Crimson Hungers Alecia Monaco
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ISBN (10) 1-59596-542-4 ISBN (13) 978-1-59596-542-4 Formats Available: HTML, Adobe PDF, MobiPocket, Microsoft Reader Publisher: Changeling Press LLC PO Box 1046 Martinsburg, WV 25402-1046 www.ChangelingPress.com Editor: Crystal Esau Cover Artist: Zuri
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Chapter 1
“Sorry, we don’t open for another hour.” The burly security guard stood in front of the blood red velvet rope, thickly muscled arms crossed in front of his chest. A black T-shirt with the wordsCrimson Hungers in a font styled to resemble dripping blood strained to contain his bulk. An intimidating figure, but for one thing… a tattoo of an eight-pointed star emblazoned on one broad bicep, marking him as one of the good guys. The star was the symbol of the Church of St. Germain, the de facto religion of choice for vampires who wished to be law-abiding citizens. But at the moment, all he was to Katya was six foot four inches of undead annoyance.
She tried for a friendly tone. “I understand that you won’t be open to the public for another hour, but I’m here on official business.” She put a smile into her words that she was far from feeling. He raised a thick eyebrow at her. “Define official.” Katya sighed. She hadn’t wanted to do this, not before even getting through the front door. Reaching inside the pocket of her black leather jacket, she retrieved her badge and held it up for his inspection. He bent his hulking form to study the contents of the small ID case. “Texas Slayer Squad?” His attitude decreased by a few notches. “Yep.” Katya kept her face utterly expressionless. “Who do you need to see?” He unhooked the velvet rope. “The owner. I assume he’s risen for the night?” “Just one thing.” The security guard regarded her with something edging on respect. “No guns inside the club.” She stifled a sigh of annoyance. “I’m law enforcement.” “Yeah, but you’re not police.” The security guard matched her scowl for scowl. “This isn’t an actual firearm.” She showed him her holster. “It’s a tranquilizer gun. Liquid silver, in case I run across a vampire predator.” “I guess I can let that slide.” The security guard nodded. “Right this way.” Katya followed him through the steel and glass door. The theme of the bloody font from the security guard’s T-shirt was repeated on the entrance door.Crimson Hungers in dripping red script, followed by the sloganWhet Your Appetite beneath it. Katya grimaced. She could only imagine the kinds of hungers that were sated in the VIP rooms of this place. As they crossed the threshold into the coat check area, Katya blinked. The contrast made by the red and purple flashing overhead lights inside the otherwise dark interior of the bar was enough to give any human pause, even with supernatural abilities like Katya’s. The security guard led her past the coat check area and into the main part of the bar. A large dance floor occupied the center of the massive room with small tables flanking the edges. Two mahogany bars stood at opposite ends of the room, with stools lined up as neatly as soldiers in formation. From a set of speakers cleverly hidden somewhere in the club, Bauhaus droned the words toBela Lugosi’s Dead playing on Vampire Radio, but the volume was low enough that Katya could still hear herself think. Excellent. Thinking was exactly what she needed to do. Think, daydream, whistle along with Peter Murphy, whatever. Anything to keep her Psionic sense from kicking in before she had time to assess the situation.
She followed the security guard to the far side of the room, where a vamp wearing a black cowboy hat stood polishing the bar with a soft white cloth. She didn’t have to use her abilities to know that he was no garden variety vampire. She could sense his energy like a trickle of electricity crawling up her spine. He was a master vampire, and a powerful one at that. He raised his head, peering at her with impossibly light blue eyes from beneath the low brim of his hat. “Yes?” His gaze darted from her to the security guard and back again. “Agent Katya Stern is here on official business.” The security guard cleared his throat. “Texas Slayer Squad.” “I’d like to speak with the owner, if that’s possible.” She tried not to let the vamp’s penetrating stare unnerve her, with little success. She could feel him watching her with every fiber of her being. She shook her head, trying to shake off the sense of confusion that accompanied his presence. What was up with that? She’d been dealing with master vampires since the day the Slayer Squad had recruited her. Usually her own highly refined abilities made her immune to all but the most powerful of mind games. But the sensation in question didn’t feel like glamoring, not quite. It was a form of energy she hadn’t tasted before, pressing against her like a force field. The vampire interrupted her train of thought. “That would be me.” He spoke in perfectly unaccented English, a rarity among master vampires, who came from the Old World. He folded the polishing cloth and placed it somewhere under the bar. “Rex Fontainebleau.” She nodded, knowing vampires preferred not to shake hands. Actually, she tried to avoid the practice herself. It was too easy to get an unwanted blast of someone else’s energy that way. “I need to ask you a few questions, Mr. Fontainebleau, and then I’d like to take a look around the club.” “We can talk in my office.” He made his way around the bar and stepped through the swinging door before addressing the bartender. “Hold all my calls.” “Yes, sir.” “This way.” Rex gestured to a door a few feet away from where they stood, bearing the expected “employees only” sign. They walked toward the door. When they reached it, he turned the doorknob and headed down a dimly lit hall. Katya followed at a careful distance behind him, doing her best not to notice the way his black jeans hugged a magnificently crafted ass. But with his ebony hair hanging like a satin curtain to his waist, the eye was naturally drawn to his spectacular posterior. God, they just don’t make’em like that anymore.She shook her head again and waited while he extracted a key ring from his front pocket -- she had no idea how he’d managed to fit anything in his pockets, with his jeans painted on like a second skin -- and unlocked the door to what she assumed was his office. He flipped on a light switch, forcing her eyes to adjust once again to a sudden change in lighting. The room was decorated in rich burgundy, from the carpet to the sun-blocking drapes over the large window behind his walnut desk.
Rex took a seat in the velvet upholstered chair behind the desk and gestured to the armchair across from him. “Please.” She eased down onto the chair, perching herself on the edge of her seat. The high-wattage overhead lighting allowed her to finally take her first good look at one Rex Fontainebleau. She’d been wrong about his eyes. They weren’t merely light blue. They were so pale as to almost be silver, and the blue was just a hint of blue, like the deepest lake water peeping through a sheet of frost. They were set deeply in a face that was at once both masculine and yet beautiful. It was a face too seductive to be macho, but manly enough to remind every part of her anatomy that she was a woman. A woman that had been alone, she reminded herself, for way too long. His skin had the glow of the old ones, making him look like something carved from alabaster. The cowboy hat threw the planes of his face into sharp relief, and the black T-shirt that had looked common and tacky on the security guard fit Rex like a custom tailored garment. From the alligator cowboy boots she’d caught a glimpse of as she’d followed him to his office, to the frost-blue eyes gazing at her from across the desk, he could put any male, human or vampire, to shame in the looks department. Rather unfortunate, she noted, that she had a strict policy about dating vampires. She didn’t do it. Ever. Otherwise, this particular specimen would’ve been like catnip to a very hungry pussy… and she meant that in more ways than one. “How can I help you, Agent Stern?” The vampire leaned back in his chair, regarding her with the same piercing gaze that had rattled her just minutes earlier. She shifted from her own personal train of thought to the case at hand, a skill she’d honed over the years, but one that had seldom been so severely tested. “The Slayer Squad is working in conjunction with a federal agency to investigate some local vamp-related killings.” His face shut down, showing the same lack of expression that she herself had perfected. “I’m going to assume the vampire isn’t the victim in this case,” he said dryly. “The two victims were both human, young females drained completely through only one bite mark.” The fact that their assailant had severed their femoral arteries was a fact that law enforcement had decided to keep quiet about, a little something they could use to verify any confessions that came their way. “I read about the murders in the paper, but there was nothing about them being vampire vics.” He leaned forward, resting his arms on the top of his desk, and reached up to touch the eight-pointed pewter star hanging from a chain around his neck. Another follower of St. Germain. At least she knew what she was dealing with. “The Houston PD is doing their best to protect innocent local vampires.” She tried to avoid that blue gaze, unwilling to be pulled under by the almost tangible magnetism he exuded. “Can you imagine how many self-styled vigilantes would hit the streets, trying to inflict some Texas justice on you guys if the facts of this case were made public? The last thing the vampire community needs is for word of this to get out.” She let the effect of her statements sink in. “Besides, we’ve heard rumblings of some tensions in your community.” She waited for him to speak. When he didn’t, she continued. “Wouldn’t it be best to conduct this investigation as quietly as possible, for everyone concerned?”
Silence zinged between them like a livewire. She felt her heart skip a beat, then two. Why on earth was he affecting her that way? She wiped her suddenly damp palms on her black leggings, glad that the desk obstructed his view of such an obviously nervous gesture. “I agree with you,” he finally said, breaking the silence. He paused again, this time looking at her the way a man would… as a woman, rather than prey. “And what does all of this have to do with my club?” She drew a deep breath. “We have reason to believe that the killer is still in Houston.” He held up a hand. “Look, Agent Stern, I run a law-abiding establishment.” “That’s not at issue here, Mr. Fontainebleau --” “Rex,” he corrected. “I’d prefer to call you Mr. Fontainebleau.” No need to get cozy with him. Although, if anyone had ever given her a reason to rethink her ‘no vampires’ policy, it would have to be him. “As I said, the legality of your establishment is not in question.” She leaned forward on the velvet covered seat of her chair. “In fact, we have no reason to believe that any of your employees are involved.” He arched his black brows. “Then why are you here?” Another deep breath. She’d arrived at her least favorite part of the job. The explanation. “I’m here to read the energy patterns in your club.” She waited for one of the standard reactions, which ranged from laughter to skepticism to out and out disbelief. She got none of the above. “You’re a Psion,” he said. It wasn’t a question. She felt her gut tighten with suspicion. “Yes, I am.” She studied his face. “What do you know about the subject?” He shrugged. “My sire had Psionic… abilities.” He drummed his fingers on his desktop in an oddly human gesture. She considered his words. “You say ‘had’ as if he’s no longer among the…” She caught herself before she used the wordliving . “… the undead,” she finished. “Master Cain was my sire,” he said, averting his eyes. The tension in the room thickened. “Master Cain met the dawn two weeks ago.” “Yes,” he said simply. “And now you know why the vamp community is in such turmoil.” Katya nodded slowly. “He was the oldest of the master vampires in the area.” Rex reclined back in his chair. “Then there’s Melaina,” he said, referring to the Empress of the Gulf Coast Court. “With her getting married and moving back to Europe in a couple of months, there’s a huge battle brewing over who will be the new leader.”
“Didn’t Master Cain appoint a successor in his will?” She never allowed herself to get involved in vampire intrigue, but curiosity was getting the better of her. “Yeah.” His laughter had a wry note. “Anyway, back to your case,” he said, changing tacks abruptly. “You’re looking for the energy signature of a rogue vamp?” She nodded, relieved to be back on familiar conversational ground. “We have reason to suspect that House Minotaur may have been sheltering any number of rogues in the past year.” He laughed, and it was not a pleasant sound. “Those bastards again.” He shook his head. “Always screwing things up for the rest of us.” Privately she agreed with his assessment of House Minotaur, but she wasn’t about to delve deeper into local vampire politics by commenting. “I’m doing Psionic readings of every vampire establishment in the city, except the ones affiliated with House Minotaur.” “Why doesn’t that omission surprise me?” Rex smirked. “We don’t want anyone from Minotaur talking out of turn, if you know what I mean.” Katya cleared her throat for emphasis. “And we want to eliminate the rest of the vampire community as potential suspects before we head into House Minotaur territory.” “Makes sense to me,” Rex agreed. She nodded. “If our killer passed through any of the local haunts, I’ll detect the energy signature, and maybe get a read on what we’re dealing with here.” He pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. “You have my full cooperation.” She stood and opened her mouth to thank him, but he held up a hand, silencing her. “After we agree to a couple of conditions.” Katya tried to avoid agreeing to conditions whenever she could. But she’d already been to more vampire bars, clubs, and havens than she could count. She wasn’t about to stop now. What ifCrimson Hungers was the missing piece of the puzzle, and she’d walked because she didn’t want to agree to Rex Fontainebleau’s terms? “All right, Mr. Fontainebleau. I’m listening.” She folded her arms over her chest. “What are your conditions?” He grinned, his teeth even more blindingly white than his skin. Sharp fangs grazed his bottom lip. “First, you will allow me to accompany you around my property while you do your reading.” She started to protest, but he cut her off. “Secondly, when you’re finished with business, you’ll let me take you to dinner.” His pupils narrowed until they were a thin sliver of black, lost within the icy silver-blue of his eyes. “My treat.” Treat was the last word she could think of to describe it.
