The Order Boxed Set (11 page)

“It doesn’t matter,” Tara said. “Look, I have to go away for a few days—”

“You’re going away with him?” Chloe nodded in the direction of the door.

“Yes. I hired him again and we’re going up to Yorkshire, to my old house, to see if we can find something out up there. I wondered if you would care for Smokey while I’m away.”

“No problem, but are you sure you’re all right with this? You’ve only just met this guy, and now you’re going away with him. All alone.” She scrutinized Tara. “Are you okay, you look a little strained?”

“It’s just been a long night, but I’m fine, and Christian’s been a real gentleman. He just wants to help me find out about my past.”

“Hmm, I look at him and I’ve got to be honest, the word gentleman is not the one that springs to mind.”

Tara wanted to ask what word did spring to mind, but maybe she was better off not knowing. “Perhaps not, but appearances can be deceiving.”

“Does Jamie know about this?”

“No, we just decided tonight. But it doesn’t have anything to do with Jamie.”

“No, I suppose not. You know we’ve sort of been seeing each other. Jamie and me, I mean.”

“Really? That’s fantastic. I—”

A tap on the door interrupted her. Obviously Christian. Tara considered ignoring him, but the tap came again. Harder this time. “We’re coming,” she shouted. “Have a little bloody patience.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow. “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you swear.”

“Probably the company I’m keeping,” Tara said darkly.

“I thought he was a gentleman?”

“He is. Now, are you going to come up so I can show you where everything is?”

“Hell, yes.” Chloe said. “I want to meet Christian Roth.” She gave her outfit one more disgusted glance and shrugged. “Let’s go.”

Tara opened the door. Christian was hovering just outside. “Back off,” she said.

He took a step back but smiled.

“Christian, this is Chloe, a friend. Chloe this is—”

“Christian Roth.” Chloe held out a hand. “I’ve read all about you, Mr. Roth.”

“I doubt that,” Tara said.

Christian took Chloe’s hand. “Please call me Christian. Any friend of Tara’s is a friend of mine.”

Tara rolled her eyes. How corny could you get? But Chloe seemed to lap it up. Leaving them holding hands, she headed up the stairs, let herself into the apartment, and called Smokey. He appeared out of the living room, purring and weaving between her legs. As she reached down to stroke him, he hissed and streaked away, disappearing back from where he’d come from. She turned to see Christian and Chloe standing in the open doorway.

“Are you going to invite us in?” he asked.

“Come in.”

He stepped over the threshold.

“Just a minute.” Tara peered around the sitting room door as Smokey’s tail disappeared behind the sofa. She frowned. Smokey was normally a very friendly cat, at least with people. Could he sense Christian’s true nature? That made her wonder if vampires could drink animal blood. Ugh! She made a mental note to ask him.

When she turned back, he was watching her.

“You wait here,” she said. “I’ll show Chloe where the cat food and so on is. Then pack a bag. I’ll be back in a minute,
o
kay?”

“No problem.”

She dragged Chloe into the kitchen and shut the door behind them.

“I distinctly remember you telling me he wasn’t gorgeous,” Chloe whispered. “Are you mad?”

“Probably.” She didn’t want to talk about Christian. “Right, he has two meals a day—”

“Who? Christian?”

“No Smokey, of course. It’s all in here.” She opened the freezer door. “He has chicken in the morning and beef in the evening. I cook it for him, and they’re all labeled. If you get the next meal out when you feed him, it should defrost, but don’t leave it anywhere he can get it. In the oven is best.”

“You’re not going to talk about the two of you, are you?”

“There is no two of us. Now, he can let himself in and out from the roof terrace, there’s a cat flap, but sometimes he gets stuck out the front and you have to let him in.” She glanced up to find Chloe frowning at her. “Are you paying attention?”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Good. That’s all really, but if you have the time, I’m sure he’d appreciate a cuddle in the evenings.”

“And who will you be cuddling in the evenings?”

