by Iris Abbott
“But we didn’t escape unscathed. It changed all three of us.” It saddened Zoe to think just how much.
“What do you mean?” Tara asked in that soft-spoken voice of hers.
“The two of you became adults overnight even though you were only fourteen. Tara, you retreated behind a wall and into a shell that’s still hard for anyone to breach. Kara, you went in the opposite direction. You constantly thrive on danger and push yourself as far and hard as you can. And I became a mother hen that constantly worries about the two of you even when we’re not hunting a vampire.”
She rubbed her hands across her face and let out a weary sigh. She’d never felt such discontent before, and it really bothered her.
“Does this have anything to do with your sexy stranger?” Kara wanted to know.
“Being with him makes me feel different, and I like it,” she admitted.
“I thought so,” Kara said with a grin.
“You just met him.” Tara sounded concerned. “It’s not like you to be impulsive. Are you sure you haven’t been bewitched?”
“I doubt he’s a warlock or wizard.” Zoe felt compelled to defend Drew, but she was definitely falling under his spell.
“Why not?” Kara’s feet fell to the floor, and she sat up straight. She glanced around at the wide-open mouths of her sisters.
“Well?” she insisted. “Just because we haven’t met any other paranormal creatures doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Vampires are real. We have firsthand knowledge of those.”
As scary as it sounded, Zoe knew her sister had a valid point. “My gut has never let me down,” she insisted. There’s nothing evil or wicked about Drew.”
“There are good and bad humans,” Tara spoke up. “Maybe the same thing applies to others. I mean anything’s possible, right?”
“It would definitely explain your mystery man, Kara,” Zoe mused. “Think about it! He took out one of those zombie-like vampires with his bare hands. What kind of creature can do that? We’re well-trained vampire hunters, and we can’t destroy a vampire without a blade.”
“I don’t know what he is, but he’s not a vampire,” Kara insisted. “No fangs! I’m not saying it’s impossible for some vampires to be good, but it would dramatically change things as we know them. It’s gonna take a lot more than conjecture to get me to change my mind about vampires.”
“Agreed!” Tara managed to say around a yawn.
“I guess that’s our bedtime cue,” Zoe teased. “Besides, we could ponder this mystery all night long and still not come up with the answer.”
Kara threw a decorative pillow at Zoe. “Why are you in such a hurry? Planning to meet your mystery man tonight in your dreams?”
“No comment and good night,” Zoe grumbled as she got to her feet. Her sister might be right, but Zoe was not going to do anything to encourage or prolong the sisterly ribbing. “Don’t forget, we need costumes for the party. We should go to the Witch’s Brew tomorrow around lunchtime.”
“Can’t wait,” the twins said in unison.
Zoe shook her head and hurried off to bed. She tried to tell herself that all the exercise and fresh air made her sleepy, but really her sister was right. Zoe wanted to dream about her mystery man and his toe-curling kisses. That would make turning in early worthwhile for sure.
SIX
Tara hesitantly walked out of the dressing room and spun around in front of the three-way mirrors strategically placed around the area. “I don’t know.” It was obvious she wasn’t used to showing so much skin. “I think this would be better suited to Kara instead of me,” she insisted.
“Nonsense,” Brianna said with a wave of her regal hand. “You look fabulous. That costume has your name written all over it.”
Tara glanced in the mirror and then down at the skimpy black satin corset her twin had laced up for her and the short black skirt that barely covered her private parts. “Really? Where? Because there’s not that much room for anything, even a short name like Tara Myers,” she joked.
“Listen to Brianna, she’s the expert,” Zoe insisted. She reached over and tugged on the elastic band holding all of Tara’s hair out of the way. She spent a few seconds fluffing the curls. “You should definitely wear your hair down. The cascading curls add to the sexiness of the costume.”
“I don’t feel sexy,” Tara complained. “I feel naked.”
