Pleasures Untold

by Lisa Sanchez

  Placing her hands on her hips, she let out a low grunt and frowned. “Show off.”

  I rolled my eyes and let her down.

  Taylor piped in from atop my bed. “She’s right, Martha. The idea of you going back to that club alone skeeves me out. We’re coming with you.” She looked like she might toss her cookies at the mere thought of returning to the scene of her attack, yet she sat staring at me, resolute in her decision. Taylor was nothing if not stubborn, and I loved her all the more for it.

  I groaned. Damn, they were stubborn. “Okay, fine. This is how it’s going to be, and I don’t want any arguments.” I waited to continue until they both nodded in agreement. “You two can come with me to the club, but you’re waiting outside in the car. I can’t properly look for Deanna if I have to worry about you. Are we clear?”

  “Crystal,” Jessica replied with a smile.

  “Yeah. No drama,” Taylor answered, looking slightly relieved. She shoved herself off the bed and followed Jessica and me out of the room, grumbling under her breath.

  ***

  Hanaford Park was a small town, making the drive to the club short. I instructed Jessica to park on one of the many side streets that lined the main strip where Fire and Ice was located. After reminding them once more to stay in the car, I made for the alley behind the club where Taylor had been attacked. As it was daytime, and I had zero skills in the fine art of breaking and entering, I figured the back entrance was my best bet.

  As I approached the rear exit, I reached into my bag pulling Chuck out. Vampires didn’t normally move about during the day. Vitamin D challenged, they couldn’t risk exposure to the daylight. The threat of bursting into flames kept them indoors and away from the fatal effects of the sun. I wasn’t taking any chances, though, and felt much better having a weapon in my hand.

  The air surrounding the rear exit was thick and charged with electricity. Magic. Someone powerful had been there recently. The sexy bartender vamp’s face took a front row seat in my mind, and I shook my head, effectively squashing any and all thoughts of him. Yeah, he’d broken through my magical barrier and levitated, but that didn’t mean he’d been skulking around the rear exit of the club performing magic tricks. Besides, I had yet to come across a vamp that could withstand the harsh rays of the sun. There was no such thing, and his sexy ass was relegated to the dark indoors.

  I lifted my hand toward the door, only to let it drop to my side in frustration two seconds later. Someone had placed a protection ward on the door.

  “Crap,” I muttered under my breath. I wasn’t dealing with your average run of the mill demon or vampire here. Whoever placed the magical barrier on the door possessed a great deal of power. I’d come across several protection wards in my time, some more powerful than others. But this one, yeah…it was by far the strongest. How the hell was I going to get in? I knew better than to try and force my way through. Fools who attempted to break through protection wards always ended up dead. My great-grandma didn’t raise no fool.

  With a loud and rather profane curse, I turned, heading out toward the front of the club. I made it all of five feet in front of the entrance when I sensed the same electrical charge that filled the air near the rear exit. To my utter, freaking dismay, the front entrance was a no-go as well. Whoever cast the spell wasn’t messing around. He or she didn’t want anyone getting into the club. This, of course, sent all kinds of unsavory thoughts firing through my brain. Deanna was inside. I was sure of it. My guess? She’d been sucked dry and shoved into a wall somewhere and holed up so no one would find her. Yep, the thought was morbid, sick, and entirely unsettling. Unfortunately for me, I was used to it. I ate unsettling for breakfast on a regular basis.

  With a frustrated sigh, I walked quickly back to the car, climbing into the front seat with a loud huff. I jammed Chuck into my bag and crossed my arms over my chest. “Let’s go.”

  Jessica knit her eyebrows together and frowned. “I take it you didn’t find anything.”

  I pursed my lips, my eyes focused on the windshield. Ashamed of my weakness, I couldn’t look her in the eye. “I didn’t even get in.” The words felt like acid in my mouth as I formed them, burning my tongue, and choking me. “Someone placed a protection ward on both entrances. Someone more powerful than me.” Admitting I couldn’t get past someone else’s magic was a staggering blow to my ego. I sighed. “With no windows and the only way in through the doors, there’s no way anyone is getting in until those wards are removed, which I am guessing will be tonight before it opens.”

