Love Bites (23 page)

“They're lovely,” Rachel interrupted as she took the flowers. Limp and sad-looking as they were, they truly were lovely to Rachel. They represented hope, and she accepted them gladly, offering a shy smile as she lifted them to her face and sniffed the delicate bouquet of—“Salami?”

“They were kept in the deli fridge,” he muttered, looking embarrassed.

Rachel bit her lip to keep from laughing, then smiled at him widely. “How have you been?”

“Miserable,” he answered simply. “You?”

“The same.” They shared a smile and both relaxed.

“Well, it looks like my job here is done,” Thomas announced and got to his feet before explaining to Rachel, “It was fun, but I'm just the delivery boy, Dudette. Aunt Marguerite asked me to play Cupid and I like you, so I agreed.”

“Cupid, huh?” Etienne asked with amusement.

“Yeah, you can laugh,” Thomas said good-naturedly. “Enjoy it while you can. But don't mess up with Dudette this time. Once every hundred years is my limit on the Cupid gig.”

Moving to Rachel's side, he bent to hug her and murmured, “Welcome to the family.”

Rachel wanted to ask what that meant, but Thomas walked away too quickly for her to get the chance. She watched him disappear into the crowd, then turned to glance at Etienne as he took the seat his cousin had just vacated.

“I missed you,” he announced the moment her gaze met his.

Rachel's eyebrows flew up at this claim. The thought “You could have fooled me” flew through her mind, and Etienne smiled wryly.

“I heard that,” he said with amusement.

“I thought you couldn't read my mind,” Rachel said suspiciously.

“I can't,” he assured her. “Well, except when we're intimate. Your mind opens to me.”

“Then how did you—?”

“You actually projected that thought to me.”

“Did I really?” she asked.

“Yes. It was most likely accidental, but with practice you'll be able to do it at will.”

“Really? Can you teach me how?”

He was silent for a minute, then said, “I have a better idea. I'll project a thought to you and you try to read it.”

“Okay,” she agreed, then tilted her head. “How do I do that?”

“Just open your mind to me and I'll do the rest,” he told her, then went silent, his eyes narrowed with concentration. A bare moment passed before Rachel heard his thoughts as clearly as if he were speaking in her ear.

I miss you. I ache for you. Something is missing from life when you aren't there. I want you back in my life, my home, and my bed. I want to wake up each evening beside you. I love you, Rachel.

Rachel stared at him, hardly able to believe she had heard correctly. “Then why haven't you called? If Thomas hadn't brought me here tonight—”

“I would have found another place and way to approach you,” he assured her solemnly. “I just wanted to get my deadline out of the way so I could concentrate solely on you.”

Rachel thought that sounded rather lame. He'd wanted to get his work out of the way first? She came after work, after his video game? Well, that was flattering.

“You must be really pissed,” he said wryly. “You're sending your thoughts out clear as a bell.”

When she didn't smile or react in any way that might let him off the hook, he sighed and said, “Perhaps we should go somewhere quieter.”

Rachel nodded solemnly, downed the last of her drink, and stood. They were both silent as they exited Night Club and made their way to his car. She didn't demur when he opened the passenger door for her to get in and didn't ask where they were headed. Neither was she terribly surprised when they pulled up in front of his house. It was where most of their relationship had taken place. It seemed the most logical place to resolve it.

Rachel followed him inside and into the library on the main floor. She felt calm steal over her on entering the room. They had spent several quiet evenings together in this room, simply reading together.

“Okay,” Etienne said as they sat on the love seat and he settled his arm around her, drawing her against his chest. “It wasn't work. That was an excuse.”

She wasn't terribly surprised at this admission but remained silent and was rewarded when he added, “I was afraid.”

Now that
did
surprise her, and Rachel sat up and turned to peer at him. “Afraid of what?”

“Of being hurt, Rachel,” he said quietly. “I've never thought of myself as a coward, but this was an entirely new experience for me. I've never met a woman I was attracted to and whose thoughts I couldn't read. It was a new experience and not very comfortable. I felt vulnerable from the start. And confused too, I suppose. You should remember, I've managed to live three hundred years without falling in love. The feelings you brought about in me took me by surprise.”

“I was rather taken by surprise too,” Rachel admitted quietly and settled back into his embrace. “And scared of being hurt. Actually, I was afraid you would realize what you had given up to save me and would come to hate me, which was—”

“Never,” he interrupted firmly, giving her a squeeze. “I knew what I was doing right from the start. I was attracted to you from the beginning, even when you were sick and pale and looked ready to keel over.” When she glanced up at him, he smiled to soften the description. Then he caught her chin in his hand and said, “Rachel, I can't imagine spending my life with anyone but you. I can't imagine a life without you. You have my heart, and I realize I may be rushing you and that you might want more time to consider it, but—”

“I don't need more time, Etienne,” she interrupted quietly. “I know this is all happening quickly, but
you're the man I've wanted all my life. If I had taken the time to imagine what the man I loved looked like and the qualities he would have, you would have been who I dreamed of. I love you,” she said simply, and smiled when he released a long drawn-out sigh.

