NOTE: Embrace the Moon is currently not available, but I will be releasing it as a stand alone story with a brand new cover in the not too distant future!
Part werewolf, part vampire, Rafael Delacroix is a man outcast, even from his own heart.
Try as she might to set her life straight, trouble seems to follow independent-minded Roxanne Waters wherever she goes.
When a debt owed brings this spunky human female and brooding loner werevamp together, their sensual natures demand they learn to entrust their lives to another. Only then can Rafael and Roxanne truly understand what it means to EMBRACE THE MOON.
~*~*~
Prologue
Hanging moss slapped at Rafael’s face as he dashed through the dark, murky swampland of the bayou. The squishy damp earth beneath his feet echoed the vibration of his pursuer’s surefooted steps.
He glanced back, his adrenaline pumping through his veins. He’d caught sight of the hunter’s silky dark hair as he gracefully jumped a fallen tree. Gritting his teeth, Rafael increased his speed, refusing to let the old childhood fear take over. But try as he might, he couldn’t completely extinguish the fear that came from deep within and now lurked just beneath the surface; a feeling he’d buried underneath a calm, cool exterior more than forty years ago.
Screw the bastard who dared to wreck his private solitude. Clenching his fists, Rafael slowed his pace, letting the hunter draw near. Screw him and the others, who stole his security and identity when they’d killed his family.
Ripping his shirt open, Rafael tugged the damp silk from his body. The sultry night air made undressing difficult, especially while running. When he tossed his shirt away, a contemptuous smile tilted the corners of his lips. He finally stopped and kicked off his pants, waiting for the hunter to attack. Closing his eyes, he inhaled. The air had changed around him—an indication the hunter had leapt into the air.
Rafael turned and shifted to his wolf’s form right as the attacker connected with his body. Both wolves hit the ground hard, rolling and tumbling over an embankment. As they slid down the incline, they inflicted damage, razor sharp teeth ripping at fur-covered flesh. They snarled and snapped, each trying to find the other’s weakness. Wet, slippery leaves and musky earth clung to their bodies, making it difficult for Rafael to catch an identifying scent.
When they reached the bottom of the embankment, the adversaries slammed into the water. Rafael recovered first and managed to paw his way out of the sucking mud in the bottom of the swamp. He barely had time to recover before the black wolf was on him, pinning him down with his thick paws as he clamped his massive jaw around Rafael’s neck—a jaw that could easily snap it if he moved even an inch.
Fear me not, the wolf spoke in his mind. I’m your alpha. I mean you no harm.
Panting, Rafael responded mentally, his tone calm but commanding, I answer to no one.
The wolf growled and tightened his hold. Rafael fought the innate urge to submit to the obvious alpha above him. But he’d spent too long depending only on himself to do anything less than rebel. Kicking his hindquarters, he managed to rack the wolf in his testicles. To his credit, the alpha only flinched, never releasing his hold.
His attacker’s canines embedded into his flesh and Rafael inhaled, accepting his fate. But the deep inhalation brought the alpha wolf’s scent deep within, unlocking a familiar smell that gave him strength in the early years after his family’s death and his prolonged isolation.
Before he had a chance to respond, he saw a gator out of the corner of his eye, ready to attack the alpha above him. At the bull gator’s bellow, Rafael instinctively growled deep in his throat and then touched the large reptile’s mind, telling him to shove off.
The alpha wolf had released his neck and stared at the gator. His body stiffened, ready to do battle, but the gator took heed to Rafael’s warning and slipped quietly back into the dark, murky water.
The wolf turned crystal green gaze back to him, tilting his head in curiosity.
Now I know for sure. I’m glad you made it, Rand. The wolf panted, his jaw widening into a huge smile. Baine and I had hoped…
Rafael heaved a deep, pained sigh as his body naturally shifted back to human form. Holding the form for as long as he did outside of the full moon’s tide weakened his strength.
Lying underneath the alpha wolf, the confining position made him feel threatened—more than a little too much like the experience he’d had as a teenager. He pushed against the wolf’s chest, shoving the animal off him.
Rolling away, the black wolf easily shifted back to human form, a wry laugh echoing in the woods. “You never could hold your wolf form for very long.”
