Under a Vampire Moon (Argeneau #16)

Under a Vampire Moon (Argeneau #16) Page 13

"I can walk," Carolyn muttered with embarrassment as they were waved past the first and second full minibuses to the third one.

"Not fast enough," he said shortly.

Carolyn scowled, but held her tongue as he carried her onto the bus. She wished she'd insisted though when she saw the curious stares they were garnering. He carried her to the only empty bench seat in the very back on the right and settled on it with her in his lap.

"Er...," Carolyn murmured, at a bit of a loss. Everyone was staring and... well, she was in his lap, for heaven's sake. It was bad enough he'd carried her on, but he could have set her on the seat. Instead, he was holding her in his lap as if she were an injured child... or a lover, she thought as his scent enveloped her now that they weren't moving. He smelled like the jungle on a rainy day, a slightly musky scent that made her forget people were staring. It also made her suddenly aware of the heat of his chest pressing along her side and his hard lap beneath her.

Biting her lip, Carolyn raised her head, her eyes widening when she met his gaze and found herself staring into eyes more silver than black. Silver. Not gray. She'd never seen anything so beautiful... or impossible.

"Your eyes," she whispered with confusion as they began to move closer, almost as if his head were lowering to hers, she thought with bemusement.

Christian stilled at once, and then shifted her to sit on the bench seat beside him. Oddly enough, while it was what she'd wanted moments ago, she now felt a pang of disappointment.

"Eat your chocolate," he growled.

"But your eyes," she said, shifting on the seat to try to see them again.

"Colored contacts," he said grimly. "Eat your chocolate."

Carolyn frowned at how snappy he was being, but settled back in her seat to unwrap her chocolate bar. The damned wrapper must have been sealed with Krazy Glue.

She couldn't seem to get the thing open, but gasped with surprise when Christian cursed and snatched it from her fumbling fingers. His face was grim, his jaw clenched as he impatiently opened it for her.

"There. Eat," he snarled, pushing it back at her. When she didn't take it right away, his gaze shifted to her face and he frowned. "What's wrong?"

"That's what I'm wondering," she said wearily. "You're snapping at me like I stole your favorite toy."

Christian glanced away, then sighed, peered back, and offered an apologetic half-smile.

"Sorry. I'm not a morning person."

Carolyn relaxed a little and took the chocolate bar, mumbling, "Jack said that was probably the case when you were scowling at us from the dock. Or maybe I said it," she added with a frown. It was hard to recall just then.

One of them had said it.

"Eat your chocolate," Christian said, every word carefully enunciated. "Your hands are shaking so bad I'm surprised you can hold it."

Carolyn shifted her attention to her hands, noting absently that they were indeed shaking. She was also all sweaty again, and her heart was racing as if she'd been running. On top of that, it was growing hard to think.

When Christian suddenly caught the hand holding the chocolate bar and pulled it toward his face, she thought he was going to take a bite himself, but instead he turned her hand and pressed his nose to the inside of her wrist. Carolyn just gaped as he inhaled deeply, and then he cursed and quickly urged the hand toward her until the chocolate touched her lips.

"Eat," Christian growled.

"What's wrong with my perfume?" she asked with a frown.

"What?" he asked, the confused one now.

"You sniffed me and cursed," she explained. "What's wrong with-"

Carolyn's words died as he urged the chocolate into her open mouth. It seemed she would eat or he would shove it down her throat. Scowling at him around the bar, she took a bite, relieved when he let go.

"There's nothing wrong with your perfume," Christian said grimly as she chewed. He stood up, muttering, "It's your blood that's the problem."

Carolyn stared after him with amazement as she chewed. He was walking slowly up the aisle, his gaze moving over the people on the bus as he went. She had swallowed and taken a second bite when he suddenly paused and turned to an older couple on the right. She didn't see his lips move, but suddenly the woman held up a bottle of orange liquid to him. Christian took it and immediately headed back to her, moving much more swiftly.

"Here."

She stared blankly at the bottle of orange juice when he opened it and held it out. "How did you-"

"Drink," he insisted quietly. "It will get the sugar into your system faster than the chocolate and you need it, cara. Your blood sugar is bottoming out."

Carolyn blinked. His anger appeared to be gone now, concern and caring in its place.

"Drink," he repeated, pressing the bottle to her lips.

She took over holding it and opened her mouth to allow the liquid to pour in. It was cool and sweet and she drank it quickly. The moment she lowered the empty bottle, Christian took it back, recapped it and set it on the seat between them. He then gestured to the chocolate bar, and watched silently as she continued to eat it. He just sat there staring at her as if she were a child and he needed to be sure she ate the bar and didn't shove it down the side of her seat or something.

