Harlequin Nocturne May 2016 Box Set (41 page)

“I've never met a vampire yet who wanted to conform.” Tanzi pushed aside the sandwich she had been eating and reached instead for her glass of soda.

“No one said Tibor's job was an easy one.” Lorcan looked out at the islands. They were vanishing now as night draped a cloak of darkness over them. “I've never seen Tibor's castle, but I've heard about it. If it lives up to its reputation, this should be an interesting visit.”

“Can we talk about something other than Tibor and vampires?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I need a shower.” Mischief lit her expression. “Will you join me?”

“It's a bit cramped in there for two.” What was
wrong
with him? His cock had stiffened to the point where it resembled an iron girder at the very thought, yet here he was offering suggestions about why it was a bad idea.

“I thought that might make it interesting. But if you'd rather not...oh!” Tanzi let out a little squeal as, in one fluid series of movements, Lorcan rose to his feet, swept her up in his arms and carried her down into the cabin.

* * *

Lorcan was right. They had to stand pressed very close together under the warm spray of water. Not that Tanzi was finding it a hardship. And, judging by the look in his eye and the enormous erection throbbing against her stomach, Lorcan appeared to be enjoying himself, as well.

“Let me do that,” he said, as she reached for the soap. Taking the scented bar, he rubbed it across the flat plain of her stomach, before moving it up to linger on her breasts. Her flesh ached with pleasure when he skimmed the soap around her nipples and then used his other hand to massage her slippery skin. Just when she was beginning to have difficulty staying upright, he moved his hand around to her back and she gasped as his soapy fingers probed between her buttocks. “Open your legs.” His voice was a rasp above the sound of the water.

Tanzi obeyed and Lorcan moved the soap down between her legs, gliding it back and forth so that it brushed her clitoris. She trembled and clung to his shoulders. With a muttered curse, he cast the soap aside and lifted her against the shower wall.

“I can't go slow. Not when you drive me mad as soon as I touch you.”

Tanzi wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing herself closer until she could feel the head of his cock right at her entrance. He felt huge and hot as he started to push into her. She writhed against him. “Now, please.”

Lorcan paused, his breath coming fast and ragged. “What the hell am I doing?” With one hand, he fumbled for the condom he'd placed on the soap tray. “Help me out here,
Searc
.”

Between them they got the condom on, and Tanzi glanced up to encounter a look that almost scorched the skin from her face. Without any further warning, Lorcan drove the full length of his cock into her, impaling her against the tiled wall. Her head fell back and a helpless gurgle left her lips. Holding Tanzi in position, Lorcan pulled back before ramming into her again. Over and over. His thrusts were wild, masterful and completely without mercy. That connection, the friction at just the right spot, felt like nothing she had ever known. She loved the feeling of him buried hilt-deep inside her. She loved the feeling of him brushing her clitoris as he withdrew. It was maddening and wonderful at the same time. Tanzi's orgasm built and spiraled inside her until she screamed Lorcan's name as she came. As soon as her muscles clenched around him, Lorcan quickened his pace and continued to pump in and out of her. Tanzi's hands clawed his back as she felt another burst grow within her until she exploded into a second series of spasms. Lorcan's own release soon followed and they both sagged, panting, against the shower wall.

“You do have the best ideas,
Searc
.”

After letting the water play over them for a few more minutes, Lorcan wrapped Tanzi in a fluffy towel and carried her through to the bed. Placing another towel on top of the quilt, he lay down next to her and drew her into his arms, pressing a soft kiss onto her lips. She loved his tenderness after they'd made love. She loved
him
. She tried to wish the thought away, but it persisted.
This is because you have just discovered how to feel. This is your subconscious trying to make sense of this heady cocktail of emotions swirling around inside you. This is just sex. You don't know what love feels like.
It was no good. She could try to talk herself out of it, but it was a waste of time. She loved Lorcan with a strength and certainty that couldn't—wouldn't—be denied. Talk about a double-edged emotion. Fierce happiness tore through her.
I love him, and he's here in my arms.
At the same time, crippling sorrow made her want to curl up in pain.
Because I have to leave him.

“What is it?” She should have known that Lorcan, with that acute extra sense he possessed, would pick up on her feelings. “Was I too rough? Tell me I didn't hurt you.”

“No.” She smiled shyly at him. “I loved it.”

He groaned. “Ah, will you catch yourself on with that sort of talk? You'll have me dragging you off to the shower to do it all over again.” His face became serious. “Although I was so crazed with wanting you, I almost forgot to use protection. I've never been so careless. We can't introduce a baby into this madness.”

