Dying to Date(45)
“You can GPS your own people?”
“Yes.” He caught her hand and pulled her down the stairs.
“Seriously? Can all you guys do that?”
“No,” he replied. “I have skills others of my kind do not.”
“Because you’re a ridiculously old man?”
He shot her a glare. “With age comes power.” They took the stairs two at a time.
“Okay, so tell me you’ve got a master plan,” Melissa asked, not even panting as she ran to keep up with his pace.
“‘Don’t get seen’ is pretty much the extent of it so far.”
“Elegant,” she mocked. “But it beats the alternative. You realize if they use their necromancer mojo on me I won’t be immune.”
“Trust me, your liability had occurred to me.” If only he’d managed to get the damn rield away from Dominic back at the ranch. It didn’t escape him that he was fighting to protect a woman who would come at him with fangs and claws if any of his kin commanded her to.
“Anything in your bag of tricks to stop me from being influenced?” she asked as they rounded another corner.
“I already told you I can’t make another rield on short notice.”
“Then don’t let me walk back into Dominic’s clutches, okay?”
He wasn’t immune to the thin thread of doubt in her voice. Pausing, he twirled her into his arms and forced her face up to his. “Dominic is never getting near you again,” he vowed.
A soft smile lit her face. “Good to know,” she replied before baring her fangs. “Not that I’m without my own talents.”
“Try not to kill anyone,” he said. “I probably have a distant cousin or two in the crowd.”
Melissa pouted. “How about I promise not to not try to kill the bastards who kidnapped me?”
“Melissa,” he warned.
“Fine,” she capitulated with a sigh. “No mortal wounds if I can help it.”
“Thank you.” He kissed her quickly before twining his fingers through hers and pulling her once again down the stairs.
They practically flew down the flights as they raced for the ground. Finally the door to the lobby appeared before them.
Tarian gestured for her to stay back as he inched toward the door. She pressed her body against the wall as she waited to see if the exit was guarded.
With a last glance to ensure she was out of the way, Tarian eased the door open an inch.
The lobby came into view, as did the angry glare of the necromancer guarding the door.
He jumped back as the guard kicked the door open and burst into the stairwell.
Protect Melissa, he thought, his powers already flooding through his body. Tarian stepped forward, ready to take on the guard, when Melissa flashed out of the corner of his eye.
The slight vampire dealt a sharp blow to the back of the guard’s neck then proceeded to catch him when his eyes rolled back into his head.
Without a word she pulled the man behind the door before letting him drop, none too gently.
“Well, that was simple,” she said, dusting off her hands.
A slow smile curved Tarian’s lips. “I had it handled.”
She shrugged. “I had it handled more. Are you going to go all he-man on me and tell me I should have waited for yet another rescue?”
Satisfaction filled him. “No,” he replied. “I quite like that you don’t need me to play your knight in shining armor at all times.”
Her wide grin made him feel like he’d just said the exact right thing.
“Vampire males would have berated me for taking a risk.”
“I’m not a vampire,” he replied. How many times over the years had he protected someone who should have been able to do the job themselves? That would never be a worry with Melissa.
“So you don’t mind that I might not need you all the time?”
He shrugged. “What sort of idiot would take issue with your ability to defend yourself?”
Her lips parted in surprise before joy washed over her features. Gripping his jacket, she pulled herself up on her tiptoes and kissed him.
Tarian groaned, knowing he should push her away. This wasn’t the time or place. But Melissa had never made the first move before. His arms wrapped around her as he took one selfish minute to revel in her touch.
“We don’t have time for this,” he whispered against her lips.
“I know.” She slid back down to the ground. “But tonight I think we should stop driving earlier.”
It took his brain a moment to process what she’d just said. When he did, fire roared through his blood. “Yes?”
She nodded. “Provided we survive, of course.”
“Oh sweetheart, you’ve just given me quite a powerful reason to live.” With a last, quick kiss, he pushed her behind him and reached for the door.