Chapter 2
Katya Stern made his blood race like nobody’s business. Rex could feel his circulation heading south faster than the speed of light. Good thing he’d fed on several bottles of synthetic O Positive earlier, or there wouldn’t have been enough blood left in his brain to support basic life functions. As if his attraction to her wasn’t enough, he knew she felt it too. She could deny it until Vlad Tepes rose from the grave, but that wouldn’t change a thing. Heat swirled between them like fog dancing in the beam of bright headlights. She wasn’t the only one who could sense and read energy. And her energy was burning with desire. She narrowed her hazel eyes. “Perhaps you’ve failed to understand the purpose of my visit, Mr. Fontainebleau. I’m here as part of an investigation. This is not a social call.” The pulse throbbing in her neck caught his attention, and he struggled to tear his gaze from it. He couldn’t help but wonder how it would taste. Hell, he would be willing to taste her from head to toe without stopping, like a five foot four buffet of fragrant blood and satiny freckled skin. “I’m fully aware that you have a job to do, Katya.” She frowned, her full lips forming a tempting pout. “I thought we agreed to keep this professional.” “I haven’t agreed to anything yet, and neither have you,” he reminded her. He tracked her movements as one small hand moved up to brush her dark curls back from her face, filling his mind with an image of burying his face in those curls, inhaling their scent even as he buried his cock in other, more forbidden parts of her body. “Look, Fontainebleau, I have an investigation to conduct.” She turned on her heel and headed for his office door. “If you want to pick up a little human companionship for the evening, I suggest you choose one of the many would-be swans that will be packing your dance floor any minute now.” He darted around her at vampire speed, too fast for the mortal eye to see. “Are you spoken for?” He leaned against the door, effectively blocking her exit. “Spoken for?” She uttered the words as if they were a foreign language. “What a quaint expression.” He folded his arms over his chest and looked down at her, enjoying her obviously flustered state. “It’s a simple question. You’re not married…” He reached down to lift her left hand with his. “No ring.” She tried to draw her hand away but he tightened his grasp, relishing the feel of her racing pulse against his palm. “Either you have a boyfriend or you don’t.” “You have an incredible amount of…” “Balls?” He supplied helpfully. “… presumption,” she continued with biting scorn, “to ask an agent here on official business out for a
dinner date.” “I’ve never lacked big…” he paused for a beat “… presumption.” Stepping away from the door so she could pass through it, he continued, “I still demand to accompany you while you do your reading.” She shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She threw him a look over her shoulder. “If you have nothing to hide, we won’t have any trouble here.” He grinned, slipping into the hallway behind her. The only thing he had to hide was a massive hard-on, thanks to her. *** Katya glanced at her watch. “Your club opens in thirty minutes.” She frowned. “I’ll have to work fast.” Rex propped his long form against the hallway wall. “You want to start here and then move out to the main floor?” She nodded. “Sounds good.” But before she could back away, he bent low, gazing at the pendant hanging from a chain around her neck. She drew in a sharp breath, reacting to his nearness. “I’d have thought someone like you would know the story about vampires being repelled by holy objects for the myth it is.” His gaze wandered up from her neck to meet her eyes, giving her the same jolt it had from the very first. “I don’t wear this because it’s a holy item.” She traced her finger over the Star of David suspended from the necklace. “I wear it because it’s silver.” He threw his head back with laughter, the first genuine laugh she’d heard out of him. “You’ve got me there, Stern.” He shook his head. “I should’ve known better.” She permitted herself a smile. “You walked right into that one.” His smile lingered, revealing a dimple in each cheek. She quickly looked away. “I suppose I should get started.” He nodded. “I’ll wait right here until you’re ready to move on.” Stepping a few feet away, she took a few calming breaths, trying to empty her mind -- not an easy task with a wildly attractive vampire standing nearby. But reading energy patterns required total focus and a lack of interference. She always got the job done, no matter how distracted she was by personal matters. Although she had to admit, Rex was a more potent distraction than she normally encountered. She felt everything around her falling away, as if matter itself had dissolved, leaving only the currents of human and vampiric energies floating through the room like so many electrical charges. Since she was right handed, she held out her left hand, her receiving hand, and began to feel the energy signatures. If there was one capable of committing such a bloody crime in recent memory, she’d be able to sense it, maybe even identify it -- a skill that had landed her a spot on the Slayer Squad after a lifetime of being merely a weirdo and an outcast.
She could sense the signatures of several vampires, but nothing out of the ordinary. Many of them had killed in the past, before becoming legal citizens and trying to be law abiding members of society, but a recent killing clouded a person’s energy like steam from a shower fogging up a mirror. She couldn’t sense anything violent in the hallway. If the killer had passed through the club, it was as a customer only. But something was off, something she’d never encountered before… a massive surge of Psionic energy equal to her own pulsing nearby. She shook her head, trying to erase her mental screen. What the hell was going on? There wasn’t another living being anywhere in sight, and only living beings could be full-fledged Psions… couldn’t they? She opened her eyes and saw Rex watching her intently. “You said your master had Psionic abilities.” When he said nothing, she went on. “But a vampire can’t actuallybe a Psion.” She waited for him to confirm, taking a few steps closer. “Rex, I need to know what’s going on here.” She stepped past the swinging door that led to the employee break room until the tips of her black Doc Martens touched the steel toes of his cowboy boots. At that moment, the door to the break room swung open with violent force. The huge security guard came barreling out, shoving Katya straight into Rex. Everything happened too fast for her to process it. One minute she was on her feet, then the next she was falling forward. Rex caught her, his right hand grabbing her left wrist and vice versa. A surge of energy unlike anything in her experience rushed through her in a flash of blinding white light that brought her to her knees. She cried out, dimly aware of Rex’s cries echoing her own, until nothing remained but silence.
Chapter 3
“Agent Stern?” A cultivated British voice repeated her name. “Agent Stern, can you hear me?” Katya pried one eye open to see the lined but distinguished face that owned the voice. “I think so…” Her voice sounded thick and far away to her own ears. “There was some sort of mishap, I’m afraid.” The silver haired Englishman shook his head, as if someone had merely ruined a perfectly civilized tea, instead of a slayer and a vampire having an energy collision in the hallway of a bar. “You can say that again.” Realizing she was on the burgundy velvet fainting couch in Rex’s office, she struggled to sit up. “Where’s Rex?” “Right here.” His voice sounded from inside the room. She followed the sound to his desk, where he sat perched on its edge.
“We had some sort of energy related… collision out there.” She shook her foggy head. “Dear, would you like someone to escort you home?” The Brit knelt beside the fainting couch, as if her every wish would be his most urgent command. “I don’t believe you’re in any shape to finish your reading today.” She scrunched her eyes shut, trying to push back the fog gumming up her thought processes. “I don’t know if I’m in any shape to even stand up yet, much less continue working.” “Kadin, please go to the kitchen and get Agent Stern a bottle of water.” The security guard disappeared obediently as the Englishman held out his hand to her. “By the way, dear, I’m Mr. Charles.” Her eyes widened. “The legendary Mr. Charles?” She didn’t bother to hide being impressed. “I never expected to meet you under such circumstances.” “It’s a pleasure to meet such a lovely lady under any circumstances.” He took her hand. “I would hardly call myself legendary, by the way.” She managed a weak smile. “You’re the human liaison for the entire Houston vampire community. How could you be anythingbut a legend?” The older gentleman brushed away her compliment with a dismissive gesture. Kadin, the security guard, returned, two bottles of chilled mineral water in hand. “Maybe we should leave the two of you alone to discuss the, er… incident.” Mr. Charles shot Rex a meaningful look. Rex responded with a barely perceptible nod. “Come, Kadin.” Mr. Charles stood, making his way to the door. “I believe there are some accounts we should look over.” Kadin left the bottled water on the end table beside the fainting couch. “You know I suck at math,” he grumbled. Mr. Charles scowled and led him out of the room. Katya helped herself to a bottle of water. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re a Psion?” “Being a Psion isn’t very well thought of in the community these days.” He looked her in the eye. “My sire had the ability to feed on energy rather than blood.” She kept silent, digesting the new information. “So, theoretically, he could live forever just by taking energy from humans, and never need a drop of blood.” Rex gave her a slow nod. “Of course, he took blood from his swans at times, for pleasure.” He took a breath, a rare thing for a vampire to do. “But yes, you’re right. He was so adept at energy feeding that he had no need for blood at all.” The pieces of Katya’s mental puzzle slid into place. “And as his progeny, neither do you.” His eyes darkened. “I wouldn’t say that.”
She smiled, and it was not from happiness. “I just did.” “I still drink blood.” He gestured to an empty bottle of Vlad’s synthetic Type O on his desk. “I’m not adept at energy feeding the way my sire was. I still need some blood to survive. But it’s not myonly means of feeding.” His mouth formed a half smile. “Besides, Ienjoy blood. I’d drink it even if I didn’t need it.” “What else can you feed on?” She watched his face carefully. “Energy… among other things.” He spoke with a finality that let her know he wasn’t going to reveal much more about his feeding abilities. “There’s a lot going on that you humans aren’t aware of.” He stood up and paced a few steps, coming to a stop in front of her. “You know that the Sang-vamps are in a blue rage over the threat of a Psi-vamp taking over as our local master.” “A Sang-vamp being a pure blood drinker?” She took another swallow of water. The shock of the ‘incident’, as Mr. Charles had called it, was wearing off and being rapidly replaced by anger. “Yes, a vamp who cannot or will not feed on energy.” He shoved his hands into his front pockets. “Master Cain believed that any vampire could learn to feed on energy, and therefore reduce our need for blood.” “A vampire with a social conscience.” She shook her head. “And the Sang-vamps object to this because they like their blood and don’t want to give it up?” “Exactly.” He knelt down in front of her. “The successor Master Cain appointed is an energy feeder, and a young one at that. If she takes over his role as local master, there’s a good chance she could end up with Melaina’s throne under her belt as well.” He took his hat off and smoothed his hand over his sleek black hair in a motion that made Katya’s body tighten. “Hell, we could end up having a full-scale vampire war over this, and you wonder why I didn’t out myself to aslayer ?” His words registered in some part of her brain that was less given to primal impulses than the part currently in the driver’s seat. She knew, on a rational level, that she should be paying attention, but all she could think about was the suckable fullness of his bottom lip. How would his fangs feel, scraping against skin? She imagined his tongue in her mouth and felt herself getting wet. “Rex,” her voice was hazy with desire, “what the hell is going on here?” “What do you mean?” He could deny it until sunrise, but his eyes had already changed back to that narrowed pupil she’d seen earlier, the gaze of a vampire who was hungry for blood… or flesh. “Don’t you feel it?” She shrugged out of her leather jacket, leaving her bronze silk blouse to cling to her skin in damp patches where sweat had already begun to trickle down her body. “This heat, this…” “Need,” he finished for her. “God, Katya, I want you so much right now. I want to…” “What?” She reached for the hem of his T-shirt, tugging it free from the waistband of his jeans, desperate to get her hands on his skin. “Tell me what you want to do.”
He helped her with the shirt, leaving him bare-chested in front of her. She wanted to weep over the beauty and perfection of him, all sculpted muscle and glowing pale skin, with only the finest trail of black hair to bisect his flawless abs. He reached out and caught her wrists in his hands, bringing them up until her palms were pressed against his chest. “I’ll tell you what I want.” His eyes seared hers. “I want to fuck you until dawn.”
Chapter 4
Katya reached for Rex’s platinum western-style belt buckle, trying to unfasten it with fumbling fingers. If she didn’t get him naked soon, she’d scream her way straight to an orgasm right there on his couch. “Then do it,” she answered him. “Fuck me. Right here, right now.” “You’re going to have to lose the necklace first,” he said. She unfastened the silver chain and slipped it into her pocket, then removed the holster containing her tranquilizer gun and set it carefully on the end table. “Now, where were we?” She reached for him. “Right here.” He went for the buttons on her silk blouse, unfastening them faster than the speed of light. Being with a vampire, she noted, was good for something after all. “What’s happening here?” She arched her back, helping him to remove her blouse. “This has never happened to me before. I feel like…” She shook her head, at a loss for words to describe the sexual heat that threatened to blot out every other thought or impulse. “Like I’m burning from the inside.” “Something to do with sharing energy,” he answered, tossing her blouse aside and pausing for a minute to stare at her chest. She followed his gaze. “I know I’m not likely to give Dolly Parton a run for her money.” She looked down at her perky but not overly large B cups. “It’s not that.” He traced a fingertip inside the top edge of her bra cup, drawing a hissing breath from her. “It’s this bra.” He met her gaze. “Tiger print?” He cupped her breast through the bra, letting out a low whistle of appreciation. “Iknew you were a wild one underneath that frosty attitude.” Enough small talk. “Do you want to see just how wild I can be?” She wiggled the straps of her bra down her shoulders. “Get me out of these clothes and find out.” The sooner the better, because if she didn’t get his cock inside her soon, she was going to draw blood.
He reached around to unhook her bra in back, sliding it off of her in one movement. “Show me, little tiger.” He lifted her breasts, testing their weight against the palms of his hands. “Show me how wild you can be.” She needed no further invitation. Threading her hands through the silken strands of his black hair, she pulled his face closer to hers, and pressed her lips against his. He responded with equal intensity, tracing the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips. She opened for him, eager to feel his tongue against hers. She wanted every inch of him touching her, between her legs, inside her… it didn’t matter, as long as he got closer to her. The entire world had narrowed to his body and her craving for it. There was nothing but his skin on hers, her need for an orgasm and his ability to give her one. His tongue swirled around hers, sliding and twisting against hers while his fangs grazed her lips. The pain of those almost-bites mixed with the pleasurable sensation of his fingers rolling her nipples to tight peaks. “We’ve got to get you out of these jeans.” She tugged at the button fly, almost whimpering when she felt his hardness beneath her hands. “Allow me.” He stood up and divested himself of the rest of his clothing, from boots to jeans, until he stood naked before her. Katya stared up at him from her seat on the fainting couch, looking him over from head to toe. He was pale perfection, from his incredible eyes to his long legs. She let her gaze drift until it came to rest on his erection. He was not only long, but thick. She hadn’t had sex in a regrettably long time, and her only boyfriend had been a little small in the dick department. She wondered briefly if she’d be able to take every magnificent inch of Rex’s cock, and snaked her tongue across her bottom lip in anticipation of trying. His cock jerked. “God, Tiger, don’t do that.” He winced. “Don’t do what?” She untied her Doc Martens and kicked them off. “Don’t stare at my cock and lick your lips like that.” He raked his hands through his long hair. “You make me think you’re going to…” “What?” She shed her black pants, leaving herself undressed except for her tiger print panties, and dropped to her knees in front of him. Looking up at him, she ran the tip of her tongue over her lips again. “This?” She wrapped her hand around the base of his cock. He made an unintelligible sound. She guided the head of his cock to her lips, and took him into her mouth. He closed his eyes, a series of moans tearing themselves from his throat. She flicked her tongue over the tip of his cock, savoring the salty taste of him, the feel of his erection, like satin over steel. He fisted his hands in her hair, bringing himself deeper into her mouth, until the head of his cock touched the back of her throat. She groaned, letting the vibrations play against his shaft. He cursed, pulling out slowly, revealing every slick inch of his cock, until only the head remained. She gave it a vigorous suck, and he slid it back in until it could go no further.
