Blood Haze (6 page)

They
reached her front door, and he stood patiently as she fumbled to find her keys
in her small handbag. He found her nervousness enticing. He could smell her
blood as it simmered within her veins. He wanted this woman as he’d never
wanted a woman before. He watched the vein in her neck as it jumped nervously.
He licked his lips in anticipation of placing them over that exact spot. He was
happy to not see any telltale signs of any prior bites on her neck. Wherever
she’d been bitten before, it wasn’t there.

When
she finally found her keys, he reached around to take them from her trembling
fingers. “Allow me,” he said.

She
held her breath so he couldn’t see how rapidly her chest was heaving from being
in such close proximity to him. He unlocked and pushed the door open. She
walked in quickly and turned to face him. He leaned negligently against the
doorframe.

“Thanks
for the ride home. I appreciate it. I hope to see you at the club sometime,”
she said, as she wrung her hands together.

He
cocked his head to one side and arched his finely shaped eyebrows. “Aren’t you
going to invite me in, Arabella?” he asked softly.

She
swallowed at the velvety softness of his voice. “I… I…” she began.

He
moved swiftly toward her and grasped her face within his cool palms. He angled
his lips against hers and kissed her softly. Her body jolted at the contact and
something shifted in her chest. He urged her to open her lips to his tongue and
as he eased into her mouth, he eased his hands down her arms then down to
encircle her waist to bring her body closer to his. He could feel her heart
pounding against his granite chest. She inhaled sharply and moaned as fire
seemed to ignite in her veins. It felt… she felt… whole, as if all the pieces
of her had finally come together. Her scattered senses overruled her ability to
think straight.

While
her mind was conflicted, her body seemed perfectly clear on what it wanted.
Allowing her purse to fall from her unresisting fingers, she clutched at the
material of his shirt and pulled him even tighter against her body. Every
sensory point on her body burned for his touch. He moved one hand up and down
the creamy white skin of her back exposed by her low-cut dress, and growled his
need to her. He allowed his hands to drift down to her bottom and pulled her
even closer to his arousal. She whimpered in her need and lifted her hands to
bury them in his silky dark hair. Their tongues mated and she struggled to
breath.

As
she breathed him in, she became almost desperate. She moved her hands beneath
his shirt and began running them up against his bare back; her movements
frantic and uncoordinated. He chuckled and kicked the door closed with his foot
before plunging his tongue over and over into her mouth making her imagine him
doing that to other places on her body. He walked her backwards and pulled her
down on the couch, onto his lap. She pulled her hands out from beneath his
shirt and began to unbutton it – nearly tearing the buttons off in her frantic
haste.

He
reached behind her and slowly slid the zipper down the back of her dress. She
shuddered when his cool hands moved up to ease the top of her dress and
camisole down. He gently laid her down on the couch and looked down her torso.
He glanced at the junction of both elbows but again didn’t see any signs of
being fed upon. Moving his eyes back up her body, he was the one who was
mesmerized. Her body was… perfect. Her creamy breasts lay encased in a sheer
lacy bra. Unable to help himself, he lowered his lips to capture one of the
rosy tips through the fabric into his mouth.

She
gasped and stilled before beginning to struggle against him. His intimate touch
seemed to snap her out of the sensual fog she’d been in. The images from her glimpsing
flooded her mind. Oh, my God! She was the woman. It was her… not Drew. What had
she done? What was she doing? As unbelievably hard as it was, she shoved away
from him and gathered her dress in one hand and clutched it up against her
chest. Shame caused her face to flush. She scrambled off the couch and put the
arm of it between them. “I’m sorry,” she said shivering. “But I can't do this.
I don’t know what came over me. Please forgive me,” she said on a whisper, her
vividly blue eyes wide and more focused.

