She had to get past her fear. He couldn't be with her twenty-four hours a day. Besides, the best way to protect her was to kill Jasper. To do that, he had to leave her alone.
She gave him a quick glance, and he wondered if she'd heard the thought. With the link between them growing stronger by the day, it was becoming increasingly hard to keep his thoughts to himself.
"He's leaving," she stated quietly.
Michael watched him fade into the darkness, saw the blur of his body heat move quickly up the street.
With dawn only a few hours away, he'd be off to hunt before retreating for the day. No doubt there would be more murders for the Lyndhurst Mail to report to its troubled readership.
He let the curtain fall back into place and turned, drawing her into his arms. She felt so soft and warm against him. He brushed a kiss against the top of her head and held her quietly until her tremors stopped.
"Thank you," she whispered, then pulled away slightly.
Her eyes were bright, but not with fear. He could hear the unsteady pounding of her heart and knew its rhythm matched his own He raised a hand, gently brushing a dark strand of hair away from her cheek. Her skin was silk under his fingers. He traced the outline of her jaw, then lightly brushed her lips with his fingers. He wished he could taste their fullness, but that wouldn't be fair. Not when she was so frightened, and Jasper still ran loose.
"You should rest," he said, watching the sparkle in her amber eyes, watching the heat rise in her cheeks.
God, she was beautiful.
"I want you to stay with me, Michael," she said softly. "I want you to make love to me."
He studied her, seeing the hint of desperation in her eyes, the fear in her thoughts. While he couldn't deny the attraction flaring between them, he knew it had nothing to do with her sudden desire to make love. In any other situation, any other time, he might have taken what she offered, enjoyed her company until the job was done, and then left. As he had with other women in the past. But not with Nikki, and not for the reason he could see in her heart. Somehow, it just didn't seem right for them to make love just to erase Jasper's thoughts from her mind.
But damn, she felt so good…
He bent and kissed her. He'd meant it to be brief, but her lips were soft and sweet under his, and he found himself wanting more. Her hand brushed his cheek as she moved it around his neck, and he closed his eyes, pulling her close, teasing her lips with his tongue. She made a sound that was almost a sigh, then opened her mouth, allowing him to taste her. He moved his hands down her back and cupped her buttocks, holding her softness against him.
He didn't want the moment to end, but knew it had to. No involvement, he reminded himself sharply. Let her go. He kissed her forehead lightly then stepped away.
"I cannot do this, Nikki." Because Seline was right. He was playing with a fire that, once started, he might never want to put out. "It's not the right time or situation."
A slight smile touched her warm lips. "It felt pretty right to me."
It had felt pretty right to him, as well, and that was the problem. "I am a vampire, Nikki. It's a fact that can never be changed. I live in a world of darkness and tread paths no human can ever take." He hesitated, watching her amber eyes darken. "I have made love to many women in my time, but they were little more than fleeting moments of pleasure. There can never be anything more for me. Vampire's cannot love."
The lie tasted bitter on his tongue. But it was better she think him incapable of love. It would make things easier when he walked away.
"I'm not asking for anything more than one night, Michael." Her gaze searched his for a moment. "I don't want anything more."
Maybe she didn't, he thought, studying the dark auburn highlights in her hair. But could he hold her in his arms, make love to her, then simply walk away?
"Making love will strengthen the link between us, Nikki," he said softly. "Can you risk that, when you fear the link almost as much as you fear the vampire?"
She glanced up sharply. "I don't fear you."
He smiled grimly. "No. You fear the darkness in me—the vampire. But I am not two beings, and you cannot fear one without fearing the other."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't care about the technicalities, Michael. I just want—" He placed a finger against her lips, quickly silencing her. Someone approached the room. He turned and watched the heat of life approach. After a moment, he relaxed. It was only Jake.
And just in the nick of time, too.
Smiling wryly, he glanced back at Nikki. "Jake's about to knock at the door. He's angry about something."
"How can you tell?" She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, a gesture that spoke of the fear he could see in her thoughts.
"His heart is racing, and fury runs through his thoughts."
"Something's happened."
He entwined his fingers through hers and squeezed them lightly. She smiled, then motioned him towards the door when Jake knocked.
Jake's smile was anything but warm. "Have you heard the news yet?"
"No." It wasn't too hard to guess what had happened, though. He stepped aside, allowing Jake to enter.
"Why?"
"Our vampires are on the loose again. There's been a triple murder in Highgate Park."
"When did this happen?"
"They figure about ten this evening." Jake grimaced and walked into the small kitchen. "But the bodies weren't discovered until two. The cops are still crawling all over the place."
"You've been there?" Nikki said, surprise in her voice.
"No. I asked Mark to let me know if anything like this happened." He glanced across at Michael and added. "Mark's the crime reporter for The Mail ."
Michael nodded. Jasper had been hungry when he'd left the hotel, so these murders had to be Monica's doing. He met Nikki's gaze and saw she was thinking the same thing.
"We have to stop her," she murmured.
He shook his head in exasperation. Did she never learn? Jasper was still out there, and no doubt waiting for such a move.
Her gaze was defiant. "You can't find her without me."
Maybe they could, and maybe they couldn't. It wasn't worth jeopardizing her safety to find out.
"You'll slow us down," Jake commented into the brief silence. "You're a liability, Nik. Trying to protect you might well get us all killed."
"We'll be moving in the daylight—we'll have the advantage, remember?"
"The zombies can still get around during the day," Michael reminded her. "And Jasper has proven he can move at dawn or dusk."
She lifted her chin, though he could hear the unsteady pounding of her pulse. "I'm going. I refuse to let fear rule my life."
Or anything, or anyone, else.He clamped down on a surge of anger and glanced at his watch. "It's past four now. We'll have to give it a few more hours before we move. That way we'll be sure to find them asleep—if we find them."
Jake frowned as he poured some soup into two coffee cups. "And you? Won't you be affected?"
Nikki raised an eyebrow, and Michael smiled. "As long as we avoid the sun between ten and three, I'll be fine."
Jake poured soup into two cups and handed one to Nikki. "I'll be back at eight, then. That way, we'll still have two hours to hunt around. Nice soup, by the way."
Michael walked him to the door. Jake turned the handle, then hesitated. "Don't let her come with us," he said softly.
He raised an eyebrow. "I can't really stop her."
"Find a way. Stop her. I don't care how. Just don't let that madman get his hands on her again."
This from the man who had once told him Nikki could be difficult when it came to getting her to do anything she didn't want to do. He nodded and closed the door, then turned to find her watching him.