Kade's Dark Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans) (20 page)

Deciding against a taxi on a warm, summer day, Sydney opted for a ride on the St. Charles Streetcar from the Garden District to the French Quarter and then grabbed the Canal Streetcar over to the Riverfront Streetcar to meet Tristan. She loved taking the breezy streetcars, talking to other tourists who were from different parts of the country, and taking in the sights of the city. Within a half hour, she arrived at her stop and hustled down the riverfront steps to Cafe du Monde. Tristan was already seated at a corner table under the open-air canopy with a large platter of beignets sprinkled with powder sugar and a cafe au lait awaiting her. Sneaking up behind him, she wrapped her hands around his neck and planted a chaste kiss to his cheek. “Hey, mon loup, you want some company?” She teased seductively.

He laughed heartily. “You really are looking to get me killed down here in New Orleans, aren’t you Syd?”

“What are you talking about, Tris? Can’t I give a wolf a little love? I missed you! You don’t know what it's like being surrounded by vampires twenty-four-seven. You have to come back with me to Kade’s. We have an address we are checking out as soon as the sun goes down.”

Tristan handed her a cup of cafe au lait and put a plate of beignets in front of her. “First things first, you really don’t get how a little wolf lovin’ could get me killed, do you mon chaton?” he asked. “Look, Kade and I go way back, we’re close. And let me tell you that in all the years that I've known him, he has never expressed his desire to claim a woman. I can smell him on you. Remember? Super-wolf sniffer? And as well as you tried to hide it with makeup, I can see that he marked you. You may not know it, sweet Syd, but you are his.” He grinned, bringing his cup to his lips.

Sydney was incredulous. She nearly spilled her coffee, slamming it down on the table. “Marked? Claimed? What the hell is that supposed to mean, Tristan? Claimed like luggage? I'm sick as shit of all this supernatural lingo, and rules! Rules that don’t even apply to me, by the way, as everyone down here keeps reminding me that I'm human, which I pretty much I take to mean ‘less’.” She picked up another beignet, fully intending to shove it into her mouth. “You know what, Tristan; don’t even explain it to me. I'm sorry I asked. As much as I love the Big Easy, I am so ready to get back to Philly where I'm appreciated for my kick-ass human qualities.” She bit into the beignet, and powder sugar sprayed over her plate.

Tristan laughed out loud. Poor Sydney just had no idea what was going on with her and Kade. And Kade didn’t seem to be doing a very good job communicating it. Kade had a tiger by its tail, one that had sharp teeth and bit. This was going to be fun to watch. “Listen Syd, I didn’t come all the way down here to get you riled up. Look what your Alpha brought you...a pretty, pink backpack with all kinds of fun toys.” He held up the bag and smiled.

“Now, that’s what I’m talking about. Thanks, Tristan.” She took out her cell and glanced down at the time. “As much as I’d like to soak up the sounds of the city, we’d better start making our way back to Kade’s. Let’s walk back down Royal, and then we can take a taxi back. The sun will be down in an hour or so, and I don’t want to waste time finding this bastard.”

Tristan stood and left money on the table. “Okay, let’s roll.” Looking around, she'd disappeared from his view. Where was she now? Sydney was already half way through the maze of tables by the time he found her in the crowd. She waved to him, smiling as if she hadn’t a care in the world. Oh yeah, this was going to be fun all right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kade finished talking with his overseas contacts regarding business. As much as he wanted to hang up the phone and go make love to Sydney again, he needed to take care of Issacson’s investments. Issacson Securities was a business he’d built over the years that catered to supernaturals. He’d been neglecting the business while in Philadelphia, so completing the call was a necessity. Kade was a man who honored his commitments and his clients trusted him with their finances.

Just as Kade was about to go look for Sydney, Luca entered Kade’s office holding a note in his hands and seated himself in the chair across from Kade’s desk. “So, did you hear from the witch?”

Kade nodded. “Yes, and interesting news, the address she gave me matches the address we got from the bartender last night. A mage by the name of Asgear bought Vin Vin oil around six months ago...fits our time frame. So, maybe we’ll get lucky tonight and find Simone. When is everyone coming over here? We should prep Sydney and the others.”

