Roman said nothing during the drive from the club to Deanna’s apartment. Instead, he became a sounding board for her rage as she relived her potentially deadly encounter with Father Darius. Seeing her so emotionally shattered broke his heart.
Failing to protect her was his fault. And now she was being sucked into his violent world. He despised himself for causing her pain.
He parked the car and held her close, breathing in her delicious jasmine scent. His woman was soft, feminine, and as precious as gold. And she belonged to him alone.
As he carried Grace up the stairs to Deanna’s apartment, he was thankful she had such a strong ally. There weren’t many people who would open their home to protect someone who, not only dated a vampire, but was being stalked by his enemy—a slayer sent to destroy him. Allowing Grace to stay with her also put Deanna in harm’s way. She even protected Grace’s job by volunteering to cover her shift and offering to explain to their boss that Grace had been in a minor accident on her way to work. Minor accident, my ass! Ambush was more like it.
In the past, Roman and Deanna had issues. But now they shared a common goal—protecting Grace. And tonight they’d done just that. He also had another reason for keeping her safe—their unborn child. Considering what might have happened to her if Deanna hadn’t alerted him about Grace going to the club tonight, caused him to shudder.
Holding her in his arms, her heartbeat drummed against his chest.
“Everything’s all right, babe. You’re safe now.” He brushed his lips against her eyelids. The pounding in her ribcage was replaced by a slower, steady tempo, letting him know she had finally calmed down.
“We’re here.” He carried her into the building and up the stairs.
At the door, he held up her key ring. “Which one?”
She pointed to the largest gold-toned key with the words Do Not Duplicate etched on it.
Reaching around her, he unlocked the door, pushed it open with his knee, and carried her over the threshold. Still in his arms, she reached for the light switch and flipped it on. Once inside, he closed and bolted the door.
“Do you think he’ll find me again?” she asked in a small voice.
He dropped the key ring on the coffee table, eased her onto the sofa, and knelt beside her. “You don’t have to worry about him,” he whispered, and brushed her hair from her face. “He won’t be bothering you anymore.” He didn’t want to tell her that the son-of-a-bitch was probably dead before they even drove out of the parking lot.
She grabbed the front of his jacket. “Kiss me.”
He obliged by pressing his lips to hers while he laced his fingers through her hair.
“Make love to me,” she begged, desperation sounding in her voice.
Surprised by the request, he jerked his head back and locked gazes with her. “You’ve been through a lot tonight, babe. What you need is some sleep.”
“What I really need is you inside me. I’m wound up tight as a yo-yo. What’s the matter? Aren’t you up to it?” She challenged him.
Damn, she was sexy. “Under different circumstances, yes. But right now.…”
Propped up on pillows, she reached for him. “Please,” she whispered. “I need you to hold me. Make love to me.”
Before things heated up more, he wanted to confirm that making love wouldn’t be painful or uncomfortable because of her scuffle with Father Darius. “Babe, I don’t want us to do anything if you were hurt.”
“The only hurt is the emptiness I feel inside.” She brushed her lips against his and bit his bottom lip. “Fill me up.”
How could he resist? He couldn’t deny the woman he loved what she wanted. Heat flooded his body and settled in his groin. He kissed her gently and when she gasped, he withdrew. Had he hurt her?
“Don’t stop. I want more. Give me all of you.”
“Oh, Baby” he whispered as his breathing grew labored. Staring down at her…begging him…tempting him, his arousal strained against the confines of his tight jeans. He ripped off his leather jacket and tossed it on the sofa.
He carried her into the spare bedroom and lowered her to sit on the edge of the bed. Kneeling in front of her, he unzipped her vest. As he unfastened her bra, a low appreciative growl surfaced from deep within his throat. He cupped her large breasts and kissed each one.
Desire made him dizzy. He wanted to relieve her stress and his own desire, but considering her condition, he reminded himself to be gentle. “Tell me if I’m too much for you. If I hurt you…or our baby.”
“Pregnant women have sex all the time or haven’t you heard?” She bracketed his face between her hands and kissed him. “Discussion over. Now take off your clothes,” she ordered and crawled to the center of the bed.
Seated on the edge of the bed, he slipped off his shoes and socks. Grabbing the bottom of his T-shirt, he pulled it over his head, and dropped it on the floor.
Leaning over her, he gave her an opened mouth kiss. She accepted the invitation and slipped her tongue inside. He groaned as his tongue matched hers stroke for stroke. Running his hand down her body, he slid his hand to her center and massaged her until she writhed beneath his palm.
With her face flushed and lips parted, she never looked more alluring or erotic.
“Lay down.”
When he did, she climbed on top and straddled him, grinding against him.
