Desire by Blood (3 page)

Gray sneered. “That brother of hers is a bastard in deed if
not in birth. Owes everyone in town, which is why he isn't here.”

“You mean she is in town alone?”

Gray crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “Indeed. I
think she stays in the family townhouse, but with little staff. Truthfully, I
have no idea how she affords it. Her father...Collingsworth left her barely
anything to live on from what I heard.”

“And there is no rumor of impropriety. She has no
protector?”

“Not that I know of. And I assure you, with the notorious
Lady Fionna as her mother, if there was a hint of scandal, it would be all over
the
ton
.”

Nico shoved that aside and moved back to the subject at hand.
“Regardless, she is a Carrier.”

“Again, I point out that my family has kept track of all the
noble families. She isn’t on that list and neither is Lady Fionna.”

Irritation turned Nico’s voice sharp. “Think. When the
church attacked us during the Inquisition, many families hid. We scattered to
the winds, and I am positive we have yet to find everyone. There are probably
several dozen Carriers in the
ton
,
and they have no idea. Why would they unless they have mated with a Born?”

He had known about Lady Cordelia for days. Something about
their first meeting, the way his body had reacted, had told him she was not
just a simple bluestocking. He had immediately responded to her despite the
fact she was not his type of woman. He usually liked females tall, lithe, and
definitely experienced. Cordelia had none of these attributes, but she was a
Carrier. So he was predisposed to respond to her.

Though in truth, he had never reacted even to another
Carrier so strongly.

“You may be right,” Gray surmised.

“I am. It’s easy to scent a Carrier. But her pull is
stronger than any other Carrier I have come in contact with. It also explains
why Hurst is after her.”

The young duke crossed his arms over his chest. “Hurst is
not one of us.”

“Indeed. He's Made for sure.”

With satisfaction, Nico watched Gray's eyes widen in alarm.
He was the first Made vampire to hit the
ton
in recent times. “Bloody hell.”

“Precisely. He has shown little to no interest in Lady
Cordelia until recently. We need to find out where he was before his fascination
arose. If he has not left town...”

He let his words trail off, allowing Gray to draw his own
conclusions. “And a nobleman at that. This is not a good development. The
Alliance is not going to be happy about this.”

“No. I need you to find out where he was, discover any of
the places he frequents and who he’s spent time with. We also might want to put
a man on him.”

“Do you think we need to warn the other noble houses?”

Nico snorted. The other vampire families were notoriously
stubborn. “Would it do any good? They refuse to believe there is a problem. My
father is the only patriarch who is worried. No one else but the three of us
seems to understand the gravity of the situation.” He thought about Lady
Cordelia and her role in everything. “I say that Hurst's attention started just
over a week ago. Something must have happened then. He does not appear to have
gone completely into Blood Lust, but there is a good chance he is not far from
sinking there.”

“How do you know he isn't already there?”

Sometimes Nico forgot that Gray was too young to have seen
Made vampires and their terrible descent into murderous madness. “If he was in
Blood Lust, you would have seen more than just a slight altercation when I
asked Lady Cordelia to dance. It is very likely the bastard would've challenged
me on the spot—possibly even attacked me.”

Shock crossed Gray’s face. “Truly? That would have been a
sight.”

Nico ground his teeth again, but this time not to keep them
hidden. Gray was a good sort, but he was young, especially for a vampire. He
was not around for the last purging, and he did not know just how bad this mess
could end up.

“He probably doesn't know I am a Born and has no idea what
is going on. His body is telling him to pursue her. And since she has no
protection, like your sisters and others in the
ton
do, he knows she would be easier to prey upon.”

“I'll get a man on him, and I'll talk to father about his
connections, where he has been before. I hope this doesn't end up like that bit
of business you had to handle up north.”

With that, Gray left Nico alone.

