by Tina Folsom
Fuck, the sight of that tongue did things to him. His body temperature spiked several degrees. He tugged at his shirt’s collar, realizing he’d already taken off his tie earlier. He couldn’t very well take off his shirt. “I’m willing to give it a shot.”
Now it was her turn to look up and down his body. It didn’t escape him how she held her gaze at his groin, assessing its ever-growing package. And he wasn’t going to hide it from her. Might as well make sure she knew what she was in for.
“It might just do.”
He’d never met a woman who’d so openly propositioned him. Or was she merely responding to his offer? It didn’t matter. All that was important was that they were in the midst of negotiating the terms of their sexual encounter. The whether had already been confirmed. Now it was only a matter of figuring out the when and where. As well as the how long.
Haven took one step closer, bringing her flush to his body. A drop of sweat trickled down the back of his neck and disappeared under his shirt. Could she feel his heat the way he felt hers? He dipped his head to her ear. “Oh, it’ll be plenty, I promise you.” He could barely suppress the urge to press her against the nearest flat surface and hike up her dress, free his cock, and plunge into her.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Her husky voice in his ear made him almost delirious. Damn, she could turn him on as if he were a light switch.
“Name the time and place,” he gritted out, barely holding onto his control. Another few seconds of this and he’d do something that would get them both thrown out and arrested for committing a lewd act in public. Or whatever the police called it these days.
“By the way you’re panting right now, I’d say immediately, but then you wouldn’t get to imagine what it’s like to fuck me, would you? And I wouldn’t get to imagine what you’re doing while you’re imagining it and waiting for it. So, here.” She shoved a business card in his pocket. “Call me once you’ve taken care of that hard-on in your pants, so you’ll last longer than ten seconds when we fuck.”
A moment later, he stood there alone. She’d disappeared into the crowd. Thunderstruck by her blunt words, he couldn’t help but applaud her. She’d taken charge the way a man normally would, and while he hated bossy women, he couldn’t stop his cock from expanding even further. She would probably kick his ass in more ways than one, but he wasn’t backing down from the challenge she’d just handed him.
Haven reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the card she’d given him.
Yvette. Then a local number. That’s all it said. No address. Nothing.
The woman had class.
***
Yvette fanned herself as she watched her charge from afar. During the entire exchange with Haven she hadn’t forgotten about her job for a single second. It hadn’t stopped her from getting all hot and bothered though. She’d tried to play it cool, slipping into her well-worn seductress suit, a cloak she’d worn for too many years. It had always served her well to keep men at bay. Most men had shied away from her dominant personality, just like she intended.
Not so Haven; the man was up for the challenge. Was she? Yeah, she’d had sex a few months ago—not that she could even remember the guy’s name. What were one-night-stands for? And that was exactly what Haven would turn into: a one-night stand. It would probably be best if she just fucked him where she felt more anonymous. Certainly not her place, and if she could chose, not even in a bed.
A quick frantic fucking over a table would do the trick. Nothing more intimate than that. To allow a man like him any closer would be dangerous. Sure, he was human, and she could take him in an instant. Not even his bad-boy-stuntman attitude would be much of a challenge for her. No, the challenge lay in those blue eyes that had tried to look deep into her. And when he’d stepped closer and whispered into her ear, his scent had wrapped around her and blanketed her with a wave of desire she couldn’t explain.
She would have to watch herself with this man—before he got too close.
Yvette was grateful when her attention was suddenly captured by the man speaking to Kimberly. He’d just placed his pudgy palm on the girl’s arm. Bad move. Inhaling as she approached, Yvette scented perspiration coming from her charge. Kimberly felt uncomfortable. Time to run interference.
“Kimberly, there’s somebody who’s asking for you,” Yvette said as she approached and took her arm. Then she turned to the heavyset man, gave him a big smile and batted her eyelashes. The man’s face flushed. “Excuse us for a moment, would you?”
