Kindling Flames—Gathering Tinder (22 page)

Vicky was bombarded by a barrage of dance partners, each one dancing with her for a few moments before handing her off to the next. After reaching fourteen, she stopped counting and just enjoyed the movement of the crowd. The faces that passed by, gave her something to think about. Some of them had fangs, but Vicky wasn’t sure if they were real or costume. Surprisingly, they didn’t bother her in this setting as much as she thought they would.

Thought of vampires and her feelings towards them bubbled around in her head as she was passed from person to person. The grasping hands of her next partner ripped Vicky from her thoughts. Instead of catching her waist like the others had, he grabbed her ass and ground her against him uncomfortably. Gasping at the course action, she moved to push away from him, but she was swept from his grasp before she could do anything.

A rich tenor echoed from the chest Vicky found herself buried in. “You do not treat Master’s Lady that way.”

Looking up into the face of the man who had saved her, the fangs were the first things she noticed, but they didn’t look out of place in the handsome face framed by long, blond hair.

“Are you all right, my dear?”

Nodding, Vicky stepped away from him, and swayed slightly as the alcohol caught up with her.

“Easy there.” The blond man grabbed onto her shoulder to save her from falling over. “Maybe we should get you back to your master.” She eeped as he pulled her in against his side and turned towards the booth where Darien was sitting. The crowd parted before them as he walked her off the floor.

“But he’s not my master,” Vicky protested weakly. She wanted them to know she was her own person.

The man grinned. “That may be so, but it’s obvious you belong to him.” He patted her hip where his arm was wrapped around her. “Consider it a great honor… Master Darien hasn’t kept a companion in a very long time.”

Vicky wanted to protest, but they had arrived back at the table where Darien was sitting.

“Elliot!” Darien smiled up from where he lounged in the booth. “I didn’t know you were back in town.” He stood to shake the man’s hand.

“Good evening, Master Darien. I only just arrived,” Elliot answered as he took ahold of the offered appendage. “I found something that belongs to you.” He released Vicky and spun her around to stand next to Darien. “She was being accosted on the dance floor.”

Darien looked over the girl at his side and wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulders.

“Don’t worry. She is well, and the problem has been dealt with.”

He nodded his approval. “Thank you.”

Elliot bowed at Darien’s words. “I think it would be wise to take her home,” he said, offering his advice. “It’s getting late, and she’s a little drunk.”

Vicky huffed at him, but she couldn’t argue with his point. Now that she wasn’t lost to the music, she was feeling the alcohol. “Fine,” she agreed. “But I need to let my friends know that I’m leaving.”

Stepping away from Darien’s side, she stumbled a little and was saved by two pairs of hands as the vampires employed their speed to catch her before she fell.

“Thank you,” she muttered as her skin flushed.

“Let us help you.” Elliot whirled around to take her arm. Darien took the other, and they walked Vicky out to the floor.

She looked back over her shoulder at the booth. “My bag!” she protested.

“I have it here.” Darien patted the bag on his hip.

She let out a sigh of relief and allowed the two men to take her to find her friends. The crowd parted, and Vicky could see several people bow to them as they passed.

It didn’t take long to find the first of Vicky’s friends hanging out with the steampunk group. Beth and her dance partner stilled as the two vampires escorted Vicky over.

A man dressed in a velvet-trimmed, Edwardian morning jacket stepped out of the group to greet them. He bowed slightly to Darien. “Master Darien.”

“Master Victor.” Darien returned the greeting.

Vicky looked between the two master vampires before stepping away from her escorts to talk with her friend still held captive by her silent dance partner. “I’m heading home, Beth. I have to work in the morning,” she explained.

Beth nodded to her but was looking over Vicky’s shoulder at the two handsome men who had brought her over. She stared at them with her mouth open.

“
Beth
.” Vicky prompted.

“Yes!” Beth snapped her mouth shut and turned her attention back to her friend. “Um… going home. Yes. Then we need to find Vanessa. She has the car.” Beth stumbled over her words as she tried to put her brain in gear.

Vicky giggled. “You look a little preoccupied.” She smiled at the man still wrapped around her friend. “Why don’t you stay here, and I’ll go find Vanessa.” Beth just stared at her and her escorts as Vicky and the men turned to go find Vanessa.

“Don’t worry about her,” Elliot winked at Beth before he turned away. “She’s in good hands.”

Beth’s mouth worked in a way that would make a goldfish proud as she tried to come up with something to say. She had never seen Vicky pick up two hot guys in one night.

They found Vanessa still pressed between the pirate twins. When Vicky approached, the men paused before moving to stand next to each other behind the woman Vicky was looking for.

The twins bowed slightly to them. “My Lady,” they greeted her. “Master,” they greeted Darien.

Vicky didn’t know why, but she dropped into a curtsy as Darien bowed to the pair.

“Jakob. Josh.” Darien greeted them.

Vanessa stared at who was behind Vicky. Wrapping an arm around Vicky’s, she pulled her friend away from the men following her. “Is that your boss?” Vanessa whispered to her best friend.

Vicky nodded.

“What’s he doing here?” she hissed as she looked back over her shoulder at the handsome men.

“It’s a long story,” Vicky said with a sigh. “I’m heading home. It’s getting late, and I have to work in the morning.”

“Do you need a ride?” Vanessa asked as she peeked back over her shoulder at Vicky’s boss.