  “All righty, then,” Jessica said, merging into traffic. “Looks like we’ll be back tonight at ten.”

  Taylor groaned from the back seat.

  ***

  I shouldn’t have been excited. I mean, really…I was going to the club in search of a missing girl who’d more than likely met her Maker. But my body? Yeah…it didn’t give a damn about the absentee co-ed. My pulse quickened and a flush crept over my skin the minute we walked through the entrance of Fire and Ice. As I followed Jessica and Taylor toward the back of the club where the tables were located, I found myself scanning the bar looking for him.

  I shook my head in disgust. I had no business thinking about him, let alone entertaining thoughts of speaking to him again. He was a vampire, for crap’s sake. I killed vampires; I didn’t lust after them. Well, at least, not normally. There was also the fact I had no idea if he’d even be working. And really, when did vampires start pulling day jobs? Still, it didn’t stop my eyes from searching. God, I was pathetic.

  Being the idiot that I am, I’d actually made a fuss earlier over what I was going to wear for the better part of an hour. After changing my outfit a whopping five times, which was completely unheard of behavior where I was concerned, I finally found an ensemble I was comfortable with.

  Taylor and Jessica stared me down like I’d grown a second head, and kept flashing me looks that said, “Who are you and what have you done with our friend?” Donning a black, pinstripe garter dress, (yes, it was from Hot Topic. Whatever!) and a pair of blue, graffiti print boots, I even let Jessica help me with my makeup again as I hadn’t a clue how to do the “girly girl” thing. Like I said before, I was pathetic.

  “What are you looking at?” Taylor asked as we found a table and sat down.

  “Nothing,” I lied. “Just scanning the area.” There was no way in hell I was going to admit I was looking for Mr. Off-Limits. I gave a nod in the direction of the dance floor. “Why don’t you two go dance while I look for our missing girl. And for crap’s sake, stay together!”

  They both nodded and made their way onto the dance floor, Taylor sticking to Jessica like glue. I was relatively confident there wouldn’t be a repeat performance of last week’s events. My girl had learned her lesson.

  With my friends occupied, I set about my task of searching for Deanna. I figured I’d start with the areas of the club I was familiar with first. I’d make my way toward the right rear end of the club, where the hallway that led to the bathrooms was, then I’d hit the opposite side of the building where the offices were located.

  Both bathrooms were a bust. There were no signs of struggle, nor was there any of the tell tale signs or signatures of magic having been done. The same went for the small utility room that also occupied the back hallway. Aside from a very angry couple who I’d inadvertently treated to a “coitus interruptus,” there wasn’t a damn trace of Deanna.

  I made my way back out to the main portion of the club, cutting through the dance floor so I could keep tabs on Jessica and Taylor, who were still joined at the hip and dancing up a storm. I smiled and walked on until a warm rush swallowed me whole, stopping me in my tracks. It was him.

  Looking over my right shoulder, my eyes found what they’d been searching for all night, and it wasn’t the missing girl. A pair of penetrating eyes locked onto mine, rendering me immobile and stealing my breath away. F
or a moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the club. There he was in all his glory, standing motionless behind the bar, watching me. Gone was the playful demeanor he exhibited when we’d first met. The expression he wore now was deeply serious, bordering on severe, and yet, with his tanned skin, messy bed-hair and muscular build he was still the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

  So this was what Jessica had been talking about earlier. The instant kind of attraction that propelled even the smartest of women to commit grand acts of stupidity. I closed my eyes, shaking my head. I wasn’t that kind of girl. I refused to be that girl.

  Snap out of it, Martha. You are here to find Deanna.

  Tapping into a reserve of willpower I didn’t know I possessed, I looked away and continued on through the busy dance floor toward the offices. The butterflies swirling around in my stomach continued their flight, and I knew he was still watching me. And for as much as I tried, I couldn’t contain the smile that emerged. I liked his eyes on me, which was a revelation that was altogether scary. No guy had ever brought about this type of reaction in me before. And he was no ordinary guy. He was a vampire. And I loathed vampires.

