Lachlan Read online

  He stopped breathing, every muscle going still, except for his cock. That fucker went hard as a rock in two seconds. Her tongue slipped out and licked her lips, leaving them wet and shining, just waiting to be kissed. He swallowed a groan. He might be a damn powerful vampire, but he was also a man. Even he had limits.

  Leaning over, he brushed his lips with hers just once, barely firm enough to be felt. More of an exchange of breaths than a kiss. She lifted her mouth to his and kissed him back, her tongue sliding along the seam of his lips, urging him to open. He did, opening his mouth and tangling his tongue with hers, until the kiss was hot and heavy, their teeth clashing as they fought to get more. Lachlan twisted his hand in her hair and pulled her closer . . . and her eyes opened.

  She gasped into his mouth, cheeks hot against his skin. Lachlan lifted his head at once, fighting not to smile as embarrassment fought the lust still clouding her eyes, still making her heart pound and her nipples harden.

  She pushed herself up, then reached over to turn on the bedside lamp. Lachlan closed his eyes instinctively, but it was a low light, just enough to see Julia staring at him accusingly.

  “You said I’d be safe.”

  He allowed a satisfied smile to touch his lips. “I woke up. It’s nighttime out there. And you were dreaming. You said my name.” It wasn’t true, but there’d been her smile when he’d touched her, and that kiss, which was far better than any dream-spoken name.

  “Probably a nightmare,” she muttered, but she didn’t deny it.

  He laughed. He knew when a woman wanted him. He’d tasted her kiss, felt the hard press of her breasts against his arm, caught the sweet scent of her desire. She’d been dreaming of him, all right, and he’d answered.

  “Go back to sleep, princess. I’ll leave you alone.” He tucked the covers around her neck, then rolled to the other side of the bed and got up. “I’ll be out there, if you need me,” he said, dipping his head toward the other compartment with a wink, then turned, and in two strides was out the door and into the hallway, ignoring her muttered imprecations against him, even as he licked his lips, savoring the flavor of her and wanting more. His cock twitched, agreeing with him. He dropped a hand to the front of his jeans, pressing on the damn thing. He had better control than this normally, but something about Julia Harper had gotten under his skin and stayed there. He sprawled on the couch, legs spread wide to ease the discomfort. He contemplated freeing his erection and stroking it to completion, but the last thing he needed was for her to climb out of bed, only to find him jerking off on her dad’s precious leather couch.

  Looking for something to distract himself and his cock, he eyed Julia’s laptop. He bet she had her boyfriend’s files on there—the ones that captured Erskine’s financial transactions. Munro could do a lot with those files. Julia didn’t understand the importance of that information. Maybe if he told her, if he explained that the money Erskine was hiding belonged to all the vampires of Scotland . . . . Then maybe she wouldn’t be quite so reluctant to share.

  Of course, she was asleep now, wasn’t she? And her laptop was right here. She had it protected with a password, of course. But he’d been watching when she opened it earlier and was confident he knew the keystrokes. He could access the files and send them to Munro. No need to wait until after they met Raphael, or even longer, until Julia felt she could trust him, whatever that meant. How long would it take? What would it take, before she trusted him to fulfill his end of their bargain? He couldn’t afford to wait until after Erskine was killed. Too much could happen in the meantime, especially to bank accounts and investments. And Lachlan needed that money to build a better Scotland for his clan and for all of the Scottish vampires who would look to him for protection once he became lord.

  He flipped open the laptop lid and repeated the keystrokes from memory, noting as he did so that they spelled out a saying from a classic fantasy series. Strange that she knew that saying. She’d have been only a child when readers had taken it up.

  He shook his head. That was immaterial. He needed to focus. But he’d no sooner pulled up her directory than a voice in his head, the one that yelled at him when he was doing something stupid, something wrong, told him to stop. His fingers lifted from the keys, freezing in place, as he considered why. And none of it had to do with that kiss.

