Dalakis Passion 4 - Eternal Brothers (25 page)

The days that followed were busy for everyone. The men took to the streets every
night, combing them for any hint of the murderer. Cassidy and Sophia both talked to
their informants, but nobody seemed to know anything, or if they did, they were too
afraid to talk. The women worked from Lucian's office--Delight, Laurel Rose and
Blythe, eager to do anything they could to help. It had become their unofficial base of
operations.
Sophia was quickly becoming fast friends with all the women. They were such a
diverse group, split between vampire and human, and they all had unique
personalities. She was the go-getter of the group, the most vocal, but that wasn't
surprising considering her profession. Laurel Rose was quieter, but had a level head.
When she spoke, everyone listened. Delight was like the girl next door, but with an
edge. She was no pushover and wasn't afraid to do whatever had to be done. Blythe
was a bit trickier. She held herself back from the group, almost as if she didn't quite
trust the friendship they offered. Sophia didn't know the other woman's story, but she
had a feeling that Blythe hadn't had an easy life. Besides which, Blythe was having a
much harder time with the whole "vampire" thing. Still, even she was beginning to
loosen up around the rest of them.
They were an odd group, but for the first time in her adult life, Sophia felt as if she
had real female friends. Yes, they worked
hard,
manning the phones, searching the
Internet for clues about the cult and for information about Adrian Prince, but there was
only so much they could do. After a while, they'd break off and sit around and chat.
Sophia and Blythe would drink coffee and munch on cookies that Delight had baked--
and who knew a vampire would like to bake and could make killer chocolate chip
cookies--while they talked about that time-honored topic among groups of women.
Men.
Delight and Laurel Rose were a wealth of information about how to deal with
overbearing males, especially vampire males. Sophia found herself enthralled by their
stories, laughing sometimes until she was almost in tears. There was no doubt that the
women's husbands loved them, but sometimes they could be a tad autocratic. Sophia
could definitely relate.
Just before dawn, all the men would drag themselves home, disappointed at
finding nothing. Cassidy continued to monitor the comings and goings of The Club and
Adrian Prince, but since the last episode where he'd tried to hurt Blythe, Prince had
done nothing untoward. Cassidy also took over security during the day, catching
catnaps when he could. Strangely enough, the stress and strain was harder on the
humans than the vampires. Come dawn, the vampires would drop into a deep sleep
whether they wanted to or not. Sophia knew that she wasn't sleeping very well and
from what she could see, neither were Cassidy or Blythe.
Everyone had argued quite long and loud, but Sophia insisted on going home every
morning just before dawn. She had a job to do and she couldn't afford to be away from
her home office. She had to keep working if she wanted to eat, so she kept writing
articles about the murders as well as several magazine articles that had been contracted
before she'd stumbled into this whole mess. Keeping busy helped her feel almost
normal, which she desperately needed right now. Her life was anything but normal and
hadn't been since she'd gotten that first phone call from the killer.
Zane wasn't too thrilled with her decision. He insisted on taking her home each
morning, admonishing her to be careful as he slipped away before the sun came up.
She was worried, but not overly so. So far, the mysterious telephone caller had
made no overt threat to her person. It had been quiet on the streets for almost a week
now, but nobody was fooled. They were all waiting for either Prince or the murderer to
strike again. Everyone's nerves were wearing thin and tempers were beginning to fray.
Zane had come back with the rest of the men about two hours before dawn. They
were early tonight, but everyone was frustrated and Sophia suspected that both Lucian
and Stefan wanted to spend time with their wives before they all went into their deep
daytime sleep. Sophia didn't blame them. She wanted some time alone with Zane. It
had been way too long since the episode in her office. They hadn't even talked about
their future yet. It was as if they'd both silently agreed to put it off until after the
murderer was stopped and the problem with Prince was taken care of.
