Cannot Unite (3 page)

The waiter had watched her test the water
with her little travel thermometer. He’d been sneering the first
time. The second time, he’d sighed heavily and said several
unsavory things beneath his breath. The third carafe of water he’d
brought was the correct temperature. That’s when he’d said he
didn’t realize he had a ‘new-age tea connoisseur’ to satisfy, in a
fairly surly tone that could adversely affect his tip.

Oh. She’d forgotten. This five-star hotel
automatically added a large gratuity to every check, regardless of
what you ordered or what time of night. Jeannette looked over the
sparsely-filled dining room. It was after eleven, but they didn’t
close until midnight. She’d checked. She didn’t really like
five-star hotels that came with five-star service attitudes, nor
dining rooms so rich they didn’t just have digital background
music. They paid a trio of musicians to play stringed instruments
softly over in one corner. But that’s what happened when the
Carlotti Brothers hired you and then booked and paid for your
stay.

Jeannette took another sip of her brew.
Perfect.
This combination of white tea was exactly what
she needed, imbued as it was with delicate complexity and natural
sweetness. Exactly…

The Senior Carlotti had taken her
information earlier without an eyelash bat to show disbelief,
although he’d whitened to the same shade as his expensive men’s
dress shirt when she’d described the assassin she’d seen. As if
vampires really existed and went around killing people such as the
elder Carlotti sons. She’d actually stuttered just saying it.
Carlotti Senior had simply nodded sagely. Then his lips had thinned
and he’d waved his guards back. He’d thanked her for the
information. Said he had what he needed now. Her job was finished.
He’d handed her a check for her fee that included such an
outrageous bonus she was almost afraid of cashing it, got on his
cell, and instructed someone to contact a firm named V.A.L.,
whatever that was. She hadn’t heard more. She didn’t want to.
Someone had taken her elbow to escort her to a limo, and after a
short drive, she’d been deposited on the steps of this hotel, and
left to find her room. And get some rest. Before her five-thirty
wake-up call, the early flight back home, and normalcy.

Watching old, black-and-white movies on the
over-sized flat-screen LED television monitor hadn’t worked.
Exercise was useless as well. She should be exhausted. She’d
visited the hotel gym for over an hour, spent another hour walking
the halls of every floor. Twice. And then she’d tackled the
emergency exit stairs. Once down. Then up. Her thighs had jittered
from the exercise as she’d showered. But it hadn’t worked. She
didn’t need physical exhaustion. She needed mental tiredness. Yet
every time she closed her eyes, she got an image. Him. That man.
That…
creature
. Looking at her with vivid green eyes. He’d
been wild-looking, yet still extremely handsome. Swarthy…like he’d
once spent a lot of time in the sun. Thick with muscle.
Scarred.

And those eyes!

Sleep eluded her. Still. She suspected why.
She was anxious. Restless. She’d stirred the powers and they
weren’t finished with her. Everything felt hyper-sensitive, alert
and readied, as if tuned to the right frequency to receive, and
then just left hanging, tempting her to violate her cardinal rule.
The waiter didn’t know. Nobody did. This tea was just another
effort at staving off insomnia – especially the upcoming bout.

There was a sudden ruckus over at the
entrance. Something fell with a thud. Something else made a
breaking sound. Glass shattered, all of it altering the ambiance of
the dining room, jarring the musicians to a series of discordant
notes before they recovered. Heads turned toward the entrance. Not
hers. Jeannette set the cup on its saucer and stood, the move
tipping her chair slightly, all of it without conscious thought or
volition. Or command. And then she looked up to watch the man who
walked toward her, completely ignoring the reaction of waiters
dropping trays and patrons going open-mouthed in his wake.

It was the man she’d seen…and yet he’d
changed. No skim of whisker shadowed his upper lip or chin. No wild
mane of hair cascaded over his shoulders. This man was impeccably
groomed, hair tied back in a queue, and attired in a tailored suit
that highlighted the width of his shoulders as well as the
narrowness of his hips. Everything was in monochromatic tones of
dark gray, fading to black. His jacket. His shirt. Tie. Vest.
Everything. It was amazingly striking, even without adding in his
handsomeness. She’d been right about that, as well. He probably
should be walking a red carpet somewhere, not causing havoc in a
dining room in downtown Chicago. He came closer, walking around
obstacles without looking – as if they didn’t even exist. And the
closer he got, the more every part of her body reacted. First with
alarm, then downright fright. Adrenaline kicked in. Her heart
pounded. Her breath quickened. Shivers flew her limbs, chilling
her.

