Star, Starland Vamp Series, Book 1 (25 page)

I laughed, feeling my heart leap within my chest, knowing I would wake with him every morning for a while, at least, due to the hidden dangers that lurked beyond the front door. But if I had my way, I would wake with him every morning for the rest of our lives. “I’m afraid your stuck with me,” I joked, then added, hating myself for bringing up what was about to come, “at least, for a while.”

“Now wait a minute,” Zac smiled, crushing his body onto mine, sending a thrill throughout me. He held himself up on one elbow, gently stroked my hair with the other hand, then looked into my eyes with total and complete conviction. “I want your face to be the first thing I see every morning … for the rest of my life.”

And with that, my lips hungrily met his as my hands explored the contours of his broad back and shoulders, pulling him closer. My lips moved to his neck, allowing him to breathe, then his lips found mine again as passion threatened to overtake us both. “As much as I hate to say this,” I said, pulling back to look into his beautiful eyes. “We really have to get going.” But deep inside I knew that if we didn’t stop now, we wouldn’t leave the room at all.

Zac sighed, taking a deep breath, then his eyes turned serious. “I’m so happy with you, Abigail. I’m so glad you came into my life.” And with that, he gave me one last sweet kiss, then pulled away to sit on the edge of the bed. Immediately, I felt the coolness of the air rush in between us where his warm body had been just moments before, and I missed him already.

“I love you, Zac, and I always will,” I whispered into his shoulder as I wrapped my arms around his broad chest from behind, and the space between us once again filled with warmth.

He pulled me across his lap, cradling me within his powerful arms, and kissed me ever so gently, then pulled back to look into my eyes. “I’m counting on it.” Then his lips crushed onto mine as I reached up a hand to run it through his hair, pulling his lips closer to mine, until he finally pulled back again. “I guess we’d better stop this or we’ll never leave.”

I laughed, sitting up as my wavy brown hair fell over one shoulder. “I was thinking the same thing. Why don’t you go take a shower, and I’ll keep watch.”

Then he pulled me onto his lap, looking directly into my eyes. “Unless you want to take one with me …”

I smiled mischievously, then replied, “Have you changed your mind about waiting?”

Zac laughed a beautiful, melodic sound. “As tempting as it is, no, we should wait.”

“Then regrettably, I think you need to take the shower by yourself,” I said, hating to say it, as much as I’d love to take him up on his offer.

Zac sighed, feigning disappointment. “I guess you’re right.” Then he gave me one last sweet kiss before he got out of bed. “I’ll be right back.”

As I watched him go, he was a beautiful sight to wake up to in the morning, as I eyed his perfect back muscles falling to narrow, slender hips and sexy tush. I sighed, slipping into my white T-shirt, covering my white, lacy bra. I adjusted my pants, then walked to the window, near the desk where my Glock rested. I slowly lifted the curtains to peer out the window, and a male vamp looked me directly in the eye as a medieval growl erupted from deep within his chest.

Quickly, I reached for my Glock, when suddenly the vamp’s hands broke through the plate glass window, grabbing my throat, then pinned me against the wall as he stepped through the glass. I stretched toward my Glock, but it wasn’t within reach, when suddenly Zac rammed my Ballistics knife into the guy’s back, sending him momentarily to the ground, giving me enough time to grab my Glock and unload a clip into his brain, as gray matter and blood splattered against the wall.

Zac watched, wrapped only in a towel, still holding the bloody knife.

“Thanks, honey,” I said, popping another clip into my Glock. “We’d better get out of here.”

“Yeah …” Zac said, quickly slipping into his clothes, as we heard sirens already coming in the distance, getting closer.

I quickly slipped into my leather jacket and boots, then shoved my Glock into the back of my pants. I wiped my Ballistics knife on the gray T-shirt of the dead rogue vamp, then replaced it in the sheath still strapped to my ankle.

