“Here.” Bree returned. Kyra knew her voice but couldn’t seem to turn her head.
Reina helped Kyra sit up and supported her while Bree fed her the aspirin. They stuck on her tongue with that awful chalky taste. She felt the rim of a glass touch her lips and then relief as water rolled over her tongue and down her throat. Kyra downed the rest of the glass and leaned against Reina. Her body was tired. Her head was pounding. She was forgetting something. Her tongue felt thick, too large for her mouth.
“More.” Kyra croaked the word. Déjà vu. Sort of.
“Your wish is my command.” Bree bit out bitterly. But she left with the empty glass.
“You look like shit.” Reina ran her fingers through Kyra’s hair, working out the tangled curls. “Please tell me you at least got laid.”
“I – I – don’t,” Kyra trailed off. She couldn’t remember.
“Noooooo,” Reina moaned. “Tell me you didn’t screw it up.”
Bree reappeared with a glass of water that Kyra gulped down. She struggled to remember her night. Standing outside the club, walking through the orgy-fest, the VIP room, dancing with Reina and Bree – but then it got fuzzy. There was a guy. Yes, she remembered the guy dancing with her. But she couldn’t see his face. He took her home. The car was nice. He smelled amazing. “He wasn’t here when you guys got here?”
“Honey, nobody was here.” Bree’s anger dissolved into concern. “The door was locked when we got here. I had to use my spare key to get in.”
“But – how?” Kyra rubbed at her eyes.
“Oh! Maybe he went down the fire escape when he heard us?” Reina grinned. “I’ve known some guys who’ve done that.”
“She doesn’t have a fire escape, Rey.” Bree rolled her eyes. “Are you sure he was here? You could have been dreaming.”
“No, no.” Kyra strained to remember. Had it been a dream? Had he just dropped her off and left? She brushed her hair back and rubbed the back of her neck.
“What happened to your neck?” Reina looked horrified and pointed as Bree leaned in to see better.
“Huh?” Kyra touched along her neckline until she came across two small bumps. What the hell was happening to her?
“Is that a bug bite?” Bree closed in until her breath was hot on Kyra’s shoulder. “Nope, doesn’t look like any bite I’ve ever seen. Needle marks maybe? No, too big.” She palpated the bumps with the pad of her forefinger. “Weird.”
“Why don’t you take a shower and we’ll make some breakfast. Then we can figure out what happened.” Reina popped up from the bed and grinned her I’m-trying-to-be-optimistic-so-you-don’t-worry-grin. “Scoot. You’ll feel better after a shower and some of my famous hangover eggs.”
Bree backed up and shrugged. “I could look some stuff up online. But you really should shower, you look like hell.” She swatted Kyra on the knee and followed Reina out of the room.
Kyra could hear her friends bickering all the way down the hall. She pulled her knees up to her chest and exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. What happened to her? Is this what she gets for one night of fun? Did she even have fun or was it all in her head?
Kyra stretched and slid off the bed, the pounding in her head surprisingly improved. She tottered to the only window in her bedroom and checked it – just in case. Locked. Kyra chuckled to herself. She lived on the fifth floor. With no fire escape it would take a fool with a death wish to leave her room that way.
She probably just dreamed the whole thing like Bree suggested.
Kyra felt a draft and looked down. Naked. Of course her friends wouldn’t mention it, no big deal for them. Kyra shuffled to the bathroom, the cold tile sending chills up her body. She looked in the mirror, braced herself on the sink to study her reflection. They weren’t kidding, she really did look like shit. Makeup smeared under her eyes, pale, lips too dry and…the marks on her neck stood out against her fair skin – twin metaphors for her poor attempt to walk on the wild side. Kyra started the shower and stepped in the stall.
A groan escaped her lips as she stepped into the spray to wash away the remnants of whatever happened last night. The scent of the floral shampoo overwhelmed her senses and forced her to wash it out almost immediately. She skipped the body wash for fear the lavender would make her vomit. It sucked to be hungover. Kyra dried herself off and wrapped her hair in a loose bun. She didn’t feel like messing with it. Her cotton robe felt heavy but somehow soothed her prickling skin.
