Guystof would have liked to watch her disappear from view, gleaning great pleasure out of the graceful sway of her shapely hips, but his nausea urged him to hurry back to his hut. Once inside, he slipped off his ring and removed the tiny vial. Only half remained! He placed a drop on his tongue, then set the vial on the dresser while he awaited relief, hoping he could make due with just that one drop. So much for Blakesley’s prescription. His dosage amount had worked for only the first day.
He sank into an overstuffed chair and put his feet upon the footstool. An instant later the squeak of the door indicated Tommy had arrived.
With a towel wrapped around his waist and a bottle of sunscreen in his hand, Guystof’s roommate flopped down on the bed. “Shit! That sun is strong. I was at the pool less than an hour and I feel like a french fry.” He glanced down at his arm glowing red and beginning to blister, then up at Guystof. “Hey, how was your date?”
“Nice.”
Tommy chuckled. “You spent the entire day with the Dream Girl and all you have to say is ‘nice.’ Don’t tell me you two didn’t click. Is there something wrong with her? Something I should know? Or maybe she didn’t connect with you. Maybe she’s into someone else. Maybe she has a thing for me.” His laughter continued while Guystof stared at him. “I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you. The sun must have gotten to me, fried my brain along with the rest of me. Or maybe this competition is too much for me. I like Melody. Really, I do. She seems like a great gal. But I’m not used to sharing a woman with lots of other men. I mean, what do you think she’s doing on those dates? You don’t suppose she’s…”
Guystof scowled. Did the buffoon really think Melody was that kind of woman?
Tommy must have noticed the look on his face, because all traces of laughter disappeared. “Oh, shit, man. I didn’t mean to imply you did anything with her. I can tell you’re a gentleman and all. You’re royalty. Don’t you guys follow all kinds of fancy protocol? I’ll bet you don’t even kiss a girl until after you’ve had a dozen dates.”
Now it was Guystof’s turn to laugh. Tommy was unlike any mortal he’d ever known. “You really are an ignorant fool.”
Tommy broke into ripples of laughter again. “I’m so glad you’ve got a good sense of humor, man, ’cause I’d hate to have to defend myself against you. Never dueled before.”
I wouldn’t need a sword or a pistol to end your life. One bite would do the trick. “Care to join me for dinner?”
“Sure. Just have to shower first.” He walked over to the closet and rifled through his clothes, then looked over his shoulder at Guystof. “I don’t have a clean shirt. I put my laundry outside the door this morning like we’re supposed to. Got my pants back, but no shirts.” He puffed out his chest and pummeled it with his fists like Tarzan. “Do you think I could dine half nude?”
Guystof shook his head. The corners of his mouth twitched as he tried to keep from smiling.
“Well then, I guess I’ll have to borrow one from you,” Tommy said.
Guystof pointed to the top drawer of the dresser and watched as his roommate danced across the room, letting the towel drop from around his hips to expose his neon swimsuit.
Tommy fingered through the pile of shirts, pulling out a pale yellow one. He held it up against his chest to study his reflection in the mirror, but the corner hem caught the vial of potion, knocking it onto the floor.
Guystof leapt to his feet. Shock and horror raged through him. His stomach tightened into a knot, and excessive saliva formed in his mouth. It’s not Tommy’s fault. It’s not his fault, he reminded himself as the tips of his fangs broke through his gum line. It was an accident. He squeezed his hands into fists, not caring that his nails cut into his palms. Fight! Fight! Fight the rage. You’re not a monster. You’re as close to human as you’ll ever be. And you don’t have to react this way. Killing isn’t the answer. It won’t provide more potion.
It would have been easy to sink his teeth into the side of the man’s neck, making him pay for his actions with his life, but Guystof summoned all his control and swallowed hard, forcing the fangs to recede. He hadn’t noticed Tommy’s back pinned to the dresser or the look of panic plastered over his face.
“Shit! I’m sorry, Guy.” His eyes looked like two chocolate cookies—big and round and dark. “Was that medicine? Do you have more?”