Zoe patted her shoulder. “At least I won’t be the only one showing a lot of skin.” She tugged on the bottom of the tight leather vest that stopped about an inch above her belly button. It didn’t move, so she turned her attention to the black leather mini skirt that ended about six inches above her knees. She quit tugging at it when she realized the only thing that accomplished was baring more of her midriff.
At least you’re wearing knee-high boots,” Tara complained. “I’ve got dainty sandals with sky-high heels. I’ll probably trip and break my neck when I try to walk in these things. And I can forget about running,” she said in disgust.
Zoe glanced down at her boots. “And you think these are any better? They’re stilettos. Though I could use them as stakes if I had to,” she said with a gleam in her eyes.
Brianna started to choke, and Zoe lightly patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I was only joking.” She held out the plastic sword that came with the costume. It was much longer than the blades she normally preferred.
“That’s perfectly fine, dear,” Brianna said once she caught her breath. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from any vampire hunter worth her salt.”
Kara who’d just stepped out of the third dressing room audibly gasped. Zoe and Tara looked at the shop owner like she’d grown a second head. All three sisters gave each other startled looks before focusing on Brianna.
“What?” the older woman asked with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders when the shocked silence continued. “You are dressed as a vampire hunter.”
Zoe nervously giggled, and the twins joined her. “I do like to get into character,” she said with a wink.
“What am I supposed to be? A Goth cocktail waitress in Vegas, maybe?” Tara asked in a disgruntled voice.
“Don’t be silly,” Brianna said. “You’re a lady vamp.”
It was Zoe’s turn to almost choke. She quickly covered the sound with a loud outburst of laughter.
“Not funny,” Tara insisted.
“I think it is,” Kara piped up.
Tara expertly deflected attention from herself and onto her twin. “Wow, look at you.” Tara admired her sister’s outfit. “I thought my costume would be better suited for you, but the one you’re wearing is perfect. You’re gorgeous.”
“You look like a sexy cat woman, and that’s appropriate because every stray man at the party is gonna try to follow you home,” Zoe joked.
Tara ran her hand over the black lacy one-piece catsuit with the deep plunging neckline. “I absolutely love it!” she exclaimed. She reached out and hugged Brianna. “Thank you so much for everything, including the invitations and costumes.”
“You’re welcome.” Brianna hugged her back. “Who can’t use a little fun in their lives? And this party is the social event of the year in Enigma. You never know who you might run into,” she said with a wink.
Somewhere behind them, a man cleared his throat. Awareness instantly shot through Zoe. She knew who she was going to see when she turned around.
“Drew!” she croaked out his name in a shrill voice and ended up having to clear her own throat. “What are you doing here?” It was uncanny the way they kept running into each other. If she didn’t know any better, Zoe would think he was following her.
“Came to pick up my costume.” He glanced at all three women, but his eyes never strayed far from Zoe for long. “You have definitely outdone yourself this time, Brianna.”
“The Witch’s Brew is magical that way,” she said with a devious laugh.
“Must be,” he agreed. “It would be remiss of me to allow three unattached and beautiful w
omen such as yourselves to attend the party alone. It would be my honor to escort the three of you.”
The twins giggled, and Zoe tried really hard to regulate her out of control breathing. She was practically panting. Not that Drew wasn’t drool-worthy, but such a loss of control in public was embarrassing. She was a vampire hunter for goodness sake. She usually excelled at self-control.
As if he knew the effect he was having on her, Drew stepped closer, took her hand in his, and brought it to his lips for a kiss. It was all Zoe could do not to fan herself when he let her hand go. That notion was completely forgotten when Kara elbowed her in the ribs.
“Aren’t you gonna introduce us?”
Leave it to Kara to demand an introduction. Yep, she was always the brash one. “Um, Drew, these are my sisters, Kara and Tara. They’re twins,” she babbled, even though that was probably obvious enough from looking at them.
He nodded at her sisters but didn’t make any attempt to touch them. Zoe slowly let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She hastily accepted his invitation before he could change his mind. “We’d love for you to escort us to the party.” She was proud of how calm her voice sounded even though it felt like a family of bats had taken up residence in her stomach.
