Into Death's Arms (36 page)

  
The doors slid open and
his secretary looked up. Her face was a mask of panic.
She started waving her hands around and rushed towards me. “Not n
ow,
” she begged.

    I considered. “What’s he doing?” I asked quietly.

    She frowned
she didn’t want to answer me that was sure
, “He’s in the middle of a meeting with the
other
Vamp
ire
leaders
.” She said like I was supposed to know what that meant.
I didn’t
but I
could fake it with the best of them. So
,
I nodded knowingly.

     “You don’t want me to bug him do you?” I asked cautiously
biting my lower lip
.
I could do this.
Really,
I could.

     She shook her head no so hard I was sure her brains were rattling around in there.

      I cocked my head sideways and asked. “Can you get me into his private rooms?” I could actually see the thought process behind her eyes she really didn’t want to answer that question. “Can ya?” I asked biting my bottom lip
again
. Oh, if I could get into that room tonight was going to be so much fun.

      She looked around guiltily. Oh yeah she could get into his rooms or at least knew how.

      I smiled, “Let me in his private rooms and I won’t bug him, promise.” I held up two fingers like a boy scout.  

      She frowned
,
little wrinkles formed around her mouth. She must frown a lot to have permanent lines like that.  I knew I was the cause of a lot of her frowning lately and felt kind of bad. “I don’t think…” she started but I interrupted her.

     “Yeah, it’s the only way your gonna keep me out of
that
board room and I know you don’t want me in there and you can always tell him I’m in there when he comes out. I mean I don’t mind you warning him or anything. I was just thinking you didn’t want me to disturb him but…” I headed toward the door.
I held my hand out in front of me like I was going to shove the door open any second.

      H
er eyes grew wide. “NO! I’ll tell
you
how to get
in,
” she practically screamed I could see panic in her eyes. I was really tempted to just peek into the room and make sure he was alright I didn’t like how nervous she was. I concentrated on her. 
Her
thoughts
seemed
c
hased themselves across her face kind of
like a
n agitated little
terrier.

  
I
flinched;
Jesus that woman needed a Prozac or something. Did Prozac work on
Vamp
ires
? 
Well at least she was loyal enough to Tameron that she was worried I was going to screw something up.
I was okay with that.
I even understood why she didn’t want the other
Vamp
ires
to see me with him. 
I mean really how would that explanation go?  Why yes, I’m this really powerful Vampire but my girlfriend kills our kind.

  
Don’t worry she isn’t here for you.

   I was a smart girl.
I could see how that would be a concern. S
he sighed heavily.  “All YOU have to do is go to the scanner.” She emphasized the you with a little too much oomph and I had to wonder if the only reason she didn’t like me was that I was an Ao.

     
Was Dayton’s secretary attracted to him?
Oh,
that was a stupid question anything female with a
pulse found Dayton attractive.
The true question was did I need to kill his secretary? The question that followed that like a chaser was when had I become the jealous sort?
“He had it changed so you could access his rooms last time you were here.” I couldn’t help myself I smiled like a cat in the cream. He wanted me to be able to get to him. I liked that.

     And, maybe just maybe his secretary could
live;
after
all,
she couldn’t get into his rooms that meant something.

     I stalked over to the door to his
and looked into the retinal scanner. A little red light rolled over my eye then presto the door slid open. Ha. I was so excited I practically ran in. I waved good-bye to the poor harangued secretary and shut the door tight.
Her face was a mask of irritation but
I was still grinning ear to ear as I explored Dayton’s place.

    
  
I realized I’d been here a couple of times but never really paid any attention to the place. It was palatial. Huge was just not a good enough descriptor.

   
The front room I guess you might call it a foyer but I’d never been in a foye
r quiet so big, h
eld a closet, a white leather couch, a coffee table and two white chair
s
to match the couch. The floor was carpeted in a cream-colored carpet that was so thick my high-heels sank in.

 
  On the left was a dining room. High-backed hard wood chairs adorned a table that could easily have seated twelve. The wood gleamed like oil
on water
.

 
To the right was another living room this one set up around a massive flat panel TV.  I thought about all his interviews and wondered if he’d ever sat in
here and watched himself on TV. Or did he just laze back and watch football like every other male in America?

  
Through a small hallway at the back of the living room was a bathroom and further down the hall was his bedroom.

  
Finally, a room I remembered clearly. His bed was huge, sinful really. A dark blue satin comforter covered it. Near the head board pillows in different shades of blue satin were scattered about.  On either side of the bed were nightstands. One had a book lying with the spine facing up holding his page. The other was empty. The closet was on one side of the room the master bath on the other both had double doors leading to them. I rifled through his closet, which was great fun. All his clothes were neatly pressed and hung up. I had a terrible urge to run through and mess up his system but didn’t.
Instead,
I
slid one of his dark red silk shirts from a hanger and smiled a wicked smile.  He had more blue shirts than red but I looked awful in b
lue. My skin tone was too
pale;
it left me looking
like a corpse. I slid out of my dress and hung it on the hanger. Then I took off my white lacy bra and hung it up with the dress. Finally, I slid my arms into Dayton’s fancy shirt. The silk was cool against my skin reminding me of Dayton’s touch. I wondered how long he’d be in that meeting. I was ready for him to come home, well not quite. I kicked off my shoes next to a pair of his. Then I returned to the bedroom.
I slipped under the very warm comforter and waited for Dayton to return.