"Stop staring at me," she muttered. "You're as bad as Captain Jack."

That made his mouth twist with displeasure and annoyance creep back to replace some of the concern on his face. His voice was tart when he said, "You appear to have made a friend in Captain Jack. He was all over you on the boat."

Carolyn raised her eyebrows at his testy voice and eyed him silently as she popped the last bite of chocolate into her mouth. If she didn't know he was gay, she'd have said he was jealous of the man. But he was gay, so there was no reason for this reaction. Unless...

Uncomfortable under her narrowing gaze, Christian took the chocolate wrapper from her, balled it up and glanced around, wondering if there was a garbage container at the front of the bus. His gaze found the woman standing beside the driver. She'd been droning on for a couple of minutes about the highlights of Soufriere and its history.

He hadn't caught a word of it.

"You're jealous."

That accusation from Carolyn made him glance to her sharply with surprise. It was true. Jealousy had been eating at him like acid since he'd seen her laughing and chatting with the boat captain. But it had positively devoured him when the man had put his arm around Carolyn as she'd placed a necklace of flowers around his neck.

He'd wanted to wring his neck, and he probably would have had he been on the boat. She was his lifemate. No man should touch her.

Christian's reaction had been just as visceral when the man had lifted Carolyn off the boat. He couldn't move quickly enough to get her out of his hands, and when the fellow had resisted his taking her and held on, he'd seen red. Christian had been about to slip into his thoughts when the fellow had said that bit about her blood sugar.

Christian had forced himself to relax then, but it had been a struggle. The captain was entirely too comfortable touching his woman.

And Carolyn hadn't protested it either, he thought grimly. But then she had no idea yet that she was his. She thought he was gay, which was why he was surprised that she recognized he was jealous.

"It's okay." She patted his hand now. "I understand. He is a hottie. All those tan, rippling muscles and the piratey hair."

Christian ground his teeth together and considered wringing her neck instead of Captain Jack's. How dare she think the man a hottie? And what was she doing noticing his rippling muscles? She was his, dammit, whether she knew it or not.

"Not my type," she continued. "I mean, he seems nice enough and all, and probably loads of fun, but there was just no spark for some reason."

While Carolyn was now frowning, apparently perplexed as to why that would be the case, Christian felt himself relax and even begin to grin at these words. She wasn't attracted to Captain Jack, rippling muscles and piratey hair or not. Ha!

Heaving a sigh, she said more cheerfully, "The good news is, he was only flirting with me because Genie told him to make sure I had a good time, so who knows, you may yet be in luck. He could be gay too." She looked dubious even as she said it, but then added encouragingly, "Or maybe bisexual at least."

Christian blinked as it slowly dawned on him that she thought he was jealous of her rather than of Captain Jack.

Dear God!

"Oh look, we're stopping."

Christian glanced around to see that they had pulled up beside a line of outdoor stands offering island jewelry and the like. Everyone on the bus began to stand to disembark, but when Carolyn did, he frowned.

"You should wait here. Your blood sugar-"

"I'm good now, the juice and chocolate did wonders," she assured him scrambling past his legs to get out.

Christian reached to stop her, but paused as her behind was suddenly in his face.

"Damn," he breathed and nearly grabbed the two round cheeks in front of him, but then she was past and moving eagerly up the aisle behind the others.

Giving his head a shake, Christian stood to follow, knowing it was a mistake even as he did it. He'd been in such a rush to get down to the boat that morning that he hadn't thought to feed, let alone to down several extra bags to make up for the exposure to sunlight. The last thing he needed was to be out in the sun, but he couldn't leave Carolyn on her own. Her physical symptoms had been worrying enough, but when he'd sniffed her wrist the scent of her blood had been telling. Captain Jack had been right. She'd been bottoming out with low blood sugar.

Mouth tightening, Christian plunged out into the sunlight to follow Carolyn toward the first stall as everyone spread out to look at the offered wares. He followed her silently from stall to stall, his eyes moving warily from her happy face to the sun and back.

"Oh, look, Christian, this one's lovely."

Pausing behind Carolyn, Christian gazed over her shoulder to the necklace she'd picked up. It was made up of rows of small polished black stones separated by tiny silver beads.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"Nice," he murmured, imagining it against her naked skin.

"I'll take it," Carolyn said to the woman and then picked up one that had a handful of pink stones among the black and said, "This as well."

