

He raked his fingers through his hair and stared into the darkness. “How about if I timed things wrong and ended up being with another woman for more than an hour? How would you feel then?”