Dirty Love

by Olivia Starke

  She nibbled her bottom lip. She hadn’t told him yet, but how could she broach the subject? Hey, Davis is your long lost daddy. Oh, and he wants you dead because you’re some sort of abomination thanks to the crazy sex we had before we were blown to smithereens.

  He cupped her chin, tilting her face up. “And about last night, in the warehouse.” His gaze darkened. “I…I came on too strong. I mean, that’s not how you…or I, at least, approach sex. I tried to keep the beast at bay. It’s not an excuse, but….”

  She stroked his fingers, the warmth of his palm heating her skin. “Sugar, I know you wouldn’t hurt me. Plus, if I’d not been into it, I would’ve given you a big ass kicking. Despite that inner monster of yours, you’re too much a puppy deep down. And frankly, one hell of a good lay.”

  Her teasing tone fell flat, his face still drawn in guilt. A reminder he wasn’t a fucking type of guy. He made love, something she knew nothing about.

  “A woman like you deserves better. A man needs to work for the honor of being with you.”

  She blinked, pulling away from his touch. A woman like me? Who did he think she was? Some sweet southern simpleton? Annoyance simmered. He didn’t want a one-night fling, despite what he believed. He wanted a kindhearted and wonderful girlfriend. He didn’t want a woman who could out drink, out cuss, and out fuck any man around.

  “What’s the matter?” He reached for her, but she backed off, aggravation turning to full-out anger.

  “What’s the matter? I’ll tell you what the matter is. You don’t want me. You want a girlfriend who wears flowers in her hair and welcomes you home every night with a kiss and dinner on the table.” Anger boiled into fury. “Things that’ll never be me. I’m the girl who fucks, Jared, like in the warehouse. I don’t make love.” She made a face, mocking the words.

  His mouth opened and closed. A little voice in her mind warned of her irrationality—the rusty give a damn corner of her brain. Too late, fury stampeded her thoughts. She grabbed her discarded boots, intending to storm away.

  He grasped her upper arm, pulling her around. “What the hell is this about? We signed up for a one-night stand. Where’s all this girlfriend talk coming from?”

  Boom, like a clap of thunder, fury gave away to equal amounts of hurt and shame. No, she wasn’t girlfriend material, not Jared girlfriend material. She’d let her insecurities loose, and he’d thrown them back in her face. The tenuous thread joining them last night snapped. Perhaps she was responsible for some unleashed monster, but he’d taken full control of it. She could walk away right now without guilt.

  “Here are our happy little lovebirds.”

  She hadn’t heard the approaching footfalls. Of course, vampires were stalking masters.

  She turned to face the group. “You gotta be fucking kidding me.”

  Jared growled. His teeth extended, and he ran his tongue over the sharp points. Adrenaline surged, warning of the shift.

  “Looks like you were wrong, Davis,” Kat began. “Jared is fine. He’s all back to human.” She waved up and down toward him, emphasizing her point.

  Davis stepped forward. “It doesn’t matter. He can’t be allowed to live, sorry.”

  The mob had swelled to fifteen. The beast stirred, his chest tightening, heart pounding. White teeth flashed, ready for blood. They were in a more dangerous predicament than the parking garage. In a city the size of Los Angeles, how could this place be so deserted? Not even a hobo to deter the coming attack.

  A sharp pain settled in his bones. He clamped his teeth, but the pain grew.

  Kat moved between him and Davis. “How can you be so callous toward your son, Davis? You’re the monster, not Jared.”

  Jared sucked in a breath. “What?”

  “Yeah, Davis told me, last night, while you were your werewolf thing. He’s your daddy. Dirty Love can make mutant vampire werewolf babies, or something.”

  No, can’t be true. “How in the world could he be my father?” He directed the question to Kat, but studied Davis closer, looking for some kind of familiarity. Same height, build, eye color….

  “Let’s say once upon a time I developed a taste for werewolf while traveling north on business. A short summer affair; the blasted Montana cold is too much. When your mother became pregnant, she didn’t have the common sense God gave a dog, despite my warnings to end the pregnancy.”

  His hackles rose. “I’m warning you, walk away now.”

  Davis chuckled, a cold sound. “Can’t do that. Kat belongs to me, and I have a punishment waiting for her. So, come along. You two will be accompanying me on my boat. Unless, of course, you’d like to settle things now?”

  Jared couldn’t shift, not with Kat and the world within easy reach. They had no choice but to play along until he could come up with something else.

  ***

  They stared at one another from across the small room. Werewolf and vampire stuck below deck on a luxury yacht.

  “I can’t swim,” Kat said, breaking the silence. “How’s that for irony right now?”

  He plastered on his most reassuring smile, wanting to soothe her fears. Though his own left a knot in his stomach. “Don’t worry; it won’t come to something so drastic.”

  “Really?” She lifted a hand, a chain around her wrist leading to a massive lead weight. “You’re right. I don’t think this is meant for swimming. Just an eternity of drowning, coming back to life, then re-drowning. Good times.”

  “That won’t happen. Too many sharks out here.” He winked, hoping she’d take to the joke.

  She narrowed her eyes. “Okay, Mr. Fucking Ray of Sunshine. You should write for greeting cards.”

  He laughed, staring over his own restraints. Easy work for a beast; not so much for man-form.

  “It’d be nice if we were in on their plans. Any ideas, Kat?”

