by Sotia Lazu
Chapter Eleven
MY STOMACH CHURNED again, and it had nothing to do with the lustful gazes the colorist doing my high- and low-lights threw Alex.
He looked at odds with the pink hues of the salon’s waiting room, but I bet what caught Mircella’s gaze wasn’t his drab attire, but his gorgeous grey eyes, wide mouth, and sculpted upper body. If he were standing, my bets would be on his ass. Bitable. Seriously.
What would Mircella think, if I told her I spent last night with him and a possibly even hotter male specimen?
No thinking of that. Constantine wanted out of my life; he’d stay out of my head too. Technically, he already was.
I covered my mouth and swallowed a very unladylike burp. Whatever magic kept vampire bodies going after death, conveniently disappeared all sorts of waste in the process. Being a human was messy. My armpits were sweaty—because who would remember to use body spray after not needing it for this long?—and I still tasted the pepperoni. It might be good my taste buds weren’t sensitive now, or I wouldn’t make through the day without hurling.
Ugh.
I was in serious need of antacids.
Alex caught my gaze in the mirror and smiled.
I returned it. He was so nice to wait for me, instead of spending his time at the electronics’ store.
Of course, I waited for him first.
And I shouldn’t go there.
A stylist approached us and introduced herself as Gretchen. “Do you have something specific in mind?” she asked.
“I was thinking of growing out my fangs—bangs, so maybe layer it a bit? I don’t know. Whatever you think will suit me.”
Her eyes glazed over with creative mania. “How about an asymmetrical long bob with sidebangs?”
Why not? It was just a hairstyle. Temporary. “Do it.”
By the time I was done, I was a new me. Not the girl who left San Luis Obispo to make a career in showbiz, and not the vampire who fucked two men last night.
Loose curls framed my face, one side down to my chin, the other reaching my collarbone. Gretchen did a good job of thinning my bangs and swiping them to the side, so they were half hidden. The overall color was a honey blonde, with pale-beige and light-chestnut streaks. And I loved it.
I thanked the ladies who performed this miracle, paid, and strutted over to Alex.
“Ya like?” I turned this way and that, for him to take in the amazeballs that was my new look.
He stood and pulled me flush against him. “You’re gorgeous.”
Mircella must have noticed the ass on the man, because she gave me a thumbs-up as I slid my hand in his back pocket.
I felt good, as we strolled out of there. Kind of proud of myself too, for only wondering once what Constantine would think of my makeover. He always liked redheads.
“Next up, nails.” If I never painted them red again, it’d be too soon.
Alex shook his head. “I’ve been around enough estrogen for a day. I’ll drive you where you need me to, and then make a couple calls. Maybe swing by my place and empty the fridge. You call me when you’re done, and I’ll pick you up.”
“Okay.” A quick search returned the info of three nail salons in the area, and the third one had an opening for an emergency mani-pedi.
Add waxing, and my second first day as a human would be pretty much the same as my first last one.
Lost you, huh?
After my nails, I caught a taxi to the mall. I got some groceries, also known as crackers and cheese, and then did some damage with my recently acquired credit card. If the thing had a limit, I didn’t find it.
Alex pulled up at the mall’s northern entrance, got out, and popped the trunk for me to stash my shopping.
I noticed our luggage wasn’t in the back seat. “You unloaded the car?”
“And put everything away. Had enough time to kill.” He hummed with pent up energy and seemed more upbeat than when I left him, as he got the passenger door.
“Everything okay?” I asked, as I sank into my seat and carefully laid my brand-sparkling-new Balenciaga bag on my lap—thank you, vampire council.
“More than okay. Perfect. Incredible.” He took me in and wolf-whistled. “And I get to take you home.”
It was hard to resist his good mood, and I had no reason to try. Things were pretty great. Years ago, I left my home town to make something of myself. Today, I could get started on that, and I didn’t have to worry about money. And this hunk of a man was taking me home.
