Edge of Night (44 page)

Erin came out of the exam room and laughed at the sight of all of them chatting and eating. Considering how much she loved having friends and family around, Luca was pretty sure this was her version of heaven. Especially after the hell Kondan had put her through.

Holly scrambled to her feet and fetched a paper plate loaded down with pastries for her cousin. The two women circulated, Erin with an ever-present canister of elixir in her hand, and Luca rose to join her. He didn’t get more than a couple of steps before Delta stopped to harass and congratulate him. Merek, Chloe, Alex and Millie were right behind the southern belle with well wishes. Then his father and Uncle Vito, his cousin Stella and Nick, Jack and Selina, Peyton and Tess. Even with all the congratulations and a public proposal, he was still having a hard time believing it. He’d fully expected to be put to death today. And he would have deserved it. Instead, he was at a spontaneous engagement party in his honor.

Erin slipped her arm through his, but raised her voice so everyone could hear. “Not to be a party pooper, but I
need
a shower. A bubble bath would be better. It’s been
weeks
, people.”

There was a ripple of laughter around the room, and she favored everyone with a bright smile. Balthasar seemed to understand the party was over, because he leapt onto Luca’s shoulder. Erin chuckled, reached over to rub his ears, and he purred.

“I’m sure Cavalli will be happy to wash your back,” Jack drawled.

She smirked at her cousin, but started tugging Luca toward the elevator. “My fiancé and I will talk to all of you later. Thanks for coming, we really appreciate your support today!”

Farewells and ribald suggestions were called out as they made their escape, but within ten minutes they sat in his vehicle. He sighed, closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the headrest. What a day. What a month. He’d been careening from one disaster to another. The rollercoaster wasn’t one he’d care to relive, even if they’d ended on a high.

“You okay?” Erin asked, her voice soft in the intimacy of the car. Balthasar draped across her lap, kneading his paws into her thigh. Lucky cat.

“Never better.” He offered her a quick smile, then started the car and pulled out of his space. It was odd to sense another vampire in the vehicle, even knowing Erin was the only one with him. He frowned. Not a bad thing, just different. She wouldn’t be the only one adjusting to her new Magickal nature.

“Your place or mine?” A teasing lilt filled her voice, but her grin wasn’t as carefree as it should be.

“Mine.” He shrugged. “I have a bigger tub for that bubble bath you wanted. Unless you’d prefer—”

“No, that’s okay,” she replied quickly. “Your place is fine. Great, in fact.”

He shot her a glance, but wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction. She wanted to go home with him, but the mood had turned decidedly stilted. They fell silent, and it wasn’t what he’d call a comfortable silence, but idle chitchat didn’t appeal to him, so he let it ride.

The traffic was light for Seattle, and he coasted into his garage half an hour later. He pressed the button on his remote, and the door slid closed behind them. Erin popped open her door and let Balthasar out. The cat darted off, disappearing into the shadows.

“So…you haven’t said much to me since we left the Council chambers.” She drew in a breath that raised her breasts so they strained against the front of her shirt. He jerked his gaze away from them, staring blindly out the windshield. She’d just gotten out of the hospital, for gods’ sake. “Do you regret accepting my proposal?”

“No.”
Startled, he met her eyes, and he saw emotions roiling beneath the surface. He could relate.

Her lips twisted with uncertainty. “Then what’s wrong?”

“It’s a lot to take in.” Shaking his head, he sighed. He wanted to take her in his arms, but he was afraid that now that they were alone, he’d have to kiss her and he wouldn’t be able to stop there.

She plucked at the fabric of her pants, worrying it between her fingers. “Okay, so you don’t
regret
accepting, but do you want some time to think a little harder before you go from zero to marriage in one day?”

He snorted. “We were never at zero.”

“True.” She laid a hand on his arm. “Luca, talk to me.”

