The Vampyre Legal Chronicles - Marcus (7 page)

An attentive
waiter set a square plate of lime-cured salmon with a beetroot
fennel salad for her and a platter of steak tartar drizzled with
chilli oil in front of Marcus.

Then the
sommelier topped up their champagne.

Since she
wanted to keep her wits about her Anais took a tiny sip.

As usual Marcus
didn't miss a trick.

"Would you like
something else to drink?"

Her eyes flew
to his.

His mouth
curved, the blue eyes warmed.

"No. As a rule
I don't drink very much. Thank you for bringing me here, Marcus, it
all looks lovely."

He leaned
closer.

"You're very
welcome. So, no vices, Anais?"

His mouth
fascinated her.

She studied his
face, intrigued to see a different side of him, enjoying the easy
humour in his vivid eyes.

"Not really."
Her low laugh made those vivid eyes narrow and darken. "I'm a good
girl."

His hand
reached out to touch the gold beads dangling from a chopstick in
her hair. His fingertips whispered down her cheek. And the fork
slipped out of her hand to clatter on her plate.

"I think I
could corrupt you," he said, his voice no more than a low murmur.
"If I really put my mind to it."

He was still
smiling but the light of fun had gone from those dark eyes.

Anais no longer
felt at ease, was sure she saw a flash of something dangerous,
something deadly, in eyes that pinned her to the spot.

"Why bother?"
she asked and then wondered if she was losing her tiny mind to
challenge this man. They were colleagues, professionals. When she'd
first arrived at Gillespie, Pattullo and Hindmarch a couple of
young studs had made a move on her wanting to get up close and
very, very personal. A single look from a stony-faced Marcus had
had them back off. So she'd received the message loud and clear. No
intimate relationships in the office. Now Anais found, for her own
peace of mind, that she needed clarity of his intentions. "I don't
have time for... romance," she stated baldly.

He moved closer
and that incredible scent, so unique to Marcus, spun around her and
seemed to draw her in.

"Then I must do
something about that, Anais. Very soon."

She asked the
question that was screaming in her brain.

"Why?"

"You are a
beautiful and desirable woman." Again his fingertip burned a path
down her cheek. "Never been tempted to... marry?"

She
blinked.

Marry?

Where on earth
had that come from?

Attraction was
one thing, but marriage?

Not once in six
months had Marcus asked or shown an interest in her or her personal
life. Probably because he had her working seven days a week, and
knew she didn't have one. For the life of her, she couldn't
understand where this sudden interest came from.

"My focus, at
the moment, is my career. And then there is the lack of time
element to centre on a relationship."

"Ah yes, we
have been very busy, have we not?" Again he toyed with a bead on
the chopstick in her hair. She frowned because Anais had the
strange feeling he was toying with her, too. "What do you do for
fun?"

"Fun?"
Bewildered by the turn of their conversation, she found her eyes
again mesmerised by his. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because,
Anais." His thumb rubbed across her full bottom lip. "I want to
have fun with you."

Steady eyes the color
of dark chocolate stayed on his.

He read mild
bafflement, which made his lips twitch. Then a perfect dark brow
rose as if to say,
'Not a chance in hell, Sunshine.'
And
irritation with her and with himself rose. Why hadn't he taken his
brother's advice and stayed with her in their suite this evening?
If he had, he'd have had her naked and under him by now.

As if on cue a
three piece band struck a chord and a singer began to croon a love
ballad.

Perfect.

He stood and
held out his hand.

"Dance with
me."

***

It was late when the
call came.

The creature
seated behind a heavy desk made of plate glass studied the wall of
flat screens and reached for his cell phone.

"Yes?"

"Prince Marcus
is in the
Pepper
club. He is with a woman, a human."