There would be no way out of it; Hurst would have to die,
but not before they got some information out of the bastard. The one he had to
kill three weeks ago had been too far gone to question, but Hurst seemed to still
be functioning surprisingly well. Nico didn’t expect that to last. If they
could grab the viscount off the street, they might be able to persuade him to
talk. He'd make plans tonight with Malik. Time was precious when a vampire had
been Made. If they were not handled properly, they would turn into craven
beasts, searching out the nearest Carrier to consume. If the woman didn't die,
she would wish she had.

Now Hurst had apparently set his sights on Lady Cordelia.
And that bothered Nico. Exceedingly.

With a sigh, he straightened away from the desk. His body
was still humming with anticipation of a joining. While he could not satisfy
the mating call Lady Cordelia had nearly wrested from him, he could find a
woman to slake his lust.

He walked to the door but it blew open, bringing Lady
Cordelia with it. His body responded immediately. His blood heated with the
need he had tried to ignore. The normally perfectly coiffed curls that dangled
over her ears were in disarray. A look of irritation marred her usually smooth
features. She slammed the door shut behind her and then leaned against it much
the same way that Gray had. Clearly, she did not notice him in the room.

“Stupid man.” She locked the door behind her and then patted
down her hair. “He is becoming a real trial.”

“I hope you are not referring to me,” Nico said.

She started and then peered in the shadowed corner where he
stood.

“Mr. Blackburn?”

He cursed himself the moment he realized she could not see
in the darkness. If he had stayed quiet, she would not have seen him. She had
not mated yet, so she possessed only human abilities.

He stepped out of the corner. “It is I. I take it from your
comments that you did not follow me here?”

She sniffed. “Of course not. I am trying to avoid that idiot
Hurst. Why on earth he has decided to bother me now is beyond me.”

Bloody hell. Hurst’s constant pursuit could herald the
coming of his Blood Lust. If the viscount touched her, he’d likely sink into
madness. Something would have to be done—tonight.

“Come, now, Lady Cordelia. You could easily attract his
lordship’s attention for any number of reasons.”

She mumbled something under her breath that sounded like
“not bloody likely.”

At least she understood there was danger. Unfortunately, it
did not help his protective instincts. The need to shelter her, keep her safe,
coursed through his blood along with a healthy dose of lust. He did not speak
for fear of revealing the depth of his need.

Silence loomed several moments, then without any warning she
flashed him a brilliant smile. He blinked as he watched her approach, amazed at
the change in her expression. And wary. No woman could be trusted, especially a
Carrier. Those with the ability to birth vampires were frighteningly
clever—they had to be to survive. He knew without a doubt, Lady Cordelia was
working something out in her brain that would only bring about disaster for
them both.

“Mr. Blackburn?” She stopped in front of him, her scent
wrapping around him, tempting him. It was a mixture of musky woman and
innocence that had his incisors threatening to descend. The woman was too
bloody tempting for her own good. No wonder Hurst had been after her.

“Yes?” he asked, surprised that he hadn’t started panting.
Or done something far more aggressive. Even now, as she gazed up at him as if
she worshipped him, he reacted, his lust in full bloom. He wanted—ached—to
throw her across the desk and strip her naked. Nico knew it was primal; it had
nothing to do with the woman. The urge to feed from her sang through his blood.

But he’d never had such a strong reaction to a Carrier.

“I wondered…” She pulled her bottom lip through her teeth,
and he inwardly groaned. The woman was going to undo him with her innocent
gestures. He curled his fingers into the palm of his hands.

“Lady Cordelia, what do you need?”

She blinked and hesitated. He did not blame her. Even he
could hear how his voice had deepened, roughened. The earlier altercation still
thrummed through his blood. Maybe she would flee the room, and he would be free
of her long enough to ease his desires elsewhere.

He should have known better.

She raised her chin. “Can you explain a bit more about your
shipping business?”

“W-what?” He could not concentrate on her words, but rather
watched the way her lips moved in the slant of moonlight that illuminated her
face. They were pink and wet.

Cordelia cocked her head to the side. “Are you unwell?”

He shook his head, his attention still on her mouth. Her
tongue flicked out over her fuller bottom lip as she took a step closer. Bloody
hell, he craved to taste her, to feel her mouth move beneath him. He wanted to
feel her flesh beneath his, and he wanted to sink his teeth into her neck. With
every bit of his control, he pulled his mind away from the image of her wearing
nothing but the moonlight.

