Dalakis Passion 2 - Lucian's Delight (14 page)

one and held it for a moment before bringing it to his lips. "I am Stefan
Dalakis
." After
placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand, he kept possession of it, ignoring her
attempts to pull her hand from his grasp. "But where are you going? Lucian would not
be pleased that you are leaving on your own."
Delight stopped trying to pull her fingers from his grasp. What was it with these
Dalakis
men that made them think she had to do whatever they told her? Frowning, she
glared up at Stefan. "Well, he'll just have to get over it now, won't he? I've got things to
do." Her scowl got even deeper as another thought occurred to her. "Why are you
awake and Lucian isn't?" She glanced out the window and noted that the sun was just
sinking.
"Because I have learned to test my limits, while my brothers have not bothered.
There is much to be learned if one is willing to reach for the knowledge."
It occurred to Delight that just because he was Lucian's brother didn't mean that
Stefan wasn't dangerous. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she gave her hand one
last tug. He released her so suddenly she would have fallen if he hadn't steadied her.
Stefan's face was impassive, but his eyes swirled with myriad conflicting emotions.
She feared that he might even be more dangerous than Lucian. Lucian might be a force
of nature, wild and powerful, but this self-contained man was terrifying.
Delight screamed, loud and shrill, when a pair of arms locked around her from
behind. Her terror was so great that it took a moment for the voice to penetrate her fear.
"
Shh
, my love.
Everything is fine." Lucian rocked her in his arms as he whispered
in her ear.
She calmed immediately, slightly ashamed at her outburst, but excusing it as a
result of the crazy few days she'd endured. "I'm okay. I was already freaked out and
you startled me, is all."
It was definitely the wrong thing to say. Delight found herself thrust behind
Lucian's back as he confronted his brother. "What did you do to frighten Delight?" The
words were practically growled and she could see that his fists were clenched by his
sides. Stefan on the other hand, looked mildly amused and extremely sad. It was that
sadness that reached out to her and touched her heart.
Scooting around Lucian, she tapped her hand on his chest until he looked down at
her. "I hardly expected to meet someone in your home. You didn't tell me you had a
brother, so it's your fault he frightened me, not his."
"Is that so?" He sounded more amused than angry.
"Yes it is. And how is it that he can be up around in the daylight and you can't? If
I'm going to be a part of your life, we've got to talk about these things."
Stefan snickered under his breath so she turned on him as well. "And just because
you're Lucian's brother doesn't mean you can boss me around."
The look of surprise on Stefan's face was priceless. He looked at her as if she was
some strange creature he didn't quite know what to do with. Delight risked a quick
glance at Lucian and noted that he looked none too pleased either. This wasn't good.
Not only had Lucian caught her sneaking out of his house, now she was telling off his
brother. Deciding it was better to stay on the offensive than the defensive, she shifted
her attention back to Lucian.
"Any other family I should know about?"
"Yes.
An older brother and a new sister-in-law."
Before she could even think of a
response, he cupped the back of her head, leaned down and kissed her.
It wasn't a soft, gentle kiss, but a stamp of possession. He claimed her mouth with
his, thrusting his tongue inside and stroking hers, challenging it to duel with his.
Delight forgot everything as his mouth continued to devour hers.
Her fingers released the death grip she had on her dress and it dropped to the floor.
Coming up on her toes, she flung her arms around Lucian's neck. She wanted the kiss
to last forever. She could feel Lucian's arousal growing and she nestled her hips tight to
his to help ease the growing ache between her own thighs.
"Don't mind me. I'll just leave." The amused masculine voice was as effective as a
dousing with a cold bucket of water.
Delight pulled away from Lucian and buried her face against his naked chest.
"Now look what you made me do," she wailed.
"Me," he replied incredulously.
"Yes," she nodded her head against his chest. "It's
all your
fault for being so
damned sexy. I never had these kinds of problems until I met you."
