Embracing Midnight (15 page)

Eyes chilling to a subzero temperature, he said, “I wasn’t sure at first. But blood doesn’t lie. The moment I tasted you, I knew you were dangerous.”

She bristled. She wasn’t the one posing any danger at the moment. “So why the gun? Why not just rip out my throat with your big bad teeth?”

He shook his head wryly. “It’s the twenty-first century, love. Trust mankind to make killing easy and efficient. Besides, ripping out your throat would be too messy. “And—he bared his teeth, seemingly perfectly normal—“it’s awkward on the fangs.” A sly grin escaped him. “You do remember those, don’t you?”

Callie didn’t move. She barely dared to breathe. “Freak.” Her voice was a smothered monosyllable.

He clearly heard her. “Oh, please. I enjoyed fucking with your mind almost as much as I enjoyed taking that beautiful body of yours.” His eyes raked her in an obscene manner. “Most pleasurable. Alas, the party has to come to its end.”

Their eyes locked. Every cell in her body expanded. Just looking at him made her break out in a sweat all over again. And not because of the gun in his hand. Slow horror crept up her spine as fear channeled straight into her libido. She couldn’t possibly be turned on. How could shivers so easily turn into quakes of excitement? Sexual yearning coupled with knowing the man intended to kill her just wasn’t normal.

Feeling the pressures of a body craving satisfaction, Callie shivered. All the blood in her body migrated to her groin. Coils of desire tightened through her, nervous energy crackling in the air. The idea of having sex with a dangerous man made her melt all over again.

She pushed out a breath, really annoyed at herself for still wanting him. Somehow she had to summon the will to deny her desire for him, pry her mind off the image of making love with him. “No fair,” she murmured.

His jaw clenched. “What?”

She swallowed the knot of panic blocking her windpipe. “I still want you, damn it,” she grated. “You’ve got a fucking gun stuck in my face and all I can think about is having sex with you again.” Her voice rasped, unrecognizable to her own ears.

As if she’d struck a nerve, his brows drew down. His expression thawed a little. The gun in his hand wavered. “I wanted you, too.” He muttered a curse through gritted teeth. “More than I’ve wanted any woman in a long time.”

Callie swore there was a glimmer of need under all the mistrust in his eyes. Total irrational relief swept through her. A chance. All she wanted was a chance. She had no business talking this way, just because she found a man who filled the emptiness in her heart. Her eyes met his and she let out a long breath. “There’s something between us, you and me.”

She didn’t get any further.

Iollan shook his head reluctantly, lips pressing into a tight thin line. “There’s nothing, Calista.” He levered a bullet into the chamber. “We are at war, and I can’t let personal feelings get in the way of protecting my people.”

His words hit like a fist. Shaken by fine tremors, cold to her very core, she forced herself to swallow her fear. If he wanted her to beg, plead for her life, he had another think coming. Losing her life meant nothing. People were born. Lived. And died. Simple. She knew how she’d gotten into this world. Knowing how she left it wouldn’t matter in a few more minutes.

Callie lifted her chin, meeting his gaze directly. “So back up your mouth with a bullet then. Go ahead.” She wet parched lips with the tip of her tongue. “Pull the damn trigger.”

A
bullet to the head. Maybe even two. That’s what she was going to get. Christ. For a vampire, he wasn’t very imaginative when it came to the methods of delivering death. Still a bullet was effective. No fuss. No muss. No pain.

A bead of sweat trickled down her spine. As an agent working in the field she’d known her luck might run out at any time. Once again a man had fucked her over, and done it most excellently.

Once she’d made the decision to take the bullet, there was no hesitation or doubt. She’d chosen the path her life would take. Now that she’d chosen her death, she was eager to get on with it.

The wait was excruciating.

Callie’s thoughts darkened. She bared her teeth and snapped, “What are you waiting for? Let’s get this fucking show on the road.” She kicked out in anger, foot swiping empty air. Let him get close enough and she’d be glad to punt those balls of his straight up between his shoulder blades. If she had to die, he might as well hurt. A lot.

She closed her eyes, expecting to hear a shot ring out momentarily.
Oh, please, let it be quick.

Seconds ticked off.

Nothing.

The soft brush of his footsteps approached the bed. Something heavy dropped with a muffled thud. The mattress sank under his knee.

Squeezing her eyes tighter, Callie felt his weight shift closer. A hand came down near her shoulder. His leg bumped hers. Fingers brushed along her jaw, sliding into her hair.

She instinctively lifted herself, tilting her head back. She smelled the dark musky scent of his duster. She smelled his skin, heated with the scent of an aroused male. Her limbs turned liquid. She smelled her own arousal, felt the dampness between her thighs.

She didn’t dare open her eyes, didn’t dare hope.

Searching lips brushed the curve of her throat. “Calista,” he murmured. “Forgive me.”

