Tall, Dark & Hungry (37 page)

"He didn't seem nervous," Bastien snapped. He had known the man for four hundred years; nothing made him nervous.

"That's true," his mother allowed reluctantly, then her expression cleared. "Well, of course!"

"Of course, what?" Bastien asked, suspecting he didn't want to know.

"Well, it was probably comfort eating."

"Comfort eating?" he repeated incredulously.

"Mmm." Marguerite nodded. "Well, there were Etienne and Lissianna, happy with their life mates, and Lucern marrying his, and you with Terri… He was probably lonely, suddenly aware of his solitary status, and overfeeding because of it."

"Dear Lord." Bastien sank back in his seat and shook his head.

"The poor boy," Marguerite murmured.

"Yes, poor boy," Bastien said dryly. He rolled his eyes. His mother had always had a soft spot for Vincent; he was her favorite nephew.

"Perhaps I should go visit him," she murmured thoughtfully.

Bastien perked up at this suggestion. "Perhaps you should. Understanding as you are, you might be able to help him."

"Yes." Marguerite picked up her purse off his desk. "A trip to California would be nice this time of year."

"I hear it's lovely," he agreed encouragingly.

"Yes. I think I will." She slung her purse strap over her shoulder, then paused to peer at him. "You know I love you and wouldn't run off to California to tend Vincent if I didn't already know your little problem was taken care of, don't you?"

Bastien's head jerked slightly. Her comment caught him by surprise. "I don't have a problem," he growled, then added, "And what do you mean it's been taken care of?"

Marguerite ignored the question. Whirling away from the desk, she headed for the door. "Well, I'm off to California. Vincent will no doubt insist I stay with him, so ring me there if you have any… news."

"Wait! Mother!" Bastien half rose, then paused and simply sank down in his seat again when the door closed. For a minute, he stared blindly at the closed door, wondering what she had been talking about. Bastien suspected she had meant his broken heart when she spoke of his problem, but he had no idea what she meant when she'd said it was taken care of. The possibilities were endless. No doubt a half-dozen New York psychologists were going to call him over the next couple of days—pretty, single
female
psychologists—all claiming a need to talk to him about his mother.

Bastien scrubbed his hands through his hair with agitation. Marguerite Argeneau had to be the most annoying, interfering… And she was now Vincent's problem. For a while, at least.

"Sorry, Vinny," he muttered under his breath. A small smile plucked at his lips at the idea of the chaos his cousin was about to suffer, but it died quickly. As annoying and persistent as she could be, Marguerite Argeneau often got what she wanted. She had managed to get Kate back for Lucern when the woman had fled him for New York. And she had arranged for Thomas to get Etienne and Rachel back together when they had fallen out. It was just a shame she hadn't set her mind to getting Terri back for him.

Not that he wanted her interference, he assured himself.

Meredith was talking on the phone when Terri walked into her office. The woman stopped dead in the middle of her conversation and gaped at her; then she hung up the phone without a word of good-bye or an explanation to whomever she had been talking to. "Am I glad to see you."

Terri smiled. "Well, it's nice to see you too, Meredith."

"Trust me, not as nice as it is for me to see you, Terri." The secretary stood, collected her purse and jacket, and walked around the desk. "He's been a miserable grouch ever since returning from England. He loves you, you know."

"Yes." Terri smiled. "He told me that in Huddersfield. The problem was whether I could handle what you all are." One of the things that Kate had explained was that most of the employees at the upper level were vampires as well. There were many employees at Argeneau Enterprises who weren't, but those in important positions were. It eliminated the possibility of a disgruntled employee blabbing about what they were to the rest of the world.

Meredith paused in front of her and nodded. "And now?"

"And now, I'm unemployed, homeless, and here," Terri said wryly. She'd quit her job, and even managed to sell the cottage before leaving. She intended to look for a position in America, or Toronto, or wherever it was that she and Bastien ended up. If he still wanted her.

Smiling, the secretary leaned forward and hugged her. "Welcome to the family," she said. Then turned to gesture to Bastien's office door. "It's not locked. He'll be happy to see you. I'm going to an early lunch."

