Eden's Charms (32 page)

“You will. Because I look extremely hot sitting next to you.”

“Personally, I like you sitting on me.”

“Easily arranged.” Savanah peeled her body from Ethan’s lap and stood up.

“You’re so beautiful.” Ethan cupped his hand to her cheek, his thumb brushed her flushed skin. “Come on. Let’s go find us a place to get married. Lucky for you, I’ve still got money. I guess lunch’s on me.”

“I’ll lick it off you if it is.”

“Music to my ears, sweet cheeks. Let’s ride.”

Chapter Fifteen

“Savanah, really, can we put the top up? It’s gonna downpour, and we’re going to get soaked, not to mention this baby will get wet. Please?”

“Eth, the sun’s shining, its eighty-two degrees and there isn’t a black cloud in this hemisphere. Stop worrying about
my
car.”

Ethan’s lip twitched. Whether it was to be a smile or a frown remained to be seen. “Can I drive? You said I could.” Ethan put on his best
I’m-adorable-you-can’t-resist-me
face with clasped hands in front of her.

Tossing him the keys, she hopped over the door and slid into the seat.

Ethan dropped to the ground gasping.

She called back to him, “Come on, drama queen.”

“That’s king to you. Buckle up,” he chirped as he too jumped into the car, slid the key into the ignition, turned it and closed his eyes in rapture as the engine came to life.

Savanah’s jaw dropped. “You just got off, didn’t you?”

“Keep it between us, okay? Sliding the key into the snug slot and giving it a little twist made me think of you this morning when I slid my cock inside you and gave you a little joust side to side and your engine revved up beneath me and left us both out of gas. That’s the hottest feeling, Savage, knowing I can turn you on and have you purring beneath me.” Ethan blew her a kiss before he turned the wheel right and peeled out of the driveway. Destination—Saratoga Lake. “First stop, your wallet, then the state park? Did you tell your parents where we are headed?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Do you think now that I’ve given your Pops my blood a few times, he can read my mind and me him?”

“Try it. Can that other ghoul you’re mixed up with do it?”

“Yeah, he can. So how do I get your Pop?”

“Try saying, ‘Can you hear me now?’”

“Aren’t you funny!”

“Crack myself up, actually. Someone has to!”

“All right, all right. Hey, André you out there?”

Savanah’s smirk traveled the length of her lips and cheeks in a flash.

“Don’t you dare laugh at me,” he scoffed. She turned her head, pretending to look out the window, but Ethan watched her body shake through silent laughter regardless.

****

Sitting at the piano, playing Beethoven to his wife and her belly, Jovan said, “You’re off key. What’s wrong, Bebé?”

“Ethan brain-beeped me. I forgot he’d be able to do that. Is this a good thing or are we never to have a moment’s privacy ever again?”

“André, look at me belly. In a few months you won’t even remember the word privacy let alone your name. Answer him. Could be important.”

Ethan, is everything all right?

“Shit, Savage, it worked. He answered me.”

“Answer him back, Eth. You don’t need to talk aloud to do this.”

“Got it.”

André. Just checking out the wiring. Guess it works. Sorry to bother you.

Just don’t send me any viruses, and we’ll be fine. Did you get to the Hall of Springs yet?

Ethan punched Savanah’s arm. “This is so cool.”

No. We’re just crossing the bridge to retrieve Savanah’s wallet. See you later tonight.

Tell Savanah Lucian informed us that the surgery is set for tomorrow and the children are indeed your ex-boss’s grandchildren.

Wow! You probably shouldn’t have told me that. Ignorance isn’t always bliss, but it could save your life. Let’s hope the nameless vamp doesn’t ask me about them.

“The twins are Sinclair’s.” Ethan informed Savanah. He waited for some sign from his fiancé that the earth was going to come crashing to an end, or at least his life for bringing all this drama back into their lives.

Savanah said nothing.

“You okay with this?”

“You’ll make it okay.”

Ethan did the only thing he knew how. He hit the CD player’s button and rocked the car with one of his favorite Dave Matthews
songs,
Crash into me.
He reached across the tiny front seat and rested his hand on her thigh and attempted to do the 'let your fingers do the walking move' up her thigh with zero stealth. He grasped the zipper on her jeans, at the same time she latched onto his hand and squeezed. With a subtle shake of her head he found an instant pout.

