Thomas smiled suavely, oozing charm. d.a.m.n the man, he wasn"t a teenager escorting his first date to the prom. He deliberately took Alexandria"s hand in his, knowing it would annoy her blond guard dog. "Not to worry, Savage. I intend to take very good care of her." He urged her to the door, anxious to be away from Savage and his living, breathing, monstrous house.
Alexandria went with him willingly, seemingly as eager as he was. Out in the night air she stopped and took a deep breath. "He can be a bit overwhelming, can"t he?" she said, smiling. Smiling to rival the stars. Freedom. Blessed freedom. It didn"t matter at that moment that Ivan"s smile still reminded her of a shark"s toothy grin, or that she could hear his heart beating every bit as loudly as Joshua"s, or, even worse, that she could smell his arousal. She was away from Aidan Savage and his influence, and that was all she cared about.
"Overwhelming? Is that what you call it? He"s completely overbearing. The man acts as if he owns you," Thomas burst out.
She laughed softly. "You get used to him. He can"t help it. He"s accustomed to giving orders. You probably know what that feels like," she added mischievously.
He found himself laughing with her, relaxing as they made their way to the car he had waiting. He had deliberately hired a limo and driver to leave himself free for whatever might happen in the back seat later.
"I made a good start on the sketches, Thomas," she volunteered, "but you didn"t specify what character traits were particularly important to you. I think you should decide ahead of time how you want individuals portrayed instead of leaving it all to me."
"I"d prefer your input," Thomas said, opening the door for her himself. He wanted to do it, and that surprised him. Most of the time the small courtesies he performed were only for effect. But Alexandria Houton was haunting. "Doesn"t that house bother you?"
She arched an eyebrow. "Bother me? The house? It"s beautiful. Everything about it is beautiful.
Why do you ask?"
"I sometimes feel as if it"s watching me, biding its time, hating me."
"Thomas, you"ve played too many of your own video games. What a vivid imagination." Her laughter slid over him, touching him in places usually reserved for intimacy.
His hand inched across the seat toward hers. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted any woman. But then he glanced out the window and saw the reflection of eyes. Glowing, red, feral eyes filled with hate and the promise of retaliation, the promise of death. Unblinking cat"s eyes.
The eyes of a demon. Of death. He shivered, and a moan escaped.
"What is it?" Her voice was soothing, like the soft sound of running water. "Tell me, Thomas."
"Did you see something weird?" He was choking on fear. "Out the window, do you see anything?"
She leaned around him to look at the reflective gla.s.s. "What am I supposed to see?"
The eyes were gone as if they had never been. Was it Savage? His own imagination? He cleared his throat and managed a smile. "Nothing. I guess I just can"t believe my good fortune."
In the close confines of a car, it was difficult for Alex to ignore her growing hunger. It seemed to gnaw at her insides, spread like a cancer. Her mind seemed to amplify the sound of blood rushing in Ivan"s veins. Beckoning, calling. But her stomach heaved at the thought of touching him, and she fought to keep a smile plastered to her face. He seemed to find every excuse to touch her, brush her leg, her arm, her hand, her hair. She hated it. Loathed it. He made her skin crawl. She hated herself for not being able to return his amorous glances, his touches.
She smiled at him, said and did all the appropriate things, but inside her stomach was rebelling.
Somewhere deep inside her soul, a dread began to take shape, to spread. Thomas Ivan was an eligible bachelor, wealthy, charming, famous. Human. He shared her love of fantasy; he admired her artwork. They had much in common, yet even his lightest touch repulsed her. Inside she began to weep.
Cara mia, do you need me? Aidan"s voice crossed time and distance to find her, to wrap her in warm, protective arms.
She bit her lip. The temptation to call for him was nearly overwhelming, but she resisted. She would be human. And she would find a fellow human to love. Maybe not Thomas Ivan, but someone. I"m having the time of my life.
Just so long as Ivan is not.
