Where Darkness Lives Read online

  Sophia hastily squelched the delicious image.

  Focus, Sophia. Focus.

  “If I do decide I need to defend my territory, I’ll confront her directly.” She narrowed her gaze. “I have no tolerance for creatures who attack anonymously.”

  The nymph paled, hastily backing away. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Sophia rolled her eyes. The stupid female might as well have tattooed “guilty” across her forehead.

  Grasping her upper arm, Sophia yanked her to a halt. “Don’t run away, Victoria. We have so much to discuss.”

  “Please,” the nymph pleaded. “Don’t hurt me.”

  “That all depends on you,” she growled. “Confess and I won’t kill you here and now.”

  The silver eyes shimmered with terrified tears. “How did you know it was me?”

  “I’m a pure-blooded Were.”

  Victoria frowned at Sophia’s deliberately vague response. “The witch promised me that the amulet would disguise my scent completely.”

  A disguise amulet.

  That’s how the woman had waltzed into her yard without leaving a trail.

  “Why?” Sophia demanded.

  “You know why.”

  It was Sophia’s turn to frown, her gaze moving toward the short, stocky male cur built like a fireplug. He had brown hair and pale eyes with unremarkable features.

  “You can’t possibly imagine I would be interested in Morton?”

  Victoria sucked in an offended breath. “He’s perfect. Why wouldn’t you want him?”

  Where to start?

  Sophia picked the first one that came to mind. “He’s a cur.”

  “So?”

  “So Weres and curs don’t mix,” Sophia snapped. “Now tell me why you’ve been harassing me.”

  The nymph licked her lips. “I . . .”

  “What?”

  “I didn’t like how Morton watched you when he thought I wasn’t looking.”

  Sophia swore. “So you thought you could badger me into leaving?”

  “It was worth a shot.” The nymph shrugged. “I couldn’t physically force you to leave.”

  “And when that didn’t work?” Sophia pressed.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Did you decide on a more permanent solution?”

  There was a stunned silence before Victoria at last gave a slow shake of her head.

  “Permanent?”

  “Running me over in your car?” Sophia suggested sweetly. “Releasing a rabid pit bull to attack me?”

  Victoria lost another layer of color. “I’m in love, not insane.”

  “Not much difference,” Sophia muttered.

  “Perhaps not, but I know that none of those things would actually kill you,” Victoria said. “Only piss you off.”

  Her words teased at the edge of Sophia’s mind, but for the moment she was too preoccupied to sort through the sensation that she should be disturbed by the comment.

  “A silver bullet through the heart would be lethal,” she pointed out.

  The nymph held up pleading hands. “Look, I left a few notes, a dead rat, and slashed your tires.”

  “The brick through my window?”

  “Yes, the brick,” she admitted. “I’ll pay for the damages if that’s what you want.”

  Sophia gave the spiteful female a small shake before shoving her away in disgust.

  “What I want is for you to leave me the hell alone.”

  “You got it.” Victoria visibly struggled to regain her composure, smoothing her shaking hands over her hair as her gaze shifted to Luc. “I think it’s obvious to everyone in the neighborhood that you’re taken.”

  Sophia stiffened. “I’m not ‘taken.’ ”

  “No? I doubt the Were would agree. The way he looks at you . . .” She gave a tiny giggle. “It gives me the shivers.”

  Sophia followed the nymph’s gaze, finding Luc staring at her with a heat that made the very air sizzle.

  Shivers? Her entire body trembled.

  “He’s an alpha,” she lamely retorted.

  “It has nothing to do with him being an alpha and everything to do with him being a man.” Victoria heaved a feminine sigh of pleasure. “And what a man he is.”

  Sophia’s power made the nymph’s hair stir in warning. “I thought you were desperately in love with your cur?”

  “I am, but I’m not blind.” Not entirely suicidal, the female returned her attention to Sophia. “Take my advice and lock him away before some tart tries to steal him.”

