Secrets in the Shadows (17 page)

Instinct told her Jules wouldn’t be like that. He was as dominant and opinionated as any alpha male she’d known, but he was far too vain to let himself be bad in bed. He’d try his best to run the show, but if that wasn’t working for her, he’d adapt.

Hannah slapped herself on the head, telling herself to stop thinking about sex. It might even have worked if the couple next door hadn’t decided to have another go.

She decided she was better off trying to distract herself while waiting it out, so she rose from her improvised bed, meaning to boot up her laptop and do a little surfing. The hotel didn’t have wireless access, but the phone line would do in a pinch.

Unfortunately, she made the mistake of glancing over at the bed to make sure Jules was fully covered first.

The covers had settled around him like a shroud, outlining every contour of his body. He was lying on his back, his hands clasped over his abdomen, his chest rising and falling steadily with his breaths. But that wasn’t what had caught her attention.

There was an unmistakable tent in the covers right at groin level. Unmistakable, and mouth-wateringly impressive. Next door, the woman began talking dirty, encouraging her lover—or john, as was beginning to seem more likely—to fuck her harder.

“It’s a freakin’ conspiracy,” Hannah muttered under her breath. Her cheeks felt like they were glowing with repressed heat, and her eyes were riveted on the super-sized tent. She swallowed hard. “Jules? You awake under there?”

There was no answer, nor any hint of movement. Which was a damn good thing. What would she have done if he’d said yes? She had a sneaking suspicion she might have slid under those covers and impaled herself. Which would have been oh so wrong. And which she suddenly wished with all her might she could do.

Knowing she would have no peace—and no sleep—if she didn’t find release, she lay down on the bed on top of the covers, careful that Jules remained safely under wraps. Then, staring at the evidence of his massive hard-on and listening to the couple next door, she slipped her hand into her panties.

Climax came almost before she’d had a chance to really get started. The physical pleasure almost drew a cry from her throat, but she managed to swallow it down. But no amount of lying to herself would make her believe that the self-induced orgasm was a hundred percent satisfying. Yes, her physical desire had been quenched. But something deep inside of her wanted more than just physical release.

Too bad she wasn’t about to get it.

***

Jules awoke shortly before sunset to find himself alone on the bed. He pushed the covers away from his face and turned to glance over the edge of the bed. As he’d suspected, Hannah was fast asleep on the floor, using one of his jackets as a blanket and a sweater as a pillow. He shook his head at her. Had she feared he would jump her in his sleep?

A memory stirred, blurry and surreal like a dream. Hannah lying beside him on the bed while in the room next door a couple fucked loudly. His nostrils flared with the remembered scent of Hannah’s arousal, and he rose to full mast when he remembered what she’d been doing. His daytime lethargy had been too powerful to overcome, but as hazy as the memory remained, Jules had no doubt it had really happened.

He let out a long, slow breath. If there’d been any doubt in his mind that Hannah was attracted to him, this morning’s little indulgence effectively banished it. And his own current state of painful arousal suggested the attraction wasn’t one-sided.

Propping his head on his elbow, he gazed down at her sleeping form and wondered what it was about her that triggered his desire. She wasn’t at all his type. Sure, she was pretty enough, in a kind of tough-girl, no-nonsense way. But he’d never describe her as “sweet,” or “docile.” Adjectives that would describe practically every other woman he’d been with for the better part of a century. Even before he’d become a vampire, he’d preferred meek women, though perhaps he was merely a product of his times.

Hannah was everything he didn’t want. Bold. Willful. Stubborn. Smart. So why did he seem to have a constant hard-on in her presence? It made no sense whatsoever! Maybe he’d just gone without too long. A little bar-hopping ought to find him a playmate for the night, relieve some of the pressure building within him …

But no. That would be far too awkward with Hannah sharing his room. And of course, awkwardness was the reason he felt so uninterested in his half-baked plan. It had nothing to do with him wanting Hannah in particular, rather than just any warm, willing body.

