by Nina Bangs
“What’s your game?” Eric sounded cold, unmoved, and dangerous. The apparition evidently didn’t trigger any warm fuzzy memories of Granny for him.
Donna was in awe of his ability to articulate a logical question. She could only manage a startled squeak. Not from fear. Eric scared her a lot more than this grandmotherly ghost, if indeed it was a ghost and not another of the castle’s special effects. But if it really was a ghost, the possibilities for her show boggled her mind.
Grandma Ghost chuckled and shook her finger at him. “Just like a vampire. Always cynical and distrustful. How sad. Although all that negative energy is quite invigorating. Don’t you agree, Donna?”
“Sure. Invigorating.” Vampire? Maybe Grandma had lived too long in the castle and had bought into the fantasies. “So tell us who you are . . . were. And what’s with the note?” Was she actually talking to a ghost? She’d never had any paranormal experiences before, but her callers kept her mind open to what might be out there.
“Forgive me my little trick, but I just had to get you two together in an intimate setting. And what could be more intimate than both of you sitting on Donna’s bed? So cozy, so . . . tempting.” She floated over to the night table and glanced at the clock. “Oh, dear. I’ll have to make sure I’m finished before dawn. I know how sensitive your skin is to the sun, Eric. Have you tried a good sunscreen?”
“Talk. Now.” The fewer words Eric said, the more dangerous he sounded.
Grandma didn’t seem intimidated. “You’re such lucky duckies. Did you know the Castle of Dark Dreams was built on the very same spot where the most famous bordello in Texas once stood?” She didn’t give them a chance to answer. “No, of course you didn’t. But it’s very fortunate for you, because it allows me to come into your lives. I’m Lola L’amour, madam of the Cock Crows at Dawn. On this very spot thousands of horny men found sexual fulfillment.” She paused as though waiting for applause.
“That is so cool.” Donna meant it. It was one thing to listen to callers talk about ghost sightings, but to meet one herself was beyond amazing. And Lola talked. A lot. Callers always reported that spirits never had much to say. “Tell me about your bordello. You don’t look like a madam. What was it like—”
Donna stopped in midsentence. She felt Eric’s stare burning into her. Felt it. How strange was that? And he didn’t feel happy.
He rose from the bed in one lithe motion and stalked around Lola. “Get to the point.”
Even Lola seemed a little flustered. Donna understood. Eric did scary well.
“Back off, vampire.” Lola delivered her demand with a sweet smile, but she’d sort of tarnished her grandma image. “Now, I’m sure you’d expect an old madam to be skinny, wrinkled, with bright red dyed hair, and a cigarette hanging from her mouth. But I’m so much more than a tawdry cliché.”
Eric was giving off waves of male impatience. “Just tell us why you’re here.”
“You are such a bloodsucker.” When flustered, Lola didn’t sound as old as she looked. “I’m here because I’m still on the job trying to bring sexual bliss to worthy couples.” She cast Eric a pointed stare that indicated her doubt about his worthiness. “For some the path to sexual ecstasy is longer and more difficult.”
Donna had a sneaking suspicion Eric’s path to sexual fulfillment was very short and well traveled. He probably had ruts worn in his path. “I hate to break this to you, Lola, but Eric and I aren’t even friends. So maybe you need to move on to someone else in the castle.” And maybe her imagination needed to forget about scenarios that involved her stalling in the middle of Eric’s sexual ecstasy path. He’d probably just call a tow truck.
“No.” Eric seemed pretty definite about that. “I won’t have her harassing my guests.”
Lola blinked her faded blue eyes, but Donna sensed something sly behind her expression of gentle hurt. “I certainly won’t bother your guests”—she smiled gently—“if you allow me to drop by now and then to pass on the wealth of sexual knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years.”
This was so bizarre. They were being conned by the ghost of a long-dead madam who looked like everyone’s favorite grandmother. Added to that, Donna still didn’t understand Eric’s reluctance to capitalize on the free publicity he’d get from any hint of paranormal activity in the castle. It didn’t make sense. And what didn’t make sense needed to be investigated . . . as soon as she got over the shock of maybe talking to a real ghost.
