Blood Club

THE BLOOD CLUB

…The tickle at the juncture of her thighs became intense. Amanda wanted to touch herself to ease it. Carin’s knees were on a cushion, as was the man with his cock in her, so both were elevated on an angle. Simon approached them, now naked as well. It unsettled Amanda to see her patient without his clothes, and she especially didn’t want to see the part of him bobbing in the air as he danced nearer to the two who were fucking. He walked up to the woman’s head and some of the crowd cheered. He ran his cock over the top of her head and, gathering her hair around his member, he fucked his hand with a handful of her black hair. It was like watching a train wreck. Amanda didn’t want to see, but couldn’t turn away. Another naked man approached Simon with a blue tube in his hand. Simon dropped the woman’s hair and allowed the man to paint a line of cream from the head of his cock down to the base of his long, skinny dick. The man ran his hands over Simon’s cock, massaging it. The man fucking Carin reached out to touch Simon’s cock, too, and then began to hump faster. Simon took the tube and did the same to the third man, who stood a head shorter. Simon’s face glowed as he touched the other man. This was part of him she’d not suspected. When he finished with the cream, he tossed it aside. It skittered across the stage, teetering on the edge near where she sat. Simon and his partner then walked, hand-in-hand, around

the fucking couple. Simon drew close to man fucking doggystyle. When Simon put his hand on the cheeks of the man’s ass and separated his cheeks, the third man directed Simon’s cock into horn-dog’s asshole. The crowd went wild. Several began to shed their clothes…

ALSO BY B RIT B LAISE Cave Creek Cowboy Another Cave Creek Cowboy Cave Creek Cowboy Christmas Cave Creek Cowboy In Vegas Cave Creek Cowboy Kama Cave Creek Cowboy Ménage Cave Creek Cowboy: Too Many Brides Fix This! Galaxy Gone Wild A Lady’s Lessons Out Of Space Music Man Slayers Inc. Taking It Slow Two Weeks In Paradise The Virginia Model-Logues Wanton Warrior Wild And Wanton

THE BLOOD CLUB BY BRIT BLAISE

AMBER Q UILL PRESS, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com

THE BLOOD C LUB AN AMBER QUILL PRESS BOOK This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. Amber Quill Press, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review. Copyright © 2008 by Brit Blaise ISBN 978-1-60272-196-8 Cover Art © 2008 Trace Edward Zaber

Layout and Formatting provided by: Elemental Alchemy

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

To Trace Edward Zaber, cover-artist extraordinaire, for one of the best covers yet! And to those who pushed me out of my comfort zone…the jury is out. Let me know…

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CHAPTER 1 Life sucks once you get a rep for being el primo psychiatrist to the vampires. On the positive side, the money was good, and Amanda found plenty of clients, even in small town Ohio, who were willing to pay two hundred an hour to share their bloody psychotic fantasies. And maybe it had something to do with her diploma being written in Spanish. Job security! On the major suck-factor side of the equation, the hours were murder, sundown to dawn on most days. And as resident shrink, Amanda had to deal with little shits like the one reclining on her expensive leather couch. “My cock is hard and my nuts hurt like hell.” 1

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Amanda tapped her notepad with her pen. “Simon, I’ve told you over and over again I’m not interested in discussing your genitals. Please stick to the subject. We’re talking about your relationship with your mother.” Usually benign, Simon shot up to a sitting position and clutched the edge of the couch, as if he wanted to stand and needed to get a tight grip to stop himself. He freed the couch and shook his hands. Next he swept them through his greasy, dyed-black, long stringy hair and shot her an agitated glare through the thick kohl eyeliner rimming his dark brown eyes. “I need to taste your blood.” This was a recurrent theme with Simon. She’d never had a session with him when he didn’t insist he needed to bite her…just a little prick. His request didn’t worry her. Still, something was off this time. Something she couldn’t pinpoint. Simon’s appearance was much like all her other patients. He wore porcelain-fang crowns, a ring in his nose, and a piecing in his tongue which made him stutter on occasion. His black Goth clothes and churlish attitude were stapled to his identity. Amanda kept her cool. “I want you to take a deep breath and concentrate. This isn’t about me. Why do you believe your mother hated you?” “She wouldn’t breast feed me. Can I suck your breasts?” This was a new approach for Simon. During most of his sessions, she wondered if he even liked women. “No, Simon, you most certainly cannot suck my breasts or any other part of me—not now, not ever. If you can’t restrain yourself to the 2

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topic at hand, our session is over for tonight. We’ll start fresh next week when you’re in a better frame of mind. Okay?” Simon pushed up to a standing position, his body rigid and tense. He jerked his face toward her and snarled, exposing his fangs. In the three years she’d practiced in the small town of Beoville, with twenty-eight regular patients, she’d never had one snarl. Most of them were rebellious teenagers whose parents paid for the sessions. Simon was nineteen, and his parents had threatened to pull the plug on him. He repeatedly jammed his index finger into the side of his head. “You’d like to get rid of me, wouldn’t you? I’m not a model patient. One you can pigeon-hole into a precise and proper category, so you can file me away.” Acting out at this juncture would get him nothing but trouble. “Calm down and breathe. I’m here as a buffer to help you deal with your feelings. I’m sorry if I’ve made you believe I want to file you away, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.” In truth, she had been frustrated with his lack of progress. Had he sensed it? When he moved to loom over her instead, a spiral of fear curled in her heart and spread to her limbs, which failed her. She froze. “It’s my birthday,” Simon said. “Happy birthday. Please leave now.” Simon snarled a second time. His breath smelled of beer, which revealed the underlying motivation behind this situation now unfurling. Amanda had no clue how much he’d drunk and how inebriated he might be. 3

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How to handle this? She glanced at her watch. She had one more patient coming, a new one, but not for another half-hour. If Simon resorted to violence, she needed to protect herself. There wasn’t a white knight coming to her rescue. Simon inched closer. “I’m performing at the Blood Club tonight. I need to feed before I go.” “You apparently feel you need to drink beer before you go, too.” Simon performing? Performing what? And what was this obsession the majority her patients had with the Blood Club? More than half went weekly, and she doubted it was a wholesome atmosphere, even though they didn’t serve alcohol. She’d been meaning to check it out, so maybe now would be the perfect time. “Feed at Mickey-D’s like every other normal teenager does. It’s open twenty-four hours by the freeway, which is, coincidently, on the way to the Blood Club.” “I don’t think so, and I’m officially not a teenager now. I’ll feed on you. Who’s to stop me?” That was her cue, the proverbial kick in the ass she needed to propel her away from danger. Amanda dove for the door. She had the doorknob at the tips of her fingers when Simon grabbed her by the knees from behind. She went down hard, slamming the side of her face into the faux wood finish, while crushing her elbow on her ceramic umbrella stand. Amanda pushed aside the pain and kicked with both feet, connecting with some part of Simon’s anatomy. He howled and she kept kicking as his hands clawed at her. 4

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“Fucking bitch.” Amanda twisted to where she could see before she delivered another blow. Simon got to his feet and reached for the umbrella holder. He picked it up, struggling under the weight and brought it up over his head. The way it wobbled as he held it, she didn’t have much hope. One or both of them were about to end up hurt, even if he was only bluffing. If she’d had a life, it would’ve passed before her eyes. Textbooks, student loans, and constant emotional hunger didn’t qualify. The door behind her ass gave way. Help? She couldn’t take tear her gaze away from the heavy urn poised to crash down on her head. This was how she’d leave this life? Death by ceramic? It just seemed wrong on so many levels. A second set of hands joined Simon’s on the umbrella holder. They dwarfed Simon’s skinny digits and wrested the ceramic away. Only then did Amanda look at her savior. At least she prayed that’s what he intended. Surely she couldn’t encounter two killers in one night. No one had that much bad luck, even her. Then again… “You’re under arrest.” No sweeter words could ever be heard. And the mouth that delivered them was to die for. Well, maybe not die for… However, those lips were no ordinary lips. Full and firm, they were made for kissing first, and everything else as a minor consequence. The rest of him wasn’t bad either. From her vantage point on the rough 5

