Tara (13 page)

Tara turned towards him as he accelerated away. “I would never have guessed you could dance like that. Those girls wanted you.”

“I was there for you, not them.” He knew he wouldn’t keep his face clear of expression if he looked at her so he pretended to check for cars in his blind spot and pointlessly changed lanes.

“Hey.” She reached over and touched his arm so he’d look at her. “I’ll remember tonight forever, Alaric. I don’t think I can explain to you how much it means to me that you took me out tonight, like I was normal, even though – even though I’m unclaimed. And I wasn’t very honest about how risky that was, but you didn’t give anyone the chance to hurt me.” Her voice was serious, and he could hear an edge of emotion in it. “You didn’t even let your friend do anything, even if you were kind of a jerk about it -”

“Look, I’m sorry about Claude, I -”

“It’s okay. You kept me safe, but let me go at the same time. You didn’t sequester me in a corner in the club, you let me be myself. No one does that. No one
ever
does that.” The end of her words trailed off and he looked over to see her staring at her hands.

He didn’t press it any further as he drove, but he kept stealing glances at her profile. She was beyond beautiful, and he couldn’t imagine why Gianni had even been willing to part with her – but perhaps he’d never seen her like this. So alive. He pulled into the car park at the hotel and the moment the car stopped Tara leaned over and kissed him again, bracing one arm on his door so she was slightly above him. It stole the breath from his lungs, and this time he didn’t ignore the urge and pushed his hands into her hair as she leaned over the center console, silky waves that were thick enough to feel heavy in his hands. Her lips were so soft but he kissed her back hard, holding her to him. He heard himself growl as she shifted across the car and was suddenly in his lap, her back brushing the steering wheel, nestling him between her thighs.

“Tara –” He started to speak but she kissed him again as they were firmly pressed together in the small space of the front of the car. Alaric knew he should say something, knew he should stop, because this was exactly what he wasn’t supposed to do. But she fitted against him perfectly, and he didn’t want to say no.

Chapter Fifteen

Tara felt awake for the first time in centuries, every nerve ending was firing and she was completely present. The growl in his chest when she climbed into his lap made her smile against his lips, because he was happy too. He wanted this. Alaric said her name but she stopped him with another kiss – she didn’t want him to turn her away. It had been such a perfect night, she felt so
normal
, and she wanted him.

The realization struck her hard because it had never happened like this before. She wanted this. She was fully awake, and
here
, and she wanted him, and by the gods she was going to have him.

His hands moved to her back, the low cut of her top letting his fingers brush across her skin again. They were both still so hot from the hours of dancing, but she loved the warmth of his hands against her. She had no urge to pull back, to hide in that place inside herself, or escape into music in her head – real or otherwise.

He groaned and turned his head away from the kiss and he opened his mouth to speak again. She could see it in his eyes, and his expression, and the way his body tensed against hers that he was about to say something like
we shouldn’t
, or
I have a job to do
, or
I can’t do this
.

Tara covered his mouth gently with her hand to stop him.

“Let’s make a deal. Tonight we’re both regular people. No jobs, no responsibilities, nothing about tomorrow. Nothing else matters but what we want. Okay?” She slowly moved her hand and his mouth stayed open for a moment, and then Alaric dropped his head back against the headrest. They were still barely an inch from each other in the cramped space of the driver’s seat.

“Tara.” He groaned her name like she was hurting him, and she felt her stomach drop.

He was going to turn her away, and why wouldn’t he? She
was
his job, she wasn’t a real girl, he hadn’t picked her up at the club. She was nobody. Bracing one hand on the passenger seat she leaned over to slide back into it.

“Wait.” He grabbed her hips and stopped her, locking eyes with her as he took a breath. “Deal.” This time Alaric kissed her first, and his arms wrapped around her to seal her against him, she couldn’t breathe in the heat of the kiss. When she brought her hands up to his face she loved the scrape of his whiskers against her palms, the way he nipped her lower lip before he kissed her hard again. She pulled at his shirt until it untucked from his pants and she heard the rumble in his chest as her hands moved across his skin. Tara remembered the lines of his hard stomach from that morning when he had stepped out of the shower. She had been so distracted by him she’d barely been able to respond.

