Chapter Ten
Vampire to the Rescue
To clear his head and sort out his feelings, he walked into town, leaving a note for Brandy in case she woke up before he got back. Impulsively, he’d grabbed a flower out of the vase sitting on the kitchen counter and laid it across the note.
The cool night air tousled his hair as he ambled down the sidewalk. He paused at the intersection of Main Street, where a lone car rumbled by. Thin clouds floated across the dark sky. A translucent, colorful corona ringed the full moon. Russ claimed that meant there would be a change in the weather. Maybe spring had finally arrived. Another mile or two and he still was no closer to a resolution to his current dilemma. Women were such puzzles. He spun around on his heel and trudged back the way he’d come.
Upon his return, her car was still out front, but the note on the counter was gone, so he peeked in the bedroom. She was still asleep in his bed, her hand closed around the flower with the petals resting against her cheek. An empty glass with melting ice cubes sat on the nightstand.
Rather than wake her, he backed out and closed the door softly. In the living room, he tossed logs into the fireplace on top of crumpled newspaper and struck a match. He dropped it into the combustible material.
The flames raced up the newspaper, turning to black soot. A slow orange flicker caught at the edge of the logs and quickly engulfed the dried wood. Stefan eased onto the floor cross-legged and reached for his guitar. No matter what happened in his life, music centered him and washed away the terrible memories for a time. Then he could think through a problem rationally and come to a solution he could live with. After just a few chords, he heard bare feet padding on the hardwood floor behind him.
She leaned over him, the flower tucked in her hair behind her ear. Brandy’s arms skimmed over his shoulders as her fingers traced the sculptured muscles of his chest. She gently bit his neck, then soothed the bites with her tongue. “I like it when you play. The music is so emotional, reflecting, sad, angry, happy…I can feel it all through your music.” She raised an eyebrow and peered at him. “That’s quite a talent.”
He laid his guitar aside and reached for her, knowing they would make this relationship work or die trying. “I don’t know about talent, but it keeps me sane and somehow on an equal footing.” His arm circled around her shoulder and under her arm, fingers brushing lightly against the side of her breast.
She slithered over his shoulder and into his lap. Snuggled against him, she turned her face up and touched her lips to his, once, twice, then fully took his mouth with hers. He returned the kiss, parting her lips with the tip of his tongue, and penetrated the lush softness of her mouth.
Trailing his lips across her jawline, he brushed kisses along her throat as she continued to feather the contours of his chest with her fingertips. He loved the feel of her soft, warm hands on his cool skin. Sliding her fingers up the sides of his neck, she fisted them in his hair as he began to explore her body’s sensuous curves with his hands. She moaned and arched toward him, pulling him closer.
The soft contours of her ass fit nicely around his hardening ridge. He unbuttoned her shirt and slid his hand inside to caress her firm, full breasts, captured beneath the wisps of silky material.
Fingering the front closure of her bra with his fingers, he hesitated for a moment. When she didn’t try to stop him, he flipped open the clasp and freed those beautiful mounds of perfumed female flesh. His mouth closed over her bare breast and feasted on it. His tongue stroked her nipple until it hardened, then moved over to explore the other one.
Kissing his way back to the hollow of her neck, his hand moved in slow circles over her flat belly, then slipped between her legs. She shifted slightly, allowing him full access to caress her intimate areas. Even through her jeans, he could feel her heat, sense her arousal.
Brandy rubbed her fine, firm ass against the hard ridge under the fly of his jeans and moaned. She had to know what this was doing to him and to herself. He wanted her, all right. And though she’d survive their throes of passion, that commitment hung over him like an ominous thundercloud.
Before he knew what had happened, his fangs slipped free, raking across her delicate throat. He drew back and watched, mesmerized, as a thin line of blood seeped from the wound. Leaning in, he licked at the blood, reveling in the sweet taste of her and, at the same time, appalled at his lack of control. He licked at the wound once more, sealing it. “I’m so sorry. This is why our relationship puts you in grave danger. I wouldn’t mean to, but…”
“Stefan, it was an accident. You could have sunk your fangs into my jugular, but you didn’t. Instead, you stopped the blood flow and sealed the wound.” She ran her warm hand over his cheek and breathed a kiss there. “Dangers of dating a vampire,” she said flippantly, touching a finger to the tender wound.
“Not before I had a taste.” He shook his head in disgust and looked away.