Guystof shook his head.
“I’ll bet if we asked Henry…or the producers…they could find a doctor to get you some more. Right? What was that stuff, anyway?” Tommy’s nostril’s flared as a sour odor wafted up from the floor.
“No doctors, no producers. You’re not to say a word. Got it?” Guystof’s tone was harsh, and he immediately regretted having spoken to Tommy that way when he saw the guilt-ridden expression on his friend’s face. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” He picked up the vial, relieved that it hadn’t broken, but having no way of knowing how much he’d lost on the floor.
Tommy escaped to the bathroom, but paused outside the door. “Don’t tell me, Guy. Are you taking Viagra?”
He had no idea what Tommy was referring to, but, wishing more than anything that his roommate would take his shower and leave him alone, he nodded.
“Lordy, Lordy, your secret’s safe with me,” Tommy said before closing the door.
Guystof leaned back on his heels and placed his head in his hands. He hoped he could make the potion last or the game would soon be over for him. He envisioned his life the way it used to be, and a cold sweat broke out over his forehead. He would become a vampire—a full-fledged monster—and all that entailed. His thirst for blood would return, and without the criminals he’d found so readily available on the streets of London, he’d have to target innocent people here on Fiji—people he’d come to know and like. He’d become like his brother, and that was a fate worse than death.
— : : —
Melody couldn’t stop thinking about the count. He wasn’t the snobbish aristocrat she’d thought him to be. He was thoughtful and kind. And when he touched her, she felt as if she was on fire. He ignited a flame in her that she hadn’t known existed. And his kisses made her sizzle, leaving her hungering for more. She’d never felt like that with a man before, not even Greg Sinclair. And she’d been so sure she was in love with him. Well, if she’d thought that was love, then what in the world was this?
Fear tightened her chest. What if Guy’s feelings for her weren’t as strong as the ones she had for him? She couldn’t get hurt again. This time it would be even more painful…because she was a woman now. A woman who was falling in love.
She slipped the sleeveless pink dress she’d been holding over her head and let it fall softly over her body; then she stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Her eyes, usually a blue somewhere between the ocean and the sky, now glistened like sapphires. Her complexion, though always clear and milky, had never been this radiant. Oh boy! She was headed for trouble. Big trouble. She wasn’t falling in love. She was already there. It was as if Guy had waved a magic wand and cast his spell on her.
“What should I do?” she asked her reflection, as if this new and different young woman would have the answer the old Melody couldn’t find. But as expected, her reflection merely stared back blankly at her, no words bubbled forth from between her freshly kissed lips. This was a problem she would have to solve and no amount of magic was going to do it for her.
As she continued to dress for her date with the professor, she couldn’t help but wish that it was Guy she’d be dining with. She closed her eyes and envisioned him ordering dinner for her, then feeding her chunks of fresh pineapple with his fork. But the smile that curved her lips soon turned to a frown when she realized how unfair she was being to the other bachelors, and guilt washed over her.
She had weeks to go yet as the Dream Girl, and here she was acting as if the game was over. She’d selected her bachelor and they would soon head off to his fairy-tale kingdom where they would live happily ever after. Well, this
was no dream and she knew from experience that dreams didn’t come true. She needed a reality check and fast. A lot could happen before the end of the game. For all she knew, her feelings for Guy could do an about face. He just might turn out to be the self-centered count she’d thought him to be from the start.
Holding on to that thought, she touched up Sugar’s perfect makeup application from this morning with a gold shimmer lip gloss, picked up her black sequin handbag and marched out the door convinced she would have a wonderful time with Johnny Evans.
An hour later, she sat across from the bachelor at an intimate corner table in one of the island’s best restaurants, awaiting dinner. The flickering orange flames from the votive candles in the centerpiece cast shadows over his face, elongating it and giving him an unnatural, almost sinister appearance. Ridiculous, she knew. The professor was a sweet, soft-spoken man, and just the sort of man she should have been attracted to—had been initially, if not for Guy.