She felt his withdrawal from her mind, and it felt as if he had taken away her soul and left her dead inside. She lifted her chin and flashed Ivan a particularly brilliant smile. She placed her hand in his as he a.s.sisted her from the car. Determined to enjoy the evening, she took his arm as they entered the theater.
Men seemed to be pressing against her, breathing loudly. Heartbeats thundered in her ears. The orchestra"s overture blended with the surging of blood running hotly in veins. Alexandria concentrated on the play, aware it was exceptionally good, yet she was more aware of Ivan"s arm across the back of her seat, of his smell. When he whispered in her ear, his mouth against her skin, she was sickened by it.
Twice she almost excused herself to go to the ladies" room just for a respite from him.
But she was determined to see this through. She was going to be human even if it killed her. There was a burst of applause just as she heard the words in her mind: It might kill someone.
Shut up! she answered him, exasperated, that in the midst of her despair, he made her want to laugh. But Aidan was gone once more. Just his touch warmed her, and the silliness of his warning.
He was taunting her on purpose because he knew she was repulsed by the man sitting so close to her.
Beside her, Thomas was clapping. The lights came up, and people seemed to swarm around them.
He was in his element, with a beautiful woman on his arm and many acquaintances surrounding them. Powerful men he barely remembered meeting were suddenly stopping to exchange comments on the show. Connections he had been seeking to aid his climb even further up the social ladder were introducing themselves, issuing much sought-after invitations to him and his date.
Alexandria Houton was clearly an a.s.set to him and would be to his career. Proudly he put her on display, strutting because she was on his arm. And he saw that he was not the only one mesmerized by her voice, captivated by her smile. Even the women, he realized with satisfaction, she seemed to charm, bestowing her smile regally, enchantingly.
Thomas circled her shoulders with his arm and drew her closer to him, a display of ownership as they walked out into the night, still followed by his many fans. Alexandria"s stomach lurched at the proximity. Then Thomas glanced to his right and froze. Standing not six feet away in the shadows was a wolf. Huge. Blond. With gleaming fangs and red, glowing eyes. Those eyes were staring right at him, the beast"s muscular body poised as if to pounce.
Thomas"s heart actually stopped, then began to pound. He gripped Alexandria"s arm and began to shove her back toward the theater.
"Thomas, what are you doing?" she demanded.
"Don"t you see it?" He pointed in his excitement. It was Savage somehow, he was certain of it. "It"s him, I know it is. He"s here." Heads were turning at his raised voice.
"Thomas." Her voice was soft and soothing. "Tell me what"s wrong. You"re very pale. What did you see?"
He forced himself to look more closely. The shadows were deep and dark-and empty of wildlife. He could see a large planter where the wolf had been. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he allowed himself to breathe.
"You"re shaking, Thomas. Come on, let"s get to the car." Concerned, Alexandria took a careful look around, scanned the area, and found only humans. You"d better not be tormenting him again, she warned Aidan, but she could not tell if he heard.
"I swear I"m seeing things, Alex. The planter over there looked like..." He trailed off, not wanting to admit his imagination was out of control. What was wrong with him, anyway, that his obsession with Alexandria Houton and Aidan Savage, coupled with his macabre imagination, was producing all-too-real hallucinations?
"It moved?" She was looking at the offending redwood box suspiciously.
"No," he admitted. "It just looked... strange."
"Well, I had a great time tonight. The play was wonderful," Alexandria said softly.
Little liar. The words taunted her, male amus.e.m.e.nt mocking her.
Her chin lifted, and deliberately she placed her hand in the crook of Thomas"s arm as they headed for the limo pulling up to the curb for them. "Did you like it?" she asked sweetly, her voice oozing syrup. She could almost feel Aidan wince, and he retreated immediately.
Once in the car, Thomas slid close to Alexandria. His thigh rested against hers, and he could feel the soft swell of her breast against his arm. His hand found her chin. "I know you don"t know me very well, Alex, but I"m deeply attracted to you, and I"m hoping the feeling"s mutual."