“Drop by all you want, as long as you stay out of guests’ rooms.” Eric’s tone said he hated caving to blackmail.
“Whoa. Stop right there. Let’s do some tinkering with the wording here.” Donna was great at negotiating. “I don’t need a ten-step program to incredible sex. But I wouldn’t mind some insights into the spirit world.”
Lola shook her head, making her short gray curls bounce. “I’m sorry, dearie, but your sex life sucks.” She smiled. “I like to use contemporary slang now and then when it’s really descriptive.”
“Let’s get on with it, Lola. Say what you want to say, and then leave.” Eric didn’t seem awed to be talking with a ghost. He just sounded mad.
Well, Donna was awed. And she intended to squeeze every last drop of ghostly information she could out of Lola. “Didn’t your grandmotherly image hurt business? I mean, wouldn’t customers feel sort of guilty talking about sex to someone who looked like their granny?”
Lola’s light tinkle of laughter sounded strangely young. “I looked as good as my girls when I first opened for business, although age has its uses, too.” She glanced toward the window. “Oh dear, it’s really getting light outside. Enough chatter for now. But just so you don’t miss me, I’m leaving a little gift on your night table and giving both of you a homework assignment.”
Donna glanced at the table beside her. She blinked. “A white cat cookie jar?”
“The white cat brought back memories. Some of them quite exciting.” Her expression turned expectant. “Look inside, dearie.”
Donna lifted the lid, peeked inside, and then slammed the lid firmly down again. “I was hoping for chocolate chip cookies.”
“Oh, but condoms can lead to much more fun than a cookie.” Lola shrugged. “Of course, I’ll admit I’ve met a few men who made a chocolate chip cookie look like the perfect date.” She pointed at the cookie jar. “I was going to fill it with glow-in-the-dark and flavored condoms, but I thought we’d work up to that gradually. We’ll start out with plain and ordinary.”
“Uh, well, thanks.” Donna now had a lifetime supply of condoms. At the rate her love life was going, when she died she’d still have half a jar left. She’d leave the half-filled cookie jar to Trish in her will. It would last Trish maybe two weeks.
Lola rubbed her hands together. “Now for your homework assignment. As soon as I leave, I want you to imagine each other naked.” And then she was gone.
The silence and darkness closed around Donna. “Did that just happen?”
“Yeah, it did.” Eric reached over and switched on the light. “And no, it wasn’t any high-tech effect dreamed up for the castle.” In the lamp’s pale glow he towered above her, his eyes hooded, his expression guarded. “You’re not going to mention this on your show, are you?”
Donna thought about lying. She wanted to lie. She didn’t want to be sitting in the path of his gale-force anger when she told him the truth. But this was all about her listeners’ rights to know. “I’m going to tell them every little detail.” She thought about that. “Well, maybe not the homework and cookie jar part.”
His fury was a living, breathing presence in the room. “What else are you going to tell them?” The savagery in his voice was out of all proportion to the situation.
Eric saw the exact moment anger flared in her eyes.
“Whatever I damned well please. If I see a real ghost, hey, the world will know. That’s my job. The owner, who’s your boss, wants me here. And as far as I know, no one said I couldn’t report on ghosts, vampi
res, werewolves, or the tooth fairy if that’s what I wanted to do.” The anger faded from her eyes, replaced with curiosity. “Lola acted like she thought you were a real vampire. I wonder why?”
Control it. If he didn’t get a handle on his temper soon, Donna would see proof that ghosts weren’t the only things that went bump in the night. Strong emotion could trigger the change, and he was starting to get the feeling it wouldn’t send her screaming into the night. It would send her running for her mike so she could blab to the world that yes, vampires do exist.
“You don’t believe in vampires?” He knew the answer, but making her talk would give him time to cool down.