Within a second, Zac was fully dressed and at the door. “Let’s go,” he said, cautiously opening the door, but I was there in a flash, in case there were more rogue vamps lurking in the shadows. It was clear, so we quickly ran to the car, and a moment later, we were back on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

“Are you okay, Zac?” I asked, knowing this had to be taking its toll on him.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Zac replied, no worse for wear. “I just can’t believe they keep finding us! I’d love to know how.”

“With a million dollar price tag on your head, every rogue vamp that gets a whiff of you will try to collect,” I replied, watching the sun rise as the exit signs sped by.

Zac laughed and the sound was music. “Do I smell that bad?” he asked, incredulous.

“No! You smell that good!” I replied, laughing with him. “Humans smell good, but you smell fantastic.”

“No way!” Zac said, laughing at the expression on my face.

“Let’s put it this way,” I began, trying to explain it so he would understand. “It’s like a gourmet meal compared to McDonalds.”

“Seriously?” Zac asked, his eyebrows pulling together as I nodded. Then one corner of his lips curled into his half smile. “Do I taste that good, too? To you, at least?”

I smiled, looking him directly in the eye. “Better.”

He smiled, incredulous. “This is wild,” Zac began, watching the road as the sun brightened the day. “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think this would happen.”

“Neither did I,” I replied in a low voice, watching Zac, knowing it was true. For never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would ever find someone to love as completely as I love him.

Zac smiled, then took my hand, and held it on his leg, then turned his attention back to the road. A moment later, he released it with a squeeze.

“Are you hungry?” I asked, knowing he hadn’t had anything to eat yet.

“I can wait,” Zac replied, but a few moments later his stomach growled as I laughed.

“Here, take the next exit,” I said, laughing. “Let’s hunt you something to eat.”

Zac laughed at my word choice, then raised an eyebrow seductively. “Anything in particular in mind?”

“Let’s not get that started again!” I said, laughing, then added. “Although tempting.”

Zac laughed, then pulled into a 7-Eleven parking lot, and turned off the key. My eyes quickly scanned the parking lot and the store, but we were safe. At least, for the moment. Inside, he pulled a pack of doughnuts off the shelf as I poured us both some coffee and met him at the counter. Within minutes, we were back on the road again, no worse for wear as Zac sank his teeth into a soft doughnut.

Soon, we crossed the Maryland state line, merging onto I-83, heading toward Washington D.C. And before noon, we were turning onto Constitution Avenue.

“You’d better let me drive,” I said, turning serious. “There are some places you won’t be able to drive into otherwise.” I pulled my CIA identification from my back pocket, while he reluctantly nodded and pulled over. We were outside the capital building and, somehow, being back in Washington D.C. always sends me into agent mode, but it was strange to be here with Zac. I was completely on alert when I sat behind the wheel, and headed toward our CIA base.

“How long has it been since you’ve seen your father?” I asked Zac, driving into an underground tunnel.

“Not that long. I was here over the summer,” Zac said, looking out the window, then laughed without humor, and looked back at me. “I always wondered why he never took me to his office. Now I know why.”

“He introduced you to some vamps, though?” I asked, getting a feel for their relationship.

“I didn’t know they were vamps,” Zac replied, smiling, looking at me appreciatively. “But they had cool skin and were beautiful, like you.”

I laughed, my gaze meeting his eyes appreciatively. “They probably were, I’m sure,” I answered, then grew serious. “Did they meet you at his house or out somewhere?”

“Sometimes they would come to his pent house,” Zac said, his eyebrows pulling together. “But when they did, they always went into the other room to talk, away from me.”

Then a thought occurred to me. “Did these … associates … of your father’s get a good look at you?” I asked, looking him straight in the eye.

Zac could see where I was going with this as he clenched his fist resting on his jeans, looking straight ahead out the front windshield. “Oh, yeah,” he replied. “In fact, half the time when they came over, I greeted them at the door.”

“There was never any surveillance on you during your visits?” I asked, completely in agent mode now.

“Are you kidding?” Zac replied, and if the situation wouldn’t have been so dire, he probably would have laughed. “I thought he was an architect, remember?”

