Under a Vampire Moon (40 page)

Christian merely grunted and walked over to push past him. Julius didn’t move, however, and said patiently, “Pants. You can’t run around like that. You’ll draw too much attention.”

Cursing, he swung back to the room and accepted the pants his mother was already holding out. Still clutching the dress, he tugged them on and quickly shrugged out of the robe. But he didn’t bother with a T-shirt or shoes, and simply headed for the French doors again.

“We’ll come with you,” Marguerite announced.

He paused abruptly and turned to shake his head. “No, I’ll handle this.”

“You can’t control her,” Julius pointed out.

“I don’t need to control her. I’m just going to explain things and—She’ll accept it. She loves me. Gia said so,” he added and didn’t like the desperate edge to his voice.

“And if she doesn’t accept it?” Marguerite asked.

“Mother,” he began grimly, and then forced himself to calm down and said, “Mom, I love you. And I know you two are trying to help. But you can’t. This is my life, my life mate. I have to do this on my own.”

“But I can help you,” Marguerite said, and moved forward, pleading, “Let me help you, son. I missed so much. I wasn’t there for you for so long. Let me help you.”

Christian smiled crookedly, and reached out to hug her tightly, saying, “You have nothing to make up for, you know. It’s not your fault you weren’t there for me these last five hundred years. I don’t blame you for it, and you need to stop feeling guilty about it.” Pulling back he added, “And you already have helped me. You brought me to her and you made sure we got to spend time together. Now, it’s up to me. I can do this,” he added firmly. “I have to.”

She hesitated, and then stepped back, but said, “If you need help we are here. And there is no shame in asking us. I helped your brothers and sister with their life mates. I will be more than happy to help with yours. We both will,” she added as Julius moved to slide his arm around her.

“Thank you,” Christian said quietly, and slipped through the French doors.

“C
aro? What on earth?” Bethany gasped, clutching her robe closed and gaping at Carolyn when she opened the door to find her on the doorstep in just the T-shirt.

“I’m sorry I woke you,” Carolyn said as she slipped past her into the villa. “I didn’t have my key.”

“That’s not all you don’t have,” Beth snapped, slamming the door. “Where are your clothes? And your purse? Did you have sex with that captain?”

“I’ll explain later,” Carolyn muttered, heading for her room.

“I don’t think so, girl.” Bethany caught her arm as she reached the door to her room. “You can’t just come in from a date looking . . .” She paused and then simply waved at her bare feet and legs and said, “Looking like this and not explain yourself. What the hell happened?”

“I— It’s—” She gave up her efforts and cast a hunted look to the door as the bell rang. She knew at once it was Christian, and when Beth moved to the door, cried, “Don’t answer it!”

Too late, Bethany was already pulling the door open. Christian was on the stoop, her ruined dress in hand. He barely spared Beth a glance before spotting Carolyn. When he started toward her, she turned with a squeak and hurried into her room. He was there before she could close the door though and she backed away, eyes searching frantically for an escape as he advanced into the room.

“Carolyn? Should I call security?” Bethany asked, appearing at the door, the villa’s cordless phone in hand.

Christian turned and peered at her silently. After a moment, Bethany’s face went blank. Then she set the phone on the bedside table and retreated, pulling the door closed behind her.

Carolyn gaped at the closed door, but then scrambled back as Christian started forward again. “What did you do to her?”

“I took control of her mind, made her relax, and sent her to her bed thinking everything was all right. She’ll stay there until morning no matter what she hears.”

His words brought her up short and she breathed, “Oh, God, you really are a vampire.”

“No, I am not a vampire,” he said solemnly.

“You’re lying,” she said at once.

“I love you. I promised you I wouldn’t lie to you,
cara
. And I’m not. I am not a vampire,” Christian said firmly as his hands closed on her arms. It was only then that Carolyn realized she’d stopped backing up.

Forcing down the panic that tried to claim her, she remained perfectly still and said grimly, “I saw the blood in the fridge and Zanipolo’s fangs. I—”

“There is an explanation if you will only listen,” he said quietly. “Please,
cara
. Let me explain.”

Carolyn was tempted, but said, “Show me your teeth.”

Christian hesitated, and then opened his mouth to reveal perfectly normal teeth. No long incisors that could pierce bags and skin.

“You don’t have fangs.” She sagged against him with relief and his arms closed around her as she babbled, “Oh, my God. I thought—I was—When I saw them all in the kitchen and the blood and—I was ready to catch the first plane back to Canada,” she admitted with horror, and then glanced at his face. “Was it some kind of joke? Or . . .”

Carolyn paused because while she really, really wanted to believe it was a joke, it had suddenly occurred to her that she’d never noticed Zanipolo or the others having fangs before tonight either. Not that she’d seen fangs on the others, but they’d had bags to their mouths as well . . . And Christian had controlled Beth, she recalled. How could she have forgotten that he’d controlled Beth?

“Please let me explain,” Christian said, apparently seeing the dawning realization on her face.

“Show me your fangs,” she said grimly.

Much to her surprise, though he didn’t look happy, he did open his mouth again. Only this time his incisors suddenly slid smoothly down out of his gums to make two fine points.

Carolyn stared at them and cried, “You said you weren’t a vampire.”

His teeth slid back and he said quickly, “I’m not. I’m an immortal.”

Carolyn frowned, not having a clue what that was about other than it sounded much nicer than a vampire, but then her mind returned to her worries in the villa and she asked abruptly, “Have you been feeding on me?”

“No, I have never once bitten you,” Christian assured her, but added apologetically, “although, it was very close that time on the bus . . . and then again each time I’ve made love to you it has been a struggle not to bite you as well.”

