Chapter 20

He stood and held out a hand and I let myself be pulled up. He led me through the dining room, down a corridor where one of the doors was being guarded by an armed vampire. Okay, so not totally alone with Connor. My curiosity got the better of me. As Connor took me into another room I asked, ‘What’s the deal with the guard?’

‘That’s Cody. He’s on security rotation.’ Connor hesitated. ‘I have some valuable jewels here.’

‘Not cursed ones, right?’ I was only half-joking.

He grinned. ‘Just standard gems. I received a tip-off that someone was targeting them so I put extra security in place.’

‘Including Cody.’

‘Including Cody,’ he agreed.

I looked around the huge space. It was decorated like a club complete with booths, a disco ball, dim lighting and, after Connor punched something into a remote, loud club music. I whirled around and threw my arms round him in delight. A club! He’d made me a club! The one thing Portlock was missing was a place to dance!

‘This is so cool! Did you really have this room made for me?’

‘Yeah. You like it?’

‘I love it!’ Impulsively I kissed him, just a swipe of the lips, but then I couldn’t help but go back for more. The song changed to a sexy one full of bass and a slow, hip-gyrating rhythm. I pressed my lips to his and let my eyes close as he took what I freely offered.

His tongue plundered my mouth, making me moan again. This was even better than the chocolate mousse. Eventually he pulled back and I could feel that he was struggling with tight trousers again. I itched to help him, but we had all night and the music was calling me. This club needed some dancing.

I turned and leaned back against him as I swayed and writhed to the music. He gave a low appreciative groan. We stood like that for a few minutes as I teased him mercilessly. Then the music changed tempo to something we could really dance to.

I’d had ballroom-dance lessons as part of my ‘society’ education and wanting to learn the tango had been one of my earlier rebellions, much to the amusement of my dance teacher. Thankfully he’d agreed to teach me. He loved dance of all descriptions; having taught me everything on Mum’s list, he’d thrown in some extras.

I recognised the strains of Spanish guitar music and registered that the beat was one we could tango to. I took Connor’s hand and stepped back. He followed me, his eyes watching the line of my leg as I kicked it forward before drawing it slowly back. He drew me closer to him, masterfully leading me as music flowed around us.

His hands traced a path across my abdomen then swept down the sides of my body. He spun me away but kept pace with me, somehow keeping our bodies glued together. His lips were barely an inch from mine and I itched to close the distance, but before I could he’d spun me away again.

He directed me as we moved seamlessly together. Now his hands were holding my ribcage and brushing the underside of my breasts. I regretted teasing him moments before because he was definitely getting his own back. His hands moved up and down my body, never touching anywhere indecent, yet it felt like the most intimate thing I’d ever experienced.

The dance ended with a deep dip and I let my head fall back. My neck extended in open invitation and finally he took it. His lips scorched a path down my skin before ending teasingly at my collarbone.

I was so ready for more, but he pulled me back up. He lifted me, walked us a few steps back until we reached the wall, then lowered his lips to mine. I was lost, drowning in him. My hands tangled in his hair and then that damned zing hit harder than ever. I cried out at the force of it.

It was like a splash of iced water to the face.

I pulled back, chest heaving. ‘What is it?’ I asked insistently. ‘That zing. This thing between us. There’s chemistry – and then there’s whatever the fuck that is.’ I searched his eyes for an answer. I couldn’t describe the power of it; it was more than chemistry, more than electricity. A couple more zings like that and I’d be a puddle on the floor.

Connor pulled back and I was suddenly cold, bereft in more ways than one. His warmth and the dancing had left me hot and the sudden loss of his body chilled me. His eyes were regretful. Something clenched in my gut. I wasn’t going to like what was coming next and he knew it.

He pulled the remote from his back pocket and flicked off the music. I blew out a breath and met his eyes. ‘It’s bad, isn’t it?’

He smiled a crooked smile. ‘No, it’s not bad, but I expect it’ll take you a bit of time to wrap your head around it. That’s okay.’ He hesitated. ‘Can I have one more moment?’ he asked.

It seemed churlish to say no, so I nodded. He ran a thumb along my cheekbone and down my jaw and kissed me gently. This time it felt like farewell. But I didn’t want farewell! I wanted a horizontal mamba!

‘It’s not bad,’ he repeated. ‘But it’s not easy. I have two things to tell you. Let’s start with the easiest one.’ He laced his fingers through mine and pulled me to the nearest leather-lined booth. He slid in first and tugged me in after him. It wasn’t lost on me that I could get out; he was expecting me to run, but I was determined to surprise him.

He had kept two secrets from me but I couldn’t protest – I still hadn’t found the right time to tell him that I was a human flamethrower. ‘Okay, hit me.’

‘My father, Hamish Mackenzie, is the vampire king of the United States of America.’

Thatwas the easiest one? My jaw dropped then I closed it with a clack. My brain short-circuited with panic. ‘You’re like Franklin?’

‘I’m nothing like Franklin!’ he said firmly.

‘Sorry. I didn’t mean that. I mean you’re the crown prince or whatever?’

‘Kind of. I’m having a … sabbatical. I came to Portlock for a change of scene and politics. I needed some downtime.’ He grimaced. ‘But when I arrived, the vampire leader here was a narcissistic asshole who used his power abusively so…’

‘You put him in his place?’

