Seduced by the Night (14 page)

"You want my meat?"

Her eyes flew up to his face as she tried to decide if she'd heard him correctly? "Excuse me?"

There was a devilish twinkle in his eyes as he waved his skewer in the air, the piece of steak on the end coming close to dripping cheese all over the place. "You were staring at my steak here, so I thought maybe you wanted it."

"No, t
hank
you."
Bethany
mumbled, trying to decide if his comments were deliberately suggestive or whether it was her own depraved imagination running wild. The meal that was supposed to help focus her thoughts and attention on her
fiance
was doing just the opposite.

Lost in speculation, she pierced a piece of steak and placed it in her mouth, pulling it from the skewer slowly as she
savored
the flavor. Across from her, she thought she heard a groan and when she glanced up, Dirk was watching her with an intensity that fairly sizzled across the open space between them. It gave her a guilty thrill to think that he might be as affected by the innuendos as she.

"Does it taste good?" The low rumble of his voice washed over her, teasing her senses.

Feeling daring, she gave him a seductive smile. "Yes. Juicy and thick." She enunciated the words slowly, another maneuver in a dangerous game of enticement.

He held up his skewer with a piece of steak on it and brought it close to her mouth. "Let me feed you
my
meat," he said, touching the steak to her lips and then pulling it away slightly just as she opened her mouth to take it. In the darkness of the room, his eyes seemed to take on a strange reddish glow.

Tightness started building deep in the pit of her stomach and her breathing grew shallow. Warning sirens screeched in her head that this game had gone too far. They were close to crossing that invisible line dividing flirting from something far more dangerous, and yet she couldn't resist edging just a little closer.

Wrapping both her hands around his, she brought the steak to her mouth and gently sucked on it, taking her time. Then she pushed the skewer well into her mouth, drawing it out slowly before pushing it in again.

Across from her, Dirk's eyes were glued to her mouth, mesmerized by her movements. He groaned, released the skewer, slid out of the booth, and disappeared into the back, leaving
Bethany
to
savor
her moment of triumph.

He was in so much trouble. Dirk knew that he should never have pushed the game that far. He walked into the bathroom and, seeing it empty, turned on the faucet closest to him and splashed cold water across his face. Then he placed his hands against the edge of the sink and leaned forward, staring deep into his reflection, where glowing red eyes gazed back at him.

When his breathing returned to something more normal and his eyes faded back to blue, he wiped his face with a paper towel and walked back to the booth.
Bethany
looked up when he sat down, but didn't say a word. They continued to eat in silence, only occasionally asking for something on the table to be passed. When they were done, Dirk paid the bill, feeling that the sooner they were out of this place, the better.

He held the door open for her and they made their way across the quiet parking area. It wasn't until they were almost to his SUV that Dirk realized that the edgy feeling he had was more than discomfort from what had happened inside. He looked around, noticing the empty lot and the unnatural silence.

He reacted as the first rush of wind hit him, shoving
Bethany
to one side. "Run!"

The impact of the vampire slamming into him knocked Dirk to the ground and he didn't have time to reach for his dagger. He landed on his side and ignored the jolt of pain that shot through his hip. He didn't give his attacker time to settle on top of him, but immediately threw him off. He used the momentum of the effort to roll to his side and then jumped to his feet just as a second vampire leaped on his back. The two were not as experienced in fighting as Dirk, but their superhuman strength made up for their lack of skill.

Dirk took several punches before he could pull his dagger free and plunge it deep into the first attacker's heart. Before the vampire hit the ground, Dirk turned toward the second. His own emotions, already on edge, raged out of control. He curled his lips back to give the vampire a savage grin and saw the creature's eyes widen in surprise. The decision to run flashed across the vampire's face as clearly as if it were written on a page.

"Too late, asshole." Dirk took the stride that would close the distance between them, grabbed the creature about the neck, and jerked him forward, onto the blade of his dagger, held at the exact angle needed to pierce its heart.

Bethany
's scream ripped through the night air and sent him racing to where he'd seen her disappear around the side of the old house.

Bethany
fought her attacker with all her might, kicking her feet and bucking her body as he dragged her farther and farther away from Dirk—and safety. Something wet ran down her arms and she suspected it was blood from where his fingernails bit into her flesh.

Desperation and terror consumed her, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. She didn't want to die like this. She screamed again and was vaguely aware of Dirk, racing around the corner of the house, before her attacker shifted and blocked him from her view. "Dirk!" she shouted, hoping he'd hear her. They'd just passed the Dumpster when suddenly the vampire released her, staggered, and fell back.

