Bite Me, Baby

by Alice Brown, Lady V, Samantha Potter, Rayne O'Gara, Lei Carol, Hazel Gower

  Then there were some baby toys that were going to little Mike, Tom and Sara’s little boy, who lived down the street from Joy. Tom had been laid off work two months ago and he hadn’t been able to find a new job since. Sara had been a stay-at-home mom until Tom lost his job. Now, Tom stayed home watching the baby and looking for work while Sara was out cleaning houses, trying to make ends meet.

  She thought of all the families that her trunk load of treasures were going to help and smiled. She loved Christmas time, though not for the getting. Because she had no family to speak of, she very rarely ever received any gifts herself. No, she loved Christmas because it was a time of giving. For three years now, she had begged from the rich and saved every extra penny she could from working at the thrift shop in order to buy items for children in the community that would otherwise go without a Christmas.

  Nobody knew that it was her. They just knew that somehow, someway, presents arrived on Christmas morning for the children of families that were in need. She also hit up the food pantries in the next two towns over, which always seemed to have more on their shelves than their own tiny establishment. She would stockpile canned goods and anything else she could get her hands on, and then she would distribute the food as well.

  “So, is all of this for your children, ma’am?” Garrett’s voice broke her out of her thoughts.

  “Who me? Umm, no… I mean, no, I don’t have any children.”

  He glanced dubiously into the trunk of her little car that was filled with all sorts of children toys and apparel, and then asked, “Really? So, none of this is for you?”

  She shook her head, and before she could stop herself, her words came tumbling out.

  “No, I do this every year. I collect stuff for children and then distribute it to the needy on Christmas Eve.”

  Had Garrett just heard this little wisp of a woman correctly? Had fate actually handed him a woman with a heart of gold? One who wasn’t greedy and truly thought about others before she thought about herself? He shook his head, still hardly able to believe what she had just said.

  “That is quite magnanimous of you Miss...”

  “My name is Bree, Mr. Garrett. And there is nothing magnanimous about it. I simply can’t stand to see children suffer, especially during the holidays. Since I’m not married and don’t have children,” she stopped, suddenly wishing she had a filter on her mouth, because she had just told a complete stranger that she was all alone. Geez, Bree, smart. She gulped and held her head up high. In for a penny, in for a pound, she thought. “I try to help as many other people that are in need as I can.”

  Garrett looked down at the five foot two nothing of a woman, and for the first time in years, actually felt respect for a human. Her big blue eyes held no hint of lies or betrayal, nor did her scent. And her scent was driving him crazy. “Well, Ms. Bree, my full name is Garrett Mason. Would you consider walking across the street to the coffee shop with me? I’ll buy you a cup of coffee. I would love to hear more about your endeavors.”

  Bree glanced over to the coffee shop and then back to her car. She could see her car from the shop, so it should be safe, and the man hadn’t tried to harm her in anyway, yet, so why not? If he were going to attack her, he would have already done so. Besides, now that her precious cargo was all locked in the trunk of her car safe and sound and she had a moment to catch her breath, she realized that Mr. Garrett Mason was not a bad looking man at all.

  He looked to be in his early thirties, had long, dark hair that was tied back with a piece of rope. The way he had picked up the second bag with one hand told her he was very strong. He had a pullover sweater on, so it was a little hard to see what was under his clothing, but from what little she could tell, it was broad.

  “So, what do you say? Will you join me for a cup of coffee?” It wasn’t like she had anything else to do, or anyone else to go home to.

  Before she knew it, her body had taken over, again, and she nodded in agreement. Before she knew it, they were walking across the parking lot to the little coffee shop.

  The little bell on the door chimed as they walked inside. Ahh, warmth. Her boss refused to pay for heat, so she was always freezing in the winter. She waved to Mrs. Jenkins as she made her way over to an empty booth by the front window. Mrs. Jenkins and her husband owned the little coffee shop and she was fairly certain they knew at least a little about her secret, because she often arrived at work to find a basket of homemade goodies. When she questioned them about it, they told her it was day-old baking anyways and that it couldn’t be sold. Either she could have it, or it was going into the garbage. She told them she would take whatever they were throwing out.

