Vampire King of New York (5 page)

“No, my love.” He moved her hands and replaced them with his. “You are mine. We are bound together.”

Svenna felt his long erection against her thigh. “Do you wish to please the gods or your wife?”

“Ah, a trick question.” He rubbed his golden beard against her breasts, and she giggled. His mouth possessed hers, coaxing her lips apart. She squealed when his tongue pushed through to caress the inside of her mouth. With one hand fondling her breast, Reynard dropped the other hand to open her legs giving him entry. Fingers first. She cried out when one entered. Then he retreated, but only for a moment.

He leaned back on his ankles and brought her with him. Above him, she became like air, floating for an instant. Then she lowered herself on his waiting shaft. Each second down, she felt new delight in the tension in his body. Finally, firmly planted on him, he embraced her and lowered her to the grass. Thrusting into her, and then pulling back , almost leaving her body, but not quite, then plunging into her again. Over and over and over. Svenna trembled. Threw her head back. His speed increased. She thought she might faint from the strength of him. He held her closer, kissed her unceasingly, every kiss begetting a new one. She moaned. He chuckled. She squeezed the part of her that sheathed him, and he groaned like a bear in heat. The pushing, the caressing, the kisses, all flew in and out like a drowning tide, fast without pause, without thought, without surrender.

It was perfect. Svenna came with thunder in her ears then collapsed on the fragrant grass. Reynard, her blanket.

He bellowed her name a second later and then lay prone, eyes closed. Stirring, as though conscious he was lying on his much smaller wife. He moved off her slightly, but kept one hand on her breast.

“Are you afraid my breast is leaving you?”

A grin graced that handsome face of his. “I am always afraid of losing you. I dreamt of you for years before finding you. The time the gods give us is sacred.” He kissed her forehead, her eyes, her mouth, then leaned over her, casting her in shadow from the bright sunlight.

She caressed his beard and leaned up to kiss his mouth.

“Ah, my chieftain.”

“I am not yet a chieftain.”

“You will be. I have no doubt of it.” She kissed him again. “My husband.”

He kissed her back.

“The father of my child.”

Reynard stared at her. The light entered his eyes and his hand fell to her stomach. “Are you sure?”

“Your mother is sure. Your sister, Helna, is sure. Most of the women of our village are sure.”

He laughed, drawing her into his arms. Then his expression grew serious. “I was too rough with you.”

“No, you were perfect. I love you, Reynard.”

Evelyn opened her eyes at that moment. Max was still asleep beside her. She tried to imagine him with a beard. Yes, he was Reynard. There was no doubt of that. The question was, Why was she dreaming of Max’s past? Why was she playing the part of his Viking wife in these dreams? They were so vivid and real. She could still feel his thumb brushing over her nipple, taste his kiss on her lips. Laura could read her mind. Could Max? Did he know what she was dreaming? Squeezing her eyes shut, she wondered if he could tell how she felt about him. Evelyn pushed it all down deep, but the feelings would find a crack in her armor. Just his presence was enough for her to want him.

She opened her eyes again and turned to face Max.

“You’re awake.” He caressed her face.

“Max, I have to go to work.” Evelyn was feeling better, but she didn’t know if sitting up would cause the nausea to return.

“It’s two o’clock in the afternoon. Laura called the library and told them what happened.”

She sat up and swung her legs over to stand. Before she could put pressure on her feet, Max was standing in front of her, helping her to get off the bed.

“What do you want to do?”

“Bathroom.”

“Do you need Laura’s assistance?”

“No, I can manage.”

Max walked with her, and she went into the bathroom and shut the door. Evelyn was very conscious of his presence right outside. She tried to be careful with the most routine of movements not wanting to fall and having Max tear the door off its hinges or something like that. After reaching the sink, she washed her hands, and opened the door again. Max was standing there to help her back to the bed.

“Are you hungry?”

“No, just tired. Even doing that wore me out.” She slipped under the covers and he reclined on top.

“It will. You need more time to heal.”

“I’m sorry I ruined our first date.”

He smiled and caressed her cheek with his fingers. “No, you didn’t. You’re not responsible for what happened.”

