Dalakis Passion 3 - Stefan's Salvation (9 page)

had spent time with this woman, but she could not sense any return emotion from
Karen. It was very unsettling. All she was getting from Karen was a growing excitement
because she was going away soon. There was something about receiving unexpected
money. But that was the only information Laurel Rose could get. Bits and pieces, but
nothing concrete.
"Ma'am?"
Laurel Rose could sense the other woman's growing concern and agitation, and she
forced herself to respond. "I'm fine. Just a little lightheaded, I guess. Not eating since
breakfast will do that to a girl." She offered a smile with her plausible explanation and
was relieved when Karen accepted it without question.
The waitress patted her arm and picked up her tray. "I've done that a time or two,
myself. Now you holler if you need anything else." Laurel Rose just nodded and
watched as the other woman hurried back to work.
Forcing her hands to move, she poured herself a cup of tea. She ignored the milk
and sugar and picked up the cup and took a sip of the hot tea, letting it flow down her
throat and settle in her stomach. Her temples were throbbing, but she ignored the pain.
Carefully placing her cup back on the table, she picked up her fork and dug into the pie.
It smelled and looked delicious, but Laurel Rose could barely taste it as she
automatically chewed and swallowed.
She ate the slice of pie one bite at a time, concentrating on the mundane action of
eating. It helped to center her and calmed the pain in her head slightly. By the time her
plate was empty, she was feeling somewhat better. Sipping her tea, she settled back
against the leather bench and listened. After all, that's why she'd come.
"There's talk they might break ground in the spring on that new resort." Laurel
Rose's ears perked up as the men two booths down from her began to talk.
"I heard that they didn't have all the land they needed," the older man speculated.
"That won't be a problem," the younger man snorted. "They'll get what they want.
We need the jobs around here."
"Some things're more important than just having jobs. Like family and tradition.
Too many young folks up and leaving."
"Because they can't find jobs," he argued. "Besides, some folks don't have any
family or kin. Why would they even want to stay?" He stared right at Laurel Rose as he
uttered those words.
Sighing, she put down her teacup, not wanting any more of the warm brew that
was suddenly bitter in her mouth. She wiped her hands on her napkin, tossed the
crumpled paper on the table and gathered her purse into her arms. She'd learn nothing
new here. It was the same arguments over and over again. Some folks believed she
should hang onto family land, but others argued she didn't have any family to pass it
on to, so what was the point? Then there were the folks who just wanted honest jobs.
She couldn't fault them for that, but they weren't the ones who'd lose their homes.
Sliding out of the booth, she made her way toward the front counter to pay. All
eyes were on her as she walked across the room. Her limp was slightly more
pronounced as she was tired after her long day at the market. Sitting behind her table
selling her goods was harder than working outdoors all day because the inactivity
made her leg stiffen up.
"Witch," someone hissed as she passed a table filled with men. Tilting her chin
higher, she ignored them as she walked blindly past. Her stomach was churning with
anxiety. All she wanted was to leave this place. She was slowly coming to the
conclusion that she should never have come here.
As the waitress rang up her bill, Laurel Rose could see the pity in her eyes and she
hated it. Tears of frustration burned in her eyes, but she blinked them back. She didn't
need or want pity. All she wanted was to be treated the same as everyone else, and if
they couldn't manage that, then all she wanted was to be left alone.
Handing the woman a five-dollar bill, she thanked her and left the diner as quickly
as she could, not even bothering to wait for her change. She just needed to get away
from people. Away from their condemnation. Away from their pity. Away from their
never-ending speculation about her.
She'd been fortunate to find a parking spot close to the diner and for that she was
thankful. Usually the place was so busy that there were no parking spots to be found
and folks were forced to park some distance away and walk. Sliding into the dubious
safety of her truck, she jammed her key in the ignition and started her vehicle. Backing
away from the building, she could feel the eyes of the people inside still watching her.
Carefully, she drove down the street and headed out of town. Mayor Jenkins
watched her from the steps of the town hall. There was no smile on his face as she
passed him. Her hands gripped the steering wheel, turning her knuckles white as she
maneuvered through the quiet streets and onto the highway toward home.