Tanzi's heart gave a dull thud. She'd never thought of herself as maternal, even though Moncoya had always made it clear she would be sold to a husband for her childbearing properties. When she took the decision to join the Valkyrie, the fact that she would never have a child had not even crossed her mind. Now she realized that there was nothing she wanted more than a life with Lorcan. A real life, in which she would bear his children. Children like him, blond, blue-eyed, laughing... Bright tears burned her eyelids, and she closed her eyes quickly before he saw them.

“How can you be sure Tibor will see you?” She sought wildly for a change of subject and, opening her eyes, saw Lorcan's surprise reflected in the cornflower depths of his eyes as she blurted the words out. She couldn't blame him. As mood killers went, bringing up the vampire prince who had a steaming crush on you was fairly effective.

“Oh, he'll see me. I'm his worst nightmare.” His smile held no humor, and she was reminded of the darker side of his powers. “Even more than sunlight, crucifixes, daylight and garlic. Perhaps marginally less than a stake through the heart. In general, vampires are not afraid of other beings. There is bad blood between them and the wolves, of course. But that is born of centuries of conflict, not of fear. The vampires do, however, have a healthy respect for necromancers. Tibor knows I can make him and his followers dance to my tune, if I choose. Literally. He can pass all the laws he wants outlawing my powers, but it's my unpredictability that causes him the most alarm.” He drew her closer into the circle of his arms. “I'll take the dinghy over and seek an audience with him first thing in the morning. In the meantime, I've one or two ideas of my own I'd like to discuss with you.”

CHAPTER 14

T
here were two ways in which Lorcan could reach Prince Tibor's castle. One option was to traverse the largest island of the archipelago, having first moored the dinghy in the main port. He discarded this choice for two reasons. Firstly, he would draw too much attention to himself. Secondly, it would take a good two hours to get across the island, and much of the territory was dangerous. The only other alternative was to access the castle from the sea. As he approached the soaring edifice, set high on a cliff overlooking a narrow channel, he offered up thanks for good weather and a calm sea. Any hint of rough waves and his fragile craft would have been dashed onto the treacherous rocks.

Steps—he counted ninety-nine of them as he ascended—led up the vertical cliff from the sea to the castle terrace, and Lorcan knew as he climbed them that a dozen pairs of hidden eyes observed his progress. He hoped that Tibor would recognize that, by entering vampire territory alone, Lorcan was placing his trust in the vampire prince and had no aggressive intentions.

When he reached the top of the steps, Lorcan paused. He had expected to be greeted by Tibor's bodyguards, but the terrace was empty. The castle, a beautiful, pink-and-gold dream in the Renaissance style, loomed above him. In front of him, the view took his breath away. The island looped around almost in a circle, enclosing a small flotilla of sailing boats between golden sands and azure waters. White buildings with rooftops tiled in bright colors clustered below the castle walls like children around their mother's skirts. Majestic pines and exotic cacti provided splashes of brilliant green, their rich scents reminding Lorcan of Mediterranean islands slumbering in the sunshine.

“This is an unexpected surprise.” Tibor's upper-class voice made him turn sharply.
Never let a vampire sneak up on you from behind.
He could almost hear Cal's voice saying the words. The prince was dressed casually in linen trousers and an open-necked shirt. As always, his cool, Nordic looks made him look un-vampire-like and nonthreatening. Appearances could be deceptive.

“Highness.” Lorcan lowered his head in a deferential gesture. There was a time when he would have refused to show anything resembling homage to a vampire. Centuries of experience and Cal's guiding hand had taught him well. He had learned over the years that such acts meant a great deal to the rulers of Otherworld's dynasties. When he looked into Tibor's unusual, light turquoise eyes, he knew the prince wasn't fooled. They would both play the game. Lorcan would bow his head and Tibor wouldn't attempt any mind control tricks. Not that he was stupid enough to try them on a necromancer. “Forgive the intrusion. I have come to request a favor.”

Tibor's lips curved into a smile that was almost sweet. “And here was I believing you came to admire my resort.” His sweeping hand gesture indicated the castle and the vista beyond.

Resort? Was this some sort of vampire hotel? A holiday haven for the undead? The thought was amusing...and surreal at the same time. “Sure, it's quite a place you have here.”

Sarcasm, even the faintest trace, appeared lost on the vampire prince. Tibor bowed his head in acknowledgment of what he clearly took to be a compliment. “Shall I confess to you my greatest ambition? Risk your laughter at my foolishness?”

“I think you underestimate your own authority, Highness.” Lorcan spoke with feeling. The vampire leader had little to fear from any other being.