He slammed my door shut and rounded the car to get behind the wheel. I closed my hand over his on the gear stick as he went into first gear. I loved that he drove stick. Gave me an illusion of control over the mechanic beast we rode in. I buckled up again, and we headed for his apartment.
Home.
And I’d never even seen the place.
“So your mysterious calls panned out?” I asked. “Or is this the face of a man with a clean fridge?”
He chuckled. “Both. The fridge wasn’t an issue after all.”
“And the calls?”
“Don’t you want to wait till we’re home and can properly celebrate?”
“Tell me. Now. Now now now.”
He caressed my little finger with his thumb and shifted to second gear. “I have my job back. Roebuck wants me in, first thing Friday morning.”
Day after tomorrow. “He couldn’t give us the weekend?” I pouted, but stopped when I remembered I was a thirty-year-old woman now.
Alex let go of the gear shift to give my thigh a gentle squeeze. “He doesn’t know this is our first week with a heartbeat. Last we spoke, I demanded he suspend me.”
It was Alex’s way of keeping his people out of harm’s way while he and I looked for Willoughby. After my neighbor Dotty, whom Willoughby kidnaped to shut me up, resurfaced and couldn’t give the cops anything about her mystery kidnapper, Alex asked for more time off, to get over his supposed failure.
“He has no hard feelings?” I asked.
Alex gave a small shrug. “He sounded happy to hear from me, and I can usually read him. He said it was about time I pulled my head out of my ass and got with the program.”
“Wise man.”
Alex snapped his jaws at me, and I laughed. Then something worrisome crossed my mind. “He didn’t demote you.” Being a detective wasn’t safe, but I’d take that over the hazards wearing a uniform entailed.
“Nah. Nothing’s changed. It’s like the past few months never happened.”
But they did.
I tried to keep my mouth shut and failed. “Try not to take any unnecessary risks?”
“You know they’re part of the job.” We stopped at a traffic light, and he turned to study my face. “Can you handle it?”
I’d known from the beginning that his life was on the line much of the time, but back then he didn’t mean this much to me. And then he died.
The air was jammed in my lungs at the memory of watching him bleed to death. The devastation of being unable to save him. The gutting sense of loss, until Constantine brought him back to me...
Alex’s death wasn’t what I should be thinking of, today of all days. Neither was Constantine. I dug deep for the mood boost that came with the makeover and new clothes—and shoes and cosmetics and a designer bag. “Let’s say, if I dump your cute ass, it won’t be ’cause of that,” I said and immediately regretted it. His ex-fiancée had left him because she couldn’t handle his job.
Alex seemed unfazed by my foot-in-mouth moment. Must be getting used to me. “Good to know, but there’s not much to worry about. There’s a series of muggings gone violent down town he wants me to look into.”
That didn’t sound too scary.
Alex swerved right, and soon we were leaving traffic behind. Odd. His apartment was in the city, and L.A.’s all about traffic. Odder still, we were heading for the suburbs, down a vaguely familiar road.
When he slowed down, I recognized the street. His mother’s house stood near the end of t
he block. “This is your mom’s place,” I said.
“Not anymore.” He flashed me a grin. “She moved in with Mr. O’Connor while I was in Europe.”
“So you get the house?” So many memories in that place. My first night with Alex. Fighting my maker. Falling for Alex.
Losing him.
“We get the house. I wanted to surprise you. Is that okay?”
I hadn’t lost him. He was right here, beside me.
“Hell yeah, that’s okay,” I said. “There are a couple rooms we haven’t fucked in.”
Alex left the car with its tail half-hanging out of the driveway, and dragged me to the front door. He fished the key out of his pocket and wedged it in the lock, then shoved the door open until it slammed on the wall behind it.
I let my Balenciaga drop to the floor when he gathered me to him with an arm around my waist. I pulled him down by his lapel, to seal his mouth with mine. While I sucked on his tongue and nibbled on his bottom lip, he undid my jeans and walked me backward to the nearest wall. He inched one hand down the seat of my pants, to cup my ass, and glided the other inside my shirt.
