"Jesus! You can see the b.i.t.c.h is panting after the guy. She's not trying to hide it. She gets all doe-eyed and stupid when she talks about him. Maybe the creep will turn her into one. If he does, I get to chain her up in the lab and play twenty questions. Just give me an hour with her and we'll know everything," Mike growled.

Zane grit his teeth in anger. Good old Mike didn't realize he'd just enrolled in the dead-man-walking club. If the man put one hand on Nicole, he'd kill him. He was liable to kill him anyway, just for thinking about it. Absently he rubbed one had over her back to still her shuddering reaction to the man's words.

Jackson snorted. "Yeah. And I'll watch while she bites off your d.i.c.k, you dumb piece of s.h.i.t. I told you after you killed the last vamp you couldn't play your s.a.d.i.s.tic games this time. A pile of ashes won't prove to the world that vampires exist."

"Aren't you the one always preaching that the only good vampire is a dead vampire? What's the matter, Mr. Jackson, going soft?"

"I didn't say you couldn't kill him after I get the evidence I need. I'm warning you, Mike. I need Zane Patrick alive."

"How alive?"

"Live enough to talk. We won't have him ready in time for the next Senate meeting, but I need this wrapped up soon. I want my funding and I want the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds on that worthless committee scared to death."

Zane straightened his spine. The Senate? Did he mean the U.S. Senate? f.u.c.k! And what the h.e.l.l kind of committee was Jackson talking about?

"Maybe our writer needs a push to speed things up a bit. Why don't you let me take care of that while you're in Washington over the next few days?" Mike offered.

"Jesus, Maloney. You're not paying attention to anything I've said! Leave Ms. Martin alone until we see if she brings us the information we need. If nothing else, we'll use her for bait. Later. Right now I'm worried about Patrick. None of the other vampires could tolerate the sun, our tests on various body parts proved that. So if he's not a vampire, what is he?"

Mike snorted. "It's enough to know he's not human. We have plenty of evidence to prove he hasn't aged in decades. Plastic surgery just isn't that good. I say we just grab him and take him to the lab."

"Not yet. We still need something more conclusive. I'm going to go take care of my little Internet flock. I a.s.sume if Ms. Martin and Mr. Patrick have gone out G.o.d-knows-where for dinner, we have a few hours before they resurface. I want to hear what happens when they get back to her place," John Jackson said in disgust.

"Yeah, it's a b.i.t.c.h the homing device we put on her didn't work. I'm gonna take a shower and catch a quick nap in case we're up late. We'll get back to our stake out in a few hours."

Nicole sagged in his arms as the men moved away. Zane lightly rubbed her arm to try to relieve the tension in her body. A tracking device explained why they hadn't tried to follow her on foot this afternoon. The men had thought they could find her anytime they wanted. And it sounded like perhaps someone had bugged Nicole's house while they'd kept her otherwise engaged at the coffee shop.

He needed to get Nicole out of the closet. Her claustrophobia was getting worse. Opening the louvered door in slow inches, he heard the shower running. Mike must be in there. It might give them enough time to get out of the house. For the moment, the shower would cover any sounds they'd make.

As they started forward, Nicky hissed, her hand going to the back of her neck. "Something pulled my hair," she whispered. Shaking her head when he raised a hand to help her, she motioned for him to go.

Rolling the closet door back just enough to allow them to slide through, he shut the closet behind them as Nicky started tiptoeing across the bedroom floor. Hearing her heartbeat accelerate, he turned as Mike mumbled something in the shower. Frozen in front of the bedroom door, they held their breath, relaxing when it appeared the man was just talking to himself.

Turning the k.n.o.b, Zane peered into the open living room and kitchen of the small house. It was empty. The older agent was in his bedroom with the door closed.

It was a little after six in the evening. The sun was setting and the house was getting dark. Zane was ready to pull his hair out in aggravation-older homes were not known for quiet floorboards. He didn't hear a TV or music coming from the other bedroom, so unless the man was wearing earplugs, they were going to have to be very, very quiet. When he pointed out the light under the door, Nicky nodded at him in understanding. Using his hands, he motioned for her to step exactly where he stepped, to keep her eyes on him and not worry about the door.

