The Heat Read online

  Lily looked down at her dress. She wondered whether it was worth it to take the time to change right now, knowing that if she waited for very long, she would lose the nerve to get on the saddle behind Baton Rouge’s newest Chief of Police. She looked up at Daniel, who was watching her with interest, his expression ever so slightly amused, his eyes flashing mischievous intent.

  Was he a safe driver? He was a cop. Did that make him a safe driver? No telling. Though, he’d said he had been riding for a long time.

  And if they had to lay the bike down, would jeans be important? Save her from a little more road rash than the dress would, for sure. At the moment, though, she was more concerned with her lack of a helmet. Daniel only had one.

  “You’ll be fine, cher,” he said softly. His tone was low, reassuring, and held an authoritative note that he must have acquired on the job. “Take the helmet.” He handed her his helmet and mounted the bike, the movement smooth and practiced. Lily just stood there watching him as he started up the engine and it roared to life.

  “Lily, you be back within the hour, you hear?” Tabitha came to stand between them, suddenly blocking Lily’s view of Kane. Lily looked her friend in the eyes. There was something in the depth of Tabitha’s expression that struck Lily as… alarming. Warning bells went off in Lily’s head.

  Tabitha leaned in close and whispered, “Girl, you don’t take any guff from that man, okay?”

  Lily didn’t have a chance to answer before Tabitha whirled and fixed her brother with a hard stare. “You behave yourself, big brother. I mean it.”

  Daniel smiled, but that something strange flashed once more behind his blue eyes. He raised his fingers in a lazy salute, cocking his head to one side as he revved the engine into a deafening roar. “Yes ma’am.”

  And then Tabitha moved aside and Daniel’s gaze fell on Lily once more. Without allowing herself to consider her actions any further, she put the helmet on. Then she slid her arm around Daniel’s neck and mounted the bike, hiking her dress up to her mid-thigh as she did so. She was glad she favored closed-toed flats to sandals. A dress was bad enough, but the idea of riding a motorcycle with bare toes just gave her the willies.

  She settled onto the leather as Daniel took both of her hands and pulled them tight around his iron-hard mid-section. “Hold tight, cher. And don’t go leanin’ to either side.”

  She knew that. It wasn’t her first time on a bike. But she nodded, knowing he could feel the movement against his back.

  Tabitha stepped back, her hands on her hips, shaking her head. Daniel nodded one last time at his wary sister and pulled the bike out of the driveway.

  Chapter Two: Where You Goin’ in Such a Hurry?

  Daniel knew that Lily would never guess it, but he could hear her heartbeat. He had very good hearing.

  But his sense of smell was even better. Despite the speed with which they were traveling, and despite the fact that the wind blew her scent behind her, he could smell the shampoo in her hair. The very light scented perfume she’d placed on the insides of her wrists. The blood she’d shed that morning, most likely shaving her legs – or maybe slicing an apple… and something else. Something that rode beneath her surface, deep and taunting.

  He’d scented it on her when he’d first met her in high school. She didn’t smell like the other girls. This was different. It was promising, for lack of a better word. He’d found her attractive as it was, but that special scent made her all the more appealing.

  Daniel stayed away from her, though. Under strict orders from little sis. Tabitha had told him, in no uncertain terms, that he could have anyone else – but to leave her best friend the hell alone. And though he wasn’t one to take orders from many people, the truth was, he could tell that Tabitha had truly meant it. He didn’t want her to hate him for god only knew how long just because he couldn’t keep his dick in his pants. Tabitha could really hold a grudge. So, he’d kept his distance.

  As Lily’s high school years progressed, he’d pretended not to notice. But he watched Lily grow into a breathtaking young woman. She was tall and lithe, with golden hair that fell in waves down her back and almond eyes with gold specks that shimmered in the sun. Hell, he’d noticed, all right. He hadn’t known it at the time, but his frustration over not being able to have Lily had sent him down a dark path.

