Drawn to the Vampire (Blood and Absinthe, Book 4) (24 page)

Luke looked over at Kit, who was leaning back against the wall of the basement with a satisfied look on her face. She was a hundred pounds soaking wet, and she’d just wiped up the floor with one of the ten best fighters in Wales.

“Maybe she’d fancy a go with a better man,” a voice drawled from the doorway, and Luke saw Stephen’s brother leaning against the doorframe in a mirror image of Kit’s casual posture, arms folded and one ankle hooked over the other. His long blond hair was tied back in a pony tail and his mustache hid his smile.

“Liam!” Luke called out. “Come give this girl a fight worth her trouble.” Stephen was good, but Liam was better, and Kit deserved to have her mettle tested against the very best before her combat with the Head of the Order—a man Luke had never met.

“My pleasure,” Liam said with a bow. He narrowed his eyes as he appraised Kit, coming to the center of the room. “No weapons, I think. Hand-to-hand.”

“Fine with me,” Kit answered, pushing herself off the wall and coming to face her new challenger.

Stephen scrambled to his feet and he and Luke got out of the way.

“Clash of the titans,” Stephen muttered. “I hope the wanker gets his arse handed to him on a silver platter. He’s getting too big for his britches.”

“Shh,” Luke admonished, watching the two combatants intently as they sized each other up.

They circled slowly, Liam’s heavy boots creaking and Kit’s bare feet silent on the stone floor.

“I’d hate to stomp on those pretty toes,” he said conversationally, but he leapt forward to do just that before he finished the sentence.

“My toes have to be there for you to stomp on,” Kit said as she sidestepped him neatly. They circled again.

“I’m not surprised Stephen lost so quickly,” Liam went on. “He’s got a weakness for beautiful girls. Probably didn’t want to muss you up any. Me, I don’t mind a little mussing…and I’m guessing you don’t, either.”

He went straight for her, but instead of throwing a punch he kissed her quickly on the lips, his mustache tickling her, before seizing her wrist to throw her over his shoulder.

Except that she twisted out of his grasp and drove a knee into his stomach, dancing out of reach and facing him again.

“Damn,” Liam said in appreciation, recovering his breath quickly and giving Kit a quick grin. She grinned back, and Luke recognized the look in her eyes.

It was the same one she wore when she fought him. It hadn’t been there when she fought Stephen, but it was there now.

Luke was surprised at how much he didn’t like that fact.

They seemed to decide at the same time that the preliminaries were over. They met in the center of the circle, throwing punches almost faster than Luke could follow, ducking and blocking in a flurry of motion. When they backed away again, Kit looked barely winded, while Liam was limping slightly. Kit had delivered a solid kick directly to his knee cap.

“All right,” Liam wheezed. “I think a little wager is in order. If I can knock you on your butt, you’ll let me buy you a drink.”

Kit shook her head. “I’ve got a better idea. If I knock
you
on
your
butt—” even as she spoke she dove in, grabbed his arm, and threw him over her shoulder “—then you’ll let me buy
you
a drink.”

She stood looking down at him, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

“Uncle!” Liam called out. “You’ve passed your first test with flying colors. And I’ll take a pint of bitter, thanks,” he added, holding out his hand.

Kit reached down to help him up and found herself sprawled on the floor, her arm twisted behind her. “Uncle!” she called out in her turn, laughing as Liam released her arm and helped her up, this time for real.

Stephen was saying something but Luke didn’t hear him. He strode forward, grabbed Kit by the arm, and spun her to face him.

“What the hell was that?” he snapped.

She stared at him in surprise. “What are you talking about?”

“You let your guard down at the end. If he’d wanted to kill you, he could have.”

Kit jerked her arm out of his grasp. “Thanks for the tip.”

She turned away from him to face the other man. “Liam, I’d like to take you up on your offer, if you don’t mind.”

“My pleasure,” Liam said, glancing from one to the other. “Why don’t you two finish your little chat and join Stephen and me upstairs in a few minutes. We’ll have hot stew and cold beer ready and waiting. Might as well enjoy yourself before facing your real test tomorrow.”

* * *

She had it. A plan. It was fairly devious and a little evil, but Luke himself had taught her to use every weapon in her arsenal without scruple.