His mouth was mere inches from hers, and under his mouthwash and breath mints Alexandria could smell everything he had eaten for dinner-the pasta with garlic, the salad with tarragon- vinegar dressing, the red wine and coffee and mint. She nearly gagged and tried to put some distance between them. "We"ll be working together, Thomas. This isn"t a good idea. At least not so soon."
"But I have to kiss you. I have to, Alex." He was leaning into her, breathing heavily.
She made a sound, shrinking back, but in his ardor he took it for consent. As he lowered his head, his eyes caught the glint of red. He cried out and fell away from her toward his door, staring at the rear window, through which two glowing eyes watched him with clear malice. To his horror the window bulged inward, then shattered, spraying gla.s.s fragments all over him. The huge wolf thrust his muzzle right into the car, fangs exposed and dripping, diving right for his head. Those red eyes glowed eerily without blinking, boring right into him. He could feel the hot breath on him as those white fangs thrust closer still. Thomas screamed and ducked, covering his face with both hands.
"Thomas?" Alexandria touched his shoulder lightly. "Have you been doing drugs this evening?" She already knew the answer; she could smell it in his bloodstream. "Perhaps we should take you to a hospital. Or a private doctor."
Slowly, in fear, Thomas lowered his hands. The rear window was intact. There were no shards of gla.s.s. Alexandria was sitting calmly in the seat, her blue eyes anxious.
"This has never happened before. I"m hallucinating. It was just a little c.o.ke in the men"s room.
Maybe it was some bad stuff, I don"t know." He sounded scared.
"What did you see?" Again she scanned the area, trying to find evidence of Aidan or any other danger, but they seemed to be alone. Maybe it really was the drugs. "Should I tell the driver to take you to a hospital?"
"No, no. I"ll be all right." He was sweating profusely.
She could smell his fear.
"There"s nothing out there, Thomas, really. I sometimes sense things before they happen, and I don"t have any strange feelings," she offered, trying to be rea.s.suring.
"I"m sorry," he apologized hoa.r.s.ely. "Have I ruined the evening?" His eyes kept shifting from side to side, and he seemed to have developed a nervous tic on the left side of his jaw. He looked far older than he had at the beginning of the evening."No, of course not. I had a wonderful time. Thank you for thinking of the theater. I really needed to get out," she a.s.sured him. "But Thomas, I don"t believe in taking drugs. I have my little brother, Joshua, to think about. I realize it isn"t my business what you choose to do on your own time, but I"m not comfortable with cocaine or any other drug."
"It"s not like I"m some junkie. I just use it occasionally for recreational purposes."
"Not around me." That alone was a good enough reason not to be with him. She thought much less of him now, knowing that he would use narcotics to enhance the evening, as if he was incapable of enjoying it on his own.
"Fine," he said sulkily, "I won"t."
The car was already pulling into Aidan"s circular drive. The wrought-iron gates had been left open in antic.i.p.ation of her return. For a moment she sat still, staring at the heavy gates. They represented a loss of freedom. She wasn"t ready to go back to the house and admit defeat. So Thomas Ivan and she didn"t have the least bit of chemistry between them. That didn"t mean she wouldn"t find another man.
She slid quickly out of the car, eluding Thomas"s clinging hand. "Thank you again, Thomas. I"ll see you soon. Be sure to get back to me on your ideas for the designs." And before he could get out to accompany her to the door, she was running lightly up the marble steps to the wide front porch.
She waved once and slipped inside.
Thomas swore and sat back in the seat. Before he could close the door, he saw the heavily muscled wolf stalking him across the lawn. "Go! Go!" he shouted to the driver, slamming the door hard.
The driver fishtailed out of the driveway and away from the house, and Thomas breathed a sigh of relief. All he wanted to do was get home and get very drunk.
Alexandria moved through the house without turning on a light, found the phone, and made a call.
She could see perfectly in the darkness and ran easily up the stairs. Aidan thought he had won- he had monitored her all evening-but it wasn"t over yet. She was not ready to concede defeat.
In her bedroom, she removed the black velvet dress and reached for her faded, comfortable, worn blue jeans and a simple pale blue shirt. The change took only minutes, and she tugged on tennis shoes and headed back downstairs. The cab she called had not yet arrived, so she sat outside on the marble steps and waited.