  As soon as each of them had come of age, he’d bedded all of Tabitha’s other friends. He’d gone through them like matches in a book, burning them up one by one. He’d done it as if he had to. As if a demon was riding him and wouldn’t let up. For any normal man, it would have been bad enough. But he wasn’t normal. And his hunger was a little bit… stronger.

  Getting them into bed was almost too easy. He was well aware of what they said about him when they didn’t think he was listening, when they didn’t think he could hear. Oh, he could hear. They wanted him far worse than he wanted them. So he gave them what they wanted. All of them, that is - except Lily St.Claire.

  Even if she hadn’t been off limits, the truth was, he had no idea what Lily wanted. While her friends were quick to share their longings with her, to giggle over their naughty dreams, Lily was a little quieter about her own. She kept secrets behind those gold-flecked eyes. Those secrets would have driven Daniel mad if she hadn’t graduated and moved away when she had.

  Ten years of separation had been just what he needed to get her out from under his skin. Daniel had moved on. Figuratively speaking, that is. He’d had a lot of women in that time. He’d achieved a career. He’d made some good investments. He’d grown up.

  But though he laughed easily and turned a quick joke, he often felt himself growing empty inside. A touch cold. A bit anxious. Time moved slower for him than for most men. But it moved, nonetheless. And a part of him had grown restless.

  He knew what it was. The urge was growing. The need was taking over. His kind had been driven by it for thousands of years. He’d had no choice but to try his best to ignore it, but it was like his shadow. It couldn’t be outrun. It followed in his footsteps, a vigilant reminder of who he was – what he was – and what his blood wanted him to do.

  Lily…. He twisted the bike’s throttle and the hog rocketed down another long stretch. Lily hugged closer and Daniel grinned, flashing predatory whites. She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

  Tabitha, of course, had kept in touch with her best friend for the last decade and though Lily had been out of state, Tabitha had gone to visit a few times. Every once in a while, if Daniel was lucky, Tabitha would mention Lily to him. More often than not, it was when his little sister had been drinking or forgot herself. In those times, she told him where her best friend was living and what she was up to. She told him that Lily had become a and sometimes worked herself ragged with horribly depressing cases. She admitted that Lily often didn’t sleep at night.

  Daniel had listened with interest, but with resignation. It was like someone checking up on an old crush. Fun, but pointless. Lily St.Claire had always been a kind soul; the first to stand up to bullies, the one who rooted for the underdog. She was beautiful on the inside as well as on the outside. There was nothing about Lily St.Claire that was not to be admired. Still, he had more important things to concentrate on than an impossible relationship with someone from his past who didn’t even live within his proximity.

  He really hadn’t expected to see her again.

  But when he pulled up on his bike and watched her step out onto that lamp lit porch in that gauzy white sundress, her golden hair cascading like sunshine around her shoulders to her small waist, he was completely thrown. In a word, stunned.

  Oh, little Lily…. She had no idea what she’d done. She’d come wandering innocently back into his world – like Little Red Riding Hood.

  Promise to his sister or no promise, there was no hope for Lily now. Not now that he’d caught her scent again. And this time recognized it for what it was.

  He wondered if she was seeing anyone. That would be easy enough to find o
ut. And remedy.

  Daniel Kane wanted Lily St.Claire with every fiber of his supernatural being. Hell, he’d wanted her for more than ten years.

  And he always got what he wanted.

  * * * *

  He smells good, Lily thought to herself as Daniel pulled out of the lot and headed for the road. Even through the helmet, she could scent the leather he wore and the faint remnants of aftershave. He feels good, too. She remembered how, in high school, she and her friends would talk about Daniel Kane behind his back. They all had their own dreams or wishes concerning him. Alexis, the little she-devil who pretended to know squat about Wicca craft, dreamed of one day tying him to a bed in some dark room and having her merry way with him. Meagan wanted to take him to prom and see if he could dance as well as he moved in everything else he did. Sherry, the athlete of the group, was very impressed with how fast Daniel could run; he’d set every record in their high school track team. And he’d done it without breaking a sweat. Sherry dreamed of beating him one day and having him congratulate her with a kiss.