“No one, I told you, it’s just business.”

“He doesn’t look at you as if it’s just business.”

“How does he look at me?”

Chloe smiled. “Like he wants to eat you up.”

Was it just an unfortunate choice of words? She hoped so. “I’m really grateful, you know, and I’m sorry I bothered you so late.”

“I would have been seriously pissed if you hadn’t. I wouldn’t have missed meeting him for anything. Come on, I’ll help you pack your bag.”

Tara led her out of the kitchen. Christian was where they had left him by the door, but he lounged against the wall relaxed, arms folded across his broad chest. His eyes followed them as they crossed the hallway to Tara’s room but he didn’t speak.

“Don’t you just love the strong silent type?” Chloe asked with a giggle.

Tara ignored the comment. She dragged a small bag out of the wardrobe and put in some underwear, jeans, and jumpers. She placed her own flannel pajamas on the top.

Chloe picked them up and shot them a look of disgust. “Haven’t you got anything more appropriate?”

Tara snatched them from her and put them back in the case. “I’m going to Yorkshire in the middle of December and most likely the heating will be off. So, believe me, these are appropriate.”

“But hardly romantic.”

“I told you it’s—”

“Just business, I know, but I bet it doesn’t stay that way.” She sighed. “It’s so ‘Cathy and Heathcliffe,’ just the two of you alone on the moors. I bet it will snow, and you’ll be stuck there for months, having to share body heat.”

“We will not be sharing anything, especially not body heat.”

Chloe ignored her. “Don’t worry about me and Smokey—we’ll look after each other. You stay as long as you like.” She hunted through Tara’s wardrobe as she spoke. After pulling a black silk shirt off the hanger, she folded it carefully before placing it in the bag. “Don’t you have any dresses?” she asked, continuing her search.

Tara looked at her in amazement. “You hate dresses. I’ve never seen you in a dress.”

“Yes, but I’ve never been on a romantic break with Christian Roth.”

Tara opened her mouth. Closed it again.
What was the point?

Chloe moved to burrowing in the drawers. “Ah,” she said, “here they are.” She held up the lacy black bra and matching panties they’d bought on a shopping trip, and added them to the bag. Tara shook her head but zipped up the case and put it on the floor.

“Thank you.” She reached out and hugged Chloe. “I always wanted a friend. I’m glad I found you.”

“Aw, that’s sweet,” Chloe said, and tightened her arms around her.

After a moment, Tara took a step back. “Right, that’s it then?”

“Toothbrush.” Chloe said.

“Toothbrush?”

“Believe me, you’re going to want to brush your teeth. Probably like every five minutes. I’m always like that when I get a new man.”

Tara shook her head again but went into the bathroom and filled a bag with toiletries and make-up. She added it to the case.

Christian straightened as they came out of the bedroom and took the case from her. Tara peered into the living room. It didn’t look like Smokey would to make an appearance. “Smokey is behind the sofa, and the keys are on the side, over there.”

“Don’t worry about a thing,” Chloe said. “And you” —she turned to Christian— “you look after her.”

Amusement flickered across his features, but he nodded.

Tara gave Chloe one last hug and followed Christian down to the car.

Part Two

Discovery and Denial

Chapter Ten

“What time is it?” Tara mumbled.

“Just gone one.” Graham carried a steaming cup of coffee that he put down on the table next to her.

She was on the scarlet sofa in Christian’s apartment. She’d come down from the penthouse just after sunset as instructed and found Christian already up and gone. According to Graham, he’d had a call from Piers soon after he’d awakened and disappeared shortly afterward.

She yawned. “One in the morning?”

“Yes, and Christian’s back.”

A jolt of excitement hit her in the stomach, and she sat up, running a hand through her hair and searching the room. “Where is he?”

“You’re to meet him in the underground garage. He wants to leave straight away.”

They were driving to Yorkshire that night. It was a good four-hour journey even without delays, and obviously, Christian would want to reach their destination well before sunrise.

