To Woo A Warrior (Southern Sanctuary) (15 page)

“Yeah but I bet he grew more careful
once he had your mother and you in his life.  You should ask him some
time.” 

Thunder boomed
outside
,
rain
splattering the glass
windows.  Hadleigh contemplated what Vaughn had said as she stared into
the rapidly approaching bottom of her glass.  Where had all the wine
gone?  Draining the dregs she reached for the bottle and re-filled her
glass before handing the bottle over to Vaughn.  Settling back into her
chair she found herself smiling, then laughing.

“What?”  Vaughn looked her way.

“My brothers.”  She laughed
again.  Outside lightning sizzled past the
window,
it made Vaughn jump and think of Gunther Valhalla for a moment.  “I
especially like the pea in the eye.  Poor Locke thought he’d be safe from
your suddenly clumsy ways across the table, but bam, flying green ball of
pain.”

“Well I had to do something.  I
couldn’t believe you’d just sit there and take all that abuse without
retaliating.” 

Suddenly the smile was gone from
Hadleigh’s face and she shifted in her chair looking uncomfortable.  “Well
it’s late.  That’s the problem with the time difference between here and
Australia.”  She gave him a pointed look.  “You should get going.”

Vaughn cast a pointed glance at his
recently refilled glass.  “No I can say a little bit longer.”  Vaughn
decided changing the topic might be in his best interests.  “So about our
non-date.  I’m thinking tonight … well later today.  I’ll pick you at
six.”

For a moment Hadleigh looked puzzled
before slowly shaking her head.  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Six o’clock pick up or the
non-date?”

“Either.  Look I only have
three more weeks, then I’ll be back at the Sanctuary on the other side of the
world and you’ll be here.”  She shrugged awkwardly.  “Why bother?”

Vaughn laughed.  “Maat you’re a
piece of work.  So like I was saying six o’clock, wear something casual,
jeans maybe.” 

He just kept gazing at her intently
until she groaned and agreed.  “Fine, yes six o’clock but if we’re going
on a non-date there need to be some rules.”

Vaughn laughed.  “Why does that
not surprise me?  Okay what are these rules?”

“No flowery compliments, no holding
hands, no touching, no kissing, no…”

Vaughn held up his hand cutting her
off.    “I get it.  Don’t worry, leave everything to me, I
have a plan.” 

As lightning flashed outside so did
his golden eyes.  Why suddenly did Hadleigh feel that she’d just sprung
the trap Vaughn had laid out especially for her? 
Eyes
narrowing with suspicion.
  “Okay but the moment you break one of
the rules the ... non-date is over, agreed?”

“Agreed!”

Chapter Fifteen

“You know you could have stopped me
from falling in.”  Hadleigh groused as she wrung out the bottom of her
tank top, the stream of water joining the puddle that was rapidly growing at
her feet. 

Vaughn stood back, arms crossed over
his chest, taking a moment to enjoy the way her top now clung to her like a
second skin. It made his mouth water at the thought of tasting and playing with
those erect nipples clearly outlined by the soaking top and bra beneath. 
“Well I didn’t want you to misconstrue my actions.  You might have said I
was trying to hold your hand and we couldn’t have that could we?”

Hadleigh scowled at him.  He’d
been like this from the moment they’d entered the amusement park gates,
throwing her non-date rules back in her face at every possible
juncture.  

The last straw came as they exited
the cannonball mountain ride.  A group of overexcited teenagers had
brushed past knocking Hadleigh into the pool of water at the ride’s base. 
Vaughn hadn’t even offered her a hand to help her out of the water.  

Glaring at him she squelched over to
take a seat on a nearby bench, yanked off first one sneaker then the other to
empty them of water.  “Then according to the rules you shouldn’t be
staring at my boobs.”

“I don’t remember looking being one
of the rules and seriously, I’d have to be in my grave not to be looking …
where I’m looking right at this moment.  I’m still a man.”

“This was a mistake.  We should
leave.” 

“You’re trying to tell me you’re not
having fun?  So you’re a little wet, it’s a warm night, five minutes time
you’ll be dry.”

“You told me I throw like a
man.”  She hissed, wincing a little as she pulled her damp sneakers back
on.

“Are you still harping on
that?”  He took the empty seat next to her.  Glancing up to watch as
the next log full of happy people shot out of the mountain and down the water
slide sending a plume of water splashing out.  “You said no compliments
and you knocked all those bottles over, so I just stated a fact.”  He
glared hard at two men walking by who paid a little too much attention to
Hadleigh’s wet top.  At the sight of Vaughn’s hard gold death stare the
two quickly averted their eyes and picked up the pace to scurry out of sight.

