Sleeping With the Entity (20 page)

“So it didn’t matter that Daniella told me her birth mother’s name two days ago. Because you haven’t been able to follow up on that, is that right?”

Neville nodded before adding, “But it does mean she trusts you enough to finally share her birth mother’s name with you. You never said how you managed that.”

“And I don’t intend to,” Nick said. That stubborn sliver of guilt about telling Daniella he was adopted remained with him, and it aggravated the hell out of him. He hadn’t experienced guilt since his early days as a vampire when he’d annihilated those who’d wronged him. After being turned, he’d stayed near the battlefields with Magdalene, who taught him the way of vampires and how to make a quick kill. He hadn’t turned anyone but had continued fighting Napoleon’s Imperial Guards as retribution for all the good men in his regiment who’d been killed. He’d feasted on a lot of French blood.

But that wasn’t how he’d gained his reputation for being ruthless. That had come later …

He shoved the memories away. Regret and remorse were luxuries he couldn’t afford. As he’d told Pat, he didn’t do regret. He didn’t think he did guilt, either, but that might not be the case after all where Daniella was concerned.

Daniella’s instincts had warned her not to confide in him immediately. He recognized that fact. So he hadn’t pressed her but instead had subtly done everything he could to make her believe she could trust him.

“You’re sure the Gold Coast vamps aren’t able to access the information you’d been researching about Daniella?”

“I’m sure,” Neville said. “But our system still isn’t up to par. Of course, neither is theirs considering the fact that I crashed their computer systems, too, and messed up their stock bids, day trades, and buy orders.”

“Is this what modern vampire warfare has come to?” Pat said as he entered the room. “You hack my computer. I hack yours. What happened to ‘you mess with me and I decapitate you’?”

“That may still come to pass,” Nick said. “Tomorrow is Halloween.”

“That sucks,” Neville said.

“It does suck,” Pat agreed. “There are additional security issues because of it.”

“Not to mention the fact that Daniella’s dad is set to return from his cruise tomorrow morning,” Nick said.

“I don’t imagine he’s going to be a happy camper when he discovers you shacking up with his only daughter,” Pat said.

“I am not shacking up with her. I’m protecting her.”

“From rival vampires. Not something you can tell him, Nick.”

“I realize that. We have to crack this mystery about her background.” His voice reflected his frustration with the situation. He hoped it didn’t reflect his sexual frustration as well. “I’m sure it has something to do with her birth mother.”

“I’m doing the best I can,” Neville said.

“Do better. And do it faster,” Nick growled.

“Is the bodyguard job harder than you thought?” Pat pulled Nick aside to ask as Neville focused all his attention on the computer.

“That’s one way of putting it.”

“I can step in if you’d prefer.”

“I’d prefer that we get this entire situation rectified.”

“And how do you propose to rectify the situation with Daniella?” Pat asked. “You know that sex between a vamp and a human—”

“Is a disaster. I know.”

“Yet you find her hard to resist,” Pat said.

Again with the “hard.” Glancing at the surveillance screens, Nick saw Daniella showing Bruce how to ice cupcakes. Hardly a sexy scene. Yet the mere sight of her was enough to arouse Nick.

“You’re sure the Gold Coast clan didn’t hack into our surveillance camera system?” Nick asked Neville.

“I’ve checked it numerous times.”

“Check it again,” Nick ordered.

The idea that Miles was seeing the same scene with Daniella that Nick was viewing was enough to get his vamp blood boiling.

Pat could sense Nick’s anger. “You can’t afford to lose control. You are exposed to the human customers at the cupcake shop. They can’t see you with your eyes glowing and your fangs exposed.”

“I know that.”

“Has Daniella seen you that way?”

“No.”

“Maybe she should,” Pat said thoughtfully.

“Why?”

“To instill more fear into her. I’m not sure she fully realizes the danger of this situation.”

“I’ve told her…”

“Showing her may be more effective. Or are you afraid she’ll find you disgusting? Has she talked to you about you being a vampire?”

