When Devin uncharacteristically shivered as if cold, without thinking, he walked over to a blanket hanging on the back of the couch. Just as he did for Nikki at the bar, he wrapped it around her folded in wings and trembling body. Although he gave her another hungry stare that made her squirm uncomfortably, she accepted the gift with a smile. When he unconsciously clicked the appropriate buttons to turn up the heat, he became increasingly aggravated by his inability to control his own actions.
He decided to continue the tour and pressed some additional buttons to turn on more lights. His guests were presented with a large bar area with several pool tables, dart boards, and other bar related entertainment. When Nikki spotted an open area with many weapons hanging on the wall and a padded floor, she asked, “Does Blade use this to give his fighting lessons?”
Devin’s eyebrows raised in surprise that she knew this fact about his fellow Vampire and said, “I see you and Bee got to know each other. He does use this area, but he isn’t the only one. Vampires don’t require much sleep, so we’re trapped inside for longer than we like. We’re like caged animals and get bored. We need to find ways to let off a little excess energy. We’re creatures of habit and, since Vampires have a natural affinity for fighting, letting it out at scheduled times keeps us more in control when we venture outside at night.”
Vampires were feared for their strength and fighting prowess and now Nikki had a better understanding as to how they gained those skills. She wondered what else she would learn about Vampires while temporarily living among them.
Devin pointed to a door of an enclosed room to the right of the apartment’s entrance and said, “That’s a bathroom. Since you like heat, there’s a sauna and a hot tub in there.”
Nikki walked over and peeked in, gawking at the highly polished and ornate tile room. She whispered to herself, “This room alone is bigger than my entire apartment.”
Devin asked, “Speaking of bathrooms, don’t we need to get Cupcake a litter box?”
From out in the main room they heard a hiss and then Nikki snickered. “As you have already figured out, Cupcake is far from a normal cat. She’s actually more Human than feline, so she doesn’t use a litter box. The bathroom will suit her needs just fine.”
He knew that they had created a special place for Bo to use for this purpose, but he couldn’t hold back the curiosity in learning how Cupcake used an actual toilet.
After leaving the bathroom and entering the main room, Nikki spun in a slow circle and asked, “You said we’re on the top floor. Where are all of the windows?”
He chuckled, gave her a big fang filled smile, and said, “I’m Vampire.”
“Then why live on the top floor?”
“Because of this.” He clicked another button and a series of lights flickered to life, revealing a ceiling at least two stories high with massive wooden arches and beams. “As you can see, the room is large enough for even you to stretch your wings, literally.”
Nikki’s blanket instantly pooled at her feet as her wings snapped out and began to beat with the speed and sound of a hummingbird.
Devin watched in wonder as her body hovered about a foot off the ground. His desire to touch her caused him to raise his hand toward her, but the curse quickly forced it back to his side. Instead he pointed up to the ceiling at a very content looking Cupcake sitting on one of the beams perched like a bird and said, “It looks like your wings and the hairball have made themselves at home.” Seeing the devilish expression on the cat’s face, he added, “That beast of yours isn’t planning on attacking me from above, is she?”
Nikki shrugged her shoulders without giving him an answer. Instead her eyes caught sight of a set of wide, wooden, spiral stairs that led up to a loft. The section was attached to a wall on one side, leaving the other three sides open and edged in a spindled railing. From this tree house perch, she guessed that you could watch everything that happened on the main floor.
She turned to Devin and asked, “I haven’t seen a bedroom yet, so I’m assuming that you sleep up there?” He nodded and, when she didn’t spot a guest room, she asked hesitantly, “Where am I supposed to sleep?”
Everything about Nikki’s presence called to Devin. Although he knew the repercussions if he got too close, his instincts were winning out over logic. He quickly scanned the room for her protectors. Since Cupcake was exploring up in the rafters and Grippin was distracted in the weapons area, trying out some swords, he decided to test his charms and the strength of the curse. He turned to Nikki and sauntered up to her, making her back up toward the couch. While standing within a foot of her, he leaned in and put an arm on each side of her, pinning her in place. With his inner animal barely contained, he gave her a stunning smile and called on every bit of his Vampire gift of persuasion.