He needed her to go far away. He made one last attempt.

“Lady Cordelia, I think you should leave.” He bit out each
word, the lust he felt dripping from each syllable. Unfortunately, the woman
apparently was oblivious.

She stepped even closer, determination stamped all over her
face. Passion darkened her eyes. She was magnificent.

“I will not be deflected again.”

Good God, the woman smelled of heaven. He could imagine
rolling with her on a bed, the scent of her surrounding him, the tangy taste of
her on his tongue. His incisors descended, primed for feeding. He did not even
try to stop it. He knew it impossible.

Without another thought, he grabbed her. She gasped, the
sound erotic in the darkened library. He had the satisfaction of seeing her
eyes widen as he dipped his head.

“Mr. Blackburn, whatever do you think you are doing?”

“Shutting you up.”

Then he bent his head and took possession of her mouth.

Everything in Cordelia stilled; every thought flew out of
her head. It was as if time stopped. Then in a rush, reality blazed back to
life. Nicodemus Blackburn was kissing her.
Her
.
Bluestocking Cordelia Collingsworth.
Why
?

Before she could puzzle that out or contemplate the oddity
of Blackburn’s actions, he slid his hands up her arms, cupped her face, and
deepened the kiss. His tongue skimmed over her lips. She gasped, and he used
the moment to dip inside of her mouth.

Cordelia knew she should be shocked to her toes. This was
everything she had avoided. She did not want to be saddled with her mother’s
reputation. But at the moment, her heart was beating so fast she couldn’t
think. The masculine scent of him surrounded her, intoxicated her. Blackburn
pulled back just a bit, cool air replacing the heat of him. When she slowly
opened her eyes, she found him watching her, his gaze brilliant.

“It works better if you kiss me back.”

His voice was deep, resonant, filled with something she
could not discern. It did not matter if she did not understand, her body
responded. Heat shot through her veins causing her to shiver. Without another
word, he swooped down to capture her mouth again.

Every worry she had dissolved as he slanted his mouth over
hers. This time she responded the best she could. It was her first true kiss,
for she did not count the few stolen kisses early suitors had subjected her to.
If they had been as skilled as Blackburn, Cordelia might have been tempted to
break the rules.

Cordelia willingly opened her mouth, allowing Blackburn to
slide his tongue in. Little bursts of heat crackled over her nerve endings.
Slowly, she skimmed her hands up his chest, over his shoulders, and behind his
neck. He took the opportunity to pull her closer, into his warmth. His hands
slid down to cup her bottom, pull her tightly against him. Even through the layers
of clothing she could feel the beat of his heart.

Her head spun, her body rejoiced. Tentatively, she slipped
her tongue into his mouth, sliding it along his as he had to her. The taste of
him burst through her, tart lemonade, a touch of brandy, and Nicodemus
Blackburn...that was the most intoxicating part. Every reservation she had
dissolved into the glorious passion he was building,

He growled, the sound vibrating deep in his throat. She
shivered at the primal sound. Easily, he walked her backward. Before she could
even discern what he was about, she found herself beneath him on the couch.
Blackburn tore his mouth from hers only to set about attacking her throat. His
tongue slid over her flesh, and the scrape of teeth followed. She heard a moan
filled with lustful longing. It took her a moment to realize the wanton sound
had come from her.

Her lungs seized the moment she felt his hand move over her
breast. For a moment, sanity tried to take hold. She opened her mouth to tell
him to stop. This was insane, and again, it could ruin her. Somewhere in the
back of her mind a voice told her to resist, to push him away. In the next
instant, his thumb moved over her nipple. It responded, tightening immediately,
aching for more attention. Again, he growled, a sound that should have shocked
her, but it did not. Something in her reacted immediately. An ache tightened
her belly then feathered out over her body. A demand for completion battered
her, urging her to ignore everything else. She could do nothing but fall into
the morass of lust he was creating.