A part of me wanted to rest, but another part of me wanted to take advantage of his offer and shop while I had the chance. “Okay, you talked me into it. I’ll go.”
A broad smile spread across his face. “That’s my lady,” he said, then crushed his lips down onto mine.
“But when I get back, I’m going to rest,” I amended, rubbing my tummy, which was slightly bigger. I was already feeling tired and I hadn’t even left the hotel.
“Leila, if you don’t feel up to it, I can bring the runway to you,” he stated, then gently kissed my forehead. “Also, be sure to get some baby clothes … whatever you’d like.”
“You, my dear, are spoiling me,” I said, giving him a light peck on the lips.
“That’s the whole idea,” he replied, then added, “but stay with the limo. My driver will stay with you today.”
“I will.&rdquo
In the limo, I looked out the window, taking in the sites. It had been a long time since I’d been to New York. Steven had traveled here often on business and I was rarely invited to go with him, but I couldn’t blame him entirely. I was married to my work at the time. Looking back, it was a wonder that we had stayed married for as long as we had. Maybe that was why he had taken a mistress. Steven had needed someone that would be there for him. I quickly pushed those thoughts aside as we pulled down Fifth Avenue. My heart leapt with excitement as I spotted high-end stores, such as Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, De Beers, Gianni Versace, Bergdorf Goodman, and much more. Then, I spotted Prada. “Stop here, Clarence,” I said, and he quickly obeyed. There were no parking spaces and the street was crowded, so he said, “Dr. Reynolds, I’ll circle the block and will be right back. If you finish before I return, wait for me.” I nodded and wal
I froze, not quite sure what to do as my hand went instinctively to my stomach.The other man already had his hand around Clarence’s throat. It was then I noticed that they were both more than human, but not vampires. Their eyes were bright blue, and vampires’ eyes are green and, from the way this man was handling Clarence, they also had super-human strength. I waited, confused. “You, dear sir, are coming with us,” he said, looking directly into Clarence’s eyes.“He was compelled,” the man standing before me said in a low voice. Suddenly, he looked familiar.“How do you know about compulsion?” I asked, astonished. Obviously, these men weren’t human. If they were, they knew much more than normal humans were allowed to know.He gave me a weak smile. “My name is Garrett, and this is Patrick.”“Pleasure,” I said, leery of my rescuers.I looked over and Patrick wa
Lance took her hand in his and clasped it with both hands, but didn’t raise it to his lips. “Yes, thank you for coming so quickly.” Then, Lance turned to me. “This is Raven, and she possesses the gift of magic.”“She’s a witch,” I said, nodding my head, wondering what other supernatural creatures might walk through the door next.“Yes,” she said, circling me slowly as a cat would size up a mouse. “And you are?”“Lance’s fiancée,” I said flatly. I was in no mood for a catfight or to deal with catty women.“Yes, well,” she said, turning her attention back to Lance, “he never mentioned you.”“And he never mentioned you,” I returned, wondering what her past relationship had been with him. Obviously, she wanted it to be more than it was. Get in line, lady.She suddenly laughed. “Lance and I have been friends f
“Really?” I asked, truly amazed.Suddenly, it felt as if I was getting a crash course in Paranormal 101. “But you’re so …”“Lovely?” Raven finished. She crossed the room to me, looking into my eyes. “Thank you for that.” She smiled and then continued. “So, you see? We have many powers and compulsion is just one of them.” She took a step closer to me. “And now do you see why witches are reluctant to do the linking spell?”I nodded, understanding.Lance nodded. “I could not ask that of you.”Raven then turned her attention back to me. “Do you really think you can develop a serum so that vampires can walk in the sunlight?”I nodded. “Yes, quite sure. I have an idea, but I need to test it first.”“You are with child, are you not?” Raven asked, matter of fact.“I think so, but I won’t find
“Why don’t we go downstairs to dinner while Garrett and Patrick clean up?” Lance said, indicating the crimson pool of blood on the floor where Clarence’s body had been.“I’m sorry about Clarence,” I said, rubbing his arm. Lance had calmed down considerably. We still didn’t know who was after the baby or me, but at least we were a bit closer. We knew that I was pregnant and that someone was after the baby. A shiver went through my body at the thought.Lance took a deep breath. “He was loyal,” Lance said, lost in thought. “He definitely had to be compelled. I trusted Clarence with my life.” He took a deep breath, shaking his head. “He deserved better than this.”I nodded, not quite sure what to say. After all, what was there to say to someone who has lost a friend? Then, a thought occurred to me. “Lance, does this mean that you can go out into the sunlight now?”