Shuffle-stepping their way across the floor in a weird parody of the conga, they took twenty-five steps before reaching the front door-where Zane realized they had another problem. The house had a deadbolt, which meant when they made it outside, he'd have to reset the lock.

Stepping onto the small porch, he turned around and flicked his wrist. The dead bolt slipped into place with a soft snick. A quick glance at Nicole's wide eyes told him she'd definitely noticed. Without saying a word, they made it to the car they'd stashed several blocks over.

Driving away from the area, Zane silently swore. d.a.m.n! She'd have questions. Questions he'd have to answer. And time was running out. Zane needed to set a trap for the traitor and figure out what to do about John Jackson's fanatical need to expose the Others.

h.e.l.l. This was what Vlad wanted-Zane acting as Sentinel. Protecting all Other creatures in the area by keeping the supernatural world safe from human discovery. If John Jackson tried to expose the Others, Zane would be forced to drop his disdain for vampire politics and stop him by any means necessary.

Yet for purely selfish reasons, he wanted Nicole to remain naive about what he'd do to ensure the Others' safety.

Breaking the silence, he warned her, "When we get to your house, we need to check everything for listening devices."

"Yeah, I got that. I wanted to say thank you for helping me with my claustrophobia. I almost panicked back there."

"It's was definitely my pleasure," Zane growled.

When Nicky didn't say anything else, he glanced at her in concern. She was staring straight out the window. Maybe she was just tired. It had been a long day for her.

Nicky sighed. Closing her eyes, she felt Zane's gaze on her. She was all out of small talk. It had been hard enough to concentrate on Mike and John's conversation while they'd been in the closet. With their bodies pressed together in the tight s.p.a.ce, she'd had to fight both her claustrophobia and the intense desire coursing through her veins.

Now they were in the close confines of the car and it was impossible to think about anything but Zane. Every time she took a breath she inhaled his scent, the spicy musk and sandalwood fragrance that made her heart race.

Her mind flashed on the research she'd done earlier this morning for a scene in one of her books. She couldn't help but remember the websites she'd visited that listed the possibilities and positions for having s.e.x in a car. One of them even had drawings that showed exactly how to arrange your arms and legs to take advantage of things like the steering wheel. Or the dashboard. Or the s.p.a.ce between the front seats.

She'd like to try some of those positions with Zane.

Glancing out the window, she realized they'd turned onto the street heading up into the mountains, leading to his estate. Large pine trees lined both sides of the road. There were no streetlights. The houses were few and far between. She shifted in her seat, wondering what it would be like to pull into those trees and experiment with what she'd learned.

She wouldn't have to undress. Wearing this little skirt, all she'd have to do before crawling into his lap is slide her panties down her legs. Wrinkling her nose, she decided she'd have to take her shoes off too.

And Zane wouldn't have to get naked either. They'd simply need to move his seat back. Then she'd help him unzip his jeans and release his erection to the night. She'd crawl in his lap and face the steering wheel. Use it to lift herself up and then down over- Nicky started when she felt the car turn. "What's wrong? Why are we turning here?"

Zane had turned the car into exactly the kind of dirt trail she'd been thinking about. "Nothings wrong. I can't wait the fifteen minutes it would take to get home."

Frowning, she looked over at him and watched as he turned off the car and silently fiddled with the b.u.t.ton to move the seat back. It didn't go far. With his long legs, it had already been close to its limit. When he pushed the steering wheel forward, it cleared a little more room.

Nicky gasped. Had he read her mind?

Zane reached for her wrist. "I want you, Nicole. Now. Get rid of your panties and come here. He didn't allow her to pull away. But then, she didn't want to. A quick glance out the window confirmed the car was well secluded in the trees. The early March light had faded quickly and only the faint glow of light from the dash and a slice of moonlight made it possible for her to see, and mostly in shadow. With one hand she undid her seat belt, reached down and pulled off her tennis shoes, then wiggled out of her underwear.

