moving
swiftly through the hidden tunnel towards his own home. Lucian did a mental sweep of
the house, making sure everything was locked up tight. He knew that Stefan would
have already done this, but he wasn't taking any chances with Delight's safety.
As he climbed the stairs towards his bedroom, he could hear the soft sounds of
Delight's breathing and the gentle rhythm of her heart. Having her in his bed, waiting
for him, filled him with a strange combination of lust and tenderness that was almost
overwhelming. In his short time with her, she had managed to make him feel more
emotions than he had in several hundred years. Without even trying, she had laid a
gentle siege and claimed his heart.
Closing the door to the bedroom, he secured it before removing his bathrobe and
slipping under the covers. Delight rolled towards him, seeking his warmth and comfort.
Wrapping her in his arms, he eased her head down onto his chest. Her breath tickled his
chest hairs and his cock twitched in response to her nearness.
The dawn was just breaking, but he had one last thing to do before he could sleep.
Cupping the back of her head, he focused all his mental power on Delight. "You will
sleep until I awake tomorrow night."
Satisfied, he settled himself in the comfort of his bed, and with Delight clasped tight
in his arms, he awaited sleep. The moment the sun crossed the horizon, he felt a deep
lassitude fill him and gave himself over to rest. His body stilled, his breathing stopped,
and his body ceased to function. Knowing Delight would be here when he awoke, he
allowed himself to sleep deeply.
Chapter Eight
Delight fought her way out of sleep. She usually awoke easily, alert and energized
to start her day. But for some reason, this morning it felt as if she was trying to swim
through quicksand just to scratch the surface of wakefulness. Her limbs were heavy and
her eyes felt as if they had lead weights attached to them.
It would be so easy to drift back to sleep, towards the beckoning darkness, but she
resisted. In the back of her mind, something was nagging her. There was something she
had to do. Something important.
She frowned as she desperately tried to remember what it was that she needed to
know. A dull throbbing behind her eyes made it almost impossible to think. That in
itself was strange as she rarely ever had a headache.
Taking a deep breath, she forced her eyes to open. Squinting into the darkness she
looked around and could just make out the shapes of the furniture. Immediately
alarmed, she tried to sit up in bed and found that she couldn't move. This was not her
room!
She began to struggle against the covers and the weight that kept her pinned to the
bed. It was then she noticed a man's arm wrapped tight around her waist, manacling
her to his body.
All at once, memories began to flood back into her brain. Her hand went to her
head, as if it could somehow stop the pounding rhythm and the pictures that filled her
mind. Sinking back into the pillows, she inhaled deeply, forcing herself to breathe,
trying to remain calm.
That was a mistake. With the first breath she took, Delight was filled with the
masculine scent of the man lying next to her, a kind of combination of sex, male, and
just a hint of brandy. Lucian Dalakis .
How could she have forgotten, even for a moment, the events of last night? The
murder, the harrowing race for her life, and then there was Lucian. Delight was
appalled at how quickly and easily she'd fallen into bed with a man who was little more
than a stranger. She just didn't do things like that. And the things they had done!
Delight could feel the heat warm her cheeks at the memory of their sexual encounter.
Right now, she needed to go home. Chase and Miss Nadine would be frantic by
now and had probably already called the police. She felt guilty about last night. A man
had been killed, her family had to be worried sick about her, and she'd spent the night
having the most fantastic sex of her entire
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley