Killer Kisses Chastity Bush Published 2011 ISBN 978-1-59578-858-0 Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © 2011, Chastity Bush. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Manufactured in the United States of America Liquid Silver Books http://LSbooks.com Email:
[email protected] Editor Devin Govaere Cover Artist Tuesday Dube This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
Blurb The man straddling the Harley was, in one word…juicy. Adult novelty store owner Tina James loves a good adventure, and the man peering at her through onyx black eyes is the closest thing to adventure she’s ever come across. Unless of course, you count the mugging at gunpoint she experienced only hours earlier. Leather clad Alex Monroe and his big bike just moved to number one on Tina’s sexiest man alive list, and with every searing kiss, every white hot caress, Tina finds herself living out her wildest fantasies with the man of her dreams. But is it all too good to be true? There’s something about Alex, from his unusual habit of only leaving the house at night, to his amazing speed and strength that has Tina wondering what exactly the man she’s falling head over heels for is hiding? Meeting Tina James is the best thing that’s happened to Alex in the last five hundred years. She’s spunky, sassy, and beyond sexy. But there’s a problem…or three. Alex is a vampire, Tina’s a mortal, and he’s searching for a rogue vampire who just so happens to have his sights set on her as his next victim. Now, not only does Alex have to find a way to tell the woman he loves what he is, he has to catch the killer before he loses her forever. Dedication To my wonderful husband, daughters, and everyone who loves the paranormal/supernatural as much as I do. You rock.
Chapter One “So, was he big?” “Are you serious?” Clenching her jaw, Tina James took a deep breath. At barely five foot tall, she rarely met someone who wasn’t big, in her eyes. When the officer continued to stare at her expectantly, awaiting a response, she blew out a frustrated breath. “He was about six feet tall.” “And his build?” “We’ve been through this already,” she snapped irritably. “Didn’t I just say he was big? And, if I remember correctly, I described him to you when I came in… three hours ago!” “Yeah, but that’s beside the point, and height and build are two different things,” he shot back. “Now, what was his build?” Leaning back in the rickety wooden chair with a sigh, Tina tilted her face to the ceiling, closed her eyes, and sent up a silent prayer for patience. “I just want to make sure we have our facts straight. Now, what’s his build?” Glaring at the officer seated before her tapping his pen rapidly against the pile of papers, Tina leaned her forehead into the palm of her hand and grumbled, “He was about your size. What are you, about two-seventy, two-eighty?” “Two-twenty, thank you.” “Right,” she mumbled sarcastically. Who’d he think he was kidding? She knew her snarky attitude wasn’t getting her anywhere, but she couldn’t summon the energy to be sorry for any hurt feelings she might have caused. Since walking into the police station over three hours ago, the cop seated before her had sported a major attitude. His rude comments and behavior grated on Tina’s already frayed nerves. I thought the police were supposed to be sensitive to the victim, she thought to herself. Instead, this one had been nothing but a giant pain in the ass. The thug who mugged her seemed more pleasant, polite even, compared to this guy. Go figure. Narrowing his eyes, the officer reached across the desk and handed her a piece of yellow paper and a business card. “I think I have enough,” he huffed. “Here’s your copy of the report and my card. We’ll call you if we hear anything, but don’t expect it. In my experience, your purse and all of its contents are long gone by now. It’s best if you just move on.” “Just move on?” she mimicked with an exasperated flick of the wrist. “Yep, move on,” he repeated as he leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. That’s easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one who would have to clean up the mess the thieving creep who snatched her purse was undoubtedly making at her expense. There was no sense in arguing. This guy, unlike most cops, was useless. Instead of giving him the finger and telling him which bus to take straight to hell, as she had overwhelming urge to do, Tina nodded and flipped the card over, only to frown at the number scribbled across the back.
“Is this your cell phone number?” she asked, cocking a brow with disbelief. She shouldn’t have been surprised because this guy had dirtbag written all over him, but she was. Grinning, the officer leaned back even farther in his chair and let his eyes roam over her openly. He could have passed as a handsome man with his dark brown hair and light green eyes, but his cocky attitude and insensitivity cancelled out the few good features he possessed. All Tina saw when she looked at him was a giant asshole with a badge on his chest and powdered doughnut residue on his tie. “Look, lady, I work eighteen hours a day.” He shrugged. “I’m lucky if I have time to shower, shave, and hit the sheets for a couple hours sleep. I don’t get a lot of time to look for a woman. Am I supposed to just let a hot little bit like you walk out without at least trying?” Biting her cheek, Tina fought the urge to let the stream of insults and obscenities rolling around on her tongue burst past her lips. She’d sat in the crowded station all night for him to tell her there was nothing the police could do, and now he thought he could hit on her? She’d met some doozies in her time, but this guy took the cake. Scowling harder, Tina flicked the card back onto the cluttered desk. If he thought her an easy conquest, he was in for a huge surprise. “Well, Officer—” She glanced at his name tag, as she hadn’t cared before now what the jerk’s name was—“Briggs, if you want to find a woman, my advice to you is this; lay off the doughnuts and stop being such a prick.” While his face reddened with silent anger, she slipped her hands into her jacket pockets, lifted her chin, and made her way through the crowded station. Weaving past prostitutes, pickpockets and others like herself awaiting assistance, Tina shook her head. I hope they don’t expect to be helped, she thought, peering at the victims of unknown crimes lining the bench outside the main office. Stepping through the heavy double doors, out of the hustle and bustle of the station and onto the much quieter sidewalk, Tina couldn’t help but wonder why her amazingly good day had taken such a turn for the worse. A blast of cold air slammed against her face and sent a chill rattling through her tired body. The days were warmer than usual for this time of year, but the nights still held a bitter chill. Wrapping her scarf around her neck, thankful the crook had at least left her that; Tina closed her eyes and inhaled the cool night air in an attempt to quell her rising ire. The police station had held countless people the entire night, and she’d been more than a little surprised at the fact considering the late hour. “Crime never sleeps.” she mused aloud. Taking another deep breath of the fresh night air, she smiled sadly; thankful for the calming effect it produced on her anger-fogged mind. Thinking back on the events of the day, she could only wonder what kind of voodoo had been cast upon her to cause the day to end so badly. She couldn’t remember doing anything horrible enough to bring on a bout of bad karma, but who knew? Life was funny that way. The entire day had flown by in a whirlwind of nonstop activity. Her shop remained busy from the moment she opened and hadn’t stopped until closing time. Then, like they say, all good things must come to an end, and she’d been mugged at gunpoint while
trying to hail a cab right outside her store. Tina had lived in the city all of her life and never once feared for her safety. Despite the fact that she’d been mugged for the first time tonight, she refused to let that change. This was her city, and muggings happened everywhere, every day. She wouldn’t let some thief frighten her. It could have been a lot worse, she reminded herself. At least it was only a smalltime crook that held her up. It could have been the psycho murderer the cops were looking for. That nut job had been killing three women a month for the last six months. While the thief might not have the power to frighten her, the memory of a murderer running loose did. Suddenly, her bravado fell, and she found herself overcome with the desire to be home, snuggled deeply into her king-sized bed, safe and sound, with her alarm engaged and the trusty security guard at his post in the lobby. Looking at the desolate street and sidewalk, she groaned inwardly as the last two people disappeared into the police station. Glancing at the payphone situated next to the street, she groaned inwardly. It was cold, and she was tired, and she wasn’t getting anywhere just standing around. Reaching into the pockets of her jeans, she cursed, not surprised to find them void of everything except lint. “Shit.” She didn’t even have change to call a cab. Flicking a piece of lint from between her fingers, she fought to control her temper. Looking closer at the phone sitting next to the curb, she couldn’t bring herself to be too upset she lacked the coins to use it. The filthy, haggard object looked as though she would need a round of penicillin after touching it. Glaring back at the station, she shook her head. The least that pea-brained cop could have done was let her make a phone call inside, but, no. He’d been more interested in what she was doing after he got off work than in making sure she made it home safely. He acted as though he couldn’t care less she’d been robbed. But it came with the territory, she supposed. The minute people found out she owned an adult novelty store, they immediately thought of her as some kind of sexual deviant, running around the city with a big purple dildo in her purse, willing to grant favors or turn tricks to whoever asked. Now here she stood, five miles from home, with no way of getting there except to hoof it. Everything of importance had been in that purse. Her BlackBerry, her wallet with all of her cash and credit cards, her checkbook and driver’s license, the keys to her apartment, even her favorite Gloss Blossom lip-gloss. It would be hell canceling the cards and replacing her other items. She wondered if the people who preyed on others ever felt remorse for the trouble they caused. Probably not. An officer of the law had sent her out into the night with a killer on the loose not ten minutes earlier. Glancing down at her feet, she groaned. Why had she picked today to wear stilettos? “Because you're an idiot, that’s why,” she grumbled to herself. She wasn’t getting anywhere just standing around. Deciding to get it over with, she started walking. The sooner she got home, the sooner she could wash the stench of the night away and welcome a new day. Anger threaded its way through her once again as she made her way down the
sidewalk. She could only imagine the damage the mugger was inflicting on her credit cards. They were probably maxed out by now and he’d moved on to writing checks for insane amounts, all while his crackhead girlfriend talked up a storm on her BlackBerry and used all of her favorite lip gloss. Tina did her best to help others and to never take others for granted, which was why it was so hard for her to believe some people could be so cruel. Fighting back tears, she continued to trudge forward, her shoes pinching her feet with every step she took. Once she got home, she could call the credit card companies and bank when they opened and try to repair any damage that jerk had done. She would also have to replace her cell phone. Half of her life was stored on that little device. Raising her face gently toward the star cluttered night sky; she let the cold air wisp across her face. There was no reason to feel sorry for herself, and she wouldn’t let this one incident ruin her outlook on life, but she couldn’t shake the melancholy feeling swamping her, at least not at the moment. Shaking her head, she wondered sadly, What’s the world coming to when you can’t even step out of a sex shop without getting robbed? **** The cold, night air swirled around Alex as he rode down the desolate streets. The motorcycle beneath him rumbled, sending a wave of comfort throughout his tired body. He was a long way from home, and for Alex Monroe the old saying was true; there’s no place like home. He’d spent the entire night in his hotel room searching through cold case files, going back years and years, looking deeper at unsolved murders, trying his hardest to find something, anything that would lead him in the right direction. He needed to find this murderer and fast. It was only a matter of time before he slipped up and exposed their kind to the entire world, spelling disaster for them all. Only sparkly, vegetarian vampires appealed to most people nowadays, and he was neither sparkly, nor vegetarian. Rounding the corner, Alex wondered if his contact inside the precinct would have any new leads to share with him. He doubted it; the local authorities didn’t have a single shred of evidence to help lead them toward who the killer might be. He’d hoped to find some connection between the recent murders and some of the unsolved ones from the past, but so far, he’d hit a dead-end. The sooner he got this mystery solved, the sooner the women of this city would be safe…from this killer anyway. There would always be others wreaking havoc somewhere, and he would be there to hunt them down. It was his job. As an Immortal Detective, he would do whatever it took to end the terror rogues caused with their senseless killing. Pulling next to the curb in front of the police station, a flash of gold caught his attention. Taking a closer look through the dim streetlight, he frowned. A lone woman walked along the desolate sidewalk. Her long, sandy-blonde hair whipped in the breeze as she pulled her lightweight jacket tighter around her small frame. “What the hell is she doing?” Didn’t she know there was a killer on the loose? Why would she be walking the streets alone at three o’clock in the morning? Sometimes Alex couldn’t help but wonder
how humans had lived so long without being overrun by his—or any other—species. Before he knew what he was doing, Alex pulled away from the curb and rolled his bike along the street beside the woman. Alex wasn’t your typical knight in shining armor. He wasn’t even what someone would consider valiant. It just wasn’t in his nature, but something inside him wouldn’t let him turn his back on this woman. “Are you all right?” he called loudly over the rumble of the motorcycle. Stopping, she turned to face him, and all thought fled his mind at the beauty revealed before him. Large, sea green eyes bore into him as her gaze widened cautiously. Despite her petite stature, her legs, encased in tight, distressed jeans, were long and shapely. Letting his eyes sweep over her boldly, he took in every inch of her lithe body as though admiring every brushstroke of a masterpiece. Her skin was a flawless, creamy ivory with a pinch of rose color staining her cheeks and nose from the bite of the crisp night air. “Listen,” she said wearily, “if you’re looking to rob me, you're too late. Someone beat you to it about three hours ago.” Smiling, Alex shut off his bike. “Actually, I was just wondering why a beautiful woman such as yourself would be walking alone in the dark when there’s a killer on the loose.” She is beautiful, he mused. Stunning even. He’d lived a long time and faced countless women, but could remember none who matched her in beauty. The impulse to reach out and grab her, to pull her against his chest and explore every delectable inch of her, rocketed through him like a bolt of lightning. Taking a deep breath, Alex struggled to rein in his fast-rising desire. What had gotten into him? There was one rule he refused to break; never get involved with a mortal. Once they found out his secret, it was all over, but something about this sarcastic little bundle pushed him, urging him to learn more about her. Just the sight of her held him on a razor’s edge. The silky glide of her voice only added to his desire. Cocking a brow, she tilted her head. “I didn’t have much say in the matter. Some skuzz-bucket robbed me after I left work. He took my purse, which had everything in it, and the creepy cop who took my statement didn’t offer to give me a ride home or let me call anyone to come pick me up. So, here I am.” She finished, waving her hand in the air with exasperation. She was feisty, and much to his surprise, he found he liked it. Alex never cared much for loud sarcastic women, but something was different about this one, and he couldn’t fight the feeling that he was supposed to know her. If he’d learned one thing in all of his years, it was to follow his instincts, and at the moment, his instincts were screaming for him to grab hold of this woman and not let go. He couldn’t let her continue on her way. Not only was it dangerous for her to be out alone this time of night, the knee-high black leather boots over her jeans looked like they would cripple her before she reached the end of the block. How the hell do women wear those things? “What was the cop’s name?” “Briggs.” She grimaced. “He even tried to give me his number.” She shuddered as though the thought disgusted her, and he chuckled.
He would have a little talk with his contact about Officer Briggs’s unacceptable behavior, but for now, he needed to get her on the back of his bike and her thighs pressed firmly against his hips. “Let me give you a ride.” “I’m sorry, but I don’t think so.” She laughed cynically. “Why not?” Suppressing a groan, Alex watched as she propped her hands on her wonderfully curved hips. “Because, I’ve already been mugged tonight and I don’t wish to add raped and murdered to the list.” Alex couldn’t contain the laughter that burst from his lips. She’s witty, too. “What’s so funny?” she snapped irritably. Calming his laughter, Alex dismounted his bike. “I’m sorry. I have no intention of harming you. My name is Alex Monroe, and I’m here helping the local authorities catch the Monthly Murderer.” He extended his hand to her. He was also a five-hundred-year-old vampire, but didn’t think she would appreciate that little tidbit of information. She was already baring her claws like a cat backed into a corner, and he’d learned a long time ago it was never good to put stress on an unstable structure. Based on the night she just described having, one false move and he would catch a swift kick to the balls before she ran away, leaving him to wonder who she was, and aching to see her, and he would ache, he realized. Just the thought of never seeing her again sent a piercing pain through him. It was absurd, these feelings he was experiencing. He didn’t even know her name and yet, he felt…connected to her somehow. He watched silently as she gazed at him and some of the wariness left her expression. The wind gusted around them, and her sweet scent flowed over him. She smelled exotic, sweet, and wild. He felt his fangs try to shift, yearning for just a sample of her sweetness. Taking a calming breath, he willed them back into place. “Can I see some I.D.?” “Why?” he asked curiously. “Well, you expect me to believe you're a cop. It would help if you could show some I.D.” Nodding, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a wallet, flipping it open to reveal a silver badge given to him by his contact inside the precinct. Taking a small step forward, she examined the badge, and then nodded once. Reaching out cautiously, she shook the proffered hand and cast him a small smile. A frisson of excitement tingled through him at the feel of her small hand cradled within his. Gently, he rubbed his thumb over the inside of her wrist discreetly, savoring the feel of her soft, warm skin. “I’m Tina James,” she said confidently, before asking, “You’re really a cop?” A smile tugged at his lips. “Something like that.”
Chapter Two She couldn’t take her eyes from the beautiful man before her. His thick black hair hung just long enough to brush the collar of his jacket. A strong jaw covered with a day’s growth of stubble, full masculine lips, and the blackest eyes she had ever seen, fringed by a tangle of thick, black, lashes completed his handsome visage. It must be a trick of the light, she thought to herself, looking back to his eyes. After all, people didn’t have black eyes. She’d seen some that were so brown they were almost black, but never as black as Alex’s appeared to be. It must be the dim lights or something. From the moment she laid eyes on him, she’d been tempted to hop on the back of his motorcycle, wrap her arms around his big, rock hard body, and ride off without a care in the world. Then, as always, she came to her senses and was plopped back into the midst of reality like a wet towel hitting the floor. That kind of thing only happened in the movies, she reminded herself, and this definitely wasn’t a movie. The previous three hours served as proof of that. Hadn’t she learned anything from the events of the previous night? He might have introduced himself as a cop and flashed a badge, but for all she knew, this guy could be the Monthly Murderer, trying to lure her away to some quiet place where he could hack her to pieces or set her on fire like all those other poor young women. His gorgeous looks would certainly explain why those women left the clubs with him willingly. She’d been temped to ride off into the sunrise with him the first time he smiled at her, but there was something about him she couldn’t put her finger on that lured her to him like a moth to a flame. She couldn’t bring herself to think of him as a murderer, or perhaps she just didn’t want to. Forcing herself away from her musings, and the pain screaming in her feet, she sighed. “Thanks, but I’ll be fine.” Although she didn’t want to, Tina pulled her hand free of his warm grasp and shoved it back into her jacket pocket. Closing her hands into tight fists, she tamped down the urge to reach out and run her fingers through his inky black locks. Come on, Tina, get a grip. Glancing to his face once again, she stilled. He was closer than was safe. If he wanted to, he could reach out and grab her, and she wouldn’t be able to do a thing about it. Even with him so close to her, his menacing size towering over her, and his mysterious black eyes boring into her, she wasn’t afraid. Why aren’t I afraid? He stood more than a foot taller than her, even though she wore stilettos. He had to be at least six and a half feet tall, and a solid wall of muscle. Unable to stop herself, she let her eyes roam over the large chest and broad shoulders wrapped in a thick leather jacket, before allowing them to slide down to a trim waist and even lower still to thick, muscular legs encased in tight, faded jeans. She should be afraid, very afraid, of this huge muscular stranger edging closer to her, but instead, her heartbeat sped up, thumping an erratic tattoo in her chest, and a fiery heat
ignited low in her stomach. Instead of fear, to her shock and dismay, she felt…arousal. “Is something wrong?” Sucking in a breath, she felt her cheeks heat with a blush as raising her face, their eyes met. The smile spreading across his mouth solidified her fears of being caught ogling the goods. “No,” she answered quickly. Grinning knowingly, he slid his hands into his pockets. “Listen, I just want to make sure you make it home safely,” he said, his voice sliding over her as thick and rich as molasses. “If it would help, you can hold this the entire ride.” She watched curiously as he strode back to the motorcycle. Reaching into one of the bags hanging at the sides, he pulled out a small aerosol can. He then turned back to her. “Here.” “What’s this?” she asked, taking the can carefully. “Pepper spray. Look, I know what this guy is capable of, and I couldn’t live with myself if I let you go and something happened to you. Let me give you a ride home.” Wow, a man with a conscience, she thought to herself. Didn’t they die out with the dodo bird? Taking one last hard look at the stranger before her, Tina shook her head in defeat. It was five long miles to her apartment, and after the day she just experienced, the last thing she wanted was to walk all that way in the cold. Especially with the reminder of the killer lurking in her already rattled mind. He was a cop and offering to give her a can of pepper spray to defend herself while he gave her a ride home. He couldn’t be that bad…right? Shaking the can next to her head, she listened to the liquid within slosh around. What she really wanted to do was hit the button on the top and see if it would spray, but the risk of getting it in her own eyes, as the wind was blowing rather hard, was enough to deter her. The fact that something was indeed in the can would have to be proof enough. She relented. “Okay, but straight there. No funny business, got it?” She nearly laughed as he held up his fingers and swore—Scouts Honor—for he looked nothing like a boy scout, and everything like someone her mom would have warned her about. She watched as he mounted the bike and then, mimicking his movements, straddled the seat behind him. “Have you ever been on a bike before?” What the hell do you think? “No.” “You’ll be fine. Just hold on tight and we’ll be there in no time. Squeeze me with your knees when we get close. Which direction?” “All right. It’s five miles straight down this street.” Nodding, he started the bike. Taking a deep breath, Tina eased her arms around his waist, her knees and inner thighs touching his waist and hips. His body felt incredibly warm against hers, and she couldn’t suppress the shiver that racked her body. The heat of his strong back against her breasts and inner thighs as she straddled him from behind stirred her already rising arousal to new heights. It took every
ounce of control not to flex her fingers into the hard flesh of his abdomen and explore the muscles lying beneath the taut skin. She’d never reacted so quickly, and in such a manner, to a man, and the realization startled her. Had she been without a man in her bed so long that she was reduced to a writhing, arousal swamped, quivering heap, at the mere sight of an attractive man? The thought wasn’t a comforting one, and she ruthlessly pushed it aside. Although they were seated normally for two people riding a motorcycle, she couldn’t help but feel as though they were intimately closer than need be. Not that she minded. Closing her eyes, Tina savored the feel of his rock hard abs beneath her palms as the motorcycle roared to life and they shot into the darkness toward her apartment building. The biting wind nipped at her nose. At this rate, she would be a Popsicle by the time they arrived. Absently, she laid her cheek against his back. Immediately, his body blocked the cold air. Where had this guy come from? He was sexy, kind, and considerate. He must have a major flaw of some kind, like a girlfriend perhaps. Tina didn’t have the best of luck with men, and this one, with all of his perfection, was too good to be true. She’d learned a long time ago if it seemed too good to be true, it probably was. Relaxing against him, she sighed as the trials of the day began to weigh heavily on her. However, meeting Alex was the bright spot in her otherwise crappy night, and she smiled. Many months had passed since she’d been this close to a man, and she couldn’t remember one being as devastatingly sexy as the one currently seated between her legs. They’d be at her apartment soon, and she would never see him again. Why not enjoy this one little piece of pleasure of warm human contact, small and insignificant as it might seem, while she had the chance? After this night, he would go back to the girlfriend she suspected he had, and she would go back to her normal life. Alone. * Alex fought the urge to reach down and hold her palm firm against his stomach. She felt warm and soft against him as they rode down the desolate street, the wind blasting against them, the rumble of the motorcycle vibrating beneath them. He could feel her heartbeat thumping strong and healthy as she pressed herself against his back, and once again, his fangs tried to shift. He needed to feed. He hadn’t the chance before leaving his hotel room earlier in the evening, and now, he was beginning to feel the effects. His hunger must be the reason he reacted to her so strongly. A tight squeeze of her knees grabbed his attention, and he tilted his head toward her. “It’s the third building down on the left,” she said loudly, her breath close to his ear, whispering gently against his skin as it mingled with the crisp early morning air. Nodding, he rolled the bike to a stop against the curb outside the large gray building. Running his tongue over his teeth to ensure his fangs were behaving themselves, he dismounted, then offered his hand, and helped her slide to her feet. He stood close to her for a moment while she regained her footing. Peering down at her, he took in her petite stature once again. Even with those insanely high heels, she barely reached the middle of his chest. With her pale hair, skin, and big green eyes, she
reminded him of a pixie. This brought him to another thing he liked about her that he’d never been attracted to before. He wasn’t the petite type. He liked his women long and leggy, but just standing near Tina, he felt himself heating like an ember flaring into a full-fledged flame. Stepping away in an attempt to put some distance between them, Alex looked up at the building. “Fallwell Towers. I’ve been here. A friend of mine lived on the third floor a few years ago. It’s a nice place.” Nodding, she smiled. “Yes, it is. Does your friend still live here?” “No, he got a promotion and moved.” “Oh.” She nodded with understanding. Walking beside her, they came to a stop at the double-glass doors. The guard nodded to them through the glass, his eyes lighting with recognition as Tina waved, and he returned the gesture. Turning to face him, she smiled, her eyes flashing the most enchanting green as they stood under the brightly lit awning. “I'm not sure how to thank you,” she began slowly. “I appreciate the ride. You surprised me. I didn’t think nice guys still existed.” She finished, handing him his can of pepper spray. “Who said I was a nice guy?” he teased with a wicked grin, and she chuckled. “Nobody, I suppose,” she said with a grin of her own. “Keep it,” he said, handing the can back to her. “You never know when it might come in handy.” Smiling meekly, she slipped the small can carefully into her pocket. “It would have earlier tonight.” “I suppose it would have.” Reaching out, he tucked a wayward piece of hair behind her ear. Her eyes widened, and momentarily he feared he’d overstepped the boundaries, but instead of backing away as he feared she would, she simply smiled up at him, her eyelids lowering ever so slightly, as though delighting in his touch. Why did she tempt him so completely? A hunger had begun to fill him the moment he laid eyes on her. It beckoned him, ensnared him, and begged him to move closer to her. He’d never felt this way before, so entranced, so hypnotized, so mesmerized by a single female, and the realization frightened him to the core. Dropping his hand, he stepped away and gazed down into her angelic face. “You must be freezing. I should go and let you get inside before you catch a cold,” he forced himself to say as he took a step backward. He needed to get away from her; it had to be his lack of blood that pressed him so relentlessly to touch her, to kiss her, to sink his teeth deep into her while bringing her the most exquisite pleasure she’d ever known over and over again. As much as he wanted that to be the case, he knew deep in his soul it wasn’t. He feared he faced something much more permanent, something everlasting, and all consuming, something he’d never wanted, never craved…until now. His mate. He wouldn’t come to that conclusion, not yet, not completely. The all-consuming hunger for her was undeniable, but would she plague his dreams, his every thought, until
he took her, until she accepted him? Would he feel that overwhelming possessiveness toward her that came with finding a mate? He needed more time to be certain. “Thanks again,” she said. Sending her a small salute, he forced himself to turn and stride back to his bike. “Sleep well, Tina.” Throwing his leg over the bike, he settled himself. Once back at the hotel he would be able to feed and perhaps then think more clearly about what was happening between him and his new little friend. “Wait!” Looking up, he watched as she crossed the sidewalk quickly before stopping beside him. She appeared uncertain and just a pinch nervous as she wrung her hands in front of her. The urge to smile assailed him, for she looked adorable all a twitter, but he quickly pushed the urge aside. He needed to hear what she wanted to say. “I know this is a little forward, but would you like to have dinner with me tonight? I mean, that is, if you're single and have the time. If not, I completely understand, I just—” “I would love to.” Blinking with surprise, she smiled as his words sank in and nodded once. “Well, all right then.” She laughed. “I work until seven. Would you like to meet me here, or is there somewhere else you prefer?” “Why don’t I just pick you up at work?” he suggested with a grin. “That is, if it won’t cause any trouble for you. That way you won’t have to worry about catching a cab home and I don’t have to worry about you being mugged again.” Not only would he get to see what she did for a living, he would have the satisfaction of knowing she was safe. She looked torn for a moment but nodded quickly. “Okay, pick me up at Happy’s on South Seventh Street, next door to the Tattoo Bungalow. Just come in when you get there. I’ll probably be in the back.” Happy’s? Is that a bar or something? he wondered, but shrugged the thought aside as unimportant. “I’ll be there.” “Goodnight, Alex.” Watching the sway of her perfectly rounded hips as she made her way back to the doors, he groaned silently as the guard let her in and secured the door behind her. “Goodnight, Tina.”
