Kindling Flames: Flying Sparks (The Ancient Fire Series Book 2) (13 page)

“He’s my boss, not my boyfriend,” Vicky protested again.

“Well, if he’s free, can I have him?” Vanessa asked. The rest of the girls giggled.

“No,” Vicky protested. “Mine,” she said, without thinking about it. The girls giggled at her again.

“What’s yours?” Darien asked as he walked back into the room.

Vicky’s friends nearly died laughing as Vicky blushed the deepest shade of red she could.

“Nothing.” She tried to hide as Darien set plates of tiramisu on the table.

He smiled down at her innocently. From the kitchen, he had heard every word the girls had said.

As he went back to get the last two plates, Vicky picked up and drained her wineglass, trying to cool her face.

“You could always get your ‘nothing’ to carry you up to bed,” Vanessa teased. The flush that had started to fade from Vicky’s skin came back as she remembered Darien carrying her up from the car.

“Oh, I think she likes that idea,” Beth said.

“Shut up,” Vicky said playfully to her friends. The girls giggled at her again as Darien came back into the room with the rest of the desserts. They giggled more as Darien passed out the plates, before starting in on their cake.

“This is fantastic,” Beth said around the first bite of the creamy cake. “I need this recipe.”

A hint of a grin curled the corner of his mouth as he mashed his tiramisu up with his fork. “I’ll write it down for you,” he said, licking a little of the dessert from his fork. Vicky noticed he was playing with his food more than eating it.

It didn’t take them long to finish, and the girls insisted they help clear away the dishes.

***

“How do I get to live in a place like this?” Vanessa asked as they stared out of the windows of the breakfast room at the city lights.

Beth reminded Vanessa how Vicky had gotten to be so lucky. “Easy. Get hired by the owner of a corporation and set your apartment on fire.”

“With my luck, he’d be some old-as-dirt bloodsucker, out for my body,” Maggie said. Vicky stood silently and looked out the window as her friends giggled. She didn’t want to tell them how close they were to the truth.

“By the way,” Beth looked over at their silent companion, “how are your burns?”

Vicky cleared her throat lightly, looking for something to say. “Healing.” She didn’t know how to tell them Darien had made them go away completely. “I told you they weren’t that bad.”

“That’s good.” Vanessa looked back out at the darkening world. “It’s starting to get late. We need to get going.”

“Yeah, then Vicky can get to her ‘nothing’.” Beth giggled.

Vicky rolled her eyes and shook her head again. There was no getting her friends to behave; she had stopped trying a long time ago.

The girls set their glasses on the counter next to the sink as they made their way through the kitchen and back out to the living room.

“Thank you all for coming shopping with me.” Vicky hugged each of her friends in turn.

“It was fun,” Vanessa answered.

“I always enjoy spending someone else’s money,” Beth added.

Vicky chuckled as she walked them to the elevator.

“Where did Darien go?” Maggie looked around as if he would reappear upon hearing his name.

“I don’t know.” Vicky shrugged. He’d slipped away sometime when they were looking around the kitchen. She caught him holding his chest and figured he had eaten too much of the food. “I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”

“Well, thank him for dinner when you see him.” Maggie hugged Vicky again.

“Good night,” Vicky said as her three friends got on the elevator and left her to her first night in the new home.

Vicky let out a sigh and went back to the kitchen. Looking at the plates and dishes setting on the countertop, she sorted them out and found some soap and a strainer under the counter. She was halfway through the dishes and elbow-deep in suds, when Darien came back into the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” he asked as he walked over to where Vicky was rinsing the last of the plates before starting on the pots.

“You cooked, so it’s only fair that I clean.” She shrugged as she set the plate in the rack. Darien reached out with his left hand and took up Vicky’s injured hand. He rolled it over to look at the burn Vicky had gotten wet.

“You could have just loaded them into the dishwasher.” Darien caressed the waterlogged skin on her palm. Vicky blushed at her oversight.

“I didn’t think about that,” she answered. The dishwasher in her old apartment didn’t work well, so she was used to doing the dishes by hand.

“Come.” Darien led her by the hand away from the sink and the damp dishes. “Let me dress this for you. I’ll deal with that later.”

Vicky looked back over her shoulder at the pans still sitting on the counter. “But—” She tried to protest as Darien led her into the foyer and past the line of bouquets still waiting for someone to tend to them.

“Don’t worry about it,” he soothed as he took her up the steps. “If I don’t get to it, my housekeeper will.”

“You have a housekeeper?” Vicky asked in shock.

“Of course I do.” He laughed at her. “You don’t think I keep this place clean by myself, do you?”

Vicky didn’t answer as Darien led her down the hall and through the door to the master suite. Pulling her into the master bathroom, he placed her on a low stool by the vanity. Darien examined her hand without releasing it. Patting it dry, he placed the towel on the counter and rested her hand on it. Picking up a brown bottle, he pulled a cork out of it and poured a small amount of clear liquid onto a clean bandage. He re-corked the bottle, set it back down on the counter, and then picked up another bottle to repeat the process.

Concern bubbled up in Vicky when smoke started issuing from the cotton pad on the countertop. “What’s that?” she asked as Darien added a third liquid, turning the smoke acid green.

“Something to make your hand better.” Carefully picking up the smoking cloth, he looked from the cloth to his assistant. She glanced up at him as he gripped her wrist so she couldn’t pull her hand away. “This might sting a bit,” he warned, turning the cloth over and pressing it into the wound.

The scream that Vicky let out would have had the neighbors calling the cops if she had been in her old apartment. Darien clenched his teeth but didn’t let her struggling hand go.