Rafael slowly stood, heedless of his naked state as he brushed leaves and forest debris off his body. “And you always were a cocky bastard, Elias. It’s Rafael now. With my new life, I created a new identity.”
Elias gave an easy laugh and stood as well. He glanced at the gator swimming just below the surface. “I’m glad to see you’ve tapped into your vampire powers, my friend. The ability to touch animals’ minds is quite a gift to possess.”
“It’s both a blessing and a curse,” Rafael grated out. Part of him wanted to shake the man’s hand who’d saved his life years ago. Yet, another part fought the desire to punch him square in the jaw for not giving him a choice to stay and protect his family. Elias and his brother Baine had knocked him out and taken him away from the werewolves’ attack, and for that…truthfully he owed them a debt of gratitude. He would’ve fought to the death four decades ago. During the lonely years that passed, there’d been many times he’d wished he’d died with his family, but some inner demon never let him give up, driving him to survive, despite himself.
The emotions churning his stomach and burning his chest, couldn’t stop the inner joy he experienced upon seeing another wolf after so many decades—one of the few he could call a friend.
But he withheld his excitement, awaiting the man’s reason for seeking him out. He met Elias’s emerald gaze and his lips twitched in amusement at the realization that Elias had matured into a man a good three inches taller than his own six feet two inch height—such towering height keenly appropriate for a Chief Wolfen.
The memory of the last wolf who held that title caused a wave of fury to sweep through him. He clenched his fists and said in a low voice, “You’ve called yourself alpha. Tell me that means you’ve sent Haden’s treacherous black soul straight to hell.”
Elias ran a hand through his shoulder length black hair and sighed. “No. Over the years, the older I got, the more Haden resented my ability to shift to wolf’s form at will and not be bound by the moon’s cycle.”
Rafael curled his lip in disdain. “Welcome to my world.”
Elias turned a sad gaze his way as he placed a hand on his shoulder. “As half- werewolf, half-vampire, even at fifteen-years-old you represented a far greater threat to Haden than Baine and I ever did. If nothing else, with your vampire blood, you would have outlived the bastard. I’m sorry we couldn’t save your whole family.”
Rafael’s heart ached at the mention of his parents and sister. Their deaths hung heavy in his heart. If he’d been a little older and more in control of his powers, he could have stopped the killing frenzy Haden and the wolves in his pack—his very own fucking pack—had embarked on that early morning so many years before. When he tried to stay and fight, regardless of the odds, Elias had knocked him out cold.
“Did Haden punish you for helping me?”
Elias clenched his fists and snarled. “He was too busy lighting fires to notice us carrying you out.”
His blunt reminder how his family died made Rafael’s heart ache. “Why are you here, Elias?”
Elias walked over to the swamp and squatted, washing the mud off his hands while he spoke. “I left the pack. I’m too alpha to be under Haden’s rule. He knew it and I knew it. It was only a matter of time before he went on another ‘house cleaning’ spree.”
“Why didn’t you challenge him?” Rafael asked. “Surely the entire pack would benefit from his death.”
Elias scooped water in his palm and let it trickle through his fingers. “The pack is Baine’s, Rafael. I couldn’t stay. I’m just as alpha as my brother. When Baine takes over, you know as well as I do two alpha males in a pack spell trouble. I could never be his beta nor he mine.”
Rafael folded his muscular arms across his chest. “You still haven’t answered my question as to why you’re here.”
Elias glanced over his shoulder and smiled, his teeth flashing in the darkness of the dimly lit bayou. “I’m starting a new pack. I hoped to convince you to come with me.”
He whistled softly three times and Rafael looked up at the sound of someone exiting the thick woods. When a white wolf emerged, it’s sleek stature smaller and more delicate, Rafael couldn’t help the slow smile that spread across his face.
“Hello, Tayen.”
Good to see you healthy and well, Rand. Or did I hear it’s Rafael now? she responded mentally in an upbeat tone. Brilliant blue aquamarine eyes, just as startling as he remembered, stared back at him.
She bounded around, turning in circles, still the same energetic white wolf she’d been as a young pup. He admired the positive aura she’d always projected, especially considering her plight. Everything about Tayen was polar to the rest of the pack. Her coloring was stark white while the others were shades of gray, brown, and black. But the most unusual aspect of Tayen was that she remained in wolf form all month, only shifting to human during the full moon’s cycle while all the other wolves roamed on four legs.
