~ FOUR ~

Gabe Serafin regained his physical form in a dark corner of the hotel’s parking garage. With a wave of his hand, he renewed and strengthened the protection he’d placed on Larissa Farley’s BMW Hurricane. It was a hell of a fast car and more than once he noticed she didn’t shy away from fully utilizing its power. Of course, regardless of what she was driving, he would’ve ensured her safety.

As he made his way toward the elevator, he realized his obsession with her had morphed into something much more powerful and demanding. He couldn’t wait to see her again. He’d traveled and explored the world for hundreds of years, but he’d never crossed paths with a woman able to completely capture his attention. He never sought out an opportunity to have anything to do with anyone. Now, despite knowing he could never have her, he was always touching her mind.

He stepped into the elevator and turned to push the button for the lobby. He had many things on his mind. Each thought, in one way or another, revolved around Larissa. He was headed up to the lobby hoping to catch a glimpse of her. As soon as the doors closed, he looked at his reflection in them. He pushed his hair back and then straightened his tie and his suit jacket.

His most volatile side, his firedragon, was continually reaching out to her, wanting to connect with her intimately. It was beyond odd. In truth, he had never experienced anything like it. His dragon never sought out an opportunity to have anything to do with anyone. He needed to get the hell out of town before something terrible happened. And it would, if he failed to get away from her. One mistake could kill her. Being a firedragon, he naturally avoided contact with humans because he was lethal to them.

When he exited the elevator, he glanced around for her but didn’t see her. He reached for her, touched her mind, and found her in the elevator on the opposite side of the lobby. He moved a few feet to the right to allow himself to have a better view of her. As he waited for the door to open, his heart rate increased. He couldn’t imagine leaving her. He’d never actually talked to her, but he wasn’t sure he would ever have the strength to let her get away.

Holding his breath, he watched her exit the elevator and walk across the lobby toward the front desk. He loved to watch her.  He often went out of his way to check in on her, to observe her. She was a confident woman. A professional.  A woman who held power and authority over others. He often found himself losing time as he stared at her and studied the way she moved.

He was a mess. He couldn’t go long without seeing her. No matter what he was doing, he constantly found his mind searching for her, checking up on her. Wanting, needing to touch her mind, to know she was well. He’d wanted to approach her many times. He’d never felt so entirely drawn to a woman, to anyone. It bothered him. It scared him. In fact, he wanted to return to Russia to escape his growing obsession with her. He needed to run from her before he hurt her. She stirred something in him. Something he didn’t understand. Something wild and dangerous.

Earlier that day, he caught her watching him, fantasizing about him. He didn’t even try to breach her mind. She’d unknowingly pulled him right into her fantasy. And it was wonderfully vivid. Sensual. Erotic. Now, adding to his overwhelming need to be near her, he was suffering the agony of a constant raging hard-on.

The man behind the counter seemed to purposely brush his hand against hers as he gave an envelope to her. A deep growl rumbled in his chest at the sight of the man touching her. He needed to get in control of his emotions. While walking away from the desk, she opened the envelope and pulled a piece of paper from it. She stopped to read it. She shook her head slightly, her hand trembling. Disbelief. Fear. He sensed her fear. He felt it. It spurred him to take charge. To protect her. To eliminate whatever and whoever caused her to feel threatened.

She glanced around at her surroundings as if expecting to find trouble. Then, her gaze met his, stayed on his for a few seconds, and then she lifted her lips. A smile for him, a smile that went straight to his heart. She took a step as if to approach him, but she stopped and just looked at him for a few more seconds. He felt her inner struggle to look away from him.

“That woman is a fine piece of ass.”

Gabe turned to face Kyle, one of their most recent recruits, rage burning in him. “Go near her and I’ll kill you. Touch her and I’ll make you beg for me to kill you.”

“Relax. I didn’t mean any harm.  I am just fucking around.”

“Do it somewhere else.” Later, after he made sure Larissa was okay, he would drag his ass out of the hotel and kill him.

