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  BLOOD DREAMS: HUNTERS LEGACY

  BY

  MLYN HURN

  BLOOD DREAMS SERIES

  BOOK 2

  Hunter’s Legacy

  An Ellora’s Cave Publication, February 2004

  Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

  PO Box 787

  Hudson, OH 44236-0787

  ISBN MS Reader (LIT) ISBN # 1-84360-782-4

  Other available formats (no ISBNs are assigned): Adobe (PDF), Rocketbook (RB), Mobipocket (PRC) & HTML

  Hunter’s Legacy © 2004 Mlyn Hurn

  All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. They are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

  Edited by Kari Berton Cover art by Gina Pitkanen.

  “Give your heart and soul to me

  And life will always be La vie en rose”

  ~Edith Piaf

  Chapter 1

  “Ow! Son of a bitch!”

  Sounds of objects hitting the floor.

  “That’s a hell of a place to put a trash can.”

  Instantly she was awake. There was no gentle, slow easing into a wakeful state. This was abrupt and rude. And even though her eyes were open, her senses were taking a few moments to catch up. Against her body she felt heaviness and warmth and realized they had fallen asleep on the sofa downstairs. For just a moment her mind acknowledged that too many more of these nights and she would be turning into a pretzel.

  But for now she must concentrate on what had awakened her so suddenly. She was sure it had been a noise of some kind, and it was not something she was used to hearing at night. Focusing on the darkness, Tatiana Silverthorne tuned all her senses toward the danger she was beginning to feel. Her first priority was to protect the three-year-old child sleeping on top of her.

  Carefully, Tatiana eased away from the child and came to her feet beside the sofa. The house had been secured before the two of them had gone to bed upstairs hours earlier. When they’d come downstairs at midnight for a snack, there had been no reason to unlock any doors or windows. And, of course, the owners of the house weren’t due back for at least four more days. If there was a noise inside the house, it had to be an intruder!

  Then she heard something falling and knew it had been a voice that had awakened her moments earlier.

  “Idiotic place to put your garbage, damn it!”

  Tatiana realized her intruder was a man at that moment and knew she would need some help if there was going to be any chance of her overpowering him and calling the police. She reached for the heavy marble statue on the end table, but quickly reconsidered. Going to prison for murder wasn’t how she wanted this trip to the States to end. Shifting slightly, she picked up the heavy book she’d been reading earlier.

  The scrape of a chair across the floor told her the intruder was coming toward the living room, and the child. Taking a deep breath, she focused her energy into her strength and the self-defense actions she had learned years earlier.

  “Hellfire and damnation! What is this place? Some kind of four-hundred-year-old torture chamber?” A loud, very masculine voice expressed his disgust in no uncertain terms.

  “Stop right there!”

  Tatiana tried to keep the fear out of her voice as she yelled at the large intruder. She pitched her voice even deeper when the only thing she could make out was a shadowy figure in the darkness of the kitchen. It was silly, but maybe he would think another male had discovered him, and lying couldn’t hurt, either, she decided before she shouted at the intruder. “I’ve got a gun!”

  Tatiana didn’t really have a gun, but she thought it was a good idea to threaten the intruder. Perhaps he’d be scared enough to go back out the door he’d just entered moments earlier. On the one hand, it was lucky she’d fallen asleep on the sofa. The unlucky part was that the three-year-old she was babysitting had fallen asleep there with her. Silently she added a prayer that the child would not awaken or start crying.

  The sad truth was her left leg had fallen asleep, and as she hefted the boring, but sizable, volume above her head, she tripped against the table. Cursing under her breath because she was making so much noise, the idea of threatening the intruder with a gun had seemed like a good idea. While she didn’t have a gun, damn it, she was wielding a very heavy book of knowledge. There was little doubt that with luck she could get enough of a blow in to allow her and the child time to escape out the front door.

