Hawk (23 page)

The redhead stopped just shy of touching him, looked up and grabbed the aviator style sunglasses perched on the top of his head, placed them on her cute little nose and smiled.

“What can I do for you?” she asked, just above the loud din of the music.

Her smile told him she knew exactly what she could do for him. He meant to take her up on it.

One of his brows inched upward. “I don’t know, doll. What can you do for me?”

Pushing the glasses up her nose using her middle finger, her grin widened. Damn, if he didn’t take that as a clear invitation. The small gesture hardened his dick as thoroughly as if she had gotten on her knees and licked the sudden ridge lining in his leathers.

“Truth of it? I’ve probably had way too much to drink.” She giggled. “I’m not sure I could answer that question without you thinking poorly of me.”

“
Il mio dolce rossa
, my sweet red, what’s your name?”

“Tamera.” She leaned in and nipped his chin with her even white teeth. “You can call me Tam.”

“Well, Tam”—he liked the way her nickname felt on his tongue, probably a bit too much—“how about you follow me up those stairs behind the bar so I can spend a little time getting to know you better? It’s far too noisy and crowded down here if you get my meaning.”

She leaned in, her breath fanning his ear. “Do you want to fuck me?”

This time, he did swallow his gum. Damn near choked on it. His dick hardened painfully. If he didn’t get her out of those super tight jeans and straddling his lap pronto, he might wind up not needing her at all.

Grayson leaned down, ran his tongue across the shell of her ear and said, “I do.”

She stepped back, fisted his black tee and pulled him in for a quick, but deep kiss. Her tongue shoved into his mouth and he tasted the sweet liquor she had consumed. Just as quickly, it ended, causing him to growl.

“Good. Because I
really
want to fuck you.”

Grayson picked Tamera up, and slung her over his shoulder, slapping the ass that was now at his shoulder level, earning him a giggle. Not wasting a moment more of time, he left the pack of women to stare in their direction as he ducked between the curtains and carried her up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Once inside the room, he deposited her back on her feet. Hell, her ballet flats had barely hit the floor before she pulled her dark green top over her head, leaving her standing in front of him in a black lace bra that left nothing to the imagination. Dusky rose colored nipples poked against the material vying for his attention.

Normally, Gypsy had always been the aggressor, but this woman…
Wow!
She took his breath away and more. He loved her boldness, reveled in it. Less he had to work for. Before he could even compliment her, she kicked off her shoes and pulled down her skinny jeans, stepping out of them. In nothing but a black lace brassiere and matching boyshort panties, her vivid green eyes looked at him expectantly.

She wasn’t tiny and slender like a lot of the women he slept with. No, this one stood at least five-foot-ten to his six-foot height. She had nice curves, not reed thin like some women. Man, she had a killer body. For the first time he felt rooted to the floor and unsure what the hell to do next. Well, he knew what to do, it’s just that this woman stole all reasonable thought from his lust induced brain.

“You going to stand there all day, handsome? Or you going to come over here and take advantage of what I’m offering up?”

His gaze traveled her long legs, up to the lace covered center, past her belly button, onto her D-cup breasts and landing on her donor necklace. Thank his lucky stars. His vampire self all but begged to be unleashed. Tamera was obviously aware of what he was and his change wouldn’t send her fleeing, nor would he have to hypnotize her into forgetting him. Not that he wanted more than one night. But he damn well wanted her to remember it.

He yanked his black tee over his head and sauntered toward her, her green gaze going to the ridge in his leathers.
Had she actually licked her lips?
If there were ever a woman his equal, this woman was it in spades. Before he could even so much as revel in the smoothness of her flesh, her hands had gone to his belt buckle and slid the leather free from the pant loops. Grayson chuckled.
Hot damn!

“What’s the hurry,
il mio dolce rossa
? We have all night.”

Tamera leaned in, nipped the fleshy part of his ear, then soothed it with her tongue. “I don’t want the X to wear off.”

