Seduced by the Night (33 page)

Julia continued on, oblivious to the quick looks being exchanged around her. "Do you have to go into the lab tonight, Bethany? I've cooked a big meal for us. After sleeping through most of the day, I thought we needed it."

"No, not tonight. In fact, not for a while. I actually finished the project last night."

"That's great," Julia said.

The timer on the oven went off and Julia jumped up from the table. She opened the oven door and the aroma of roast beef and vegetables filled the room, making Bethany's mouth water.

"Can I help with anything," she offered, wanting to do  something that would provide some small escape from everyone's knowing look.

Julia smiled. "Why don't you set the table while I finish. Then we can eat."

Bethany stood and went to the far cabinet to get the plates. They were heavy and she moved carefully, not wanting to drop one. She'd only taken one down when two familiar arms reached around her into the cabinet. Turning her head, she looked up into Dirk's face.

"Let me help." His warm, reassuring smile as he took down the remaining plates left her feeling that everything would be okay.

Soon enough, the table was set and the food was ready. Bethany, who was dreading the meal, was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be very enjoyable. The admiral told them more tales about the Original Four and their early exploits in vampire hunting. Then Mac, Dirk, and the admiral shared stories about some of their adventures in the
SEALs
. Dinner passed quickly and soon she, Dirk, Mac, and
Lanie
were being dismissed so Julia could do the dishes. She insisted on doing them herself, only allowing the admiral to stay and help her.

The others walked into the living room.

"Are you going out to patrol?"
Lanie
asked Mac.

He smiled down at her. "Not tonight. I think it would be better if we stayed closer to home. We only need to run out and check the bodies from last night, to make sure they all turned to stone."

"Great, then Bethany and I will find something on TV to watch."

"Come on, Dirk. We've been given our orders."

Dirk, who'd been standing next to Bethany as they listened to the exchange between Mac and
Lanie
, reached out and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be right back."

"Be careful," she said, a little breathless as she watched them go.

"Don't worry,"
Lanie
said beside her. "They'll be all right. Let's go see what's on."

They went into the small television room where
Lanie
turned on the TV. She slowly scrolled through the onscreen guide while Bethany sat beside her.

"There's only one way a changeling gets the look that Mac and Dirk had tonight,"
Lanie
said casually, never taking her eyes from the TV.

Bethany knew where she was headed. "I'm not cheating on Miles." She was glad to be able to tell someone. "I broke up with him the night of the awards ceremony."

Lanie
looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry to pry. It's just that Dirk means a lot to me. He's like a brother and I'd hate to see him get hurt, and anyone can tell from the way he is around you that he cares about you a great deal." Then, maybe because she realized how serious and threatening she sounded, she hurried to add, "I couldn't be happier to see the two of you together."

"T
hank
s," Bethany said. "Do you think the others know?"

"Well, Mac knows how Dirk feels, but I don't think he knows about you and Miles. Let's hope Dirk has a chance to explain before they get into a fight."

That got Bethany's attention. "Do you really think they'd hurt one another?"

Lanie
smiled. "Don't worry."

Fifteen minutes later, the door opened and Mac and Dirk walked in. Bethany could tell from the looks on then-faces that Dirk had broken the news to Mac. Both men had dirt spots on their clothes and she noticed a sprig of grass in Dirk's hair, leaving her to wonder if Dirk hadn't talked quite fast enough.

The couch was small, but the four of them fit nicely. Mirroring Mac and
Lanie
, Dirk sat with Bethany pulled close to his side, his arm wrapped securely about her. That was how the admiral found them an hour later.

"Excuse me." He gave them a disapproving look. "Bethany, you have a phone call in the kitchen. Dirk, perhaps I could have a word?"

Dirk helped Bethany to her feet and held her hand as they left the study. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before letting her go. She felt like she should stick around and help explain things to the admiral, but one glance at Dirk's face and she knew he didn't want, or need, her there.

Hurrying to the kitchen, she found where the admiral had set the cordless phone on the table and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Bethany?"

The voice on the other end sounded familiar but it took her a second to recognize
Miles's
secretary. "Suzanne? Is that you? Is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry to bother you. I tried your cell phone, but it wasn't on. Mr. Van Home said you were staying with friends. I found this number in his personal file."

"No, it's fine that you called. Is something wrong?"

"Well," she hesitated, sounding unsure. "Is he with you by any chance?"

"Who? Miles? No, I haven't seen him since yesterday."

"Oh, dear. I hope nothing has happened to him. He never came in today and I haven't heard from him."

