The vampire hadstolen not only her business, but her fragile heart too.
ChapterEleven
Damon made hisway through Gatwick airport towards the pick-up point.
He’d never beenmore grateful to get back to the UK. Although his trip to Francehad taken longer than expected, three days instead of the two he’dtold Harper, it had gone well, and he’d stumbled on anothervineyard by chance that produced the most amazing chardonnay.
It had takenhim a whole day to negotiate a fair deal with the owner, but nowthree of their superb wines would be available at hisrestaurants.
The only thingthat had marred his trip was the lack of contact with Harper.
He’d barelymade his flight after he left her that morning, sitting naked inher bed.
After shootinginto his office to finalise a few meetings for next week, he’dtaken a taxi to the airport. He didn’t have time to pack, but Joan,his secretary, had been as efficient as always and packed asuitcase for him, then arranged for the case to arrive at his firstovernight stay, a chic hotel he used often, set in the heart ofParis with a view of the Seine.
Damon calledHarper as soon as he arrived at Paris-Charles De Gaulle airport,but she hadn’t answered.
He hadn’tthought much about it then, putting it down to her being busy. Hesent her a text instead, but she didn’t reply to that either.
Work took over,but he tried phoning her again later that evening.
No reply.
He couldn’twait to get back and see her again, and he spent the whole tripimagining what it would be like to bring Harper along with him nexttime.
Damon tried onmultiple occasions to get hold of her, but her phone kept going tovoicemail. He left her voicemails, and sent more texts, but stillshe didn’t reply.
Stoppinghalfway through the airport, he fished his phone from his pocketand checked his messages.
Nothing.
He rang heragain in a disillusioned hope his call might get through now he wasin England. Stupid, yes, but he was clutching at straws now.
Granted, he’dbeen busy, travelling to remote vineyards, but he’d rung and textedher at every opportunity.
He’d thought itodd but kept coming up with excuses as to why she hadn’t returnedhis calls or texts. He put it down to him having a bad signal onhis phone, or she was visiting Conner to approve the new website,and although that niggled, and his brother might have his faults,he didn’t believe he’d make a play on his woman.
But is Harperreally mine?
It had allhappened so fast. What if she didn’t feel the same?
Why hadn’t shereturned his calls? What if what they had meant nothing to her?
The knots inhis stomach tightened.
Theirlovemaking replayed in his head. A beautiful joining of souls, afew hours of a paradise he never hoped to find. They sharedsomething special, something profound. Or at least he thought theyhad.
She’d given himpermission to bite her, and the exquisite taste of her blood stillmade his fangs prickle, but he couldn’t shake the awful truth, atruth that clawed at his conscience and crushed his heart.
Harpercontrolled his bloodlust.
Without her, hewould become a monster. If by some miracle she wanted to commit totheir relationship, it meant she had to commit to controlling andmaintaining the type of vampire he aspired to be. What if theresponsibility was too much for her?
Did she knowwhat she would be taking on? Was that why she hadn’t answered hiscalls? Had he terrified her so much she couldn’t bear to see himagain?
Despair andhopelessness consumed him, and he could see no way out of anightmare he’d created.
A car hornbeeped, bringing him out of his troubled reveries. He hadn’t evenrealised he’d walked out of the airport.
He looked tosee who’d beeped.
Nerissa stuckher head out of his MG and waved. He always let her borrow his carwhile he was away—she even had a spare key—his one condition beingthat she pick him up from the airport.
He traipsedover, dragging his small suitcase behind him.
“Didn’t you seeme, darling? I’ve been waving for ages.”
“Huh, what?Sorry.” As if on autopilot, Damon slid into the passenger seat andthrew his case on the back seat. “Thanks for the lift,Nerissa.”
“No problem,but don’t you want to drive back?”
“No, I’m not inthe mood for driving.”
Nerissagrinned. “Great! You know me, any opportunity to drive this babyand I’m in.” She stroked the steering wheel, then looked at him.Her grin turned to a frown. “What’s up, darling? Didn’t the trip gowell?”
“No, it wentwell.” He stared out of the window as Nerissa manoeuvred out of theairport and into the traffic.
“Why the longface then? Tell your maker all about it.”
“It’sHarper.”
Nerissalistened while he retold the whole story; of how he’d met Harperagain in the lift, the coincidence, or fate, that she was there tosee Conner about designing her website. He relayed the time theyspent afterwards, the chips they enjoyed, served in paper cones bythe side of the road, and how he had taken her back to her flat andthey’d made love. He told her about the bloodlust too, of howNerissa had been right—Harper did control it—and now she hadn’tanswered any of his calls since he’d sunk his fangs into herflesh.
His makerdidn’t say a word as she drove them into central London and pulledup outside his house.
She turned tohim and touched his arm. “Do you love her, Damon?”
“I neverbelieved in all that love at first sight crap, but now…?” A lumpformed in his throat. “Crazy as it sounds, I do love her.”
“It’s notcrazy, Damon, not for us vamps. When we fall in love, we fall hardand fast. It’s the most amazing feeling, but it has to be all ornothing for us.”
Damon didn’tshare his maker’s enthusiasm. “Right now, it’s nothing. She won’tanswer her phone.”
“I don’t knowwhy Harper hasn’t returned your calls, but now you’re back, you’llhave to go and see her.”
“What’s thepoint? She clearly isn’t interested, and I don’t blame her. I mean,who wants to be stuck with the burden of keeping check on a newbievampire’s bloodlust?”
“Well, Ithought that was going to be my job, and I didn’t mind,” Nerissasaid indignantly. “In fact, I took it on gladly.”
“Sorry, but youknow what I mean. You chose to take on a fledgling. Harper didn’t.I can’t