Shit!
“What the hell did you just say?”

Grayson set her away from him and scowled at her. “How much have you had?”

“Just one pill.”

“You ever take X before?” If he fed from her it could cause her pulse to skyrocket dangerously.

“Only one other time.”

“Let me guess, the night you came back to the clubhouse and Suzi took you home.”

She nodded, her smile going wide. “Let me tell you. That sucked big time. Self-gratification isn’t near as good—”

Grayson gripped her shoulders. “And how much have you had to drink?”

She looked at him queerly. “Just two drinks.”

“What were they?”

“Long Island Iced Teas.”

Double shit!
He knew Draven loaded those with shots. Had it not been for her size, she’d likely be flat on her back and comatose right about now. He grabbed her pants from the floor and handed them to her. “Get dressed,
il mio dolce rossa
.”

“Why?” Her brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

“I’m not about to take advantage of you. I like you … a lot. If you were anyone else…”

She placed her hands on her delectable hips. “I thought you liked your women wild.”

“Is that why you took the X? Because you thought I might prefer it?”

Tamera gritted her teeth. Grayson could tell she was trying to be brave, failing miserably. Finally, she said, “I can’t compete with the gorgeous women draped on your arms. My only way to get your attention was to lower my inhibitions and take what I wanted. Make you think—”

“You’re something you’re not?” he finished for her, his tone rising. “Get dressed,
il mio dolce rossa
. I’ll take you home.”

She ran her hands up his chest. His muscles screamed for her attention. But here he was, being a dumb ass and turning down what she offered. He had to be a fucking idiot. “Get dressed,” he repeated.

Grayson turned, strode to the sidebar and poured himself two fingers of whiskey. He quickly downed the shots, then poured two more. Just as he turned to see if she had done as he asked, he ran smack dab into her naked form. Instead of doing as he had asked, she instead rid herself of the lacy lingerie. Yep, she was most definitely a natural redhead. His hold on the crystal rocks glass slipped and the tumbler fell to his feet, breaking into large shards.

Tamera knelt quickly to help him pick up the glass, nearly falling over in her drunken and drugged state. Grayson reached out to right her at the same time she meant to steady herself, the glass shard in her hand forgotten, laying his forearm wide open. Blood pooled to the surface from the deep gash and ran down his arm in dark red tracks.

A curse left her lips. “I am so sorry.”

She held his arm up as though inspecting the deepness of the wound. But before he had a chance to tell her not to worry about it, he’d heal before they ever hit the club exit, she leaned down and latched on like a babe to a teat. Grayson gripped a fist full of red hair and pulled her free from his arm, his blood smearing her gorgeous plump lips.
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
His heart hammered heavily.

“Do you have any idea what the hell you just did?” he damn near roared.

Tears swelled in her eyes. “What’s the big deal? It was just a taste.”

Grayson slapped his forehead with his palm.
Fuck me!
The silly twit didn’t even know she had just saddled herself to him for all of eternity. He tipped his head back and growled, nearly taking the rafters from the building and no doubt heard above the music played below. How the hell would he ever explain this one to the MC? Tamera’s days as a human were now numbered, as was his bachelor status. She may have just mated herself to Grayson, but he’d be damned before he ever pledged her his fidelity.

Standing, he walked back over to her clothes, and threw them at her. “Get dressed,
il mio dolce rossa
. Looks like you’re coming with me to the clubhouse … and not for the reason you think. Because, now … you’d be the last person I’d ever want to fuck.”

Chapter 23

Kaleb left his room, feeling more content than he probably had a right to, and headed for the dimly lit living area. He had Suzi to thank for his sudden high spirits. Could he possibly live his eternity with the love of just one woman? His twin and his first mate came to mind as he padded barefoot over to the bar, scratching his nape. Truth be told, Rosalee and Kane’s volatile relationship had discolored his idea of claiming a mate early on. In the beginning they had seemed a good match, until Rosalee had started acting out and making poor decisions on her own, without consulting Kane or the MC. It was as if she had been determined to destroy her relationship with Kane. In the end they had spent more and more time apart, until both their worlds came crashing down due to her foolish actions, resulting in their son’s death.