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industrial carpet, he appeared really tall, more than average height. The kind of tall which might even make her five-ten seem short. He reached a hand down to her. “I wasn’t going to hit her, just scare her,” Simon whined and crab-walked backward across the floor. “I only wanted to drink a little blood.” Amanda couldn’t concentrate on Simon’s whiney words as the newcomer’s warm, large hand surrounded hers. His touch sent zings along her shattered nerves and instantly changed their character. What had been fear and worry for her own safety suddenly transformed into boiling hot desire. Neither was customary in her boring life. He pulled her to feet and let go, but the zings lingered and roamed about creating unfamiliar havoc. When they settled in her crotch, she crossed one leg over the other and squeezed. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome, but I don’t have time for this nonsense tonight. Now I’ll have to spend the next three hours in booking.” Standing next to him, Amanda digested his fabulous face—all dark angles, haunting gray eyes framed with a fringe of black lashes, dark hair pulled back against his head and suggesting a ponytail she couldn’t see. His almost square jaw, covered with a shadow of whiskers, made her think of control issues. Hers…not his. She found it difficult to control her fingers wanting to cop a quick feel. “Don’t book me, please—” Simon began to cry out loud and distracted her. 6

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She turned away from the handsome cop to see Simon burying his face in his hands while he sobbed with abandon. Amanda hadn’t formed a definite opinion on whether Simon should be incarcerated for his behavior. What good would it do? Simon had never been aggressive in the past, but it seemed like he’d intended to hurt her. She needed to balance her patient’s care against her own fears. “I’m not sure jail is best place for Simon.” Simon swiped his sleeve across his face and hiccupped. “I got my big b-break tonight. I’m performing at the B-blood Club.” “Hold on.” Her handsome champion pointed a long, thick index finger at Simon, pulled a badge off the front pocket of his jeans and palmed it in her direction. “Detective Mark Philips. Say the word and this jerk is history, but I’d like to talk to you for a moment alone first.” He didn’t wait for a response. He pulled a set of handcuffs from behind him and slapped them on Simon so fast it gave her pause. “Step into your lobby with me where we can talk while your patient chills.” “In the lobby?” Moisture wetted her panties at the thought of being alone anywhere with him. What was that about? Her normally low libido had just spiraled out of control? Shouldn’t she have gotten a warning? After twenty-eight years, a girl shouldn’t go from arid to wetlands in the span of a minute. “Will Simon be okay in here alone?” As she asked the question, she gazed deeper into his eyes for the first time. They seemed to change color as she watched, morphing from 7

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gray to silver with pinpoint black pupils piercing into her very soul. She looked away. “He’ll be just fine. I need your help. I didn’t come here to arrest a horny teenager. I’m after bigger game. We have an idiot out there attacking people, pretending he’s a vampire and I think you may know him.” He poked Simon in the chest. “Right now, you’re a person of interest. You move an inch, and I’ll hunt you down like the rabid vampire you pretend to be.” She couldn’t wait to see what followed and walked into the lobby. Detective Philips came out after her, close enough she caught a whiff of his scent. Male. Rich. Clean. Woodsy. Fuckme-intense. *

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Mark’s brain wanted to concentrate on the little douchebag in the doctor’s office, while his body wanted to dwell on the doc. She wasn’t what he expected, nor could his body’s speedy reaction to her be classified as anything other than otherworldly in the worst possible way. His fangs grew almost as fast as his cock. Neither had any business giving him grief when he was on the job. However, a hard cock he could deal with, but not fangs. His position in the community and at work already caused him no shortage of complications and gut-wrenching emotions. With the vampire numbers growing disproportionately to the general population, a day of reckoning grew nearer with each passing second. 8

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Doc batted the dark lacey lashes surrounding her big baby blues. Her eyes seemed even bigger because she’d pulled her dark hair up into a ponytail and wrapped half of it in an oriental looking arrangement, complete with ivory chopsticks. “Why did you want to see me alone?” Mark wanted to grab those sticks and free her locks, to rub the mahogany strands between his fingers and imagine what the wisps would do his nipples as she rode him. And she would fuck him, he had no doubt. The air had grown thick with the buzz of female pheromones. A sweet fragrance from her eager snatch greeted his nostrils, and he inhaled deeper, filling his body with her intoxicating scent. Urges he normally managed with an iron fist escaped his control. He didn’t do out-of-control well at all. It had been a very long time since his baser impulses had taken the upper hand. It couldn’t be about the perky nipples straining against the fabric of her white cotton blouse. They were nice, but only average. Her legs had curve and tone, what he could see of them under the unfashionably long, black skirt. That could be what had his balls in knots. She reminded him of a nun. Nuns didn’t usually excite him…for the most part. “I’m going to regret this.” Amanda’s lips puckered into the beginning of a silent, What? He brought his mouth down on hers before she could get the word out. He delivered a hot, open-mouthed kiss he normally reserved for the heat of sex. Because he denied himself more often than not, he couldn’t stay on the slippery surface of his desire. He drank of her passion until it became 9

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obvious it he was in deep trouble with this one. He was in the presence of something amazing…pure. She wrapped her arms around him and pasted the length of her long, lithe body against his. She captivated him not just with her hungry mouth, but all of his senses were engaged, the smells of every inch of her, the soft confident demand of her mouth, the sight of eyelashes fluttering, the sound of her heart hammering in her chest, the yield of her taut skin as he reached under her shirt to caress her back. That happened with rarity. Despite the fact he’d initiated the kiss, she took control of him. The tip of one his fangs pierced her plump lip and she gasped. The delectable taste of her blood almost finished him. The urge to both feed and fuck almost overwhelmed him. He pushed her away before he had his way with her then and there on the dismal black-and-white checkered linoleum. “This can’t happen like this.” “How could it happen? I’m flexible, open to any idea at this point.” Her hand rushed to cover her mouth, as though she wanted to stop any further words from escaping. This time he didn’t want the emotional tug of war that went with encountering a woman he found interesting, or as in this case, wanted like holy hell. Was it time to take a chance? Did he dare? “I have the distinct impression sex is will happen for us, just not right this moment.” “Are you sure?” “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.” Why had he said that? 10

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CHAPTER 2 Amanda talked the handsome detective into allowing her to go to the Blood Club with him and Simon. When she discovered he’d wanted to take Simon to talk to some of the people Simon knew, she lied and said she’d already planned to go. She had considered it. When she showed him the club token a patient had given her months earlier and guaranteed to admit her, he’d growled like an angry bear, but he’d brought her. Besides, she didn’t want to let him out of her sight. He’d promised to finish what he’d started, and she needed to make sure he had every opportunity. The three of them walked together toward the door. She 11

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was both nervous and excited. “Didn’t you get a description of the attacker from any of the victims?” she asked. “We have a cooperation problem. None of them are taking this seriously, even though the violence is escalating. We think they know their attacker and don’t want to squeal on him.” Had someone with tendencies to be violent come into her life and she didn’t recognize the fact? Simon. She didn’t think him capable of hurting anyone, but his earlier actions showed she didn’t know him as well as she’d thought. She may have matriculated in a third-world country, but she wasn’t slow. Then again, she’d almost won the too-stupid-to-live award tonight. If the detective hadn’t arrived, Simon would have bashed her with an umbrella stand. *

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First, they walked down a dark and moldy-basement-danksmelling alley, then passed through a doorway shaped like a coffin and into the bar. Inside the Quonset-style interior with open and high ceilings, the lighting improved, but not the ambiance. The preponderance of black, coupled with the overall stench of sweaty bodies, didn’t make it appealing. In the two closest corners, coffins stood upright against the wall. All the people who milled about had the same “look” about them—pasty white faces, tattoos, multiple piercings, and long, stringy, black hair. Amanda felt like she’d landed at a Goth convention, where she stood out as unusual. At least she had her serviceable wool coat covering her white blouse. Detective Mark, in blue jeans and black leather jacket didn’t fit in either, 12

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but who’d start anything with a six-six hunk of brawn? Hard, dark and handsome. A lock of dark hair escaped his ponytail to stray across his face. He captured it, combing it back with his large hand, and Amanda had a hot flash. She forced her attention away before she did something embarrassing. At the far end of the large open room, a dance floor surrounded a stage. Near the rear wall at the back of the stage rested a large ornate coffin on a pedestal. The shiny black spectacle made her shiver. People milled about, but no one danced to the overpowering, hard rock, head-banging noise spewing from industrial-sized speakers at the opposite end of the room from the stage. “Stay close to me,” the detective said. The raspy quality of his voice traveled straight to her nether regions to make her hot and itchy there. She moved closer to him, bumping into his hip, and he raised a questioning brow. “You said to stay close.” He gave her a dark, brooding stare before heaving an exaggerated sigh. Sheesh! “I’m performing soon,” Simon said. Simon. How had Simon slipped her mind for even a second? Her surly patient didn’t seem the type for public performances. Then again, after what had happened earlier, it was obvious she didn’t know him as well as she thought. “I didn’t know you played an instrument. What’s the name of your band?” Simon rolled his brown eyes at her question and gave a 13