Before the man could even protest, she’d ushered Kimberly off to another corner of the ballroom. “Who was that?” Yvette needed to know whether he could be the threat they were trying to protect Kimberly against.
Kimberley gave a dismissive wave with her hand. “Oh, that’s Charles. He’s the nephew of the producer—and a total bore. If you hadn’t rescued me, he would have killed me with boredom. Really,” she rattled on, her normal self again, “I could barely get a word in edgewise.”
Join the club. “Yes, totally annoying, isn’t it?” Yvette had a hard time keeping all sarcasm out of her voice.
“You have no idea. What do some of these people think? They don’t listen. They constantly talk as if they are the most important people in the world. It’s just so tiring. Can you imagine being stuck with somebody like that for longer than ten minutes? I thought I was dying right there.”
Poor little rich girl. “Thank God you have me to rescue you,” Yvette interjected, trying not to roll her eyes. No way would Zane have been able to suffer through an evening like this without killing somebody. She suspected he’d purposely intimidated Kimberly to be let off the hook. Maybe he’d even used mind control on her to plant the idea in her mind that she wanted him gone. And Gabriel had fallen for the trick and promptly assigned her. Damn, Zane was way too smart an asshole.
“I need another drink. Do you want some?”
“Still on duty, remember?” Yvette forced a smile. She could think of better things than spending the next couple of hours babysitting a spoiled little brat who’d never been told to shut up. Her only consolation was that she could tune out the inane chatter of the people around her and let her vampire senses alert her to the things she needed to know. It kept the rest of her brain free to pursue its own diversion. And the only worthwhile diversion she could think of right now was recalling the way Haven had looked, felt, and smelled. And imagining what he would feel like when he was underneath her, naked, panting, and begging for release.
Five
Whoever the stinking vampire was who was protecting Kimberly Fairfax, he was good. Haven hadn’t spotted him yet. That was another reason why he hated vampires: they were too stealthy.
It didn’t matter. Haven knew that eventually Kimberly would leave the party with her bodyguard by her side. He was prepared for the encounter: a stake was tucked away in the inside pocket of his suit, and the witch’s potion was readily accessible in his right jacket pocket. And just to be sure, he’d packed something else to defend himself: a strong silver chain with small weights on each end lay in his other pocket. should everything else fail, he could throw it around the vampire’s neck; the burning metal would sear into his skin, temporarily distracting and disabling him, and give Haven sufficient time to either deploy the stake or the potion.
Over the years of hunting vampires and looking for his baby sister, he’d learned an awful lot about the bloodsuckers—mostly about how to hurt or kill them. Their flesh sizzled and burned when it came in contact with silver, and no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t break the metal. What made being prepared for a vampire difficult was that neither he nor his brother had inherited their mother’s ability to recognize a vampire by the aura that surrounded him.
Despite his lack of powers, Haven prided himself in having eliminated over two-dozen vampires over the years. None of the kills had brought him any further in his search for the vampire who’d abducted his sister; nevertheless, he’d take
n their lives. Hell, they were dead already. How he despised those creatures who took from humans without concern, without mercy. So he’d shown them no mercy either. He’d become ruthless in killing vampires. Every time he turned another one to dust, his need for vengeance was stilled for a short while. But it never lasted long.
Haven assured himself that once he found his sister, he’d find peace and could finally think of a normal life, but until then, revenge was what drove him.
Waiting in the dark of an entryway, Haven bided his time. The sound of a door opening made him turn his head. Kimberly was unmistakable in her pink dress and blonde locks. She exited the building and walked into the dark alley with another person. Haven had made sure it would be dark by knocking the streetlamp out with a stone.
Despite the darkness, Haven recognized the other person’s face. He took a surprised, involuntary breath: Yvette was by Kimberly’s side. Was it a coincidence? Maybe the two had been working on the movie together. He craned his neck to look for her bodyguard, but nobody else came out. The door fell shut behind them, the sound echoing against the high walls, mirroring the hollow sound in his heart.