She looked up, tears welling in her eyes. Relief pierced her daze. Instinctively she jerked into a sitting position, blinking up at him. “There’s nothing to forgive.” Her words came out, a thin whisper of relief.

“I feel it,” he said, low, tormented. “I want you too much to watch you die.”

Before Callie said a word, he closed the brief distance between them. Suddenly his mouth was on hers, burning hot straight into her core. His lips were hungry, tongue thrusting deep with demand that she open up, submit. Desire was like steel, immovable and overpowering.

Helpless against the needs of her own traitorous body, Callie surrendered. The intensity in him seemed to enfold and engulf her. A wave of electric shock zinged through her body. Exciting, wicked warmth filled her. She was afraid she would dissolve into a sticky puddle.

He was so close. Aroused.

Arms winding around his neck, a yearning, needy sound rose from her throat. His mouth was relentless, filled with desperation and longing. She’d never been so torn in her life. Her thighs opened. She wanted to be taken completely with the same anxiety driving his kiss.

Everything came in a rush.

Callie wasn’t prepared for the mix of excitement, wonder, and anticipation filling her—all sensations she wasn’t ready to acknowledge. She hadn’t predicted this. Hadn’t expected anything like it. Things like this, feelings like this, didn’t blossom overnight. She wanted him more than life, more than the oxygen driving her lungs or the blood pounding in her temples. She wanted…

Oh.

Strong hands gripped her shoulders, pushing her back. “This can’t work.” His voice was taut, ragged as his breathing. “We can’t do this.”

Fighting to catch her breath, and steady the aching emptiness of his withdrawal, Callie swallowed.

Hovering just inches away, Iollan looked fabulous. Heart-stealing fabulous. Whatever he was, he wasn’t hard on the eyes. Rested, he looked bright, vital, and very much alive. His clothes were still the same from head to foot, even down to the knee-brushing duster. His thick dark hair gleamed, the unruly layers enhancing the line of his strong jaw. And his eyes. Like living flames, so clear and bright they couldn’t possibly be a natural color.

Her internal temperature ratcheted up a few more notches. “It’s all right. I want to.”

Averting his gaze, Iollan slowly shook his head. A sigh shuddered out. “I can’t. If I take you again, I won’t be able to let you go.”

Her heart twisted. “Me either.”

Iollan leaned back, putting some distance between them. “You should go.”

She looked up briefly puzzled. Was that it? Just get up and leave? Definitely not on her agenda. Her whole body yearned for the next sweet touch of his hands on her naked skin, his lips on hers.

Their gazes tangled, his avoiding, hers questioning. “Why?”

Fleeting wariness crossed his face. He glanced toward the windows, toward the night that beckoned him. “I have to feed,” he said slowly. “Soon.” His final word hammered.

The skin on her scalp crawled when he reminded her of that simple fact. No matter what she might feel for him, Iollan Drake was a vampire.
Is
, she corrected herself.

Callie pursed her lips, making a quick decision. She didn’t suppose donating a little of her blood would hurt her. Her skin heated as she remembered the previous withdrawals he’d made. She didn’t recall that she’d minded a bit. “You can take mine,” she started to offer.

He gazed at her, his eyes lighting with fresh desolation. He reached out, brushing her lips with the tips of his fingers. “Just walk away from this place, and don’t look back.”

Callie felt her heart lodge in her throat. Common sense told her to go, but too many emotions competed inside her. Not to mention that his immediate proximity continued to wreak havoc on her hormones. She blinked, fighting for control. “I’m not leaving.”

Iollan closed his eyes briefly. “It’s not safe for you to stay.” His admission failed to disguise the yearning in his voice.

Callie refused to accept that. Something inside tugged at her. Her attraction to Iollan Drake was one thing; she’d dismiss that as purely hormonal. But the seeming gentleness of his spirit collided with his image as cold-blooded killer.

A cold-blooded killer didn’t let a federal agent walk free.

She reached out, touching his arm. “I’m just trying to understand what’s going on.”

A shudder passed through him. Anguish shimmered across his face before a slow smile of regret tugged at his lips. He withdrew from her reach. “Sometimes I think there is no understanding.”

Seeing him so resigned and hopeless shook her to the core. Steeling herself against his withdrawal, her fingers curled into anxious fists. She gave him a beseeching look. “I’m willing to listen.”

“You should go.” Sliding off the bed, he walked toward the bay windows at the rear of the room. Unlatching one, he pushed it open. A breeze winnowed in, bringing with it the sounds and smells of the city at night. He leaned into the frame, head cocked as if listening to invisible voices.

Her concentration on him was so complete that Callie almost didn’t notice the shriveling and sinking of the bed beneath her weight. She glanced down, eyes catching the pale glimmering light of heatless flames. A strange gray film seethed around the edges of the walls. She saw flames licking at the furniture, smelled acrid smoke singeing her nostrils and lungs.

