Draven's Crossing: Tempestuous Crossings (11 page)

“Spoilsport.” It was a struggle not to track her down and drag her back home. “Red, silver, and blue. Red for blood, silver for the moon, and blue was because we couldn’t decide what other colors to go with. Purple seemed too royal. Anything else?” He sat down fully on the floor and crossed his legs at the ankles, not caring what anyone passing by would think. Torger hadn’t come out of the press room yet, which was a bad sign.

“Now about the Mardi Gras theme; how about making things look very New Orleans?” Papers being shuffled and keys on a keyboard being tapped filled his ear. “Or too pedestrian? I mean, everyone does something like that. Don’t get me wrong, love the look and ambiance, but we need something different, traditional I think. What do you think? Katey agrees with me.”

He grinned. “I knew you and Katey would get along.”

“She’s a great head of P.R. No bullshit whatsoever. So what do you think?” More keys tapped.

“I’m starting to feel neglected,” he joked.

“And I’m doing my job. Ideas please. We’re not sure what you want here.” Irritation came loud and clear came through the phone.

He winced. “I’m sorry, honey. It’s been a rough day so far. I just want to keep you on the phone as long as possible. There used to be a thing called the Vampire Ball. Katey should know about it, as she’s been to a few. I think that would be a great theme for this year.” He rested his head against the wall and waited, praying she’d ask to see him. All he wanted was a few minutes to touch base with her. His fingertips tingled with the need to touch her skin again. Draven wanted to be surrounded by her scent, to breathe her in, and get lost within it.

“I’m sorry, Draven. It’s been hard over here. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. We’ve been bombarded with requests for info about the ball with nothing to tell people.” She sighed. “If it helps, I miss you.”

The last was said so quietly he was sure he was hearing things. A smile curled his lips. “Picnic dinner tonight. You and me.”

“I don’t know. I have a lot of work… Besides does this mean I’m dating the mayor?”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Baby, we started dating when you accepted my dinner invite yesterday.” Draven sucked in a breath, shocked. “We’ve been dating for a day. Jesus, it feels like…”

“I know.”

Again, she fell quiet.

“Are you scared?” He prayed she wasn’t. Things had moved at a lightning pace, but for him it was fine. He was happy with it all and couldn’t have asked for anything more. Once, it was believed by vampires there was such a thing as a Soul Bond or Blood Bond, someone who kept the soul while a vampire slept or was the one person to satisfy their constant need for blood, the one and only. Draven hadn’t believed those stories. Thinking of Rose and how safe he felt, he almost admitted to believing something like that could be true. Snorting, he dismissed that idea to focus on the here and now.

“Honestly, no. I still hold you to what you said to me last night.”

Her voice had become husky, filled with a soft heat for his ears only. The burn in his veins increased as his body tightened. Hot, thick blood filled his cock. His balls contracted. Drawing in a deep breath, he fought the twitches of his body. Every muscle and tendon wanted him to move, to do something. Instead, he remained where was, relieved to know she wasn’t running, at least not yet. “Thank you for giving me a chance.” He couldn’t express his gratefulness enough, nor could he find the words. It touched a part of him he hadn’t known existed. The words seemed to slip right into his soul and fuse themselves there. Calm descended over him. Her confidence in him electrified him to the core, shaking away some of the stoicism that had settled there.

“A picnic dinner sounds nice. Clothing?”

He grinned.
You’re making this too easy.
“Optional.”

She snorted. “Pervert. I’m not a nudist. I mean what kind?”

“Barely there.” His smiled widened even more.

Rose let out a growl of frustration. “Causal, dress up, what’s the theme here?”

“Sexy, short, tight dress, easy access, no underwear.”

Her muttered curses brought out a chuckle.

“I swear to God, how the hell do you get anything done? Does your cock do all the thinking for you? I’ll wear pants and underwear.”

“No, top?” he teased.

She growled at him. An actual growl that he felt would make any female werewolf proud. “Yes, a top, too. God, I have to be so specific with you. I thought werewolves were the horny beasts of the paranormal world. Apparently, I was wrong. Vampires are just as obsessed with sex.”

A full body laugh built up until he couldn’t stop it from coming. Opening his mouth, he let it go, his body shaking. He laughed long and loud until tears streamed down his cheeks.

“Uh, should I come back?”

Draven looked up to find a haggard looking Torger standing over him. Shaking his head, Draven scrambled up. “No. Give me a second.”

Torger nodded.

“Honey, I have to go. Duty calls. I’ll see you for lunch later?” He prayed she’d agree to see him.

“It’ll have to be your office. We’re putting together a package to show you what we’ve come up with.” A faint voice filtered through the phone, and he heard Rose murmur something back. “Sorry, hon, gotta go. Lunch? I can do a presentation. Do you need all your people there?”

His heart contracted at the small endearment she’d slipped into the sentence. He started to nod but stopped himself. “Yes, baby, that’s fine. I’ll order up. Turkish food?”

“Anything. I’m starved. Gotta go.” She hung up the phone before he could say good-bye.

It shocked him at how teary he felt.

Torger looked him over. “Problem, Drav?”

Draven felt silly. “No. What’s up?”