Having his cock in her mouth gave her some measure of relief from the overwhelming craving for him, but she had a suspicion that only having him inside her dripping core would bring total release from the sweet torture of needing him. She drew hard on his cock, scraping her teeth ever so gently against the tip on the outstroke, ready to bring him to completion. He surprised her by backing away. “Get down on all fours.” His breath came in pants and gasps, something she’d never seen a vampire do, not even in the heat of being chased by a squad of slayers. She complied, dropping to her hands and knees, watching over her shoulder as he dropped onto his knees behind her, ripping off her tiger print panties. “Sorry,” he gasped, throwing the panties aside. “They have more atVictoria’s Secret .” She had a sudden thought. “We forgot to lock the door.” “Can’t stop now,” he panted, grasping his cock with one hand. He probed her entrance with the head of his cock, letting out a shaky breath. “So wet,” he groaned, and slid a finger into her. “And tight…really tight.” “Tell me this isn’t going to be a problem.” She rotated her hips toward him, mutely begging for him to enter her. He added a second finger and began to stroke the sweet spot on her upper wall. “Not unless you mind me doing this.” The sensations were so powerful that she was afraid of losing control. A broken cry came from somewhere nearby, and she realized with a start that it was her own voice. He continued to pleasure her with his fingers. When he added his other hand to the mix, using it to rub her clit, coming became immanent. “Rex…” She threw her head back, giving her entire body over to the feeling of his fingers bringing her so tantalizingly close to the edge. “I want your cock inside me.” She snared him with a glance over her shoulder. “Now.” He eased the head inside her and stopped. “You’re so tight it almost hurts.” He ran a hand down her sweat-soaked back. “Almost.” He pushed in a little further, giving her body time to adjust to his size. She didn’t want to give it time. She wanted his hard length inside her, pounding her, bringing her the release she needed more and more with each passing second. “Just do it.” She inched her hips back, forcing a little more of his cock into her slick channel. “Fuck me, Rex.” She hated the whining sound of her request, but if she didn’t come soon, she would die. Of that she was certain. “Please…” He swore again, holding her hips like a vise to leverage himself, and plunged completely into her with one stroke. She let out a fractured moan, a feral sound that only began to express the raw need within her. Her inner walls contracted around his cock, and she could feel her clit quivering, joining the chorus inside her that
cried out for contact with his body. He slid out of her until only the tip of him remained in her, and then slammed back in, rocking her forward suddenly. “That’s it,” she moaned. “Pound me.” “Dammit, Tiger.” His hand made its way up her back to knot itself in her hair. “You trying to put me in my coffin for good?” She almost sobbed with the urgency of her desires. “Make me come, Rex.” Her voice broke on his name. “I need to come.” “Oh, you’re going to come, baby.” He used the hand he’d wound through her hair to push her upper body even lower, until her hips were raised at an almost painful angle. “And you’re going to make me come, too.” With that, he withdrew and slammed his cock back into her with enough force to make her breasts drag over the carpet. Her nipples hardened even more, every nerve ending singing with approval of his technique. He shifted his hips slightly, causing his cock to stroke that sensitive spot inside her with every pounding thrust. She wanted to roll her hips back toward him, to meet him thrust for thrust, but the onslaught of pleasure made her boneless, helpless to do anything but dig her nails into the carpet, trying to brace herself as he drove into her even harder. He pulled her head back using her hair, bringing her up until her back was almost flush with his front. Keeping one of his hands anchored on her hip, he used the other to stroke her reddened nipples, letting it roam over her body until he found the slick folds between her legs. He parted her, finding her clit with two fingers, and began rolling the swollen bud between them. A refrain of shattered sounds emerged from her throat as he continued slamming his cock into her. His fingers worked her clit, so roughly that it would’ve been painful if she weren’t so powerfully aroused. Then he adjusted his position behind her slightly, angling his cock to stroke her upper wall, and she found herself coming. Her orgasm didn’t just wash over her. It claimed her, took her hostage and shook her senseless. Wave after wave of cataclysmic spasms rocked her, and he thrust into her one last time, spilling his come deep inside her with a rush of warmth. He held her as his erection began to soften inside her, laying a row of kisses along the back of her neck before releasing her sated body. Katya fell onto the carpet, limp from the power of her climax. Her mind was as blank as a freshly wiped slate, empty of thought. She’d just been absolutely sexually claimed by a vampire, and she’d loved every minute of it. Rex collapsed onto the floor beside her. “Damn, Tiger… where have you been all my life?” She turned hazy eyes toward him. “I wasn’t alive but for the last twenty-six years of it.” He let out another one of his low, seductive laughs. “You were worth the three hundred fifty-seven year wait.”
Three hundred and fifty-seven years old?Good lord, he predated the friggin’ Battle of the Alamo by over a century. The reality of what she’d just done and who she’d done it with began to sink in like a lead anvil dropping rapidly to the bottom of the Gulf. She’d just fucked a vampire -- and not just any vampire, but one who happened to be a total stranger -on the floor of his office in the back of a blood drinker’s bar. Somewhere, her Bubbe was turning in her grave. “Don’t over-think this, Katya.” Rex stroked her cheek, his voice as comforting as a warm blanket. “The energy exchange made us both needy for physical contact. If it weren’t for that, I know you wouldn’t have let me have my way with you so readily.” She sighed, wishing his hand didn’t feel so good against her cheek. “You’re damn right about that.” She averted her eyes. “I’ve only been with one guy in my entire life.” “You’re a rare delicacy, meant to be savored only by the most discriminating palettes.” He tipped her chin until she couldn’t avoid meeting his eyes. “I’m honored that I got the chance to experience you for myself.” She laughed. “Spoken like a true Texas gentleman.” “I’ve been here since it was New Spain. If I’m not a Texas gentleman by now, I never will be.” He pulled her closer, and she let him. Her sexual desires were momentarily satisfied, but the craving for physical contact with him hadn’t diminished in the least. The need to touch him and be touched by him was like an unbearable ache waiting to be soothed, an itch begging to be scratched. Funny. The first time she’d slept with Brad, the only thing she could think of was finding her underwear so she could get back to her own place as quickly as possible. Which was exactly what she should be doing this time, rather than indulging in pillow talk with her erstwhile vampire lover. “Look, Rex…” She pulled away from him, putting distance between them even though it made her entire body prickle with discomfort. “The sex was great, but…” He folded his arms behind his head, displaying his gorgeous torso to perfection. “But you don’t do vamps.” He cut his gaze toward her. “Am I right?” “I’m just not ready for a relationship.” She picked up the torn tiger print panties from the floor and, realizing they were a lost cause, tossed them into the wastebasket beside the desk. “Who says I want a relationship?” He stared up at the ceiling. “Maybe I just want more of the sex.” That gave her pause. She stopped with her bra only halfway on. Rex shot her a look. “You seem surprised.” Surprised was one word for it. She’d never imagined having a relationship based just on sex. She was the type of girl that guys took home to meet their mothers… at least, before they found out about her paranormal skills. She’d never been anyone’s… what was the word? “You’re saying you want me to be
some kind of booty call?” He frowned. “Booty call sounds so… crass, don’t you think?” “Yeah, I think.” She fastened her bra and stuffed her legs into her black pants, trying not to curse from the agony of being so far away from Rex’s form. How could he infuriate her mind while setting her body completely on fire? “Think of it as aliaison dangereuse ,” he answered in perfectly accented French. “You didn’t think I got a name like Fontainebleau from being a proper Englishman, did you?” Actually, she’d been too busy trying to process the wholehe’s a three hundred fifty-seven year old vampire I just sucked, fucked, and otherwise debauched myself utterly for thing. “I’d rather not think of it at all, thank you.” She finished buttoning her blouse and sat down on the fainting couch with a thud, looking at her Doc Martens with a vile expression. For once, she wished she’d foregone her trademark footwear for something that went on faster. “You’d find that works better if you put the left boot on the left foot instead of the right,” he commented from the floor, where he still lay stretched out like a monument to sexual excess. She blew out a frustrated breath and switched the misbegotten boot to the other foot. She struggled with the laces and gave up with a curse, putting the other boot on and standing up. “I’m outta here.” He scowled up at her. “Just like that?”. “Just like that,” she repeated, clenching her toes to keep her boots from sliding off. Worthless damn laces. She’d fix them once she got to her car. She crossed the room to the door, refusing to look at the naked vampire sprawled out on the burgundy carpet. Her hand closed around the doorknob, and the shaking that had prevented her from lacing her boots intensified. She cried out in pain, her knees buckling. “Katya, what’s wrong?” Rex was at her side within a split second. “What’s happening?” She fell to her knees, doubling over. Tears stung her eyes. “I’m going to call for Mr. Charles. He’ll get you a doctor.” Rex placed one hand on her shoulder. “Hang on, OK? I’m not going to leave you.” He had that right. He wasn’t going to leave her, and she wasn’t about to leave him, because the instant he touched her, the pain wracking her body began to subside.
Chapter 5
Before he could turn away to go to the phone, Katya caught his hand in a fevered grip. Something had changed the moment he touched her. She turned her beautiful hazel eyes up to him, and he saw his own inner inferno mirrored in their golden depths. “Rex,” she breathed, and the way she spoke his named rolled across his skin like a sacred word spoken behind a temple veil. Women had been crying out his name in the throes of passion since he was a teenage rascal on a tear in Spain. But none had ever brought him to his knees by whispering a single word. None until Katya Stern. She ran her hands over his naked body covetously, a miser stroking his mountain of gold. “I can’t go.” She lowered her head to kiss her way down his chest. “I want to, but I can’t.” “Don’t.” He hissed when her hands found his already hard shaft. “Stay here and let me take you one more time.” “Only if I don’t take you first.” She worked her hand slowly up and down his cock, her breath coming in needy gasps. What had come over him? Sure, he found Katya attractive. He’d been willing to make a minor ass of himself if it landed him a dinner date with her. But this all consuming hunger for her had come from nowhere. Now it threatened to rip the fabric of the time-space continuum with its very strength. He’d never wanted anyone more -- no, he’d never wanted anyone nearly as much -- as he wanted her. Her body, her skin, the feel of his cock inside her wet tightness. The smell of her, the taste of her. Everything. He wanted her blood. The clothes she’d struggled to put on minutes before were rapidly being shed again. “It’s like…” She unfastened her bra and pressed her breasts against his chest. “It’s like I have hypothermia and you’re the last source of body heat on earth.” She rubbed her nipples against him, and he could feel them hardening, making his sacs tighten with the need to come. “Lose the pants,” he growled, reaching for them and pulling them off. “Be careful. You already owe me a shopping trip for new undies.” She pressed her swollen lips to his, her tongue mating with his in a twisting dance of fevered foreplay. Her chest was pressed to his so closely that daylight couldn’t have found a way through, and she’d arranged her legs on either side of his so that her smooth thighs held him captive. He could feel the cleft between her legs, already wet again, sliding against him. With a curse, he cupped her backside in his hands. “It’s your turn.” “My turn for what?” She rubbed her mound against him. “To fuckme .” If he didn’t get inside her the traditional way, he was going to end up sinking his fangs into her neck, and he wasn’t sure she could handle that quite yet. But one way or another, he was going to have her, and she’d better hope, for the sake of her veins, that it was sexually.
“With pleasure.” She rose up, straightening her legs until she could drag her slit over the tip of his cock, coating it with her juices. “God, Katya, just do it.” He thrust his hips up as best he could, but she had him effectively trapped. Without a word, she leaned forward and captured his bottom lip. Her tongue glided along it in time with the slickness of her cunt teasing his cock. Just as he was about to explode from the torment, she bit down on his bottom lip and sank her hips down until he was seated root-deep inside her. He groaned, feeling her flex her inner muscles around his cock. If anything in his three and a half centuries had felt better, he couldn’t remember it. Then she began to slide upward. She leaned forward, letting her hardened nipples drag against his chest, while she tightened her core around his cock, milking it all the way up. Then she sank back down, taking him in to the hilt, pausing only to grind her clit against his pelvis. There was pleasure, there was bliss, and then there was sex with Katya, which he was quickly realizing belonged in a category all its own. A category, he decided, he wouldn’t be willing to part with any time soon. He could feel her orgasm building. The heat inside her had climbed, reaching a scorching temperature. Her inner walls trembled with the coming climax. He wanted to hold off on his own release and watch every spasm, every flicker as it broke over her face. But then she leaned back, bracing her hands against his chest and shifting the angle of penetration until the vein running up the back of his cock became the beneficiary of her rapid thrusts. The exquisitely sensitive spot just beneath the head got the full payoff, as every motion of her hips managed to stroke it. “I’m going to come,” he managed to say, feeling his sacs tighten with their load. “Not yet,” she panted, sliding off his dick with a wet pop. She wrapped her hand around his cock and looked up at him like a woman possessed by lust. “I want your come.” That was all it took. The minute she wrapped her lips around the head of his cock, he came, letting his ejaculate fill her waiting mouth. She made a sound of pleasure and swallowed, lapping the last drops from him. “Worth the twenty-six year wait,” she said, giving him a sly glance. He felt weightless, overwhelmed with the intensity of his release. But his need for her remained just as powerful as it had been since the moment he’d touched her by the door. He wanted more of her body. And he knew just the way to get it. “You didn’t come.” He eased her onto her back. “What we just did was as good as coming.” Her eyes were dark with sexual languor. “Almost.”