They were gasping when she pulled herself back, pushing herself away from him so her back pressed against the steering wheel. The beep of the horn made her jump and he groaned as she moved in his lap, rubbing against the hard press of his cock. It made her laugh though, and he smiled back.

“I think we should take this upstairs.” She grinned and he traced his eyes over her lips, which she knew were swollen from his attentions. He ran his thumb across her bottom lip and gently kissed her again. Then his mouth traced her jawline, placing kisses along the way until he stopped below her ear.

“I agree, I’d rather not meet the Polizia Municipale for making out with a beautiful girl in a car park.” When he called her beautiful it actually made her heart race. She wanted, needed, to hear that from him. She wanted him to say it again. Tara couldn’t stop herself from kissing him once more, but she simultaneously opened the driver’s side door. The cold air flooded in and made it easier to slip off his lap and out of the car.

“For the sake of your criminal record, we should hurry.” Tara grinned down at him and he laughed. It was such an easy laugh, and hearing it one would guess he laughed all the time, but he never really did. He hadn’t relaxed at all since she’d met him. This had all started with the dancing. His change, his relaxing, this strange feeling of connection.

Nietzsche hadn’t been right about everything, but he had been right when he said
without music, life would be a mistake
.

Yes. Because without music, this wouldn’t be happening.

Alaric stepped out of the car and immediately turned and pressed Tara back against it, his hands gently pulling her towards him so he could capture mouth lips again. She tasted amazing, better than anything he could have imagined, and he couldn’t resist trailing his tongue down her neck again, nipping her lightly. A soft laugh bubbled up from her and it made him smile against her skin.

I want to hear that again and again.

“Upstairs.” He said, his voice humming against her neck, and she nodded. Grabbing her hand he turned and marched towards the hotel, the car beeping as it locked behind them. She was laughing again when he pushed open the doors, the same security guard from the night before smiling at them. He nodded at the man, but he was focused on the elevator doors, pressing the call button over and over as if it would speed up the machine. He just wanted to touch her again without an audience. The ding of the doors opening was like a chime from heaven and he moved her inside quickly.

Alaric punched the button for their floor and then pressed her against the mirrored wall to kiss her again. She pushed her hands into his hair and he growled and lifted her so she wrapped her legs around his waist. Without the height difference he could easily kiss down her neck and across her collarbone, her breaths coming in little pants as he shamelessly ground his hips against her. He was hard as a rock, and he found himself wishing she’d worn one of those little skirts and not the jeans that were now just an infuriating barrier.

Not much longer.

“Security is getting quite the show.” She laughed out.

“No cameras. That’s why I like this hotel.” He stole a kiss from her, grinning as her smile lit up her entire face. “They hire guards for eyes-on security so there’s no cameras, ensures the privacy of the guests.” He growled and pressed her harder against the wall. “Completely worth the extra cost for a moment like this.”

“Agreed.” Tara winked before he kissed her again, and she held his face to hers. He heard the elevator ding as they reached their floor and he stepped back to let her plant her heels on the ground, but his arms stayed around her as the doors slid open. He didn’t want to let go of her, but with the list of things he wanted to do with her growing in his head, he knew the elevator was not the appropriate place to start.

First thing on it? Spread her thighs and taste her for real, hear her call out his name and come apart under his tongue.

His cock was practically knocking at his zipper as he smiled down at her. “Come on, I want to get you very, very naked.” He took her hand again and tugged her into the hallway, moving left towards the door to the room. Once they were there he was going to make sure she knew that she was his focus, that he wanted
her
to feel pleasure, to feel sacred. To know, unequivocally, that he wanted her because of who she was, and not just because she was some mythical warrior who got caught up in a battle between gods. No, she was going to know exactly how much he cared about –

Alaric stopped hard as he turned to face front. The door to their room was ajar.
Fuck
. His stomach sank as he let go of her hand and took out the knife from the back of his pants. All of the excitement from a moment before left him like someone had snuffed out a candle flame. Not even a trace of light left. Just ash and smoke.

