by Anara Bella
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Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520
Macon GA 31201
The Trouble With Curses
Copyright © 2008 by Anara Bella
ISBN: 978-1-60504-204-6
Edited by Heidi Moore
Cover by Angela Waters
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: October 2008
www.samhainpublishing.com
The Trouble With Curses
Anara Bella
Dedication
For my critique partner, Cat, without whom this book would never have been written. She believed in this story from its inception and kept after me until I’d submitted it for publication.
For my editor, Heidi, who also believed in this story and worked hard to make it the best it could be.
Chapter One
Tonight’s choice of victims was pitiful.
Selena Tremayne chewed on a swizzle stick as her gaze skimmed the crowd once more, hoping to spot someone she’d overlooked the first time. But no, no one looked even remotely interesting.
She sighed. Just her luck. How did she always wind up at the wrong bar?
She must be cursed.
The ironic thought brought an unwilling smile to her lips. What else would you call a vampire besides cursed?
“Now see, a beautiful woman like you should always smile. It lights up the whole room.”
On hearing the sexy baritone that had uttered those words, she dropped the swizzle stick and a flurry of butterflies took flight in her stomach. He was so close his minty-fresh breath tickled past her ear, causing a delicious shiver to ripple down her spine.
Ordering her hormones to knock it off, she struggled to regain her equilibrium. There was no way in hell the actual man would match that incredible voice. No way. In her experience, the men with the sexiest voices invariably looked the exact opposite of sexy. More along the lines of nerdy.
She forced her gaze up grudgingly, somehow reluctant to have the fantasy behind the voice destroyed but unable to help herself. What if this guy was the exception?
Yeah, sure. Dream on.
“That’s got to be the corniest line I’ve ever heard.” Her breath caught on the last word as her gaze took him in. The man was knee-melting gorgeous, and that was no exaggeration. His eyes were deep blue and mesmerizing, captivating her in a way she hadn’t experienced for a very long time. Maybe too long if the tingling that rippled through her body was any indication. She could almost hear her best friend, Anne, agreeing with that assessment. Anne was forever bugging her to get out more.
Dropping her gaze to his full, sensual lips, she noted they had an ever-so-slight curve at the corners. As if he knew she was attracted to him and was suppressing his amusement at her expense.
That snapped her back to reality and put an immediate damper on those unruly butterflies tap dancing like mad in her stomach. He was obviously quite accustomed to women falling at his feet, and getting his way.
Not surprising since sexual magnetism almost leapt off the guy in waves. She shivered. This guy was danger personified. Someone she should avoid at all costs.
Besides, she didn’t care how gorgeous he was, she wasn’t the type to be predictable. Nor was she interested in becoming one of his groupies. She threw him a caustic look for good measure.
He shrugged and somehow even his nonchalance was another strike against him. In fact, everything about him seemed to set her on edge. She knew her reaction was out-of-proportion considering she didn’t even know the guy, but she couldn’t help it. Purely instinctive, it smacked of self-preservation and she knew it.
“It might be corny, but it’s still true.”
Bristling at his overconfidence, and not the least bit impressed by his flattery, she tried to signal the end of their little parley by turning away.
However, the man obviously couldn’t take a hint, because he continued talking. “Besides, it served its purpose. Got your attention, didn’t it?”
Damn him and that hypnotic voice of his. Those moronic butterflies started up again in earnest. Even worse, she somehow couldn’t make herself just shut up and ignore the guy, no matter how much she knew she should. She turned back around. “But it didn’t keep it.”
A deep, sexy chuckle greeted that pronouncement. “We’re still talking, aren’t we?”
He was right. Double-damn the man. “Not anymore.”
With that, she reached for her purse and made to leave. But before she could stand, his large, strong hand covered hers, effectively stopping her. “If you leave now, you’ll never know what you’re missing.”
The feel of his slightly calloused hand touching hers seared along her skin, from her fingertips clear down to her toes. Ridiculous for such a slight contact.
And that voice. Damn it all to hell. It resonated deep inside her, in a secret place she never allowed to surface, stopping her cold. It didn’t matter how much his overconfidence grated, nor how much her brain screamed at her to get away from him, she couldn’t move. That voice was so full of promise, of nights filled with passion and heat. Of entangled naked limbs. Of sweat-glistened bodies. She dug her fingernails into her palm to keep from throwing herself at him in a humiliating act of outright lust.
Her gaze flew to his and that damned hypnotic quality was still there. Daring her to find out. Daring her to not disappoint him. Daring her to take a chance. Somehow she knew he was testing her. Waiting to see what she would do. If she would take up his dare.
With the challenge thrown down there was no way she could leave. He’d think she was chicken and her pride wouldn’t allow it. Couldn’t allow it. That would give him the control. Something she’d never let a man have again. Ever.