Stefan gave a bark of laughter and when she turned her head and peeked at him, he
was smiling at her. It was only the slightest upturn at the corner of his lips, but it was a
smile. He gave her a small bow that was oddly formal and looked right even though he
was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a black T-shirt.
"Welcome to the family." All traces of humor fled from his face as he continued.
"Know that I will protect you and yours with my very life.
You are a
Dalakis
now."
"Thank you."
Stefan's words touched Delight, but she didn't quite know what to
say to his second proclamation. "But I'm a
Deveraux
, not a
Dalakis
."
Stefan immediately looked to Lucian and seemed relieved when he nodded. "No,
you are a
Dalakis
now, for better or worse." Stefan's eyes began to twinkle as he ran
them down along the curves of her body. "And from what I can see, it is definitely for
the better."
"
Omigod
." It was only then that she realized that Stefan had the perfect view of her
almost naked body. Even though her back was to him, with her dress on the floor and
wearing only her underwear, he'd gotten quite the eyeful for the last while.
Keeping her arms locked around Lucian's waist, she scooted around until she stood
behind him. Lucian had his hands on his hips as he shook his head at his brother. "Now
you've embarrassed her."
Stefan snagged the towel off the floor and held it out to her. "She has nothing to be
embarrassed about."
Grabbing the towel from his outstretched hand, she wrapped it around her body,
thankful for its meager protection. She started to thank Stefan but got sidetracked when
she noted the bulge in the front of his jeans. The man was seriously aroused. Her mouth
went dry, so she licked her lips before she tried to speak. "Thanks," she managed to
croak out.
"My pleasure."
There was
a warmth
in Stefan's voice that caused Lucian to stiffen.
Sighing, Stefan turned to leave. He got as far as the door, but stopped before he opened
it. "I cannot help but want what you have, my brother, but I would never take that
which was yours. She is now family and under my protection."
"Thank you, my brother." Stefan relaxed the moment Lucian spoke, his shoulders
dropping from their tight, slightly hunched position. Delight found the tension seeping
out of her own body as well. It was only then that she realized how uptight she'd been.
The sun had finished setting while they'd been talking and they both watched Stefan as
he walked out the front door and into the gloom of early evening.
"Now."
Lucian turned to her. His chest was bare and it was obvious he'd only
taken time to haul on his pants before coming after her, as they were zipped but not
buttoned.
Facing him, she was determined to ignore the faint stirring of guilt welling up
inside her. She had every right to do whatever she wanted to. She still had a life and
responsibilities. She opened her mouth to tell Lucian just that and closed it abruptly.
There was more than just concern in his eyes. There was hurt as well. She'd hurt him
with her actions and hadn't meant to.
Sighing, she went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him
tight. "I'm sorry. I guess it's going to take me a while to get used to having someone
worry about me."
His sigh of exasperation ruffled her hair. "It is more than just worry, Delight. You
are my very heart. My whole purpose in life is to keep you happy and protected."
"That's not very fair to you." She wasn't sure she wanted to be that important to
anybody.
"Fair," he muttered as he buried his face in her hair. "What is fair? I have lived
hundreds of years without you. Maybe that was fair, maybe not. All I know is that I
have you now and I will not lose you." He kissed her forehead, her nose and her lips as
his fingers traced her cheeks. "Come live with me. Share my life with me." He
punctuated each sentence with a kiss on her lips.
"Will you?"
"Yes."
There was no other answer she could give. Even though she knew that he
was immortal and she was not, she wanted whatever time they could spend together.
Lucian held her so close she could barely breathe, but she didn't care. She'd made
him happy and his happiness had become very important to her. But there were still
problems to be worked out. "We still have to talk. I need to know how the whole
vampire thing works. What can you do? How does it affect our life together?" Delight's
head almost hurt, she had so many questions. "I also want to know all about your
brothers and your sister-in-law."
He let her go, but Lucian was smiling when he scooped her up into his arms. "I will
tell you everything, but first I want to celebrate." He carried her up the staircase and
into his bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them.
Chapter Fifteen
When Delight awoke, she was alone in the large bed. She smiled as she rolled over
and buried her face in Lucian's pillow, breathing in his scent. The man was insatiable.