  I hurried down the corridor on the left side of the club where the offices were located. Both doors were locked, forcing me to magically pick them so I could continue my reconnoitering. Much like the bathrooms, the offices revealed no signs of struggle and had no lingering stamp of magic. So far my search for Deanna was coming up short.

  Doing my best to appear inconspicuous, I exited the last office and ventured further down the narrow hallway until it dead-ended. My only way out was to either double back the way I came or travel up a set of stairs to my right. I opted for the stairs.

  I’d climbed all of three steps when a jolt of electricity shot up my spine. The baby fine hair covering my body stood on end, and a low level hum vibrated through me.

  Bingo. Magic.

  Much like before, the air was thick and heavy, with the electrical buzz that only magic left behind. Slowly, cautiously, I climbed the remaining steps, which led me to another hallway with a single door waiting at the end. I’d hit the jackpot. I was one hundred percent certain what I’d find. Well…okay, maybe more like ninety-nine point nine percent sure I’d find Deanna Foster waiting either alive or dead behind door number one.

  Reaching into my bag, I pulled out Chuck and crept forward, my senses on high alert. I lifted my hand slowly toward the door and received a nasty shock that singed the tips of my fingers, causing me to howl in pain.

  “Ow…crap!” The ward on the door was strong. Even stronger than the ones outside had been. This cemented my belief that Deanna was in the room.

  “I wouldn’t try that again if I were you.”

  I froze. My senses were magnified, on high alert. If a pin dropped on the opposite side of the club, I’d have heard it.

  Adrenaline rushed through my veins. I hadn’t heard anyone approach, which meant only one thing. There was a vampire or demon behind me.

  Gripping Chuck tight in my hand, I whirled around and stabbed my silent enemy, driving the wooden stake deep into his…shoulder. Oh, God. No. No. No. I missed the chest area altogether. Not good. If I don’t move fast, I’m a goner. I fought to hold onto the weapon as my arm trembled and shook. Using my body as leverage, I stepped back, preparing to yank the stake from its body by brute force.

  A strong hand came to rest over mine that still gripped the end of the stake, and I looked up, gasping in shock. Him. I’d stabbed him. Holy Mary, Mother of…

  “Wha…but…I…” The ability to form a coherent sentence left me as I stood open-mouthed in front of the handsome creature who had saved my life the week before. I was no expert with regard to etiquette, but was fairly certain it wasn’t good form to repay the person who previously saved your life by stabbing them. With feet glued to the floor, I stared up at him in horror, waiting for him to end my life.

  With a slight grimace, he tugged on my hand, which still held the stake, and slowly, pulled the offending piece of wood from his shoulder with a frown. “Your aim could use a little work, carino.” He swiped Chuck across the leg of his pants, cleaning off the blood and handed me the weapon with a smirk.

  I blanched and took a step back, gripping the stake in my hand. “You think this is funny?” I wasn’t amused at all. Nope. I was pissed, confused, horny as hell, and I wanted some answers. Who the hell was this vampire? Why wasn’t I able to sense him, and why did he affect me the way he did?

  I glared at him, burning a hole into that beautiful face of his with my anger-filled eyes. “I could have killed you. I could kill you yet,” I added, and raised the stake up again as if to strike. Truth was, though he saved me the week before, I had no idea what his motives were. No, I didn’t feel any danger from him, but that didn’t mean diddly. His ability to mask his presence so easily left me more than a little worried. This guy was powerful and definitely someone to be wary of.

  The threat of being staked again didn’t seem to faze him. He was the very picture of calm. “Put your arm down, carino.” He motioned to my raised limb, which automatically dropped to my side, much to my dismay, and completely against my own will.

  I wriggled my arm in vain, pissed when it wouldn’t budge. “Hey,” I protested loudly.

