Sarim's Scent (8 page)

Sarim was deep in thought, ignoring the hushed conversational whispers going on around him. As Abu, he was privileged with using the resting area of Taalib Duma’s in the various cities he visited. He had been well fed and given complete anytime access to their resting places. He had even been offered a vascany for his pleasure. Even though the vampire concubines were exquisite, he had politely taken a rain check.

Right now his psyche was crowded with thoughts of his heir. The scent was strong and saturated his every breath. He now knew the heir was female, evident by the scent becoming cloyingly sweeter. Males had a more woodsy scent.

The strength of the scent and the ability to determine the heir’s sex by it let Sarim know she was in this area of North Carolina. She was nearby and after resting, he would be able to follow her scent and locate her. His task would hopefully be completed by tomorrow or the next day. It all depended on any business he had to attend to as Abu.

He could barely contain his excitement. The sooner she was in his possession, the sooner he could formalize his plans. He needed her to make sure the Chair of Drumani stayed within the Soga Tribe. His brow puckered. He hated needing anyone. He had prided himself on his independence and having no emotional ties. The one time he had allowed himself to feel ended with him looking like a fool. He had learned from the experience well. Afterward, he allowed himself no emotional attachments and took his pleasure on his own terms. An image of the deceitful bitch Millicent floated in front of him. She was beautiful, intelligent, and his, until that bastard had found her and claimed her as his mate. Once it was revealed his intended was mated to another, he’d had no choice but to release her to her mate, according to the Code of Ethics.

He felt the burn of his eyes turning red. Even though the incident had happened years ago, the memories still infuriated him. He’d thought she was dutiful and understood her place. A union with her was needed to strengthen the alliance between her family’s tribe and the Sogas. The alliance would have made the Soga all powerful. Once their union was fulfilled, her family’s tribe would become Soga’s. In Taalib Duma law, the bride’s family gave up their tribal identity and joined the groom’s tribe, the main reason a formal union was carefully thought-out and planned. In the end, Millicent had paid for her betrayal. Her mate would pay the price as well. Soon.

Yes, he had great plans for his heir. Plans he would carry out with, or without, her consent. Damn the Code of Ethics! If he were caught, he would deal with the consequences. No doubt they would be harsh, but his final act of revenge would be worth it. Any Taalib would understand his desperation to find his missing heir and understand his desperation to protect the brotherhood from the deceitful Imvura half-breeds.

Dismissing the Imvuras from his mind, he thought of his plans for the heir. She would enter a union with his second-in-command, Dante. He was loyal and would do what was necessary in order to protect the Soga Brotherhood. The ceremony would be done quickly, without anyone else the wiser.

With a bit of luck, she would become pregnant, either by natural means or through artificial insemination. Once she was with child, the Soga were safe. Even a mate could not break up a union with a child. This was exactly what he should have done with Millicent—made sure she was pregnant with his child. But he couldn’t change the past.

Once his heir had the child, he could care less what she did. She will have served her purpose. She could return to the human world or not. He needed a male child to secure the Soga’s future and his legacy.

He had carefully guarded the secret, confiding in no one and watching his back around his protector, Khafil. Khafil, who had always reminded him of someone, but he couldn’t put his finger on who. Even though lately Khafil had reverted back to the way he was when Sarim had first acquired him; quiet, humble, respectful, even giving Sarim space; it was too late. Khafil had to die.

Sighing, Victoria rubbed her eyes and looked away from the computer screen. Ivan had left her again to take care of some errands. Over the last week, she’d noticed Ivan had had to take care of his mysterious errands on a daily basis. She was beginning to wonder what type of errands he was taking care of. She knew whatever business he was involved in was successful, evidenced by his lavish lifestyle. But what exactly did he do?

He never talked about it and the few times she’d asked him questions about his day, he never really answered her. Instead, he changed the subject, and they would end up talking about something else, watching a movie, or end up going out for something to eat.

She had to admit it was wonderful living with Ivan. Every evening they did some activity together. He had an amazing sense of humor and kept her laughing. She loved debating with him about politics and current events. It was like they had been living together for months instead of days. It scared her. Her attraction for him was so strong now she almost burned up whenever he was near. Even though he set her on fire with a mere look, she still couldn’t bring herself to tell him the truth about her father. A task she had neglected this past week, until today.

She’d been at the library for a few hours searching for anything remotely about “self-appearing tattoos” and “burning tattoos.” The worst article stated that a person who had a tattoo suddenly appear was marked by the devil and was an instrument of evil. She discounted it, even though it still bothered her. She had never been one to think mean or evil thoughts, nor she had never done anything evil or mean to another person in her life. So, she reasoned, the description didn’t fit her situation.

She also came across a site stating that someone with a tattoo that suddenly appears was one destined to have great power. For a small fee she could even get a reading from a genuine psychic who would tell her what she needed to do to tap into the power. She had discovered nothing relevant for burning tattoos except that her skin may be allergic to the ink used. Her spur of the moment search for “burning self-appearing tattoos” was a bust as well.