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haughty sniff. “You don’t know much.” Amanda hated condescension, from Simon or anyone. She’d really tried to get to know Simon, understand him and had failed. “I’m not in a band. It’s performance art. I guess that’s what you call it. Can I go find my partner now?” Detective Philips—Mark—pinned Simon with a long stare followed by a pensive nod. “Don’t try to go anywhere. I’d take it as an admission of guilt. Also, I want you to remember you had no business putting your hands on Dr. Montgomery. If she decides to press charges, there’s no place on earth you can hide to escape from me. Understand?” Simon gave another sniff. “I’m not going anywhere. It not like I even… Never mind. I need to rehearse with my partner.” He trotted off in the opposite direction. “Let’s find a seat.” Mark turned to her. “Want something to drink?” “Just as long as it isn’t blood.” “Funny you should say that.” She shuddered as a young man walked by with what appeared to be a glass of blood from the way it clung thickly on the glass as he put it to his lips. This place was worse than she’d thought. Inside the rounded walls of the Blood Club, they’d encountered an epidemic of vampire-wannabes. “Is that what it looks like?” “I seriously doubt it…not human blood anyway.” He lifted his face and his nostrils flared as if he could smell it. The hard rock song ended and an eerie primitive drum, 14

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sounding much like a heartbeat began to play, accompanied by a shrill flute instrumental. From out of nowhere people appeared and applauded. What? How could the crowd go from hard rock to this haunting sound? “Must be time for your patient’s show,” Mark said. “Let’s find some seats before this place fills up. I really don’t want to be in front of one of those speakers. How about that table?” He pointed front and center. Since it was the only one by the stage that was empty and sitting in rear meant dealing with sound so loud they couldn’t talk, it worked for her. “What could coming here help in your investigation? And why do you think I can be of any help?” Amanda asked as he held her chair for her. What a gentleman. The moment they sat, people began to point at them and whisper to one another. “I don’t think this investigation should be centered around troubled teens, confused about their identity. This could be a real problem if we don’t nip it in the bud. They appear to be escalating in violence.” He smiled at her for the first time. “Two of the three victims came here before they were attacked. This place is a hang-out for young people and those who pray on them.” His smile made it harder to concentrate. “They have to be at least eighteen to get in here, so they’re not exactly children. And besides, that doesn’t explain what it has to do with me.” “The last person attacked was a patient of yours—Violet Hammon.” Had she heard him right? “Violet?” He had to be wrong. 15

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Violet would never come to a place like this. She didn’t like to leave her house. “Is she alright?” “I was with her this afternoon and, while she was hurt much worse than the other two, she’ll survive. She’s how I found out the connection to you. Until then, we didn’t know you’d treated two of our victims.” She started to ask for more information, but at that moment Simon walked onto the stage with four other young men and another of her past patients—Carin Reed. “Carin,” she said on a whisper of breath. “Violet danced at the Blood Club last weekend. Is that woman a patient, too?” Amanda gave him her attention. “Not any more. She was one of my first patients, but her parents gave up on her when she wouldn’t conform. They stopped paying for her treatments when she left home at nineteen, at least two years ago. Her name is Carin Reed. Do you think she might be a target of your attacker, too? Were they all women?” “This place and you are my only leads. And the other two were men. The other one I’m told you treated is Carlos Smith. What can you tell me about him?” “You didn’t say if Carin is in danger.” “I’m not saying she’s a target, but I’m not saying she’s safe either.” The detective looked away and to the stage. “I hope you aren’t shy about the human body.” Shy? “I don’t think so. No more than the next person.” Amanda followed the direction of his eyes to see Carin disrobing in time to the music. She’d already taken off most of 16

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her clothes and only her panties and bra remained. She reached behind her while she undulated. Her lack of dancing skills made Amanda cringe for her sake. Somebody was bound to protest. However, the crowd seemed to approve. A tall, skinny young man joined her, removing his clothes as well. He didn’t perform any better than Carin. He had so much kohl lining his eyes, he appeared to have two black eyes. When he removed his shirt, his nipples were pierced, with a gold chain attaching one to the other. In the center the chain Y’ed downward, attached to something hidden by his pants. Strange. Amanda had never seen a striptease, but these two seem confused and unprofessional about it. Three other men, including Simon, had walked on stage, but stayed near the casket at the rear, while they danced, each doing his own thing. The original two in front were almost undressed. Amanda would never have believed Carin could get naked in front of a crowd of people. “Is this against the law?” Her handsome companion gave a wry grin and rubbed his whiskered chin. “I could be wrong, but getting naked is the minor part of this act. I’ve heard rumors.” “I’m surprised they let us in here then.” “I used a vampire mind trick.” “Yeah, right.” He was making up for the unceremonious way he’d told her about Violet’s attack. Amanda enjoyed a man with a sense of humor. “And when I’m celebrating 17

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birthday number twenty-eight this coming Sunday, you’ll be wishing for the good ol’ days when you were only a hundred, I’ll warrant.” “You hit it on the head. Those were the days. Was it hard for you growing up with your birthday on Halloween?” “Not really. It’s always been my favorite holiday. Now will you answer my question…is this against the law?” She looked away from Mark’s gorgeous pale gray eyes to the stage and almost swallowed her tongue. “Please tell me they aren’t going to do what I think they are.” “That and more. Simon is starting to get undressed, too.” Carin, naked on her hands and knees, stared straight ahead. The man who’d been dancing with her had a hard-on. The gold chin was now revealed to be attached to a rubber-like horn anchored at the base of his penis with a cock ring, almost like a second little penis. It didn’t seem like something that would be comfortable as it pushed at any part of a woman’s sex…more a punishing tool. It wasn’t difficult to imagine what came next. Amanda looked back to Mark to find him watching her intently. “They’re going to…” She started to say make love, but that didn’t fit. In front of this crowd it had nothing to with love. “Fuck.” “That would be my guess.” A shadow fell over Mark’s face when someone approached. “I’m surprised to see you here. Aren’t you too good for this?” The deep voice startled her. She tilted her face to see a 18

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man with long blond hair, dressed in white. His beauty seemed too perfect, almost feminine. Mark frowned, and rightly so in Amanda’s judgment. Why did the man in white feel he needed to attack? “This isn’t about good or bad, it’s a matter of preference. You know I’m not into public sex. Hope you don’t mind us sitting at your lover’s table. Until I stepped through the door, I hadn’t realized you’d come to Beoville. Just visiting?” His lover’s table? Who was this guy? These two evidently had history. That kind of history, if the hitch in the newcomer’s breath as his gaze devoured the detective from head to toe were to be believed. “I haven’t decided if it’s a visit or more. I missed Wind’s company, even though he’s obsessive about you. He came here because he knew you’d settled here.” “Just keep him away from me,” Mark said. The handsome blond reached for Mark and hesitated. “You know you’re always welcome anywhere I am. At my table or in my bed. I’d have come to Beoville sooner if I thought you’d had a change of heart and given up your prudish ways. Who’s the lovely lady?” “She’s a shrink.” The man laughed long and loud. “How appropriate, old friend. Since he isn’t going to introduce us, my name is Saint. I’m a very old friend. Enjoy the show. Both of you.” He winked at Amanda before he walked away, still chuckling. Amanda stared at her hands folded in her lap. Detective Philips was bisexual. While she wasn’t a prude, she didn’t 19

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want to fall in love with someone who wouldn’t or couldn’t return the emotion in spades. Not that she was looking for love, but the strong way her body reacted to the detective worried her. When she finally raised her head, she found him watching her. When he didn’t say anything, she looked back to the stage. Carin was on her knees as the horn-dog man with the cock ring fucked her from behind. He moved slowly and pulled at the chains on his nipples as he eased his dick in and out. Despite the stolid expression on Carin’s pretty, heart-shaped face, the overt public act gave Amanda a sexual jolt. A zing of desire made her panties wet. “Oh, my.” “This is only the beginning.” The tickle at the juncture of her thighs became intense. Amanda wanted to touch herself to ease it. Carin’s knees were on a cushion, as was the man with his cock in her, so both were elevated on an angle. Simon approached them, now naked as well. It unsettled Amanda to see her patient without his clothes, and she especially didn’t want to see the part of him bobbing in the air as he danced nearer to the two who were fucking. He walked up to the woman’s head and some of the crowd cheered. He ran his cock over the top of her head and, gathering her hair around his member, he fucked his hand with a handful of her black hair. It was like watching a train wreck. Amanda didn’t want to see, but couldn’t turn away. Another naked man approached Simon with a blue tube in his hand. Simon dropped the woman’s hair and allowed the man to paint a line of cream 20

