Vampire King of New York (29 page)

“If we married, and I didn’t want to be a vampire, you wouldn’t make me one against my will, would you?”

“No. I would respect your wishes.”

“Even if I was dying?”

“Even then. Unless, of course, you asked me to change you.”

She picked up a piece of bacon and nibbled on it, regarding him with a long, sad expression. “You’d watch me die?”

“I would care for you until you were gone.”

“You wouldn’t encase yourself in ice, would you?”

Max couldn’t believe she said that. How could she possibly know? David would never tell her.

“That’s it, isn’t it? That’s why you could promise me you’d never lay out in the sun to die. You have another plan.”

“How did you know?”

“It flashed in my brain like a picture. It terrified me, Max. Don’t you realize how important you are to a great many people? The Arnhem Knights need you. The vampires of New York would have no direction.”

It warmed him to know how highly she thought of him. “David does a great job with the Arnhem Knights in my absence. With Noblesse to help him at the office, they don’t really need me. I’m very seldom there anyway.”

“Why are you seldom in New York?”

“Depression. I love hiding out at my house in Iceland. Everything is taken care of for me. I really have no one to share anything with.”

“You could travel around the world.”

“I’ve done that numerous times. My pain just travels with me now.”

“Are you in pain now?”

“No, not when I’m with you. But even now you apparently don’t need me.” Okay, this was a ploy and it was beneath him, but Max needed her to say something. He hungered for her reaction, and hoped she wouldn’t think before speaking.

“Max, I do need you.”

There it was. “Enough to marry me?” He gave her his best little boy, helpless look.

She laughed. “Maximum, did you just play me?” Evelyn pushed him gently on the shoulder. “You did.” Taking her fork, she stabbed a sausage and held it out to him. “Open your mouth, you big faker.”

He took a bite and chewed. Swallowing was harder. “I’m not a faker.”

“You once told me that you wanted only the truth between us. What was that?”

“It was the truth. Perhaps a bit over-dramatized, but every word is true. I do need you. I love you, Evie, and I want to spend every moment of our existence together.”

He put a mouthful of food in her mouth. This would stop her talking long enough for him to regroup. She swallowed and he immediately held up another mouthful. Smiling, she opened her mouth again to receive his offering, but swallowed too soon.

“I want to return to the subject of you encasing yourself in ice.”

“Oh, no.”

“That means you won’t do it?”

“How do I say this? I will tell you everything.”

Evelyn leaned forward. He obviously had her complete attention.

“Before I left Iceland, I made an offering to the Goddess Freya asking for her help in finding my true love. But I didn’t leave it at that.” He sighed. “Before the images of Odin, Thor, and Freya, I made a prideful boast that if I didn’t find her, I would be forever encased in ice.”

Her eyes widened. Her mouth dropped. Then she appeared to recover and shook her head. “Max, is that a Viking thing to go around making horrible prideful boasts? I mean you didn’t promise it.”

“No, but yes, I did, when I awakened Freya.”

“What does that mean?” Evelyn put her hand to her mouth.

“The Goddess appeared before me. She offered her assistance, and I made that boast.”

“Would she really enforce it, if you returned without me? Have you ever seen them do anything?”

“No, I haven’t personally, but the sagas are filled with such tales and the stories of shapeshifters fill the sagas.”

“Just dig a hole and jump in why don’t you.” She sighed.

“What?”

She leaned forward and kissed him. “Don’t worry. We’ll work it out somehow. I won’t let you or anyone else encase you in ice.”

“Let me move this tray.”

“No, let’s finish breakfast.”

They fed each other, laughing, smiling. He stared longingly into her eyes every chance he got. Max hoped that since she got the picture from his mind about being encased ice, that soon they would be sharing thoughts.

“Why don’t you take your shower and I’ll clean this up,” he said, when they finished.

Evelyn went into her room to gather what she’d wear for the day, but decided on using the shower in Max’s room instead. Putting the clothes on a chair, she stripped and tossed on a robe. Then she went to take her shower.

The steaming water eased the pain of life out of her. With the water pouring over her hair, she pondered the possibilities. What kind of life would she have with Max? He was wonderful in many ways. She tried to remember her dream again but couldn’t. There was something about the dream.