She logged off the computer, and walked toward the empty brown couch in the library lobby. Flopping down on the nearest cushion, she picked up a magazine and began flipping through it. She refused to acknowledge the reason for her sudden, funky mood. She wanted to talk to Ivan. No, correction, she needed to talk to Ivan.

She had ignored the sudden urge to call him just to hear his voice. She’d lost the battle an hour ago and had actually flipped her cell phone open before she realized she didn’t even have his number. The next hour, she went through an angry stage. Mad at herself for needing to call him, she had given herself a lecture about getting attached too quickly and having some pride. In the last hour, she decided she just wanted to know where he was at and what he was doing.

But now she had to acknowledge the truth. She missed him. Even though he had just returned to her life, she was beginning to place too much of her happiness on him. What was really confusing was she wasn’t purposely thinking about him. Thoughts of him would just pop in her head at inopportune times. Her mind would just crank out the thought of calling him, wondering what he was doing. It was beyond pathetic.

Rubbing her neck, she sat back in the comfortable seat. She was stressed out. The pretense of keeping her secrets from him and downplaying her increasing attraction to him—at least until she found out how he felt—was beginning to be too much. She had always been a direct person, never one to play games or beat around the bush. Maybe she needed to be honest with Ivan and lay everything on the line to see where things stood. Then she would know if her feelings weren’t reciprocated. She would have a chance of pulling back before she fell in too deep; although it might be a bit too late for that one. Even if he didn’t return the attraction, she could still talk to him about the search for her father and the strange tattoo. He had always listened to her with an open mind and had never belittled her. She could talk to him about anything, no matter how weird or how strange. She had done so before.

While thinking of the best way to bring these subjects up, she shivered as a chill ran through her body. Suddenly energized, Victoria sat up, as a “Wow!” escaped from her mouth, earning her a strange look from the library clerk. The tiredness plaguing her all day was gone. Her eyes no longer hurt, and she felt genuinely refreshed, like she did fifteen minutes after drinking an energy drink.

The decision to confide in Ivan had to be the right one if it helped to shake her out of her funky mood and clear her mind. Tonight would be the night.

Feeling a shadow pass over her, she looked up. It was him. The feeling of completeness took her breath away.

“Ready?” he asked, smiling. He sounded refreshed. Had he secretly taken a nap or even worked out during his errand trip? Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the same library lady who’d looked at her like she was crazy gazing at Ivan like he was a hot fudge sundae and she had a spoon.

“Sure,” she said, collecting her books. Putting on her jacket, glanced back at the library clerk and gave her a smirk, then headed out the door with Ivan at her side.

The walk home was quick and uneventful. Concentrating on Ivan’s brisk conversation and thinking what she had to tell him later caused her stomach to knot up. Following her lead, he stopped talking, and they walked in silence back to his condo. Once inside, Victoria quickly volunteered to fix dinner. Glad for the reprieve, she started rummaging through the refrigerator. Seeing movement behind her, she glanced out of the corner of her eye, and saw Ivan watching her.

“Is anything wrong?” he asked.

Arms loaded with food, she closed the refrigerator and turned to face him.

“No. Why?”

“You were awfully quiet on the walk home.”

“Oh.” What could she say? He’d noticed her lack of attention and participation in the mainly one-sided conversation? He couldn’t possibly know she was tense, nervous, and frustrated, could he? Nope, that would be impossible. She had her own weirdness but even she knew there wasn’t such a thing as mind reading.

“You’re worried about something. What is it?” he persisted.

“If you must know, I was actually thinking about what I’m going to do with all this free time. For once I don’t have to worry about bills.” She hoped he didn’t question her lie. Irritation at his doggedness made her words come out sharp.

“Okay, well, I’m going to go check my email and take a shower.”

Whew
.

“All right,” she called as he walked away. She let out a deep breath, relieved. While she hated lying, she still wasn’t quite ready to share her worries with him. She began preparing dinner. As she seasoned the steaks with salt and pepper, she realized she forgot to ask Ivan how he liked his.

“How do you like your steaks?” she called out.

“Rare or medium rare is fine.”

Cool. She did, too
. Pleased with that fact, she continued working quietly and humming to herself. After the steaks were done, she turned off the grill and took the baked potatoes out of the oven. She was setting the table as Ivan entered.

“Dinner’s ready?” he asked.

“Yes. Go ahead and sit, and I’ll serve.”

He sat down at the small bistro-style table. Her movements slowed as she realized how intimate their dinner would be. They would basically be face to face. All of a sudden, she felt nervous.
Stop! This is what you wanted. You and him together for a chance to talk and lay all the cards on the table.
She fixed his plate first, then her own and laid his on the table with a surprisingly steady hand, despite the fact her heart was hammering her chest. Her trembling hands almost caused her to drop her plate.

“You got it?”