  The reality was that the two of them would be spending a lot of time together in the coming days. It would be dangerous and stressful, and there might be times when lives were at stake. His and hers, and others, as well. She’d spoken of trust, but did she understand what that meant when you were fighting for your life? Had she ever killed someone? Could she?

  She was right about one thing. They did need a basic level of trust. And if he stole these files, if she found out about it, it would destroy any chance they had of building a partnership they could count on. He scowled. Sometimes he wished that damn voice of reason would shut the fuck up. But it was right this time. She’d promised to turn over the files once they returned to London, which wouldn’t be more than a few days. This trip to Malibu wouldn’t take long. He’d meet Raphael and leave. One day in, one day out. And then the files would be his, with no complications, no breach of trust.

  Pulling out his phone, he texted Munro, telling him the files existed and he’d have them once he returned. Then, cursing the hours left until they reached LA, he pulled up a book on his phone and began reading.

  It was a good book, but not good enough. By the time the pilot’s voice came over the intercom advising of their imminent arrival, he was pacing the aisle, feeling as though he’d been trapped in this metal capsule for days, rather than hours.

  “Thank fuck,” he swore when he felt the plane’s nose dip as the jet began its descent. Slamming into one of the big window seats, he lifted the shade and watched the lights of California’s high desert slip by. He’d flown this route so many times, he knew what to look for, even if he didn’t always know what he was looking at. The pattern of lights and swaths of darkness were familiar and welcome.

  “Did I hear the pilot say we were landing?” Julia’s sleepy voice had an immediate effect on his libido, although fortunately, it was no more than a sharp awareness of her presence. If he’d popped a full-on erection, he might have thrown caution to the wind and kissed her until she surrendered.

  She didn’t wait for his answer, disappearing into the bathroom instead. When she came out, she was still deliciously mussed and sleepy looking—cheeks pink, hair tousled—as she made her way down the aisle to sit across from him.

  “We’re landing?” she asked.

  “Yes.” He stood and leaned over her to raise the shade on her window. “If you look out there, that empty black space is the Pacific Ocean. They’ve circled around to come in from the ocean side. You should buckle up. We’ll be on the ground soon.”

  She raised her head to look at him. “I’m sorry about before,” she whispered, not meeting his gaze.

  “Sorry?”

  “When I. . .” She moistened her lips. “I was dreaming, but I didn’t mean to . . . .” She stopped, unable to look at him.

  “I didn’t mind,” he said softly, genuinely charmed by her need to apologize. “You have a very kissable mouth.”

  Her shy gaze became a glare of annoyance. “Couldn’t you be a gentleman about it? Just once?”

  He grinned. “Sure. But not when it comes to kissing a beautiful woman. Being a vampire doesn’t make me less of man, you know.”

  “Great,” she muttered, digging for her seatbelt.

  “Here you go,” he said, pulling it up from where it had fallen to the side. “Buckle up, princess.”

  “Stop . . . .” She cut herself off, closing her eyes and snapping her seatbelt into place with jerky movements.

  Lachlan smiled. He loved getting under her skin, but it was almost too easy.

  ONCE THEY
WERE on the ground and parked in a private hangar, Julia went forward to speak to the pilots and explain that they’d be remaining on the plane for a while. She didn’t mention vampires, but she got the feeling that at least one of the pilots understood what was going on. They worked for her dad when he needed them, but they had other clients as well. Maybe even vampire clients? Julia had never thought about it, but it made sense. Vampires had to travel, too.

  With the pilots gone, she closed and locked the hatch, then returned to the passenger compartment to find Lachlan watching her. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She’d told him the kiss was a mistake, the confusion of a waking mind, but that hadn’t been true. She’d known who was kissing her and had wanted more. Some of it was curiosity, but mostly, it was desire. Maybe it was only the exotic quality of him, the idea of kissing a vampire. But he wasn’t just any vampire, was he? He was . . . magnetic. She’d been no more able to stop that kiss than to land this damn plane. And she hadn’t wanted to. But now, she didn’t know what to do with him. Didn’t know what to do with a hunger the likes of which she’d never experienced with another man. A hunger that came to life every time she got close to him.