The shower door opened. Max, in all his naked splendor, stood there with a pleasant smile on his face.

“My love, may I join you?”

Before she could answer, he closed the door behind him. He immediately grabbed the shampoo and began washing her hair, soaping up her body and scrubbing, in reality caressing every part of her.

“Ooooh.” Evelyn practically melted in his hands. “You’re wicked, Max.”

He took the handle of the spray and detached it, so he could more thoroughly rinse her in all places. She giggled under his ministrations.

“When is it my turn to wash you?”

He chuckled. “Now if I let that happen, I will have no choice but to make love to you.”

Evelyn took a loofa and after pouring a significant amount of body wash in her hand, she began rubbing every part of Max she could manage to reach. Her soap filled fingers raked down his hard abs. She paused at his belly button and soaped him up. Then looking him straight in the eye, her hands caressed his shaft making it slick with lather, reaching beneath she made each ball foamy. He growled, pressing her against him, he soaped her shoulders and down her shoulder blades to the small of her back. With only a second of hesitation, he grabbed her butt and lathered it. Then he reached down.

She jumped back. “No, you don’t.”

He soaped her breasts. She whimpered. Then she reached for his manhood again.

What ensued next was a raucous free for all of washing and soaping and shampooing. He fingered her. She fondled him. Finally Max caught her around the waist, lifting her up and pressed her against the wall.

“Mine.” He kissed her, his tongue parting her lips and parrying with her tongue. When his saliva mixed with hers, she felt a slow, relaxing wave wash over her then replaced by a torrent of desire.

She wrapped her legs around his waist. “Mine,” she breathed into his ear, chewing on the lobe.

“I can’t bite you, but it seems you can bite me anytime you want.”

Her voice came out like a very sexy growl. “Well, if you want me, those are the rules.” She sassed him back.

With one upward thrust, he was inside her.

Evelyn pushed as hard against him as she could. The fire was intense. Every movement between them like a starry, backlit blur.
Sex isn’t supposed to be this good. Ooh.
She shivered everywhere. Then the shiver was echoed. Through half-closed eyes, she watched the changing expressions on Max’s face. A fierce nature possessed him turning his blue irises silver. Then pleasure took him, and his eyes closed. Evelyn liked feeling what he was feeling. The desperate need. The urgency. The build to ever-delicious ecstasy.

Suddenly everything was splendor and …

Max held her in his arms on the bed. She’d been so insatiable that he worried she had been harmed by their sexual zest. While she slept, he placed his hand against her heart.
Yes, she was okay.
He traced the lines of her veins on her arm. They were small, but vibrated with a hot raw energy. He had known many humans before but no one was remotely like Evelyn. She appeared delicate and in need of protection, but a strength shimmered in her just beneath the surface. Like waves on water, in his mind, he saw it all again, her diving in after him and standing between the sea-bound Telkhines and him. Whether she was an almighty Telkhine or a frail human, it just didn’t matter. He knew Evelyn would stand by him no matter what happened in their lives together. She, his mate, was life to him.
You are my life, Evie
.

Evelyn yawned and opened her eyes. “Weren’t we in the shower?”

“We were. You got a little overly excited and passed out.”

“Oh, no.” She moved her hand to her hair. It was still damp.

“I think you were just too tired from everything that’s happened.” He pushed a curl off her face, his fingers lingering in her hair. Max leaned over her and nibbled her lower lip.

“Max, you’re starting me all over again.”

“Yes, my love.” He kissed her upper lip and her nose and eyes.

Gently she pushed on his chest. “Max, if we start again, we’ll be at it all day, and even though it’s a delicious idea, there’s stuff I need to do.”

He leaned up on his elbows and gazed at her. Her expression looking up at him softened. “Please, Maximum, I want to get flowers and lay them on my son’s grave.”

He got up immediately and helped her up too. “I will go with you.”

Max tossed her the clothes she had piled on the chair. “Let’s get dressed. You can show me your town.”

Evelyn dressed quickly trying not to watch Max. Then she led him through the house to the garage. She took the keys from the cabinet.

