Eight. Nine . . .”
Blood flowed down his back, and with it, a renewed hatred for the vampire who had brought him to this place.
“Ten.”
Merciful darkness enfolded him, carrying him away from the pain and humiliation.
Chapter 16
Callie looked up from the book she was reading when Quill materialized in the living room. Troubled by the harsh expression on his face, she asked, “What’s happened? You were gone so long, I was starting to worry.”
Shaking his head, he paced the floor in front of the fireplace.
“Quill, you’re scaring me.”
He stopped in front of her, hands fisted at his side. “That damn Knight tracked me while I was feeding,” he said, his voice taut with anger. “When he came at me, I instinctively got out of the way. And . . .”
Callie sat forward, her hands gripping the edges of the book as she waited for him to go on.
“The stake meant for me killed the woman.”
“Oh, no!” Callie stood, the book falling, unnoticed, to the floor as she went to Quill and wrapped her arms around his waist. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Isn’t it?” he asked, harshly. “An innocent woman is dead because of me.”
Unable to think of anything to say, she hugged him. His body was so tense, it was like hugging a rock. He relaxed gradually.
Taking her in his arms, he rested his forehead against hers. “She was so young,” he murmured, his voice thick with anguish. “She had her whole life ahead of her, and now she’s dead for no good reason and I’m to blame.”
Tears stung Callie’s eyes—shed for the young woman who had died needlessly, for Quill’s anguish. She wished she could think of something profound to say that would comfort him, but nothing came to mind. Vampire or not, he was a good, decent man, she thought. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be feeling such guilt over what had happened.
Taking his hand, she tugged him toward the sofa and pulled him down beside her. His gaze met hers, his dark eyes haunted.
Murmuring, “Oh, Quill,” she laid her head against his chest.
Clinging to her hand, he murmured, “I love you, Callie. Thank you for not judging me. Or hating me.”
“I could never hate you.” She looked up, her gaze meeting his. A thrill ran through her when he pulled her into his arms and held her close. His kiss, when it came, was achingly tender. She felt his sorrow as if it were her own—his regret, his need for comfort. Cupping his cheek in her palm, she kissed him.
Growling her name, Quill’s arms tightened around her as he fell back on the sofa, carrying her with him, so that they lay side by side, her legs tangled with his. He kissed her with a kind of quiet desperation, as if he could bury his guilt in her caress.
She felt the press of his desire against her belly, tasted the need in his kisses, in the touch of his hands as he restlessly stroked her back and thighs.
His tongue traveled the length of her neck like a flame against her skin. When he groaned her name, she pushed her hair out of the way, giving him access to her throat.
His bite was gentle, followed by a familiar wave of pleasure that warmed her from the inside out.
She knew a rush of panic when he didn’t stop after a moment or two as he usually did. Then, as if suddenly realizing what he was doing, he pulled away. Sitting up, he lifted her onto his lap, his arm around her waist. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice husky.
“For what?”
He shook his head. “I was about to take advantage of you.”
“Oh?”
He trailed his knuckles along her cheek. “When we make love, I want it to be for the right reason. Not because I’m trying to bury my guilt.”
“I love you, Quill.”
He stared at her as if she were speaking a foreign language. Not because of the words she’d spoken. He knew she loved him, as he loved her. “You never fail to surprise me,” he said with a faint grin. “On this night of all nights, I’m not sure I deserve either your love or your trust.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” she said sternly. “If anyone’s to blame, it’s that Knight. You weren’t hurting anyone. He had murder in his heart.”
“Ah, Callie,” he murmured. “I love you beyond words. Someday I hope to show you how much.”
Someday. She smiled inwardly as she thought of the sexy nightgown tucked in her suitcase and wondered