Chapter Three “You almost got busy with a stranger?” Shaking her head, Tina continued placing movies along the newly empty shelves. She’d made plans to stick around the apartment today after her new bed was delivered to put it together, but decided to go in and help Val stock the shelves for a couple of hours since the company called to say the delivery had been delayed. The new bed wouldn’t arrive until late the following morning. She and Val had been best friends all of their lives. There were no secrets between them, and when Tina decided to open the store a little more than two years ago, Val had been more than happy, anxious even, to lend a hand. Val was pretty, with dark brown hair and perfectly arched eyebrows setting over large hazel eyes framed by thick, long eyelashes. She was a bit taller than Tina, but who wasn’t? Most of all, she was loyal, which was something Tina valued more than anything. “Was he that hot? I mean seriously, one minute you’re getting mugged and the next you're sucking face with some motorcycle riding stranger?” “It wasn’t like that and we didn’t suck face. He’s a cop.” Cocking her head to the side, one eyebrow rose arrogantly, and Val shook her head. “What’s gotten into you? He said he was a cop so you automatically believed him? He could’ve been the Monthly Murderer for all you knew, and now he knows where you live!” Closing her eyes, Tina sent up a silent prayer for patience. She knew Val was only trying to protect her, but sometimes she reminder her of a mother hen. “He must’ve really been something.” Val continued quietly. “To stir you, thewoman-who’s-never-had-a-one-night-stand, up so quickly.” “He was, and we’re going out tonight.” Grinning, Val laughed. “This guy better look like George Clooney to have you all overheated like this.” “Overheated? What are you talking about?” Turning away from the now full shelf, Val strode back across the main floor of the store and circled behind the counter. Pulling out a sheet of paper, she wagged a finger at Tina. She might have been a bit distracted this morning due to lack of sleep, but she definitely wasn’t overheated, as Val so elegantly put it. What little sleep she’d been able to procure had been filled with libidinous dreams of Alex. Of his beautiful mouth roaming her body, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to clear her mind, she dusted off her hands and joined Val behind the counter. “Look at this.” Taking the papers Val offered, Tina frowned. “You see that?” Val pointed at the paper. “This morning when you were placing our order you put us down for thirty copies of Debbie Does Dallas, instead of three, and you ordered fifty… fifty,” she enunciated the number, “Glow-In-the-Dark Clone-A-Willie
kits, instead of five.” “Damn.” Placing her palm on her forehead, Tina groaned. Maybe she was a bit overheated. “It’s all right.” Val grinned. “I fixed it before I sent it in.” “Thanks.” Tina sighed with relief. “I owe you one.” “That’s all right; you can give me all the details of your impending date and tell me who this secret admirer of yours is.” Glancing around frantically, Tina cringed. “Oh no, not again.” “Yep,” Val smiled. “They're right over there.” Looking in the direction in which Val pointed, Tina groaned. She hadn’t noticed the flowers when she came in, but now that she did, she sincerely wished she had missed them altogether. Three-dozen roses sat in separate vases along the wall. “When did they arrive?” “When you were in the back. Any idea who this guy is?” Tina shook her head. “None. And it’s getting kind of weird. He’s sending them to my apartment too.” Val nibbled on her thumbnail like she always did when she was thinking about something. “How long has he been sending you flowers?” “Almost everyday for a month now. I’ve even called the flower shop and asked them to stop delivering them, but they said they couldn’t refuse the customer unless I produced proof that he is indeed a stalker.” Val nodded. “That is kind of weird. Are you going to go to the police?” To be honest, she’d thought about it, but what would she tell them? That some secret admirer was sending her flowers? It wasn’t like there was anything they could do about it. Whoever was sending the flowers hadn’t tried to hurt or to even contact her in any way. No harm done, but she still felt odd about the entire situation. “No. It’s not like they could do anything anyway. I don’t even know who’s sending them or why.” Tina watched discreetly as a pair of customers walked in and began browsing the shelves before selecting a specific item. “That’s true,” Val agreed quietly, lost in thought a moment longer, then asked. “So, is he meeting you at your apartment? Tina looked away. “Not exactly.” “Don’t tell me he’s picking you up here?” “Okay, I won’t.” “Are you crazy?” Val nearly shrieked. Ignoring her friend’s question, Tina turned to the customer who just approached the counter and smiled pleasantly before asking, “Do you need batteries with this?” When the customer smiled and shook her head no, Tina gave her her change and watched as she exited the store, obviously happy with her purchase. “Tina?” Val pressed. “Yeah, why not?” she answered casually, taking a seat on one of the leather stools next to Val.
“Uh, hello?” Val said, tapping on the side of Tina’s head. “Don’t you think the sight of all this—” She waved her hands around with exaggeration. “—might frighten him off?” Looking around at all the many different items, Tina shook her head and shrugged. “Either that or give him ideas.” She knew not to get her hopes up when it came to men. When Val cocked an eyebrow at her, Tina sighed. Since opening the store two years ago, she hadn’t been out with a man who hadn’t either thought she was a freak or easy once they discovered what she did for a living. Slowly, after so many failed attempts at starting a relationship, she just stopped dating all together. It wasn’t worth the time or effort. She liked what she knew of Alex and wanted the opportunity to get to know him better, but she wanted to get this hurdle out of the way first. Why get to know him only for him to bolt at the first sight of a blow-up doll or turn into a naughty satyr and treat her like a whore? She didn’t understand men. She sold toys; it wasn’t like she was a prostitute. Still, that didn’t stop their wayward thoughts or biased opinions. She’d even met some women who judged her much the same way, even though many of them shopped at her store regularly. “Maybe he’ll surprise us.” Val laughed, patting her shoulder comfortingly. “He sounds delicious.” Tina smiled widely. “You have no idea.” “Let’s get the boxes unloaded.” Tina smiled as she stood and moved toward the box behind them. Lifting the box from behind the counter, she and Val carried it across the main floor to the newly empty far wall. Six long racks full of items for both men and women lined the middle of the showroom and eight more, full of lingerie, costumes and several styles of shoes, ran in the opposite direction at the rear of the store, while all three walls had been cleared and were ready to be stocked with new movies. Pulling a box knife across the thick, brown packaging tape, Val peeled back the flaps and revealed the contents. “This is only the first box. There are five more in the back.” When she pulled a long box from the packing box, white Styrofoam peanuts flitted to the floor. Val shook her head and laughed. “It still surprises me what gets people going, you know?” Pulling out a box, Tina read the package and choked back her own bark of laughter. “The Sword,” she read aloud. “Sixteen inches of pure pleasure.” Flipping the box over, she couldn’t hold her laughter in when she caught sight of the product. “It’s a penis with a sword handle.” Val cackled. “And if that’s too big, here’s a smaller version called, The Dagger.” She grinned, pulling a smaller box from the Styrofoam. “It glows in the dark.” “That puts a whole new spin on playing pirates.” Tina giggled once more and began hanging the boxes by their small plastic hooks on the metal rods jutting from the wall.
“Whatever turns their crank, I suppose.” She sighed. Who was she to judge? She owned an adult toy store and hadn’t had the big O in over a year. If she couldn’t get it from a real live human, she didn’t want it. However, that wasn’t the case for everyone, thank goodness, or she’d be out of business. She made a good living selling the items, and she wasn’t about to knock what paid her bills and fed her shoe and handbag fetish. They worked in silence a moment longer before Val’s voice sounded quietly. “Did you hear?” “Hear what?” Tina asked curiously. “The Monthly Murderer struck again.” “What? When?” “They found what was left of the body this morning,” Val answered. “They said it must be him. The victim was last seen leaving Club Spade with a dark-haired man and her body was burnt to a crisp, just like the others,” she finished sadly. Tina’s stomach lurched. This guy was a real sicko. “That means he’s killed—” She appeared to be counting in her head. “—three a month for the last six months. That makes…eighteen!” she said with disbelief. “I can’t figure out why they haven’t caught him,” Val said irritably. “How does someone kill eighteen women in the same city without being caught? They don’t have any evidence or a suspect or anything.” She finished with a scowl. “What about the surveillance tapes from the clubs?” “They said the guy the women were said to have left with was only on them from behind. Like he knew where the cameras were, and how to keep his face out of them. All they know is that he’s a large man with dark brown or black hair, and he always strikes on different days of the week, never the same day in a row.” Hanging the last box on the wall, they made their way toward the back of the store for more boxes. “I still can’t believe you were mugged.” “Me either.” Tina sighed. “Just right outside, too.” “It could have been a whole lot worse,” Val said seriously. “I’m so happy you're all right.” Linking her arm thought her friend’s, Tina smiled. “Thanks.” “Did you get everything straightened out?” “Yeah,” Tina sighed. Thankfully it hadn’t been as much of a hassle as she thought it would be. “I got the credit cards cancelled, and they’re issuing new ones that should be here by tomorrow, and my new BlackBerry should be delivered this afternoon.” Propping her hands on her hips she grinned. “ I hope the UPS guy’s early; I think I’m having phone withdrawal.” Val giggled. “I love when the UPS guy comes in here. He always seems so lost. His cheeks get all red, and he stammers. Poor thing.” Tina laughed. “At least you got it all taken care of before the whack job was able to do any damage,” Val replied. “You said your keys were in your purse. Did you change your locks?” “The guard wouldn’t let someone he didn’t recognize past the front desk, but I’m not
taking any chances. The locksmith is there as we speak.” Turning the knob, she opened the storeroom door, and followed Val inside. Each picking up another box, they pushed through the door and back out into the main room. “Good. Now all you have to worry about is your date.” Tina stopped abruptly, and then spun to face her friend, nearly toppling her over with the box she carried. Date! She hadn’t been on a real date in over a year. What was she thinking? What the hell had she gotten herself into? “Oh my gawd! I have a date!” **** Sucking the last drop of blood from the tubing, Alex tossed the now empty bag into the trash then headed toward the door. Even gorging himself on three bags of blood did nothing to cool his need to taste Tina. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. The possibility of her being his mate was becoming more and more of a reality. She haunted his dreams, his thoughts, his every waking moment. The feel of her heated flesh against his, her scent, her eyes, her full, tempting lips… It was all too much. All signs that she was his. Shaking his head, trying to force the lascivious images that haunted his dreams away, he shrugged into his jacket. What little sleep he’d been able to obtain throughout the day had been fitful, thanks to his libidinous dreams of Tina. When he’d finally fallen into a deep slumber, he’d overslept. Now, he was dangerously close to being late for their first date. Grasping the knob, he stopped as the vibration of his phone drew his attention. Removing the phone from his pocket, he checked the caller I.D., and frowned. Hitting the answer button, he pressed it to his ear. “What now?” “Nice to talk to you too.” “I have plans for tonight,” he answered brusquely, “and I’m running late. What’s up?” Captain Kevin Hallison was the last person Alex wanted to talk to. If he was calling, it was because the vampire the media dubbed as The Monthly Murderer had struck again. The captain was his contact inside the police department. Hallison’s mother was the mate to Alex’s much older boss. While the captain had known about their kind since childhood, he refused to let his mother turn him. He possessed no desire to harm, or reveal their kind, but he also held no desire to become one of them, even if it meant immortality. He knew it was selfish, but Alex didn’t want to deal with the case tonight. He had one thing on his mind, and that was Tina James, his prospective mate. “I’ll get right to it then,” Hallison’s voice rang over the line. “We found another body in the alley behind Carmines Italian Restaurant, just after sun up. Same M.O. as all the others.” “Damn it,” Alex growled. “How long had she been there?” “Looks like about twenty-four hours. She was partially hidden behind the dumpster. The garbage men found her. It looks like she was trying to get out of the sun.”
“That makes sense,” Alex replied. “The sun was burning her. It’s only logical that she would try to get into the nearest shaded area.” “My thoughts exactly,” Hallison agreed. Alex didn’t want to, but he needed to go to the station and see what he could do. He needed to see the crime scene and look for anything the police might have missed. She would probably hate him, but he needed to call off his date with Tina. Blowing out a frustrated breath, he speared his fingers through his hair and grumbled, “I’ll be right there.” “No need,” the captain said easily. “I went down and checked out the scene myself. I didn’t find anything there, and she was burnt just as badly as the others. I’ll be surprised if they can identify her at all.” “What if the medical examiner finds something off about her? He could realize she wasn’t…normal,” Alex finished lamely. Although Captain Hallison knew all about vampires, Alex still found it hard to say the word vampire in front of the human. “There's barely anything left of her. Dr. Pauls already examined the body, or what was left, and determined the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.” “That can’t be right,” Alex interjected. “Even if she’d been hit in the head, the turning would have healed her before the sun fried her.” “True, but he was starting to get suspicious about some of the odd findings, as you expressed concern he would, so I made a call and had one of your people come in and take care of it. All of the other victims’ autopsy reports have been altered to match.” “You had one of the elders wipe his memory?” Alex asked with disbelief. Only the oldest vampires could do such a thing. After a vamp passed the one thousand year mark, mind reading and the ability to change, rearrange, or even remove memories started to come to them slowly. “Don’t sound so surprised. I have to look out for your kind too, you know. They only wiped his memory of the odd findings and replaced them with ones of finding severe trauma to the head, nothing else.” Sighing, Alex nodded. The thought of someone poking around and rearranging his mind sent a disgusted shiver over his skin. What an invasion of privacy that must be. “Thanks. I’ll be in tomorrow evening.” “See you then.” Disconnecting the call, Alex grabbed his keys. Tina’s eyes flashed in his mind, and despite the news he just received, he couldn’t help but smile fondly at the memory. He needed some time away from this case and time with Tina would be just the diversion, even if it were only for a few hours. Not only would her presence get his mind off the case, he would have the chance to solidify the questions of whether or not she was his mate.
Chapter Four Pulling in front of the building, Alex leaned over to look out the passenger side window, and frowned. “This can’t be right,” he said with confusion as he peered out. He noted the building appeared much larger than the other buildings in the neighborhood as he opened the car door and stepped out. It certainly wasn’t a bar as he originally suspected. A large, pink neon sign reading Happy’s hung above a double set of ground-to-ceiling windows and a large metal door. Narrowing his eyes, Alex could only wonder why exactly those windows were blacked out. What the hell is this place? Slamming the door on the car he rented when coming to town, he stepped onto the sidewalk and looked around. The tattoo parlor next door was near to bursting at the seams with people waiting their turn to feel the needle. Every person had either a lot of color, or a lot of metal on them, and for a moment, Alex cursed with a pang of jealousy. He’d always wanted a tattoo, but because his body would see a tattoo as an injury, the ink would seep out as he healed, leaving no trace of the design. Looking back to the mysterious building before him, a line of people carrying bags of all shapes and sizes with Happy’s stamped on the side streamed out. The smiles and giggles bubbling from the women as the exited the building sparked his curiosity into a full burning flame, and before he could think, he found himself pushing through the heavy metal door, glimpsing only momentarily at the No one under eighteen years of age allowed sign covering the lower half of it. Stopping just inside the door, Alex peered around as another group of women pushed past him. It’s a shop of some kind. Striding a little deeper into the store, Alex turned toward the first rack of items before him and gaped with shock as his mind took in the sight before him. “That’s Betty. Ahhh, I love her.” Blinking out of his shock, he turned to the man next to him. “Betty?” he asked quietly with confusion. “I’ve gone through two of her. She’s the best.” Nodding with a grin that would frighten the devil, the other man clapped Alex on the shoulder before moving to the counter with a couple of boxes, another Betty amongst them. Taking a closer look at the box, his head still reeling, Alex began to read the package. Bouncing Betty does it all. From fucking to sucking, she’s the girl for you! Stepping away from the shelf quickly, he froze as his gaze darted around the room. There were tits and ass everywhere. An entire rack of penises lined the far wall, and the rack before him held sex dolls of every size, shape, and color. A sex shop, he realized. He was standing in the middle of an adult store. No wonder the women, and a few men, leaving were grinning ear to ear. Tina works in a sex shop? No way, he thought.
“Everything on that rack comes with free batteries, and no, you can’t try it before you buy it, so don’t ask.” Turning toward the voice, still astounded at his recent discovery, he shook his head and proceeded toward the cashier who sat flipping through a magazine behind the counter, her bubblegum popping every few seconds. “I think I might be in the wrong place,” He said quickly in hushed tones as he quickly approached the counter. “Oh,” she said, her eyes lighting, “we have an entire section for homosexuals located along the rear wall to your left.” Gawking at the woman once again, he shook his head. “I-I’m not gay,” he stuttered, holding up one hand. “Oh,” she said cautiously, her demeanor growing wary, her voice laced with a hint of repulsion. “We also have blow-up sheep, goats, pigs and—” “No-no-no-no-no-no!” he said with disgust. “I’m looking for Tina James.” He rushed on before she could recite any other offensive items. “Does she work here? “Oh, yeah,” she said with a bright smile while still chewing her gum. Relief lit her expression. “She’s in the back. I’ll go get her.” “Thank you.” He exhaled, unable to keep his own relief from his voice. Blow-up animals? What kind of weirdoes do they get in this place? Tina was more of a mystery than he’d imagined, but the fact she worked in a place like this changed nothing. Leaning against the counter, he watching discreetly as men, women, and couples perused the sections and made their selections while smiling and chatting amongst themselves. He let his mind drift back to the possibility of Tina being his mate. A mate was a special thing, a rare, precious treasure to be kept safe and loved. Vampires weren’t given only one mate in a lifetime, as some of the more unfortunate species of immortals were. He could think of two such species. If they lost their mates, they would live the remainder of their existence alone. Of course, they could take another lover; even marry, but the special bond only true mates shared wouldn’t be shared between them, their love never as deep as if they were mated. Although vampires weren’t given only one mate, when a vampire found a mate, they fought to the death to keep them, and rarely was one ever lost. It was easy to picture Tina as his, tangled in his satin sheets, flushed with passion, begging for more as he loved her senseless, swollen with child, holding their children. He could also picture sinking his fangs into her delicate flesh as he rode her, tasting her sweet life’s blood as it flowed over his tongue. Smiling at the thought of Tina’s soft skin sliding sensually beneath his, he sighed. This occupation of hers had been a surprise, and he wondered how many more surprises were still to come. It didn’t matter. It wouldn’t matter what quirks or eccentricities she revealed to him, he would still want her. Glancing toward the door the cashier disappeared into he shook his head. Who are you, Tina James? * “How’s he taking it?” Looking expectantly at her employee, Val’s younger sister, Mary, Tina worried her
bottom lip. “Um, well, he was taking it rather well,” she mumbled. “Was?” She could hear a but coming, and her stomach knotted. Mary blushed as she wrung her hands in front of her. “I may have offended him.” “What did you do, Mary?” Val probed. Looking just a bit worried and possibly embarrassed Mary blew out a breath. “When he told me he thought he was in the wrong place, I might have suggested he look in our homosexual department.” “Mary!” Val gasped. “Wait, there's more,” she mumbled sadly. “There's more?” Val gasped. “Then, when he said that wasn’t what he was looking for either, I might have suggested the blow-up animals.” “Why the hell would you do that?” Val shrieked. Tina leaned her forehead into her hands and sighed. She hadn’t even stepped foot in front of him, and this date was already over. “He was looking at the Bouncing Betties when he said he was lost, so I thought he might be gay. Then, when he said that wasn’t what he was looking for, I thought he might be one of those rare sicko’s we get.” She rushed on. “I’m so sorry, Tina. I had no idea.” Tina held up a hand to stop Mary’s stream of apologies. She’d been so busy getting ready for her date with Alex that she hadn’t thought to describe him to Mary. This was her fault; Mary had only been doing her job. “It’s all right,” Tina said quietly as she rose from the desk chair. Tugging down the slinky black silk dress, she checked her hair in the mirror once again and groaned silently. She and Val had been getting her ready for the last hour, and she had to admit she looked good. Too bad it’s all for nothing she thought unhappily. “I didn’t expect him to stick around anyway.” It would have been nice, she thought as she moved toward the door. Grabbing her jacket from the rack, she folded it over her arm. Once she was certain he’d left, she would head home to soak her woes away in a bubble bath. He’d probably hit the door running once Mary left his sight. Maybe it would be better this way. If Alex left, she wouldn’t have to face him, to hear his phony reasons for rejecting her. She’d heard them all before and, knew without a doubt, hearing one from Alex would be worse than all the others, as no other man ever haunted her the way he did. There hadn’t been a second of the day when the memory of his black eyes and tempting smile hadn’t consumed her mind. It was a little disconcerting that just a wink and a smile from the man could send her arousal into overdrive, but she could have lived with it. Shoving through the doors, Tina stepped into the main room and stopped mid-stride with surprise as Alex’s ebony eyes bore into her with an intensity she could feel to the tips of her toes. A chill swept across her skin as slowly as his eyes traveled the length of her body, openly taking in her appearance. Suddenly, she felt bare, as though she stood nude before him. Fighting the crushing urge to wrap the jacket in her hands around herself to block his probing gaze, she smiled weakly and forced her unsteady legs to carry her forward.
