A Fire in the Blood

  “I know.” Tessa plumped the pillow behind her head. “What did Luke say?”

  “Well, after what happened on Halloween, he wasn’t too thrilled at the idea of double-dating again.”

  “I can understand that,” Tessa said, grinning. “I’m still surprised that you suggested it.”

  “Believe me, I’d rather you were going out with anyone else, but that’s neither here nor there. Anyway, Luke said he’d go, if that was what I wanted.”

  “Then I guess the big question is, where and when?”

  “Dinner and a movie Friday night?” Jilly suggested.

  “Okay. See you tomorrow.” Tessa ended the call, switched off the lights, and slid under the covers.

  She was thinking about Andrei—when wasn’t she?—when she felt his presence in the room, felt the bed sag as he sat on the edge. “What are you doing here?” she whispered.

  “I was hoping for a good-night kiss.”

  “How did you get in?” Sitting up, she turned on the light. “The door was locked.”

  He arched one brow in amusement. “A lock? Seriously?”

  “Oh, right.” She leaned toward him. “Didn’t you say something about a kiss?”

  Desire darkened his eyes as he reached for her, his arm curling around her waist, drawing her up against him. “I’m not crossing the line, am I?” he asked, his voice a low growl.

  “Not yet.” She closed her eyes as his mouth covered hers. Heat spread through her like liquid fire, magnifying every touch, pooling deep inside her. His hand stroked up and down her back, delved into the hair at her nape as his tongue teased her lips, then dipped inside to duel with hers. She gasped his name, her hands clutching his shoulders, as the heat within her intensified.

  Andrei lifted his head, his eyes dark with passion. And tinged with a faint hint of red.

  Tessa stared at him. “Your eyes . . .”

  He turned his head away.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Of course.” He looked back at her, his face impassive.

  And the red was gone. “Did I imagine that?”

  He didn’t have to ask what she meant. “No. It happens sometimes, when passion fuels my hunger.” He ran his knuckles along her cheek. “I should go. I haven’t fed yet, and you’re far too tempting.”

  “I wouldn’t mind letting you have a taste of me.”

  “Probably not a good idea at the moment,” he said, rising, “but I’ll be glad to take you up on it tomorrow night.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.”

  Murmuring, “Sweet dreams, dragostea mea,” Andrei kissed her on the forehead and then, in a swirl of sparkling, dark gray motes, he vanished from her sight.

  Chapter Twelve

  Katerina walked along Fifth Avenue. New York had long been one of her favorite cities. She loved the excitement, the theaters, the shops. Saks, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman. She had been known to spend hours browsing the stores, buying whatever caught her eye, occasionally snacking on a particularly appealing customer. Or clerk.

  She had hoped to find Andrei in the city, but, alas, he had not been there recently.

  No matter. She had done everything she wanted to do in the Big Apple. She had shopped her favorite stores, intrigued by the latest fashions. Who would have ever thought that ragged jeans would be all the rage? She had gone to the theater, amused by Wicked, charmed by The Lion King, mesmerized by the sad plight of The Phantom of the Opera. What a vampire the phantom would have made!

  Her thoughts returned to Andrei. She would find him, wherever he was. The blood bond that bound them together was stronger and more reliable than any GPS in the world.

  Tomorrow night, it would lead her unerringly toward him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  In the morning, over breakfast, Tessa thought about Andrei’s late-night visit. In some ways, it had been a pleasant surprise.

  In others, a bit troubling.

  “I haven’t fed yet, and you’re far too tempting.”

  Those words were both flattering and frightening.

  They lingered in the back of her mind all that day, and quickly jumped to the forefront when Andrei arrived just after dinner.

  He frowned as he followed her into the living room. “Is something wrong?”

  “No. Well, sort of.” She sat on the sofa and he settled in beside her.

  He took her hand in his. “What does ‘sort of’ entail?”

  “I keep thinking about what you said last night.”

  “Ah. My hunger and my desire are tightly interwoven, but you have nothing to fear from me, Tessa. I’m strong enough to control my appetite.”

  “And your desire?”

  “I’ll go as far as you’ll let me,” he answered candidly.

  His thumb stroked her palm. Odd, she thought, that such a light touch should arouse her own desire.

  His gaze met hers. A faint smile curved his lips, making her think he knew exactly how his touch affected her.

  “Does last night’s offer still stand?” His voice was low, husky.

  “Are you hungry? Or is it thirsty?”

  “I’ve already fed.” His gaze moved to the hollow of her throat. “But I still need dessert.”

  Tessa laughed in spite of herself. “Just remember that this is dessert and not a seven-course meal.”

  Her heartbeat quickened as he drew her into his arms. Her eyelids fluttered down as he kissed her gently, slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. Which he did, she thought languidly. She clung to him as he kissed and caressed her, felt a rush of anticipation at the touch of his fangs.

  She sighed as pleasure spiraled through her. She wished she could tell Jilly how wonderful it was to let Andrei drink from her. But her friend would never understand, not in a million years.

  She sighed with regret when Andrei lifted his head.

  “Thank you, my sweet.”

  “Thank you.”