He watched Kyle walk away, but he turned his head slightly to the right to keep Larissa in his sight as she headed toward the stairwell. She was in trouble. He told himself to stay out of it. He needed to stay away from her, but he couldn’t. He wasn’t strong enough to allow her to face a threat alone. He needed to be standing between her and whatever or whoever made her feel threatened. He walked across the lobby, opened the door to the stairwell, and closed it behind him. Uncertain which way she’d went, he closed his eyes and expanded his mind to search for her. The moment he connected to her, her fear and disbelief shook him.

He had a quick vision of her running up the stairs to the roof. He took the stairs, two at a time, driven by an urgent need to get to her as fast as possible. When he reached the exit to the roof he waved his hand over the lock and pushed the door open. The second he walked out onto the roof, he followed her scent to the other side of the building. He found her looking up at the sky. The sound of her muffled sobs, caused his heart to ache. He approached her from behind, deciding whether to allow her to see him or not. In the end, he realized, he didn’t have a choice. He needed her to see him, to hear him, to know him. “Are you okay?”

Startled, she gasped and turned to face him as she wiped her tears from her face with the back of her hand. “What are you doing up here?”

He stepped into the moonlight, allowing her to get a better look at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“How did you…oh, it’s Gabe, right?” She visibly relaxed and took a few steps toward him.

He closed the remaining distance between them. “Yes.” He’d never cared about what others thought of him. To see her relax in his presence thrilled him as nothing else could.

She held her hand out to him. “My name is Larissa.”

He feared hurting her, he feared burning her, if he touched her. But he needed to touch her. Holding his breath, he took her hand and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, Larissa.”

When he released her hand, she turned away from him and tipped her head back to look up at the full moon. “It’s a beautiful view from up here.”

Being close enough to hear her voice, to reach out and touch her, changed everything. “It’s wonderful.” The moon had never caught his interest until he saw its soft glow on her face. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever encountered.  “It’s breathtaking.”  He breathed deep, savoring her scent, her presence.

“You think so?”

“Absolutely.”

“I have a cabin off the grid in Samuels, Idaho with the most stunning views of Roman Nose Mountain and the Selkirk range.: This is nice, but it doesn’t compare.”

“Do you go there often?”

“Not as often as I would like.” She looked at him and smiled. “How many times have you snuck up here?”

“This is the first time.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Really?”

“I’ve never had a reason to come up here until I followed you from the lobby.”

“Why did you follow me?” Her gaze moved over his face. She was curious but not alarmed.

“You appeared to be upset when you walked away from the front desk. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it was noticeable. I came up here to regain my composure before anyone noticed.”

“Don’t apologize. What happened to upset you?”

“Nothing really. I just received some bad news.”

“If you want to talk about it, I happen to be a good listener.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I made a stupid mistake a long time ago. The news I received was just a reminder of it. I would rather forget it.”

He knew it was more, she felt threatened by the news, but he also knew she wouldn’t share it with him. He felt her shame. In any other situation, with any other individual, he would’ve taken the information from her mind, he would’ve compelled her to answer him, but he refused to take anything from her against her will. “Sometimes the past is better left in the past.”

She turned her entire body to face him. “Is that you?”

“That depends on what you are talking about.”

“I’ll tell you, but first I should warn you that I’ll pick you up and throw you off the roof if you laugh at me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of laughing at you, but I would be tempted to pretend if you seriously plan to pick me up and toss me over. That happens to be an experience I would truly hate to miss out on.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m stronger than I look.”

“And meaner?”

She smiled. “Very much so.”

“But you’re so cute.”

That brought her eyebrow up. “Cute?”

He nodded. “You know you’re sort of little, don’t you?”

“Really?” She lifted her chin and parted her lips in the most adorable lopsided grin. “Feel free to test my resolve.”

Everything in him reached out to her, needed to connect with her. “First, tell me what I am not supposed to laugh at.”

“Sometimes I feel emotions from other people. Many times, I know you’re near before I see you because I feel your sadness. It’s deep.” She moved closer to him. “It’s crushing.” She placed her hand on his bicep. “It’s grief.” He realized, whether she knew it or not, she was attempting to touch his soul with hers, to heal his soul with hers. “You lost someone significant to you.”

Time stopped. Everything in him went completely still as he stared into her eyes.

“Oh, god.” She moved her hand away and took a step back. “I offended you, didn’t I?”

“Not at all.” He laughed. “You just admitted to noticing me.”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she teased.

