Then, the inevitable became immediate. In a quick motion almost too fast to see, he ripped the front of her panties away, exposing all of her to his feasting eyes.
She gagged and tossed her head to the side, hoping she wouldn’t choke from her own vomit.
The man drew in a visible breath, his lips curled into a cruel smile. “The scent of your need. So sweet. Almost as intoxicating as the smell of your fear.”
“Go to hell!” she tried to shout.
“I don’t need you nude but”—he ran a finger over her sex, then brought it to his nose and inhaled—“I’ll enjoy my meal much more when you are completely uncovered. Your scent is so incredibly sweet. I can’t wait to taste you. To have your flavor fill my mouth, my throat.” When he smiled, a set of long fangs flashed in the dim lamplight. Fangs like she’d seen in the vampire movie she’d watched last month, and on that vampire romance book cover she’d checked out last week at Borders.
They’re real? Vampires really exist?
“You’ll enjoy the feeding. I promise.” He lowered his head, clearly aiming for her inner thigh.
Not fond of an insect bite, let alone the whopper of a chomp Mr. Fangs was about to impart on her, Sophie fought with a frenzy against her bindings. She tossed her head, kicked her feet, thrashed her body from side to side, twisted her wrists until she was breathless and dizzy and worn out. Finally, completely spent, she stilled and tried to psych herself up for more struggling in a minute or two.
“That’s it, my love. Relax,” he said, watching her dully. “It won’t hurt for long.” Again, he lowered his head to her thigh, but before his teeth even grazed her skin, she went into fight mode again.
Those teeth were not going to sink into her skin! Nuh-uh! That was bound to hurt like a son of a gun, never mind the whole “Will I become one of them?” question.
This time, he scowled. “You do not want to make me angry, my love. I must feed. I will feed.” This time he pinned her hips to the mattress with his hands as he lowered his head.
First she felt damp warmth as his tongue laved her skin. And then the fierce, blinding pain of his bite. She felt those teeth sink into her flesh. As he fed, there was a strange sensation of building ripples of heat washing up her body, ripples that traveled out from the point where he fed. Each one was bigger, hotter, fiercer until they were like gigantic tsunamis blasting her with white heat. She shuddered, her body thrown into an unexpected orgasm. Every part of her convulsed, even as he drew more and more of her strength from her body.
Finally, completely exhausted, she lay still. He lifted his head, licked away the blood smeared across his lips, and smiled. His teeth retracted up into his jaw. He kissed her forehead, whispered a promise to return to her, and flipped out the light. Despite her numb hands and feet, the burn at her wrists and ankles, and the throbbing on her right thigh, she fell asleep instantly.
When Sophie woke, the birds outside the window were chirping, the warm light of morning spilling in through the lace curtains. She was lying on her stomach. The bindings were gone but the red burn marks on her wrists gave testimony to what had happened last night. It hadn’t been a dream.
She tossed off the blanket to check her leg and found she was still nude. There wasn’t even the slightest bruise on her thigh where the vampire had bitten her, yet her ankles were marred with big, ugly red welts.
She couldn’t believe it! Vampires did exist and she’d been a snack for some dark-haired bloodsucker! Worse yet, he’d made her come! She wasn’t sure which part was the hardest to swallow.
She was still trying to deal with it when she stole a quick glance at the clock, then, shocked by the time, scurried from the bed.
“No way!”
Eleven freaking o’clock? One hour before noon! Not only did she miss Dao’s doctor’s appointment, but she was also late for work. “Shit!” She gathered her clothes from the closet, raced to the bathroom, showered, and dressed.
No one stirred in the master bedroom. Maybe Dao’d gone to the doctor without her? She hoped he was okay. Damn it, she’d known something bad was going to happen last night. Lisse was behind that little social call she’d received last night. She had no doubt. Probably to keep her from taking Dao to the doctor.
“Dao? Are you in there?” When Sophie received no answer to her knocks, she tried the bedroom door. It was unlocked. She pushed it open and peered into the darkened room. Right away, she saw there were two people in the bed.