Once
again he tilted his head as he stared at her curiously. He struggled to
understand this turn of events. How had she broken the sensual gaze he’d had
over her? His body was in an agony of need. He knew he could simply throw her
down and take what he wanted. She’d be no wiser once he hazed her anyway. But
he hesitated. He liked the thrill of the chase. No, he’d let this play out her
way… for a little while anyway. He was going to have her – but apparently not
tonight.

He
stood and lifted a hand slowly to cup her cheek. She closed her eyes at the
contact. “Arabella,” he purred. “There is nothing to forgive. Another time and
another place, perhaps,” he said smoothly.

She
couldn’t meet his eyes as mortification of what she’d nearly done weighed like
a stone in her chest. She shook her head, “I can’t do this. This isn’t who I
am,” she replied. “No matter how it might seem. I don’t do one-night stands… or
casual relationships. I’m… with someone…” she began before pain slashed at her
heart at remembering that wasn’t true anymore. Her lips trembled at the torrent
of wild, confusing emotions coursing through her body. It took her a moment to
take in his words.

“Oh,
Arabella,” he said with a small smile on his lips as he shook his head. “This
is
going to happen. For now, I’m willing
to let you set the pace. But you will be mine,” he promised.

She
inhaled deeply at his words. Deep sensual heat flooded her body at his words,
making her clench her thighs to ward off the need. She lifted uncertain eyes to
his. Once more, he raised a hand to lightly brush his knuckles against her
cheekbone. “Good night. Pleasant dreams,” he said before moving to the door. As
he stepped through the doorway, he turned. “Be sure to lock up, Arabella.
There’s no telling what kinds of monsters are lurking out there,” he said, with
a gravelly laugh.

She
stood motionless for a long time after the door was closed. Finally, still
clutching her dress against her chest, she sank down onto the couch. Her stomach
roiled at what she’d nearly done. She’d allowed a man she barely knew to kiss
and touch her so intimately. Shame rolled over her in waves as she realized she
hoped what he said was true… that she would be his. She wanted to be… needed to
be. Her traitorous body shivered in anticipation of being taken by him.

Tears
slid down her cheeks. And sadly, she knew the tears were more filled with
regret than with disgrace. Her body still churned with unfulfilled, desirous
need. Swallowing hard and with a heavy heart, she knew she’d have to quit
singing at the Night Owl. She couldn’t do this. She didn’t know what life had
in store for her… maybe by tomorrow, Drew would have changed his mind and have
decided he wanted her back… but what if he didn’t.

She
shouldn’t have been so surprised that Drew had finally had enough. They’d been
through so much together. And it seemed, no matter what she’d thrown at him,
he’d always stayed by her side – through her father’s suicide; through the
beginning stages of her glimpsings - when she thought she’d been losing her
mind; and then finally, when her mother had been brutally murdered. No, she’d
just not see Lynx Rogan ever again. It was the only way. She had to give Drew a
chance – either way.

She
didn’t try to stifle the sob which rose from deep down. Heartache made her
chest burn. She cried for the loss of a love of a lifetime and for the loss of
whatever she might have experienced with Lynx Rogan. Why was this so hard?
She’d only seen the man twice. There was just something about him – some pull
that seemed to draw her to him. It was like he was the Master and she was his
puppet. He made her feel things, she’d never felt before. She’d found the very
things with him that she’d been missing from her relationship with Drew.

With
a definitive shake of her head, she swiped roughly at the tears on her cheeks.
No
! She was going to stop this. She was
not some stupid little teenager. She was a grown woman with responsibilities.
She was in control, not her body. She declared to herself that she’d do better
from now on. She’d not allow anything or anyone to come between her and what
she knew to be right.

With
as much resolve as she could muster, she stood and allowed the little, black
dress to fall to the floor at her feet. Stepping out of it, she left it where
it laid crumpled on the carpeted floor, before snagging a bottled water from
the kitchen. Kicking off her high-heels, she walked numbly to her bathroom and
grabbed two sleep-aid tablets and took them quickly. She didn’t want to lie in
bed and think about this anymore… or dream. She wanted to have nothing… just
blank nothingness.

