Lydia's Secret (The Secret Series Book 1) (8 page)

He moved just right, and she held her breath for a moment’s whisper before shattering over the pinnacle into an orgasm. Her inner walls clenched, begging for his touch while her body trembled against him.

Lydia stared down at Roman as he lapped at her in slow licks. His predatory grin told her he wasn’t finished with her yet. He crawled up her body and covered her mouth with his. The taste of herself on him overwhelmed her senses.

He broke off the kiss. “I want you.”

“Yes.” She craved him with everything inside her.

A loud knock at the door jerked her out of her sensual haze. She tried to move, but Roman had her trapped against the couch.

“Get up.” Mortifying embarrassment burned through her. If someone saw what she’d been doing…

“Shhh. Stay still.” He put his hand against her ribs, just below her left breast. She could feel her heart hammering and wondered if he could feel it too. Roman inhaled slowly.

“I need to answer the door.” She pushed against his chest.

His face looked pained, and he muttered something in a language she didn’t recognize. By the time she got her robe situated he was at her door.

Her headache returned in full force. “Wait. I’ll get it.”

Chapter Nine

“At least check the peephole first,” Roman demanded as Lydia stepped in front of him.

She flipped the lock with heat flushing her face. There was no way in hell she was going to draw attention to the fact that she was too short to see out of it.

“You should be more careful.” He sounded irritated.

Icy wind whipped inside, stealing her breath as she hauled the door open. “Can I help you?” she asked, pulling her robe together at the neck.

A teenager stood in the shadows of her porch. Nothing about him seemed familiar. His dark hair hung in a shaggy mess around his face.  “I’m here to speak with Roman, please.”

Roman?

Her heart did a weird twist.
Is he Roman’s son
? The smooth voice was completely at odds with his disheveled appearance.

Something must have shown on her face because he held up his hands. “I work with him. I’m Max.”

Without missing a beat, she pulled the door wider so that he could see Roman standing in her entryway.

“Max. I take it you found something?” Roman’s deep voice came from inches behind her.

“Yeah. Is there a place we can talk?”

Roman’s fingers brushed her cheek and she turned to look up at him. “This is about work, Lydia. Can we use your kitchen table?”

“Sure.” The change in Roman was immediate. Gone was the seductive man with one thing on his mind. This Roman was more abrupt. Almost angry.

Lydia waved Max inside, shut the door with a firm push, and slid the deadbolt into place. She’d almost had sex on the couch. With a vampire.

* * * *

Roman eyed the young wolf with no little annoyance. “Your timing, as ever, sucks.”

Max shrugged a shoulder without a hint of remorse. “You need to hear this.”

They reached the kitchen, and Max glanced around before settling into a seat with his back to the front door.

Roman took the one facing him “Why didn’t you call?”

“Cell phone service is down. Couldn’t get through to you.”

Roman leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “What’s going on?”

“I found Svetlana.”

A cold rage ignited in his gut. “Tell me everything.”

“I followed Ivy back to her lair. Although the stench was powerful enough, I could have found her without tailing the fledgling.”

Roman arched an eyebrow. “Ivy?”

Lydia breezed into the kitchen in jeans and a sweatshirt. She looked cool and refreshed, far from the awkward woman he’d expected.

“Welcome to my home, Max. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Coffee, please.”

“He’ll take milk.” Roman winked at Max before shifting his gaze to Lydia.

“I’d prefer coffee. It’s been a long night.” The kid ran a hand over his face and slouched in his chair.

Roman watched the wolf for signs of strain. He was young enough to bounce back from energy drains, but he’d been out tracking for several days. He had to be exhausted. The last thing he needed was more caffeine.

“The snow is really coming down.” Lydia moved around in the kitchen, busying herself with Max’s needs.

The fact that she hadn’t asked him if he wanted anything wasn’t lost on Roman. No, it wasn’t irritating at all. His eyes narrowed.

Max gestured toward the living room, and Roman shook his head. If they moved in there, Lydia would likely take offense. It would become obvious they were trying to avoid her.

“How long until Svetlana makes her move, do you think?” Max sounded weary.

