Bast stood, ignoring the downward tilt of the plane coming in for landing. Two steps took him to her side, and sensitive hearing picked up the rapid tattoo of her heart. “That’s not an option. Not right now.” A pause. “But if you won’t come to me, I’ll gladly come to you.”
She lifted her face to his, and he drank in the sight of her. His teeth lengthened, a surge of need in him rising swiftly. It wasn’t the hunger of a vampire that reigned, however, but that of a man.
His hands slipped so easily around her neck, and she entrusted her delicate body to his powerful strength. The skin there felt smooth. Thin. And he knew the extent of his ability to break this woman if he so chose.
Instead, Bast lowered his mouth to hers, lured by the pink fullness. The parted-lip expectation. He caressed her lips, breathing her into his lungs before capturing her with the force of his desire. Alice made a low sound, one that came deep from her throat, and Bast growled his pleasure to hear it. Their tongues twined together, taking and retreating. Teeth nipping and teasing. Finally, he didn’t have to be careful she’d discover his vampire nature and let the elongated teeth scrape gently against her mouth, each sudden touch sending bolts of pleasure through him.
Bast rode the smooth descent of the plane, letting the force sway his body to and from Alice. He held on to her as if she were his last chance for living. That she clung to him with insistent hands ignited his already-rising lust.
Pulling away took the strength of titans.
“When I return,” he said, breathless, need strangling him, “you and I will sit down and talk some more. For now, stay safe and wait for me.”
“I will.” A whisper of promise.
* * *
Every time she paused, the seductive weight of Sebastian’s parting kiss burdened her mind. A distraction she could ill afford. An hour wasn’t much time to make significant changes in the genealogy chart, but she intended to make a lasting impression upon her employer.
His family history impressed the hell out of her, the dates an impossibility to her mind. That he’d lived for four hundred years baffled her and more than once she caught herself imagining what it must have been like. Hell, twenty years ago the iPod didn’t exist. What about the emergence of the automobile, man’s first trip to the moon and so many other wonders of technology—how did they affect Sebastian who’d have seen their rise and, sometimes, their fall?
“Ma’am, may I get you something from the galley?”
She smiled at Pope, at his quiet approach. He’d remained a silent watcher while she worked, but she felt his presence near the rear of the plane. “Thank you, no.” A glance at his watch. “Se...Bast will be back any minute, right?”
“He’s a little overdue actually. I expect the meeting ran long.”
A sudden concern for Sebastian’s health crept over her. What if he’d fallen ill again? Alice shook away the fear. If he did, he’d simply get help from his associates. They couldn’t all be like Cicero.
Still...
“I think I’ll go stretch my legs and wait outside.” When she watched Sebastian’s approach, the rising concern would dissipate. She was sure of it. “I won’t leave sight of the plane.”
“Would you like me to wait with you?”
“No, not necessary.” For all his politeness, hanging out with someone who was probably another vampire didn’t sit well with her.
“Yes, ma’am. Call if you need anything at all.”
Without looking, she knew Pope watched her make her way down the aisle and to the exit. They’d landed on a well-lit runway, and climbing down the steps took no effort at all. As she reached the bottom, Alice wrapped her arms around her torso.
Only three hours north, but the cooler South Carolina temperature slapped her. Across the runway, pine trees bowed to the brisk wind pushing their tips over. And somehow the air just smelled different up here. Cleaner.
Dozens of fireflies seemed to wink into existence before changing their minds and disappearing again. With the beauty of the growing moon sharing a silvery gleam, the world looked silently beautiful. Grown so used to city life, Alice had forgotten what being out in nature could be like.