“You’re still going to cling to that
lame argument?”  She huffed, sitting back to let the balmy night air go to
work on drying her jeans and top.  Thankfully she’d managed not to get her
hair wet.  Absently she buffed dry the wide band of gold encircling her
left upper arm. 

Vaughn started smiling, then
proceeded
to laugh.

“What?”  She asked, working
hard not to notice the way his dark red t-shirt clung to his chest and arms.

“You know we’re fighting like a
couple on a date right?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” 

“No think about it. I made an
inappropriate comment.  In my defence it was a fact.  In your mind it
was an insult.  But hey you didn’t leave me with much wriggle room when
you said no compliments and it was pretty cool the way you knocked all the
bottles over with just one ball.”

Hadleigh rolled her eyes.  “Why
couldn’t you have just said it was cool?”

Vaughn grinned. “Because I knew if I
said you threw like a man you’d get all hot and bothered and I like seeing you
hot and bothered.”

Goddess, Hadleigh was surprised
steam wasn’t rising from her damp clothes the way Vaughn was looking at her
with hot appreciation.  “So you admit trying to provoke me?”

“I admit to nothing more than
stating a fact.  And as for not helping you when we came out of the water
slide?  How could I?  Don’t think I haven’t noticed the
three foot
barrier you’ve invoked between us.  Not one
of your original rules either by the way.”

Hadleigh fought hard not to shift
uncomfortably when he flung the truth in her face.  She’d been so busy
avoiding the man she’d practically walked into the water on her own.  She
really didn’t want to explain that she’d been trying to keep her distance from
him physically throughout the evening because the more time she spent with him,
the greater the temptation grew to reach out and touch him. 

“I like my space.”

Vaughn leaned over, breathing warm
air against her throat sending a tingle of awareness down her spine. 
“Liar.”

Averting her head she studied her
jeans, pleased to note some dry patches appearing.  “We should go.”

“I think we should conduct a little
experiment.”

“What kind of experiment?”  Her
tone heavily laced with suspicion.

Vaughn glanced at his watch. “We
torpedo the idea of being on a non-date and for the last hour, until the park
closes, we act like we’re on a date, with first date rules applying.”

“First date rules?”  Hadleigh
scowled.

“Sure you know, innocent but
truthful compliments are allowed, hand holding is a must and last but not
least, stolen kisses.”

“
Stol
…
” 
Hadleigh turned her head to look at him, her words
instantly cut off as his soft lips descended on hers for a split second of warm
gentle pressure. 

“Stolen kisses.”  He confirmed
in a husky voice, straightening up abruptly.

“It
..
.” 
What had she been going to say?

“So we’re agreed then?”  Vaughn
smiled broadly.

“But...” 

Lightning fast he grabbed her hand,
stood up, hauling her up next to him.  As her shoulder came to rest
against his arm he leaned over and kissed her yet again.  Vaughn smiled
down at her, his eyes a soft gold, his white blond hair teasing the tips of his
long dark gold eyelashes.  “By the way I never got to tell you that you
look really beautiful tonight.”  He nodded his head slightly, gazing
directly into her eyes.  “Really beautiful.”

“No ... I…”

“Shut up and take the
compliment.”  Vaughn warned her
good naturedly
. 
“Come on.  We have a lot to get through yet before the fireworks display
and the park closes.” 

He turned and strode off, keeping a
firm but gentle grip on Hadleigh’s hand ensuring she was tucked in right by his
side.

*                  
*                     
*

“I’m starting to lose the feeling in
my hand.”  Hadleigh complained thirty minutes later.

“Liar”

Again he leaned over and breathed
the word into her ear, making her nipples harden and her breath catch. 
Turning his head he pressed another fast kiss against her lips before
straightening.  He’d been doing that a lot over the last half hour. 
Holding her hand, making her laugh and planting lightning fast
kisses on her whenever the mood took him.
  And to be brutally
honest Hadleigh was beginning to get fed up.  She hated those kisses,
hated them with a passion.  Why did they have to be so hot, so sweet … so
brief? 

She needed some alone time to
recover.  Even a few feet of distance from this irritating gorgeous man
might help but would he let go of her hand?  No, it was like they were
welded together. 
Grrr
, she was going to smack
him soon, either that or embarrass them both by finding a dark corner of the
park, throwing him to the ground and having her wicked way with him.

“Hey, the haunted house.” 
Vaughn abruptly charged off, hauling Hadleigh along in his wake. 
“Somewhere I can get you that’s dark and secluded.  Perfect first date
location.”

Goddess was the man reading her mind
now?  They’d almost made it to the line when a male figure broke across
their path. 