“Nothing but the same ol’, same ol’ on the reporter front. No news and no bodies, which is good and bad, but on the Council front, I just got word from one of my contacts about the short list of who they could send. You should get Hamilcar.”

Draven focused on his tattoo and called forth the black dragon. The mysterious man appeared, his eyes a bit glassy.

“Tired my friend?” Draven was worried by the way Hamilcar looked. He’d never seen his friend like this.

The dragon shook his head. “Been meditating, seeing the outcomes. I’m concerned. I don’t think this attack is natural.”

Anxiety pushed back any desire he’d felt. “What do you mean?”

“Something is off,” he said.

Draven frowned.

Torger began to walk. “Which jives with what I’m hearing. The coroner can’t find anything, and I mean that. Nothing on the bodies, the clothes. I’ve got my best people looking everything over. It’s gonna take time, but we should have at least found something by now, you know?”

“It is a lot to process,” Draven started.

“No. I put my whole fucking department on this. Pulled people working on other cases, and nada. I’m beginning to wonder if this whole thing is too perfect, too clean. No one is that good.” Torger paused to smash his fist into the wall. The brick face cracked; flakes and chunks fell to the floor as dust rose up in the air. “Fuck, sorry about that. I’m just so… My town, damn it. My fucking turf and some asswipe comes in here and kills people under my protection. This shouldn’t be happening. I’m the alpha of all the werewolves and this is what I get?”

Draven understood Torger’s anger and frustration. This was his town too, and someone was imitating one of his kind and bringing everyone down. “You’ll get whoever is behind this. Use Jagger and his contact; see if he’s come up with something. Keep me updated. I have other things to take care of, like this grand gesture ball.”

“Will do, boss. Shall I call in the dragons as well? Really pull people in, make this a community thing?” Torger looked at Hamilcar, then Draven.

Draven shrugged. “Can’t hurt. Hamilcar, can you take care of that?”

The dragon nodded and vanished, leaving in a puff of black smoke, sulfur and ash.

“I hate when he does that.” Draven smiled, and Torger laughed.

* * * *

Rose gathered up her files and headed to Draven’s office. She felt as if there was sand on the surface of her eyes. Her body was so tight, it hurt moving her shoulders. Spending the last few hours hunched over the computer to find information about the Vampire Balls of Europe was difficult. There was so much contradicting information on the internet she wasn’t sure what to believe. Katey was a big help, but she had other things to deal with, so Rose was left mostly to herself with no one to help her.

It didn’t help that she was also hungry. Usually, she stopped to have a mid-morning snack to keep up her metabolism, but there had been too much to do, and she still wasn’t done. The saving grace was getting to see Draven. A small smile began. Pressing the button for the elevator, excitement rushed through her. Waking up with him that morning, with his arms around her, had been such a surprising welcome.

Despite the occasional sense of lightheadedness, she felt strong. After the elevator door slid open, she stepped inside and pressed the button for the top floor. The car jerked before it started to move upward. She leaned against the wall, shut her eyes and let her thoughts drift. Satisfaction yawned through her body. Never in her life had she felt so content. Despite it being a day since they’d started to see each other, and having sex, she felt good about it. No regrets. Not even the thought of people finding out about them irked her in the least. It didn’t matter. She was sure that Draven wouldn’t stray from her.

For whatever reason, she felt safe with him, and secure. It helped that every time he looked at her there was heat in his silver eyes that told her he would devour her whole if she let him. Her pussy lips and inner thighs began to tingle. She sucked in a breath as she remembered what it had been like to be filled, fucked and bitten by him. The wound on her neck throbbed. Not even that small ache could stop the sense of her breasts becoming full and her nipples beading to aching points.

Desire slid a sharp finger down her spine, causing her to thrust out her chest. The ache between her legs intensified as the distance between her and Draven closed.

Ding.

The door slid open, and she found Draven standing there waiting for her. Dark hunger burned in his eyes. All she could do was whimper before he grabbed her arm and pulled her into an embrace. Stumbling off of the elevator, she went willingly and gave herself to his scent and heat once again. Something inside of her clicked, and she relaxed against him.

Draven buried his head in the crook of her neck and sighed. Moist breath fanned her skin. Goosebumps rose as her stomach dropped.

“I’ve missed you. Been thinking about you, waiting for this moment.” He sounded so tired, which worried her.

“What’s wrong?” Moving her body back a bit, she slipped the files under her arm and slid a free hand into his hair. Combing her fingers through his silken tresses, she smiled when he sighed at the touch. His hand pressed in the small of her back, urging her to move closer. No protests; she went with the guidance. A small moan began in her chest and moved up her throat when she felt the press of his erection against her stomach. He rocked against her and groaned aloud.

“It’s been a long day. Need to get you into the office before I drop to my knees and eat you out here in the hallway.” His hand slid over one cheek of her ass. As he squeezed, he drew another groan from her. Heat flooded her sex and spread outward.

“Draven,” she started.

He scraped his fangs down her neck. That one small touch burned her skin and sent tendrils of fire tingled at the base of her back.

“I know what you’ve got under here. I watched you dress this morning.” He caressed her bottom again before giving her a hard slap. The momentary pain caught her off guard before the burn began, heightening her need for him. Moisture slid out of her cunt, staining her panties.