“Great, ‘cause the three of you are gonna need me to beat off all the love-struck men who are going to pester you all night long. And Russo’s place is off the beaten path. It can be hard to locate sometimes.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Tara abruptly butted into the conversation. “But if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to change out of my costume.” She disappeared inside one of the dressing rooms.
“Me too,” Kara quickly vanished inside the dressing room as well.
“And I’ll go get the costume I set aside for you, Drew.” Brianna hurried into a backroom of the store.
Suddenly they were alone. The memory of the scorching hot kiss they shared the last time they were together assailed Zoe. She automatically clenched her thighs together, trying to ease the burning ache. It didn’t work, especially when he stepped closer, crowding her into the wall.
Drew cupped her face with his hands. “I thought they’d never leave.” He leaned in and buried his face in her neck and breathed deep. His tongue rasped against her skin. “I love the way you taste,” he growled.
The harsh sound startled Zoe, and she raised her hands to push him away. He was faster and managed to tug her closer. She tripped over the ridiculous boots and before she could take her next breath the soft curves of her body were flattened against his hard planes. His mouth covered hers, effectively swallowing her yelp of surprise.
His hands moved to her hips, kneading, and forcing her even closer. His mouth continued to devour her, tugging, sucking, and nibbling on her lips until she opened for him. As soon as she did, his tongue thrust inside. The ache between her thighs intensified with every stroke of his tongue.
She moved her hands to the collar of his shirt, grabbed hold, and jerked him even closer. There was no such thing as too close when it came to this man. He rewarded her movements with a sexy growl and moved his hands to the back of her thighs. The leather mini skirt offered little to no resistance.
Zoe rubbed her body against Drew. She hoped the rough friction might ease her ache, but it only made it worse. He tore his mouth from hers and trailed kisses from her jaw to her neck. Zoe unconsciously bared her neck to him.
Suddenly, a sharp sting penetrated the fog of sensual bliss shrouding her. “Ouch!” Zoe exclaimed. She automatically shoved him away and put the plastic sword of her costume between them. “You bit me,” she accused in a shaky voice.
Her heart beat almost two hundred beats per minute. The fading echoes of passion mixed with the sudden bite of fear. Had her trusty sixth sense finally let her down? Was Drew a vampire?
“It’s all right, Zoe. Calm down. It’s just a love bite,” he insisted. He reached out and turned her until she was facing the mirror. “Look, it’s not even bleeding.”
He was right. She overreacted thanks to her hunter lineage and the strange conversation she had with the twins last night. She took several deep breaths. “Sorry I freaked out hope this doesn’t scare you away.”
“Not a chance,” he said with that wicked smile of his that made the nerves in her tummy flutter. His phone chose that inopportune time to beep. He glanced at it and frowned. “Work, I’ve got to go.”
He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Nothing’s changed,” he reassured her in a gravelly voice. “I’ll be seeing you soon, take care, Zoe.”
She stood frozen to the spot, watching his hurried yet confident stride take him further away from her and finally out the door. She was still standing there with her mouth gaping open when her sisters and Brianna rejoined her.
The shop owner held up a garment bag. “Where’d Drew go?”
Zoe felt the heat rise to her cheeks and knew they were bright red. “Umm, work emergency I think.”
“That’s too bad, I was going to invite him to join us for lunch.” Kara grinned like she was up to something.
Tara elbowed her. “I don’t think Zoe needs you to play matchmaker. Looks like she’s doing fine all on her own.” Tara pointed at the nip on her neck. “She’s even got a hickey to prove it.”
Zoe suppressed a sigh of relief. A hickey she could live with, a vampire bite, not so much. “Lunch sounds good,” she said guiding the conversation away from her love mark.
“I am rather hungry,” Tara said rubbing her belly. “Brianna, would you like to join us?”
“I’d love to, dear, but I can’t leave the shop. This is the busiest time of year for me.”