But despite her best efforts, she couldn’t stop thinking about the count and comparing him to the man across from her. Strong, self-assured, and used to getting what he wanted, Guy was the complete opposite of this reserved philosophy teacher.
“What are you thinking?” Johnny reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. Her first reaction was to pull back and hide her hands under the table, but that would have been rude. And the last thing she wanted to do was hurt this man’s feelings. He’d been nothing but polite to her—a perfect gentleman. Again the comparison popped into her head and a slight smile curved her lips. Guy was many things, but a perfect gentleman? She wasn’t so sure about that. And thank goodness, she thought with a devilish grin, imagining the feel of his strong hands on her body.
“Hello, Melody.” Johnny patted her hands. “I wish you would let me in on what you find so amusing. I’m afraid you’re having a better time with your thoughts than you are with me.”
She directed her attention back to the professor but was at a complete loss for words. What in heaven’s name could she say? Thankfully, the waiter arrived with their food, temporarily shifting the attention away from her and onto the meal.
She glanced at her plate—smoked marlin in a creamy basil white sauce served over pasta, then over to Johnny’s pan-fired oyster kebabs. She hoped he hadn’t ordered that dish for its aphrodisiac affects. Her worry increased when he refilled their glasses with Chardonnay and drank most of his before taking the first bite of his meal.
Remember, he’s a gentleman, she reminded herself as she cut a piece of fish and popped it in her mouth. She continued to eat, hoping he would do the same, thus eliminating the need for conversation. But to her dismay he refilled his glass and stared at her over the rim.
“You look exceptionally beautiful tonight. Quite ravished.”
She chewed quickly to keep from choking.
“—ing. I mean ravishing.” Johnny took a long sip, then set his glass down and picked up his fork. The tip of his nose had turned beet red.
Oh, no. The man couldn’t be tipsy, could he? He’d only had two glasses of wine. But then she had no way of knowing what he might have consumed before their date. Great. Her quiet professor might turn out to be a drunk.
“Thank you.” She smiled sweetly but continued to eat without making any attempt at conversation.
Johnny must have gotten her message, because he did the same, alternating between bites of oyster and sips of white wine.
When the waiter returned to clear their plates he asked each of them in his thick Indian accent—more than half the population of Fiji was Indian—if they’d like a cup of kava. No, no, no, she wanted to scream. No kava. She definitely did not need the fuzzy-headed feeling she’d gotten when she drank the yaqona with Guy.
Melody had the uncanny feeling she was going to need all her wits about her if she was going to make it home without any mishaps from her date with the professor.
— : : —
Theo flung the goblet he used as a crystal ball against the wall, spraying blood across the room. Damn that Johnny Evans. And damn that brother of his. At the rate things were going, the professor would be eliminated from the game by tomorrow night, leaving Guystof well on his way to a wedding ring on his finger and a new bride on his arm.
Well, there was no way he was going to allow that to happen. He’d rot in hell first. Theo strode across the room. With his forefinger, he stopped a smear of blood from dripping onto the floor, then licked his fingertip, savoring every drop. His lips quivered and his fangs emerged. But he would not give in to his hunger now. It would have to wait. There were more important matters to care for…like dealing with that senseless professor.
He crossed his arms over his chest, placing his hands on his shoulders, squeezed his eyes shut and visualized Fiji. When he opened his eyes, he was at the beach, the turquoise water lapping over his feet and the pale moonlight glinting over his head. Ah, magic was such a wonderful thing!
A southwest breeze blew his hair across his face. He raked it back, then headed in the direction of Johnny Evan’s bure. He found the professor easily, asleep in his bed. The drunken fool. Johnny wouldn’t be a challenge at all. Using his magic again, Theo transformed himself into a fly. He buzzed around the bachelor’s head a few times before landing on his upper lip. When Johnny twitched, Theo flew inside his mouth and took control of the professor’s soul.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Melody had spent the last week smiling and making pleasant conversation with men she had no interest in, while the man she did care about was probably lounging by the pool sipping margaritas. She wondered if Guy was spending as much time thinking about her as she was about him. She leaned back in the chair and let out a sigh.