  He glanced down at the gaping wound in his shoulder, then back at me, his expression serious. “No. I don’t think this is funny. If you’re going to defeat your enemy, you need to work on making your mark. And I’d prefer it if you wouldn’t use me for target practice in the future.”

  “I…uh…” Every coherent thought I had seemed to ooze out my ears as I stood before him. Defeat my enemy? Make my mark? Isn’t he my enemy? No…he can’t possibly be my enemy. Not when he makes me feel…

  The sweetness of his breath wafting across my face as he spoke, along with the sultry sound of his Latin accent, thoroughly mesmerized me. Dressed in a tight black T-shirt hugging the muscled contours of his chest, and black slacks, he exuded an air of confidence and raw masculinity that was staggering. I stared up at him, confused, red-faced, and mute.

  He scrutinized me with one eyebrow raised, and I melted under his stare. Those warm caramel eyes of his were really too much. Flecks of chocolate and gold rimmed the edges of his irises, each gorgeous orb surrounded by a thick fan of black lashes.

  The corner of his mouth turned up. “What are you doing up here? My apartment is off limits to the public.”

  His admission sucked me back into the here and now. My eyes grew wide. “Your apartment?” I pointed my finger toward the door and jabbed as I spoke. “You live here?” There. Finally! I had my voice back.

  He looked at me like I was a few tacos short of a full platter. He shifted in place and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes. I own this club, and make my home above it.”

  His admission was an unexpected revelation. Well, hey — at least I’d know where to find him from now on.

  Focus, Martha…

  I glanced at the front door of his apartment, and then back to him. “So it was you that warded the doors then.” It was a statement, not a question, and an easy deduction. He lived above the club, and possessed a great deal of power. That left one pressing question. Why? What was he hiding? Deanna? All the evidence pointed to him, but there was just something…something about him seemed off, different than the usual undead dirtbags I dealt with. Where they bombarded me with auras that were intrinsically evil — he did not.

  I threw daggers at him with my eyes. He hadn’t answered my question. In fact, he stood smiling down at me with a smug grin that sent my temper flaring. I failed to see the humor in the situation. Pretty Boy needed to man up and spill what he knew. “Well? Did you or did you not ward the doors?”

  “Yes.”

  I narrowed my eyebrows and scowled. “I see you are a man of many words.”

  He gave a small c
huckle and readjusted his stance. I noticed the stab wound in his shoulder had miraculously healed, though his shirt still looked like it had seen better days.

  “Care to elaborate?” I asked, leaning back on one leg and crossing my arms with a huff. “What is it that you’re hiding?” A dead sorority girl? His midnight snack? The laundry list of possibilities was endless.

  He took a deep breath, his smile fading into a frown. “A problem.”

  Nice. Another clipped answer. What was it with this guy?

  He brushed past me, gliding toward his door like sex on wheels. He mumbled something under his breath I couldn’t make out and ran a hand through his messy hair.

  I shot forward, stepping in front of him. I wanted answers and he was going to give them to me. “What kind of problem?” If he gave me another one liner, I was seriously going to stab him again.

  With a sigh, he shook his head, clearly aggravated with my persistence, and brushed past me once again, releasing the protective ward, opening the door. He leaned against the wall and crossed his feet at the ankles before throwing his arm out, motioning for me to check things out.

  I stepped past him, cautiously peering into the darkened room, unable to see anything.

  “This kind of problem,” he said from behind me and snapped his fingers, magically filling the room with light.

  I gasped. Suspended in air in the far corner of the room was Deanna, magically bound, gagged, and violently struggling against her bonds. A quick glance was all I needed to make up my mind. Sexy or no, bartender vamp was going down.

  I turned, arm raised and ready to strike again, certain I wouldn’t miss my mark twice, only to have Chuck fly out of my hand and into that of Mr. Off-Limits. Acting on instinct, I backed away, which unfortunately resulted in me standing in the center of his room. Dammit! Panicked, I spun in a circle, my eyes frantically searching for another way out. Escape was essential. I refused to end up a vampire buffet. Shit! No windows.