“You think something was strange with that woman with the sunglasses, don’t you? Why can’t I remember any more about her?”

“I’ll find out. Right now the most important thing is that you’re well and safe.”

“Is that why you’re sleeping with me? To guard me?”

“Partly. I know it may sound strange, and we barely know each other, but I care what happens to you, Evelyn. Now go back to sleep to make your healing complete.”

Evelyn closed her eyes and immediately felt Max embrace her. Funny, how she didn’t fear him at all. She almost regretted that she would heal, because she didn’t want to give him up. Evelyn toyed with the idea of waiting until he was asleep and then kissing him.

Morning came faster than she desired. Evelyn yawned, unwilling to open her eyes. Her cheek rested against something soft and furry. The light came on.

“Well, what’s been going on in here?” Laura stood in the doorway.

Evelyn lifted herself up with her arms and gazed down at his golden chest hair. She’d been sleeping on top of Max. His shirt was opened, and her head had been on his chest.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I mean. I-I mean …” Flustered by too much at once, Evelyn fled the room.

Max sat up.

“Were you taking advantage of my sister?”

Buttoning up his shirt, he smiled. “No. She must have unbuttoned it in her sleep.” He got off the bed. “Laura, we have a more important matter. She needs to be guarded. You and David take her to work. I’ll pick her up from the library later in the day.”

“Do you believe her attacker was supernatural?”

“Yes.”

Chapter 6

Evelyn was shelving a book on apocalypse legends, when a shadow crossed her peripheral vision. She jumped.

“Evelyn.”

Shaking from head to toe, she looked up into the familiar face and relief flowed through her body. “Max.” She dived into his arms. “I’m glad to see you.”

“Why are you nervous?”

She led him further into the stacks, so they wouldn’t be overheard. “The police were here when I came in this morning. They had me show them how I left the library and where I was attacked. I don’t know. It just creeped me out. They were angry that they weren’t contacted right away. They said it would be difficult to catch her now. I’m afraid my description wasn’t very helpful.”

Max rubbed her back, as he hugged her. “Don’t worry about that. Your sister, David, and I will make sure nothing happens to you.”

“You are guarding me again?” Evelyn stepped back from him. She didn’t want to be reprimanded for unprofessional behavior by hugging Max.

Even if he’s worth it
. She studied him from under her lashes.

“I’ve been hovering about all day.”

“Oh, God, don’t hover. What if someone sees you?”

He chuckled. “I didn’t mean literally.” He took the apocalypse book off the shelf and continued, “I’ll take this book and sit over at that table. Try and stay in my section, because if you go outside my range of vision, I will follow you.”

“You’re not serious.” She put her hands on her hips.

“I’m very serious.”

She didn’t know how she felt about that. “Surely I’m safe in the library.”

“We’re not sure.” His grim expression pulled his mouth into a tight line.

Evelyn bit her lower lip. Somehow in her mind, she thought the danger stayed outside, and hadn’t thought her attacker might come inside.

“Okay.”

“Don’t look so sad. I know you’re off in five minutes. I thought we could go out to eat. Laura told me you like sushi.”

“I love it.”

“Then we could see
Cries and Whispers
. That is, if you still want to see it.”

“Thank you, Max.” Evelyn looked around and then stood on tiptoe to kiss Max on the cheek. Returning to her cart, she continued to shelve more books moving in and out of the rows.

Max took a seat at a long table and pretended to read the book. When he raised his head, Evelyn was gone.
Damn
.

A scream drew his attention to the circulation desk. He arrived, just as Mrs. Jepsen stomped a cockroach to death.

“Ew.” She looked up. “Oh, Mr. Vander Meer. It’s so nice to see you again. I see that you’re expanding your research.” She took his book and entered the bar code in the computer. He gave her his library card, and she swiped it and then returned both card and book.

“Good night, Mrs. Jepsen.” Evelyn stood there with her jacket and purse. She walked past him toward the door.

He hurried to catch up, pretending to be a human male. Max held open the door, and she sauntered through, smiling.

“Why are you nervous?” She was mocking him.

He chuckled, followed her closely, and took her hand in his. “I’m not. Let’s get in my car.”

