He snorted. “I should think so. After eating all that junk! Anyway, I thought you were a vegetarian—you never have anything but coffee and grapefruit when we have breakfast together.”
“That’s because that’s all you ever have,” Elise said distractedly. “If you’d asked me, I would have told you I like breakfast food. You just never…never asked.” She could barely finish her sentence because the heat which had pooled in her pelvis seemed to have intensified, radiating outward like a ball of molten lead between her thighs. My God, what’s wrong with me? What’s happening to me? Suddenly she felt like she was going to be sick.
“Darling?” James asked, frowning. “Look, if you’re finished eating I really have to be going. I can’t miss my flight and we’ve already spent enough time—”
“Excuse me!” She bolted up for the second time that day, sending platters of half-eaten food across the table toward her hapless fiancé. James shot out his hands, attempting to fend off the flying pancakes and ended up with a lapful of scrambled eggs and sausage gravy instead. Elise ignored his cry of irritation and rushed back to the ladies room yet again.
She barely made it to the handicapped stall and bent over the toilet before everything came up. Never, she thought miserably as wave after wave of nausea hit her. I’ll never eat breakfast again. I swear, I promise. Just let this be over, please God, let it be over.
She finished puking at last and wiped her mouth on a swatch of scratchy toilet paper she fumbled off the roll. Stumbling to the sink, she rinsed out her mouth and tried to swallow a little water. Outside the door, she heard someone knocking.
“Elise? Elise are you all right in there? Listen, darling, we really have to go now. I have to run to the office for a change—I can’t go to Japan wearing your breakfast on my trousers. Elise?”
“A minute,” she managed to gasp. “Please, James, I just need one more minute.”
“We don’t have another minute. What if a reporter from one of the news vids shows up? I’m telling you, Elise, I can’t be seen like this!”
“I know. I’m sorry…sorry…” She tried to make her voice stronger but the words came out in a whisper. Now that her stomach was empty, the wrong feeling was growing again. The feeling of heat, of need…a different kind of hunger between her thighs. What was it? What was causing it?
“Elise!” James was practically pounding on the door now. “If you don’t come out, I’m coming in. I—” Suddenly his voice changed and it became apparent he was talking to someone else. “Hello. What are you doing here?”
“She’s in there?” A deep familiar voice, like stones rubbing together in a riverbed made Elise’s heart jump. Could it be…?
“Yes, but she’s indisposed at the moment.” James sounded suddenly haughty—his posh British accent becoming much more pronounced.
“I don’t give a fuck about indisposed,” the other voice growled. “Elise? You okay in there?”
“Merrick…” His name was nothing but a whisper on her lips. The fire inside her was eating her now, burning her from the inside out. Elise reached for the door but didn’t make it. Her legs refused to work and she sank down on the grimy floor instead.
“That’s it—I’m coming in. If you aren’t decent, cover up.” The wooden door banged open and Merrick barged in, ducking his head to avoid hitting his forehead on the lintel. James was right behind him.
“You can’t go in there—it’s the ladies room! Don’t you Kindred understand the concept of privacy?”
Merrick ignored him. He knelt on the dirty floor beside Elise and looked at her anxiously. “Hey baby, you okay?”
The use of his pet endearment for her nearly brought tears to her eyes. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “No, I don’t know what it is but something…Merrick, something is wrong with me. Really, really wrong.”
“I know it, baby. But don’t worry—I’m going to fix it.” He scooped her up off the floor as easily as if she was a doll. “Put your face against my neck,” he ordered, his deep voice growling through her entire body. “Press against me as much as you can.”
Elise did as he said, pressing her hot cheek to the side of his throat and inhaling deeply. The warm, animalistic scent of fur and smoke and musk filled her nose and immediately she began to feel better. Or at least, slightly less wrong.
“Wait!” James sounded almost panicked as Merrick carried her out of the ladies room. “Excuse me but you can’t do that! You can’t just take her!”
“The hell I can’t,” Merrick snarled. “Get out of my way or you’ll be eating my fist for first meal.”
