A Hidden Fire

He stepped out of the car and went to open her door.  As she stepped out, she said,   “Giova—” but he stopped her mouth with a kiss.

He kissed her, pushing her body into the side of the car as she pressed her lips to his and clutched his shoulders.  His tongue delved into her mouth and his hands gripped her waist.  She was light headed by the time he let her up for air.

“Oh…damn,” she breathed out.

His head bent and he whispered in her ear, “They’re watching.”

Giovanni placed his arm around her waist and walked her toward the back door of the pub.  She had no problem leaning into him and acting like he needed to hold her up; her knees were still a weak from the kiss.

Before they even reached the door, a dark-haired guard opened it from the inside and nodded toward them as he held it open.

He leaned down and whispered after they had passed by.

“I told you they were watching.  Assume that there are cameras everywhere.”

She nodded and tried to look casual.  She slid her arm around his waist as they walked, and Beatrice thought she heard a low rumble of pleasure in his chest.  He guided her toward the sofa near the fire, and Beatrice glanced up as he scanned the room.

“See anyone?”  His hair, she noticed from that angle, had grown a little since they had met.  His neck smelled like wood smoke and whiskey.

“Yes, he’s here, in the corner with Gavin.  And they’ve seen us, as have a number of other vampires in the pub.”

Her breathing picked up at the thought of Lorenzo so close to them, but she forced herself to relax as his arm draped across her shoulders.  She looked around the room, trying to seem brainless.

“Cool.  They’ve seen us.  Can we go now?”

He gave a grim chuckle and sat back in the couch.  “We’ll have at least one drink, otherwise, Lorenzo might get suspicious, and…well, Gavin will just be insulted.”

“Who is Gavin anyw—”

“Kiss me.”

“What?”

“Kiss me, Beatrice, they’re watching you right now,” he murmured.  “Kiss me like you belong to me.”

She bit her lip before she turned her face toward his neck and began placing soft kisses there, slowly working her way up toward Giovanni’s jaw.  His skin was soft, with only a hint of roughness where stubble would normally grow on a man.  He remained almost impassive, holding still as she slowly worked her lips along the line of his jaw and closer to his mouth, though she could feel his heart beat a few times under her hand.

At the last moment, his chin tilted down and his lips sought hers.  She lost herself for a moment in the pure pleasure of it.  Ever since their first kiss in January, she had dreamt of the feel of his kiss, wondering what his lips could do to other parts of her body, but memory could not do Giovanni’s mouth justice.

It was soft and drugging. He captured her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged gently as she felt the soft curls of his hair against her cheekbone.  The vibrating energy she usually felt from his hands was far more potent on the sensitive skin of her lips and every touch only seemed to heighten the sensation.  Just the feel of their skin brushing together was as arousing as any intimate touch, and she could tell he was as affected by the contact as she was because his skin was burning like he had a fever, and she felt the soft rumble in his chest.

She lost herself for a few more minutes before Giovanni jerked his head away.  “That’s enough, tesoro,” he said clearly. “A glass of the eighteen year old Macallan for me, and a Laphroaig for the girl.”

“Yes, Dr. Vecchio,” she heard a waiter murmur behind her.

“You’ll like the Laphroaig,” he muttered quietly.  “It has a smoky flavor I think you’ll enjoy.  Also, where the hell did you learn how to kiss?”

“What?” she said with a smirk.  “Not playing the part well enough?”

She felt his lips ghost over her temple.  “Playing it to the hilt, tesoro.”  His head bent down to murmur in her ear.  “But back off a bit if you don’t want me to really bite you.”  His mouth opened, and she shivered when she felt his fangs scrape along the edge of her jaw.  “You’re testing my instincts, Beatrice.”

“Oh, okay.”  She took a deep breath.  “Backing off, just a bit.  Got it.”

“Now relax.”

“Kind of hard to do right now.”

“Try, because they’re coming over here.”

His hand slipped down to curl around her waist, and he pulled her closer.  She looked past the fireplace and saw Lorenzo and Gavin strolling across the pub.

“Giovanni,” Gavin called.  “How lovely to see you.  You really should come in more often.”  She saw Gavin glance at Lorenzo behind the blond vampire’s back.  She had a feeling that Gavin Wallace wasn’t terribly happy to see Giovanni’s son either, and it made her like him, just a little.  “What brings you out this evening?”

“Just out for a drink after dinner.  How is Houston, Lorenzo?”

“Oh,” Lorenzo replied, “it hasn’t given up all its treasures just yet.  I’ll be around for a while.  Don’t worry.”

“I don’t.  Worry, that is.”

“Good to know.”