Laurann Dohner: Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 2

“Even if you aren’t technically alive, the motto still applies.” She took another hesitant step closer. “Could you please move? I’m up past my bedtime and I assume you are too. I’ll leave you to deal with him. As far as I’m concerned I never saw him, this didn’t happen, and you’re just a regular guy.”

“Nay,” he murmured. “You can’t leave yet, lass.”

She backed up, alarm registering on her face, as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Don’t make me regret what I did. I have heard no good deed goes unpunished but it would suck if that’s true.” She grimaced. “Forget the suck part. Bad pun I didn’t intend to make considering the circumstances.”

Blaron really liked her. He managed to stifle a grin. “We’re not safe. My home has been invaded and his friends may be watching it. They tend to travel in groups. You’re a target if you leave. They believe you’re in cahoots with me.”

He didn’t believe it. Group hunters traveled in packs but they also attacked in them. They’d have arrived already if the hunter had friends watching his back. Blaron wasn’t willing to allow the woman to leave yet though. She intrigued him. Spending a little more time around her proved too tempting to resist.

He’d release her when he was ready to. She posed no real threat to him once he abandoned his home. He’d have to move, no longer safe where he lived after one hunter had found him. No one would believe her if she decided to rant about vampires. No one ever did.

“I’ll not harm you.” He wanted to assure her of it, feeling the brute if he frightened the wee bonnie lass after she’d shown such bravery. “I wouldn’t sleep days if I knew you were harmed because of me. I also wish to know why you came to my aid. It was very courageous of you to help knowing you’d be facing me.”

“I actually thought you’d be sleeping.”

“I don’t fall to my death sleep when the sun rises as they portray in movies and books.”

Interest sparked in her pretty eyes. “Really?”

“Truly.” He glanced at the water gun. “Holy water is just wet, the spike would’ve hurt something fierce, but I doubt that scrawny wretch would’ve gotten close enough to me to do any damage. I tend to be a light sleeper.”

“I bet.” She shifted her stance. “So what happens now?”

“I need to call some friends. They’ll come get him and us. We need to go somewhere safe.”

Her gaze flickered to the thick drapes covering the windows, sun lighting the edges. “The sun is up.”

“That’s unfortunate but I’m old enough to withstand a little of it before I suffer any real damage.”

He didn’t miss the curiosity in her gaze. He guessed she wanted to ask him his age but refrained.

“I have a gun in my pocket. I’ll be perfectly safe returning home. I just live across the street and I have no qualms about shooting idiots.”

He grinned, unable to resist. She was brave and cute. “Thank you for not pointing it at me.”

“I doubt bullets would hurt you.”

They’d hurt all right but he wasn’t about to admit that. She wouldn’t be able to kill him but if she shot him enough times she’d sure slow him down enough for her to flee outside. He wouldn’t dare pursue her into the sunshine with those injures. He kept that information to himself.

“I’ll make that call.” He backed up for the phone on the table, lifted it, and his body tensed in case she attempted to dart past him. He glanced away to dial but she remained still. The phone rang a few times and someone at the club answered.

“I’ve been compromised,” he stated softly. “A hunter is tied up and I need an evacuation for three immediately.”

“Yes sir.” The male growled. “We’re coming.”

He hung up and moved to keep his kilt from lifting, his weapon pointed down in front of him to do it, and also not to alarm the lass.

“They are coming.”

“Who are they?”

He hesitated. “Friends.”

“Not vampires?”

“No.” He made sure to keep his sword in place even as his body started to cool. He noticed a discoloration forming on her cheek, having missed it before, and realized she’d been harmed. “He hit you?”

She reached up and rubbed the spot, her fingertips brushing tenderly over the area. “It’s okay. He flopped around a bit when I tagged him with the stun gun and he got lucky before he fell down.”

Blaron moved before he considered she might feel threatened as he advanced. Her arm dropped and she backed up instantly. He paused but continued to advance.

“Easy. I’m just going to take a look.”

She bumped into his desk, not having anywhere else to go, and he paused feet in front of her. He noticed her shorter height, realize she really was a wee bit of a lass, and his hand rose to trace her skin. She was soft, warm, and peered up at him with a mixture of fear and curiosity. His body responded to her appealing scent and her lovely eyes.

“I’ll not harm you.” He lowered his voice to a husky tone.

His gaze lowered from her eyes to the mark on her pale skin. It was slightly warmer and he inhaled, picking up a very slight hint of blood scent coming from her. He wanted to groan as his body tensed and his fangs began to ache under the gums where they were hidden, matching the awareness of his equally affected cock.

“He cut the inside of your mouth.”

Her eyebrows shot up with surprise. “How did you know that?”

His fangs grew longer and he muted the groan he nearly uttered. “I can fix it for you.” He traced his tongue over one fang, careful to keep them hidden from her, and lowered his head. “Will you trust me?”

“I don’t know.”

She was too damn cute. “Close your eyes, tilt your head back and open your mouth.”

“No way. I had a boy tell me that once and he tried to kiss me.”

“That’s what I plan to do. I can heal you with my tongue.”

She strained against the desk. “I think that’s a bad idea and I don’t even know you.”

“You came to my aid. I owe you, lass. Allow me to heal what that wretch did. It won’t hurt. I promise I won’t be biting you.”

Kilt was absolutely the sexiest guy in Matty’s opinion. His eyes stared deeply into hers and she had the urge to allow him to do anything he wanted. She wondered if he had an ability to control someone’s mind but she didn’t feel any different. The inside of her mouth did hurt and the coppery taste of blood wasn’t her favorite. The fact that he promised not to bite or hurt her made her less afraid.

A gorgeous, half naked man wanted to kiss her to fix her boo-boo. He’s a vampire. Don’t forget that , she warned. Too bad I wasn’t hurt in a more interesting place . That thought made her want to wince. The mental image of the tall, muscular vampire dropping to his knees to lay some lip on other parts of her body assured her that she’d spent way too many years dateless without sex.

Matty decided to do something rash. She’d learned how short life could be after she’d nearly lost hers. Regrets were a bitch. She wanted him to kiss her, wanted to feel alive for once, and Kilt was too much of a temptation to resist. You only live once and what do you have to lose? Your life isn’t exactly exciting.

“Okay, but only because you haven’t eaten any of our neighbors and you haven’t even tried to disarm me. I’m willing to trust you.”

He smiled, his lips pressed together, and lowered his head more until their faces were a mere inch apart. His eyes were stunning and something she could stare into for hours without getting bored. She remembered he’d wanted her to close her eyes, which would have totally screwed up that “look into my eyes” movie stuff if he were trying to control her mind.