      I dozed for a
bit;
I’m
not sure how
long,
as Dayton did
n’t have a clock in his room. I woke to the soun
d of footsteps and
I sat up.

    
Dayton was glowing again. That soft amber light filled up the room. “Macyn,” he asked as if confused
his voice low and soft in the slight glow of the room
,
the light his eyes were throwing off, “What are you doing in my room,
”
he asked hesitantly. “In my bed,
” his voice was
suddenly
rough. The
n
he was moving swiftly across the room
like a stalking animal
. “Are you hurt,
” he demanded
his voice edged with concern
. I nearly laughed. Only I couldn’t manage any sound past the sudden lump in my throat.

   
God he was beautiful. He had removed his jacket and had been in the process of unbuttoning his shirt when he’d discovered me. A good expanse of his lovely chest was bared to me. I watched the smooth muscles contract as he rushed to my side.

     
I shook
my head no. I couldn’t seem to look in his eyes. Great I
was mute. How had that happened?
He stopped, took a deep breath through his nose
, scenting the air,
and hissed, “You’re wearing my shirt.” This time I managed to shake my head up and down. I was doing great wi
th all the nonverbal here. “Why,
” he searched my face
,
for what I wasn’t sure.

       I licked
my lips
that had suddenly gone very dry
.
I kept telling myself I want this. I am going through with this.
“I…” My voice just didn’t want to cooperate. “I thought you’d like it better than what I was wearing.” I stated
flatly
.
I
so sucked
!
W
hy couldn’t I be
all sultry
or something no I got nervous and my brain shut down.

     He ran an agitated hand through his hair. “Mace, I can’t do this tonight. I am too tired to try to figure you out and having you toss me across the room again just
isn’t appealing to me right now,
” his voice was low
,
sad even.
I had done that to him,
I felt bad about that. I really did
,
I wish
ed
I’d never done that but wasn’t sure how to tell him.

      I put out my hand.
I briefly wished my hands looked like Laurna’s or Deanna’s
,
that woman had beautiful hands
,
mine were rough, the nails trimmed short.
“Come to bed,
” I surged to my knees the hem of his shirt brushed my thighs.
I liked how much bigger than me he was.

    
He closed his eyes. “I mean it,” h
e said softly, “as much as I enjoy our little games, I don’t think I can bear your rejection tonight, my sweet.”  He turned and walk
ed
into the closet. I closed my own eyes. Rejection stung,
no wonder he was so cranky,
but I had brought it on myself and the only way to fix it was to let him know I was serious.

      “You don’t like the shirt
,
” I asked
pitching my voice to carry across the small space to the closet; I was
still kneeling on the bed. I heard him huff in that giant closet of his. I unbuttoned it and let it slither down my back slowly. If I could hear Laurna
,
having
a telephone conversation
outside
my house
I was sure my
Vamp
ire
could hear the silk kissing my skin as it fell from my body.
He stepped into the room. I don’t mean he walked in from the closet I mean one minute he was not there the next he was. I knelt there with his shirt pooled a
round my knees. “Is this better,
” I asked softly
running my hand down where the line of buttons had been
.

   
He growled.

    
The soun
d reverberated around the room.
“Macyn,” his voice
was pained, “What are you doing,
”
he devoured me with his eyes but didn’t step any closer.

      I pouted. “I thought it was fairly obvious. I could paint you a sign.” I suggested. “Oh, better yet…” I placed my right hand on my throat, ran my fingers along my jugular, my pulse beneath my fingers was frantic. His eyes were riveted to my hand
. His fangs lengthened.

     My hand coasted across my collarbone
. He licked his lips. I paused. He didn’t even draw in a breath.
Then I allowed my hand to continue its downward glide, sliding across pale skin, until my fingertips came to rest on my very hard nipple.  He
started breathing again. Air was escaping him
in short hard
gasps. Like he’d been running too fast for too long. I found my own breathing was a little ragged. I pinched the hard little peak.

     
He lunged
,
knocking me onto my back.
His large body pinned
me with my knees tucked under my body. His big hands closed around my wrists and pinned them above my head.
I cried out. It wasn’t a cry of pain. God, he was so big and so sexy above me like that. He looked down at me his eyes were amber pools of light. I couldn’t make out a pupil at all.
His thoughts fell in on me like puzzle pieces dropped to the floor.
Need
this, want this, Macyn
!
With that last
thought,
something seemed to click inside his mind because his body burst into action his mouth covered mine, his teeth scraping against mine, his tongue delving deeply.