Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

NICHOLAS

I couldn’t remember the last time I woke up hard and wanting a woman as much as I had that evening. My fangs had descended, and it took everything inside of me to not roll her on her back, kiss her senseless, and fuck her. I could feel the haze descending upon me, the mating frenzy my father had once discussed with me and my cousin to ensure we were prepared for the possibility, not that he thought it would ever happen for us.

It was rare for vampires to find their true mates. More often, we found a someone with whom we developed feelings and spent many years with, then moved on. Since we lived a long time, vampires often had multiple partners over their long years. Offspring were not guaranteed with every pairing. My father only had two, me and my sister. As far as I knew, he had no other mates or offspring, and he seemed content to remain with my mother, as did she.

I had to wonder if I was feeling the mating frenzy for Holly. My father had not discussed if it was possible to mate with a human. He would have never entertained the notion that it was even possible, but I had been feeling an increasing possessive urge around her, a desire to taste her blood even when I was not hungry, and a reluctance to let her go at the end of the journey.

I sensed something was wrong. I should have been pushing to continue the journey. Pushed Holly to drive longer hours, not stop for inane little side shows. Yet, somehow, I indulged her desire to see tourist traps and holiday frivolity. Maybe it was a reluctance to get home or dread at what I would face at the end of my journey, but either way, I was resigned to spend part of the evening at a Christmas Marketplace, buying gifts for a family I hadn’t seen in more decades than Holly had been alive. What would I even buy my family? I didn’t know them anymore. But Holly was right. I shouldn’t go home empty-handed.

The water shut off in the connected bathroom, and visions of a naked and wet Holly danced through my brain. Who needed sugarplums when I had Holly? She was far sweeter and more desirable than anything else. Damn it. I had to get control of myself, or I’d find myself sinking my teeth and cock into her, sating all of my desires and probably scarring her for life.

“Nick? Are you okay?”

A hand landed on my shoulder, shaking gently, and I whirled around. Holly took a step back, her eyes widening. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. You didn’t respond when I got out of the bathroom. I wondered if you wanted to use the shower now.”

Oh god. How long had I been standing there in a trance? Holly stared at me, clutching an oversized cranberry-colored terry cloth towel to her chest. “I forgot my bag out here. I thought you might want to get in there so we could head out quicker. Your eyes are red again.”

Her expression was uncertain, and I cursed myself for scaring her. How could I tell her that it wasn’t a sign that I needed blood, but that I wanted her with every fiber of my being? That only her blood would satisfy me? Damn it. She was terrified of me. This was why vampires and humans could never be together.

“It’s nothing. I’m just tired.”

I moved to go past her, and she reached for me, stopping me. “Nick? Are you sure?”

“It’s Nicholas, Holly,” I said and continued to the bathroom, closing the door behind me firmly, locking me in with the steam and vanilla and cinnamon scent unique to Holly. My cock hardened even further. At least there was something I could do about that.

Holly

I don’t know who shoved a candy cane up Nick—Nicholas’s—ass, but I wish it would melt already. When we woke up, he was almost human, and I could forget he was a vampire, something I should be afraid of. He quickly shifted back to his stiff, unpleasant self, and I wondered if it had something to do with his red eyes. He denied it, twice, but I suppose he didn’t want to admit he was hungry, not to me, when I had been so adamant that I would never be his juice box. How could I admit that I had had several sexy dreams about him biting me, along with him doing other much more pleasant things to me?

When he got out of the bathroom, he was calmer, and his eyes were their normal dark brown. I didn’t think he found someone to bite in there, but what did I know? He followed me without a complaint to the Christmas Marketplace, and I could almost forget his attitude. This place was utter magic. Families were everywhere, enjoying the evening, which was cold with a hint of snow in the air, a perfect night to inspire the feeling of Christmas.

Music echoed through speakers strategically placed along the area, and carolers sang in small groups, dressed in Victorian outfits as they moved among the crowd. Vendors hawked their wares with booths of all kinds of gift items and special things. Not for the first time, I wished I had someone to buy gifts for, but being on the run and short of cash, I needed to reserve it all for my new life. Not to mention the fact that I had no one to buy anything for, anyway.

Reluctantly, I dropped a gorgeous, deep blue cashmere poncho and moved on. Nick—Nicholas—frowned. “Why didn’t you buy that poncho? You clearly loved it.”

“I also love chocolate and cinnamon rolls too, but I don’t eat them all the time either.” When he remained standing by the vendor stall, I turned back. “Nick—Nicholas, I don’t need it. Not right now. And I need to save my money until I find a new job wherever I’ll end up.”