Luca smirked knowingly. “Yeah, about your girl. Do you happen to know where she is?”

Kade’s lips tightened. “She is here in the house. I just saw her a few minutes ago standing at my door. Why do you ask?”

“Well, you might be interested to know that she took off to meet Tristan in the French Quarter, alone.” He threw the note across Kade’s desk. “You must have been on your conference call a little longer than you thought.”

Kade read the note, feeling blood rushing to his face. “Damn, stubborn woman. I specifically told her not to go out alone. She does not follow instructions,” he muttered.

“Or simply does not wish to and ignores them on purpose. She’s with Tristan, though. Surely, he will protect her?” Luca could not resist stirring the pot.

“She is mine,” Kade barked.

Luca was one of his oldest, closest friends. He suspected that Kade was going to claim the human but now he was confident that it had been done. “I see,” Luca said quietly. “I must inquire, Kade, does she understand how you feel? Does she know that she has been claimed, or what that means? That she is yours? She is only human after all.”

“Hell, I don’t know. You know me better than anyone, Luca. I’ve had many women over the centuries, but only a handful of actual lovers, women I cared about. But this human woman, she...she makes me crazy. Crazy with lust, crazy frustrated, infuriated at times. She won’t obey orders...putting herself in danger left and right. Worse, danger is part of her job, so she acts like it is perfectly normal. And as insane as she makes me, I cannot resist her. There has been no one like her, ever.” He rubbed his brow with one hand and stretched his neck from side to side. “I must talk with her when she returns. This nonsense has got to stop. And if she has been with Tristan....” He could not even go there. He loved Tristan, but would rip out his heart if he touched her today. He knew they had a past relationship, but he informed Tristan of his intentions with Sydney, which Tristan agreed to honor.

Luca rose and patted Kade’s shoulder. “Listen, Kade, Sydney will return safely. It is daytime, and Tristan will escort her back here. Even I must admit that Sydney is a very capable woman.” He sighed. “You know that I am generally opposed to getting humans involved in vampire business; their weakness puts us all in danger. But the woman has staked two vampires so far and rescued Dominique, so I have to give her that. I am still not crazy about having a human  working the case with us, but she is proving her worth.”

Luca walked clear across the room to the doorway, knowing he needed distance for what he was about to say to Kade. The two friends met each other’s eyes. “As for Tristan, you are friends. He will honor your intentions with Sydney...as will I.” Kade knew what Luca was thinking but wanted to hear him say it. “Last night, on the dance floor, dancing with Sydney...with you and her. It was intimate. I have not danced with a woman in a very long time. She is...” He lowered his eyes in submission. “She is very desirable, but Tristan and I are your friends. Even if Sydney doesn’t yet understand the extent of your feelings, we have a pretty good idea. None of us will pursue Sydney knowing she is yours. Well, not unless you invite me in on the fun again,” he joked trying to diffuse the tension. “So, no worries, huh?”

Kade knew Luca was aroused last night. But Kade controlled the situation, gave Luca permission. He felt no jealously, as he danced erotically with them both. It wasn’t as if he and Luca hadn’t shared women in the past. But there would be no sharing Sydney. Dancing was one thing, making love was another. Kade was falling in love with her. Sydney was his, and he needed to make her understand they could have a future together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sydney pushed through the front door feeling refreshed. Kade stood erect in the foyer, his arms crossed with a menacing glare aimed at Sydney and Tristan. Tristan retreated a few steps back and held his hands up in surrender. “Look, man, I told her you’d be pissed for not telling you where she was going. And before you vamp out on me...No, I did not touch her.” Deciding to remove himself from the fray, Tristan hustled toward the kitchen. “So, looks like you guys have a lot to talk about. I’m gonna get something to eat.”

Sydney rolled her eyes. What was it with these Alpha men? Geez. It wasn’t as if she worked the case without Kade. She just went out for a freakin’ beignet. And Kade was obviously too busy for her anyway. Since he had his way with her last night, maybe he was finished and moving on to greener pastures? Either way, she just went out for food and weapons. She even left a note for God’s sake. “Listen, Kade, I'm not sure why you're boring holes into me, but I just went out for beignets and I needed to get my weapons and...”