“I didn’t before, but now that I’ve seen a real ghost, maybe I’ll take the castle more seriously.” She narrowed her gaze on him. “You don’t want me to investigate, and I wonder why. I don’t buy the reason you gave me. Your boss evidently wants the publicity. Tomorrow I’ll make sure there’s no wiring or anything that could’ve created Lola, and then I start asking questions. And if that ticks you off, too bad.”
He felt his rage building again. Think of something else. Homework time. Picturing Donna naked would’ve been a lot easier if she were still wearing her shorts instead of the long shirt that came to mid-thigh. Smooth sleek thighs leading down to those long slim legs. He could imagine those legs wrapped around him as he rose above her and—
“My info on the castle says you, Brynn, and Conall have Mondays and Tuesdays off. I think I’ll ask Brynn to give me a few minutes tomorrow night. Listeners would love to hear him.” She shifted restlessly on the bed. “Do you think he’ll go for it?”
He made her nervous. Good. “Not if he’s smart.” If he took one stride and then slipped that shirt over her head, would she believe he was just doing his homework? It might be worth the punishment to find out. He could almost picture the soft flare of her hips and her round bare behind. She’d kneel on all fours and wiggle that behind to tempt—
“I’ll probably get buried by calls from women wanting to know about the lust-filled creatures of the night. Actually, Lola couldn’t have shown up at a better time.” She stared fixedly at the buttons on his jeans. “Phil Hughes will be my main guest. He’ll discuss ghosts from a skeptic’s point of view. He isn’t into opposing viewpoints, but he’s a reliable guest and after I report on Lola, tons of calls will pour in.”
“Hey, love those calls.” He hoped she didn’t miss his sarcasm. And if she didn’t move her gaze from between his legs soon, she was going to see button failure on an epic scale. He didn’t dare finish his homework, because visualizing her full soft breasts and the curve of her neck . . .
Her neck. Even thinking the word began the change. He could feel the slide of his fangs and fought it. He had to get out now before the change and morning light caught him. “Look, I’m tired, but we still need to talk. I’ll catch you tomorrow before your show.”
She widened her eyes in surprise as he abruptly turned and strode to the door. Pulling the door open, he paused to look back at her.
“Just out of curiosity, what’re you thinking?” He needed to leave. He didn’t need to know what she was thinking. He didn’t want to care what she was thinking.
Her smile was a slow slide of wicked enticement. “I’m doing my homework.”
5
Eric woke to a sense of urgency, and that urgency had a name—Donna Nolan. He had to talk to Brynn and Conall before Donna did her first show tonight. They had to understand the danger of letting her interview them on air.
Luckily, he found them both together in Brynn’s room on the second floor of the keep. Eric’s room was next to the dungeon, a windowless escape from the sun. Even though living in the castle cost him nothing, Eric still would’ve liked his own home where he could put some stronger security in place. But the owner had insisted all three of them live in the castle. And Eric liked working here enough to go along with the owner’s strange requests.
One room and a bath were okay with him. He rarely formed attachments to people or things. People died too soon, and he didn’t go all emotional over things. He moved a lot, and it would be a real hassle to drag a bunch of possessions along. Except for his dragon. He stubbornly refused to leave his dragon behind.
As he lowered himself to the couch beside Conall, he noted Brynn’s frown. “More woman problems?”
Shirtless, Brynn was stretched out on his bed. “The only kind I have. The same woman’s come back for a fantasy three nights in a row. Each night she’s made an excuse to stay with me a little longer. Maybe she’ll hook up with someone else during my two nights off.” He raked his fingers through his hair and exhaled sharply. “If she stays with me for more than an hour, I’m screwed. I’ll have to offer her my body. Slavery might come all sexed up, but it’s still slavery.”
Conall shook his head. “Tough. A demon doesn’t have choices. A man should always have choices.” His hard gray eyes promised that Brynn was a man first and his friend. Eric knew if Conall ever found the entity responsible for Brynn’s enslavement, he’d tear it apart and stomp on the pieces. You didn’t mess with an immortal warrior.
Eric hated not being able to help Brynn, but you couldn’t fight what you didn’t understand. “You don’t have a clue where this compulsion came from? No memories of your past or who created you?” At least Eric had a clan, an extended family who cared about him. He knew what he was and his clan’s history.
