Gagnon cleared his throat, obviously trying to break the tension. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?” Taking a notebook and pen out of his pocket, he flipped it open until he found the page he was looking for. “If you’ll give us a few moments alone with Miss Deveraux to question her.”

  “Absolutely not.” Lucian’s voice was almost drowned out by similar denials by Chase and Miss Nadine.

  Gagnon held up his hand. “We only want to talk to her. We understand that she’s the victim here, but Miss Deveraux is also a witness to a murder.”

  “We stay or you can talk to my lawyers about making an appointment with Miss Deveraux. She is being very cooperative, but she does have rights.” Lucian leaned forward threateningly in his seat. “And I am here to make sure that she and her rights are protected.”

  Anger pumped so hard through his veins, he was surprised he didn’t explode. It was bad enough that Delight had witnessed a murder and then been threatened and attacked herself, but now she had to recount it all over again. It made him furious at himself for not protecting her better. That he hadn’t really known she existed until the night before it happened didn’t matter to Lucian. Delight was his and he had failed to protect her.

  He felt her small hand stroke his arm. It was such a light, gentle touch, but it immediately soothed some of the fury swirling around inside him, allowing him to gain control once again. It was amazing to him, a man who had always prided himself on his ironclad control, that any threat to Delight churned up the most primitive of emotions within him. It would take some adjusting.

  Lucian respected the fact that the police had to do their job, but in the end, it was he who would decide how best to protect Delight. When she tugged on his arm, he allowed her to pull him back next to her.

  Leaning close, she whispered in his ear so that only he could hear her. “It’s all right, Lucian. I’ll talk to them.” Her tone became more pleading. “Don’t make any trouble. I don’t want them looking into your life.”

  For the first time in his more than five hundred years of living, Lucian was stunned. Other than his parents and brothers, no one had ever wanted to protect him. He was the monster stalking them all in the dark of the night, the one their fears conjured when they slept, the creature the hero in the movies slew. He was a vampire. His power and abilities were beyond the comprehension of most people.

  Delight’s earlier insistence that he leave now made sense to him even if he was having a hard time processing the information. She was protecting him. Even knowing what he was, Delight was trying to keep his secret from others.

  His heart pounded and he had to force himself not to rub the ache in his chest. Pride welled up inside him at his chosen one. Surely, no other man had a woman as wonderful as Delight. Love and lust washed over him and all he wanted to do was drag her onto the table and bury his hard, throbbing cock in her waiting warmth. His fangs ached to sink into her luscious flesh and taste her blood.

  Lucian shook his head. She was doing it again. Distracting him from the moment at hand. Detective Cassidy was speaking once again, so Lucian focused on what he was saying.

  “Look, Mr. Dalakis. I know who you are.” Cassidy gave them a boyish grin and struck a good ol’ boy pose. Lucian was not deceived by the action, recognizing it as the ploy it was to get them to relax and talk to him.

  “Really.” Lucian scrutinized Cassidy until his easy grin faded. “I do not recall meeting you.”

  Cassidy gave Lucian a nod, as if conceding him the point in their match of wits. “Let’s just say I know you by reputation.”

  Delight’s fingernails were digging into his arm. She was very tense and growing more agitated by the moment. It was time to end this charade. “This is upsetting to Delight. You will do nothing to distress her further. Ask your questions.”

  Lucian’s voice was filled with a compulsion, urging both men to do exactly as he asked. Detective Cassidy eyed him even more suspiciously, as if he suspected Lucian had done something, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was. However, Detective Gagnon, who was the more susceptible of the two, began to ask his questions immediately.

  “Start from the moment you were asked to work late, Miss Deveraux, and tell us what happened.”