“Rex Fontainebleau doesn’t doalmost .” He positioned himself between her legs, pushing her thighs further apart. “When you’re with me, you’re going to come, if it takes all night.” Her face flushed with arousal. “It won’t, I can promise you that.” “You’re damn right it won’t.” He planted kisses along her mound, making her hips arch suddenly. “But I could do this all night, anyway.” With that, he flicked his tongue over the swollen bud of her clit. Her entire body nearly came up off the floor. Determined to eat his fill of her, Rex placed one hand on her hip to hold her still. She trembled beneath his hold, but his vampire strength kept her in place. All the better for him to taste her. Using the fingers of his other hand, he pulled her clitoral hood back, exposing the tiny nub completely. With the tip of his tongue, he traced circles around it, breaking away to lick the furrows of her sex, then to lap the honey dripping from her core. Her thighs shook, and when his tongue made its way back to her clit, she cried out in a broken voice. He continued his ministrations, licking her clitoris in rapid strokes, taking the time to work in precise licks to the underside. He could almost taste her orgasm beneath his tongue, and when she finally came, he licked her through every wave of pleasure until the aftershocks had passed. *** Minutes later, when her ability to speak had returned, Katya turned to the vampire whose arms held her so tightly. “We… have a problem.” Rex spoke without opening his eyes. “I have a feeling you’re not talking about the sex.” She ran a hand over his damp skin. “No, that is definitelynot a problem.” She exhaled slowly. “But we do have one.” “The energy exchange… collision… whatever you want to call it.” He opened his eyes briefly. “We can’t go more than a minute or two without touching,” he began. “Unless we want to end up in severe pain,” she finished. He kept silent for a moment. “Actually, I don’t know thatpain is the right word for what’s happened to me.” She could almost hear his mental wheels turning. “More like… weakness. A few minutes without touching you and I begin to fade, the way I do when I go too long without feeding.” Katya rolled over on her stomach, careful to keep one leg intertwined with his, and propped up on her elbows. “Maybe if we both fed on our respective food sources, we could gather enough energy to separate.” “As much as I hate to let go of you, I know you have a job to do.” He dragged himself to a sitting position, carefully maintaining contact with her. “And I don’t think you want to be around when I fall to the dawn.” Katya barely managed to suppress a shudder. “So, what do we do now?”
He rose to his feet, offering his hands to pull her up as well. “What’s your favorite food?” She couldn’t help the smile that stole over her face. “I could really go for a cheeseburger and fries, extra mustard, hold the mayo.” “I’ve always wondered what those things taste like,” he sighed. “Too bad they don’t make a Big Mac flavor of fake blood.” His gaze swept the floor, where their clothing lay scattered, as if a tornado had blown through the room. “I’ll call Mr. Charles and put in an order for your dinner and a few bottles of Vlad’s for me. And then…” He bent down and retrieved her tiger print bra from the floor, “… unless you enjoy eating naked --” “I don’t,” she interrupted. “Didn’t think so.” He grinned. “After I make the call, we have to figure out a way to get dressed.”
Chapter 6
“We certainly do have a problem here.” Mr. Charles shook his silver head, looking most perturbed indeed. Katya took another lusty bite of her cheeseburger and followed it with a thick slurp from the chocolate shake Mr. Charles had thrown in. Had any meal every tasted so good? It was as if her appreciation for food had reached an entirely new level. She liked to eat as much as the next girl but, Good Lord, the food was damn near as incredible as the sex had been… and that was saying something. Rex sat at her side on the fainting couch, working his way through his third bottle of Vlad’s, this one a spicy raspberry-chipotle flavor he seemed to favor. Accepting the limitations of their current situation, Katya had consented to letting him keep one hand firmly stationed on her inner thigh while they dined. Thankfully, he’d had the inspired idea for them to dress each other. It helped them to maintain contact while dressing, something that would’ve been impossible otherwise. Being back in her own clothes made her feel as if she were back on at least semi-sure footing. “What kind of problem is this, exactly?” “This isn’t my area of expertise,” Mr. Charles replied. “You’ve forgotten more about vampires than most people on the Texas Slayer Squad ever knew, and that’s saying something.” She took another drink from her shake. “If you don’t know, who would?” “Master Cain,” Rex answered. “This seems like more of a Psionic issue than a vampire problem.”
“Precisely.” Mr. Charles sighed. “And I know terribly little about the subject.” “Tiger, you’re a Psion.” Rex drained the last drops from his bottle of synthetic blood. “What do you make of it?” Katya blotted her lips with a paper napkin. “I’ve been a Psion my entire life, and I’ve never seen anything like this.” She looked down at her half-finished cheeseburger. “Maybe food will help. Could be we just depleted our energies when we collided.” “Could be,” Rex said, reaching into the portable warmer Mr. Charles had brought along for another bottle of Vlad’s -- this one bearing a cowboy vampire that looked suspiciously like Rex himself on the label and the words “Original Texas Barbeque Flavor!” in letters made to look like a branding iron. “But that doesn’t explain the continual need for contact.” “I suppose my incredible good looks aren’t a plausible explanation?” She flashed Rex a teasing smile. Good lord, she was flirting with a vampire. Of course, having had absolutely earth shattering sex with him twice probably rendered the flirting a minor offense. Rex let out a laugh, a silky sound that made her body tighten every time she heard it. “As irresistible as you are, I don’t think that’s the answer we’re looking for.” “Perhaps you two could try separating again, after you’ve finished your meals.” Mr. Charles extracted a gold watch from the pocket of his gray tweed pants. “We still have several hours before dawn.” “Maybe we should wait one hour.” Katya polished off the last of her shake. “You know, they always say to wait an hour after a meal before swimming.” “And you think this is like swimming?” Rex laughed again. Katya’s stomach twisted. “I think I’m really scared of going through that pain again.” She didn’t finish her thought out loud. No need to tell Rex how much she feared having to spend the entire day holding on to his lifeless body, which was exactly where the entire mess was probably headed, unless they got a solution before dawn. “I think it’s time we called in someone with more expertise,” Mr. Charles said. “Rex, do you suppose Mother Rachel would make a house call, given the circumstances?” “Mother Rachel?” Katya would’ve sprung from her seat if not for Rex’s restraining hand. “TheMother Rachel?High priestess of the Church of St. Germain Mother Rachel?” “That would be the one,” Rex said with his customary dryness. Katya sank back onto the couch, thankful for the reassuring strength of Rex’s body beside her. “Is that really necessary?” Her voice sounded small and fearful, making her wince. “Mother Rachel is sometimes able to diagnose problems of a… er, metaphysical nature where all the other experts have failed.” Mr. Charles handed her a bottle of chilled water from the cooler at his feet. Good Lord, did the man think of everything? No wonder he was a legend. Speaking of legends, Mother Rachel was one in her own time. Katya had never seen the vampire
priestess in person, but everyone in the slayer community had heard of her. Surely she couldn’t be as powerful as they said… could she? Katya had the sinking feeling that she was about to find out the answer to that particular question, for better or worse. *** “Don’t be nervous.” Rex squeezed her hand, a gesture that had become all too familiar and comforting in the short time they’d known each other. Katya bit her bottom lip. They’d moved from the club level of the building to Rex’s private underground quarters. He was safer from the sun’s punishing rays down there, she reasoned. But with dawn flying in from the east, she knew they were running out of time. “It’s not every day I get to meet a vampire priestess. I hardly know the proper etiquette for it. I mean, how do I address her? Calling herYour Holiness just seems all kinds of wrong.” She aimed for a lighter tone and failed. “She wasn’t born a priestess, you know.” He twined his fingers through hers. “She was a human once, same as you. Don’t fear her.” He lowered his head and brushed his lips against her cheek. “I’ll always keep you safe, Katya.” His kiss felt much better than it should. Why did she find it so easy to let him comfort her? She shrugged the thought off like a buzzing insect. Her brain was addled by the sex. That was the only logical explanation… because there was no way Katya Stern, vampire slayer supreme, was falling for the fanged hottie sitting beside her. It didn’t matter how many mind blowing orgasms he’d given her, how sexually free she felt with him, or how the touch and taste of him acted like the world’s most potent aphrodisiac times ten on her. He was a vampire, she was a slayer. End of story, period,finis . Time to move into safer conversational territory. “So, this is your living room, huh?” She glanced around the dimly lit space. Huge camel back sofas with carved lions’ paws for feet filled the room. Their deep gold velvet upholstery gleamed from what seemed like a hundred beeswax candles burning on every flat surface in the room. The walls were hung with mirrors in heavy gilt frames, further reflecting the candlelight. A massive stone fireplace occupied the far side of the room, with a painting of a majestic lion standing guard over the mantle. A thick bearskin rug graced the floor in front of the hearth, completing a scene that could’ve been culled from the brochure of one of the world’s most exclusive hunting lodges. “You like it?” He grinned down at her. “Cozy, isn’t it?” Too cozy, she thought, trying to banish the mental image of Rex naked on the bearskin rug with her impaled on his cock, riding her way to another orgasm. “You have good taste.” She inhaled deeply, drinking in the scent of warm beeswax. Somehow, it was as if she could smell the honey and hear the hum of the hive, just from the smell of the candles. “And you share my love of candles, always a plus.” “I have a special affinity for candles.” He leaned forward toward the mahogany coffee table at their feet, keeping her hand locked in his. “Fire is my element to conjure.” With those words, he ran his hand through the dancing flame of the nearest candle.
A jolt shot through Katya, electrifying her from head to toe. She blinked, momentarily speechless. “What the hell wasthat ?” “I fed on the flame.” He turned wide eyes toward her. “You felt it, too?” “How can you feed on a flame? And hell yes, I felt it, like biting down on a livewire.” She winced. “Fire is just another form of energy. If you can feed from human energy, you can teach yourself to feed on other sources.” He shrugged. “Fire, lightning, anything with a strong charge can feed a Psi-vamp.” His eyes darkened. “But that doesn’t explain why you felt it.” “What else can you do?” She stood, using their joined hands to pull him up with her. “What about this?” She pointed to the fireplace. “You up for it?” He grinned, pushing the brim of his black cowboy hat back with his free hand. “I can feel it when you feed from fire… let’s see if I can feel youmake fire.” “It takes energy to conjure an element,” he warned her. “It might drain me a little, and who knows how that will affect you.” “I’d rather find out now, than when Mother you-know-who arrives.” She took a deep breath. “Let’s go for it.” “All right, then.” He held his right hand out, palm up, and grew still as a piece of carved stone. She watched a shimmer of energy form seemingly from nowhere, hovering in the air just above his palm. It swirled, gathering strength like the eye of a storm, until it began to glow with the deep orange of a flame. Power poured off him and onto her, but rather than repelling her the way free-floating vampiric power usually did, it seemed to flow into her, warming her with the personal signature she’d come to know as his. The flame danced above his hand. With the precise aim of a seasoned pro throwing a fastball, he pitched the flame into the fireplace. The logs inside it burst instantly into a crackling blaze. “How did that make you feel?” He turned back to her, tension lining his face. “I feel…” She felt the pulse of heat radiating from him, and searched for the right words. “Strangely energized.” “That’s because you are both more powerful together than apart.” Katya turned at the sound of the velvety female voice. Mother Rachel had arrived.
Chapter 7
“My son.” Mother Rachel approached them, and Rex dropped to his knees before her. Katya swallowed back a choking desire to flee. Mother Rachel drew closer with each passing second, and Katya had no idea how to respond. Should she drop to her knees too? Or was that only for committed followers of St. Germain? What did a nice Jewish girl from North Houston do when confronted with the closest thing the local vampires had to a… er… pope? Popette? Eh, to hell with it.She’d gotten herself into this mess with a vampire, the least she could do was follow the protocol.When in Transylvania… With a sigh, she dropped to her knees beside Rex. “Daughter.” That velvety voice addressed her. “You are not of the blood.” Katya raised her eyes, then almost wished she hadn’t. She could see why Mother Rachel had rarely been seen outside of the vampire community. She was almost too beautiful for a mortal to behold. Tall and statuesque, her flawless figure was draped in a gown of amethyst velvet embroidered with countless silver stars. It hung on her with the perfection of Greek sculpture. The toes of a pair of silver slippers peeked out from beneath the hem of her gown. Katya wouldn’t have been surprised if those heels could click together three times and carry them all away to Oz. The priestess had the same alabaster skin Katya had learned to associate with the older vampires, but hers had the gleam of a priceless pearl. Her hair hung in thick blue-black waves to her knees, and a pair of violet eyes that would’ve made Elizabeth Taylor weep with envy gazed down at Katya. Before she could respond to the obvious statement that she wasn’t a vampire, Rex jumped in. “She’s with me, honored mother.” He punctuated his words with another warm squeeze of Katya’s hand. Why did he have to make her feel so safe? The last thing she needed was to find comfort and security with avampire , of all things. What the hell was she thinking? “Mr. Charles has told me of your problem,” Mother Rachel said. “I believe I may be of some assistance.” “We would be honored to have your guidance,” Rex answered. Katya watched as Mother Rachel removed a long crystal wand from somewhere within the folds of her gown. The priestess held the wand up to the light, letting an entire rainbow of colors light up the prism. Katya gasped. She’d never seen anything quite like it. “A gift.” Mother Rachel looked at Katya. “From my maker.” Katya managed to find her voice. “What… whatis it?”