Haven cursed silently as he watched the two women approach a dark limousine. Now that he observed them closely, he noticed how Yvette scanned their surroundings, how she barely listened to Kimberly’s chatter and instead seemed to evaluate each entryway and each passerby.
Under the sexy halter dress that fit her like a second skin, her toned body was tense and on guard; he could see it in the way the muscles in her upper arms flexed. Had she sensed him yet?
Shit! This wasn’t what he’d expected. Had the witch gotten it wrong? Was the girl not protected by a vampire bodyguard after all?
He’d spoken to Yvette inside the ballroom, and nothing in her demeanor had suggested that she was anything but a beautiful woman. He’d felt the heat her body had emanated, the passion radiating through her, and it had ignited his own body. How could he have reacted to her like that if she were a vampire? All he’d ever felt for vampires was disgust and hatred. It was impossible that his body got it wrong, that it would react to a despicable creature like it had.
But the more he watched, the more the telltale signs of a vampire were there: the fluid grace with which she glided down the street; the sharpness of her eyes that seemed to register everything around her; the way she seemed to pick up every sound, just like she did now when she lifted her head upwards to look at a window which somebody had just closed. Oh yes; she was alert. And it could only mean one thing: she was Kimberly’s bodyguard. She had to be the vampire the witch had spoken of.
And damn it to hell if he didn’t feel a twinge of regret at what he had to do. If she was the bodyguard vampire, she had to die, attraction or not. He shouldn’t feel the scruples that started bubbling up in him at the thought. He’d never before had doubts about what he needed to do. His mission had always been clear: to kill every vampire he came across until he found the one who’d robbed him of his sister.
Swallowing his misplaced scruples and trying to bury them in the deep, dark recesses of his mind, Haven stepped out of the entryway he’d been hiding in and slowly walked toward the two women. He plastered a fake smile on his face and raised his hand in greeting. “Miss Fairfax, an autograph please.”
Yvette’s face showed only momentary surprise when she recognized him, then went back to her indifferent and businesslike mask. Haven’s gut twisted. He forced himself to think back to the day his mother was murdered, knowing the hatred he felt for vampires would help him carry out his task and forget the other side he’d seen of Yvette: the sensual woman ready to meet him for some uninhibited fucking.
Kimberly smiled broadly as she stopped and waited for Haven to come closer. Yvette bent her head to her and spoke a few words. Haven only picked up the tail end of it. “… stuntman from the movie set?”
When Kimberly gave Yvette a confused look and shook her head, he knew his time was up. Yvette would know that he didn’t belong to the crew and had lied to her. But he didn’t need much time. He was only a few feet away when Yvette issued her order.
“Get in the car, Kimberly, now!”
But Kimberly didn’t move. She simply gave Yvette another confused look. “But he only wants an autograph. You shouldn’t be so rude to—”
Yvette shoved her aside toward the limousine, her body now in attack stance. “NOW, Kimberly!”
Then Yvette jumped toward him. Haven barely had time to react. The sultry seductress from earlier was gone. What was left was a lethal fighting machine. If he’d ever had any doubt that she was a vampire, it was erased on impact—no woman could be this strong.
Yvette knocked him to the ground in one swoop. He landed hard on his back. But he was no pushover. He captured her legs between his and twisted, bringing her down onto the pavement. But he hadn’t counted on her agility. Like a gazelle, she jumped up and kicked him in the side just as he’d risen from the ground. Her karate kicks were high and graceful. A seam along her thigh ripped several inches of her dress as she kicked higher, allowing her more movement. And hell, if he didn’t have to admire the way she fought with those powerful and sexy legs.
In the background, he heard Kimberly scream. If he didn’t make this quick, the girl would attract attention and summon help.
Haven reached into his inside pocket and pulled out the stake.
Yvette’s eyes narrowed as they circled each other. “I would have let you impale me with your dick, but not with that thing.”
Her words threw him off guard. Count on her to fight dirty. Bitch. “There’s no way in hell I’ll dirty my cock by sticking it into you.” His cock called him a liar.
