Her lips curved up in a slight smile at the sight of Lucian sitting at Miss Nadine’s kitchen table, sipping a cup of tea from a china cup. It should have looked ludicrous for a man as large and tough as Lucian to be holding delicate china in his enormous hands. Instead it was almost sensual. It announced that this was a man who knew his own strength and knew how to protect something that was precious and more fragile than him.

  Delight shivered as she watched his fingers stroke the side of the pale white cup. She could easily imagine those fingers stroking the sides of her breasts in just the same manner. Forcing herself to look away from the mesmerizing display, she glanced at his face and froze at the knowing look in his eyes. The corner of his lips quirked up in a half smile that made him appear both sexy and dangerous at the same time.

  This was a man who would not be ignored or denied. He would take whatever he wanted and woe to the person who stood in his way. Her hand went to her throat and she retreated a step. Immediately, his expression changed and became softer.

  He rose from his seat at the table and pulled out the chair next to his. With an arch of his eyebrow, he dared her to sit next to him. Raising her chin, she dropped her hands to her sides and marched over to the chair.

  She felt his warm breath on the back of her neck when he bent down to whisper in her ear. “I did not like waking and finding you gone.”

  His words were softly spoken, but they were like a lash on her skin. She had hurt him, and that was something she hadn’t meant to do, not after everything he’d done for her. In spite of her intention to be strong and self-contained, she flinched slightly, but recovered quickly and sank down into her seat.

  “It couldn’t be helped.” She picked up her own cup and took a large swallow of the strong, sweet tea that Miss Nadine had poured for her, desperately needing its strength.

  Miss Nadine had been observing them both, her eyes shrewd and watchful. “Mr. Dalakis came looking for you when you were in the shower. Claimed he was worried about you and wouldn’t leave until he saw for himself that you were fine.” She continued to putter around her kitchen, ladling up a large bowl of chicken soup for Delight and placing it in front of her.

  Delight cleared her throat, but Lucian spoke before she could get her mouth open. “Please, call me Lucian. You have been very kind to allow me into your home.” The charm practically oozed from every pore of his body as he spoke and Miss Nadine was not immune.

  Delight could only stare as yet another facet of his personality was revealed to her. Right now, he was the epitome of suave masculine charm, hardly the type of man who could kill two men in an alleyway without hesitation and walk away as if nothing had happened.

  If he was a vampire, would he have been able to enter the house if Miss Nadine hadn’t invited him in? It was all so confusing.

  “Lucian is a little too used to getting his own way, if you ask me.” Suddenly hungry, Delight picked up her spoon and began to eat.

  “I’m wounded by your words.” He pressed his hand to his chest in dramatic fashion and shot her a fleeting grin.

  “But not fatally, I imagine.” Reaching across the table, she helped herself to a warm yeasty roll. She tore it apart and buttered it before taking a bite. The sweet butter melted in her mouth.

  “Then you do not know your own power, my Delight.” The tone of his voice made her look his way. His expression was stern, his eyes grim. “Do not underestimate yourself.”

  She swallowed hard, the delicious bread now a lump in her throat. He was dead serious. Her hand went to her stomach, which felt as though it had a hundred butterflies fluttering around inside. Lucian was telling her that she was important to him. She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that.

  “I expect the police will be by soon.” Miss Nadine’s words broke the tension between her and Lucian, but filled her with dread of another kind.

  Lucian jerked his head away from her and pinned Miss Nadine in his laser green-eyed gaze. “What’s this all about?”

  Although his voice never raised a notch, his anger radiated with every word. Miss Nadine paled. “Delight asked me to call them while she was taking a shower.”

  Both women felt the full brunt of his displeasure. “You should not have done that.”

  Recovering herself, Miss Nadine sat forward in her chair and glared at Lucian. “I don’t rightly care what you think. Delight is my main concern and what she wants takes precedence over any ideas you might have about how things ought to have been done.”