  Mrs. Jenkins walked over to their booth. “Hi, Bree, how is Joy doing? Have you heard from her?”

  “Yes, I spoke with her last night. If I can get her to stop worrying about how she is going to pay the bills, she might be able to rest. Her mother is coming for an extended visit, so it should help her out with the other two children.”

  Mrs. Jenkins clucked her tongue. “That poor, poor girl. I’m going to fix up a basket for her. Would you mind dropping it off at her house on your way home, dear?”

  Bree smiled at the kind elderly lady. If she knew Mrs. Jenkins as much as she thought she did, she would guess the basket would contain enough food to feed Joy’s family for several days.

  “I’d be happy to, Mrs. Jenkins.” She then turned to Garrett. “Mrs. Jenkins, this is a friend of mine, Garrett Mason. Garrett, this is Mrs. Jenkins, the owner of this wonderful little coffee shop.”

  Mrs. Jenkins blushed crimson red when Garrett stood and gave a slight bow, then reached down to pluck her hand in his, bringing it up to his lips, and lightly brushing his lips over her weathered skin.

  “It is so nice to meet a friend of Bree’s,” he stated in a voice that was smooth as whiskey.

  The elderly lady seemed to be in shock for a moment, clearly not accustomed to receiving that type of attention from her patrons. Once Garrett had sat back down, she glanced over to Bree. “The usual?”

  “Yes, please. Extra whipped cream if you can.” Bree looked over to Garrett. “Mrs. Jenkins makes the best hot cocoa around.”

  Garrett felt his lips tug upward into a smile again. He wanted to reach up and rub his jaw, but held himself in check. “Make it two then.”

  After the elderly woman walked away, he crossed his arms over the tabletop and leaned forward just a bit. He could see her pulse and he wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into it and savor her blood. Something told him he wouldn’t have to turn his taste buds off when he drank her blood. He could practically smell it from across the table. It sang to him like the sweetest melody.

  Her hand rested on the tabletop and he reached over and placed his over it, using his thumb to lightly caress her soft skin. “Now, tell me about this Santa endeavor of yours. It sounds fascinating.” Hell, anything coming out of her pretty little mouth would probably sound fascinating. And those blue eyes of hers. He could get lost staring into their depths.

  “Well, I started working at the thrift store three years ago and soon discovered just what kind of shape our little community was in. While there are plenty of people around that have money to burn, there are just as many, if not more, that don’t even know how they are going to feed their families. And the children… The children are the ones that tug at my heart the most. It’s not their fault, and most of the time, they don’t even fully understand what is going on.”

  She stopped for a second to gather her thoughts. “I did some digging around, checking to see if there truly was help for these people, and while there are places around, like the food bank, they are stretched too thin to help everyone. Did you know the food bank turns down an average of fifteen to twenty people a week, because they run out of food and supplies? And then you have places like the thrift shop that I work at,” she said as her voice faded slightly, her lips turned down into a grimace as if she had just tasted a sour lemon. “The prices a
re still too high for a lot of folks. And Mr. Crickett, my boss and owner of the thrift shop, refuses to lower his prices even the slightest bit. While he sits in his well-to-do house in a nice neighborhood with plenty of food on his table, there are customers who come into the store daily looking for used clothing for their children and walk back out empty handed because they can’t afford his prices.”

  “Wait a minute!” Garrett stopped her. “Don’t you get a lot of your merchandise through donations?”

  She nodded her head. “Yes, and that is what is so sad. He makes a killing off selling things that people don’t want anymore when the ones that truly need it can’t afford it.”

