Part 2 (1/2)
”Darcy, your housing him would solve several problems.” The captain's ruddy complexion grew darker. ”We wouldn't have to draw attention to our 'arrangement' with expense reports we'd have to justify. But you needn't worry-he checks out with Seattle. Seems Quentin, here, has helped on several major investigations. He's considered a trustworthy a.s.set.”
”A trustworthy vampire?” The woman's partner, Joe Garcia, snorted.
”Having him a.s.similated with the team is an excellent idea, actually,” the captain said. ”Darcy, I'm a.s.signing you and Joe to be his shadows during this investigation. In the meantime, Joe, I think you'd better stay at Darcy's place, too. She's got the room.”
Quentin grinned, not the least concerned there would be a third in their mix. It might prove amusing.
”As soon as he wakes tonight,” the captain said, ”we'll start picking his brain. I'll send around an artist to get a sketch of the vamp we're looking for.”
Darcy's arms folded over her chest, her expression pure bulldog obstinacy. ”I don't trust him, Captain.”
”Well, now you can keep an eye on me,” Quentin said. ”And if I step out of line, you can use one of your toothpicks to turn my black heart to dust.”
Finally, she looked at him.
Something that warmed all his manly parts.
Her angry gaze glittered. ”I will be watching you. Have no doubt about that.”
”All right, then,” the captain said. ”It goes without saying this little arrangement is strictly need-to-know. This is an unprecedented step the department is taking. I want it to work. Now, get out of here.”
Darcy entered her house quietly and set down the bags she'd retrieved from Quentin's hotel room. He could carry them the rest of the way to his bedroom when he woke. His bedroom. Already, the house felt alien. Invaded. As soon as she'd deposited Quentin and Joe on her front doorstep earlier, she'd hotfooted it out of the house. Retrieving his things had only been an excuse to put some distance between the vamp and her raging hormones. Why him? Why did her body come alive at just the sight of him?
Suns.h.i.+ne poured into the large, open s.p.a.ce of her Florida room, and she grinned. Joe was a devious man. He'd opened every blind and shutter to ensure the vamp remained trapped behind the guest bedroom door. Joe was bare-chested and asleep on the couch, a tangle of covers knotted around his waist. With his arms flung above his head, she had an excellent view of his washboard abs and the arrow of black hair that stretched from nipple to nipple and down below the edge of the sheet.
Cursing herself for noticing, Darcy tiptoed past him. Her libido had such rotten timing. The vamp had awakened feelings she'd tamped down for three years.
Thankful she had Joe around to save her from herself, Darcy headed to her bedroom. Inside, she stripped off her clothes and padded barefoot to her bathroom, intent on showering away the sand she was sure had worked itself into every crevice.
Reaching behind the shower curtain, she turned on the water. She brushed her teeth and rummaged beneath the cabinet for the scented soap her mother had given her at Christmas. The raspberry-perfumed soap would be her secret indulgence. No matter she normally used only plain bar soap for a quick scrub. She wondered if the vampire's keen sense of smell would detect her change of routine. She reached in to lift the stopper and stepped beneath the shower's spray.
”I thought you'd decided to find yourself another place to stay.”
Darcy nearly screeched at Quentin's husky whisper. She whirled, and then she remembered she hadn't a st.i.tch of clothing on. Her hands covered her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, but she quickly realized she had to look ridiculous. The rest of her was bare, and his hot gaze devoured every exposed inch.
”What do you think you're doing?” she whispered harshly, keeping her gaze glued on his face.
”Availing myself of my hostess's amenities?” he said, a smirk tilting one corner of his mouth.
One glance down and she'd be toast, she knew it. She was already having problems breathing after noting the way the water ran in rivulets from the ends of his hair and down his broad, hairy chest. ”Well, you can just waltz right out of here and go use the guest bathroom. I'm not sharing.”
”Your boyfriend's made that impossible for me to do.” He folded his arms over his chest. ”You're stuck with me until dark.”
”Not my problem. And his name's Joe. How the h.e.l.l did you get past him?”
Quentin's smile stretched, and he shrugged.
Darcy wished the rose-colored tile behind him would make him seem less...manly. Instead, the ridiculous backdrop only emphasized his appeal. ”I'll scream, and Joe will come running. He'll kill you if he finds you here-and I won't be happy to clean up the mud you leave behind.” She jerked when he reached over her shoulder for the shampoo.
His long, muscled forearm grazed her shoulder, and Darcy held herself as stiff as a statue to keep a shudder from racking her body. His large, broad frame crowded her, sucking the air from the steam-filled stall. Watching him calmly squeeze a glob of shampoo into his palm and raise his hands to lather his hair made her breath hitch.
She didn't know why she didn't make good on her threat to scream for help, except she'd be embarra.s.sed as h.e.l.l if she were found naked with the vampire. Her reticence couldn't have a thing to do with all that golden skin and the tufts of dark hair beneath his arms-and certainly not the c.o.c.k lifting from its bed of wiry dark blond hair.
Ah h.e.l.l! She'd looked.
Darcy spun and grabbed the washcloth. Scrubbing her arms and b.r.e.a.s.t.s, she abraded her skin to remind herself this was a dangerous man-whom she probably shouldn't turn her back on.
When his soapy hands slid around her waist and pulled her back snug against his chest and abdomen, the only thought that didn't flee her mind was that his c.o.c.k rested in the crease of her a.s.s.
”Easy. Breathe,” he said, his mouth next to her ear. ”I'll offer you a trade.”
Darcy fought her body's inclination to lean into his embrace. If she were going to be weak, she'd lay all the blame at his doorstep.
”I need blood-about half a pint to stave off grumpiness...” He licked her ear then sucked her lobe between his teeth.
A frisson of desire shuddered through her body, unwanted, but so strong her head fell to the side, exposing her neck.
”... and I can give you an o.r.g.a.s.m unlike anything you've ever known.”
Mention of the ”O” word tightened her belly to a hard knot.
He'd stirred an ache when he'd first strode out of the waves. Nothing less than a wild f.u.c.king would do to get him out her system.
Good Lord, was she already figuring out ways to justify surrender? No!
His hands smoothed up her stomach to cup her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.
Darcy tried to push them down. Not because she didn't crave his touch, but because she knew her small b.r.e.a.s.t.s didn't stack up well against the woman he'd been with earlier. Her traitorous nipples constricted instantly. Right against his palms.
His soft laughter s.h.i.+vered through her.
Dammit, who was she trying to fool? Letting out a deep breath, she eased apart her legs and let his c.o.c.k slide between them.
Quentin groaned and tongued her neck. All the while his hands caressed her, smoothing over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, across her belly, and down to her p.u.s.s.y.
Darcy swayed on her feet, as pliant as a rag doll in his arms now, biting her lips to keep back the moans that threatened to tear from her throat.
His fingers separated her l.a.b.i.a and stroked between.
Her hands reached behind to grasp his thighs, otherwise she'd have melted to the floor of the shower in a puddle.
He licked behind her ear then tsked. ”We'll have to do something about this sand, first.”
Again, he reached for the shampoo. When his fingers ma.s.saged her scalp, Darcy swore someone purred. His strong fingers worked in the suds and kept right on kneading and shaping. He drew her under the water to rinse her hair and, with her eyes closed, she followed him, docile as a lamb.
”Give me your soap,” he said.
Her eyes slowly blinked open. ”Soap?”