"Of course. I hate to see innocent mort - people get hurt."
She'd almost said mortals, which seemed a bit odd since she was a mortal herself. Wasn't she? Dammit, this indecision had to end. "You're a kind person, Miss Newhart." He took her hand in his. Her fingers were cold.
"Thank you." Her gaze dropped to their joined hands. "But I'm not the one you need to impress. There will be a panel of five female judges deciding the outcome of the contest."
He enveloped her hand with both of his. "I'm not interested in your five judges or the contest."
Her gaze jerked up. "You don't want to be in the show? Please don't let the wording in the contract dissuade you."
He slipped two fingers around her wrist. "Do you think I could win something called The Sexiest Man on Earth?"
"I - I think you have a sporting chance. And it would certainly look good for your acting career, don't you think?"
He pressed his fingertips into the soft skin of her wrist. "I really don't want to be seen as a sex toy." Except by you.
"I understand. I would feel the same way." Her cheeks blushed. "But you haven't heard the latest news. Our producer, Mr. Bacchus, has just announced that the winner will receive a million dollars! Surely that will convince you to do the show?"
"Not really." He concentrated on his fingertips. Yes, there! Wasn't that a pulse?
She frowned at him. "I don't understand. If you're not interested in winning the title or the prize money, then why are you asking questions about the contract?"
Yes! That was definitely a pulse. It was throbbing rapidly against his fingertips. At last, positive proof. Darcy Newhart was alive. Alive!
"Mr. Cartwright?" She pulled her hand from his grip and regarded him with a puzzled look. "Why are you here?"
He smiled slowly. "Miss Newhart, I'm here because of you."
She inhaled sharply and moved back a step. "Mr. Cartwri - "
"I thought you agreed to call me Adam."
"I - I did, but you may have gotten the wrong - "
"And then, normally, you would reciprocate by inviting me to call you Darcy. Don't you think?"
"Normally, perhaps, but this isn't exactly normal - "
"You're right." He stepped closer. "There's something special happening here. I feel it. Don't you?"
Her eyes widened. She looked nervous, and for a moment, he wondered if he was pushing her too fast. Her agitated state could be caused by desire or by fear.
She moistened her lips. "I..."
"Is that a yes?" He touched her neck.
"I - " Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and she licked her lips again. "I don't think it's wise for us to - I mean, I'm the director."
"Then, direct me." He curled his hand around the back of her neck. Her hair was soft against his skin. "Tell me what to do." God, he wanted to kiss her. But was he pushing too fast? Just a peek into her mind, that's all it would take. Just a peek.
It was so easy. His invasion swept in like a breeze, and her mind simply unfurled like a dazzling white sail. He caressed her thoughts. She was warm with desire. Desire for him. Apollo, the sun god.
He pulled back, surprised. She thought he was like a god? Holy performance anxiety, that was a tough image to live up to.
Her face flushed. She looked so hot and delicious, he shoved all his doubts away. She did desire him. He'd felt it in her mind. And that was enough to make him feel as powerful as any man-made god.
Her eyes flickered shut. "I can't..."
"You can't kiss me?" He touched his lips lightly on the corner of her mouth.
A tremor skittered down her body. "I can't... resist." She grabbed his shoulders.
Wow, she did want him. He planted his mouth firmly on hers, plying and molding her lips with his own. he pulled her tight, and her hands delved into his hair, tugging him closer.
He invaded her mouth. Jesus, she let him in. She was feeling this, too, this powerful hunger. How could two relative strangers be so damned desperate for each other? It was more than physical desire; it was a hunger from the soul.
Her tongue entwined with his, leaving the faint taste of chocolate. Oh, she was sweet. Sweet all over. His hands skimmed down her back and encircled her waist. He pulled her forward against his erection. With a moan, she melted against him.
He nibbled kisses down her throat, then back up to her ear. His hands spread over her rump, pressing into her skin and grinding her hips against his groin.