Tibor leaned on the ornate wrought-iron railing that bordered the terrace, looking out at the sweeping bay. “Very well. I would like, one day, to replicate this venture in the mortal realm.”

Lorcan bit back the four-letter expletive that threatened to burst from him. Instead he raised his brows. “That is certainly ambitious.”

“You think it cannot be done?” Those glittering eyes were watchful.

“It depends on what you are saying.” Lorcan kept his tone studiously neutral. “A luxury hotel is one thing. But if you are suggesting that you want to go mainstream, that you want a luxury hotel in the mortal realm run by vampires, then I'd say you have your work cut out.” He stopped short of saying what he really thought. It wouldn't do to tell the Prince of the Vampires you thought he was insane. Not unless you wanted your throat ripped out. He had seen Tibor in action. That courtly veneer disguised the fact that the most powerful vampire in Otherworld could move faster than Lorcan could blink. Those aristocratic manners hid the heart of a ruthless killer. If Tibor had a heart. It was an interesting point. He must have something if he'd fallen in love with Tanzi. And the guy had good taste, Lorcan had to give him that. Even though the thought of those full lips anywhere near Tanzi made him feel slightly queasy.

Tibor laughed, clapping an arm about Lorcan's shoulders and startling him out of his thoughts. “Fear not, I am not mad enough to make the attempt quite yet. Sadly, I must ensure I have complete control over my dynasty here in Otherworld before I attempt any business venture in the earthly realm. I cannot risk any rogue factions interfering with my plans and allowing their bloodlust to overcome them in the mortal world.”

“I can see how that might be bad for business.” Lorcan eyed him in fascination.

“Indeed. But perhaps you are the very person to help me to quash my rebellious underlings? It had not occurred to me until now, but a powerful necromancer may be just what I need.”

“Sorry, I've another big task ahead of me right now. Jethro is your man if you want a necromancer who is for hire.” Lorcan spoke without thinking, but the prince's intent expression was an instant reminder of recent history. Silently, he cursed his unruly tongue.
Go, Malone. Draw the vampire overlord's attention to your friend, why don't you?

“Ah, Jethro de Loix.” Tibor's voice was like cream mixed with honey. “How I look forward to meeting him again. You do not happen to know his current whereabouts, I suppose?”

“He's never been one for leaving a forwarding address.”

“I was sorry it had to end that way with Dimitar. A bad business all round.” It would be easy to believe Tibor was genuinely regretful.

“Did it have to end that way?” Dimitar had served Tibor faithfully for many years. Lorcan still couldn't see why he had to die just for wanting his freedom.

“But of course. What sort of leader would I be if I let my human servant leave me for another without extracting a painful retribution?” The question hung between them for a minute, reminding Lorcan once again that beneath the cultured surface there lurked a dangerous monster. The glinting smile returned to Tibor's face. “So tell me, what brings you to my humble home? What is this favor I can do for you?”

It was a not-so-subtle reminder to Lorcan that he had placed himself in the vampire ruler's power. “I have come to request safe passage to sail through the waters around the Vampire Archipelago, Highness.”

“Do you travel alone?”

Damn.
That was the one question Lorcan had hoped to avoid. If he said he was on his own and Tibor subsequently discovered he was lying, the vampire prince would have no hesitation in sending out the word to have him captured. He very much doubted a necromancer would get a fair trial in vampire territory. He might as well offer Tibor his throat now. He stifled a sigh. “No, I am traveling with a companion.”

“And who accompanies you on your journey?”

Lorcan drew a breath. “The Crown Princess Tanzi of the faerie dynasty.”

If he didn't have Tibor's full attention before he spoke those words, he certainly had it as soon as they left his lips.

* * *

Tanzi upended the bag she had brought with her when she fled her father's palace in search of Lorcan. She hadn't looked at its contents since Lorcan had retrieved them from the imps, and the items spread on the bed belonged to another time. How long ago it seemed, that foolish flight when she had no idea of where she was going or how she would find Lorcan.
I'm glad of the naïveté that led me into that mad, headlong dash. No matter how much I deplore the way it must end, I can't regret this time with Lorcan. Now, did I pack anything suitable for dinner with the Prince of the Vampires?

When she emerged on deck, she wore a sleeveless, white lace shift dress that skimmed her thighs. Intricately tied sandals on her feet and simple pearls in her ears perfectly matched the color of the dress and complemented the pale sheen of her skin. Her hair hung in loose, gold waves almost to her waist. Lorcan stared at her for a very long time.

“Is something wrong?” she asked at last.