  As Delight recounted her horrific tale, Lucian watched the other occupants of the room. He could feel Miss Nadine’s love reaching out to Delight as she answered the detective’s questions and relived the trauma. The older woman was a permanent part of Delight’s life, and truthfully, he liked her. Her energy was invigorating, and her devotion to both Delight and Chase was unquestionable. For the rest of her life, Miss Nadine would now be under the protection of the Dalakis family. Lucian or one of his brothers would make sure she was well taken care of.

  Then there was Chase. He was young, but he showed all the signs of becoming a formidable man. Chase had immediately jumped to Delight’s protection against Lucian, who was obviously a bigger and more powerful opponent. But he hadn’t flinched from Lucian. Instead he had become more aggressive. Lucian was impressed by Delight’s younger brother and looked forward to getting to know him better.

  Lucian made a mental note to contact his lawyer immediately. He had to make provisions for his little family in the event that something did happen to him. The detectives’ frustration reached out to him. Delight’s answers to their questions were vague at best. He turned his entire focus back to the conversation, which had been up to now little more than a recounting of events with the detectives asking for the occasional elaboration.

  “How can you not know what happened to the men in the alleyway?” Detective Cassidy’s voice was laced with suspicion.

  “All I know is that one minute they were hitting me and tearing at my clothing.” Delight’s voice broke on a sob, and she took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. “Then they were gone. I didn’t stop to question it. I only wanted to get away.”

  Delight’s entire body started to shake and she began to cry. Lucian lifted her off her chair and cradled her in his arms. “Enough.” His soft voice cracked like a whip in the small area, making everyone jump. Delight snuggled closer and he tucked her more firmly against his chest.

  “You have blood in the alleyway, but no bodies. Until you find the bodies, you have no crime. She has told you everything she can about the murder she witnessed. You have upset Delight. I suggest you leave.” Detective Gagnon opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it when Lucian pinned him with a glare. “Now.”

  Both of the detectives stood, knowing that this interview was at an end. Cassidy reached into his pocket and took out a card, laying it on the table next to Delight. “If you think of anything else, please call me, day or night. In the meantime, we’d like to take the clothing you were wearing last night back to the lab for analysis. Maybe we’ll get lucky and get a DNA sample that will match someone already in our database. It’s a long shot, but it’s worth a try.”

  “They’re upstairs. I’ll go get them.” Delight started to rise from the table, but Miss Nadine stopped her.

  “You sit right there, Delight. I’ll take the detectives upstairs to get what they need.” Nobody said anything else as Miss Nadine jumped up from the table and directed both of the men up the back stairs. A few minutes later they all came back down with the clothes in a clear plastic bag, and Miss Nadine saw both men out the door.

  The second the door was closed behind the detectives, Chase turned toward his sister. “Tell us what you didn’t tell them.”

  Delight shifted uneasily in his arms. She’d lied to the police to protect him, but he didn’t know what she would say to her family. He sensed she hated holding anything back from them.

  She bit her bottom lip. “There’s really nothing else to tell.”

  “That’s bullshit!” Delight flinched from the accusation in Chase’s voice.

  Lucian could not allow this to harm her relationship with her brother. “She is protecting me.”

  Chase stood so fast he knocked his chair to the floor. “Who the hell are you anyway? And why would she protect you? I thought Delight was supposed to be with a friend last night. Instead, all this crazy stuff happened to her and then she was attacked.” He stalked around the side of the table, plucked his sister out of Lucian’s arms, and thrust her behind him. Crossing his arms across his chest, he glared down at Lucian. “But I get the feeling she was with you last night. Just who the hell are you?”

  Lucian felt a deep pride in the young man as he defended his sister once again. Delight had done an amazing job raising her brother on her own. But right now, he had to diffuse the situation. He needed to take Delight somewhere quiet so they could talk.

  “I am Lucian Dalakis. And I am the man who is going to marry your sister.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Delight looked around the fancy restaurant, feeling slightly dazed. Absolute chaos had erupted the second Lucian had dropped his little bombshell on her and her family. Chase was both hurt and angry, but strangely enough, Miss Nadine seemed quite pleased by the turn of events. Lucian had sat calmly in his chair, looking so satisfied with himself that she’d wanted to smack him.

