Party Vamps

by Jennifer North

  She would be fascinated to know, in fact, but it would be best to avoid all personal conversations with Alex. She needed to keep things light. Flirty was okay. Fun was okay. Business was okay. Serious personal stuff was not.

  She took a big drink of her martini and swayed a little. Whoops. Was it the skin contact or the booze? Either way, better slow down. The martinis were straight-up Tanqueray and Alex was straight-up sex.

  Yeah, and the combination of Alex and gin together could potentially derail Operation Sexysmart for good. And she’d be plain old fucked. Stuck in Alex’s clutches forever. And forever was a long, long time for a vampire.

  His thumb moved under the sleeve of her jacket, sending silent signals that made her tattoo throb and burn. She bit her lip, knowing she wouldn’t be able to control her physical reaction if he stroked the spot where he’d marked her.

  And she really didn’t want to climax in front of fifty or sixty Stoked executives.

  “I’d love to tell you all about it,” he said, his gaze warm on her face.

  This was getting just too nice. “Mm, but not right now,” she said quickly. “I think it’s important that we mingle.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right,” Alex agreed, but he continued to stroke the sensitive skin around her tattoo. “You’re looking really beautiful, Caro,” he said, his deep voice layered with emotion. After setting his drink down on a nearby cocktail table, he reached up to touch her cheek.

  “Thanks.” She let go of a ragged sigh as his thumb briefly dipped to stroke the vulnerable curve of her throat.

  Oh God. Alex.

  He was so, so good at making her feel good, making her body feel good. But he was too fond of spreading those good feelings around. Remember, Caro?

  He’s vamp and he’s a tramp…he’s noo-oo good. The tune Lenny had made up about Alex floated through her mind. Lenny would kill her if he knew she was showing signs of weakness around Alex. Hell, he would kill her if he knew she was talking to Alex. Oh help.

  She couldn’t think of a single repulsive thought, so she said the first thing that popped into her head. “How do you like fucking Sherene?”

  Alex expelled a husky burst of laughter, green eyes sparkling in appreciation. Before he answered, he picked up his drink and took a long, slow swallow. “Well, I have to say that I find fucking Sherene to be delicious. But no one could ever be as delectable as you are, princess.”

  Princess. Once upon a time she’d loved that nickname. Because he’d made her feel like treasured royalty. Because, before he’d turned them into nightmares, he’d made all her dreams come true. For a moment she was lost in sweet memories. But then her bullshit detector finally fired up and bleeped her back to reality.

  Goddamn it. She wasn’t nineteen years old anymore and she wasn’t going to let Alex bowl her over with fairy tales. Okay, back to fun and flirty…

  “Well, I know it’s probably gauche to compare notes,” she said as nonchalantly as possible, “but I just wanted to know if you enjoy her as much as I enjoyed Jack. I have to admit I wasn’t sure if I could handle his size at first, but God, after that first moment of awe it was an unbelievable experience, you know?” She ended this little speech with a wink. She knew that she was probably asking for trouble, but she was apparently possessed by some strange demon tonight. Maybe it was just the Tanqueray.

  Alex let out another snort of deep laughter. “Why, Caro! The words that come out of your mouth… Say, let’s be gauche some more.” As if sensing she was about to pull away, he tightened his grip on her hand.

  She leaned in for a brief but luscious kiss on his lips and, disarmed, he lost his hold.

  “Gotta mingle.” She shot him a flirtatious grin over her shoulder, walking with enough swish to let him know she wasn’t above working it when she had to.

  * * * * *

  After making an inspired effort to enthusiastically introduce herself to nearly everyone at the party, Caro finally caught sight of Jack at the crowded bar. The party was winding down and folks were getting their last doses of free premium liquor before leaving. She had to smile back when he flashed her one of his mega-watt grins.

  “I was just coming to find you,” he said. “What are your plans for the evening?”

  “I was gonna ask you the same question,” she said as she took his offered hand.

  “Some folks are going to Gibsons for steaks. But I talked to Alex and he wants to start getting our heads together about the proposal. If you’re up for it, we can grab some carryout and head over to his place.”

  Her smile felt stuck.

