Between a Vamp and a Hard Place (15 page)

“Blood vassals. They are gone now.”

I frowned up at him as he helped me sit up. It seemed that I was lying on the sidewalk in an alley. Lovely. “Um, I'm still not clear on everything. Give me a moment.”

I leaned on him, surprised at how weak I was. And good gravy, my throat hurt. Even though it felt like a sandbag was attached to my hand, I lifted it and touched my neck . . . and was surprised to feel two gouges there. “What . . .”

Rand's fingers brushed over mine. “Don't touch it. The wound is still healing. I licked it to seal the wounds, but I'm afraid you still lost quite a bit of blood.” His hand caressed my jaw. “Are you hurting anywhere else? I nearly lost my mind when he bit you.”

“You worried because I'm your blood vassal?”

“Because he tried to tear your throat out,” Rand corrected. “Luckily I was able to dispatch him easily.” He gave a derisive snort. “The men of this time are pathetic warriors.”

A vision of the sword flashing through the air tore through my fuzzy mind. The blood spraying. The man's head just sort of flopping off to one side as Rand's sword cut through. Dear God. I would have been sick to my stomach if I'd had the energy for it. Instead, all I could do was swallow hard and lean against Rand's strong shoulder. “Are you hurt?” I asked him.

“No. He was not fast enough. He knew he would die, so he attacked me where I was vulnerable—you.”

“They were vampires, Rand.”

“Yes, I know.”

My fingers dug into his arm. “I thought you said they were blood vassals.”

“There are many kinds of blood vassals, Lindsey.” His fingers rubbed at my cheek, and I realized he was probably wiping away blood. Ugh. “I am a blood vassal to the Dragon. I serve him and am bound to his will. You are a blood vassal to me because you have pledged yourself. Those men were vampires, and all vampires are blood vassals to another. I did not sense them coming, or I would not have left you alone.”

“I thought you had a vampire homing beacon in that head of yours? That it lets you learn languages and you can tell where other vampires are?”

“I am the Dragon's vassal. That means I am tied to him. I can feel his other vassals. I can learn the languages he knows because of my blood bond. And I did not feel these men, so they were not vassals to the Dragon.”

“Then . . . who are they vassals to? I thought you said all vassals are tied to the Dragon.”

His return smile was thin. “They are not my vassals. Frederic and William are dead. Who is left?”

“Guy?”

“That can be the only assumption I can make. There are other vampires in the world, I imagine, but they would have no interest in me or my blood vassal.” His fingers rubbed my cheek again. “I am sorry you were drawn into this.”

“Me, too.” I winced as I sat up a little straighter.

“This does prove my point, however,” Rand added.

“Your point?”

“I told you weapons would come in handy.” He couldn't resist adding a teasing note in his voice.

I snorted. “Just help me stand up.”

“Not yet.” Rand produced a few Saran Wrap–covered cookies and a scone from a bag at his side. “Eat these.”

I took one, puzzled. “Where did you get this?”

“I knew you would need this to keep up your strength. I gave the saleswoman your plastic and told her to purchase them.”

My eyes widened. “Please tell me you got my card back from her.”

“Did you still need it? I was surprised that she kept trying to hand it back to me.” He shrugged and dug into the paper bag, then produced my Visa card.

I breathed a sigh of relief. We were not completely screwed.

“This is good, yes?” He handed it to me.

“Yes,” I said, pocketing it and taking a bite of cookie. “Are you okay? Did anyone else see the fight? What happened to their bodies?”

Rand gave me an amused look. “So many questions. Can you not relax and recover your strength, Lindsey?”

“I'm relaxing,” I said, stuffing cookie into my mouth. My energy was slowly returning, though I still felt utterly exhausted. I could not keep “donating” blood like this. “Keep talking.”

“They turn to ash once beheaded.”

I swallowed hard around a chunk of cookie. “The bodies?”

“Yes. It takes about a minute for the mental memory to cut off. Then everything turns to dust.” He made a flicking gesture with his hand. “Dust and carried away by the breeze. A fitting end for two cowards.”

“What if you didn't behead them?” I asked, morbidly curious.

He shrugged. “If they were staked, they would have remained where they were, in limbo . . . until the sun rose, at least.”

