“Have you a car?” he asked, hissing in pain as the sunlight caught him full in the face. He glanced around quickly, but the sun was full on the house, giving no shade.
“Oh man, you’re turning red,” Cora said, glancing toward the sky. “The thing about the sun is true?”
“Somewhat.”
“I’ll get my car,” Noelle said, running down a long flagstone walkway toward steps leading down to a parking area. Scrubby desert plants and a few small cacti lined the path, the air around them hot, and filled with the dusty scent of warm, dry earth. A small gecko dashed out from the shade of a rock in front of him as he started down the path toward the driveway.
“Put me down, and go around the side of the house,” Cora ordered. He gritted his teeth against the pain in his hands and face, ignoring her demand.
“Alec, stop! You’re getting blisters!”
“I’ll survive. I don’t need you opening up those wounds again.”
“Oh, for the love of the saints . . .” She squirmed in his arms for a moment, pulling off her shirt and wrapping it around his head.
Now I can’t see.
“I’ll tell you where to go. Forward five steps, then stop.”
“I really don’t need—”
“Stop being such a baby. Five steps.”
They made it to the car, although Alec’s hands were burning something fierce by the time he placed Cora in the backseat. He was going to sit up front next to Noelle in order to give Cora room to stretch out her leg, but she just grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him in after her.
“Go!” she ordered Noelle, and the Guardian, at least, didn’t argue. Gravel kicked out behind them as the tires spun, finally getting a grip.
“Put your leg up on me,” Alec ordered, trying to arrange Cora’s leg, but she shook her head and pulled him toward her, plastering herself against the window.
“Get in the middle,” she said in her delightfully bossy tone.
“I’m not—”
Get in the middle, you idiot. The sun won’t reach you there.
I’m not going to let you hurt yourself—
“I’ll sit on you, OK? Just sit there.”
Have I mentioned that I don’t like bossy women?
Have I mentioned that I don’t like vampires?
Frequently.
Yeah , well, get over yourself. She waited until he moved to the middle of the seat before she scooted over and carefully sat across his legs. “There. Comfy?”
He closed his eyes for a second, the sting of his face and hands fading as her scent permeated his awareness, the feeling of her in his arms, warm and soft, one of her exquisite hips pressed against his penis, making it instantly come to life. He had an almost overwhelming urge to bite her, not just to feed, but simply because he wanted to mark her, to let every man know she was his, and his alone.
Cora turned to look at him, her eyes wide and somewhat hazy with passion. I’m not yours, Alec. Although the biting thing really sounds . . . no. Never mind. I didn’t just think that.
He was surprised that she had overheard his thoughts, since she hadn’t been able to previously.
Who’s projecting now? she asked with a smug little smile into his mind.
He pinched her behind, caressing the sweet curves of her ass as he asked, “Where exactly are we, Noelle?”
“Arizona. Outside of Flagstaff, actually. How did you knock out Mr. de Marco? I didn’t see you do anything.”
Cora sagged against him, her fingers absently toying with the hair at his nape. He wondered how long he’d be able to stand that without having to make love to her.
Her fingers stilled for a moment as she glanced at him from the corners of her eyes before a wicked little smile curled her lips.
“Where are we going? I only have this rental car for another day, so if you’re hoping to drive somewhere at a distance, I’m afraid—”
“Into the nearest town, then the airport,” Alec said, warring with his need to claim Cora again—her mouth, her body, her soul—and common sense.
“Will do,” Noelle said, turning onto a main highway.
“Airport?” Cora asked. “Where are we going?”
“Where do you live?” he countered.
“Outside of San Francisco.”
“Then we’ll have a doctor see you first, and fly into San Francisco, so we can pick up your passport and anything you want to bring with you.”
“Bring with me where?” she asked, and by the way she held herself, he knew she was in increasing pain. He wished he could take it from her, and nuzzled her neck, hoping to distract her.
“Florence.”
“Florence . . . Italy?” Cora asked, her voice a squeak as he nibbled on her earlobe. Jesus wept! Do that sucky thing behind my ear again.
He sucked. She moaned in his head.
Why Italy?
That’s where my friend and his Beloved live.
The friend you betrayed?
Yes. Kristoff and Pia are tied up with de Marco and Ulfur. They’ll help us.
Why on earth would they do that when you betrayed one and seduced the other?
He smiled at the jealousy she fought whenever she thought of Pia.
We didn’t have sex, mi corazón. Well, she touched me, I touched her, and that was it. I suppose you could call that sort of a minor form of sex. Regardless, you have nothing to be jealous of.
I am not . . . oh, move on. Why would they help us?
Because I’m not going to give them any other choice, he said, and gently pushed her out of his mind. He had some planning to do.
Two hours later Cora limped out to Noelle’s car, glaring at him when he offered to carry her.
“The tetanus shot hurt more than the bullet. Stop hovering over me, Alec, I’m fine. It’s just a smidgen pinchy now. Did you do something to me to make me heal faster than normal? Because that doctor said that it looked like the wound was several days old, and almost healed over.”
He kept to the shadows of the medical building before sliding next to her into the backseat of the car. “I haven’t done anything to you, no. It could be the Tool making you . . . more.”
“More what?” Cora looked startled at the idea.
“More than mortal, I think,” Noelle said, starting the car, pausing to glance back at him. “We Beloveds, even when not Joined, are kind of . . . oh, I like to think of us as ‘woman plus.’ We have extra bonus abilities, like healing faster, and being more resilient, things like that.”
“We Beloveds?” Cora almost choked on the word.
She thinks you’re my Beloved. Do not argue with her—it’s easier if she believes it to be true.
Is it? She clearly wanted to say more, but withdrew from him mentally.
“Yes. Didn’t Alec tell you? I’m a Beloved, too, although the Dark One I was supposed to save ended up liking my roommate more than me.”
Cora cast him a curious look. “Beloveds can do that? ”
“No,” he answered.
“Sometimes they can, yes,” Noelle contradicted him. “Sebastian—he was the Dark One—said it had something to do with fate, that sometimes it got messed up, and assigned the wrong Beloved to a Dark One. Airport?”
“Please,” Alec answered.
“You got it. I should return home, anyway.”
“So this vampire you were supposed to hook up with ran off with your roomie? The dog!” Cora said, shooting him irritated glances just as if he were at fault. “I hope you let them know how you feel.”