“Well I’ll be damned.”  Xander
Marr stood
there
looking male model perfect yet
slightly out of his element in a striped shirt and pressed blue jeans. 
“Fancy running into you two.”  Stepping forward he shook Vaughn’s hand
before leaning up to kiss Hadleigh awkwardly on the side of the jaw as she
refused to bend over to give him any greater access. Unfazed Xander acted like
that was perfectly normal behaviour.  “Is Vaughn showing you the Atlanta
sights?”  Xander flashed those brilliant white teeth in a wide smile.

“
Er
…
yes.”

“I’m here doing likewise with an old
friend myself.”  Xander looked around for a moment.  “Ah here she is.
 Bella you have to meet Hadleigh and Vaughn, who I work with.”

There was a high pitched squeal, a flash
of pink and a girl came hurtling out of the night shadows right at
Vaughn.  Who instantly dropped Hadleigh’s hand to prevent the flying pink
dervish from hurting
herself.
   
Hadleigh backed up a step, watching with a blank expression as Xander’s friend
Bella snuggled into Vaughn. 

“I watch Xander’s show all the time,
and I just…
” 
Bella dropped her voice to a low
throaty tone.  “…
love
you.”  There was a
promise in those big brown eyes of hers that she would be quite happy to prove
her words true. 

Hadleigh stood frozen for a moment,
a small ball of anger and jealousy forming in the back of her throat, moving
promptly to the pit of her stomach.  Threatening to bring the slice of
pizza she’d had earlier back up. 

Bella was everything she wasn’t;
petite, trim but shapely without bordering on stripper curves, long blonde
hair, cupid bow mouth and big brown eyes filled with adoration fixated
currently on Vaughn.  No doubt the pink
sun dress
wearing midget was as sweet as molasses as well.  Without question she
would know how to flirt, how to act coy, tease and please a man whilst being
able to attain her own personal pleasure. 

“Isn’t she perfect for
Vaughn?”  Xander’s words echoed her own thoughts as he took a step closer
and clasped her elbow.  “I had a feeling they’d get along, just call me
match maker.  Hey were you guys on your way to the haunted house?  Us
too.  Shall we?”

Hadleigh gave Vaughn a last
shuttered look before letting Xander lead her towards the end of the line
waiting for the haunted house.  Any excuse really to turn her back on the
nightmare of watching Vaughn realise he’d just met the woman of his dreams.

*                  
*                     
*

Maat help him, Xander’s friend was
like a pink limpet mine.  Every time he tried to detach a limb she managed
to wrap another one around him.  Who wrapped their legs around a strange
man?  Looking for help he glanced Hadleigh’s way only to see her give him
a stony blank expression before wandering off, letting Xander lead the way. 
Vaughn’s eyes narrowing in on the hand Xander had clasped around Hadleigh’s
elbow.

Grabbing Bella by the waist, he
pushed carefully but firmly until she was forced to let him go.  Hanging
limply in the air he gently placed her onto the ground. 

“I’m here with someone.”  He
pushed past her.  “Nice meeting you.” 

He caught up with Xander and
Hadleigh as they took their places in the line.  Sidling in next to
Hadleigh he caught her reluctant hand in his, pulling her ever so gently away
from Xander’s grasp. 

“Where’s Bella?”  Xander asked,
startled at Vaughn’s sudden appearance.

“No idea.”  Vaughn shrugged
off, unhappy to note Hadleigh was now determinedly avoiding eye contact with
him.

“Uh…” Xander paused, then
smiled.  “I’ll be right back.  Save us a spot.”

“Hadleigh.”  Vaughn leaned over
to nuzzle her ear.

She tried to move away but Vaughn
refused to let her go, turning her head,
her
eyes now
a dark and stormy grey glared his way.  “Let me go.”  She ground out
in a soft urgent whisper.

“Never.”  Vaughn rested his
forehead against hers. 

Hadleigh pulled her head back. 
“Look I’m perfectly content to find my own way home if you want to spend time
with … someone else.”

“Now why would I want to do that
when I have you?”  Vaughn crowded in closer forcing her to back up a step,
then two.  “Unfortunately fans are part of the job.  We try and keep
our identities private but that’s proving harder and harder with YouTube and
the
internet
.  They can be a little intense
sometimes, just like back there.  But it doesn’t mean anything.  I
would have been happier shaking the girl’s hand.  She’s the one who threw
herself at me and you were no help.”

Hadleigh could tell by the way those
gold eyes focused so intently on her that Vaughn was telling the truth. 
She couldn’t help but laugh in bemusement.  “Me, what was I supposed to
do?”

“Protect me?” 

Hadleigh laughed again, feeling the
tension and jealousy that had settled in her gut unravel.   
“She’s half your size and you need me to protect you, right.”

“To be honest women
that size scare
me.   I always think I’m going to
step on them or something.”

“And you don’t think I feel the
same?  She’s half my size as well.”