Ah. The sun, the great vampire incinerator. “And the saleslady?” I asked between bites of cookie. “Did she freak out at the sight of the beheadings and stuff?”

“I calmed her into going back into her store. She will remember none of this.” His eyes had a familiar gleam in them.

“You totally hypnotized her, didn't you?”

“It suited our needs.”

Ugh. Yeah, suited our needs as we manipulated and killed our way through Rome. Good Lord. “I guess it's a good thing you had those weapons,” I told him. I finished my cookie and got to my feet. “We need to go back to our hotel room, Rand. Do you think it's safe?”

“As safe as anywhere,” he said. “I cannot hide from either Guy or the Dragon. It will be obvious to Guy that his men failed soon enough.”

“Great,” I said weakly. “Maybe we should keep moving, then.”

“No,” said Rand, and he looped an arm around my waist. “We are going to take you home and you are going to rest. Remember that they cannot enter our domicile without being invited in.”

Oh, right. That was good. “So we just need to avoid the streets and we'll be fine.”

“Something like that.”

“Okay, cool,” I said, and then I passed out again.

S
ome time later, I woke up to find myself back in the hotel bed. There was a bare, warm chest pressed against my cheek, and I tried to process that for a moment before alerting Rand that I was awake.

I'd been out for some time, so he must've fed recently on some other hapless woman. I couldn't be jealous, because I'd been totally passed out due to someone else attacking me like the last bag of popcorn at a movie theater, but I still didn't like it. The faint scent of soap touched my nostrils, and I guessed that he'd bathed himself again after feeding, since he knew I didn't like it.

For some reason, that touched me.

So I let myself drowse on his chest for a moment longer, enjoying the feel of his body warm against mine. This was what it would be like if Rand were human, and we were in a relationship. I'd curl up against him at night, and he'd . . . well, he wouldn't be a vampire.

I sighed to myself. Too far away from reality. What a shame.

A hand toyed with my hair. “You should bathe, Lindsey. There's blood in your hair.”

Ick. Way to bring a girl out of a mood. “Gee, thanks, Rand.”

“Do you feel better? How are you?” His hand slid down my arm, stroking it. “It nears dawn.”

“I've been asleep for a while, then.” I yawned and stretched, getting up. I winced at the way certain muscles pulled as I did. My neck felt hot and tight, and it hurt like the dickens. I touched the wound and hissed at the stab of pain. Maybe it'd feel better after a few aspirin.

I crawled out of bed and into the shower, then took a few pills. My own clothing was filthy, so I hand-washed my T-shirt and jeans in the sink, scrubbing them with the hotel soap to try to get the blood out. When I'd done the best I could, I put on one of Rand's new T-shirts, since there wasn't much else to wear.

Then, because it was near dawn and I was still exhausted, I crawled right back into bed next to Rand and flopped down on a pillow. When he pulled me against him, I didn't even protest. Even though his body was rock hard and now a bit cooler to the touch, I still liked cuddling him.

Cuddling with a vampire. That was probably high up on the list of things one shouldn't cuddle with, next to scorpion and porcupine. But I couldn't help myself. So I settled my cheek against the crook of his shoulder and relaxed. “Guess we're staying in for the rest of the evening, hmm?”

“I must,” Rand agreed. “And I ask that you not leave while I am asleep due to the daylight. I do not like this newest revelation of strange vampires I cannot sense.”

I didn't care for it much myself. “If there's still cookies, I'll eat those,” I said. I closed my eyes and pulled the blankets up around my chin, feeling relaxed and dazed. Or maybe that was the blood loss. “Or I can raid the minibar. No big.”

“Let me see your neck,” he said, just as I was drifting back off to sleep. I groaned at him, but when he continued to nudge me, I rolled onto my back so he could examine it. His fingers brushed my collarbone. “The wound has come open again in the shower.”

His skimming fingers were doing naughty things to my body. My nipples had reacted immediately, perking at the touch. My entire body tingled with awareness of his against my own, and I felt my pulse speed up.

“I need to lick you to assist with the healing, Lindsey,” Rand said, hands moving along my jaw and throat. “Tilt your head back for me.”

