The thought of her lying beneath him caused him to swell. Bugger. He glanced down at his sporran, which was now hanging askew. He couldn't go to Roman's townhouse with an erection. They'd tease him about it for the next century.
He watched her jogging up the steps to Fifth Avenue. He moved quietly to the street, far enough away that he could still see her with his superior vision. She was hailing a cab, a worried look marring her pretty face. Good. It was about time she realized she was playing with fire.
He had to do something. If the Malcontents caught her in the act, they would kill her without a second of remorse. They considered mortals nothing more than a food source, a herd of cattle. Vampires were naturally faster and stronger than any mortal could be. The lass was doomed if he didn't stop her.
He watched her slip into the backseat of a taxi with a graceful, controlled movement. So lovely. And amazing. Three kills last summer and one more this spring. She had to be one fierce little fighter. If only he could direct that passion elsewhere…
His swollen groin throbbed. Bugger. Over five hundred years old, and here he was, reacting like a randy youth. He didn't know whether to be annoyed or relieved. It had been so long since he'd felt arousal, he'd suspected he was more dead than alive—a theory that had made sense given his circumstance.
With a sigh, he headed toward Roman's townhouse on the Upper East Side. Teleporting would be faster than walking, but he wanted time to think. And time for the bulge under his kilt to settle down.
Why didn't he react this way among his own kind? There were plenty of available Vamp women, including those in his own harem. They were pretty enough, but they were also demanding and vain in a whiny, helpless way. Emma was totally different. Clever, independent, and bold. She had all the qualities he admired most in men. She was even a warrior.
With a small jab of surprise, Angus realized she was just like him. Well, no. She was a great deal younger. And a great deal more alive. And she also had a very lovely female body.
But her pull was more than a physical attraction. She was a warrior like him, battling evil in the wee hours of the night. She shared his need to protect the innocent. Beneath their obvious differences, they were kindred spirits. If he could make her see that, she could be an ally instead of an enemy.
He turned onto Roman's street and approached the townhouse. The windows were dark now that Roman's harem was gone and he was living in White Plains with his mortal wife. Now the only inhabitants were Connor and two Vamp security guards. Ian would be guarding the townhouse, while Dougal watched over Romatech.
Angus always stayed at Roman's townhouse when he was in New York. The bedrooms were equipped with aluminum shutters to keep the occupants safe during the day. And the daytime guards were completely trustworthy. They worked for MacKay Security and Investigation.
No doubt, Emma Wallace would run a check on his company as soon as she read his business card. She'd probably figure out he was undead. That was all right. He didn't want any secrets between them. He wanted her to learn to trust him.
He planned to investigate her, too. If he knew all about Emma Wallace, he could figure out the best way to win her over. Psychological warfare. Not as straightforward as his usual methods, but the target in this case was unusual. He couldn't simply bash her on the head with a claymore. He'd have to be more subtle. More… seductive.
He smiled to himself. Let the battle begin.
He glanced around as he climbed the steps to the townhouse. The street was empty and quiet. This was the perfect opportunity to test the alarm system he'd installed a few months ago. Ever since Roman had teleported straight into the lair of the Russian coven, Angus had worried that the Russians would attempt a similar maneuver.
He checked once more that the street was empty, then teleported into the dark foyer. As soon as his body materialized, an alarm went off—an alarm pitched at a high frequency so only dogs and vampires could detect it.
Immediately the kitchen door swung open, and a figure zoomed toward him with vampire speed. The blur stopped, revealing Ian, his kilt swirling about his knees and his dagger pointed at Angus's throat.
"Och, 'tis you." Ian slid his dagger back into the sheath beneath his hose. "I nearly skewered you."
Angus patted the youthful-looking vampire on the back. "Ye're as quick as ever, lad.
'Tis good to see ye again." He strolled over to the control panel by the door to turn the alarm off. "If ye'd been here by the monitor, ye'd have seen me come up the steps, and ye wouldna have been caught by surprise."
Ian hung his head, looking properly embarrassed for not being at his post. "I was in the kitchen. We have company."
"Who?" Angus strode past the grand staircase to the kitchen, where a sliver of light could be seen beneath the door. He gave the swinging door a push and caught a glimpse of Gregori, sitting at the kitchen table, drinking his bottle of Blissky.
Angus marched into the kitchen. "Why are ye here, interfering with Ian's duties? Ye should still be at Romatech."
Gregori made a face. "Aren't you the friendly one? Roman's expecting me to give him a report on the slayer, but you and Connor never came back. Besides I'm doing you a favor, returning your bottle to you."
Angus grabbed the bottle and held it up to the light. "The bloody thing's half empty."
Gregori grinned. "I get it. The Blissky is bloody. Right. You're trying to be funny." His grin faded as Angus continued to glower at him. "Okay, so I drank a little. But I prefer to think of it as halffull."
Angus set the bottle down as Ian strode into the room.
Gregori motioned to him. "He had some, too."
Angus arched an eyebrow at Ian.
"Just a wee drop," Ian insisted. "I know I'm on duty."
"Ye're damned right." Angus bit his lip to keep from smiling. Roman's new Fusion drink was going to be very popular. "Can ye call Connor and let him know I'm here?" He motioned with his head for Ian to leave the room.
"Sure." Ian grabbed a cell phone off the kitchen counter and went back into the foyer.
"So, big guy, are you ready to report?" Gregori slouched back in his chair. "Did you find the slayer? Was it one of the hot babes?" He waggled his brows.
Angus glared at the young Vamp. "I might be willing to forgive ye for drinking my Blissky, if ye'll tell me what's wrong with the bairn."
"The what? Sprechen sie English, dude."
"The bairn, the wee babe. I want to know what's wrong."
"Oh." Gregori's face turned serious as he leaned forward onto his elbows. "Well, that's kinda personal."
"So are yer balls, laddie, but if ye're wanting to keep them close and personal, ye'll tell me what's going on."
"Sheesh!" Gregori gave him an incredulous look. "Lay off the steroids, man."
"I doona need drugs. I'm naturally a mean bastard."
"Yeah, I noticed." Gregori narrowed his eyes. "You didn't hurt the hot babe, did you?"
Angus smiled. He was beginning to see why Roman liked this young Vamp. "I'll tell ye what. Ye tell me about the bairn, and I'll tell you about the hot babe."
Gregori nodded slowly. "Deal." He motioned to the chair across from him.
Angus laid his claymore across the center of the table, then sat. "Is the bairn in danger?"
"We don't know. The Vamp doctors say he's healthy."
"'Tis a boy?"
Gregori smiled. "You should have seen Roman's face when he told me. He was so proud."
"Then what is the problem? And doona lie, lad. I can always tell, and you wouldna want to see me angry."