Chapter 3

Arabella got up early the next morning, groggy from the effects of the sleeping
tablets. Regrettably, her first thoughts when she forced her eyes opened,
weren’t of the man she’d been with for more than ten years, they were of a man
with piercing, dark eyes. She groaned as guilt washed over her. She deserved
what Drew did to her… in so many ways. She wondered if Drew was regretting his
decision from the night before. With a shake of her head, she slipped on her
running shoes and set out for her daily run. She stopped to stretch before
setting off. As she ran, she took in her surroundings. The beauty of upstate
New York never ceased to amaze her. She sucked clean air into her lungs as her
body worked double time. As she’d hoped, the run began to soothe her tattered
nerves.

Her
daily route took her past the same small businesses and residential neighbors
every day.
 
She waved to Mr. Kyle who ran
the bakery and old Ms. Mann who was getting her newspaper. She saw Meg Stafford
setting out her fresh flower display in front of her shop. They all smiled and
waved back at her - just like they did every morning. There’d been a time when
she’d been exiled from these people, but that seemed a lifetime ago. Now she
found she liked her little town for the most part and knew almost everyone who
lived in it.

She
was surprised that out of all of the Rogan’s that apparently lived on the Night
Shade estate, the only two she’d ever meet, or even heard of, was Karmyl and
now Lynx. She was surprised that Karmyl had never mentioned her other siblings.
How did they avoid town? It was strange. Maybe they’d only recently returned as
Lynx had.

Finishing
her run, she headed back to her house to prepare for another catering job. She
tried not to think about either Drew or Lynx. She was grabbing a much needed
cup of coffee before her shower, when her doorbell rang. She opened the door to
find Mike James from the Stafford Florist. He was holding an enormous
arrangement of Calla lilies. They were beautiful.

“Hey,
Arabella. Someone must think you’re pretty special. This arrangement costs a
pretty penny,” he said with a grin.

Arabella
knew immediately who’d sent them. Her heart skipped a beat. She signed the
delivery receipt and sent Mike on his way. She lugged the huge arrangement inside
and set it on her dining table. She inhaled their fragrance as she dug the
envelope from their midst. Hesitating for just an instant, with unsteady fingers,
she opened the flap.

Arabella:
The Calla-Lily originated from the Greek Goddess, Hera, and means ‘magnificent
beauty’. They were the first flower to come to mind when I thought of you this
morning. I so enjoyed our time together last night and look forward to our next
occasion. With humble regards, Lynx Rogan

Arabella
couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face. The man was so impressive
and he seemed to be interested in her. She wouldn’t be human if that thought
didn’t salve her wounded ego. The smile slowly faded from her face. He would
have to be avoided at all costs. She’d given him entirely the wrong idea
.

She
knew she’d need to talk to Karmyl sooner, rather than later, about not singing
at the Night Owl anymore. Grabbing her cellphone, intending to send her a text
asking to see her, she inhaled deeply – her phone had died. She’d forgotten to
place it on her charger the night before. She didn’t know what’d come over her.
She’d never had anyone affect like Lynx Rogan before. Placing her phone on its
charger, she shrugged off her non-productive thoughts, and turned her thoughts
instead to what needed to be done for her catering job.

She
was just coming out of the shower, a towel wrapped snuggly around her body,
when she heard a pounding on her door. She slipped to the window and peered out
through the heavy drapes, sighing when she saw who stood there… Lynx Rogan.
Slipping on a silky, black robe, she took a deep breath and went to the door.
Her heart was fluttering and her stomach tightened. She could do this, she kept
repeating to herself. Think about Drew… about what this would do to him… to
them, if he decided to come back to her.

Taking
a deep breath to calm herself, she opened the door. “Mr. Rogan.”

He
stood on her front stoop, dressed in jeans again, but this time had on a black
leather jacket and aviator sunglasses which hid his smoldering black eyes from
her. “Arabella. I’ve been trying to reach you.”