Much to his relief their guide called a halt to the shopping trip then and everyone piled back on the bus.

Christian settled into his seat with a little sigh as the bus started to move again. The guide immediately began talking about the drive-in volcano where they would stop next, but his attention shifted to Carolyn as she suddenly pressed the black and silver necklace into his hand.

"Here, hold this."

Christian automatically closed his fingers around the necklace and watched her undo the clasp on the one with the pink stones and put it on. She tipped her head down, trying to see it, but then shrugged and reached for the necklace he held. He gave it up at once, eyebrows rising when she began to undo its clasp as well.

"Are you going to wear both of them?" he asked with amusement.

"Nope," Carolyn said cheerfully, then shifted to kneel on the bench seat beside him and reached up to place the black and silver necklace around his neck.

Christian froze as she leaned forward to see around his neck to do up the clasp, his entire body suddenly wide awake and alert as she inadvertently pressed against him.

She'd wondered what was wrong with her perfume earlier.

The answer was not a damned thing. It was spicy wildflowers and intoxicating as hell. He had to ball his fingers into fists and physically fight the urge to slip his arms around her, draw her even closer and bury his face in her neck just to inhale it more deeply.

"There," she said, pulling back to look at his throat.

Christian stared at her as she peered at his neck. At first he thought that she was completely unaffected by the closeness that had nearly laid waste to his own self-control, but then he noted that the color was high in her cheeks. She was also avoiding his eyes and her smile seemed a bit forced. And her heart was racing again. He could hear it, but it wasn't from a drop in blood sugar this time, he was sure of it.

"It's perfect," Carolyn pronounced.

"Thank you." The words were a bare growl as he watched her settle back on her side of the seat. "I'll give it back when we return to the resort."

"You will not," she said at once, scowling. "I bought it for you. It matches your eyes. Besides, as Brent always says, you need pretty baubles to attract the male of the species.

Maybe you'll catch Captain Jack's eye on the way back."

Christian grimaced.

"Although, I'm afraid that will attract a few women too," Carolyn added with amusement, casting another glance toward his neck and chest.

"Then it's good I have you to help fend them off," he said quietly.

She smiled faintly, and then turned her gaze to the passing scenery as the bus wound up the hill. It left Christian free to stare at her. Her color was good again, the juice and chocolate had done the trick, which suggested Jack had been right and she was hypoglycemic. It shouldn't be a problem once he settled everything and turned her, but he'd have to keep an eye on her until then, make sure she didn't-"

I can't wait to see the drive-in volcano." Carolyn suddenly turned to smile at him.

Christian nodded and did his best not to look like he'd been staring.

"I have this image of the road running into a cave and along the wall around the side of this huge cauldron of bubbling lava and then out through a cave on the other side." She paused and frowned, and then said, "You don't think it would be dangerous to inhale the fumes, do you?"

She'd barely asked the question when she then shook her head. "I'm sure Jack would have said something."

Christian scowled at the mention of the man's name.

"And Genie wouldn't have let us come at all," she added. "Speaking of which, what did she say when you showed up this morning to get a ticket?"

"She transferred Bethany's ticket to me," he said, forcing his scowl away.

"Really?" she asked with surprise.

He nodded. "She also arranged for a car to take me to Soufriere to catch up with you."

"That was good of her," Carolyn murmured with a smile.

Christian agreed. Genie cared about Carolyn. He'd read it from her mind as he'd waited for her to finish transferring the ticket. He'd also read some of her feelings regarding him and it seemed she was wishing he was straight and interested in Carolyn, who she felt deserved some fun after the rough time she'd had. Genie thought he'd be the perfect solution if he were straight and into older blondes, like Marguerite thought.

"So," Carolyn tilted her head quizzically. "You came because you knew I'd be on my own?"

He nodded, and risked admitting, "That and I enjoy spending time with you."

She smiled and patted his hand. "I like hanging with you too. You're a good friend, Christian."

It was a start, he told himself. A good start, really, forever was a long time. A lifemate had to be a friend as well as a lover.

"Why are we stopping?" Carolyn asked, glancing curiously around as they pulled into an area where several other vans and minibuses were parked. "I thought the drive-in volcano was next."

Christian looked to the front of the bus as their guide explained that they would walk from here, and commented, "I guess we don't actually drive in after all."

"Hmm." She looked disappointed and he had the urge to kiss the pout off her lips, but simply stood and turned to allow her out of the seat, then followed as she trailed the others off the bus. He was rather disappointed himself.