"Thank you," Terri said quietly. She waited for the older woman to leave the office before she knocked, waited for his "Enter"—which
was
rather snappish, she noticed—then walked in.

"Meredith, where the hell did I put—" His harassed tones died abruptly as he glanced up and spotted her.

"Terri."

Terri.

"You didn't put me anywhere, but you left me in Huddersfield." She closed the door and crossed the room, suddenly unsure that Kate and Meredith were right, and that he would really be happy to see her. He didn't look too happy.

Bastien was confused for a minute; then he reran his last words to himself—
"Meredith, where the hell did I put… Terri."
Understanding dawned. "I waited the two days."

"I'm a slow thinker," Terri said apologetically. "And thick sometimes. Kate had to come see me before I got over old presumptions."

"Old presumptions?"

"Well, you know. Thirty-three years of vampire movies can leave an impression," Terri explained with a shrug. "I was stuck on the word, not seeing the man. Or the woman, for that matter." She paused in front of his desk. "I was even afraid of Kate when she first showed up at my office in Leeds."

"Kate came to the University?" Bastien asked.

Terri nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "She said she just knew that you'd mess up the explaining part."

"I didn't mess up the explaining part," he snapped.

" 'Have you seen the movie
An American Werewolf in London?'
" she quoted back to him. She shook her head and laughed.

Bastien flushed. So, okay—maybe that hadn't been the smoothest opening. Since then, he'd thought of at least a dozen better ways to start.

"I was under a bit of pressure," he excused himself. He gave a weary shrug, then sat back in his seat and eyed her. "Are you going to tell me why you're here? Or are you enjoying torturing me?"

"I'm here because I love you."

That sounded hopeful, he thought, his body tensing.

"And because I hope you still love me."

Bastien stared at her for a minute, part of him wanting to leap over the desk and take her in his arms and show her how much he still loved her. The other part urged caution. "And what about"—he gestured to his body—"my medical condition?"

Terri gave a laugh. "Medical condition?"

Bastien sighed wearily. "You know what I mean."

She hesitated, then asked, "Do you still love me, Bastien? Or are you so hurt that I needed time to think about this that you aren't sure you want anything to do with me anymore?"

"I still love you," he admitted. "I'll love you forever. Or at least for the next four or five hundred years. After that, we might have to work at it."

Terri grinned and walked around the desk.

Bastien watched her, unable to move, still wary, then gave an "oomph" as she dropped into his lap.

"I can accept your 'medical condition,'" she told him. "And I'd like to spend my life, however long it is, with you. Now, if you wouldn't mind, would you make love to me please?" She slid her arms around his shoulders. "I know we still have talking to do, but I really need to feel close to you again. I've felt so cold and scared inside since you left."

Bastien felt some of the numbness that had claimed him for the last three weeks slip away, and compassion took its place. That was how he'd felt; cold and scared, alone inside. It was like all happiness had gone out of his life along with her. Bastien let his arms slide around her waist, and he dipped his head to kiss her.

She was warm in his arms, and sweet on his lips, but it wasn't until she sighed into his mouth that Bastien felt passion begin to creep warily into him. He'd missed her. He'd missed touching her, talking to her, just being with her. And he'd missed her sighs, her moans, and the way her body moved against his.

Bastien let a hand slide from her waist up to her breast, and he squeezed gently, a small sigh sliding out as she arched her body and moaned in response. He could almost feel the protective ice that had formed around his heart three weeks ago cracking and crumbling away. It left his chest aching. He now understood the phrase "I love you so much it hurts." His heart did hurt, and only Terri could soothe it.

"Terri," he murmured, breaking their kiss and trailing his lips over her cheek. "I need you."

"I need you, too." There was a catch in her voice as she admitted it, an excited breathless sound. Then she caught her fingers in his hair and forced his mouth to hers, kissing him with the passion he remembered and yearned for. The ache in his heart eased, but now the rest of his body ached in its place.