The only reason Haden didn’t kill her was because she posed no threat, not to mention the fact that in human form Tayen had been the most striking girl he’d ever seen. Rafael could only imagine what she looked like now that she’d fully matured.
“Tayen joined me when I left,” Elias spoke, jerking him out of his reverie. “I want to offer you the same, Rafael—a home where you’d be appreciated for your differences, not persecuted.”
“We make quite the group of misfits, don’t we?” Rafael gave a self-depreciating laugh.
“No,” Elias said forcefully, unfolding his tall frame to face him as a scowl drew his dark brows together. The hard lines on his face softened and he gentled his tone. “Not ever with me, Rafael. You’d be appreciated for the unique powers you would bring the pack, never ridiculed.”
He sensed the power in Elias, the pure alpha dominance he exuded with every word, every slight movement of his body. Rafael’s vampire mind rebelled against such dominance, while the ingrained wolf instincts within him urged him to accept the closeness of the new pack life Elias offered him.
He gritted his teeth and fought the urge. Shaking his head, he replied, “I have made a life for myself here. Thank you for the offer, but I must decline.”
Elias met his gaze, staring deeply into his eyes. “Have you mated then?”
Rafael shook his head. “I don’t need a mate.”
Elias smirked. “The instincts to mate are strong, Rafael. Living out here in the bayou, you’ve been able to ignore them. You need to get out more, mingle, mix with others.”
Rafael tensed in a defensive stance. He frowned at Elias. “Like you know so much. I see no mate traveling with you, old friend.”
Elias gave him a feral smile. “That’s because I won’t settle down until I find her.”
“Haden will hunt you down if he thinks you’re trying to establish your own pack.”
Elias nodded solemnly. “All the more reason to find my alpha lupina sooner than later. If you change your mind, just follow your instincts. Now that my scent is fresh in your mind, you shouldn’t have trouble finding me.”
Elias started to walk away, Tayen following in his wake. He turned back. “I doubt its any different just because you’re half vampire. When you find her, your lupina’s scent will still drive you insane until you’ve mated. A home with a pack is what you’ll need then. We’ll be waiting.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” Rafael mumbled.
Elias chuckled and walked away, calling over his shoulder, “You always were a stubborn Loup.”
As Elias and Tayen made their way back through the woods, Rafael heart went with them.
He gritted his teeth and shook off the need for company. He’d lived his entire adult life alone, well, save Cordelia, but she knew when to leave him be.
Elias’s words echoed in his head, You always were a stubborn Loup. Loup. Elias had always seen him as an equal wolf, even considering his half-vamp status. The warm evening breeze blew softly against his bare chest, drying the dampness that clung to his skin as he exited the swamplands and made his way back to his house on the outskirts of the Atchafalaya Basin.
Chapter One
He ran through the swamplands, his pulse racing as his bare feet dug into the lush forest floor. But it wasn’t a survival instinct that had his senses on high alert. This emotion felt different—primal, exciting, urgent. He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of gardenia all around him.
The flowery aroma suddenly changed, slamming his senses with another scent—honeysuckle and peaches. His smile turned devilish as he picked up his pace.
Up ahead, she gave a teasing laugh. The sun sliced through the thick foliage overhead, reflecting off her fair skin as she dashed around a cypress tree, her petite frame lithe, almost pixie-like. She could never hide from him. No matter where she went, he’d scent her.
He hardened and anticipation coursed through him, increasing his body heat at the thought of sinking into her warm flesh. He knew he could easily use his vampire power to compel her to him, but the hunt, ah the hunt only heightened his arousal.
When it came to mating, his wolf instincts took over…well, all save one. His heart pounded at the thought of clamping his teeth onto her neck while he slid inside her. He wanted to taste her spicy, exotic blood, savor it with the knowledge she was his and no other’s.