Anger immediately welled up inside me, as my knuckles grew white. I had to remind myself not to snap the steering wheel in half.

“What’s wrong?” Zac asked, noticing the change in my demeanor.

“I just can’t believe that Abbot didn’t protect you while you were visiting,” I began, trying to calm myself. “And vamps met him at his home with you there. Very irresponsible of him.”

Zac shrugged, “I never knew this world existed. He never told me anything about it.”

We drove through a series of underground tunnels until we finally came to a secluded underground parking garage, dark and lined with gray steel beams, then came to a security guard. I flashed him my ID and he waved me through, getting a good look at Zac, but didn’t recognize him.

I laughed and shook my head as I found a parking spot near the elevator.

“What?” Zac asked, not smiling, unable to see the humor.

“Your father’s really going to be surprised when he sees you here!” I replied, then looked directly into his eyes, as I turned the ignition off and gave Zac back the keys. With the engine off, the silence was deafening, but I broke the silence with one more question, looking deeply into his eyes, concerned. “Zac, are you sure you’re ready to do this?”

“Oh, yeah,” Zac replied, as a wicked smile erupted upon his lips. “More than ready.” Then he slipped the keys into his pocket, unexpectedly pulled me close, and kissed me meaningfully, then looked deeply into my eyes. “I love you, Abbey. No matter what happens.”

“I love you, too,” I replied.

Then he pulled back to look into my eyes and replied, “Then let’s go.”

We left the car unlocked. After all, who would dare steal it here? As he rounded the corner of the car, Zac took my hand as we walked purposefully to the elevator.

“Name?” a computer asked from a digital speaker.

“Abigail Elizabeth Starland,” I replied.

Then a moment later, the digital scanner scanned my retina and the doors opened. Inside the elevator, I quickly punched a series of protocols and a moment later, we were on our way to the twentieth floor. The doors opened to a long corridor leading to the familiar metallic room with a power desk at the end. The same pretty receptionist quickly rose from behind her desk. She could see from my dress and demeanor, I wasn’t there for a social visit.

“Uh … Ms. Star … um …” she stammered nervously. “Hum … Mr. Abbott wasn’t expecting you …”

“I’m well aware of that,” I politely replied, looking her directly in the eyes. “But would you be so kind as to inform him that I’m here.”

“Yes, Ms. Star,” the pretty receptionist replied nervously. They really should find receptionists that could handle pressure.

“Oh,” I said, stopping her. “Please don’t tell him that his son is here.” Then I leaned in conspiratorially. “It’s a surprise.”

She nodded nervously, her eyes wide, then scurried into the office. It was obvious that Zac hadn’t been here before as he walked around the room, taking it in. A series of bellowing shouts erupted from behind the closed door, but within minutes, she reappeared. “He will see you now. You may go in, Ms. Star.”

I nodded curtly, then walked toward the door as Zac followed. As we walked in, I remembered the confrontation Abbott and I had the last time I’d been here less than a week ago.  So much had changed in that short amount of time.

“Star …” Dr. Abbott greeted me cordially, but his demeanor changed when he saw his son, knowing he knew everything. “Son,” Abbott greeted Zac casually after regaining his composure.

“Father,” Zac greeted Abbott, squaring his shoulders.

“Why did you bring him here, Star?” Abbott wheeled on me. “You were supposed to be undercover, remember?”

“Don’t blame her, Dad,” Zac interrupted, taking control. “She had no choice since every rogue vamp in the tri-state area is now after me!”

“Son, I can explain …”

“Explain?” Zac bellowed at his father. “So you knew that rogue vamps were after me?”

“Of course, but I wasn’t sure who, or how many …”

“I want to know who and why!” Zac demanded, looking his father square in the eye.

“Son, just calm down,” Abbott replied, suddenly on the defensive. “Let’s talk about this rationally.”

“Tell that to the rogue vamp who tried to kill me at school!”