Ivan stood up to help, but she brushed his concern aside with a quick, “No problem.” She placed her plate down and she sat down before realizing her appetite was gone. Taking a bite of the steak, she forced it past the lump in her throat. She commented on its surprisingly good flavor. Ivan echoed the same sentiment. Her thanks came out in a husky whisper. After a few more minutes of awkward silence and concerned glances from Ivan, Victoria decided her nerves couldn’t take anymore. Setting down her fork, she looked up to find the object of her frustration watching her.

“Is everything okay?” he repeated, staring intently at her, waiting for an answer.

Building up her resolve, she gave him her first honest answer of the day. “No.”

He frowned and opened his mouth, but she put her hand up to stop him.

“I have to get this off my chest.” She took a deep breath and continued. “I’m attracted to you, Ivan. I have been since we met at the train station the other day. I need to know if you have any feelings or any sort of attraction for me.”

Heart pounding against her ribs, she rushed it all out in one sentence and sat paralyzed, waiting for a response.

Ivan had put his fork down at the beginning of her speech and was continuing to stare at her. Her face felt hotter by the second. Mortification filled her with a pain that took her breath away. She wanted the proverbial floor to open and swallow her. She was about to apologize for making him uncomfortable and say she would leave in the morning when he spoke.

“Let me show you,” was his husky deep reply.

Astonished, Victoria watched him lean over the table and plant a kiss on her lips. The instant his soft, firm lips touched hers, her body came alive. He deepened the kiss and gently nipped her lip with his teeth. When she let a small, “Oh,” slip out, his tongue traced her lips, and she shivered. He placed one last soft kiss on her lips and sank back in his seat. She relaxed, realizing she had automatically bent toward him during the kiss.

The air was thick with sexual tension and electricity. It intensified when her startled gaze met his smoldering one.

“I guess that answers my question,” she said, her voice low and husky.

“I thought you knew I was attracted to you, and you just didn’t return the feeling.”

Her mouth fell open in amazement.

“You were always nervous around me. I thought you knew I wanted you, and you were uncomfortable. I practically had to beg you to stay with me.” Victoria could not believe this amazingly sexy man was unsure whether she wanted him. She laughed at the irony.

“What’s so funny?”

“You,” she answered. “I mean, you have to know how attractive you are. I was nervous because I thought you knew I was attracted to you and you were trying to let me down gently.”

“Never,” he said. “You’re beautiful, inside and out. I’m lucky you’re interested in someone like me.”

“Wow.” She couldn’t get over her shock. “What do we do now?”

“Well, the first thing we need to do is finish eating this delicious dinner and then we can talk.”

Her appetite was back with a vengeance. She ate the steak, baked potato, and roll. She would need to be on her toes tonight, and that required mental energy. The air still charged with sexual tension and electricity, they finished dinner.

Her eyes widened in amazement as she watched Ivan stand up and offer her his hand.

“We can clean up later.”

Placing her palm in his, she felt a spark when his palm closed around hers. She allowed him to lead her to the living room where he sat beside her on the love seat. Their knees touched, adding to the sexual excitement already coursing through her body.

“I want to get to know you better. I want to pursue a relationship with you.” He turned so he was facing her, looking at her intently. “I know I’m being direct, but this is how I feel. I’ve had a crush on you since we were kids. I’ve thought about you a lot over the years.” He paused. “I even went back home, but you weren’t there.”

“When did you go back home?” she asked in a soft voice, unable to believe he wanted the same things she did.

“About a year ago, around September, I went to your mother’s house, but someone I didn’t recognize answered the door. They knew you, but didn’t know where you had gone.”

“My mother had gotten worse and had to be placed in a nursing home to receive around the clock medical attention. I had to rent out the extra room in the house to help pay the bills.” That’s when she’d left town to follow a lead about her father. She’d returned a few days later, no closer to finding him than when she’d left and too worried about her mother to stay away any longer. “I left town for a few days to clear my head. It’s crazy we missed each other by a few days.”

“It’s a good thing we found each other again, isn’t it?”

He traced the side of her face with his finger. She shivered again. He continued to run his finger alongside her face and then traced her lips with his finger. She stuck her tongue out and gently licked his finger. He leaned over and replaced his finger with his lips. He gave her a deep kiss before trailing soft kisses along her neck. He stopped when he got to the area where her tattoo was.

“When did you get this? He continued to plant soft kisses on her neck.

She froze, not knowing what to say. She had covered it up with makeup this morning to avoid any questions. It must have rubbed off or worn off. She was thinking of an appropriate response when he kissed it. Fire exploded inside her, making her gasp. Grabbing his arm to support herself, she reveled in the intense pleasure shooting through her. Heat and wetness pooled in her panties. Get a grip, she told herself.

“Um.”

Thankfully, he let the subject drop.

“Shh, it doesn’t matter.”

As he began unbuttoning her shirt, she sat like putty in his hands as he unclasped the front of her bra. She moaned softly as he suckled her breast gently. He licked the nipple before moving to the other one. He paid that one equal homage and grazed the tip with his teeth. She almost begged him not to stop when he moved his lips to plant kisses on her stomach, right above the waist of her jeans.