A Wolf's Heart (Harlequin Nocturne) (6 page)

She covered his hand with hers. “I didn’t know.”

Disgusted with himself for revealing his emotions, Gabriel tugged his hand away from hers. “It doesn’t matter. Water under the bridge. After we’ve solved your case, you can move on again with your life and leave me in the past where I belong.” Distancing himself from the railing and from Elise, he glanced at his watch. “I’m going to walk you to your car now.” He offered her his arm.

She opened her mouth, perhaps to argue or respond to his rushed confession, but instead she nodded and took his offered arm.

As they exited the party, Elise kissing people and shaking hands along the way, Gabriel tried to get a hold of himself. He hadn’t meant to spew all that to her. He had just meant to say yes, he’d missed her, as well. But anger and resentment and loss had suddenly constricted tightly within him, and he needed to rid himself of it. Probably not the best way to go, but he couldn’t take it back. He’d just try to forget he’d said anything at all.

He held the door for her and they left the hotel to find her car. She pointed to the side of the street where she said her driver had been told to wait. But as they approached the long black sedan, Gabriel sensed something was wrong.

First of all, her driver was nowhere to be found.

And second, something had been scratched into the black paint of the car. One word.
Bitch.

Elise’s letter writer had just crossed the line from annoying obsession to threatening stalker.

Chapter 7

W
ithin minutes, the paparazzi were snapping pictures of Elise in front of the vandalized car. She didn’t even have time to fully comprehend the situation before Gabriel had wrapped her in his arms and escorted her to his official vehicle. He opened the back door for her, helped her inside and then shut it again.

He stood just outside her door, keeping the press back, as he flipped open his cell phone and made a call. She imagined he was phoning his people. Investigators to come and find out how her car had come to be vandalized, right in front of the most prestigious hotel in Nouveau Monde. And where the hell was her driver? Wasn’t that what she paid him for? To protect her vehicle? To be there when she needed him to be?

Digging into her purse, Elise came away with her own phone, flipped it open and dialed her driver’s number. She got his voice mail. She left a very direct, very simple text message.
You’re fired.

He’d probably slipped away thinking he could talk with the other drivers for a while, likely smoke a cigarette or have a drink, before he had to be back at the car for her arrival. She hadn’t wanted to use a different driver this evening, but her usual man had been unavailable. She was so angry she could’ve crushed her cell phone in her bare hand.

Anger was good. Anger she could deal with. It was the other emotion threatening to take over that she didn’t want to deal with. Fear. It had a way of paralyzing a person and Elise refused to bow down to it.

Her door opened again, and Gabriel stuck his head in. “I’m going to have someone drive you home while I wait for my team.”

She grabbed his hand. “Can you take me?”

“I have to wait for my team.”

“That’s fine. I can wait.”

He gestured to the flashing cameras. “What about them?”

“I’m sure a man like you can do something about that.”

He smiled at her, and she felt a little of her anxiety and fear lift. Gabriel had always made her feel safe and secure just by looking at her in a certain way.

“Done. Hang tight.” He shut the door.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the seat. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She’d just wanted to come to the event, dance a little, drink a little, shake hands and raise money for her favorite charity. But now she had to deal with someone vandalizing her car. And it wasn’t just any vandal, she knew. This was a personal attack on her. This was by someone who harbored strong feelings about her.

A knock on the window startled her enough to open her eyes. Diego was staring in at her. She rolled down the window.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I heard what happened.”

“No, what are you doing here?” She gestured to the hotel. “I didn’t think you were one for charities.”

“I’m not usually, but I thought it would be good press.”

She sighed wearily. “Of course you did.”

He shrugged. “Anyway, I was just making sure you were all right.”

“Since when did you care?”

“I’ve always cared, Elise.” A hundred cameras flashed as Diego delivered his line loudly and with gusto.

If they hadn’t been surrounded by the press, Elise would’ve gotten out of the vehicle and told him exactly where he could shove his devoted attitude.

Instead she plastered on a saccharine smile and said, “I do appreciate your concern, Diego, but you can rest assured I am one-hundred-percent fine.”

He glanced over at his young big-breasted date for the evening. She was primping and pouting for the cameras. “Well, that eases my mind. Have a great rest of the evening, Elise. I’ll see you tomorrow on the set.”

She rolled up the window so she didn’t have to hear him play the good, decent guy to the paparazzi. Anyone with half a brain knew that was all an act. What was Diego doing here anyway? He didn’t usually attend charity events, especially not her charity events. Unless he was using the extra press about her letter to get in more pictures and articles. It wouldn’t surprise her in the least. Diego was a media whore. He thrived on the attention.

If she could go back three years ago, she would’ve heeded her agent’s warnings about him and never have gotten involved with the vampire. Those four months had been the biggest mistake of her life.