Kyra shuffled out to the kitchen. Bree sat hunched over Kyra’s laptop while Reina flitted around the kitchen. The glorious smell of eggs and coffee smacked Kyra in the face – she almost drooled as the desire to vomit was suddenly replaced by a tremendous hunger. She slid on to one of the bar stools and Reina promptly rewarded her with a heaping plate of food.
“You smell better already.” Reina winked and set a steaming cup of coffee in front of her.
“Thanks.” Kyra muttered and dug into the scrambled eggs. They slid down her throat to satisfy her rumbling stomach.
“The only thing that even remotely resembles those things are your neck are animal bites but none of them are quite right.” Bree looked up from the laptop. “I don’t know what they are. Maybe you should see a doctor.” She accepted a plate from Reina and started munching away at the eggs.
“Nah. I’m feeling better already.” Kyra had to admit that the food was helping and even though the lights were a bit bright, she really seemed to be out of the woods. Quickest hangover recovery ever – but Kyra wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She shoveled the rest of the food into her mouth and washed it down with two more cups of coffee.
“With a recovery time like that, why don’t you party with us more?” Reina gaped as she refilled Kyra’s coffee mug for the third time.
“It must be your excellent nursing.” Kyra actually grinned at her friend. She felt her body coming to life again, the headache all but forgotten. “The lights are a little bright in here, aren’t they?”
“Nope, same as always.” Bree didn’t even look up. “Seriously, I can’t find anything that matches those bumps on your neck. I have a friend who’s a nurse, maybe she could tell us more.”
“Ah, a friend.” Reina emphasized the last word and raised her eyebrows at Bree. “Is this the friend you’ve been hiding from us?”
Bree gave them both a warning look. “I’m serious. There could be something wrong. Kyra, you should see somebody.”
“Ah, come on, Bree.” Kyra teased. “You’ve got a new girlfriend, that’s great. Why don’t we go out for drinks tonight and you can introduce us?”
“Wait – you want to go out again tonight?” Reina touched Kyra’s forehead lightly. “Who are you and what have you done with Kyra Donovan!?”
“I’m not saying I want a repeat of last night, but if Bree has a new girlfriend then let’s meet her.” Kyra toyed with her fork, pushing crumbs around the plate. “A few drinks at a reputable establishment with my best friends is just the right way to vacation, don’t you think?”
“I’m in for drinks but I’m not bringing the nurse.” Bree’s words were firm and Kyra knew better than to push her. “Let’s hit that place uptown with the battling jazz pianos. It’s low key and classy – not the place to get plastered and meet boys.”
“What exactly is wrong with getting plastered and meeting boys? You’ve been up for it before?” Reina popped up and cleared the dishes.
“After last night?” Bree let her question hang in the air with the tone of finality that Kyra and Reina never questioned. She closed the laptop. “Tomorrow, if those marks are still inflamed, I will drive you to a doctor myself.”
“Fair enough.” Kyra nodded her accession. “So, piano bar tonight?”
“Works for me.” Reina caught Kyra’s eye and winked. “Since you’re feeling better, you want to hit the gym?”
“I’m not feeling that much better, Rey.” Kyra chuckled. “I was thinking of plopping on the cou
ch for a movie marathon.”
“Oooooh…that sounds awesome.” Reina gushed. “I’m in. I’ll just borrow something from you for tonight.” She flew to the couch and flicked on the TV. “So, what’re we watching first?”
Kyra joined her friend on the couch. “You staying too, Bree?”
“Why not?” Bree settled on the couch and tucked her feet up beneath her. “Just no documentaries today.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Reina settled on the latest cheesy RomCom and then a second, but by the time the third one started, Kyra felt restless.
“What time is it?” Kyra stretched, her muscles stiff from sitting so long.
“Time to watch another movie.” Reina mumbled, her head practically covered by throw pillows.
“Nah, I can’t sit anymore. I feel awake.” Kyra bounced off the couch. “How about protein shakes and a run before we go out?”
“Somebody’s feeling perky again.” Bree groaned. “You wanna run now?”
“Yeah, why not?” Kyra headed into the kitchen and started making a protein shake.