  Sophia clenched her hands, her gaze still locked with Luc as she absently considered the logistics of holding such a powerful beast captive.

  Preferably in her bed.

  * * *

  Luc was a typical male Were.

  Warm-blooded, fully functioning, and possessing a fine appreciation for the opposite sex.

  Tonight, however, he had to clench his teeth against the soft female hands that took every opportunity to touch his exposed skin and the plethora of boobs waggled beneath his nose.

  There was only one woman he wanted touching his body or offering him the temptation of her firm, delectable breasts.

  The knowledge should have sent him howling into the night in terror.

  But if the past few days had taught him nothing else, it was that it was far too late to avoid his obsessive need for Sophia.

  Even when he was miles away from Chicago she consumed his thoughts, the overriding need to return to her side a nagging ache that couldn’t be denied. And when she was near...

  Dios.

  Pretending indifference to disguise his acute awareness of the female Were, not to mention his savage need to haul her nearly naked body away from the gawking male guests, Luc covertly monitored her every movement.

  Which was why he knew the second the nymph approached her.

  Tensing, he battled back his instinct to rush to Sophia’s side. He didn’t have to overhear their words to know that Sophia was in charge of the heated exchange, or to suspect that she was managing to bully information from the nymph.

  A fact confirmed when Victoria crossed the terrace to grasp her lover’s arm and with nervous glances toward Sophia urged him across the lawn toward the side gate.

  Clearly, Sophia was more than capable of holding her own. At least when the enemy was face-to-face.

  But when she turned to enter the house through the French doors, without so much as a glance in his direction, he could no longer deny his primitive male urges.

  Nothing like the sight of his prey attempting to escape to send a predator into a frenzy.

  Nearly bowling down the gaggle of females leaning against his lounge chair, Luc was on his feet and following in Sophia’s wake. He didn’t give a damn about the cries of protest. The only thing that mattered was getting to the female who had him so twisted in knots he couldn’t think straight.

  He caught up with her as she crossed the shadowed kitchen, moving with a burst of speed to block her path.

  “What did you discover?” he demanded.

  She came to a grudging halt, her hands on her hips. “How do you know I discovered anything?”

  “You were looking very chummy with the nymph. I doubt you were exchanging recipes.”

  Emerald fire sparked in her eyes. “Is that an insult of my cooking abilities?”

  His lips twitched as he recalled coming home last evening to find Sophia waiting for him at the table, her expectant expression revealing her pride in the hideous creation steaming on his plate.

  It was a testament to his devotion to her that he’d managed to choke down more than two spoonfuls.

  “Cara, I’ve eaten raw slug demons that tasted better than your meat loaf.”

  Her power slammed into him, nearly sending him reeling backwards.

  “It was salmon loaf, and since I never wanted to cook for you in the first place I hope it gives you food poisoning.”

  “I think it very nearly did.” He did
a hasty sidestep as she attempted to circle past him. “Where are you going?”

  Her jaw tightened. “To bed.”

  He hissed, his body reacting with violent excitement to her simple statement.

  It wasn’t helping matters that he’d spent the past four hours imagining how easy it would be to slice through the strings holding together her tiny excuse for a swimsuit.

  Suddenly his Speedo was painfully tight.

  “At this hour?”

  “I’m tired.”

  Tired? Mierda. He had never felt more juiced in his life. As if his entire body was buzzing with electric anticipation.

  He stepped closer, his wolf relishing the warm scent of woman and power.

  Until Sophia he’d never noticed whether a female could match his strength. So long as she was attractive and intelligent enough to hold his interest outside of bed he considered it a good relationship.

  Now, he found his wolf preening at the knowledge this female was capable of holding her own.

  Even against him.

  His fingers lifted to grasp a strand of pale gold hair, savoring the feel of the silky softness.

  “You still have guests.”