She was about to shut her eyes and lean her head back again, when the front driver’s side door opened and Gabriel jumped in.

“Ready to go?” He glanced at her in the backseat.

“Very.”

The drive to her home was quick and quiet, which suited her fine. She was too tired and mentally worn-out to make polite conversation. She didn’t know what to say anyway. Talking about the weather seemed trite and inconsequential compared to this evening’s events.

When Gabriel pulled up to the locked gate, he made sure she could reach the intercom from the backseat. She rolled down the window and punched in her pass code on the alarm keypad. The black box beeped and the tall iron gates slowly spread open. Gabriel drove the car through and parked in front of the main door. He got out of the vehicle, came around to the side and opened her door for her. He reached in with his hand.

She took the offer and slid out. When she was standing, he dropped her hand and shut the door. She wished he would’ve continued to hold her hand, just for a little while. Just until her body would stop shaking.

Gabriel walked her to the door. “Do you want me to call someone to come stay with you? I could have an officer here within fifteen minutes.”

“Could you stay?” she said in a rush. “I know it’s asking a lot from you, considering.”

He looked at her for a moment. She wasn’t sure what he was looking for. At one time she had always been able to guess what Gabriel was thinking, but now he was so guarded she couldn’t be sure of anything. After what seemed like forever, he nodded and followed her into the house.

She led him to the library. It was her favorite room in the house. It was cozy and warm, packed floor to ceiling with books, and it had always reminded her of her childhood home. She gestured toward the long leather sofa near the fireplace. “I need to change.”

He nodded.

“I could pour you a drink, if you like?” She started for the small bar in the corner.

“Go and change, Elise. I can pour my own drink if I need it.”

She nodded and retreated to her bedroom. She quickly shed her dress, hung it back up in her closet, and donned a long emerald-green silk robe she’d bought in Japan. She went into her bathroom, unpinned her hair, brushed it out and quickly washed her face. After sliding on silk slippers, she returned to the library.

Gabriel was sitting on the sofa with a short glass of what looked to be brandy in his hand. When she approached, he lifted the other glass on the table and handed it to her.

“I thought you would need this.”

Sipping the brandy, she sat beside him on the sofa, curling her legs up under her. “Thank you.” She drank all of the alcohol then set the glass onto the table. Sighing, she leaned her head back onto the sofa cushions and looked at Gabriel. He was busy staring at anything but her, sipping his drink. “I’m sorry I got you involved in this.”

“It’s my job, Elise. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Oh, well, I see.”

Sighing, Gabriel drained the rest of the brandy and set the glass onto the table with an audible clunk. “Not everything is about you.”

“Oh, I realize that.”

He turned toward her. “No, I don’t think you do.”

They stared at each other. The heat in the room seemed to intensify exponentially. Elise could feel the hum of his power skimming the surface of her skin and it made her quiver with need. She missed his intensity. She missed how he made her feel, all keyed up and on edge. Like anything could and would happen with him around.

Unfurling her legs, she sat up, leaning closer to him. His scent filled her nose and she nearly sighed with desire. Just his smell alone could ignite all her senses. Licking her lips, she moved even closer to him, excited that he didn’t pull away. “Are we still talking about the case?” she murmured.

“I don’t know.” His hand snaked across the sofa cushions and fell onto her thigh. The second he touched her she felt a jolt of pleasure charge up her body. She could barely contain herself. She wanted nothing more than to breach the distance between them and claim his mouth, claim him.

“It’s hot in here,” she announced stupidly.

“Yes, it is.” The pupils in his eyes dilated and his nostrils flared.

But before she could lean any closer and capture his lips with hers, Lily burst into the room, like a charged butterfly.

“Oh, my God, I can’t believe it.” She crossed the room in four steps and wrapped her arms around Elise. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there.”

She patted the girl’s back. “It’s all right, Lily. I’m fine. Gabriel brought me home.”

Lily pulled back and looked at Gabriel. “Thank God for you, Inspector Bellmonte.”

“Yeah.” He stood and smoothed the wrinkles in his pants. “And now that you’re here, I’m heading back to the crime scene.”

Elise stood, too, not wanting the magic to dissipate, not when they were so close to talking about the horrible distance between them. A distance filled with pain and sorrow, but also love and passion. She wanted to remind him of that latter part.

“I’ll walk you out.”

“I’m fine, Elise. I’m sure I can find my way.” With a curt nod, he made his way around the sofa and toward the door.

“I’ll see you tomorrow on the set?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound desperate.

“Yeah, you’ll see me tomorrow.” And with that he left.

Lily continued to fuss over her, but she managed to tune it out. The only thing she could clearly hear was the thumping of her heart. It hurt, but it was a pain she welcomed. She’d gone too long feeling numb. Gabriel had awakened her and she planned on staying that way.