“I’m coming, I’m coming!” she sighed, dragging a large suitcase
behind her. Derrick grabbed it from her as if it weighed nothing and tossed it
into the trunk with the others.
“Got everything?” he asked, taking one last look at the house.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” she sighed, dragging a large suitcase
behind her. Derrick grabbed it from her as if it weighed nothing and tossed it
into the trunk with the others.
“Got everything?” he asked, taking one last look at the house.
“That’s right. You and your ‘Untouchables’ singlehandedly
ended the threat to prohibition and organized crime in Chicago,” Mike said, the
huge grin never leaving his face. “Honestly, you’re like one of my biggest
heroes!”
“It’s true. He has a framed picture of you in his
office…which is kind of surprising he didn’t recognize you,” Victoria smirked
at the displeasure on Mike’s face. “Anyway, you’re thinking it’s a threat from
Capone, Eliot?”
“I am indeed. I’ve just been appointed to the Bureau of Prohibition on assignment from the U.S. Treasury Department. I’ve been tasked with destroying all lines of illegal smuggling and thereabouts ending the reign of these gangs that are plaguing the city. I haven’t been personally assigned to the task force for Al Capone but, my department is working up to creating individualized teams who will cover different parts of the state. And you’ve ruined the surprise as to which city I’m getting.”
“Yeah,” Mike smiled sheepishly. “Sorry about that.”
“I know, Victoria, I can sense how upset you are, I know
this is real, I just, I have no idea who you’re talking about.”
“Mike, my partner, Michael Rizzitello. The guy who sits at
that desk?” Derrick turned and looked over Mike’s desk before gazing back at
Victoria with a shrug.
Retrieving her phone, she pulled up an image from her camera
roll, but every photo she’d taken of Mike and every picture of them together was
gone. “This doesn’t make sense. My pictures…how is this possible? What is going
on?”
“I don’t know, Baby, but we’ll figure this out. I promise,” he said, pulling her into his arms as he swept her hair behind her ear. “I don’t want you to worry about anything.” Moving forward, he looked around the area in front of Mike’s desk and sighed. “You found the phone here?”
“It’s nice, Mike, but…”
“But what?”
“I don’t know—it doesn’t really fit, does it?”
“What do you mean? All of my décor is retro.”
“Yeah, but your style is more 1940s noir. This is more—1920s
jazz age.”
“Nah! I think it’s great. It reminds me of those early films
like with Bogart.”
“Who starred in classic 1940s noir like The Maltese
Falcon.” Mike quieted for a moment in deep thought and Victoria laughed.
“My point exactly.”
“Whatever! I’m keeping it!”
“O—k. I—I’m…I’m fine,” Victoria replied, looking herself
over. Her clothing was still soaked in her blood but her aches, breaks and
injuries were all gone. “Should I go to the hospital? What if everything’s not
right?”
“You’re ok, Victoria. I don’t believe there’s a reason for
the hospital, but we can absolutely go if that will put your mind at ease.”
Touching her forehead, Victoria did a physical check of
herself, shaking her head in confusion. “Am I—did I…?”
“No, you didn’t die. You’re still you. I can hear your heart beating,” Derrick answered. Victoria placed her hand over her heart and sighed. “Victoria, I am so sorry. I was coming to warn you and—”
“And found him if I’m to believe your story about his
mysterious phone call and sudden departure. Apparently, she heard her old flame
had moved across the pond and is looking to reconnect.”
“Bullshit,” Victoria replied flippantly.
“If you say so, Luv.”
“No. No, none of that, Rowan. Derrick told me you killed her as a ‘birthday present’ for him when he left for the states nearly half a millennium ago. There is no way this woman is here now. Unless—you lied to him. You turned her and told Derrick it was taken care of. But, why would you do that? Why would you save a woman that hurt your friend?”
His eyes traced the movement, briefly catching sight of the
fact she was completely bare beneath. Abruptly, he reached out and she felt his
hands snake up the back of her dress and give her ass a squeeze. “What took you
so long, Luv?”
Victoria smiled, leaning into his touch, “I wanted to look nice for you.”
Pulling her closer, Rowan wasted no time tasting her lips,
diving his tongue deep into her mouth. Sucking on her bottom lip, he kissed her
with fiery intensity and felt Victoria’s hand tightly grip the back of his
head. She moaned as one hand wrapped around her waist and the other teased her
nipple through her dress. Pulling back, he looked up at her with a smile before
leaning in to put his lips next to her ear and whispered, “you smell fantastic,
Princess.”
Victoria was unable to control the jittery desire to run her fingers up and down his bare chest. “So do you,” she breathed back, her breasts swelling up toward him.