  She pursed her lips. “If I know Davis, and I do, he’s got something elaborate and sadistic in mind. So sadistic plans, and outside that, no clue.”

  A vampire appeared. “I think we’re ready for you two.”

  Chapter Seven

  Kat winced beneath the blazing sun. She waddled onto deck, forced to carry the lead weight. Davis had spared no expense on the ridiculous boat. Real gold trim, leather everywhere leather could be on a boat. All it needed was a collection of bikini clad models who didn’t scorch after an hour in the sun. She hadn’t been on the vessel before because she feared water. Her nightmare had come true. And she’d dragged Jared into it.

  She’d almost gotten him blown to bits. Now he’d be thrown overboard instead, since she’d fucked up their first plan. A slower death for them both, so kudos to her. Wow, she should be banned from first dates. Jared stood next to her, face impassive, putting on a brave front. She stared over the white-capped waves of the Pacific. A vast expanse of blue reaching into forever, thousands of feet deep, a waiting funerary.

  Davis appeared, grinning, opening his arms. “You finally get to see the boat, Kat. Isn’t she a beauty? As a matter of fact, she’s named My Beauty. Fitting, don’t you think?”

  She snorted. “Bite me, asshole.”

  He shook his head. “You’ve always had the mouth of a sailor, a shame for someone so pretty. And shame I have to throw you out like a rancid meal. You were so amusing for me.” He leveled his cold gaze on Jared. “Quite the wild thing in the sack, too.”

  Jared growled, betraying his appearance of calm.

  She had to stall, work out a new plan. “You’re going to murder two people, Davis?”

  He gave her a consolatory look. “No, only you. We’ll keep your playmate around. Can you imagine him in the fighting rings? We can pit him against any vampire and come out sure winners. We’ll make a fortune.”

  “I’m not your fighting dog, Davis. I’ll do no such thing.”

  “Oh, I think you will. The nice thing about our kind, we’ve all the time in the world.” He tipped his head, and two men appeared, lifting Kat off her feet. She screamed. Jared lunged but his h
andlers jerked him back. He roared, trying to claw his way free of the tangle of chains around his wrists and ankles.

  “We’ll miss you, Kat.” Davis waved.

  The gleaming rail glinted beneath her then a terrifying sensation of nothingness. The water slammed into her, closing in, and sucking her down. She fought back, her supernatural strength useless.

  Jared gave in to it; the beast inside tore free of human flesh. Nothing kept it in check, nothing left on the boat mattered. Kill, tear to pieces, blood, watch them all die. The beast roared, and vampires backed away. Iron snapped, fell free…fear, screaming. The beast wanted to feed, wanted the taste of blood. But one thing throbbed in its mind. One word shouting inside its skull.

  Kat.

  It bolted, leapt off the bow of the boat, and sank beneath the frothy blue and white.

  Kat sputtered, burning salt water choking her. Sunlight had been swallowed up by dense overcast, and waves lapped the side of her face. Her addled brain searched for an explanation, and struggled against an arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders. An answering growl stilled her. She gulped air, catching the scent of a beast mixed with Jared’s welcoming aroma. Her blurred vision took in the ocean far as she could see. She relaxed into the beast’s embrace as it paddled the two of them to land, her watery death curtailed for the time being. And she hoped they’d make it.

  ***

  The lavish lodge seemed too much. A chandelier glittered from the vaulted ceiling, overstuffed furniture dotted the room, and a bed the size of her old apartment dominated it all. Kat spun in place, taking in the scene, before turning her attention to her lover.

  “How can you afford this, Jared?”

  He grinned, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her until dizziness swamped her brain. “I’ve done work for the Castillo Resorts in the past, so I got a decent discount on their lodge retreat. They’re pretty good to their employees.”

  Outside, light snowfall drifted over the Canadian landscape. They’d made the decision to head north after their near death experience in California. Perhaps the coward’s way out, but for the time being she wanted to focus on their relationship. A sweet budding flower planted against her years of jaded belief systems in regards to happily ever after. Though he’d wanted to stay and search out the vampire mob, she’d pleaded to run, and in the end, he’d agreed. Vampires hated Canada. And she’d plot sweet revenge against Davis, with plenty of time to get it just right. And maybe she could convince her friend Monica to help. The other vamp had never cared for Davis’s methods.

  Jared stroked her hair, his warm gaze weaving deep inside her chilly thoughts. “We had a rough go of it, but I can’t imagine 1Night Stand could’ve picked a better match for me. I’ve found the woman I can’t live without and be damned the idea of Dirty Love. Even if it creates mutant vampire werewolf spawn like me.”

  She chuckled, and burrowed deep in his arms, soaking in the wonderful energy sizzling between them. “I couldn’t agree more. Now shut up and kiss me.”

  He obeyed, a faithful monster to her blood-thirsty vampire, but together a beautiful and perfect union.

  ~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~

  Olivia Starke calls the Ozarks home. One of the most beautiful areas in the country, she loves hiking trails with her dogs, kayaking on the numerous waterways, and enjoying southern Missouri’s fresh air and sunshine.

  She’s also ‘Mom’ to her four dogs, a growing number of kitties that show up at her door, and four VERY spoiled horses that do little to earn their keep. Not that she’d ever hold that against them.

  She loves to hear from fans and welcomes them to email her oliviastarke@ymail.com & to visit her website www.authoroliviastarke.com for information on new releases and the occasional contest!

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