“Well, looks like you’ve just made three sales,” Kara said. “We’ll take the costumes, couldn’t find better ones anywhere else.”
“I’ll buy. My treat,” Tara insisted.
Zoe hated having to take money from her younger sister, but Tara made a nice living as a freelance travel writer. The job fit perfectly with their hunter duties.
Brianna waved a hand in the air. “Nonsense, the costumes are on the house,” she offered with a kindly smile.
“Are you sure?” Zoe was hesitant to accept the offer. She didn’t want to take advantage of the other woman’s generosity.
“Positive. Consider it a welcome to Enigma gift. Besides, the three of you look fantastic. And trust me there is nothing better for this kind of business than word of mouth advertising. I would consider it a favor if you wore my costumes. Just make sure you tell everyone where you got ‘em from.”
Zoe hugged her. Tara and Kara followed suit and did the same. “Thank you so much!” Zoe exclaimed.
“We’ll be sure to spread the word to any and everybody,” Kara promised.
“My business is in good hands then,” Brianna said with a big smile. “There’s a great café a couple of blocks down. Y’all go to lunch and come back when you’re done. I’ll have these boxed for you.”
“Want us to bring back lunch for you?” Tara offered.
“That would be great, dear. I’ll take the special of the day, doesn’t matter what it is. I’m not a picky eater, and everything from the café tastes great.”
“You’ve got it,” Tara said with a big smile.
It made Zoe feel better about accepting the gifts, and she imagined her sisters did too. “We have errands to run this afternoon,” she reminded the twins. “I’ll be by to drop off your food and pick up the costumes in about an hour.”
“Thanks, I’ll be here,” Brianna promised. “See you soon.”
The sisters left the shop and walked toward the café. Zoe knew the teasing was coming as soon as they cleared the Witch’s Brew. Kara didn’t let her down.
“Oh! My! God!” she exclaimed while fanning herself. “You were not kidding! He’s one good-looking man. No wonder you’re smitten. He’s not as sexy as my mystery guy, though.”
Tara gently butted her shoulder against her twin’s. “Leave her alone, Kara.�
�� She stopped walking and took Zoe’s hand in hers and squeezed. “The chemistry between you and Drew was so strong I could feel the sparks in the dressing room.”
“Tara…” Zoe didn’t know where her sister was going, and she was almost scared to find out.
Tara held up a hand. “No, let me finish. It’s obvious the two of you want each other. After the conversation we had last night, I think you should throw all caution to the wind and go for it.”
Zoe wished she could, but she still had a few reservations. “Don’t forget we’re in the middle of our most challenging hunt yet. I’m sure Drew could hold his own against any human. But a vampire?” She shrugged. “The thought of him getting hurt because of me has the same effect as being drenched by a bucket of ice-cold water. It douses the fire and dampens the desire.”
“I don’t know,” Kara said with a thoughtful look. “I think you might be underestimating Drew. After all, my mystery man was able to take down a vampire.”
She didn’t answer. They’d reached the café and silence fell over the group while they studied the menu and ordered. That was fine with Zoe, because she had a lot of thinking to do. Her nerves were tied into knots, and she needed to figure out how to unravel them without causing any damage.
SEVEN
A couple of days later, Zoe didn’t feel any wiser when it came to Drew. She was more than tempted to say the heck with it and give in to the desire burning between them, but she wasn’t the type to walk away from her responsibilities. She strolled into Brittany’s studio, hoping a good workout session of hitting and kicking would ease her tension and clear her mind.
She stopped at the receptionist’s desk and waited for the young woman to finish her phone call. “Hi, I’m here to observe one of Brittany’s classes and maybe do some sparring.”
“Does she know you’re coming?” the woman asked in confusion. “She didn’t mention it to me.”
“Well, not exactly,” Zoe admitted. “I met her a few days ago at the Witch’s Brew, and she invited me to drop by, but I didn’t let her know I was coming today.”