Now, regardless of his feelings toward the detective, his twin had never seemed happier. And for that alone, he had Cara to thank, even if there were times she got under his skin. His brother’s happiness trumped his prejudices.

A corner, floor lamp had been left burning, illuminating the front room of the clubhouse. Walking over to the bar area, he flipped on the switch and flooded the room with even more light. Kaleb grabbed the box of leftover pastries from the back counter, placed them on the center bar and started a pot of coffee. The aroma filled the air. After freshening up, he thought his
piccolo diavolo
might be hungry. The caffeine would aid in keeping her awake as he was far from finished. That thought brought out a smile.

His Levis’ hung low on his hips, but he hadn’t bothered with a shirt. He had only donned the jeans in case Cara ventured out of his twin and her room. Opening the cardboard box, Kaleb took one of the yeast glazed donuts and took a bite. He seldom abided human food because it held no nutritional value, so he rarely felt the need to bother with it. The pastry melted over his tongue and the sweet goodness filled his mouth. He supposed there were times like this he missed partaking in normal foods.

The sound of a Harley drew his attention. He placed the half-eaten pastry back into the box and licked his fingers as he waited for Grayson to walk through the door. He had recognized the sound of the VP’s motorcycle engine. What he hadn’t heard was the sound of other tires. Grayson rarely came home alone. A quick glance at the clock told Kaleb that it was barely past two in the morning. The engine cut short and brief seconds later the front door opened. Grayson stormed into the clubhouse, a deep scowl lining his face. Something or someone had seriously pissed off the VP.

Just as Kaleb was about to ask him what the hell had him so bugged, he detected the scent of a woman. Grayson wasn’t alone as Kaleb had originally thought. The same redhead Suzi had rescued from Grayson earlier in the week, followed him through the opened door. Poor woman’s makeup ran down her cheeks, making her appear as if someone had kicked … worse yet,
killed
her puppy. His VP didn’t bother with an introduction. Instead he continued straight to his quarters without an explanation and slammed the door, rattling the windows.

Suzi exited the bathroom, her gaze swinging in the direction of Grayson’s room. But before she could question Kaleb, her dark eyes landed on the distressed redhead.

“Tamera?” she asked.

The woman took in a shuddering breath and did her best to offer Suzi a faint smile.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? What’s Gypsy done?”

Tears slipped down her face. Her lower lip trembled. “It’s not Gypsy, Suzi. I fucked up.”

Suzi grasped her cheeks and forced her friend to look down on her. “Tell me.”

“It was an accident,” Tamera said on a sob.

“What, sweetie?”

The redhead swiped the back of her hand beneath her nose, wiping away the wetness. “I was on X.”

“What? Why the hell would you do that?”

“I don’t know. I experimented with it a time or two. I liked how it made me feel.” She wobbled a bit on her feet. “I think I had too much to drink too.”

“This isn’t just about the X, is it?” Suzi gripped her upper arms to help steady her. “Want to tell me about it?”

“I accidentally cut Grayson.”

“It’s okay. He’ll heal.”

“I wish it were that simple. I was so turned on by him I didn’t think about my actions … that is until Grayson pulled my head back.”

Suzi’s gaze widened and her breath hitched. “What did you do?”

“I grabbed his arm and drank some of his blood.”

“What?” Kaleb nearly roared, not caring if he woke the entire neighborhood. “Grayson Gabor, get your sorry ass out here. Now!”

Kane’s door swung open. His twin entered into the fray, pulling on a pair of his jeans as Cara followed behind, wearing one of Kane’s over-large black T-shirts where it fell about her knees.