With blood lust in his eyes and the curse banging in his chest, he whispered sweetly, “We may be trapped together for a while, but there isn’t any reason that we can’t enjoy ourselves. There’s plenty of room in my bed and fighting isn’t the only thing I’m good at.” He flashed her his dimple.
Her lifetime taught hatred for his race made her resistant to his Vampire gift of mental persuasion, but she could feel the strength of his dimple power calling to her. Not wanting to call for another rescue, she decided to stand her ground and address Devin head on. Recalling a story her Human friend, Jackie, told her of how she had taken care of a man that offered an unwelcomed advance, she pictured Jackie in her mind. While staring at the Vampire directly into his eyes, she placed her palms on his chest. The effects of the curse slowly eased as she explored his hard muscles as they flexed under her fingertips.
Nikki replied seductively, “I could only imagine the wonders this body of yours is capable of making me feel.” She let her fingertips swirl slowly down his body. When it reached a target much lower and very sensitive to touch, he gasped. All pain from the curse was countered by the tingling sensations she was causing as she caressed him gently.
When she felt his body begin to respond, she squeezed him and let a low but steady electric current flow from the palms of her hands. Her expression changed instantly from sweet to stern and she said, “Your powers are useless against me Vampire so, alas, it’s a feeling that I’ll never experience.” She gave him a quick zap to reinforce the message.
The action made him stagger backwards. As he bent over, trying to recover from several very hard curse punches and her very effective sting, she said, “I can see that you’re a real tough cookie with an arsenal of come-on’s, but it’s all in vain. If you just gave me your best moves, you can give it up right now. Like so many Human men I have watched over the years, I bet you have a long history of breaking hearts. But mark my words. I won’t be another notch on your bedpost. From here after, how about you keep your lines, hands, and that damn dimple to yourself?” She then turned toward the living room furniture and announced sweetly, “The couch will be fine.”
While shaking off the last of the effects, Devin dropped his attempt at mental seduction and said in a strained voice, “You’ll get no argument from me.” Spotting the veins in her neck pulsing from her rapid heartbeat, he added to himself, “…for now.”
Hearing the pain in his voice, Nikki was hit by a pang of guilt and embarrassment. When she had to fight with herself to not apologize for her behavior, she sighed. She realized that, no matter how hard she tried, she would never be like Jackie.
After Grippin and Cupcake rejoined the couple, Devin announced, “My bed is calling me, so I’m going to call this miserable night over.” He handed Grippin the remote for the lights and then disappeared up the stairs. Moments later, he reappeared at the loft railing and tossed down blankets for his guests to use. While Grippin collected the items, Devin stared at the dim light reflecting off Nikki’s sparkling skin. His mind and body decided she was worth fighting the curse for and, as he let his charms caress against her gently, he called, “Nikki. If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” He flashed her
his dimple again.
When Grippin stepped forward to protect her, Nikki put her hand on his arm to stop him and replied calmly to Devin, “Don’t hold your breath, Dabner.”
While Grippin smirked at Nikki’s response, Devin’s eyes raised. Instead of a curse punch, he had felt a small wave of a warm sensation that didn’t match her cool words. When he nodded at her, accepting the challenge, her shoulders slumped. She knew that the temporary living arrangements were going to be hard in so many ways.
After Nikki and Cupcake settled onto the couch Grippin, whose size limited his choices, made his bed as best he could in a recliner. Once they were all in their separate beds, Nikki stared up toward the ceiling. Although the room was massive, for some reason she felt like the walls were closing in on her. Even after Cupcake crawled on her chest, she couldn’t shake the growing sensation. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but Devin’s face kept flashing in her mind. At the same time, her pulse remained stubbornly elevated and she started to shiver as if cold.