“You’re a knockout, Victoria. Absolutely stunning,” he growled. Rowan ran his hands up the backs of her thighs. She shuddered but didn’t move while his hands slid over her ass cheeks and down until he could spread her lips apart with his thumbs. “Mmm, you’re ready for me. I could smell you when you stepped into the foyer.”
“Good.” Then, with his long fingers inside, he began an exploration that soon had her knees buckling. This man definitely knew what he was doing. Victoria sagged slightly against his hand, driving his digits deeper into her. She gushed on his fingers while her toes curled. She was seeing stars as Rowan continued to finger her during and after her orgasm. When she was finally lucid, she whimpered at his continued strokes until he finally slowed and withdrew his fingers.
She was a tight, hot, wet vice grip. Rowan gritted his teeth and focused as he slowly began to pump. Grabbing her hips, he pushed himself in as deep as he could. Looking up he found her watching him, then her eyes dropped to watch his cock pumping in and out. It was sexy as hell and drove him wild. The look she had was intoxicating, a hesitant lust as if she was in a battle for control and losing.
Victoria whimpered with every ball slapping thrust, hanging
on to the edge of the desk for support. The smell of her luscious, warm blood
filled his nostrils as he furiously fucked her and he leaned forward to lick
the vein throbbing just below her ear. “Do it,” she commanded, tipping her head
more to give him better access.
Rowan needed no further prompting as he opened his lips and sank his fangs into her neck. Victoria cried out, clenching her eyes tight as pain throbbed into her shoulder with a burning sensation. But just as quickly as it began, the sting subsided, giving way for pleasure as he lapped up her scarlet nectar. She let out a moan that made him ram deeper against her. Releasing her throat, Rowan healed the double entry wound before taking her mouth again, swirling his tongue around hers. Victoria could taste the coppery flavor as his tongue swept deeper and felt the immediate reaction her blood had on his endeavors as he leaned forward and pistoned his hips harder into her.
“Ro…wan…I’m…OH GOD! YES!” His movements became rushed and uncontrolled as he gripped her hips tighter, driving himself deeper. Rowan could feel her pussy walls twitching spasmodically on his cock. He wrapped one hand around her hip and the other grabbed the mass of hair at the base of her neck, using it to steady her for the depth of his strokes. He felt like an animal, pounding deeply into her beckoning heat. There was no thought, just instinct to claim, mark and brand his territory.
Through the fog of his orgasm, he felt her cunt vibrate with her orgasm. “Bloody hell, Luv.” His cock was immersed deep within the velvety walls of her pussy, twitching and he couldn’t move as his scalding seed continued filling her. Rowan gripped her hips and buried himself to the base, feeling her milk him and Victoria arched and cried out before collapsing, caressing the blonde vampire as he fell with her. “You’re mine, Victoria. Now and forever.”
“What?” Victoria asked in surprise, pulling the covers over
her as though she could hide her thoughts from him with a blanket.
“You were moaning in your sleep,” he smirked, lifting her
face by the chin as he leaned down once more. “Anything you want to tell me?”
“No,” she answered slowly, squinting her eyes at him in
suspicion.
“No? Not even how much you enjoyed…whatever I did to you in
there?” he asked, caressing her hair.
“Derrick…”
“It’s fine. Don’t tell me. We could always take another trip into your psyche and I can see for myself.” He grinned his impossible grin again before straightening himself. “Breakfast is ready. That is if you can tear yourself away from Dream Derrick long enough to join me.”
“I’ll—I’ll be down in a minute,” she replied and watched him exit the room. Tossing on a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt before checking herself out in the mirror, Victoria headed downstairs toward Derrick’s dining room. Immediately, her nose was overcome with a smell sensation as she saw the large spread her lover had prepared for her.
“Of course not,” Derrick laughed. “I didn’t know what you’d
be in the mood for and you’ve been working so much recently I thought it would
be nice to have a delicious, healthy breakfast before your next big case.”
“That’s really sweet of you, Derrick. Really, you spoil me,”
Victoria said, circling her arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss.
“I love you—and this. Thank you.”
“Anything for you, Baby.” Victoria sat across from Derrick
and filled her plate with bacon, eggs, roasted potatoes and toast.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“I had something before I woke you. Besides, I like to
watch. Have I ever told you you’re damn sexy when you eat?” he smiled and
watched Victoria take a bite of her potatoes. Her eyes rolled and she moaned
deep in her throat.
“Damn, Derrick, that’s amazing.”
“I can hear that,” Derrick grinned. “You’re making the same sounds you were in your dream.”
Returning a few moments later, he quickly excused himself
with a peck on her cheek as he headed for the door. Victoria finished her meal
in peace, but her mind continued wandering back to her dream. It wasn’t the
first one she’d had.