“What the hell is going on?” Kane asked as Grayson exited his room and came back into the living area, refusing to look at the redhead, clearly irate.

“You want to introduce us to your mate, Gypsy?” Kaleb asked, one of his brows arching upward. “Jesus! You really are a fuck up!”

Grayson bared his fangs. “She”—he pointed a finger at Tamera—“is not my mate.”

“Are you denying that she ingested some of your blood?”

“No!” He ran a hand through his hair, knocking his sunglasses to the floor. He didn’t bother picking them up. “I broke a glass, and when I went to pick up the broken pieces, little miss drunk and high stumbled with a piece in her hand and laid my arm wide open. Before I could stop her, she latched on like a frickin’ vampire.”

“You know you can’t take a mate without first taking it to a vote.” Kaleb choked back the humor of his own idiotic statement. Obviously, Grayson wasn’t at fault, nor did he have time to take it to a vote. “She’s your responsibility, VP. And as such, you’ll see her through her change.”

“She is not my responsibility, Hawk.”

The look on his face could only be explained as pained. Sure Grayson’s eyes shot daggers when he took in the redhead, now standing just behind Suzi, as if her five-foot-two inch frame could protect her from the furious vampire. Grayson’s anger shouldn’t be taken lightly and could definitely be thought of as lethal, Kaleb had seen the vampire at his worst. But never had he seen the man raise a hand to a woman. On the contrary, Grayson seemed to adore all women … no matter the shape or size. And in return, they seemed to love him as well.

Kaleb might’ve laughed if the situation wasn’t so fucked up. “She drank your blood, Gypsy. I’m sorry, but that marks her as your mate.”

Grayson growled, his fangs fully extending in his rage. “There has to be something that can be done. I didn’t ask for this.”

“I’m sorry,” Tamera said, gaining all their attention. She ran a shaken hand beneath one eye, swiping at the tears. “I really wasn’t thinking. This is all my fault.”

“You wear a fucking donor necklace.” Grayson turned his fury back on her. “You know drinking from a vampire is not allowed. You set me up, you fucki—”

“Gypsy!” Cara spoke up. “The woman is clearly upset by what’s happened. There is no need for name calling.”

“Stay out of this, bitch.”

Kane strode over to Grayson and shoved the angry vampire against the bar. “First, you will fucking apologize to my mate, or I’ll take you out back now and kick your sorry ass. Then, you’ll apologize to Tamera.”

“I’ll apologize to Cara, because I was out of line … but
il mio dolce rossa
… never!” Grayson glanced at Kane’s mate who now stood beside Tamera. “I’m sorry, Cara. I meant you no disrespect.”

His eyes damn near blazed as they lit on Tamera. “But you … you would do best to stay out of my fucking way.”

“Female vampires are only allowed as mates,” Kaleb warned.

“Then let her hang with Rosalee, who has found herself recently unmated,” he growled.

“Gypsy,” Kane said, still standing close enough to restrain Grayson if need be, “clearly this was a huge mistake and I’m sure Tamera hadn’t thought her actions through. It is what it is. Maybe in time, you’ll even come to accept her.”

“Never.”

“If you take this to Mircea, he’ll not rule in your favor. Someone needs to be responsible for this woman. Rules are put in place to protect women from being abused by our kind.”

“As I recall, you broke rules, Viper.”

“I had no choice and I paid the price for it.”

“And I’m not given a choice either.”

“Jesus, Gypsy,” Suzi spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention. “It’s not like you saddled yourself with an ogre, for crying out loud. Why not suck it up? We’ll try to find a way out of this for both of you.”

“Suzi,” Kaleb all but laughed at her reason, “
piccolo diavolo
, there is no way out. Why do you think Gypsy is so pissed? By drinking his blood, Tamera has become Gypsy’s mate, willingly or not. She will become one of us.”