He sounded pained to admit it, but the very fact that he had made her believe him, and she asked, “Why? I mean, you have all that bagged blood, why bite anyone?”

“We don’t,” he assured her. “Except in cases of emergency or . . . er . . . mutual agreement. The situation on the bus would have fit under the emergency heading. I was low on blood, the sun was affecting me, and I almost bit you. But I didn’t,” he added quickly, and explained, “That’s why I dumped you and ran off the bus. The horror on my face wasn’t because I felt like you were raping me, as you imagined.
I
kissed
you
, not the other way around. I couldn’t resist you. You smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, and then once I gave in and kissed you, I couldn’t resist touching you, but that just made it worse. I wanted to rip your clothes off, push you down on the bench seat and sink my teeth into you as I claimed you with my body and I just . . . ”

Carolyn felt her body responding to his words and the memory of that day. That and the recollection of the sudden explosion of passion that had rolled over her then, combined now with the picture he painted of what he had wanted to do and made an echo of that passion roll up through her again. She wasn’t even put off by the thought of his biting her as he made love to her, Carolyn realized with dismay, and forced the memories away to ask, “And were you low on blood last night and again tonight when we—”

“No,” Christian assured her, and then cleared his throat and admitted, “I was just overexcited.”

“Overexcited?” she asked uncertainly, not sure what that had to do with biting.

His expression pained, he admitted, “When I’m with you,
cara,
I just lose it. I want to touch and lick and kiss you everywhere, and I want to make love to you in every position in every place in that villa—Hell, every place in the world. But the life mate passion rolls over me and I lose control and our bodies are merged, and our senses are merged, and it’s a real struggle not to sink my teeth into you and merge with you in blood too.”

“Oh dear,” Carolyn breathed. His words were just making the desire that had been slithering through her stronger. Or perhaps it was his arms around her, and his scent enveloping her, or the erection growing against her belly, Carolyn thought, and then noticed that his eyes were more silver than black as she’d seen on several occasions. “You aren’t wearing colored contacts, are you?”

Christian shook his head. “My eyes flare silver when I need blood.”

“So you need blood now?” she asked uncertainly.

“No, I had several bags while waiting for you to return from your date last night,” he assured her, and then cleared his throat and admitted, “They also go silver when I want you.”

Carolyn blinked, and asked with disbelief, “So it’s like an ocular boner?”

He gave a startled laugh, but nodded. “Basically, yes, I suppose it is.”

“Huh,” she muttered staring into his eyes, and shifting against him, which only seemed to increase the excitement shimmering through her.

“
Cara?
”

“Hmm?” she asked, shifting again.

“You have to stop doing that, or we won’t get to finish our talk,” Christian said in a pained voice.

“Stop what?” she asked with surprise, shifting again to lean back a bit.

“That,” he said grimly, reaching for her hips to hold her in place so she’d stop unintentionally rubbing against him.

“Oh.” Carolyn felt herself flush. But every shift had sent shivers of pleasure through her and she was terribly aware that she was in his arms in nothing but a T-shirt, and that he had both an ocular and a penile boner and . . . Geez, she’d just discovered how good sex could be. “Ummm . . . Christian?”

“Yes?”

Carolyn raised her head again, her blush deepening.

“Maybe we could talk on the bed?” she suggested, and then breathed, “Wow,” as the silver completely overtook his eyes and turned molten. It was accompanied by a definite growth spurt against her belly too. Christian growled, his arms tightening around her and his head lowering toward hers, and then suddenly jumped away as if he’d been burned.

“No,” he growled, and then softened the rejection by saying, “Believe me, I want to, but we have to talk first. I don’t want to be overwhelmed by passion and then wake up only to find you have panicked and fled. I need to explain everything so you understand and feel safe.”

“I feel safe,” Carolyn assured him, feeling bereft now that his arms were no longer around her. “You’re an immortal, not a vampire. You drink bagged blood, have never bitten me, and you really, really want me,” Carolyn said, smiling as a sense of power she’d never experienced before swept through her. She felt desirable, beautiful even. Wanted. This gorgeous man’s eyes were glowing for her, his body hardening. She had no idea how or why she affected him so, but just the fact that she did was one hell of a turn-on. It made her want to test her new powers.

“Caro,” Christian growled in warning.

“What?” she asked innocently.

His eyes narrowed. “You have a very naughty look on your face. Whatever you’re thinking of doing, don’t. We need to have this talk.”

“Naughty?” she asked with a throaty chuckle.

“Yes,” he said firmly. “Naughty.”

“And if I did do anything naughty, would you spank me?” she asked with interest.

“Caro—”

“And what is considered naughty? Would borrowing your T-shirt without permission be naughty?” she asked. “It probably is. I should give it back.”

Carolyn saw his eyes widen with realization, but she was already pulling his shirt off over her head and walking toward him.

Christian immediately began to back away. When the back of his legs hit the bed, he dropped with dismay to sit on it. His voice was tortured when he said, “
Cara
, we need to talk. I can’t risk losing you. I love and need you too much. You’re my life mate.”

“You won’t lose me.” She stepped between his legs and glided her fingers into his hair. When he raised his head to meet her gaze, she said, “Immortal or even vampire, I don’t care what you are. I need you too much too. You make me laugh and smile and happy. And you make me feel beautiful and desirable and I’ve never felt that way in my life. I’ve never enjoyed such passion or pleasure. My life was a wasteland before you, and now it’s an orgy of pleasure. I’m not giving that up easily,” she assured him. “I love you for all of that and much more. You’re stuck with me. You’ll have to kick me out of your life when you tire of me, and then I’ll probably stalk you like a crazy lady. But I’m done running.”

“You are my life mate,
cara
, I will never tire of you,” he vowed, his hands rising to clasp her by the waist and turn her onto the bed.