Courting the Darkness (8 page)

* * *

Pursing her lips, she glanced between the two again in conjecture, blowing out a breath. “Good, now that that’s all settled, I’m ready for a hot shower and clean clothes.”

Caleb chuckled. “That’s something I think we can all agree with.”

* * *

Filing into the truck stop, Mica paid for the showers.

Desiree opened the door to her bathroom, smiling in anticipation. Stripping out of her clothes, she threw them in the trash, the clothes soiled beyond salvation. She turned the shower on, getting it good and hot. Stepping under the streaming water, she luxuriated in the feel of it kneading her sore muscles, taking her time, washing away all the grime from that prison. After a while, she felt like herself again.

She brushed and blow-dried her hair and applied a little makeup. The swelling had finally gone down from her lips. She put on her new clothes, feeling fresh, which improved her attitude immensely. She felt lucky to be alive. That had been a narrow escape.

She walked down the hall smiling to herself. Rounding the corner, she found Mica and Caleb pacing the floor. She laughed. “What’s wrong?”

“We thought you might have gotten nabbed again it took you so long,” Caleb complained.

“I’m sorry I worried you.” She smiled, closing her eyes briefly in memory. “The shower felt so good I didn’t want to get out. I didn’t know we were in that big of a hurry.”

CHAPTER
ELEVEN

They arrived at the Forbidden Caverns just after midnight and unloaded the Express Van in front of the cavern. Caleb drove the van around the corner, hiding it in the bushes.

Mica lit the lanterns; all carried an armful of supplies deep into the cavern. Desiree busied herself inflating the battery-operated air mattresses while Mica and Caleb went back for the remainder of the supplies. She had all three mattresses set up in three separate shallow caves for privacy. Taking the lawn chairs out of the bags, she set them up in the main cavern, and had just finished when the guys came back.

She stood up, smiling. “Camping isn’t so bad.” She crossed her arms, rubbing her hands on her arms briskly to stave off the chill of the cave. “Now what?”

“Thanks, I plan to start working on that spell while we wait.” She stood back up, glancing at Caleb and noticing his droopy eyelids. “Caleb, you look exhausted. Go get some sleep. I put your bag in the last cave over there.”

“Thanks, I am tired.” He stretched, yawning. “I still feel like I’m riding. I’ll see y’all in the morning. Goodnight.” He walked slowly to his air mattress.

She smiled. “Goodnight, Caleb.”

“Goodnight, buddy, thanks for tagging along.”

Caleb threw his hand up in acknowledgement, falling onto the air mattress. Mica shook his head, laughing. He turned to walk out of the cavern.

She looked all around and then noticed Mica making a quick exit. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to run a short patrol. I’ll be back in a little while.”

She did not want him to leave her by herself. “Do you mind if I tag along?” He turned back around, and she smiled at him expectantly. “Caleb’s tired and I don’t want to make too much noise and keep him awake.”

He grinned at her eagerness. “You’re welcome to tag along.”

The smile on her face broadened. “Thanks, I don’t want to make a nuisance out of myself. If I’m intruding, just say so, and I’ll understand.”

He laughed. “I would tell you
no
if I felt that way. Stop trying to analyze things and come on.”

She turned, rushing back into the main cavern. “Okay, I’ll grab the lantern.”

He reached out, grabbing her arm to stop her. “You can use the lantern part of the way through the cavern, but when we get close to the mouth of the cave, you’ll need to leave it behind. If there happens to be someone out there, we don’t want to alert them to our presence.”

She bit her bottom lip, glancing over at the lantern, and then back at him. She shrugged. “I forgot you can see in the dark.” She looked past him into the inky blackness, shuddering. Tilting her head, she looked into his eyes. “I’ll leave it behind if you promise not to let me fall on my face.”

“I promise I won’t let you fall.” He held out his hand. “Hold onto my hand and I’ll lead the way out of here.”

She gave into the impulse, timidly placing her small hand in his. A warm, tingling sensation traveled up her arm at the contact. Catching her breath in surprise, she looked into his eyes. Smiling, he entwined his fingers in hers, leading the way through the cave.

Once rounding the corner, they were in total darkness. She felt a moment of panic as the walls felt like they were moving in on her. She had a death grip on his fingers, shuffling her feet to make her way. Her heart raced and she felt like she was going to have a full-blown panic attack. Mica turned around, gripping her shoulders. “I can hear your heart racing and smell your fear,” he stated calmly. “Do you want to turn back?”

Her legs threatened to give way to the trembling. Her unseeing eyes darted frantically around. “No.” Her voice quivered weakly. “I still want to go outside.”

“Close your eyes.”

“What good is that going to do?” Her voice panicked. “I can’t see anything anyway.”

He chuckled “I
can
see. Do you trust me?” She nodded her head. “Okay, then close your eyes.” She closed her eyes, but the trembling continued. “I’m going to pick you up and carry you out of here. Don’t fight me.”

She blinked hard. A few tears coursed down her cheeks. “You must think I’m a big baby.. I never knew I was afraid of the dark.”

“I don’t think you’re a baby.” He bent down toward her. “Put your arms around my neck, and I’ll carry you.”

She did not even think about it. Her fear took over. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tight. He lifted her up as if she did not weigh a thing, and she held on with a death grip.

His touch was gentle as he cradled her in his arms. “I’ve got you. You can relax.” She placed her cheek against his chest and he carried her swiftly through the cave.