“Then she’ll be club responsibility,” Grayson said. “She can stay here in my quarters, and I’ll sleep on the sofa or find a new place to live. But don’t expect me to be or act as a mate to her.”

With that, Grayson stormed from the room, slamming the door to his quarters again. Suzi placed an arm around Tamera, who looked back at Kaleb. He could tell the redhead regretted her grave error. Unfortunately, there would be no turning back and the damage had been done. He doubted Grayson would be there for her, which meant he’d need Cara to help the poor woman through. The sound of a feather hitting the floor could’ve been heard in the room. Not a single vampire spoke up after Grayson’s parting. Poor Tamera appeared on the verge of a breakdown. Being a male, Kaleb had no idea how to help the poor woman. Women were better at handling these type of situations.

“Suzi, make sure Tamera has several days of clothes,” Kaleb said. “She won’t be going anywhere for a few days. The change won’t be a walk in the park. I’m sure Cara can attest to that, though she had her mate to help her through. You two will have to do it. It doesn’t look like we’ll get any help from Gypsy on this.”

Grayson’s growl in response, indicating his acute hearing picked up on Kaleb’s directives, echoed through the clubhouse. Kaleb reached down and picked up the VP’s sunglasses and laid them on the bar next to the forgotten box of donuts. Damn, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for his VP. This certainly wasn’t of Grayson’s doing … and yet as Kane had said, “
It is what it is
.” Kaleb scratched his nape and grimaced as he looked at Tamera being comforted by the women. Poor fucking Grayson.

* * *

Kaleb reveled in the cool spring drizzle washing over him, dampening his chaps as he headed down Highway 126 for the Blood ‘n’ Rave. Kane and Grayson followed closely behind, taking the curves at nearly ninety-miles-per-hour. Nothing like the open road to clear one’s mind. Sitka spruces and Douglas-firs lined the road, the rich evergreen scenting the air. He had been only too happy to have a reason to venture outside the clubhouse. There were far too many women in attendance for his liking. He’d bet, if asked, his two MC brothers felt much in the same way. How could six months’ time change everything? First Cara had Kane breaking rules and compromising Kane’s position as club pres, then Suzi came crashing back into his life and turning it upside down, and now … Tamera.

Damn, he felt bad for Grayson.

He’d take Kane or his own troubles over his VP’s any day. If there was ever a list of unsuitable vampire mates, Grayson topped the chart. He hadn’t done anything to deserve the circumstances of the night before, but fate could sometimes be a bitch. He didn’t blame the vampire for not wanting to be in the same room with the redhead. Given the same fucked up happenstance, he’d probably want to take her pretty little head. Mircea had listened to his twin once. Maybe Kane, being the eldest of Vlad’s kin, could appeal to the primordial again. If there were ever a reason for a mating to be annulled, this one surely took the cake.

Unfortunately, other than his brother’s annulment to Rosalee, Kaleb had never heard of it in all his years. Once a mate was taken, you pledged your life to that female, helped her through her change, and stayed by her side for all eternity. The exact reason Kaleb had never wanted to enter the ridiculous union. Now, he wasn’t sure he could live that forever and a day without Suzi in it.

Kane gassed his engine, coming alongside Kaleb and signaled for him to pull over, breaking into his reflections. Kaleb left off his throttle and pulled his chopper to the side of the road, his tires crunching over the small pebbles and pine needles. Placing his booted feet down, he cut short the Ironhead, looking back at Kane as he unsnapped his helmet.

“What’s up, bro?” Kaleb asked.

Kane nodded toward the right side of the road, up the hill and into the dense foliage of the Siuslaw National Forest. “There’s a primordial in the area. I can smell the bastard.”

Kaleb’s nostrils flared. “Fuck. You think it’s Rosalee?”

“It might very well be,” Kane said. “Damn weather is keeping me from getting a clear scent. But I’m suspecting whoever it is has been following us on foot. I detected the scent miles back.”