Mind reeling, she felt her feet scrape the floor. She stumbled, almost falling. The contortions around her continued, closer now, dizzying her with a whirlpool of intense action. Everything was beginning to melt and fade around her, withering and receding back to its original state.

The end came within seconds.

Darkness flowed around her like a thick boiling cloud, sapping the very marrow from her bones. She felt fear, an almost anguished longing for a place she’d never known as a whole. A minute more and it would be forever beyond her reach, forever beyond her touch. Once it was gone, once Iollan was gone, it would never come back.

Neither would he.

And then there was darkness, all around and all consuming.

Callie stood, lost in its center. Her head felt tight, like her skull was in a vise. She drew a shaky breath, lifting a hand to her forehead. For a moment the darkness thinned and she saw the windows, little more than gaping holes in the walls now. Iollan stood, a silhouette posed in shadows. He seemed ghostly, unreal.

She took a tentative step forward, trying not to trip. The debris was almost an obstacle course. More steps. Her nerves were taut, wanting to get out of this place. But she wasn’t leaving. Not willingly and, God forbid, not alone. She stopped, standing just behind him. She reached out. Her hand hovered, but didn’t touch.

For the longest time, Iollan didn’t respond. When he did, it was to glance over his shoulder. His hand closed into a fist. “Now you see what I really am,” he said in a low voice. “Nothing more than shadow and ruin.”

“It all seems real to me. You seem real.”

He glanced over his shoulder again. His face, starkly austere in the pallid moonlight, brooded with a distant, inhuman calm. The night suited him. He looked more stunning than ever. “A minor manipulation in energy, just an illusion, nothing more. Come the day, I won’t even exist.”

Not impossible to guess why. “Daylight.”

He nodded. “The sun saps our energy. Daylight incapacitates us to an almost fatal degree.” A hollow tone haunted his words.

Two and two connected. Her heart missed a beat. “Energy you replace through blood.”

A painful hesitation. “We are
psi-sangre
.”

The term meant nothing to her. “I don’t understand.”

His laugh was low, intimate in its amusement. “We draw our strength and vitality from consuming blood energized by sexual energy. In return we try to give much pleasure.”

Callie stood motionless, lulled by the remembrance of his powerful hands on her body. Trying to block her reactions to his words would be futile. He was close enough to ignite any number of erotic fantasies, every one arriving with a clarity that made her cheeks flame and sent molten lava through her core. Even the dull ache in her head from having the splendor sucked away around her didn’t detract from the humming in the rest of her body.

“You did give me pleasure.” Goose bumps prickled over her. “A lot of pleasure.”

Slowly, Iollan turned. His gaze sought hers, somehow connecting through the dim light filtering in. “It’s strange not to belong anymore, to stand on the outside looking in. We keep to the shadows because we must to survive. But we also know human passions and human needs because that part of us never truly died when we crossed. We are still people with emotions, though many call us monsters.”

The low, intimate timbre of his voice made her legs tremble. Somehow she was able to remain standing. His words, spoken so simply and with such sincerity, almost made her cry. She wanted to soothe his pain and assuage her own need to touch him at the same time. He hovered like a moth at the window, seeming to know that physical contact would probably sink them both.

I should let him go.

She shook her head. She couldn’t.

Callie squeezed her eyes shut. The heart she’d thought mended ripped a little more. The tear was tiny, but telling. “I know what it’s like to stand on the outside. I’ve spent my whole life there.”

Her words seemed to draw him in.

Stepping away from his perch, he reached out and tenderly cupped her face. His fingers were cool against her too-hot skin. “Then you know why I can’t ask you to join me. I won’t condemn your beauty to the night alone.”

Relishing his touch, she pressed her hand to his. “I’d shun the light to have you just one more time.”

Iollan pulled her close, his forehead connecting with hers. A jolt of electricity went all the way to her toes.

“You and I are natural enemies,” he murmured. “I could kill you now and no one would be the wiser.”

His dark, serious voice drew her in with its power. She pressed her hands against his chest, fingers clutching his shirt to draw him closer. “You won’t,” she breathed. “You can’t.”

His hands circled her hips. “We attempt to do no harm. That has always been our way.” His warm breath brushed her cheeks, her lips. “I want you to know I didn’t choose to become a murderer.” He was grasping at a redemption she had no authority to offer.

Heart swelling painfully, she felt her pulse rocket. Feeling as if she’d tremble into tiny pieces if he didn’t kiss her soon, she shook her head. She didn’t want to know the details, didn’t need to. “Please, don’t tell me,” she breathed. “I don’t want to know.”

He pulled back a little.

Callie tightened her hold, pressing her body into his. Her breasts were against his chest, and her hips vibrated with delicious anticipation. He was tall, so tall her gaze barely grazed his shoulder. If he wanted to, he could pick her up and break her in half like a twig. She didn’t have to think long to know that as a nonhuman, he’d be stronger and faster.