“She asks questions,” Nick said. “A lot of questions. The other night she wanted to know why a vampire who can’t eat would own the All Nighter Bar and Grill.”

“What did you tell her?” Pat asked.

“That our customers are vampires. No fangs, no service.”

“She hasn’t been in the bar since that first day, has she?”

“No. And I plan on keeping it that way.”

“Yes, but does
she
plan on keeping it that way?”

“The inability to compel her does make life more difficult,” Nick acknowledged. “But I expected that.”

“Did you also expect to be so sexually attracted to her?”

“She’s a good-looking woman.”

“She’s not that good looking,” Pat said.

Nick glared at him.

Pat laughed softly. “Look at you, all protective.”

“My job is to protect her,” Nick said.

“As long as you don’t forget your main job, which is to protect your clan,” Pat said.

*   *   *

“You’re really good at this,” Daniella praised Bruce.

“It’s all in the hands,” Bruce said before adding candy corn atop the frosting of the cupcake he was decorating. “Steady hands.” Looking up, he smiled at Nick. “Welcome back.”

Nick didn’t smile back. “Thanks for taking over for a few minutes,” he said curtly.

“No problem.”

When he left, Daniella asked, “Is something wrong?”

He shrugged, despite knowing how much that move aggravated her. But she didn’t have time to call him on it because she had two special orders to finish today.

So she concentrated on the batch of mini Thriller Killer Chocolate cupcakes for a
True Blood
fan party. They wanted the series name written out with one letter on individual cupcakes; the rest were supposed to have white fondant fangs with dripping blood.

It was hard not to imagine Nick and his fangs while she was creating her decorating magic. She never used to think there was anything the least bit sexy about vampires and blood and fangs. Now she wasn’t so sure. There was definitely something sexy about Nick. She found a number of things sexy about Nick. Granted, fangs would not be her first choice, which got her thinking … what would be her first choice?

His body? His fiercely sensual mouth? His long lean fingers?

Did it make her shallow if she picked his body? Because he truly did have an awesome body. Not overly muscular like someone who hung out at a gym and was totally self-centered. No, his body was more … hmmm, she couldn’t find the words and in trying to do so managed to mangle the fangs on the cupcake.

Nick glanced over at her and shook his head in disgust.

“This wasn’t my idea,” she said defensively. “The client picked the design.”

Xandra joined them for a moment. “I posted on our Facebook page that anyone who comes in a costume between noon and one in the afternoon today and says the secret code word gets four cupcakes for the price of three.”

Daniella checked the time and set down her pastry bag filled with chocolate frosting. “I’d better go get changed into my costume.”

Nick accompanied her up to her apartment. He was not a happy camper or, in his case, a happy vampire. “You didn’t clear that costume thing with me first.”

“I fail to see why you need to know what my costume will be.”

“I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about the post on the shop’s Facebook page. That’s a huge security risk.”

“It’s only for an hour.”

“It takes less than a second for a vampire to grab you and be gone.”

She gulped. “The offer is already out there. I can’t take it back now.” Her frustration and fear mounted. “I’m trying to start a new business here. Do you have any idea how difficult that is in this economy? I do not have time to deal with feuding vampires right now. I really don’t!”

“Are you going to cry?” he asked suspiciously. “You’re not going to cry, are you?”

“I might,” she growled. “Do you have a problem with that?”

He remained silent.

“This has not been easy for me. It’s hitting me that I’ve opened my cupcake business in a neighborhood where no one eats. Do any humans live around here or are you all vampires?”

“There are some humans,” he said.

“How many,” she instantly demanded.

“Enough.” He sounded crabby.

If anyone had reason to be crabby, it was her. She needed a hug and not from a sexy vampire. She missed her best friend Suz who’d been gone for the past week at a professional conference in Rome. Suz had called her a few times but the cell connections had always been bad and their conversations brief.

“You still haven’t told me what kind of costume you’re going to wear,” Nick reminded her.

“You’ll see soon enough.” She closed her bedroom door in his face. He immediately opened it a crack. “No peeking,” she ordered him. “You can’t see around corners, right?”

“Right.”