“K, I’ll do a protein shake but I’m not going running.” Bree countered. “If you want to get a table at the piano bar, we’ll have to get there early.”
Kyra pouted. She really needed to work out some of the energy in her limbs. It seemed strange to feel so amazing after being hungover. “These shakes must really be working. I feel incredible – like I could run a marathon.”
“Let’s not test that theory, okay?” Bree nudged Reina who had nodded off at some point. “Rey, you want a protein shake?”
“Wha – no.” Reina put a pillow over her head and stretched back out, taking over the space Kyra had vacated.
“Just two then, Kyra.” Bree slid off the couch so Reina could stretch all the way out. “She was up almost all night.”
“Isn’t she always?” Kyra kicked the blender on but Reina didn’t budge. She poured the green mix into two glasses and handed one to Bree.
“She’s gonna burn out.” Bree sipped her smoothie. Her face scrunched up and she stuck her tongue out. “That’s disgusting.”
Kyra chugged hers and reached for Bree’s. “You get used to it. Besides, look what it does for me. You saw me this morning.”
“I guess.” Bree conceded. “How long do you think we should let her sleep?”
“I’m going for a run. We can wake her when I get back.” Kyra polished off the second smoothie and headed back to her bedroom before Bree could stop her. She changed into running clothes and grabbed her iPod. The music thrummed through her earbuds loud enough to block out whatever Bree was saying as Kyra made for the front door.
Her friend worried too much – where was this concern last night when she kept passing the flask to Kyra? “You can’t have it both ways, Bree,” she whispered to herself as she descended the stairs two at a time to the lobby.
The air rippled pleasurably over her exposed skin. Kyra limbered up and took off, arms pumping in rhythm with her music. She had no idea how long she’d been running until her iPod died. Without music pushing her, Kyra pulled up and looked around for the first time to realize she was miles from home on the other end of town. Across the street from Blade. Holy shit. How did that happen? Shaken, Kyra hailed a cab to take her home. She told the driver to stay and she’d make it worth his while.
Kyra opened the door to her apartment, prepared for the onslaught from her friends but it never came. Reina snored softly on the sofa and she could hear the shower going. Kyra grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and waited for Bree to emerge from the bathroom. She wasn’t even winded, her muscles felt like they could run another several miles. Those protein shakes were something else.
“That was a hell of a run.” Bree commented as she worked gel into her short ‘do. “Or did you stop for ice cream without us?”
“You got me. I got a cab too, he’s waiting outside for us so we need to get moving cuz the meter’s running.” Kyra played it off and slipped past her friend toward the bathroom for her second shower of the day. No need to worry Bree further with what really happened. Kyra showered quickly – she had to hold her breath as much as possible because the scent of her shampoo was still too strong.
A high-necked dress and a simple chignon later, Kyra and her friends slid into the cab. She exchanged a meaningful look with the driver and passed him a fifty to keep quiet. Bree directed him to the piano bar and they were off.
“K, your wardrobe is seriously lacking.” Reina complained again about the lack of options for her to borrow. “I look ridiculous.”
“Rey, you’re wearing my lingerie. I told you to pick a dress.” Kyra chastised.
“This is the closest thing you had to something I would wear. But it’s so long.” Reina whined.
Kyra noticed the cabbie steal a glance in the rearview mirror. She rolled her eyes at Bree over Reina’s head. “I’m so sorry that it will take that much more work to show off your ass tonight.”
“It’s not about showing off my ass. It’s about being comfortable.” Reina retorted. She folded her arms under her generous bust and winked at the cabbie in the rearview. Her hot pink bra peeked out from beneath the skimpy black satin and lace.
“I just hope they let you in.” Bree muttered as she pulled at the hem of the dress she’d borrowed. It was the longest one Kyra owned, but Bree had about six inches on Kyra. The little black dress was really little on Bree and barely hit her mid-thigh.
“You both could have gone home and used your own clothes.” Kyra reminded them with a chuckle. She felt really good – alive. Smells were stronger, sounds were louder, and her friends’ bodies were warmer.