Irritated with himself, he flung back the covers and slid out of bed, meaning to take advantage of the rare opportunity to have first dibs on the shower. But some unseen force, call it fate, or call it his subconscious, decided it would be better for his foot to get tangled in the covers and for him to take a nosedive. Directly onto Hannah.

Jules caught himself on his arms and twisted to avoid hurting her, but he still bumped her pretty hard.

Hannah came awake with a shriek. Before Jules had a chance to utter an apology, she jerked her knee up in an attempt to unman him. Instinct allowed him to block her knee with his upper thigh, but as he protected his most vulnerable spot, he unknowingly gave Hannah another opening.

With a snarl, she twisted out from under him, the suddenness of her move leaving him even more off balance. Instead of retreating, she proceeded to roll him over onto his back and sit on him, her hand pulled back in a way that suggested a karate chop was on its way.

“Take it easy, Hannah,” he said, though with her sitting on his stomach he was a little short of breath. “It’s just me!”

Her eyes still blazed, and she didn’t lower her hand. But she didn’t hit him, either. “What the fuck did you think you were doing?”

He almost allowed himself to answer her anger with anger of his own. Then he remembered that he’d pretty much attacked her last night, so it wasn’t entirely crazy of her to think he was doing the same now.

“I think I was tripping over my own feet and fell,” he said. And suddenly it became too funny for words, so he started laughing.

“Prick!” Hannah said, slapping his chest. “You scared the shit out of me.”

She made to hit him again, but he grabbed her wrist to stop her. Not that she was really hurting him or anything, but still … For a split second, she struggled against his grip. Then, she relaxed, resting her palm gently against his chest.

After her less-than-flattering assessment of his sleep wear, Jules had decided to forego the pajama top, so her hand lay against the bare skin of his chest. He saw the moment that fact sank in when a flush of rosy color warmed her cheeks. She tried to jerk her hand away, but some devil made him hold on to her wrist. He liked her hand just where it was.

He wasn’t sure if his erection had ever flagged even during their brief struggle, but if it had, it was back with a vengeance. Blood throbbed in his groin. His gums tingled, and he didn’t even try to stop the fangs from descending.

Sitting on him as she was, Hannah couldn’t fail to notice the effect she was having on him. Her eyes darkened and her scent changed to that delicious, womanly musk that was becoming imprinted on his senses.

“I should get off of you now,” she said, her voice husky. She didn’t move.

“That would probably be a good idea,” he agreed, but he didn’t let go of her wrist, instead holding her hand tightly against his chest so she could feel the hammering of his heart.

She cleared her throat and squirmed. He doubted she’d meant to do it, but her squirming landed his cock right in the valley between her legs. He couldn’t help raising his hips, pressing a little harder against her heat. She gasped and her lower lip trembled.

Lust and logic battled for supremacy in his brain. He wanted her. Badly. But sleeping with her would be a major mistake. It wasn’t like he didn’t have enough troubles already without having some kind of weird, complicated relationship with a woman on top of it all. And he doubted very much there would be any such thing as uncomplicated sex with a woman like Hannah.

“This is a really bad idea,” she whispered.

“I know,” he agreed. But he reached up to cup her breasts anyway. She’d slept in an oversized nightshirt that left her looking almost shapeless, but his hands found generous curves beneath, topped with pebbly nipples. He wanted to tear the shirt from her body and take one of those nipples into his mouth. He could almost taste her skin on his tongue.

To hell with all the reasons he should leave well enough alone!

With an embarrassing sense of urgency, he slid his hands down her sides, reaching for the hem of her nightshirt. To his surprise, Hannah pulled away. She practically jumped to her feet and took two hasty steps backward.

Lust pounded through his veins, and it was all Jules could do to resist the urge to dive after her. Instead, he propped himself on his elbows and stared at her, his heart still pounding, his cock still throbbing. Hannah held up her hands as if to ward him off.

“This is a really bad idea,” she said again, shaking her head.

He looked pointedly at the bulge in his pajama bottoms. “At this moment, I don’t much care.”

“Yeah, but you will in ten minutes or so.”

He laughed. “Ten minutes? The lady underestimates me. Again.”

She didn’t crack a smile. “I’m serious, Jules. We can’t do this. We’ll both regret it before the night is out.”