Just on the outskirts of town, she passed the small white church. It looked so
innocent and quaint with its white picket fence and stone pathway leading from the
road to the front doors. The stained glass windows glowed orange, green, red and blue
in the setting sunshine, depicting their biblical scenes of redemption and salvation. But
there was a malevolence seeping from the depths of the building and Laurel Rose
believed it all centered around the man standing at the top of the three stone steps that
led inside.
Jeremiah Stoner stood as still as a statue, framed by the open doors of his church.
Tall and austere, he was both judge and jury and she could feel his condemnation as if it
were a physical blow. Dressed all in black with his Bible clasped to his chest, he made
quite an intimidating figure. But Laurel Rose knew that the darkness in his soul was
blacker than the clothing he wore. She had felt it on many occasions. He was good at
blocking his thoughts from others just as she was, and still she felt the waves of anger
and fanaticism from his mind.
Shivering, she forced herself to keep a steady pace as she drove past him, even
though she wanted nothing more than to push the pedal to the floor. She'd make it
home before dark, but barely. Exhaustion threatened to swamp her, but she ruthlessly
pushed it back. There would be no rest for her tonight. She'd have to be on guard from
here on against attacks from Aaron and Clem and others like them.
And then there was Stefan.

Chapter Nine
Stefan leaned against an old pine tree and watched Laurel Rose through the kitchen
window. She wore a pair of faded blue jeans and a plain white blouse. She wore no
makeup or jewelry and her long hair was once again confined to a braid that bounced
and swung as she moved about the kitchen. It was just after dusk and she hadn't turned
on any lights yet, but he could still see her perfectly. The stubborn tilt of her chin made
him smile even as the long, delicate curve of her neck enticed him. He longed to rub his
face against her skin, smell her unique scent and taste the salt from her flesh before
sinking his fangs into her and nourishing himself with her blood.
He licked his lips as his fangs lengthened. Tonight. He had to taste her tonight.
He'd hated being locked away in his truck in a deathlike sleep while she'd been going
about her daily business. It had amazed him that her fear had cut through his sleep,
waking him enough that he could sense what was going through her mind. The fury
that had coursed through his veins when he realized that she felt threatened by
someone had made him long to be able to go to her.
Instead, he'd been forced to lie there, helpless to do anything to protect Laurel Rose
or alleviate her unease. He'd tried to send her some of his strength, feeding his own
powers into her so that she could protect herself. Once again, he'd been surprised by the
sheer amount of power and courage that she possessed on her own.
In all his existence, the only thing that had ever completely woken him from his
deathlike sleep had been the day his mother had been murdered. He'd never shared
that horrifying experience with anyone. Not even his brothers.
Even now, his heart still pounded and he broke out into a cold sweat when he
remembered that day. He'd felt her die, felt the excruciating pain she'd experienced and
knew the exact moment that she'd gasped her last breath. But worse, he'd known her
thoughts. Her concern had not been for herself, but for her husband and her children.
And her very last thought had been for her youngest son. Him.
He suspected that Laurel Rose had much in common with his mother. She
possessed the same kind of inner strength and courage. And if they were this connected
already and he hadn't even tasted her blood, then he couldn't imagine what it would be
like once he'd fed from her and she had become a part of him. Sex between them would
be explosive, strengthening their bond, as they merged their bodies and their minds.
Images flickered though his mind. Sensual pictures of him and Laurel Rose tangled
together as they made love in every way imaginable. His thoughts ran the entire gamut
as he pictured himself taking his time and pleasuring her slowly and thoroughly and
then fucking her hard and fast. His blood pumped through his veins and his cock
throbbed in response to his thoughts, making his black jeans feel much too tight.
Grunting, he reached down and adjusted his erection, trying to alleviate some of the
throbbing ache. He'd been as hard as a rock since he'd awakened at dusk and
daydreaming about Laurel Rose certainly wasn't helping matters.
He'd taken the time to bathe in a small stream not far from where he'd parked his
truck. It wasn't an ideal setup. Usually he rented a motel room, using the facilities to
clean up even if he didn't stay there. But there were no motels around the area and he
didn't want to waste time driving until he found one.
