CHAPTER TWO

 

 

Carolyn tipped the shuttle driver and rolled her luggage through the Hotel Indigo’s door and into the lobby. Savannah’s architecture was beautiful, and the ride from the airport was entrancing. She paused half way to the reservations desk to take in the lovely space. The combination of historic Savannah and modern décor was fascinating in that it worked incredibly well. The Hotel Indigo was interesting and calming. The energy of the space greeted her with a soft caress. She knew instantly she liked the hotel and would enjoy the weekend.

Giving her luggage a tug, she rolled toward the woman behind the reservation desk. “Hi there. I’m Carolyn Soucek. I have a reservation.”

“Ah yes, Miss Soucek. We have you in room 314. That’s a queen room, overlooking the garden. Our best view if I say so myself.”

Carolyn grinned as she passed a credit card and ID to Wanda. At least that was what the woman’s nametag said. “Wonderful. I enjoy a view that doesn’t consist of a parking lot or rooftop.” She signed the paperwork and waited patiently.

“A complimentary breakfast is included with your room. It’s served in our restaurant from six to ten AM.”

With a smile, Carolyn accepted the room key and slipped it into her purse. “Thank you, Wanda.” She glanced down, extended the handle of the suitcase, and turned. She hadn’t had the chance to raise her eyes when her forehead made intimate contact with the broad chest of a rather tall very well built man.

Sucking in an alarmed breath, she quickly stepped back. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry.” Carolyn’s face flamed with embarrassment as she raised her gaze to behold the handsomest man ever seen outside the pages of a magazine. Good God, he was an Adonis! His rich brown hair with golden highlights set off his amber eyes to perfection. And his lips! Don’t even get her started on the sheer perfection of his lush, kissable mouth. But his strong, lightly whiskered jaw was the final straw. Cupid pulled his bowstring back and let fly an arrow straight to Carolyn’s heart.

Large, long-fingered hands shot forward to grab her upper arms. Mr. Tall, dark, and sexy held her upright and steadied her wobbly legs. Could she be more embarrassed? She thought not. Then again, swooning and falling to the floor at the man’s feet would have most definitely been worse.

Mr. Sexy Pants released one of Carolyn’s arms and liberated the suitcase from her trembling fingers. Then he turned slightly and tucked her right hand into the crook of his left arm. “Allow me to help you with your luggage. A lovely lady such as yourself should never carry anything heavier than the thoughts weighing on her mind.”

She thought she was a goner before, but then he spoke in the sexiest brogue ever heard. Well, except for the Outlander series, the men on that show curled her toes.

Wanda squeaked like a terrified mouse. “Mr. Drummond! I didn’t see you come in. I was just about to call for someone to help Miss Soucek with her bag.”

“No need, Wanda. I have it all in hand,” hotness extraordinaire replied without taking his eyes from Carolyn’s.

Every time he spoke her knees turned to noodles. Desperate to remain upright, Carolyn grabbed his supporting arm with her other hand and held on tight with a two-handed death grip. Lord have mercy! Did he have to have a sexy Scottish accent as well? If she hadn’t been wearing jeans, her panties would have fallen to her ankles of their own volition.

She wanted him to speak again. Say anything. Read from the Bible that she was sure gathered dust in the drawer of the bedside table in room 314. It didn’t matter. She just wanted him to utter a few more syllables with that toe curling, deep, resonant, voice.

And another thing, when he’d spoken, it had been only loud enough for her to hear. He was the type of man that didn’t have to shout to garner a person’s attention, and he knew it. Not in an arrogant way, although, how she knew that she had no idea. But more like he was relieved he could get the message across without being the center of attention. Holy Mother! Was he shy? How on earth had a man that fine escaped becoming an arrogant S.O.B.?

“Thank you. I’m embarrassed to admit that I might have over packed. I knew I was in trouble when I had to pay overage fees at the airport for overweight baggage.”