They strolled into the piano bar and Reina immediately scanned the room for a familiar face. She waved to a table at the far end and made it obvious enough that the host took notice. Reina knew how to play the game and she played it well, better than anybody Kyra had ever seen.
“We’d like to sit with my friends, just over there.” Reina flirted with the host and waved again at the two men. The older gentleman nodded at the host and gestured for him to let them pass. “Come along, girls. Let’s have some fun.”
“What is she getting us into now?” Bree whispered in Kyra’s ear and they both chuckled.
Reina sidled up to the table, and both men stood and bowed their greetings to her. “Ladies, allow me to introduce Dominic Chartreaux and his charming son, Oliver. Gentlemen, these are my very closest friends, Kyra Donovan and Bree Chastain.”
The father and son team motioned for the ladies to join them as waiters appeared with enough chairs to accommodate them. “Reina, it is a pleasure to see you again. Oliver tells me you’ve made plans to do a skydiving shoot in Brazil next month.” Dominic Chartreaux was the very definition of a silver fox, no lines on his face betraying his true age. Kyra could not place his accent but noticed it on certain syllables.
“I asked Oliver to accompany me on the trip but he said you have business.” Reina feigned a pout for Dominic’s benefit.
“I’m sure we could release Oliver for a few days. We would not want our Reina traveling around Brazil without an escort.” Dominic leaned toward his son, “accompany Miss Reina to Brazil. I am certain you can use the vacation.”
“Yes, father.” Oliver’s eyes flashed. He had been studying Bree and responded absentmindedly. “What do you do for a living, Ms. Chastain?”
“A little of this, a little of that.” Bree replied nonchalantly. She was clearly not interested in the dashing, ebony-haired Oliver Chartreaux. Kyra stifled a laugh. This could be entertaining. The father wanted Reina, who wanted his son, who seemed to want what Bree had to offer.
Kyra ordered a glass of red wine and sat back to enjoy the show. She lost track of how many glasses she emptied as her own personal RomCom unfolded before her, set to the music of dueling pianists. Kyra drank until Reina and Bree forced her out of the bar and into a cab between them.
“Could you have been any more rude?” Reina
chastised Bree. “Oliver is interested in you.”
“But you are interested in Oliver.” Bree pointed out. “And I’m not interested in him – at all.”
Reina turned away from them and looked out the window. “You’ve never been so discerning before, Bree.”
“That’s not fair, Rey.” Bree’s tone softened. “Something about Oliver just made me feel wrong.”
Kyra burst out laughing, the first sound she’d made in hours. “That was funny. It was like my own personal movie. Come on, Rey, you know Bree likes blondes. Man or woman, Bree is all about the towheads.” Both Bree and Reina turned to look at her as she clutched her stomach and kept laughing. Bree snickered and Rey finally joined in.
“I miss this, Kyra.” Rey leaned over and whispered in her ear. “You really did need a vacation.”
Kyra sobered a little at the mention of her vacation. Now seemed as good a time as any to fill them in on the truth of it all. She squeezed their hands and opened the flood gates, “About my vacation….”
Chapter Three
Lips tracing her neckline, hands mauling her breasts. Kyra writhed under her man, his hair hanging over his face so that she could not see it. She could feel him though. And smell him. Holy shit, he smelled amazing. Kyra inhaled deeply. He smelled like chocolate and spice and…coffee. No, that wasn’t right. Kyra’s eyes snapped open, her lover disappeared into thin air and left her unsatisfied. She almost sobbed at the loss.
Reina stood over her with a mug of coffee in each hand. “Same guy?”
Kyra nodded as she sat up and accepted the coffee. It smelled incredible but tasted a little too bitter. She decided that Rey must be hungover, it’s the only time she’d make coffee so strong. Kyra scooted over to make room for her friend in the big bed.
“Not that I’m complaining about having Fun Kyra around this week, but you’ve not been sleeping well.” Reina put her head on Kyra’s shoulder. “I really missed Fun Kyra but I don’t want you to burn out. Between your super strength at the gym and late night partying, even I’m worried.”
“Well if you’re worried then by all means, have me committed.” Kyra responded wryly.
Bitten By The Bad Boy: A Bad Boy Vampire Romance Page 2