He massaged her breasts and moved his hands down to her vee. When he touched her most sensitive spot, she took hold of his length and guided him inside.
“You feel so good,” she whispered. As he filled her completely, she moaned and let out a quiet, breathy scream. She set the rhythm, and he followed her lead.
They moved in concert. Slow at first. Then wild and uninhibited. He loved the feel of her. How she clenched and caressed him inside her. How she worked him into a frenzy, causing him to lose himself.
Release for both came fast and hard. Totally spent, they parted, rolled onto their sides, facing each other. Their sweat-slicked bodies intertwined, they enjoyed wave after wave of aftershocks.
He kissed her thoroughly, deeply. How could he have been so lucky to find someone like Grace? He traced her jaw with the back of his index finger. The corners of her swollen lips curled upward and when she opened her eyes, her intense gaze pierced his soul.
“You’re magical. I can’t even remember my life without you.” He kissed her tenderly.
While cradling her in his arms, his thoughts were consumed with everything he’d left undone tonight. He needed to meet up with his team ASAP to get an update on the priest. Hopefully, Gabriel was able to squeeze information out of him before the kill. According to the bouncer, Father Darius started showing up about the same time Dark Syde started performing at the club. Which meant Erik, inadvertently or intentionally, had led the priest to him.
Slaying Erik continued to haunt him. And he still didn’t know what his vampires were allergic to. There were too many lose ends. If he didn’t tie them up soon, his life wouldn’t be worth shit. And with a baby coming, he couldn’t let that happen.
“Roman?”
Wasn’t she asleep? “Yeah, babe?”
“The priest came to the club tonight to warn me about you. About what you were. And I told him I already knew—that you told me. He said you were a beast and a killer.” She hesitated. “But you’re not like that anymore, are you?”
“No,” he answered weakly. But he still killed, didn’t he? Perhaps the priest was right. He was a beast…a monster.
As Grace snuggled closer, he kissed her forehead.
As he waited for her to fall asleep, he played with her hair—winding and unwinding long blond strands around his finger. A contented expression settled on her face and from time to time, she sighed.
When she drifted off to sleep, he slipped out of bed and quietly dressed. He lay back down, just to feel her soft, warm body next to his, and would remain at her side until Deanna arrived home from work.
The sound of keys clanking jarred Roman out of his reverie. Someone was entering the apartment and it had better be Deanna. He jumped out of bed and zipped into the living room. Positioning himself in front of the sofa, he watched and waited.
The door opened. Deanna stood in the doorway. When she looked in his direction, she jumped back and dropped her keys. “Roman! You scared the crap out of me. I forgot you were going to be here.” She retrieved her keys from the floor and set them, along with her handbag, on the dining room table. “How is she?”
Roman grabbed his jacket from the sofa. “She was pretty worked up—which is understandable—but once we got here, she started to unwind. I did what I could to help her relax. She’s sleeping now. I stuck around until you got home because I didn’t want to leave her alone.” He slipped on his jacket, picked up the key ring from the coffee table, and followed her into the kitchen.
Deanna pulled a cold beer from the refrigerator and twisted off the cap. “Do you want one?”
“Thanks for the offer, but I need to get going. My truck’s at the lab, so I’m taking Grace’s car. I’ll return it tomorrow. But first I have to bring up her suitcase and backpack.” He spun the key ring on his index finger and headed for the front door. “Be right back.”
Roman bounded down the stairs and into the parking lot. When he gathered the items from her Sentra, he rushed upstairs and knocked lightly on Deanna’s front door.
“It’s open,” she shouted.
He pushed open the door and carried Grace’s things inside. “Where to?”
“Go ahead and put them in her bedroom.”
Roman brought the items into the room where Grace slept, and set them on the floor next to the dresser. Filled with love for her, he smiled, returned to the bed, and kissed her forehead. “Sleep well, my darling,” he whispered. Leaving her to her dreams, he backed out of the bedroom, and closed the door behind him.
“Is she still sleeping?” Deanna asked from the kitchen.
“Like a baby.” He cleared his throat. “Thanks for giving me the heads up about her going to work.” Thinking about what could have happened to her if he hadn’t shown up at the club, caused his stomach to churn.
“I had no choice. You know how stubborn she is. Once she puts her mind to something, no one can change it.”
“No kidding.”
Deanna sipped her beer. “I spoke with Jerry about covering Grace’s shift while she recovered from her accident and he agreed she should stay and rest for at least a month. I never did tell Jerry what actually happened to her.”
“Good thinking. Tonight really shook her up. She needs time to get back on her feet.” On his way to the door, he hesitated. “And Deanna, thanks for being there for her. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. I’d do anything for Grace. That’s what friends are for.”