“A chakra crystal.” The priestess smiled, and the entire room seemed to warm from the radiance of it. “My maker was one of the true ancients, a servant of the goddess Kali.” She extended it toward Rex. “It will tell us many interesting things about the nature of your new connection.” Connection? That sounded awfully… intimate, Katya thought, her stomach tightening with something akin to panic. “Move in closer to each other,” Mother Rachel said. “I cannot do the reading unless I can touch both of you with the wand at the same time.” Katya scooted on her knees until she met Rex shoulder to shoulder. He glanced down at her and their eyes met. She could see a look of reassurance in their blue depths. “Now, let’s see what happened to the two of you.” Mother Rachel smiled, and lowered the wand until it touched the space where their shoulders touched. The wand instantly pulsated, the entire spectrum of colors flaring, flinging rainbows around the room in wild arcs. A shower of sparks flew up from it, momentarily blinding Katya. Then the vibrating stopped, replaced by a low, rhythmic hum. Cautiously, Katya opened her eyes. The wand had filled the room with a deep ruby glow. “It turned red.” Rex’s voice held a note of awe. “Ruby,” Mother Rachel confirmed. “As in…” Katya prompted. “Ruby swan.” Rex snared her with his gaze. Swan? Katya Stern, a swan? “No fucking way.” Realizing that she’d just dropped the f-bomb in front of a high priestess, Katya clamped her free hand over her mouth. “Sorry, Mother Rachel,” she said, her voice muffled. But thatwould explain her heightened senses. Still, it couldn’t be true… could it? A glint of amusement lurked in Mother Rachel’s eyes. “I assure you, dear, I’ve heard it before.” She removed the wand from their shoulders and it vanished to wherever it had come from. “How did this happen?” Rex adjusted his hat brim with his free hand, neatly avoiding eye contact, Katya noted. “Before we get into all that,” Katya interrupted, “I’d like to know what a ruby swan is. I mean, I know that swans are human donors bonded to their vampires, but what does the ruby designation mean exactly?” “A ruby swan is bound to her vampire through the sacral chakra.” Mother Rachel’s voice dropped. “I know about chakras. I’m a Psion.” A suspicion formed in Katya’s mind. “And the sacral chakra is the
seat of sexual energy.” “Exactly.” Mother Rachel raised her eyebrows. “Rex is a Psionic Vampire. He can feed on the type of energy you use in your psychic work. You both process the same form of energy, so to speak.” Katya shook her head. “I still don’t see how this connects to the sacral chakra.” “As his swan, you have become his natural source of sustenance. And somehow, because of his own Psionic abilities, Rex has become fuel for your own powers.” The priestess paused. “Sex has become the medium of transfer, hence the ruby designation.” “So when we’re having sex, we’re essentially feeding on each other,” Rex said. “Which explains the need for continual physical contact.” Mother Rachel nodded. “Of course, that will lessen over time.” Katya’s head swam from the overload of information. “Are you saying that I’m basically stuck in a sexual relationship with him?” The priestess sighed. “Unless you want your Psionic powers to turn inward and feed on you… yes.” Katya sank back on her heels, suddenly deflated. “How long is this going to last?” “Maybe days.” Mother Rachel shrugged. “Maybe years. But there’s always the chance that the condition could reverse itself as suddenly as it appeared. You two were not bound in the traditional way, but rather by accident. As such, the intensity of your need for contact is much stronger, but the bond could possibly be undone much more easily.” The reality of it all slammed into Katya’s mind like a wrecking ball. She could be tied to Rex for decades, in terrible pain and agony without his touch. How could she continue her career? How could she explain this to her family? And what about… A dreadful question welled up inside her. “What happens when he falls to the dawn?” Mother Rachel’s answer was concise and to the point. “You will fall as well.” Katya rose to her feet. “I’m sorry, Rex. I’ve got to get out of here for a few minutes.” He stood up and tightened his grip on her hand. “I’ll come with you.” He began his litany of thanks to Mother Rachel. “I need to be alone.” Katya tore her hand from his, running to the stairs as fast as her Doc Martens would carry her. Had she seen her last day of sunshine? Would she be forever confined to Rex’s quarters, both of their lives dependent on their relationship? She couldn’t imagine living that way. She’d be trapped in the world of the undead, a stranger in a strange land. A few hours ago, she’d been an agent, a competent professional working a case. How had that woman
become a combination of sex slave and all you can eat buffet for a vampire? She wondered if she’d ever see that woman again.
Chapter 8
Rex followed the trail of Katya’s scent up the stairs and through the private exit that led to the back lot of the club where he and the employees parked. It wasn’t hard to find her. He could feel her pulse inside him, leading him forward. Already, she belonged to him. His swan. A rush of possession seized him. He knew she didn’t want to be bound to him, that she’d been sickened by the news. It filled him with guilt. How could he be happy about something that made Katya miserable? But, he thought, seeing her on the opposite side of the back lot, how could henot be? He hadn’t planned on this. He hadn’t expected to be so attracted to her, much less that they’d share the kind of raw sexual chemistry they’d experienced from the very first kiss. He hadn’t expected to feel anything more for her than a passing attraction. But this wasso much more. He’d lived long enough to know himself better than mortals, limited to a single lifetime as they were. He knew his mind, his body, and his heart. And he knew they all belonged to Katya. He walked at normal speed across the lot, already aching from their separation. He knew it could end tomorrow, and that it would be best for Katya if it did. But he hoped and prayed that it would last longer… long enough for him to convince her to stay of her own accord. “I don’t feel like talking.” She flicked her gaze toward him and looked away, staring up at the dark sky as if it held the answers to all her questions. “I didn’t come out here to bother you.” He leaned up against a red double cab truck. “Then don’t,” she snapped. “I know you’re not happy about this.” He reached for her, hoping to ease the discomfort rising inside him. She flinched as if his hand were a hot poker. “We’ve got to break this… curse, whatever it is, somehow.” She crossed her arms over her chest and seemed to fold inward on herself. Rex’s hands balled into fists involuntarily. How could he want her so much when she was obviously ready to run screaming from him?
“Look, I know that a vampire isn’t your first choice for a boyfriend,” he began. “Boyfriend?” She snorted. “You can’t possibly call this mess we’re in a relationship.” “What wouldyou call it?” He couldn’t keep frustration from filling his tone. “A nightmare.” She slumped against the back door of a black sedan. It was his turn to snort. “Yeah, it looked like you were trapped in a real nightmare when you were on your fourth orgasm earlier.” Even in the dark, he could see the blush filling her cheeks. “I need more than sex before I can call something a relationship.” He folded his arms over his chest. “Katya, I know you don’t have that much experience, but surely you know that what happened with us was more thanjust sex .” She scowled up at him. “OK, you win. It was fantastic sex. Mind-blowing sex. Caligula would die of sex envy.” She scuffed her boots on the gravel. “Happy?” He forced down a smile. “Not until you’re happy.” She sighed. “Then you’re in for a long wait.” He tried reaching for her again. “There’s no reason why we should both suffer, is there?” She relented, letting him take her hand. He took a deep breath determined to try a different tack. “You’re right, this isn’t a relationship yet.” She started to interrupt him, but he stopped her with a hand. “But don’t you think it could be?” She stared at him in the darkness. “It’s like this,” he went on. “We do like each other, don’t we?” She broke eye contact to stare at her feet. “Yeah, I guess we do.” At least she could admit that much. “And the sex is great.” “No argument here.” She showed the first hint of a smile. “Then there’s the little fact that we need each other to survive right now.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “If you leave me, I’ll die.” He tugged her closer, partially closing the gap between them. “I know other men have probably said that to you, but I guarantee that none of them have meant it quite the way I do.” That earned him a laugh. “You’ve got that right.” He pushed his luck, reaching down to rest his free hand on her backside. God, she felt good. So good, he was positive he’d never get enough of her, even when the strange magic that bound them faded away.
“Can’t we just try to make the best of this?” He snared her gaze. “I don’t see where we have much choice in the matter.” She shook her head slowly. “We don’t.” “Then why not enjoy it while it lasts?” He gave her a smile. “Who knows, this could all end in a few days, and you’ll be back home reminiscing about fantastic vampire sex with good old Rex.” Finally, a real laugh. Rex felt the warmth of it flow through his veins. Earning a laugh from her was like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. “I guess I can tolerate your sexy ass for a few more days.” She punched him playfully in the center of his chest. “I’ll have to call Alvin tomorrow evening and explain why I’ll be working nights for the foreseeable future.” “Alvin?” He maneuvered her into an embrace, and she let him. Victory. “Regional Captain of the Texas Slayer Squad.” He could feel her relaxing in his arms. “I wonder what he’s going to think of me bringing a master vampire along with me while I work.” “The same thing my vampires will think of having a slayer living among us.” He laughed. “That we’re the paranormal version of the odd couple.” She laughed again, and Rex imbibed it. She fed him, aroused him, completed him in ways he’d forgotten were possible. He had to find a way to make her want to stay with him. *** “Wow.” Katya did a full three-sixty, taking in every detail of the room Rex had ushered her into. It looked like a cross between a Roman emperor’s private quarters and a Turkish opium den. “You like?” Rex flopped down on the massive round bed with its crushed red velvet spread, crossing his legs at the ankle and leaning against the piles of pillows encased in the most luxurious raw silk she’d ever seen. “I thinklike is the wrong word.” She looked at the plush carpet, the mirrors in gilt frames covering the walls, and the hot house flowers spilling out of crystal vases on every surface. “It’s… overwhelming.” “You thought I slept in a coffin, didn’t you?” He took off his black Stetson and put it on the nightstand. “The thought may have crossed my mind.” She bent down to unlace her boots. “I actually do have one.” He sat up and peeled his T-shirt off, tossing it carelessly onto the floor. Normally she was enough of a neat freak to find that sort of thing annoying, but she was too momentarily mesmerized by his body to notice. “It’s in a reinforced room on the second level of the basement.” He lay back down, stretching and giving her a perfect view of his chest. “But I prefer to sleep in here.” Katya laid her boots aside and padded barefoot to join him on the bed. As she sat down on its velvet
covered edge, she noticed the mirror stationed on the ceiling above. Good lord, had she accidentally wandered into Belle Watling’s sporting house? “This room doesn’t look like it was designed with sleeping in mind.” She tested the mattress, bouncing up and down on it a few times. “What is this, your private orgy hideaway?” The discomfort made itself known, like the faintest pangs of hunger that soon turn into the gnawing agony of starvation. She’d gone too long without touching him… and how could she manage to touch him in a bed without it leading to hot, sweaty, and naked within minutes? How, indeed. Rex, seemingly unperturbed, flashed her a grin. “Don’t you wish you knew?” She removed her holster and placed it on the bedside table, then took her silver necklace from her pocket and laid it carefully down beside the gun. After placing her cell phone on the bedside table, she put her feet up on the bed. “Actually…” She made herself comfortable, wrapping her leg over his, “the only thing I wish for is sleep.” “Sounds good to me.” He turned the dimmer switch located on his side of the bed until darkness filled the room. “In a few minutes, I won’t have any choicebut to sleep.” She’d forgotten about that. He would fall to the dawn, most likely bringing her along for the ride, negating any possibility of sex. Which should’ve given her a huge feeling of relief… except it didn’t. She firmly stamped out the feeling of vague disappointment and tried to shift her mental focus. “What’s it like?” She lowered her voice. The darkness made her want to whisper. “Falling to the dawn, I mean.” She felt his arm steal behind her head, cradling her shoulders. “It’s hard to describe.” He paused. “It’s like giving yourself over to the blackest night, letting it have its way with you.” She waited, pondering his words. “There’s no worry, no fear, only this blissful sensation of floating in a cool, dark sea.” His eyes sought hers, glowing ice blue in the dimness. “Are you afraid?” “A little,” she admitted. “Mostly curious, I guess.” “Don’t worry.” He moved closer, enveloping her. “I’ll be here beside you until night falls. Nothing can happen to you while I’m here.” His lips brushed her cheek in a soft kiss. “Nothing.” And then, before she could say another word, before she could thank him for his kindness or return his kiss, the blackness descended upon her, and she was lost in a sleep like death.
Chapter 9
A warm body lay heavy against hers… a sensation Katya hadn’t experienced in far too long. She opened drowsy eyes, fully prepared to see her ex-boyfriend looking down at her. Instead, she met the frosty blue gaze of Rex Fontainebleau. “What the hell?” She sat up ramrod straight, blinking her eyes in confusion, taking in the unfamiliar room in a single sweeping glance. It all came rushing back to her. The collision. Mother Rachel. The sex. Good lord, the sex. She was Rex’s ruby swan. “Good evenin’, Tiger.” One corner of his mouth turned up. “You’re awake. And none the worse for the wear, I see.” “I’m hungry.” She scrubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. “Got anything to drink in this place besides fake blood?” “Ah, your usual charming self rears her cranky head.” Rex disentangled himself from her, planted his feet on the floor and stood. “Would orange juice do?” She stretched, letting out a jaw-cracking yawn. “You actually have some?” He walked a few feet away and opened one of the doors to his massive armoire, revealing a mini fridge. “It’s not fresh squeezed.” He held up a bottle. “But itis organic.” “I’ll take it.” She caught it deftly when he tossed it to her. “Nothing like starting the night with a healthy drink.” He took a bottle of Vlad’s Breakfast Blend from his fridge, and opened another door, this one concealing a small microwave. Katya watched him put the bottle in the microwave and set the timer. “I’m so thirsty.” She twisted the cap off the bottle and took a long, deep sip of the juice. It was ice cold and just the right blend of tart and sweet. After taking another drink, she sighed with appreciation. Damn if it wasn’t some of the best orange juice she’d ever had. “Good stuff. Even better than fresh squeezed, if that’s possible.” “Glad you’re enjoying it.” The microwave dinged, and he retrieved his bottle from it before joining her on the bed. “Here’s to unexpected guests.” He held his bottle up. She tipped hers against his, easing in closer to him so that their shoulders touched. “Spending the daylight hours here… it wasn’t so bad.” She shot him a cautious glance over the edge of her bottle. His eyes sparkled with suppressed laughter. “I’m glad that sharing my bed proved to be a relatively painless experience.”