Bastien wanted her badly, and didn't think he could be gentle and caring and considerate about it. His instincts urged him to rip at her clothes and bury himself deep inside her. The hand at her breast shifted to the buttons down the front of her blouse, working them carelessly and popping several in his impatience to feel her skin. It was a relief to get the top open. Then he found himself frustrated by the black satin bra she wore underneath. Terri immediately reached between them and unsnapped the front hook, allowing the material to gape open. Bastien was on those breasts at once, his hands covering and then squeezing the warm soft skin. He broke away and closed his mouth over one erect nipple.

"We should move to the couch," he muttered against her skin.

"No," Terri murmured—and he felt disappointment shift through him as she suddenly slid away and out of his reach. But it seemed Terri wasn't in the mood for much foreplay, either. Before he could suffer disappointment for long, or even move, she settled back onto his lap, this time straddling him.

"You wore a skirt again," he breathed against her breast, then licked at the erect nipple in his face. He ran one hand lightly up her stockinged thigh. "But these will get in the way."

"No, they won't," she assured him. Terri took his hand and guided it up under her skirt to her hip.

Bastien's eyes widened. Those weren't panty hose, but true stockings. And she wasn't wearing any panties. He groaned against her breast, then caught her nipple in his mouth and slid his hands over her bare bottom, wondering how soon would be too soon to enter her.

Terri answered that question by shifting and reaching between them to undo his pants. "I need you
now,
Bastien."

"Thank God," he muttered, sliding one hand between her legs to caress her. He found that she was indeed warm and wet and ready for him.

The moment Terri freed him from his trousers, she brushed his hand away from between her legs and moved, repositioning herself so that she could guide herself onto him.

"Terri…" Bastien groaned as she sank slowly down to take him into her. Her wet heat closed around him.

"Yes," she breathed, lifting herself off and sliding back down.

"Damn." His mouth fastened on her neck and he sucked urgently; then he felt his teeth try to slip out to bite her. He forced them back and turned his mouth to her lips instead. Terri kissed back just as hungrily, her body sliding against his as she raised and lowered herself. Her languid rhythm was driving him crazy. He needed fast and hard after so long without her.

Pushing her skirt farther upward and out of the way, he fastened his hands on her hips and urged her on.

Astride him, Terri broke the kiss on a gasp and caught her hand at the back of Bastien's head, urging his mouth against her skin. The tension inside her was building to unbearable levels.

"Bastien, please!" she gasped, begging for release. He almost had her there. Then she felt his teeth sink into her, and she stiffened in surprise.

Terri stopped moving, her body gone taut as she trembled on the knife edge of excitement, but he continued to pump into her as he sucked at her neck. Suddenly, pleasure exploded through her. Wondrous, ecstatic pleasure. Terri cried out, her arms clenching around his neck and shoulders, and her whole body jerking in his arms. Wave after wave of release rode her until Terri didn't think she could stand it anymore, then darkness crowded in.

"You fainted."

Terri blinked her eyes open at those words and stared up at Bastien, then glanced around. He'd moved her to the couch. She was lying on it, her clothing in disarray, while he sat on the edge brushing the hair back from her face with his gentle fingers.

"You bit me," she said with disbelief.

He grimaced. "I'm sorry, I tried not to, but you forced my head back to your neck and I—"

"It's okay," she said quickly to stop his apology. Then she sighed. "Jeez. Kate said it was something, but that was an understatement."

"Are you all right?" he asked with concern.

Terri nodded slowly. She felt all right. She felt better than all right. She felt excellent. Her eyes sought his. "I love you, Bastien. I'm sorry for the last three weeks, but I needed time to accept. It was all so easy, so natural from the start. Like some sort of fairy-tale romance."

"Then it turned into a horror," he said.

"No. Not a horror," Terri said, then admitted, "Well, okay, maybe a little horrorish, but that was only because your explanation—"

"I'm sorry," he interrupted. He gave a slight laugh and ran one hand through his hair. "Can you believe I had to explain it to Rachel for Etienne, because he was flubbing it? Then I turned around and flubbed it with you. I guess it's harder to be smart when it really matters. And it did—
does
—matter to me."