I unbuckled his belt, and was fumbling with his fly when he withdrew both hands with a curse.
“What?” I asked, before noticing the open door. “Oh. Well, close it and get back here.”
Alex shook his head while redoing his belt. “Not that. Condoms.”
Like a bucket of ice. “Shit. Don’t you have any?”
He shook his head again. “I’ll be right back.”
I kicked the door shut and climbed the stairs to the bathroom. The shower wasn’t as quick as I planned. Human-me liked water a lot warmer than vampire-me used to, and I had to keep my hair from getting wet, ’cause it no longer styled itself.
I made it back to the couch and sprawled on it—clean, naked, and grateful for the roll-on deodorant I found in the bathroom cabinet—as Alex reentered the house.
We’d already done it in this room, but oh well.
I motioned him over with my index finger, and he gave me a slow, lazy smile. “I wonder what that means.”
I spread my legs. “Come hither.”
“Well okay, then.” He ripped through the paper bag and box of condoms, and then tore open the condom wrapper with his teeth while he popped his fly one handed. “Let’s do this thing.”
I laughed. It was good to see him this carefree and silly. And when he pulled his shirt over his head, kicked off his shoes, and dropped his jeans, it was plain good to see him. His midnight-black hair was messy, his grey eyes hooded with desire. His broad shoulders, wide chest, and chiseled abs belonged to a Greek god. I wanted to lose myself in his muscular arms. Feel his wide palms and long fingers map my body. And the rest of him... His legs were long and thick and hard, as was what bobbed between them with every step he took toward me.
He fisted his cock. Two tugs, and he was hard enough to roll the condom down his shaft.
When he knelt with his head between my thighs, I dug my new golden acrylics in his hair and pulled him up my body. “I’m ready for my main course.” I needed to connect with him in these new, frail bodies we occupied, as much as I needed to exorcise the ghost hovering at the edge of my consciousness.
Not a ghost. A vampire. Tall and blond and sexy as hell, whose touch lit my body on fire.
I welcomed Alex inside me, pressed my face to his chest and squeezed my eyes against Constantine’s memory. Alex slammed his hips against me. I was still tender from last night, and the pain helped anchor me to the now. My new nails dug furrows that wouldn’t heal soon in Alex’s back. Skipping foreplay might not be the best idea when I lacked vampire healing, but as we rocked together, the ache faded and soon gave its place to pleasure.
Sex with him remained pretty fucking great. It lacked the intimacy of biting, and it was sweaty and sticky, but he had the moves and knew the right places to pinch and rub and stroke, for me to burst like a rocket. The part where my heart tried to leap out of my chest when I came scared the shit out of me, but hyperventilating added to the euphoria of being properly debauched by Alex.
I only fantasized of Constantine being with us for the briefest of moments.
Chapter Twelve
ALEX WAS ECSTATIC WITH my new look, and he was pretty vocal about it, which kept my good mood going after clothes were back on and talk shifted from I love fucking you to so what do we do with our future?
“You’re going back to work on Friday. I should find a job too.” I played with the thin line of hairs beneath his navel. I lay on the couch, half on top of him, sweat slicking our skin and melding us together.
“I thought you were Ms. Money now. Don’t you have a huge allowance for extravagant leather goods?”
I nodded against his chest. “It covers shoes too. But I don’t know if anyone keeps track of what comes out of the account. If I use the card for grocery shopping on a regular basis, it may raise flags.” Plus, I liked the idea of working again. Weird, I know. Before Constantine dropped the you-can-be-human-again bomb, I didn’t mind the rest of my life being a vacation.
“So what will it be?” Alex asked. “Back to modeling?”
“Thought I’d give it a try.”
“And the adult movies?”
I sensed the tension beneath his light tone and said, “Nah. I’m over that.”
To his credit, he didn’t say good or anything judgy. “Will you sign with Sheena again?”
I considered it. “She said she’d help me find a job but didn’t offer to take me on, and I don’t want her to feel like she has to. I’ll look for a new agent.”