Keeping a careful eye on her—she did tend to be jumpy, and he didn’t want her coming to the wrong conclusion and decking him—he rose slowly to his feet. She took another step backward, but didn’t seem to be going on the offensive.

He honestly didn’t know what to say to her right now. Every instinct told him she was right. But his body didn’t seem to give a shit what his instincts said.

“I get this feeling we’re fighting the inevitable,” he said. “And that maybe it’s not worth fighting.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I hate to burst your bubble, Jules, babe, but getting me in your bed is not inevitable.”

He knew he was acting like an arrogant, cocky bastard, but he just couldn’t help it. He looked her over slowly from head to toe, taking in the flush of her cheeks, the darkness of her eyes, the way her nightshirt clung to the contours of her beaded nipples. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. He grinned back.

“You realize, of course, that you just issued me a challenge no red-blooded male could refuse,” he said.

She groaned. “Let it go, Jules. I know you’re probably used to dealing with air-headed floozies who swoon at your feet if you smile at them, but in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not like that.”

“Perhaps that’s part of your charm.”

Hannah stiffened, and he knew he’d put his foot in his mouth big time.

“So that’s what this is all about?” she cried. “You’re looking for a new challenge, like some kind of goddamn trophy hunter?”

“That’s not—”

“Well screw you, buddy! I’m no one’s trophy! Touch me again, and you might lose some body parts you’ll miss.”

She stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her. Jules was pleasantly surprised the force of that slam didn’t bring the hotel crumbling down around their ears.

He sat on the edge of the bed, bemused and remorseful. He hadn’t meant to make it sound like she was some kind of trophy he was intent on bagging, but he could see how she’d take his words that way. Once upon a time, he’d thought of himself as something of a smooth-talker, but either he’d been fooling himself, or Hannah was immune to his charms.

Of course, both he and Hannah agreed it was better for everyone involved if they didn’t sleep together. So, while he might not be what you’d call thrilled with what had happened, it had no doubt saved both of them a lot of awkwardness and discomfort.

Telling himself repeatedly that it was all for the best, he opened one of his suitcases and picked out the least wrinkled of his shirts to wear for the night.

Drake had thought he’d been reluctant the last time he’d come to Camille’s house. He hadn’t known what reluctant was.

But he couldn’t remain in Baltimore without informing her of his intentions. Not if he wanted to live, that is. He left his hotel at nightfall, reaching out with his senses and hoping not to find any vampires lurking nearby. He was only mildly relieved to find himself the only vampire in the area. His senses could stretch over about a three-block radius, but a vampire as strong as Gabriel could cover three blocks in very little time.

When he neared Camille’s house, another reconnaissance survey revealed two vampires in residence. Was one of them Gabriel? Drake hoped so. It seemed likely Camille was the only person who could control him, so it was best for all involved he stay directly under her nose. Unfortunately, Drake also sensed a total of five mortals in the house. One of them was no doubt the butler, but who were the rest?

He hesitated just short of the doorstep, then decided he had no other choice but to continue on, unless he was going to tuck his tail and run back to Philadelphia. And Eli.

He rang the bell and waited.

Shortly afterward, the butler answered the door and ushered Drake into the opulent living room. Camille sat in the same chair she’d occupied last night, with Gabriel slouched in the armchair. Drake suffered a moment of deja-vu, but although Gabriel wore an outfit almost identical to last night’s, Camille most definitely had a new look. Her glorious blonde hair was piled onto her head in an elegant up-do, and a choker of diamonds circled her neck. A strapless black evening gown clung to her every curve, revealing and concealing in equal measure. Black satin gloves reached over her elbows, and another cluster of diamonds circled one thin wrist.

Her lips, painted a glossy red, curved into a slight smile, and she rose to her feet, turning to give him a view from all sides. Perhaps, he thought to himself, he could understand Eli’s attraction to the woman after all. He offered a courtly bow of appreciation, and Gabriel snorted softly.

“What an unexpected pleasure,” Camille purred. “I’d expected you to get out of town last night. As I think I made quite clear.”