He heard her heartbeat’s rapid increase, smelled her desire wafting through the air like a beacon guiding him home. A deep, long howl ripped from his chest and he closed the distance between them. It was time to mate…
Rafael sat straight up in his bed, his heart pounding, body rock hard. He yanked the white Egyptian cotton sheet off his sweat-drenched body and kicked his feet over the side of the bed. Bright early morning sunbeams streamed through the room, streaking across his chest. He squinted. Sensitivity to bright sunlight was his only holdover from his vampire heritage. Shoving his hands through his short-cropped, rumpled hair, he placed his elbows on his knees and drew in long, deep breaths.
It had been six moon cycles since Elias’s visit, and Rafael had had the same dream numerous times since then. The dreams became more intense, more vivid as each full moon neared, increasing his need to hunt with more frequency to stave off the feeling of pent-up urgency that pumped through his veins.
Rubbing his face, Rafael looked up and caught his naked image in the mirror above his dresser. Running his hands through his dark brown hair once more, he noted the tired lines around his eyes as he scrubbed his fingers across his goatee. Should he shave it? He’d had the beard for several years. It had become a part of him. But maybe…maybe he needed a change.
It was the dreams—the freakin’ dreams were driving him nuts. How long had it been since he’d gotten laid? A month? Two months? He rarely went to town, only when he needed supplies. But when he did make that occasional trip, there always seemed to be a willing woman to help assuage his sexual needs. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone into Baton Rouge.
“Up and at ‘em, lazy bones,” Cordelia announced as she barged into his room. “Your paintings might make you enough money to live your days out here in solitude, but I won’t let you sleep your life away.” Ignoring his naked state, she began collecting the sheets from his bed.
“Get your rear in gear…” she paused waiting for him to stand. Rafael stood, turning away from her so she wouldn’t see his morning state, but obviously he hadn’t moved soon enough, “Sunshine,” she finished with a wink. “Sweaty sheets again?” she asked. Her short silvery-white hair bobbed around her face as she pulled the bottom sheet off the bed. “You really need to find a woman and settle down.”
Rafael set his jaw and wondered for the thousandth time why he kept her around.
“Because you need me, hon.” Her steel blue eyes met his as she balled the sheets in her arms. “Else you’d go crazy out here alone in the bayou.”
Ignoring her remark, he walked into the bathroom. How’d she do that? The woman always seemed to know what he was thinking.
“That way you don’t have to say any more than you need to,” she called out in a cheerful voice from the bedroom.
Rafael shook his head at her insight. He never said more than was necessary. Before Cordelia came along, he would only speak when he went into town.
Turning on the shower, he stepped under the water, his body throbbing painfully. The full moon was only two days away. Tomorrow, he’d go into town, work out his sexual needs, and be done with it. He didn’t need the distraction. The pent-up frustration he’d been feeling had affected his concentration. Try as he might, he just stood there in front of the canvas, brush in hand, staring into space.
Rafael bowed under the steaming hot water and laid his forehead against the cool tile. Why couldn’t he picture her—the woman from his dreams? She had a petite body, but no features, no hair color for which to place her. She teased and tormented with her infectious laughter and intoxicating smell. He’d never forget the scent from his dreams. It was forever embedded in his memory. To his knowledge he’d never run across that arousing aroma before. How could he have conjured it in a dream?
He closed his eyes and inhaled, bringing her scent to the forefront of his thoughts. Rafael struggled with the conflicting emotions battling within him. She was like a drug, this unknown woman—addicting yet dangerous to his desire for solitude and peace.
Peace. He’d had very little lately.
God, he hated this need, this insidious hunger for a mate…no, one mate, his lupina mate, that had wormed its way, not only into a physical response, but into his psyche, disturbing his sleep, keeping him on a tense edge. Destroying his calm.
Damn Elias! Anger rose within him and he slammed his fist into the wall, punching a hole clean through the tile and sheetrock behind it.
Rafael grunted and turned off the shower. Water trickled down his body as he assessed his handiwork, shaking his head. Where’d that steely control I spent my entire lifetime building, go?
After he pulled on a black T-shirt and faded jeans, Rafael walked downstairs. Cordelia didn’t even look up from cutting fresh, raw meat into bite-sized chunks. As she dropped them into Scout’s bowl, she said casually, “Think we should just keep ‘ole Henry on a retainer?”
