Dead Awakening Read online

  “You have a question for me?” she asked. Her voice was deep, sexy, sliding across his skin like silk. Although she appeared composed, he saw her hands tremble as she reached for the cards.

  He tried to speak but couldn’t. His gaze was transfixed on the long length of her neck. Her life’s essence beat just beneath her ivory skin, calling to him. He nearly groaned with the need to take her into his arms and sample her. Her corseted breasts rose and fell rapidly. The full swells inviting him to touch and caress.

  Mine. The thought entered his head uninvited.

  She adjusted her stance, taking a step backward, as she nervously glanced over his shoulder. “It’s getting dark.” The place was nearly vacant, except for a few people milling about. “Perhaps you could return next Friday.”

  Quickly, she began to gather her cards. They made a sharp sound as she tapped them against the wooden table to straighten them. Then she once again began to fold them in the scarf patterned with multiple versions of Celtic knots.

  When Etienne found his voice, he said, “No.” His abrupt word made her gaze snap back to him. She silently scrutinized him. He thought to touch her mind, but her worldly blue-green eyes captivated him. He knew immediately that her young life had not been a happy one.

  “Then we must hurry. Sit.” The legs of her chair screeched across the porch floor.

  “Not here. Your place,” he demanded with a little too much authority.

  Her eyes widened. She stopped midway of sitting down. “What?” Her voice thinned into a high-pitched squeal. Her backbone went rigid as she stood. A little attitude was present in her rising brow.

  Etienne could see clearly at night, but he doubted she could and the night was approaching. Gently, he pushed her will with his mind for compliance.

  She shook her head, a frown twisting her lips when she realized what he had done. “D‑Don’t ever try that again or I’ll walk.”

  Now it was his turn to be shocked. No one had ever thwarted his mind-control, but she did. She slammed the walls of her defenses around her so tightly that he bumped into nothingness.

  He had never apologized for invading a human’s mind, but this woman was different. “Forgive me.” His hands itched to touch her, feel her writhe beneath him as he made love to her. An indescribable need to bind her to him with blood tore through his heart.

  Apprehension shimmered in her eyes. “Who are you?” She swallowed hard, studying him with a wariness he felt bone deep. How could someone so young appear so haunted? She had to be nineteen, twenty, no more than twenty-one.

  He tried to comfort her by taking a step backward, giving her more space, even though he wanted to do just the opposite. “Etienne Deveraux.”

  She stared at him a moment longer, scrutinizing him with an intensity that made him a little uncomfortable. “You are at a point of indecision. Tonight is a juncture in your life,” she said, as if she could read his mind, revealing what he had intentions of doing when the sun rose. “You are a seeker in need of answers.”

  Reading minds was his gift—not hers. Either she was guessing or extremely intuitive. Either way, he sensed she was special, even if she was wrong about him seeking answers. He knew what he needed to know—twelve hours before dawn.

  Still, he was mystified at the immediate attraction he felt for her. This had only happened to him once before. Thoughts of Meryell vanished when the gypsy stepped forward and placed her warm palm on his arm.

  The earth literally quaked beneath his feet. She must have felt it too because she jerked her hand back so quickly she stumbled backward, barely catching her footing. Nervously, she retrieved her cards, cramming them into a handbag she pulled from beneath her table.

  Without looking up at him, she said. “Follow me.” Not waiting to see if he was following, she strolled down the steps and made a beeline for the exit. Her skirts made a soft, rushing sound against her ankles with her quick stride.

  What would those long legs feel like wrapped around his waist? The thought almost pulled him up short, but he continued after her. Satisfied just to watch her hips sway side to side, he couldn’t wait to peel each layer of clothing off her body and quench himself of the lust building inside him.

  “Night, Annie.” A man dressed as a medieval knight waved as he fastened a lock on the front of his store advertising leather and metal goods like armor and swords.

  She returned the wave, never pausing. “Good night, John.”