Since helping Rowan with his little mission, he’d had a starring role in her fantasies. And it was starting to scare her. Could she actually be falling for her boyfriend’s sire? One thing was certain, if anyone would know what was going on, Rowan would.
Poking her head inside, she found him perched on top of his
desk, signature smirk on his face and a drink in his hand. Déjà vu. Victoria
paused a moment, blinking her eyes a few times to ensure she was not dreaming.
“Let me guess, smelled me coming?” she asked, shutting the heavy oak door
behind her.
Rowan gave a throaty laugh as he shook his head. “Believe it or not, Luv, vampires actually have stepped into the 21st century.” Motioning above her head, Victoria noticed a set of CCTV monitors showing every angle of the bloodsucker’s property.
“Oh,” she replied with a sheepish grin.
“What can I help you with, Victoria?” he asked, taking one
small sip before setting his glass down.
“Wow! Just like that? No evil smirks or threats of bodily
harm? I’d even take a request for a favor to be named later. This I wasn’t
expecting.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, Princess,” he smiled genuinely. “I
can’t always be doom and gloom.”
“Hmm, so you say,” she smiled nervously and sighed. “First,
I wanted to say thank you for taking care of me after—after everything.”
“Of course,” he responded and paused. “I suppose I should
also offer my apologies. You never would have suffered had I not been so foolhardy. And I do also appreciate your assistance with that matter.”
Victoria nodded and glanced down at her feet. Shifting her weight, she thought
over how to broach the subject she’d actually come about. She’d had it all
planned out on the trip over. But now, repeating the words in her head made her
sound crazy. “Victoria?” She hadn’t realized she was lost in thought until she
heard Rowan clear his throat. “Are you well, Luv?”
“What? I—yeah…um—Rowan…” Victoria took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Maybe she was crazy.
“Why are you in my dreams?” she blurted.
“Excuse me?” he asked through a watery laugh.
“I’m having…dreams, Rowan, really—suggestive dreams about
you. What did you do to me?”
“Perhaps you’re just beguiled by my roguish charms and
devilish good looks?”
“This isn’t funny. I can’t close my eyes without seeing—all…of…you!” she said, motioning with her hands at his large frame.
“Trust me, Princess, I’m not laughing. Quite the opposite,
in fact. But, considering you’ve never seen me starkers, I do hope you were generous
in your imagination.” Rowan smiled and stood, moving closer as he spoke until
he was standing within arm’s reach of Victoria, his voice taking on a more serious tone. “This happens when you allow a
vampire to feed from you. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal and will go away
with time.”
“But you fed from me before and this didn’t happen.”
Victoria thought a moment, closing her eyes as she let his
words penetrate. “But when Derrick…”
“You and he are lovers. You wouldn’t think it strange to
have the odd romantic dream every now and again.”
“Ok. So, I’m not thinking about cheating on Derrick with his
Sire?”
“Well, I said the dreams are normal. I can’t control what
you’re actually thinking or what you want to do, Little Witch.”
“Sure, you can. It’s called compulsion.”
“You know what I mean, Luv.” Wetting his bottom lip, Rowan reached his hand to her cheek and gently stroked his finger toward her chin, lifting her face to meet his eyes. “Have you spoken to Derrick about your dreams?”
“What did you end up telling him anyway?”
“That I was on a case and unavailable. Luckily, my partner vouched
for me so he stopped badgering me about not returning his calls that day. I
guess I’m getting better at lying since it seemed to do the trick,” she said,
tucking her arms against her chest. “Are you sure you didn’t do anything to me
when you brought me back here.”
“Scout’s honor, Victoria,” he answered, holding up his hand.
“Once I got you away from that place, I brought you up to my bedroom to let you
sleep off the effects of that sodding drug. Afterwards, you woke up and went on your
merry way.”
Victoria sighed, pleased with Rowan’s response. “Thank you again for not telling Derrick. I don’t know what he would have done if he’d known.”
“I don’t know actually. He got a phone call at breakfast and
said he had an important errand to run.”
“Interesting.” Rowan thought for a moment.
“Why is that interesting?”
“Oh nothing,” he replied, his smirk returning as he moved
back toward his glass. Taking a large sip, he turned back to face Victoria with
a shrug.
“Really, Rowan? That’s pretty childish don’t you think?” Victoria asked, turning to leave.
“‘Whom with?’ What’s that supposed to mean?” Victoria asked
to Rowan’s silence once more. “Seriously, Rowan, if you know something, tell
me.”
“I just happen to know someone from Derrick’s past is in
town. Someone he once deeply cared for.”
“Are you saying one of Derrick’s ex-girlfriends is in
Avondale?”
“Yes. Someone I once thought to be the love of his life. In fact, it was the very woman he gave his life for.”