  She felt stuck.

  Between two master manipulators named Alex and Jack.

  She cleared her throat, stalling for time. “You know, I was really hoping to bring Lenny into all our discussions about the proposal.” Her shoulders tensed as she waited for Jack’s response.

  Was she making a huge mistake saying no? She knew one of the reasons Party Mavens got the Stoked account was because she and Lenny were comfortable with the immortal penchant for mixing serious business with serious fun. But Alex’s presence made this situation different.

  “I have a feeling it’s going to be more fun than work at Alex’s place.” Jack traced the bumps of her knuckles with his thumb, his tone turning decidedly sexy. “He has a particularly deluxe hot tub on his terrace. What better place for a meeting?”

  “Hmm.” Caro forced another smile, wishing she had time to think things through, wishing this account didn’t mean so much to her, to her business. Six months of hard work on the proposal. Years of dreams. Was tonight going to make or break all her efforts?

  “Come on,” he wheedled. “You can call Lenny on the limo ride over. After you make your final pitches to the board tomorrow, the executives will meet to approve my suggestion of awarding the account to both of you. And I’d love to get you and Alex on the same page before the meeting. Unless there’s something you haven’t told me…” He paused, a slight frown furrowing the spot between his pretty blue eyes. “You and Alex are going to be okay with working together, right? This isn’t an anti-vamp thing, I hope, because I don’t know what—”

  “No, no,” she interrupted. She and Lenny had busted butt to prove they could work with both mortals and immortals, to prove their events could bring disparate parties together. She wasn’t ready to waste Party Mavens’ rep. “We’re cool.” She tried to brighten her smile. “Okay. Let me grab my things.”

  * * * * *

  A short while later they were headed south on Michigan Avenue toward Alex’s loft. Jack and Sherene sat with their backs to the limo driver, doling out sushi from the giant platter they’d hijacked from the party. Alex and Caro were on the opposite seat, Alex sitting so close Caro was halfway on his lap.

  Caro smiled at Jack as he leaned forward to place some maki in her mouth. Soy sauce dripped down her chin and Sherene giggled as Alex gracefully leaned over to lick it off.

  Caro grabbed Alex’s knee and gave his flesh a squeeze, digging her nails in. Alex responded by placing a cool, strong hand on her bare thigh. Her skirt had hiked up when she’d climbed into the limo and Alex was taking advantage of the exposed flesh, the bulbous head of his ring tracing an alarmingly erotic path toward the crux of her thighs. She put his hand back on his own lap and crossed her legs, ignoring his seductive laughter.

  She snatched a napkin from the tray, wiped her mouth and cleared her throat. “Maybe we should go over some ground rules for our meeting tonight. You know, discuss what we’d like to accomplish…” She felt like she was entering this game late and she needed to make sure she knew what type of players she was getting involved with.

  “Great idea. What do you guys think?” Jack was squeezing some lemon onto his fingertips and wiping them with a napkin. He set the sushi tray aside as he looked encouragingly over at Caro.

  “I think we can keep things casual.” Alex leaned back to look out the window. White lights glittered in the trees along the lake. “But I agree that
it would be good to get some formalities out of the way. Maybe we could relax for a while in the hot tub and discuss preliminaries. Then we can go over our proposals. Discuss how they could dovetail or decide if we need to start from scratch.”

  “Casual is always good with me,” Sherene said as she poured herself another shot of vodka. “What do you think, Caroline?”

  “Sure, as long as we stay in agreement as things progress…” Caro let her teeth play nervously along her lower lip. “And, um, I’d like the vamps to promise there’ll be no blood exchanges without express permission.” The last came out all in a rush and was a little less subtle than what she had planned to say, but it was the one thing she absolutely needed to be sure of.

  “Fine,” said Alex, reaching over to take Caro’s hand. She twined her fingers through his, the gesture automatic and frighteningly easy. “And one more thing about formalities. We should all agree that we’ll be safe, protected and discreet about anything that we exchange.”

  “Agreed,” said Jack.

  Sherene nodded. “Of course.”