Soon, she felt the ice-cold night breeze on her face, and she opened her eyes. It was still dark, but the full moon illuminated enough that she could see his face. His eyes glowed in the moonlight. Gazing into them, she saw the raw hunger smoldering just below the surface. Catching her breath, her lips parted, her fear forgotten. She gave into the compulsion and reached her trembling fingers out to caress his face. Her thumb traced the curve of his bottom lip, her eyes following the path her fingers were taking; she licked her lips in anticipation.

She saw his eyes darken, and he suddenly tensed. She felt his body grow hard with his intensifying gaze. He let go of her legs, allowing her to slide down his body, pulling her closer into his arms.

Trembling with an intense need, her knees threatened to give way. She’d never felt a yearning this strong in her life. Every nerve ending ached for his caress…his touch. “Mica…please,” she whispered softly. Slipping her hands up under his shirt, she ran her fingers over his rock hard abdomen up to his chest, his skin quivering everywhere she touched. Brushing her hips against his, she felt the hard evidence that he wanted her as much as she had to have him. Want was gone; she needed him with an intensity that bordered on pain.

***

He meant to kiss her gently, but the moment their lips touched, good intentions were forgotten. His mouth covered hers in a searing kiss that buckled her knees. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip until she opened up to him and allowed his tongue to slide into her mouth. He tasted her sweetness, her aroused scent fueling his senses. Inching his hand up under her shirt, he lightly ran his fingers across her bare back and around the front to cup her ample breast, running his thumb over her beaded nipple through the lace of her bra. He splayed his fingers over the firm, yet soft flesh, longing to remove the rest of the fabric so he could gaze at her perfection.

He tore his mouth away from hers to look into her eyes. “Desiree…” His voice was soft, deep, and husky, conveying his wants…his needs…somehow, seeking permission.

***

Her name crossed his lips like a caress, and she opened her eyes, gazing deeply into his. She had never craved the touch of another as she did for him. Disbelief flitted across her mind that he could possibly want, crave, desire her. Yet, she could see the truth of the passion and yearning she felt reflected back to her in his eyes. “Yes.” She whispered her response. That one word hung in the air, left open to interpret everything.

He lifted her chin with his finger, kissing the tip of her nose. “You are full of surprises.” His tone was husky and strained. Stepping away from her, he took her hand.

He placed his finger under her chin, and she opened her eyes to look into his. “Take a good look around you.” She pulled her eyes away from his to look around. A fresh blanket of snow coated everything. Turning her head, she glanced back over her shoulder toward the cavern. “We can’t take this back inside for the same reasons you wanted to come outside in the first place.”

She tilted her head, gazing into his eyes again, letting her shoulders sag in defeat. “Caleb.”

“Yeah, Caleb.” He looked away. “He’s really fond of you.”

“I’m fond of him, too. I think he’s great.” She chewed on her bottom lip, looking at the ground. “But I only think of him as a good friend.”

He pulled her back to him, wrapping her in his arms. “He wants to be more than a friend.”

“I was afraid of that.” Leaning her head back, she looked up into his eyes. “What about you? What do you want?”

“What do I want? I’m still trying to figure that out.” She looked away and he held her tighter. “Hear me out before you get upset.” She held her chin up stubbornly, tilting her head to glare into his eyes. “When Drake summoned me to go after you, I was angry. I’ve told you this before, but I don’t take orders very well. Since I didn’t have much of a choice, I was going to break you out of that place and take you right back to Drake and dump you on his doorstep. I told Caleb that when I asked him to tag along.”

Tears pooled on her bottom lashes. “Why didn’t you do just that?” Her bottom lip quivered, and she swallowed hard. “Why go through all this trouble if I’m such a bother?”

He wiped a stray tear away with his fingertips. “I didn’t do that because from the time you knocked out that guard with your magic in anger, I felt an attraction to you,” he remarked softly. “Desiree, I’m a loner. I don’t have the desire to be around too many others. In fact, I usually go through great lengths to push others away. I have never cared what other people thought about me. They didn’t matter to me at all. I
tried
to walk away at that restaurant. For the first time, it bothered me what someone else might think. It bothered me that
you
might think less of me. Your opinion of me mattered to me then. It matters to me now. Those thoughts and feelings are alien to me. For the last three hundred years, I thought I knew what I wanted. Now, I’m not so sure anymore.”

He pulled her back into his arms, holding tighter when she struggled. “Obviously not.” His voice was strong and husky. “The first thing I told you was that I am attracted to you.” He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I’m very attracted to you. I don’t want to take you back and leave you with Drake.”

Despite the cold, she suddenly felt warm. “Then don’t take me back to Drake.”

“If only it were that simple.” He held her tighter. “There are things that you don’t understand about our vampire society. My peers consider me a rogue because I prefer my solitude, and I don’t like to follow orders. Rogues are not generally trusted and barely tolerated. We have to swear an allegiance with the local king and be bound to his service, to do as the king commands. If we refuse the commitment, then we are hunted down and destroyed, or at the very least, run out of the territory. Drake is not only my king. He is also my friend…and my maker. He can be a little selfish and arrogant at times, but deep down, he’s a good man and a strong leader. Even though he is a vampire, he is not generally a cruel sort unless you’re an enemy. If I thought he would hurt you, I’d take you and run.”