  Lily had dreams about Daniel too. Only her dreams were real dreams; at night, in bed, behind the curtains of sleep. And they were strange. They were disquieting enough that she kept them mostly to herself. The only person she’d ever shared them with was Daniel’s sister Tabitha. Lily’s very best friend.

  She remembered that day and that conversation quite clearly:

  “You know, Tabby,” Lily began, speaking around the bite of sandwich she’d just taken. “I had the strangest dream about your brother last night.”

  “Yeah?” Tabitha looked at her curiously, her brows slightly drawn together. “You sure you wanna spill?” She popped a fry into her mouth and waited. “It’s not gonna make me puke or anything, is it?”

  Lily blushed. “No,” She shook her head. “You’ll probably just laugh, so what the hell. It wasn’t dirty or anything. I just dreamed that he was in the woods out behind the school.” She paused, recalling the image in her mind’s eye. “One minute he was standing there, and his blue eyes were glowing like they had lights behind them… And the next minute, he was gone and there was this huge black wolf standing in his place.”

  Tabitha gave her the strangest look then. Lily couldn’t tell exactly what it meant. Did her friend think she was crazy? Some sort of demented freak? Did she even believe her?

  “A wolf, huh?” Tabitha had finally asked, her tone low. Something strange flashed in the hazel blue of her eyes. But then it was gone and she was making a derogatory sound. “He wishes.” She shook her head, smiling wryly. “You are a bizarre creature, Lil. You got an imagination to die for, though. Wish I had it. Would have helped with that damned short story assignment in English.”

  Lily’d had that same dream, in different variations, many times since that night. But she hadn’t mentioned it again. Mostly, she just smiled and agreed and laughed along when her friends mentioned Daniel Kane and his unlawful hotness. There were other boys the group talked about, of course. They had been teenage girls, after all. But it always came back to Daniel. He was just too perfect.

  And in ten years, he’d only gotten better. If only they could see me now, Lily thought, smiling slyly. Daniel picked up speed on the Harley and the wind began to roar around them. Lily ducked her head and laid it against the back of his leather jacket. I hope he doesn’t mind, she thought. She couldn’t help herself. She sort of wished the helmet wasn't in between them. He felt so good against her. So strong. So safe.

  They rode in deafening silence for several more minutes, Daniel handling the road as if he truly had been riding forever. His expertise put Lily at ease and she found herself melting into him, though she still held tight.

  Eventually, she realized that they were back on the main road that led to Tabitha’s house and a wave of disappointment washed over her. She squelched it, though, mentally reprimanding herself for having the hormones of an adolescent.

  Tabitha came out the door and onto the back porch when they rode up and Lily put some distance between her chest and Daniel’s back, suddenly self conscious.

  When he finally shut the bike off and kicked the stand down, Lily immediately pulled off her helmet and began to climb off of the bike. In front of her, Daniel reached back, quick as lightning and grabbed hold of her wrist.

  Lily stopped sliding off and looked up at him. His action had been so fast, she’d barely seen him move. He held her tight, his fingers firmly wrapped around her slim wrist.

  She had to admit that his touch gave her a strange sort of thrill. The heat from his hand snaked up her arm and seemed to wrap around her chest, making it hard to breathe. But he’d grabbed her so fast and his grip was so firm.… She held her breath and stared at him questioningly.

  Almost as swiftly as he’d grabbed her, he let her go. He paused a moment, as if collecting himself, before he softly spoke. “Be careful you don’t touch the pipes with your legs, cher.” His stark blue gaze seemed to lock her in. “They’re hot.”

  “Oh,” she stammered. “R-right. Thanks.” She nodded, realizing that he’d only wanted to prevent her from harming herself. She was an idiot. Why was she letting him get to her like this? She wasn’t eighteen! Snap out of it, she told herself.