"Darcy," he whispered in her ear. "I knew it. The minute I saw you. I knew we belonged together."
Her hands clutched his shoulders, then with a painful groan, she pushed him away. "No!"
He stepped back. "What? What's wrong?"
Breathing heavily, she crossed her arms. "I... I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. I'm not sorry."
Her face crumpled. "I can't. I can't let this happen."
"Sweetheart, it already has."
"No!" She took a deep, shaky breath, and her face cleared into a stony mask. "We have to keep this professional. I need this job."
"I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it. I would never harm you in any way."
She shook her head, hugging herself tighter.
"Darcy, if you need anything, please tell me. I could help you."
She remained silent, frowning as if she was engaged in a private struggle. Finally, she spoke. "If you truly wish to help, you'll agree to be in the show."
"Fine, I'll do it." He grabbed a pen off her desk and signed the contract. Risking puncture wounds or death was worth it. "I mean it, Darcy. If you're in trouble, if any... thing is threatening you or frightening you, I want you to let me know."
She swallowed. "I'm fine."
She wasn't fine. She was a mortal living among vampires. He needed to gain her trust so she would confide in him.
"I'm conducting more auditions in a few minutes. I need some time to prepare."
She wanted him to leave. Sensitive guy that he was, he could take a hint. "Maybe we can meet later for a cup of coffee."
Her smile was resigned and weary. "I appreciate that, but I have no idea how long these auditions will take."
"Tomorrow night?"
She straightened the papers on her desk. Though she tried to conceal it, the trembling of the papers gave proof that her hands were shaky. "I have more auditions tomorrow."
"Saturday night?" He had no pride.
"I have a wedding to go to."
"Not yours, I hope."
"No, definitely not. But they're a lovely couple." A sad, wistful look crossed her face. "I think they'll be very happy."
"Anyone I know?"
"I doubt you'd know Roman or Shanna."
He froze his face to hide the shock. Holy shit, the engagement had only been announced a few days ago. How could he tell Sean the wedding was this Saturday night? "I've never heard of them. Which one is your friend, the bride or the groom?"
"I - I've known the groom for several years. But I consider the bride a friend, too."
"Do you need a date?" The uncomfortable look on her face told Austin he was pushing too hard. "Sorry, I shouldn't invite myself. One of those big, fancy church weddings, huh?"
Her cheeks reddened as she fumbled through a stack of papers on her desk. "You - you'll need to have your portrait done. I left the information with Ms. Stein, but I have a copy here." She grabbed a Post-it stack and jotted down the address. Then, she tore off the note and handed it to him.
She obviously didn't want to discuss a vampire wedding. He'd have to let it go for now or she would suspect. His fingers brushed against hers as he took the note and instantly, desperately, he yearned to hold her in his arms. "Darcy."
For just a few seconds, her eyes responded with an expression of pain and longing, then she blinked and turned away. "We can't allow ourselves to... to lose control again."
How the hell was she going to stop him? Her attraction to him was out in the open. He wasn't going to ignore it, not when he felt the same way. "I'll keep in touch." He pocketed the note and left.
On the drive home, he called the number on the note and made an appointment to have his portrait done. The artist only worked at night, so Austin assumed he was a vampire.
He started to dial Sean's number, then stopped. How could he tell Sean about the wedding? Sean would use all his resources to discover the time and place of the ceremony. And then, he'd order the team to attack with crossbows, shooting wooden arrows at everyone in sight. And Darcy was going to be there. What if she was injured or killed? And all because he had passed on the information to Sean. How could he live with himself if Darcy was harmed?
She actually thought Shanna and Roman made a lovely couple. How could a mortal say that? But she knew them both. Maybe she was right. Austin had seen Roman and Shanna together in Central Park. They had been hugging each other and seemed genuinely happy.