He was going to kill whomever had come for her.

Taking two steps forward on silent feet he turned to gesture for her to wait just as the door opened wider and a man stepped out, followed quickly by another. Their eyes came up and the first man stared past him, directly at Tara.

“Hey! It’s her!” The man spoke in Italian and grabbed the arm of the man behind him and pointed straight at her.

No mistaking that. They had come for her, and they were about to find out just how stupid that decision had been.

They stepped forward and he moved to meet them but Tara grabbed the arm without the knife in it, and pulled him back. Switching to Japanese she whispered to him, “Wait. You said you wanted to see me in hand to hand, right?”

“What?
Now
?” He stared at her like she was crazy as she took a step past him, and he grabbed onto her arm to stop her. “Tara…”

She grinned wildly, her cheeks still flushed from their efforts. “Come on. Just trust me. Let me show you.”

As much as it made him sick, he could see how much she wanted this. Wanted the chance to protect herself for once, and he didn’t want to take it away. Alaric forced himself to nod and release her arm, but he didn’t let go of the knife. He could barely breathe as she moved slightly in front of him, every muscle in his body tensing as she was exposed.

You have to trust her.

Turning towards the two men she gave a slight bow, and they stopped short. “I believe you’re here for me?” She chose Italian since they had spoken it, and the sweet, submissive tone in her voice was one he now knew was an act – but
they
didn’t.

Smart girl.

“You’re Tara, right?” The lead man spoke – he was the one in charge. She nodded at them and the man laughed. “We’re here to collect you. Our boss bought you from Signore Formato. Just come with us and we don’t need to cause any trouble.”

“She’s not going anywhere with you.” Alaric growled out the words from behind her and the men laughed louder.

The second man spoke this time, “Two against one, and all you have is a knife?” The second man drew a gun, long with a silencer like he had.
Exactly
like he had.

They must have broken into the room safe.
Dammit.

However, it was clear they didn’t see her as a threat, which was a mistake.

“He may have paid Gianni, but he never took possession of me. Gianni was killed before he actually gave me to your boss.” Tara spoke evenly, testing her balance in the heels, and he couldn’t help but appreciate the view from behind. Her ass cupped in the tight jeans, the curve of her hips and waist.

“Who cares? We’re taking you back to him.” The man in front spoke again and took a step towards her, but she laughed.

“I don’t think Alexander is going to be okay with that.” Tara tilted her head back towards him, and he smirked at how clever she was to use his false name.

“
Alexander
,” the second one made the name sound like a whine, “didn’t buy you.”

“Just come along like a good whore.” The first one spoke again and took another step towards her. Alaric’s blood boiled hearing the word, but Tara was already moving and it took every ounce of his self-control not to rush them himself.

Tara smiled over her shoulder at him, not even a shred of fear in her face, before turning to face the men again. “Of course,” she said softly, taking a half step forward. He watched the man physically relax as he thought she was obeying, and then she brought the heel of her hand up into his nose. His face snapped back and she lunged forward to shove the gun in the second man’s hand down, moving faster than he would have ever expected. A dull puffing sound went off as the gun discharged into the floor.

“Shit!” The first man cursed as he cupped his face, and Tara twisted at the waist and brought her elbow back into his ribs. He bent sideways and she turned all the way and dropped her knee into the back of his to send him to the floor. She moved so gracefully it was almost like she was dancing, but there wasn’t a wasted movement. Each strike was delivered for maximum damage, and Alaric found himself staring in awe as the second man began to right himself and she brought her forearm across his throat. He dropped the gun in a futile effort to reduce his choking, clutching at it with grabbing fingers as he sputtered. With his hands at his throat she grabbed his shoulder and brought her knee into his stomach once – twice – three times and then slammed her knee into his face before she let go of him. The spray of blood and his low shout of pain made Alaric cheer internally as the man hit the floor next to his friend and Tara turned to smile at him, beaming and proud.