Pushing away from the tree he'd been leaning against, he sauntered toward the
house. He went straight up the three steps that led to the back door, gave the handle a
quick twist and pushed the door open.
"I wasn't sure you'd come in." Her soft voice touched him like a caress. It was as if
she'd known he was there. She had her back to him as she calmly continued to slice
tomatoes on a cutting board by the sink. It startled him to realize that she
had
known he
was outside watching her.
"I told you I would." He resisted the urge to kick the door closed and drag her
upstairs to the bedroom to continue what they'd started last night. Instead, he carefully
pushed the door shut, crossed his arms over his chest and waited, trying to gauge her
mood.
She shrugged, seemingly unconcerned as she moved the slices of tomato onto the
sandwich she was making. "I know you said you would, but you never know when
plans might change."
Stefan sensed that something was very wrong with Laurel Rose, but he couldn't
quite get a fix on what it was. Her mind was closed to him. If he pushed hard, he knew
he could probably gain access to her thoughts, but he was loath to do so. That wasn't
the way to build a lasting relationship. Besides which, he didn't know if her psychic
abilities would enable her to feel the intrusion and right now the last thing he wanted to
do was frighten her or make her angry with him.
He cocked his head to one side as he studied her. Her movements were jerky as she
slapped a slice of wheat bread on top of the mound of ham, cheese and tomato she'd
layered onto another slice. She cut the sandwich in half, her movements quick and
economical, and transferred it to a plate. Grabbing both the plate and a glass of milk,
she set them on the kitchen table, pulled out a chair, sat down and began to eat.
Laurel Rose was doing her best to ignore him. Stefan wasn't sure if he should be
pissed off or amused by her actions. "Why would my plans change?"
She'd picked up her glass of milk, but instead of taking a sip, she slammed the glass
back onto the table. Milk sloshed over the sides of the glass. "I don't know. I thought
perhaps you might have plans with your friend Karen."
Who the hell was Karen? Laurel Rose was glaring at him now and Stefan racked his
brain, trying to figure out what she was talking about. It took him a minute, mostly
because he found it hard to concentrate on anything but Laurel Rose. With her eyes
blazing and her cheeks rosy red, she looked good enough to eat.
He tried to hide his growing smile when he finally remembered who Karen was.
But obviously he didn't do a good enough job. Laurel Rose shoved her chair away from
the table and stood. Her chair tipped over, clattering to the floor behind her, but she
ignored it. Stefan expected to see steam flowing out her ears, she was so angry. But he
was so delighted, he felt like laughing. She was jealous. And that had to mean that she
felt something for him.
"You don't even remember, do you?"
Stefan had enough experience with women to know he had to deal with this
quickly and cautiously before it escalated and got completely out of hand. "Yes. I
remember Karen."
His honesty seemed to take her aback. "Oh." She shrugged and tried to look
unconcerned. "I thought you might have plans with her. She's very pretty."
All Stefan's good humor fled. The anger had drained from her, leaving hurt in its
wake. It was one thing for her to be angry with him, but he could not bear the thought
of causing her pain. "She is pretty, but you are beautiful."
She snorted. "Yeah, right." Bending down, she picked up her chair and righted it.
"You don't owe me any explanations."
His brows snapped together as he frowned at her. She didn't believe him.
Uncrossing his arms, he stalked across the room. Laurel Rose backed away from him
until her back hit the kitchen counter. There was nowhere else for her to go.
Stopping right in front of her, he placed a hand on the counter on either side her,
effectively caging her in his embrace. Her eyes widened as he crowded closer to her and
she shifted uneasily as if sensing his growing anger. He wasn't touching her anywhere,
yet he could feel the heat from her body.
He leaned down until his face was close to hers. She parted her lips, her tongue
darting out to lick them. "Obviously, I do owe you an explanation."
"No. Really, it's none of my business." She shifted from one leg to another.
"Everything about me is your business." Her big eyes grew even wider at his
pronouncement. "Just as everything about you is my business."
She opened her mouth to speak and he placed his finger over her lips to stop the
argument before it had a chance to begin. "I met Karen and her friend at a bar last night
before I came to you. They were both very pretty and very eager and more than willing
to have sex with me."