  By the time they stood before a small silver trailer, the light of day had blinked out and night took over, casting them into darkness. Her hands trembled as she tried to insert a key in the door.

  “This is asinine,” she muttered, turning the knob. “I don’t even know you.”

  With a grunt, she pulled open the door, climbing the two stairs leading inside. As he followed, she spun around. The confined space had her turning straight into his arms.

  Their eyes met. He didn’t wait for common sense to hit her. Before she realized she’d invited a stranger, much less a vampire, into her home, he shut the door, leaned down and captured her mouth.

  Soft. Her lips were velvety soft, parting as his tongue slid between them. She whimpered, the feminine sound sweet to his ears, almost as tantalizing as her warm honey taste. While her arms hung limp by her side, he pulled her closer, reveling in the way their bodies fit together and how holding her made him feel more alive than he had in ages.

  Her dark lashes were crescents upon her high cheekbones. When he slanted his head to deepen the kiss, her shawl slipped from her shoulders and her handbag fell to the floor with a thud. Quietly, her hands rose to tentatively touch his biceps.

  An ache began to throb in his gums, fangs threatening to explode in his mouth. The swish of her blood, her pulse growing rapid, and her heart beating a staccato rhythm echoed in his ears. Slowly, he moved one of his hands across her back to her neck where her essence called to him. With his thumb he stroked the blue vein. He broke the caress, sliding his lips downward, kissing her skin.

  A grinding sound and a sudden cool gust of air as the air-conditioning kicked on made her cry out and jerk away. To his disappointment, her sanity had resurfaced.

  Immediately, he released her, putting as much distance between them as the small room in the trailer would allow.

  Her startled gaze darted from his eyes to his obvious erection. Her face flushed the prettiest pink. From the heat or the moment, he didn’t know. All he knew was his body screamed to get closer with a desperate need to feel her next to him and her blood flowing through his veins—his through hers.

  Throughout the centuries he had never given anyone the curse of immortality. As his gaze stroked the fine features of her face, he couldn’t push the compulsion from his mind.

  He wanted this woman.

  All of her.

  Chapter Two

  Flabbergasted, Annie stood speechless in the dark. She had yet to turn on the lights in the trailer. Not only had she invited tall, dark and dangerous into her home, she had kissed him. Yeah. She may not have made first contact, but she had definitely participated. Even now she felt the effect he had on her in the sting of her taut nipples, and the moisture that built between her thighs.

  And that wasn’t all.

  Her heart felt as if it would jump from her chest out of yearning for him. Never had her body reacted to a man like this. Not only did she have the uncontrollable urge to help him but thoughts of their naked shapes intertwined kept popping into her head. She could almost feel his warm breath against her skin, the slide of his leg against hers, his chest pressed to her aching breasts, and his cock driving between her thighs as he whispered to her in that sexy French accent.

  Words she hadn’t anticipated speaking out loud burst from her mouth. “What the hell is happening?” Mentally she tried to shake the images that heated her blood and left her wet and horny. She had to quit thinking like this. The stranger dressed in a black shirt, jeans and boots was just passing through. After she read
for him he’d be gone and so would she.

  With a trembling hand, she reached past him for the light switch and brightness filled the room. She squinted, but not before she saw the twitch that teased the corner of his mouth as he fought a smile. It totally ruined her first impression of him. As a twinkle filled his dark eyes, for a mere second the menacing air that surrounded him vanished. Instead, she glimpsed the mischievous boy he might have been as a youth.

  “I kissed you.” His deep, penetrating voice shook her to the core. It didn’t help that when her tongue smoothed across her lips she found his taste still lingered, as well as the raw scent of male. Earthy. It was almost like breathing in the land itself. And if she didn’t know better she would have sworn she smelled the musky scent of sex.

  Man, she hoped it was his arousal and not hers.

  “Duh.” Her fingers curled into fists as she planted them on her hips. “I’m quite aware of what it was. I want to know why it happened.” And why my body is demanding your touch.

