Shadows Strike(10)

Ethan took the hand she had rested on his shoulder and raised it to his lips. “Don’t be afraid,” he murmured and drew her toward him.

She nodded, pulse racing as his gaze dropped to her lips. When she licked them nervously, his eyes brightened.

Releasing her hand, he wrapped his free arm around her waist and urged her closer until she was pressed up against the back of the chair he faced.

With him seated, Heather could look into his mystical eyes without having to tilt her head way back.

His lips brushed hers. Featherlight. Sparking excitement and a desire for deeper contact.

“I am so drawn to you,” he murmured and kissed her again, lingering this time.

Heather leaned into the back of the chair and dared to touch his tongue with her own. Shocks of pleasure darted through her like little sparks of lightning.

His arm tightened a moment before he released her lips. Those brilliant amber eyes met hers. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m questioning my sanity.”

“Damn.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to kiss you again, but I don’t want to frighten you.”

She gave him a slow nod. “Okay.”

Disappointment darkened his features.

“Then I’ll kiss you this time,” she decreed. Cupping his strong, stubbled jaw in her hands, she captured his lips with her own.

He tasted so good. Too good. Too tempting by far. As tempting as he had in those damned erotic dreams she couldn’t forget.

And the man knew how to kiss, how to stroke and tease until her body went up in flames. She had never in her life been so aroused by the simple touching of lips to lips, tongue to tongue.

Both moaned when she broke the kiss.

She pressed her forehead to his. “You don’t know how confusing this is for me.”

“I can hazard a guess.”

Leaning back, she studied his ruggedly handsome features, drew her thumbs across his budding beard, and sobered. “I just met you,” she told him, “but I’ve seen you in my dreams almost every night for a year. It makes you feel . . . familiar to me. As if we’ve lived next door to each other for a year, seen each other every morning when we stepped outside to fetch the newspaper, smiled and waved and retreated inside three hundred and sixty-five times, never speaking until you suddenly decided to round the hedges that separated our properties, introduce yourself, and ask me if I’d like to have a cup of coffee with you.”

“I wish that were how we had met,” he replied.

“But it isn’t. I don’t know you. Not really.”

His lips tilted up at the corners. “And I wouldn’t have waited a year to ask you over for coffee.”

She smiled. He was such a likable guy. Why had they had to meet under such screwed-up circumstances?

Dropping her hands, she stepped back with more reluctance than she cared to admit.

His arms fell away. “Thank you again for tending my wound.”

“You’re welcome.” She rubbed her hands up and down her thighs. “Now what do we do?”

He loosed a long sigh and looked as disappointed that the moment was over as she was. “I’ll call the network and see if we can’t take care of the confidentiality agreement now so you can go on with your normal life.”

If going on with her normal life meant he would walk out of it and never return, it seemed to have lost some of its appeal. She didn’t want Ethan to leave, not if she would never see him again. He really did feel familiar to her. And she liked him, damn it. He was charming and funny with old-fashioned manners, a body that made her want to tear his clothes off, and...

He didn’t care that she was different.

She rather liked that he was different, too. Liked that she couldn’t read his thoughts. Her damned telepathy had destroyed every relationship she’d ever had, robbing her of the ability to form anything remotely long-term.

Everyone had dark thoughts on occasion. Hell, she had bitchy thoughts herself, sometimes wondering where the hell they had sprung from, and had been glad she hadn’t spoken them aloud. Her boyfriends had lacked that luxury. She had heard them all. Every nasty thought produced by stress, or lack of sleep, or jealousy, or just having had a bad day.

It was hard to forget those. Hard to brush them off once she’d heard them. Her telepathy had shut down every budding relationship she had ever begun before anything permanent could evolve.

Not hearing Ethan’s thoughts was a relief. Not knowing if he thought she was a total basket case or thought her ass was too big or thought she was weak because she had shaken like a leaf in gale force winds when faced with possible death.