He stopped on the other side of her table,
looking at her with an enigmatic expression…coming from incredibly
green eyes. Jeannette tried to swallow, but the dry gulp merely
scraped her throat. His eyes narrowed.

“What’s wrong?”

Now, that was just overkill. He had a voice
that didn’t need amplification. Or moderating. It was full. Deep.
Melodic. They guy probably could sing bass notes. Nobody who looked
like him needed a voice that stopped traffic. Jeannette’s heart
skipped a beat. He frowned.

They were garnering attention. Her waiter
was approaching at a clip that caught the corner of her eye. She
almost turned to him.

“You have a voice?” the creature asked.

She nodded.

“Then tell me what’s wrong.”

“Uh…you.”

“Me?”

His eyebrows lifted as if in surprise. That
gave her another heart flutter. The moment she felt it she got his
instant appraisal through narrowed eyes again.

“Your heart. It’s racing. And missing beats.
Is that normal?”

Her eyes widened.

“And don’t ask how I know. I’m rather…new to
this.”

A dark shade crept up his jaw, adding
unnecessary attractiveness where it wasn’t remotely needed.
Jeannette’s knees started knocking together beneath her
ankle-length skirt. It probably wasn’t pretty. And it wasn’t
controllable. Her knees were still tapping against each other in a
non-rhythmic fashion. She’d read about that affectation in romance
novels. She’d never felt it before.

Her waiter reached them and cleared his
throat to get their attention, and then just stood holding onto a
couple of large menus. He barely reached the man’s shoulder level.
No, Jeannette. He’s not a man. He’s a creature.
Jeannette
moved her eyes to the waiter.

“Madam didn’t tell me she was dining with a
companion tonight. I will see to another table setting immediately.
Would Monsieur care for a wine? Or perhaps a cocktail?”

“Uh…”

The man –
No, Jeannette…he’s a
creature
– looked as unsure as he sounded. Jeanette’s heart
reacted with a quick pulse. And his eyes narrowed again. As if he
somehow felt it.

“We…should probably sit down?” Jeannette
offered.

“Perhaps the gentleman is waiting for the
lady to be seated.”

“Oh. Right.”

Jeannette dropped onto the padded seat.
Actually, it was more like her legs had been waiting for permission
to cave in, and upon receiving it, acquiesced without a murmur. The
creature watched her for a bit, and then copied her motion, to the
extent that he bounced slightly upon reaching his own seat. That
was almost funny. Her lips twitched.

“What?” the creature asked.

“Uh…”

“Would you care for the wine menu?”

The waiter interrupted, holding the menu for
the creature to take from him. Jeannette counted to eight before
the waiter gave up and set it on the table.

“Very well. Would you rather look at the
evening’s dinner selections?”

He held out another menu. The creature
looked up at her with the strangest expression in his eyes. Unsure.
Worried. Helpless. It couldn’t be. He was acting as if he’d never
seen a menu before. That was patently ridiculous. And even if it
were true, she really didn’t need to assist him. But her mouth
opened and she spoke up anyway.

“That won’t be necessary. He’ll have a
coffee. And…a bit of that special dessert you tried to entice me
with earlier. The pineapple thing. With coconut sherbet. Won’t
you?”

The creature nodded. The waiter snapped the
menu shut, gave her an indecipherable look and left, each step
showing his disapproval. He obviously knew the stats that a woman
dining alone was the worst tipper, while a couple looking like it
was a first date was usually the best. That could explain his
alacrity at showing up and assisting the creature, and also his
disgust at her taking over the situation and ordering something
guaranteed to get him a pittance. Either that or he was gay. And
this fellow was something one didn’t see every night.

Or ever.

The pounding of her heart had slowed to
normal…that, or she was overcoming her fright. No. That was wishful
thinking
.
Jeannette had moved her spoon to stir her tea
and watched her hand tremble. Visibly.

“Why are you shaking?”

Jeannette stopped stirring. It was a waste
of time, anyway. The tea wasn’t going to get finished. She had to
move her eyes to his; felt her heart skip another beat. And then
watch as his eyes instantly narrowed.