She settled back on her stool and snatched her hand out from under his, fighting the urge to massage the tingling his touch had set off.
Who was this guy, anyway? And why couldn’t she just walk away? Not happy with the obvious answer, she shoved the unwelcome thought out. She fervently wished she’d left back when Anne had, instead of sticking around to finish her drink.
“What makes you so sure I’d be missing anything?” She took her time scrutinizing him, hoping to convey how unimpressed she was. She paused at broad shoulders that would make any woman’s mouth water, continued past abs visibly taut even through his clothes, finishing her scrutiny by skimming the noticeable bulge in his pants.
Oh my.
She blinked and jerked her gaze away, fiercely hoping her eyes hadn’t just bugged out, because it sure felt as if they had. She couldn’t believe she’d just done that. And the possibility he might have noticed her gawking at his crotch like some silly teenager was beyond even contemplating.
Fighting down the blush that threatened to out her, she took a deep breath and valiantly continued her futile efforts at conveying annoyed disinterest. She knew she fell far short of her goal. She was so pathetic.
Damn her traitorous hormones.
She cleared her throat. “It doesn’t look to me like you’ve got anything I haven’t seen before.”
How she manage
d not to roll her eyes at that outright lie she wasn’t quite sure. Especially since her gaze kept flicking back to his impressive package. But despite her double-crossing hormones, it was nice to know he couldn’t make her fall at his feet like a pile of mush. Not quite, anyway.
She was in complete control here. Complete control.
Uh huh. Sure she was.
He gave her a knowing smile. “Ah, but you haven’t seen it, have you?”
She almost choked. Had he seen her gawking? “And I don’t want to, either.” Oh God, did my voice just squeak? She cleared her throat again. “You don’t have anything that interests me in the least.”
Liar, liar. Pants on fire.
And the pathetic thing was that her pants were on fire. Had been ever since he’d first spoken to her in that deep, rich voice of his.
She almost groaned out loud in sheer frustration. This guy was irritating beyond words, and worse, dangerous to her self-control. Why would he be the only guy in a long time to even tempt her?
She was in trouble. Humungous, monumental, astronomical trouble.
She fought down a momentary feeling of panic. What was the matter with her? She was made of tougher stuff than this. She would never have survived if she wasn’t. She sat up straighter and threw back her shoulders, at once feeling more in control.
That’s better.
All she had to do was remember she was only in trouble if she followed through on the impulse to jump his very fine bod. Since she had a lot more self-control than that, she was safe. Nothing could happen.
As long as they didn’t leave the bar together.
His low chuckle brought her out of her musings, raising her hackles again. “What are you laughing at?”
He nodded at her. “You. You’re fighting this attraction between us, but you’ll come around soon enough.”
Arrogant ass. Did he imagine she’d fall into his lap like an overripe peach? Well, he was in for a shock. Hiding a smile, she decided tonight might just prove more amusing than she’d thought. If she handled things right.
She waved the bartender over. “Another Bloody Mary, extra bloody, hold the celery. And could I have another swizzle stick, please?”
The bartender gave her a grin that made his already too-pretty face more so. “Sure thing.”
She grinned back at her own private joke. The reason she drank Bloody Marys was because she thought it was an amusing choice of beverage for a vampire.
Deigning to acknowledge the tall, dark and thoroughly irritating stranger beside her, she asked, “So, what’s an overconfident guy like you called anyway?”
His wicked grin showed he was anything but put off by her comment. In fact, he still looked highly amused. “Rafe. It’s a family name.”
Okay, so he had a sexy name too. So what?
“And what’s an exotic beauty like yourself called?”
If there was one thing Selena knew for sure, no one would ever call her beautiful. Her eyes were slanted, her mouth was too big, and her body was pretty far from a size zero.
Not impressed by the empty compliment, she raised an eyebrow whilst fighting back the urge to roll her eyes yet again. “Selena. And since there’s nothing even remotely exotic about me, I now know something else about you. You’re blind as well as corny.”
He reached over and ever so slowly ran his finger along her cheekbone. “Sounds to me like the other men in your life are the ones who are blind.”
Selena pulled away from his way-too-tempting touch. “No, they just weren’t the type to use empty flattery to get my attention.”
This time he raised his eyebrow. “What makes you think it’s empty flattery?”
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. “Experience.”
Rafe’s gaze bore into hers, scouring her face. If she wasn’t careful, he’d see too much.
“You’ve been hanging around the wrong kind of men. Maybe it’s time you tried something different.” He threw her a wolfish grin. “Like me.”
Audacious bastard. Choosing not to take the bait, her mind drifted over the various men who’d passed through her life. Despite the source of the comment, she found herself agreeing with what he’d said. Not that she’d ever give him the satisfaction of letting him know it.