“I-I didn’t think you would still be here.” He frowned. “Where else would I be?” Blushing, she shrugged. “I thought you would’ve left after, after…” She waved a hand about the room, at a loss for words. “After I realized where you work?” “Actually,” she murmured, “I own this place. Well, my friend Val and I own it.” She watched curiously as his expression changed not one bit. His devastatingly handsome smile remained in place as he shrugged and reached out to clasp her hand. “Even better. I was worried about getting you in trouble with the boss by showing up here.” Pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist, his eyes met hers as he raised his head. “You look beautiful.” His eyes are black, she mused. How’s that possible? Contacts maybe? No, he didn’t seem to be the type to wear something as dramatic as black contact lenses. Whatever the cause of his odd eyes, she liked it. They were void of all readable expression, leaving one to guess his thoughts, his feelings. To her, they were inviting, alluring, intoxicating even. Shrugging the thought aside, she smiled up at him. She couldn’t believe he was still there after his misunderstanding with Mary. He’s a cop, she remembered. Perhaps this situation was tame compared to what he was used to seeing. After all, he was working on the Monthly Murderer case. She hadn’t seen what exactly the women looked like after they’d been killed, and she didn’t want to, but she could only imagine after seeing something so gruesome, an adult novelty store wasn’t something to balk at. “Mary told me about the items she offered you.” He nodded with a crooked smile. “The…animals,” she began, “are more or less gag gifts.” She pressed on, a blush of embarrassment burning her cheeks. “We have some guys come in here and purchase them for bachelor parties and so on.” Chuckling, he smoothed the back of one finger down her cheek. “That’s good to know.” He nodded. “But you don’t have to explain. Everyone likes something different.” Smiling, he added, “You look beautiful, by-the-way.” “So you said.” She smiled shyly. “Thank you. You look handsome yourself.” Where’d this guy come from? she asked herself again with astonishment as he took the long jacket from her hands and helped her into it. Her entire body tingled from the gentle caress of his long, hard fingers against her cheek. He grinned. “Thank you.” If one innocent touch could make her tingle like that, she needed to do her utmost best to avoid any physical contact with Alex, or they would end up rolling around in her bed before the night ended, and that was something she’d never done before. One-night stands, no matter how badly she needed a man, remained something she refused to do. Would it be so bad to give in just this once? If that happened to be where this night led, would it hurt to give in just this once? She couldn’t remember ever being this attracted to a man, and that lack of memory wasn’t because of her lengthy lack of sex period. She’d never met anyone who heated her
blood, who twisted her thoughts and tempted her to do things she would never normally do, as Alex did with a simple smile. “Ready to go?” Smiling, she nodded as a slight hope began to blossom deep within her. “Absolutely.” Peeking back over her shoulder, she smiled at the sight of Val and Mary, grinning ear to ear as they peeked from the storage room door. Whatever happened, it better be good. Val and Mary would definitely want details. Glancing back to the man beside her as he pressed open the door and ushered her through, she took a deep breath. Maybe he’s different after all.
Chapter Five Her dress was so short it should have been illegal, but she looked amazing. So amazing, in fact, she’d turned the head of more than one man upon entering the restaurant. Alex fought to control the urge to pummel each and every one of them. Despite her petite stature, the silky black dress hugged her curves and made her legs look a mile long, and the high heels she wore only added to the image. Her hair sat in a twist at the back of her head, restrained by a small bejeweled clip that allowed her long curls to tumble over it and flow in golden waves to the middle of her back. Sex appeal poured from her as naturally as the wind blew, and everyone seemed to realize it, except her. How could she not know how amazingly sexy she was? Pulling out her chair, he watched as she settled herself before taking a seat across from her. The Italian restaurant he’d chosen was small and cozy; the lights dimmed just enough to give the place a soft, romantic glow. The tables were rich mahogany with brilliant, white tablecloths spread diagonally across their tops, allowing the tables dark corners to remain exposed. A small cluster of tea light candles circled a miniature bouquet of roses in the center of every table. She was unreservedly female, and this romantic setting, he hoped, was something she would appreciate. “I love this place.” Smiling, he nodded, hoping the relief he felt wasn’t clear in his expression. “I haven’t been here, but I like Italian food. A friend of mine said it was the best in town.” “It is,” she affirmed with a nod. “There’s almost always a box of leftovers from this place in my fridge.” He didn’t eat often, only when in the presence of humans and it was impossible not to. Food wouldn’t make him sick, but it held no appeal to his kind, the taste now bland and unimpressive, nothing like it had been before being turned. He liked the action, as it gave him some semblance of humanity. Alex watched quietly as she perused the menu, her deep green eyes resting on an item before moving on to the next. Although, he could think of better times to have found his mate—like when this case was over and the Monthly Murderer was caught—the idea of having a mate, this female in particular, already had begun to grow on him. Brow furrowing, his smile faded. He knew better than to think along those lines. All day he’d thought about what would happen when he told her his secret. How would she react? Would she cry? Be afraid? Think he was insane? He hoped it was none of the above, but feared it would be all three. Although most humans who were the mate to a vampire eventually came around and accepted the situation, a small number were unable to overcome their fears and had to have their memories rearranged so they didn’t remember the omission that their love was a vampire and the memory of an amicable split planted in their minds. “Is everything all right?” Glancing up, he caught her worried expression with his own and nodded. “I was just thinking,” he began.
“I can only imagine.” She smiled shyly. “It must have been quite a shock to find yourself in an adult store.” “Yes, it was,” he admitted, pressing his darker thoughts aside. “Why didn’t you tell me about your business? What made you decide to open Happy’s?” As she began to answer, the waiter approached to take their order. “Welcome to Ramon’s. What may I get you tonight, sir?” After placing his order, Alex sat quietly while the young man turned to Tina and openly gaped with appreciation while she rattled out her order; completely unaware of the other man’s open appreciation of her beauty… and bosom. Alex watched as the younger man’s eyes widened and a slow grin spread across his face as he discreetly watched the rise and fall of Tina’s chest. Alex itched to knock the smile from his handsome face. He couldn’t blame the kid. The low cut of Tina’s dress showed just enough cleavage to make a man’s mouth water, and the open back was an invitation for his hands. The thought of this guy imagining Tina’s bare flesh, of touching her, enjoying her, was more than Alex could bear. His hand curled into a fist as he lowered it to his lap beneath the table. As Tina giggled at something the young man said, Alex growled low in his throat. Meeting the young man’s eye, he scowled and watched as all color drained from the waiter’s smooth face. Most people were afraid of his black eyes, and it usually bothered Alex, but in situations like this, it worked to his advantage. Not flirting now, are you, jackass? Smiling at Tina’s expression of curiosity as the waiter scurried away, he took a sip of his wine and relaxed back into his chair. “Now, you were saying?” * Taking a sip of her water, Tina watched as the waiter hurried away. Was that a growl? She wondered. Surely Alex couldn’t be jealous. Pushing the thought aside, she thought back on how the shop came to be and smiled. “My best friend Val and I grew up together in Jersey,” she began. “We both wanted to be in business when we grew up. We didn’t know exactly what kind of business, but never did we think we would end up owning the type of business we have now.” She chuckled. “But after college, I took a job at a local office doing clerical work, and after a couple of years, it just became too daunting to handle. I realized that maybe working in an office day in and day out wasn’t what I wanted. I needed room to grow, a little freedom, you know?” “Absolutely.” He nodded. Smiling, she continued. “As it turns out, Val was having the same doubts. So, we took some time off and took a trip to Europe.” “Europe?” She grinned. “We told everyone the trip was to get some prospective, to figure out what we were going to do with our lives since we were now undecided about our careers, but we really just wanted to see Paris.” She chuckled. “I see.” He laughed. “One night while there, we met a woman from here in the states. We got to talking,
and she told us about her business.” “An adult store?” he guessed with a smile. She nodded. “She started with one shop, and after less than ten years, owned an entire chain of successful stores.” “At first, Val laughed it off, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and when we got back, I told her I thought we could pull it off. She trusted my judgment, and six months later, we opened Happy’s.” “That was quite a risk. Not many people are very accepting of a business like yours.” “That’s true,” she agreed, leaning back slightly as the waiter hurriedly set their plates before them, before once again rushing away. Watching the young man scuttle away, she shook her head, and then continued, “That doesn’t stop them from shopping there when they think no one’s looking.” Alex nodded. “I can believe that. Some people can be very judgmental. Hypocritical even.” Tina felt her smile falter as he said the words quietly. Although he wore a relaxed expression on his face, she detected a hint of sadness in his tone, as though he had experienced firsthand the wicked sting of judgment more than once before. “Yes, they can,” she mumbled as they began to enjoy their meal. Something niggled at the back of her mind. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on concerning Alex. He was near impossible to read. His expressions never gave away his true feelings, and his voice held all emotions in check. Thanks to his ebony eyes, his emotions were as hard to read as a locked diary. Perhaps she only imagined the hint of sadness in his voice…or had he let his guard slip? And why did he possess such a guard? Either way, she was more curious now than ever to learn all she could about the sexy Alex Monroe. “Is that why you thought I left tonight? Has it happened before?” Swallowing the bite of lasagna she’d just taken, she nodded. “More than once.” “Why?” he asked, confusion clear in his voice, and she smiled. “In my experience, and I'm not saying this happens to everyone—” She held up a hand. “—but over the last two years that we’ve owned the shop, every man Val and I have ever dated either balked when they found out about the shop, thinking we were some kind of perverts, or they stuck around hoping we were perverts and they would get a wild ride or two to tell their buddies about. We haven’t met a man who didn’t care about our occupation…yet.” “I don’t care that you own an adult store.” He smiled. “It’s not like you're selling yourself or hurting anyone. The way I see it you are, in a way, helping people.” He shrugged as he relaxed back in his chair, the plate before him now empty. His large frame blocked the view of the chair beneath him. He really was a large man, much larger than any she could ever remember seeing. However, she found she liked his size, and memories from the night before flashed in her mind’s eye. The feel of his hard body pressed flush against hers, the silky glide of his fingers as he brushed her hair away from her face, the warmth that radiated from him, seeping through her clothing as she held him tight… Now here he sat before her, large and mysterious, yet warm and inviting, saying exactly what she’d yearned to hear for so long.
For a moment, she could do nothing more than stare. It was like he’d reached inside her mind and pulled out exactly what she wanted, needed, to hear. If it seems too good to be true… Blinking from her surprise quickly, she nodded. “Exactly. Some people need a little boost in the bedroom, and some like to bring in something new to keep the excitement alive. It’s better, in my opinion, than them getting bored with each other and eventually cheating.” Alex grinned. “True, and I can see your store is quite the success, if the number of customers tonight is any indication.” “People like sex.” She grinned wickedly, feeling more comfortable with him as the conversation lengthened. “There's never a dull moment, and always a customer looking for something new. Val and I do quite well for ourselves and are happy with what we do. I can’t see us doing anything else.” “So, you're truly happy?” The question caught her off guard, but she considered it seriously for a moment before answering. Other than the fact that she was in her late twenties and still single, she couldn’t complain. She shrugged. “Yeah, I am.” She smiled sincerely. “The shop keeps me in a nice home and feeds my shoe and handbag fetish, so I can’t really complain. There are others with a lot less.” She shrugged. When Alex’s smile widened, she allowed hers to do the same.
Chapter Six “What about you? How’d you become a cop?” Walking toward the storeroom, her hand tucked securely into the crook of his elbow, he smiled down at her. Their dinner had passed quickly with lively conversation. He thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her life and expectations of the future, which weren’t too different from his own. They discussed her business, some of her childhood, and most of her likes and dislikes, many of which were the same as his. The night was still young, and instead of taking her back to her place, where he would be more than tempted to kiss her, touch her, and try to sway her into her bed, he jumped on her suggestion of going back to the shop and sharing coffee in the office in the back of the building. He’d done a decent job of avoiding questions concerning himself by asking Tina a steady stream of them about her life. The less he answered about himself now, the less he would have to lie, which meant less cleanup later. After all, when the time came to tell her what he was, he would have to explain the lies he told. However, his ability to dodge questions about himself had come to an end, and he could tell by her tone she wouldn’t be deterred. Her curiosity needed to be appeased. The look in her eyes gave no room for argument; she wanted to hear more about the man she just spent the evening with. Shaking his head, he struggled to find the best way to begin without giving too much away as they pressed through the crowded building and finally through the office door. The room was a bright white with black trim. A matching couch and loveseat, both a deep shade of red, sat centered in the room with a thick, dark wood table between them. Looking about the room, which was much larger than he expected, Alex spotted a large desk along the far wall holding a computer, printer, and an overflowing pile of papers scattered across its surface. Next to the desk sat a small table with a coffeepot and mugs, and farther down, a water cooler. The room was comfortable, and it felt as though he were in someone’s home instead of an office in the back of a porn shop. “Have a seat.” She waved toward the sofa. “I’ll get our coffee while you tell me how you became a cop.” Lowering himself onto the soft cushions, he sighed quietly and relaxed back into the fluffy comfort the sofa offered. The last thing he wanted to discuss at the moment was the very subject she seemed so eager to explore. Memories of that time so long ago weren’t high on his list of things he wanted to remember, but she was persistent, and she deserved to know a little about him. She’d spilled her fair share of important information about herself over dinner. He could only reciprocate. Alex watched the gentle sway of her body as she prepared their drinks. Her curves were so delectable and the sway of her hips mesmerizing as he pictured what lay hidden beneath that small scrap of black silk she considered a dress. As she turned to face him, a curious light in her eyes, he quickly pulled himself away
from the salacious thoughts and shook his head. “I didn’t always want to be a cop,” he began. “It was an accident really.” “An accident?” She laughed, “How do you accidentally become a cop?” She sat next to him. Setting their coffee on the table, she turned to face him, openly awaiting a response. Thinking back on that night so very long ago, Alex frowned. There was no way he could tell Tina what really transpired that night, but he had to tell her something. Deciding it would be in his best interest to stay as close to the truth as possible, but skirt the major details; he took a deep breath and began. “Walking home one night, I was attacked and left for dead.” She gasped. “That’s horrible.” You don’t know the half of it. “When I woke up, I was in the hospital and the cops were there asking questions I couldn’t answer.” “You didn’t remember anything? That must have been terrible for you.” It had been terrible, but not as terrible as what really happened when he awoke. Waking up after an attack in the dead of night was one thing; waking up a vampire was another. Nodding, he continued. “I couldn’t get the attack out of my mind and decided I needed to do something to help protect others.” He couldn’t stand the thought of someone else being ripped from their happy lives only to be thrust into a new world full of restrictions and regrets. He’d come to love what he had become, but he still missed the things he could do as a human which were impossible to do as a vampire. What he wouldn’t give to be able to lift his face to the sun without catching aflame, to go a single day without sucking blood from a bag, or simply to sit in a crowded movie theater without the smell of the patron’s blood taunting him, enticing his hunger. “So you became a cop.” “Actually, I’m a detective.” When her brows lowered in question, he elaborated. It wouldn’t hurt to tell her a little more about his job. Most of the details he could skirt without lying. He only needed to omit the fact that he, and all the other I.D.’s, were immortals of some kind. Hence the moniker Immortal Detectives or, I.D.’s for short. “I work for a branch of the government that takes on special cases.” “Special cases?” She sounded wary. “Cases that are so…difficult,” he said, struggling for lack of a better word, “that the local authorities, and even the FBI, are afraid to touch them, cases that have come to a dead end. We also investigate cold cases and so on.” “Cases like the Monthly Murderer.” She nodded with understanding. “Exactly. When he continued to kill women, and the locals were unable to gather any evidence, they called the FBI, and when they had no better luck…” “They called you,” she finished with certainty. “Exactly.” He nodded. **** As the night wore on, it grew impossible for Tina to look at Alex without picturing
him naked, sprawled atop her bed, his hair tousled about his head, his raven black eyes boring into her with passion as she straddled his hips, letting herself have full reign of his perfect body. The few details he revealed about himself only increased the pulsating need to have him. Over the past hours, she’d learned the reason he became a cop, where he was from, and many of the things he liked and disliked. All the acquired information only led her closer to the conclusion that he was, as she’d thought upon first meeting him, too good to be true. He was compassionate, charming, caring, kind, and incredibly sexy. He fit the description of a storybook hero. Shaking her head, she tried like the devil to not become too infatuated with Alex, but feared it was too late. “It’s getting late,” Alex said. Dragging herself back from her musings of Alex and all the lascivious things she could do to him, she looked to the clock and frowned. They’d left the restaurant a little after ten then journeyed back to the shop for coffee. Much to her surprise, they’d spent the last five hours lost in conversation. “I hadn’t realized it was getting so late,” she admitted. “I should get you home.” Standing, she slipped her shoes back on her feet and followed Alex to the coat rack. Gently, he helped her into her coat before donning his own. “Is there anything you need to do here?” he asked, holding the door open. Glancing around the dimly lit building, she shook her head. “I don’t think so. It looks like Val took care of everything.” “Let’s get you home then.” He smiled as he let his hand come to rest on the small of her back. She stiffened for a moment at the feel of his strong hands against her. The heat of his palm seeped through the fabric of her coat to tingle the skin of her back. Struggling to calm her leaping senses, she gathered her thoughts and allowed him to escort her toward the door. She needed to get herself under control. Alex was only a man. A very handsome man, but still just a man. There was nothing about him that should make her heart leap or her senses whirl the way they did, but she knew that was a lie, one she couldn’t bring herself to believe. There was something different about Alex, something that held her on edge. Something that made her want to toss caution to the wind and let her desire for him take her were it would. Just buy a toy and get it over with, she thought drearily. Perhaps if she released some of the sexual tension knotting her insides, she would find Alex to be nothing more than a handsome, charming man and much less desirable. Following Alex through the door he held for her once again, she braced herself against the bite of the crisp night air. Turning, she quickly locked the shop’s main door and shoved the keys into her purse. Alex helped her into the black BMW before taking his seat behind the wheel and starting in the direction of her apartment. She could feel the heat of his body as he sat next to her. He was so hot, like sitting next to a heater at times. She wondered if he was one of those people who ran a little warmer than others, or if he was getting sick. Looking to his face, she saw a relaxed, almost contented smile curved his wide, firm
lips, and she shrugged inwardly. He didn’t appear to be ill. As a matter of fact, he’d been as deeply engrossed in their conversation as she had been. That thought pleased her more than it should have. It had been so long since she enjoyed a real, meaningful conversation with someone other than Val. She was surprised there was someone left out there with whom she could converse so easily, so openly. Even if things didn’t work out with Alex on an intimate level, perhaps they could still be friends. He was easy to talk to, and despite the fact that she barely knew him, she felt as though she could trust him. It was a short ride to her apartment building, filled with small bits of conversation about the quietness of the city, the cold weather, and so on; all the while Tina couldn’t get enough of Alex’s spicy scent or his honeyed voice. Pulling next to the curb outside her building, Alex turned to face her, and she smiled. “I had a great time tonight.” Unfastening his seatbelt, he nodded his agreement. “So did I,” he murmured. He let his fingers slide down her cheek before sliding back up, this time his palm cupped her cheek. His hands were firm and as smooth as silk. The feel of his satiny hands against the smooth skin of her face sent a quiver though her as he let his thumb caress her cheekbone, then lower to her pass gently over her bottom lip. She knew where they were heading, and that she should stop herself before things got out of control, but she couldn’t, and before she could talk some sense into herself and back away, his lips were on hers. She didn’t know who kissed whom, only that she was now in the arms of a man she knew she would never get enough of. Her body flared to life as the sweet heat of his soft lips pressed against hers. She felt every muscle in her body tighten as his hand slid into her hair to pull her closer to him. She was barely aware of the sound of her seatbelt being released and sliding away from her as he pressed the button releasing it. He nudged her lips with his tongue, and she moaned. Taking the opportunity, he let his wicked tongue slip inside to explore, and ultimately conquer her mouth. She was lost on a whirlwind of sheer pleasure as he snaked his free arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his solid chest. Her heart beat an erratic rhythm in her chest as his hand slid from her waist, then inside the front of her coat, only to slide back around her waist where he let his hand hold her against him once again. This time, the bare skin of his palm burned, a pleasure/pain, against the bare flesh of her back as he deepened the kiss. She moaned softly. His kiss was so devastatingly magnificent, she wondered briefly if she would survive the fierceness of the passions it invoked. His smell enveloped her, his arms cradled her, and she could do nothing more than delight in the sparks firing between them, filling her with a barely banked fire she feared only Alex could satisfy. Pressing her arm around his neck, she sank her fingers into his thick, silky black hair, and gave herself over to the pleasure of his kiss. Suddenly, a sharp prick slid across her bottom lip, and Alex jerked away. “I'm so sorry!” he blurted, covering his mouth. “Are you all right?”
She was aware her lip had been bitten; it hadn’t hurt, but the look of horror on Alex’s face brought her out of the passion-induced haze he’d so easily worked her into, and she started to worry that the little nip she felt was a lot worse than she initially thought. Flipping down the visor, Tina peered in the lighted vanity mirror and cocked a brow at the tiny little cut across the corner of her bottom lip. Barely a bead of blood appeared. “This little cut is what has you all worked up?” she questioned with a small smile. When he nodded, she shook her head. “I assure you, I’ll live.” She wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the light, but she thought she detected a hint of shame in his expression. That was absurd. What reason would he have to be ashamed? He was only embarrassed that he had gotten carried away and nipped her. Whatever the feeling he was trying to hide, she couldn’t continue to let it bother him. They had both been lost in the heat of their first kiss. Reaching across the space now between them, Tina cupped Alex’s face in her hand and met his eyes, his now sad eyes. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his in a quick caress. “I'm sorry,” he repeated. “Believe me, you would have to have done a lot more than nip my lip to make me ask you to stop.” She grinned wickedly. With that, some of the light came back into his expression, and he kissed her quickly. “Are you sure about that?” “I am.” “Perhaps I’ll test that theory next time,” he said confidently as he leaned away to open his door and exit the car. Next time, she thought, and a frisson of excitement spiked through her. Alex opened the passenger door and helped her from the car. “I have to work all day tomorrow,” he began. “Are you busy tomorrow night?” Shaking her head, she answered, “Actually, the shop’s closed tomorrow. Val’s supposed to help me put together a new bed. It’s supposed to be delivered tomorrow morning, but I could make us dinner, if you're interested. I know that doesn’t sound like a dream date, but tomorrow is my only night off since Mary took the week off for finals. Afterward, we could watch a movie right there in the apartment.” A grin tilted the corners of his delectable lips, and he nodded. “Dinner and a movie in your apartment where you just put together a new bed? That sounds like a date.” He chuckled. “Why does it sound so naughty when you say it like that?” Shaking her head, she giggled and waited patiently, fighting desperately to control the overwhelming desire to invite him upstairs as he pressed the button to summon the guard. Slow down, she reminded herself, taking a deep, calming breath. “I’ll be here around seven, if that’s all right,” He said as she watched the guard unlock the door with a smile. Turning to Alex, she nodded. “That’s perfect. I’ll see you then.” Leaning forward, he pressed another kiss to her cheek, closing his eyes as if he savored the feel of her skin on his lips, before turning and hurrying back to his car. She watched as he pulled away from the curb and disappeared out of sight. “Evening, Ms. James.”
Smiling fondly, Tina inclined her head. “Hello, Mr. Simms.” Mr. Simms had been the guard at Fallwell Towers since before she moved in. He was a handsome man in his late forties, with dark hair and pale blue eyes, and he was an incredibly good-natured man. “New boyfriend?” Turning, she smiled mischievously. “Maybe.” With a knowing smile, he waved her on to the elevator where she could be alone with her thoughts and resumed his post. Stepping onto the empty elevator, then pressing the number to her floor, she frowned. Things were moving too fast, but she couldn’t seem to slow down. She wanted Alex badly, and not just in her bed. She could see herself with him, having babies, growing old, all the things she never imagined with another man. Why? Why was she feeling these things about Alex? She couldn’t allow herself to get carried away with fanciful imaginings of what they could have together. They were practically strangers. “What the hell’s the matter with you?” She pressed her hands to the sides of her head. She’d never been one for whimsical musings about a man. It wasn’t her style. She was the type who didn’t believe it until she’d seen it, but when she was with Alex, her beliefs, her fears, all went on the back burner, and her rampant desire for the man took center stage. For all she knew, Alex could be only a roll in the hay. Once he got that, he’d be gone without a trace, but even that shot of reality did nothing to dim the confusing feelings clanging around inside her. She didn’t believe Alex was like the other men she’d come to know. She didn’t know why, but she knew without a doubt, to the very depths of her soul, that Alex was different. With a ding, the elevator doors opened. Twisting away from her still unanswered questions, she stepped out into the brightly lit hallway and quickly approached her apartment door. Shoving the key in the latch, she let herself in. Locking the door behind her, she tossed her purse on the table next to the door and kicked off her shoes as she entered the code into her keypad, activating the alarm. There was a lot to think about before she came face to face with Alex again. Could she afford to let herself get carried away? To throw caution to the wind and go where her desire for Alex led her? She knew when it ended between them she would feel his absence worse than any before. Something more than simple attraction glared between them. There was a connection, one she couldn’t place or understand. Trudging toward her bedroom, she sighed wearily. She could already see her heart being broken. Did she dare forge ahead? She was in over her head, drowning in inexplicable emotions, and for once in her life, she wasn’t sure she wanted to surface.