Cupping his chin, her heart still thundered, she forced him to look at her and whispered, “It was… strangely stimulating, and you didn’t hurt me.” With a slight tremor in her voice, she gave a half laugh and said, “Kept things from getting out of control.”
“You got that right.” Guess it was a good thing she refused to sleep with me. I just proved that I don’t have the control to keep her safe.
****
As Stefan got ready for work, Brandy left the cabin and took the long way home. She needed time to think and shuddered at the realization she’d been seconds away from surrendering to him completely. Brandy pushed the thought away and tried to calm her jangled nerves.
The truth was she simply didn’t want to walk into an empty house alone. The sanctuary of her nice, quiet home now made her irritable. I don’t need to be near him all the time. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Who the hell am I kidding? I like having him around.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and a shiver shot down her spine. She let the car coast to a stop in front of her house. Walking hesitatingly up the path, she sniffed the air and looked for anything odd or out of place. Nothing. I’m letting my imagination run wild. Still, she strolled around the house’s perimeter to make sure there was nothing lurking out back or signs of forced entry. Again, nothing.
As a precaution, she put her purse inside the car, locked it, and held the keys in her hand. She shoved her cell phone in a pocket and climbed the steps to the porch. Turning her key in the lock, the door creaked slowly open. A sulfur stench immediately assaulted her senses. Standing in the doorway, heart pounding, she pushed the door open wider and stepped inside.
The couch lay upside down in the center of the room. Stuffing torn from the pillows covered the floor. Books and movies thrown from their shelves were scattered around the room. Thin tendrils of gray smoke curled in the air above a large scorched area in the center of the living room floor. Brandy stood and stared, then picked her way to the hall. Her heart sank. The Irish crystal lamp her mother had given her as a house-warming gift lay shattered on the hallway floor. Bile rose in her throat as she whirled around and barreled out of the house. Tears burned her eyes as she fumbled with her keys, trying to unlock the car door. Once inside, she locked the doors, shoved the key in the ignition, turned it, and the engine roared to life.
Gasping for breath, she pulled the cell phone out of her pocket and dialed 9-1-1, then ended the call. What the hell is wrong with me? Disgusted, she shook her head, pushed back against the seat, took several deep calming breaths, and blew them out. That’s better. She hit 9-1-1 again and put the phone to her ear.
“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”
“Someone broke into my home and vandalized it.” Brandy gave the dispatcher her address and a description of the damage.
“Are you still in the house?”
“No. I’m sitting in my car parked outside the house. It appears the perpetrators are gone.”
“Okay, officers are on their way. Is there a neighbor’s home you can go to and wait for their arrival?”
“Not really. I’ll just wait in my car for the officers. If things change, I’ll call back.”
“I’ll stay on the line with you.”
“That’s not necessary, but thanks.” She disconnected the call before the operator had a chance to object and dialed Stefan’s cell phone number.
His smooth, seductive voice rumbled over the phone. “Hey, Brandy, miss me already?”
“Stefan.” She breathed into the phone, her voice shaky.
“What’s wrong? Where are you?” Stefan asked.
She gripped the phone so tightly, her knuckles turned white. “Someone broke into my house and tossed the place. They smashed the crystal lamp my mother gave me. The house reeks of sulfur, just like at the scene of the animal attack a month back. It’s awful.” God, she couldn’t stop talking. She shouldn’t have told him anything about the ongoing investigation. She knew better than to react like this. But her home had been violated. She felt violated, and that’s different—it’s personal. Taking a deep breath, she tried to compose herself again and continued. “I’m sitting in my car in front of the house—waiting for the police.”
“I’ll be right there. Drive over to one of your neighbors’. DO NOT stay in front of your house.” Before he disconnected the call, she heard part of his conversation. “Cody, please cover for me for a couple of hours. Brandy’s house was broken into and vandalized. She is upset but all right—I think.”
“Go ahead. I’ve got this. Call me when you know more.”
“Thanks.” Stefan paused. “Brandy, you still there?”
“Yes.”
“I’m on my way.” In a matter of minutes, he pulled in behind her car. Jumping out of the truck, he yanked open her SUV’s door, hauling her into his arms. “Are you okay?” He brushed the hair out of her eyes, his gaze swept over her. When he held her tight against him, beads of sweat trickled down her face and nape of her neck, dampening his shirt.