Sugar pulled on the strand of hair she’d been brushing and yanked Melody’s head. “If you don’t sit up straight, I’m never gonna finish your hair.” Although she tried to sound harsh, Melody knew she meant no offense. Sugar had good reason to hurry. This evening there was another elimination ceremony.
The ten bachelors would soon be cut to five. There was no question the count was staying, but who the other four keepers would be, she still hadn’t a clue. Most of the remaining men were on a pretty even playing field. She could easily pick the names out of a basket and be happy with the results. The only one she was uncertain of was the professor. After that dinner fiasco, she wasn’t sure she wanted to keep him around. But she supposed she owed him the benefit of the doubt. He might have just been having an off night.
Sugar pulled Melody’s hair up into a twist, secured it to the top of her head with some hairpins, then applied her makeup. She finished it off by dusting translucent powder over Melody’s face, then stood back and admired the finished product. “You look fabulous as always, hon, but I can tell you’re nervous.”
Melody patted the woman’s hands. She had become so much more than just her hairstylist/makeup artist. Sugar had become her friend. “I’m fine. Just a few butterflies in my stomach, that’s all. I have to let some of the men go; and I really hate to hurt their feelings.”
“Sooo, is there one who’s really caught your eye. A bachelor that might be Mr. Right?”
“You know I can’t tell you that. You’ll just have to wait and see along with everyone else,” Melody scolded.
Sugar set her hands on her hips. “I know that. I didn’t want you to tell me his name. Just a simple yes, or no would be fine.”
Melody smiled. “Maybe.”
“When did you become so cold-hearted? Can’t you see the suspense is killing me?”
Melody rolled her eyes at Sugar’s melodrama and kissed the side of her cheek. “Thank you once again for making me look beautiful. As soon as the gag order has been lifted, I promise, you’ll be the first person I pour my heart out to.”
She left the bure and headed toward the beach. It was a beautiful night. Hundreds of stars twinkled overhead, helping to light her way. As she neared the sand, instead of finding the bachelors lined up nicely alon
g the water’s edge, they stood huddled together with the crew, Daniel Stone, Henry, and the producers.
Wendy waved Melody to join them. She knew something was terribly wrong and hurried over. Despite the night, she could see their faces were pale and grim. Oh Lord. What had happened? She scanned the crowd, wondering if someone had been injured, or worse. To her relief, everyone was accounted for.
“What’s wrong?” she asked breathlessly.
All eyes turned to the director.
“I didn’t want to alarm anyone, but you all need to know so that you might take the proper precautions,” Daniel said.
Melody’s heart raced so fast surely it was about to jump right out of her chest. “What’s happened?” Her voice sounded unlike her own. Small and very far away.
Daniel drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly before speaking. “I was recently informed by the authorities that the carcasses of numerous sheep and goats were found not far from here.”
Melody’s stomach lurched. “Oh dear. How awful. Have they found the animal responsible for the killings?”
He shifted his weight, obviously agitated. “I’m afraid they don’t think it’s an animal that did this.”
Melody’s eyes widened in fear. “I don’t understand.”
“Not only was the flesh eaten, but the bodies were drained of blood too.”
It took Melody a second to realize the loud gasp had come from her. Her knees grew weak, and before she hit the ground, strong arms encircled her waist and held her steady. She gazed up into Guy’s clear blue eyes and immediately felt safer.
“There’s no animal known to do that to its prey.” Daniel hesitated a second before continuing. “But there were tribes of cannibals that did. They were supposed to have disappeared sometime in the 1800s, though.”
“Apparently not.”
Melody shifted her gaze to the professor. He stood slightly apart from the rest of the group. Dark rings encircled his red glassy eyes. He looked as if he either hadn’t slept a wink last night or was suffering from a terrible hangover.
Date with a Vampire Page 9
