After Sundown: Redemption Read online

  Christian moved away. Without his touch, she felt cold. Slowly, the overwhelming feelings passed. She lifted her head and opened her eyes. The room came back into focus. She found Christian. He stared at her from across the room. The hot desire in his gaze was gone. Now she looked into a face made of granite and eyes as cold as ice.

  “Alyssa—”

  “No.” She didn’t want to hear whatever he was going to say. How embarrassing! She had been totally moved, no, shaken by their contact, while he obviously had felt very little.

  “I need to go.” She gathered her things as quickly as possible and headed towards the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow as planned, right?”

  Without giving him a chance to answer, she dashed out the door. He caught up with her just as she reached the parking lot and grabbed her arm.

  “Alyssa, wait a minute.”

  Dreading the confrontation, but seeing no way to avoid it, she raised her gaze to his.

  Christian looked almost as miserable as she felt.

  “What happened back there was my fault. I apologize. I shouldn’t have let that occur.”

  “You shouldn’t have let that occur?” Alyssa repeated dumbfounded. “Well, I guess that’s one way to look at it.”

  “I shouldn’t have let myself lose control like that. I’m a professional and I usually have no problem acting like one.”

  “Christian, it’s really no big deal. We kissed. There wasn’t much else to it. Let’s move on.”

  “No big deal?” Christian’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “So you weren’t at all affected?”

  “Not really,” she lied. “I mean there was a little spark, but nothing much.”

  “Right.” He studied her intently.

  “I’m sure you can be a professional when you want to be. So let’s just go on that premise. From now on, it’ll be just business between us. You’ll protect me and I’ll give my motivational speeches, okay?” she asked.

  Alyssa saw Christian hesitate. Anger flashed in his eyes, then he shuttered his expression and slowly nodded in agreement.

  “Works for me. I’ll come by your house tomorrow night and look over your home security. We’ll go from there to your speaking engagement.”

  “Fine. See you then,” Alyssa said over her shoulder as she walked the remaining distance to her car, got in and drove away. She felt Christian’s shrewd gaze following her. Sure enough, when she looked in her rearview mirror he was still standing in the parking lot, watching her.

  * * * * *

  Walking into her apartment, Alyssa enjoyed the rush of cool air. Though the sun was already down, the current heat wave had made her car feel like an oven. She popped a low fat frozen dinner into the microwave and poured herself a diet soda. As soon as she sat down at the table, Jonathan hopped up and began pacing back and forth in front of her.

  “No, Jonathan. Not this time. I know you’re always hungry, but you are not getting my dinner tonight. Go eat your cat food, buddy. You have a ton of it in your bowl.”

  Jonathan’s only response was a low, pitiful meow. Alyssa petted him, but refused to budge.

  “Don’t do this to me. I will not feel guilty. You need to eat healthier. Look at me. I’m eating a low fat meal. I know, I know. It’s filled with artificial everything and ingredients I can’t even say, but it’s light!”

  The cat continued to stare at her. She ignored him and ate almost everything. Then guilt took over. She left one small piece of chicken on the plate and pushed it towards him.

  “Here. That’s all I can give you. Take it or leave it.”

  Jonathan began nibbling the morsel before Alyssa even finished her sentence and then licked the tray.

  “Sheesh. If anyone came in and saw you right now, they’d think I don’t feed you. Aren’t cats supposed to like cat food?”

  Jonathan licked up the last drop of gravy, swished his tail and jumped off the table.

  “You’re welcome!” she called as the feline sauntered out of the kitchen.

  Alyssa washed the few dishes in the sink and wiped the table. She spent the next couple of hours going over her speech for the following night. When she felt prepared enough, she put her papers away and picked up the romance novel she was currently trying to read in her spare time. But she just couldn’t concentrate on it. A problem arose every time she came to a love scene in the story. She kept imagining someone other than the character. Someone who had dark brown hair, mocha eyes that made her melt and a body that made her drool. The man screamed the word sexy, just by standing there. His name was Christian and he was a vampire.

  The enormity of that finally hit her. Up to this point, she had been operating on autopilot. She put the book down and sat in stunned silence thinking about him. The man was a vampire! How was it possible? Why didn’t people know they existed? And what about that hunky elf that popped his head in the door of Christian’s office? Didn’t he have pointy ears or something that gave his identity away? How could such creatures exist without being exposed?

  Alyssa’s thoughts rambled as she got ready for bed. She lay under the covers with the lights off, trying to remember how Christian had looked with glowing red eyes and two sharp, pointed teeth. The image wouldn’t come. Instead she saw a gorgeous man with long dark hair that felt like silk, hands that made her body come alive and a mouth that knew just how to tempt her. She fell asleep, dreaming about him wearing a knight’s outfit, charging to her rescue on a white horse. He was trying to save her from an unseen monster that chased her. The oddest part was the end of the dream. When the monster finally appeared, he turned out to be Christian.