  Andrei kissed her lightly, then went into the kitchen. He returned moments later carrying two glasses of red wine.

  “You need this.” He handed her a glass, then resumed his seat. “Drink it all.” He watched her closely, relieved when the color returned to her cheeks.

  She drained the glass and set it aside, then snuggled against him.

  Awash with guilt, Andrei put his arm around Tessa’s shoulders. He had taken more than he should have, making him rethink his bold statement that he was strong enough to control his hunger. Because the temptation to drain her dry had been almost overwhelming.

  * * *

  Tessa had just shut down her computer for the weekend when Mr. Ambrose called her into his office.

  “I know this is last-minute,” he said, “but I need you to deliver this file to Smithfield and Bridges for Jack’s signature. I’d do it myself, but I have an appointment with Markinson and I’ve already canceled twice.”

  “No problem,” Tessa said.

  “You’ll have to wait while he signs it.”

  Tessa nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  It wasn’t until she was outside that Tessa realized it would be dark before she reached home.

  Not to worry, she told herself as she pulled out of the parking lot. She had one of Andrei’s wooden stakes in the glove compartment.

  * * *

  Tessa was thumbing through a magazine in Smithfield’s waiting room when Andrei sent her a text, informing her that he was hunting but he would be there on time for their double date.

  Hunting. She tried not to think what that entailed as she drove home twenty minutes later, but couldn’t put the thought out of her mind. Did his victims feel the same sense of sensual euphoria that she did when he bit her? Did he prey on both men and women? She grimaced. Children? Did all blood taste the same? Why was hers so different from everyone else’s?

  She was still pondering that when she parked her car in her assigned place. The overhead light had burned out, leaving the condo parking area in total darkness. Taking
a deep breath, Tessa opened the glove compartment. Better safe than sorry, she mused as she located the stake.

  If she hurried, she would have just enough time to shower and change clothes before Andrei arrived. With that thought in mind, she stepped out of the car.

  And shrieked when a hand closed over her forearm in a grip like iron. Time seemed to stop. She heard a ferocious growl, like that of a wild animal. Even in the darkness, she could see his fangs, sharp and white, the glittering red glow of his eyes.

  He meant to kill her.

  The thought spurred her to action.

  Hardly aware of what she was doing, she drove the hickory stake into her attacker’s chest.

  With a hiss of pained surprise, he released her and staggered a few steps backward. His fangs gleamed in the bright glare of the headlights of an incoming car.

  She had missed his heart.

  With a wordless cry, he ripped the stake from his chest and tossed it aside.

  Teeth bared, hands like claws, he lunged toward her.

  A scream rose in Tessa’s throat but before it found release, Andrei was there. She knew what he was going to do and she turned away, her hand covering her mouth. But there was no way to shut out the vampire’s hoarse scream as his heart was ripped from his chest.

  The scent of blood wafted through the air.

  “Tessa?” She flinched when she felt Andrei’s hand on her shoulder. “Tess?”

  “I’m . . . all . . . right.” Suddenly cold all over, she wrapped her arms around her middle.

  “Go inside. I’ll take care of this.”

  She nodded, her movements leaden as she picked up her handbag. On legs that were none too steady, she made her way up the stairs and into her apartment. Feeling numb, she closed and locked the door; then, shaking from head to foot, she dropped to the floor as the strength drained out of her.

  She had almost killed a man, even though he wasn’t really a man anymore, but a vampire.

  A monster.

  Had he been a fledgling, like the others? What did Andrei do with the bodies? Did he bury them? Burn them? Or just dump them where they would never be found?

  She choked back the bile rising in her throat. She had told Andrei she didn’t think she could drive a stake into anybody’s chest. But, as he had predicted, it was amazing what you were capable of when your life was in jeopardy. One thing was certain. She needed to work on her aim for the next time, because Andrei might not be there to save her.

  She practically jumped out of her skin when someone knocked at the door.

  “Tessa?”

  She sagged in relief when she heard Andrei’s voice. With one hand braced against the jamb, she gained her feet and let him in.

  His gaze moved over her, missing nothing, before he drew her gently into his embrace. “That was close.” Too damn close, he thought.

  She nodded; then, resting her head against his chest, she wrapped her arms around his waist. His nearness calmed her, chasing away the worst vestiges of the night’s horror.

  One thing was certain: First thing in the morning, she was going to look into taking a self-defense class at the Y.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Andrei stayed with Tessa until she fell asleep.

  As he slid behind the wheel of his car, he chuckled softly. Self-defense lessons, indeed. He was far better qualified to teach her how to defend herself. Perhaps he would mention it tomorrow night.

  He had called Jilly earlier to let her know Tessa had decided to postpone their double date, which was understandable. She was still badly shaken. He hadn’t gone into the details of why with Jilly. He had decided to leave that to Tessa, who could relate as much or as little of her ordeal as she saw fit.

  He was about to pull away from the curb when an apparition from the past appeared in front of the car.

  Katerina!

  What the hell was she doing here?

  Between one breath and the next, she was in the seat beside him.

  “Good evening, my husband,” she purred. “You don’t look happy to see me.”

