Page 9 of Patrick’s Seduction (Scanguards Vampires #19)

9

S tanding in her darkened bedroom, Fallon stared out of the window, looking over the rooftops of the neighboring houses. The moon was not quite full yet, but its light was nevertheless enough for her to make out a person with their dog walking in the narrow alley behind the apartment building that connected to a small neighborhood park, even though no streetlights illuminated the path.

The fog from earlier in the day had lifted, and the night was clear. Despite the comfortable temperature in her flat, she shivered and wrapped her arms around her torso. After leaving Scanguards, she’d returned to the lab for an hour to check on one of her ongoing experiments, making sure everything was in order. She could have taken the bus home, but the closest bus stop was three blocks from her apartment building, and she was too scared to walk those blocks on her own in the dark. Therefore, she’d taken an Uber home. She’d asked the driver to wait until she was inside the building, giving him a tip in cash, and he’d complied.

It had made her feel somewhat safer. Not that anything could truly dispel the fear that sat deep in her bones, anchored there, unwilling and unable to leave her body. Would she ever feel truly safe again? What would it take for Cameron to leave her in peace once and for all? What could anybody do to stop him from stalking her, from threatening her?

Still shivering, Fallon walked into her brightly lit kitchen. Maybe a cup of herbal tea would make her feel better. She reached for the kettle to fill it with water when her eyes fell on the bottle of red wine tucked into the corner next to the toaster. Maybe a glass of wine would calm her down better so she would be able to sleep for a few hours. She placed the kettle back on the counter without filling it, and instead poured herself a glass of wine.

She took a sip, inhaling the rich aroma, tasting its bouquet, a mixture of cherries and chocolate. Yes, this would help. She took her glass and walked into the living room, where she switched on only one standing lamp, keeping the lights subdued, and took a seat on the sofa. She leaned back and rested her bare feet on the coffee table, closing her eyes.

Fallon breathed evenly, listening to her heartbeat, willing it to slow so that a calmness could descend on her. She’d always meditated when she’d been in medical school and during her residency, combatting the stress and the long hours of work. It had always helped her feel refreshed and ready to face her next challenge. But tonight, she couldn’t get into it. Her thoughts drifted off every few seconds to focus on her problems. She wanted her normal life back, the way it had been before she’d met Cameron.

She’d been content, dedicated to her research, and had enjoyed spending time with her colleagues. She’d moved from Boston to San Francisco for her fellowship and had been lucky to be offered a position to stay on as a researcher. Her future looked promising, and everything had been perfect.

If only she’d never gone to that bar in Cow Hollow, where she’d waited for a girlfriend who’d called last minute only to tell her that there’d been an emergency with one of her patients. Fallon had already ordered a drink, and stayed to finish it, when Cameron had come to the bar and started flirting with her. If only she’d left, leaving the drink on the bar, she would have never met him. But there was no such thing as a do-over.

Fallon gave up on trying to meditate and instead, drank more of the red wine until the glass was empty. She was about to set the empty glass back on the coffee table when the shrill sound of the doorbell spooked her and almost made her lose her grip on the glass. She shot up from the sofa, her pulse rising, adrenaline shooting through her veins. Fear instantly gripped her by the throat, making her gasp for air.

Who was at the door? Was it Cameron? Fuck! With the living room windows facing the street, anybody from below could see that the light was on, even though they couldn’t see her. Who else but Cameron would dare show up at her doorstep so late? She glanced at the clock over the TV. It was close to tenp.m.

Her knees shaking, she walked to the door and pressed a trembling finger on the speaker to communicate with the late-night visitor.

“Go away, Cameron!” she ground out.

There was a rustling coming through the line, then a male voice said, “I’m sorry, Fallon. This is Patrick Woodford. I know it’s late.”

“Patrick?”

“Yes, from Scanguards. May I talk to you?”

She drew in a breath. “Yes, of course.” She pressed the buzzer.

With trembling hands, she smoothed down her top. Why her hands were trembling, she didn’t want to examine. Anybody’s hands would be trembling if an unexpected visitor showed up at their home at such a late hour. It didn’t have to be because she was attracted to said visitor.

She had to push that thought firmly out of her mind. After all, why would a man like Patrick—who seemingly had everything in the looks and career departments—be even remotely interested in a woman whose life was a complete mess? Besides, she wasn’t looking for a relationship. She was done with men for a while. She needed time to breathe, to find her peace of mind again, to get her life in order and her priorities straight. Not drooling over another pretty face. Look where it had gotten her! Clearly, she couldn’t trust her instinct when it came to men.