  Marry him. The man had completely lost his mind. Her life was totally out of control and his life certainly couldn’t bear scrutiny by the police. She kept trying to distance herself and her problems from him and Lucian kept pulling her closer. It was enough to make any sane woman want to beat her head repeatedly against a wall.

  Instead, she had taken the time to calmly assure her family that this was the first she’d heard of this proposal. That appeased her brother somewhat, but Delight had felt Miss Nadine’s obvious disappointment.

  When Lucian had suggested that he take her out to dinner so that they could discuss the matter further, she’d readily agreed. She wanted to give the man a piece of her mind and didn’t want to do it where Miss Nadine or Chase might overhear.

  Delight had managed to put Chase off by promising to tell him everything. He was still mad with her, but he’d grudgingly agreed to give her a little more time. She ached to tell Chase what had happened—they didn’t keep things from one another—but she would have to clear it with Lucian first. After all, it was a very big secret she was asking the man to share with her family.

  It hadn’t taken her long to run upstairs, slap some cold water on her face, and haul on a dress. It was made of a black stretchy material that clung to her curves and ended just above her knees. She paired it with black sandals and decided that it was good enough to go anywhere. It would have to be, as she didn’t own another fancy dress. A swipe of the brush through her hair and a quick slick of lipstick and then she was hurrying back downstairs. Delight hadn’t wanted to chance leaving Chase and Lucian alone together for too long.

  So here she was, with Lucian’s large hand on her back, being ushered across the floor of one of New Orleans’s most exclusive restaurants. They hadn’t had reservations, but the moment the maitre d’ had seen Lucian, he had welcomed them effusively, assuring Lucian that his usual table was ready for him. Delight had felt the stares of envy from several people who were still waiting for a table. If she wasn’t mistaken, one of them was a famous movie star.

  Did any of them have any idea of who Lucian really was?

  In spite of her determination not to be impressed, she couldn’t resist a discreet peek around the place. It was harder to get a table at Black Velvet than any other restaurant in the city. Only the rich and famous got to dine here, and even they sometimes had to wait days to get a reservation. But Lucian had been immediately whisked away from the reception area.

  Everything about Black Velvet screamed good taste and money, from the cream-colored walls and dark wood floors to the lush greenery that gave the impression one was seated in a rooftop garden. Balcony doors were flung wide open, letting in the warm night air and giving Delight a glimpse of some of the patrons dining on the outside terrace.

  The clink and clatter of people enjoying their meal followed them across the room. All the tables were covered with floor-length, snowy white linen tablecloths and were set with the finest china and crystal. Everything gleamed. She managed to catch a quick glimpse of some of the food people were eating. Everything looked and smelled delicious, and her stomach growled.

  Embarrassed, she placed her hand on her midsection, hoping no one had heard. Lucian dashed that hope when he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Not much longer. We must keep your strength up.” She didn’t even acknowledge his words, but the wicked, teasing undertone had heat creeping up her cheeks.

  Keeping her head down, she followed the man in starched white shirt and black tuxedo as he led them to an isolated corner. The table was round and had a curved bench seat instead of chairs. With lush greenery surrounding it, it was almost like entering a private bower. Delight forgot her embarrassment and just enjoyed herself by taking in the splendid sight.

  “This is beautiful.” She hadn’t meant to speak aloud. Now she felt totally gauche, but the headwaiter just smiled at her.

  “Thank you, madam.” Extending his arm with a flourish, he motioned her to take her seat.

  Delight sat down and scooted around the bench. Lucian was right behind her, his large body taking up much of the space. There was room for only two people at the table and the small size of the seat assured that they would indeed be close. It was a table for lovers, cloaked in shadows and lit only by two white pillar candles that sat in silver holders.