  Just then, Mrs. Jenkins walked up with two large, piping hot cups of hot cocoa. “Here you go. Two hot cocoas with extra whip cream for the lady.” She winked at Bree as she turned on her heel and walked away.

  Garrett watched Bree take her first sip. The exquisite pleasure that skated across her face was breathtaking. He wanted to put that look on her face. He looked down at his own mug, not sure what to do. While it was possible for vampires to eat and drink a small amount of human food, he had not done so in a really, really long time. He picked up the mug and breathed in the scent. It smelt like dark, rich chocolate with just a hint of cinnamon. He took a cautious, tiny sip. Much to his surprise, his taste buds stood up and sang halleluiah!

  He sat his cup down, worried that if he drank too much, his stomach would revolt. And a vampire with an upset stomach was not a pretty sight.

  “So, go on,” he urged her.

  “Well, I thought about it and decided that I had two choices. I could either turn a blind eye to what is going on in my community, or I could roll up my sleeves and see what I can do to help.”

  “Okay, so you gather items for needy families. I got that. But exactly how do you go about getting them delivered without them knowing it’s you?”

  He watched as she bit her lower lip. “I’d rather not give away all my secrets, Mr. Mason.”

  “Garrett, and come on. I find myself rather intrigued with this whole set-up. Tell me how you deliver the gifts and I’ll promise you a large donation to help with your endeavors.”

  He watched as indecision warred within her for a moment or two. “What was it you said you did for a living again?” she finally asked.

  He knew full well he hadn’t told her in the first place, but he let that one slide.

  “I’m an investor.” That was a good way of summing things up. No need to go into detail about how he had his hands in so many different money pots, he’d never go broke.

  Slowly, she pulled something out of her purse that had a velour cloth tied around it. He waited until she had sat it down on the table and untied the string. Then, spreading the cloth, she waited for him to see exactly what she was revealing.

  He looked over at the very nice set of lock picks and let out a low whistle. “You pick their locks?”

  The panicked look in her eyes and the fear that he could suddenly smell coming from her had him quick to reassure her. Picking up her hand again, he gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay. Your secret is safe with me, sweetheart.”

  Bree stared at the man before her who was currently holding her hand. He had just called her sweetheart. Admittedly, the endearment probably meant nothing to him, but for a girl who hadn’t been on a date in more than a year, she found herself latching onto it. Even if he didn’t mean it, she was going to pretend for just a few minutes that he did. Then later, when she was at home alone, she would have memories to savor.

  Chapter Two

  Garrett fought the almost uncontrollable urge to pluck her out of her seat and wrap his arms around her. His stomach actually turned over when he got a whiff of her fear. But as much as he wanted to whisk her away, it was way too soon. She was human, and if he moved too fast, he stood a chance at losing her. And with the knowledge that a vampire only gets one mate, he couldn’t afford to screw this up.

  Keeping ahold of her hand and lightly rubbing the pad of his thumb across her pulse, he pitched his voice low and velvety, “I find you an absolute delight, Bree. So different than most other people I run into. Please, tell me more.”

  She glanced out the window into the dark and then down at her watch. “I would love to, I really am enjoying talking with you, but it is getting late. I really must be going.”

  “Would I be too forward in asking if I could accompany you to your home? I could help unload your trunk for you, and then I’ll catch a cab back over this way.”

  He could have easily manipulated her thoughts to make her say yes, but it was important to him for her to do this on her own free will. After a moment of biting her lower lip, she sighed, “I usually don’t do this, I mean, I don’t know you from Adam. But you have been nothing but a gentleman and I really don’t like the idea of making numerous trips out to my car as late as it is.”

  “Then it’s a deal. And I promise to be an absolute gentleman,” he stated with an award winning smile. “Let me go settle the bill, and then we will be on our way. Are you still planning to stop by your friend’s house?”

  “Oh, Joy, yes, I will need to stop in there for a quick moment. I won’t be long though.”