“May I take your order?” a pretty blonde woman asked Lance, holding a pad and pencil, waiting. Great. Another admirer. Obviously, the hostess had told her about him. I guessed that I would have to get used to it. Anyone as gorgeous as Lance would definitely attract attention.“I’ll have the Seafood Alfredo and a Coke,” Lance said, handing her his menu, and then turned his attention back to me.“I’ll have the Penne Pasta with Chicken and a Coke Zero,” I said, reaching across the table to hold his hand.“I’ll get that for you right away,” she said, dejected, as she walked away.“Lance, you can order a drink, you know,” I said, smiling. “I won’t mind.”He gently squeezed my hand. “Not while you’re pregnant, love,” he said.I smiled as I returned the squeeze. It was nice that he didn’t want me to feel uncomfortable.Lanc
An hour later, we were in his Learjet on our way back to Las Vegas. I had fallen asleep on the plane and woke when Lance shook my shoulder. “Leila, we’re here,” he cooed. I opened my eyes, lying against his shoulder. He stroked a lock of hair away from my eyes. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” he said, smiling. “We’re here.”I looked out the window of his Learjet and it was pitch black outside. “What time is it?” I asked groggily, feeling like I could sleep for the rest of my life.Lance smiled, amused by my expression. “It’s three o’clock in the morning,” he said, making sure that I was fully awake before he moved. The plane was on the ground and at a complete stop. I didn’t even remember landing. “Let’s get you to the castle and then you can go back to sleep.”“Okay,” I said. Then, I felt something move in my stomach and I instinctively lifted my
He placed a finger gently under my chin and lifted my eyes to his. “What do you think?” Then, his lips crushed down onto mine, moving with all of the pent up passion that he was feeling. When he pulled back, I was breathless when he looked into my eyes. “I love you, Leila, more than you’ll ever know, and I want you to be my wife.”I nodded as I wiped the tears from my cheeks and looked down at my stomach again. “I love you, too,” I said to both Lance and the baby. “What do you think the baby will be like?” I asked, looking into Lance’s eyes.He smiled as he placed his hand gently on my stomach, and then his eyes met mine. “Special.”I nodded in agreement. Yes, above anything else, this baby was special.Out of the blue, there was a knock on the door and I looked at Lance, concerned.“Don’t worry. You’re safe here,” he said, then got up and walked across
LeilaJase started toward me, but Selestra held up her hand, stopping him. “Wait!”“Selestra,” Lance growled, his eyes flaring a brilliant green. “If you do not release the children now, I will personally tear you to pieces.”“As a show of good faith, I’m giving you back the children,” she replied. “But Raif is crazed with vengeance. I couldn’t take his abuse anymore, and I left him and took your children with me.”“It’s a lie!”“Lance, wait!” I held my hand up, stopping her. “What if she’s telling the truth?” Then I turned to Selestra. “So, give us the children. Once they’re safe, then we’ll talk.”Selestra nodded. “Agreed.” She motioned for Jase and Addie to go to us, and they both rushed toward me and hugged me.“She’s alone,” Addie whispered, keeping her voice so low only I could hear.I nodded once. “Jase, Sirena, go home with Raven. we’ll talk when we get there.”Jase looked between us and said, “Be safe.”Lance pulled them both in for a quick hug, making it look good. But he ki
Leila“I spoke with Kellen,” Lance said, quickly crossing the room. “He’s called an emergency and is locking down the castle as we speak. He’s also agreed to stay with Sirena and Emma, too.” He let out a deep breath, placing his hands on his hips. “It may be overkill, but I don’t care. Sirena needs all the protection we can give her.”A moment later, there was a knock on the door.Lance held up his hand to me and quickly crossed the room. He looked through the peephole, opened the door, and extended his hand to Emma. “Thanks for this. I’m so sorry we had to phone you on such short notice.”“Not a problem. I’m glad to help.” She walked in dressed in a pair of jeans, a floral shirt, and boots, similar to what I was wearing. I was sure she had come prepared to fight, too.“Thank you so much for this.” I pulled her in for a quick hug. “After Kellen locks down the castle, he’ll come stay with you.”Emma nodded. “That’s fine.” She pointed down the hallway. “Is Sirena in the family room?”I
Leila“What do you mean ‘they’re missing?’” Lance demanded, taking a step closer.Raven took a deep breath, the most flustered I’d ever seen her. “After dinner, they were dismissed and were in their common rooms. One of the other students said that Jase got a call... from you.” Her head snapped up toward me. “So, he stepped out into the hallway with Addie and never came back in.”“From me?” I asked in disbelief, shaking my head. “It wasn’t me.”“Well, the student said your number popped up on his phone.” Raven shook her head. “I’m so sorry—”“Who was the student?” I asked.Raven let out a deep breath. “Kian Medine. The Medine family is important in the witch community and very trustworthy.”I nodded. “Can you do a locator spell on him like you did last time?”“That’s what I planned to do.” She looked into Lance’s eyes. “I knew you would want to be present.”Lance nodded. “Thank you.” He gritted his teeth. “If Raif and Selestra have them, there will be no place they can hide. I’ll tear