Jealousy. It was the most primitive of emotions, and Kit felt guilty that she was planning to use it to make Luke lose his hard-won control. But even a good thing could be carried too far. If he had so much self-control he wouldn’t even kiss her, then it was no longer a good thing—as far as she was concerned.

“Save the lecture,” she said to Luke now. “I’ll never let my guard down again. Okay? Now I’m going out to do a little shopping. We passed a dozen shops and boutiques when we drove into town, and I’m tired of wearing other peoples’ clothes. After I get back I’m going to have a drink and some dinner upstairs. If you want to join me, you’re more than welcome. Otherwise I’m sure Liam will keep me company.”

With that she turned on her heel and walked away, heading for the basement door and the stairs that led up to the crowded pub. The expression in Luke’s eyes as she turned her back on him was murderous.

You’re playing with fire,
a voice inside warned her.

She didn’t care.

Luke had unleashed the power and passion within her, and now he would have to deal with it.

* * *

“I need your help,” she told Liam abruptly. She’d pulled him aside as soon as she found him upstairs.

“At your service,” Liam said, his eyes lighting up with interest.

“I don’t have time to give you the backstory. Here’s the situation. I want to make Luke jealous, and you’ve got to help me do it.”

Liam’s eyes widened. “You want to make Luke Cadris jealous.”

“That’s right.”

“You do know he’s a…Stephen and I had the impression that you know what he is.”

Kit brushed that aside impatiently. “Of course I know. I told you I don’t have time for backstory. Will you help me or won’t you?”

Liam folded his arms. “From the look of things, you won’t have to go out of your way to make Luke jealous. I’d say it’s a safe bet he already is. And getting a vampire pissed off is not the best way to live to a ripe old age.”

“He won’t go after you. I won’t let him. It’s just…” she paused. “I don’t know what else to do.”

Liam stared at her. “You’re in love with him.”

Kit blushed in spite of herself. “That’s mildly obvious, yes.”

“But how…?”

“Backstory, remember? The thing I don’t have time for. Are you in or out, Liam?”

Kit tried not to look too desperate, and she was pretty sure she failed miserably. After a long moment Liam shrugged his shoulders. “Oh, what the hell,” he muttered. “I’ve always been a sucker for romance. I’m in, Kit. Tell me your nefarious plan.”

* * *

An hour later Kit finished her shopping and returned to the pub. She paused outside for a long minute, gathering her courage. Then she pushed the door open and stepped across the threshold.

She actually heard conversations stopping as men caught sight of her. Kit took a deep breath and tried to draw some self-confidence from that fact.

It was winter, so she’d bought a long leather coat and matching boots, but that was her only concession to the weather. She wore sheer black stockings, a black leather skirt, and a tight red velvet top, long sleeved but with a plunging neckline.

No doubt about it, she was definitely getting some attention as she threaded her way through the crowd. She caught sight of Luke, sitting with Liam and Stephen at a table in the corner, and her pulse quickened. She kept her eyes on him as she approached the table, and after a few seconds he looked up and saw her.

His jaw tightened.

“Hi,” she said, smiling brightly as she joined the three men at their table.

Luke didn’t say a word to her, but his eyes were like blue fire. Kit glanced at Liam, and he immediately said, “Time to turn on the juke box. An outfit like that deserves to be on the dance floor.”

 A minute later a smoky ballad filled the air.

Liam came back to the table and held out his hand. Kit rose to meet him without a word, as smoothly as if they’d rehearsed it. They made their way out to the dance floor where a few other couples were swaying slowly to the music.

“What’s he doing?” Kit asked.

Liam looked over her shoulder. “Nothing yet. He hasn’t moved a muscle. He doesn’t look happy, though.”

“Good.”

Liam pulled back a little and looked at her quizzically. “I know you said no backstory, but…you’re sure about this? You really love him?”

“With all my heart.”

“You know there’s a prophecy about Luke? That he can only be destroyed by love?”

Was that what the Vice-Chancellor had said? And what was it Luke had told her?

“Luke said it had already happened. That I’d destroyed the person he was.”

“Did he? That seems a rather metaphorical interpretation. Well, Luke never believed in that prophecy, anyway.”