For once, she didn’t have to give herself a migraine trying to tune out someone else’s thoughts.

And, again, she liked him.

It would be a shame to never see him again.





Chapter Four

Rising, Ethan retrieved his cell phone and dialed Chris at network headquarters.

“Reordon,” Chris answered.

“It’s Ethan.” Ethan gave him an abbreviated rundown of his morning, letting Chris know that a mortal woman had come to his aid in battle and he needed to bring her to the network to sign a confidentiality agreement.

“We can’t do it here,” Chris said, surprising him. “We’re on lockdown. No one enters or leaves until the situation stabilizes.”

Ethan scowled. “What happened?” Had network headquarters been attacked again?

The last time such had happened, the network had been so damaged by the barrage of mercenaries’ missiles, grenades, and more that they had had to abandon the site for a new one.

“One of the vampires had a psychotic break. Some men were injured and tensions are running high.”

Ethan’s stomach sank. “Which vampire?” Cliff had been infected the longest. He had also become a true friend and ally of the Immortal Guardians. All of them dreaded the day the madness he fought tooth and nail would prevail.

“I’ll give you the details later. Where are you? At the woman’s place?”

“Yes.”

“What’s her name?”

“Heather Lane.”

“Heather Lane?” Chris repeated, his voice lightening with interest. “Daughter of General Milton Lane?”

“Yes,” Ethan responded, waiting for Chris to flip his lid.

“She’s a gifted one.”

Ethan’s eyebrows rose. “How did you know that?”

“I definitely want to talk with her,” Chris said, ignoring the question. “Give me ten minutes to take care of a few things here, then I’ll be on my way. Can you confirm her address for me?”

Ethan dictated her address.

“Good. That’s the one we have on file. I’ll see you in a few.”

Ethan stared at his phone when Chris ended the call.

“Everything okay?” Heather asked.

He had no idea. “Change of plans. There was a problem at network headquarters, so we’ll have to do it here. Is that okay?”

“I guess so. Although, to be honest, I don’t know how comfortable I am with your friends knowing where I live.”

He didn’t tell her that, judging by Chris’s response, they knew a hell of a lot more about her than that. “No one will harm you, Heather,” he vowed. “They would have to go through me first.”

She smiled.

“What?”

She gave him a titillating once-over. “You’re hot when you’re all tough and protective.”

He grinned. “Stop tempting me. Chris is on his way, so I need to keep my head.”

She winked. And damned if it didn’t make him want to toss his phone, lock the door, and bend her over the sofa.

“Your eyes are glowing again.”

“I know, damn it.”

She laughed.

Trying without success to dampen his libido, Ethan dialed Lisette’s number.

“Oui?” she answered on the third ring, voice groggy from sleep.

“Hey. Did I wake you?” he asked.

“Yes, but that’s okay.” She yawned. “What’s up?”

“I was having the best dream,” Zach muttered in the background.

As always, imagining the elder immortal in bed with Lisette irritated Ethan. Until his gaze slid to Heather, who watched him with open curiosity, her lips still curled in a playful smile.

Ethan’s irritation fell away. “I need a favor,” he told the French immortal.

“Okay.”

That was the great thing about Lisette. Whenever he needed her, she was there.

“Seth made it clear that we’re supposed to abide by Chris’s wishes and let him speak to any mortal we want to bring into the fold.”

“You want to bring a mortal into the fold?” Lisette asked, sounding more alert. “Is it a mortal woman, by any chance?”

“Yes.” Ethan decided to let her draw her own conclusions. “Seth said we could be present when Chris talks to her and recommended a telepath be present as well to make things go more smoothly. Would you do it?”

“I’d be happy to.”

“There’s a catch. Chris wants to do it now.”

She chuckled. “Freaked out a little, did he?”

“I couldn’t tell if it was that or if he was stressing. Something went down at the network earlier.”

“What happened?” she asked, all levity fleeing. “Does he need us?”

“No. One of the vampires had a psychotic break.”