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from the head of his cock down to the base of his long, skinny dick. The man ran his hands over Simon’s cock, massaging it. The man fucking Carin reached out to touch Simon’s cock, too, and then began to hump faster. Simon took the tube and did the same to the third man, who stood a head shorter. Simon’s face glowed as he touched the other man. This was part of him she’d not suspected. When he finished with the cream, he tossed it aside. It skittered across the stage, teetering on the edge near where she sat. Simon and his partner then walked, hand-in-hand, around the fucking couple. Simon drew close to man fucking doggystyle. When Simon put his hand on the cheeks of the man’s ass and separated his cheeks, the third man directed Simon’s cock into horn-dog’s asshole. The crowd went wild. Several began to shed their clothes. The man who’d guided Simon’s cock moved behind Simon and it didn’t take long before he thrust into Simon’s butt. Simon grunted loudly enough to be heard over the excited murmurings of the audience. All of them humped each other. The sound of flesh slapping flesh next to Amanda drew her attention. A man almost close enough to touch fucked his own hand while he watched the stage. She inched away her chair in case he went off in her direction. A loud moan on stage made her jerk her attention back to what was happening there. When a fourth naked man joined the group, Amanda had no idea what to expect. And she was jumpy, tense. Sexually. Physically. Emotionally. The last man sat in front of the woman and threaded his 21

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legs between her arms and alongside horn-dog’s legs. The man inched down until his groin was under Carin’s face. He held his cock up and she went down on him, taking him into her mouth. The sight of five people fucking each other both excited and concerned her. She worried because it excited her, but not enough to take matters into her own hands like so many surrounding her were. As a therapist, she understood the emotion, the crowd dynamic…as a person, she was conflicted because this turned her on and repelled her at the same time. When the beautiful blond man who’d spoken to Mark only moments earlier walked onto the stage, she didn’t expect him to strip. He unbuttoned his white silk shirt. After he shrugged out of it, he allowed it to float to the floor at his feet. Why she’d, even for an instant, thought him feminine escaped her. Hairless and carved into muscular perfection, his chest was cover worthy. Her fingers itched to touch. He unzipped his loose-fitting, white silk pants and let them drop. He’d gone commando. What a cock! At least eleven inches long, the mauve cap pointed up as he gazed down at it. He widened his stance and his huge balls vied for her visual attention. ::Come to me.:: The words inside her head startled her, but she didn’t wonder who’d spoken. It was him. An invisible force pulled her up from her chair and moved her along the floor toward the stage, nearer to the incredible-looking blond man’s equipment. 22

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::Stay!:: Another voice barked inside her, a more familiar one. It sounded like Mark. Her feet froze with the order and didn’t give her the option of free will. ::Come!:: ::Stay!:: Amanda had to look like a spastic puppet—two steps forward, two steps back. This was not the time for a mental lapse. She told herself this wasn’t real. It was a result of enjoying what was happening on stage and her subsequent unease and guilt. Her subconscious wanted to punish her. This couldn’t be real. ::Leave her the fuck alone.:: ::Have you fallen in love with a mortal woman? Again. Haven’t you learned your lesson?::

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CHAPTER 3 When Mark had entered Blood Club with a human female on his arm, he hadn’t known Saint had come to Beoville. Saint lived to humiliate Mark, and would do whatever it took to get Mark’s attention. Mark moved to the edge of the stage, where Amanda was struggling with their conflicting commands. Saint’s brilliant blue eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “Suck my dick, Markus, and I’ll let the two of you go in peace.” “Who is Markus?” Amanda said. Mark glanced at her. “I’m Markus…or at least I used to be called by that name. Saint refuses to get with the times.” 24

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He turned back to Saint and pinned him with a stare. “I’ve done that and more. It’s never enough for you. All things considered, I believe I’d rather live like a eunuch than ever have to fuck you again.” Saint huffed. “Have to fuck me? Has it been so long you’ve forgotten how you used to beg for this?” He touched his cock and, despite himself, Mark looked. “Are you afraid you might fall in love with me? I won’t let you. I don’t believe in love.” “That’s your problem.” Mark glanced back to Amanda to find her stark naked. If they were alone, and not in the middle of chaos, he might have enjoyed this development. The quintet on stage moaned in harmony. It was only a matter of time before they came. All hell was about to break loose. He’d keyed his radio the second the public fuck-fest started, but backup hadn’t arrived yet. As the only vampire on the force, he got little respect. Even the guys in his own department gave him shit. With the general public, he didn’t reveal his affliction unless absolutely necessary. However, if anyone died, he wouldn’t be the one answering to the powers that be. He flipped open his phone and hit the single number that would connect him to the squad room. “This is Detective Philips. It’s twelve-twenty, backup hasn’t arrived, but no one’s dead yet. Just in case anyone there is interested.” He clicked it shut to the sound of Saint laughing. “Why do you bother?” Saint said. “I ask myself that every single day.” And he did. Most of 25

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the men he worked with couldn’t even look at him without frowning. “I’m coming,” someone in the audience screamed. The energy those words created caused a riot inside the club. The real vampires present scattered about in the crowd and used the moment to feast. Screams accompanied sounds of sexual satisfaction. One foolish young vamp decided to bite Amanda. Mark sank his fangs into the vamp’s neck before he touched her. To punish him for his impudence, Mark drained him until he collapsed onto the floor. “Tobias will want revenge for this.” Saint pointed to the vampire Mark had just bitten and laughed. Mark turned away from the inert vampire to find two more vampires, one male and one female humping into Amanda. The therapist wrapped her arms around the female vampire and effectively stopped him from interfering. Unless Amanda wanted the female vampire to back off, Mark’s hands were tied. He needed Amanda’s consent to interfere. Saint laughed. “Say the word, and I’ll call them off your lady.” “What do you want from me?” “Respect.” Mark didn’t expect that. The female vamp suckled Amanda’s breast, as the shrink undulated her hips. Her dark snatch made his fingers itch to touch. But right then he needed to concentrate on Saint. “Respect? Give me something tangible to make this stop.” “I have.” Saint fucked his cock with his hand. 26

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“Damn.” Amanda jerked up from watching the vampire sucking on her nipple and met Mark’s gaze. Realization appeared to slam into her like she’d been hit with a fist. She winced. “Get off me!” She fought back, pushing the female vamp away. With her resistance, he had unspoken permission to come to her rescue. Mark didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the male vampire dry humping Amanda and threw him several feet into the air. He came down on a table with a crash. By the time he turned back to the female, he found her cowering on the floor. “She’s mine to command,” Saint said. “You never said why you came here tonight.” “I need to get Amanda out of here. I came because we could have a potential killer on the hunt. Someone’s pretending to be a vampire and they’re hurting people, using this club to do it.” “Why didn’t you say so sooner? You have a weakness for these mortals.” Saint gave a wry smile. “Well, I have a weakness for you.” Mark pulled Amanda into his arms in case another idiot vamp decided to intrude. Saint raised a brow. “You only have to give her your protection.” Mark didn’t want that. “If I mark her, it will be with her full understanding. I can protect her without marking her.” Saint sighed. “You give your love rarely, but once it happens, it’s as binding as our master’s bite. Let me show you what you’re missing.” 27

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*

*

*

Amanda didn’t remember removing her clothes. What had happened to her? She’d evidently checked her inhibitions at the door. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s come over me,” she said to Mark, who held her against his still-clothed hard body. “You’ve nothing to be sorry about. Don’t look at the stage.” The moment he said it, she looked. And she knew she’d lost her mind. At the edge of the platform stood Mark with the beautiful blond man he’d been arguing with. Only how could Mark be there and still be here holding her. “How?” “Vampire mind game.” This time, when he said it, she wasn’t laughing. “You’re here with me?” “Yes, this is me and you’re in my arms. I promise. That…is an aberration. One we need to deal with if we don’t want to fight off this entire crowd.” “Then let’s deal with it.” After the words rushed from her mouth, she wondered what they needed to do. “This won’t be pretty.” When she glanced back to the stage, Saint had his hands on Mark’s chest, removing his shirt. Mark’s broad shoulders angled down to a narrow, muscular waist. All angles and ridges, his definition made her moist at the juncture of her thighs. “Looks better than pretty to me.” “Just wait. You may soon change your mind. Saint is going to fuck me.” A muscle in his strong jaw ticked. Whatever was going on, the detective didn’t like it. 28