Frowning, the
creature reached for the mouse, hovered above an icon and watched
the screens flicker. Fascinating scenes in the
Pepper
club
unfolded. Well, well, well, two Vampyre Princes and a Precedential
Elder were partying in
his
city this evening. Interesting.
Then he spotted Centuri guards, tens of them, watching the
entrances to the bar and restaurant.

He clicked on a
screen to get a better view of the woman. And smiled when he saw
the jewel. She wore the bloodstone of her mate. The arrogance of
Prince Marcus Gillespie knew no bounds.

"She is very
beautiful," the creature said into the receiver, and adjusted the
soft black trousers that had become tight at the groin.

"Put your dick
away," the deep voice snapped in his ear. Then it went soft and as
cold as ice. "I want her. Unharmed. Do you understand me?"

A flicker of
fear rose up in the creature's abruptly tight throat.

"Yes, my
Lord."

"We may never
get another chance. Did I tell you I
love
the magic of
spying technology in this world?"

Indeed, his
master had mentioned his joy in the technological advances of
humans many times.

"Yes, my Lord.
However, there are many Centuri in attendance. It might be
difficult to..."

"If it was easy
I would take her myself..." The pause made the tightness in the
creature's throat squeeze so hard his hand clutched his neck as he
fought for breath. Then the pressure eased as the voice in his ear
whispered, "No mistakes. And remember, unharmed."

The creature
coughed, wheezed in a breath.

"Yes, my
Lord."

She'd always loved to
dance, enjoyed the wonderful sensation of being held, safe and
secure, in a man's strong arms.

However, Anais
did not enjoy being the centre of attention in a room full of
people. She certainly didn't enjoy being a part of the only couple
on an empty dance floor. As Marcus took her hand in his and turned
her into him, his other hand slid around her waist to rest
intimately on the too sensitive skin just above her buttocks. The
jolt of electricity that ran up her spine had her bite down hard on
her bottom lip as her heart went wild.

"Relax," he
murmured, pulling her close as they swayed in time to the slow
steady beat of the music. Her breasts brushed against the heat of
him and his scent made her dizzy with an arousal that seemed to hum
through her system.

Relax?

Not a
chance.

Not when he
took her hands and placed them around his neck. And not when he
clasped his hands low on her bare back and pulled her even
closer.

Omigod.

"Look at me,"
he said in a voice no more than a soft whisper filled with
desire.

It was the
whisper that did it.

After a
never-ending moment, she dared to look up.

She would have
stumbled if he hadn't held her tight.

His erection
swelled, hard, against her soft belly, actually pulsing with
need.

And her body
responded, her breasts blooming as her nipples grew too tight.

His head
dipped, his mouth took hers.

For too many
months she'd dreamed of this moment, this kiss.

It was nothing
like she expected.

His lips were
warm, gentle, searching and... The pounding of her heart echoed in
her ears. There was a roaring, a sensation of drowning. To steady
herself she gripped wide shoulders and held on tight.

When he raised
his head the room spun.

"You forgot to
breathe,"' he said.

Her forehead
dropped onto his shoulder.

"I couldn't
help it."

His hand cupped
the back of her neck, the move one of possession, to tilt her head
back.

Dark eyes
burning with desire held hers.

"I can't help
this."

This time when
his mouth took hers there was nothing gentle about it.

Her lips parted
and his tongue met hers, exploring, tormenting, taking. His flavour
was unexpectedly spicy, deliciously dark and exciting. She couldn't
get enough. Starving, Anais demanded more and pressed closer. His
deep moan shocked and surprised her that she could affect him like
this, that
she
could make Marcus Gillespie shudder. Then an
urge to hurry filled her so fast it took total control. She wanted
more, his arms, his mouth and the rock hard length of him inside
her.

Now.

A curiously
alien force rose within her. A force more powerful than mere
arousal, and the way Marcus responded he felt it, too. Now his kiss
turned brutal, aggressive. And Anais gave as good as she got. It
was more than excitement, it was a feeding frenzy, a burst of heat
ignited around them, possession, passion.