  Alex squeezed her fingers. Caro looked beyond his profile to the lakeshore’s glittering lights. If she was going to play this game, she was going to play to win. “I agree,” she said.

  Chapter Three

  Alex’s loft suited him. It was big, hip and in a slightly dangerous neighborhood. On the ride over he explained that the old warehouse building had been used for decades by a shoe manufacturer, but had been empty since the company went out of business several years ago. Alex had purchased the building with the idea of converting it into lofts and smaller condos.

  He’d reserved the top floor for himself and, because he preferred living in unstructured space, had done almost nothing to break the lines of the cavernous room. The great room was as big as a roller rink and one wall was entirely floor to ceiling windows. Odd choice for a vampire. But the night views were probably just as spectacular as the daytime ones and Alex, who enjoyed pitting his human strengths against his vamp instincts, made use of all types of modern technology to shield himself from hazards to his health. Caro guessed the windows were equipped with solar shields, timed to close the moment the sun’s rays broke the horizon.

  And, since he owned the building, Caro had no doubt he’d placed his luxuriously appointed crypt deep in its depths. Unless his habits had changed, he only needed the crypt a few times a month.

  The only furnishings in the great room were a group of ultra-modern, low-slung chairs and couches. Caro recognized Alex’s favorite black leather chaise in a place of honor by the windows. An acre-long table and chairs stained matte black were placed by the open gourmet kitchen. Everything was chic, minimalist and very expensive.

  Drawn by the views of the South Loop and the lake, Caro walked over to the wall of windows. Evening had deepened into night and the sky was a velvety royal blue, the lights of the city glowing golden against its softness. She loved Chicago—the hard angles of the skyline and the smooth curves of the lakefront; the hyped-up urbanity mixing it up with low-key neighborhoods; every flavor of creature she could imagine. Another reason why this account meant so much to her. If she and Lenny pulled off the Stoked product launch events like she knew they could, they would move their business from Cleveland to Chicago permanently.

  Alex began to turn on lights but Sherene stopped him. “Let’s light candles instead.”

  “Suit yourself.” Alex shrugged. “I’ll scrounge up some robes and drinks.”

  He headed toward a corner of the loft shielded by several twelve-foot freestanding panels. The panel screens were painted with abstract images of the moon and mountains. The Carpathians, no doubt. Caro immediately recognized the artwork as that of Alex’s sister, Juna. She was a fabulous painter, and she’d recently hit the big time. Vampire art was all the rage at the moment and the panels were probably worth a fortune.

  She gave a little start when Jack came up behind her and took her hand. He led her through a pair of glass doors at the end of the wall of windows.

  “Wow.” She exhaled a soft breath of appreciation.

  The terrace was almost as large as the loft. There was a deluxe grill, an inviting eating area and several chairs for lounging. A privacy awning jutted from the side of the building, enclosing a luxurious-looking spa and a small sauna.

  Jack flicked a couple switches and Caro heard the water begin to churn. He lit several large candles that were placed along the spa’s edge. She smiled. “You’ve obviously set the mood here before.”

  “Yeah.” He smiled back. “Alex and I have been doing some hanging out.” He pulled down some bamboo shades along one side of the tub, shielding it from its closest neighbors. “He’s a fun guy. Seems to attract a lot of parties.”

  “Yes. Yes, he does.” And Jack probably didn’t know the half of it.

  Caro walked over to run her fingers through the warm, pulsing water. “Mmm, it’s already warm.”

  Jack came to stand behind her, the strength of his body a tangible force. “It’s on a timer. Which is good because I don’t want to wait. Let’s surprise Alex and Sherene.” His lips brushed her ear and the sensation made her brain go topsy-turvy, various scenarios that might play out in the hot tub flipping around in her head.

  She and Jack. Yeah, she’d done that once and it was awesome.

  Sherene and Jack. She wasn’t very into watching but, yeah, they’d be a very hot couple.

  She and Sherene. She’d never gone all the way with a female before but there was a first time for everything, right?

  Alex with any or all of them.

  Shit.

  Oh God. This is why she’d always had troubles with this kind of party. She wasn’t a sharing kind of gal. Which was why having Alex for a mate was like getting kicked in the head. Over and over and over. She swallowed hard and tried to think about something else.