  When the shadow didn’t retreat, Tatiana knew she had to try again. “If you leave right now, I won’t call the police.” She had to shift her weapon in her hands because it was getting heavier by the second. “Oh, and I won’t shoot you, either.” She strained her eyes, trying to pierce the darkness. Her intruder’s lack of movement was not reassuring. “I’m a good shot, too! Uhm…I just want you to know.”

  * * * * *

  Hunter Blue shifted and knocked against something.

  “Damn!” he muttered softly.

  Things were not going well at all. Instead of arriving at his sister’s at two in the morning, he should have gone to a hotel and called her at a decent hour. But AnnaBelle had always insisted on an “open-door” policy and here he was taking advantage of his sister’s generosity. He was dead tired after having been in the air for almost twenty-four hours, and getting shot wasn’t in his plans. Unfortunately, the object he had knocked against a second earlier decided to bounce back.

  The tall metal trash can crashed down. Hunter cursed loudly. “Hellfire and damnation!” He was immediately aware that his accuser was moving back toward the living room. The voice didn’t belong to his sister or her husband. They hadn’t mentioned that someone else lived with them, nor had they said anything about leaving town. And that female voice sure as hell didn’t belong to his three-year-old niece!

  Hunter moved quickly after the person he assumed was the robber, and who had helpfully informed him that she had a gun. Lunging, he planned to catch the fleeing burglar. Hunter Blue had just finished cursing his sister and brother-in-law’s choice in furniture arrangement when something hit him. A scant moment earlier he had sensed the presence of someone, most likely a female-type person. He had taken a deep breath and realized it was the sweet scent of lily-of-the-valley combined with the elemental pheromone of woman. Instinctively he reached out, latching onto human flesh. He felt something hit him. Whatever it was, and whoever was slinging it, caused both of them to tumble to the carpeted floor.

  His reactions were finely honed and he twisted their bodies so he was on top. Immediately he was aware of the small, delicate form beneath him and wondered if a child had attacked him. Perhaps he was in the wrong house. Following that unwelcome possibility, he noticed the softness of the woman, especially since he was settled between her widely spread thighs. Despite the slight pain in his shoulder, he rather liked how she felt.

  Arms and legs tangled, they struggled, and almost came to blows in the darkness. Hunter finally managed to grab hold of two wrists and press them flat to the floor. The wrestling match left him nestled against womanly flesh and the feeling of soft breasts brushing his chest with her quick, ragged breaths as they both recovered from their brief battle.

  Hunter wondered for a moment if he was going crazy, because he was definitely attracted to a robber in his sister’s home. “Stop fighting, damn it!”

  * * * * *

  Tatiana pushed and shoved against the man pressed so intimately against her. The main thought in her head was protecting the child, followed by the growing awareness of the hard male body pressed agai
nst her. Trying to keep her voice down, she hissed, “Please leave and I promise I won’t call the police!”

  “You call the police! Lady, you are the one breaking and entering. Where is AnnaBelle?”

  Tatiana stopped struggling at the mention of AnnaBelle, Blue Belle’s mother. “You always know the names of the people whose houses you burglarize?”

  “Hey! You’re the intruder in this house, babe, not me.”

  Light flooded the room a second later and Tatiana acknowledged woefully that Belle had just successfully demonstrated that she had indeed learned how to turn on the new lamp. She spoke quickly but tried to keep the fear out of her voice. “Run, Blue Belle! Dial 911!”

  Tatiana’s hopes fell as Belle slid off the sofa and walked over to the adults on the floor. With tousled reddish-blonde curls, huge blue eyes and a cupid-like mouth, Belle was a beautiful preschooler. She wasn’t running, though. Instead, she reached out and patted the strange man’s cheek.

  Tatiana felt her heart stop beating for a moment as she stared up at the amazingly handsome man pressed so intimately against her half-naked body. She and Belle had taken a bath, and then both dressed in pajamas to watch “Beauty and the Beast” for what had to be the one-hundredth time. Her lightweight cotton pajama shorts provided no cushioning between them, and Tatiana could feel his arousal pressed against her.