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Amanda looked back to the stage to see Saint had completely stripped Mark…the aberration. Now Saint’s prodigious instrument had competition. Mark’s cock dominated the scene. She’d never seen one so big and thick. “Is it really that large?” “He’s using his imagination. It’s been a very long time since he’s been up close and personal to the real thing.” The pain and frustration in Mark’s voice made her regret teasing him, even a little. “Did Saint hurt you? Is he an enemy?” Mark sighed, so pensive and sad, it made her shiver. “No, not even close. Saint loves me. And once, a very long time ago, I returned his love. I’m sorry if that disappoints you.” She didn’t know what to think. Since she’d already arrived at the conclusion he was bi-sexual, this didn’t disappoint her. Just the opposite. He didn’t want her to believe he still had a relationship with Saint. And as she stared at the very, very large cock on Saint’s puppet detective, she wondered just how much of an exaggeration. Saint dropped to his knees and took the cock into his mouth. No human could swallow that thing. Maybe this Saint was a real vampire. Amanda leaned back into Mark’s arms and the prominent part he’d hoped to deny poked her from her ass up to her waist. His breathing grew harsh and he moaned. “Are you feeling this, even though that’s an aberration?” “Oh, yes.” Did she dare try to help him? “Can you put my hologram or whatever it is up there with the two of you?” 29

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In the next second, she materialized on stage, even while she still stood secure in Mark’s arms. Saint pulled Mark’s log out of his mouth to look at her…first her ghost and then back to where she stood next to the stage. Could she move her projection at will? She reached for Mark and removed the leather holding his ponytail. He shook his head and the long, dark hair cascaded over his broad shoulders. Next she touched his thigh and then traced her finger to the soft dark nest between his legs. She could make her image do what she willed. “Don’t you even think about it…it’s my turn,” her ghost, or whatever she was, told Saint. Her image pushed Saint away from Mark with strength she only wished she had. Saint went sprawling across the floor. She ignored him and took Mark into her arms, placing a kiss on first his right pec and then the left. All the while her hands roamed…exploring. He buried his face in her hair and whispered, “Thank you.” His long, thick rod poked her in the belly. She wanted it inside her. But then again, she’d wanted to be on stage to help him, not take advantage of him. Saint snuggled up behind her and pressed into her backside with his cock. She jerked forward, not because what he did didn’t feel good, but he’d surprised her. Saint humped against her. “Isn’t Markus tempting? Let me lift you onto his magic wand. Sex with him will transform you.” Did she dare? She gave a hesitant nod and immediately he caught her under the arms and lifted. In an instant, Mark’s 30

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cock found her slit. She linked her legs around him and gave him better access, while Saint held her in place. “Take her,” Saint said. It was as if she was really about to be fucked by Mark. She lifted her chin to glance up at him. “You only have to say no,” his image said. Mark wrapped his arms around her, replacing Saint’s. Amanda wanted like she never had. “But we’re here. It’s vampire mind games, right?” “Saint didn’t force this on us. If you don’t want me inside you, say so.” The ache to be filled by him seemed real…her heart slamming inside her chest seemed bona fide. The head of his cock probing against her opening seemed very, very authentic. She closed her eyes. “I want you.” He penetrated her at the words. Mark’s shout drowned out hers. She opened her eyes to see Saint over Mark’s shoulder. She didn’t need to see to know Saint had thrust into Mark’s ass while Mark penetrated her. However, from her vantage point by the stage, she saw Saint spread Mark’s ass cheeks and shove his long cock inside him. Was this her fault? Had she caused this? Saint’s arms wrapped around Mark and touched her. Tears streamed down his handsome face. Mark trembled as he pumped her up and down on his cock. Saint’s grunted into her ear. “Ugh…ugh…ugh…” Mark slid his long, thick rod in and out of her. He’d only started and she teetered on the edge of an orgasm. 31

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Her clone—she…whatever—hovered in an orgasmic state of bliss that built in intensity with each fraction of a second. Only this wasn’t just her pleasure filling her to the point of no return. It was all three of them combined. When Saint’s blue eyes rolled back and he began to scream, it hit her as well. The detonation lifted them and all three shouted in unison. White hot lights flashed in her brain as her gray matter tried to register the extreme sensation. And it didn’t surprise her when everything went black.

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CHAPTER 4 Mark carried Amanda, unconscious in his arms, toward his car. When she came to, he’d have some explaining to do. So far their visit to the Blood Club had been a nightmare and he needed to get Amanda out of there before it was too late. Chaos reigned inside and on his own, he couldn’t control it. “This was almost like old times.” Mark ignored Saint and walked faster. He didn’t like to be reminded of the days they’d spent naked and starving in their master’s dungeon. “Do you hear that? The police will be here later than sooner, but you might want to be gone before they arrive.” “The same goes for you. Do you really want the idiots on 33

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your squad to see her like that?” No! He would smash the faces of anyone who looked twice. The irony of what just happened in the club didn’t escape him. “Don’t worry. I’m leaving.” “I pity any human foolish enough to go inside the Blood Club right now. All hell has descended.” “You didn’t help matters with that stunt you pulled. Do you feel better now?” “Do you?” “This is just you and me now. We both know that wasn’t real.” “My orgasm was real…and so was yours. Are you saying you didn’t feel anything. What about her? We both experienced her pleasure and I, for one, will never forget it.” Mark couldn’t argue with the obvious. He’d never forget it either. “For both our sakes, let’s hope she has no memory of what happened in there. We need to talk, but not here.” “See you soon. Don’t worry, I’ll give you time to get lost in your woman’s embrace, so you can erase memories, too.” Mark nodded. “Keep your eye on Simon. I don’t trust him.” *

*

*

Amanda awakened to the sound of sirens. It took only a moment to realize she was naked underneath Mark’s shirt draped over her, while she sat pinned too tight by the seatbelt. How humiliating. Only as she glanced over to Mark, she saw he still wore his shirt, which meant this belonged to someone 34

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else. She feathered her fingers along the silky material. Even as nice as it smelled, the idea of a stranger’s clothes made her uneasy. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I’m not like this.” She couldn’t believe she’d stripped in public. Not just stripped…she’d stood stark naked without a hint of shame and she almost had the memory of something else… Confusing. Now she had enough shame to last for years to come. “That’s Saint’s shirt,” he said with growl. “Here comes the squad now. It looks like they sent two cars.” Amanda looked up from her hands folded in her lap to see two police cars speed past with their lights flashing and sirens blaring. “When did you call them?” “Too long ago.” He tossed his cell phone onto the seat between them. “So much for rapid response.” “But you’re one of them.” “I’m one of them? Don’t think so. I’m their token vampire.” Back to the vampire speak again. What had happened to the residents of the small farming community of Beoville, Ohio? Why would so many believe they were vampires? “Vampires don’t exist.” “After what you saw and did tonight, you can still believe that?” “I think it was mass hysteria, triggered by the spectacle of five people fucking in public.” What she’d done was beyond humiliating and she didn’t understand it. She didn’t remember removing her clothes or much of what came next. 35

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“The vampires at the Blood Club used the public fucking to gain control of the audience. When humans focus on their desires, they open themselves to be used for food. The feeding vampires don’t kill anyone, but it takes victims a few weeks to recover. This happens every Friday night. And the place is always full of eager participants. Most of the locals shun it, but people come from all over the state to party here.” “Not you, too, buying into this vampire fantasy. I had high hopes for you. Hopes that involved multiple orgasms.” She buried her face in hands. Why had she said that? Something had happened to her in the club tonight. Something had freed her inhibitions. They’d never been set free before, not even for a single moment. “My being a vampire has a significant bearing on my ability to give you more orgasms than you can imagine. Don’t be too quick to discount it.” “Surprisingly, my imagination has taken a leap of faith. It’s soaring off the charts. Not the unbelievable story about you being a vampire, but about orgasms.” The car accelerated, pinning her to the headrest. “What’s the hurry? If you’re worried I’ll change my mind, I don’t think so. I want you bad enough to bury my head in your lap and do you right here.” What the hell? When she lost it…she really lost it! However, it felt liberating to speak her mind. “The hurry is because Saint is coming to talk to me at some point before sunrise. I plan to take you home with me and have my way with you before he interrupts us.” Her heart jumped so hard it hurt. A rush of moisture 36