“Is there a problem here?”
Elise opened her eyes to see the huge biker she’d mentally dubbed Blackbeard was blocking Merrick’s way down the aisle between the rows of booths.
“Yes, absolutely there’s a problem.” James’ voice had gone shrill with outrage. “This…this Kindred is attempting to abduct my fiancé!”
“Well we can’t have that, can we boys?” Blackbeard, grinned at bikers who were watching the confrontation with interest. He looked at Merrick. “James here is a pal of mine. I can’t just let you go off with his girl.”
“She’s sick,” Merrick said shortly. “I’m taking her for treatment.”
“I can take her,” James said angrily. “Tampa General is just down the road and I’m on their board of directors. A word from me and she’ll be seen at once.”
Merrick shook his head. “Sorry, buddy but what she needs, you can’t give her. She’s got to go back to the Mother Ship.”
“I don’t believe you,” James said belligerently. “I think you’ve just formed some kind of irrational attachment to her. You have some type of Beauty and the Beast complex and you think because you found Elise after her ordeal she’s yours for the taking. Well, she’s not. Now put her down right now.”
Merrick glared at him. “Beauty and the Beast, huh? You’re fucking lucky I have my hands full, you know that?”
“James, please,” Elise said, trying to raise her voice above a whisper. “Can’t you see I’m sick? I need to go.”
“There’s nothing they can do for you up in that floating freak-show of a ship that can’t be done right here on Earth,” James said firmly. “You’d see that if you were in your right mind, darling.”
Merrick raised his eyebrows. “Did you say freak show?”
“Er, yes…” James stepped back a little but his tone remained belligerent. “I did.”
“Hey, James, you want me to bust ’im up? Teach him a little lesson about trying to take someone else’s girl?” Blackbeard cracked his knuckles menacingly.
Elise thought James looked vastly relieved. He always preferred to avoid physical violence himself, though he wasn’t above having it done for him. “As a matter of fact, yes. I think he could use a lesson,” he said, nodding decisively.
Mentally, Elise groaned. Now they would never get out of here. Her earlier estimation that Blackbeard was almost as tall as Merrick had been right and he had plenty of friends to back him up. What were they going to do? But Merrick seemed utterly calm.
“Elise, baby, can you stand for just a minute?” he asked, looking down at her.
She nodded. “I…I think so.”
“Good. I’m going to put you down and you stand behind me. This will only take a minute, I promise.”
“All right.” She nodded again and he set her gently on her feet. James tried to reach for her but she evaded his hands and held onto the back of Merrick’s thin black shirt.
“No, James, I’m sick. Leave me alone!”
“But darling—”
“There’s just gonna be two hits.” Blackbeard’s loud voice interrupted whatever he’d been about to say. Elise peeked around Merrick’s side to see the biker was swaggering forward, still talking. “Two hits, buddy,” he repeated. “Me hitting you and you hitting the fl—”
Merrick swung. It was a swift, deadly punch that landed dead center in the biker’s face and plowed
through his teeth like a bowling ball knocking down pins. There was a sickening crunching sound and then Blackbeard fell first to his knees and then to his face on the sticky IHOP floor. He twitched once and then didn’t move again. A puddle of dark crimson blood began to spread outward like a growing stain.
“All right.” Merrick wiped his bloody knuckles on his black leather flight pants and stared hard at the other bikers. “Any other takers?”
The sight of their fallen giant seemed to shake the bikers to the core. They sat frozen in their booth, none of them saying a word.
“Get him!” James urged shrilly. “I’ll pay a handsome reward to the man who puts him down.”
The bikers shifted uneasily, but there were no takers. Like the Philistines after Goliath was dead, they seemed to lack direction and courage.
“Looks like your money isn’t worth as much as you thought.” Merrick gave him a hard stare and then turned to Elise and held out his arms.” Come on, baby.” She came to him at once and he lifted her and held her close to his chest. “This female is sick,” he announced. “I’m taking her to the Mother Ship for treatment. Anybody else got a problem with that?”