Mr. Drummond gave her a smile complete with laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. “Not a problem, Miss Soucek.”

Once the elevator doors closed, Carolyn gave him a good long look. He wasn’t wearing a uniform. Maybe he wasn’t on the clock yet? “Have you worked here long?”

He grinned, and his warm chuckle vibrated to her very core. “I don’t work here, Miss Soucek. I’m the owner.”

She swore he said he owned the hotel. Maybe she misunderstood him, what with that accent and all it was possible she misheard. The doors slid open before she could clarify. Still utterly flustered, instead of following him into the hallway, she ogled his fine backside. A pair of black dress pants hugged his butt like a lover. Every step he took flexed the muscles of his derriere and made Carolyn’s mouth water. She was accustomed to men in worn baggy blue jeans. Man, had she been missing out. She blissfully enjoyed the view, that is until a throat cleared. Carolyn jerked her gaze from his gluteus maximus to his gorgeous golden eyes and blushed so hot she was surprised the fire alarms didn’t go off.

She felt that gaze like a tangible touch, when his eyes lowered to her little black flats and rose slowly up her skintight yoga travel pants, then paused at the v of her thighs. He paused again at her breasts and finally returned to her eyes. He ended his blatant appreciation by licking his lips and giving Carolyn a sexy smile. “If you’d like to follow me, Miss Soucek, I’ll escort you to your room.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s been a long day of traveling, and I’m a little scattered.” She cursed herself for sounding like a twit. For an educated woman she was behaving like a dimwit.

A few doors down the hall, Mr. Drummond smiled down at her and indicated room 314 with his head. “You will need to unlock it before we can enter.”

“Yes. Of course.” She dug in the outer pocket of her purse for the key. The instant the indicator light turned green, Mr. Hotness opened the door and waved her inside.

Carolyn sat her purse on the bed and dug around for her pocket book. Pulling out a ten-dollar bill, she held it out to him. “Thank you, Mr. Drummond.”

He cocked his head, and his grin widened. There was a definite twinkle in his eyes. “What’s that for?”

Carolyn’s brows pulled together as she continued to offer the money to him. “A tip. It’s customary after all to pay the person who delivers your luggage.”

He took a step and entered her personal space. Then trailed a finger along her hairline before tucking a stray hair behind her ear. “That’s not the kind of tip I want. To be honest, I had two ulterior motives for toting your luggage to your room.”

She blinked up at him unable to pull away. No, that wasn’t true. She didn’t want to pull away. “You did?”

“Never doubt it. First of all, I wanted to spend a few minutes with you.”

“And second?” she asked breathily.

“To ask you out. Would you honor me by joining me for dinner, leannan?”

She scowled. “Leannan? I think you’re confusing me with another woman. My name is Carolyn.”

“Oh, bonnie lass, I assure you, I know exactly who you are. Leannan is a Scottish word for lover, sweetheart, or beloved. It’s an endearment.”

Heat flared up Carolyn’s neck to her cheeks. “Oh. Um, okay.” Then she frowned again. “Do you call everyone sweetheart?”

“No,” he whispered and leaned closer. “I reserve endearments for the women in my family and you.” Then he cupped the back of Carolyn’s head and lightly kissed her cheek. Stepping back abruptly, he eyed her with apprehension.

Both froze, staring at one another. Power had surged the moment his lips touched her bare flesh. Much more than he’d expected from a solitary witch without a coven from which to draw power. Even more surprising was Darius wanted Carolyn in a way he hadn’t wanted a woman since he’d been a happily married human. It was dizzying to think that had been three centuries ago.

She drew a breath, an unsteady, stuttering inhale. “What was that?”

He swallowed hard, unsure how to answer.

“Something happened when you kissed me. I felt it. What was that?” she demanded, her tone bordering on panic.

He averted his eyes. “You’re right. Something happened.” He braced himself and raised his eyes to look straight into hers. “There’s something special about you, Carolyn. No scratch that. There’s something special about the two of us together. Let me ask you a question. Do you know what I am?”