One of the heads lifted—Lisse’s. “Did you sleep all right?” she asked, with the kind of smile that suggested she already knew the answer.
“I…missed the appointment.”
“That’s all right. I rescheduled. It’s just as well,” Lisse whispered. “My dear Dao. He’s so very tired. I didn’t have the heart to wake him this morning. You will lock the door on the way out?”
Was he sleeping or dead? “Yes. Of course,” Sophie said, not intending to do any such thing. She needed to see Dao, to make sure that blood-sucking, no-good snake hadn’t done something awful to him.
“Very well. Thanks anyway. Your heart was in the right place.” Lisse rested her head back on the pillow, effectively ending the conversation.
Not sure what to do, Sophie shut the door. She went back to the spare room; gathered her torn clothes, unused camera, and purse; and went to the living room to place it next to the door. Then, she unwrapped the camera and tiptoed back to the master bedroom door. She’d missed the doctor’s office visit but she had to at least make sure Dao would survive until she could get him to a doctor later.
She did everything in her power to turn the doorknob and push open the door swiftly and silently. Lisse was lying on top of Dao, her head tossed back in bliss as she rode him. The covers were thrown off them both.
It was clear Dao was very much alive. But that didn’t make Sophie feel any better.
A long serpentine tail coiled under Lisse’s torso. The very tip twitched like a rattler’s tail.
Breathless with fear, Sophie raised the camera to her eye to snap the picture. The exact moment she pressed the button, Lisse twisted her neck to look at her and bared hooked, white fangs.
“How dare you!” the snakewoman hissed.
Sophie snapped several shots, then made a mad dash for the front door, her heart up in her throat. Tim was right! Poor, poor Dao. He was being drained of life by the woman he thought he loved.
Sophie left her friend’s house vowing to do whatever was necessary to get him away from that monster. She was so furious, she didn’t even remember driving to work. But, despite her mental gymnastics, she couldn’t come up with a single idea on how to save him.
She walked into the office, late as she said she would be, and answered Tim’s scowl with a wave of the camera. “I have your proof!”
“You’d better because I was ready to fire you. I’ve had to sit here all morning answering phones. I missed two appointments.”
“It’s here. I saw her. She looks like a hairy cobra. Scary.” She gave an involuntary shudder. “I never in a million years would’ve believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. Vampires are real! Vampires…are real.” She dropped into her chair and hit the power button on her computer. She caught sight of the red burn marks on her wrists as she moved. “Oh, and there’s more.”
“More?” Tim grinned gleefully. “What? What?”
“I think one of her evil minions paid me a visit last night too. At first I thought it was a dream but take a look.” She held out her wrists for him to inspect. “He tied me up and the marks are still there.”
“Do I want to ask what he did after that?”
She felt her cheeks flame. “No, he didn’t…you know…you sicko. But he bit me.”
“Where?” Tim’s wide-eyed gaze flew to her throat.
“Not there. On the leg. But there’s no mark. Not even a little red bump. Nothing.”
“Mmmm. That’s bad.”
“It’s bad that there’s no mark?” D
espite the fact that the bite had been on her leg, her hand flew to her neck.
“No, it’s bad that he bit you.”
“Why?” she asked, fighting another shudder. “Do real vampires carry some bizarre disease I need to know about? Or am I going to become one of them? I really, really like the sun. I don’t think I could live in eternal darkness.”
“It’s bad because that means he’ll have a certain measure of power over you the next time you see him.”
“I don’t like the sound of that, either. I pride myself in my independence and bullheadedness.”
“I’ve noticed.”
Sophie stuck her tongue out. Yes, it was juvenile, but then again, so was Tim’s comment. “What kind of power will he have over me? Will he be able to hypnotize me? Will I be like a zombie, unable to think for myself?”
“You’ve been watching too much late-night TV.”
