Eternal Breath of Darkness (30 page)

She was an idiot. “Why would
you bring me to your house?”

“Forgive me for being so
thoughtless.” Sending peace into her, he took her hand and slowly brought it to
his mouth. “I’m Nikolas Drake.”

Instantly recovering from a
nearly full-blown panic attack, she smiled. “Do you know Haden?”

“He’s my brother. How do you
know him?”

“I don’t really know him. He
comes to where I work to see his girlfriend, Caylee.”

Nikolas took his cell phone
out and called Haden. “Put Caylee on.” He turned the speaker on.

“Hello.”

“Hello, little sister. I
need a favor.”

“Okay.”

“I’ve put you on speaker.
I’m with Brianna Larkin right now, and I’m attempting to convince her to allow
me to take her to the party at the Grande tonight, but there’s a small
problem.”

“What?”

“She’s rightfully a little
apprehensive about taking off with a stranger.”

“Oh, I understand. It’s
okay, Brianna. You’re safe with Nikolas. He’s a good guy.” It was everything
Caylee could do to keep from laughing when Haden stopped the car, swung his
head around, and commanded her to give him the phone.

Feeling more than a little
embarrassed, Brianna giggled. “Thanks, Caylee.”

“Anytime.” Caylee giggled,
struggling to prevent Haden from taking the phone out of her hand. “I’ll see
you later.”

Knowing Haden was attempting
to wrestle the phone away from Caylee, Nikolas ended the call and turned the
phone off. “You have no reason to be embarrassed.” He took her hand. “It’s
fifteen steps up. I just need to change my clothes, and then we will leave for
the party.”

* * *

“Here you go.” Caylee handed the phone over.

“He hung up.” Haden tried to
call Nikolas back. “He turned the phone off.” He frowned. “What did he say?”

“Sorry,” Caylee teased. “I
wish I could tell you, but I can’t. It’s a secret.”

He lowered his brow. “Tell
me.”

Nibbling on her lower lip,
she grinned up at him. “Say pretty please.”

“Do you know what happens
when you play with fire, little love?”

“Nope. I‘ve never really
considered fire to be a toy.” Pressing her palm against his cock, she winked at
him. “But I’m getting very knowledgeable in what happens when you get naked and
play with a fire-breathing dragon.”

“Did you just call me a
toy?”

 “My favorite toy.”

“You really are pure evil.”
Frowning, he pulled the car back onto the road and started driving again. “You
don’t fight fair.” He glanced over at her, and he’d be damned if she wasn’t
smiling up at him, waiting for him to say it. He wasn’t going to say it. There
was no way. Imagine how impossible she would be to deal with it he allowed her
to win this one.

“Pretty please,” he growled,
between clenched teeth.

“Nope. No way. No growling.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “And I really didn’t think we were
fighting, but now that I know, I’m not telling you unless you say it very
nicely.”

Blood pressure skyrocketing,
he pulled the car into the only available parking spot anywhere close to the
boutique. Struggling to keep his composure, he got out of the car and walked
over to the passenger side. He opened the door and reached for her hand to help
her get out of the car. Without thought, he wrapped his arms around her and
pulled her close. He bent his head to hers. “Pretty please, little love, tell
me.” he whispered in a deep, seductive voice that sent shivers of desire racing
through her body.

“Pretty please?” Joseph
walked up from behind. “It must not be all that earth shattering if she makes
you beg for it.”

“Oh, damn it.” Haden brought
Caylee to his side to face Joseph. “What are you doing here?”

“Picking Mia up for the
party.”

“Does she know?” Caylee
asked.

“Not yet.” Joseph smiled.

“She won’t go with you. She
doesn’t even like you,” Haden stated.

Joseph shrugged casually.
“Maybe I’ll try saying pretty please.”

Before Haden could hit
Joseph, Caylee blurted, “Nikolas is taking Brianna to the party tonight. She’s
with him right now.”

“Huh?” Haden glanced at
Joseph and then looked down at Caylee. “That’s what he said to you?”