Kade tore across the room possessively grasping her arms and pulling her into him closely, her bag dropped to her feet. So very close, chest to chest, face to face, forehead to forehead. He would never hurt a single hair on her head, but she needed to understand the seriousness of running around in this city alone. Most importantly, she needed to understand that she belonged to him for the rest of time. “Sydney love, what don’t you understand about my directions about not going out alone? Outside this house, Simone can get to you, any time, any place. You scared the life out of me,” he growled.

Showing no remorse, Sydney defiantly wrenched out of his arms. “Kade, you said that I was expected to consult on this case, not pursue leads on my own, and follow your directions...all of which I've been doing. Furthermore, you do not get to tell me what to do in my spare time,” she said, pointing a finger at his chest. “I would have been more than happy to tell you where I was going today had you actually stuck around in my bed this afternoon to find out, or if you had taken the time to talk to me when I came looking for you. You did neither of those two things, so I left you a note. Which by the way, I believe was a perfectly acceptable alternative considering how you treated me.”

This woman was trying to make him insane. Her full, lush lips beckoned to him as did her engorged tips straining against her tight, purple sundress. She needed to be taught a lesson all right, but his cock grew in instant arousal, with a very different activity in mind. “You, me, now. My office.” He pointed to his office, grabbed her by the hand and led her down the hallway. He was not having this conversation out in the middle of the house where Tristan and Luca could hear every last word, not to mention the others who would soon be here.

Once in Kade’s office, Sydney slumped into a cushy, leather loveseat as Kade slammed the door shut. She knew that she should remain mad at him, but his pure masculine strength reverberated throughout the room making her grow wet with desire. He paced the room finally positioning himself directly in front of her chair, and her eyes drifted to his groin.
She did not just look there. Okay, she did.
Averting her eyes to settle on his desk, which also brought dirty thoughts to mind, she huffed, “Kade, I didn't deliberately set out to make you angry, but you've got to look at this from my perspective. It's not my first time in New Orleans. You were busy; I left a note and went directly to meet Tristan. I was perfectly safe.”

Towering above, he could not take his eyes off of her. “Sydney, first, let’s get something clear, until Simone is caught, you cannot go out on your own. We found a mage suspect who happens to reside at the same address the bartender gave us. Said mage would not be limited during the daylight hours. So, even though you thought you may have been safe, you could have been bespelled at any time.”

She was ready to concede on that point. Spells? Witches? Mage? The last thing she needed was for someone to put a whammy on her while she was looking to get her beignet on. “Okay, point taken. No going out alone, but I did leave a note. So, it wasn’t as if I just went missing.” She could feel the heat of him upon her. Blood rushed to her face as she became swollen below with need. The man was so sexy, so delicious, so hers.

Like a predator, he deliberately locked in on his prey, closing her knees together as he straddled her legs, dominating her personal space. “Sydney love, last night was electrifying. Making love to you, I have never felt for a woman what I feel for you. You must understand that we are halfway bonded to each other. You are mine. When I bit you...” He reached down to run his finger along the mark on her neck. She shivered in anticipation, wanting more. “When I bit you, I claimed you as my own, my woman. I am falling for you, Miss Willows, and I don’t intend to let you go…not after this case is over...not ever.”

Sydney’s heart ached finally hearing him say that he wanted to be with her. She gazed up into his piercing eyes and felt as if he could see into her very soul. “Kade, I am falling for you too. I...I don’t know what this all means, but I want to explore this with you...our feelings, our relationship. I can’t believe I'm even saying this, but us...last night, was incredibly special. My feelings for you overwhelm me...my senses are overloaded. I want you so much I can’t think straight.”

The sexual tension was palpable. Her womb ached, needing him to be deep within her again. She craved him: his kiss, the taste of him. Reaching up his hard, muscular thighs, she let the palms of her hands roam toward his growing arousal. Ripping his belt off within seconds, she unzipped his pants releasing his straining masculinity. “Kade, you call to me. I want to taste you now, can’t wait.” Gently taking his throbbing shaft in her hands, she licked the underside of him, laving long stokes up and down. She grinned knowing she was teasing him, drawing out the pleasure.