“Jackass.” She punched him on the shoulder. “You know what I meant.” “I don’t know, maybe we should do something in the bed besides just sleep.” He licked a drop of synthetic blood from his bottom lip. “What do you think?” Her body thoughtyes, yes, yes! Her mind had other ideas. Sort of. “You know we’re going to get around to it eventually.” She finished her juice and set the empty bottle on the nightstand. “But I’d really like to have a shower and a change of clothes, then I need to call Alvin and check in.” “Mr. Charles has arranged for a boutique to send you a selection of clothes on approval.” Rex glanced at the gilt framed clock on the bureau. “Should be here in an hour or so.” His eyes met hers, and a laser-sharp blast of sexual energy hit her. “As for the shower… that can be arranged.” God, she shouldn’t do this. They could keep the energy depletion at bay with simple physical contact. But the invitation in his eyes wouldn’t let her walk away without at least trying to RSVP. “Define… arranged.” Without another word, he swept her up in his arms. “How about I show you instead?” He crossed the room with vampiric speed, reaching a door with an ornate brass knob in seconds. “We’ll both be able to feed if we…” She trailed off. “Fuck like wild beasts?” He turned the knob and kicked the door open. “Yes.” “So it’s really for our health, right?” Her voice was already thick with desire. “It’s for our own good.” He carried her into the most decadent bathroom she’d ever seen. “We’re just going to have to suffer through it.” She noted the marble floor, the gold fixtures, the plush red rugs and towels as he carried her to a shower stall with frosted glass doors. He set her on her feet. “Strip.” Normally such an order would have her ten kinds of pissed off. But with Rex, it was a form of foreplay. Watching as he slid open the shower door and turned on several faucets, she shimmied out of her pants, shirt, and what was left of her tiger print bra. He had his jeans off in seconds, letting his already erect cock spring forward. “Come on.” He steered her by the elbow into a shower stall that could’ve held half of the customers ofCrimson Hungers on a slow night. Four shower heads flowed with pulsing streams of hot water. She stepped beneath one, letting it massage her back like a million eager fingers. “You look even better wet.” Rex grabbed a bottle of shower gel from the small shelf built into the marble wall of the stall. “Let’s see how you look soapy.” He filled his hands with the peach colored gel and rubbed them together, creating a mountain of frothy lather.
When his hands met her skin, she gasped. They slid over her breasts, teasing her nipples to hard peaks. “Hands over your head,” he ordered. She complied, closing her eyes and letting the sensations take her. He used the slippery gel to his advantage, rubbing her breasts until they ached with the heaviness of arousal. Then his hands roamed lower, over her belly, gliding down her hips, between her thighs. He nudged her legs apart with a foot. “Time to rinse off.” She opened her eyes, watching as he unwound the cord of a hand shower from its niche in the wall. “Rex…” “Yes?” He depressed the button on the handle, aiming a stream of water at one nipple. She threw her head back and let out a broken cry as the water pummeled the already hardened bud. He moved the hand shower slightly, teasing her nipple. Liquid heat pooled at the juncture of her thighs, and her clit pulsed with need. The sensations were intense, so intense… almost too much so. But then he switched the pounding stream to her other nipple, repeating the torture. “You were going to say something?” He looked at her with a wicked expression. “Fuck you, Rex.” “Oh, you will.” He aimed the stream lower, guiding it down her belly, making her muscles tremble as he teased them. “And you’ll like it, too.” A caustic response hovered on the tip of her tongue, but then he pointed the stream between her legs, effectively snuffing out any hope she had of rational thought. The hot jet stroked her clit, stimulating it the way no man’s tongue could hope to do. It hammered the sensitive nub, dialing up her level of need to the boiling point. He shifted the device, letting the stream of water flick her clit. It was better than being stroked with the world’s most powerful vibrator. It was better than anything she’d ever felt. Tension coiled tightly inside her, pushing closer to the surface with every undulation of the water against her hardened clitoris. Rex hit the button on the device again, and a sudden increase in pressure sent her over the edge, into an orgasm so powerful that it was almost painful. He kept the hand shower trained on her, letting her ride out the final spasms of her climax, then smiled up at her. “I don’t think I have to ask if it was good for you.” She leaned against the wall, her legs weak from the strength of her release. “But you didn’t…” “Turn around.” He replaced the hand shower. “Hands against the wall, feet apart.” She did as he asked, her breath coming in short gasps.
He grabbed her hips in his hands. “Hold on tight.” She drew in a deep breath of steamy air and felt him thrust into her from behind with one stroke. “God, you’re so tight.” He pressed forward, working his way deeper into her channel. “Fuck.” Wanting to feel him all the way inside her, she moved her feet further apart and bent forward more, bracing herself against the slick marble wall. “You want me to go deeper?” His voice was hoarse with need. “Tell me.” “Yes,” she moaned. “I want you to go deeper.” She closed her eyes again, letting out a weak cry when he inched in further. “Say it again.” He reached around to rub her clit with his fingers. “Tell me.” “I want your cock inside me.” Her knees weakened as his fingers worked her clit, rubbing the hood against the tiny bud. He slid deeper, until he was seated inside her to the hilt. “You feel so good,” he groaned. “I can’t get enough of being inside you.” “Fuck me,” she practically sobbed. “I can’t take it anymore.” He drew back, and she felt her inner walls give way with the sudden withdrawal. Then he slammed back into her, until his pelvis collided with her backside. She let out a string of incoherent words, clinging to the slippery wall like a lifeline. Her core tightened around him, and once again he pulled out, dragging his cock out of her inch by inch before driving into her again. She felt wild, like a feral cat in heat being subdued by her one true master. She’d had sex before she met Rex, some of it good sex, and some of it not so good sex. Within the last twenty-four hours, she’d had great sex. But this was something different. This was primal, instinctual. This was sheer unadulterated fucking. What had Rex Fontainebleau done to her? How had he managed to locate and unleash this part of her that was pure jungle cat? A part of her she hadn’t known existed. “You’re going to come.” He pounded back into her and ground his hips, stroking her inner sweet spot until she tightened around him to an unbearable degree. “Yes…” She arched her hips back, meeting his thrusts. “Make me. Make me come.” He pulled her hips against his, continuing his ambush on her sex. Her orgasm built, then overflowed, taking her down into a blinding wave of pleasure.
Still shuddering with the aftershocks of her second release, she felt his thrusts increase and the telltale swelling of his cock inside her. “Stop,” she pleaded, looking at him over her shoulder. “Let me finish you.” His eyes wild, he pulled out of her without another word and took a step back. She dropped to her knees in front of him, wetting her lips before taking his impossibly swollen cock into her mouth. He let out a few words that would’ve made any sailor blush and fisted his hands in her hair, keeping her head steady as he thrust his cock into her waiting mouth. She sucked him, drawing hard on his cock with every outstroke. With a sharp cry, his cock jerked against her tongue, and he filled her mouth with his come. He looked down at her, glassy eyed, watching as she swallowed. “Every time I think you’re done surprising me…” “I surprise you some more.” She smiled. Even more than that, she was surprising herself, ever since Rex came into her life. *** Rex helped Katya out of the shower stall and took one of the thick red towels hanging from the warmer. “Let’s get you dried off.” She smiled, letting him rub the warm terry cloth over her damp skin. Even though he’d just had one of the best sexual experiences of his life, all it took was the act of drying her off to get his blood racing again. “Don’t forget my hair.” She shook her head like a dog shaking himself off after coming in from the rain, splattering him with drops of water. “I’ve got you covered.” He toweled her hair, watching it tighten into curls as he worked. “It’s going to be frizz city.” She frowned, looking at herself in the mirror. “I don’t suppose you having any styling products for curly hair.” He gave her a look, and she giggled… a first, he noted. His Tiger was not the giggling kind. “Your hair is so straight.” She combed her fingers through the left side of his hair, igniting shivers down his spine. “Like spun silk.” “I like yours better.” He wrapped a curl around his fingers. Under normal circumstances, he’d be completely sated after the kind of sex they’d just had. But one look at her luscious lips and he found himself going for a kiss. The minute his lips brushed hers, he felt the flame of their connection licking its way through him. Blood rushed south and he could feel himself getting hard all over again. Damn, she had him acting like a mortal teenager.
She opened her mouth, inviting him to deepen the kiss. He responded, stroking her tongue with his, tasting the warm well of her mouth. He couldn’t resist the impulse to graze her bottom lip with his fangs, asserting his vampiric power. If only she’d let him drink from her, his wildest fantasies would be complete. “Rex…” She spoke his name against his lips. “Hmm?” He sought her breasts with his hands, wondering if they’d make it back to the bedroom or if he’d end up taking her right there on the bathroom floor. “My cell phone is ringing.” She planted a firm hand on his chest. “Hold that thought.” She wrapped a towel around herself and ran back into the bedroom. With a sigh, Rex wrapped an extra large bath towel around his waist and followed her. They seemed to be able to spend a few minutes without contact, he mused, but he wouldn’t want to be far out of reach if she needed him. “But, Alvin,” Katya spoke into her flip phone in a terse voice, “you know I’d never let something like this interfere with my job.” Despite the fact that a gorgeous woman sat half-naked on his bed, Rex could feel his cock going down faster than a ship after a collision with an iceberg. He didn’t need to hear anything else to know the conversation wasnot going well. “No, I don’t understand.” Tension ran through her voice. “How can you take me off the case, just like that?” Rex sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed. Katya kept her gaze fixed straight ahead. “How did you lose Cameron?” She shook her head and held a long pause. “And your answer to this is what ?” Rex held his breath, watching an angry flush creep across her cheeks. “Fine, Alvin. I’ll report back to you when myvampire problem is cleared up. Until then, good luck solving this case without a Psion on your team.” She ended the call and snapped her phone shut with a violent click. Rex waited for her to speak first. When she didn’t, he said, “I don’t need to ask howthat went, do I?” She tossed the phone onto the nightstand beside her gun. “I’m off the case until we work through this mess we’re in.” Her words stung him unexpectedly. “I think it’s pretty obvious that they’re not going to solve this without you.” “Yeah, which means there will probably be another victim before they reinstate me.” She made a sound of frustration. “What was this about losing someone? Cameron?”
She rolled her eyes. “Apparently our best vampire hunter has gone rogue. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Cameron Zane.” She knew Zane? He was impressed. “Of course I have.” The guy was a madman, a vampire-hating legend. “He’s been taking assignments on the side to hunt down vamps without authorization so they took his badge, which means they’re not only short one Psion, they’ve also lost their best hunter.” She buried her face in her hands. “Can you come sit beside me, please?” He did as she asked, wrapping an arm cautiously around her. One minute she pushed him away, the next she called him to her side. But you know she wouldn’t have anything to do with you if she didn’t have to,he reminded himself. It’s only this energy accident keeping her with you. The minute they recovered their autonomy from each other, she’d be out of his life. She’d go back to her world of law enforcement and he’d stay in his own eternal night. A night that suddenly loomed before him in all its unending loneliness. Could he do the right thing and let her go when the time came? Just say goodbye and thanks for the memories, it was nice knowing you, and so on? Could he act as if knowing her hadn’t changed him forever? He wasn’t sure he could. Hell, he wasn’t sure hewanted to. Maybe being noble and unselfish was overrated. A shuddering sigh from the forlorn figure at his side caught his attention. He looked down and saw a tear rolling down her cheek. Aw, dammit.He hated it when women cried. He’d offer his own balls tied up with ribbons on a platter if it would make a woman stop crying. “Hey, now.” He rubbed her shoulder in a gesture more comforting than sexual. “Why don’t we go somewhere tonight, get your mind off all of this stuff?” She sniffled and looked up at him with a lost expression in her hazel eyes. “What do you have in mind?” “When’s the last time you went to Galveston?” She huffed out a breath. “Too long ago, probably.” He rose to his feet and offered her his hand. “When Mr. Charles arrives with your clothes, let’s get you dressed and head down to the island. I have the perfect place to wash all your worries away.” She gave him a weak smile. “Sounds like an offer to drown my sorrows.” He winked at her. “Tiger, by the time I’m through, you won’t even remember that those sorrows ever existed.”
Chapter 10
“Is this yours?” Katya eyed the metal monstrosity suspiciously. “My one and only.” Rex patted the seat of the motorcycle like a proud parent showing off his young. “Rex… I don’t know about this.” She took a step back from the bike. What had her Bubbe always told her about men with motorcycles? That they would make a good girl go bad? Good Lord, she’d already left her good girl status so far behind, a ride on a motorcycle with a vampire would hardly make a dent in it. He tossed her a silver helmet. “Suit up.” He put on a black helmet and closed the visor. “You’re always telling me what to do with my clothes,” she grumbled. “Take this off, put that on…” She slid the helmet onto her head, suddenly feeling as if she were boarding the space shuttle. “Speaking of clothes, you look especially edible tonight.” Rex straddled the motorcycle seat, raking her up and down with his gaze. Katya flushed with pleasure at his words. She’d chosen a simple pair of black jeans and a red silk shell from the selection the boutique had sent over, but shedid feel pretty in it. Since she wasn’t working, there was no need to bring the tranquilizer gun with her, and she’d left her necklace back on the bedside table in Rex’s bedroom. She felt strangely unencumbered and free. “Hop on.” Rex patted the space behind him invitingly. Eh, what the hell.She allowed herself a philosophical shrug and climbed onto the bike behind Rex. He turned the key in the ignition, and the machine beneath them roared to life with a metallic howl. “Hold on tight.” He shouted to be heard over the grinding engine. “And enjoy the ride.” She wrapped her arms around her sexy escort with a smile of pure happiness. *** Endless stretches of gray-paved highways vanished beneath them as the motorcycle tore through the night. The wind whipped around them, and Katya felt suddenly at one with the darkness. For once, it was a friend and not an enemy, concealing things to be hunted and feared.