“Aye, I’m okay, just embarrassed about my initial reaction. You should be at work. Sorry.” She relaxed against him. Like it or not, he’d become an important part of her life. His fingertips gently caressed her cheekbones, the careful touch so different from the raw-edged anger she felt, barely contained, pulsing off him.
“Don’t worry about it,” he murmured against her hair. “Cody’s got it handled till I get back. Now what’s this about an animal attack?”
She drew back and peered at him. “I shouldn’t have told you about that. It’s an ongoing investigation. Well, I guess it’s closed now, but I don’t think they got it right.”
“Like hell you shouldn’t have,” he growled. “If you’re in danger, I want to know. How can I protect you when you keep things from me?”
She sensed his temper spike, but he didn’t act on it. Instead, he squelched the urge and pulled her tighter against his chest, stroking the back of her hair gently.
Red-and-blue flashing lights announced the arrival of Kalispell’s finest. The officer pulled along Stefan’s pickup that was double-parked beside Brandy’s SUV and stepped out of his vehicle. “Is she all right?”
“Yes, no thanks to you. What took you so long?” Stefan demanded as Brandy wriggled against his strong hold to break free and handle the situation herself.
Realizing that she was no match for Stefan’s strength, she whispered, “Please, don’t embarrass me any more than I already am. I can handle this.”
He released one arm, allowing her to turn toward the officer, but kept the other wrapped protectively around her waist. She glared at him and he reluctantly released his hold.
Stepping forward, she extended her hand and smiled. “I’m Brandy Shaughnessy.” Motioning across the street, she started to walk to her house. “Shall we see the extent of the damage to my home?”
Stefan’s arm snaked back around her waist, stopping her forward motion. She shot him an icy stare and he merely smiled, relaying his thoughts in her mind. You’re not going anywhere near the inside of that house until the officer clears it. Relax and let him do his job. Her eyes flew open wide and she gawked at him, so he knew she’d understood.
This little experiment worked even under stressful conditions. She stared at him defiantly. He smiled. Yep, communication in each other’s minds works in either form. Better we communicate this way than in front of the officer.
She jerked away from his hold.
Officer Cobb shifted his gaze from Brandy to Stefan. “Ms. Shaughnessy, I’d prefer that you stay here until I’ve made a sweep of the inside of your house and surrounding area. Did you see anyone run from the house after you exited the premises?”
“No, but I wasn’t really watching. Someone could have left out the back, and I’d never seen them.”
As soon as the officer was out of hearing range, Brandy turned to Stefan. “How did you do that?”
“I’ll tell you later. When it’s safe to go back in your house, I’d like you to gather enough things so you can stay at my cabin for a couple of weeks. I want to know exactly what is going on with the animal attack and what it has to do with your break in.”
Staying in the house tonight was out of the question. There was no sense arguing with him. “I’d like that. We can’t leave the house unsecured.”
“I’ll make sure it’s secure before we leave. Tomorrow, we’ll come back during the day and assess the damage.”
Given the all clear by Officer Cobb, she stepped gingerly through the debris and gathered her things. Stefan boarded up the front door from the inside, then dead bolted the back door as they left. The place needed to be aired out and thoroughly cleaned before she would be able to move back in. At first glance, it looked like she’d have to replace all her furniture. Who could hate me enough to do such a terrible thing? Tomorrow, they’d see if anything was missing.
****
When they returned to the radio station, Stefan filled Cody in, then settled Brandy in a chair beside him inside the control room for the duration of his shift.
The sun broadcast bright-yellow rays above the horizon as Stefan’s shift ended. Russ strode in, followed closely by a petite raven-haired beauty with a face like a pixie. She wore tight designer jeans, a sequined sweater, five-inch spike heels, and looked so out of place that Brandy openly stared for a moment, then, remembering her manners, smiled at Russ. “Good morning to ya. How’s it all going?”
“Fine, Brandy, good morning to you. Doing another ranger segment?” He sniffed and wrinkled his forehead. “Smells like fireworks in here.”
“No, unfortunately, my home was vandalized last night. I couldn’t stay there. Stefan came by and picked me up while Cody covered his shift. Stefan returned to finish his shift. For the sake of time, I came along. Sorry about the smell. After the break in, my house reeked of sulfur.” She sniffed and tugged at her sweater. “Guess our clothes absorbed the odor.”
“Oh, wow, sorry to hear about your house. If there is anything I can do, just let me know.”
“Thanks. We’ve got it handled.”