  “Why not, bébé?” Again, a hint of a smile rose, but he successfully vanquished it like before.

  Okay. This was not going as planned. Then again she really hadn’t had a plan. Like always, she was driving on instincts. Although his muscular, six-two frame was daunting, Velia sent calming vibes revealing he wished her no danger.

  He is a lost soul needing your help, Velia spoke reassuringly.

  Somehow that was hard to believe. She couldn’t imagine this man ever being lost. Someone who looked as good as he did would have the world at his beck and call.

  The quicker you help him the sooner he leaves and your body temperature goes back to normal, little one.

  Ha-ha, Annie retorted. That or she was going to need a cold shower.

  Annie snatched her purse off the floor and fished out her Tarot cards, unfolding the scarf from them, selecting only the twenty-two Major Arcana cards from the deck. Those particular cards depicted the greater events in one’s life. Above the worldly, self-assured persona, she sensed he was at odds with something that had happened in his past. There were decisions for him to make before he could go forward.

  Swiping her hand through the air, she motioned to the small table with two chairs that made up the kitchen. “Take a seat at the table.” What there was of the living room was swallowed up by a small couch and the gorgeous man who stood before her, stroking her with a sensuality that made her stomach flutter softly and another wave of desire wet her panties.

  Thankfully, he did as she asked, watching her with a dark gaze. She forced herself to look away. He couldn’t be much older than twenty-nine or thirty, yet too much age and sorrow rimmed his eyes.

  Mirror to one’s soul? Annie pondered.

  His life has been a hard one, Velia announced within Annie’s mind.

  She shot a cautious glance toward the man before her.

  Why did the lonely and the troubled always seek her out? The thought saddened her, but she didn’t have time for this reflection. The premonition of something bad to come was growing stronger. It crawled beneath her skin, alive and foreboding. As much as she’d like to sit here and drool over her guest, she had to hit the road.

  Do not be so hasty, Velia suggested.

  I don’t have time for this. Maybe if you would tell me who is in my dreams and whether I should be concerned? Is this the man who haunts me?

  Velia didn’t respond. It was just Annie’s luck to have a capricious guide.

  Her gaze rose to meet Etienne’s. “What is your question?” she asked in a neutral tone. She needed to concentrate, but it was nearly impossible. Warning bells collided with her need to listen to her body’s yearnings. It had been so long since she’d been held, so long since she’d had sex.

  A confused expression pulled his brows inward. “Question?”

  She cradled the cards in her palm and stroked them lovingly with her other hand. “What is it you seek? Love? Business? Guidance?”

  As if a dark cloud rose above him, his features hardened. “I seek nothing. I know my path.” He spoke with such resolution that she floundered for a moment. Had she been off the mark when earlier she had received the distinct feeling of indecision within him? By his tone, the rigor in his backbone, he knew exactly where he was heading.

  She wanted to ask, “Then what are you here for?” But she remained quiet. There was only one way to deal with a non-communicative male—speak for him.

  Plus it didn’t matter if he verbalized his question or even knew he had one. Regardless of what he asked or didn’t, the Tarot was a sensitive tool. Sometimes the cards went deeper than surface appearances and answered unconscious questions. She could read for him, interpret the cards. The rest was up to him.

  The sensation of indecision rose again like a chilly breeze. Interesting. This man wasn’t as confident and self-assured as he pretended to be.

  “Since you believe you know your path, I will ask why this path?” Annie waited for a response from him that didn’t come. Frustrated with his silence and her body’s reaction to his presence, her impatience intensified. The need to run slid beneath her skin, stronger—more urgent. There was so much for her to do. She needed to pack, get gas for her Volkswagen Bug and choose which direction to head. “How many times do you want me to shuffle?”

  He raised a brow. His eyes roamed over the cards she held and then back to hers. She recognized the smug expression of disbelief in his placid gaze, as he said, “Five.”