  Lucian seemed almost dumbfounded for a moment, then his face softened and he reached over and picked up Miss Nadine’s hand. Holding it carefully, he brought it to his lips and kissed it. “Delight is most fortunate to have one such as you watching over her.”

  “Well, yes . . .” Miss Nadine trailed off, obviously flustered by Lucian’s attention.

  “If you’re both finished deciding what’s best for me, can you tell me what the police said when you called?” Delight knew her voice was sharp, but really, this was beyond ridiculous. She was an adult and would handle this situation how she saw fit.

  Miss Nadine tugged her hand from Lucian’s grip and placed it in her lap. “They said that the detectives in charge of the case would be by as soon as possible and that you should stay here and wait for them.”

  “I hadn’t planned on going anywhere.” She picked up her spoon and began to eat again.

  “I had other plans for the evening, but they will have to be adjusted.” Lucian leaned back in his chair, stretched his legs out in front of him, and watched her eat.

  She couldn’t help but notice that the black pants he wore accentuated the length and muscularity of his legs. He’d crossed his arms over his chest, making the muscles of his arms bulge against the material of his black shirt. His long hair was tied in a leather thong at the back of his neck, and his sensual lips were pushed together with displeasure at the thought of having to rearrange his plans.

  Her fingers itched to touch his chest, to shape every contour and tease the soft hair that ran in a straight line from between his flat nipples down his stomach. She wanted to lick a path down his torso to his groin and taste his hard length. Her own nipples were hard nubs against the cups of her bra. She squirmed in her chair, trying to get comfortable, but there was no relief to be found. Her panties were already soaked and her sex was clenching hungrily, craving his hardness.

  As she studied him, the front of his pants twitched. Before her very eyes, his cock swelled until it was straining against the front of his pants. The muscles of his thighs grew taut and his hands clenched into fists. Startled, she looked up at his face, but no sign of his growing desire showed there. He looked mildly perturbed, but otherwise relaxed.

  Delight bit her lip to keep from moaning aloud as her body continued to throb with growing desire. She looked down at her half-eaten food. Anything to take her mind off Lucian and his gorgeous body sitting right next to her. They were so close together, she could even feel the heat from his body.

  How could he do this to her? Maybe her imagination had gotten away from her, making her believe he was a vampire rather than just a really deep sleeper. She ignored the fact that she’d done CPR on him and he hadn’t moved. There were no such things as vampires. There couldn’t be. Could there? It seemed ludicrous to believe such a thing, in spite of the facts staring her in the face.

  Whoever and whatever he was, Lucian Dalakis was different, and he was a dangerous man.

  Miss Nadine kept quiet, but Delight knew that she could sense the growing tension. It was time to get things back on track. “Don’t let us keep you from your plans. You’re free to leave at any time.”

  The temperature in the kitchen plummeted and the air seemed to thicken. The room swirled with a male anger so potent Delight was surprised something didn’t burst into flames. She held her breath, not sure what to do to soothe the savage beast she had aroused.

  Lucian straightened in his chair and slowly rose to his feet. His movements were precise and unhurried. Like a large predator gathering its strength before it struck. His voice was so soft Delight had to strain to hear it, but every word was spoken in a precise, cool manner. “Would you care to rephrase that last statement?”

  Delight thought about it for a moment. “No.” Lucian shook his head as if he couldn’t believe her words, and truthfully, neither could she. “Listen to me, Lucian.” She shoved back her chair and stood so he wouldn’t tower over her and came face-to-face with his chest. The man was incredibly tall.

  Tipping back her head, she propped her hands on her hips and continued. “You saved my life last night and for that I’ll always be grateful. But the truth of the matter is that you don’t have to get further involved in this situation. In fact, maybe it would be best if you were gone before the police got here.”