Rafael ignored her jibe and glanced down at Scout shoving his nose in the bowl. The meat had been his kill from two nights ago. The full-blooded gray wolf scarfed down the meat in two quick bites, then looked up at Cordelia and panted expectantly.
While Rafael had stalked the deer the other night, Scout had chased after a female wolf in heat. Rafael narrowed his eyes on the wolf and spoke in his mind. Next time you’ll have to take your dinner down yourself.
When Scout whimpered and bowed his head, Cordelia placed her hand on her hip and said in a dry tone, “I wonder how many holes Henry can patch before the entire wall caves in”
“It’ll be fine,” Rafael said in a calm tone he didn’t feel. As he jotted down a list of painting supplies he needed to pick up, he said, “Need anything from town?”
“Don’t need anything.” Drying her newly washed hands on her gingham apron, Cordelia handed him some paperwork from the desk. “But you can take your check to the bank. It’ll save me a trip.”
As he slipped on his sunglasses and walked out the door, Cordelia called out in a gruff tone, “And while you’re there, either get laid or go see Maman Eula before you come back here tonight.”
Rafael snorted as he climbed into his SUV. To suggest he go see the mam’bo, the empress of Voudon called Maman Eula, Cordelia had to be worried about him. She’d been with him for twenty years. Only once had Cordelia complained that it wasn’t fair how much slower he’d aged. Yes, she knew exactly who and what he was.
Glancing at the check before he set in in the passenger seat, Rafael smirked at the exorbitant amount someone paid for his Haunted Woods painting. The irony never ceased to amaze him that people paid him while he worked out his own inner demons through his art.
As he drove down the road, he wondered why was he having a mental block with his painting. He’d always been able to pour out his emotions in his work before. Why was now any different?
Rafael gripped the wheel and set his jaw, determined to rid himself of this emotional seesaw he’d been living on for the past six months. A long afternoon of heart pounding, sweaty sex was exactly what he needed, and he damned well planned to find a willing woman to accommodate him at the earliest opportunity.
By the time he reached town, the sky had darkened. Gray clouds rolled in, announcing an impending storm. Rafael took off his sunglasses and hooked them on the collar of his shirt. It wasn’t often that he was able to go without his shades in the early morning.
He’d heard of half-humans, half-vampires who were able to abide the sunlight, but for him, his wolf night vision mixed with vampire heightened senses made his eyes ultra sensitive to bright sunlight. The artist in him took advantage of every opportunity to see the true colors of the world without the dark lenses filtering out the brilliant hues nature intended.
* * *
“Roxanne!”
Roxanne glanced up from staring at the deposit slip in her hand.
Tina waved a hand in front of her face. “You okay? I had to call your name three times before you heard me.”
“Hey, sorry. I was a bit distracted.”
Tina glanced toward the entrance to the bank and tucked a strand of straight auburn hair behind her ear. “Did it have anything to do with a certain handsome someone in the bank?”
Why did she sound so hopeful? “Er, no. I just dropped off the weekly deposit for Bender’s,” Roxanne replied with a heavy sigh. The amount of the Bender deposit bothered her. It was off. For the fourth time in as many months. The first time, she’d tried to discretely ask her boss Scott if there was another account for deposits and she’d missed a step in the process. He’d told her to, “Just do her job and enter the journal entries he gave her”. When Scott had handed her the deposit for this week, she couldn’t even look him in the eye. Nor could she let it go. This time around, when the numbers felt skewed, she ran them herself and felt sick to her stomach when she was done. It seemed she’d never shake her past. Apparently bad luck didn’t have an expiration date.
“So you don’t have anything else you need to do in the bank?” Tina asked, pulling her back to the present.
Roxanne wished there was another deposit for her to make. She really didn’t want to lose her job. Tina looked disappointed when she shook her head.
“Well, you’re no help,” Tina huffed and threw her hands up in the air, her multicolored bead bracelets clanking together on her arm.”
Roxanne frowned. “What are you talking about—“
“Ooh. “ Tina’s eyes suddenly lit up and she began to rifle through her purse. “Maybe I have my deposit from Escapes with me.”
