Summer Shifter Days

by V. Vaughn

  7

  “Give me your phone,” says Sebastian as he stalks toward me.

  I open my mouth to protest, but I think better of it and stop myself before words come out. I’m in way over my head here, and maybe it’s not a bad thing if I get fired after all. While I wanted this to be an adventure, I didn’t realize it would come with the price of my identity. I squint at him as I struggle not to slap the phone in his hand.

  Sebastian says, “You can email your mother to stay in touch, but be warned I will be reviewing all correspondence.” Sebastian walks over to his desk, and his chair creaks as he sits down. I guess this means I’m not fired, yet.

  My phone clatters on the desk when he sets it down, and he leans back in his seat to temple his fingers and place them against his mouth. He stares at me long enough that I begin to fidget. He says, “Sexual attraction is a difficult thing to resist, Margaret.”

  What the hell? I glare at him because I’m not sure if I should be mad that he thinks I can’t control myself or happy that he understands why I kissed Alexander. “My brother is a very attractive man.” Sebastian sits up. “But you should know something about him before you get carried away. He’s also very dangerous.”

  Oh, this guy is a piece of work. I say, “If your brother is a player, then I agree things could get awkward if we were to have a relationship that was merely a one-night stand. Still, that’s a huge assumption based on what you saw. It was just a kiss.”

  Sebastian gets up and walks over to me as he says, “I doubt it.” His voice gets lower, and my heart finds it sexy even though my mind is angry. “You’re a young woman with a strong sex drive. It’s natural for you to want to be with Alexander in a physical way.” Sebastian reaches out and lifts up a lock of my hair. My skin prickles with desire as moisture pools between my legs. It’s so wrong that I’m attracted to the brother of the guy I was just with. Stop it, heart. I stare up at him, and he moves even closer before he lets the strand slip through his fingers and says, “It’s time you knew.”

  “Knew what?” My voice comes out softer than I intended, and I hate that it shakes a little from the way he makes me tremble with wanting.

  “First, I need you to understand the nondisclosure you signed is more than enforceable by law.” He steps away from me abruptly and says, “The fact is, if you reveal what you know about this house and Alexander and me to anyone, I will kill you.”

  I inhale sharply. Who is this guy? I ask my heart. But she doesn’t answer with anything but love for the man. I say, “I wouldn’t.”

  “Hmm.” Sebastian walks over to his desk and lifts up my phone. I watch as he swipes his finger across the screen and taps on it, and I wonder how he knows my password. I’m surprised when he smiles, and it hits me he must be reading my texts and likes the one where I said he and Alexander are smoking hot.

  Anger surges in me as the heat of my embarrassment flushes my face. “That’s an invasion of privacy, you know. And how do you have my password?”

  He ignores my questions. “I’ll allow you to email Kristi too.” He smiles at me. “But no pictures.”

  He threatens to kill me, treats me like I’m his daughter who got in trouble, and pretends this is funny? My temper flares. “Allow me? Allow me!” I stomp over to his desk. “News flash. I’m not your possession. I will work damn hard at my job, and I appreciate all the perks that come with it. I screwed up, and if you need to punish me, then dock my pay. But I do not belong to you, and you don’t get to allow me basic human rights.”

  Sebastian hisses at me, and I stare in shock at his transformation. His eyes blaze in an unnatural way, and when he opens his mouth, I gasp. He reveals two long, sharp fangs, and my adrenaline finally kicks in to snap me out of my trance. “Oh!” I squeak before I turn and run away. But I only get two steps before Sebastian magically appears before me. He grabs my arms to stop me, and I struggle to get free.

  His grip is tight enough that I might have bruises, and he says, “Margaret! Relax. Nobody is going to hurt you.”

  I stop fighting, because I’m no match for him. A small whimper escapes my lips as I gaze up at him and realize how stupid I’ve been. I discover he’s human again. The clues rush through my mind. The dark house. Pale skin. Sebastian’s super speed, and the way Alexander just leapt over the fence. I whisper, “You’re vampires.” My stomach lurches as if I’m going to be sick.