After about an hour of constant tossing and turning, Nikki heard Devin curse. Moments later, she felt a presence and Cupcake hissed. Nikki opened her eyes to find Devin standing next to her in nothing but a pair of night shorts. When his arms came forward to touch her, the cat swatted at him and Grippin jumped to his feet, making the room quake.
Devin put up his hands in surrender and said, “Back off, you two. I’m not going to hurt her.” While rubbing the latest sting in his chest, he switched his attention back to Nikki. Seeing the cat hissing at him, he asked, “Can you call off your cat, please?”
Nikki scratched Cupcake on the head and said, “It’s okay, Sweetie. As much as I hate to admit it, I think I need him.” She then reached out toward Devin’s outstretched hand.
He hesitated and said, “Please don’t zap me.” When she nodded, he took her hand in his. They both sighed as their inner panic lifted. He then added, “Obviously the current sleeping arrangements won’t work and, if you don’t relax, I’m never going to get any rest. I lose some of my sparkling personality when I don’t get my beauty sleep.”
Nikki asked, “How did you know that I couldn’t sleep?”
Devin’s body was so focused on Nikki at that moment that he could even hear her veins pulsing. He tapped his temple and said, “My godmother didn’t exaggerate, curse buddy. What you feel I feel.”
“Well, I haven’t changed my mind about not sleeping with you.”
As Grippin growled low and loud, Devin said, “Don’t worry. I have an alternative.”
Against her better judgment, Nikki decided to trust her roommate. She held Cupcake in her arms and crawled out from under her covers. She then followed Devin with Grippin at her side, carrying their bedding.
Nikki sighed in relief as Devin passed by a massive, highly ornate four-post bed and walked toward a small love seat. He reached out to the wall and flipped a switch. Nikki jumped when flames erupted next to her from a fireplace that she didn’t even know was there. It took all of her strength not to start wiggling into the projected heat, but she couldn’t stop her wings from flittering or, to her dismay, from making bird sounds as she fixed yet another bed.
Once Nikki crawled in, Devin walked back to his own large bed and pulled off the bedspread. After tucking it in around her, they both sighed as they felt the last of their uncomfortable feeling fade. Devin remained hovered over her and asked, “Now can we get some sleep?”
Nikki smiled appreciatively and said, “Thanks, Devin.” Even Cupcake rubbed her face against the side of his hand as if to say thank you.
Her glistening purple lips and sparkling eyelashes made it difficult for Devin to hold back the impulse to kiss her goodnight. Not wanting the curse to again forcefully explain the rules, he resisted the urge.
As he backed away, Nikki asked, “Are you going to be okay with me being so close to you?”
Although the blood flowing through her veins made his mouth water, he hated to think what the curse would do to him if he attempted to taste her. He replied, “You have nothing to worry about tonight. I fed enough at Mistyx, so I’ll be fine. We can talk tomorrow about how to handle my feeding schedule.” Although he was able to control her blood’s current draw he knew that, if she continued to stay at his side, it was going to become very difficult for him to resist his live-in Pixie snack.
The small step forward toward peaceful cohabitation stopped abruptly when Devin went to pat the cat on the head and he received a hearty swat from a small paw. He was continually shocked by the amount of force coming out of such a small animal and was grateful that she had kept her claws in this time.
Nikki looked to Grippin and said, “Cupcake has me covered, so you can go back downstairs and get some sleep.”
Grippin looked at Devin. He then grunted and spread out his blankets on the floor in front of Nikki. He wasn’t about to leave her alone with a Vampire.
Devin walked back to his bed and, by the firelight, Nikki watched his muscles bulge and flex as he moved. She couldn’t help but admire his very fit physique and her mind wandered. She was brought back to the moment when she heard a chuckle.
Devin smiled and teased, “Hey Nikki. I’m glad that I could help you feel more…relaxed.”
She knew that he sensed her change in mood, which confirmed his previous statement that he did feel every emotion she projected.
Devin pulled up a sheet and said, “Sleep tight and don’t let the roommate bite.” He closed his eyes, knowing that the Pixie wasn’t as resistant to his charms as she tried to make him believe.