She also was wondering how he was feeling about the whole "newfound" family
thing. Yes, he spent time with Lucian and Stefan every night, but she didn't think they
were forging any deep familial bonds just yet. Zane wouldn't find it easy to trust the
other men nor, she suspected, would they find it easy to trust him. But the more time
they spent together, the easier they seemed to be around one another.
Nothing like
tracking down a crazed murderer to bring a family together.
"You okay?" Zane's arm tightened around her shoulders and he pulled her tighter
beneath his arm. The weight of his arm felt
good
wrapped around her.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just wondering when something is going to give." Using her keys,
she unlocked her door and Zane pushed it open, stepping into the room ahead of her.
Sophia was used to the routine by now. He kept her behind him as he searched the
apartment with his superior senses. Once he'd deemed it safe, he pulled her inside,
shutting and bolting the door.
Tossing her purse and keys on the small hutch just inside the door, she then laid her
laptop safely on the floor and slipped out of her lightweight jacket, hanging it on the
coat rack. Zane prowled the apartment, slipping from room to room as if to verify that
the place were indeed empty.
Sophia yawned. "I'm getting a shower before I come to bed."
Zane walked over to her and dropped a casual kiss on her lips. "Go ahead. I've got
to call Cassidy and let him know that you're home okay."
As she kicked off her shoes and padded down the hall, she could hear Zane's deep
voice as he began to talk to the other man on the phone. All of them were being careful.
Cassidy would call her every other hour of the day to check on her and his number was
on the speed dial of her cell phone.
Yawning again, she rubbed her tired eyes as she flicked on the bathroom light and
stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were dark circles
beneath them. No wonder. She hadn't had more than a couple hours' sleep at a time in
days, partly because Cassidy kept phoning her during the day and partly because she
just couldn't sleep. There was too much going on in her brain to allow her to rest.
Her red hair was standing up in spikes, mostly because she kept running her
fingers through the mess. Her face was paler than usual, making her freckles appear
even more prominent. She wasn't a raving beauty to begin with. At the moment, she
didn't even look passable. She looked like a woman who hadn't slept in a week, which
was exactly what she was.
Sighing, she turned away from the mirror and twisted on the taps in the shower,
testing the water with her fingers. When it was ready, she pulled her top over her head
and dropped it to the floor. Her bra followed. She'd started wearing one on a regular
basis since she started spending so much time with the others. It made her feel more
secure or something. She only knew that she felt undressed without it.
Bending over, she yanked off her socks, adding them to the pile. It only took her a
second to shimmy out of her jeans and panties and kick them aside. Then she stepped
beneath the hot spray, moaning as the jets of water beat at her tired body.
She just stood there, enjoying the cascade of water against her skin when a shiver
skated down her spine. Her flesh tingled and she knew she was no longer alone.
Opening one eye, she stared out of the shower stall. Sure enough, Zane was leaning
against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her. His brilliant
green eyes were ablaze with something she hadn't seen in days--lust.
He never took his eyes from her as he pushed away from the countertop and toed
off his boots. She licked her lips and her breasts began to swell.
He proceeded to remove all his clothing in quick, economical motions. Before she
could blink, he was naked, and there was no doubt that he wanted her. His cock was
long and thick as it bobbed before him. She licked her lips again and felt her feminine
muscles clench as he slid open the shower curtain and crowded in behind her.
Sophia turned to face him, letting the spray hit her back. Zane leaned down until
his lips hovered just above hers. "Turn around." His voice, thick with need, made her
shiver even though steam surrounded them. She made herself face away from him and
waited to see what he would do.
She could feel the heat coming off his large body as he shifted closer. His chest
pressed against her back, while his erection prodded her spine. His voice was deep as
he whispered in her ear. "I want you, Sophia. I need you." Teeth nipped at her earlobe,
tugging it gently.
"Yes," she groaned, reaching behind to grab his flanks and pull him closer. She
needed him too, desperately. Her pussy was pulsing with need as cream slid from her
core. She felt empty deep inside and knew only he could fill her up and drive the
loneliness away.