  * * * * *

  When Christian arrived at Alyssa’s condo the following night, he did a quick study of the outside perimeter, then rang the doorbell and waited. How was he going to handle this? He couldn’t go into her apartment unless she invited him in. That was one of the few vampire myths that was actually true. Vampires could enter any public building without a problem, but entering a person’s home was a different story. Humans had powers of their own when it came to their personal dwellings. No one seemed to understand how or why, but that power kept vampires from going into people’s homes until they were invited. He needed Alyssa to do that, but wasn’t sure how. When she opened the door, his worry instantly dissolved into male appreciation. He couldn’t keep the wide grin from spreading across his lips. His gaze lingered over her from head to toe.

  She was dressed in some sort of business suit. But it was like no suit he had ever seen. A pair of pants and a buttoned jacket, that’s where the business part ended. The material looked soft, like silk and the color was a deep red rose. She wore no shirt beneath the jacket and the scooped neckline shifted his imagination into overdrive.

  When his stare finally rose to her face, it looked flushed. She licked her lips nervously and he fixated on her pink tongue. She pointedly cleared her throat a second time and he finally realized she was talking.

  “Please come in. I’m just about ready.”

  Christian followed her inside. Satisfaction coursed through him, while the predator he was roared in triumph. She had invited him in. Now he could enter her home whenever he wished.

  He hoped the rest of the evening went as well, for both their sakes. But if not, he would be ready. He had made sure that he fed well before coming to Alyssa’s house, for two reasons. The first was so that he would be at full strength in case of trouble and the second was so that Alyssa would not tempt him.

  The three young men who had supplied him with sustenance would only remember drinking too much and passing out outside the bar they liked to frequent. Vlad had taught him long ago how to feed gently and replace a human’s memory with one he planted for them. Christian had come a long way from the creature who used to rip out the throats of his victims as he fed, with little thought for them or their lives.

  “I need another minute or so,” Alyssa said. “Please sit down and I’ll be right out.”

  Christian sat on the co
uch Alyssa motioned towards. He watched her walk away. The soft sway of her hips beneath the sensual material mesmerized him. His body’s reaction was immediate and demanding. So much for feeding well so she didn’t tempt him. It was obvious his body wanted more than just blood from her. Too bad it wasn’t going to get it. He was here to protect her. Period.

  Alyssa shut the bedroom door behind her. She leaned against it for support. No man had the right to look that good! The image of Christian standing there when she opened the front door was branded on her mind. His black button-up shirt stretched across his chest. Charcoal gray pants were tailor-fit. Expensive-looking black shoes matched his belt. His hair was tied at the back of his neck. She had to curl her fingers into a fist to keep from reaching out and setting his silky mane free. Somehow he looked professional, dangerous and incredibly sexy at the same time.

  She got the impression that he was completely in his element as he stood in the semi-darkness among the shadows, just out of reach of the hall lights. The night seemed to embrace him, reluctant to release him as he stepped into her well lit apartment. When he brushed by her, his scent assaulted her sanity—spicy and seductive. Her stomach clenched in an effort to control the irresistible magnetism she felt towards him.

  Why did Christian affect her like this? She usually had no problem dealing with men, gorgeous or otherwise, because she was in no hurry to establish any kind of serious relationship with them. Most men she knew sensed that immediately about her, or she told them flat out and they got the message. She had too much going on in her life at the moment to deal with a serious relationship.

  For some reason her common sense approach wasn’t working with Christian. The minute they were in the same room everything else faded in comparison. Her whole body focused on him.

  It had to be the vampire thing. He must be using some sort of power over her. Didn’t vampires have that kind of power? The kind that was difficult, if not impossible to resist? Great, just what she needed—another control freak like her dad. Well, vampire or no, she would keep things focused on business only.

  In the bathroom, she began brushing her hair. She had planned to wear it loose tonight, but now she knew that would never do. Professional. She must look professional. Sweeping her hair up, she quickly fastened it into a bun. After applying lipstick, she stood back to take one last look in the mirror. Light makeup, hair in a bun and a business suit, understated and business-like. Just the message she wanted Christian to get. Grabbing her purse, she headed out of her room.

  Christian had just managed to get himself under control when Alyssa reappeared.

  “I’m ready. Shall we go?”

  His gaze focused on her upswept hair and the way her graceful neck was exposed. He barely managed to hold in a groan as his body sprang to attention once more. Frustrated by his inability to control his reaction, his response came out much more harsh than he had planned.

  “Let’s get some things straight before we go anywhere. Sit down.”

  He knew his tone didn’t sit well with Alyssa. Her posture stiffened. Anger and rebellion flashed in her eyes. She looked as if she was about to refuse, then changed her mind. She sat on the couch as far away from him as possible. Though she waited silently for him to say something, her eyes shot sparks. He smiled. She looked like she was about to scold him. His amusement must have annoyed her further, because she shot to her feet and glared down at him.

  “I find nothing amusing about this! I’m prepared to listen to what you have to say, even let you tell me the best way to protect myself, but I will not be treated like a child!”

  Christian’s eyes roamed over her from head to toe and then back up again. When his eyes met hers once more, he didn’t try to hide the hunger he felt. Alyssa’s eyes widened in surprise and she gasped. She started to back away, but he shot his hand out and gently gripped her wrist.