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between her thighs followed. “Could you go a little faster, please?” Mark’s phone played a funeral dirge. Amanda didn’t want anything to distract him, since he had a serious job, one which could mean live or death for some poor soul. “Aren’t you going to get that?” “Right now I’m too pissed to talk with civility. It’s my boss and I’m afraid of what I’d say. It’s programmed to play that tune when it’s him, and I’m serious about telling them to go fuck themselves. ETA is three minutes. Any ideas about what you want me to do to you? I’m up for anything right now. Everything.” She gulped. That covered a lot of ground and, in her case, hard, untilled and weedy ground. “I spent six years getting my degree. I didn’t go to school to enhance my social life. Social life? Who am I kidding? I haven’t had much experience, but I want to make up for lost time.” “I have to admit, in a hundred-fifty years, I’ve never met a psychiatrist who got her degree from a third-world country.” This wasn’t the first time someone had commented on her diploma. But it was the first time someone claimed to be onefifty. “I had an aunt who ran away with her Latin lover. She invited me. I couldn’t afford college in the States and I’d taken four years of Spanish in high school, so it seemed a logical choice.” “That explains why your degree certificate is in Spanish.” Enough about college. “Are we there yet?” They turned onto a tree-lined driveway with no lights in 37

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sight. It took a while before they reached a clearing with a log cabin ahead. “I thought this was a quarry,” Amanda said as she reached for the door handle. “The quarry is my backyard. My aunt ran away with a stone-mason over a hundred years ago. She left the property to me and no Spanish required.” Yeah, right. But now wasn’t the time to question. Amanda jumped out of the car and hopped up and down at the front of the vehicle until he joined her. Leaves crushed under her bare feet as she walked next to him on the walkway. She wanted to grab hold and pull him along. The cool night air made her shiver. If she’d known she’d be out traipsing in the woods, maybe she wouldn’t have been so quick to lose her clothes. However, if it cooled her raging libido a tiny bit, she wouldn’t complain. She was worried what she’d do to the poor man. He opened the door and flipped a light on. She didn’t need light. She didn’t need anything but him. She pushed up against him and he pulled her into his arms, turning to pin her between a wall and his hard cock at the naked juncture of her legs. She’d never wanted like this. All consuming. Urgent. Animalistic. His hands cupped her ass and he ground against her mons. She went for his waist to unsnap his jeans. She pushed and tugged, trying to get his pants off, only they weren’t going anywhere. “Your wish is my command.” He stepped back and toed out of his shoes before dropping his jeans. He’d indeed gone commando. The sight of his cock took 38

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her breath away. She reached for it. “So soft. Heavy. Strong. Wonderful.” And familiar? She could almost swear she’d seen this before. But that didn’t make sense. A woman would never forget a cock like this. Amanda held him until he groaned. Only then, did she let go and pulled the loose-fitting shirt over her head, while he tore his off. The harsh sound of his breath complemented hers. Her heart hammered and she hungered for him like a starving animal. He lifted her back against the wall and steadied her, her feet just off the floor. His cock probed until he found her core. In a single thrust, he penetrated her. So intense, full and perfect beyond anything…ever. Scream worthy. Shout for joy worthy…a feast of the senses. ::Come for me. Come now.:: His words shot straight to vagina and a deep pelvic eruption exploded inside her. He began to pump into her, which only magnified the event to a whole new level. The pleasure grew more intense with each thrust. “Yes. Yes. Yes!” “Save your energy. I’m not stopping anytime soon.”

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CHAPTER 5 Pinned to wall and panting like a rabid dog, Amanda didn’t want to hear a knock on the door. ::Fuck me, baby. Fuck me.:: The knock sounded again. “Damn!” Mark pulled his still-hard cock out of her and set her feet on the floor. When he reached for his jeans, she wanted to object. “But…” He pulled up his jeans, but getting them over his cock was almost comical. “I know. I’ll make it up to you.” No way would she complain after a promise like that. She’d had one continual, off-the-charts, out-of-this-word, 40

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fucking-unbelievable orgasm the entire time Mark had fucked her. “Okay.” “You might want to cover up.” ::Don’t bother, I’ve already seen it.:: Amanda could hear the thought. And in a blink, she remembered everything that happened in the Blood Club. The three of them naked and fucking in front of room full of people. An orgasm that had made her black out. “It’s your vampire friend.” “All of a sudden you believe in vampires now?” “I remember.” “Damn.” He did his zipper up and waited for her to retrieve the shirt. “I’ve never had this happen.” “Did you hypnotize me or what?” “Something like that.” The forlorn expression on his face made her smile inside. “Do you expect me to believe an ordinary man could do what you just did to me? Or give me the orgasm I had at the Blood Club? Besides, you had a continual dialog going inside my head only a short while ago. I thought it was my imagination until Saint just now talked in my head, too.” Mark waited while Amanda shrugged back into Saint’s silk shirt. He opened the door, but didn’t let Saint inside. “Don’t make me grovel,” Saint said. “Don’t make me regret inviting you in.” Mark stood back, and Saint entered. He had her heels in his hand. “My shoes. I didn’t think I’d ever see them again.” Saint rolled his gorgeous blue eyes. “I can’t imagine why 41

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you’d want to. They look like old lady shoes. That’s why I remembered them.” Amanda took her shoes and didn’t comment on his rudeness. Saint craned his neck as though he’d never seen Mark’s house. Since she hadn’t either, Amanda took the opportunity to look with him. She’d not gotten any further than the foyer. The room directly in front of her was huge with an open balcony above and a massive stone fireplace along the back wall. Open log walls, southwestern rugs, wall hangings, oil paintings by famous western artists and dark leather. This was a definitely a man’s domain, a very compelling one. Mark walked ahead of them to the fireplace and grabbed some wood in an iron basket. While he made a fire, Saint strolled around the room examining everything with obvious interest. “Tell me about this imposter. How serious is it? And if I were you, I wouldn’t answer your phone. All hell broke loose at the Blood Club after you left. Wind isn’t keeping control of his clan. He says he’s been preoccupied. I think he may be trying to make you look bad. You know how jealous he is. “Four cops came to your rescue and all of them are in the hospital with vampire bites. Not pretend ones…the real deal. Two of the men aren’t going to survive, unless you want me to save them. Just say the word and I’ll make it happen.” “Fuck. It’d serve them right, but I’ll leave it to you. Give them the choice—die or become vampires. What went wrong? Are you losing your touch?” “I was in the underground rooms, with a very lovely 42

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woman and Wind. He was jealous when he saw you there, so I needed to keep him happy. I had no idea he allowed his clan to feed to that extent. It’s against everything I believe, unlike the lovely threesome we had with your new lady.” Okay, time to take the focus off Saint and onto her. She didn’t want Mark to dwell on what Saint did to him at the club. “I have no doubt you can make all of your fuck buddies very happy, but let’s concentrate on the problem at hand. People are getting hurt.” “Aah, yes. You don’t want Markus to think about how much he enjoyed what happened tonight. Don’t worry. I know my place and that Markus has moved on. But I also know he has a kind heart. He took care of me years ago when our master tortured us into submission. He was smart enough to play the game. I allowed my pride to defeat me and I have the scars to prove it.” Why did Amanda think Saint’s greatest scars were on his heart? Saint shook his head, sending his luscious blond hair flying. “Now tell me what I can do to help you find your vampire imposer. I’ve wanted to find a way to repay my debt to you. And don’t worry about Wind. I’ll make certain he takes precautions before he brings destruction down on all of our heads.” Mark tossed another log into the fireplace, then paused. “I’ve told you, you don’t owe me anything. If you want to help find this guy before he kills someone, then by all means help. I’ll tell you what I know. All three victims have been 43

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known to frequent the Blood Club. Two of them were performers.” Saint swept back his hair. “Until tonight, Wind says all the vamps who frequented the Blood Club took extreme care not to reveal their identities to any humans.” Amanda had to know. “Could you answer a question for me? It’s my curious nature. Why the sex show? Why the multiple partners?” Saint gave a nonchalant wave. “That’s easy enough. Markus can explain.” Mark sighed, but he left the fireplace and took her hand. “The vampire who made us has been alive for centuries, as have many others. Years of debauched carousing leaves these ancient ones jaded. It takes a lot to get them excited. The master vamp who made Saint and me was especially depraved. Saint, whose name was Samuel before the bite of death, and I were in the priesthood. He snatched us from the church and used us to sate his demented needs. He took our innocence and reveled in it. He tortured us until we complied with his every wish, no matter how much we hated what he made us do. The alternative was suicide…a mortal sin so, as sick as what was forced upon us, killing ourselves wasn’t an option.” Amanda glanced at Saint to see tears glistening in his beautiful eyes. “Is that why Mark calls you Saint?” “The other priests called me Saint Samuel because I’d lived an exemplary life. I use the name Saint now to remind me how far I’ve fallen from grace.” 44