“Too late.”

She closed the distance between them again. “I’m sorry.” She placed her palm on his chest over his heart and tipped her head back to meet his gaze. “I am sorry you’re hurting. I know it won’t take the pain away, but I want you to know that I am truly sorry.”

For a few seconds, he couldn’t respond. He couldn’t even take a breath. He stared into her eyes, his heart thundering in his chest. “Thank you.” He didn’t know what else to say. No one had ever acknowledged his pain. No one had ever felt it. While she clearly didn’t believe she possessed the ability to heal him, her compassion soothed his pain and ripped the darkness it had created from his soul. He needed to get the hell away from her, but he couldn’t move. 

“If you knew how many times I’ve wanted to approach you but chickened out you would laugh at me.” He couldn’t believe he’d made such a pitiful confession to her.

“You’re good.” She laughed softly. “Really damn good.”

“It’s true.”

“I can’t imagine you chickening out over approaching a woman.”

“Have you looked in a mirror?”

“What?” She frowned, shaking her head. “You’re funny.”

“Did I say something wrong?” He went over his words in his head.

“You obviously need to take a good look in a mirror. You’re way beyond good looking. When women look at you they see a totally hot male model in his prime.”

“You like how I look?” He didn’t even care that he was grinning like an idiot.

She laughed. “Very much so.” He heard her phone vibrate, but she didn’t pull it from her pocket to look at it.

Since she was a natural Empath, he opened himself to her to the feel the truth. “You are so beautiful you take my breath away every time I look at you. You are perfection. You are the woman I’ve never dared dream of sharing a moment with.”

She stared into his eyes. She opened her mouth as if to respond but closed it before uttering a word. The seconds went by slowly. “You’re lethal, Gabe.”

“I would never hurt you.”

“Not like that. I meant…damn. You’re seriously dangerous.”

“Not to you.”

“I was referring to a woman’s heart.” She ignored the phone vibrating a second time.

“I know.”

“You’re serious.” She stated, her eyes steady on his. “I don’t know how to respond to you. You’re damn lucky we didn’t cross paths ten years ago.”

“What happened to you ten years ago?”

“Nothing.” Her gaze shifted to the right slightly as if to avoid his. “I just meant that I’ve reached an age in which I have learned to entertain reasonable expectations.”

“What do you mean?”

Her phone vibrated again, but rather than ignore it once more, she took it from her pocket and looked at it. “I’m sorry.” She looked up at him and put the phone in her pocket. “I need to go. Some guests are giving the housekeepers trouble.”

He nodded. “Don’t be sorry. I’m grateful we had a chance to talk.”

“Me too.” She walked away without looking at him again, but then she turned to look at him when she opened the door. “Are you coming back inside?”

“In a bit.”

“I’m really glad you followed me up here.” She smiled. “It was great to talk to you before you head back to Russia.” Rather than wait for him to respond, she walked inside and shut the door.

It was true. In the morning he planned to return to Russia. He realized part of her was relieved he was leaving. In all honesty, he knew distancing himself from her was for the best. He’d managed to touch her, shake her hand, without hurting her. He managed to avoid burning her when she reached out to touch him, but the danger was still present. At any time, if either of them made one wrong move, he could kill her.

He stood there for several minutes. Just as he decided to go back inside, Adam merged with him. Where are you?

The roof.

Adam took his physical form a few feet from Gabe. “Are you stargazing?”

“How did you guess?”

He glanced around, lifting his head as if scenting the air. “You were up here with a woman. Where did she go?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay.”

“What’s the plan?”

“I’m going to the club to talk to Demetri. I want you to stick around the hotel until I return.”

“Is Hanna in your suite?”

“Yes.”

“Is she a runner?”

“I wouldn’t put it past her.”

Gabe laughed. “I’ll do my best to make sure she’s here when you get back.”

“Actually, I don’t want you to approach her if she leaves. She has been tortured and held captive by demons. She has many reasons to fear us all. Just keep an eye on her and keep her safe.”

“Will do. Are you going to the club alone? I’ve heard it’s packed full of trouble.”

“I’m taking Rowdy and Jax. I plan to leave them to aid Demetri.”

“That’s actually a great idea. They’ll have no trouble fitting in.”