  Lucian immediately ordered a bottle of wine. Delight’s eyes widened as she recognized the exclusive label. They kept a few bottles of the vintage at Etienne’s but it was pricy. Their waiter beamed his approval before hurrying off to fetch their wine. “That’s too expensive.” She kept her voice to a whisper, not wanting to be accidentally overheard.

  He shook his head at the scolding tone in her voice. She could tell he wasn’t taking her seriously at all. Fine, let him waste all his money on a stupid bottle of wine. What did she care? Her hands shook as she clasped her small purse in her lap. She knew she was being unreasonable about the wine, but it gave her something to focus on other than the much larger problems facing her.

  Lucian sighed, placed his finger beneath her chin, and raised her face up. “I did not bring you here to distress you.” He bent forward and nipped at her bottom lip before soothing it with his tongue. “You do not seem to comprehend that money is of no concern to me. I have more than I can ever spend and it is easy enough to make more.”

  Delight licked her lips, wanting to capture Lucian’s taste on her tongue. It took her a moment for his words to register, and when they did she spoke without thinking. “That doesn’t mean you have to waste it.”

  Lucian threw back his head and laughed. It wasn’t a light chuckle, but a straight from the bottom of the stomach belly laugh. The sight of him mesmerized her. With his head thrown back, his long black hair trailed down over his shoulders and disappeared behind his back. His normally austere features relaxed, making him look younger and more carefree.

  There was no way she could stay mad at him. Delight smiled even though his laughter was at her expense. When he looked back at her, his eyes were twinkling with amusement. She just shook her head and shushed him. Unfortunately, that set his laughter off once again.

  “My sweet,” Lucian said as he finally regained control of himself. “I’ll never have to worry about you wanting me for my money. You object so strongly when I try to spend some of it on you.”

  “Money isn’t important to me.”

  Lucian sobered at her words and she regretted them immediately. Once again, he was the strong, silent man she’d come to know. She already missed his laughter and his smile.

  He clasped one of her hands in his and brought it to his lips, kissing each knuckle in turn. “I know you do not care if I have money. But the fact is I have it.” She shivered as his tongue snaked out to taste between her fingers. “I want only to bring you pleasure, and if spending a few dollars can do that, then please allow me the privilege.”

  “All right,” she murmured. When he put it that way, she felt slightly silly for having objected. After all, it was his money.

  Their conversation was interrupted when the wine steward returned to their table and began the ritual of opening and presenting the wine for approval. Delight sat back against the plush cushions and watched Lucian. Sophisticated and cultured were the two words that came to mind. When both wineglasses had been filled, Lucian handed one to her and waited for her to taste. The golden liquid tingled in her mouth and slid easily down her throat. She’d never tasted anything quite like it. “It’s wonderful.”

  The wine steward nodded and left the wine. He was replaced by their waiter, who handed them both gilded menus before verbally listing the evening specials. Delight was pleasantly amused when she opened the heavy vellum pages and realized there were no prices listed. She guessed that if you had to ask, then you shouldn’t be here. Determined to enjoy herself, she scanned the menu and then ordered the poached salmon in dill sauce with baby potatoes and glazed carrots. Lucian ordered a steak, rare.

  It occurred to her that in the short time she’d known him, Lucian had become the most important person in her life next to her brother and Miss Nadine. It was crazy and impossible to fall for a man so hard and so fast, but Delight was very afraid that was exactly what she had done. The thought of not seeing him again made her heart ache and her soul weep.

  Physically, he appealed to her in every way. She seemed to be in a constant low-level state of arousal when she was around him. Just sitting next to him was turning her on. His large body radiated strength and warmth and made her want to crawl into his arms and stay there.

  The thought of his hands on her skin made her breasts swell and ache. Her nipples beaded into hard nubs and pushed against the front of her dress. She wasn’t wearing a bra, as the dress had one built into its construction, and the rasp of the material against her sensitive nipples made her want to moan.