Carolyn lifted her brows and tilted her head to one side. She studied him for a long moment. “Vampire. You’re a vampire.”

“Aye, I am. When a vampire, especially one as old as I, finds his soulmate, upon touching his destined mate skin-to-skin he experiences a power surge. Call it a sample of the power he will wield once he claims her. Since you’re a witch, you experienced the same phenomena.”

“That's got to be the most ridiculous… Soulmates? Claiming?” She threw her hands up and gave up trying to speak. Carolyn paced the room, mumbling to herself. Finally, she spun on her heel and stared at him. She was wide eyed, her heated and yet questioning gaze taking him in as if she were seeing him for the first time. There was desire in his Muierimei’s eyes as they skimmed him head to toe.

He stepped into her personal space again. “Keep looking at me like that, and we won’t leave this room for at least two days, maybe more.” And with that, he claimed his woman’s lips for a proper kiss. Groaning, he forced himself to put a few inches between them before he stripped Carolyn and threw her on the bed. Clearing his throat, he asked in a husky voice. “So, are you free for dinner?”

What? Carolyn’s brain had seized when he’d kissed her, and it had yet to re-engage. Then his question replayed in her mind. “Oh, no. I mean yeah. I don’t have plans.”

“Great. I’ll be back at seven. If that works for you?”

“Sure. Seven is perfect.”

He ran his hand down her arm to squeeze her hand and then walked to the door. As he reached for the knob, he turned. “How do you feel about a casual T-shirt and jeans night, so we’re comfortable? We can talk about what just happened over dinner.”

Carolyn sighed in relief. “That would be great. I didn’t bring anything fancy to wear.”

“Then casual it is. Oh, and my name is Darius. Only my employees call me Mr. Drummond.”

Carolyn smiled at the wink he gave her as he left the room. The moment the door closed she paced across the floor to stare into the mirror over the dresser. She’d experienced more than just a surge of power when he kissed her. She’d seen the future. HER future! A vision of her and Darius with a son and daughter in a park had played out like a movie on the big screen. Maggie was right, she had met her destiny in Savannah, and he was a vampire. She leaned forward to stare hard into her eyes, try as she might she couldn’t force a vision of the danger she felt looming. But how bad could it be if years from now she was alive?

She cupped her cheek where he’d kissed her and twirled happily before flopping on the bed. She hadn’t felt this giddy since the most popular boy in the class asked her to prom. She was a smitten kitten all the way. Her hand caressed the bedspread as hot images of their naked bodies entwined filled her imagination. She could almost hear his sexy brogue whispering naughty encouragements into her ear.

 

*****

 

Darius closed his eyes as he waited for the elevator to arrive. Carolyn’s sweet patchouli scent had driven him to distraction. He hardened as he pictured her beautiful face, long blonde hair, and delicious curves. It had taken every ounce of control he possessed to refrain from taking more than one kiss. And dang if she didn’t taste as good as she smelled.

He had pretended not to know who she was as he did with all witches he protected. Solitary practitioners tended to be skittish, untrusting creatures. But she was the one witch that had intrigued him when he’d created files on each of the women in danger. Now he knew why. He’d unknowingly been researching his soulmate. He cursed silently in his mind. If she knew he had poked around in her background, that he had access to her email account, photo’s, tax returns, the whole nine yards, she wouldn’t have given him the time of day.

His heart sank. An honorable man didn’t lie to the woman he loved. He would have to confess to that intrusion into her private life. He prayed she would forgive him for it and understand that his intentions were purely protective.

Darius raked his fingers through his hair. He had plans to make and answers to formulate. Carolyn was sure to come armed with a ton of questions. Tonight had to be perfect. In the blink of an eye, his goal had abruptly changed from observe and protect to woo and claim. Protection, he could do blindfolded. Courting? He hadn’t done that in hundreds of years.

