SEDUCTIVE SUPERNATURALS: 12 Tales of Shapeshifters, Vampires & Sexy Spirits (246 page)

“So,” he said. “Your appendix burst?”

Sluggish, she nodded.

“When?”

“About three years ago.” Or was it four? No, it was three.

“Do you have a scar from the surgery?”

“Yes.”

“Can I see it?”

Without thinking, she lifted the hem of her blouse.

“You healed nicely.” He ran a finger along the pale line.

His touch incited a series of tingling little tremors. Even in her stupor, she knew that he was taking advantage of her intoxication. “
Don’t
.”

“Don’t what?”

“Touch me like that.”

“It’s just a scar.”

“It’s my skin.”

“I just drank your blood. What’s a little skin between friends?”

She considered the way he’d licked her neck. He wasn’t her friend. “Go away and leave me alone. I need to feel better.”

“Do you have any orange juice in the fridge? That will help.”

“Yes. But I don’t think I’d make it to the kitchen without stumbling.”

“I’ll get it for you.”

“Now you’re playing nursemaid?”

“It’s the least I can do.”

He left the room, and she cursed the predicament she’d gotten herself into. But in the end, it would be worth it. She would be engaged to Keith, and then she could start planning the wedding. She was certain that Keith would agree to have the ceremony in a ranch-type setting. He loved the country as much as she did.

Nicholas returned with a glass of orange juice. He set it on the nightstand and helped her to an upright position. She had little choice but to thank him. He was being surprisingly gentle. He handed her the juice, and she sipped slowly. It took a while to recover, but eventually she felt normal again.

“Better?” he asked.

“Much.”

“I’ve never seen anyone get as tipsy as you did from a feeding. Good thing you were in bed, huh?”

She nodded. She was still in bed. So was he, seated next to her, and making a cozy pest of himself. Particularly when he said, “Should we discuss our sex lives now?”

Goodness, gracious. She adamantly replied, “No.”

He didn’t listen. Instead he announced, “Simone isn’t just my lover, she was Anthony’s lover, too, before he became mortal.”

Her jaw went slack. “You shared her?”

“Not at the same time. We were too territorial for that. But it was still a little strange, having the same lover as my brother. Simone made us into vampires because she’d lost her previous companions and we reminded her of them.”

“Were they killed by a genie?” Marie knew there were two types of genie rulers, the type that killed vampires to gain power and the type, like Mathieu, who saved them from being killed and turned them into hybrids, also to gain power.

“Yeah, they were staked. She’d been with them for centuries. Anthony and I were poor substitutes, considering how we all became gen-vamps so soon after Simone turned us. We’ve been lucky that we’ve been able to keep seeing each other, though. I would’ve missed my brother, and I would’ve missed Simone, too. Of course she can be difficult, especially when she’s obsessing about Mathieu and how much she hates him.”

“When I was little, I pictured Mathieu looking like a gnarled old warlock. Is that how he looks?” Even after all these years, she’d never asked Darrin to describe him and he’d never offered.

“Are you kidding? That prick is fucking handsome: tall, dark, and strapping. He’s not young, by any means. He’s thousands of years old, but he appears youthful.”

“That’s not fair.”

“No shit.” Nicholas made a tight face.

“I suppose he has a magnificent castle, too?”

“I’ve only seen the jewelry room. That’s where he brought us after he turned us into gen-vamps and before he auctioned us to our first owner. But that room was pretty damned spectacular, so I can only imagine what the rest of his castle is like. And from what I’ve heard, he has a harem full of beautiful slave girls, too. Lucky bastard.”

Marie raised her eyebrows.

“What?” he asked.

“That kind of talk isn’t going to win you a woman.”

“It will if it’s a woman who enjoys a bit of bondage”

She could do little more than blink. “You’re into that depraved stuff?” She should have known he was kinky. He was too damned sinful not to be.

“Simone got me into it. And it isn’t depraved. It’s sexy and fun.” He paused, smiled. “You’d be a kick to restrain.”

A kick? She considered giving him a swift one, right in the-you-know-where. “I’d fight you tooth and nail.”

“Really? Well, guess what? That would turn me on. You scratching and clawing.”