Shanna had tried to convince the Stake-Out team that Roman was a good man. He'd invented the synthetic blood that was saving millions of human lives. And according to Shanna, he was encouraging thousands of vampires to give up real blood for the synthetic kind, thus protecting humans from attack. Sean had dismissed all her statements as the result of brainwashing, but now, Austin wasn't so sure.
Holy shit, what a mess. Austin gripped the steering wheel. For the first time in his career, he was sorely tempted to withhold vital information from his superior.
Chapter 6
Austin spent the rest of the night watching more of Darcy's taped reports for Local Four News. As he watched, he tried to make sense of the dilemma he was in. He compiled a list of vampires he had identified in the last few days. There were Darcy's two friends Maggie O'Brian and Vanda Barkowski. They seemed harmless enough. He wrote down Gregori Holstein's name, wondering what kind of relationship the undead guy had with Darcy. A friendly one if he was driving her around in his Lexus, but how friendly? Austin realized he was starting to feel possessive where Darcy Newhart was concerned.
Thank God he didn't have to write her name on the list. That mystery was solved. Darcy had a pulse, so she had to be mortal. But the mystery of her situation still remained. Why did she disappear four years ago on Halloween? And why was she living in the vampire world? And how could she live among mem for so long and remain unharmed?
Could Shanna be right? Was there a faction of peaceful vampires who didn't believe in hurting humans? Austin lounged back on the couch, splaying his hands through his hair. Everything had always seemed clear before. There were good guys and bad guys, and the good guys were supposed to win. When he'd worked in Prague, the bad guys had been the ones intent on slaughtering innocent people because of their race or religion. Slaughtering innocents made them bad. Simple and straightforward. No questions and no regrets.
Now, the enemy was the vampire who also slaughtered innocent people for food and pleasure. It should be simple and straightforward. They were demons who deserved to die.
But that was before he knew anything else about them. Roman Draganesti was getting married. How could a demon fall in love? If they were evil, how come some of them were drinking blood from a bottle and taking jobs and watching soap operas on TV? The more he learned about them, the more human they seemed.
With a groan, he trudged off to bed. Maybe it would make more sense after some sleep.
He woke late Friday afternoon and ate a bowl of cereal while he finished watching the last of the videotapes. Darcy did a report on the birthday party of 103-year-old Mabel Brinkley from Brooklyn. Mabel had run a speakeasy in the 1920's and outlived six husbands. Her secret for longevity was a shot of Wild Turkey every day. Then, Darcy covered the cannoli-eating contest in Little Italy, the female impersonator beauty pageant in Queens and the funeral for poor Mabel when she passed away in the bed of a fifty-two-year-old Cuban dance instructor. Alas, Hector had specialized in the rhumba, but not in emergency resuscitation.
Austin always found himself smiling during Darcy's reports. Without a doubt, her boss had given her the worst stories, but she'd always pulled them off with cleverness and charm. No wonder everyone at the station had loved her.
With a surge of dismay, Austin realized the last videotape contained no reports starring Darcy. These were other reporters doing stories about her disappearance. They showed the vampire club and alley in Greenwich Village where she'd last been seen. They even focused their cameras on the dark splotch of blood on the ground. Darcy's blood.
A police spokesman confirmed that a large knife had been recovered from the scene, and the blood on the knife belonged to Darcy. Interviews with the kids inside the club were all similar. They believed she'd been attacked by a real vampire.
Austin jumped to his feet and paced around his apartment. He needed to get copies of the police reports. He needed to question her cameraman. Of course, the easiest way to get answers would be to ask Darcy herself, but that would blow his cover. How could she stand to live among vampires if she'd been attacked by one? And why would a vampire stab a woman instead of biting her? It didn't make any sense, dammit. And the thought of anyone stabbing Darcy with a knife made his blood boil.
The phone jangled, and he dashed for it, hoping it was Darcy.
"Hello, Austin. Enjoying your days off?" Emma asked.
"I guess." As if he knew how to take a day off.
"Well, I was wondering if you'd care to join me tonight in Central Park?"