"And where are you off to now?" Aidan asked silkily, appearing out of nowhere to loom over her, making her feel small and fragile.
"I"m going dancing." Her eyes dared him to deny her.
His body tightened. "Dream date didn"t go well?"
There was the briefest glimpse of amus.e.m.e.nt in her eyes, but her mouth frowned severely. "As if you didn"t know. Try not to look so innocent. It doesn"t suit you."
He was unrepentant, grinning at her, turning her heart over. Just the sight of him brought her body surging to life. "Go away, Aidan. I don"t want to look at you."
"Am I tempting you?"
"Didn"t anyone ever teach you how to be a gentleman? Go away. You"re annoying me." She stuck her nose in the air.
Her profile in the moonlight took his breath away. With the blanket of darkness enfolding them, they seemed to be the only two people in the world. He drank her in, her scent, that special fragrance that was hers alone. A small, confident smile curved his sensual mouth, casting a s.e.xy shadow across his masculine features. "At least I have your attention."
"I"m going out dancing," she a.s.serted.
"You are declaring your independence," he countered. "It will not do you any good. You belong here, with me. You belong to me. None of those men out there will make you feel as I do."
She stuck her chin out. "I don"t want them to. You"re so intense, Aidan. Wild and intense. You make me crazy. I just want to feel..." She broke off, unsure how she wanted to feel.
"Normal. Human." He supplied the words for her.
"There"s nothing wrong with that. You scare the h.e.l.l out of me." There. She had admitted it to him.
Said it out loud. She glanced away into the night, unable to look at him and not burn for him.
"Your feelings for me scare the h.e.l.l out of you," he corrected gently.
"I don"t trust you." Why was the cab so late? She clenched her fists, not wanting to be alone with him like this. She remembered the feel of his mouth on hers, the taste of him.
"You would trust me if you gave yourself fully to me. Allowed your mind to merge with mine completely. I could hide nothing from you if you wanted to examine it. My memories, my desires."
His voice whispered over her skin, tempted, beckoned.
She glared at him. "As if I haven"t had your desires dancing in my head all night. Thank you very much, Mr. Savage. I don"t intend to become anybody"s slave."
He groaned, covering his face with his hands. Then his perfect mouth curved into an enticing smile. "Are you going to hold that against me forever? After all, if anyone is a slave here, it is me. I would do anything for you, and I think you know it."
She bit her lip hard to keep from flinging herself into his arms. "The taxi is here. I"ll be back later."
He was so s.e.xy, and she desperately wanted him.
He touched her as she slipped past him, the lightest of caresses, running a finger down her arm, but she felt it in her deepest core, felt it in her soul. She carried the sensation of his touch with her into the cab.
Chapter Fourteen
The newest hot singles bar was a wild blend of sophistication and sleaze. It made a stab at cla.s.s by posting bouncers at the entrance to determine who would enter and who would be denied, but it was clear that they took bribes and that any pretty girl was ushered right in. The line was long, but Alexandria ignored it, walking with complete confidence to the door. She had noticed her new effect on people, noticed that her voice enthralled them almost as much as Aidan"s did her.
She smiled at the man standing squarely in her path. His head jerked up, and he sucked in his breath audibly. He didn"t even hesitate, personally escorting her inside. The music a.s.saulted her ears and vibrated through her body. She felt the crush immediately, the press of bodies against her. Mostly she heard their hearts beating, the rush of blood through their veins nearly overwhelming her.
A tall man in dark leather quickly claimed her, catching her wrist, grinning at his find. He had a scruffy beard and smelled of cologne, whiskey, and sweat. His left arm boasted a tattoo of a black widow spider in the center of her web, complete with red hourgla.s.s on her belly and a hint of fangs protruding from her mouth. The man leered at her and dragged her close to him. "I been looking for you all night."
She wanted to feel something besides her rebelling stomach, but he obviously wasn"t her type. She smiled up into his eyes. "It"s not going to happen," she said softly, persuasively.