Chapter 7:
I Knew You Were Trouble
Devin attempted to fall asleep while listening to the gentle purr coming from Cupcake. As his mind automatically focused on the sound he heard another noise, resembling the cooing of a dove. He sat up and initially thought that a bird had somehow flown into the apartment. When he listened more intently, he quickly realized that the sound was coming from Nikki. He watched her and, as she wiggled into her covers in her sleep, the bird sounded again. If he thought dealing with a bird and a cat was bad enough, to his complete frustration, his excellent Vampire hearing added Nikki’s rapid heartbeat and Grippin’s deep breathing into the mix.
He whispered a few not so polite words and laid back down but, the more he tried to ignore the chorus, the more his mind locked on the sounds. The curse wouldn’t allow him to leave the bedroom without causing another panic attack, so he pulled a pillow over his head in a feeble attempt to block out the noise.
*~*~*~*
Later that day, Devin woke from an unsatisfied sleep. He sat up and found both Grippin and Nikki gone. When he looked over at the love seat and saw all of the blankets neatly folded and the fireplace dark once again, for a moment, he thought that maybe his act of kindness during the night was the selfless act that might have broken the curse. His theory was dashed when Cupcake came out of nowhere and leapt onto his chest. After the cat stretched and sprawled out on his body, her expression went from amused to serious. Devin instinctively let out a low growl as she glared her intense, reflective green eyes at him and flicked her tail up like a scorpion ready to strike. He knew that he could throw this small animal into the next county, but he also knew how much this animal meant to his temporary roommate. He was convinced that if he did anything that caused Nikki pain, the curse would make him thoroughly regret it. He decided to wait and see what this small, spirited creature had planned, although he was poised to toss if necessary.
Cupcake reached out a paw toward Devin’s face. Once she had his undivided attention, she flicked out a claw like opening a switch blade. Then, as if daring him to do something about it, she tapped that claw on the carotid artery on his exposed neck.
While holding in his laughter, Devin replied to the cat’s nonverbal threat by spreading his arms wide and saying, “Warning understood. I appear to be at your mercy.”
Cupcake slowly retracted her claw and, after giving him a self-satisfied smile, she j
umped off the bed and pranced proudly down the stairs. Devin couldn’t help chuckling to himself how an animal the size of a guinea pig could hold so much attitude. He hated to admit that he liked the animal’s fortitude and fearlessness at repeatedly standing up to those much larger and quite capable of ripping her head off with a single flick.
Moments later, Nikki floated up the stairs and landed gracefully at the foot of the bed. She said, “Sorry if Cupcake woke you. I told her to stay away, since I wasn’t sure how late you sleep during the day.”
Although Devin was already familiar with Nikki’s Pixie form, he couldn’t stop himself from instantly wanting to pin her to the bed and make a closer inspection. As his mouth watered, the curse not so gently forced his thoughts back. He replied instead, “Actually I woke just before your furry protector threatened my life. When I saw that you were gone, I thought that maybe the curse was broken and you had left.”
“I was afraid to test the curse’s strength too far until you were up, but I was able to go down to the kitchen without panicking, so I guess it’s lessened slightly.”
“With my godmother’s magic involved, I should’ve known that it won’t be that easy to break. By the way, how long have you been up? We didn’t get back here until dawn.”
Nikki said, “Even being in a building with no exposed windows, my body is still on my normal schedule, so I’ve been up since around eight.”
Looking over at his clock and seeing that it was after two in the afternoon, he asked, “What have you been doing while I slept?”
“Cassie stopped by. She arrived early to check on me. Since you were behaving yourself, I sent Grippin with her to help move some of her witch supplies into the empty apartment located right below us. She wanted to set-up shop so that she could continue to work on a counter-spell while at the warehouse. I promised to call her after you got up. After they left, I’ve just been looking around. This place is so much cleaner than I expected. Do you have a maid?”
Mistyx Sonata (Mistyx Series Book 1) Page 8