“I have a problem with it,” James declared angrily. “Elise is my fiancé! You can’t just waltz in here and take her.”
“Watch me.” Merrick shifted Elise so that she was cradled more securely in his arms. “Gonna get you out of here, baby.”
Elise buried her face in his neck again and breathed in his scent. “Yes,” she whispered. “All right.”
She opened her eyes just long enough to see the outraged look on James’ face and then closed them to block out everything but the feel of Merrick’s big body close to hers and his strong arms surrounding her. Safe. I’m safe now, she thought.
But was she? Inside her, the strange, wrong feeling was still there. The heat between her legs, the all consuming hunger she couldn’t deny or explain, was still growing and she didn’t know how to stop or even contain it.
All she could do was cling to Merrick and trust him to make her well, as he had promised.
Chapter Five
By the time he got Elise back to his star-duster, which was parked behind the HKR building, she was jittering in his arms like a broken toy. Uncontrollable tremors ran through her, wracking her delicate body until Merrick was afraid she would shake herself apart.
“Elise? Baby?” Despite his mixed feelings about her, he couldn’t help the rush of fear and concern for her that washed over him as he held her shaking body.
“S-s-sorry,” she gasped, her teeth chattering so hard she could barely speak. “D-don’t known wh-what’s wrong w-with me.”
I do, Merrick thought grimly. Sylvan’s words came back to him—If she’s gone past the stages of physical hunger and erratic emotions…she may be too far gone for you to save.
Merrick refused to accept that. He didn’t know what the hell was going on but he wasn’t going to let her go without a fight. Touch her, Sylvan had said. Give her skin-to-skin contact. And that was what Merrick intended to do.
The minute they got into the ship, he settled on the couch in the small living area with Elise still in his lap. Working with one hand at a time, as he tried to keep her close to him, he stripped off his shirt, ripping it to shreds impatiently when it wouldn’t come off fast enough. Finally, his chest and entire upper body was bare. Then he started on the top of Elise’s dress.
“H-hey!” she protested weakly. “Stop it. Wh-what are you d-doing?”
“Trust me.” Merrick tried to maneuver one of the sleeves of the red dress off her shoulder but Elise fought him.
“No! No, you c-can’t! I won’t l-let you!” There was real fear in her big brown eyes, a nameless horror she seemed helpless to express.
“Elise…” he began but she was nearly hysterical now.
“No! No!” She batted at his hands, twisting in his grip to try and get away. The stark terror on her face brought a sudden lump to Merrick’s throat
What happened to her? Who was the fucking bastard who put that fear in her eyes?
He stopped what he was doing and turned her to face him. Holding her gently but firmly, he made her meet his eyes. “Look at me. Elise—look at me,” he demanded.
The minute he stopped trying to undress her, she stopped fighting. But still she clutched the front of her dress, both hands fisted tight in the silky red material. Her chest heaved with her ragged breathing, the breath tearing in her lungs. “What?” she whispered, still shaking. “W-what?”
“I would never hurt you.” Merrick held her eyes with his. “Never. But I need to hold you, need to give you skin-to-skin contact to help you get better.”
“H-how will that help me?” she protested. “I d-don’t understand.”
“I don’t either,” he admitted. “But this may be a matter of life or death. Will you let me help you?”
“Are…are you going to…to t-touch me?” she whispered, her eyes wide.
Merrick knew at once what she meant and his heart fisted in his chest again. “Not that way,” he assured her, his voice rough. “I just need to press our chests together. To get as much contact as possible.”
“I don’t…d-don’t have a bra on,” she whispered. Then, obviously seeing his look of incomprehension, she explained. “I mean, I’m b-bare under the dress.” She looked down as she said it, biting her lip in shame that made him ache.
“That’s okay, baby,” he assured her softly. “I’ve seen you naked before. You were naked when I found you floating in the stasis tube and I didn’t hurt you then. Do you remember?”
Slowly, she nodded. “Barely,” she admitted. “It’s l-like a dream. B-but yes. I remember.”