Roxanne really liked Tina. After moving from Virginia to Baton Rouge six months ago for her new job as a junior accountant for Bender’s Motors, Roxanne had been so busy learning her job, she’d met very few people in town. But when she walked past Tina’s relaxation therapy spa one day, she just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy some of her favorite aromatic oils and bath beads. Even though her eccentric friend sometimes lived in her own world, Roxanne had taken to Tina right away. “Why do you need to go to the bank?”
“I don’t need to go to the bank, but I want to get a closer look at Rafael Delacroix.”
“Who’s Rafael Delacroix?”
Tina licked her lips. “Only the sexiest famous painter I’ve ever seen. The man just makes me melt. He’s such a recluse too, rarely coming to town from his plantation home in the Atchafalaya Basin.” She grinned. “I noticed he wasn’t wearing his sunglasses when he walked into the bank.”
Roxanne smirked. “Well, duh, it’s cloudy and getting ready to rain.”
“No, no, no.” Tina tsked. “He always wears dark sunglasses. My guess is he doesn’t want to be recognized when he comes to town.” She chuckled. “As if one wouldn’t notice a six-foot-two-inch sexy man with a body to die for…and that goatee, and those high cheekbones, ooh and his eyes…the deepest blue I’ve ever seen…” she trailed off in a dreamy haze.
“What about Jonathan?” Roxanne teased her friend about her longtime boyfriend.
Tina snapped out of her reverie and met her gaze with an amused look. “Jonathan’s my rock. But I’m not dead, Rox. I can still look.”
“Well, for pity’s sake.” Roxanne laughed. “This Rafael person is just a man, Tina. Just walk into the bank, even if you don’t have business in there, and ogle away.”
“No, you don’t understand.” Tina leaned in. “He seems to sense when you’re staring at him. He has a way of looking at you with those intense blue eyes that will send shivers down your spine. It’s…it’s almost as if he can see right through you, hear your heart pounding a mile a minute.”
“Really, Tina. No man is that good.”
“Ooh, but he is, mon ami!” She edged closer and whispered, “He might not come to town very often, but rumor has it that when he does, he’s got one thing on his mind. It’s been almost seven months since I saw him here last…” Tina trailed off and waggled her eyebrows.
“Okay, let me get this straight. This really hot guy…” Roxanne ticked off the attributes on her fingers, “is an artist, is filthy rich, and lives alone in the bayou.” She stopped talking and arched her eyebrow. “What the hell’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing, other than being known as a man of few words, whose very stare will send you up in cinders, and whose touch is enough to scatter those cinders around like pixie dust in the wind.”
There had to be some tarnish on this man’s shining coat of armor. There always was. Roxanne snorted. “So why hasn’t anyone snagged this paragon of masculinity?”
Tina grinned. “That’s one of his most appealing qualities, Rox. He’s unattainable.”
Thunder rumbled above her, causing Roxanne to look up to the sky with apprehension. Glancing down at her white silk blouse, navy linen skirt, and matching pumps, she said, “I’d better get back. It was such a nice morning, so I parked at Cup of Joe’s, ordered a coffee to go, and walked the two blocks to the bank. Good luck with operation ogle.” She waved to her friend and started down the sidewalk.
Thunder boomed again, quickly followed by bright flashes of lightning in the darkened sky. Roxanne smiled at the smell of rain in the air and picked up her pace. She loved a good thunderstorm, but not being caught in one.
She was within a half block of her car when the sky opened up. The wind blew and sheets of rain pounded on her, soaking her through before she detoured under the closest awning near the street. Great, just great. Now she’d late and wet!
* * *
Rafael tucked his art supplies under his arm as he entered the bank. As soon as the door closed behind him, a feminine smell permeated his senses. The scent from his dream…that unique aroma seared in his memory was very, very real. Where was she? He looked around the small branch and inhaled deeply. Nothing. The smell he’d caught was latent as if she’d been there and gone not too long before he’d arrived. His heart raced at the idea of finding this woman, seducing her, and working out all his sexual tension. He’d make sure she enjoyed herself. He wasn’t a selfish lover, but he needed to get on with his life.
What if she were dating someone, or married? He shook his head. He didn’t scent another smell along with hers. If she were intimate with someone, he’d damn well know it. The thought of another man’s odor mixed with this mystery woman’s made him clench his fist, crumbling the check he needed to deposit.