Zane slowly ran his thumb across the frantic beat of the pulse at her wrist. Nicky's wild blue eyes lost focus, her chest heaving in expectation of fulfilling her fantasy. He was breathing hard in antic.i.p.ation as well. And every breath took her scent into his lungs. His preternatural sense of smell detected the heady spices of orange flower, rose, musk and sandalwood. They went straight to his c.o.c.k and made him shift uncomfortably in his seat. Zane supposed this was cheating, using her fantasies in this way.

He didn't care.

Releasing her, he unbuckled his seat belt and then unzipped his pants. Nicky's hands were there, pushing his away. "Let me do it," she murmured. Shifting to her knees on her seat, she brushed her fingers under his shorts and touched him. He was already hard. Raising his hips a few inches, he made it easier for her to release his c.o.c.k. It sprang out of his pants, straining upward.

Running her fingers over the top, she slid one through the wetness already coating the tip.

Leaning toward her, he plucked her from the seat to set her on his lap with her back to his chest. Arranged her the way she'd fantasized, with her skirt fanned out around them. Feet on the floor, she put her hands on the steering wheel in front of her and pulled herself up far enough so that he could maneuver his c.o.c.k into her already wet heat. He brushed her long braid to the side as she slowly settled over him. The feeling of her enveloping his length was intense. As she ground her soft a.s.s against him, Zane grit his teeth and hissed.

He put his hands on her hips to hold her in place. "Don't move!" he growled in her ear. Raising his hand, he traced a trail with his fingertips from her neck to her chest. Struggling with impatience to touch her skin, he reached under her cashmere sweater, running his knuckles over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Her nipples pebbled underneath the bra in response to his light touch. Bending his head, he nibbled the soft skin below her ear.

Nicole groaned. She arched her back, stretching into his hand. Silently offering her body for more. Fingers curled in a tight grip around the steering wheel, she struggled not to move her hips. Concentrating on how his shaft filled her, on the sensations of his mouth teasing and his fingers delicately plucking her nipples, she moaned. If it felt this good through her bra, she couldn't wait for him to touch her flesh. Her body was going up in flames under Zane's tender mercies.

Head spinning, she whimpered. Used the steering wheel to pull her body up a few inches, she settled back down. She cursed the close confines of the car. Zane seized the opportunity to explore the line of her jaw with his lips, stringing biting kisses up to one ear. Pausing to nibble her lobe, he flicked it with his tongue, making her squirm. Then shifting his attention, he tantalized the pulse at her throat. G.o.d! This was so frustrating. She wanted to move. To drive him hard and deep and instead she could barely lift herself without hitting her head on the roof.

Splitting her focus from his wicked mouth, she felt Zane's hand travel down her ribs to tease the small strip of flesh at the bottom of her sweater. When he drew back to allow them both to catch their breath, she turned her head to look at him and noticed in the moonlight that his eyes shone with a hot intensity. Good. She'd hate to be the only one affected. Zane bent his head, fusing his mouth to hers for a burning kiss. Nicky pulled back, panting.

Her attention went to his hands as they shifted over her sweater. Slowly, so very slowly, he released each pearl b.u.t.ton to expose her flesh.

Zane's hand skimmed across the velvet softness of her stomach to find the front latch of her bra. He released it, and then helped her shed both the bra and sweater. Impatiently discarding her clothing, he cupped the heavy weight of her naked breast in his hand.

Growling, he exalted in her answering shudder. He felt his c.o.c.k leap. His fangs descended in painful readiness.

"Zane?" Her voice was a shaky equivalent to the quaking he felt in her body.

He moved his hands over her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, plucking at the turgid nipples as she rotated her hips. She used the steering wheel again, pulling her body up, her tight heat gliding over him. Then she settled back down. Nicky worked to keep a rhythm that they both enjoyed.

It was frustrating. Maddening. The car seat and the steering wheel limited the speed and depth of their movements until Zane wanted to scream. Nicky was panting from her exertions. Unable to find the motion that would grant them release.