“Yep.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever
seen your brother with a woman,” Joseph said. “What about you?”

“Never.” Haden replied.

~
Twenty-One ~

NIKOLAS TOOK HIS jacket off Brianna, and then he pulled out the
chair and guided her into it. He leaned down next to her and turned the
computer on. She lifted her chin and turned her face toward him. Feeling the
heat of her breath on his neck made every muscle in his body go rigid. He
looked down at her and stared into her unseeing blue gaze. She was almost too
beautiful, too perfect in every way he could ever imagine. Her lips were so
close. He was tempted to lean down a little further and kiss her. It took every
ounce of his strength, but he managed to force himself to look away from her
and focus on the computer screen.

It didn’t take Nikolas long
to find the story of the fire that claimed her family. Following one clue after
another, he eventually found a picture of Demetri with a young woman. She could’ve
been Brianna’s twin. He studied the picture and realized that Mary Tate was
standing in the background, watching Demetri. “Brianna, do you have a twin
sister?”

Visibly shaken by the
question, Brianna attempted to rest her hand on the desk, but ended up placing
her hand on his. “Sorry.” As if she’d just touched a flame she jerked her hand
back and held her breath.

He got down on his knees and
slowly turned the chair so that she was facing him. He took her hands in his to
send waves of healing energy into her. “There’s no reason for you to be sorry,
little one. You didn’t do anything wrong,” he whispered. He took a deep breath
and released it with a sigh. “I upset you by asking if you have a twin sister,
didn’t I?”

Hot tears burning behind her
eyes, she nodded.

“Why?” He continued to send
healing energy into her as he waited for her to recover and respond.

“My sister, Sara,
disappeared after our home burned down.” She swallowed the lump in her throat.
“The authorities believe she started it.”

“Tell me why they blamed
her,” he whispered.

“She didn’t do it,” she
blurted, her unseeing gaze pinning his, her voice and expression fierce with
her love and loyalty for her sister.

“I know.” He reached up and
gently wiped the tears from her face. “But why do the police suspect her?”

“She hears voices,” Brianna
whispered. Why was she telling him anything? She didn’t know why, but she felt
as if she could tell him anything. “Sometimes, she hurts herself. She has
violent outbursts. They believe she’s insane.”

“I’m sorry. Thank you for
trusting me.” Nikolas brought her hand to the warmth of his mouth. “How did you
get out of the fire?”

It was just as Nikolas had
suspected. He watched a dark spell of fear, intended to silence her, grip onto
her and squeeze hard. He immediately recognized Demetri’s power in it. He
placed his hands on her shoulders. “The only way to break the fear is to defeat
it. The only way to defeat it is to challenge it. I’m here. I will protect you.
Nothing bad can happen to you. Tell me how you managed to get out of the fire.”
He didn’t need her to tell him. She needed to tell him. It was the only way to
break the spell. Well, he could easily get rid of it, but it was better for her
to do it. It would empower her and make her less vulnerable to Demetri’s power.

Somehow, she knew it was
true. She didn’t how, but it didn’t matter. She believed him. “It was the same
as when you rescued me today. A man I’d never met took me out of the house.
Then the moment we stepped off the front porch, he told me that if I ever told
anyone he’d helped me he would … oh, God.”

“Would what?” Nikolas asked,
careful to hide his anger.

“Kill me and whoever I
told.”

“I know him,” Nikolas said.
“He can’t touch you.”

Brianna nodded, but she
wasn’t truly convinced. She believed Nikolas was attempting to make her feel
better.

Nikolas was having a
difficult time containing his nature. He was a powerful immortal, a fierce
warrior, and his anger was growing. “Did he hurt you?” He attempted to hide his
rage, but his voice was so dark and menacing it sounded as if he’d growled the
words.

Brianna nearly jumped out of
the chair. She would’ve if he weren’t holding her down. “No.” Her heart was
racing frantically, painfully.

“Forgive me, I didn’t mean
to startle you.”