  He slid out of the booth and held out his hand to help her out. Once she was in front of him and on her way to the front counter, he quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a hundred dollar bill, throwing it on the table behind him.

  When they reached the front counter, he paid the elderly lady who in turn handed Bree a large basket. “There’s a big container of vegetable beef soup in there along with some goodies for the kids,” she explained.

  “Here, I can carry that for you,” Garrett offered Bree after realizing the basket was indeed heavy. He was happy to see that she handed it over to him with no argument. After saying goodbye to Mrs. Jenkins, they walked out the door and across the street to her car. The air was getting colder, a sting now with the wind.

  Bree looked up toward the sky. “I think we may get some snow tonight.”

  With the sting the wind held and the moisture he could sense, he didn’t doubt that one bit.

  “I think you may be very right.”

  They arrived at her little car and he placed the basket carefully in the backseat, then opened her door for her, and waited for her to be seated before shutting it. He guessed she wasn’t used to such things, since she sat there with her mouth hanging open for a moment. He walked around and got in the passenger seat just as she was cranking up the engine.

  Garrett already had a list in his head of things he planned to do for her, but when it took two times for the car to start. Buying her a new car just got put on top. The rusted bolt she was driving wasn’t going to make it much further.

  Her friend’s house wasn’t far from where she worked. When she pulled into a parking spot in front of the little duplex and shut off the engine, he quickly climbed out in order to carry the heavy basket in for her.

  A neighbor answered the door, but knew Bree, so they were invited into the house. Two children were sitting quietly on the floor watching a small television. When they spotted Bree, both children jumped up and ran over to her, each claiming a leg to wrap their little bodies around.

  Bree hugged each of the children and then introduced them to Garrett. Garrett found himself getting down on his knees so he was more at their level. When he shook their little hands and said hello, he couldn’t help but notice both children’s hands were ice cold.

  “Okay, you two. Go get back under the blankets, so you don’t catch a cold,” the neighbor who was watching them instructed. After watching to make sure the children had obeyed, she turned with a frown on her face.

  “Heat is out again. I called Mr. Jackson three times today and he assured me he would get someone right out, but as you can see, we will be going without heat tonight.”

  “Mr. Phillip Jackson?” Garrett confirmed. If it was who he thought it was, these ladies and children would have heat
within the hour. He would make sure of it.

  “Yes, the asshole.”

  Garrett turned to look at Bree. “Stay and visit for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

  He stepped outside and pulled out his cell phone. Phillip answered on the first ring.

  “Garrett, old friend, how goes it?”

  “Not well. Do you mind telling me why you are leaving women and children in a home you own with no heat on a night like tonight?”

  “Well, you know how it is, Garrett. I tried getting a repairman out there earlier, but…”

  “Don’t give me your excuses, Phillip. If you want to continue doing business with me, you will have these women and children with heat within the next hour, do you understand me?”

  “Garrett, you can’t just pick up the phone and make demands like that! Why, one of the women is behind on her rent to begin with. I can’t just keep pouring money into a place when I’m not receiving rent, now can I?”

  “Is it the pregnant one that is behind? You know what, never mind. Just tell me how much she owes you and how much it would take to pay the pregnant woman’s rent for the next six months.”

  “Garrett, there is no sense in you doing that. I’ll get the money out of them.”

  Garrett pitched his voice low and dangerous, “You will give me the amount now, Phillip. And I recommend after this call, you start getting on the phone and calling repairmen immediately. I want someone out here fixing this situation within the hour!”

  “Okay, okay… I’ll have my secretary write up a bill and fax it over to you tomorrow. Will that work for you?” Phillip asked exasperated.

  “Yes, it will work just fine, as long as I hear these women have heat very soon.” He hung up the phone before Phillip could respond.

  He walked back in and looked at the woman handling things. “You should be hearing from a repairman within an hour. If you don’t, please call Bree immediately. You’ll have heat tonight, one way or another.”