  She didn’t fool herself into thinking he was aroused because of her. No doubt the adrenaline surge from the struggle and contact with any female would have brought about the same effect. But this man, who happened to be closer to her than any man had been for a very long time, was gorgeous. She reminded herself quietly that there had been one other man, but she pushed him out of her conscious mind once again. This man was tanned, with dark reddish brown hair and blue eyes that looked like Blue Belle’s. There was no question that the man, whose muscles and contours she could easily feel, was well constructed.

  * * * * *

  It took a few blinks of eyelids to focus with the change in lighting so suddenly. Hunter found himself looking into deep blue-green eyes surrounded by the blackest, thickest eyelashes he had ever seen. When the woman blinked, his gaze lowered past her pert nose and lingered on her full, pinkish-mauve lips. Immediately he wondered if her nipples were the same delicious color.

  “Hi!”

  A soft, tiny hand touched his cheek a moment later and Hunter turned his head. This time he found himself staring into huge blue eyes, a heart-shaped face and a head full of strawberry-blonde curls. Recognition was instantaneous and confirmed as he recalled the woman had screamed the name “Blue Belle.”

  “Hello, pretty Blue Belle. Where is your mommy?”

  Three-year-old Blue Belle smiled and patted her uncle’s cheek once again. “Mommy be back soon.”

  Hunter took a deep breath, relieved that he was at least in the right house. He stopped to take note of the lovely, soft breasts he was mashing. A grin slowly split his face.

  “Uncle Roo,” Blue said softly.

  Hunter gazed at his cute niece. The pictures AnnaBelle and Iain had sent as she grew didn’t do her justice. Her little hand was so sweet and endearing as she patted his cheek. Squatting beside him, she smiled and pointed to the woman beneath him. Hunter looked down at the woman and was once again surprised. He couldn’t be sure what he’d expected her to look like, but it wasn’t like this.

  From the strength she’d shown, he had doubted his earlier assessment regarding her size. It seemed to be completely at odds with the size of the person he’d experienced with a fairly good degree of intimacy. And sometimes objects seemed bigger or smaller in the dark. What he expected to see, he couldn’t say for sure. He took the time to note a pale face and large eyes that were the exact color of the ocean as it washed in across the Great Barrier Reef. She wasn’t smiling, but he could see that she had the kind of mouth that seemed ready to turn upward at the drop of a hat. Unfortunately, he wasn’t wearing a hat at the moment. She had long lashes and brows and dark hair.

  “Tat!” Blue Belle moved her hand to Tatiana’s cheek, patting her as well.

  Hunter stared into the woman’s face, feeling a deep sense of drowning in the depths of her eyes. Clearing his throat, he spoke quietly, smiling slightly. “It appears that my niece is acquainted with each of us, so perhaps we should introduce ourselves.” His smile widened. “Hunter Blue, AnnaBelle’s older brother.”

  * * * * *

  Tatiana knew right then and there that she’d never, ever seen teeth as white and straight as this man’s. Perhaps it was his tan… Abruptly realizing her mind was wandering, she nodded her head.

  “This might be a little easier if you got off me. I’m having some trouble breathing.” She was surprised at the flush that covered the big man’s cheeks. Discomfiture was something AnnaBelle’s brother rarely experienced, she imagined. Tatiana sat up as Hunter shifted off her body and knelt beside her. Pulling her legs back, she sat cross-legged. Usually when she was on the floor, Blue would come over and sit right in front of her, often leaning back against Tatiana.

  “AnnaBelle and Iain didn’t tell me you were coming,” Tatiana told him softly, pausing as the preschooler climbed between her legs.

  “My travel plans got rearranged at the last minute. But that still doesn’t tell me why you are here.”

  Tatiana wrapped her arms around Blue. “Iain was asked to fill in for another professor at some conference in Berlin. AnnaBelle’s parents—well, yours too, I guess— were flying from London to meet them and spend some time together in between meetings and lectures.”

  Hunter frowned. “Okay, but who are you? Tat?”