She jerked back as if she'd been struck. "Both of them," she squeaked before quickly
averting her eyes.
Stefan nudged her chin back up with the edge of his hand. At first she resisted, but
suddenly she tipped her head back and glared at him. "Yes, both of them." Unable to
resist her lips any longer, he brushed them with his. They'd barely touched when she
pulled her mouth from his.
Sighing, he continued, even though he'd much rather be kissing her. "I didn't know
you when I first saw them. And I wanted them. Both of them. It's been a very long time
since I had sex, Laurel Rose." There was no way he could make her understand the
endless, bleak years that he'd lived through. "I'd planned to spend the rest of the night
fucking both of them in any and every way I could think of until I was totally sated."
Her breath was coming in short, hard gasps as if she couldn't get enough air into
her lungs. She put both of her hands on his chest and tried to push him away. "I don't
want to hear any more."
Stefan crowded closer until his body was covering hers. His cock was hard and
straining against the zipper of his jeans, so there was no hiding his arousal as it pushed
against her soft stomach. This time when she opened her mouth to protest, he captured
her lips with his. He thrust his tongue inside, searching the heated depths of her mouth,
wanting to map and explore every texture, every taste.
The hands that had only moments before tried to push him away now curled into
his shirt, tugging him closer. She went up on her toes, the movement making him groan
as her stomach pushed harder against his erection. He could smell her growing arousal
and knew that in spite of her anger, she wanted him.
Gripping the sides of her face in his hands, he forced himself to pull away from the
kiss when all he wanted to do was strip her naked, lower her to the floor and fuck her
until she was screaming her release. But this was too important. To her. To them. It had
to be settled now so that no questions or doubts remained.
They were both panting hard, but he tilted her head upward until she was looking
at him. "Then I heard someone in the bar speak your name. I didn't even know you, but
just the sound of your name on his lips made me want you. And even though I went
outside with Karen and her friend with every intention of having sex with them, I
couldn't. I didn't want them any longer."
Her hands slid up his arms and she clutched at his wrists. Her fingers weren't long
enough to wrap all the way around and he could feel her fingernails digging into his
skin. "Is that true?"
"I will never lie to you, Laurel Rose." She licked her lips as she studied him,
obviously gauging his sincerity. He refused to even blink as she searched his face.
"From the first moment I heard your name, I knew that no other woman would ever
satisfy me. From the first moment I saw your face, I knew that you were meant to be
mine."
She closed her eyes as if to shut out his words. She released her hold on him and
shook her head. "I don't understand any of this. You're practically a stranger, yet I feel
as if I know you deep in my heart and soul. I sense that you're a dangerous man, yet
I'm not afraid of you." Laurel Rose opened her eyes and stared up at him, her dark blue
gaze pleading for reassurance. "Why is this happening?"
He ran his hands over her shoulders, urging her even closer to him, offering her
unspoken reassurance. With one hand on her back and the other cupping her head, he
cradled her close to his heart. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him
tight, silently accepting his presence in her life.
"Why is this happening now? I honestly don't know, Laurel Rose." He kissed the
top of her head and buried his face in her hair, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"All I know is that we are connected. We are meant to be together. You are mine. I have
searched for you my entire life. I will never hurt you, but I will allow nothing and no
one to come between us."
He took a step back and her arms dropped to her sides. "I want you. Make your
choice." Stefan knew he was taking a chance by allowing her the opportunity to refuse
him. It was a calculated gamble, allowing her to feel as if she had some control in this
situation. But Stefan was nothing if not honest with himself and he knew if she said no
this time, he would not stop his campaign to seduce her.
She stared at him, her face solemn. She said nothing, but gave a quick nod and
turned, moving toward the kitchen door. He watched in disbelief as she walked away.
He'd been so sure that she wanted him. Every muscle in his body clenched in denial,
urging him to grab her and claim her. But he was rooted to the spot as she got further
from him.
At the doorway, she paused and turned. Ever so slowly, she held out her hand to
him. Satisfaction surged though him when he realized that she was inviting him
upstairs with her. She would be his.
Stalking across the room, he didn't pause as he scooped her up into his arms and
took the stairs two at a time.