“It was a foolish mistake.”
“A mistake? As I recall, you told me you were soul mates, Wade.”
“My only soul mate is sitting next to me. You, Suzanne.”
“Me? That’s a laugh.”
“Yes. You. I should never have let you go.”
She sighed. “But you did.”
“And I’ve paid for it every day since then.”
“While you were in bed with Gloriana?” Suzanne scoffed. “Yeah, that’s paying all right.”
“She was after my money.”
She rolled her eyes. “Big surprise there.”
“You never cared about my money.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You loved me.”
“Once. Or I thought I did.”
“Come on, Suzie. You loved me. I want you back.”
Suzanne jerked her head backward at the surprise of his words. “Damn, Wade. Don’t do that again. You’ll give me whiplash.”
“I’m serious.”
Suzanne didn’t scoff, didn’t laugh. She just slowly shook her head. “You’re serious. You want me. Hairy old Suzanne, who couldn’t have an orgasm with you?”
“You couldn’t?”
“Nope. Never. But it turns out, I wasn’t the problem. Because Damian had no trouble giving me one.”
“So you’re sleeping with him.”
“I sure am.”
“What’s that mick got that I haven’t?”
“Me.”
Suzanne stared at the rolling Highland hills as they sped past. So true. Damian had her. Wade meant nothing to her anymore. She closed her eyes and conjured her lover’s face in her mind’s eye. His beautiful silky hair falling in waves around his handsome face. His perfectly chiseled nose and chin, the scraping of night beard against his jaw line. Those full, luscious lips that knew exactly how to kiss hers. And his eyes. His amazing, swirling, jaded cognac eyes.
Eyes she had last seen laced with pain. Pain she had caused.
“Turn around, Wade.”
“Pardon me?”
“I said turn around. I want to go home.”
“Home? To Colorado?”
“No. To the castle. To Damian.”
“You mean we can’t even talk about getting back together?”
“I’m sorry. But no. You blew it, Wade. And I want to be with Damian. So turn around.”
“I can’t.”
“I want to be with Damian. I need to be with Damian. So don’t tell me you can’t turn around. We’re over.”
“I can’t turn around, Suzanne.”
Suzanne stared at Wade as he pulled into a long driveway toward a small cottage. His eyes were troubled. They looked vacant. “What the…”
Wade brought the Jaguar to a stop and pulled her out of the car. “I’m sorry,” he said.
“Wade?”
“I can’t help myself. For whatever it’s worth, I did come here to get back together with you. I made a huge mistake letting you go. You deserve the best. Not…”
“Not what?”
Two figures approached them. “Not us, I imagine is what the good lad wants to say.”
Suzanne’s spine tingled at the sudden chilliness. The voice came from a tall blond man with hair pale as moonlight. And eyes the color of blood.
His companion seemed familiar to Suzanne. Blond hair tied in a low ponytail, emerald green eyes. It was him. From that first night. Her skin crawled as he moved toward her and inhaled.
“Voldlak,” he said. “The bastard’s fucked you in the last”—he inhaled again—“six hours, I’d say.”
“You got your nose from your mother, lad,” the other said.
“Wade?” Suzanne’s voice cracked. Her pulse raced. Wade wouldn’t let them hurt her. Would he?
“We’ve no more use for you,” the red-eyed man said to Wade. He cupped Wade’s face in long, slender hands. “You’ll take your car and luggage and go to the airport. You’ll book the next flight home. You had a great holiday in the Highlands.”
“Right, right.” Wade’s eyes relaxed. “It was great to see you, Suzie. I’ve got a flight to catch.”
“Wade, no!” Suzanne screamed. “Don’t leave me here!”
“I’ll give my best to your folks. See you when you get home.”
“Wade!”
Suzanne ached as he drove away. She looked up. The ponytailed blond hovered over her and moved toward her neck. He opened his mouth and fangs appeared.
Suzanne’s heart raced as her mind let go. Blackness swirled and enveloped her, until she could no longer see the fanged smile of her captor. The last sound she heard was her own body hitting the ground with a thud.
37
“She’s gone, Da.”
Dougal turned from his computer. “That blasted cable isn’t working.” He looked at his son’s eyes. “Lad?”
“She’s gone.”
“Suzie?”
“Aye. She left with him.”
“With who, Damian? What are you talking about?”
“Her fiancé. He came for her. I asked her not to go, but she did.”
“Not back to America?”
“No. Out to lunch.”
Dougal smiled, shaking his head. “Crivvens, lad, you had me worried there a minute. So she went out to lunch. So what? The lass loves you, Damian. No one else.”
Damian shook his head, his heart breaking. “She doesn’t, Da.”
“I’ve watched the two of you together for the past weeks. She loves you, lad. I’m sure of it.”
“I thought she might. I thought she could. But…” He shook his head. “It’s over. And I don’t know how I’ll go on.”
“You’ll go on, lad. But you won’t have to. She’s gone to lunch, for Christ’s sake. She hasn’t left the country.”