He pulled me closer and kissed the tip of my nose. “Nobody too hot, though.” But he was smiling. This wasn’t the uncontrollable, irrational jealousy that tore us apart and nearly killed me.
“Define too hot.” I flicked my tongue over his lower lip. “Someone like you?”
He tangled his fingers in my hair and kissed me hard, but when I closed my fist around his cock, he gently moved my hand away. “Need some time before Round Two.”
“Worth the wait.” I pressed my lips to his neck, feeling his pulse vibrate beneath the skin.
I don’t know which of us drifted off first, but I woke up with a crick in my neck, a stiff lower back, and the pressing need to pee. I climbed over Alex and padded across the carpeted floor and up the stairs to the bathroom. The cold tiles were a shock to my system, but not as bad as the cold water I used, to freshen up once business was done.
“I think there’s something wrong with the water heater,” I called out on my way downstairs.
“I’ll look into it,” Alex called back. “Are you dressed?”
I laughed. “Why would I be?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve seen it all before,” said the woman by the front entrance.
Ruby.
She was dressed in black tights and a long black T-shirt, her auburn hair pulled into a tight low bun. I grew up thinking of her as my awesome aunt, but she was my kickass vampire grandma. And she’d better mean she’d seen my all, and not Alex’s too.
Alex stood next to her, biting back a smile. He had his jeans on and tossed his T-shirt my way. I snatched it out of the air and pulled it on. Covered to mid-thigh, I hopped the rest of the way down and gave my grandma a hug.
When I pulled away, she was smiling, but tears shone in her dark-brown eyes. “I’m so sorry for everything. I’d have killed Ádísa myself if I knew she’d come after you.” Her voice held the faintest hint of an Irish brogue. How did I never notice before? Or was I imagining it now that I knew she was Irish?
“It’s okay—umm... What do I call you?”
“I’ve lost the chance to be your grandma, but you can call me that, if you want. Ruby is fine too.”
I studied her. No lines around the eyes. No white hairs. “Ruby for now. It’d be weird calling you Gran, when you look younger than me.”
She shook her head. “I watched my husband fade away. I had to uproot my daughter
and bring her to a different continent, where she too will grow old and eventually pass on. I’m frozen in time. But you’re not. You can be anything you want to be. Have it all.” She tilted her head toward Alex and winked at me.
I could also wither and die.
I didn’t share the bitter thought.
Alex offered Ruby a drink, which she declined, and we stood there exchanging looks for what seemed like an eternity, before she spoke again.
“Constantine called me. He had me expunge your VSS file.” Vampire Social Services—VSS for short—kept records that included details of every registered vampire’s turning as well as notes on their whereabouts.
“You can do that?” I asked.
Her grin was smug. “I can.”
“And nobody will realize?” Alex asked.
“Unless someone requests a hearing, the council holds no meetings in its entirety, for safety reasons,” Ruby said. “As long as Gerri avoids seeing them up close, she’ll be fine.”
Other than getting used to my old name again, it sounded too easy. Not like I’d ever run into any of them by accident. Their hunting grounds were too exclusive for little-old human-me.
“Have you kept your ID?” she asked.
“I have, but can I show it around?”
The smug grin made a reappearance. “You no longer come up as a missing person on electronic records. I didn’t manage to follow the paper trail, which means nobody can, and the detective in charge of your case no longer remembers anything about you. So unless you run into a former associate or someone who kept a six-year-old milk carton...”
Alex gathered her in a bear hug before I could. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
I felt like he was trespassing on my sentiment. Stupid, I know, but this was about me. I was supposed to be thanking Ruby and squeezing the unlife out of her.
So why were my lips numb when I echoed Alex’s gratitude?
Ruby stayed a while longer, to talk with Alex about our future plans and then tell me about places in Europe I absolutely had to visit. Her descriptions of places she traveled to and people she met were so vivid and full of life, I wondered if she realized how much she loved being a vampire.