"The faster you can get me to our destination the faster we can get home and those precision timed moves you were thinking of tuning me up with will have my engine purring better than a pussy. Now, dear fiancé, drive with intent and watch the road instead of me.

"If I get pulled over, it's up to you to change the officer's mind." He winked as the speedometer soared past absurd legal limits.

Savanah tied the scarf tighter around her wild dark curls, adjusted her sunglasses and returned a mischievous grin of her own. “What a sweet ride, Mr. Kitt. I may let you drive more often.”

In Sinsations parking lot, Ethan glanced around. “Looks like a wild place.”

“Wait ’til you see the inside.”

“Hold up.” Ethan pointed to the rear of the lot. “Isn’t the mini coop your aunt’s? Plates read ‘Cooped up.’”

“Hmmm… She came back. Damn.” Savanah waved to the valet as they passed by.

Ethan jammed the keys in his pocket. “Not on your life buddy.”

The valet rolled his eyes.

As they approached the door to the restaurant, it burst open. Ethan looked at Savanah with caution.

“Ah, Miss St. James!” The man greeted her. “We’ve been expecting you. If you’ll join us.”

Savanah glanced to Ethan out of the corner of her eye, flashing him a warning sign. The moment the man placed his hand on her shoulder goose bumps formed and just as quickly ducked for cover. Sweat seeped from her pores and her mouth went bone-dry. A quick glance at Ethan proved he didn’t appear any better. Savanah watched a blond beard sprout quicker than a child’s dough machine could push one out.
Keep it together, Eth.

I’m fine. My five o’clock shadow came five hours early, that’s all.

“Do I know you?” she asked the doorman her tone guarded.

“No, Miss St. James, my name is Jacob. I’m one of the bouncers.” Jacob shied away from the direct sunlight coming through the door. “The boss said you’d be coming and to look out for a gorgeous tall woman. He even showed me your license photo so I’d know who to look for.”

Vanity struck, Savanah let down her guard. “Oh jeesh, not that old photo. It’s a mug shot really. Doesn’t even look like me. Feels like it was taken a century ago.” She glanced at Ethan and winked. “Pathetic really,” she rambled.

“No, Miss, you’re much prettier in person.”

Savanah took an instant liking to Jacob. “So, if you’ll just get me my wallet, we’ve much to do today.”

“Lunch is on the house today. Boss said so himself.”

“Eth? You hungry?” Savanah rubbed her tummy. “The food is excellent.”

“I love your appetite, woman.”

“Have a seat and your waiter will be over with menus and drinks.” Jacob started to walk off.

“Jacob, excuse me. You didn’t happen to see the woman I was with yesterday come in did you? Her car’s in the lot.”

“The other pretty woman with jet-black hair? Yes, she’s with the owners doing some business.”

“Would you show her to our table when she’s done?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Wonder what type of business? Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.”

Savanah bit her cheeks and dug into the breadbasket. “Dear God, don’t tell me. Another Eric Idle fan?”

Ethan answered her with another wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

****

Three hours later relaxed in their chairs with an empty wine bottle and a full stomach, Savanah watched people file in to the club, each dressed to the nines in short skirts, skimpy tops, spiked heels, spiked hair, spiked jewels, pretty much spiked everything. The men looked like models from
Play Girl
, all pretty toy boys. Ethan could’ve been the cover to that magazine a hundred times over. Savanah took one good look at her wardrobe and cringed.

“Eth, we gotta go. Look at them and us.”

“You’re beautiful. Who cares if you have the same holier than thou jeans on that I first saw you in? Your toenails are pretty. Your hair’s done and if you were to take off the outer shell you threw on over your tank top you’d be good to go.” Ethan bent down to her feet, and slowly skimmed the length of her leg to her shoe. “And what’s this? No flip-flops? You wore grown-up, spiked, ankle-breakers making yourself at least three inches taller than me. Yeah, baby, I noticed.” Ethan kissed her ankle. “Let’s go dance and work off a few of our drinks.” Ethan stood and extended his hand.

“Lead the way.” Her other hand on the handrail for balance just as her aunt had the previous night. The music shimmied its way through her feet, up her legs, down her arm and resonated in her chest. It was one of the things she loved about rock music, the intensity and pounding, the way it made her feel alive—part of the music itself. She watched people sardined onto the small dance floor grinding, swaying, tangoing, some really out there, dancing to the beat of a different drum altogether. With that she could identify.