The crinkling paper reminded him of his errand. Though he wanted to immediately leave the bank and track her down, he held back his primal instincts. Taking his time would proved he could control his emotions when it came to the effect this woman’s scent had on him.
After standing in line for ten minutes, Rafael tapped his pen impatiently as he waited for the teller to complete his transaction. His entire body felt like a tightly coiled spring held together by a thin thread. He’d never felt so wired in his life. Running a hand through his hair, he barely noticed the cheerful smile and dreamy eyes the teller turned his way when she completed the transaction.
“There you go, Mr. Delacroix. Have a great day.”
When Rafael walked toward the exit, he noticed a redheaded woman staring at him as she stood near the counter, her pen poised over a deposit slip. That scent, a mixture of exotic honeysuckle and peaches, clung to her as if she’d stood very close to the woman he sought.
“Morning, chère.” A devilish smile tugged at his lips when he heard her heart rate increase.
She blushed and mumbled, “Good morning.”
Rafael walked outside and immediately turned right, his senses taking him in the direction he needed to go. Scanning the crowd in front of him, he had no idea what to look for since he didn’t have a clue as to her physical attributes. But her smell. It blew him away. He instantly hardened at the thought of holding her, burying his nose against her neck, and inhaling in long, deep breaths.
Fat raindrops started to fall, causing him to take longer, more determined strides. His pace increased as the moisture in the air began to mask the scent he tracked, scattering the beckoning aroma in several directions, confusing his senses. When the rain picked up, he remembered the art supplies he’d tucked under his arm. Following a group of people caught in the downpour, he crowded under an awning in front of Jean Claude’s restaurant to wait out the rain.
The pouring rain usually had a calming effect on him, but today the sound couldn’t sooth his revved up response. He appreciated a good storm, the elements giving their best, but today the rain’s timing shot his euphoric mood to hell. Crowded behind several wet people, Rafael closed his eyes and concentrated on reining in his heightened senses and out-of-control emotions.
His highly developed hearing took in every single drop that hit the awning above him. The rush of the torrential rain seemed to echo his raging hormones. He took a deep breath to calm himself, and in doing so, he caught the scent again. It was faint, but there.
Rafael kept his eyes closed and turned his head, inhaling once more. The floral scent lingered. The rain slowed somewhat and with the lull, her scent wafted to him like a red flag, strong and close. Very close.
His pulse raced as he opened his eyes and looked around at the fifteen or so people that crowded around him. Which one? A few men close to his height stood in the crowd, preventing him from seeing everyone. Ah, but he could smell her. Move, he pushed the compelling command in the people’s minds around him in order to give him space to maneuver. As he inched his way closer to the scent, Rafael noticed a pair of toned feminine calves. Damnit, the people weren’t moving fast enough. He shouldered his way closer and noticed how the dark, wet material of her skirt clung to her curved rear.
His stomach tightened as he stepped within a foot of her petite form. Every primal instinct inside him told him to grab her and take her off to the nearest hotel. She stood with her back to him at the front of the crowd, a manila folder opened above her head. Due to her wet state and a clip in her hair, he couldn’t tell the exact color of her hair or even how long it was. But he could tell one thing, she was tense. Something was bothering her.
Impatience mounted as he took the final step in order to speak to her. But just as he stepped beside her, the woman stepped into the street and headed straight for a silver coupe parked along the right side of the road.
At that moment, a car pulled out of a parallel space down the street to his left. When it stayed to the right side of the road, heading straight for the woman, Rafael didn’t hesitate. Stepping off the curb, he hammered his fist hard on the passenger side of the vehicle, forcing the car to veer to the center of the street and away from the woman.
A couple of people turned at the sound of the car’s squealing wheels, but most were busy moving out from under the awning now that the rain had stopped to notice much else.
Rafael took a deep breath, forcing his fangs to recede. He needed to rein in his anger at the reckless driver before he walked over to introduce himself to the woman. Once he finally had his protective nature under control, he started toward her with brisk steps, but the sun chose that moment to peek out from the clouds, blocking his vision with its intense light. Annoyed at his temporary blindness, he quickly retrieved his sunglasses, but by the time he’d put them on, her car was a half a block away.
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