She looked through the peephole and saw Patrick approaching. Taking another steadying breath, she unhooked the chain and flipped the deadbolt, then pulled the door open.

“I’m sorry to disturb you so late,” Patrick apologized again, a hesitant smile on his face.

“No, it’s alright, you’re not disturbing.” She stepped aside and let him enter.

He squeezed past her in the narrow foyer, before she closed the door and flipped the deadbolt, then reached for the chain when she stopped herself. She caught his gaze.

“Sorry,” she said hastily. “Just a habit. You must think I’m strange…” She released the chain.

Patrick tipped his chin toward the locked door. “Don’t be sorry. It’s a good habit. That’s where security starts.”

“I wish it was all it took to feel safe,” she said as she ushered him into the living room.

There, he turned toward her but remained standing. “I spoke to Hank. Unfortunately, he couldn’t corroborate your story. He insists that he fell and that he’s never met Cameron. And—”

“But he’s lying!” Fallon cried out. “He met Cameron at the bar. And I’m sure—”

Patrick put his hand on her forearm, stopping her. “We can’t prove it.”

Pushing back the rising tears, she looked at him. Did this mean he didn’t believe her? Was he not going to help her? She couldn’t find any words, worried that if she spoke, she’d break down in tears, and she didn’t want to be the hysterical woman who cried. No man wanted to deal with a hysterical woman.

“I looked into Cameron, and I couldn’t find much on him,” he added. “His driver’s license expired a few months ago, which is odd, but other than that, he doesn’t have a record. No domestic violence, not even a speeding ticket, nothing. His record is squeaky clean.”

“But that doesn’t mean he’s not capable of hurting—”

“I know that,” he interrupted, his voice soothing. “But we have nothing on him.”

Was this where he would tell her that absent of any prior crimes, he couldn’t help her? That Cameron first had to hurt her, before Patrick could protect her from him?

She stepped back and took a breath, steeling herself for the words that would crush her hope that Patrick would stop Cameron from harassing her. There was a deep furrow on his forehead, and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

“Are you saying you don’t believe me?”

“No, I’m just saying that if he’s violent, if he’s done something like this before, he’s been careful.”

“ If …” She emphasized the word. “That’s it, isn’t it? If he’s violent?” She thrust her chin up, looking straight at him, disappointment surging inside her. “Does that mean I have to wait until he hurts me before anyone will do anything? Is that why you came?”

“I’m saying it doesn’t give me a lot of options of how to get him to stop stalking you. If we had anything on him, anything you can prove… But our resources aren’t unlimited.”

“So, you’re here to tell me to my face that you can’t help me? What do I have to pay to get help? Because if it’s about money, I can get enough to—”

“It’s not about money.”

“Then what do I have to do so you’ll help me? Anita said that your company is the best. That I could trust you to help me. Whatever it is I need to do…”

She caught his gaze then, just as he was lowering it to her lips, then her neck and torso, before quickly lifting it back to meet her eyes. The entire action hadn’t taken more than a second, and maybe she’d imagined it, but the look he was giving her now had changed. Something in his eyes was different. They were still green, but there seemed to be a golden ring around his irises. A trick of the light most likely, but it made him look more approachable. As if she’d somehow uncovered his soft side, his weak point.

She must have taken a step toward him, because she suddenly stood only a couple of feet away from him, close enough to touch. She wetted her lower lip, while she felt a pleasant warmth rise to her cheeks.

“Please, take my case,” she whispered, not knowing when she’d made the decision to beg him for help. But somehow, she sensed that he could help her, if only he would agree to it.

“Fallon, I shouldn’t be here…” Yet he made no motion to head for the door.

She suddenly sensed the electricity between them, felt it dancing on her naked arms, her neck, her bare feet. At the same time, it paralyzed her, making her unable to step back from him, to pull herself from the draw he had on her. As if he was a magnet, and she a mere nail. But that thought was stupid. Maybe it was the glass of wine she’d downed that was hitting her empty stomach now, making her unable to think straight or command her muscles to move.

She leaned in, tilting her face up, unable to stop herself. His chest was suddenly brushing against hers, and his face was only inches from hers. His lips parted, and she couldn’t stop herself from resisting the desire that welled up inside her. She bridged the last few inches separating them and kissed him.

The moment his lips touched Fallon’s his brain stopped working. Because if it had been working, he would have severed the contact instantly, knowing this was a bad idea. But his brain had shut down, and now another part of his anatomy was doing the thinking. Hell, if he’d been thinking at all, he would have never let it come this far. He would have never stepped closer to her. He would have stayed at least ten feet away from her so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her. Clearly, that had worked out well— not .

