Out of the Dark (Forbidden Love) (13 page)

     “I think you may have had enough,” Angel whispered hoarsely. 

     She whimpered her disappointment,
then proceeded to bite harder.  “Please,” she begged.

     “
Ma Cher
, we are not alone,” he ground out between clenched teeth as her hands found their way between their bodies. 

     “I don’t care,” she said, rubbing the hard lump in the front of his pants.

     Angel wanted to give her what she wanted, to let his hands roam over her body.  But Sebastian was sitting in the seat in front of them, trying to drive. 

     “Angel, Sir, I don’t hear or see anything,” Sebastian commented.  With a flick of his wrist, he turned the rearview mirror up and turned up the music.  Loud rock music flooded the car, giving Angel and Brea as much privacy as they were going to get.

     Unable to refuse her anymore, flicked his nail over his Adam’s apple.  A thin line of blood appeared, and Brea was quick to lick it up.  “Ah,” he cried out, “Yes, baby, like that.”

     Brea increased the tempo of her hand, and Angel surged up to meet her.  It was more than he could bear.  He unbuttoned her jeans and slipped his hand inside. 
Her panties were soaked, and his fingers found their target with ease.  He pushed one finger inside her, while his thumb did wonderful things to the bud of nerves just above.

     She ground herself hard against his hand, fisting two handfuls of his long hair, but never moving her mouth from his neck.  Angel felt himself swell against her thrusting body, painfully so.  It was all he could do not to rip her clothes off and take her right there.  But when her body clamped down around his fingers, he lost control.  She jerked her head back and cried out with the force of her climax, sending Angel into one
of his own.  He cursed out loud ground her body into his more forcefully as his body shuddered uncontrollably.

    She dropped her head onto his shoulder, panting wildly.  “Sleep, now Love, sleep,” he whispered, commanding her mind into slumber. 

     “That was an interesting ride,” Sebastian commented as Angel closed Brea’s bedroom door.

     “Breathe one word of it and I will see your head on a platter,” Angel warned.

     “I’m just saying, you know I would never betray you like that, but damn
,  it’s been too long since I had car sex.”

     “We did not have sex,” Angel corrected him.  “My dick stayed in my pants.  It’s really quite embarrassing.”

     “Now I’m really jealous,” Sebastian grinned.  “You shouldn’t be embarrassed.  I wish I had a girl that had that effect on me.”

     “
Humph,” Angel replied.

     “I’m going to pick up everyone else.  Will you two be ok here alone?”

     “Of course, see the others home safely.”

     Sebastian left. 

     Brea woke the next afternoon feeling wonderful.  She had slept in a deep, dreamless sleep for at least nine hours.  She stretched under her covers, realizing that she didn’t remember actually going to bed.  She took inventory of her body.  She was wearing the t-shirt from the night before, but not the jeans.  How much had she
drank?  It was unlikely she had too many margaritas to remember the events of the night before.  She remembered the club, the vampire she decked, then, with sudden clarity, she remembered everything else.

     Oh God, what had she done!  She remembered tasting Angel’s blood.  It was nothing like she had expected.  She thought it would be like her own, coppery and metallic.  But his was sweet
, soft and velvety, like warm syrup.  And she remembered what it led to in the car.  Had she had sex with him?  The thought didn’t bother her as much as she thought it should have.  It was more that she couldn’t remember that bothered her.

     Deciding that she couldn’t stand not knowing, she got out of bed and brushed her teeth.  Then, she brushed her hair.  She sure didn’t look like someone who had the kind of night she
had, Brea thought, looking in the mirror.  In fact, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were bright, and she looked pretty damn good.

     She tip toed to the secret door connecting hers and Angel’s rooms.  She could hear him snoring away in his bed, and she smiled to herself.  It was endearing, she thought.  As gently as she could, she opened the door and stepped into his room.

     Angel was sprawled out on his bed, the sheets tangled in his legs.  he was laying on his stomach with his head under the pillows.  Dark hair snaked out from under the pillows like a black fan.  He was, as she suspected, naked.  His snoring stopped when she entered the room, but after listening to his steady breathing for a minute, Brea decided that he was still asleep.

     She sat gently on his bed, allowing her fingers to trail lightly along his exposed calf.  His skin was soft under her touch, and she allowed her betraying hands to travel further north.
  She explored his powerful thigh, and his tightly muscled bottom.  There was a light bruise on his cheek, and Brea blushed when she remembered how he got it.  It was the perfect crescent shape of her teeth.  She moved up his back, enjoying how even in sleep his muscles trembled under her hand.  When she reached his shoulder, she used both hands to outline his sleeping form.

     “Should I turn over now?” his voice asked from under the pillow.

     “Gah,” Brea gasped, leaping off the bed.

     He pushed the pillow aside and flipped over on his back.  “Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said with an amused smile.

     “I didn’t realize you were awake,” Brea stammered.

     “Well, as much I enjoy the sight of you in my room waking me up from a good sleep, was there a reason you wanted me?”

     “I’m sorry, it can wait.  It’s only three, and I shouldn’t have woke you up.  I’ll come back later.”

     “No, now is fine.  I do not mind being awake.  What is troubling you Brea?”

     “Is it that obvious?”

     “You look troubled.  Is it about last night?”

     “I really am that transparent, huh?   Yeah, it’s about last night.”

     “
What part?” he asked, not sure he wanted the answer.  He hoped she wasn’t upset about taking from him, but what else could it be?

     “I acted in a way that I wouldn’t normally behave,” she started.  “I don’t usually throw myself at people like that, especially not Keelie.  And I’m sorry that I bit your ass.”

     “What’s a love bite between friends?” he smiled.  “It is really nothing.  I deserved it.”