Chapter Seven “How the hell are we supposed to get that into the bedroom? It’s huge!” Looking at the massive headboard and footboard, Tina shrugged. Val had a point. Tina knew the bed was much larger than the one she already owned, but she hadn’t realized how much heavier it was going to be. They’d already tried to carry the biggest pieces to the bedroom themselves, but even using all their effort, neither piece budged an inch. Her old bed hadn’t been nearly as heavy, and they had it out of the room and into the guestroom in less than an hour. “Alex is supposed to be here in a couple of hours; maybe he can help.” “I’m sure he would just love to put together furniture on your second date,” Val said, shaking her head with exasperation. Not that Tina could blame her friend’s disbelief. It wasn’t her idea of a romantic date either, but she could think of no other way. She needed to get this task finished or be tripping over the huge bed pieces scattered about her living room and trailing down the hallway until Mary returned. Not to mention, she liked the idea of Alex working his way around her bed. Tina shrugged with an embarrassed smile as she took a seat next to Val on the floor among the large boxes holding the pieces to her bed. “I kind of like the idea of Alex messing around with my bed.” “I bet,” Val said wryly. “If his kiss was as good as you made it sound, I’m surprised you let him go last night.” Tina blushed. “You know one night stands aren’t my thing.” “It doesn’t sound to me like that’s what he’s after.” Tina didn’t think so either but was still undecided as to whether or not taking a chance and finding out would be worth the heartache it could very possibly bring later. Besides, in the past, her choices in men hadn’t been the best, and she’d paid for it dearly when all was said and done. “I don’t know,” she admitted wearily. “It would be nice if he actually wanted to try to have a real relationship.” She shrugged. “It’s still way too early in the game to just come right out and ask.” “So, have your way with him and see where it leads. From your recount of last night, it’s obvious you two are crazy about each other.” “Are you serious?” Tina squawked. “Just have my way with him? Is that your answer for everything?” When Val grinned devilishly, Tina shook her head with exasperation and laughed quietly. “You have to take a chance. I mean if you really like this guy, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt. Now, I’m not saying to sleep with him if you don’t want to, but what I am saying is that you should follow your heart on this one. I really think there's more to him than the others.” She knew Val was right, but she wondered if she could let go of her fears and take that leap…to trust Alex with not only her body, but also her heart. A knock sounded at the door.
“That’s not him already, is it?” Glancing at her watch, Tina shook her head. “It shouldn’t be. It’s only a little after five. He’s not supposed to be here until seven.” Getting to her feet, Tina hurried to the door and looked through the peephole. “It’s a delivery guy,” she said, casting Val a sideways glance. Mr. Simms usually called her down to pick up the recent stream of deliveries she’d been receiving but she’d warned him earlier when the bed was delivered to just send up any unexpected deliveries and only call up to announce visitors except Alex, since she and Val would have their hands full assembling the bed. He’d assured her he remembered what Alex looked like and marked down her requests. Sliding the chain lock free, Tina opened the door. “Good evening, ma’am.” Peering into the light brown eyes of the young delivery boy, Tina smiled as she glanced quickly at the large bouquet of roses filling his hands. “Good evening. May I help you?” “I’m looking for Tina James.” “I'm Tina.” “Great.” He smiled. “These are for you.” Taking the flowers from his hands, she shook her head. “Just a moment.” Hurrying across the room, she sat the fragrant bouquet on the sofa table, and grabbed some cash from her purse before scampering back to the door. Handing the young man a tip for his troubles, she smiled. “Thank you.” As he thanked her with a smile and turned for the elevator, Tina closed the door and hurried back to the table now holding a large vase of red roses. Reaching out, she rubbed a radiant red petal between her fingers and admired its velvety softness. Getting to her feet, Val brushed off her legs and bottom, and then moved to the sofa. “Secret admirer again?” she asked. “Most likely.” “Oh, here’s a card.” Smiling, Val pulled a small envelope from the opposite side of the aromatic bundle and handed it to her. “What’s it say?” Pulling open the light pink envelope, Tina pulled out a plain white, gilt-edged card, and frowned at the flowing script written upon it. “From your secret admirer,” she read aloud, unable to keep the exasperation from her tone. “You're right. This is getting a bit strange,” Val admitted. Nodding, Tina slipped the card into Val’s hand and relaxed back against the sofa beside her friend. “I wonder who this guy is,” Val said, before she too leaned back against the billowy cushions. “I don’t know,” Tina admitted with a shake of her head. Looking around her apartment at the many vases of roses, she cringed inwardly. She didn’t have a clue who her admirer could be and now that the gifts were coming to her home, she was feeling more and more on edge. Something about this secret admirer business wasn’t right. She had bigger things to worry about than some secret admirer. “Maybe it’s that guy who keeps coming into the shop for Bouncing Betty. He seems
to like you.” “Humph.” Tina rolled her eyes. “That would be just my luck.” She grinned. “What? Don’t you like the idea of having a secret admirer?” Val inquired. “Or are you already so hung up on Alex that the thought of another man doesn’t interest you anymore?” Bingo. “What?” Tina asked. Val cocked a brow knowingly. “All right. I guess I should be a little more excited about the aspect of another man being interested in me, but…” She shrugged restlessly. Alex was everything she’d ever wanted in a man. She had the overwhelming feeling that after spending time with Alex no man would ever live up to her now absurdly high standards. Which is insane, she reminded herself. She hadn’t known the man for more than two days. “Sometimes the heart knows what we don’t.” Val smiled. “After two days and one date?” Val shrugged and propped her feet up on the coffee table. “You never know.” Admiring the roses a moment longer, Tina rolled Val’s words around once more, then stood and moved toward the large, scattered boxes. She wasn’t ready to consider the fact that Val could be right. “Come on,” Tina said, slapping the toe of Val’s shoe. “Let’s see if we can at least get the rails set up. When Alex gets here we’ll see if he can help with the heavy stuff.” **** As it neared seven o’clock the sun slipped lower into the horizon, and Alex peeked out the window. It wasn’t completely dark yet, but the sun was sheltered behind the thick clouds enough so that he wouldn’t burst into flames if he walked outside. Although he could venture out when it was overcast, he rarely took the chance. It was too risky. If the sun happened to peek through the clouds for even a moment, he would be in serious trouble. However, it was late enough in the day now that he could risk it. It would be full dark within the hour. Sighing, Alex pulled on a black t-shirt and finished buttoning his jeans. He had to admit, he was glad Tina hadn’t insisted on a real date. He was afraid if she took him to a dark movie theater, he would make a fool of himself by trailing every person that passed by into the restroom to feed, which he hadn’t done in many years. Since meeting Tina, he’d wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into the warm, giving, flesh of a human neck, but he couldn’t. He stuck to the bag. He hadn’t bit a human since the advent of bagged blood. Scrubbing a hand through his hair restlessly, he leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes. What little sleep he’d gotten throughout the day had been restless, filled with lascivious dreams of Tina caressing him with her silken hands, kissing him with her warm, luscious mouth. He couldn’t deny it now. She was his mate. All the signs were there, now all he had to do was make her love him enough so that when he told her he was a vampire, she wouldn’t run. “Easier said than done,” he grumbled to himself.
Around noon, he’d given up on sleep, took a cold shower in an attempt to wash away the heat Tina’s memory brought to him, and went back to work looking over a handful of old cases. So far, he’d found nothing connecting any of the cold cases in front of him to the present victims of The Monthly Murderer. As it appeared, the person the media dubbed The Monthly Murderer had begun his murdering spree no more than six months ago when the first victims were found. Whether or not he struck in other cities or countries, Alex didn’t know. He made some calls and had others looking into it. It was daunting. He’d been on the case for three months and was no closer to discovering who this rogue was than when he’d first stepped foot in town. If it weren’t for the telltale signs a vampire had killed the women, he would have chalked it up to your average, yet incredibly thorough, run-of-the-mill serial killer. It was the lack of evidence and charred bodies that assured him the women had been turned and left in the sun to fry. Only a monster would do something so horrendous. The only thing the victims had in common was the fact that they were female. They thought each woman had different hair and eye color, as well as skin tone. Since their bodies had been burned to a crisp, nothing was truly certain. There had to be something else, something that linked them, but he hadn’t found it, not yet. After pulling on a pair of black boots, Alex stood and moved to the kitchen. Grabbing a bag of blood from the refrigerator, he slipped a small piece of IV tubing into the opening at the bottom of the bag, then raised the tube to his lips and used it as a straw, sucking the blood steadily from the bag. He didn’t have to feed this way, but it was easier than pouring the blood into a mug and drinking it like coffee, and he didn’t like biting the bag unless there was no other option. It was too messy, as the blood would often drip onto his clothing from the bag tearing under the force of his bite, no matter how careful he was. Sucking the last drop from the bag, he removed the tube and tossed it into the sink, then tossed the bag in a special trash bin reserved for his empty bags. Checking his phone for any missed calls, Alex shoved the phone back into his jeans pocket then strode toward the door, grabbing his jacket along the way. Soon he would be at Tina’s apartment, and for a little while at least, he could forget about the case, but not for long. The victim found the day before was only the first one found this month; there were two more to come. Something had to happen, and fast. Stepping onto the elevator, he frowned as a slight vibration drew his attention. Slipping the phone from his pocket once more, he checked the caller ID and smiled. “You have the worst timing, you know that?” Alex said with a chuckle. “Man, I thought you’d be happy to hear my sexy ass voice.” Laughing, Alex shook his head. Newman Shores had been Alex’s friend for over two centuries. He was a kind soul with a wicked sense of humor and a way with the women. He was also an I.D. and Alex’s most trusted friend. “Here I am calling you with some good news, and you tell me you're not happy to hear from me,” Newman finished, tsking playfully. “I’m sorry,” Alex quipped. “I didn’t mean to offend your delicate sensibilities.” Stepping off the elevator, Alex ventured into the parking garage and approached the car
he’d rented for the month. Unlocking the door, he slipped behind the wheel and started the engine before pulling out onto the street and heading the short distance to Tina’s apartment. “That’s better.” Newman laughed. “So, what did you find?” Alex asked as he drove through the exit onto the main street, steering in the direction of Tina’s apartment. “Well, I took the information you gave me and went to my contact at the FBI,” Newman began. “She gave me access to some cold cases that have been long forgotten. You wouldn’t believe how many there were.” He blew out a low whistle. “Anyways, I found two cases that match the ones you have there in the Big Apple.” Alex wasn’t surprised; he knew there had to be more victims out there somewhere. This rogue was too good at what he did to have just started. “That’s a good start. Now all we have to do is find something that links the victims, other than the fact that they're all women taken from nightclubs. The ones you found did disappear from a nightclub, right?” “Sure did,” Newman confirmed. “But there’s more.” His voice took on a rough edge. Alex felt his gut clench. “I went to the I.D. headquarters and did some snooping there too.” “And?” “The two cases I found at the FBI were from ten years ago and were both in Dallas. Then while at headquarters, I found six more cases. Two in New Orleans, two in Memphis, and two in Denver. All were ten years apart.” Alex’s stomach flipped summersaults. “These cases date back forty years?” “The first two, in Denver, were forty years ago, and the next two ten years later and so on.” “That can’t be…I lived in those cities at the times of the murders.” Alex moved every ten years to keep people he met from noticing he didn’t age. “Exactly. So, I sat down with some of the Elders and they all agreed with my conclusion.” Breaking through his fog of disbelief, Alex asked, “What’s your conclusion?” Pulling up outside Tina’s apartment building, Alex felt his chest tighten as he shut off the ignition and waited for Newman’s answer. “That this murderer knows you and has some kind of score to settle with you. Why else would these murders only happen in the cities where you live, just before you leave town? We know you didn’t commit the murders; you were working other cases when the murders occurred, and almost always with me, but the killer didn’t know that. We think, whoever this guy is, he’s trying to set you up. Now all we have to figure out is who he is, and why he’s after you.” “I know I've made some enemies in the past, but I can’t think of one who would do this.” “There's no telling, bro. Like I said, it’s only a hunch. We could be totally wrong and this could have nothing to do with you.” “Do you really believe that?” Alex asked skeptically. “Not really,” Newman replied. “Keep your head up and think about it a while. You might remember someone. I’ll be in town at the end of the week to help you out. Until
then, lay low and stay cool.” Disconnecting the call, Alex took a deep breath and slid the phone back into his pocket as he opened the door and approached the building’s main doors. Newman had given him a lot to think about, and if Newman’s theory was correct, which they usually were, whoever this madman was would be keeping close tabs on Alex, which made it highly likely he knew about Tina. A shiver traveled the length of Alex’s spine as the doorman led him into the building and to the main elevator. Stepping into the elevator, Alex shoved a hand through his hair and sighed harshly. He would have to put a guard on Tina, just in case. He wouldn’t take any chances where she was concerned. With a loud ding, the elevator doors opened, and Alex stepped out into the brightly lit hallway. He would let this potential danger stay a secret from Tina for the time being. There was no need for her to worry just yet. Besides, if he told her now, she might start asking questions about him he wasn’t ready to answer. Not to mention, she wasn’t close to ready to hear the truth about him. Approaching Tina’s apartment door, Alex did his best to push the new information he’d been give to the farthest recesses of his mind. He needed to focus on his mate in order to find the best way to win her heart. Once that feat was accomplished, he would worry about spilling his vampire secret. Running his tongue over his teeth, he released a breath and raising his hand, knocked gently.
Chapter Eight Tina watched wide-eyed and gaping as Alex set the massive headboard against the bedroom wall. He’d picked it up as though it weighed no more than a feather and toted it down the long hallway without breaking a sweat. “There.” He smiled, standing fully. “I’ll just go out and get the footboard, and we can get this thing put together.” Nodding silently, still in awe of his awesome strength, Tina watched as he passed through the bedroom door. “What the hell was that?” Val gasped, grabbing her by the shoulder. “How’d he lift that thing? It took three movers and a rolling cart just to get it in the front door, but he just picked it up like it was nothing.” Tina could do nothing more than shake her head. She’d wondered the same thing. “Maybe he works out a lot,” she murmured lamely. “Yeah, no shit, Sherlock,” Val replied with a sarcastic smile. Raising a brow at her friend’s snarky remark, Tina shook her head. “I think you need to get some sleep.” Val had been working more overtime at the store recently, which had resulted in a horrid case of insomnia and an equally horrid attitude. “Sorry.” Val grimaced. “I think you're right. I'm out of here. Besides, you two need some more smoochy-time,” she teased with a playful smile before making kissy noises at her. “Oh geez, Val!” Tina blushed as she pushed her playfully toward the door. Laughing, Tina walked Val down the hallway to the front door and smiled as Alex passed them with the huge footboard. Pausing at the main door, Val grinned. “He really is yummy, you lucky duck. I see good things coming for you.” Tina shook her head. “We’ll see.” Closing the door behind Val, Tina turned and peered down the hallway at the bedroom door. The light sound of bedrails being slid together and tools clanking against the metal echoed gently, drifting down the corridor to meet her. Behind that door awaited the sexiest man she’d ever encountered, one who’d made his desire for her perfectly clear. Tina wasn’t one to jump in headfirst, but with Alex, it seemed impossible not to do so. Just the thought of rolling around on that big bed with him, his skin rubbing deliciously against hers as they explored, caressed, learned each other, held her enthralled, just as their kiss the night before continued to do. Just the memory of his lips pressed so heatedly against hers sent a frisson of sizzling excitement skittering across her skin. She’d never experienced a one night stand, and yet here she stood tempted by a man she knew hardly anything about, who’s every look, every breath, every wisp of ultra black hair over his shoulders, sent her arousal soaring into overdrive. She wanted to give in to her impulses, to walk into that room, press him back onto the bed and straddle him, ride him, until they both collapsed in a big sweaty, sated heap
of twined limbs and heated breaths. It was her careful, cautious side that prevented her from doing so. Jumping in headfirst was a good way to get hurt, and if there was one thing Tina hated, one thing she protected herself from above all else, it was a broken heart. Taking a deep breath, Tina closed her eyes and exhaled slowly in an attempt to quell the arousal the mere thought of Alex lying beneath her brought raging through her. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and started down the hallway. It was times like these that made Tina think the universe possessed a perverse sense of humor. * Alex stood back and gazed at the enormous bed before him. “I have to admit,” he began laughing, “This is the first time I've put together a bed for a woman.” Her laugh tinkled on the air around him. “I know this isn’t the ideal second date, but my work hours are a little crazy right now,” Tina explained with a chuckle. “Val and I hoped to have it put together before you got here, but we couldn’t lift it and wound up losing track of time.” “I know the feeling. I was almost late getting here myself,” he admitted. “I don’t know how to thank you, but dinner’s ready, and there’s some movies on the table, if you're still interested.” Alex smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the solid bedpost. He couldn’t care less about the food she mentioned, but a movie in the dark next to Tina sounded too appealing to pass up. “Then let’s eat.” He grinned. “Follow me.” She crooked a finger at him. Alex watched the sway of Tina’s hips as she sauntered out of the bedroom door, and the urge to reach out and grasp those round globes gripped him savagely. It was amazing how she turned him on with a single look, how she provoked his primitive side, his protective, possessive nature with a simple smile, a flutter of her eyelashes, or in this case, the sultry sway of her hips encased in tight faded jeans. He’d lived centuries and never experienced this level of attraction to a woman, but that’s what happened when vampires found their mates. They automatically wanted them, needed them, as much, if not more, than the air they breathed. Taking a deep breath, Alex pushed away from the post and followed Tina down the hall and into the living room. Glancing around, he smiled to himself. Her apartment was entirely feminine. Sheer white curtains covered large bay windows. Overstuffed cream-colored furniture with leather accents and thick, rich tables created a comfortable sitting area in the center of the room. Dark, cherry hardwood floors gleamed from beneath thick area rugs scattered throughout the house, giving the place a soft, warm feeling. It was everything he’d pictured it to be. Soft and feminine, just like Tina. Tina didn’t stop in the living area, but continued on past the marble-topped bar and into the kitchen. The smell of garlic and cheese met him, and he smiled as he watched Tina slide an oven mitt onto her hand and pull the oven door open. “I whipped up one of my favorites, baked spaghetti.” She pulled a long casserole dish from the oven. “I hope you like it.” She smiled impishly.
Despite the fact Alex rarely ate, and the small amount of food he did consume to keep up appearances held little flavor or appeal, he couldn’t ignore the fact that he’d enjoyed the dinner they shared the night before, and the aroma from this meal had his stomach rumbling for the first time since he’d been turned. “It looks fantastic,” he admitted with surprise. He watched quietly as she placed the casserole dish on the table. He then helped remove plates, silverware, and glasses from the cabinets, setting them on the table as well. “I take it you're a big Italian fan?” “You could say that.” She grinned. Taking their seats, they served themselves and began to eat. Much to Alex’s surprise, the dish she made tasted wonderful, not bland as most food he was forced to consume did. “This is delicious.” “Thank you.” She smiled shyly. A comfortable silence ensued as they finished their meal. He couldn’t help but gaze at her discreetly as she finished her meal. He admired her beauty for what felt like the millionth time since entering her apartment. Her beauty was so entrancing he could seem to think of nothing else, morning and night. The lines of her jaw were so delicate. Her full lips, coated with a fine pink gloss that caught the light just right, sparkled temptingly, sending a tingle across his own lips as the memory of their kiss the night before flitted through his mind. Letting his eyes roam lower, he admired the curve of her neck to the steady pulse beating there. Images of crushing her against his chest as his fingers twined deep within her velvety blond hair as he sank his teeth into the tender, silken flesh of her neck filled his mind. He could practically taste her life’s blood. His heartbeat sped up, thumping almost painfully in his chest. His teeth elongated, pricking his bottom lip. His arousal rocketed at the mere thought of holding her against him. His manhood hardened, pressing incessantly against the zipper of his jeans. “Are you all right?” Nodding quickly, Alex inhaled deeply, retracted his fangs and replied, “Yes, I just… you're so beautiful.” The blush that stained her cheeks raised his arousal even more. “You're a charmer, aren’t you?” she teased gently. He might have been before his turning, but not so much afterward. He’d had his fair share of women over the years, but never stuck around long. Three hundred years ago times had been a lot different than they were now. If he didn’t get himself under control, he would be sinking his fangs into Tina before the night was over, and there was no way he could explain to her why, not yet anyways. He ached to be within her, to pleasure her. It was his duty, his job to protect, to pleasure his mate, and he burned to do so. “Not really,” he admitted. “I was just stating a fact.” Calm down. Looking about the room in an attempt to distract himself from her alluring scent, he frowned. “I take it you like flowers?” Upon entering her apartment, the first thing he’d noticed was vase on top of vase of
roses. He didn’t mind flowers, but the insane amount surrounding them made him curious. “Oh,” she began with a roll of her eyes, “it appears that I have a secret admirer.” She finished with a shrug of her shoulder. She didn’t seem too pleased by that fact, and he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “An ex-boyfriend?” She laughed. “Don’t I wish it were that simple.” This time it was Alex who laughed. “I really don’t have a clue who it is, but whoever they are, they’ve sent flowers to the shop, and here, every day for almost a month now. It’s actually starting to get a bit weird.” Alex frowned. Many people had secret admirers, but this guy had passed admirer and was living comfortably in Stalker City. He didn’t want to alarm Tina. She already seemed to be a little worried about the so-called admirer, but he had to at least say something. “Every day for a month? Have you contacted the police? It sounds like he’s gone a little stalker-ish.” “And tell them what? I don’t know who this guy is, and he hasn’t even tried to contact me.” “The flower shops he’s using should keep records of who sent these to you if he used a credit card, and if he didn’t, he’d still have to sign something giving permission for the delivery. Have you tried calling the shops?” “No,” she said with a frown. “Do you think they would really tell me who sent them? Or is there some kind of privacy notice that would keep them from doing so?” “I’m not sure.” He admitted. He hadn’t thought about that but figured it could be a possibility. It was worth looking into. “Besides, you're a cop, so didn’t I just tell the authorities?” He grinned. “Smarty-pants.” He chuckled. “Just promise me you’ll be careful, and if he does try to contact you, or you feel threatened in anyway, you’ll let me know. I’ll check into the flower shops for you.” Tina laughed. The sound tickled his senses. He’d done well all evening. Only once had his fangs slipped out while at dinner. Although he’d fed well before leaving the hotel, his hunger still nipped at him, urging him to taste her sweet blood. He’d never hungered for a taste of a humans blood so badly before, but with Tina, it was all he could think about, that and pleasuring her senseless. Taking a slow sip of his wine, he tamped down the need building within him. He watched her a moment longer. Her large green eyes sparkled with an undisguised hunger, one she fought, one he would willingly sate. “I promise. Now, what do you say we leave this for later and watch a movie?” she said, waving her hand at the dishes littering the table before them. Nodding, Alex agreed. Anything to get his mind off her naked form beneath his.