  She sat across the aisle, purposely avoiding the closer seat that faced him. “I think we should go to Malibu,” she said, glancing up, then away. “We’ll both be more comfortable there.”

  “You can go,” he said with a dismissive shrug.

  Julia tsked loudly in frustration. “I can’t just leave you here.”

  “I promise not to steal the plane.”

  “Don’t be stupid. It’s not that. I just don’t want to leave you un—” She couldn’t say “protected.” She was hardly strong enough to protect him, didn’t even have a weapon. She switched tactics. “Why can’t you go with me? They specifically invited both of us, and they must have special quarters that are safe for vampires, right?”

  He turned to stare at her, and for the first time, she noticed that his eyes had a golden touch to them, as if there were sparks glinting in the light. Except there wasn’t enough light for that. “I’m not going to daylight there,” he said plainly. “I don’t care how special their quarters are. Raphael is a stranger, and one who also happens to be a powerful fucking vampire.”

  “But he sleeps all day just like you do.”

  “Not just like I do. He’s older and stronger, and that means he goes to sleep later and wakes earlier. He also has human fighters who are probably just as loyal to him as his vampires are. And then there’s your fucking friend.”

  “Cynthia? What’s she got to with anything?”

  He gave her a scoffing look and shook his head. “How much do you know about her?”

  Julia shrugged. “I don’t know. A lot. What are you looking for?”

  “Did you know she killed a vampire lord down in Texas? He wasn’t as powerful as Raphael, but he was powerful enough, and a total psychopath, to boot.”

  Julia could only stare, as he continued.

  “She’s fought in every battle Raphael’s had since they met. She’s one of the best human fighters he has and certainly the most devoted. If you threaten him, she’ll slice your throat and feed you to the sharks.”

  “Cyn?” she said weakly. “Are you sure?”

  He laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure. Ask her. She’ll probably tell you all about it.”

  Julia was still staring at him. “Jesus,” she breathed.

  “Yeah, well. I don’t want to be the next notch on her bedpost, or wherever the hell she keeps tally. Until I know what Raphael thinks about all this, about going after Erskine, and upending Scotland, I’m not going place myself at his or her mercy.”

  She nodded. “Okay. Okay. I get it. I’ll stay.” She glanced around, then checked her cell for the time. “We have a couple hours ‘til sunrise, if you want to get out and stretch your legs, or whatever. After that, well . . . I’ll lock the hatch and stay inside. Maybe I’ll watch a movie or catch some sleep, too. But you owe me.”

  He crooked a half smile and moved to the aisle, standing to his full height as he offered her his hand. “I’ll figure out a way to make it up to you. In the meantime, come on, princess, I’ll take you to breakfast.”

  She narrowed her eyes as she stood to join him. “Just remember, vampire. I’ll be awake while you sleep.”

  His smile widened. “You going to take advantage of me while I’m helpless? Wake with me with a kiss?” he added with a knowing look.

  “In your dreams.”

  “Or yours.” He moved toward the hatch. “Come on, the darkness won’t last forever, and you’ll need your strength.”

  Julia was tempted to tell him what he could do with his sly looks and innuendos, but the truth was she was hungry, and nothing on the plane would be as good as a hot breakfast, American style. That was one thing she missed when she was out of the country. “Fine, but you’re paying.”

  Chapter Six

  Malibu, CA USA

  LACHLAN SAT IN the backseat of the town car Julia had hired to take them from the airport to Malibu. Part of him would have preferred to drive himself. Vampires were all predators, but the truly powerful ones were as alpha as they came and hated surrendering control to anyone, much less a stranger. But Julia had cautioned against trying to find their way in LA’s notorious combination of high speed and bumper-to-bumper traffic, and he’d conceded the point. He’d never driven when he’d been a student at Stanford, and it was far worse now than it had been back then.