‘I put him in his grave,’ he corrected. He sighed. ‘And no matter how much I tried to say no, the vampires here wanted me as their leader so here I am with my little fiefdom that my father is happy for me to have – for now.’

‘For now?’

‘He’ll want me back at his side sooner or later. I’m his favourite.’

‘Well, no wonder,’ I said faintly. ‘You’re my favourite, too.’ I blew out a breath. ‘You’re a vampire prince.’

‘Yeah.’

The question was, did I care? I thought about it for a moment. No, not really, because Connor had obviously broken free from his father’s yoke. But Alaska was in America, and suddenly I felt a chill. I’d run far away from the last king, but was I now under a different vampire king’s power? Was Connor?

‘Do you have to report to your father? Are we his subjects?’ My voice quivered.

‘No. I took this tiny territory to be free of him. He has no control over me unless I give it back to him. Portlock is outside his remit.’

‘Okay.’ I licked my parched lips. Did Connor’s high-born status change who he was? No. Was I comfortable with it? No. Could I get over it? Absolutely. ‘It’s not like I didn’t meet lords and ladies before. It’s fine. I can cope with you being a prince.’

He lifted our twined fingers and kissed them. ‘I’m glad.’

‘But?’

‘But it’s the next bit that I don’t think you’ll like.’

I grimaced. ‘Try me.’

Connor ran his free hand through his hair. It was a tell of his: he did it when he was nervous or unsure. ‘Vampires are one of the few supernatural races that mate for life,’ he said slowly.

I relaxed a little. Was this a discussion about monogamy? I was a one-man girl. ‘Most humans aim for monogamy too,’ I said cautiously.

He shook his head. ‘It’s not a choice to be monogamous – it’s more like nature decides for you…’

My jaw dropped as I connected the dots. ‘Fated mates? You’re telling me that vampires have fatedmates?’ My eyes flicked to the door and back to him. ‘I’m here because you think I’m your fated mate?’ My voice was shrill. He wasn’t interested in me; he was listening to that bloody zing. Like he should do, like a good prince.

His expression was inscrutable. ‘Not think. I know you’re my mate.’

Nope.

I was twenty-three and I’d only become undead a dozen weeks ago. Life had been hectic and I barely knew which way was up, let alone who I wanted to spend a freakishly long eternity with. Untildeath do us part had a whole different meaning when you were a vampire. I wasn’t ready to commit to a long weekend away, let alone the rest of an insanely long life with him. It was too much.

Connor let my hand go, and it crushed my soul to let his fingers slip from mine. I stood up with shaking legs. All I’d wanted my whole life was to have some independence. I’d travelled halfway around the world to escape one hundred years of servitude only to come here and find someone else trying to lock me down.

‘I can’t,’ I managed.

He smiled and said, ‘I know. It’s okay.’ I could see he was hurting.

‘It’s not okay. Nothing about this is okay!’

‘Poor word selection,’ he said carefully. ‘I’m … I’m not trying to pressure you, Bunny. You asked what the zing is and I’m telling you. We may be fated but you can still reject the bond – reject me. You still have a choice.’ He was trying to make it better but I was reeling. I couldn’t deal with this right now; it was all a mistake, a horrible, horrible joke.

‘I need to go,’ I blurted out. As I reached for my jacket, I turned back to him. ‘I do like you – you know that I like you. But I won’t be told by anyone who I can and cannot love. I’m sorry. Thanks for the date, it was amazing until…’ I gestured vaguely with my hand.

I spun on my heel and ran to the nearest exit, which was the garage door. Shit! He’d driven me here. I could call a taxi, but at that moment I was feeling rather sick. The walk would do me good. It was a long way back to town but I would do it on my own, much like I would probably live the rest of my life. Alone, alone, alone, like Mary, Mary, who was quite contrary.

I felt a little hysterical. Was I rejecting Connor because I hated being told what to do? Possibly. Was it a huge mistake? Probably. But even knowing that, I couldn’t make myself turn around. A band of iron wrapped around my chest and I couldn’t breathe. Was this what a panic attack felt like, or what it felt like to walk away from your fated fucking mate?

I made it to the gate before he caught up with me. He took my hand and turned me round to face him. Whatever he’d been about to say died when he caught sight of my face. He reached up and brushed a tear from my cheek. I hadn’t even realised I was crying.

‘It’s okay,’ he murmured. ‘It’s okay. Just breathe, honey.’

I bent double and tried but the air wouldn’t move into my lungs. I crouched down, then sat on the gravel. ‘I can’t breathe!’ I panted. The world was swirling around me. Fuck.

‘You can. It’s okay,’ Connor soothed. ‘Breathe.’ He sat beside me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his warmth.

I took a breath and then another one. The dizziness faded and my chest started to rise and fall freely.

We sat on the cold gravel for a ridiculous length of time. The silence wasn’t heavy or harsh; it rolled around us like a comfort blanket and I wanted to stay wrapped up in it. But I had things to do, murders to solve, pets to feed. ‘I need to go,’ I said, finally breaking the spell.

‘I know. I’ll drive you.’ He held out his callused hand to me and I met his blue eyes as I took it.