Meeting Carolyn brought back long-buried memories. He’d been born the son of a blacksmith in a small Romanian village during the seventeenth century. When he was eighteen, his family traveled to the next village to watch a gypsy troupe perform. There he’d met his beloved Kyra.

Within a month they’d married. He’d been unbelievably happy. He and Kyra tried for years to have a child only to have the infant, and her life snatched away. His beloved died in childbirth begging him to carry on and find happiness again.

He’d tried to fulfill her dying wish but how could he when his heart died with her? His happiness had lasted a meager ten years. After that tragic day, he’d been a shell of a man walking through life, merely existing.

Then one night as he walked home from the market he was attacked by roadside bandits and lay dying. Out of the darkness came a man like none he’d ever seen. The man offered him a new lease on life and a reason to live. Protecting witches and magic was a noble cause, and he’d taken it up wholeheartedly. Especially, when Etienne offered to relocate him to Scotland.

Leaving Romania and his painful memories behind was exactly what he had needed. Prior to moving to America, he had lived all but thirty years in his adopted homeland of kilts. Yes, his genetics were Roma, but he considered himself a Scotsman.

Setting his memories aside, he squared his shoulders and strode to Etienne’s suite. He had to tell his best friend and king that things had changed dramatically. The soul of his long lost Kyra had been reborn into one of the witches they were here to protect. There was no way he would lose her again.

He rapped once on the door and waited.

Etienne opened it and raised a brow. “Darius, I didn’t expect you until later.”

Darius let out a long breath as he followed Etienne into the living room of his suite. “I didn’t expect to be here either. Something happened that I need to talk to you about.”

“I see.” Etienne walked to the wet bar and poured himself a whiskey and water. “Would you like a drink for this discussion?”

“No, thank you. I better keep a clear head.”

Etienne took the chair facing him and silently waited.

“I never dreamt I would be one of the lucky few to find their soulmate a second time, but it looks like I have.” His emotions thickened his Scottish accent. “Carolyn Soucek is my Kyra. I felt her soul the moment we touched.”

Etienne nodded. “I had a feeling it would be something like that when Krystal Le Beau called and told me I needed to get you to Savannah. So, what would you like to do about it?”

Darius raked his fingers through his hair. “I need time to court her, and I can’t do that if I’m protecting six other women. Do you think you can call in a few extra men to cover the others?”

“I made the call an hour ago. I asked Rafe and Sean to assist with the protection detail, and Nick and Derick will be here in a few hours.”

“Thank you.”

“You are very welcome. So, tell me, what’s your plan? How will you win your lady’s heart?”

“After the power surge we both experienced when I kissed her, I explained a little of what happened. We’re having dinner tonight, and I expect Carolyn to ask a lot of questions then. I felt her interest in me as a man, so it won’t be difficult to build on that, but there’s one problem.”

Etienne swallowed his whiskey and sat his tumbler aside. “What would that be?”

Darius stood and paced the room. “She won’t be happy with me when I tell her I did a background check and have a file on her.”

Etienne nodded. “That may be true. But give her credit. She is a smart, practical woman. Once you explain why you needed the information, she will understand. Maybe not right away, but given time to cool off and think through your reasons, she will forgive you.”

“I hope so. I won’t hide it from her. To not tell Carolyn would be a lie of omission and I won’t start a relationship with lies.”

“That is a wise choice. The truth will always come out. It is better she hears it from you. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No. I have to do this on my own. If I need help protecting my Muierimei from the Guild, I’ll let you know. She has an incredible amount of power and if they know that, they’ll come after her with everything they have.”

“Then we need to make sure they do not succeed. I will be available to you at a moment’s notice.”

“Thank you, Etienne. I better go. I have a lot to do before I collect her at seven.”

Etienne smiled and poured himself another drink. “Good luck, my friend. I expect to be your best man if you choose to have a wedding.”

Darius grinned as he opened the door to leave. “You can count on it.”