“Sorry,” he said, pressing the cloth harder into her hand. Her screams subsided into a stream of colorful curses, and then into racking sobs. Darien shifted his hold on Vicky’s hand, so his right palm pressed the pad into hers. He released her wrist with his left hand so he could lean her head against him to cry.

Pissed, Vicky tried to push him away, but Darien held her against him and petted her softly. When the pain subsided to a dull ache, she sat up and pulled away from him.

“You could’ve fucking warned me,” Vicky growled at him. She looked down at her hand, still pinned to the counter. There were light bruises forming around her wrist where she had struggled against him.

“I’m sorry.” Darien tucked her hair behind her ear again. “Would you have let me do it if I told you it was going to hurt like hell?”

“Hell no!” Vicky grumbled as he moved so he could look at the injury. “What the hell was that, anyway?”

Darien held her wrist so she wouldn’t pull it away and lifted the cloth carefully from her hand. The raw, round mark was still bright red, but there was the shininess of new skin forming over the circle. “It was supposed to heal your hand completely.” He looked closely at the burn mark on Vicky’s palm. “I’m sure I used enough.” Darien eyed the little bottles before releasing her hand.

Vicky jerked it back from his reach and clutched it protectively against her chest. There was no way she was going to let him have it back to pour more of that smoking green shit on it.

Picking up a clean bandage, he held out his hand for Vicky to give her injured hand back.

She stared up at him as if he were crazy. Her trembling legs were the only reason she was still sitting next to him. Otherwise, she would have bolted from the room when he had released her. Whatever that was had stolen all the strength from her body. The fact that she was pissed off at Darien was the only thing keeping her conscious at the moment.

“No way,” she protested, clutching her hand to her chest harder.

“I promise, it’s just a clean bandage. It won’t hurt.” Darien held the cloth out for her to see. “It needs to be covered, so it doesn’t get infected.”

Vicky glared at him for a moment before reluctantly relinquishing her hand.

“I really am sorry,” Darien said as he caressed the gauze into place.

Vicky’s anger was starting to subside. It was obvious he was upset over the ordeal, and she couldn’t see the point of holding it against him if he were really trying to help.

When he finished with the wrap, she pulled her hand away from him. “Can I go now?” She just wanted to go to bed.

“Of course.” Darien stepped back so Vicky could leave.

The trembling had stopped, so she forced herself to her feet, but it was obvious to both of them there was no way she could walk back to her room by herself.

“Here.” Darien scooped her up in his arms and carried her out of the room.

She leaned into him as her body relaxed in his arms. It was amazing how comfortable she had become around him in such a short period of time.

Vicky was nearly asleep when Darien got her into her room. He was very worried; she shouldn’t be this tired after the treatment. It was true she was still recovering from the healing burns, but the potion shouldn’t have drawn this much from her.

Darien pulled her sandals off and slipped her between her covers. He looked at the bruises around Vicky’s wrist and placed his hand over them. Pouring a little of his power into her, he healed it. Yes, it was just a tiny thing, but he felt bad about hurting her. Vicky made a soft noise in her sleep, and Darien bent over and kissed the side of her head. He tucked her short hair back from her face before turning and leaving her to sleep. He would wait to see how she was doing in the morning before letting her go to work.

***

Sunlight leaked through the window and across the bed where Vicky was still sleeping. Darien knew she was alive by the sound of her breathing and her heartbeat, but he was bothered that she hadn’t moved since he had placed her in the bed. He walked across the room and rested his hand on her to judge her condition. Other than the gauze-wrapped wound on her hand, she seemed okay. There should have been no reason for her to be this tired.

Darien patted the sleeping woman softly. “Victoria.” He needed her to wake up so he could make sure she was fine.

Vicky shifted in the bed and moaned lightly in her sleep.

“It’s time to wake up.” He patted her a little firmer.

She let out a sigh as her eyes came open. Darien stepped back as Vicky stretched and yawned away her sleep.

“Sorry about that.” She rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?” she asked groggily.

Darien was relieved to see that she could wake up. “Almost seven.”

Vicky looked up at him in his neat suit as she worked out what he said. “Shit.” She threw the covers back and started to get out of bed. “I’m so sorry. I’ll be ready to go in five minutes.”

“Calm down.” Darien caught her as she tried to rush past him to get ready for work. “It’s seven in the evening.”

Vicky froze and looked up at him. “What?” she asked, completely confused.

“You’re not going to be late for work,” he explained. “You slept all day. It’s seven in the evening.”

Vicky was even more confused. She moved away from him and sunk back onto the edge of the bed. “Why didn’t you wake me up?” she asked, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she had slept through the entire day.

“I did.” Darien smiled at her.

“No,” she answered, a little cross he was playing with her. “I meant this morning before work.”

His smiled widened a bit. “Because you needed the rest more than you needed to work,” he replied.

Vicky folded her hands and sat silently for a moment, thinking about his words. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

Darien chuckled lightly. “If you’re awake now, dinner is waiting for you.”

Vicky looked up in surprise.

“It’s in the kitchen.” He moved to the door, pulling off his tie. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t join you. I had quite enough food yesterday.”

“Of course,” Vicky answered as he disappeared from her doorway. She sat for a little longer on the edge of the bed. She was tempted to crawl back into it, but Darien said there was food waiting for her, and the noise her stomach was making won over going back to sleep.

Quickly making up the bed, she turned to go, but stopped when she noticed something missing from her room. All the shopping bags she had brought home yesterday were nowhere to be seen. Vicky walked over to the couch where her new clothing had been and searched it to make sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her. Panic rose in her as she tried to figure out what had happened to them. Pulling open the top drawer of the dresser, she found her new underwear freshly washed and folded into it. Surprised by this, she went to the closet and found her new clothing, clean and hanging up.