  “Yes.”

  My legs turn to rubber, and my knees give out, before Sebastian catches me and scoops me up in his arms. I lean against his chest, and my heart nearly bursts with warmth. This man would never hurt us. The intensity of my emotion makes tears prick at my eyes. He carries me over to the couch, and when he sets me down, I don’t want him to let go. I reach out for him, and his hand is cool in mine as I grab on and say, “Don’t leave me.”

  My words surprise me, and when Sebastian sits on the edge of the sofa next to me, I blink and wonder if I’m in shock as I say, “I’m not sure why I just said that.” He gazes at me with sadness in his eyes. I feel his pain, and hot tears roll down my face, because it was my heart talking, and I imagine what it would be like to leave the man you love behind. I think Sebastian picked me for this job because he was in love with the girl who belongs to the heart I have too, and he wants her back. When Sebastian places his hand on my cheek, I lean into it and ask, “What was her name?”

  He jerks back. I’ve startled him, and I think it’s time for me to reveal my truth too. I say, “When I received my heart, I got more than just a vital organ.” I place my hand on my chest. “I feel her, Sebastian. She makes me experience emotions she would. I think a piece of her soul came with the heart.” Sebastian frowns in what I think is pain. “She loved you deeply, Sebastian.”

  His eyes glisten with moisture now, but his weakness disappears in an instant, and his face gets hard as he says, “I see.”

  He’s mad? Oh no! Does he think my donor wants his brother now? I grab his hand. “I kissed Alexander. She didn’t.” I sit up, and cotton is soft in my hand as I clutch at his shirt. “It’s like I’m two people. My heart wants you, but the rest of me is attracted to Alexander.”

  I release him, and he gets up to sit on the couch across from me. He holds his head in his hands, and my heart aches. She wants me to go to him, but I don’t think it’s a wise idea. Kissing one Hart brother did enough damage. Even though I’m not happy with the way Sebastian tries to control me, it hurts me that he’s in pain. I try to lighten the mood and say, “You know I think you’re hot, but I have a thing for guys who look like shirtless cover models.”

  Sebastian glances up at me with a small smile. “Whatever am I going to do with you, Margaret?”

  Love me. I need to stop listening to my heart, because something Sebastian said earlier comes rushing to the forefront of my mind. I ask, “What did you mean when you said Alexander is dangerous?”

  “Earlier today, he wanted to feed on you, which is why we went out.”

  The metallic flavor. I don’t succeed in hiding my grimace as I realize I tasted blood when I kissed Alexander. Sebastian says, “We both have excellent control, but I believe my brother is quite taken with you. There’s a fine line between hunger and sexual attraction, and it makes him more dangerous.”

  “So if—” I shake my head. “This is hypothetical, but if Alexander and I got involved, he might bite me by accident?”

  Sebastian says, “Yes.”

  Great. I’ve fallen for a man who wants to suck my blood as much as he wants to screw me. Wait a minute. I’ve fallen for a vampire, and I think I’ve got bigger problems than the possibility of sleeping with a man who might lose control. Then I recall Bertha telling me I shouldn’t have come, and it makes ice run through my veins. Am I in danger?

  No. My heart fills me with the knowledge I’m safe, and I think about the story Sebastian gave me as part of my interview process. The two men were searching for their soul mates, and maybe there was truth in the story. My heartbeat gets loud i
n my ears, because I know the answer. My donor was Sebastian’s true love, and there is a possibility I’m Alexander’s. Oh god. I gaze over at Sebastian. “I think I need a drink.”

  He gets up, and ice cubes clink in a glass before liquid splashes over them. He hands it to me. “This is whiskey. Sip slowly.”

  I nod and taste the amber liquid. It burns my tongue before I swallow, and I let it sear its way down my throat. A wave of heat washes over me. Some adventure. I came here thinking I was going to work for an eccentric man, but I’ve stepped into so much more. My instinct is to pack my bag and get the hell out of Dodge, but the moment I think the thought, I know I can’t. My heart won’t let me. I was carefully selected to be part of the Hart brothers’ world. I’m now privy to a well-guarded secret, and my pride won’t let me back down from the challenges it will pose. If I get the chance.

