He stroked her body, explored her every curve. His mouth followed the line of her spine, kissing the length of her back. “Do you have any idea how I feel about you, baby, any idea at all?” he growled.
Tempest’s legs felt rubbery. She wanted to lie down somewhere. They had been up all night the night before, and she had not so much as grabbed a nap. Suddenly, with all the intrigue, the work, and their shared, wild lovemaking, she was exhausted.
Darius knew it instantly. He slowly withdrew from her body, feeling slightly bereft. It shamed him that he could need her so much, hunger for her blood, the taste of her body, the feel of her surrounding him. He had to find a way to strike a balance between treating her gently enough to keep from scaring her off and forcing his will on her so that he could keep her always safe at his side.
Darius tenderly pulled her up against his hard frame, where Tempest slumped, blushing wildly at how wanton she had been, begging him to take her. She shoved her hands through her hair, and at once his palms covered her upthrust breasts, sending fire sizzling to her sensitive nipples and back to him again. She buried her face against his chest, too tired to stand on her own, and Darius instantly swept her up into his arms. She closed her eyes as they moved in a blur through time and space.
Whatever he said to the others, however he had made it happen, she was grateful that the campsite was empty, except for the bus when they returned, both of them stark naked. When she was making love to Darius, she felt totally free, totally uninhibited. But once they were back in the real world, her private nature reasserted itself, and she was painfully modest.
Darius carried her into the trailer to the sofa bed, placing her among all its pillows. “You will rest now, Tempest.” It was decree, an order delivered in a voice meant to be obeyed.
She caught at him as he went to move away from her, drawing him back to the bed, down beside her. Her hand stroked the hard angles and planes of his face, a gentle caress that totally disarmed him. Darius was instantly lost in the contentment, the sheer pleasure of having her with him. He lay down beside her, just for a few minutes, and pulled her into his arms.
Chapter Fourteen
“What are we going to do about these people stalking Desari?” Tempest asked as she snuggled into the curve of Darius’s arm.
He looked down at her, his mouth brushing her forehead tenderly. “We? What is this ‘we’? As I understand it, the society’s first objective is to acquire you. You are going to do exactly what you promised and obey me to the letter.”
“Actually,” Tempest said calmly, ignoring his ruthless tone, “I thought Cullen Tucker said that the society considered Julian a vampire for certain. I would say he was their first target.”
“Security is a matter for the men, Tempest, not for you. From now on, you will do as I say and stay out of trouble.”
Tempest was drowsy, content to lie in his arms and smile up at the black fury gathering in his eyes. Idly she touched his mouth, a feather-light caress tracing the perfection of his lips. “I do love your mouth,” she admitted before she could censor the words.
Darius found he was instantly distracted from his anger. One touch from her and he couldn’t remember his own name, let alone his lecture. He kissed her hard, possessively, taking his time to explore her sweetness, to show her exactly where she belonged. When he lifted his head, her emerald eyes were bemused, beautiful, and so sexy that he found himself groaning aloud.
“Rest while I fix you something to eat,” he ordered.
Her long lashes swept down, her velvet soft lips just asking to kissed again. Darius had to look away from her or he wouldn’t have the strength to leave her.
She caught at his hand. “I’m really not hungry, Darius. Don’t bother fixing anything. It will only be a waste of time. In fact, I feel slightly sick.”
Guilt swept him. It was his fault she was having trouble eating. He touched her face, his heart melting. “You will eat what I fix, honey. I will ensure it stays down.” But he was talking to himself; she was already asleep.
Darius spent a few minutes staring down at her, absorbing the rhythm of her breathing into his body. His life. It came down to that. This delicate, fragile creature was his entire life, his entire world. He needed to take better care of her, pay greater attention to her health and safety. Tempest seemed to go from one crisis to the next. He would have to put his foot down, get her under some semblance of control. She would start by taking naps in the evening hours to build up her strength.
Absently Darius fashioned a pair of jeans and pulled them on, carelessly buttoning them as he padded on bare feet to the door of the bus. The leopards were off in the forest, and he prompted the animals to return to the safety of their camp. As he opened the door, the night breezes washed over him, carrying scents and sounds from miles around.
At once his black eyes became flat and merciless. A low hiss escaped as he exhaled sharply. The enemy had found them. Not one or two but, if his acute sense of smell had not failed him, a virtual army surrounded them. The men were moving slowly through the forest, ringing the campsite. He smelled their fear, their adrenaline, their sweat. He smelled their excitement. He read their intentions, their eagerness for the kill.
A low growl rumbled in his throat in response to the threat. He was anchored to the trailer and Tempest, unable to act as he would had he been alone. A snarl lifted his lip, revealing lengthened canines. The truth was simple. He welcomed the fight. He had had enough of the threats to his family, and his way had always been one of action. He sent out the eerie call of the leopard, warned the others of the danger, and turned to wake Tempest.
She surprised him, listening to his explanation and donning the clothes he provided almost without question. “Do you have any weapons in here?” she finally asked.
His eyebrows shot up. “As in guns?” he prompted.
She laughed. “I’m from the streets, Darius. Don’t let the fact that I was attacked a couple of times fool you. I was blindsided. If you don’t see it coming, it’s a little hard to defend yourself.”
“Our guns are in the case just inside the closet. But use them only if it is absolutely necessary to protect yourself. Let me handle these idiots,” he cautioned warily. Tempest with a gun in her hand was a scary proposition.
“Where are the others?”
“They have gone ahead to our next stop, taking Cullen Tucker with them. He had nothing to do with this that I can detect,” Darius said calmly.
He sent himself seeking out into the night while she hastily prepared the bus for a quick getaway. He found one man approaching from the north, a long rifle in his capable hands. A sniper in camouflage. Darius directed the male leopard to hunt. The female cat was sent after the man closest to the sniper, a few feet to his left. They were in thick brush, easy targets for the cats, and Darius knew their deaths would be swift and silent. He was torn between staying in his present form and protecting Tempest and going out into the forest, where he could do more good.
“Go,” she said softly, feeding shells into the guns she had laid out. “I know you won’t be far if I need you.”
Darius leaned down to kiss her soft mouth. There were shadows in her eyes, and she was trembling slightly, but she looked him in the eye, and he could feel the resolve in her mind. “Do not allow anything to happen to you, Tempest. For the sake of all mortals, see to your safety first.” He glanced at the arsenal she was preparing. “And do not shoot me when I return.”
“I’ll resist the temptation.” Her hand stroked his neck. “See to it you come back to me.” The ache in her heart was real and strong.