He took the laptop from her, grabbed her hand, and led her down the stairs.
A zing of excitement shimmered along Natalie’s nerves, and she had to admit it wasn’t just the thought of getting Christian naked. She was going to see the secret room! It was like taking a tour of the bat cave, and she was endlessly curious.
Christian led her past a huge vault-like door at the foot of the stairs. He set her laptop on a nearby counter, then turned to shove the heavy door shut. While he punched in yet another code to lock the door, Natalie examined the room they’d just entered. Computers were lined up on a table against the far wall, and screens filled the space above them, with the largest one being a huge, wide-screen TV monitor. She noticed a couple of different game consoles, and tried to imagine Christian and Marc down here playing Tomb Raider or Witcher. Actually, after seeing them in action, she could totally picture those two getting into Call of Duty. The thought made her want to laugh, but she swallowed it. She didn’t think laughter was the reaction Christian expected from her first sight of the bat cave.
He picked up the laptop, and took her hand to pull her through the computer room and down a hallway. There were two doors on each side of the corridor, and a door at the far end. The first two doors to either side, and the door at the end, were closed, but Marc stepped out of the open door on the far left. He smiled at her, then said to Christian, “Cibor and Jaclyn are there.” He indicated the closed door next to the one he’d stepped out of, then pointed at the door opposite. “Scoville’s in that one, and Alon’s still in yours.”
“Alon?” she said eagerly. “Can I see him?”
“Tomorrow,” Christian told her. “He’s sound asleep right now.”
“But he’s okay?”
He nodded. “He’s fine. But, Natalie,” he said, giving her a serious look. “He’ll be different. He’s a vampire now.”
“I know,” she said, although she was beginning to suspect that she really didn’t. “But he’ll still be Alon. I’m just happy he’s alive.”
Christian gave her a skeptical look, but didn’t push her on it. Either because he figured she had to see it to believe it, or maybe because he didn’t want to spend the little bit of time they had before sunrise talking about Alon’s new life as a vampire.
“Did Marc say Scoville was here? I thought he was with Anthony?”
“Anthony hung him out to dry, so he’s had a change of heart. He’s with me now.”
She had questions about that, but decided she was too tired to pursue them tonight, as Christian wrapped his hand around her hip and urged her into the room opposite Marc’s. “See you at sunset,” he called to Marc. He pushed her all the way inside and closed the door behind them.
Natalie found herself in a room that wasn’t all that different from the guest room upstairs, except that the bed was bigger, and the décor much more masculine. Lamps on either side of the bed gave off a slight golden glow through pleated tan shades, and the lamp bases were porcelain with an elaborate gold and maroon design. The bed itself was a simple black leather headboard, with bed linens in two shades of gray, and lots of pillows. An en suite bathroom opened off to one side, and there was a good-sized closet behind a sliding, mirrored door.
Christian set her laptop on a low, six-drawer dresser, then walked toward the bathroom, pulling off his T-shirt as he went. “I need a shower,” he said from inside the shirt as he yanked it over his head. When he emerged, his hair was tousled and he gave her his sexy grin. “Join me.”
Natalie smiled slowly. It wasn’t a question, but she didn’t mind. She was too riveted by the thick muscles padding his shoulders and arms, the flat planes of his chest tapering down to a perfect set of abs and a flat belly. She sighed with pleasure at the sight of him, and he laughed. It was the sound of unabashed male pride, but she couldn’t blame him. Not with the way she’d been ogling his body. Her smile widened. “I’m ready for that shower.”
Two minutes later, they were both naked under the pounding rush of some really hot water. Natalie stood under the spray, washing away the slimy feel of Anthony’s touch. Not to mention the traces of the vampire who’d dusted all over her when Christian killed him. Yuck. She’d just slathered shampoo over her hair, when Christian’s strong fingers took over the job, massaging her scalp as he rubbed it into her hair. Natalie leaned back against him, stretching her arms behind her to wrap around his hips, and caress the strong curves of his firm butt. The position also had the side benefit of pressing his equally fine erection against her butt, which she didn’t mind at all.
“I could get used to this,” she murmured, mostly to herself.
“Rinse,” he said, reaching over her head to unhook the removable shower attachment. Natalie turned around and tipped her head backward, enjoying the combined pleasure of the hot water and his strong fingers as they threaded through her hair.
Once he was finished rinsing, she patted his chest. “What’s next?”
He got a wicked grin on his face, and said, “I thought I’d fuck you up against that wall until you screamed.”
Natalie felt a rush of heat low in her belly that quickly sank even lower. Her cheeks flushed, and she admitted to herself that she wouldn’t mind that scenario at all. But that’s not what she’d meant when she’d asked him. She stomped a foot impatiently, laughing when he instinctively twisted to protect his balls from her knee. She reached between them, and cupped his balls in her hand, giving them a fond caress that ended with a firm stroke of his cock. “You don’t have to worry about protecting these guys,” she told him. “I like them way too much.”
Christian snorted. “That’s good to know, but I’ve seen you in action, chére. A man can never be too careful.”
Natalie patted his chest again. “What I meant to ask was, what happens next with your vampire stuff? Will you move to the estate now?”
“Hell, no. We’ll stay here in the short term, but I have to start building a security force, and that will mean a much bigger house. The estate is the right size, but I hate that place. I’m thinking of moving to Santa Fe. I like it there.”
Natalie made a noncommittal noise. She wanted to know what came next with them, too, but she wasn’t going to ask about that.
“Hey,” he said, lifting her chin with one finger. “You want to help me pick out a new house?”
“You mean like, as a financial expert? That’s not really—”
“No, Natalie. Like . . . as my mate. I love you. I want you to stay with me.”
Natalie’s heart leapt so hard, it felt like it was lodged in her throat. Tears filled her eyes, and Christian’s eyebrows rose at the sight. She forced herself to swallow, in order to croak, “Happy tears.”