  Jack turned her around and began to unbutton her suit jacket. His fingers were cool against her skin but his lips felt hot when he bent to kiss the pulse beating above the lacy edge of her bra. Before she could react, he stepped back and shrugged out of his suit coat. He began to laugh as he quickly unbuttoned his shirt and took off his pants. He wasn’t wearing underwear.

  Stepping into the spa, Jack playfully splashed a plume of water over the side, making Caro gasp in surprise when the frothy warmth doused her skirt.

  “You’re full of surprises,” she murmured. His laughter was infectious and she giggled as she quickly shed her qualms and her clothes. In for a penny, in for a pound, right?

  She sighed as she sank down into the steamy water and settled into the molded seat beside Jack. Ahhh. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all… She could just sit here in all these lovely bubbles and not think of a thing.

  Reaching over, Jack spread a warm, wet hand across her back and under the fall of her hair. “Your hair’s getting all wet.”

  Caro gathered the golden mass into a ponytail and plopped it on top of her head. She was surprised when another giggle burbled from her mouth, nerves obviously making her punchy. “Do you have a hairpin under there, big fella?” She leered at the bubbling water over his lap.

  Jack laughed. “No, little lady, I’m afraid I’ve got something much bigger…”

  “What’s bigger?” Alex called out as he came through the terrace doors. His red silk robe was a dramatic foil to his long, dark hair and pale skin.

  “I am, of course,” said Jack, laughing harder.

  “No denying it,” said Alex with a smile. He leaned over to test the water and the robe gapped open, the starkly defined muscles of his chest rippling with his graceful movements. He wasn’t buff like Jack—vamps weren’t really up for hitting the gym—but his appeal was just as intense. Well, probably more so, since Caro couldn’t seem to take her eyes off him even though Jack was sitting next to her completely nude.

  Sherene came out and set a tray of drinks next to the candles.

  “Caro needs something to tie her hair up.”
Jack reached over to play with a tendril of wet hair.

  “Afraid I can’t help her with that.” Sherene smoothed her hand over her chic, short cap of red hair, staring down into the water with her bright blue eyes. “Mm. That looks divine.” She untied her wraparound dress, dropped it to the floor and stepped over the edge of the tub. Of course she wasn’t wearing any underwear, either. Caro caught a flash of small, perfectly formed breasts before they dipped below the water’s surface. “Do you have anything, Alex?” Sherene asked. Alex’s hair was long, but he never tied it back. At least not that Caro remembered.

  “Here.” He untied his robe’s belt and handed it to her. Then he let the robe drop to the ground.

  “Clever fellow,” said Jack.

  “Yeah, I’ve always been creative about tying things up.” Alex stepped around to the other side of the spa and got in.

  Caro murmured a brief thanks, glad she had something other than the momentary glimpse of Alex’s nude body to concentrate on as she tied the red silk sash around her hair.

  “Lovely.” Jack stroked her nape. “I think you’ve created a new style.”

  Caro leaned back, nestling her head against the cushioned headrest. “I’ve always wanted to be a trendsetter in spa style… God, this feels incredible.”

  “Here, this will make it even better,” Jack said, passing her a martini.

  Alex reached over to a tray on the edge of the spa. He retrieved a small glass vial and opened it, dispensing a few drops of red liquid into first Sherene’s drink and then his own.

  “No objections?” Alex looked at Jack and Caro with a raised eyebrow and they both shook their heads. Vamps tended to be a little overzealous when it came to…relaxing with human partners. The condensed blood drops were dosed with a mild relaxant and both ingredients would, in theory, ease any uncomfortable edginess brought on by play with other species. But Caro knew firsthand that the drops weren’t always reliable.

  They sipped their martinis in companionable silence. Caro discreetly observed Alex. His eyes were closed but that didn’t mean he didn’t know she was checking him out. His head was tipped back over the side of the spa, one well-muscled arm spread out along the side of the tub to hold his drink. His other hand played with the hair on Sherene’s elegant neck. He looked relaxed but she sensed tension of a distinctly sexual nature coming from his body.