“No idea.” They kept their voices far lower than a human’s normal range so Lydia wouldn’t overhear.

“Here ya go.” She set a white mug in front of the new guest.

Max stared at it without expression. “That’s not coffee.”

“No, it’s hot chocolate. I doubt you’ll be leaving in this storm, Max, so you might as well rest.”

Roman sat up straight. “Wait a min—”

“No thank— ” Max tried to stand, but Lydia put her hand firmly on his shoulder.

It was almost amusing to see the sarcastic kid at a loss for words.

“I don’t want to hear it. You guys figure out the sleeping arrangements, but I’m not sending you back out in this weather.”

Max glanced up with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Thank you, ma’am.”

Dammit, Roman mentally swore, clenching his jaw. Lydia had just made it clear she would be sleeping alone. He could kick Max’s ass for being the king of bad timing.

Lydia held a mug in front of Roman. The scent was distinctly coffee. He took it with surprise, brushing his fingers over her wrist. Immediately her pulse kicked up, and the flush staining her cheeks told him she wasn’t as unaffected as she seemed to be.

She retrieved a plate of cookies and set it down on the table between them. “Sorry. All I have are chocolate chip. I’ll leave you guys to your work. It’s been a long day for me, so I’m turning in.” With that abrupt announcement, she turned on her heel and walked out.

Roman stared after her with a mixture of frustration and admiration. After everything she’d gone through today, she’d handled hostess duties like a queen.

He looked back at Max and found him staring into his mug. “What is it?”

“I’ve never had hot chocolate.”

Max’s words held a weight of history. A past he hadn’t talked about previously, except in strange remarks like now. Roman could count on one hand the number of kids he’d come across who had never enjoyed the simple luxuries others took for granted.

The young shifter picked up the mug and took a slow sip. A grin broke out on his face, the iron weight of his mask slipping for just a moment. “She used milk.”

Roman laughed briefly before sobering. “Back to Svetlana.”

“Right. She sent Ivy with a message for you.”

“Yeah. I spoke with Madison. And you’re on a first-name basis with a fledgling?”

Max shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the question. “She’s newly turned and young. Younger than me, I think…”

“Son of a bitch.” Roman saw red. Vampires weren’t always the most moral of creatures, but there were a couple of laws that even the lowest of their kind knew to abide by. Don’t create fledglings against their will, and never children.

“I thought you would feel that way, so maybe you won’t blow a fuse about the outcome.”

Roman waited, somehow knowing what came next.

“I brought her back with me.”

“Where is she now?” Roman’s gut tightened with dread.

“At the compound.”

“With Madison? Have you lost your mind?”

“She’s locked up behind silver bars, Roman. She couldn’t hurt Madison even if she wanted to.”

Roman stood so fast his chair toppled over behind him. “She won’t be able to help herself. She’s newly turned. Bloodlust will be inevitable if she gets a whiff of Madison. She is human, in case you forgot.”

Max rose also. “How could I forget that? She reminds me of it daily. Look, Ivy’s different. I don’t know how to explain it, but she is and she won’t hurt anyone.”

“I’m more concerned about Svetlana coming after her fledgling, and Madison’s there unprotected.” Roman shot to the guestroom to grab his cell and was back before Max could bat an eye.

“What are you doing? And Madison isn’t unprotected. Sawyer is there and so is Niko.” Max took another sip of his hot chocolate.

“I’m calling Madison.”

“The phones are down.”

Roman dialed his office only to encounter a busy signal. “Fuck.”

“Listen. Svetlana would have a hell of a time getting past the silver-reinforced doors. If Madison doesn’t buzz her inside, she can’t get in. And we both know our little human potty mouth isn’t stupid. Not in that area at least.” Max stayed on the receiving end of her verbal jabs enough to know how quick she was.

“You’re right. Nothing can get past the doors, which is why I’m taking Lydia and Jacie there. Now.” Roman moved toward the hallway as he spoke.

“Wait. In this storm?”

“We don’t have a choice. Svetlana doesn’t go anywhere without a small army. We’re sitting ducks in this house.”

