Chapter Thirteen
In the morning, over breakfast, Tessa thought about Andrei’s late-night visit. In some ways, it had been a pleasant surprise.
In others, a bit troubling.
“I haven’t fed yet, and you’re far too tempting.”
Those words were both flattering and frightening.
They lingered in the back of her mind all that day, and quickly jumped to the forefront when Andrei arrived just after dinner.
He frowned as he followed her into the living room. “Is something wrong?”
“No. Well, sort of.” She sat on the sofa and he settled in beside her.
He took her hand in his. “What does ‘sort of’ entail?”
“I keep thinking about what you said last night.”
“Ah. My hunger and my desire are tightly interwoven, but you have nothing to fear from me, Tessa. I’m strong enough to control my appetite.”
“And your desire?”
“I’ll go as far as you’ll let me,” he answered candidly.
His thumb stroked her palm. Odd, she thought, that such a light touch should arouse her own desire.
His gaze met hers. A faint smile curved his lips, making her think he knew exactly how his touch affected her.
“Does last night’s offer still stand?” His voice was low, husky.
“Are you hungry? Or is it thirsty?”
“I’ve already fed.” His gaze moved to the hollow of her throat. “But I still need dessert.”
Tessa laughed in spite of herself. “Just remember that this is dessert and not a seven-course meal.”
Her heartbeat quickened as he drew her into his arms. Her eyelids fluttered down as he kissed her gently, slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. Which he did, she thought languidly. She clung to him as he kissed and caressed her, felt a rush of anticipation at the touch of his fangs.
She sighed as pleasure spiraled through her. She wished she could tell Jilly how wonderful it was to let Andrei drink from her. But her friend would never understand, not in a million years.
She sighed with regret when Andrei lifted his head.
“Thank you, my sweet.”
“Thank you.”
Andrei kissed her lightly, then went into the kitchen. He returned moments later carrying two glasses of red wine.
“You need this.” He handed her a glass, then resumed his seat. “Drink it all.” He watched her closely, relieved when the color returned to her cheeks.
She drained the glass and set it aside, then snuggled against him.
Awash with guilt, Andrei put his arm around Tessa’s shoulders. He had taken more than he should have, making him rethink his bold statement that he was strong enough to control his hunger. Because the temptation to drain her dry had been almost overwhelming.
* * *
Tessa had just shut down her computer for the weekend when Mr. Ambrose called her into his office.
“I know this is last-minute,” he said, “but I need you to deliver this file to Smithfield and Bridges for Jack’s signature. I’d do it myself, but I have an appointment with Markinson and I’ve already canceled twice.”
“No problem,” Tessa said.
“You’ll have to wait while he signs it.”
Tessa nodded. “Yes, sir.”
It wasn’t until she was outside that Tessa realized it would be dark before she reached home.
Not to worry, she told herself as she pulled out of the parking lot. She had one of Andrei’s wooden stakes in the glove compartment.
* * *
Tessa was thumbing through a magazine in Smithfield’s waiting room when Andrei sent her a text, informing her that he was hunting but he would be there on time for their double date.
Hunting. She tried not to think what that entailed as she drove home twenty minutes later, but couldn’t put the thought out of her mind. Did his victims feel the same sense of sensual euphoria that she did when he bit her? Did he prey on both men and women? She grimaced. Children? Did all blood taste the same? Why was hers so different from everyone else’s?
She was still pondering that when she parked her car in her assigned place. The overhead light had burned out, leaving the condo parking area in total darkness. Taking a deep breath, Tessa opened the glove compartment. Better safe than sorry, she mused as she located the stake.
If she hurried, she would have just enough time to shower and change clothes before Andrei arrived. With that thought in mind, she stepped out of the car.
And shrieked when a hand closed over her forearm in a grip like iron. Time seemed to stop. She heard a ferocious growl, like that of a wild animal. Even in the darkness, she could see his fangs, sharp and white, the glittering red glow of his eyes.
He meant to kill her.
The thought spurred her to action.
Hardly aware of what she was doing, she drove the hickory stake into her attacker’s chest.
With a hiss of pained surprise, he released her and staggered a few steps backward. His fangs gleamed in the bright glare of the headlights of an incoming car.
She had missed his heart.
With a wordless cry, he ripped the stake from his chest and tossed it aside.
Teeth bared, hands like claws, he lunged toward her.
A scream rose in Tessa’s throat but before it found release, Andrei was there. She knew what he was going to do and she turned away, her hand covering her mouth. But there was no way to shut out the vampire’s hoarse scream as his heart was ripped from his chest.
The scent of blood wafted through the air.
“Tessa?” She flinched when she felt Andrei’s hand on her shoulder. “Tess?”
“I’m . . . all . . . right.” Suddenly cold all over, she wrapped her arms around her middle.
“Go inside. I’ll take care of this.”
She nodded, her movements leaden as she picked up her handbag. On legs that were none too steady, she made her way up the stairs and into her apartment. Feeling numb, she closed and locked the door; then, shaking from head to foot, she dropped to the floor as the strength drained out of her.
She had almost killed a man, even though he wasn’t really a man anymore, but a vampire.
A monster.
Had he been a fledgling, like the others? What did Andrei do with the bodies? Did he bury them? Burn them? Or just dump them where they would never be found?
She choked back the bile rising in her throat. She had told Andrei she didn’t think she could drive a stake into anybody’s chest. But, as he had predicted, it was amazing what you were capable of when your life was in jeopardy. One thing was certain. She needed to work on her aim for the next time, because Andrei might not be there to save her.
She practically jumped out of her skin when someone knocked at the door.
“Tessa?”
She sagged in relief when she heard Andrei’s voice. With one hand braced against the jamb, she gained her feet and let him in.
His gaze moved over her, missing nothing, before he drew her gently into his embrace. “That was close.” Too damn close, he thought.
She nodded; then, resting her head against his chest, she wrapped her arms around his waist. His nearness calmed her, chasing away the worst vestiges of the night’s horror.
One thing was certain: First thing in the morning, she was going to look into taking a self-defense class at the Y.