  “They aren’t waiting around for my company,” she said, the bite in her voice unmistakable. “Just try to keep the noise down. We don’t want to be busted by the neighborhood watch.”

  A slow, wicked smile curved his lips. “Why, Sophia. Are you jealous?”

  Holding herself rigid, she met his teasing gaze. “I’m a Were.”

  “And?”

  “And we don’t get jealous.”

  His humorless laugh echoed through the kitchen. “If that were true then I wouldn’t have waited outside your club for that damned imp to show up just so I could make it clear he wasn’t to so much as smile at you during your meeting.”

  She blinked in surprise at his blunt confession. As she should. He’d felt like a dork waiting for the imp to make his scheduled appointment with Sophia and then accosting him as if he were some lethal assassin instead of a harmless liquor distributor.

  Of course that didn’t stop him.

  He’d been compelled to make sure the fey understood that Sophia belonged to him.

  “I wondered why Andrew looked like he’d just swallowed his tongue,” she muttered.

  “He was lucky he still had a tongue after I watched him whispering sweet nothings in your ear,” he said dryly.

  She sniffed, folding her arms over her chest. “At least he wasn’t groping me like an octopus.”

  Ah. She was jealous.

  Thank God.

  “Are you referring to Kirsten?” he asked in an overly innocent tone.

  Her eyes narrowed. “I’ve never cared for cold-blooded leeches, but to each his own I guess.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  Not giving her time to react, Luc scooped Sophia off her feet and headed out of the kitchen.

  “What are you doing?”

  She frowned, but astonishingly she made no effort to struggle out of his grasp. Or even to rip out his throat.

  Progress.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Then talk,” she muttered.

  He crossed the foyer and easily jogged up the curved staircase, using the excuse to press her tight against his chest.

  “In private.”

  “What about your groupies?”

  “They’ll eventually find easier game.” He held her petulant gaze, not bothering to hide his smoldering desire. “This one’s already been bagged and tagged.”

  She licked her lips as he stepped into her bedroom and kicked shut the door behind them.

  “Luc.”

  Still holding her gaze, which was now wary, he gently set her on her feet in the middle of the room, his hands resting on her nicely rounded hips.

  “We won’t be interrupted here.”

  She arched a brow. “And that’s the only reason you chose my bedroom?”

  His grip tightened on her hips, his already hardened cock throbbing with an eager plea for attention, but with an effort he forced himself to concentrate on business before pleasure.

  Later . . .

  Oh, the things he intended to do.

  “Tell me what you learned from the nymph.”

  Her lips thinned at his commanding tone, but she wasn’t a fool. She had to sense he was hanging on by a thread.

  As if his raging erection didn’t give it away.

  “She was the one harassing me.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “She’s not the brightest bulb,” she said dryly. “With a little prompting she confessed to writing the notes and leaving dead animals and slashing my tires. Oh, and throwing the brick through my window.” She made a sound of disgust. “Bitch.”

  He nodded. He’d pegged the nymph for the childish pranks, but it was nice to have it confirmed.

  “And the attempts on your life?”

  “She was clueless.”

  “You believe her?”

  “Yes.” She nodded without hesitation. “She might be a flake, but she’s not bloodthirsty enough to try to kill me.”

  “So there are two separate enemies.” Luc felt a piece of the aggravating puzzle slide into place. It wasn’t that the harassment was escalating. It was that they were traveling separate paths. “One mystery solved.”

  She tilted back her head to regard him with a lift of her brows.

  “What about you?”

  “Me?”

  “You were the one who insisted that I host this ridiculous shindig,” she tartly reminded him. “Did you learn anything besides Cindy’s bust size?”

  “Cindy?”

  “The mortal who was worshipping at your feet.”

  “Ah.” He allowed his fingers to trail over her lower back, male enough to enjoy her pique. “Was she the brunette or the redhead? They all start to look alike.”

  “You . . .”

  He pressed a finger to her lips, halting her furious words. “I’ve started the process.”