“Your heart. It just…reacted again. Is
that…usual?”

“How…do you know?”

He smiled. Her heart threatened to leave her
chest and she dropped the spoon, clinking it against the rim of the
cup. His smile died the same instant. Then he was frowning at her.
It was almost too much. This was too much man. Entirely too
handsome. Garnering way too much attention.

“Is it because of me?”

“What?” She didn’t have to feign the
confusion.

“This reaction. The heart issue you suffer
off and on. It’s due to me…isn’t it?”

Unacceptable, Jeannette.
Even if he
wasn’t a creature of the night and a murderer, he wasn’t getting
away with a self-conceited statement like that. No man was.

“No.”

Her heart pumped harder, sending blood to
infuse her cheeks with the lie. Jeannette rarely blushed. She
watched something flare into life in the depths of his eyes.
Something magnetic. And infinitely compelling. Her lips opened to
pant for breath. So did his, only he didn’t need air. It was to
give the sharp tips of fangs room.

Her eyes widened. Her blush faded. And her
heart went into a staccato of beats that would probably see her
needing a defibrillation station if she didn’t watch it. His
expression immediately altered. His frown came back. And he worked
his lips, covering over his teeth.

“You may not wish to do that again,” he
informed her when he’d finished.

“What?” Her voice was missing. He heard it
anyway.

“Flush.”

“…and here is your coffee, Sir. As well as a
warmed slice of pineapple upside-down cake, topped with our own
recipe coconut sherbet. Will you need cream? Sugar?”

The items were set in front of the creature.
He didn’t react. He didn’t move. His entire focus was on her. And
she returned the favor. The waiter finished and just stood there,
hovering.

“That will be all,” Jeannette told him
without looking up.

“Does Madam require more perfectly heated
water, perhaps?” the waiter asked, once again using his snide
voice.

“I believe I’ll just need the check.”

“Oh. I see. Very good.”

He turned and stomped away. Or as much as a
man could stomp in a room filled with thick carpeting. It was
probably amusing if she watched. She didn’t. She daren’t move her
eyes from the creature facing her, holding her with a mesmeric gaze
that almost reached out and embraced her.

“We can leave now?”

The fangs were gone. His teeth looked normal
when he spoke. He wasn’t smiling, however. He looked totally
serious. And totally divine.

“We…?”

He smiled. Her heart did the belly swoop
again. His eyes didn’t narrow this time. They seemed to grow even
more magnetic. A buzzing sound started in her ears. It grew to
encompass the entire room. Yet, she had no trouble hearing him over
it.

“So…it is me making your heart do…odd
things.”

“No.” She mouthed it.

He grinned, showing off pearly white teeth
that would put a dental hygienist to shame. And nothing that looked
like fangs. The waiter brought the bill. She put her room number on
it. Signed it. The waiter probably looked with disgust at the
untouched dessert he’d brought. She didn’t notice. She only noted
when he left.

“I already told you. I’m new to this. You
have another suggestion?”

And then the buzzing stopped. To dead
silence. Making it easy to hear her own voice answering him with
something she’d never say. Under any circumstance. To any man.

“I…I have a room here.”

Her reply garnered another grin from him and
that got her another heart-swoop. And that just got her more of his
amusement. With his hand at her elbow, he assisted her to rise. The
contact sparked, and then warmed, instantly elevating everything to
another level of awareness.

And she hadn’t even seen him move.

She was taking him to her room!

Nigel had advised using the vampiric
mesmeric powers, but since Akron had spoken of the mental powers of
KayNan’s mate, it just didn’t seem possible that it worked. And
this easily. KayNan smoothed down the fine weave of his wool suit
coat, fiddled with the buttons, lifted the hem as if to appraise
stitching, pulled at his collar. He was nervous? Antsy? He couldn’t
believe it. But something even weirder than before was happening.
Everywhere. All through him. It helped if he kept his hands busy,
using the motions to ward off some of the growing sensations. His
skin felt like it was too tight, all of a sudden. Maybe it was his
dress shirt. They must make collars constrictive at the neck for a
reason. The top button scratched against his newly shaved Adam’s
apple and the tie thing was akin to a noose. Is this truly how
women wanted their men to appear nowadays? It wasn’t comfortable.
Or Nigel had ordered the wrong size.