She didn’t take long to get out of her jeans and Heavenly Cupcakes T-shirt, but getting her costume on took some doing. The dress was a replica of the gown worn by Billie Burke as Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the film version of
The Wizard of Oz
. The tulle underskirt nearly poked Daniella’s eye out as she tugged it over her head. Maybe she should have stepped into it instead. Too late now. She slid her arms into it and pulled the costume on. Try as she could, she was not able to reach around to zip it up in the back.

“What was that noise?” Nick demanded.

“That was me growling in frustration,” she said as she yanked the door open. “I could use some help here.” She turned her back to him. “Please zip me up.” She turned her head to look at him over her satin-covered shoulder. “You know how to use zippers, right?” Her eyes lowered to the placket of his jeans. “Of course you do. Never mind.” She turned to face away from him. “Stupid question.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve helped a woman get dressed,” he murmured, his breath warming the nape of her neck.

“You’re more used to undressing them, right?”

“Perhaps.” He seductively trailed one finger down her spine.

Daniella kept her gaze downward, focusing on the gorgeous sandy pink color of the satin bodice of her gown. The full skirt was embellished with crystal-like stars and rhinestones to match the star wand she’d left in the bedroom. Focusing on her attire should have kept her and her hormones from flying out of control. It didn’t.

“It’s a beautiful dress,” he said softly.

“A friend of mine used to be a costume designer for the Steppenwolf Theatre here in Chicago. She made it for me.”

He made no verbal reply. Instead he skimmed his finger back up her spine, pausing over the delicate ridge of each vertebra to add a delicately erotic caress with the pad of his thumb. She bit her lip to refrain from moaning aloud in pleasure. How could such a simple touch make her go weak at the knees and damp with desire?

Nick moved closer and used his other hand to lift her hair out of his way. His breath was warm against her nape. Was he going to sink his fangs into her? She should step away but couldn’t break the contact. He placed a string of kisses starting at the back of her neck and moving around to the side until his lips pressed against her pulse. Once there, his tongue darted out to lick her skin.

His hand shifted from her back to the drooping bodice of her dress, where he cupped her breast in the palm of his hand. The satin material provided little protection and instead amplified the pleasure of his caresses. Her nipples tightened, and the rest of her melted.

Having a vampire this close to her carotid artery should make a girl nervous at the very least, and downright freaked-out hysterical at the worst. Instead she welcomed his touch, tilting her head to the side to allow him better access. She tried to abandon her hold on her dress’s bodice for the same reason but instead inadvertently tangled her hand with his.

To her surprise, he lifted her hand to his mouth. His tongue darted out to tease the ultra-sensitive web between her fingers. The sexual heat of his touch seared her.

She leaned her head back against his shoulder. His body was pressed against hers, and she could feel his arousal.

“You … I…,” she whispered with husky incoherence.

A mere two words, yet they were enough to shatter the spell between them.

Chapter Sixteen

Nick released her hand and shifted both of his hands to do up her zipper with efficient haste before quickly stepping away.

Actually he moved clear to the other side of the living room.

Daniella stood there bereft, momentarily unable to speak, move, or think. She didn’t even know what she’d been trying to say when she’d uttered those two words. A protest, or a plea for more?

“We need to get back downstairs,” Nick said curtly.

She nodded her agreement and gathered her scattered wits together.

Getting down the stairs was a little tricky with her costume but it was nothing compared to trying to cope with what had just happened with Nick. Or hadn’t happened. Or had almost happened. Or all of the above.

The moment Daniella walked into the shop, Xandra started playing “Defying Gravity” from
Wicked
. “Defying Logic and Caution” was more in tune with Daniella’s mood, but because she’d told Xandra about her costume, the song selection was appropriate.

Lois joined Xandra behind the counter. “You look lovely,” she told Daniella. “You look nice, too,” she told Xandra, who’d exited the shop’s employee bathroom in Goth attire complete with spiky dog collar around her neck before playing the music.

“You didn’t enter in a bubble,” Xandra said. “That would have been sweet. Did I tell you I’ve seen
Wicked
six times?”