“And I won’t hurt you now.” Merrick tried to keep the urgency out of his voice but he was afraid they were running out of time. Elise’s face was white as a sheet and she didn’t look well at all. If he had to, he would forcibly remove the top of her dress—he would do whatever it took to save her life. But he didn’t want to do things that way. Though he told himself he shouldn’t care what she thought, he wanted her to trust him. Wanted it with his whole heart. “Please,” he murmured, stroking a lock of silky black hair out of her eyes. “Elise, please trust me.”
At last, she nodded. “A-all right,” she whispered. “If you think it w-will help.”
“I do,” Merrick said gravely. “Do you want to do it or should I?”
“I w-will.” She tried, plucking at the front of the dress where there was a row of tiny buttons, but her fingers were trembling too much to make any headway.
“Here.” Gently, Merrick brushed her shaking hands aside and unbuttoned the front of the silky red dress. He pulled it off her shoulders, baring her small, perfectly rounded breasts. He tried not to look but he couldn’t help noticing her nipples, tight and pink as little buds. His shaft reacted immediately, his mating fist throbbing with desire but Merrick ignored it. This wasn’t about sex—it was about healing.
“Oh…” Elise saw him looking and tried to cover herself with her arms but Merrick shook his head.
“No. Come here. Right up against me.”
Pulling her close, he pressed their naked upper bodies together, feeling the hard points of her nipples and the soft crush of her breasts against his chest. Elise seemed reluctant at first but then she pressed against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in the side of his throat.
They stayed that way for a long time, locked in a silent embrace until her shivering stopped. Merrick buried his face in her hair and breathed her in, inhaling her delicate feminine scent and something else as well. He frowned. What was that scent? Was it heat…desire? But she’d been almost dead—why would she be aroused? His nose never lied though—he could smell her heat. Her body was in need, even if she didn’t know it and Merrick didn’t think she did. Despite the fact that both of them were half naked, there was nothing sexual about their contact. She needed to be healed and she trusted him to do the
healing—it was as simple as that. So her scent was a mystery—one he couldn’t help wanting to solve.
“Merrick,” she whispered, breaking into his thoughts. Her voice was a soft sob in his ear. “Oh, Merrick. You came for me. You really came.”
“Couldn’t stay away,” he admitted, rubbing her bare back in long, soothing strokes. “I wanted to but…I just couldn’t. Sylvan told me you were still sick and begged me to bring you back.”
“Oh.” She pulled back from him, covering her breasts with one arm. “So you didn’t really want to come—Dr. Sylvan made you.”
Inwardly, Merrick swore. Why had he made things awkward between them again? But there was no point in being anything but truthful—he’d never been the type of male to mince words. “I came because I had to,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “Because I couldn’t let you die, no matter how angry I still am about that stunt you pulled with your fucking fiancé.”
Elise frowned and lifted her chin. “Once and for all will you please believe me when I tell you that I honestly forgot about him?”
“That’s kind of hard to believe,” Merrick growled. “I mean, he’s a fucking billionaire, isn’t he?”
“You think money matters to me?” Her brown eyes flashed. “If that was all I cared about I could have stayed home with my mother and stepfather. I don’t give a damn about money!”
“Looks then,” Merrick challenged her. “You have to admit he’s a handsome sonofabitch and I’m one ugly bastard.”
“You’re not!” Elise’s voice throbbed with passion. She cupped his scarred cheek and looked into his eyes. “That’s not how I see you, Merrick. And I don’t believe that’s how you see yourself.”
“You don’t know me—not really,” he said flatly. “So how do you know what I think?” He sighed. “You’re right though—looks aren’t that important. Even if I do remind you of your pet dog—what was his name?”
“Buck,” she whispered. “If you only knew…” She broke off, shaking her head. “Look, Merrick, I don’t know why I forgot about James. I think maybe I was trying so hard to push away the memories of what…what happened when I was abducted that he somehow got pushed away too.” She looked down. “I…I’m good at forgetting things. Maybe too good.”