“Do you want to drive or should I?” She wasn’t sure if Max even knew how to drive. Many vampires she knew didn’t. They were either used to city transportation or their own. Max usually had a driver.

Max held out his hand for the keys. “It would be my pleasure to drive you.” He took a pair of sunglasses off the workbench.

They got into the black Mercedes. Evelyn pressed the remote for the garage door, which lifted. Max drove slowly into the driveway and the door closed behind them. Then he turned into the street.

Evelyn gave directions until he parked in front of the florist. They got out together and went into the shop.

“Mrs. Beaumont, how nice to see you,” the silver-haired woman said coming out from behind the counter.

“Thank you, Gertrude. This is my fiancé, Max Vander Meer.”

“Well, best wishes are in order then.” The woman reached for his hand, and he shook hers briefly. “Oh, you are cold, and the weather’s turned beastly.”

A clap of thunder drew their attention to her front window. Rain poured in black sheets.

“Lilu, make some tea for our customers.”

The young dark-haired assistant nodded and left the room.

“That won’t be necessary,” Evelyn said.

“It’s no bother. You’ll want to wait until the storm passes. We weren’t supposed to have rain today, but that’s the way it is with New England weather. Now tell me what kind of flowers would you like?”

“I’d like a bouquet of white roses with a splash of color. It’s to lay on my son’s grave.”

“Of course, dear. I remember. Please, have a seat over here while you wait.”

Evelyn and Max took the chairs under a vine trellis. She enjoyed watching the elegance with which Gertrude made a bouquet, how she chose the flowers, what she put together. While her assistant poured them tea, the storm thundered outside. Evelyn sipped her tea. She couldn’t help but think that this was a storm called up by a Telkhine. Max left his tea untouched.

Gertrude created a large display of white roses, deep red gerberas, lavender cushion spray chrysanthemums, with baby’s breath and ivy and put them into a low brown rectangular pot. “Is this what you had in mind?”

“Yes, thank you. That’s perfect.”

Max took out his wallet and gave her his credit card. A few minutes later, she handed him his receipt.

Gray drizzle greeted Evelyn and Max, as they stepped out of the shop. Max opened the door for Evelyn, then put the flowers in the back seat. When he got into the driver’s seat, she gave him directions to the cemetery, which was on the other side of town.

He pulled out into the street devoid of traffic. “Nothing’s happening in your town.”

“I think the storm caught people by surprise. If I didn’t know better, I’d say Laura created it. I’m familiar with her flair for the dramatic.”

He chuckled. “You are right.”

“So you’ve been mindtalking with Laura.”

“She started it. She wanted to know how you were. I asked her for a little rain.”

The hill housing the cemetery loomed up in front of them carrying shadows of its own. The gate was open. Max continued forward and listened as Evelyn told him where to turn. The quiver in her voice was an indicator of her brewing anguish. It never went away. Her torment slept for a while, that’s all.

“Here.”

He stopped the car. She got out and opened the back door for the flowers.

In a blur, he was by her side. “Please, let me get that for you.” He carefully extricated the flower arrangement

She was standing by two gray marble stones. One belonged to John K. Beaumont.

“Your husband?”

“Yes.” She turned away from it and knelt by the smaller stone. Tenderly she wiped the carved letters with her hand. The name was more simply cut—
Jackson Jeremiah Beaumont
. “He was so small.” Tears streamed down her face. The rain started to come down again, but she appeared not to notice.

Max lay the flowers in front of the boy’s grave. He hugged Evelyn to him. Her pain over her loss was raw energy affecting him like a burn that never ends. “Evie, we should wait in the car until the rain passes.”

“No. The rain makes me feel better. It’s cold; it makes my heart numb.”

He rubbed her arms. “J.J., I promise I will take good care of your mother.”

She smiled softly. “You think he can hear you? Do you believe in an afterlife?”

“I’m sure of it.” He ushered her slowly back toward the car. Once he had her inside, he shut the door and was back in the driver’s seat before she said anything else. He drove down the dark drive that lit up silver with each lightning strike. A shadow near the gate caught his attention.

“What’s that?”