Russ glanced from Brandy to Stefan and back to the girl who came in with him. “Brandy, this is Synn. She is going to be filling in at the receptionist position while Jody’s out. Synn, Stefan is our overnight guy. Brandy is a ranger in Glacier. She occasionally does some in-studio public service segments on Glacier with Stefan.”
Stefan looked up from his paperwork and nodded. “Welcome aboard, Synn.” He looked her up and down with male interest, then returned to his paperwork, obviously anxious to get out of the station.
Synn stepped forward, nodded curtly to Brandy, and let her glance linger over Stefan. To Brandy’s mind, it was nothing short of an invitation, and she’d caught Stefan’s covert glance at Synn. She couldn’t fault him for it. After all, he was male and Synn exuded sex. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to hear about it when they left.
Something else about her bothered Brandy, but she just couldn’t get a handle on it. She blew it off, thinking it was just the way Synn looked at Stefan that got her hackles up. Brandy shook off the feeling. There were more pressing matters at hand.
Russ didn’t seem to notice Synn’s blatant behavior as he watched her walk provocatively out of the control room. “She recently moved here from L.A., where she was a receptionist and production assistant for a large radio station there. We’re lucky to have her while Jody is out on maternity leave. I’ll be right back after I get her settled. Stefan, you don’t mind covering for me for a few minutes, do you?”
Stefan shook his head and continued prep for Russ’s shift.
Russ followed Synn out, introducing her to the rest of the staff and showing her around.
“Boy, is that girl trouble with a capital T.” Brandy pursed her lips.
Stefan frowned and looked over at Brandy. “Huh, what?” He followed her gaze. “Oh, yeah, she’s a looker, all right. Just Cody’s type.”
“She’s got her eye on you. See to it that you stay away from her.” Brandy stared menacingly at him.
“Oh, Brandy, get real. She’s not my type and you know it.” He reached over and pulled her to him, nibbling on her neck. “I’ve got what I want right here. Now tell me about the animal attack. What does it have to do with your break in? Why does it have you so spooked?” Stefan checked the timer on the console as it counted down the triple play, then turned his attention back to Brandy.
She let out a heavy sigh. “The night we met, after you left, the scent of fresh blood led me to a gruesome scene. A body lay torn apart on the trail. There were bite and scratch marks all over it. A strong odor of sulfur hung in the air, and the ground was scorched beneath the body. I secured the scene and called Randy. He called the proper authorities, who brought in crime scene investigators. They determined it was just an animal attack. There was definitely more to it than that. The scorching and strong sulfur smell would have driven animals away from the area, and there were no animal tracks.”
Stefan nodded but said nothing.
Angry and frustrated, she continued. “They wouldn’t listen to me and explained it all away by blaming the victim, even for the scorch marks. Claimed he was probably smoking and tossed a lit cigarette that started a small fire. Or a spark caught from the illegal campfire set a few feet away or maybe fireworks.” She shook her head vehemently. “They didn’t find any evidence of fireworks at the scene. The sulfur smell in the air was mostly gone by the time the investigators arrived. But remains of the body still reeked. Again, they chalked it up to illegal fireworks.”
Her pent-up fury now was a living, breathing thing. “My home vandalized. My clothes and belongings stink to high heaven. Now the scorched area is in the middle of my living room, and no one is listening to me. There were no fireworks or cigarettes involved in my home. These cases are related.”
Stefan stood back and listened, letting her get it all out, and then held up his hand. “Hold that thought. Russ is coming, and I need to do a station ID, sign off, and intro him. Let’s continue this conversation outside in the truck.”
Russ knocked lightly on the glass door to the control room. Stefan finished the stop set and flipped the mic off, motioning Russ to come in. Brandy bit her lip, her body still quivering with emotion. She took a deep breath and forced a smile.
Russ opened the door and stepped in. “Got Synn all settled and introduced around. She’s quite a looker, don’t you think?” he said, winking at Stefan.
“What I think doesn’t matter. It’s what your wife thinks when she gets a load of Synn that should concern you,” Stefan said, grinning wickedly. “As for me, I’m glad I’ll be gone before she comes to work. Don’t need that kind of distraction. You’re gonna have a tough time keeping Cody off her though.” Stefan walked toward the door, wrapped his arm around Brandy’s waist, and playfully nudged her out the open door.
Synn narrowed her eyes as they passed by the reception desk.
Once outside the studio, Stefan’s forehead creased in concentration. “If the two incidents are connected, why?” He leaned against the truck facing her.