  The more she thought about it, the more Delight knew she was right. The last thing Lucian needed was the authorities looking into his life. And then there was the small matter of the two dead bodies in the alleyway. Didn’t he have any sense of self-preservation? If he was a vampire, he didn’t need to get involved with the authorities.

  From the stubborn look on his face, Delight knew he would say no. It was up to her to make him leave and quickly. The police would be here any minute now, and she wanted Lucian safely gone by then. “I’m asking you to leave.”

  Lucian snaked a hand out and gripped her chin. His thumb grazed the side of her cheek as he continued to study her, his eyes deep and unreadable. Delight’s legs trembled under his scrutiny, but she forced her muscles to keep her steady.

  It continued to surprise her that she really wasn’t afraid of Lucian, not deep down. He might be scary, but she knew he’d never hurt her. Even knowing what he might be, her first instinct was to protect him. He was capable of killing to protect her, he’d drunk her blood, and he’d slept like the dead during the day. The more time she spent with him, the more she believed it all to be true.

  He was a vampire and she wanted to protect him.

  Her stomach did backflips as she pondered what that really meant. Even though she’d only known him a matter of hours, he was already a very important part of her life. And Delight feared that he would only grow more important with each passing hour they spent together.

  Her breathing grew faster and shallower and she forced herself to relax. Nothing had to be decided at this very moment. She wasn’t quite ready to admit that she was falling in love with the man.

  Falling. That was an understatement. She was ready to lie to the police to protect him, and it took all her willpower not to lead him upstairs and have mind-blowing sex with him. She was afraid she was well past falling and had already landed in love with Lucian.

  And that was just crazy. Love at first sight didn’t happen, was something made up by the writers of movies of the week. Wasn’t it?

  “What the hell is going on here?” At the first sound of the angry male voice, Delight found herself staring at Lucian’s back. She clutched his waist for support. He’d moved so quickly when he’d thrust her behind him that he’d made her dizzy.

  She tried to scoot around Lucian, but he grabbed her upper arm before she could cross the room. “Lucian, this is my brother, Chase.” Turning, she gave her brother a reassuring smile. “Chase, this is a friend of mine, Lucian Dalakis.”

  Chase continued to stare at Lucian’s hand where it gripped her arm. “You want to unhand my sister.”

  Delight didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, caught in the middle of a war of male wills. There was no way she could get away from Lucian unless he decided to release her, and she didn’t want to force the issue. That would only upset her brother more than he already was.

  She heaved a sigh of relief when Lucian slowly lifted his fingers from her arm. His glance warned her to stay close, but she ignored it and hurried over to her brother.

  Chase was as stiff as a board when she hugged him, but he relaxed after a moment and returned her embrace. “Lucian saved my life last night.” Her brother needed to know everything that had happened. Well, almost everything. Some parts of the evening were better kept to herself.

  Chase immediately stiffened once again, his arms tightening around her. “What happened? I thought you were staying with a friend last night? He glared at Lucian and then rubbed his left temple as if it were paining him.

  Delight patted his chest to reassure him. “I’ll explain everything in just a minute, but I want you to meet Lucian.”

  He gave her a reassuring squeeze before releasing her. His gaze went to Lucian, whom he was still regarding with suspicion. Chase finally offered his hand to Lucian, and Delight held her breath as she waited to see what he would do.

  Lucian clasped Chase’s hand with a grave sense of ceremony. “It is an honor and a pleasure to meet Delight’s family.”

  Chase nodded, gave Lucian’s hand a quick shake, and released it. “If you did save Delight’s life, then I’m glad to meet you too.”

  One corner of Lucian’s mouth quirked up as her brother continued to study him. Delight cleared her throat. “Why don’t we all sit down?” She motioned Chase toward a chair. “I’ll explain everything.”

  She turned back to Lucian and gave him an expectant look. “You were just leaving, weren’t you?”

  He shook his head solemnly. “I believe I can spare more time to spend with you and your family.”