Because he was a vampire.

“I’ll take your case.” Graham broke into her thoughts. “And meet you down there. Drink your coffee, and there’s a bathroom through there if you want to freshen up.” He picked up her small case and disappeared out the door.

In the bathroom, she stared at herself in the mirror. She appeared pale, her eyes huge and shadowed, and she knew it was as much worry as sleeplessness.

There, she had admitted it to herself. She was scared of going back to Yorkshire. Scared of what she might find there. All day, she’d tried not to think about it, but was heading back to the one place she had sworn never to return to, and was doing it in the company of a vampire.

Underneath the worry was a glimmer of excitement at the thought of spending time alone with Christian. Totally inappropriate excitement. No way did falling for the undead have any part in her future. Still, she couldn’t deny that deep beneath the surface was a cauldron of anticipation that threatened to overflow and set her on fire.

Unless she kept it firmly under control.

She found Christian waiting for her. He was dressed in a long black leather trench coat and leaned, arms crossed, against a black SUV. He appeared wired, like he’d taken something.

“You’re not hungry, are you?” She stared at him suspiciously.

He straightened and a small smile played around his lips. The smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, which gleamed with an almost palpable excitement.

“I’m fine,” he said. His voice was low and dark, sending shivers down her spine. “I’ve fed.” His tongue came out and stroked over his lower lip as if remembering something amazingly good.

Why didn’t that make her feel better? She couldn’t help but wonder whom he had fed on. “Good,” she said. “I wouldn’t want you to get peckish on the journey.”

“Sorry about the delay, something came up. Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

His eyes slid over her and a slow burning heat glowed in the pit of her belly. She stared at him for long moments before closing the space between them.

“Let me take your coat,” he said. “It’s a long journey, and you may as well be comfortable.”

Tara slipped out of the coat and handed it to him, trying to ignore the way his gaze wandered over her body. She’d dressed sensibly in jeans and a sweater for the Yorkshire December weather, but his eyes seemed to probe beneath the bulky clothes, to strip her bare.

He opened the car door and tossed her coat onto the back seat. She moved to get in, but his hand on her arm stopped her. She almost jumped.

“Relax,” he murmured.

Her eyes flicked to his face in disbelief. “I can’t. I thought I was leaving all the weirdness behind and starting a new life. Yet here I am.”

“You’ll have your new life.”

“Yes, but I want a new normal life. With normal people,” she reiterated. She thought about adding “not with a vampire” but that was rude. Besides, he’d never actually said he wanted her in his life. Maybe she was just a client, but even as the thought flickered through her mind, he bent and kissed her lightly on the lips.

“Normal can be highly overrated,” he said.

She pulled back. “Not when you’ve never had it.”

“There are other things you’ve never had,” he said in that same low voice. He stepped closer, crowding her against the vehicle. His hands came up, sliding into her hair, tilting her head so she had no choice but to look up into his face. He was all dark shadows and glowing eyes in the dim light of the underground garage. He kissed her again. His lips slanted hard over hers. She opened her mouth to protest, and his tongue slipped inside. It took all of ten seconds for Tara to become mindless. All her good resolutions forgotten. She closed her eyes, her hands reached up to grasp his shoulders, and she sank into the kiss. Long minutes later, he raised his head.

Tara let out a small whimper, and her grip tightened on his shoulders. He was so close she could smell the faint musky scent of his skin. She opened her eyes as a slight smile flickered across his features.

“I told you—normal is highly overrated.”

He gripped her hair and tugged her head back almost roughly. His lips were at her throat, his teeth grazing over the sensitive flesh, and her whole body tensed in anticipation as she waited for the sharp pain of his penetration. He nipped the skin between his teeth but the pain never came. Instead, he released her and she felt the slow almost languid stroke of his tongue against her taut flesh. The sensation was exquisite and without thinking, her head fell back to allow him access.

He ran a finger down her throat, and then took a small step back. “Did you know you have other veins, other places I can feed from?”