“No, I don’t watch any TV at all—outside of The Apprentice. I’m addicted to that show, I admit it. I just have an active imagination.”
“Let’s put it this way, after one bite you might not become a zombie but you’d also find it mighty difficult to resist any commands he might make.”
Her heart stopped. “Even if they were to hurt someone I care about?”
Tim nodded gravely. “Even if they were to hurt someone you care about.”
“Shit.” Was Lisse trying to find a way to use her? To kill her husband? Oh no! “Is there a cure? Please, please tell me there’s a cure or I won’t be able to trust myself around anyone I care about, especially Dao.”
“There’re a couple of ways that I know of. One, you have to defeat the one who made him, if you can figure out whom that was.”
Defeat? Her stomach turned. She could just imagine what that would involve. “Could it be Lisse?”
“The lamia?”
“Yes. That’s the only Lisse I know.”
“It’s possible but unlikely. There’s no record of any progeny from the lamiae.”
“Shoot. Then I have no clue where to start. I didn’t even get the bloodsucker’s name. What’s option number two? I’m assuming there’s at least one other way. You said ‘couple.’ That implies two.”
“Yes, two. The other is to get another vampire to bite you. Not just any vampire, a member of another—”
“Not on your life! That hurt like hell. I’m not letting any more vampires near my person, under no circumstances. That option is out. Besides, it’s not like I can put an ad in the paper asking for vampire volunteers. Could you just imagine the freaks who would answer that ad? Crazies with a blood fetish. Or nuts who haven’t taken their happy pills for a few weeks. I wouldn’t know where to hunt down another real vampire.”
Tim shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you then.”
“In other words, you’re saying I’m screwed.”
Tim nodded again and patted her shoulder. “Sorry to say it but yes, I think so.”
“Shit.” How would she help Dao now? She didn’t even dare get near him.
“Say, do you mind if I take a few readings from you?” Tim asked, eyeing her like a scientist might a frog stretched out in a tin pan. “If you cooperate, I might be convinced to give you a bonus.”
“A bonus? What kind of bonus?” Sophie had a feeling that might come in handy very soon. She had no idea what it was going to take to save Dao and herself from the bloodsuckers, but she figured having Tim owe her a favor or two might be to her advantage. “Tell me your tests don’t involve needles? I hate needles. Or pain. And have I told you that blood—”
“Most of them are painless. But I know you’ll be a good sport. It’s for The Cause. I’ve never had the recipient of a real vampire bite in my office before.”
“Just promise me job stability for the next five years. And any help you can offer regarding vampires would be appreciated too. I’ll give you free reign—as long as you don’t expect me to strip naked for you. That would be too creepy.”
“You got it.” He offered his hand, and for the second time in twenty-four hours, she found herself shaking a man’s hand in a deal.
“Okay. I’m all yours. But be gentle, will you? I’ve been through a lot the past twenty-four hours.”
“No problem.” He raced back to his office and returned with what looked like a medieval torture device.
Chapter 5
“Hello, Sophie.” Even on the voice mail, Ric’s voice sounded silky. Her girly parts got all warm and happy as Sophie listened to his message. “I’ve found a local expert on rare biblical artifacts. She’s out of a small Catholic university up in Grand Rapids. I’m going out to interview her tomorrow. I’d like to know if you might like to join me. I’m thinking of leaving tonight and getting a hotel room in the Grand Rapids area overnight.”
She looked at the ugly purple bruise on the crook of her left arm. After the battery of tests Tim had put her through, he owed her. Big-time. No better time than the present to call in one of the many favors he owed her.
She rang Tim, told him to hire a temp for tomorrow. Much to Sophie’s surprise, he didn’t give her the usual bluster or threats. Instead, he wished her luck and told her if she needed anything to give him a call.
Next, she called the number Ric had left for her. He didn’t answer so she left a message for him, telling him she’d be ready to go, bags packed, by eight.