“I don’t know. It’s just a strong feeling. What if I’d been home?” She shuddered as if a cold chill ran down her spine. “Is this thing after me?”
“Brandy, just stop. It’s been a traumatic night. You’re tired and need sleep. Once you’ve gotten some shut-eye, we’ll continue this discussion. See if we can figure out how they’re linked.” He gathered her into his arms and held her for a beat.
“Okay, but everything I own reeks of sulfur.” She glanced in the bed of his truck, where they’d thrown all her stuff last night. “You’d probably better leave the bags of clothes and things in the back of your truck. I’ll get them when they’ve aired out a bit.” She wrinkled her nose at the stench.
He opened the vehicle door and grasped her by the waist, lifting her into the truck. Before letting her go, he pulled her to him and nuzzled her neck. The intoxicating fragrance of blood pulsing under her delicate skin nearly overwhelmed him, but he breathed only a kiss at the soft juncture of her throat.
Her arms encircled his neck and held him there as he started to draw back. A single tear trickled down her cheek and plopped on his face.
“It’s all right,” he murmured, trailing kisses up her neck. “You’re safe.” His arms encircled her as he slipped in beside her and closed the door.
All the fear, anger, and frustration she held inside exploded in a flood of tears.
He lifted her into his lap and held her tight against his chest, his cheek resting against the top of her head until she was quiet.
“Ready to go home?” he whispered, brushing the hair out of her eyes and kissing her forehead.
She nodded. He slid over to the driver’s seat and started the truck, his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders as he pulled away from the curb and headed for the cabin.
She wiped the back of her hands across her face and looked over at Stefan shyly, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly. “Sorry about that. I guess it’d been building up all night, and the floodgates opened when we were alone. I’m not usually a blubbering idiot.”
“I know that.” Arriving at the cabin, Stefan smiled at her and stepped out of the truck. In a blur of movement, he bounded over the cab and opened her door, offering his hand to help her out of the truck. “We all have our limits. Feeling better now?”
“I am, thanks.” She grasped his hand and jumped out of the truck.
He tossed the keys for the cabin to her. “Go on in and take a nice hot shower. It’ll relax your muscles. There are a couple of clean flannel shirts in the closet. Plastic bags are in the cupboard under the sink. You can sleep in the shirt today, stuff the clothes you’re wearing in the bag, and worry about washing your things when you wake up.” He hefted two of the bags out of the truck and slung them over his shoulder. “The bags will be in the backyard…airing out.”
Steam billowed out of the open bathroom door as she showered. When the water stopped, she appeared in the doorway wrapped in a large, purple towel. He glanced at her, finished clearing out a couple of drawers, and made room in his closet for her clothes. Pausing only a beat, he sauntered out into the living room.
****
Her damp hair clung to her white shoulders and spilled down her back as she padded out to where he was sitting on the couch. “You said I could borrow one of your flannel shirts to sleep in?” She yawned wide and blinked innocently at him.
Warm and fragrant from her shower, he wanted to eat her alive. “Woman, you’re treading on dangerous ground. We are going to have to set some rules while you’re living here. First one is ‘no running around naked.’”
She blinked at him again and looked down at her towel.
“…‘Or almost naked in my presence,’” he corrected. “You’ll have me in a constant state of arousal, and that’s not safe for either of us. The shirts are in the bedroom closet. Just pick one.”
Smiling sweetly, she purred, “You didn’t say which closet, and I didn’t want to go snooping around in your things.”
Laughing, he got up and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the bedroom, secretly hoping the damn towel would fall off. He opened the closet door and waved his hand toward the clothes hanging there. “Pick one.”
She slid around him and plucked out a red plaid shirt. Facing him, she raised a brow while looking out from under her long copper lashes. “You want to watch me change?” She reached for the edge of the towel tucked between her breasts. “Doesn’t that go against rule number one already?”
“Sure does, and no, I don’t.” He turned on his heel and strode out. “Women!” He sat down at his computer and stared at the papers scattered over the desk. God, he absolutely hated paperwork, and his procrastination had led to this mess. The bright side of the situation was that the investments generating the paperwork allowed him to live quite comfortably. He preferred to keep busy, which was why he had taken the DJ position. Unable to concentrate, he pushed back from the desk. He needed to release all the pent-up energy she’d roused in him. A long, hard run should do the trick, and then he’d tackle the unfinished piles of paper.