“Why do you care?” Kit asked suddenly.

Liam hesitated, unconsciously drawing her a little closer.

“I’ve always liked Luke,” he said slowly. “I wouldn’t presume to call myself his friend, but I care what happens to him. And you—to be honest, Kit, from the moment I saw you downstairs I knew you were special. There’s a power that radiates from you, that you can taste on the air. But you also seem…vulnerable. Like you could be hurt. It just seems like this situation has so much potential for…”

“Pain?”

“Well, yes. I mean, look at what we’re doing here tonight. You’re deliberately trying to cause Luke pain.”

Kit felt a wave of guilt. “What’s he doing now?”

Liam looked over her shoulder again.

“He’s not at the table. Maybe he’s on his way over in a jealous rage. That’s what you wanted, right?”

“Yes.” She turned her head, scanning the room, but saw no sign of Luke. “He’s gone,” she said with sudden certainty. “He’s left the pub.”

She pulled away from Liam, going back to the table where Stephen sat with his beer. “Where’s Luke?” she asked, as Liam came up beside her.

“He left through the back door,” Stephen answered. He grinned at his brother. “From the look on his face, I thought he was going to rip you into bloody chunks. But he took off instead.”

Kit slumped back against the wall, bumping into a dart board.

“That’s it,” she said hopelessly. “I am officially the world’s most pathetic loser. I’m the only woman on the face of the planet who can’t seduce a vampire. I mean, how hard is that to do? Don’t you just need a pulse?”

She reached behind her, grabbed a dart, and brought it down on the scarred wooden table in front of her, driving it in so deeply only the feathers showed.

“What’s wrong with me?” she asked, looking from Stephen to Liam as if one of them might have the answer.

“Nothing,” Liam said firmly. “Maybe Luke’s out in the alley right now smashing things about.”

“I doubt it,” Kit said, but she grabbed her coat from the back of the chair and headed for the door.

Chapter Sixteen

Luke wondered if the rage and fury he was feeling would destroy him before he destroyed something else. He leaned his forehead against the back wall of the pub, the cold stone doing nothing to calm him. Thank God Kit wasn’t here to—

“Luke.”

He spun around and she was there, in that little skirt and that red velvet top and those stockings and—

“Get away from me,” he said through gritted teeth.

It took all of his self-control to stay where he was, to keep the demon from coming through. If Kit didn’t turn around and leave in the next three seconds he was afraid he might—

It was dark in the narrow alley, the only light coming from a street lamp at the end of it, shining on the main road. But even in the shadows Luke could see Kit’s expression as she came towards him. It was the same expression she wore when she fought.

“Do you think I’m afraid of you?” she asked.

Luke remembered the way he felt when he saw her in Liam’s arms on the dance floor, and he knew his eyes flashed amber for a moment.

“You should be,” he said, his own voice low and dangerous. God, let her get out of here before he—

“Do you really want me to go back in there? To find another man to dance with? Is that what you—”

He couldn’t have stopped himself if he tried. In a flash he’d shoved her up against the wall, his hands gripping her upper arms. He could sense her heart pounding, her pulse racing.

But she wasn’t afraid. If there had been the slightest hint of fear in her face he would have found a way to pull back. But there was no fear in her wide gray eyes, her parted lips, her flushed cheeks.

She lifted her chin. “You said if I let you set the rules, I’m already defeated. But I’ve been letting you set the rules for us.”

“You know why I—”

“No. I’m a warrior. All the things you’re afraid you’ll do…you don’t have to protect me from yourself anymore.” She took a deep breath. “I’m strong enough to protect myself.”

He wanted to believe her. God, how he wanted to believe her. He couldn’t stop his hands from moving, stroking down her arms. Her skin was like silk.

“We had a deal, you and I,” she said softly. In the dim light her eyes seemed to shine like stars. “You held up your end of the bargain. I think you should take your payment now.”

Christ.

He started to shake. “Tell me to stop,” he whispered.

“I don’t want you to stop.”

She was trembling and her heart was beating like a drum, but not with fear.

Kit…

Once again, he was lost in her eyes. So beautiful, so alive...hunger clawed at him as his body hardened with need, but the demon in him wasn’t in control. Not yet.