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Amanda didn’t want to think of what they must have gone through. And if she hadn’t been convinced they were vampires, the story of how they were made cinched it for her. Saint stared at her hand, still linked with Mark’s. “Is it possible it’s one of your human vampire impersonators …patients…attacking people?” Did he want to change back to subject of the attacks because he feared breaking his heart even more? His voice cracked when he spoke. Neither Mark nor Saint deserved what had happened. Nor could she blame them for finding solace in each other’s arms in that terrible time of lonely fear and pain. “I can’t discuss my patients with anyone, but I’ve thought about this. I can’t think of a single person who I’d suspect. Most of my patients are young. I have two who are older, but both are women.” Saint began a second tour of the room, not looking at either of them. “Mark told me to keep an eye on Simon. The little bugger eluded two of Wind’s clan. Could he have something to do with this?” Both men stared at her. Amanda had never seen a violent side to Simon until earlier that night. “During our sessions he always said he wanted to bite me, but he’s usually easy to deter. And I pushed him into unwelcome emotional territory tonight. I tried to get him to talk about a subject he refuses to discuss with me.” Mark kissed her hand and released her. When he joined Saint by a large oil depicting life in the old west, she felt abandoned. 45

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“Remind you of anything?” he asked Saint. Saint swayed toward Mark and then seemed to catch himself. “I think I should go. I’ll see what I can find out, but I won’t have time to make it back here before sunrise. And I’ll make sure your comrades-in-arms are taken care of if it’s their desire to choose to become undead. How ironic is that?” After Mark saw Saint to the door—and took far too long— Amanda wanted to resume where they’d been before his arrival, to erase the memory of Saint’s visit. When Mark didn’t reach for her, however, she assumed their spell had been broken. In fact, he now seemed uncomfortable around her, keeping his distance. Could the reason be the information Saint had revealed? “Are you sorry I know your story ?” she asked. “I love Saint.” He swiped at the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Was that blood he’d wiped away? Her heart dropped. What had she expected from him…love? He didn’t even know her. “Saint brought me through the worst time of my death. We were tortured and tormented for over three years. But I don’t love him the way he wishes I would. I can’t. What’s happening between us, you and me, is amazing. Liberating. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s definitely worth a thorough exploration. However, in the middle of crime investigation isn’t the time to do it.” His words both excited and disappointed her. She wasn’t a sexual being…or at least never had been. Now she could think of nothing else but fucking him. “These emotions and desires 46

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are new to me as well. If I’m too needy, just tell me to chill.” “I don’t believe in coincidences. Our paths crossed for a reason—your chosen profession, my abnormality, everything. Together we’ll figure it out, however, we need to start that on the way to the station. I have to see what happened tonight at the Blood Club after we left. Plus, I need to get you home. We only have a few hours until daybreak.” So much for inviting her to stay over. Besides, it could be a good thing. Maybe he slept in a coffin.

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CHAPTER 6 Amanda had never fit in, not anywhere—grade school, high school, college or med-school. She never quite “got it” and she was a certified member of the nerd herd. It had only been in the past two years, with the help of braces, caps and whitening, contact lenses, regular weekly visits to a beauty parlor and dropping sixty pounds that she’d experienced what most women took for granted. She didn’t have to worry about her looks and she fit in among normal society. Being a practicing physiatrist and believing in vampires would set her back big time. She’d allowed Mark to drop her off with a long, poignant kiss and a pat on the head. No promises, no commitment to 48

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call her, and she hadn’t said a word since she feared she might beg. After a few hours of sleep, she had a change of heart. No way! No fucking way. She wasn’t about to take this meekly. She wanted Mark Philips and she’d get him or die trying. Amanda needed answers and she had a good idea where to get them—Saint. It may not be wise to go to Saint for answers, but it was her best bet in a complicated situation where she wanted answers quickly. She headed for the Blood Club, after a shower and quick meal of canned tomato soup while huddled over the sink. The club’s parking lot looked like a war zone with several destroyed vehicles and litter everywhere. When she reached for the door she didn’t expect to find it unlocked under the police tape crisscrossing the frame. It was. Ducking under the tape, she stuck her head inside. The afternoon sun over her shoulder did little to illuminate the interior. “Hello?” she called into the black hole. “Come in and shut the door. The rumors about vampires and the sun isn’t a myth.” Saint. She recognized the voice. After she did as he said, she stood in place, waiting for her eyes to adjust. When a hand linked with hers, she jerked back as a shot of liquid fear sizzled along her nerve endings. “Sorry. You scared me.” “If I had a dollar for every time someone said that to me.” Saint laughed and took her hand a second time. She couldn’t see him…or anything. When next he lifted her into his arms 49

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and walked with her, somehow she tolerated it without screaming. They drew near a light of sorts, a glow. It grew brighter and she could see the stage and the creepy casket. They were headed straight for it. Gross. “You can walk from here,” Saint said. Walk where? Once he set her on her feet, she lifted her hand to touch the smooth surface of the casket. When it immediately moved, she jumped, colliding with Saint’s hard body. The casket groaned as it moved across the surface of the stage. Muted light filtered out of the hole in the floor it had covered, growing stronger. A second later she could see stairs. When Saint nudged her, she hesitated. “If I wanted to harm you, you’d already be dead.” “That’s reassuring. What’s down there?” “Don’t you mean who? Who’s down there? Markus is, as a matter of fact. I assume that’s why you’ve come. Shall we wake him?” Saint chuckled. Amanda didn’t know what to think. Why would Mark be here with Saint? She didn’t like the obvious answer. While she didn’t want to appear to be chasing Mark, she also needed to know if she stood a chance with him. Life was too short. If he didn’t want her, she needed to know. She headed down. At the bottom of two flights of stairs, Saint touched the wall next to her left arm and flipped a light switch. They stood in front of steel door with a keypad lock. Saint’s fingers moved over the buttons and the door opened with a hydraulic hiss. 50

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“After you,” Saint said. Amanda entered a foyer of sorts. The walls were finished like an ordinary house—drywall, wood moldings, ceramic tile under her feet and everything was cream-colored. With a matching leather sofa on either wall, this could be the waiting room for a doctor’s office. Saint glided toward another door. “This way.” Saint opened the door and made a theatrical bow, extending his open hand, palm up, for her to enter. What’s the worst that could happen? She hadn’t come here to see Mark. She’d come to talk to Saint to try to better understand Mark. And while it would hurt to see the two of them together, it would be better to know sooner rather than later if they were so bonded she and Mark had no future. “Welcome to Wind’s home. Be it ever so humble.” If this was humble, what did Saint call luxury? Amanda sank in the carpet under her feet as they headed into what looked like a palace. Wall paintings with gilded frames of museum quality, marble sculptures, display cases filled with priceless objets d’art, and even the furniture appeared to be priceless antiques. “Does this belong to Wind or you? Now I understand why you found Mark’s paintings interesting.” “I’ve only been here a few weeks. I’d avoided coming to town because of Markus, but it turns out I needn’t have worried. And these are gifts I gave Wind over the years, although he doesn’t appreciate them. I don’t have the luxury nature provides. The sun loves and nurtures, it gives life, but not to me. I only see this beautiful world at night, colorless 51

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and cold. For so many hours of the day, I’m a prisoner here. This helps ease the pain.” A naked man walked into the room from behind one of the many closed doors. He was tall, with long, dark hair falling over his thin, muscular body. When he saw Amanda, he stopped abruptly. “This is Wind. He also helps ease the pain.” “Sorry,” the naked man said before retreating. “No worry.” Saint said. “Could you tell Markus we have company?” The naked man paused in the doorway and shot an angry glare to first Saint and then her. “My pleasure.” “Let’s make ourselves comfortable. Markus isn’t easy to wake. He can be downright cranky, as I’m certain you’ll learn in time for yourself.” Tears stung her eyes. Could Saint be right? Would she learn about Mark in time? Would she have that opportunity? “I believe you will,” Saint said. “You can read my mind?” Saint smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s a curse.” Amanda huffed. “No, I mean it. I hear things I don’t want to know. What brings you here? Is Markus expecting you?” “No. I had no idea Mark was here.” “Why would you? Although as a shrink I’ll bet you see it all. Our Markus will be a challenge, even for you. And I owe you. What you did for us…” What she did for them? 52