Walking meant another round under the scorching sun, something he could well do without.

"You must be boiling in those black jeans," Carolyn said as they followed the group away from the buses. "I know you're allergic to the sun, but you could at least have worn the white T-shirt you bought the other day.

And maybe pants that were made of a less heavy material to make it bearable."

"I was rushing and not thinking." Christian took her arm to steer her along. It was true, he had been rushing and not thinking or he would have had blood.

"Is it awful to admit I'm a bit disappointed?" Carolyn asked moments later as they joined the others peering over the drive-in volcano.

Christian chuckled at her expression and shook his head. "Your vision was much more exciting."

"Yeah." She sighed and peered out over the steaming field before them. "It kind of looks like an ash field...

except for the steam. But those rocks are rather pretty."

Christian nodded as his gaze slid over the rocks streaked black, yellow and white.

"It smells though," Carolyn muttered, wrinkling her nose.

"Sulphur," he said, his gaze sliding to the tour guide who was explaining that while tourists used to be allowed to walk to the end of the tar pits, that was no longer allowed because a local tour guide had fallen through the crust, receiving third-degree burns over most of his body.

The story made Christian urge Carolyn back from the edge of the platform. The last thing he wanted was to lose her now that he'd found her.

"Are you all right?" Carolyn asked moments later as they started along the path toward Sulphur Springs.

"Yes, why?" he muttered, relieved to see that the path led into the jungle ahead.

"You're the one looking pale now," she said with concern.

"Would you like my other chocolate bar?"

Christian shook his head. Chocolate wasn't going to help him. "I'm good. Keep it in case you need it later," he said and released a slow relieved sigh as the vegetation closed around them, providing shade.

"I have water too." She offered him her half empty bottle of water.

Christian just shook his head again. It wouldn't help either. What he needed was blood, but he wasn't likely to get the opportunity to get that anytime soon.

"Are you sure?" she asked with a frown. "You really don't look good."

"I'm fine. You drink it." He urged her to the side to make room for people coming from the opposite way along the path.

Shrugging, Carolyn opened the bottle and gulped it down. She was putting the empty bottle back into her bag when they stepped out into an open area.

"Oh," Carolyn breathed as she took in the waterfalls.

"Now this is impressive."

Christian nodded, but almost sighed as he followed her out of the shade. It was pretty, but difficult to enjoy. All this sunlight was beginning to affect him. His stomach was starting to cramp and his senses were all starting to zero in on the sources of blood around him. He could hear every heartbeat of every tourist they traveled with, could hear the blood pounding through their veins louder than the falls themselves, could actually smell the tinny substance rushing beneath their skin.

His fangs tried to slide out in response and Christian clenched his jaw, concentrating on keeping them in.

"Maybe we should go back to the bus."

Christian blinked. Carolyn stood in front of him, concern on her face.

"You really don't look good."

"I'm fine," he said tightly and she snorted at the claim.

"No you aren't. You look ready to pass out. Come on.

You took care of me and now I'm going to take care of you." Catching his hand, she moved past him, dragging him back along the path the way they'd come.

"Really, I'm fine," he assured her, a new concern claiming him. As desperately as he needed blood, the last thing he wanted was to be closed up in a minibus with her where the scent of her blood might make him do something stupid. The temptation to bite would be unbearable.

Hell, being back on the bus with a dozen pounding mortal hearts pumping all that glorious blood through their veins would be even worse. He needed to feed. His gaze slid to Carolyn, zeroing in on her neck. Her naked and now vulnerable neck he saw with dismay.

"When did you pull your hair up?" he asked with alarm.

"While we were walking through the jungle," she said without glancing around. "Didn't you see me? You were right behind me."

"No," he muttered, unable to tear his eyes from her throat. He'd been way too distracted with thoughts of his need for blood and how to get it, he supposed.

"I have another scrunchy in my bag if you want to pull your hair back too," she offered, glancing over her shoulder.

Christian forced his eyes from her throat to her face with some effort and frowned. She'd gone pale again and her eyes were a little glassy. Her blood sugar had dropped once more, he realized.

Christ, what a pair they were, he thought, catching her elbow when she stumbled. They had reached the end of the shaded path and had the long open area to cross, but Carolyn was now moving at almost a crawl. No sugar, no energy. It would take forever to get back to the minibus at this rate, and every minute of it under the glaring sun.

Grinding his teeth, Christian scooped her up into his arms.

"Christian, I can walk. I-"

She snapped her mouth closed as he began to jog, jostling her in his arms.