Nodding, attempting to smile,
she swallowed the lump in her throat. “Do you think he hurt Sara?”

“I don’t know, but I promise
to find out what happened to her.” Regardless, Nikolas was killing Demetri. He
released Brianna’s hands and stood up. “It’s getting late. Give me a moment to put
something more presentable on, and we will get going.”

Changing his clothing with a
thought, Nikolas walked over to the window. Staring out at the setting sun, he
ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. Slowly exhaling, he
glanced at Brianna over his shoulder. The worst had already happened. Demetri
had killed his own mate. It was the vilest crime his kind could ever commit.
What would drive a demon to kill something so exquisite, so fragile? He closed
his eyes and leaned forward to rest his forehead against the cool window. Some
would say Demetri’s power was his downfall. It was believed ultimate power was
the only thing that could so completely destroy a demon’s sense of honor and
loyalty.

Nikolas opened his eyes to
gaze out the window once more. He wasn’t worried Demetri would ever be able to
harm Brianna. He had every intention of doing whatever it took to protect her,
and he had faith in his abilities to do so. By the end of the night he would
secure her future and walk away from her for forever. Ultimate power had
corrupted Demetri. He didn’t want to believe it was true. He’d lived just as
long and possessed just as much power as Demetri, and he wanted to believe he
would never commit such a despicable sin. But it was inevitable. Guilt crushing
down on him, he took a deep breath and held it. He wouldn’t take any chances
with Brianna’s life. For hundreds of years he’d felt the influence of utter
darkness building in his soul. It was why he’d kept his distance from everyone.
He was warrior. He was a killer. It was far too late for him to claim his mate.
Resisting the urge to shatter his reflection in the window, he closed his eyes
once more. If he tried to hold onto Brianna, he would eventually use his
powers, his strength to destroy her.

Brianna felt the crushing
waves of his agony. She stood up. “Nikolas?” He didn’t answer. She felt drawn
to him in a way she’d only ever experienced with her sister. She didn’t
hesitate. She took a step away from the desk and then, following the waves of his
sadness and pain, she kept taking one step after another until she was standing
directly behind him. Just as she had with her sister so many times in the past,
she reached out and touched his back, hoping to ease his pain. “Nikolas?”

His head snapped up. His
deep pain and sadness instantly vanished, leaving him feeling so at peace that
tears of joy burned behind his eyes. He didn’t need to ask how she’d made her
way across the room. He saw it in her mind. They shared a connection. And it
was stronger than he’d ever imagined it would be. He was hurting, his heart was
breaking, he needed her, and she came to him. He placed her hand over his heart
and held his hand over it. Despite being unable to see her unfamiliar
surroundings, she came to him without any hesitation or fear because of the
powerful connection she’d shared with her twin.

Feeling his steady, strong
heartbeat beneath her palm caused her to shiver. “I never thanked you.” Lifting
her chin, she smiled up at him.

Mesmerized by her smile, he
stared down at her, his breath harsh, his body shuddering with need. “You’re
welcome, Brianna.” He bent his head so his mouth was so close his hot breath
tickled her ear. “But you don’t need to thank me.” His voice was deep and
husky, his breaths ragged.

She stepped back. The heat
of his breath, the deep, lustful sound of his voice when he’d whispered in her
ear heightened a sexual hunger in her she’d never known existed. More than
anything, she really wished she could see him. Not seeing his gaze, but feeling
it on her, she lowered her head. She folded her arms behind her back to resist
the temptation to touch his face.

“I would love it,” he
whispered. Then leaning back to look at her, he softly trailed the backs of his
fingers up her neck and kept going until he forced her chin up.

Brianna gasped at his touch.
“Huh?” She held her breath. She knew exactly what he was saying, but she was so
embarrassed. It wasn’t his words that brought color to her cheek; it was the
way his touch caused her body to ache.

He felt her desire. “I would
love for you to touch me.” His voice was a low, lustful whisper.

