“Sorry about that.” Craig stripped off his jeans and underwear. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. Even though he’d just come he was still aroused. He reached around her and adjusted the water before turning back to her. “Now, how about we get that shower?”
Chapter Five
Craig sat on the sofa next to Evie and waited for his friend to speak. Both he and Evie were clean and fresh from their shower. Sonia had loaned Evie a clean blouse and underwear that she wore with her own pants. Her hair was braided and she looked rested. Craig was wearing a silk shirt that belonged to Damek along with his own jeans. Like her, his feet were bare.
Damek hadn’t said anything about them obviously having sex in the bathroom, but Craig could see the unasked questions in Damek’s gaze.
Unfortunately, Craig had no answers.
Right now, he was operating on his gut and all his instincts were telling him to keep Evie close.
Fortunately, Damek was willing to let it go for now, but Craig knew he’d have to answer his friend’s questions sooner or later, probably sooner than he wanted.
“So you’re an artist?” Sonia asked Evie.
“Yes.” Evie picked at a thread on the knee of her jeans where the material was ripped. “I have some paintings in a few small galleries around the city.”
“I’d love to see your work.”
“Enough.” Damek gave his wife’s shoulder a squeeze. “We have no time for small talk. I expect Craig’s family to show up at any moment, and we have to make plans.”
Evie straightened and inched away from Craig. “I’m grateful for everything you’ve done, but I really should leave.”
Damek pinned her with a black glare. “That is not possible.”
“Sure it is. All you have to do is unlock that fancy elevator and let me go.” Craig admired the way Evie didn’t back down even if he disagreed with what she was saying. “I’m nothing to you,” she continued. “Why should you care what happens to me?”
“I don’t.” Damek’s blunt words earned him an elbow in the ribs from Sonia. He frowned at his wife. “Well, I don’t care, but she is important to Craig, therefore she must stay.”
“Really?” Sonia shook her head at her husband. “You’re really going to pull the I-am-lord-and-master-of-the-
universe routine?”
Craig rubbed his hand over his mouth to cover the fact he was grinning.
He was used to their byplay. Damek had lived for a thousand years and was used to everyone doing his bidding. Sonia had put an end to that and constantly challenged the vampire.
Evie on the other hand looked slightly appalled and yet fascinated by the exchange.
Damek leaned back against the supple leather sofa and sent his wife an intimate smile. “You weren’t complaining earlier this evening.” The low, sensual purr of Damek’s voice caused his wife to blush.
Evie jumped up from the sofa and started to walk toward the door. “Yeah.
Too much information there. I really have to go.”
Damek was in front of Evie before Craig could even think to move. “No, you really have to stay.”
Sonia rose and walked over to join her mate. “Please, stay and talk with us.
You really need help, and it’s not safe to be out there alone. Not only do you have to worry about the crazy vampire who made you, but there could be paranormal bounty hunters out there or even other young vampires made by the same one who made you. And trust me when I tell you that most newly made vampires have very little, if any, self-control.”
Evie hesitated and Craig took that as his cue to step in. He went to her and held out his hand. “Stay, Evie. Stay with me.”
Craig wasn’t fighting fair. After what they’d shared, she wanted to stay with him more than anything. And that was dangerous. The more she grew attached to him, the less focused she was on her goal of destroying Vladimir Drake. If he was still out there hunting, nothing would stop him from finding her. The last thing she wanted was for Craig to be caught up in her fight.
And then there was Sonia. Evie liked the other woman in spite of who her husband was. Sonia was open and giving and extremely kind. And the way she stood up to Damek was brave to the point of insanity.
Damek. Just thinking his name made her shiver. She might want to leave, but there was no way for her to get out of this fortress he called home without his permission. And it didn’t seem likely she’d get that anytime soon.
Well, she’d escaped from one vampire. She’d bide her time and escape from this one too. At least this one wasn’t obsessed with her and didn’t want to keep her chained to his side for eternity. No, Damek only wanted to kill her for what she’d done to Craig. She could live with that.
Evie ignored both men and answered Sonia. “I’d appreciate any information you could give me on vampires and how to kill one.” When the other woman appeared slightly horrified, Evie amended her statement. “I don’t want to kill your husband, just the bastard who did this to me.”
Craig slung his arm around her shoulders and guided her back to the sofa. “You’re lucky I don’t feel the same way.”
That stopped her in her tracks. He was right. She’d done to him what Vladimir had done to her. She hadn’t given him a choice either. Instead, she’d given in to the bloodlust and stolen his life from him.
Her shoulders drooped and shame filled her. “You’re right. I deserve to die.”
“No, you don’t.” Craig pulled her against his chest and hugged her. “You were running for your life and trying to do what was right. You didn’t want to hurt me. I know that.”
Evie was appalled to feel tears in her eyes and blinked them back, not even daring to sniff. The last thing she wanted to do was to appear weak in front of Damek. Sonia she didn’t mind so much.
She thought the other woman would understand. She seemed more modern than Damek did, who was a throwback to a bygone era—the Stone Age.
She sat on the sofa next to Craig, trying not to lean too heavily against him when all she really wanted to do was curl up in his arms and stay there.
They’d showered and dressed in a hurry, leaving no time for post-sex snuggling.
And she really could use some first-
class snuggling right about now.
The other couple settled onto the sofa across from them. Evie studied Damek and asked the question that had haunted her since she’d first set eyes on him. “Just how old are you?”
“That is of no matter.” He waved aside her question. “Tell me about Vladimir Drake.”
Evie took a deep breath and sighed.
“That’s what he called himself. He said he was born Richard Locke, and that he was born in Kent, England two hundred years ago. And for some reason he seems obsessed with me and my art.”
And Damek had read her memories so he knew all this. Was this for his wife’s benefit or was he simply talking to help her feel more relaxed?
“Got a computer?” Craig asked.
Damek smiled and Evie was struck hard by the depth of love and friendship she saw in his gaze. “Ah, my friend. I knew you’d want your laptop and sent one of my people to pick up a few things from your apartment. I gave them your keys.”
Craig patted his jeans pocket and laughed. “I’m not going to ask how or when you got them.”
“Probably for the best,” Damek agreed.
Evie felt her cheeks heating. It had to have been while they were in the shower together. That was the only time Craig hadn’t been wearing his jeans. Had Damek seen them naked in the shower?
How embarrassing.
She wondered why she even cared.
She didn’t, not really. It didn’t matter what any of them thought of her. She had a mission and she couldn’t forget it.