Finally, she put in a call to Dao, told him she was leaving town for a day or two but would call him later to check up on him. Naturally, Lisse had lied. There was no doctor’s appointment later. Then again, how much could a doctor do for a guy who was being drained by a vampire? Dao sounded tired, but reasonably well enough. His spirits were good at least. He was well enough to tease her about not needing a mother. But he was disappointed when she said she couldn’t come by and read some more of his latest work in progress. She figured that would be risky, for a number of reasons. One, she might insult him if he pressed her to tell him her honest opinion because she didn’t dare lie to her dearest friend. And two, if that vampire showed up and did his vampire-voodoo-hypnotism on her, she might do something to hurt Dao. She couldn’t risk either.
It didn’t take her long to pack her suitcase. She made sure she had her very best underwear—a girl never knew what might happen on a road trip with a sexy college professor—and appropriate professional attire for their meeting tomorrow with the expert. Her stomach was jumpier than normal, so not wanting to risk upchucking in poor Ric’s car, she took a double dose of motion sickness medicine. Ready at last, and feeling the effect of the medicine, she flopped her weary body on the sofa and waited for Ric to show up.
By the time he arrived, ten to eight—she loved a man who was punctual—she was feeling really good. Like had-a-couple-of-Long-Islands good. Who would’ve thought a couple of little bitter pills would do that to a girl? She knew she had a goofy smile plastered over her face when she opened the door to let him in, but she couldn’t seem to shake it off.
“Hi?” Ric half said, half asked as he eyeballed her. “Are you ready?”
“Yeppers, as ready as I’ll ever be.” She thrust her overnight bag at him, then bent to pick up her suitcase.
“I see you packed like a typical female,” he said on a chuckle.
“You know, life isn’t fair. You guys can get away with a clean pair of underwear and socks, a little deodorant, and a toothbrush whereas we women have to pack half our bathroom with us when we go anywhere.” She swiped a second time at the suitcase, which seemed to be sliding just out of her reach when she moved. “I swear I did the best I could.” Not used to wearing heels, she stumbled when her ankle turned. Fortunately, there was a tall, very solid man standing next to her to keep her from falling over.
Sort of leaning against him, she tested her twisted ankle; then when it passed muster, she righted herself.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You seem a little…” He let his words trail off unfinished.
“A little what? A little nervou
s? Yes, I’m nervous. Who wouldn’t be? I’m going on a three-hour road trip with you, for God’s sake. Look at you. You’re like a movie star or something.” She reached up and combed her fingers through his hair. “Look at this. Soft as silk, with sunny highlights. The color makes you look like a sexy beach bum. I can barely contain myself.”
The left side of his mouth curled up into a naughty smile. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”
“And this body! What can I say about that? Sheesh! It’s absolutely perfect. I bet there’s a puddle of drool around you wherever you go. Women have to go absolutely gaga for you.” She wrapped her hands around a thick bicep and squeezed. “Rock hard. Yummy.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever seen any puddles, though I appreciate the compliment. At least none that could be attributed to drooling women. Uh, did you happen to hit the happy sauce a little early today?”
“Oh, heck no. I don’t touch the stuff. Hate feeling out of control, if you know what I mean.”
“Sure, I understand completely.” He caught her chin in his hand and tipped it up until she met his gaze.
“Plus I’ve been told I act like a complete moron when I’m loaded….” Sophie stared into eyes the color of honey graham crackers. She was hungry. “What’re you doing?”
“Checking something. They’re a little dilated.”
Dilated? “What?”
“Your pupils.”
“Oh.” That kind of dilated. She giggled. “I was beginning to wonder. Thought maybe you worked a second job in a maternity ward somewhere. I suppose that’s a silly thing to think.” She giggled some more.
“You’re acting a little giddy too.” His cute eyebrows marched to the center of his forehead as he lowered his head.
Oh boy! He was going to kiss her! Her girly parts started doing the wave as she closed her eyes and puckered up. But after waiting for several excruciating seconds, she blinked open her eyes. He was still studying her, like a specimen in his lab. “What’s wrong?”
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