  Fine. He was humoring her.

  The question why whispered through her head again. Why was he here in the first place if he didn’t believe? And why hadn’t she just given him his walking papers?

  Before she began to shuffle the cards, she focused on the question she had selected for him. She tapped the deck on the table to straighten them. Unexpectedly, a card slipped from her hand landing face up to display the World card.

  A smile tugged at her mouth.

  What a pleasant surprise, she thought, remembering it was the second time the World card had revealed itself since they’d met. “This is a good sign.” There was always a reason a card separated itself from the deck. It was clear her dark stranger had a journey to take. The funny thing about his situation was he would find himself back where he started, but a much wiser man. “It means that you are in a position to realize your heart’s desire.”

  He snorted, the breathy grunt flaring his nostrils. “I lost my heart a long time ago.” The pain in his revealing words tightened her chest. Sadness rolled off him in invisible waves. She didn’t have to be a psychic to see that he had lost someone dear to him. Perhaps the World card meant he would find his way back to her.

  An unexpected sense of jealousy heated her cheeks. Where it came from she had no idea, but it was followed by a strong energy pulse that beat out a warning.

  Something didn’t feel right.

  Velia? Annie tapped her spirit guide, but her ethereal being was silent—the little witch.

  Annie’s mental wires felt like they were crossing. Inherently she knew this man was dangerous, but at the same time she was greeted with the sense he would never hurt her. Still, an ominous presence was close—too close.

  Dammit! Nothing made sense.

  Without a comment, she retrieved the card, stuck it into the deck and began to shuffle. When she had made five passes, she laid the cards on the table. “Cut them.”

  He reached over, brushing her hand with his, sending sparks of sensation up her arm. Again visions of making love to this man flashed behind her eyes.

  Had his touch been intentional? Was he somehow planting these images in her head?

  Refusing to let him get to her, she watched his long fingers cut the cards, placing the new pile next to the other one.

  What would those fingers feel like against my skin? She trembled at the thought.

  Focus.

  She picked up both halves of the deck and placed the top portion beneath the bottom. “I use a ten-card spread. The first card is
the inquiry card. It identifies the atmosphere you’re living in.”

  When she turned over the Death card, his breath caught, the quiet inhale revealing the first sign of unease. His eyes slightly widened, but he quickly regained his composure. His face hardened almost as if she had intruded upon his personal space.

  Most people had a negative response to this card, but intuitively she felt there was something more to his reaction, something hidden—a man of secrets. It made an icy chill slide up her spine.

  There was no denying he had a predatory air about him. Nor could she shake the thought that he could kill without remorse, if he had to. She wondered briefly if he was a military man. He definitely had the aplomb of a man willing to do what was needed no matter the outcome.

  Placing the card in the center of the table, she pulled a breath to steady her nerves before she began to speak. “The Death card means transformation. Clearing away the old to make way for the new. A possible abrupt change.”

  She waited for him to comment. Any small reaction, maybe for his shoulders to drop indicating relief, but he sat eerily still. His gaze pinned to hers. When no questions arose, she continued.

  “The second card stands for obstacles that lie ahead.” She slid the card off the top of the deck. The Hanged Man surfaced, causing her to flinch. She chastised herself for responding. The particular card was a sign of suspense and anxiety—a turbulent time. With a shaky hand, she laid it sideways atop the first one. “You are facing a huge change in your life, but you’re stuck and can’t move on the situation. There will be a reversal of your way of life. I see a sacrifice, regeneration.”

  His expressionless face gave her no hint as to how he was affected by what she said.

  “The third card presents the distant past.” She wasn’t shocked to see the Strength card in the twelve o’clock position. “This indicates an important event. It will overpower all other cards in both impact and effect.”

  With his broad shoulders and strong hands, he was the embodiment of strength. She remembered how he had held her, how his body felt pressed so close to hers. Her gaze swept across his lips.