  He held her gaze with his.

  “I think of you in many ways, palomita, but a child is not one of them.” He ran the pad of his thumb over the pulse at her wrist. It was beating rapidly. Satisfaction ran through him. Good. She wasn’t as immune as she pretended to be.

  “Please sit down.” He gave her wrist a slight tug. “We need to discuss some issues before we leave.”

  Alyssa allowed him to pull her down close beside him. When he released her, she scooted as far away as the couch allowed. But not before her enticing scent washed over him. He inhaled deeply. She smelled like sunshine and apples. Neither of which he had experienced for a very long time. A longing, unlike any he had known since turning immortal, swept through him. To be human again, to walk in the sunlight, find love and share his life with another.

  No! He was undead, a creature of the night. There was nothing else. He had to live this way because of Elena’s murder. She had been killed because of him. Therefore he was a murderer. He accepted and lived with his guilt. Alyssa was light and life. He was darkness and death. The two would not mix, he wouldn’t, no couldn’t, let them.

  “First of all, tell me more about what you do. Understanding what you speak to people about may help me understand your stalker. And it might help me figure out what he plans in the future.”

  Alyssa didn’t answer him at first. She studied him warily, as if she wasn’t sure what he would do next. He couldn’t blame her. He wasn’t so sure himself. Especially where she was concerned.

  She finally spoke.

  “What do I do? Well, I talk to people about issues that directly impact their lives and ways to deal with those issues.”

  “Like what?”

  “Stress, for instance. It’s a very big problem in today’s society. Not only can it cause relationships to end, marriages to break up and families to become dysfunctional, it also results in more frequent illnesses and trips to the doctor. Although it is an emotional response, it’s also very physical as well. And a continual bombardment of stress on the body can and will result in physical sickness.”

  “So, what do you tell people to do?”

  “I don’t tell them to do anything. I just talk about how people can decide to do certain things that will improve their quality of life. I also talk about how some choices change lives in a negative way. It all comes down to choice. And balance.”

  “Balance, that’s the name of your book. Is this what it’s about?”

  “Yes. Basically it’s about how people get consumed with the negative and then forget to find time for positive moments in their day-to-day existence. That leads to a stressful life, emotionally and physically.”

  “What made you write it?”

  “I was seeing a pattern, sort of a trend in what people were coming to talk to me about. A lot seemed to have problems rooted in a stress-filled environment. It was causing everything from depression, to eating disorders, to couples not having intimacy in their relationship. The effect of prolonged stress on people is enormous. And most of the individuals who come to see me don’t even realize it’s happening. It’s an insidious problem. It creeps into a person’s life and grows if not addressed.”

  “So you teach people how to be less stressed out?”

  “What I try to show people is that stress doesn’t have to be a controlling agent in their life. They can manage and contain it, if they dedicate themselves to making the right choices. They need to get in touch with themselves and what they want in their life.”

  Christian’s admiration for Alyssa grew as she spoke. She was intelligent, beautiful and so full of light. It wasn’t just the words she said, either. It was how she said them. The warmth in her voice was unmistakable. She cared about people, about what they were feeling and what happened in their lives. And she wanted to help them. He could see how people would get lost in her voice, mesmerized by the hope in her words. She didn’t have to be a vampire to do that, either. She did it all on her own.

  Christian shook his head. Cleared his mind. Focus. He needed to concentrate on the business at hand. She was a mortal, nothing more. He cleared his throat
. All business.

  “Let’s go over the plan for this evening.”

  He pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pocket, opened it and laid it on her coffee table. It was an architectural diagram of the Grady Gammage Auditorium in Tempe, the location of her speaking event that evening. All the entrances and exits as well as the various rooms were clearly outlined, some areas crossed off and others highlighted.

  He pointed as he spoke. “We’ll go in this side entrance. You’ll stay very close to me as we walk through here and follow all directives I give. Here’s the room that’s been set up for you to wait in. You’ll let me go in first to check it out, then, when I signal you, you may come in. I’ve spoken extensively with the security team there and they’re going to work with us as much as we need. But keep in mind one thing. You must trust no one but me tonight. If they say jump up and I say get down, you need to follow my orders first and foremost. Your life is completely in my hands tonight. Do you understand that?”

  “Yes.”

  That was all she said. It surprised him. He had expected a fight and right now he felt ready for one. His body was screaming for something he refused to give it, but he needed some way to relieve it.

  “Fine.” He gritted his teeth. Control. It was all about control. He took a deep breath and slowly released it as he glanced around the room. “I’d like to review the interior security in your apartment before we go. I checked the outside, but need to see the inside before I can make recommendations.”

  Confusion marred her brow. “What recommendations?”

  “Alyssa, your life is in danger. If someone is willing to attack you, they also may consider invading your home to get to you.”

  Alyssa said nothing, yet her stunned expression indicated that the thought of someone coming to her home hadn’t entered her mind. As much as he didn’t like to see her fear, he felt that she needed to know what could happen. That was one policy he maintained with all his clients. He was upfront about the potential threats against them, measures they could take to protect themselves and ways in which he would strive to protect them.