The limo drove up to the curb. The driver rushed to open the door, and Evelyn climbed in with Max right beside her. He stayed in the gloom of the car, while she gazed out into the sunlight.

As they sped past, a dark spot on the sidewalk blurred in her vision.

Was it another black bird? They turned onto another street, and she had no way of being sure.

After an excellent supper, that started normally enough and ended with them feeding each other sushi, Evelyn relaxed in a red velveteen chair and slumped against Max, who had one arm around her and munched on popcorn. What could be more normal than sitting in a dark theater with a vampire watching a tragedy?

As death came closer and closer to the character Agnes, tears made a steady path down Evelyn’s face. She sniffed, and Max hugged her tighter. He wiped her tears with a napkin. Several women behind them were sobbing too.

“Sorry,” she whispered to Max.

“Don’t apologize.” He patted her on the shoulder. With the deepening drama, the audience heaved a collective sigh.

When the lights came up, they made their way through the small crowd outside into the street, arm-in-arm.

“Thank you, Max. I’ve had a wonderful time tonight.”

“I was hoping it wouldn’t end just yet. There’s a great little Italian restaurant down the street that stays open late for the movie crowd.”

“I thought you couldn’t have Italian.”

“I can’t. But I can have dessert, and they make the most delicious tiramisu in the city.”

“Yum,” she said with her arm around him. “I’m in.”

An arrow buzzed through the air. Max stumbled to the left, pushing Evelyn behind him. She held onto him.

Another arrow whooshed at him, and he caught it with one hand. Max spotted the shooter peeping out from around a corner. In a blur, Max was in front of the man reloading.

Suddenly the hunter was being held in the air by another vampire. “Hi, Max.”

“Hi, Hatcher. I didn’t know you were in town,” Max replied.

“Just got in a few days ago. Lucky for you, I did. Shall I rip off his head?”

“No. Disarm him then put him down. I’ll take over from there.”

The dark-haired vampire complied, setting the middle-aged human male down and searching him for weapons. A crossbow. Arrows. Holy water. Garlic in a bag. “All very traditional, Max.”

Max stepped closer to the hunter, staring deeply into his eyes. In a few seconds, he knew the man’s story, who he was, where his home was. “Harvey, it was all a big waste of your time. There were no vampires, so you got drunk. You’re going home to sleep it off. You will never try to hunt vampires again.” The man collapsed into Max’s arms. “Would you mind carrying him to the cab, Hatcher?” The other vampire took the sleeping man and followed Max, who picked up the weapons and threw them in the back of his limo. Then Max waved down a cab.

“Our friend’s had too much to drink.” He leaned over, gazed directly into the eyes of the driver and gave him the address, while Hatcher put Harvey into the cab.

As soon as the cab left, he turned to Evelyn. “You did well holding on.”

“You think so?” She smiled, even though she was shaking.

He took her hand. “Yes, very well. Evelyn, this is Hatcher. We’re going to be dropping him off at his place.”

“I don’t really have a place yet,” he said, climbing into the limo with them. “I just started my job at the Regal Cinema tonight.”

“What do you do there?” Evelyn asked. The limo eased out into the street.

“I’m the projectionist.”

“What a fun job.”

“Since you’ve just arrived, I insist you stay at the Arnhem Society until you find your own place.”

“Thank you, Max, very decent of you.”

“It’s the least I can do, and you’re aware of our laws regarding the vampire hunters and the preservation of humans in the city.”

Hatcher sighed. “Yes, I am. Erase the memories of hunting and send them home. Oh, yes, and take their toys.”

“Toys?” Evelyn asked Max.

“Weapons.” Hatcher smiled, seemingly amused by it all.

“Thank you, Hatcher,” Max said.

The limo stopped in front of the stately stone building only blocks from Battery Park. Hatcher got out and went inside. The limo remained parked.

“What are we waiting for?” Evelyn asked.

“I’m waiting for the signal that all is well.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Last time Hatcher visited our city, he refused our hospitality and left. He denied the laws.”

“Did you force him to leave?” Evelyn knew she shouldn’t ask these kinds of questions, after all, he was a vampire.

“No, he acquiesced to our request. There are matters you don’t understand about Hatcher. The Nazis annihilated his family.”