  Sebastian has a drink too, and I wonder how that works when you’re not really alive. Can he get drunk? I ask, “Do you want me to leave?”

  “Do you want to go?”

  I shake my head, and his voice is soft as he says, “You belong here.” He sighs. “One way or the other.”

  8

  I don’t finish my drink because my head begins to swim before I’m done, and I leave Sebastian to go to my room. The floor is cool under my feet as I wander over to the windows and gaze out at the water. The tide is retreating, but occasionally, a wave makes it to the rocks to splash up. I can’t hear the rush of it as it gets sucked away, but I imagine the sensation is similar to what Sebastian might be feeling. He brought me here to be with him, and while my heart loves him, my soul wants his brother.

  I wonder what really happened the night my heart donor died. She had no next of kin, and all I have for information is she was twenty-four and in a car accident. Sadness washes over me, and I wish my heart could speak so I could know the story. I move away from the window and change into a tank top and sweat pants for sleeping. But I’m not tired, so I grab a lap blanket from the end of my bed and go to my sitting room to curl up on the couch. The soft yarn of the fine-knit blanket is soft on my arms as I gaze at the box of books and consider starting another one. My thoughts are interrupted when a soft knock raps on my door.

  “Come in,” I say.

  Alexander enters, and I begin to stand, when he rushes over to me and drops on his knees. He grabs my hands and says, “Maggie, I’m so sorry.” He releases me quickly as if he shouldn’t be holding on. “I just spoke with Sebastian.”

  His face has more color the way Sebastian’s does now, and I think it’s because they fed. I say, “It’s okay. Don’t be sorry for this.”

  He sits back on his feet with a frown. “You aren’t afraid of us.”

  I shake my head. “My heart won’t let me be. Did Sebastian tell you about that part?”

  He nods. “That’s why you’re here, but we never expected you to feel what El—” Alexander shakes his head. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. You’re here for my brother.”

  That may be so, but it’s not the only reason I’m staying. “Alexander.”

  “You don’t belong to me, Maggie.”

  “It’s not that simple. Yes, my heart is here for Sebastian.” I squeeze his cool fingers. “But I want you.”

  He rises up on his knees, and his gaze is intense as he presses his palms against the side of my legs. Considering what I learned tonight, I should stop him. Alexander is dangerous. He slides his hands up toward my hips as he leans in to kiss me. I can’t help myself, and I let him. It’s powerful, hungry, and I grasp onto his arms and spread my legs to wrap myself around him as if I’m drowning in it. I press my breasts against his chest, and the layers of cotton between us are thin as my nipples harden and beg to be stroked.

  Alexander breaks away, and I inhale deeply as he moves down to my neck. I throw my head back as the heat of my desire threatens to explode. He stops nipping at me and drags his finger so lightly down my scar it tickles, and I flinch. He stops and asks, “Does it hurt?”

  I shake my head. “Don’t stop touching me.”

  “Maggie, what are you asking?”

  I gaze into his green eyes, which have darkened with his need, and I take his hand. I place it on my breast. “Touch me.”

  He groans as he cups me and rubs his thumb over my taut peak. I gasp as an electric shock of pleasure races to my core. Alexander uses his other hand to tug me closer, and his erection is thick and hard against the juncture between my legs. I moan and gyrate against him. “I need you, Alexander. Please.”

  “Maggie.” He breaks away, and I watch his chest inflate and retract slowly as he takes a deep breath to blow out. I didn’t realize vampires breathe and wonder if it’s merely a reaction to his arousal. “This is too fast for you.”

  I’ve been with one guy, another heart transplant patient, and while it was sweet, it was the actions of two people who don’t know how long they have left to live. It was a physical connection that didn’t mean much more. The sensations Alexander’s touch give me make me feel virginal again. But I’ve never been more sure of my sexual power than now. “It’s not fast enough,” I say. “I’ve never felt this way.” I think about the vampire story I had to read and recite as part of my application for my job. “We’re soul mates, aren’t we?”

