Night's Promise (11 page)

After a minute or two the crowd saw they weren’t going to get any- more of a show and dispersed.

“Are you really okay?” Clearly still concerned for him, she wouldn’t let the matter drop.

“Angel, I’m fine. Remember, I heal really quickly.”

She looked skeptical but eventually accepted his comment. But he could still feel her guilt. It was touching in a twisted sort of way. She’d hurt him, completely unintentionally, and she grieved for causing him pain. No one had ever cared if he was hurt before.

Paying for their game, he ignored her protests then led her out of the building.

“I am so sorry…”

On the empty street he pulled her into his arms. Kissing her gently, he silenced her apology.

“I know you are, Angel.” Duncan reluctantly released her and they resumed their walk.

“Does it still hurt?”

He considered lying to her, but discarded the idea. “A little, yes.”

“Then we shouldn’t be walking.” She pointed across the street then tugged on his hand.

Entering the playground, Melissa released his hand and ran over to the swings. His pain was forgotten when he saw her laughing as she sat down on a swing. He wondered what she was like as a child. He could easily picture her laughing and smiling all the time.

His thoughts turned from innocent thoughts and shifted to a much more carnal nature when he saw the way she pumped her legs and arched her back just so in order to push the swing higher.

Walking over to her, he leaned on one of the metal supports. “Tell me about your childhood.”

Her smile vanished.

“I meant before your mom died,” he added.

Nodding, she let the swing slow down. “She was a great woman. I mean, sure she didn’t play with me all the time, but I never felt ignored. She’d take me to the playground and smile and laugh as I ran around. I remember this one time that she came to school and got me out of class.

“She told the teachers that I had an appointment she’d forgotten about. But as soon as we were out of the building she laughed and raced me to the car. When I asked where we were going she looked at me so seriously and said, ‘Today is such a beautiful day. It would’ve been a crime for you to miss it.’

“We went to the grocery store and got some supplies, then went to the almost empty playground. She’d put a blanket in the trunk and we laid it on the grass. We sat there having a picnic while my friends were stuck in school. After we finished she bought me ice cream and we ran all over the playground. We swung on the swings together, climbed the jungle gym. She even slid down the slides with me.

“And when kids started crowding us, she winked and told me it was time to go. She took me to a movie I wanted to see and even threw some popcorn on me.”

To Duncan it seemed as though Melissa’s face glowed as she spoke about her mom.

“Then when I should’ve been in bed, she took me to play miniature golf. We raced go-karts and splashed each other in the boats. When we finally did go home, she gave me a big hug and kissed my forehead. She looked at me and said ‘I know I’m not always the most fun mom in the world. But I hope you know that I always love you. That I do treasure the time we do spend together, and I couldn’t be more proud of the lady you are becoming.’

“I was only in elementary school, but I was becoming a ‘lady’. None of my friends could understand my smile the next day at school, but I never told them of the day we’d spent together. It was our day, our secret, and she was the best mom in the world.” Shaking her head, she wiped a tear from her eye. “Tell me about your childhood. Why did you become an assassin?”

“There’s not much to tell. I was born a vampire. We lived in a mansion in England. My mom and dad never denied me anything. I’d like to say they were mean or they ignored me—that’s what everyone expects, but it’s not true. They loved me more than anything.

“As for why I became an assassin, I don’t really know. It’s not like I enjoyed torturing animals or anything. One night, when I was about forty or so, I saw this guy attacking a woman. I pulled him off her, but I hadn’t fed yet. The smell of blood made me really hungry, but I wasn’t going to drink from the woman that was hurt. Without really meaning to, I drained the guy dry, then grabbed his knife and slit his throat to hide my bite.

“Some of the queen’s guards came to investigate and saw me wiping off his blade. They grabbed me for killing the man and trying to rape the woman. She stopped them, told them I’d saved her life, thankfully leaving out the part where I’d drunk his blood.

“To make a long story short, she was one of Queen Anne’s favorite courtiers, and a sorceress. Her Majesty had me trained as a member of her secret guard. I was taught how to hurt people without killing them, how to torture them to learn information, how to kill. I loved and respected Anne, serving her without fail.

“But then she was gone, and the politics changed, and suddenly I was told to kill the people that I’d previously been told to protect. When I refused, my parents were killed. I didn’t know who was responsible at first and thought I’d been betrayed by those I’d protected.

“Loyalties were changed more often than clothes. I was told it didn’t matter whom I was told to kill, just that I did my job. I decided if I was going to be an assassin, at least I was going to be my own boss. I was tired of working for petty royals with fickle whims. So, I left my home and England completely, coming over to America. Here it was easy enough to find out who was who.

“Starting with smaller jobs, I made a reputation for myself. The bosses didn’t realize that I wasn’t working for any of them exclusively. After a few years of killing for them, I left their ‘employ’—as if I’d ever really worked for them in the first place. They’d have tried to kill me, but my reputation for playing with my victims had gotten around. No one would dare try to end my life. The rest is history.”

“Wow. From average guy to guard to mobster to professional hit man to a bouncer. No one can say your life’s been boring.”

“That it certainly hasn’t.”

Melissa stood up and took his hand. Duncan allowed her to lead him over to a bench. When they sat down she snuggled close against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Looking up at the stars, he wondered how he’d ever become so lucky.

“Duncan?”

Lowering his head, he planned on answering her question, but she didn’t give him the chance. Her lips were on his. Desire flooded his body. Duncan pulled her closer, his tongue thrusting eagerly into her mouth as she sucked on it.