'Touch
me,'
she wanted to cry as her hands slid around his neck and up
to grip his hair
. 'For God's sake take me. Now.'
Need, warm
and liquid swelled between her legs. And she strained against him,
her need a loud demand for
more
. And blissfully she felt the
strength in is his arousal swell and grow even harder. But his need
of her was nothing, nothing compared to the one that ached,
throbbed within her, thundering through the blood in her veins.

"You two need
to get a room," said James Gillespie in a
very
loud voice.
Then he moved to whisper in his brother's ear. "Shit, Marcus, the
scent of your yearning is arousing every single vampyre here. What
the fuck are you doing, bro?"

His whole body went
rigid as the hard fist of reality punched Marcus in the solar
plexus.

He'd forgotten
himself.

Worse, he'd
forgotten that they were in the middle of a crowded room. For a man
used to being in absolute control of his environment, and of
himself, he was more than shocked. When she'd responded to his
kiss, it was as if his mind had been wiped clean.

Shaken, he
stared down to study Anais.

She looked too
pale and as stunned as he felt.

What in the
name of God was he doing? he demanded as he heaved in a shuddering
breath and took a careful step back. With just a single kiss, he'd
totally forgotten everything. Where he was. Who he was. His heart
was hammering too fast against his ribs.

Suspicion rose
as he eyed her, standing there before him, her breasts rising and
falling in time with his breath.

This
was
more than just his yearning.

Much more.

His need of her
was a wild and vicious thing, clawing at his loins.

No wonder he'd
been wary of Anais.

No wonder he'd
been careful.

Why had no one
told him it could be like this?

What the hell
had she done to him?

Eyes huge in
her face, her lips were trembling with reaction.

Now Anais
simply stared at him, mouth swollen from his, eyes almost black
with passion and lust, with her chest rising and falling too
fast.

"Marcus." Voice
hoarse with a need that echoed his own, blindly she reached for
him.

He caught her
wrist, but stepped back before she could do more damage.

"Do not touch
me," his voice was no more than a snarl of self-preservation.

He recognised
her dismay by the way she winced, by the way she went too pale, too
fast.

Shit.

He'd hurt her,
confused her.

And no fucking
wonder.

He was the one
who'd made the first move, taken the first kiss.

His eyes clung
to hers, he couldn't help it.

The things he
wanted to do to her, dirty, filthy things, played like a film in
his mind.

Closing his
eyes to the scent of her heightened sexual arousal, he begged his
vampyre to please calm down. Then the hair on the back of his neck
prickled and rose as the beast within stirred. His vampyre felt the
presence of his own kind moving towards them, and growled a
warning. Out of the corner of his eye, Marcus could see his Centuri
taking position. James had his back against his. Every vampyre in
the room wanted Anais and they wanted her now.

Abruptly the
situation had becoming too volatile, too dangerous.

And he only had
himself to blame.

Why the hell
hadn't he listened to his brother?

It nearly
killed him, but he managed to pull himself together, and hoped to
Christ he could get himself, and Anais, out of here in one
piece.

Anais stared up into
that harsh face.

A darkly
dangerous face.

His eyes were
unreadable as he looked at her.

Heat flooded
her cheeks, mortification, shame, that she could have behaved like
that, kissed him like that, like a wanton, right in the middle of a
crowded restaurant, made her bite down hard on her bottom lip until
it bled.

The sound that
rose from his chest, was that a feral growl, made her eyes fly to
his.

His flat,
narrow gaze chilled her blood.

Without a word,
he dropped her wrist, stepped away.

Confused, her
mind struggled to understand.

He'd kissed
her, too, taken her right to the very edge and then thrust her away
as if uninterested.

"We shouldn't
have done that," she admitted now, and wondered why he looked as if
he could strangle her. Undaunted, she battled on, "We work
together, that was completely unprofessional."

Now his eyes
narrowed in a face that could have been carved in stone.