“Then marry me,” he blurted.

“Yes,” Rachel said at once, but he shook his head.

“You have to think about this, Rachel. This isn't a piddling twenty-five to fifty years I'm asking for. Marriage among my people—at least the people in my family—is for life. And life for us can be a very long time.”

“I hope it's an eternity,” she said solemnly. “I love you, Etienne. I would spend eternity with you. You have my heart too.”

A slow smile spread wide across his face. “Thank you. I will guard your heart all the days of my life.” The words were a bare whisper before he leaned forward and claimed her lips in a kiss.

Rachel sighed into his mouth as her lips opened. His kiss felt like coming home, and she had been away for far too long. Meeting his invading tongue with her own, she twisted where she sat and slid her hands up his chest. She allowed one to continue up around his neck and into his hair to catch in the silken strands there. With the fingers of the other she caught at his shirtfront to tug him closer. Her body arched into his of its own accord and desire was a sudden rush through her body, making her hungry
and bold. Rachel wanted him under her, on her, and in her all at once. She wanted to join with him and feel his body fill her. She wanted to hold him and be held like this forever.

And you can
. The words whispered through her brain, a message from him to her that brought a chuckle from deep in Rachel's throat. But her happy amusement died and the chuckle ended on a growl as his hand found her breast through the cloth of her blouse. Things were suddenly quite serious.

Rachel allowed herself to fall backward on the love seat, tugging more insistently at the cloth of his shirt as she did so and forcing him to follow her down. Etienne shifted and came down on top of her, his lips and hands becoming more demanding. Within moments, Rachel's white blouse was open and the hooks that fastened the front of her bra were undone. She shivered in anticipation and arched beneath him as he pushed the silky material of her bra aside, revealing her naked breasts. When he bent his head to capture one already erect nipple, she clasped his scalp in both hands and held him close, then suddenly released her hold on his hair and pushed him away.

The startled expression on his face as he raised up away from her was priceless, but Rachel was too busy working at his shirt buttons to take much notice. She quickly undid them until his shirt gaped open as he leaned over her, then spread her hands over the wide expanse of bare skin. Rachel loved his chest, the hard
ness, the strength. She stopped when her palms ran over his nipples and caught them between her thumbs and forefingers to fondle them with interest.

Etienne released a low growl at the caress, then lowered himself over her to claim her lips once more. Passion burst between them, hot and unstoppable, and the time for exploration was over. It felt as if they had been apart forever and the need between them wouldn't be denied. It was like a brushfire, burning bright and furious. Their kisses became almost rough, and she scraped her nails up his back as his hands roamed her body, then dug them into the backs of his upper arms and arched beneath him as he slid one hand between her legs to press against the leather of her skirt.

“I need you,” she gasped. It was a demand, not a plea, and was accompanied by Rachel reaching between them with one hand to clasp him through his jeans.

Etienne's reaction was immediate. He lifted himself briefly to kneel between her legs on the couch, pushed her skirt up the few inches necessary, grasped her panties and, rather than draw them down, simply snapped the sides of the flimsy silk so that it fell away like so much flotsam. He was undoing his jeans as he came back down on top of her, then he slid one hand under her bottom, lifted her slightly, and slid into her as she wrapped her legs around his hips.

Rachel groaned with relief as he entered her, her
body welcoming and holding him tightly as he groaned at her ear. Then he began to move, and they were both swept up in the moment; striving, almost fighting for the release they needed. Etienne made sure Rachel found hers first, but the moment she cried out and clenched around him as it claimed her, he said, “Thank God” through clenched teeth and allowed himself to join her. Then he collapsed on top of her and they lay panting together.

Etienne was the first to stir. Releasing a wry, still breathless laugh, he shifted them on the couch so that he lay flat on his back and she now lay splayed on top of him, limp as a rag doll.

“Well, that was…” His voice was husky and he let the words trail off.

“Hmmm…” Rachel murmured, then lifted her head to grin at him lazily. “Want to do it again?”

Chuckling, he clasped his arms around her and hugged her close. “Love to. You good to go?”

“Oh yes, I—” She stopped abruptly and lifted her head again, her eyes wide.

“What?” he asked with concern.

“I didn't faint,” she said with amazement. “That's the first time I haven't fainted.”

“Then I definitely didn't do it right,” Etienne decided and sat up, forcing her up with him.

“Oh, but I…er…enjoyed it as much as usual,” Rachel said, aware that she was blushing but unable to stop it. “Maybe more. It was pretty hot.”

“It was, wasn't it?” He was grinning rather smugly as he scooped her up in his arms and stood to carry her across the library.

Rachel shook her head at the male ego and laid her head against his chest as he carried her into the hall. They were halfway up the stairs to the second floor when Etienne suddenly asked, “What were you drinking at the club?”

“An Enduring something,” Rachel murmured, toying with the hair at the base of his neck.

“Ah.” Etienne nodded.

“Ah what?” Rachel asked raising her head off his shoulder to peer at his face curiously.