I gave him a meaningful look until realization dawned. He dug into his back pocket for his wallet. “I could buy it for you.”

My face burned, and I whirled and stalked away. I was tired of being a charity case. It was bad enough that I needed his help to save me from the people chasing me. I didn’t want to rely on him for everything, even though it seemed like I was doing that right now.

He hurried to catch up and stopped me. “Are you angry with me?”

I faced him. “I intend to pay you back for your expenses. I’m not a charity case.”

He stared at me in confusion. “I never thought you were. We agreed you would drive me home, and I would take care of all expenses.”

“You would protect me and find me a new identity. But I don’t want to take advantage.”

“A poncho is not taking advantage,” he replied, clearly not understanding what I was saying.

I huffed in annoyance. “I don’t need it.”

“A gift is not about needing. Didn’t you tell me that earlier tonight?”

I wrinkled my nose. “You pick a terrible time to start listening to me. Besides, we’re just a business relationship.” Even if I wanted more. A flash of movement caught my eye. “Come on! There’s the ice skating! I want to try it!”

He sighed, and I dragged him along the path, weaving around the families and couples until we stood on the edge of the makeshift rink. The wood railing dug into my palms as I watched the people gliding around the space, some with ease while others falling. Everyone was laughing. This was what I wanted. Fun and joy, something that had been sorely missing in my life for the past few years. And with danger dogging my every step, I wanted to forget about it for a while. Even if I knew it was dumb to pretend it wasn’t real.

I grabbed Nick’s hand and tugged him to the line for the skates. “Let’s rent some skates.”

I was surprised that he was such a good sport, and within a few minutes, we were lacing up our rented skates and testing the ice. As I was tentatively feeling my way along the edge, a man glided past way with all the grace of Nathan Chen. Of course, it was Nick, because he just had to be good at this, too.

“Must be nice to have decades to perfect ice skating.”

He smirked as he skated backwards by me. “I haven’t been on skates since I was a child. Seventy years or so?”

“Asshole,” I muttered, and he laughed out loud. If I was having a better time, I would relish the sound, but I was too annoyed by his ease and skill to relax.

He swept by me again, an arm catching me around the waist and plucking me from the wall, pulling me along with him. I shrieked and grabbed onto to him, but he held me securely.

“Relax, Holly. I won’t let you fall.”

Slowly, as we circled the rink, I eased my death grip on his arm and relaxed into the motion, skating along with the flow of the crowd and with Nick. It felt almost like dancing, his arm wrapped around my waist, holding me firmly, confidently, ensuring nothing would ever happen to me. Everything faded to the background, until we existed in our own bubble, only the music penetrating our world, as we moved silently, in sync.

But all good things end, and Nick escorted me over to the bench where we reluctantly handed over our skates and stumbled away, adjusting to the much slower pace of walking versus the freedom of gliding. Time was ticking, and I knew we needed to move on.

Then he stopped, his head turning as if hearing something. My heart stuttered, and fear grabbed me. I frantically looked around. “Do you see something? Are they here?”

He held up a hand. “Shhh. Do you hear that song?”

I strained my ears but only heard the chatter of people, the crying of overtired children, and call of vendors hawking their wares. He abruptly shifted direction and dragged me behind him. My legs could barely keep up with his longer strides, but I tried, almost running to maintain his pace.

Finally, he stopped in front of an older man and a small booth filled with handmade, wood boxes. In one, a ballerina danced on a mirror to the sound of a song.

“Is that the song from the Wizard of Oz?”

He nodded, his hand hovering just out of reach from the box. “‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. My sister loved that song and the movie. I remember her sneaking out to see the movie, even though our father forbade her from going. She adored that song.”

I linked my arm in his, still marveling over the fact that he was old enough to remember when that movie was a new release. “You have to get this for her. She’ll love it.”

His gaze was firmly fixed on it, but I sensed he wasn’t really seeing it. “She’s probably moved on now. It’s been years.”

“And maybe she hasn’t. She would love that you remembered something like that.”

He nodded, still staring at the box. I caught the older man’s eye and gestured at the box. The man smiled and wrapped it in tissue and boxed it up. Nick woke out of his memories, paid the man, and we walked away. As we strolled through the crowd, Nick’s hand found mine. And I felt like a teenager with her first crush, already knowing this had gone way beyond infatuation.

I was in serious danger of losing my heart to Nicholas Frost.