Chapter Nine “Sorry about that,” Tina apologized. “I made the mistake of sending Mary to the video store. I should’ve known better.” The last thing Alex expected was to sit through not just one but two, corny vampire movies. “It’s all right. A lot of people like that sort of thing.” He shrugged it off. “Especially Mary,” Tina agreed. “She about had a conniption when The Wolfman remake came out.” Taking this recent turn in conversation to his advantage, Alex decided that poking around the subject of vampires might actually aid him in his quest. “What about you? Do you like that sort of thing?” A look of contemplation clouded her features for a moment, and she smiled. “I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of the paranormal, but it doesn’t bother me. The way I see it, all these legends—vampires, werewolves, demons etcetera—were based on stories handed down generation after generation from people who were supposed to have had some kind of experience with the creatures. Why would they make something like that up?” Taking a sip of her soda, she swallowed quietly and finished, “If we exist, why can’t they?” Alex sat in stunned silence for a long moment. He knew he must look like a gaping idiot, but he didn’t care. She’d just surprised him with an acceptance he’d never anticipated. One question still remained. Would she still be so accepting when she discovered he was one of those creatures she mentioned? “Thanks again for helping with the bed. I thought I was going to have to call the store and have them send some guys back to put it together. I still can’t believe you were able to lift that heavy thing.” Snapping back from his wayward thoughts, he shrugged. “It was no problem. I actually enjoyed it. It’s not often I get to do something like that.” “Work with your hands you mean?” Her eyes slid over his chest, down his arms, to his hands. He could feel the heat of her gaze sliding across him as keenly as if it were a flame licking its way across his flesh. He could hear the blood rushing through her veins, the beat of her heart thumping rapidly as she let her eyes roam his body openly. He could smell her arousal pouring off her in waves. Unable to stop himself, Alex slid closer to her. Their thighs brushed. Her plump, tempting lips begged for his kiss. Slipping a palm behind her head, cupping the nape of her neck, Alex pulled her forward. A sharp gasp escaped her as he lowered his lips to hers. She opened her mouth readily as he slipped his tongue inside to explore. Teasing and taunting, he angled his head, deepening the kiss. Her hands slid up his arms, over his shoulders clutching him as though she couldn’t
get close enough. Sliding one hand farther up, she tangled her fingers in his hair, and he couldn’t stop the groan that escaped his throat. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her tight against his chest. The feel of her breasts pressed flush against his chest sent his already rampant erection straining painfully against his zipper. He needed her fiercely. Desire swamped him like a fire raging out of control. He had to control it. Somehow, some way, he needed to put a stop to this madness before he went too far before he was driving her to bliss while taking her neck. If that were to happen… Remembering the first and last kiss they’d shared, the bead of blood from her lip dancing on his tongue, he knew what he had to do. Taking a deep breath, he slowly pulled his lips away. * Gently, she rubbed herself against him, and he shuddered. She’d never felt this heated, this aroused in her entire life. Her excitement was at an all time high as Alex pressed his lips more firmly against hers, melding their mouths in a heated bliss. Liquid heat pooled deep in her belly, traveling lower to rest between her thighs. She’d never needed a man as badly as she did now, never been so willing to throw caution to the wind and give herself to a man she barely knew but now, she didn’t care. She would take that chance, broken heart be damned. There was something about Alex that drove her wild and brought out her wild side. He made her want to be that carefree sprit she’d always dreamed of being, and the way Alex was reacting to her kiss, to her small touches, he wanted her just as badly. Suddenly, to her surprise, Alex reluctantly, and with the greatest of hesitation, pulled away, ending the kiss. She sat motionless for a long moment. Her body still hummed from the silken caress of his lips, from the feel of his big, warm hands tangled in her hair, pressing against her back. Breaking through the haze still fogging her mind, she glanced at the clock and frowned. Following her line of sight, he nodded. “I should probably go.” She nodded. Why did I look at the clock? “Probably.” Neither moved. His hands remained against her back, tangled in her hair, anchoring her to him. They were at a crossroads. Should they forge ahead and take the chance, or stop, wait, and possibly miss this opportunity? As though they both reached their decision at the same time, their lips met, melded, fused together in a blatant expression of need, of hunger, of hot desire. Tina was lost, whipping about on a turbulent sea of passion as Alex raised the hand at her back, bringing it up to firmly, but gently, palm her breast. She moaned, pressing the tightly budded peak into his hand wantonly. Greedily, she threaded the fingers of one hand in his hair while inching the other under the hem of his shirt. Alex automatically broke the kiss and raised his arms. Quickly, Tina ripped the black garment over his head, tossing it over the back of the sofa. The taut, lightly tanned
expanse of his chest spread out before her like a Sunday afternoon buffet ratcheted up her already rampant need. If she didn’t calm down, she would be finished before she had the opportunity to feel Alex’s touch more intimately.
Chapter Ten Her satiny smooth skin drove him wild. The feel of her hands wandering, tracing, every line of his chest and over his shoulders and upper back as he devoured her mouth sent him soaring to new heights. He could feel his fangs start to shift. Taking a deep breath, Alex pulled away from her mouth. Lowering the hand currently occupied with her soft, pliant breast, he repeated her earlier movement and pulled the light t-shirt she wore over her head, tossing it across the room with no care where it landed. The sight of her pale skin, the swell of her full, lush breasts beneath the tiniest scrap of silk elicited a groan of pleasure from deep within him and once again, he was forced to fight for control of his hunger. Claiming her mouth once again, Alex pressed Tina back onto the sofa. Immediately her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling his already rock hard erection against her center. The feel of her beneath him, so hot, so willing to give herself to him completely held him enthrall. Subtly, he ground himself against her. The moan that escaped her throat was almost too much for him to bear as she brazenly pressed her hot core against him in response. Trailing his lips across her cheek to the soft skin of her neck, he moaned as the rapid thump of her pulse beat in his ears. His need to taste her raced through him painfully. Ignoring the call to feed on his mate, he quickly grasped the thin silk material of her bra and released one pert breast. “Beautiful,” He growled, gazing down at the supple flesh. Lowering his head, he sucked the tight peak into his mouth. Reveling in her small mewls, moans, and near shrieks of pleasure as he feasted on her stunningly perfect nipples, he could no longer keep his fangs retracted. Keeping his head lowered to her breasts, he hid the truth of what he was. He knew he couldn’t claim her on this night, but he could pleasure her, and pleasure her he would. Before this night was over, she would be screaming his name. She would never want another; he would make sure of it. Trailing a path of open-mouthed kisses across the flat plane of her stomach, the muscles jumped and jerked beneath his touch. Gripping the front of her jeans, he quickly unfastened the button and zipper. The thought that he might frighten her by moving too fast quickly fled his mind as she lifted her hips, allowing him to remove her jeans in one fluid movement. From where he rested between her spread thighs, he reached between them with one long finger and slid the tip over her. The small scrap of silk covering her tender mound was already damp with her need. She smelled of wild honeysuckle and sex. He hovered above her sex, taking in her love-tousled appearance. He’d never needed anything, wanted anything, more than he did Tina. “Alex, please.” Her whispered plea reached his ears, and his instinct demanded him to obey. Lowering his head, he slowly ran the tip of his tongue over her slick flesh. A startled cry
burst past her lips. Her fingers threaded through his hair, gripping his scalp as he set to work, licking, laving, nibbling, and suckling her tender feminine flesh. With every twist, every moan of pleasure, she sent his need for her soaring higher and higher. He could only please her on this night, but when the time came and he could claim her completely, he had no doubt it would be the most intense experience of his life. She was passionate, wild, wanton, and it was all for him. Slowly, he pressed a finger into her tight sheath. She tensed against the slight intrusion. It had indeed been a long time since she’d been with a man. “Easy, love,” he coaxed, as he slowly resumed his ministrations. Within moments, she began gyrating her hips, setting a rhythm to the thrusts of his finger. Her breath quickened, and as he slipped a second finger deep inside her, she gasped, sinking the fingernails of one hand into his upper back. Subtly, he thrust into the cushion beneath him. “More, Alex, please,” she pleaded desperately. Her breath quickened, coming in shallow pants as he moved his long, hard, fingers faster and deeper within her. Shifting his weight onto one arm, he lowered his head and traced his tongue over her slick, hot, inner folds, finding the sensitive bud of her clit, he suckled…hard. Tina screamed with her release. Tremors wracked her body in the most beautiful way as her center gripped his fingers still settled deep within her, working her climax from her completely. Slowly she began to calm, her body relaxing its grip on him. Gently, he removed himself from her, kissing his way back up her body. The languid smile curving the corners of her lips brought a burst of pride to his chest. She was his mate. No one else would ever experience what he just had with her, or what he would have with her once he found a way to explain to her what he really was. Smoothing a piece of hair from her face, he kissed her gently. She ground her still wet sex against his painfully hard erection. She wanted him, and he wasn’t sure he could fight her allure much longer. Bam! Bam! Bam! “Tina! Open the door, hurry!” Sitting up on his knees, Alex looked to Tina, his expression puzzled. “Who’s that?” Sitting up quickly, she righted her bra and wiggled her legs free from between his. “It’s Val, something’s wrong.” “Open the door, Tina, come on!” Grabbing his t-shirt, he handed it to her. “Here, put this on.” Without hesitation, she slipped the garment over her head and, on shaky legs, raced to the door. Hitting some buttons on the keypad, she ripped the door open. Val barged in. * “Val, what’s happened?” After tossing her purse on the side table, Val struggled out of her jacket. “You’ll never belie—” Tina followed her gaze… to Alex. A still bare-chested, slightly sweaty Alex.
Val’s face cleared, and a small smile lit her eyes. “Am I interrupting something?” Looking to a grinning Alex, Tina groaned. She would hear about this for the next month. Val had a way of holding on to anything she did out of the ordinary, and this was definitely out of the ordinary for Tina. Shaking her head, Tina threaded her fingers through her hair in an attempt to smooth out the tangled mess and shrugged the question aside. “What’s going on, Val? Are you all right?” Turning away from Alex, Val blinked. “The Monthly Murderer struck again.” Tina frowned, and the sound of Alex’s cell phone ringing filled the air. Tina watched as he turned toward the window and pulled the phone from his pocket before pressing it to his ear. Turing back to Val, she shrugged. “We knew he would strike again soon. What has you in such an uproar this time?” Propping her hands on her hips, Val raised her eyebrows. “This time the victim got away.” Tina gaped. “What do you mean, she got away?” Val strode into the kitchen, and Tina followed. Grabbing three mugs from the cabinet, she set to work pouring coffee. “All I know is, I went to the shop to get the jacket I left in the office, and a few blocks away at the Diamond Club there were cops all over the place.” Tina shook her head with disbelief. “The Diamond Club? I can’t believe it.” She, Val, and the other girls from the shop frequented that specific club to blow off steam but, since the murders, had decided to stop going until the murderer was caught and the danger disappeared. “Tell me about it,” Val replied, spooning sugar into her and Tina’s cups. “I’m not sure how he takes his coffee.” Tina nodded in Alex’s direction. “I’ll just wait until he gets off the phone.” Val shrugged and handed Tina her cup. “How’d you find out she got away?” Tina asked curiously. Val took a sip. “There was a crowd of people surrounding the alley beside the club. My curiosity got the best of me, and I wandered over and asked what was going on.” Tina traced the tip of her finger around the rim of her coffee mug. Out of all the women this psycho had succeeded in killing, this one had gotten away. How? “Did they say how she got away?” “No one I talked to knew, but I’m sure it’ll be on the news. The reminder of the news jolted Tina from the million questions flowing around in her head. Glancing up at the clock, she smiled. “It’s almost midnight. The news should be on at least one channel. Maybe they’ll tell us what’s going on.” Alex’s voice sounded as he walked into the room. “There’s no need for that. That was Captain Hallison on the phone. The victim did escape and is being treated at a nearby hospital.” Tina sighed with relief. “Is she all right?” Alex nodded. “Just shook up and a few minor scrapes and bruises. They don’t know anything else at the moment, but I have to go in and see what I can do. We’ll have to question her, and that could take a while.” Tina nodded. “I’m just happy she got away.”
“Aren’t we all?” Val said. “I don’t know when I’ll be finished at the station, but I’ll come by as soon as I’m done, if that’s all right?” Tina smiled. “Absolutely. I work all day for the next three days, but get off at five so anytime after five will be fine. Unless you come by the shop.” A wry smile spread across his face, and Tina couldn’t stop the warmth that spread the length of her. Memories of their earlier actions flashed through her mind, and she barely contained a giggle and incriminating blush. Reaching down, Alex pulled her against him and pressed a quick but sizzling kiss to her lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She nodded, and Val grinned as Alex turned and headed toward the door. “Oh, wait!” she called out, jogging into the living area to catch him at the door. “You’ll need your shirt.” “It’s all right.” He shrugged as he pulled on and zipped his jacket. “I have to swing by the hotel first and grab a couple of files. I’ll get a fresh one while I’m there.” “Are you sure?” He nodded, tracing a finger across her cheek. “Besides, you look good in my shirt.” Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her lips, and then quietly left.
Chapter Eleven The overhead light flickered. “How is she?” Scrubbing a hand over his face, Captain Hallison let out a weary sigh and laid his pen on the notebook he held in his lap. “She’s still not talking. I’m at my wit’s end.” Alex nodded. “Do we at least know who she is?” Hallison nodded. “Christine Hollenbeck, twenty-five years of age. She’s a waitress down at the Night Crawler Bar and Grill. She and her friend, Abby Daniels, went out for a birthday celebration with some friends, and well, you know how the story ends.” He finished jabbing a thumb toward the hospital room door. Alex frowned. “How’d you get the info on her?” Hallison slide the pen he held into his shirt pocket. “As she was being put in the ambulance, her friend came out of the club to see what was happening. She was willing to tell us all she knew.” “Did she see the man her friend left with?” “She did, but we’ll have more on that later, when the sketch artist is finished. She’s with him now.” Checking the time, Alex groaned. “You want me to talk to her?” Alex wasn’t able to bend someone to his will with mind control, but found over time that he could get information from someone quicker than anyone else. His abilities were there, but forming slowly. Perhaps it was his advancing age. “I’d appreciate it. Almost everyone’s been in there. Every female officer, every detective, even myself, but she won’t say a word. They’re keeping her overnight for observation.” Peering through the door, Alex nodded again. “I’ll see what I can do.” Pressing the heavy wooden door open, Alex entered the brightly lit room slowly. A nurse checking the I.V. bag cast him a soft smile before exiting the room. The woman in the bed lay with her head turned, facing away from him, honey blond hair lie spread over the pillow. The image of Tina’s silky tresses flashed in his mind. Less than an hour ago, he’d had his hands sunk deep in the satin of her hair, his mouth on her passionate body. Shaking away from the thought, he took another step. He needed to concentrate. The soft hum of hospital equipment reached his ears as he came to stand close to the end of the bed. Softly, he cleared his throat. Making his voice as gentle as possible, he began, “Ms. Hollenbeck? I’m Detective Alex Monroe. If it’s all right with you, I need to ask you a few questions.” She looked up. Alex froze. Large blue eyes framed by thick, black lashes gazed back at him. His breath seized in his lungs. His chest constricted as he continued his perusal of the woman. Long, honey blond hair, big blue eyes, and pale skin. He knew if she stood, she would be petite. She could have passed for Tina’s twin. What did this mean? What could it mean? Was Newman right? Did this rogue have a
grudge against him? Quieting the riot of questions, of emotions roiling about within him, he took a deep breath and continued. “Did you leave the club willingly? She continued to stare, unblinking. “Did you know him?” When she still didn’t respond, Alex sat in the chair beside the bed. Taking a deep breath, Alex concentrated on her eyes. Clearing his mind, he calmed himself as much as possible before trying again. “I know you’re scared,” he began gently, in a soft voice. “We can’t catch this guy unless you tell me what happened. He’s hurt countless people and will continue to do so unless you help us.” She nodded slowly, gazing back into Alex’s eyes. “Good girl. Now, did you leave the club willingly?” “I don’t remember leaving the club,” she replied, her voice almost robotic. Alex was more convinced than ever his powers were beginning to form. What a time for them to do so, he thought with an inner smile. “What do you remember?” Christine frowned slightly. “Abby and I were dancing, but I stopped. I went to the bar for a drink.” Alex nodded, still holding her gaze. “Then what?” he coaxed soothingly. “I was outside. A man held my hands while another man tied them.” “Are you sure there were two men?” he asked. All this time, they’d thought their killer to be one person. If what Christine said was true, this extra person changed everything. “Did you struggle?” She nodded. “I tried, but I couldn’t move.” If she didn’t remember leaving the club and she was unable to move, she’d been controlled and only a very old vampire was able to control someone so completely. This wasn’t good news. “How did you get away?” She took a deep breath. He could see her trying to remember. “They started to argue. I don’t remember what about exactly, but one of the men was upset, something about me being close enough.” “Close enough?” Alex asked curiously. She nodded. “He said, She’s not identical, but close enough, he’ll get the idea.” “Then what?” he urged. “They shoved me against the wall and continued to argue. After a minute, I realized I could move. So, I started picking at the knot on the rope, and it came undone. I jumped up and ran to the end of the alley, right into a crowd of people.” The more she told him of her escape, the darker his thoughts turned. “Did he chase you?” “He stopped at the end of the alley then… disappeared.” Their rogue was definitely much older than they’d anticipated. Teleportation wasn’t a common gift, and if this one was able to teleport, they were in trouble. “Your friend told the police what the man you left the club with looked like. Do you remember what either man looked like?”
“No.” “One last question, Christine,” he said easily. “Has anything odd happened in the last few weeks? Did you feel like someone was following you or did you get strange phone calls? Anything at all?” “Flowers. A lot of flowers.” “Flowers?” “About a month ago, I started getting flowers from someone calling themselves, my secret admirer. They only came to my work at first, then they started coming to my house. I thought it a little strange, but it seemed harmless, so I never said anything.” Alex frowned as the memory of Tina’s secret admirer flooded him. He needed to tell Hallison about Tina. He would have to tell him everything, including the fact that she was his mate. He didn’t want to, not until he was certain Tina wouldn’t bulk at his vampirism, but with the information he’d just learned, he really had no other choice. Her safety was his number one priority. Leaning closer to the bed, his eyes still focused on hers, he said, “I want you to get some sleep. Close your eyes and rest until morning. Everything will be better then.” Alex watched as, immediately, she closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep slumber. Standing, Alex hurried from the room. There was a lot to tell the captain and little time until sunrise. Opening the door, he ran headlong into Captain Hallison. “What did she say?” Alex frowned. “How’d you know she talked?” Hallison smiled unapologetically, “Stuck my head in while you were talking to her.” Alex gaped. “She could have seen you and stopped talking.” Hallison nodded. “Yes, she could’ve, but the way you persuaded her to talk would have prevented that, wouldn’t it?” Alex nodded, sliding his hands into his pockets. “How long have you been able to do that?” Alex shrugged. “I don’t know really. I’ve always been able to get people to talk, but tonight it was easier, and she obeyed my command when I told her to sleep.” Hallison smiled. “Don’t look so down. This is an ability you’ll be able to use for situations like this one. Without you, I don’t think she would’ve ever talked.” Alex let out a weary sigh. He knew it was a great gift, but he was terrified of using it. What if he was unable to refrain from wielding it like a weapon? Many vampires turned rogue after gaining their abilities. Some thought it was the powers that caused them to go rogue; others thought it was the length of time they lived before gaining them. Living centuries could drive even the sanest vampire insane. “I know what you're thinking, and don’t,” Hallison said quietly. “You’re a good man, Alex. Don’t let fear of what you are hold you back.” Alex conceded the man had a point. “Now,” the captain began, “let’s get you home before the sun comes up, and you can tell me everything she told you.” **** “Maybe he’s a vampire?”
“He isn’t a vampire, Mary.” Shaking her head, Tina bagged the customer’s purchase before handing her her change. “Well, it would explain why he’s so strong and only meets with you after dark.” Val groaned from her perch at the end of the counter. “Oh, for the love of Pete, Mary, would you give it a rest? There’s no such thing as vampires.” “So you say,” Mary quipped, flipping her platinum locks over her shoulder. “But I’m sticking to my theory. I mean, come on, his eyes are black, for crying out loud.” “Why don’t you go help that man?” Tina asked wearily, tilting her head toward the far wall of the store. The man gazing at the items on the rack looked like a kid in a candy store. “He looks a little lost.” Over the last two weeks Alex came by the shop around seven o’clock every night without fail. They shared dinners, movies, and more heated caresses, but he always stopped short of taking their intimacy to the next level. She was beginning to wonder what was wrong with her that would make him halt, as he never failed to do. She ached to be with him. Every night after he left, she tossed and turned to libidinous dreams of them together, of their writhing, bodies joined, the air filled with the sounds of their shared pleasure. Then she’d wake up alone, except for the ache that seemed to have settled permanently within her. Frowning inwardly, she watched, looking, but not really seeing, as customers roamed the store. Too many questions filled her mind. She’d become curious over the past few day, wondering if perhaps Alex was hiding something, and if so, what. He was still closemouthed about much of his past, eluding questions about his family, friends, and childhood, but always asking many personal questions about her. She couldn’t hold that against him. There were aspects of her life she would rather not talk about as well. The past belonged in the past. Val giggled as she hopped off the bar stool and came to stand alongside Tina behind the register. “He doesn’t look lost. More like he’s about to burst in his pants.” “I know.” Tina laughed, blinking away from her thoughts. “That’s what she gets for her vampire baloney.” Val nodded. “Has Alex told you anything else about that girl who escaped the Monthly Murderer?” Running her fingers through her hair, she sighed. “He only told me what he could. It’s an open case, so that wasn’t much.” “Well,” Val prodded, “what’d he say?” Ringing up another customer, Tina smiled sweetly as the man took his bags and headed toward the door. Turning to Val, she began. “Unfortunately the woman hit her head and wasn’t able to remember much. She fought with the knots on the ropes binding her until they came free and ran when the murderer wasn’t looking. They think he didn’t give chase because she ran out of the alley and onto a busy sidewalk.” Val tapped her bottom lip. She loved a good mystery. Half of her DVR recordings consisted of CSI and The Mentalist. Tina always thought Val should have become a detective. “That isn’t much to go on. I’m just glad she got away. I wonder if he’ll strike again?”
“That’s the question now, isn’t it?” Tina agreed. “Her friend gave the sketch artist a description of the guy the victim left with, but there haven’t been any leads.” “Is that the picture the news has been showing?” “Yeah.” Tina nodded. “He’s handsome. I can see why the women would leave with him.” “Um-hum.” Val nodded her agreement. The pair worked to ring up and direct customers to their desired sexual purchase for another half hour. Once they were alone again, Val spoke. “Mary has a point, you know?” “Oh, no.” Tina groaned. “Not you too.” “No, nothing about vampires.” Val chuckled. “But I’ve been wondering why Alex only comes around after dark, too, and his eyes are an unnatural black.” “He works on this case nonstop. Night is the only time he has free, and he doesn’t have much time every night. As for his eyes, well, I can’t explain that, but they’re beautiful.” “I guess they are,” Val agreed quietly then let the subject drop for a few minutes before asking, “Is it serious between you two?” Tina blinked with surprise. “What? Why would you ask that?” “Because it looks like it’s getting serious. You two have only known each other a couple of weeks, but it’s obvious you’re crazy about one another.” Tina sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t think he’s as into me as you think.” “Are you saying that because he won’t have sex with you? Because if you are, you're crazy.” “What do you mean?” Tina asked curiously. Val stood from the stool and leaned her back against the countertop. “If he’s waiting, then it’s for a reason, and not for the one you're thinking. He’s obviously crazy about you. Maybe he doesn’t want to push things too far too fast for fear of losing you, of frightening you away.” Tina shrugged. “Maybe you're right. I just wish he would tell me a little more about himself.” There was so much she didn’t know about Alex, and yet, she couldn’t get enough of him. She had all these questions about him that he seemed unwilling to answer, and even still, she didn’t fear him. Only curiosity filled her. She cared about him, that was certain, but it scared her how quickly she’d come to do so. He was hiding something; what that something was, she didn’t know, but she would find out. If things were going to go any further, she needed to know everything about him. He already knew everything about her. What was the man she was undoubtedly falling for hiding?
Chapter Twelve “So the killer introduces himself to the victims as a secret admirer?” “Right.” Alex leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “Christine said there were two men. One led her from the club to deliver her to the second man, but she couldn’t remember what either man looked like.” Going over the case with the captain seemed like a good idea at the time, but now, like all the other days through the past week, they only had more questions and no idea how to get their answers. Hallison blew out a breath. “Why?” “That’s the question.” Alex nodded. “If you were a very old, very powerful vampire, why would you use a decoy to lure the women away from the clubs? Why wouldn’t you just use your powers to control her?” “Maybe he was afraid of being caught on camera,” Hallison offered. Alex nodded. “If that were the case the man, or men—as we don’t know if he’s using the same decoy every time—who lured the victims from the clubs would have been on the surveillance cameras, and as far as I know, he’s only on them from the back.” Hallison took a drink of his coffee and leaned back in his seat. “The main question I have is why does this guy have such a hard-on for you? If he’s going through all this trouble just to get your attention, he must be holding some kind of grudge. I mean, if what Newman said is true, these murders go back forty years and all in the towns in which you lived. Why?” Alex shook his head, then stood and moved toward the refrigerator. “Do you mind if I feed?” “Knock yourself out,” Hallison replied, taking another deep drink of coffee before biting into the sandwich that had been sitting before him for the last thirty minutes. “We’ll be able to ask Newman if he’s found anything new when he gets here tomorrow,” Alex said, opening the refrigerator door. “Good,” Hallison said between bites of sandwich. Pulling a bag of blood from the shelf, Alex popped it into the microwave and hit the auto heat button. He’d told Hallison about Tina. The captain had been genuinely happy for him, and even agreed to set a discreet guard on her during the day when Alex was unable to be with her. He still hadn’t told Tina about the secret admirer scam, or about the guard, and definitely not about his tendency to bite. He didn’t want to scare her. If she knew she could be the next target of the murderer, she would ask questions, and they would ultimately lead to ones he was unprepared to answer. He knew the sooner he revealed himself to her the sooner they could move on with their lives together, but he was afraid. Afraid of losing her were she to deny him. Pulling the bag from the microwave, he twisted the tubing in place and strode to the table. “It still amazes me.” Pulling the tube from his mouth, Alex cocked a brow. “What?”