Blowing out a shaky breath, he let his gaze roam over her precious, lovely face. “I’ve spent the last two weeks scared that you’d die, scared you’d hate me if you did wake up, scared I’d be executed before I found out for sure if you ever woke up. Then you walked into the Council chamber, healthy and whole and looking like a gift from the gods.” Looking like the answer to his every prayer, the fulfillment of every dream he’d never dared to have. He repeated, “It’s a lot to take in. It’s too good, and I have no idea how to trust it.”

Tears welled in her eyes, and she reached for him. As he’d feared, there was no way to resist her. He’d never been strong enough to do so. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to be, even if it made him an utter bastard. Sliding his seat back, he pulled her into his lap. Her thighs straddled his and she buried her face in his neck. “I love you. Trust that.”

“Ah, but that’s the best part, which makes it the hardest to fathom.” He tangled his hands in her hair, letting her curls wrap around his fingers. “The woman I love loves me back, wants to marry me?”

He made a disbelieving nose, and her fangs nipped at his throat. “How do I convince you?”

“Stay with me forever.” His response was sheer reflex, a truth wrenched up from the depths of his soul.

“Done,” she whispered. “I love you. I have for a long time, but was too scared to admit it, even to myself. It seemed too complicated with our families being who and what they are, and family means a lot to both of us.”

He couldn’t deny that. “And that’s all changed now?”

“Nope.” She shook her head. “But Asher—”

The very sound of the man’s name made Luca growl, wishing he could kill the son of a bitch all over again for daring to hurt her. Never in his life would he forget the sight of her bound to a chair as Kondan bled her dry. The image would haunt him for the rest of his days.

“Let’s just say what happened gave me some clarity.” She licked a hot path along his collarbone, dragging him back to the present. “Our families will deal. We’ll catch some flak from them and from other Magickals who aren’t happy about us being together, but I can handle it if you can. The alternative is losing you and I’m just not willing to do that. So yeah. Clarity.”

The scoring of her fangs into his skin sent a thrill of excitement straight to his groin. She wriggled against him, and he felt her grin into his neck when his cock jumped to attention. He swallowed and tried for a last, futile grab at sanity. “You just got out of the hospital, sweetheart. Maybe we should take it easy tonight.”

“You don’t want me?” Her hips pressed into his, the pressure emphasizing the length of his erection.

He strangled on a laugh. “Always. I
always
want you.”

“Then let’s take these vampiric healing abilities for a spin. I’m fine. Doctor certified, nurse approved.” She scraped her fangs against his throat, then flicked her tongue over the stinging flesh. “You don’t want to find out if I can make you come from a single bite, the way you can with me? Because the thought of making you come
hard
is pretty fucking appealing right now.”

A groan was the most articulate answer he had for that. His hips surged, and he rubbed himself into the cradle of her thighs. “Erin.”

Her talons drifted down his shirt, circled his nipples. The sharp edges of her claws sent a shudder coursing down his skin. He’d been with a she-vamp before, but he wasn’t used to associating the characteristics of vampire sex with Erin. It was new, thrilling, strange. He wanted to explore everything with her, show her what they could do together. He’d always had to hold back his strength for her because of her Normal nature. He’d never minded—and the slight restraint had added a layer to his excitement—but now…there was no need to hold back anything. He could go wild with her, in her and she could do the same with him.

He grabbed the front of her shirt and ripped it from neck to hem. She froze, her eyes wide as they met his. He saw shadows move there, haunted fear. “Did Asher do this, rip your shirt open?”

She swallowed, nodded. “I don’t want him to win, Luca. I don’t want to spend my life scared, jumping at shadows and bad memories.”

“You won’t.” He stroked her cheek, willing her to believe him. Selfishly, stupidly, willing her not to turn away from him as others had done before her. He wasn’t sure how he’d survive losing Erin now. “Give yourself time, my love. If you need to talk to someone about it, we’ll find a counselor, a therapist, whatever. There are Magickals who specialize in this kind of thing.”

Biting her lip, she looked unconvinced.