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“You gave us a way to be close to one another again for the first time in a long while. I owe you more than I could ever repay. Anything. Whatever you want, name it. I’ll do my best to grant your wish. And if you’re worried I’ll interfere with your relationship with Markus, you don’t have to. It’s all about respect and balance. The two of us can share Markus.” Share him? The idea didn’t appeal to her. “That’s very generous of you.” Amanda didn’t want to share. Was it so wrong to want someone just for her…only for her? The urge to leave propelled her toward the door. She had the answers she came for, even if they weren’t the ones she’d wanted. “Would you do me a favor? Don’t bother Mark. Just tell him I stopped by.” Thankfully, Saint didn’t attempt to persuade her to wait for Mark. Nor did he follow. Once she made it back up the stairs and out onto the stage, again the darkness stopped her. When the front door opened, allowing light inside, she made a dash for it. She almost made it before it closed. “Hold the door!” Whoever it was opened it again. She needed to leave before she broke down. She didn’t want word to leak back to Mark. How embarrassing. It appeared as if she was chasing him like a school girl with a crush. Not that she had any experience. Even the guys from the nerd herd wanted anyone but her. “Doctor Montgomery, I didn’t expect to see you here.” Simon stepped in front of the door. After what her image had done on stage, she didn’t want to see any of her patients. 53

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But especially not Simon. When he grabbed her, she liked running into him even less. *

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A stickler for paperwork, Mark’s superior officer insisted Mark file his reports before anything else, so he’d headed to the station. When he couldn’t reach Amanda, he didn’t know what to think. He wouldn’t blame her if she had nothing to do with him. What did he expect from her? A happily-ever-after? A vampire might get the ever-after part, but they didn’t get happy, not even a little. “I have a message for you.” Mark glanced up from his desk to see the floor supervisor holding a slip of paper toward him. This was a new one. Not only did he not get his messages in a timely manner, he’d never had one hand delivered. He met the sergeant’s eyes and saw raw pain. “I hear I have you to thank for saving my son’s life. He’s a vampire now. When the sun rose this morning, the hospital had to move him into the vampire ward.” A tear ran down his beefy face and he swiped it on his sleeve. “This is fucked.” “Tell me about it. I didn’t have a choice. This curse was forced on me as well, you know.” The surprise registered on the sergeant’s face was almost laughable. In a perverse way, it pleased Mark. Not a soul there had even bothered to ask how he’d become undead. “I was a priest.” The sergeant crossed himself. 54

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“That won’t help.” Once the words were out, his obstinate mood took a turn. “I’m sorry. Faith is important. Especially now.” Mark glanced at the message. When the words registered, he froze. “When did this come in?” The message was from Saint, and knowing how much his old friend hated technology, this was dire. “Just now. I brought it straight over.” “I’ve got to go.” “If you need back-up, this time you’ll have it right away.”

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CHAPTER 7 Saint helped Mark find Amanda. He admitted it was the least he could do after he’d tricked her into believing Mark had returned to the Blood Club after he’d dropped her off. And she’d already been gone far too long. Saint understood if anything happened to her, there would be no place for him to hide from Mark’s vengeance. One of Wind’s rebellious kindred had a hidden lair under an abandoned house at the edge of town. “You’re sure she’s there?” Saint nodded. “Wind admitted to me that Tobias formed an attachment to Simon and revealed too much about us. Tobias allowed Simon a small taste of what it’s like being a vampire 56

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in the hopes Simon will join him in eternal death. It’s been a peculiar type of courtship.” Discovering the house was the easy part, but they had a problem getting inside to rescue Amanda. They couldn’t cross the threshold unless invited. No way would her captors be that stupid. “Reach out to her, mentally,” Saint told him. ::If you can go to the door, open it and invite us inside. Amanda, I’m here for you. Can you open the door?:: Saint watched him intently. “Nothing.” A sense of panic rose inside him. It had been so long since anyone meant this much to him. Saint clapped him on the shoulder. “She’s not suffering. You’d know. We’d know if she was.” Mark wanted to believe Saint knew what he was talking about. “I could always call my squad.” “Try to get through to her again,” Saint suggested. When, in the next moment, a hand wrapped around his cock, he gave Saint a right hook under his fucking chin. “What the fuck did you do that for?” Saint rubbed his chin and then grabbed his crotch. “Someone…something is touching me.” Amanda materialized in front him, wearing nothing but her long, dark hair. Her perky nipples pointed at him. He wasn’t doing this. “Are you doing this?” he demanded of Saint. A moment passed before naked images of both Saint and himself appeared next to her. She took both of their cocks into her hands, knelt and encouraged them to move closer, until 57

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they touched. Mark tried to stay calm. “I told you that yours is longer,” Saint said. “Shut up. What should we do?” Saint put his index finger to his lips. “Ssshhh. Don’t frighten her.” Yeah, right! Saint was enjoying this. Her face was next to the heads of both their cock as they rubbed together and she continued to hold them tight. She licked him and he felt it as surely as if it had happened in the flesh. When she licked Saint, he didn’t like it. He really didn’t like it. She continued to rub them against one another, and Saint groaned loud and long. The friction made Mark crazy. Her watching his cock as she teased it against Saint’s made him nuts. The rapt wonderment on her beautiful face stopped him from complaining when he wanted to pull away. “I’m going to come,” Saint shouted. “Could you get a little louder in case anyone missed that we’re here?” A long ribbon of cum shot out of Saint’s cock. And then another. When a third long ribbon blasted Mark’s projection in the face, it took everything he had not to stop Amanda. She smiled up at him. “Is this what you want?” “I want you. Saint is my past, and you’re my future,” he said, and Saint’s image dissipated in a puff of air. “Me?” she squeaked. “I’m your future?” “I love you. Only you—ever and forever. Now invite us inside.” “Come to me,” she whispered. 58

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At that point, nothing could stop him. He found her unconscious and bound to a metal bed frame. Only the fact she still wore her clothes stopped him from killing the vampire next to her. Sounds behind him said Saint wasn’t as generous with the other vampire. When he turned her face and saw blood on her neck, he changed his mind. *

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Two months later Amanda had considered retiring or turning her practice over to another doctor now that she was a vampire. It seemed hypocritical to tell her patients not to believe in what she knew for a fact. When she’d been bitten, she wanted him to save her…to make her like him. And for the first time in her life, she fit in. Who knew it would’ve taken being undead? “What are you thinking about?” Mark crawled up behind her on their bed and kissed her shoulder. She turned to face him and feathered her fingers over his chest. “I wasn’t a very good shrink. I should’ve known about Simon.” Mark’s eyes darkened, a sign he wanted to make love, but he held back. “You weren’t dealing with a normal human neurosis. Simon was under Tobias’s influence and now he’s dead, maybe Simon will have a chance for a normal life.” “I still don’t understand why Tobias didn’t just bite Simon and be done with it. He didn’t hesitate to bite me.” Mark drew her against his hard, naked body. “Tobias was 59

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in love with Simon. He wanted Simon’s permission first. And you’re right…it was illogical. Enough about Simon and everyone else. I want your undivided attention.” “I’m always thinking of my tall, dark and handsome husband and how happy he’s made me.” “You’re confusing thoughts with actions. I bet I can make you happier.” He pushed her back onto the soft comforter and settled between her thighs. He nibbled along the inside of her left leg. She took his head between her hands and directed him where she wanted him to be. When he lapped at her from clit to core, she spread her legs wider. He’d turned her boring world into a sensual playground. And when he’d promised her happily-everafter…he meant ever-after. He stopped to look up at her and grin. “How am I doing?” “I’ll let you know in a couple hundred years.”

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BRIT BLAISE

More than two years have passed since Brit wrote her first story for Amber Quill, and it’s been an adventure. No longer in Arizona, she resides on the outskirts of a small Ohio town with her extended family, which includes her daughter’s family, too. The dream of restoring a Victorian has passed and the home she’s found is big enough to get lost inside…while writing her next story. She’s taking the drastic changes one day at time! Keep in touch with her latest project at: www.myspace.com/britblaise www.Britblaise.com www.cavecreekcowboys.com www.butterscotchmartinigirls.com *

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Don’t miss Cave Creek Cowboy, by Brit Blaise, available at AmberHeat.com! An Amber Heat Wave Contest Winner!

Ten years and a failed marriage make Ridge White question if he’ll ever get over the one who got away. Face-to-face with the woman who destroyed his heart, Ridge shows what makes a cowboy from Cave Creek so special.

When fashion model, Holly Turner, returns to Arizona, she’s ready to do whatever it takes to get back her cowboy. Overcoming demons from her past, Holly rocks Ridge’s world with a bombshell revelation. Will Ridge let the past come between them or can they pick up where they left off?

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