  At least there was plenty of room to stretch out in the big car. He’d changed into a suit for the meeting with Raphael—a charcoal gray wool blend, two buttons, and custom made down to the last stitch. He was too big to buy from the rack, even if he’d wanted to. He believed in dressing well when the occasion demanded, but more than that, he enjoyed it. He’d never want to dress like this every day, but once in a while, it felt good.

  Julia seemed relaxed, but quiet. A little tired, maybe. He didn’t push for conversation, instead using the time to examine their route and familiarize himself with his surroundings as much as possible. He’d studied a map on his cell phone and so knew the route they’d be taking. It ran along the coastline from Santa Monica to Malibu, though if he hadn’t known the ocean was there, he wouldn’t have guessed. Homes on the beach side of the Pacific Coast Highway were separated from each other by no more than a few feet. And with no moon in the sky, the few glimpses of ocean were nothing but black space between the houses.

  They’d passed the downtown part of Malibu—such as it was—where they’d gotten their first look at the waves, courtesy of outdoor lights from homes and restaurants, and driven beyond, when the driver slowed for a sharp leftward turn. Lachlan’s vampire sight showed him a slightly paler strip of road between dense trees, and he caught the sharp scent of eucalyptus.

  “I hate that smell,” Julia murmured.

  He glanced over at her elegant profile. “Why?”

  “It hurts my sinuses.”

  He was spared from coming up with a response when a very sturdy-looking gate abruptly broke the line of a tall wall they’d been paralleling for most of the driveway. There were no lights announcing the gate’s presence. This was a vampire’s estate, after all. But when the car lights hit the gatehouse, a dim light appeared and several heavily-armed vampires appeared from the shadows. Lachlan knew they were vampires, although there was nothing to distinguish them as such. At least, not until the headlights hit their faces and their eyes gleamed the tell-tale red of ordinary line vamps. Not that he thought these guards would be ordinary in any sense other than their level of power. A vampire lord of Raphael’s strength and position would have only the very finest warriors in his security forces. And it was a sure bet that the ones manning the estate buildings inside would be magnitudes stronger.

  That didn’t worry Lachlan, however. He knew his ow
n strength, too.

  One of the guards approached the driver’s side of the car, but ignored the driver’s lowered window to tap on Lachlan’s instead. Lachlan’s mouth crooked in amusement at Julia’s irritated, “What the fuck?” But there was no sign of humor when he gathered his power and lowered the window.

  He studied the guard briefly, then said, “We’re expected.”

  The vamp glanced from the screen of a cell phone strapped to his forearm, to Lachlan, and then back again. “Yes, sir.” He stepped back and gestured at someone in the closed booth, who apparently hit the controls to open the gate. The other guards stepped back from their careful inspection of the car, eyeing the vehicle watchfully as it bumped over thick gate tracks and onto the estate proper.

  Lachlan had been born and still lived in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Scotland was a country of low mountains and green rolling hills, with stunning lochs and rushing rivers everywhere you looked. But even he was unprepared for the contrast between what he expected of this seaside estate and what greeted him beyond those gates. The road curved almost immediately to the left, forking after about fifty yards. Straight ahead, it disappeared into more trees, where he could see glimpses of another building. But to the right, the road dipped in a sweeping curve around a slope of perfectly manicured lawn, revealing what had to be Raphael’s main estate house. Again, it surprised him. The house was a modern construct of clean lines, gleaming white in the light of what some might consider decorative lighting, though Lachlan eyed it from a security standpoint. A turquoise gem of a pool sat to one side, while the nearly invisible shadows of vampire guards surrounded the building. As they drove up to the main entrance, there was a large garage, with multiple bays to the left.

  “From the road, it didn’t look like there’d be this much land,” Julia commented.

  “Aye. And I’d wager we’re not seeing everything, either. There’s a basement under there. Maybe not the entire building, but a goodly part of it.”