I need to lick you
. Oh sweet heavens. “Rand, I—”

“Do it, Lindsey.”

And because I wanted to do it despite myself, I tilted my head back and waited, feeling a little awkward and a lot tense and turned on all at once.

I started as Rand's head bent to my neck and his nose brushed against my throat. His hair tickled my chin, and I had the most insane urge to twine my fingers in those long, thick locks and hold him against me, as if we'd been lovers in a make-out session.

We weren't, of course. This was healing. Nothing more. I had a boo-boo and he was going to make it all better . . . with his tongue.

Oh, who was I kidding? I was totally getting turned on by this. I squirmed underneath him as I felt his weight settle on top of me. This was . . . okay, this felt like sex. It wasn't, I kept telling myself. Totally wasn't.

Then his tongue touched my neck and he gave it a long, sultry lick.

A moan escaped me.

I clapped a hand over my mouth, shocked.

Rand groaned against my throat, and the sound went straight to my sex. “God have mercy upon me. Do not sound so delicious, Lindsey. The last thing you need is more blood taken from you, and you tempt me sorely.”

“Sorry,” I breathed. I wasn't, though. I liked hearing that I was tempting him. He was sexy and dangerous and gorgeous, so of course I liked the thought of making him half as wild as he made me. But this was about healing the gouge in my throat, so I bit down on my lip and tried to think nice, sweet, chaste thoughts.

Like teddy bears.

Candy hearts.

Nice warm hugs and—

Oh God, was he stroking his tongue against the hollow of my throat?

A whimper escaped, and this time I gave in to the temptation of burying my fingers in his hair. I clung to him, full of need, and moaned again when he licked my skin. I forgot all about my wound or how I'd received it. The only thought in my head was Rand, and Rand's tongue, and the weight of Rand's body over mine.

“Lindsey,” he rasped, and his mouth moved up the column of my neck, pressing light kisses to my skin. Then his mouth was on mine and he was kissing me. At first, he was soft, tender, almost hesitant. As if testing if I really wanted this or not.

And oh boy, did I
ever
. I slicked my tongue against his, moaning my need. His fangs pricked me, and the taste of my blood tinged the kiss. This time, Rand moaned, and his fingers dug into my hair, and then we were both kissing with abandon, a mesh of tongues, lips, and teeth. Every time his tongue stroked mine, I felt it between my legs, and my hips rose in response. His body had somehow settled between my legs, and I wrapped one around his thigh, pushing him against me. The hard press of his cock against my sex told me I wasn't the only one full of need, and I thrust against him, wanting him deep inside me.

“Please, Rand,” I whispered, taking his hand and pulling it to my breast. My nipples ached, desperate to be touched. “Put your hands on me.” I wasn't wearing panties, and I was acutely aware of how little clothing separated us. “I need you.”

Rand's mouth pulled away from mine and he pressed his forehead against me. “We shouldn't.”

“I know we shouldn't, but I don't care at the moment,” I protested, covering his hand before he could remove it from my breast. “Just give it one little squeeze to let it know you care—”

“We can't,” he said again, and lifted his head to stare into my confused eyes. He leaned in and gave me a chaste kiss on the tip of my nose. “You are not strong enough at the moment for my attentions. What you need now is rest.”

“I promise not to move around too much,” I protested, smoothing my hands over his shoulders. “You can do all the work. Really. I'll just lie back and think of England.”

He gave me a puzzled look, then shook his head. “I cannot, Lindsey. Much as I want to, I would drink from you when we tupped. I wouldn't be able to stop myself. And you are too weak as it is.”

He was right, I supposed. I was getting tired of the word
weak,
though. I sat up, disgruntled. Was it me? Was he not attracted to me? “All you want is my blood. Just say it. You're not going to hurt my feelings.”

Just like that, I was pushed back onto the bed again, his big body covering mine. His face inches from my own. “Do you know why you like it when I lick your throat, Lindsey?” His eyes were dangerous blue slits.

Silently I shook my head.

“Because I have had two hundred years to perfect my licking. I know just where and how to put my tongue to a woman.” Those beautiful lashes flicked, and I was trapped in his gaze. “I know just how to lick her cunny so that she's screaming with pleasure. And if you think I don't want to lick yours? You are mad.”