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
He caught her long fall of hair in his fingers and pushed it behind her ear. Leaning in close, he whispered into her ear. “Definitely.”
There went the idiotic butterflies again. Damn things were beyond annoying. At this rate she’d literally take flight before their verbal exchange was over. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the exasperatingly persistent butterflies were now outdone by the goose bumps that started skittering up and down her spine the moment his warm breath touched her neck.
She needed to pull herself together. In spite of her best efforts, the pile of mush thing seemed to be happening with frightening speed, and that wasn’t like her at all. In fact, it was getting old fast. She had to put a stop to it.
Now.
“If I ever decide I want to try something different, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
His eyes narrowed, giving her the uncomfortable feeling he could read her mind. Then, as if he knew she’d had about as much pushing from him as she was going to take, something in his manner shifted. He hadn’t moved, but to Selena it felt as if he took a huge step back and gave her some breathing room. She all but audibly sighed her relief.
He gave her a sexy grin. “You do that.”
A loud disturbance at the far side of the bar caught their attention and when she glanced back at Rafe he was no longer studying her with those probing eyes of his. The relief was palpable because she could almost believe he saw right through her.
What was this strange pull she felt towards him? Granted, some of it was plain old-fashioned lust, but there was something more going on here. Something that set off every danger signal she owned. Something that frightened the ever-living crap out of her. That threatened her peace of mind and control.
She was drawn to him to the point where he disrupted her equilibrium, but it was more than that. He threatened her safety barriers. Vital walls she’d worked very hard to erect. So much so, she knew she needed to get away from him the first chance she could.
Like right now.
To hell with proving she could resist him. Escape was more important. She eased off her stool. “I’m going to the ladies’ room.”
He nodded absently and with wary eyes continued watching the escalating argument at the other end of the room.
When she reached the exit she glanced back. He was still watching the altercation, so she slipped out unnoticed and went straight home, hoping she would never lay eyes on him again.
Chapter Two
Rafe Hunter was still fuming when he dropped by his office the next day. He couldn’t believe he’d let Selena leave without getting her phone number, or at least her last name.
It was his own damn fault too. She’d been prickly and defensive from the moment they’d met. He should have known she might sneak out on him. In fact, he would have thought of it if he hadn’t been distracted by that damned fight. His entire focus had shifted to the fracas because he thought he’d finally found the one he’d gone to that bar to find in the first place. The one he’d gone there to hunt.
By the time he’d determined it wasn’t, Selena was gone. As if she’d never been there. As if he’d conjured her straight out of his fantasies and thin air. Only her chewed-up swizzle stick had given mute testimony to her actual existence.
Damn it. She was the most intriguing woman he’d met in like, well, that he’d ever met. There was something different about her. Something that drew him. It was more than just her beauty. More than the unique combination of black hair and eyes of lightning-green fire. More than her voluptuous figure. All of which were captivating in themselves. It was more than all those things put together. It was a feeling he couldn’t nail down. An intangible difference that intrigued y
et eluded him.
And he damn well couldn’t believe he’d let her slip away before he had a chance to figure it out.
Some private detective he was.
Opening the door with Hunter Investigations tastefully displayed on a plaque, he wondered what his sister was going to say when he told her the bad news.
As he stepped into the office, the attractive blonde at the reception desk lifted her head and smiled. “Hey, Rafe.” She paused, no doubt noticing the scowl he couldn’t seem to wipe from his face. “Why the glum look?”
He felt like growling at his sister’s cheery tone, but managed to stop himself. It wasn’t her fault he was a bumbling idiot. On two counts. “I didn’t find last night’s target.”
“What! That’s not possible.”
I beg to differ.
Despite his foul mood and the seriousness of the situation, he almost laughed at Larke’s incredulous expression. “You’ve been wrong before.”
“But not when the vision was so clear. There was so much detail this time, I couldn’t have been wrong.”
At her escalating agitation, he attempted to gloss things over. “Maybe it wasn’t as clear as you thought because I’m telling you, the target never showed. I would have known.”
Her troubled gaze skewered him in place. “Are you sure you checked the whole place out?”
“I wandered around everybody in there and nothing. No blood-sucking vampires to be found. And the full moon’s almost here, so he would have reeked of blood for sure.”
That halted the questions he could see brewing in her eyes. She knew he could smell an actively feeding vampire a mile away. If one had been there last night, he would have sniffed him out.
“But I don’t understand. How can that be?”
Her confusion and distress added to his foul mood. Now he was not only miserable about Selena, but he felt like shit for failing his sister. Until this moment he’d assumed her vision was at fault. Even though she was the family visionary, she wasn’t always right. But at her unwavering conviction, he wasn’t so sure anymore. “I don’t know. I’m sorry, Larke.”