As his smell filled her nostrils, her breasts began to ache and she could feel her
juices start to flow between her thighs. If she could bottle Lucian's unique essence, she
could make a fortune. The man smelled good enough to eat. She licked her lips at the
prospect.
Laughing, she flung the covers off and sat up on the side of the bed. She was
becoming as insatiable as he was. Raising her arms overhead, she stretched, working
the kinks out of her muscles. She was unused to the demands of Lucian's voracious
lovemaking and her body ached, but it was a pleasant feeling.
She eased off the bed, onto the platform and down over the step. Ignoring her own
dress, which was nothing more than a crumpled heap on the floor, she padded to
Lucian's closet and tugged it open. Not surprisingly, his closet was huge and filled with
the best quality clothing. Delight glanced at a couple of labels and shook her head in
disbelief at the sheer extravagance of it all. Lucian certainly liked to dress well.
Forcing herself to ignore the fact that one of his shirts probably cost as much as the
sum of half of her wardrobe, she tugged one of them from its hanger and slipped it on.
The fabric was soft and luxurious against her skin and she wrapped her arms around
herself, reveling in the feel of it.
Buttoning the shirt as she went, she left the bedroom in search of Lucian. A clock
struck the hour as she walked down the dimly lit hall and she was surprised to realize
that it was one o'clock in the morning. She must have dozed for an hour or so after
they'd made love.
Pausing at the top of the stairs, she turned towards the end of the hall as a faint
noise caught her ear. The long hallway was cast in shadows, but a faint light shone from
a doorway at the end. Curious, Delight crept down the hall and peeked inside.
It was Lucian, but a Lucian she'd never seen before. This was the medieval warlord
in the flesh. Clad only in a pair of fitted black pants with his feet and chest bare, his
torso gleamed with sweat and every muscle in his body bulged as he swung a huge
ornate sword in a series of intricate maneuvers. He moved with a grace and speed that
was surprising in a man of his size.
The room was empty of furniture and one entire wall was covered with a floor-to-
ceiling mirror that reflected Lucian's fierce image as he trained with his sword. The far
wall was filled with a collection of swords and other instruments of war that Delight
did not recognize. There was no doubt that this was a workout room and from the skill
with which Lucian wielded the massive weapon, it was apparent that he used it
frequently.
She couldn't tear her eyes from him as the sword dipped and his body moved in a
lethal dance of advance and retreat. His long hair hung over his shoulders and his face
was a mask of concentration as he glided and thrust effortlessly, swinging the heavy
sword as if it were nothing more than a toy. The steel of the blade was reflected in the
light and mirrors--a deadly yet beautiful weapon, much like the man who wielded it.
Her mouth went dry and she licked her lips as she leaned against the doorjamb for
support. She made a small sound of disbelief as he executed a series of movements so
fast he was little more than a blur. He whirled towards the doorway, his stance battle-
ready as the sword swung loose and ready to strike.
His cold, hard gaze changed in an instant, becoming molten hot in the blink of an
eye. He smiled a small, knowing smile that was filled with sensual promise as he
looked his fill of her.
Delight could feel her nipples poking at the front of the shirt and clamped her
thighs together to try and stop the ache that had begun to throb at her very core.
Lucian's smile grew as he stared at her chest.
Lowering the four-foot blade, he propped it carefully against the wall before
turning back to her. Her eyes widened at the huge bulge in the front of his pants. There
was no mistaking that he wanted her.
Again.
"Come." His deep voice vibrating through every cell in her body, and before she
could even think, her feet were carrying her towards him.
She stopped just out of his reach, determined to have a sensible conversation for
once.
"That was amazing."
"Thank you."
Lucian didn't move, but she felt as if he was crowding closer to her,
his large body taking up most of the space between them. It was hard to concentrate
when her fingers itched to caress every inch of his huge chest. The man was turning her
into a sex fiend. She shook her head to clear it, forcing herself to pay attention to what