Embrace The Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #2)(42)

There was still something out there that wanted her blood.

The only question was what he would send after her next.

Lost in her brooding thoughts Shay gave a startled shriek as she felt a small hand abruptly tug on the hem of her robe. "Levet?"

"Ah, so you do remember the poor gargoyle forced to battle hellhounds, and demons, and to hold this magnificent spell of darkness even as he is enduring a terrible cramp in his side," Levet muttered in obvious disgust.

A portion of her tension eased at her friend's familiar grumbling. "It is a magnificent spell, Levet, but in case you haven't noticed, I've been rather busy."

"Oui, oui," he snapped with an obvious lack of awe. "Ding dong the demon's dead, now can we admire our delightful handiwork someplace where the ceiling is not about to cave in and your oh-so-handsome vampire is not about to become a dust bunny?"

Good point.

Attired in nothing more than a pair of black silk boxers, Viper shifted to a more comfortable position on the bed that consumed a large portion of his hidden lair. Beside him Shay was sprawled in a restless slumber, her beautiful curls spread across the black satin pillowcases.

Unable to resist temptation he allowed his fingers to lightly stroke the rich darkness.

He knew he should be resting. After the death of the Lu it had taken him several hours to gather his human servants and put them on watch around the house, and to contact his clan to warn them to be on alert. He didn't truly believe that the mysterious master could launch another attack so swiftly, but he was determined to be prepared.

It was only when he was confident he had done everything in his power to ensure Shay's safety that he had joined her on the bed and allowed himself the luxury of sleep. A sleep that had been disturbed far too early by the feel of a warm body entangled with his own and a heady female scent filling the air.

Well hell, sleep was overrated anyway, he acknowledged as he propped himself on his elbow to study Shay's delicate profile.

With a sense of wonderment, he realized it was the first time in all of his long years that he had actually awoken with a woman in his arms.

A vampire rarely equated sex with a relationship, and while they lived in clans they did not couple until they found their true mate.

Savoring the feel of her satin hair as it trailed over his fingers Viper hid a smile as her lashes fluttered upward.

God, but she was magnificent.

Annoying as hell, but magnificent.

The sleepy golden eyes roamed over his face as if memorizing his every feature before she realized what she was doing and abruptly stiffened.

"Viper. Is something wrong?"

"No." He slowly smiled. "I merely enjoy watching you."

She shifted uneasily on the satin sheets. He was discovering that this woman was oddly shy when it came to intimacy. As if she had little experience with desire.

"What time is it?"

"It is not yet four." Grasping the cover he pulled it down to reveal the slender form barely covered by her robe. "Do your wounds hurt?"

"No. I'm just stiff." Her breath caught as Viper ran his fingers over the faint pink marks that still marred her bronzed skin. "What are you doing?"

"I wish to assure myself that you are healed."

"You don't have to touch my leg to see that I'm healed."

Viper gave a soft chuckle, his fingers deliberately trailing up her calf to toy with the back of her knee.

"No, but it is a lot more fun than just looking."

Her features tightened with disapproval, but he didn't miss the faint shiver she couldn't completely hide.

"Where is Levet?"

Viper grimaced. "Still in statue form, thank God."

Shay propped herself onto her elbows and glared at him in genuine annoyance.

"You really are an ungrateful toad. Levet saved your life."

Viper shrugged, far more interested in the satin skin beneath his meandering fingers than the sleeping gargoyle.

"That does not mean he couldn't test the patience of a saint. I have met drunken pirates with more pleasant tongues."

A hint of grudging amusement entered her eyes. "He is, perhaps, an acquired taste."

"Like arsenic?"

"I should have let you become toast," she muttered.

"I don't know about becoming toast, but I do know you should never have returned." He held her gaze with the sheer force of his will. "Why?"

"Why what?"

His fingers tightened on her leg. "Don't pretend to be stupid, pet. I'm aware you possess an uncanny intelligence. At least when you choose to use it. Why did you return?"

Her gaze lowered, hiding her eyes behind the thick sweep of her lashes. "I couldn't leave Levet."

"The Lu wouldn't have harmed the gargoyle."

"You don't know that for certain."

He leaned closer. Close enough that her heat washed over his skin and the pulse of her heart was nearly tangible.

It was his turn to shiver.

He was a predator. A creature meant to hunt and capture his prey without mercy. He wanted. He wanted to be deep in this woman. To sate his lust as he drank of her blood.

Thankfully he had had centuries to gain control of his hungers. And to learn to appreciate the lesson that the more difficult the prey to capture the more satisfying the hunt.