  “How perceptive of you.”

  She glanced up at the apartment building. “Is this your hunting ground? Not very glamorous.”

  “No.”

  Her nostrils flared, and then she raked her perfectly manicured fingernails down his arm, tearing through shirt and skin. “You should know better than to lie to me. I can smell prey on you.”

  “You asked if I hunt here. I don’t.”

  “Then who is the woman?”

  “An acquaintance. What brings you here?”

  “Curiosity.”

  “Indeed?”

  “I was told there’s a female in this town with the most remarkable blood.”

  “Who told you that?” So she didn’t yet know it was Tessa. Thank the Lord for favors great and small.

  “One of my fledglings. Apparently only the very young are drawn to this female. It made me curious, so I decided to come and see this enigma for myself. And then I thought, as long as I was in the States, I would pay a visit to my husband.”

  Andrei clenched his hands on the wheel. That was twice she had called him “husband.” It did not bode well.

  “I need to feed,” he said curtly.

  “Wonderful! It’s been centuries since we hunted together.”

  He would have informed her she wasn’t welcome to join him, but at the moment he was willing to do whatever it took to put some distance between Tessa and Katerina.

  “We’re driving?” she asked as he made a U-turn. “Seriously?”

  “I like to drive.”

  With an exaggerated sigh that clearly meant she was humoring him, Katerina settled back in her seat. “Why are you holed up in this backwater town?”

  “I got tired of big cities.”

  “After I find the female, we should go to New York.”

  “We?” He slid a glance in her direction. “There is no ‘we.’”

  “But Andrei, how can you say that? We’re still legally married.”

  He swore under his breath. Wasn’t there a statute of limitations or an expiration date on ancient wedding vows? If not, there should be. “What game are you playing now?”

  “No games,” she replied, batting her eyelashes at him. “I just got tired of wandering around alone and thought it would be fun to spend time with you.”

  “Yeah? Well, think again.”

  “Andrei, you’re hurting my feelings.”

  He snorted. “Are those the same feelings you had when you slaughtered my family and made me a slave?”

  She stared at him, eyes narrowed ominously.

  He tightened his hold on the wheel. What the hell was he doing? Antagonizing her would gain him nothing. Tamping down his anger, he muttered, “I’m just surprised to see you, that’s all.” He felt her gaze on him, studying him like he was a bug under a microscope. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling. “What makes you think this female you’re looking for is here?”

  “I know that she is. And now you too are here. I have to wonder if it is merely coincidence.”

  He grunted softly as he parked the car, then went around to open the door for her.

  Katerina usually hunted among the rich and famous, but every now and then she had liked hunting in the slums. With that in mind, he had brought her to the worst part of the city, a place inhabited by drug addicts and transients, people who were down and out and wouldn’t be missed.

  People for whom death would be a blessing.

  Because, even after all these years, Katerina still enjoyed killing those she preyed upon.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jilly stared at Tessa, the hot fudge sundae in front of her forgotten. Since their double date had been canceled, she and Tessa had decided to meet for lunch at the local ice-cream shop and then take in an early movie.

  “I . . .” Jilly shook her head. “I don’t know what to say. You must have been totally freaked out. I don’t even want to think about what would have happe
ned if Andrei hadn’t showed up. I guess I was wrong to want you to stay away from him.”

  Tessa nodded. Thinking about what had happened last night still sickened her. The memory had haunted her dreams. She’d had a horrible nightmare. In it, the vampire who had attacked her had risen from the grave and chased her through dark streets until he caught her. . . . She shook the memory from her mind. But for Andrei, the other vampire would have fed on her. She shuddered. Perhaps he would have killed her.

  “I think you’re right about taking some self-defense classes. Maybe I’ll go with you.”

  “I thought it was a good idea, but now I don’t know. Vampires are so strong and quick, I’m not sure it would help much,” Tessa said. “Still, I have to do something! I thought about moving, but what good would that do? Sooner or later, they’ll find me. I have to be prepared.”

  “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but maybe you should go stay with Andrei for a while?”

  “He’s never suggested that.”

  “Well, maybe you should. I can’t imagine any place safer.”

  “Me either.” Or more dangerous, Tessa thought. But for an entirely different reason. Every time Andrei held her, kissed her, caressed her, it was harder to resist him. Harder to deny her own desire and not surrender to the attraction that sizzled between them.

  * * *

  Since it was still light outside, Tessa decided to make a quick stop at the grocery store on the way home from the movies. She reasoned it would only take a minute to pick up a quart of milk and a ready-made salad. And she should be safe enough, since fledglings couldn’t be out until after dark. Inevitably, she bought more than she intended.

  She was loading her bags into the trunk when a woman approached her. Long, brown hair fell over her shoulders. Her complexion was clear and flawlessly beautiful. Straight brows framed dark gray eyes that missed nothing as she drew closer.

  “Who are you?” the woman asked.

  “Excuse me?”

  “It’s a simple question. Who are you? What are you to Andrei?”

  “Who are you?”

  The woman’s smile was cold. “I’m his wife.”

  Tessa took a step backward. “Wife!”

  “He’s never mentioned me?”