“You won't be fainting tonight,” he informed her with amusement.

“Oh?”

“Hmm.” He chuckled. “In fact, Thomas has arranged it so that I'm in for a real workout.”

“Really?” She asked with interest as he carried her into the bedroom. “I think I like your cousin.”

“Right now, I do too,” he said with a laugh. He kicked the bedroom door closed behind them.

Marguerite gave a wide smile to Bastien's secretary as she passed her desk and sailed into his office unhindered. “I received a postcard from Etienne and Rachel. They're having a wonderful honeymoon in Hawaii.”

Her serious son glanced up from the report he'd been reading to eye her with resignation as she crossed the large room toward him. “They are, are they?”

“Yes.” She bent to press an affectionate kiss to his forehead and handed over the postcard in question. While he read, Marguerite walked back around his desk and dropped into the chair positioned in front of it.

“I don't know why they chose Hawaii,” Bastien said
with a wry smile. He finished the postcard. Standing, he leaned over his large desk to hand it back.

“Balmy breezes and moonlit beaches.” Marguerite took the card and tucked it into her purse. “Besides, Rachel had planned a trip there before she was changed. She'd never been.”

“And Etienne wanted to please her,” Bastien finished as he reclaimed his seat. “They'll be happy.”

Marguerite heard the wistful note in Bastien's voice and eyed him speculatively. At over four hundred years old, Bastien was her second oldest son. He was also the most serious. Too serious at times. He always had been. Even as a boy he'd been the more responsible of her four children. It hadn't been terribly surprising to anyone when he had taken over as head of the family after Claude's death. Lucern would have been capable of the task but would have hated every minute. Bastien relished the challenges and enjoyed solving problems and helping people. He was a good man. He needed a good woman.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

His wary question made Marguerite relax and shrug. “I was just thinking that perhaps it's catching. Lissianna and Etienne are now both married and settled down. I have great hopes for Lucern and his little Kate…if they don't kill each other at that conference she's dragged him to. Perhaps you'll find someone soon too.”

Bastien fell silent as he thought of Lucern and Kate.
His oldest brother had managed to be tricked into attending a romance conference with his editor. He hadn't wanted to go, but Kate was a persuasive little bundle, and once she'd teamed up with their mother, Lucern hadn't stood a chance.

On the other hand, Bastien thought, perhaps his brother hadn't ever stood a chance against Kate, with or without their mother's help. Having seen the two of them together at Etienne and Rachel's wedding, Bastien suspected his mother's hopes for the pair weren't misplaced. Lucern was in love. Whether he knew it or not, the man had found his life mate. Bastien hoped for his sake that he didn't mess it up.

His gaze drifted to his mother, who watched him with interest. Knowing she could read his thoughts, he didn't bother to deny a desire for a life mate of his own. He would like a partner to stand at his side to meet life's trials. But he had been alive for over four hundred years and met only one woman he had thought he might love in that time. Unfortunately, she had not reacted well to learning what he was and had refused outright to join him. Despite that, Bastien had never stopped loving her. He had watched over her throughout her short life, always from a distance. He had watched her age, fall in love with someone else, have children, then grandchildren, and finally he had watched helplessly as she died.

Those had been the most painful years of his life. They had taught him that, thanks to what he was, he
would always be the child standing alone on one side of the fence, watching all the other children laughing and having fun at the party taking place on the other.

Aware that his mother was still watching him, he shrugged and looked at his report. He said simply, “Some people aren't meant to find love and keep it.”

“Hmmm.” She was silent for a moment, then apparently decided to change the subject. “Oh, by the way, Bastien, Dr. Bobby wants to talk to members of my family, and since Etienne and Rachel are on their honeymoon, Lissianna and Gregory are vacationing in Europe, and Lucern is at that writers conference, the only one available is you. Can I say you'll come?”

“Hmm? What?” He glanced up with bewilderment. “Who is Dr. Bobby?”

“My therapist, dear.”

“Therapist,” he echoed with shock. Then alarm quivered through him. “You're seeing a therapist?”

“Yes, dear. It's all the rage right now. Besides, Gregory was so helpful with Lissianna's phobia, I thought I might benefit from a little counseling myself.”

“Why? You don't have any phobias.”

“No. But I do have some issues—one in particular I wanted to address.”

She wouldn't meet his gaze. Bastien couldn't help but wonder. “And this therapist wants to talk to members of your family? Why?”

Marguerite shrugged. “I'm not sure. Dr. Bobby just
mentioned wanting to talk to members of the family. You will come, won't you?”

Bastien frowned, but finally nodded his assent. It seemed a good idea to go find out just what
issue
his mother was dealing with and how much of their lives—not to mention what they were—she had revealed to this Dr. Bobby.

“Good. I'll leave you to your work then.” Marguerite beamed at him and stood to leave.

Bastien started to relax but then stiffened as she added, “Don't worry, son. There's a woman out there for you too. And I intend to help you find her.”

He gaped in horror as the door she closed behind her. Those words had sounded suspiciously like a threat.