He could have easily called Fallon on the phone, updating her as to what he’d found out so far. It hadn’t been necessary to visit her at home. Instead, he’d made excuses for himself, reasoning that it was best to see what security precautions she was taking at home, so he could make suggestions of how she could protect herself better.

Bullshit! You wanted to visit her to be close to her, you horny, selfish bastard.

Yeah, well, the damage was done. He couldn’t back away now, couldn’t stop this kiss when it had barely started. A kiss that he’d been hungering for since the moment he’d laid eyes on Fallon. A kiss he should have never initiated.

Fallon’s lips were warm and smooth, her response to him immediate, without hesitation. Patrick slid one hand to her nape while he wrapped his other arm around her waist, drawing her closer. Her soft breasts pressed to his chest, and he noticed that she wasn’t wearing a bra underneath the casual T-shirt. He could feel her heart drumming against his chest, her hot blood pulsing in her veins.

Her tongue met his as he delved into her mouth to explore her. He tasted the bouquet of red wine on her breath, making him aware even more of how vulnerable she was. But instead of this fact stopping him, it drove his desire for her to a more urgent level. She was all woman, sin personified, vulnerable to the core, and his vampire side rejoiced at that revelation.

Fallon should have pushed him back by now, should have asked him to stop, but when she didn’t, he deepened the kiss, drinking in her scent and her taste. Just kissing her and feeling her respond so openly to him, made him hungry for even more. And hungrily, he took what she was giving him, kissing her more passionately, pressing his groin to her sex, making her aware of what she was doing to him, how quickly he was getting aroused.

Fuck, he was harder than a crowbar and only moments away from tearing her clothes off to sink his aching cock into her. At that thought, he ripped his lips from hers and reared back, releasing her as if he’d burnt himself. And in a way, he had. Because he had no right to kiss her, to touch her, and to want even more from her. She’d asked for his protection, not for him to make love to her. If she tossed him out now, it wouldn’t surprise him. He’d acted like a selfish prick, letting his needs and desires take over and practically assault her.

“I’m sorry. I should have never…” he stammered, swallowing hard, her taste running down his throat, sending little bolts of pleasure through his heated body.

He lifted his eyes to face her, expecting her to glare at him furiously, but instead, her cheeks were reddened, and her eyes cast downward, evading his gaze. Her lips looked bruised, reminding him of how intense their kiss had been.

“I apologize, Fallon, I don’t know what came over me.” He paused, not sure how to interpret her silence. “I should have never taken the liberty... I can promise you that it won’t happen again. You’re vulnerable, and you don’t need a stranger practically mauling you. I can assign somebody else from Scanguards to your case if you feel uncomfortable around me now.”

Though it would be a hard decision to make, because he wanted to be the one to keep her safe. “Please, Fallon…”

Finally, she lifted her eyes and looked at him. “It’s my fault. I, uhm… I made the first move.”

He shook his head slowly. Why would she blame herself, when it was absolutely clear that he’d been the one who’d stepped over the line and initiated this kiss?

“I’m not like that,” she added. “Not normally. I’m more reserved… I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Patrick interrupted. “I behaved in an inexcusable manner.”

She inhaled audibly, before she answered, “So you’re not giving up my case? You’ll help me with getting Cameron to leave me in peace?”

“Yes, of course.”

How could he say no to her now, even if he wasn’t sure how much of her story was true? He wished that Hank had corroborated her story. But that didn’t matter right now.

“Do you want me to assign your case to one of my guys? Then you won’t have to deal with me anymore.”

He waited, dreading her answer. What if she said yes? Then he had no reason to see her again.

“Please, if you can handle this yourself, I think I would be more comfortable with you than having to trust somebody new.”

Surprised and elated, he nodded. “Thank you. I’ll check into a few other things regarding Cameron tomorrow.” He motioned to the hallway. “I should leave now, and let you get some rest.”

She nodded, a hesitant smile on her lips. “Thank you.”

Without another word, he left her flat. Outside, he let the cold, damp night air engulf him as he walked to his car. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t bring himself to regret kissing Fallon. And his promise that it would never happen again had been a blatant lie. Because already now, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation should it present itself again. And it would present itself again.

The fact that Fallon hadn’t been angry with him and hadn’t reprimanded him for the kiss, could only mean that she hadn’t hated it. Had she enjoyed it? Would she allow it a second time, knowing what her body pressed to his was doing to him? How she was turning him on? It was impossible for her not to have felt his erection pressed against her soft stomach. Knowing this now, how would she react the next time? Because he was certain there would be a next time despite his assertion to the contrary. Because he knew the vampire deep inside him would get his way.

And the vampire wanted Fallon.