Slowly, he shook his head. The look in his eyes turned her insides to liquid. “You look good enough to eat. Which is a worry considering who our host will be.”

“Must we go?” The thought of meeting Tibor again unnerved her. It was a link to her father—to the past life she thought she had severed completely—that she didn't want. All she wanted to do—right now and for always—was be alone with Lorcan.

“He was most insistent. You know Tibor. All charm, but the subtext was clear. If we want our safe passage, I must bring you to dinner tonight.”

“Is it a trap?”

“There's only one way to find out.” His headlamp grin flickered. “We have to walk into it and see what happens.”

“I wish you'd find another way of detecting a trap,” she grumbled, as he handed her into the dinghy.

“Sure, aren't I just a simple Irish lad with no guile about me?” His accent was more pronounced than ever.

“No, Lorcan, you're not.” She gave him a stern look and he met it with an innocent gaze. Even though he poured himself into her with a passion that scorched and astounded her, and afterward held her in his arms each night while—she strongly suspected—watching her as she slept, he remained unfathomable. Since that one occasion when he had told her he was an immortal hybrid, there had been no more confidences. She sensed he regretted that one. But, because she loved him, she knew much more about Lorcan than his words could ever tell her. She knew that behind the laughter there was immense sadness. Something had damaged him and he was determined to keep whatever it was hidden and secret. Most of the time he was very good at it. Now and then the mask slipped and the hurt in the clear blue depths of his eyes made her heart ache.

Lorcan explained that Tibor had instructed him to take the dinghy around the headland and into the hotel's private bay. “Which is a bonus. One climb up those steps in a day was quite enough.”

He stretched his long legs out in front of him with a grimace. Although he wore jeans and boots, he had graced the occasion by donning a crisp white shirt that enhanced his muscular chest and biceps. His freshly washed hair flopped forward and he tossed it back in a characteristic gesture. Tanzi's chest constricted with love.

“Don't look at me like that in front of Tibor,
Searc
.”

“Like what?” Her voice was slightly husky.

“Like you want to rip my clothes off.”

“I always want to rip your clothes off.”

Lorcan gave a soft groan. “What are you trying to do to me? Let's save this conversation for later, when we can see it through to a satisfactory conclusion. The story I've told Tibor is that I'm escorting you on a mission on behalf of the Alliance. We're going to the Isle of Spae, one of the largest and most remote islands of Otherworld. The inhabitants rarely engage with anyone outside of their own shores, but Cal wants to discover if they want representation on the council. To reach Spae, we must pass through Tibor's territory.”

“You came up with that tale very quickly. I didn't even know the Isle of Spae existed. It's not on any of the maps Cal left us.”

“That's the way the Spae prefer it.” His face was turned away from her, his expression curiously closed. If they'd had time, she would have liked to ask him more about his connection to the Spae.

The dinghy appeared tiny alongside the sleek yachts in the marina below the castle walls. Once Lorcan had tied it up and helped Tanzi onto the quayside, a dark-suited figure appeared as if from nowhere and bowed low before her. “Your Highness. I am Nicu, attendant to the prince. It is my honor to serve you.”

Ignoring Lorcan, Nicu led the way along the quayside and into the grounds of the castle. The message was clear. Only one of Tibor's guests was important enough to warrant any attention. Tanzi cast a rueful glance in Lorcan's direction. Although he made no comment, his eyes twinkled and one side of his mouth lifted in an appreciative half smile.

The inside of the castle was every bit as elegant as its exterior. White marble floors, gold-colored upholstery and antique furnishings were complemented by vast crystal chandeliers and exquisite paintings. Tibor was waiting for them at the foot of a sweeping staircase, and one look at his face was enough to confirm Tanzi's fears. His feelings had not changed. His light eyes blazed with the same passion they always had when he looked at her, only now his smile held a hint of triumph that she found unnerving. Why should he feel triumphant? She had no qualms about meeting his gaze. He could not bind her with his vampire stare any more than she could enchant him with her faerie glamor.

“Princess.” The word was a caress as he raised her hand to his lips. Tanzi risked another swift glance in Lorcan's direction. All trace of the smile had vanished and she was instantly aware of his alert expression, the lithe, coiled strength of his body. It was going to be a long night.

She tried to dredge up a memory of that other Tanzi, the one who existed before the day when Moncoya made his fateful announcement about her forthcoming marriage to the devil. How would
that
Tanzi have acted in this situation? To her shame, she suspected the other Tanzi might have flirted with Tibor, even encouraged his advances. “I was honored to receive your invitation, Tibor.”