  She shook off his hand, her eyes narrowing. “What the hell does that mean?”

  He reached into the side of his Speedo to pull out a small key.

  “This.”

  She snorted, unimpressed. “A key?”

  “I lifted it from Kirsten when she was trying to stick her tongue down my throat,” he explained.

  If looks could kill, he’d be dead on the spot.

  “And why would you need her key?” she managed to ask between gritted teeth.

  She was beautiful when she was jealous, he decided.

  Eyes glowing with emerald fire. Her hands clenched. Her breasts heaving as she struggled against her wolf.

  Of course, she would be even more beautiful stretched across the nearby bed, her body softened with pleasure and her legs spread in invitation, he acknowledged.

  His hands brushed up and over her bare shoulders. “Once it’s daylight I intend to search her lair.”

  “She couldn’t have shot at me.” Her voice became husky as his fingers followed the plunging neckline of her bikini top. “The sun was out.”

  “She could have an accomplice,” he said, already having considered the fact that the vampire could be using a less-flammable partner to throw them off track.

  “Hmmm.”

  She tried to sound skeptical, but he didn’t miss her tiny gasp of pleasure as his fingers slipped beneath the fabric of her swimsuit to find her nipples already beaded in anticipation.

  Subtly he nudged her backward, herding her toward the bed that had featured in a hundred fantasies over the past four nights.

  “After that I have a date with Morton.”

  Her lips curled into a mocking smile. “Is there something you want to share with me?”

  With an impatient motion, he yanked off the tiny top, cupping her swollen breasts with a gentle reverence.

  “A golf date.”

  She groaned, her hands reaching to grasp his shoulders. As if she
was having difficulty standing.

  He knew the feeling.

  “You play golf?”

  “How hard can it be?” he muttered, distracted by the spectacular sight of her rosy nipples that quite literally begged for his kiss.

  “Fine.” She cleared her throat. “If that’s all.”

  Grasping her by the waist, he lifted her just high enough to toss her into the middle of the vast bed.

  “Not nearly.”

  CHAPTER 6

  Sophia shuddered, lifting herself on her elbows to regard the man standing over her like an ancient conqueror.

  She should be pissed.

  How many times had she warned him not to act like a caveman?

  And yet, she’d not only allowed him to drag her to her bedroom, but she hadn’t made so much as a peep when he’d ripped off her top and tossed her onto the bed like she was some sort of spoils of war.

  Perhaps it was because she was so damned consumed by her cravings she couldn’t think of anything but getting that hard, bronzed body on top of her.

  Sucking in a deep breath, she struggled to regain command of the encounter that was swiftly escalating out of control.

  “Have you been sneaking into the nectar?” she husked.

  The dark eyes shimmered like polished ebony in the moonlight, his hands not quite steady as they tugged off his tiny Speedos.

  “I don’t need nectar to be on fire for you,” he growled, his massive erection growing even larger as she studied it with an avid gaze. “These past nights have been unbearable.”

  Her heart stopped beating as he sprawled on the bed next to her, the heat of his naked body like a furnace.

  “This is a very bad idea.”

  “Not as bad as denying what we both want.” His wolf glowed in his eyes as he reached for her hand, pressing it against his arousal. “Feel what you do to me.”

  “Luc.”

  Unable to deny temptation, she wrapped her fingers around his shaft, exploring down to the heavy testicles before slowly skimming back up to find the broad tip that was already damp with his seed.

  “Dios.” He shuddered, exposing a claw to slice through the string holding her swimsuit bottom together. She parted her lips to protest the destruction of her expensive clothing, only to have a groan escape as he spread his palm over her bare ass, his fingers squeezing her flesh in promise of pleasure to come. “Hour after hour I lay in my bed, hearing you pace the floor while the scent of your desire filled the air.” He peered deep into her eyes. “Do you know what it cost me not to come to you? Not to ease your need?”