“You have to deal with this, Erin,” he urged. “Just because we’re moving forward with our future—a very good future, I hope—doesn’t mean the past didn’t happen. Pretending it didn’t will just make it fester.”

“Like it did with Tess.”

He nodded. “For example.”

Her brows drew together in contemplation. “Will you go with me? To see someone?”

“Yes.” For as long and as much as she’d let him, he’d be there for her. He smoothed his palms down her back. “Whatever you need, sweetheart.”

A small smile broke across her face. “You’ve said that before.”

“I meant it.”

“I know.” Leaning in, she kissed him, the touch light and tentative. His desire had died the moment he saw the fear in her eyes, but stirred at her exploration of his mouth. Her tongue teased his into twining with hers, and his heart began to pound as the sweet familiarity of her scent filled his nose. She flicked open the buttons on his shirt, and the feel of her hands on his chest made him groan. His body was starved for her, his cock going harder than steel.

Her hands dropped to his fly, and the button and zipper shredded like paper under her strength. “Oops, sorry. I’m not used to—”

“I can handle whatever you can dish out.” In fact, he was eager to see what she had to dish out, and fire heated his blood at imagining what a woman as sexually creative as Erin would do with her new abilities. His cock jerked and his pelvis pressed upward into her fingers.

A wicked grin answered his challenge. “Is that so, Agent Cavalli?”

“Try me.” His hands delved into her torn shirt to cup her breasts. Her nipples were tight buds straining the confines of her bra, and he dragged the straps down her shoulders to expose the generous globes. “Ah, nice.”

The softness of her filled his palms, and he rubbed his thumbs over her nipples. Her eyes drifted closed.

“I—it feels different than it used to. More intense.”

He knew. The hot wave of her energy crested and broke against his senses, feeding his craving for her. She hissed and shivered, her fangs bared, her hips undulating against him.

“Oh God. I can feel your energy too, how much you want me, how turned on you are.” She licked her lips, grinding her body down on his cock. “It really is like taking a shot of whiskey.”

A growl wrenched out of him and his fingers trembled when he went for the fastening on her pants. Holding himself back had never been so difficult, and he fumbled with the simple task, his elbow hitting the handle on the car door. Annoyed with the restriction, he shoved the door open. The garage was closed, so no one would see what they were up to. He returned to the front of her linen slacks.

“Rip them off,” she ordered. Her thighs tightened on his hips, and the leather of his seat creaked under them.

“Are you sure?” No way would he want to scare her again, or do anything that would put a stop to this carnal reunion.

Her laugh was a throaty sound of need. “Oh, yeah.”

He required no more urging. His talons slid along the outside seams, popping stitches. A quick tug and the linen tore away. Her underwear offered no resistance to the same treatment. Then there was nothing between his flesh and hers. He pushed his thumb into the soft thatch of curls at the crux of her thighs, let her wetness cover his fingers. Her head fell back against the top of the steering wheel, and she sobbed, riding her pussy into his hand.

Her frantic telepathy filled his mind.
“It’s too much, I can’t stand it. I need more!”

He pierced her with three fingers and hooked them to rub over her G-spot. A hiss tripped over a scream and she came. Her slick channel clenched around his thrusting digits, and the little noises she made ratcheted up his lust. Catching her nipple between his teeth, he bit and suckled the tight peak. His cock throbbed painfully as he pushed her to another climax, digging his fangs into her breast. Her blood was a heady liqueur on his tongue, and his fangs sank deeper.

“Luca!” The energy that exploded out of her caught him by surprise, and it took every ounce of his control not to come all over her. Orgasm boiled up from his balls and he choked on a groan, moving his hands to grip her hips and still her wild gyrations. He clutched her too tight, would bruise her, but it was all he could do to hold on to his control. He wanted to be inside her when he came.

A whimper of protest broke from her throat, and she forced her hand between them, encircling his dick. He couldn’t overpower her as easily as he used to, and her fingers imprisoned him. “Erin. Please.”