“That you're kind is real.” Nodding with understanding, Alex replied, “I understand. It is a bit out there.” “That’s an understatement.” Continuing to suck the blood from the bag, Alex watched for a moment as the captain finished his sandwich. Kevin Hallison was a good man with a wife and two grown children. He was also one of Alex’s closest friends. He genuinely wished Kevin would let his mother turn him, the thought of losing another mortal friend twisted his heart, but he understood why he wouldn’t be turned. He loved his family, his friends and, in general, his life. Why give up a good thing? he’d once said. Finishing his coffee, Kevin stood and shrugged into his jacket. “I need to get going. You’re looking tired and I need to get home to the wife.” Finishing the bag of blood, Alex flopped it onto the table and stood to see him to the door. “When are you going to tell her what you are, and what she is to you?” Alex frowned. “It’s not that easy.” “Why not? You love her, don’t you?” Much to his surprise, he did. Two weeks had passed, but he knew without a doubt that he loved Tina. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and he wasn’t in a hurry to possibly mess up what they had, which was why he hadn’t taken their intimacy to the next level. He would lose control and bite her when he finally took her, and that would be quite awkward without some warning. “I do,” he conceded. “Then put your big boy panties on and tell her. You can’t hold off forever, and if we’re right, the killer could come after her any moment. Take a chance. Besides, over the next few days, Newman will be here. He can pick up some of the slack.” With that, he sent Alex a small salute and exited the apartment. Looking at the clock, Alex groaned. It was noon. He needed a shower and some sleep, as he was due at Tina’s place around eight. Striding toward the bedroom and the hot shower awaiting him, he stripped, leaving his clothes where they fell. Perhaps Kevin was right. He wasn’t getting anywhere sitting on his hands. Turning on the water, he stepped inside and let the steaming hot water trail over his weary body. He could protect her better if she knew what he was. He could be himself completely with her if she knew. Thinking back on their conversation about vampires on their first date, he smiled. Scrubbing himself with soap, then rinsing, he stepped out of the shower and dried. He had to tell her what he was, and tonight was just as good of a time as any. Striding toward the bed, he slipped into bed naked, relaxing between the soft satin of the sheets. When he saw Tina tonight, he would confess. Then, he would show her the most exquisite pleasure she’d ever experienced. Unless she ran away screaming. **** The night air whipped Tina’s long coat around her legs as she trudged down the
empty sidewalk. Alex was due at her apartment in less than thirty minutes, and she was just leaving the shop. At five o’clock, a steady stream of people had come pouring though the shop door, and the traffic hadn’t ceased until after seven. Now, she was dangerously close to being late. Looking around and not seeing a cab, Tina continued toward the busier section of street less than three blocks away. There, she would catch a cab and hopefully make it home in time to change her clothes before Alex arrived. She had planned on preparing dinner, but now they would have to settle for takeout. Holding her purse under her coat, as she didn’t wish to be mugged again, she quickened her steps. Rubbing the back of her neck, she shuddered. All day she’d had the strange feeling of being watched. It was asinine she knew, but the feeling was there, as if someone was lingering, lurking and waiting just around the corner. Shaking the thought away, she took a deep, calming breath. She was being silly. “Get a grip, Tina. Stop being so paranoid.” Approaching the Diamond Club, she suppressed a chill. She couldn’t imagine being that poor girl. She had to have been scared to death. Just the thought of the entire situation sent a shot of fear spiking through Tina. She commended the girl’s bravery. She didn’t think she could have been as courageous in that situation. The street was oddly quiet, probably because the club didn’t open for another two hours. Clang. Passing the alley beside the club, she froze. The sound of metal hitting the ground echoed in the closed space. Its hollow ring sent a chill creeping up her spine. Although every molecule in her body screamed for her to keep moving, to run away, she peered into the darkness. The sounds of the night reached her ears as she narrowed her eyes, trying to see into the alley. What she was looking for, she didn’t know. Cats meowed as they raided the dumpsters looking for their evening meal, and the sound of dogs howling somewhere in the distance filled the air. Shadows moved. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. “Just go, Tina. Go,” she whispered. “Just get home.” Forcing her feet to move, she hurried past the alley. She thought she was a safe distance away, when a strong arm snared her waist and a large hand clamped over her mouth, smothering her startled cry as she was dragged back into the alley. Fear streaked through her like white-hot lightning. She wanted to scream as she fought against the steel-like grip holding her against a firm chest. Kicking, twisting, and clawing she was dragged into the darkness of the alley. She found herself violently shoved against the wall of one of the buildings flanking the alleyway. The cold brick bit into the side of her face and down her chest, stomach, and legs as her captor held her to the wall with his body, his hand still clamped firmly over her mouth. “Stop squirming, bitch,” a low voice warned against her ear. She didn’t. Pulling her head as far forward as she could, she then slung it backward, slamming the back of her head into her attacker’s face. An audible crack sounded as her
head made contact with his nose, and he loosened his grip. Quickly, she spun to face him, prepared to fight. “Shit! You stupid little bitch!” Before she could launch an attack of her own, a large fist slammed into her face. Stars glittered before her eyes as she crumpled to the ground. Slowly, she blinked her eyes, and as the darkness started to close in around her, she could swear she saw the fuzzy image of Alex looming at the opening of the alley. His eyes glowing… red.
Chapter Thirteen “You just missed her. If you hurry you can catch her before she makes the light and grabs a cab.” “Thanks, Val.” Tossing her a salute, Alex hurried out the door and down the block. He was supposed to meet Tina at her place not the shop, but the thought of telling Tina that he was a vampire had him not only afraid, but a little excited at the prospect that she might actually be open-minded enough to believe and accept him. The street was quiet and mostly empty. He was meeting her later than usual, so the sun had set for which he was grateful. He didn’t think he could wait another minute to see Tina. Looking up the sidewalk, he spotted her, her long black coat whipping in the breeze as she stood still, gazing into an alleyway. “What’s she doing?” A feeling of foreboding filled him. Goosebumps dotted his skin. Something wasn’t right. Quickening his steps, he hurried toward her. Suddenly, she started walking. Fear still thudded through his veins, and in a flash of movement, he knew why. A large man burst from the alley, grabbed Tina around her waist, and hauled her back into the darkness of the alley. Alex bolted forward, using every ounce of preternatural speed he possessed to reach her before anything could happen to her. He knew it was dangerous for him to use his abilities in public, but he didn’t care. Tina was in danger… his mate was in danger. Careening into the alley, Alex froze at the sight that met his eyes. Tina lay on the ground. A trail of blood seeped from her bottom lip and nose. Her face was already starting to bruise from what Alex knew was a punch to the face. Rage threaded its way through him. Without thinking, he attacked. Speeding into the alley, he grabbed the man kneeling down to tie Tina’s hands and hurled him against the far wall. The man crumpled to the ground without a sound, unconscious. Fighting the overwhelming need to rip the man to pieces, Alex hurried to Tina’s side. Kneeling down, he freed her hands. Smoothing her hair away from her face, he called her name. “Tina. Tina baby, wake up.” She didn’t move. Tapping her uninjured cheek, he tried again. “Wake up, love, please.” Her eyelids fluttered. “Alex?” she mumbled. “That’s right.” He smiled. “Are your eyes red?” she continued wearily, reaching up to press her palm against her forehead. Suddenly, pain radiated through Alex’s skull as he was hurled forward, slamming facedown into the pavement. Reaching up, he felt the knot already forming, then smelled the blood now pouring from the back of his head. His ears rang, all thoughts scrambled as the pull of unconsciousness threatened to drag him under. Slowly he rolled onto his back, and the attacker quickly took advantage of his
momentary weakness. Leaping onto Alex’s chest, the attacker belted Alex’s face with his fists. His face felt like Jell-O as the attacker continued his assault. It was like the attacker knew if he didn’t keep beating Alex, he would heal within minutes and rise and kill him. With only Tina’s safety in mind, Alex fought for strength. The wound at the back of his skull was already starting to heal. Reaching out, Alex felt his fist connect with the man’s nose. Leaping to his feet, Alex’s blood boiled. Anger, fear, and rage hummed through him. This bastard had hurt Tina and was undoubtedly going to do worse to her, or deliver her to someone who would. Alex ached to kill him, to end the miserable life of the person who dared put their hands on his mate. Straddling the man’s chest, Alex pummeled him with his fists. He was mindless with fury as he slammed his fists into his face and body. He knew he shouldn’t kill this man, that he could lead them to the murderer, but he couldn’t control his anger. He heard a voice in the distance screaming for him to stop, but he couldn’t. The vampire within him had taken over. * Scooting back against the wall, Tina watched with horror as her attacker pounded Alex’s face. Alex appeared unconscious, and after seeing the large steel pipe the man used to hit him, she wondered if he still lived. She needed to do something. Standing, she steadied herself against the wall. Her vision wavered as she tried to gather her thoughts and force her legs to move. Taking a step forward, she stilled as out of nowhere Alex slammed his fist into the man’s face. He flew backwards, landing on the cold cement with a thud. Immediately Alex was upon him. Punching him with a force, with a strength, she’d never before seen. The sight frightened her and, inexplicably, excited her at the same time. Alex was a cop, and at the rate he was beating her attacker, he would kill him. Not only would Alex have blood on his hands and guilt in his heart, he could lose his job and go to jail. She didn’t want that for him. She didn’t want to be the reason these men lost their lives. “Alex, stop!” she screamed, but he didn’t seem to hear her. Trying again, she took a step closer. “Alex, please, you're going to kill him. Stop!” When he still continued his assault, she ran forward on wobbly legs. Grabbing his hair, she yanked with all her might. Alex toppled over backwards, hitting the ground. Stepping away quickly, Tina watched as Alex gazed up at her through blood red eyes. He stared at her; both remained motionless. Alex sat up. His eyes wavered between red and black momentarily before resuming their normal black color. She didn’t know what was happening, or why. Why were his eyes changing colors? What was going on? “Tina?” Sucking in a shaking breath, Tina replied, “Alex? W-what’s going on?” Slowly, Alex found his feet. Taking a step toward Tina, he froze. “I can explain.” “I would really appreciate that.” She tried but failed to keep the fear from her voice. She knew nothing about this man. Was there a side of himself he was hiding from her? He glanced to the man lying beaten and bloodied at his feet. “Why were your eyes red? Why did you lose control like that?” she asked, her fear
subsiding as she gazed into the black eyes she knew and loved. The Alex she loved seemed to have returned. Still, she couldn’t let her guard down. “I’m more than willing to answer all of your questions, but I need to ask him some questions before I do. Is that all right?” he asked cautiously, his voice soft and pleading as though she held all the power. Nodding, she agreed. “I’d like to know who he is as well.” Tina watched as Alex grabbed the man and dragged him to sit leaning against the alley wall. Grabbing a pair of handcuffs from the back of his jeans, he cuffed the man. His head bobbed as Alex reached up and gave him a slap across the face. He stirred. A long groan slid past his lips. “Wake up,” Alex demanded, cracking him again. This time, the guy’s eyes snapped open. Tina came to kneel next to Alex. The man looked at her, then at Alex, and his eyes widened. He looked absolutely terrified. “P-please don’t k-kill me,” he stuttered. “I have no plans to kill you, but you need to answer some questions or I might be forced to change my mind. Understand?” The guy nodded. Why is he so afraid? Why am I not? Tina wondered as she watched him tremble. She’d just watched Alex lose all control and his eyes change from black to red. She had no idea what was going on with Alex, and yet, she couldn’t force herself to fear him. “Why’d you attack her?” Alex asked, tilting his head toward her. “He told me to.” “He who?” Alex demanded. The man chanced a glance at her, then back to Alex. Blood trailed from his mouth and nose, and there was a large cut just above his left eyebrow. She felt a moment’s pity for him, but as quickly as it came, it vanished. She could only imagine the horrific things he’d planned to do to her. “I can’t tell you.” Leaning forward, Alex whispered something in the man’s ear. His eyes widened even farther. His trembling increased. “Now, why did you attack her?” Closing his eyes, the attacker leaned his head back against the wall then looked at Alex. He was no older than Tina. His light brown hair was short but shaggy. He was somewhat muscular and handsome, with vivid green eyes and a firm jaw. Tina wondered why he would be lurking in alleyways to attack women. He was more than handsome enough to get one without attacking them. “I can’t tell you his name, or where he lives, but I know what he looks like.” “You mean you don’t even know the name of the man you're doing business with?” Tina asked with bewilderment. Shut up, stupid! She didn’t know what caused her to interrupt. Mentally smacking her forehead with her palm, she pressed her lips together. “Answer her and throw in who you are while you're at it,” Alex demanded. Swallowing audibly, the man continued. “M-my name’s Bobby Dalton. About a
month ago, this guy approached me at the club. He asked me if I wanted to make some quick cash. He didn’t look too dangerous, so I said yeah.” “What’d he ask you to do?” Tina asked and once again wanted to slap herself silly. She couldn’t seem to keep her mouth shut for anything tonight, but a quick glance at Alex reassured her he didn’t care that she voiced her questions. He was concentrating on Bobby’s eyes. When Bobby didn’t immediately answer, Alex shook him, gripping the front of his shirt. “H-he said all I had to do was get a certain woman to leave the club with me and meet him in Mason Alexander Park at midnight.” “So you did?” Alex asked through clenched teeth. “Yeah, I mean, once I got them to the park, they said they knew him, and that they were old friends.” Brushing a hand over her still bleeding bottom lip, Tina asked, “How many women did you take to this guy?” “Three. One a week for the last three weeks.” He was delivering the victims to The Monthly Murderer. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Alex voiced her thoughts. “You’ve been delivering women to The Monthly Murderer. Did you know what he was doing to them?” Quickly, Bobby shook his head. “No! Well, not at first…” “What do you mean, not at first? Good grief, how much was this guy paying you that you would lead these women to slaughter?” Tina asked in outrage. “Twenty thousand dollars per girl. I needed the money.” “How’d you know which girls to approach?” Alex asked. “He gave me a picture and told me where they would be, but never had to attack one until tonight. This was the first time he asked me to.” “Did he tell you why he wanted you to attack her?” Bobby nodded. “He said she didn’t frequent the clubs anymore, and he had special plans for her. He said he’d give me fifty thousand dollars if I did this, then he would never ask anything of me again. I would be free to go.” Tina couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She was staring at one of the men responsible for those poor women’s deaths. They had been tortured and murdered in cold blood, and all this guy could think about was money. “Where were you supposed to take her?” “To the park like all the others.” “What does he look like?” “He always wore sunglasses that covered most of his face. He’s about your height but smaller in build. His hair is blond. He always wears a black coat and drives a black Mercedes.” Alex nodded, then looked down. “W-what are you going to do to me?” “Not what I would like,” Alex ground out and then quick as a flash slammed his fist into Bobby’s face, knocking him unconscious once again. “What are you going to do with him?” Tina asked, watching as Alex pulled his cell phone from his pocket.
“I’m calling Captain Hallison. He can take him in. We’ll need to give a statement of what happened and what all he told us. I’m sure he’ll send someone to the park to see if they can nab this guy.” Tina nodded. She suspected as much. So much for the quiet, romantic date she’d planned for them. It looked like she would be spending the night in the precinct again. She only hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with same cop this time, who’d dealt with her mugging case. Snapping the phone shut, Alex turned to face her. Reaching out slowly, he caressed her cheek. “Are you all right?” After all she’d seen from Alex, she should be running away screaming, but she couldn’t. She loved him. He had his faults, and she still had countless questions about him and what happened to him tonight, but she loved him. “I’m fine. How about you?” He shrugged. “I’m fine.” Looking into her eyes, he continued. “I know you have questions about what happened, and I’ll answer them. Just promise me you’ll hear me out before you make any decisions about us.” She studied him for a long moment. His hair was a tousled mess atop his head, but his face was free of cuts and bruises. She swore she’d seen blood trailing from his mouth and a cut above his eye when she pulled him off Bobby, but now, he was picture perfect. Suspicion filled her. “I promise.” **** “After all that, I can’t believe they didn’t catch him.” Alex nodded. He and Tina had sat in the station until midnight giving their statements and talking to the captain and the newly arrived Newman Shores. Arriving back at Tina’s apartment, he took her long coat, hung it on the rack next to the door, and then removed his own. “The captain said that when they got to the park, it was empty.” After a complete search of the park and surrounding woods, the police came up empty-handed, which didn’t surprise Alex. They were dealing with a vampire after all and apparently not just any vampire, but a very old one that could control minds and teleport. It had been a long night. Sighing, he followed Tina to the sofa, where she flopped down and propped up her feet. She looked pretty rumpled with her mussed hair and dirty, wrinkled clothing. She was adorable. Pulling her into his arms, Alex kissed the bruise along her cheekbone. So far, she hadn’t attempted to ask any questions after the incident in the alley, but he could see in her eyes that reprieve was about to come to an end. “I’m sorry the night turned out like this. I had big plans for this evening,” she said quietly. “So did I,” Alex confessed. Tina sat up, and tucking her legs beneath her, she turned to face him. He knew what was coming, and now that the time was upon him, he couldn’t stop the fear rising within him.
“What happened to you in that alley tonight?” Gazing into her brilliant green eyes, he frowned. “Alex, please…” Taking a deep breath, Alex dug for the courage to confess. This was it. He would either be spending the night with Tina as she screamed his name in ecstasy, or he would be calling for an elder to clear her memory of him. Taking her hand between his, he began. “What I’m about to tell you isn’t easy. You’ll think I'm crazy.” “No, I won’t, I promise.” Alex squeezed her hands. “I really don’t know how to say this.” “Just say it,” she coaxed gently. “Tina… I’m a vampire.” She stared unmoving for a long moment, her expression unwavering as she digested what he said. He braced himself for her reaction. “Really?” Alex blinked. “What?” “You're really a vampire?” He nodded warily. “Yes.” “Can you show me? I mean, do you have fangs and all that?” Taking her curiosity as a good sign, he nodded. “Yes, I do.” “May I see?” Opening his mouth, he took in her honey sweet scent and let his fangs descend. She leaned forward and looked closer. “That explains why you were able to lift the bed, and why your eyes are black.” “That’s right,” Alex answered. She sat quietly, staring off at nothing in particular. As the seconds ticked by, a thread of worry knotted his stomach. “Tina? Are you all right?” She looked at him and smiled. “You really are a vampire? This is amazing.” “That wasn’t the response I expected,” he admitted with disbelief. Pressing her hand to her forehead, Tina continued to grin. “What’d you expect?” she said, standing to pace before him. “I don’t know. For you to crack me over the head and call the loony bin?” She laughed. “The first night we kissed. It was your fang that cut my lip, wasn’t it?” He nodded. “And in the alley tonight, you were mad, that’s why your eyes were red.” Again he nodded. Is this really happening? he thought to himself. She was basically explaining things for him. He never knew she was so in tune with vampires. “You're taking this a lot better than I expected.” Tina laughed. “I told you that night we watched the vampire flicks that I believed in the possibility of other beings.” Alex shrugged. “I guess you did.” “That damn Mary was right.” She chuckled. “Excuse me?” “Just tonight Mary suggested you were a vampire. I told her she was crazy and made
her go help some pervert for suggesting such a thing. I definitely owe her an apology.” Standing, Alex moved to stand before her. “You can’t tell anyone what I am. It’s a major no-no in our world.” Tina nodded, then looked up at him with confusion. “If it’s against the rules, then why were you able to tell me?” Taking Tina by the hand, Alex led her back to their seats on the sofa. Smoothing her hair away from her face, Alex felt like bursting with joy. Never had he imagined she would take the news of his vampirism with such understanding. At the moment, he felt like the luckiest vampire in the world, but there was still more to tell. Starting with what he knew about the Monthly Murderer’s plans to kidnap her and the fact that she was his mate. That was an entirely different conversation. He had no idea how to explain how he knew that to her, but if he was as lucky in that aspect as he had been in telling her he was a vampire, he would breeze right through. “Remember that girl who escaped that night at the Diamond Club?” When she nodded, he continued. “When I got to the hospital, I was asked to question her, but when I went into her room, I couldn’t believe what I saw.” “What did you see?” she asked curiously. “She looked just like you. She could have been your twin.” Clearing his throat, he continued. “She said she didn’t remember what the man who took her looked like, but she confirmed that another man met them in the alley we were in tonight, and he was going to take things from there, but the men started to argue and she was able to get away.” “What does this have to do with me? Why did she look like me?” “That’s what I wanted to know,” Alex admitted. “She said all she remembered them saying was that she wasn’t identical, but close enough.” Tina sat back against the cushions and sighed. “Are you telling me this guy is after me?” “I think so.” “Why? How can you be sure?” she questioned. He could understand her curiosity, he still didn’t know exactly why this guy was killing women in his cities, but he was going to find out. With Newman now in town, he knew they would catch the killer a lot sooner. The truth of the matter was that Newman should have been placed on this case long before now, but with his hands full with a rogue werewolf of his own, he was too busy, until now. Newman was an amazing detective. Whereas Alex had always been able to get information from someone as easily as the air he breathed, Newman was able to solve a mystery faster than you could blink. It was his special talent. Alex could only imagine the power Newman would have once his abilities began to fully form. “The victim said the only thing out of the ordinary that had happened to her in the recent months was someone started sending her flowers, claiming to be her—” “Secret admirer,” she finished for him. The expression on her face was blank. He began to worry. “This still doesn’t answer my question.” She lowered her brows. “Why were you able to tell me what you are?” Just tell her. Taking a deep breath, Alex looked into her eyes and forged ahead. “Because you're
my mate.” Tina blinked with what he could only interpret as disbelief. “What exactly do you mean, your mate?” “I don’t really know how to explain,” he said on an exhalation. “Try.” “Well, vampires are all given a mate. We can have more than one in a lifetime, but they're rare and difficult to find.” “How do you know I'm your mate?” “Have you been having dreams about us?” Tina frowned. “Some.” “That’s part of it. We’re drawn to the conclusion first by instinct, and then as time goes on, we start having dreams about the one we’ve found. They invade our every thought, our every dream. We can’t function or think properly because of the need to be with them. We’re protective of our mates to the point of madness if they come to danger.” Tina’s frown diminished and was replaced by a tilt of her lips. “Is that what you’ve been feeling?” “Every damn minute since I met you.” “So now what?” she asked gently. “Well, that’s up to you.”