Because it reminded her of Darrin’s claw-each-other-to-death comment about how people in love should behave, she straightened her spine. “You’re archaic.”

He laughed. “At least I taught myself about urban slang.”

“Right. All those goofy things you say.” Curious to know more about him, she asked, “How old were you when you became immortal?”

“Thirty-five.”

She’d figured him for around her age, and she’d been right on the money. Of course, in supernatural years he was much older. “Were you a musician by trade?”

He nodded. “First in the Big Band Era, then I got into swing.” He tilted his head. “What do you do for work?”

“I’m an administrative assistant for an insurance company, but I work from home. They call it a virtual assistant.”

“That’s a sweet gig. I love how the world has changed. I can’t wait to become human again.”

“Where are you going to hang out over these next two weeks?” She knew that he could go anywhere he wanted, as long as he returned each night to feed.

“I figured I’d hang out with you.”

She gaped at him. “You’re not staying here.”

“Why not?”

“Because I have a boyfriend, that’s why.”

“He doesn’t live here. Besides, I’ll sleep in the guest room.”

“No you won’t. Gen-vamps don’t sleep.” They rested when they were inside their jewelry, but that wasn’t the same thing. “You’ll be roaming my house at all hours.”

“I’ll be quiet. I’ll watch TV. I’ll read. I’ll sit outside and gaze at the moon.”

“Who am I supposed to tell Keith that you are? He’ll see you when he comes over.”

“You can say that I’m a family friend. That your uncle has known me since I was a kid or something.”

“There’s an idea. You can stay with Darrin.”

“I’m staying with you, Marie.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am. Because if you refuse, I’ll morph into mist and hide in the shadows. I’ll spy on you when you’re in the shower and when you’re doing the nasty with Keith and when—”

“Okay. Fine.” She wanted to strangle him, using every ounce of strength she had. “But if I catch you going misty, I’ll kill you.”

“You can’t kill me.”

“I could if I had a Jinn dagger.” Darrin had taught her that Jinn daggers were the only thing that could kill a genie or its gen-vamp offspring.

“Well, listen to you. The huntress. Problem is, those daggers are protected by Allah’s angels and are nearly impossible to find.” He flashed his sloe gin grin. “So, good luck with that.”

“I was just stating my case. Now get out of my room.”

“All right, Baby Cakes. I’ll see you in the morning.” He strode to the door. “Thanks for the blood. Oh, and for showing me your scar. Next time I’ll show you mine.” He gestured in the vicinity of his lower abdomen. “I had hernia surgery when I was human.”

After he left, she stayed in bed, wondering if he really had a scar, and if it was still visible now that he was immortal. She squeezed her eyes shut.

The last thing she needed was to be thinking about him.

Or his unclothed body.

The Vampire Bracelet: Chapter Four

The following afternoon, Marie sat at her computer, trying to work. She’d been a nervous ninny all day, starting with her shower this morning. She hadn’t trusted that Nicholas wouldn’t go misty and slide under the bathroom door, so she’d packed it with towels. She’d done the same thing in her bedroom when she’d gotten dressed.

And now, while she tapped on her keyboard and made distracted mistakes, he stood in front of the sliding glass door that opened onto the patio, with the sun bathing him in a golden glow. Unlike regular vampires, gen-vamps weren’t restricted from daylight, and he wore it well.

“Will you quit?” she said.

He turned to face her. “Quit what?”

“Hovering.”

“I was just checking out the weather.”

“I can’t concentrate with you standing around.”

He approached her, leaning over her shoulder and making it worse. “I can do your job for you.”

As if. “You’re not only a brilliant musician, but you’re an insurance expert, too? Who knew?”

“I meant with magic.” He waved his hand and abracadabra! The policy she’d been laboring over was complete.

She checked her files. He’d done all of her work for the next two weeks. “Oh, wow.” She stared at the screen. “Really. Honestly. Wow.”

“See?” He went smug. “I’m a handy guy to have around.”

“You most certainly are. Thank you. This is awesome. I’m unofficially on vacation now.”

“So what do you want to do to celebrate?”

“I’m already going out tonight.”

“Where?”

“To a club. Keith’s band is playing.”

“No kidding? I’ll go with you. I might as well meet Keith, sooner than later, and this will be a perfect opportunity for me to check out his music.”