She felt the heat of her
blush deepening. She struggled to take even, steady breaths. His nearness, the
warmth radiating from his body, was wreaking havoc in her body. She fought to
steady her nerves, but it was no use. Hands trembling, she reached up and
placed them on his face. Electricity arced between them, through them. For a
moment, startled by the fiery, intoxicating sensations racing through her body
and over her flesh, she froze. Finally able to move, she started to explore his
face.

Nikolas thought his heart
was going to explode right out of his chest. Her tiny fingers caused lightning
to rip through his body and thunder to rumble in his ears. It was nearly
impossible to resist the urge to wrap his arms around her and pull her closer.
He’d never known such a desperate need to feel a woman’s body against his.
Every muscle in his body ached from the strain it took to remain still so she
could finish her exploration. It was the most perfect form of torture
imaginable. He never wanted it to end. It was a good thing she couldn’t see the
color of his eyes turn to black. She would be horrified. She would know he
wasn’t human.

Tilting her head to the
side, she smiled up at him. “I don’t need to see the color of your eyes to know
you aren’t human. I don’t need to see the power in and around you.” She paused.
“I can feel it.”

“What did you say?”

“Oh no.” She immediately
removed her hands from his face. “I’m so sorry, Nikolas. I didn’t mean to
intrude. Sometimes when I use my hands to see a person I can hear their
thoughts.” She frowned. “Sometimes I don’t know it’s happening. It sounds as if
the person is talking to me. It usually only happens when I have a strong
connection with the person. Mostly Sara.”

Turning away from him, she
quickly took a few steps to put some distance between them. As luck would have
it, she ran into something solid and tripped. Thankfully, it was right into his
arms instead of flat on her face on the floor. “You think I’m a freak, right?”
Besides commenting on his thoughts, attempting to walk away from him was just
about the dumbest thing she could’ve done. Thoroughly humiliated, she buried
her face against his sternum and didn’t move.

“No,” he whispered, smoothing
her hair, holding her as close as he dared to. “Not at all.” He was shocked. He
was too well guarded for most of his kind to ever freely hear his thoughts.
“You’re the most intriguing woman I’ve ever met.” Resting his chin on the top
of her head, he breathed deeply, filling his lungs with the sweet scent of her
soft, silky hair. “I’ve always had the ability to hear the thoughts of other
people. It can be confusing. The fact that you’re able and willing to merge
your mind with mine is the most fascinating feeling.”

“You’re a liar. Why would
you want me in your head?” She laughed at his attempt to make her feel better.
“You don’t even really know me.”

Normally, he would’ve
shrugged it off. He was a demon. Being called a liar was no big deal. He’d been
called worse. He gently pushed her out of his arms, and then he took her hands
and brought them to his face and opened his mind fully, hiding nothing from
her. “I belong to you, little one. From this day forward until the end of time
I will be watching over every breath you take and every move you make. Though
we’re apart I will always be aware of every beat of your heart. I will do
whatever it takes to make sure you’re safe.”

Brianna’s head was spinning.
Being so deeply merged with him there was no doubting his sincerity, but it
didn’t make sense. It was wrong for him to have such deep feelings for her,
wasn’t it? He didn’t know her. Love at first sight was a fairytale. It wasn’t
real. It couldn’t be real. Then she realized it wasn’t real. He wasn’t real. Duh.
He hadn’t existed until she’d passed out from smoke inhalation. He was a
figment of her imagination. He was a fairytale lover that came to sweep her off
her feet while she was in a coma.

“Will you do something for
your fairytale lover, Brianna?”

It didn’t bother her that he
referred to himself as her fairytale lover. It was no mystery how he was able
to hear her thoughts—he was a figment of her imagination. “Sure.” She smiled up
at him. “Why not?”

Reaching behind his neck, he
removed his most powerful possession. Then he took her hand in his to show it
to her. “I want you to wear this necklace.”

It took her a minute, but
she eventually figured out what it was. “It’s a dragon, right?”

“Yes.” Nodding, he smiled.