LeilaI nodded. “I know you will.” I rose to my feet and pulled her in for a hug. “My husband and I will discuss this and will get back to you. Thank you for coming.”“Would you like to meet our daughter before you go?” Lance asked.Emma nodded. “Yes, please.” Her eyes brightened. It was clear that she loved children.I nodded. Whether or not we hired her, what harm could it do to introduce Emma to Sirena? “Right this way.”I walked down the hallway, and Emma walked beside me as Lance followed behind. When we entered the family room, Sirena was playing Chess alone, switching seats at each turn. It was the funniest thing I’d ever seen. Then guilt filled my chest for not having anyone her age to occupy her. “Sirena, honey, I’d like you to meet someone.”Sirena looked up and smiled, her game forgotten as she crossed the room purposefully toward Emma and thrust out her hand. “Hello. My name is Sirena. What’s your name?”“My name is Emma.” She tilted her head to the side, smiling. So, you
LeilaEmma sat on the edge of her seat and smiled, folding her arms on her lap. “My name is Emma Fitzroy.” She had the type of British accent that I could listen to all day.Lance’s head snapped up, a crease between his eyes. “Fitzroy? As in ‘the bastard son of a king?’”“Lance!” I scoffed, unable to believe what he had just said.“Please, pardon me, both of you.” Lance looked over at me and smiled. “The word was more commonly used in our time. Please, forgive me.”I nodded cautiously. “It’s okay.”But Emma smiled, unaffected. “It’s okay. I used to hear it all the time years ago. But not many people know the meaning or connotation today.”Lance nodded. “So, who was your father?”She let out a deep breath. “My father was King Henry I, and I am one of his illegitimate children.”My eyes nearly bugged out of my head, but miraculously, I maintained my composure. “Could you explain that to us? I mean, how did you come to be in our coven?”She nodded. “I was born the twenty-sixth of June, i
LeilaLance let out a deep breath. “After hearing everything, the Council agreed with my reasoning. They couldn’t believe all the threats Raif had leveled against you and the children, and they agreed that if he defeated me, he would also take over the Council, the vampire world, and the rest of the supernatural creatures. When I told them he wanted to be king, they agreed that we can’t let that happen.”“Well, let’s eat, and then you can take a shower before Emma gets here.” I made a sandwich out of a biscuit, an egg, and a slice of bacon.Lance laughed. “What are you doing?”“I used to do this all the time when I was human.” I picked it up and took a bite. “You should try it! It’s good!”“Can I have some?” Sirena asked, looking at my biscuit sandwich with curiosity.“Sure!” I slid her onto my lap and made her a sandwich with the other biscuit, egg, and bacon. Lance got up and made another one for me and warmed up a bag of blood for her.“Here you go!” I handed her the biscuit sandw
LeilaLance raised up and kissed my shoulder, smiling as he laced his fingers through my hair. “Why don’t you shower, and I’ll fix the coffee?” He traced lazy circles over my body, raising my nipples to peaks and sending chills over my body. “I would take a shower with you, but Sirena will be up in a few minutes, and her seeing her mommy and daddy naked may cause unnecessary trauma.” He chuckled. “It’ll cost me a fortune in therapy for the rest of her life.”I laughed, running my fingers through his dark brown wavy hair. “We really need to find her a nanny.”He laughed. “Yes, we do.” Then his lips descended upon mine in a passionate kiss as my tongue swiped over his, all heat and desire. He pulled back a moment later and gave me one last sweet kiss. Then he slid out of bed and slipped into his sleeping shorts and a white T-shirt.“Ahh,” I moaned, reaching for him. “Come back to bed.”He chuckled, one corner of his lips curling into a sexy smile. “You don’t know how tempting that is.”
LanceI nodded. “So, what say you? I will poll each of you. An answer of Yay will be in favor of banning together to fight. An answer of Nay will be against.” I looked around the room. “Xander.”“Yay.”I nodded. “Drake.”“Yay.”“Annette.”“If he would go so far as to threaten you and your family and then take over the Council, then my answer is Yay,” she replied.I nodded. “Felicia.”She let out a deep breath, a crease forming between her eyes. It was clear that she was not making her decision lightly. “Yay.”“So, it’s unanimous. We will stand and fight. I appreciate your support.” I placed my hands on the table as I leaned forward. “I’ll coordinate with you and will let you know when we plan to attack. But as of this moment, we are at war with Raif Cavanaugh, Leader of the East Coven.” I let out a deep breath. “I asked Chef Faustino to prepare a special buffet for you. So, please. Enjoy.” I motioned toward the buffet lined up against the wall, filled with all sorts of delicacies incl
LanceLeila and I went through several applicants for Sirena’s nanny but didn’t find anyone suitable. The successful applicant needed to be a vampire with fighting skills, capable of protecting Sirena during a crisis. He or she would also have to have good nanny and child nurturing skills. Not an easy combination to find in one person.“So, did you have any luck finding a nanny for Sirena?” A smile spread across Kellen’s face as we headed toward the main conference room for the meeting with the Supernatural Council, consisting of the heads of all the covens and packs in Las Vegas.I scoffed. “No. Not yet. It’s proving to be as difficult as it was to find a nanny and protector for Jase.”Kellen nodded, stopping just outside the door. “I think I may have a solution for you.”“Oh?” My eyebrows shot up.“I know a young woman that reminds me a lot of Addie, but she was a little older when she was turned.”“How old was she?”“Eighteen,” he replied. “I think Addie was sixteen when she was tu