  She continued to slide the rest of the way off of the bike and then pulled her dress back into place. Tabitha was there beside her in a heartbeat. “Have a good time?” she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

  Lily turned to her and wondered at her friend’s strange behavior. She also hoped that the darkness of night at least partially hid her blush, because though there was no real reason for it, she felt slightly guilty. “It was wonderful,” she said softly. Then she turned back to Daniel and added, “Thanks for the ride, Daniel. It was just what I needed.”

  Daniel Kane said nothing for what seemed like a long time. And then he nodded once at Lily, offering her a knowing smile. “Any time, cher. It’s my pleasure.”

  He then let his gaze slide to his sister. “I’ll be off now, little sis. But you and I got some catchin’ up to do.” He let this sink in, his gaze hard, his expression unreadable. “I’ll be in touch.” With that, he took the helmet that Lily handed him and slid it onto his head. He latched it beneath his chin, nodded once more to them both, and then started up the motorcycle.

  Tabitha and Lily stood side by side as Daniel roared out of the lot and disappeared into the night. Then Tabitha whirled on Lily. “Girl, tell me he didn’t try nothin’ on you.”

  Lily blinked at her friend. “What?” She looked at her incredulously. “Tabby, we didn’t even stop! We just rode! He was a perfect gentleman and a very good rider.”

  Tabitha eyed her for a moment more and then blew out a sigh.

  Lily sighed as well. “Okay, what’s going on? Don’t think I didn’t notice the warning look you shot him before I got on the bike. I see people pull all kinds of body language with each other in my line of work. What is it you’ve got against your brother having anything to do with me?”

  It was Tabitha’s turn to look shocked. But then her shock melted into guilt and she threw up her hands in defeat. “Okay, okay. You’re right. I’m sorry. I just know what a damned man whore that boy is and I don’t want him to do somethin’ to you that comes between us. That’s all.”

  Lily eyed her warily. There was something in the depths of Tabitha’s hazel eyes that looked suspiciously like a secret. She didn’t want to let the subject drop, but she could tell Tabitha wouldn’t talk about it any further. Not tonight.

  “Fine,” Lily let it go. For now. “I understand.” A wind picked up and rustled the Spanish moss dangling from the oaks overhead. She hugged herself, feeling unusually cold. “Let’s head inside and I’ll make us some tea.” She turned to lead the way back to the porch door. “I think a storm’s coming.”

  “I think so, too,” Tabitha agreed.

  As Lily entered the house, she glanced back to find her friend looking over her shoulder toward the dark road where Daniel
had disappeared. She gazed down that ribbon of black as if expecting the very devil to come walking back down it.

  Chapter Three: By The Book

  Lily rolled over quietly and peered out the window. The storm had come and gone, as Louisiana storms were want to do in early June. This time of year the gales were quick and dirty and green with heat lightning. They lit up the sky like electric temper tantrums, dumped a million gallons of water on the bayou and then ran away, sated and silent, leaving a sticky, humid swamp buzzing in their wake.

  Now, the moon was three-quarters full and illuminated the rolling grass lawn of Tabitha’s house with a blue glow. If Lily concentrated and squinted her eyes, she could just make out the on and off flashing of a few, precious lightning bugs – or, fireflies – within the darkness of the hedges that bordered Tabitha’s land. There weren’t as many as there used to be, it seemed. Their population was changing, along with everything else in the South.

  Lily sighed. She couldn’t sleep. She’d been laying there for hours, her body unnaturally hot and then cold, her nerve endings so alive that she’d kicked off all of the covers long ago. She’d been thinking about her return to Baton Rouge.

  A lot can happen in a short period of time – and Lily had been gone for a rather long period of time. Within that decade-long spell, the towers had come down in New York, a war had been started, and a hurricane had ripped through Louisiana, forever changing the face of a state once known only for its Zydeco and Crawfish, its gospel hymns and Boudin.

  Lily thought back to her discussion with Tabitha earlier that night as she gazed out at the heated mist now rising from the cut grass and forming dew. She had to admit that, though she was glad to be back in the lap of liberal Southern kindness, she was just as bowled over by the changes as she was grateful for what had stayed the same.