Chapter Fourteen Tina watched Alex intently. He was telling the truth about everything. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. He was a vampire, and she was his mate being stalked by the Monthly Murderer. When she wished for a little excitement in her life, this wasn’t exactly what she meant, but she would take what she could get. There was still a lot about Alex that she needed to know before she went leaping into his arms for the rest of her life. Like, how often did he feed, and did he kill when he did so. “What do you mean, it’s up to me?” Alex shifted in his seat. He looked terrified. She understood. It took a lot of courage to tell her his secret. The fact that he was a vampire didn’t bother her as much as it would someone else, and she couldn’t help but wonder why. Perhaps it was her gift of being open-minded about such things, and maybe it was just Mary’s eternal ramblings in her ear about such things. Either way, she was all right with what he was. What she wasn’t all right with was a killer on her tail. “What I mean is you don’t have to be with me if you don’t want to be. Like I said, I can find another mate. It might take another hundred or more years, but if this isn’t what you want…” Scooting closer to Alex, she asked, “So, if I choose to be your mate, does that mean I’ll have to become a vampire to?” “Not if you don’t want to be. I would like you to be. If you were, we could live our lives together for eternity, but that’s up to you. This is a dilemma vampires face who find their mate in a mortal.” She nodded. If she was correct—as she wasn’t the vampire expert Mary was—she knew if she didn’t let him turn her, she would grow old while he stayed young. He would be forced to watch her die. That was definitely something to think about. While she didn’t mind the fact that Alex was a vampire, she didn’t know if she would want to be one herself. “I don’t need your decision on that until you're ready,” Alex said. Taking her hand, he lifted it to his lips and pressed a kiss to the sensitive skin of her wrist. “Do you bite people?” Alex shook his head and smiled. “No. I drink bagged blood or, if I have to, the new synthetic they created. I never bite someone unless it’s an emergency.” Tina nodded. “Are you ever tempted?” “I’m only tempted by you.” “You want to bite me?” she asked, unable to keep her voice steady. She wasn’t certain she would welcome his bite. She’d seen his fangs. They were huge. “It’s because of my instinct to claim you.” “Claim me?” Alex released a breath. “Make love to you,” he clarified. “The first time we have sex I will be overcome with the need to take your neck, to mark you as my own. It’s a sign
that you’ve given yourself to me completely. That you have agreed fully to be mine to love and protect forever.” Tina could picture her and Alex in the future. A nice house, a white picket fence, and little raven-haired children laughing and playing… all with blood in their tippy-cups. That is, if Alex could give her children. “I won’t become one of you if you bite me?” “No. I would have to drink from you until you were near death, and then give you my blood. I would sleep with you in my arms and when you awoke, you would be changed.” Tina nodded her understanding. “I have so many questions,” she admitted with a shake of her head. “There’s only one you need to answer,” Alex replied, his voice low. She tilted her head and peered deep into Alex’s eyes. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, that she needed to answer for herself, but she knew the one Alex was referring to. Did she want to be with Alex forever? Could she handle what he was? Looking to where Alex held her hands securely in his own, she smiled. She hadn’t seen it before, but now that she knew what Alex had been hiding, and that it wasn’t a wife and kids or a criminal record, she knew for a fact what she wanted. She wanted him. It didn’t matter what he was, she wanted to be with Alex. He was kind and caring. He protected her above all else. He trusted her with his secret. She might not be a vampire who desperately needed a mate, but she felt as though she needed him just as badly as he needed her. She was in love with Alex, and this new revelation changed nothing. She’d always been open-minded about such things and questioning her beliefs now was out of the question. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his. A soft groan escaped his throat as he cupped the nape of her neck and tilted her head, deepening the kiss. Gently ending the kiss, Tina caressed Alex’s cheek. “There's nothing I want more than to be with you. I have questions about you and your kind, and I have reservations about becoming one of you, but I know one thing. I want to be with you.” * Alex let Tina's words wash over and surround him; warm and comforting like a thick blanket. He’d heard of mates accepting his kind without a qualm, but he never imagined his would be one of those rare few. Now, she was confessing her desire to spend her life with him. Alex couldn’t help but wait for the other shoe to drop. That feeling that everything was going too right niggled at the back of his mind, but he couldn’t miss this opportunity when it presented itself to him so willingly. He couldn’t take the chance that Tina would come to her senses and change her mind. Cupping the nape of her neck, Alex deepened the kiss. A soft moan escaped from deep in her throat. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he puller her onto his lap to straddle him. She kissed him hungrily. His fangs slid out with his increasing arousal. Pulling away from the kiss, Tina gazed at him breathlessly. “Let me see them again,” she demanded softly.
Against his better judgment, he smiled, displaying his fangs for her viewing. “It’s amazing,” she whispered, before leaning back down to take his mouth with hers. If he didn’t know any better, he would have said the idea of what he was actually turned Tina on. Alex let the subject drop as she ground herself against his hardened manhood. Taking the motion as an invitation, Alex let all thoughts, all doubts fall from his mind, replacing them with only the need to claim her, to pleasure her, to make her his forever. Running his hands over her greedily, Alex slid his hands beneath the hem of Tina's shirt and, momentarily breaking the kiss, lifted it quickly over her head. Hunger raged within him, pounding like a drum, commanding him to charge forward and take what was rightfully his, but he fought it. He wanted to take it slow, to savor every delectable inch of her, but he didn’t know how much longer he could last. The need to rip her clothing from her and drive himself into her until she screamed out her release sank its claws deep into him. She moved atop him subtly, pressing her center against his rigid erection. Gently he skimmed his hands over her bare flesh, over her stomach to her breasts, where he pinched the front clasp to open the garment. Alex pulled the bra from her and tossed it across the room. Gazing at the bounty he just exposed, he groaned low in his throat and lowering his head, he took one tight peak into his mouth. She moaned, louder and louder with every pull. He licked her sensitive flesh before playfully nipping at the tender peak. She jerked, not out of fear, but pleasure. “Again,” she demanded in a breathy voice. Alex obeyed her command and slowly grazed one fang over her flesh. She shivered, threading her fingers deeper into his hair, anchoring him to her as she reached down with one hand; she unbuttoned his pants and slid her hand inside to grasp his cock. He sucked in a ragged breath as she caressed him with long easy strokes, back and forth, back and forth, until he thought he would break. Squeezing the round globes of her ass, he cupped them in his palms and slid to the edge of the couch to stand. She didn’t question him. Quickly he carried her down the long hallway and, toeing open the bedroom door, strode inside and placed her on the enormous bed. Reaching down, he slid the button of her pants free and lowered the zipper. Pulling her jeans off, he then quickly removed the flimsy scrap of silk she considered panties and dropped them to the floor. * She watched as he slid her panties off and shivered. The look in his now red eyes was so intense she could feel his gaze tracing every inch of her exposed flesh. Slowly she sat up, hooking a thumb in the waist of his jeans, she tugged them over his taut ass, letting them fall to the floor. She would have repeated the action with his underwear, but on this night, Alex was without. Smiling her approval, she reached out and took him in her hand. Looking into his eyes, she smiled at the expression of pure passion that coated his features. Gently he trailed his thumb over her cheek, and then slid his hand into her hair. She let her eyes slip over his muscular chest, down to his rigid abdomen and finally to his thick, hard, cock. Sliding her hand over him, she admired the velvety smoothness of his skin.
Peeking up at him from beneath her lashes, she leaned forward and took him into her mouth. He sucked in a startled breath, and his body tensed. Gently she suckled his member, licking and nipping as he so often did to her while he drove her near insanity with his ministrations. He gripped her hair in his fist as she continued to take him into her mouth while she gripped his buttocks with her hands. She’d never enjoyed this particular act until now. It seemed everything was better with Alex. His breathing grew broken and ragged. He pulled her mouth from him and pressed her back into the bed. Quickly, he parted her thighs and, kneeling on the floor beside the bed, set to work devouring her. He worked her flesh with the skill of a master. Suckling her tight, sensitive bud while sliding a pair of fingers into her. She cried out with pleasure. She gripped his hair. He knew exactly what she liked, what she wanted, and how best to give it to her. Just when she thought she would explode with her release, he stopped. The weight of his body lying along hers sent a rage of need rocketing through her. Arching up, she pressed her aching breasts to his chest. He gazed into her eyes for a moment before lowering his lips to her ear. “Are you sure this is what you want? Do you understand what this will mean?” he whispered huskily. His breath tickled her ear, and goose bumps dotted her flesh. At that moment, he could have asked her anything and she would’ve agreed, but this, she knew for certain, she wanted above all else. Her life would change, be altered, but she would still be Tina, and she would finally have the man of her dreams. “Yes,” she whispered, rubbing her center against the head of his penis. “I want this more than anything.” As soon as the words slid past her lips it was as if Alex had been set free. He kissed her deeply then, with one fluid movement, slid into her. She cried out as his size stretched her to her limits. He stilled. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice shaky, his fangs more visible than before. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed as her body adjusted to his intrusion. “Yes,” she breathed as the need to move assailed her. Alex began to move, sliding in and out, building a delicious friction within her. “You feel so good,” he ground out then took a nipple into his mouth and sucked hard. “Please don’t stop, Alex. More, please more,” she begged, grasping his buttocks, urging him deeper. He pressed himself into her harder. She could feel his need building as keenly as she felt her own. He lowered his face to her neck. His hot breath brushed against her skin. Gently he pressed a kiss there. She knew what he wanted and was surprised to find she wanted it to. “Do it.” “Tina…” “Please, Alex, do it.” In a flash, his fangs were in her, a sharp sting followed by the most intense pleasure she’d ever felt. Hooking her legs over his shoulders, Alex dove into her fiercely. She cried out her
release as Alex gave one long, deep thrust and plunged into her. Her climax seemed to go on and on, washing over her in waves of sheer, unadulterated delight. Suddenly, Alex released his bite and, throwing his head back, cried out with his release.
Chapter Fifteen Blinking his eyes open, Alex turned his head to find Tina closing the blinds. “What are you doing?” She turned to him and smiled. “I wasn’t sure exactly what the movies had right, so I thought I would close the blinds, just in case.” He grinned. “Good thinking.” Coming to kneel on the bed next to him, she tilted her head to the side. The bite marks he’d inflicted on her in the previous night were gone. He’d been sure to lick them after taking from her. He couldn’t imagine leaving her with a painful wound. “Would the sun have hurt?” Setting up against the pillows, he nodded. “Yes. I would have burst into flames and died.” She frowned, and then crawled over to him. Running her hand through his hair she said, “I don’t want to think about that. I don’t want to lose you.” Leaning forward, he kissed her. “You won’t.” She kissed him deeply again before leaning away. “I have to go to work.” Looking to her wet hair and robe, he realized she’d already taken a shower. “When do you have to be there?” “In about an hour. I made sure all the blinds and curtains were closed tight and no sun could get in. There's food in the fridge, but…” “What?” She nibbled her bottom lip. “What if you get hungry?” She finished with a lift of her eyebrow. Realizing exactly what she meant, he laughed. “I think I’ll be fine. After all, I took more than enough from you last night.” She blushed. He’d taken her repeatedly throughout the night, never seemingly able to get enough of her. He hadn’t bitten her every time, but he’d taken enough blood from her in the times that he had to get him through the day. “Are you all right?” She grinned. “Yes. I'm just still a little shocked that I'm with a vampire.” She shook her head and laughed. “Are you still all right with that?” He still held a lingering fear that she would come to her senses and run away screaming. It all seemed too good to be true. She caressed his cheek. “Absolutely.” With a cheeky grin, she hopped off the bed and strode to the closet. Pulling out clothes willy-nilly, she finally decided on a pair of distressed jeans, tight black sweater, and the same knee-high stiletto boots zipped over her jeans he’d seen her in the first night they met. He watched as she dressed and brushed out her hair. She was his life now, and he would do whatever it took to keep her safe. He needed to get to work. The sooner he found out who was after her, or him, whatever the case might be, the sooner he could focus solely on their future together. After grabbing a hot pink handbag with a silver metal chain strap, she hurried over
and kissed him. Wrapping his arms around her, he pressed her against his chest. She sighed as he deepened the kiss, and then after nibbling her bottom lip, he released her. “I’ll be back around five. If you need anything you have my number.” “Remember,” he began, “there’s a car with two officers that will be watching you and the store just in case this guy decides to try anything.” “But I thought you said he was a vampire too.” Alex happened to find time between bouts of lovemaking to explain the entire situation to Tina. She needed to know what the murderer was capable of. “He is, but he could hire someone else, just like he hired Bobby Dalton.” Nodding, Tina said, “Oh, I didn’t think of that. I still can’t believe this guy is doing this because he has some sort of grudge against you.” Alex couldn’t believe it either, but with the evidence they’d collected in the last twenty-four hours, it was hard to deny. “I only wish I knew who it was. I can’t think of a single person who would hate me enough to go through all this trouble.” Tina shrugged. “You’ll catch him.” Alex grinned. “I hope you're right.” Swinging his feet over the bed, Alex nodded. “I’ll have someone from the station bring some files over, and I need to make some calls. I’ll be working most of the day too.” Standing, he stretched, and then grinned as he watched the light in Tina’s eyes flare from an ember to a raging flame as she gazed at his naked form. “I thought you were going to work,” he said huskily. She met his eyes as he took two steps toward her. “Unless you’d like to stay in and pick up where we left off.” She hesitated for a long moment before shaking her head and blushing. “I’ll be back in a little while,” she called as she hurried out the door. It really was a shame. He wouldn’t have minded another tumble. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he headed to the shower. He had a lot of work to do and little time to do it in. The last victim, Christine, had escaped the Monthly Murderer one week ago. He was due to strike again soon, and since discovering Tina was his next intended victim, Alex needed to work fast. A police guard could only protect her for so long. **** “So, the murderer is definitely hitting towns where you lived. I found several more cases with the same M.O.” Newman’s voice rang over the line. Since it was midday there was no way the pair could meet and discuss the case in person. Dishing about the case on the cell phone would have to do. “We need to get moving on this.” Alex sighed. “I can’t let Tina be in danger any longer than necessary.” “I understand,” Newman said. “If she was my mate, I’d be out of my mind trying to find the guy threatening her too.” Alex agreed. “She’s your first mate, right?” Alex groaned. “Yes, but there was someone before I was turned.” “Were you married?” Newman asked curiously.
Alex closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cushions of Tina’s couch. Thinking back on his life before becoming a vampire wasn’t pleasant as it reminded him of the things he could no longer enjoy, and the family he had to leave too early. “No. I wasn’t married, but I was in love.” “Who was she?” Taking a deep breath, Alex pinched the bridge of his nose. It had been a long time since Alice, and he was more in love with Tina than he’d ever been with Alice, but it still hurt to talk about what had happened to her. “Her name was Alice Bostitch. I lived in London at the time. She and I had been engaged for a little more than a month when we were attacked walking home from a family get-together one night.” Taking a deep breath, he continued. “She was struck in the head and never woke up again. She lived another week before she died, and I… lived.” “You mean you were turned?” Newman asked, but Alex knew he didn’t need to elaborate. “Yes. I snuck into her room every night until the night she died. Then I packed up and moved. It was impossible for me to stay in London.” “Why?” Alex sighed as the memories consumed him. “Her family thought I killed her, because when they found her, I was gone. The I.D.’s who found me that night took me to a safe house. They had the whole city searching for me.” He shuddered. “I try not to think about that time.” Newman made a curious sound on the other end of the line. “Something wrong?” Alex asked. “No,” Newman began. “I was just thinking.” Clearing his throat, Newman changed the subject. “I'm thinking he’ll come after Tina again soon. If we can set a discreet guard around her, we might be able to ambush him when he tries to get her.” “You mean use her as bait?” Alex asked with a scowl, and he stood to pace. “No way.” Tina was already in danger. He would die before he put her in more. “No, not as bait. We just need to keep a close watch on her. You know as well as I do that if this guy has a grudge against you, he’ll come after her again. If we play our cards right, we’ll be able to grab him and this will all be over and you and your new girl can live happily ever after. Besides, there’ll be someone with her the entire time, so she won’t be in any real danger.” “What about the fact that this guy can teleport?” Alex reminded Newman. “Have Tina wear a piece of silver, a cross or just a small chain of something so he can’t teleport her away.” It was a good plan. “All right. I’ll be with her during the night. Call and have someone put on to guard her during the day, some shifters or werewolves or something. Someone who’s strong enough to protect her.” “Will do,” Newman agreed. “I have some leads I want to follow up on. I’ll call you in a couple of hours. Until then, keep a close eye on your mate.” “There’s a mortal guard on her now, and she’ll be home within the next couple of hours, Alex assured him.
“I’ll call you later.” “Talk to you then.” Alex disconnected the call. Scrubbing a hand over his face, Alex stood and stretched. He ached to kill this threat lingering over his Tina. He hoped Newman would be able to find something he’d overlooked. Newman was good at that sort of thing. If anyone could end this case, it was Newman. Checking the clock, Alex smiled. Tina would be home in less that an hour and would most likely be hungry. Heading into the kitchen, Alex opened the refrigerator and rummaged through the contents. It had been more than three hundred years since he’d had to cook. Everything before him looked as though it had been dropped from outer space. Closing the door, he grabbed the phonebook off the counter and thumbed through the pages. Finding the number for a Chinese restaurant, he grabbed his cell phone and dialed. He didn’t know what exactly Tina liked, so he ordered one of everything. Satisfied with the knowledge that the food would be delivered before Tina made it home, he stripped as he stalked down the hallway and into the bathroom. A quick shower and he would be ready to go. Just the thought of having Tina again sent his manhood standing diamond hard and aching. Shutting off the water, Alex stepped out and dried before slipping on jeans and a loose t-shirt as a knock came at the door. Hurrying down the hall, he opened the door and smiled. “Delivery for Alex Monroe?” Looking over his shoulder at the clock, he frowned. He’d been in the shower longer than he thought. Tina would be home any minute. Reaching into his pocket, he handed the delivery boy some cash before taking the bags from his hands. Closing the door, he hurried to the table, unloaded the contents of the bags… and waited. Thirty minutes later, Alex chanced another look at the clock and frowned. Tina was more than an hour late, and he was now beyond worried. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed her number again. “This is Tina; leave me a message… beep.” Snapping his phone shut, he shrugged his jacket on, then hurried to the door and rushed out. Halfway to the elevator he pulled his phone out again and dialed Tina’s shop. She was probably just stuck working late, but he couldn’t bring himself to believe that. There was too much danger lurking around her. “Happy’s, this is Val.” “Val, this is Alex. Is Tina still there?” “No. She left about an hour ago. Is something wrong?” Not wanting to frighten Tina’s friend, he lied, “No. I think she might have stopped off to pick up dinner or something. I was just trying to get a hold of her.” Silence stretched for a long moment before she spoke again. “All right,” she answered hesitantly. “When you find her, have her call me.” “Will do.”
Stepping into the elevator, he hit the speed dial for Newman. “Tina’s gone.” “What?” Newman asked with disbelief. “She didn’t come home. I called her cell phone, but there’s no answer and her friend at the shop said she left more than an hour ago. I'm going to look for her right now.” “I’ll call Hallison and find out if there’s been any word from the tail he had on her and then I’ll send some guys out to start a search if need be,” Newman said quickly. “Keep your phone on you.” He ended the call. Running to his car, Alex slid inside. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his already rampant anger. Tina was in danger; he could feel it, but he had no idea where she was or who had her. He’d come too far to lose her now.
Chapter Sixteen Tina groaned as a sharp pain radiated through her head. Forcing her eyes to open fully, she frowned as she gazed through hazy eyes around the brightly lit, but damp room. Sitting up, she cringed at the pain rocketing through her body. Her mouth felt so dry, as though she hadn’t had a drink in days. Taking a better look around, she frowned. She didn’t know where she was or how she got there. The room was actually a small dungeon-like cell. The walls and floor were cement with a door of bars looking out into a similar looking hallway. Standing, Tina turned in a small circle, and a wave of dizziness swept over her. Pressing a hand against the cold wall, she steadied herself. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her bearings. There were no windows. The only light came from a small, but incredibly bright, overhead fixture. “Where the hell am I?” The last thing she remembered was leaving the shop. She’d been in a hurry to get home to Alex. Passing the same alley where she’d been attacked, she hurried along the desolate street toward the busier intersection. Fear of being attacked was the farthest thing from her mind since Alex informed her she would have police officers guarding her until she made it home. Passing that alley was the last thing she remembered. Now here she was, wherever here actually was. Looking herself over, she stared with confusion. Her entire body ached like a truck had hit her, and her skin felt tight and dry, yet there wasn’t as much as a scratch on her. A loud scrape sounded in the distance, followed by the sound of footsteps. Fear rocketed through her. Had he captured her? Was she now in the hands of the demented Monthly Murderer? She felt herself begin to hyperventilate. She spoke soothingly to herself, trying to allay her fears. “Calm down, just calm down. The cops were watching you. They had to have seen someone take you. They’ll be here soon. Alex will be here soon.” “Ah, I see you're awake.” Glancing up quickly, she gasped. The man standing before the cell was epically beautiful. His clothing was immaculate. Taking in his appearance, she let her eyes roam his face and body. He was an incredibly tall man with a square jaw, sharp features, short ice-white hair, a set of full, tempting lips, and piercing indigo eyes framed by thick black lashes. Letting her gaze drop lower, she took in broad shoulders and a thick chest leading down to a tapered waist and long, muscular legs encased in a pair of black dress slacks. He was delectable, his British accent making him all the more so. “I didn’t expect you to be awake for another couple of hours. After all, you’ve been through a lot in the last day and a half.” “D-day and a half?” she stuttered. He grinned. “If I step in there, are you going to try to attack me?”
Do I look stupid to you? She shook her head. “Good,” he said pleasantly. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a long key like she’d seen many times in the movies and slid it into the lock before pressing the door open. She hadn’t noticed before, but now realized he carried a small covered tray in one hand. “Are you in pain?” “Who are you and where am I?” she asked as soon as he stood before her. Despite his sinfully good looks and seemingly polite nature, she was terrified. Goose bumps dotted her flesh, and she struggled to suppress a shiver. “I’ll get to that shortly.” He smiled. “First things first. Are you hungry?” She was famished, but she didn’t want to admit it. She didn’t want anything from this man except for him to tell her who he was, where they were, and then let her go. “No.” “Ah, you're not a very good liar,” he quipped before uncovering the tray to reveal roasted chicken, potatoes, salad, a large honey-buttered roll and a tall glass of iced tea with lemon. Her mouth watered, and her stomach picked that time to release a loud growl. He chuckled. “How about this? You sit down and eat, and I’ll answer a few of your questions.” She knew she shouldn’t cooperate with him. He was more than likely going to kill her anyway, but the pain in her stomach was too much to tolerate. She was starving. “You’ll answer my questions?” “To the best of my ability.” He nodded. “All right.” Walking to the only place in the room to sit, she slid onto the small cot and folded her legs. He did the same, then handed her the tray of food. Without hesitation, she dug into the deliciously scented food. “Now,” he said easily, “I believe you asked who I am.” She nodded. “My name is Brian, and as you may have guessed, I’m from London.” She swallowed a bite of chicken. “Where are we?” “We’re on an estate I own.” “And where would that estate rest?” she asked sarcastically before taking a sip of tea. He chuckled. “Somewhere in upstate New York.” She knew she wouldn’t get an exact location, but the one he gave was good enough. If she were to escape, she would know in which direction to run. “Are you in any pain?” he asked gently. “I hurt like hell,” she admitted before she could think better of it. “I’m sorry about that. We gave you a small tranquilizer before bringing you here.” She stopped eating and met his eyes. “You mean you not only kidnapped me, but you drugged me as well?” He sighed. “Trust me; it was for your own good, as well as mine. Had they not given you the shot you would have remembered who grabbed you and how to get to where you are now. We really had no other choice.”
“No other choice?” she retorted hotly. “How about not kidnapping me at all? Wasn’t that a choice?” “Unfortunately no, it wasn’t.” Agitatedly, she shoved the tray away. “Why don’t you tell me why you took me to begin with? Are you the man that’s been killing all the women around Manhattan?” He gazed at her intently, his expression unreadable. She couldn’t figure this guy out. He was kind and courteous, but there was something beneath his fine exterior and charming smile that laced a thread of terror through her. “What if I am?” he asked quietly. “Would you be afraid?” She stilled. “I'm already scared,” she answered honestly. He smiled. “I didn’t kill those women… the sun did.” This time when he smiled, his fangs were unmistakable. Covering her mouth in an attempt to keep from screaming, she struggled for control. She had no problem with the fact that Alex was a vampire, but seeing another with such menace in his expression terrified her. Her mind screamed for her to run, to get as far away as possible, but to where? She was locked in a small dungeon with a psychotic woman-murdering vampire. Fighting desperately to slow her pounding heart and calm her rising fear, she took a deep breath. “What do you mean, the sun did?” she asked shakily. “I only turned them. It wasn’t my fault they didn’t know to get out of the sun.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter how you look at it. You killed those girls. Why’d you do it?” Scooting closer to her, he reached out a large hand and smoothed her hair away from her face. She shivered. “Are you going to do the same to me?” He smiled. “I was… but now I have other plans.” **** Alex ran a hand through his hair and growled. It had been two days, and there was still no sign of Tina. With every minute that passed, he felt the danger to her intensify. It killed him not knowing where she was or who had her. His heart ached, and his brain felt like a pile of mush. After looking through every file, every paper, and talking to the escape victim and her friend twice more, he was still no closer to finding her than before. He’d scoured the streets, the alleyways and talked to every person who’d been on the street the night of Tina’s disappearance that he could find. He was exhausted but refused to rest until Tina was safe beside him. As he was going over another file, his phone rang. He unearthed it from under a pile of files sitting beside him on the floor, and he hit the answer button. “Yeah.” “It’s me.” A hint of excitement laced Newman’s voice. “I think I found something. Are you home?” “Get here.” “On my way.” Ten minutes later, Newman walked through the door of Alex’s hotel room, a touch of a smile on his lips.