"Your blood sugar is low again," he said grimly, moving a little faster as her scent wafted to his nose. Unfortunately, he couldn't outrun her scent when he was carrying her.

People were gaping as he ran past with Carolyn, but he didn't care. He needed to get her to the bus, sit her in it, get her to eat her chocolate bar and then go find a blood donor. This was an emergency situation. He couldn't risk his need making him do something stupid.

Christian didn't slow until he reached the bus and found the door closed. Frowning, he glanced around, spotting their driver standing with two other men, the other drivers he supposed. But even as his eyes landed on the driver, the man was moving forward to let them in.

"Put me down," Carolyn hissed now that the risk of biting her tongue was gone.

"Your sugar's low," he said grimly as the driver opened the door.

"Yes, well if you set me down I will get out the other chocolate bar and-"

She gave up the argument on an exasperated sigh as he hurried up the steps and carried her back to their seat to set her down.

"Eat your chocolate," Christian ordered, straightening and taking a step back to avoid temptation.

"Stop ordering me around," Carolyn snapped irritably, opening her bag to retrieve the chocolate bar. "I am not a child. Hell, you're the child here. I'm-Crap!" she cursed when the chocolate bar slid from her clumsy hands and dropped to the bus floor.

She started to bend to find it, but he was there first, wedging himself between their bench seat and the one in front to reach around her legs for it. Her naked legs.

Damn they were soft and smooth, he thought as his cheek brushed one. They smelled of sunlight and coconut. Sunscreen, he supposed, but they smelled good enough to lick and he was hard-pressed not to turn his head for a taste before his fingers closed over the bar.

"Can't you find it?" Carolyn asked.

"Yes, I-"

The words died in his throat as he glanced up and found she'd leaned forward. Her face was only inches from his, her lips soft and wet as if she'd licked or bitten them. His hand tightened on the chocolate bar as he watched her eyes dilate. He could hear that her heart rate had picked up and smell her attraction to him as her body released hormones and adrenaline in a potent cocktail.

When she licked her lips nervously and started to pull back, Christian reacted instinctively, the predator in him taking over. His hand was at the back of her head, stopping her retreat before he even realized he intended to do it, and then he was rising from his crouch, his mouth claiming hers and forcing her back against the seat as he settled on the bench beside her.

Carolyn went still, even holding her breath and he dropped the chocolate bar on the seat to move his hand to her waist. He slid it up her side, stopping at the underside of her breast, and then ran his tongue along her lips before allowing his hand to creep up to cover her breast.

When she gasped in surprise, he squeezed the soft flesh he'd claimed and thrust his tongue into her mouth.

Her resistance shattered, the sudden doubling of sensation he experienced telling him that. He was feeling her pleasure as well as his own now and the combination was a double whammy that slammed him straight in the groin, making him grow hard and heavy with blood.

Christian lost his head then and any semblance of control.

He pulled her to straddle him, his mouth slanting over hers repeatedly as his hands roamed freely, sliding over her breasts and then dropping to slip under her T-shirt to find them again through the soft cloth of her bra.

When he tugged the cups aside to touch her without their hindrance, Carolyn broke their kiss with a groan and let her head fall back, her bottom moving against his growing erection.

Deprived of her mouth, Christian let his lips move over her neck, licking and nibbling the warm flesh as he lightly pinched her nipples. He wanted to push her shirt up and close his mouth over the hard nubs one at a time, but couldn't seem to tear his mouth from her neck. It was so soft and smelled so good. He just wanted to sink his teeth in and-Christian froze in horror as his fangs suddenly pushed out of his gums and scraped across her skin. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he fought the temptation to bite.

He couldn't. She was in no shape to lose blood, and he couldn't make her forget if he did bite her. Carolyn wasn't ready to learn what he was. He couldn't risk losing her.

"Christian?" she mumbled uncertainly.

Cursing under his breath, he removed his hands from her breasts, tugged her bra back into place and quickly shifted her, almost dumped her really, on the seat beside him. He then launched himself out of the seat and hurried up the aisle, desperate to get away from the temptation she represented before he did something so stupid it was irreversible.

Christian stopped outside the bus, his gaze searching the area. There were public washrooms along the parking area, he noted and glanced over the few people moving around the vehicles before settling on the drivers still gathered by the first of their three buses. Christian's gaze flickered briefly over the selection before settling on a robust balding fellow. He slipped into the man's mind and sent him moving toward the washrooms even as he headed that way himself. Dinner was served.