  Tatiana nodded. “I’m Tatiana Silverthorne. I’ve been living here off and on almost since Blue Belle was born.”

  Hunter shook his head, and then groaned as he got to his feet. “I’m too fu…” He stopped abruptly as Tatiana voiced her disgruntlement and covered the child’s ears with her hands.

  “Shh!”

  Hunter sat on the sofa, rubbing one knee. “Sorry! I’m not used to being around kids. I’m tired and this little floor skirmish took the last of my energy. I’ve been traveling for more than a day.”

  Tatiana watched as Hunter Blue rubbed one hand over his face. She could see the exhaustion in his eyes. AnnaBelle had never said how old her brother was, but Tatiana would guess there was a ten-year gap between them. There was no missing the family resemblance between mother, child and uncle, though.

  “Juice, please!”

  Tatiana looked down at Blue’s polite demand. “Sure, Blue Belle. Let’s go into the kitchen.” She stood up after Belle and looked at Hunter. “Can I make you something to eat? It’s no trouble. There are leftovers in the refrigerator I can warm up.”

  Hunter nodded and followed them into the kitchen. With the light on, Tatiana saw the trash can that was knocked over. Belle must have seen it as well because she made a beeline over to it.

  “I pick up mess you made, Tat.”

  Tatiana turned and saw the grin Hunter made no effort to disguise. She wasn’t surprised when he crossed quickly and joined his niece in straightening things up.

  “Let me help you, Blue Belle,” he offered, going down on one knee beside her. She noticed the slight grimace of pain that crossed his face for a moment as well.

  Tatiana saw Blue nod as she picked up a crumpled fast food sack. As she opened the refrigerator, she heard Hunter speaking to Belle.

  “Looks like you ladies have been eating fast food for every meal.”

  Blue nodded her head. “I like Ronald. Daddy doesn’t like him. Not healthy,” she told Hunter straightforwardly, perfectly accepting of their differences, it appeared.

  Tatiana poured juice into a small glass and set it on the table. Hunter lifted the child into her booster seat at the table. Tatiana watched him scoot the juice within Belle’s reach after he sat in the chair next to her. She placed two pieces of tofu “meat” loaf on a plate and put it in the microwave oven. Grabbing the loaf,
she took out two slices of multi-grain bread.

  “Is a sandwich all right?” she asked Hunter softly, not turning to look at him. Her heart was still fluttering from their earlier encounter.

  “That sounds fine, Tatiana.”

  The sound of her name, spoken in his deep, totally masculine voice sent more shivers up and down her spine. This time she couldn’t resist turning around. Hunter was playing some kind of finger game with his niece and the tender look on his face suddenly spoke to a hidden part of her soul she’d never consciously acknowledged before. Rattled to her core, Tatiana spoke quickly.

  “Call me Tat. Everyone shortens it.”

  Hunter looked up and met her eyes for a moment before he replied. “What a shame! Tatiana is a very pretty name.”

  Quickly muttering thanks, Tatiana turned back around as she felt a hot blush steal across her cheeks. She stared at the microwave, willing the clock to speed up.

  * * * * *

  Hunter watched Tatiana as she waited on the microwave oven. She was probably only five feet two or three inches tall and every inch was lean, taut muscle, as he’d discovered on the floor. Not quite all, he corrected his thoughts. From what he could tell through her cotton top, firm, perfect breasts declared her womanhood. Looking at her back, thanks to her short, waist-length top, he could see how perfectly her spine curved into her pelvis. Hunter had always considered himself a “breast” or a “leg” man. But looking at Tatiana’s pert, small, heart-shaped ass, he was contemplating a change in preferences.

  This was dramatic for a man who was turning forty this year. His birthday was one of the reasons he had come to visit. AnnaBelle had begged him to visit for so long, and he really did want the chance to know Iain and his niece. Upon his sister’s suggestion, he had agreed to be here in time for his birthday. Reluctantly she had promised she wouldn’t give him a party, so, on the one hand, he was glad this unexpected trip had come up. This way she’d have much less time to plan any surprises.