Ethan pulled Savanah to him, her back against his chest and he wrapped her in his arms. He had to have her touching him. He couldn’t explain the need, but the moment she touched him, everything in his universe became symbiotic. His chin on her shoulder, he thought back to their first night together at the House of the Blues. He yelled in her ear, “Not quite the same is it?”

She yelled back, “Why? Just because I haven’t passed out yet or vomited on you? The night is young, my love.” She turned, angled her face to his lips then puckered up and made kiss-kiss noises.

Ethan laughed and squeezed her tighter. “Oh, my little nymph, I want to make love to you right here. Right now.”

“Who’s the nymph?” Savanah yelled a second after the song ended. All eyes on the dance floor momentarily focused on them. Some bowed, others cheered, “Just do it.”

“Savanah, you turned a delicate shade of red.” Grabbing her cheeks between his hands, Ethan cupped her face and met her lips with his in a soft kiss as they danced.

Savanah tightened her arms around his back and ran her fingers under his shirt, exploring. That was all it took for him to wind up rock hard. He rubbed his fondness for her into her tummy.

She broke away from his kiss and offered, “Shall we ditch this place?”

“Not so fast, Pippy. Anticipation is a beautiful thing. Dance with me. Slowly.”

Ethan nudged his way through people, Savanah’s hand in his as she trailed behind. He checked out his surroundings, watched other couples on the floor loving each other, some in the same fashion he loved Savanah, others in a most peculiar manner, body-slamming into one other, almost to the point of fighting. Others still, were concealed in darkened corners huddled together being sucked on and bitten…by vamps. Ethan wasn’t too worried. Being surrounded by vamps for the past few years he knew most weren’t killers, just thirsty.

But just to be on the safe side he sashayed Savanah away from them. Once they had enough room to move he brought her close to him, wrapped one arm around her back and his other hand, he rested inside her back pocket. He bumped her purposefully during their dance to remind her they had unfinished business to attend to at some point.

Sooner rather than later.

With each bump and grind, Ethan grabbed her derriere a little harder, his fingers cupping her. He pressed his erection harder into her Venus and watched a mist glisten on her. Dirty dancing had its finer points. He wasn’t sure whether this was one step short of torture or one step closer to heaven, because all he could think about was taking her down on the floor, right here and doing it. Yeah, the idea of an audience intensified the fantasy. When Eiffel 65’s,
Too Much of Heaven
played, and she began to sing to him his fantasy almost blew the top off his hot air balloon.

Her voice was that of an angel, soft, flowing, sexy as hell and doing things to him he had zero control over. He stopped dancing and watched her mesmerized, the graceful sway of her hips, the soft curve of her breasts slipping under her silk tank top, her nipples peeping through the material begging for his attention, and the radiance her blue-jeweled eyes dazzled him with. Before the song ended, Ethan hoisted Savanah in the air and had her legs wrapped around his waist headed for the first vacant room with a couch, desk, anything he could take her on. Never—ever had this much raw passion possessed him. This woman had turned his life upside down and fast. In less than one week he’d done two things he swore he’d never do. First comes loves, then comes marriage, then comes the baby…

Topsy freaking turvy!

Savanah’s head on Ethan’s shoulder, her legs securing her body to his, she slid back and forth in a seductive tease against him. Her nipples pressed across his chest and the fire he ignited in her made its way between her thighs. He definitely had the anticipation thing right.

She closed her eyes as she moved with Ethan’s body, and continued to sing to him. Ethan’s touch caused an insatiable itch wherever she offered herself to him. She raised her arms above her head, her hands clasped together swaying with the music. She opened her deep blue eyes and smiled. So badly, she wanted to tell him she loved him, but he’d asked her to wait. So, instead, she continued to sing and put up with the aching in her heart.

If she couldn’t tell him, she’d show him.

Chapter Sixteen

Opening the door, Ethan found the room pitch black. No windows, no light switch on the wall and no one home.
Perfect!
Ethan felt like a young boy with his first girlfriend sneaking off to cop a feel, only this was different. This wasn’t some cheap thrill; this was the luxury of love.

“I’m going to make love to you now, Misses. No guarantees on how long I last. You’re killing me, baby.” Ethan had her pants undone and down around her ankles in the blink of an eye. His disappeared even faster.