She got up from her chair. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re not following me around wherever I go. And you’re not going to stick your nose into his songs or use your magic to make him mess up.”

“I wouldn’t do that. I’ll give the guy a fair shot. And you can’t stop me from going. I’ll show up whether you invite me or not.”

He gestured to the diamonds and emeralds that adorned her wrist, reminding her that she was equipped with a tracking device. Shaking Nicholas would be impossible, unless she removed the bracelet and gave up her wish.

She conceded. “Okay. We’ll go together. What’s that saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer?”

“Ha. Ha. Funny.”

She glanced at the bracelet. “Oh, my God. I didn’t even think about what I’m supposed to tell Keith. What excuse can I give my boyfriend for me wearing an expensive piece of jewelry like this?’

“That’s not a problem. I can make it disappear. Not for real, but to the mortal eye.” He waved his hand and the bracelet vanished.

Marie fingered her wrist. “I can’t even feel it anymore.”

“Don’t worry, it’s still there. You’re not the first wish recipient who needed to hide their jewelry. It’s a common issue.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“The only time it will reappear is when I’m feeding.”

“I can handle that. I’ll make darn sure Keith isn’t anywhere around when you’re sinking those painful fangs of yours into me.”

“Painful, huh? I seem to recall you liking it.”

She begged to differ. “I didn’t like getting
that
stoned.”

Nicholas countered, “You did, too.”

Before they got into an arguing match, she walked away.

“Where are you going?” he called after her.

“To get some fresh air.” She went onto the patio.

He followed her, and she blew out a breath. Taking time for herself was nearly impossible with Nicholas as her supernatural shadow. But he had completed her work, so she cut him some slack and gestured to a chair.

“Join me?” she asked.

He plopped his long, muscular body down. “Don’t mind if I do.”

He was dressed in a T-shirt and surfer-type shorts, blending easily into the So Cal atmosphere. She was still wondering if he had a hernia scar, but she wasn’t about to bring it up.

He asked, “Are you the only person in your family who knows about us?”

“Us? You mean Darrin’s gen-vamps?”

He nodded.

She replied, “Yes. I’m the only one he told. My mother is Darrin’s younger sister, and she thinks magic is nonsense. She doesn’t participate in Native rituals, either. Darrin does, though. He taught me about my heritage.”

“You’re more like your uncle.”

“Much more. But my parents are okay with that. They traveled a lot for business when I was growing up, and Darrin was always there, looking after me.”

“Do they still travel?”

“Yes, actually, they do. But for pleasure now. They’re retired.”

“My parents were both actors.” He scowled. “They were cheaters, too.”

She sat a little more forward in her chair. “Cheaters?”

“They screwed around on each other. It confused me when I was kid, seeing them slip off with their lovers. My brother tried to protect me from it, but he couldn’t. I was envious of my friends with their nine-to-five dads and their moms who wore aprons and stayed home and cooked.”

“That was certainly a different era. But I’m sorry your parents weren’t faithful to each other and that you had a troubled childhood.”

He tipped his face to the sun. “When I find the right woman, I’m going to be committed to her.”

Dang. Could he look any more appealing? Or say anything nicer? “I’m glad you’re learning from your parents’ mistakes.”

“Yeah. And, really, how difficult can it be to find the right person?”

“Truthfully? It can be extremely difficult. Being in a relationship takes time and understanding.”

“Says the girl who’s using a gen-vamp wish to get engaged? You aren’t an authority on this stuff.”

“Gee, and just when I was beginning to like you.” She removed a pebble from the potted plant beside her and threw it at him, hitting him square in the chest.

“Now you’ve done it.” He peeled the tiny stone off his shirt and shot it at her forehead.

“Ow!”

“Sorry.” He smirked like the sinner he was.

She rubbed the spot he’d nailed. “I probably have a dent in my skin now.”

“Just an itty bitty one.”

“Really?”

“No.” He laughed.

“Are you sure? It kind of feels like I do.”

“You’re paranoid.” He stretched out his legs. “From what I’ve seen so far, the only physical flaw you have is that hot scar on your stomach.”

She didn’t want to talk scars. “There’s nothing hot about it, and you’d do well to keep your opinions to yourself.”