  “No.” Alexander stands up and turns from me to walk to the other side of the room, before he stops and moves to face me again. “Your heart belongs to Sebastian. She was his soul mate.”

  “But I’m not.” My heart gives me powerful emotions that are hard to ignore, but right now, her displeasure is drowned out by the physical energy of my desire. The strength of it makes me believe I’m meant for Alexander. I stand up and go to him. “Alexander, please.” I reach between his legs, and denim is rough against my palm as I grip his cock. “You’re the one I want.”

  He groans and steps back from me. “Your heart belongs to my brother, Maggie. That’s why you’re here.” His voice holds a note of anger as he says, “I could be with you right now, and it would be amazing.” I stiffen at his harshness, and then his tone softens. “But I won’t do that to Sebastian, and I won’t do it to you.” His eyes harden as his voice gets stern. “When I have all of you, we’ll make love.”

  When? I blink as I wonder how he plans to win my heart over. I’m not sure it can happen, and I reach out and place my hand on his chest. It’s firm under my touch, and I long to explore the dips and swells of his body as I let out a small whimper. “Alexander.”

  “God, Maggie.” He clutches at my hand with a grip that is tight enough to hurt. “I’m a weak man around you.” He surprises me when he scoops me up and carries me to my bedroom. His arms are powerful, and the muscles flex under my thighs with a strength that makes me realize how fragile I am. He tosses me on the bed, and my mattress bounces beneath me. Alexander steps back and clenches his fists as he gazes at me. His eyes flash with a red glow, and he says, “No.”

  I scramble up to my knees. “Alexander?”

  “You don’t belong to me. I can’t.”

  My temper flares. What is it with these guys and ownership over me? “I don’t belong to anyone.”

  Alexander’s eyes return to their usual vibrant green, and he chuckles dryly. “No. Right now I don’t suppose you do.”

  While I think my plans for sex are off the table, I don’t want him to go. I smile. “You called me Maggie. Thank you.”

  He smiles back, so I pat the bed next to me. “Don’t leave. I’ll be good.”

  He tilts his head as mischief plays in his eyes. “You think you can keep your hands off me?”

  I squeeze my arms into my sides and thrust my chest out like Kristi and I practiced for the boob-shirt selfies I’ve never had the chance to send. “If you can resist me, then I can resist you.”

  He glances down at my breasts and chuckles. I’m glad his anger is gone as fast as it came. “The couch is probably better right now.”

  “Fine.” I get up and saunter over to the s
ofa. I glance over my shoulder as if I’m a vixen. “Suit yourself.”

  When we sit, Alexander lifts his arm up on the back of the couch and says, “Come here.”

  He wraps his arm around me as I cuddle into his chest, and even though he’s not warm, it’s comforting. I gaze up at him as I wonder what tomorrow might bring. “What happens now?”

  “You become Kitty Kane.”

  I think about how I’ll be the physical version of the Hart brothers’ pen name. I’ll be playing a part and living a life I can’t imagine I’d be able to create on my own. From the number of books they wrote as Brock, it’s clear they’ve been doing this a while. I ask, “Will she be famous?”

  He nods. “Sebastian and I are good at this. We’ve already outlasted two successful pen names.” He grins at me. “People grow old and die. It’s a pity.”

  “Yes.” I lift Alexander’s hand to inspect it. He has long fingers that are thicker at the knuckles like men who perform physical labor, and from what I’ve heard about vampires, I think he’s stuck at the age of the body he had when he was turned. It makes me wonder who he was before he became a vampire. I thread my fingers through his and notice that while his are cool, the flesh is almost the vibrant shade of mine full of blood pumping through my veins. There is so much I want to know about Alexander, Sebastian, and what it’s like to be a vampire.

  I sigh.

  “Maggie? Are you okay?”

  I gaze up at him and ask, “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-five.”

  “No. I mean how long ago were you born?”

  “More than one hundred years ago. I stopped counting, because it’s too many candles to blow out.”