  She smiled through her gritted teeth. The man was being purposely obtuse. “I’m just as certain you need to be going.”

  “Ah, Delight, you are indeed mistaken.”

  Miss Nadine’s laughter startled them both. “Listen to the two of you. You sound like an old married couple arguing like that.”

  Delight stared at her friend in horror before turning back to Lucian. As she watched, a huge grin split his face, making him look so handsome she almost forgot to breathe.

  “I believe you are correct, Miss Nadine.” His green gaze drank her in and made her entire body tingle.

  He bent toward her and Delight rose on her toes to meet him. She needed to kiss him and didn’t care who was in the room with them. Miss Nadine chuckled softly in the background, but Chase was strangely silent. Then Delight ceased to think about their audience. His lips were almost on hers. So close she could feel his breath.

  The pounding on the back door made her jump. Her head banged into Lucian’s and she lost her balance and started to fall. His strong arms caught her, keeping her safe as they turned to face this newest threat.

  Through the glass in the door, Delight could see two men peering into the kitchen. As she watched, one of them held up a leather wallet, displaying an ID and a shiny badge. “Police. We’d like to speak with a Miss Delight Deveraux.”

  Miss Nadine patted her lips with her napkin and laid it by her plate before rising from her seat. Walking gracefully to the door, she pulled it open and motioned them inside. “Come in. We’ve been expecting you.”

  Chapter Ten

  The two police detectives nodded at Miss Nadine as they entered. Lucian had hoped to avoid this. If Delight had only stayed put, they would be meeting the detectives in his home with his lawyers present. It was always advantageous to be in a position of power when dealing with the authorities. Not that he expected to have any problems, but it was always better to minimize any complications before they arose. He would just have to adjust.

  He was still reeling from waking up to find Delight gone. Somehow she’d been able to push through his mental command that she sleep until he woke. Not many people could accomplish such a thing. It also meant she probably remembered everything that had happened last night, including him taking her blood.

  Thankfully Stefan had left her address on his desk and he’d hurried over, ready to confront her. Luckily, she’d been in the shower. That had allowed him time to calm down and rethink his approach.

  Delight was not the type of woman to give in to demands. She was a strong-willed, independent woman. It made her even more enticing. He just wished they were alone and not getting ready to be questioned by the police.

  Keeping silent for now, Lucian studied the men and took their measure. They introduced themselves as Detectives Jean Gagnon and Sam Cassidy of the New Orleans Police Department. Gagnon was the picture of urban sophistication with his styled dark hair, Italian suit, and fine leather shoes. Cassidy was the exact opposite. He wore jeans, boots, and a sports coat over a white cotton shirt. His blond hair was cut short. However, both men had one thing in common. Cop’s eyes. Two pairs of deceptively shrewd eyes had already catalogued everything and everyone in the room.

  Lucian smiled inwardly, already sensing their suspicion toward him. He seated Delight once again, sat back in his own chair, and laid one arm over the back of Delight’s in a blatant show of possession.

  Both detectives noted the act. Gagnon smirked but Cassidy’s gaze narrowed and he gave a faint nod. Both men understood that Delight was his and he would protect her.

  “And you are?” Detective Gagnon’s question and tone were polite, but there was an edge to both.

  Lucian slowly came to his feet, allowing his large frame to unfold from the chair until he was standing at his full height. At six-foot-four, all of it solid muscle, he knew he was an intimidating sight. Keeping his own voice low and pleasant, he addressed both detectives. “I am Lucian Dalakis.” Nodding to both men, he then resumed his seat and replaced his arm around Delight.

  Detective Cassidy’s eyebrows rose in surprise, obviously recognizing his name. He glanced at Delight, giving her a second, slightly more appraising look, as if suddenly realizing there must be more to her than he’d noticed at first glance. Lucian’s entire body grew tense and it took all his discipline not to lunge across the room and rip Cassidy’s throat out for staring at Delight with masculine interest.