He trailed kisses down to her neck, his teeth scraping against her flesh, but he was careful not to taste her blood, never to break skin or scratch her.

Cupping her breast in his hand, he wanted to carry her over to a patch of grass and have sex with her beneath the stars. He wanted to give her another happy playground memory, but it wasn’t the time.

Forcing himself to slow down, to pull back slightly and cool off, he resumed their conversation.

“You know I still won that game, right?”

“Why are you acting like this?” she asked without looking at him. “One minute you’re all over me and the next you’re talking like we didn’t—like nothing happened. Didn’t you feel…”

“Angel, I promised we would go slow.” Gently grasping her hand, he put it on his jean-covered erection. “Yes, I felt it, but I won’t let myself get so carried away that I say ‘fuck it’. You deserve better than to be tossed down on the grass and fucked.”

Nodding her understanding, she elbowed him gently. “Now that I know the rules of bowling with you, I’ll be more prepared the next time we play.”

“Uh-oh,” he teased. “Prepared how?”

“Nothing big. I’ll just make sure I’ve thought up all kinds of ways to distract you.”

“Note to self, I’m gonna need steel-toe bowling shoes.”

Melissa laughed and leaned against his chest.

“So when do you want to go again? Cause I can be free tomorrow night…” Duncan told her with a smile.

Still laughing she shoved him playfully. In the darkness, Duncan wondered yet again what he could have done to deserve a treasure like her.

They sat there talking and occasionally making out for most of the night. As dawn slowly crept closer, Duncan hailed a taxi and took her home. He took her in his arms and kissed her good night as the taxi driver waited.

“Did you want to come in…” she asked shyly.

“More than you know. And that’s why I’m gonna go home.”

Melissa sighed. “Then I guess I’ll see you later.”

After one more too quick kiss, she entered the house, and he returned to the taxi. Giving the driver the address, Duncan leaned back and thought about Melissa.

He could already tell he was growing attached to her. He didn’t want to hurt her, and the thought of her with another man made his fangs lengthen.

It was wrong of him to continue seeing her, but he wasn’t strong enough to give her up. He wanted her to know just how valuable she was, and determined to treat her like the most priceless of treasures for as long as they were together.

Being realistic, he wouldn’t allow himself to think they had a future together, that she’d want to be with him for eternity. But he knew he’d treasure her for as long as she allowed him to.

Walking through the club, Duncan went upstairs, sighing. As hard as his cock was after making out with Melissa half the night, he knew he’d have to do something before he went to sleep.

Entering the small windowless room he’d insisted on taking for his own, Duncan stripped and entered the bathroom. With warm water flowing all around him, he closed his eyes, conjuring her image. Remembering how she felt pressed against him, he groaned.

Closing his hand around his cock, he used every ounce of his imagination to change it into Mel’s hand. To melt away the familiar calluses until all he felt was her smooth, delicate, sinfully soft palm caressing his flesh.

Her hand moved slowly up and down his length, pausing to trace the lines and curve of its head. He could just imagine her short fingernail tracing circles around the tip of his cock, each circle growing smaller and smaller until she reached the center and the precome that had leaked out just for her.

Being the inquisitive woman that she was, he knew she would lean over slightly for a closer look. Would she lean over and taste the clear liquid waiting there for her? Would she slide her finger over top of it and rub it into his cock? Anticipation driving him crazy, he relished the trip as he awaited her next move.

Surprising him, Melissa looked up into his face as she slowly dragged the tip of her tongue across the top, scooping it up and tasting him. Her hand moved to the base of his erection before she released him. Using only one finger she lightly scraped her nail over his balls, swirling around them slowly.

Despite the fact that he felt ready to explode at her simple ministrations, he fought to maintain control. He wanted to enjoy her touch for as long as he could. Stopping her hand with his own for just a moment while he struggled with his body’s desire to come, he released her when the urge had weakened slightly.

A twinkle in her eye, Melissa glanced at him and began to move her hand slowly. The smile curving her lips told him that she knew what effect she was having on his body, and that she enjoyed it. A groan escaped him when she squeezed him just-so right beneath the head of his cock.

Her pace increased little by little. Growing bolder, she continued stroking him with one hand as the other joined in. Her previously free hand cupped his balls first, her short nails lightly scratching against his flesh until he was growling with pleasure. Beneath her touch, his balls grew tighter, and he knew that this time he would not be able to stop the orgasm.

Taking her hand off his balls, she moved it to the head of his cock, squeezing it gently in rhythm to her strokes. Duncan’s head fell back and he thought he was in heaven as his eyes started to roll back in his head.

Beneath the shower’s spray, his hand sped up until his orgasm ripped through his body and come was being washed down the drain.

He dried himself off and returned to the bedroom. Scooping up the phone before he lay down, Duncan called an old friend of his. When the voicemail picked up, he left a message.

“Jake, it’s Duncan. I was wondering if you’d be willing to come by the club sometime. I’ve been thinking about getting something pierced and was wondering if you’d be up for it. Give me a call back sometime. Catch you later.”

Hanging up the phone, Duncan placed it on the small table beside his bed and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Inside the deserted warehouse he was calling his temporary home, Travis fumed. That worthless slut Diane hadn’t been able to find out anything about this mystery man. He’d wanted to rush over to them as they sat in that playground and drive a stake into the bastard’s heart when he saw the way he was touching Melissa. She was his property damn it, and no other man should be groping her like that!

At least now he was sure the man wasn’t human. No human could take a bowling ball to the foot like that and simply walk out of there as though nothing had happened. No, any normal man would have gone straight to the hospital.