Max nodded. “I’ll go warm up the SUV.”

Roman dug the keys from the pocket of his jeans and tossed them to Max before rushing to Lydia’s bedroom.

* * * * *

Lydia lay in bed, listening for any sign of Roman. Her body ached for him to climb under the covers with her and continue his sinful torture, but her head prayed he stayed away. She was already attracted to the man beyond reason. Any more time spent alone with him, and she’d be in danger of losing her heart.

He’s a monster. What am I doing?
But even as she thought it, she knew it wasn’t true. He might not be human, but he was certainly no monster.

Was Max a vampire too? He didn’t look like one. Of course, neither had Roman until he’d sprung forth a pair of fangs. And what of herself? Apparently she’d been cursed since birth, as well as every female in the Barbatus line that came before her over the last two thousand years.

Jacie.
Lydia sat up and threw off the covers. If Simon couldn’t get to Lydia, what would stop him from coming after her daughter?

“We have to get you out of here.”

Lydia bit back a scream. Roman’s sudden appearance in her face nearly did her in.

“Jesus. You scared the crap out of me.”

“Get dressed. We have to go. Now.”

Something about the way he spoke frightened her even more than his abrupt arrival in her room.

“Is it Simon?” She knew her voice shook, but fear tended to do that to a person.

“Worse. You need to hurry. Grab a few things for you and Jacie. I don’t know how long you’ll be gone.”

Worse than Simon
? Lydia almost swallowed her tongue.

She rushed to the dresser and began opening drawers, grabbing the first items she could find.

“Where are we going?” She shimmied into a pair of jeans and turned her back before yanking her sleep shirt over her head and donning a soft black sweater.

“You’re not wearing a bra.” It wasn’t a question.

Startled that he’d been watching her, she snagged a pair of socks and picked up her sneakers off the floor. Heat flushed her face as she glanced at him. There was no mistaking the lust glittering in his eyes.

“They’re all in the dryer. I’ll grab one when I take down the overnight bag from the hall closet.”

He cleared his throat and look away. “I’ll get the bag, and ah…yeah.” He spun around and headed for the door.

She called after him. “The pink one.” At any other time, his embarrassment would have been humorous if their lives weren’t in danger.

Lydia threw a few items on the bed and jogged to her daughter’s room to gather her things also. Jacie lay on her side, so small and frail looking with her hands tucked under her chin.

Roman immediately came in behind her, holding the bag he’d obviously packed, if the bulging sides were any indication. His speed astounded her.

“I grabbed everything you had laid out. Max is warming up the SUV, so as soon as we get Jacie’s clothes together, we can get out of here.”

Lydia nodded, rifling through her daughters drawers, choosing pajamas and warm daywear. She located Jacie’s fuzzy slippers and fur-lined boots before stuffing them into the bag along with Fangton. “I need to get her medications.”

“I’ll carry her. You take what is needed and meet me at the car.” He turned toward Jacie’s bed.

“No. I’ll hold her.” Lydia’s voice came out with more force than she’d intended. She softened her tone. “If she wakes up to a strange man…”

“Understood. Where do you keep her meds?”

“In a blue plastic box in the cabinet above the refrigerator.”

Lydia handed her daughter’s belongings to Roman, and he left the room.

She glanced around one last time to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything important and padded over to Jacie’s bed. With a heavy heart she pulled back the covers and scooped the little girl up into her arms. Jacie mumbled something and snuggled against Lydia’s chest. After grabbing a blanket from the foot of the bed to cover her daughter’s frail body, she hurried out into the hallway and nearly ran into Roman.

He spoke in a hushed tone. “Are you ready?”

“Yes. Did you find her medicine?”

He held up the bag. “Got it.”

“Okay then, let’s go.”

Roman led the way, glancing back occasionally. “Cover her head. The snow is coming down pretty heavy.”

He opened the front door and held it for Lydia and her daughter to pass through before closing it behind them.

Icy wind bit into Lydia’s face, sending goose bumps along her skin. She shivered and hugged Jacie tighter against her body. The little girl made a sleepy sound and stretched in her mother’s arms.