     “But I left a bruise,” she informed him.

     “I can think of worse things than being marked by you.”

    
“And in the car!  Oh my God,  I don’t remember what happened after that.”

     “You fell asleep.” He answered her unspoken question without hesitation.

     “So, we didn’t, um, ya know.”

     “No.  Although I think you would have been open to the idea.  No, Brea, as much as I would have liked to, I knew you were acting out of response to my blood.  I would not take you unless you were sober.  I could not take advantage of you like that.  So even though I promised not to do any hocus pocus on you, after you were temporarily sated in the car, I put you to sleep.  I figured the price would be much less than if you woke up with your virtue stolen.”

     “Figured that out, huh?”

     “Yes.  Besides, if you had sex with me, you would absolutely know it,” he said, only partially teasing.

     “Cocky much?” she snorted.

     “Let’s just say that if that day comes, there will be no question
who you belong to.”

     Brea hesitated a moment, then she sighed.  “You were
right, your blood has the same effect on me as strong whiskey.  I get very affectionate, and sometimes violent.  Which is precisely why I don’t drink it.  Perhaps I shouldn’t do that anymore,” she said, looking at her feet.  Angel’s heart sank.  He had so hoped that Brea would enjoy taking his blood, heaven knows he enjoyed it.  But if she truly didn’t want it, he could never make her his mate.  He could never mark her.  Brea lifted her head and looked at him with her violet eyes.  There was a smile playing on the corners of her mouth.  “At least, not in public, anyway.”  Angel smiled as his worry lifted away.

     When Angel finally got out of bed, the entire house was buzzing with activity.  The fabric store had delivered the material Brea purchased, and the rental shop had delivered the tables.  He walked into the great hall and grinned.

     “No, no, no!  Over there!” Brea reprimanded one of the delivery guys.  There were people everywhere.  Brea was directing traffic with authority and purpose, dressed in shorts and a scandalously short t-shirt.  Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, with little wisps escaping around her face.  “NO!  The bar goes on the east wall!  Take all the linens into the library for now.  Yes, the sewing machine too.  I want six tables on each wall, leave room for the dance floor.  How is anyone supposed to dance if there are tables in the way?” 

    
Brea even had Angel’s family working.  Sebastian was carrying one table through the center of the room, Antonio and Gage were struggling with the bar.  It  must have been very heavy, and awkward to challenge their vampire strength.  There were about six delivery people in the hall, each doing their best to put things where Brea wanted them.  Even Ricco was helping.  Keelie was present as well, packing a roll of linen over her shoulder.  It was an interesting sight to see, her slight frame supporting the bulky roll of fabric.  It seemed unnatural.  But Keelie was a wolf, and super human strength was part of the package.

     “Look lady,” one of the men said to the tiny drill sergeant, “My job was to bring these here.  Get them in the house.  I have done that.  I played hell trying to get through the mob at the gates, and I didn’t sign up for this.”

     Angel opened his mouth to scold the man for talking to Brea like that, but he found it wasn’t necessary.  Brea’s eyes narrowed at the man and she let him have it.  “You and your delivery team are being well compensated for your troubles.  We asked when you arrived, and you all agreed,” she said sternly, jabbing her finger in his direction.  “If there is a problem now, you are welcome to leave at any time.  But I assure you, if you leave before finishing, you will forfeit your share of the tip.  Understand?  Now, I don’t have time to listen to grown men whine.  So what’s it gonna be?”   She was waving her hand in the air and gesturing at the tables, her red ponytail swaying behind her.  Angel felt his chest swell with pride.  

     “What are you doing, standing there with that shit eatin
’ grin on your face?” Brea said to Angel, finally noticing his presence.

    
“Just admiring the view.”

     “What do you think so far?”

     “I thought the furniture wasn’t coming until tomorrow,” he answered.

     “It was, but I decided, and I hope you don’t mind, that we needed it sooner.  I can’t decorate properly without the furniture, and I need the tables to make the cloths.”

       “But they said it couldn’t be done before tomorrow.  How did you manage it?”

     “That’s because Ricco placed the order.  If the person he spoke to would have been a woman, I know he could have charmed her with good looks and charisma.  But since the store owner is a man, and a straight one at that, Keelie and I went to see him.  We got an extra day at no charge.  All I have to do is drop a few business cards for him.”

     “You are truly a remarkable creature, you know that?” Angel commented.

     “Oh, I know,” she said, turning her attention back to the tables.  “Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to help?” she called over her shoulder.

     Angel shrugged his shoulders and started helping.  It was nearly an hour before Brea was satisfied with the table arrangements and she released the delivery men with a check.  Angel admired her work.  She had impeccable taste, he noticed.  The bar was at least twelve feet long, carved from a rich mahogany wood.  The top was polished to a brilliant shine, and it curved just enough to suit a single bartender behind it.  He realized then he was going to have to get a bar tender.

     “Sir,” Ricco said, interrupting Angel’s appraisal, “Detective Corbin is here to see you,”

     “I will see him in my office,” Angel replied.

     “Thank you for seeing me,” Samuel said, taking a seat opposite of Angel.  “I know it’s rude to just stop by unannounced, but it’s important.”

     “You are welcome in my home, Detective, with or without invitation.”

     “Please, call me Samuel.”

     “Samuel,” Angel repeated, “What brings you by?”
     “There was another body found last night.  This time, she was left on a bench on Forty Seventh Street.  Same MO, different place.  A homeless guy flagged down a cop to report it.” Samuel shook his head.  “We think we may have found a connection.  It may be nothing, but then again, it may be everything.  All of these women had ticket stubs in their homes.  From the recent concert you guys performed here in LA.”