The news was surprising. "Maybe he left a message on my cell phone—let me check." She was already rushing through the house and was breathless by the time she ran up the stairs to her room. She turned on her cell phone, but there were no messages. "I'm sorry, Suzanne. He hasn't called me."

"It's not like him to not check in," the secretary continued, clearly upset.

"I guess you've already tried his apartment?"

"Yes. I talked to the building manager and he assured me that Mr. Van Home was not at home."

Bethany didn't know what to tell her. It wasn't like Miles to simply disappear without leaving word with someone, but usually that someone had been Bethany. Now that they were no longer engaged, there was certainly no reason for him to inform her of his plans.

"Did you call his family?"

"I tried, but they're still in Europe."

"Maybe we should call the police," Bethany finally suggested.

"I already tried, but there's no reason to suspect foul play. Until there is, there's nothing they can, or will, do."

"I guess we don't have much of a choice. We'll just have to wait and hope he shows up."

"I don't like it," Suzanne complained. "It's not like him."

"I know. I'm not happy about it either, but I don't know what to tell you."

Suzanne promised to stay in touch and then hung up. Bethany returned to the TV room. Dirk had obviously finished his conversation with the admiral and was waiting for her.

"Problems?" he asked as she sat next to him.

Deciding that Miles was already a tender subject with him, she thought it best not to say anything. "No, just someone at the lab double-checking something. Everything's fine." She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "How about here? Everything okay?"

His expression darkened very slightly. "Nothing you need to worry about."

She didn't like the sound of that, but decided not to press. Instead, she turned her attention to the show on TV.

It was nearly dawn when the four of them finally called it a night and retired. Dirk and Bethany went back to his room where he spent a good part of the early dawn making love to her.

They finally fell asleep and woke up much later to the sound of someone pounding on the door. Bethany groaned, wanting to hide beneath the covers. She felt like a teenager caught in her boyfriend's bed by her dad.

"Dirk, wake up," the admiral barked through the door.

"I'm awake," Dirk growled back. "Hell, the whole house is awake. What's the matter?"

"Phone call."

Bethany saw Dirk rub his face. "Take a message. I'm sleeping."

"It's not for you."

Bethany did groan then.

"Stay here," Dirk said, throwing back the covers. He pulled on his jeans and walked to the door, bare-
chested,hair
rumpled from sleeping. Bethany thought he'd never looked sexier.

He opened the door a crack, reached through, and took the phone. Then, closing the door behind him, he brought it to her.

"Hello?"

"Bethany, this is Suzanne again. It's almost four and I still haven't seen or heard from Mr. Van Home. He missed all his appointments. I'm really worried now."

Bethany cast a worried glance at Dirk. He wouldn't like it, but she knew he'd help her. "All right, Suzanne. I'll go by his place and see what I can find out. If we haven't heard from him by morning, then you should call the police again."

"T
hank
you, Bethany. I've felt so lost these last two days."

Bethany disconnected the call and looked up to find Dirk watching her carefully. "Miles hasn't been seen for two days. His secretary is worried and frankly now, so am I. This isn't like him. I think he might be in real trouble."

"Why, because he took some time off for a couple of days without telling anyone?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Someone like Miles, who owns a large business and has social obligations, doesn't just disappear."

"Maybe he needed a vacation."

"But going off without telling someone?"

Dirk shrugged. "The man has a right to disappear if he wants to."

"But it's not like him."

Dirk's gaze burned. "Yeah, and you know him so well, right?"

 The retort cut deep and she clenched her teeth together so she wouldn't react to the hurt. "No, you're right. Lately, I seem to be a terrible judge of character, but you know what? If you disappeared for two days, I'd worry about you, too."

She struggled to get out of bed, pulling the sheets off to cover herself. She'd barely taken a step before Dirk was there in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Beth. It's just—" He paused and Bethany filled in the blanks herself.

"Miles made you doubt me? No, I don't think so. It was easier to think I was using you than risk letting me get too close."

She held her breath and waited for his denial, but it didn't come. Instead he nodded. "You may be right. I'll help you look for him."

She couldn't believe it. "Really?"

"Beth, you know I don't like the guy and if there was any way in the world I thought I could convince you to stay here, I'd do it. But I know you'll just sit here and worry. And God help me, I don't want you being with me, but thinking about him."

She let the sheet fall to the floor as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "T
hank
you. I'll let you in on a little secret." She pulled him closer so she could whisper in his ear. "It doesn't matter who I'm with or what I'm doing, you're the only one I ever think about."