Brynn shrugged. “My first memory was rising from a bed, looking in a mirror, and seeing a man who looked to be in his late twenties. I knew two things—I was a demon of sensual desire, and my job in life was to have sex.” His smile was bitter. “Nice, huh? If I try to resist the compulsion, the pain starts. It feels like lust is burning me up from the inside out. It’s an agonizing sexual hunger that doesn’t let up until I have sex. I can’t take it, so I give in. And every time I give in, I hate myself a little more. I’ve lived for five hundred years, and I don’t have much of me left to hate.”
Eric winced. He’d heard Brynn’s story before, but each time he hoped he’d think of something to free his friend. It didn’t look like it was going to happen, and he knew Brynn wouldn’t last another five hundred years this way. But Eric doubted whatever controlled Brynn would let one of its demons destroy himself.
“Look, guys. I dropped by to make sure you don’t give Donna Nolan any interviews. We don’t know what kind of crazies she’ll bring down on our heads. Look at all those women who’ve come searching for the pod of lust-filled night creatures. Those women are harmless, except maybe to Brynn. But we don’t know who else is out there.” Eric relaxed against the couch, confident they’d agree with him.
Conall rose and paced to the arrow slit. “I know how you feel about our safety, but don’t you think you’re overreacting a little?” He turned to grin at Eric. “We’re immortals. We’ve lived almost two thousand years among the three of us. Who’s going to take us on? Together, we can kick anyone’s butt. Besides, everyone thinks we’re just three ordinary brothers who’ve teamed up to run a theme park attraction.”
Eric stared at Conall in disbelief. “You’re kidding. Kick anyone’s butt? We all know there’s a whole world of powerful entities outside these walls that humans don’t know exist. Even if they can’t destroy us, they can sure as hell mess with what we have here.”
Conall’s grin faded. “We’re about the same age, Eric, but you’re a lot more paranoid. Hate to say it, but I want lots of people to visit the castle. It’s the only chance I have of ending Morrigan’s curse. She said I had to protect every last stinking lousy descendant of Sean Kavanagh. Well, there’s only one left, and he’s living in Galveston somewhere. I’ll know the bastard’s a Kavanagh when I see him. And the more people who walk through this place, the greater the chance Kavanagh will be one of them.”
Brynn pulled himself from his funk long enough to ask, “How do you know it’s a man?”
Conall’s anger rolled off him in waves. “Down through
the centuries, all of Sean’s rotten descendants have been men. I don’t have much information on this one, but I do know he doesn’t have any kids yet.” A smile of pure evil slid across his face. “And when I find him, I’ll make sure there won’t be any procreating going on even if I have to cut off his—”
“Yeah, yeah. I get the idea.” Irritated, Eric stood. “Maybe I am paranoid, but my gut feeling is that Donna is more dangerous than we think.” His body thought that in certain situations dangerous could be a lot of fun. But his body’s thought center was housed a little lower than his brain.
Brynn looked defiant. “I promised to go on the air with her tonight.” He smiled without humor. “Maybe I’ll tell her listeners the truth. Who’d believe me? And even if they did, what could they do about it? Galveston doesn’t have a town ordinance against demons.”
Horrified, Eric stared at him. “Why would you do that?”
Brynn shrugged. “Just for the hell of it. Maybe a mob of crazed exorcists would believe it and storm the castle.” His expression said he’d be cheering on their attempts to exorcise him, but he didn’t think they’d make it happen. “Don’t worry, you guys are safe. I’ll make it clear that I’m the only strange and unusual thing in the castle.”
Conall scowled. “You’re not a ‘thing.’ That’s part of your problem. You need to stop putting yourself down. You’re as human as we are.”
Brynn smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Hey, I feel a lot better now.”
Conall muttered a curse in Gaelic and turned his back on Brynn.
Eric was too steamed to think of a retort. Demons could be real butt-heads. Without another word, he slammed from the room. Once he cooled down, he’d think of a way to avert tonight’s catastrophe.