His arm reached around her and she sucked in a breath, hoping, needing him to
touch her. Instead, he grasped the bar of soap and then both his arm and the soap
disappeared from view. Her breathing deepened as her ears strained to hear him.
Then his arms came around her and his hands covered her breasts. Soapy and
warm, he slid them over and around the small mounds, plucking at the puckered tips
with his fingers. "That feels so good," she gasped as she thrust her chest forward.
"Yes, it does," he murmured and she could hear the pleasure in his voice.
One of his hands slid down her slender rib cage and rested on her stomach. She
shifted from one foot to the other, pressing her thighs together to try to ease the
growing ache. Zane's chuckle was low and filled with masculine satisfaction. "What do
you want? Tell me what you want."
The heck with talking.
Sophia grabbed his hand and pushed it between her legs,
spreading them slightly to give him better access. His soapy fingers slid over her heated
flesh. His thumb flicked her swollen clitoris. She gasped and then groaned. It wasn't
enough. Not nearly enough.
"More," she demanded.
There
was
no more teasing, no more games as he thrust two fingers deep. Her inner
muscles grasped them tight. Sophia panted as the hand still on her breast continued to
pluck at her nipple, sending bolts of desire shooting from her breast to her pussy and
back again.
Her body felt stretched tight and she knew she was going to snap. It had been a
long week of wanting and waiting and she was more than ready. His fingers plunged in
and out of her core, stretching her, and when his thumb pressed down hard on her clit,
she came. Her hips jerked and she would have pitched forward were it not for the
strong hold that Zane had on her. She trembled as liquid heat rushed from her core to
drench his fingers.
"Beautiful," he whispered as he carefully removed his fingers. She cried out in
protest, not ready to have him leave her yet. He lifted her hands, pressing them against
the warm, wet tiles. "Spread your legs, Sophia. Let me inside you."
Her vagina clenched hard as she slid her legs apart. His hands were on her hips,
urging her to push her bottom back toward him. Then she felt the hot, blunt tip of his
cock being pressed just inside. Her swollen vaginal muscles clenched and relaxed to
accommodate him. "Now," she whimpered, wanting his hard length to fill her.
One thick, muscled forearm wrapped around her waist and then he surged
forward, filling her in one swift motion.
Zane pressed one hand to the wall for support. His large body trembled as he
forged his way deep into Sophia. He could feel her body stretching to take him. Her
cunt
was hot and liquid from her orgasm, but it was also tight. Closing his eyes, he
savored the feel of her wrapped around his cock, squeezing it in a silken vise.
It had been a hell of a long week and he'd missed Sophia dreadfully. He'd come for
her at dusk and escort her to the
Dalakis
house over in the Quarter and then he'd have
to leave her until just before dawn when he'd bring her home. He missed the closeness,
the hot clasp of her body around him. In such a short time, he'd become addicted to her.
He'd learned much about his heritage in the long nights that he'd been sharing on
the streets with Stefan and Lucian. They told him about the curse of the
Dalakis
family.
At first, he'd been unbelieving, but eventually, he'd been forced to accept it as truth.
It seems that
Dalakis
men loved only once in their lifetime. Both men insisted that it
was both a blessing and a curse. Right now, buried deep inside Sophia's body, he could
understand the blessing part.
But it was more than just that. The women were always free to accept or reject that
love. Many of their ancestors had given up ever finding their true mate and faced the
dawn rather than live any longer without finding their true love. Others had done the
same after being rejected by their chosen one. Thank God that Sophia had not rejected
him, even after she'd found out what he truly was. He wasn't sure what he would have
done. He'd like to think he would have walked away from her, but he wasn't sure that
he'd have been able to.
His arm tightened around Sophia and he buried his face in her neck, breathing in
her unique scent. He had choices according to his cousins. He could choose to stay with
Sophia and let her live a normal human life and join her in death when it was her time
to go or he could attempt to convert her if she were willing.
There was really no choice for him.
After what had happened between his mother and his father, he wouldn't risk
converting her. His cousins had tried to dissuade him, citing their own wives as proof