“Out with it,” Alex demanded. “I was thinking about the story you told me.” “What story?” Alex asked gruffly. “About the night of your turning. I got to thinking about what you said about Alice’s family blaming you for her death.” “What’s that have to do with anything?” “I recognized the name. Bostitch isn’t a very common name, but I’d heard it before so I did some research.” Alex sat up straighter. “So?” “The Bostitch clan has been around forever. They have their hands in a lot of different endeavors, and here’s the kicker… they’re vampires.” “That’s impossible,” Alex rebutted. “Alice was mortal.” “At the time, yes, she was, but that’s only because she was a born vampire.” “I’m not following you,” Alex admitted. Newman shook his head. “Born vampires are mortal until a certain age. Once they hit that age, they are then set in their immortality. She wouldn’t have needed blood and would’ve been able to live as a normal human until that time. It would have been so easy for her to fool you.” Alex frowned. “What does this have to do with Tina?” Newman cleared his throat. “I talked to several different people who were around during that time. It seems the Bostitch’s never stopped looking for Alice’s killer and still to this day believe you were the one who killed her. They think you were hiding the fact that you were a vampire from them and Alice, just as she was hiding it from you.” Alex couldn’t believe what he was hearing. There was no way he would have ever hurt Alice. He might have not loved her like he did Tina, but he’d loved her nonetheless. “Do you think they’re the ones who took Tina?” “All of the Bostitch’s live in Europe, except one. Brian.” “Alice’s older brother.” Alex nodded, immediately recognizing the name. “He has an estate in upstate New York. I had a strange feeling after you told me that story. If that’s the only grudge you could remember someone having against you, I figured it was worth looking into. I sent some guys up there, and they said they saw a small woman in a window of the main house about an hour ago. Her description fit Tina’s.” “What are we waiting for?” Alex sprang to his feet. “Let’s go.” Without argument, Newman followed his lead. Alex was under no illusions. He knew if Tina was in that house and Brian was indeed her captor, he would need all the help he could get. If Brian could teleport and fish around in people’s minds, he was indeed very old and very strong. There was no telling what else he could do. Alex and Newman were sitting strong at right around five hundred years old, but they were nothing compared to someone such as Brian. Hurrying off the elevator, he and Newman sprinted across the garage and slid into the car. Hitting the gas, they sped out into the street and headed north. “You really love her, don’t you?” Alex chanced a quick look at the man beside him before returning them to the road. “Yes, I do. You’ll understand someday.”
Newman nodded. “I hope so.” Silence descended for a long moment before Newman spoke again. “As soon as my guys called and said they saw Tina, I called headquarters and the place should be surrounded with I.D.’s by the time we get there, so we’re pretty well covered. So far, they’ve counted five guards in total. Not all vampires. Two are werewolves, one is a shifter, and one of the remaining two are vampires.” Alex nodded. His mind was lost on a sea of worry, hope, and excitement at the prospect of getting Tina back. Speeding down the highway, Alex prayed silently. If he lost Tina, he knew for certain he would die with her.
Chapter Seventeen Two days had passed since she’d gone missing, and Tina was at her wit’s end. Brian had ordered her moved from the tiny cell she’d woken up in to the main house the first night they met. The room was immaculate with thick plush carpeting, a huge fluffy bed made up in pink and white satins, and a fireplace setting along one wall. She hadn’t seen one sign of help coming and was starting to lose hope that she would be found. After her first encounter with Brian in the cell, she still hadn’t found out his intentions toward her. He’d followed quietly as she was moved and placed in the room. After that, she hadn’t seen him for more than five minutes. Not that she wanted to see him. She only wanted some straight answers. Shoving her hand through her hair, she sighed. Where the hell was Alex? He was supposed to be some hotshot immortal detective, and yet, here she sat in this room with an insane killer lurking around the house. Walking to the window, which she’d found to be sealed shut the moment she entered, Tina gazed out over the dark lawn. The thick wooded area surrounding the house cast foreboding shadows over the lush green grass. Stifling a shiver, she continued her perusal of the grounds. She didn’t know what she was looking for, but continued to look for it. A shadow shifted. Her breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t an animal. It was too large and moved upright. It had to have been a person. Gazing harder at the woods, she struggled to see the movement again. She could barely make out the shape of a person. He was covered in black from head to toe. Looking around the shadow quickly in search of more men, she spotted two more. Who are they? She wondered. Perhaps they were there to rescue her? A spark of hope flared within her but quickly flickered with doubt. It was more likely they worked for the man keeping her captive guarding the house. She couldn’t figure out what he wanted with her. She knew from her talks with Alex that the Monthly Murderer had a score to settle with him. The more she thought about it, the more she came to realize she was just a pawn in an attempt to punish Alex. What he could have done to spark this kind of insanity from her captor, she couldn’t imagine. A tap sounded at the door. Turning away from the window quickly, she watched quietly as the man who’d introduced himself as Brian entered the room. “Here to kill me?” She didn’t know where she got the bravado to ask such a taunting question as terrified as she was, but the words flew past her lips before she could contain them. He laughed. Striding toward the bed, he replied, “I told you I’m not going to kill you.” She frowned and, with a roll of her eyes, said, “Sorry, but I’m not in the habit of believing psychotic killers.”
“That’s too bad.” He shook his head. “Because I really have no intention of harming you.” Sliding onto the bed, he leaned back against the pillows and laced his fingers behind his head. “As a matter of fact, I only want to help you.” “Help me?” She raised her eyebrows. “The only way you could help me at this moment is to let me go. You haven’t given me the reason you're holding me here like some animal or what your plans for me are.” She watched as he gazed at her easily. His expression relaxed and calm, he shrugged. “That’s why I’m here.” “To let me go?” she asked with optimism. “No.” He chuckled. “To explain why you're here.” She eyed him warily. “Come sit down and we’ll chat.” How the hell could he be so calm? Could it be because he was the one holding all the cards and not the one worried about being killed? “Will you answer some questions?” she asked slowly. He shrugged again. “Sure, if you’ll come over here and sit with me.” She eyed the bed cautiously. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Going against her better judgment, Tina walked over and took a seat on the far end of the bed. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her. She needed to know what this guy had against Alex and what his reason was for killing all those innocent women. “Well?” she asked sarcastically. He peered at her. His eyes roamed over her openly as he took in every inch of her appearance. “Did you like the flowers I sent you?” “Not particularly,” she quipped, and he grinned. Folding her legs beneath her, she frowned. “I thought you were going to tell me why I’m here and who exactly you are.” Sitting up, he sighed. Picking an invisible piece of lint from the sleeve of his shirt, he met her eyes. “I already told you. I’m Brian Bostitch.” “What’s that supposed to mean, exactly?” She didn’t like where things appeared to be heading. He seemed to like to play games, and after two days of confinement with a killer, she was in no mood for his foolery. “You’re Alex Monroe’s mate,” he stated flatly. “Again,” she bit out, “what’s that have to do with anything?” He snarled for a moment. “Your boyfriend and I have quite the history together.” She frowned harder. Thinking back on her conversation about the Monthly Murderer with Alex, she remembered something he’d said. Not only Alex, but also other Immortal Detectives thought the murderer had a grudge against Alex. Perhaps this was her chance to find out what exactly that grudge was. “How do you know Alex?” “A very long time ago he was engaged to my sister, Alice. He seemed to be perfect for her and vice versa.” The news that Alex had been engaged before sent a wave of jealously streaking through her even though it was absurd to think Alex had lived all this time and never
been close to another female. Shaking the feeling away, she concentrated on listening to Brian’s tale. “What happened?” Clearing his throat, he continued. “I'm sure you know by know that Alex is a vampire.” She nodded. “We didn’t know at the time that Alex was a vampire also. You see, the movies have it all wrong. We can’t just look at one another and automatically know that who we’re looking at is a vampire. Not all of us have black eyes as Alex does. I’ve even met some people whose eyes are blacker than Alex’s.” Looking closer at Brian, she nodded. His eyes were an incredible ice blue. “Alex and Alice were set to be married in two weeks’ time, but one night Alex saw fit to kill her in a dank alleyway and flee the country.” His voice had grown incredibly low and menacing; his eyes flickered from that intoxicating blue to red and back again. Alex, kill the woman he was going to marry? No way. Shaking her head, Tina refused to believe what she was hearing. Alex wasn’t a murderer. “I don’t believe you. Alex would never kill someone in cold blood, especially if he was in love with her.” That shot of jealousy rang in her bones once again, and she desperately fought to control it. “Besides,” she said hotly, “I thought you said your sister was a vampire also. How did he kill her? Aren’t you all supposed to be immortal?” “Vampires are born human. When we reach a certain age, our bodies begin craving blood and burning when touched by the sun. It’s a sudden change, like a teenager going through puberty. As for you not believing Alex to be a killer, then you explain to me why he never disclosed to us that he was a vampire. Why did he leave her in that alley to die? Why did he flee the city instead of trying to explain his case?” Tina shook her head. He posed some great questions, all of which she had no answers for. Truth be told, if she were in Brian’s place, she would be thinking and asking the same things. Despite all the evidence pointing to Alex being a murderer, she couldn’t force herself to believe it. “I can see your little mind reeling, trying to come up with an explanation to save your precious little Alex,” he bit out. “If you have a grudge against Alex, why kill all those women?” she asked. It didn’t make sense to her. If she were in Brian’s shoes, she would have gone after Alex the moment she found him. Why go on a killing spree? It didn’t make sense. Standing, Brian stalked toward the windows and stared out into the darkness of the night. Tension rolled off him in waves so turbulent she could feel them. Her skin crawled. Fear began to churn deep inside her as she watched him closely. “Alex values his job above all else. He’ll go mad trying to solve a case.” He turned to her and smiled sinisterly. “So I started small. One woman here, another there, but the cases were always assigned to someone else, then I started thinking, why not go big? That would surely get his attention, and it did. For the last six months, Alex has been trying to catch me, and still he has no clue who’s killing the women. It’s sad really.” He finished with a crooked grin.
Tina shook her head. His logic was way off. “Why would Alex kill your sister, his fiancée, and then become an I.D.? Seriously, have you thought this through?” “It’s all a cover!” he shouted, spinning to face her. “All these years he’s been hiding behind that badge, hiding what he did that night. He’s managed to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes.” He began pacing the room like a caged animal. Taking a deep breath, Tina dared speak again. “Why am I here?” she asked quietly, her voice almost a whisper. Suddenly, he stopped. Those piercing blue eyes bore into her painfully. “When I found out you were Alex’s mate, the perfect idea struck me,” he said excitedly. “Kill you in front of him. I was going to kidnap you, leave a trail so clear an idiot could find me, then attack him, bind him, and force him to watch me turn you. Then I was going to toss your ass out that very window and watch the surveillance video of you burning to death with him.” Her stomach lurched. “B-but now?” she managed to stutter. He vanished and appeared mere inches in front of her. She gasped, her hands covering her mouth to stifle a silent scream. As he leaned down, his snow-white hair brushed her shoulder gently. His eyes met and held hers. She could smell him, a mixture of spice and pure, unadulterated masculinity. Despite her fear of him, his scent slithered into her, sparking her arousal and a pinch of shame immediately followed. “Now,” he began, sliding his fingers through her hair while gripping her arm, “I think I’ll keep you for myself.” In a flash, his fangs were bedded deep within the tender flesh of her neck. With every pull, every suction, she felt unrelenting pain spear her from every angle. His bite was nothing like Alex’s. Pressing against his chest, pounding him with her fists, she fought him. She screamed, but the strength of his bite only increased, the pressure was so intense she wondered if he would bite completely through her neck and kill her. Spots danced before her eyes as Brian continued to drink. Her head swam, and her vision wavered. Her arms felt like Jell-O, falling limp to her sides. She couldn’t breathe and, with every passing second, could hear her heart slowing. Unable to keep her eyes open, she let them slide shut. Alex’s face flashed through her mind, his smile, the feel of his arms holding her secure and warm, and the light in his eyes when he looked at her. As the deep swirl of unconsciousness claimed her, her final thought was how much she loved Alex, and what a fool she was for not telling him.
Chapter Eighteen If there was one thing Alex hated, it was trekking through the woods at night. Yes, he was a big, bad vampire, but the woods still freaked him out. This of course was something he would never admit to. The ribbing he would get from the other detectives would be unbearable. “It’s just a little farther. Johnson and two of his men will be waiting for us.” Nodding, Alex hurried his steps. He knew they were getting close. He could feel Tina’s presence growing closer with every step he took. She was alive, and he knew it. “There they are,” Newman said quietly, pointing to the left. Following his gaze, Alex spotted three men, all dressed in matching black uniforms ten yards in front of him. “Is the house secure?” Newman asked. One of the men nodded. “Three men on each side. The guards have already been taken out and secured.” Alex nodded. “Where’s Tina?” “On the second floor. You can see the room she’s being held in from our post up ahead.” “She’s alive?” Alex asked. The need for proof overwhelmed him, nipping him from every angle like an irritating insect buzzing around inside him. “She is,” the man he assumed was Johnson confirmed. “Follow us and we’ll show you the best point of entry.” Nodding, Alex and Newman followed him. They traveled another one hundred yards and stopped. The house before them was enormous. Scanning the second story windows, Alex frowned. His mate was in there, and only the gods knew what was happening to her. The urge to bust through the door and slay anyone who dared to get in his way burned through Alex like acid. Newman’s hand stayed him when he took a step forward. “Easy. We’ll get her.” Alex nodded curtly. “She’s in the second room to the right,” Johnson whispered from where he squatted beside a large tree for cover. Looking up, Alex immediately spotted the window and the man standing framed within it. He knew who he was looking at the moment he saw the man’s outline in the dimly lit window. “That’s Brian,” he whispered with disbelief. After all these years, Alice’s family still thought him a killer. That knowledge ate at him from within. “Your best chances are to enter through the back door, there.” Johnson pointed to a large set of French doors. “We don’t know the layout of the house, but that’s the closest point of entry.” Looking over the house, trying to determine where they stood, Alex took in every inch of his surroundings, as he was certain Newman was doing as well. Suddenly, a scream rent the air. Alex froze as the horrified sound spiraled through
him. Without thought or care for his own safety, Alex burst forward at full speed. The French doors shattered under his impact. Stopping once inside the house, Alex looked around. He was in a kitchen. Spotting a staircase to his right, he started up quietly. Another scream swept through the house. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Quickening his steps, he came to the top of the staircase. A long hallway stretched out before him. Alex counted eight rooms, four doors lining each side of the passage. Thinking quickly of the outside of the house, he determined Tina’s room to be the third door on the left. Approaching the room, he heard a loud thump echo inside. Taking a deep breath, Alex pulled the gun from the back of his pants and closed his eyes. The gun wouldn’t kill Brian, but it would incapacitate him enough so that he didn’t teleport away. Grasping the doorknob, Alex twisted and shoved his way into the room. The sight before his eyes sickened him. His heart froze, and his lungs seized in his chest. Tina lay across the bed covered in blood. The ghastly wound on her neck was enough to churn his stomach. Brian stood over her, his wrist shoved to her mouth. Blood poured over her lips, down her cheeks, and onto the blanket below. He’d turned her. Brian looked up, and an ominous smile spread across his face. “So nice of you to join us, Alex. You're just in time.” “Just in time for what?” Alex asked cautiously. “The main event, of course.” He laughed. “I can’t wait to see her reaction when she realizes she’s now a vampire.” Alex ground his teeth together. He wanted nothing more than to kill this bastard, but with him so close to Tina, there was nothing he could do. In a flash, Brian could break her neck or do any other number of horrid things to kill her. There was no guarantee that Brian’s attempt to turn her had worked. It didn’t always, and sometimes, the person being turned died. It was a chance every vampire who found a mate in a mortal took. The fact that she was still lifeless wasn’t a good sign, and his fear ratcheted up another notch. “Don’t expect a great show,” Alex warned him coolly. “She’s pretty relaxed about the whole vampire thing. As a matter of fact,” Alex said, trying to distract him, “I doubt she’ll be all that upset.” Brian frowned. “You think that’s the only reason I turned her?” He laughed. “You're sorely mistaken, my murderous friend. You see, I intend on keeping her and once she realizes that little fact, I’m sure she’ll put up one hell of a fight.” “Keeping her?” “That’s right,” Brian said easily. “I think since you finally showed up, I’ll let you watch as I take her for the first time. Just picture it,” he crooned. “Her face down, hands behind her back, ass in the air while I ride her until she screams.” Without thinking, Alex raised the gun and fired off a single shot, but it was no use. Brian appeared before him, his hand clenched around Alex’s throat with a steely grip. As he raised the gun again in an attempt to fire off another round, a sharp pain resonated through his wrist and up his arm. The gun flew out of his hand and across the room. Lashing out with his fist, Alex felt his fist come into contact with Brian’s nose and
heard the sound of bones breaking. Brian howled with pain, but he didn’t ease his grip. Instead, his fist slammed into Alex’s face in response. Stars danced before his eyes as Brian battered him relentlessly. Fighting desperately for air, Alex lifted his leg and fished his hand beneath the cuff of his jeans. Pulling out the knife he kept there, he quickly slid it across the hand at his throat before slamming it into the side of Brian’s neck. Releasing his grip, Brian stumbled backward, holding the gushing gash in this throat tightly to stop the bleeding. The wound wouldn’t kill him, but it would slow him down. Running toward the gun, Alex dropped and slid baseball style until he was next to it and picked it up. Firing again, he hit Brian in the chest. He watched as Brian was flung back and hit the floor with a thud. He would only be down for a few minutes, but that was enough time to secure him and get Tina to safety. Looking around, he couldn’t help but wonder where the hell Newman was. He prayed something hadn’t happened to him. Rushing to Tina’s side, Alex lifted her upper body in his arms. Tilting her head to the side, he peered at her neck. The wound there was nearly healed. The turning was a success. That was the good news. The bad news was the fact that he still needed to secure Brian before he awoke, healed, and either teleported away, or killed him and teleported away with Tina. Newman had the silver cuffs that would prevent Brian from teleporting, and he was nowhere to be found. “Damn it, Newman, where are you?” he grumbled to himself as he lay Tina back on the bed. Looking toward the still unconscious Brian, he rushed toward the window. If the other men were still out there, they would see him and come to his aid. If not, well then, he was screwed with a capital S. Peering into the dark forest, he spotted no one. They were either in the house, or something had happened to them. He prayed it wasn’t the latter. Looking back to Brian, he groaned. He could always kill him, tear a leg off one of the chairs and shove it through his chest, but that would make him no better than Brian, the raging lunatic. He was a detective. It was his duty to do only good, to protect, and serve. He was not a murderer, and he wouldn’t let Brain turn him into one after all these years. A rustling sounded behind him. Turing, he spotted Tina shifting restlessly on the blood-covered blanket. “Alex?” The sound of her voice soothed his rising fear. She was alive, and he needed to get her to safety. If they stuck around, Brian would awake, and all hell would break loose. He couldn’t risk losing Tina again. It was sheer luck Newman had found her this time. “What’s going on?” she whimpered, pressing a hand to her forehead. “There's no time to explain right now,” he said hastily. “We need to get out of here.” Leaning down, he’d slid an arm beneath her to scoop her up when a sudden piercing pain began burning in his upper back and quickly spread through the rest of his body. Tina’s scream rent the air. Twisting around, Alex reached for the knife protruding
from his back, only to find Brian’s grinning face staring into his. The fight was on. Blood gushed from the wound in his back as they grappled with each other. The sound of bones breaking and pain-filled grunts and groans filled the air. The smell of blood was thick around them as they continued their fierce battle. Grabbing a nearby chair, Alex smashed it over Brian’s head, and he crumpled to the ground. A wicked gash appeared, and more blood poured from his head. He lingered on all fours, and for a moment, Alex thought he was ahead, that this battle would soon be over. Chancing a quick glance at Tina, he realized she’d lost consciousness once again. She would need blood soon or she would die. Out of nowhere, Brian rose and, with tremendous force, hurled Alex across the room. Alex hit the wall by the door with a sickening thud. His body hummed with the need for replenishment, for blood to heal his wounds and clear his vision. Pain radiated through him. Pressing a hand to his eyes, he tried to regain his vision quickly. Brain disappeared and reappeared by Tina’s side. There was nothing Alex could do. Brian was about to kill her. He would never be fast enough to save her. He was too low on blood, on strength to save her. Brian grasped her golden locks in his fist and grinned wickedly. “This isn’t exactly what I had in mind, but it will have to do.” Alex knew what was about to happen. He was going to wretch her head from her body, killing her and Alex along with her. Suddenly, the door burst open, and a single shot was fired, hitting Brian directly in the chest. The force of the bullet hit him so hard it threw him against the wall behind him. Newman raced in, and with heavily gloved hands, closed the silver cuffs around Brian’s wrists. The skin immediately began to sizzle. “Sorry for the delay,” Newman said easily. “Ran into some unexpected guards when we entered the house. You know how strong werewolves are.” He smiled. Alex nodded as Newman helped him to his feet. “He turned her,” Newman said quietly, a hint of revulsion in his voice. “Yes.” Scooping Tina up in his arms, Alex headed toward the door. “There’s a car waiting outside the gates. Get her home. We’ll send over some blood to get her started. There are only a couple of hours until sunup.” “What about him?” Alex said, nodding toward the now groaning Brian. “We’ll get him to headquarters and question him. Worry about your mate. We have things under control.” Nodding curtly, Alex held Tina tightly and headed toward the door.
Chapter Nineteen “I still can’t believe he turned me.” Running his fingers through Tina's hair, he smiled. Despite how he thought Tina would react when she realized what she now was, she’d simply taken everything in stride as he’d discovered was her way. She was a natural survivor, an optimist, and she was his. “Have you talked to Newman since they questioned Brian?” Alex shook his head. He’d been more worried about Tina and her reaction to the fact that she was now a vampire than anything Brain Bostitch had to say. “I know why he wanted to torture me,” He said with a sigh. “He thinks I killed his sister, but I didn’t.” “I know,” she said calmly. “Why was he so adamant that you did?” “Because they never saw me after that night in the alley. I didn’t know they were vampires. The same person who attacked us turned me that night. Some members of the I.D.’s found us. They took me to a safe house and anonymously reported Alice’s attack.” She nodded with understanding. They lay quietly, cradled in the warmth of each other’s arms. Silence surrounded them until Tina spoke again. “Did you love her?” she asked innocently. Alex took a deep breath before pressing her back into the mattress and lowering himself onto her. Smoothing a long, golden lock away from her face, he smiled down into her still blue eyes. “I did,” he admitted. “But that love was different.” “Different from what?” she asked curiously. “Different from the way I love you.” Her eyes widened slightly. “I love you, Tina James. More than anything I’ve ever loved in my entire life.” A tear slid down her cheek. Reaching out with a thumb, he smoothed it away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” * “Shhh.” She pressed a finger to his lips. She’d waited her entire life to hear those words from a man who meant them. A man who didn’t hold her occupation against her, who loved her for who she was, who would accept her for who she was, and who would accept the fact that she wasn’t going to change. Rising up, she pressed her lips to Alex’s, and more tears fell. “I’m sorry—” “Stop apologizing,” she whispered as she gazed into his black eyes. Things hadn’t gone as she’d planned, but she was alive. She was a vampire now and was going to have one hell of a time explaining away all the changes and restrictions she now had upon her to Val, but she could do it, and the Monthly Murderer would be held responsible for his crimes. There would be no more charred bodies of innocent young women found on the city streets.
Cupping Alex’s face, she smiled. She and Alex were free to start their lives together. “I didn’t realize before now how badly I wanted to hear those words come out of your mouth. Alex, you're everything I’ve ever wanted, and you're all I’ll ever need.” He kissed her, and she felt every ounce of passion he possessed in that single action. Her body heated, and her heart swelled. This was the man she would spend eternity with. Being a vampire wouldn’t be all that bad if it meant she got to spend the next millennium or more with Alex, and that was exactly what she planned to do. Breaking the kiss, he slid his thumb over her bottom lip and smiled. “And you're all I’ll ever need. Now, and forever.” The End About the Author: Chastity Bush is the author of the Guard My Heart Series and four other novels known for their spicy romance, suspense and humorous edge. Her favorite televisions shows are Dexter and True Blood, and she loves to spend time with her husband and two daughters. She loves to hear from her readers and answers all email she receives. Send questions or comments to Chastity at:
[email protected].
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