A smile turned up Darien’s lips as he heard the implied meaning behind her question.

“I’m fine,” Vicky answered. She was sure that Darien intended on taking her home. “You stay and have fun.”

Vanessa giggled. “Oh, I plan on it.”

Vicky looked up at the two men waiting for Vanessa to finish with her friend. Since they had greeted Darien, they had to have something to do with the vampires. Concern colored Vicky’s thoughts for a moment, but she pushed it away. Darien had assured her that her friends were safe. “I’ll see you later.” Vicky hugged Vanessa and turned back to the two men waiting for her.

“I’ll call you about this weekend!” Vanessa waved to her.

Vicky raised a hand in response.

The pirate boys were back on Vanessa before Vicky could get totally away. She shook her head at the giggles issuing from her friend. Only Vanessa could find a set of twins to entertain her for the night. Vicky pushed that thought away and let Elliot and Darien lead her off the floor and out the door.

They stopped just outside the club, and Darien turned to the other man and nodded his thanks. “Are you staying in town?” he asked.

“Yes, with some of Rachael’s fledglings,” Elliot informed him. “If you need anything, please call me, my liege.” He bowed deeply and swept his hand across his chest in a very old-fashioned manner.

Darien nodded very slowly.

Elliot stood up and turned his attention to Vicky. Taking her hand, he bowed over it. “It was a pleasure to meet you, My Lady.”

She blushed as he placed a kiss on the back of her hand.

“I look forward to our next meeting.”

Unsure of the proper response, Vicky muttered another ‘thank you’ as Elliot released her and disappeared back into the club.

Darien took her by the arm and led her through the parking lot to his little sports car. “What’s going on this weekend?” he asked as he slipped Vicky into the passenger seat of his Aston Martin. He handed her the messenger bag, and she laid it on her lap.

“It’s girls’ night out with the old dorm crew,” Vicky explained as Darien settled himself into the driver’s seat.

“Do you always come out to Alchemy?” He started the car and backed out of the parking space.

Vicky shrugged and looked out the window. “Most of the time. We used to go across town to Red Jack’s, but some guy wouldn’t leave Maggie alone, so we found another club. I have to say, I like Alchemy better.”

Darien smiled at this. He was good friends with the owners and had financed the club when it first opened. “How often do you go out with your friends?” he asked, maneuvering the car into traffic. When Vicky didn’t respond, he looked over to find that she had fallen asleep against the door again. Darien chuckled and turned back to the road in front of him. He was amazed at how comfortable she was in his company, even after she knew what he was.

***

Darien parked his car in front of Vicky’s building and looked over at his sleeping assistant. The two red crystals on her collar teased him, sparkling just above her pulse point. He shook his head and pulled on her shoulder, so she wouldn’t fall out when he opened the passenger door. Vicky moaned lightly in her sleep but didn’t wake up.

He got out and circled the car to open her door. Slipping the messenger bag from her lap, he fished in it to find her keys. House keys in hand, Darien slung the bag over his shoulder and bent to lift the sleeping girl from his car. With Vicky secure in his arms, he kicked the door shut before turning to take her inside. She snuggled into his chest and sighed contently in her sleep. Darien smiled softly at the woman and soon had her up the steps and into her apartment.

Making his way into her bedroom, Darien held her tightly to him as he dropped her legs to the floor. With his free hand, he pulled the bedding back before lifting his drunken assistant into her bed. He took a moment to remove her shoes before making sure she was properly tucked in. Brushing her hair away from her face, he looked down at the black collar that had been teasing him.

“This is very apropos for tonight’s venue,” Darien whispered as his fingers found the clasp at the back of her neck and pulled the velvet band off. “The next time you want to sport a vampire bite, all you need to do is ask.” He looked down at the two marks on her neck from where the chains attached to the back of the collar had pressed into her skin. Bending over, he placed a light kiss over the mark and drew in the soft scent of her skin. “You make this much too easy,” Darien whispered against her neck and stood back up.

He checked to make sure Vicky’s alarm clock was set and turned to head out. His eyes landed on the kimono hanging on her wall, and he laughed out loud. “Sleep well, Victoria,” Darien patted her legs on his way past.

Darien made sure the door would lock itself before he deposited the bag and her keys on the couch and left. It would be in his best interest to have someone he trusted watch out for Vicky when she went partying with her friends. Twice now, they’d left her to fend for herself at the club, and Darien didn’t find them very trustworthy. He thought about who would be best to send as he got back into his car and went to find dinner.

Vicky looked up from her desk at the tall man walking into her office. She raised her hand to her neck as she recognized the same dark-haired man who had accosted her two weeks ago. Swallowing back her fear, she stood to greet him. “Good afternoon,” she said as firmly as her voice would let her. “May I help you?”

Rupert was surprised that Darien’s PA wasn’t cowering in the corner. He could smell her fear, but she was doing a remarkable job of hiding its outward signs. “I’m here to see Darien Ritter.” Rupert stopped in front of the desk and smiled. “I have an appointment today.”

Vicky ran the schedule she had committed to memory, and pulled the man’s name out… “Rupert Marshal?” she asked, to confirm.

“At your service,” he bowed politely.

Vicky cocked her head at the odd response. “Please have a seat, and I’ll let Mr. Ritter know you’re here.” She waved the man to the chairs against the wall. Turning away from Rupert, she knocked on Darien’s door. When no answer came, she opened it and poked her head in.