The darkness held nothing but Rex. They roared across the ship channel bridge, down the stretch of highway leading to the island. Katya leaned into every turn with Rex, letting his body guide hers. The vibrations of the bike between her legs combined with his nearness to make for heady arousal. She wasn’t sure where he was taking her, but she knew she’d want him inside her again before the night was through. But for the moment, it was enough to ride the wind with him, to feel secure and safe with him in her arms. It was enough just to be with him. *** “Where the hellare we?” Katya stared. “Welcome toRed Hawaii !” Rex made a sweeping gesture. Katya simply continued to stare. She’d never seen anything quite like it. The building was constructed from bamboo or something damn near like it, with a thatch roof that made it look like something straight offGilligan’s Island . Tiki torches illuminated the entire structure, bathing it in a molten glow. A facsimile miniature volcano bubbled what looked very much like red lava near the door, periodically shooting puffs of smoke into the air. Carved stone Tiki gods flanked the entrance, and palm trees swayed in the Gulf breeze, completing the image of an island paradise. “It’s a…” she searched for the word. “A Tiki bar?” “No.” Rex grinned at her. “It’s avampire Tiki bar.” He took her hand and gave her a tug. “Come on, let’s get a table.” “Do they serve food here?” She walked double time to keep up with him as they crossed the parking lot. “’Cause I’ve got to tell you, Rex, I think we’re burning up as much energy as we’re giving each other.” “They have a human cook, and a very highly rated menu for the human swans that come here.” He shuffled across the sand piled high around the entrance. “Remind me not to wear my cowboy boots next time.” Katya laughed as he pulled her up the steps and into the dimly lit bar and grill. She’d thought the outside was wild, but the interior ofRed Hawaii put the exterior to shame. They’d carried the Tiki motif even further. Live parrots squawked in cages hung near the bar. Cozy booths lined the perimeter of the room, each draped with bamboo curtains for privacy. Miniature Tiki torches blazed on every table. Tropical plants filled every available inch of space, and the scent of coconut hung heavy in the air. Good lord, they even had Don Ho playing in the background.
“Rex!” A dark skinned vampire wearing a tropical print shirt and cut-offs made his way toward them, two menus in hand. “Good to see you, man!” “You too, Arnie.” Rex gave the other vampire a friendly smile. “Table for two?” Katya watched as Arnie sized her up. Could other vampires sense that she was Rex’s swan? “Sounds good.” Rex put a possessive arm around her. Katya knew she shouldn’t enjoy that sort of macho shit, but she couldn’t help riding the rush of belonging when he did it. Damn that man for making her enjoy being owned. Arnie led them to one of the sequestered booths. When they were seated on the same side -- easier to maintain contact that way, Katya reasoned -- he passed them each a menu. “Can I start you two off with some drinks?” Arnie took a pad and pen from the pocket of his cut-offs. “Maybe some pineapple poppers?” “I don’t know what pineapple poppers are, but if humans can eat them, I want some.” Katya scanned the menu. “You got it.” Arnie jotted her request down on his pad. “Anything to drink? A Mai Tai? Some of Vlad’s Polynesian Passion?” “A Mai Tai sounds good.” Katya swallowed. Good Lord, she was thirsty, and hungry enough to eat a whole pineapple, skin and all, much less an order of poppers, whatever the hell those were. “I’ll take a Vlad’s Pineapple Power,” Rex said. “Thanks, Arnie.” “Sure thing.” Arnie grinned. “Someone will be over to take the rest of your order in just a minute.” When Arnie was out of earshot, Rex bent his head until his mouth was level with her ear. “You know what Ireally want to eat?” Heat swirled low in her body. “What?” Damn if her voice wasn’t already breathy. “You.” He flicked his fangs over her earlobe. “A mouthful of hot, wet…” “Rex,” a silky voice said from just outside their booth. “So good to see you again.” Katya peered through the bamboo curtains to see one of the most exotic creatures she’d ever laid her eyes on. A creature, she noted with a pang of annoyance, who had her almond shaped brown eyes fixed on Rex. “Pele.” Rex sat up straight, his spine suddenly stiff. “It’s been a long time.” The female vampire drew closer to their table. Katya couldn’t help but stare. She’d never seen anything like Pele before.
The vampire was obviously of Polynesian ancestry. Her figure redefined the wordvoluptuous , and she’d managed to show it to its best advantage in a tropical print bandeau top with a matching sarong tied loosely around her curvy hips. A glittering jewel hung from her pierced belly button, and her silky chocolate colored hair flowed like satin ribbons to her backside. A vibrant red hibiscus tucked behind one ear made her look like any man’s beachcomber fantasy come to life. Katya looked down at her own attire, which had seemed so festive when she’d chosen it. It was like being a plain brown hen standing next to the mythical bird of paradise. “Too long.” Pele smiled, revealing fangs that indicated she was hungry. Katya suspected it had nothing to do with a craving for blood and everything to do with Rex. All of which gave her an unaccountable desire to rake her nails down the female vampire’s face until welts of blood marred her perfect caramel skin. “Pele, this is Katya,” Rex was saying. “Pele ownsRed Hawaii .” Bully for her. Katya forced herself to smile. “Quite a place you’ve got here.” Pele gave her a smile of equal insincerity. “Thank you.” She immediately turned her attention back to Rex. “Why haven’t we seen you around lately?” “Oh, work’s been keeping me busy. You know, the usual.” Rex patted Katya’s thigh under the table, and she returned the gesture by running her hand up his thigh until she located his zipper. A slight shudder rippling through his body assured her that she’d effectively distracted him from Pele. “Well, don’t be a stranger.” The female vampire batted her long lashes at Rex and tossed her dark hair before turning to walk away. Katya watched Pele slink away, jealously boiling up inside her like a toxic chemical spilling over the top of a beaker. “You OK?” “Fine.” Katya shifted uneasily on the booth seat. Who the hell did Pele think she was? Did she just aim her breasts at every guy who came into her bar? Couldn’t she see that Rex waswith someone? Or did she not count assomeone in the vampire world? They were all such flamboyant, glamorous creatures, and she was just… herself. Maybe being just herself wouldn’t be enough for Rex, if their situation lasted long enough. Surely he’d tire of her with women like Pele throwing themselves at him. But why should any of that botherher ? She couldn’t wait for this to end so she could get back to her life. Her lonely, sexless, unromantic life.
“Come on.” He stood up and helped her ease out of the booth. “I want to show you something.” She sighed. “Rex, I’ve already seen it several times, and it’s really nice, and much bigger than average.” He laughed. “Notthat .” Shaking his head, he steered her toward the back exit. “This is something really special.” He pushed open a door and led her out onto a deck. The bamboo platform spanned the entire length of the building, and had an overhanging thatch awning. Tiki torches provided light, and the salty tang of the Gulf breeze swirled around them like an old friend. Katya watched as a handful of couples swayed together to Linda Ronstadt’sOoh Baby, Baby . There was something almost hypnotic about the combination of the torches, the ocean air, and the music. Katya found herself rocking slowly to the rhythm of the song. “Can I have this dance?” She glanced up to see Rex looking down at her. “It would be my pleasure.” She followed him onto the dance floor and held her breath as he guided her into a slow dance. His arms enfolded her, and she could feel every inch of him pressed against her. “This is one way to solve that pesky physical contact issue.” Rex brushed the top of her head with his lips, stirring the embers of the fire he’d stoked inside her. She rested her cheek against his chest, inhaling his scent, reveling in the feel of his body, the hardness of it, the barely leashed strength, the sheermaleness of him. A contented sigh escaped from her lips, and for once in her life, she gave herself over to the moment. No second guessing, no weighing of the pros and cons. Just her, just Rex, just this one perfect moment. She’d found Heaven in the arms of a vampire.
Chapter 11
Katya raced to keep up with Rex as he rushed down the hall of the office area atCrimson Hungers . “As much as I want to get you downstairs and in all sorts of interesting positions, I need to check in with security first,” he explained. “Someone should’ve been manning the back entrance.” They stopped in front of the employee break room. Rex gave the door a sharp rap and opened it. Katya peered over his shoulder. A cluster of black-clad vampire security guards, including Kadin, were
hunched around a small television. A rerun ofThe Brady Bunch danced across the screen. “Kadin, who was supposed to be working the back entrance tonight?” Rex was all authority. “That would be Clive, boss.” Kadin’s eyes never left the screen. “Clive?” Rex’s tone grew harsher. A wiry blond vampire stood up. “Yes, boss?” “You left the back door unattended.” Rex leaned against the door frame. “If you want to keep your job, I suggest you get back to your post.” “But, boss,” Clive whined, “Bobby and Cindy are lost at the Grand Canyon, and Alice isn’t sure how to find them!” “Clive, you’re trying my patience.” Rex jerked his thumb toward the back entrance. “Get to it.” Clive raised his hand in a salute. “Yes, sir.” “As for the rest of you…” Rex tapped his cowboy boot against the floor. “… don’t you all have something better to do than watch TV?” A general rumble of acquiescence went through the assembled group. Rex turned to leave. “Agent Stern and I are turning in early.” He gave Katya a significant look. “See to it that we’re not disturbed.” “You got it, boss.” Kadin switched off the television. She and Rex made their way to his basement quarters, undressing each other as they went. By the time they reached the bedroom door, they were a tumbling mass of buttons flying, zippers sliding down, and lips colliding in fevered kisses. Rex lifted her in his arms and kicked the door shut behind them as he carried her into the room. Katya held her breath, and when he dropped her onto the bed, she pulled him down with her, both of her hands knotted in his black T-shirt. His lips sought hers again, his tongue seeking entrance to her mouth. She opened for him, letting him lead the kiss. Running her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, she twined the silken strands of his hair around her fingers. He arranged himself above her, sliding his hands over her silk top, cradling her breasts against his palms. His eyes met hers in the dimly lit room, and her breath caught in her throat. “Why does this feel like the first time we’ve made love?” She stroked the side of his face with her hand, feeling his stubble rasp beneath her fingers. His gaze burned into hers. “Maybe it is.” He lowered his head, capturing her lips again. He finished helping her out of her clothes like a treasure hunter unveiling a long-sought jewel. His hands roamed her body, finding erogenous zones she hadn’t been aware of possessing. He rained kisses down the back of her neck, over her belly, along her inner thighs.
She leaned back on the pillow and sighed with bliss. It was no longer about the accident that had brought them together. They weren’t a vampire and a swan feeding each other. Tonight, they were a man and a woman dangling dangerously over the precipice of falling in love. She pulled his T-shirt off, revealing the body she’d come to think of as an extension of her own. Hungry for the feel of him, she tugged at his jeans. He kicked off his boots and helped her relieve him of the rest of his clothes, then settled between her legs again. “Katya.” He held her face in his hands, his lips hovering over hers. “I’m feeling something here.” “I know.” She stroked her hands over his face. “I’m feeling it, too.” He answered her with his lips, another kiss burning its way straight through her, all the way to her soul. His lips traveled across her chest until they wrapped around one nipple. She ran her fingers through his hair, arching her back as he sucked the tight bud until pleasure ran like an electric current through her. He nipped at her with his fangs, using them to awaken every nerve they touched. He moved to the other breast, teasing it with his fangs before taking the nipple into his mouth. His expert handling of her nipples had her on the edge of orgasm. But he wasn’t done torturing her yet. He left a trail of love bites from her breasts to her belly, then lower until he reached the apex of her thighs. She hissed out a breath when he raked his fangs along her inner thigh, moving so close to the aching spot that cried out for his attention, and then moving away. Every place his fangs touched practically sizzled with pleasure, and he hadn’t even bitten her, not really. It had to make a girl wonder just how those fangs would feel sinking into her neck. But before she could follow that train of thought, she felt his fingers tracing over her mound. She arched her hips, silently pleading for more. He answered, stroking her clit expertly with his thumb while he slid a finger inside her. “Rex…” Her hips rose and fell as he stimulated the sensitive spot on her inner wall. “What are you trying to do to me?” “Drive you out of your mind with bliss.” He added a second finger to the first, and her body tightened with almost unbearable tension. “Is it working yet?” “Can’t you tell?” She felt wetness seeping down her thighs. “I think I want to make you come this way first.” His thumb rubbed her clit slowly, sending a ripple of sensation though her. “You’re so close already that it wouldn’t take much to push you over the edge.” He crooked his finger inside her, and her already quivering channel clenched around his fingers, sending her into an orgasm. The spasms were sharp and intense. She would’ve been sated if she hadn’t wanted to feel him inside her
so badly. When the aftershocks subsided, he was still looking down at her, hunger altering the pupils of his eyes, letting her know that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. “Rex… please.” She spread her legs further. “Make love to me.” “Katya.” He breathed her name, sliding his shaft into her tight sheath until he was seated to the hilt. He held still inside her, locking gazes with her. Eternity hung between them, as delicate as a spider’s web. The intimacy was more than she could comprehend, and the need to feel him moving in and out of her body overrode the last vestiges of her of self-control. She thrust her hips beneath him, inching backwards until his cock had slid halfway out of her. “Oh, no you don’t.” He cuffed her wrists with his hands and pinned them over her head. “Two can play that game, Tiger.” He pushed his hips forward, burying his cock inside her as deeply as it would go. She let out a low moan. With every thrust, their bodies rose and fell together, a symphony of physical passion in perfect harmony. Insatiable for the feel of him, she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper. He shifted his hips until he touched that spot inside her that heightened her pleasure, and with each thrust, he ground himself against her clitoris. “Does your bite feel as good on the neck as it does everywhere else?” Her voice shook with a potent mixture of emotion and arousal. He stilled inside her, his breath coming in rapid gasps. “Better.” “I nearly came every time you nipped me with those fangs.” She undulated beneath him. “You think you might be ready for the full mojo?” He curled his top lip up at the corner, revealing fully extended fangs. A tremor ran through her, part fear and part anticipation. “Will it hurt?” He rubbed his pelvis against her, stimulating her clit to perfection. “Yes… in a really good way.” She was so turned on, the lines between pleasure and pain had blurred. And if itdid feel even half as good as those love bites had felt…”Do it.” “Now?” His thrusts slowed almost to a halt. “Now.” She crossed her ankles behind his back, holding him captive. He brought up one hand, fisting it in her hair. She drew in a startled breath when he turned her head, baring her neck to him. As he slowly withdrew his shaft from her, he opened his mouth, his fangs glistening white in the dimness. Then all at once, he slammed back into her, sinking his fangs deeply into her neck at the same time.