He saw the anger in her eyes, but there was something else in there too. Had his remark hurt her feelings? Haven shook off the stupid thought. As if vampires had feelings. Cold-hearted bastards—and bitches.
Yvette attacked, more forcefully this time. They dealt each other blow after blow. Her kicks to his lower half were taking their toll. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get close enough with his stake to do any damage.
Another painful kick in the gut, and he faltered. She slammed him against the car. Haven squeezed his hand against his gut to ward off the feeling of nausea. His hand felt the little vial the witch had given him. He snatched it from his pocket and turned just as Yvette grabbed his neck.
“Take that, bloodsucker!” he pressed out, threw the vial to the ground and smashed it with his shoe.
Instantly, pink vapor billowed from it. Yvette’s head snapped toward it, but already her movements slowed.
“Shit!” she yelped, her eyes darting to the side. “Kimberly!”
The girl was only a couple of feet away from them, still standing frozen at the same place where the attack had begun. With visible effort, Yvette released him and reached for Kimberly, clamping her hand over the girl’s wrist before she collapsed on the pavement, pulling Kimberly with her.
“Yvette!” the girl screamed.
Great, now the starlet went into hysterics. How he hated that.
“Shut up!”
The girl’s screams simmered down to a whimper as she shook Yvette, trying to wake her.
Haven looked down at Yvette, who lay motionless on the ground. He knew she wasn’t dead, merely unconscious. Now was the time to kill her. He gripped his stake tightly and rolled the smooth wood between his fingers. Then he knelt down beside her and turned her onto her back. He shouldn’t have done it. He should have just slammed the stake into her back.
Kimberly’s kick into his side hit him by surprise. “Leave her alone!”
Haven tossed her a pissed off look and grabbed her ankle in the same instance, making her lose her balance and tumble against the car behind her, jolting Yvette, whose hand was still around Kimberly’s wrist.
“What part of ‘shut up’ did you not get?”
In response to his unspoken threat, her eyes turned into that of a frightened doe. “Ouch!”
Wel
l, at least the girl could act. But damn, if he didn’t hate frightening innocents. If his mother were alive, she’d beat the crap out of him for that.
Haven focused his attention back on the unconscious Yvette. What he saw in her face were the flawless features of the woman who’d seduced him so thoroughly in the ballroom hours earlier; the red lips of the woman, who’d challenged him; the glorious curves and luscious breasts of the woman, who had so blatantly offered a night of sex.
His hand shook for the first time when holding a stake. He’d never had any qualms about killing a vampire, so why could he not bring his hand to descend and drive the stake into her heart?
Instead, he rose and looked at Kimberly, who’d braced herself against the car’s trunk, frightened and crying. Haven looked around. They were still alone in the alley, and the driver’s door of the limousine was open as if the driver had abandoned the car in the middle of the fight. Just as well.
“Let’s go. You’re coming with me!” he ordered.
He grabbed the girl’s arm and tried to pull her toward the front of the car, but there was resistance. “I said, we’re going.”
“I can’t,” Kimberly wailed.
Haven looked back and noticed how Kimberly tried to loosen Yvette’s hand from her wrist but couldn’t pry her fingers apart. He stopped and took Yvette’s hand, but his attempt was as fruitless as Kimberly’s. Like a vice, Yvette’s fingers had locked around Kimberly’s wrists and had frozen in place.
“Shit!”
“What’s happening?” Kimberly cried. “Help! Somebody help me!” Frantically, she looked around the alley, but there were no other passersby. It wouldn’t stay that way, Haven was sure. He had to get the hell out of there quickly.
“Get in the car, now! And not another word!”
He hated what he had to do now. If he could have left Yvette right where she was, at least he could have put a lid on that chapter of his life, but circumstances were what they were. He had two choices, neither of which looked the least bit appealing; one of them he’d already tried and failed: for whatever reason, he couldn’t stake her. Which only left one other option.