He pinched her nipples between his fingertips-intent on driving her desire to the boiling point. He reveled in her little keening cries as she squirmed against him. Her restricted motion still managed to drive him crazy. G.o.d, he needed her to come.

Sliding his hand down the clenching muscles over her ribs, he moved his fingers under the short, flirty skirt and found the juncture of her thighs, and pressed against her swollen nub. Hissing, she jerked against his seeking hand. He rubbed his fingers over her center in explicit temptation.

She moaned. "Don't stop!"

He murmured into her neck, "I won't stop." He kept her poised on the brink of release until she was wild. When small shudders racked her body, signaling her impending release, he asked her if she wanted to move this outside. Not playing fair, he stilled the tormenting pleasure of his fingers while waiting for her answer.

Breaths coming in panting sobs, she agreed, "Yes, oh G.o.d, yes!"

She gasped when he moved his hands away from her flesh. She dropped her hand from the steering wheel and fumbled with the door handle, trying to get it open. They were both maddened by their inability to move. Finally the door swung open quickly and she shrieked as she started to fall out of the car, blindly grabbing for something to stop her.

Zane chuckled, his muscular arm pulling her back to him. His quick reflexes kept her from falling on her face. "Thanks," she murmured.

"My pleasure." Standing, he set her beside the car. The cool mountain air made her shiver. He'd just have to warm her. Kissing the tip of her nose, he lifted Nicky in his arms, pushed the door closed with his hip and then carried her to the front of the car. Letting her feet drop to the ground, he gently turned her. Guided her to rest her stomach on the hood. It was still warm and would keep her from freezing.

Darkness surrounded them. Only a faint hint of moonlight made it through the trees. Yet he could see her very clearly. Her dark braid cut the paleness of her back in two. Gently he moved the long braid to one side before he smoothed her short skirt up her hips, baring her to his gaze. He spread her legs and stepped between them.

"G.o.d, yes! Just..." Her voice trailed off.

Zane took his shaft in his hand and ran the tip between her legs, over her slit until she arched her a.s.s upward. His first forward motion was tentative. He slid into her, moved his hands to her hips to brace her for his next thrust. This one wasn't as gentle.

He pulled back, slammed forward. Set a steady pace that allowed their bodies to climb toward release. Nicky braced her hands on the hood of the car and rocked back to meet his every thrust. Close. He was so close.

Blanketing her body, he settled his mouth on her neck. Moved one hand from her hip to slide around to find her c.l.i.t. He could feel her body tensing. Her whimpering cries of erotic pleasure filled the night. Zane stopped resisting the need to taste her.

With one hand guiding her hips and the other buried between her thighs, he held her to him and allowed his fangs to sink, to penetrate the vein in her neck. As he had the first time he'd taken her blood, he used a small push of his mind to guarantee she wouldn't remember. But he would. The spicy nectar filled his mouth, searing his taste buds. Blasting through his body, her essence forced him to moan in satisfaction.

Pulling deep for a few glorious gulps, he threw his head back and shouted a claim to the star-studded sky. "Mine!" The urge to stake his claim on this woman surprised him. He couldn't understand why he felt so possessive.

Her physical reaction derailed his train of thought. He felt the o.r.g.a.s.m claim her body and she shuddered uncontrollably in his arms.

Not giving Nicky time to draw a breath, he drew back, turned her over and bent to claim her lips. Enjoying the taste of her, he sipped at the honeyed richness of her mouth. Still hard, he moved her up on the hood and slipped back inside her without breaking the kiss.

Nicky tugged on his ponytail, holding his head away and interrupting the intoxicatingly sweet torture of his possessive kiss. "Someone might drive by and see-"

He captured her mouth again. They wouldn't see. He'd driven far enough off the road that the trees hid them from view. They might notice headlights of a pa.s.sing car, but no one would see them.