The sensations took possession of her. His fangs brought only the briefest instant of pain. Everything that followed was sheer euphoria. Each movement of his lips on her neck combined with the thrusts of his cock inside her until she was caught in an endless spiral of pleasure, one orgasm rising and peaking, only to fade into the beginning of another. She rocked beneath him, the prisoner of her own thundering climaxes. She could feel him reaching his own release, and the warmth of his come filling her. He thrust a few more times, riding out the final contractions, then collapsed on top of her. He slowly withdrew his fangs from her neck, and lapped at the tiny wound with his tongue until the pain of removal faded. “You were right.” He rolled over onto his back, pulling her on top of him. “We hadn’t made love before.” “But we have now.” She planted a kiss on his lips. Had they ever. *** How had this woman swept into his life and changed it in two short nights? If ever a fallen angel had been given a second shot at Heaven, it had to be him. Rex cradled Katya against him, knowing that he’d never be able to walk away now, not after what they’d just shared. Accident or not, they belonged to each other. How could she not see that they belonged to each other, body, heart, and soul? “Do you have any more juice in your fridge?” She propped up on one elbow to look down at him. “I feel the need for sustenance.” “Does that mean that my awesome sexual skills really took it out of you?” He grinned up at her. She rolled her eyes. “Youknow you took it out of me. It’ll probably take a gallon of juice to make up for all the blood you drank.” He couldn’t stop smiling at her. “What can I say? You’re very tasty.” “And that…” She wiggled out from under the sheet, “… has to be one of the more interesting compliments I’ve ever received.” “Stay put, I’ll get your juice.” He made a motion to climb out of bed. “No, I’m already halfway up.” She grabbed his T-shirt from where it had fallen onto the floor and pulled it over her head. “I’d offer to get you a bottle of Vlad’s, but I have no idea where you’d put it.” He tossed a pillow at her. “I didn’t drinkthat much.” She laughed. “Tell it to my neck tomorrow.” She rubbed at the bite mark with her fingers of one hand and tossed the pillow back at him with the other, knocking her silver necklace off the nightstand in the
process. “Do you see it?” He leaned across the bed, looking at the glint of silver on the red carpet. “Yep.” She took a step toward the spot where the necklace lay and stumbled. “I’ve got you.” Rex caught her by the wrist at vampire speed, just as she wrapped her fingers around the silver chain. Everything happened at once, seemingly in slow motion and at high speed rolled into one. A jolt of energy zapped through Katya straight into Rex, carrying with it a sound like gunfire. White light blinded him, and then the world went black.
Chapter 12
“What the hell was that?” Katya struggled to sit up on the carpet, shaking her head. She hadn’t felt so utterly rotten since the morning after her twenty-first birthday. “It felt like another collision.” Rex’s voice was thick and disoriented. “What’s the last thing you remember?” Katya heaved herself up from the floor and crawled onto the bed. “I was picking up my necklace.” She looked down to find the silver chain and Star of David pendant in her tightly closed fist. “I stumbled and you grabbed me…” “Then everything blew up.” Rex stood up and put his jeans back on. “Maybe it had something to do with the silver?” She stared down at the necklace. “Are you highly sensitive to it?” “Not as much as a younger vampire, but I can’t touch it without getting burned.” He eased back down onto the other side of the bed. “That had to be it, though.” She twirled the chain around her finger. “What else could it be?” “You’re probably right.” He frowned, looking like anything but someone recovering from sensational sex. Had round two of their energy collision ruined the night for him? Katya sighed and put the necklace back down on the bedside table. “I’m getting that juice. I probably need it more than ever now.” She got to her feet with difficulty. “You want to rethink that bottle of Vlad’s?”
He folded his arms over his chest and averted his eyes from her. “Yeah, I’ll take one of whatever’s in there. Don’t worry about heating it.” She retrieved the two bottles from his fridge and padded on her bare feet back to the bed, holding the container of Vlad’s a careful distance away from herself. “Isn’t this stuff really gross when it’s cold?” She held the red bottle out to him. He shrugged, taking the bottle from her. “I’ve had worse, believe me.” He twisted the cap off and tossed it onto his nightstand. “Before the days of synthetic blood, I drank from rats, crows, whatever I could dredge up when I didn’t have a swan.” A knot twisted somewhere deep inside her. “So I’m not your first swan.” His gaze shot up to her face. “They weren’t high order swans, like you. They were just… donors.” And what had he suggested she become? A booty call? What was that French term he had used… a liaison dangereuse ? Had she been just another in a long line of suck ’n fucks for him? Now that he’d had her blood, what use would he have for her, if their energy connection didn’t force them to be together? “Have you noticed something?” He sat his empty bottle on the nightstand. “What?” She’d been too lost in her own thoughts to notice much of anything. “We’ve gone several minutes without touching.” His brows knit together. “Are you feeling withdrawal?” She thought for a minute. “Other than feeling kind of wiped out, I feel normal.” “Same here.” He flopped back onto his pillow. “You think we reversed our accident just now?” She considered everything, the events of the past two days running through her mind like a silent film. “Is that even possible?” He shrugged. “Mother Rachel said this thing could reverse itself at any time.” “Yeah, she also said it could last for years.” Katya looked down at her bottle of juice. It wasn’t as good as the bottle she’d had when they’d risen. That one had tasted like heavenly ambrosia. This one tasted like… juice. And if there was even apossibility that their condition had reversed itself, she should feel elated. Overjoyed. Ready to jump for joy. Why didn’t she? Wasn’t this exactly what she’d been telling herself that she wanted? Why couldn’t she muster up any other emotion but extreme disappointment? “There’s only one way to find out.” Rex drummed the fingers of his left hand on the nightstand in that gesture she had found so human the night they met.
“Wait and see how long we can go without touching.” She took a drink of juice, trying to gain a foothold on her runaway emotions. “No, we’ll have an answer sooner than that.” He pointed to the clock. “In about ten minutes, I’m going to fall to the dawn.” He met her gaze. “If you fall as well, we’re still bound as vampire and ruby swan.” “And if I don’t…” She left the sentence unfinished. “Come here.” He patted the space beside him. She put her bottle of juice on the bedside table and moved to his side. “If you’re not here when I wake up, I understand.” He twined his fingers through hers. “I just want you to know how much the last two days have meant to me.” He squeezed her hand. “How much I…” His eyelids snapped shut. “Rex?” She pulled her hand from his suddenly limp grasp. “Rex, can you answer me?” She watched his face grow slack and realized she was alone in the room. Dawn had come earlier than he’d anticipated, and he wasn’t merely asleep. He was dead until sunset. She crawled away from his lifeless body, the body she’d made love to just a short time earlier, and slipped down from the bed. He hadn’t asked her to stay. He hadn’t said that they’d talk about it when he rose that night. He’d simply said thank you and goodbye. Katya got dressed, moving quietly about the room as if any noise could wake Rex, although she knew better. She checked her tranquilizer gun and put it back in its holster, and slid her cell phone into her pocket. Last of all, she fastened her silver chain around her neck. “Goodbye, Rex,” she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. She left, shutting the door soundlessly behind her.
Chapter 13
“She left, just like that?” Mr. Charles snapped his fingers.
“Just like that,” Rex echoed the Englishman. “I woke up and she was gone. No note, nothing.” He wiped the bar absently with a cloth, watching as the first customers of the night gathered on the dance floor ofCrimson Hungers . “She wanted out of this thing with me and ran at the first chance.” “You seem quite sure of that.” Mr. Charles took a drink from his Sloe Gin Fizz. “How could I doubt it?” Rex rolled his eyes as two local vampires took to the dance floor, both of them throwing him coy glances. Veronica and Malice… or, as Katya had put it, the vampire community’s answer to theSweet Valley High twins. Dammit, would everything remind him of her for the rest of his infernal existence? “Perhaps if you spoke with Agent Stern, you’d find that her feelings are not as clear as they seem.” “Agent Stern has gone back to her job as a slayer.” Rex tossed the cloth onto the bar in disgust. “The last thing she wants is to be involved with a vampire.” He sighed. “That’s why I let her go, even though it damn near killed me.” “A generous impulse on your part,” Mr. Charles agreed, “but rather disastrous if this young lady was uncertain of your intentions toward her.” “My intentions?” Rex laughed bitterly. “You must understand, Rex, you’re a rather high-profile ladies’ man. A young woman like Agent Stern would probably worry about being just another notch in your, er, bedpost.” Rex shook his head. “No, she knew better than that. She knew I…” He stopped himself. “Loved her?” Mr. Charles finished. “Yeah.” Rex held the edge of the bar in a white knuckled grip. “She knew I love her.” “Because you told her so?” Mr. Charles took another sip of his cocktail. “Because I showed her, in every way I could think of.” Rex pounded the bar with his fist. “How could shenot know?” “You might try saying the words to her before you abandon hope completely.” The Englishman stood up and fished something out of the pocket of his tweed jacket. “I believe this may be of some use to you.” Rex took the small white card. Katya’s address was scrawled on it in Mr. Charles’ familiar hand. “Where did you get this?” Rex stared down at the card. “Let’s just say I called in a favor.” Mr. Charles grimaced. “I’m not without a few law enforcement connections myself.” “I’ve got to go.” Rex stepped out from behind the bar. “Kadin?” “Yes, boss?” The giant security guard stepped into view.
“Keep an eye on things. I’ve got to run an urgent errand.” “You’re going to see Agent Stern?” Mr. Charles asked. “After I make one quick stop.” Rex adjusted his cowboy hat and left the bar, the door swinging shut behind him. *** Katya stared down at her untouched Kung Pao Chicken and fried rice. Where had her appetite gone? Maybe this total lack of interest in food had something to do with everything she’d been through for the past few days. Or it could be that food tasted like just plain old food again, now that she was no longer a swan with a swan’s heightened senses. Or maybe, she admitted to herself, she was missing Rex so much she couldn’t stand it. She sighed, stirring the half-melted ice cubes in her diet soda with her straw. The case she’d been working remained unsolved, and the killer remained at large. At least there hadn’t been another victim. Alvin had sent her home to rest for a few days. When she went back on the job, she was supposed to go back to canvassing vampire hangouts, hoping to catch a trace of their undead perp somewhere in the energy fields. He wanted to get the case wrapped up before Dracula’s Ball took place, and Katya agreed completely. Every vamp in the United States would be at that ball, and the last thing they needed was a killer on the loose among them. So, it would soon be back to vampire bars and the like.Black Pearl , the local vampire BDSM club, looked promising. At least she wouldn’t run into Rex there. She couldn’t sort through her emotions well enough to know if that made her happy, sad, or some mix of both. The banging on her door startled her out of her reverie. She got up from her small dinette set. “Coming,” she called out. She peered through the peephole to see a certain vampire cowboy on the other side. “Rex?” She threw the door open. “Don’t say anything.” He barged into her apartment, kicking the door shut behind him. She watched as he paused in the middle of her living room and took in the tasteful off-white overstuffed sectional sofa, the glass topped coffee table covered with books about paranormal topics, the ferns and candles on every surface. “Nice place.” “Thanks.” She flopped down onto the couch. “You told me not to say anything.” “That’s right.” He followed her to the couch and sat beside her. “I know that we come from different worlds. I know that you never wanted to end up with a vampire. But, Tiger…” His voice dropped, and her breath hitched at the sound of his special name for her. Emotion caught her up like a whirlwind. “I can’t live without you.” His gaze locked onto hers. “Swan or not, you’re the only woman I want at my
side when I go to bed. You’re the one I want to see when I rise in the evening. You’re the woman I’ve been waiting for all these lonely years, and I’ve come here tonight to show you just how much you mean to me.” Hope catapulted her heart into her throat. He dropped to one knee on the floor in front of her, and she felt a mixture of surprise, disbelief, and unbearable happiness forming right along with the tears in her eyes. “I brought you some jewelry.” He flashed the wicked grin she’d grown to love. “Here.” He pulled a small red velvet box from his pocket and placed it in her hand. Her pulse raced so hard, she was sure he could hear it… and given his vampire senses, he probably could. Knowing this was a moment she’d never forget, she opened the tiny box. A diamond encrusted Star of David sparkled against the red velvet. OK, not what she expected, but still beautiful. “I love it.” She removed the necklace from the box. “But I already have one of these. Admittedly, not as nice as this one --” “And not platinum,” he interrupted. “If we’re going to be together all the time, you’ll need to replace the silver one with this.” He helped her fasten the delicate chain around her neck. “Besides, it just went so well with this.” Another box appeared in his hand. That surge of hope that had dwindled just seconds before sprang back to life. “Is that for me?” “It sure as hell isn’t for anyone else.” He put the box in her hand. She stared down at it, afraid to open it and lose all hope. “Go ahead.” He chuckled. “It won’t bite… although I might.” She let out a nervous giggle and opened the box. A diamond ring glittered like starlight. “Agent Katya Stern,” Rex took the ring from the box and slid it into her hand, “will you marry me?” A sob tore itself from her throat. “Good Lord, Rex, I thought you’d never ask.” “Dammit, Katya. You know I love you.” He reached up to brush away the tears of happiness that had begun to stream down her cheeks. “You knew I’d get around to asking you eventually.” She punched him on the shoulder. “I love you too, for what it’s worth.” He gave her a knowing look. “It’s worth a lot.” His lips found hers, and they shared a kiss, the kiss of being reunited, of being in love, of knowing their entire future was before them. “You still owe me some underwear, you know.” She broke the kiss long enough to remind him of that fact. “You got it, Tiger.” He pulled her into an embrace. “IsVictoria’s Secret open at night?”
He kissed her again, this time with more passion, more intensity… a hint of things to come as the night went on. She responded in kind, feeling all the power of their old connection, but this time there was no magic compelling them. This time, it was all about love. Suddenly, every candle in the room blazed to life, countless tiny flames bathing them in golden light. Katya burst into laughter. Rex joined wholeheartedly. Oh, yeah. They still had the power of fire. Did they ever.
Alecia Monaco
Alecia Monaco has been writing since she dictated her first story at the age of three. Now she happily writes paranormal and erotic romance while living in Houston with her family and pets. She loves to hear from readers and they can email her at
[email protected], or visit her site at www.aleciamonaco.com