Then Dirk was there, between her and the vampire, a towering wall of protection as he faced the enemy.
Bethany
wanted to grab his arm and flee before the creature could kill them, but she was frozen by fear. When Dirk moved toward the vampire, she cried out for him to stop, but he didn't listen. He hauled the creature up by the scruff of his shirt and
plowed
a hand into the creature's face, knocking it back several more feet.

"Dirk, let's go,"
Bethany
pleaded from where she stood. She took an involuntary step toward him and he must have heard her, because he hesitated. At that moment, the creature lunged to its feet and attacked. Snarling, its lips curled to reveal fangs glowing pearly white in the moonlight, it thrust its mouth against Dirk's neck.

Roaring in anger, he swiveled and grabbed the creature, plucking it off as if it were a bug and tossing the vampire so far that it landed behind the Dumpster, out of sight. This time, when Dirk went after the creature, she didn't call him back. She waited, listening to the sounds of fighting that filled the night air. Frantic, her mind conjured images of more vampires lurking in the shadows, waiting to jump out at her.

She considered running for help, but then remembered the can of Mace in her purse. She pulled it out and held it before her as she moved slowly toward the Dumpster. Cautiously, she rounded the corner and all hopes of a clear shot vanished.

The vampire was between her and Dirk. She started to edge around, hoping to come at the creature from a different angle. At that moment, she heard the sound a knife makes when it's thrust into a melon. It was accompanied by a grunt. Then, in slow motion, the vampire crumpled to the ground and she watched it fall in morbid fascination.

Was it over? she wondered. Was it dead? She looked up, needing to see the reassurance in Dirk's face, needing to know that she was safe.

Chest heaving from the effort of fighting, a bloodied dagger still clutched in his hand, Dirk stared at her with eyes that glowed with an unnatural red light and lips curled up in a feral snarl, revealing two sharp, pearly white fangs.

Still caught up in the adrenaline rush of the fight, it took Dirk a moment to realize
Bethany
was staring at him in horror. He knew how she must see him—no different from the vampires who'd attacked her.

He closed his mouth, once more hiding his fangs from sight, willing the vampire half of his changeling nature into submission. For several long seconds, he thought he might be able to save the situation, because while he'd been fighting to control his temper,
Bethany
hadn't moved.

Not knowing exactly how to reassure her that everything was okay, he took a step toward her. In that instant, she screamed and pulled the trigger.

The spray hit him in the face, burning his eyes and temporarily blinding him. He roared in pain and frustration, wiping his eyes as he stumbled after her, using the sound of her running footsteps, more than sight, to guide him. It didn't take long to catch her and by the time he grabbed her arms and pulled her to a stop, he'd managed to sheath the dagger.

"
Bethany
, stop fighting me and let me explain."

"Please don't hurt me," she whimpered as she tried to pull away from him.

"Oh, Beth, honey. You're breaking my heart. I would never hurt you." She thought him a monster, like the ones who had killed her bodyguard, and the knowledge sliced through him more effectively than any knife's blade. Still, he couldn't let her run off without making sure no other vampires were around.

Though she resisted, he pulled her up against him and locked her in his embrace so she couldn't move. Instead of kicking at him now, she trembled helplessly in his arms, small whimpers continuing to tear him apart.

His eyes hurt like hell, so he closed them while he rested his head against hers. "Beth, hush now. No one's going to hurt you."

"You're a vampire." The accusation came out in a choked voice.

"No, I'm not. I'm a changeling—half vampire, that's true, but also half human. I'm not the
undead
. I have a conscience and a soul." He waited for his words to sink in, hoping she believed him, knowing she didn't. "Beth, how can I prove to you that I won't hurt you?"

She stilled in his arms. "You can let me go."

"And if I let you go, you promise not to run away?"

She started to nod her head and then stopped. "No."

He felt a smile tug at his lips, despite how worried he was. Keeping his tone steady and even, he tried to reason with her. "We have several problems here. First, I don't want anyone coming out and seeing dead bodies all over  the parking lot. They might call the police and things could get complicated until I can get hold of
John
. Second, I don't know if those vampires I killed are really dead, so the sooner I get the bodies out of here and dispose of them properly, the better. Finally, while I think we've seen the last of the vampires for tonight, I don't know that for a fact, so I need to get you somewhere safe ASAP."