Zane continued to feast on Nicky's willing mouth. Concentrating on the savage fire he was rebuilding within her, he shifted to lavish attention on her neck, breathing her sweet, spicy scent. Hands moving along her body, he played over nipples that beaded against his palm and then skimmed over her silky skin, lightly tracing her soft curves.

Nicky's mewling cries filled the night as he coaxed her to the edge of madness. She raised her arms, wrapping them around his head to entwine her fingers in his hair. Because his hair was still bound, it caused a sharp pain in his skull. He mentally released the band and the ends of his long hair trailed over her skin.

Eyes wide open, Nicky still couldn't see a d.a.m.n thing in the nearly pitch-black night. The cool air warred with Zane's hot touch and the warm metal under her a.s.s. She shivered at the new stimulation of his hair teasing her flesh.

Feverishly hot and madly frustrated, her body bucked against him. "Faster. Please Zane!" she cried. He laughed softly, working her s.e.x with his shaft, increasing ever so slowly the friction and pace of movement. She turned feral, wildly thrusting against him. Demanding fulfillment.

He didn't change his rhythm. She trailed her hands under the t-shirt he still wore, through the soft hair on his chest to find his nipple. Pinching it between her fingers, she urged him on.

Zane built the tension higher, growling at her encouragement. He closed his eyes, overcome with the sensations flowing between them. Suddenly he clasped her hips tightly and surged into her tight p.u.s.s.y. The deep penetration shocked a low cry from her throat. "Did I hurt you?" he asked urgently.

"No! No, please, Zane. Please move!" Nicky's voice was urgent.

"Glad to!" he muttered. His grip tightened and he lifted her with lingering slowness, savoring the clinging caress of her engorged flesh. He surged upward and at the same time dragged her toward him. This time he didn't ask if she was okay. Each thrust and retreat produced a sob of delight from her lips.

Abandoning thought to concentrate on the driving hunger to take her faster, harder, Zane howled when sharp satisfaction jolted through their bodies, creating long, drawn-out o.r.g.a.s.ms that spiraled between them.

When their combined cries of completion died away, he used his hand to brush hair matted with sweat from her eyes.

"We can check a couple things off that list I was telling you about," Nicky panted.

Zane's laugh echoed in the night.

Chapter Five.

Within fifteen minutes after going inside her home, Zane found two electronic bugs. The men hadn't been very subtle or inventive, leaving one in her kitchen and one on the headboard of her bed.

"That is just sick," Nicole fumed. "I wonder if those things work the same when you blow an air horn in their vicinity as it does when you blow it into a phone. I'd like to pop their d.a.m.n eardrums for invading my privacy."

Smiling at her violent and revenge-driven reaction, Zane found her att.i.tude s.e.xy. Go figure. "Isn't that an urban myth or whatever they call it?"

"Probably, but if it doesn't pop their eardrums, it still won't be pleasant. Don't destroy those things. Stick them somewhere they can't hear anything and I'll go out and buy one of those horns tomorrow."

"Nicole, you're not going anywhere tomorrow. I think before either one of us leaves the compound we need to understand where the risk is coming from."

Sighing, she nodded her acceptance. "Yeah, these guys are whacked, Zane. Now what do we do?"

Zane wasn't surprised at her easy acceptance. "Now I need to somehow find my traitor. I don't want to deal with Mike or John Jackson without knowing their conspirator's name. If I do, I'll loose the chance to figure out who's giving them information."

"So let's make a list." Nicky reached out, grabbing the closest tablet.

Zane had noticed the multicolored notepads scattered in every room of the house. In the living room where they were sitting now, there was one on every flat surface. "Nicky, I a.s.sume you have so many tablets lying around because you want to capture every idea before you forget it, but why is the paper all different colors?"

Laughing, she stood and gathered up a couple tablets to show him. "It's my pre-filing system. Since each tablet deals with a different book, it's easy to find my notes when I want to work on a specific project. I cross out things on the page that I've already incorporated or dismissed and slide upcoming scenes into brightly colored manila folders." She shrugged. "More than three-quarters of my day is spent in front of the computer or looking at a blank tablet. The paper is my way of adding color to my life."