Runaway Vampire (Argeneau, #23)(44)
“Yes.”
“And that’s it?” Mary asked, eyes narrowed.
Dante scowled, but then grimaced and admitted reluctantly, “I may have put the suggestion in his mind that while he was down there he should perhaps fall in . . . a couple or three times,” he muttered and when she opened her mouth, added quickly, “He needed to cool off.”
“He did, did he?” Mary asked with sudden amusement. He looked so much like a little boy caught being bad in that moment.
“Yes, he did,” Dante assured her. “Besides, it is better than he deserved for his thoughts. You are mine.”
“Am I?” she asked softly.
“Oh, yes,” he assured her and drew her into his arms. His head was just lowering toward hers when Bailey whined and pawed at the door.
They both closed their eyes briefly, and then Mary reluctantly pulled gently out of his arms. “She has to go out.”
She turned to collect the leash from the hook, but Dante leaned past and took it from her, kissing her ear as he did and murmuring, “I’ll do it.”
“Thank you.” Mary smiled, and stepped out of the way so that he could put Bailey’s leash on. Once he’d finished and straightened to reach for the door, she said, “I’ll make lunch while you’re out.”
“No need,” he said lightly, allowing Bailey to trot down the steps ahead of him. “I already know what I want.”
“What’s that?” she asked with a frown, wondering if he was thinking of going back to the restaurant for lunch or wanted sausages or hamburgers on the barbecue.
“You,” Dante growled, and caught her hand to pull her forward for a very thorough kiss that left her shaky legged and breathing heavily. Releasing her hand then, he let his fingers snake up under the bottom of her shorts and glide up to brush across her through her panties. As he caressed her core through the flimsy cloth, he murmured, “I’m going to strip you naked, spread you on the table and pleasure you with my mouth until we both scream our passion and pass out.”
Panting slightly now, Mary grabbed for the counter to steady herself as he withdrew his hand. She stared after him wide-eyed as he turned to continue out the door, and was still staring when the door clanged shut behind him.
Mary remained still for a minute, then sucked in a long breath and sank to sit on the top step. Her whole body was vibrating, and her head spinning with the images he’d put in her mind. Dear God, he was going to kill her with passion.
Shaking her head, Mary got shakily to her legs and turned, only to pause as her gaze landed on the boxes on the table. She’d quite forgotten all about them. Turning to the counter, she opened the top drawer and grabbed a sharp knife, then moved to the table to examine the label on the bigger box. It was addressed to her from Argeneau Enterprises. She pursed her lips briefly, trying to think what Argeneau Enterprises was, what they sold, and why they’d be sending her anything, and then sliced through the packing tape holding the top of the box closed.
Setting the knife down, Mary then opened it and peered down in confusion as men’s clothes were revealed. Mary dug through it quickly, noting that there were black jeans, black T-shirts and a leather jacket. All looked to be large enough to fit Dante, she noted.
Mary set it aside and then turned to cut open the second box. This time a small cooler was revealed with A.B.B. stamped on it. Flipping it open, she stared blankly down at the bagged blood inside for a moment, and then carefully closed it. The boxes may have been addressed to her, but they were obviously for Dante.
She glanced in the big box again and noted an envelope inside. Reaching in, Mary took it out. She really hadn’t planned on reading it, but it wasn’t addressed to anyone, and the flap of the envelope wasn’t sealed, so in the end she slipped her fingers in to grasp the small piece of paper inside and tug it half out. Half was all she needed to be able to read the words on it.
We’re here.
Ten
Mary stared at the words for a long time and had no idea why they made her heart race. We’re here. They were just two little words . . .
But she was recalling that Dante had said they were to wait here until hunters were sent to help trap the kidnappers should they try to grab him again. She was guessing that’s who the “We’re here” referred to.
Slipping the paper back inside the envelope, Mary set it on top of the clothes and turned to slip out of the RV. She didn’t see Dante and Bailey anywhere, but it didn’t matter. Mary slipped around the RV and moved to the hookups to begin unhooking her RV from the septic, the water and the electricity.
Mary was rather surprised that she managed the task before Dante and Bailey returned, but simply took it as a sign that she was doing the right thing and checked to be sure that all the storage compartments under the RV were locked, before going inside and closing the bedroom slide-out. Once the bed had slid all the way forward to press against the drawers under the closets, she left the panel to quickly slide the L-shaped couch back into a straight couch. She then closed the living-room slide-out as well. They hadn’t put out the awning, so Mary next got into the driver’s seat, turned on the engine and retracted the jacks.
“What are you doing?”
Glancing around at that question, she saw that Dante was leading Bailey into the RV, but merely gestured toward the table and waited for the jacks to finish pulling up as she watched him drop Bailey’s leash and move to the table to examine the contents she’d removed from the box.