The Vampire Pendant (Blood Genies)

by Sheri WhiteFeather

  She put her hand against his cheek. “I still want to know what you did when you were mortal.”

  “I was an architect. I worked for a company that designed homes for wealthy clients.”

  “Were any of them movie stars?”

  “Yes.”

  “Like who?”

  He named a few of them.

  Her voice jumped. “That’s impressive, Anthony.”

  He shrugged. He didn’t see why it mattered. They were all dead now. In spite of his heartbeat, technically, so was he.

  She traced the line of his jaw. “I think you look like a movie star.”

  “Both of my parents were actors.”

  “Then that explains it, doesn’t it? You have Old Hollywood genes.”

  “I suppose I do. But my parents weren’t famous. They never starred in any of the pictures they were in.”

  “But you still grew up in that world.”

  “It was pretty much all I knew.” He glanced around her room. “I spent a lot of time at this hotel, even when I was a kid.”

  “Was it a celebrity hot spot then?”

  “Yes, but I think it was the most glamorous in the 1940s. That’s when the Crescent Wing was added and the hotel was painted pink.” He smiled. “The Pink Palace. It was the place to be.”

  She angled her head. “What year did you become a vampire?”

  “1950.” Before she had a chance to do the math, he said, “I was thirty-eight. A successful bachelor, indulging in everything this town had to offer: a home in the hills, beautiful lovers, rich and powerful friends.”

  “How did you meet Simone?”

  “She crashed a party at my house, passing herself off as a French heiress. Later, after everyone else was gone, I discovered that she was a vampire.”

  “Did she turn you that night?”

  He nodded. “A few days later, she went after Nicholas. She wanted him, too. We reminded her of her previous companions. She’d been with them for centuries.”

  “What happened to them?”

  “They were killed by a vamp-staking genie. Simone would have been targeted, too, but she’d gone off to feed alone that night. When she discovered their fate, she was crushed.”

  “How did you and Nicholas feel about being her new companions?”

  “It was baffling at first, especially since we were expected to share her. Plus we were mourning our human selves. But she put an end to that. She made sure that we couldn’t associate with anyone from our mortal lives.”

  “How?”

  “By faking our deaths.” He went over the details. “She dug up two fresh corpses from the cemetery. Then she burned the bodies in a fire that she set at my house. After that, she took us to France with her.”

  Tessa shivered, and he realized how horribly his tale had affected her. The burning of bodies. The melting of flesh.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have expounded on that.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “No, it isn’t.” He knew better than to make her pain worse. “I’m supposed to be fulfilling your wish, not reminding you of the devastation from your past.”

  “I’m reminded of it every day, Anthony. I can’t look at myself without seeing the damage.” Her expression softened. “Except for these next two weeks.”

  He leaned over and kissed her, and she slipped her arms around him. He was happy to provide her wish. Regardless, he had no intention of admitting that he knew what she looked like behind the veil of magic.

  He did, however, admit how special her chastity was to him. He said, “You’re going to be my first virgin.”

  She gazed at him from beneath her lashes. “I am?”

  “The women I bedded were wild.”

  “I’ll probably seem boring compared to them.” She frowned. “Not to mention Simone. The vampire heiress.”

  “Boring? Not a chance. And for the record, Simone was never an heiress. She was a lady of the evening in her day.”

  “A fancy prostitute? That doesn’t make me feel better.”

  “It should.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I always wanted an innocent girl.”

  “Then why didn’t you date that type?”

  “Because in my time, you were supposed marry the innocent ones, and I wasn’t the marrying kind.”

  “You still aren’t.”

  “Through no fault of my own.” He flashed his most dashing smile. “I live in a pendant.”

  She touched the necklace. “It’s mine for now.”

  “It is, indeed.” He kissed her again. He thrived on kissing her, on touching her, on being the guy she’d offered her innocence to.

  Tessa couldn’t help herself. She wanted to keep Anthony for as long as she could. “Will you stay with me for the next two weeks?” she asked, when they separated from their kiss. “Here in my room?”

  He shook his head. “I’ll stay tonight, but tomorrow I’m getting a bungalow.”

  She hid her disappointment. “Oh, that’s right. You planned on renting one.”

  “The bungalows are bigger and have direct access to the garden.” He paused. “You should stay with me instead, Tessa.”

  She looked at him, feeling thunderstruck and heart struck and everything in between. “Really?”

  “There’s no point in us having two accommodations and if you let yours go, it will save you money. A man should provide for a woman when he’s with her, not the other way around.”

  She smiled. He was definitely an old-world guy. “So, tell me about your routine. Do you sleep during the day and stay up all night?”

  “Hybrids don’t sleep.”

  “Ever?”

  “We rest when we’re inside of our jewelry, but we don’t fall into full repose. Unlike regular vampires, we can go in the sun. I’m able to enjoy daylight activities, which is nice, but I still feel a kinship with the dark.”

  She preferred the cover of night. It didn’t matter now that she looked normal, but once her scars came back, she would return to her reclusive lifestyle.

  “Shall I get undressed now?” he asked.

  “Yes. Please,” she added. She wanted to see him, to know him in the most intimate of ways. “Before the fire, I had a touchy-feely experience with a boy in high school, but I never got past rubbing him through his jeans.”

  He removed his clothes and tossed them aside. “Then here’s your chance to make up for that.”

  She took a moment to study him, the width of his shoulders, the length of limbs, his half-erect penis. “I don’t know where to start.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  Not quite brave enough to grab his cock, she skimmed his stomach and made his muscles jump.

  “Tease,” he said.

  She smiled and worked her way down to his penis, and he sucked in his breath. Clearly, she was arousing him. His erection was getting bigger.

  Finally she wrapped her hand around him and rolled her thumb over the head. She stroked him, a bit tentatively, but he didn’t seem to mind. No doubt, he was enjoying her inexperienced touch. She played, getting a little bolder, sliding the silken skin up and down.

  “Damn,” he said.

  She played some more, going from shaft to tip. He arched his hips, and she watched every move he made.

  “I could do this all night,” she said.

  “No, you couldn’t. I wouldn’t last.”

  Feeling a sense of power, she said, “Earlier I was fantasizing about giving you head while you drank blood from a vein in my thigh. Is it possible for us to do something like that?”

  “Are you trying to drive me mad?” His cock jerked in her hand. “Yes, it’s possible, but if I got too excited, I could drink too much.”

  “I figured that kind of risk was involved.” But the thought still aroused her.

  “I would need to be absolutely certain that I could handle it.”

  Her pulse lurched. “Does that mean you’ll consider it?”

 
He didn’t reply. Instead, he nudged her hand away and climbed on top of her, taking control once again.

  He kissed her, and the exchange was deep and passionate, the weight of his body pressing down on hers. He made her wet, using his fingers, getting her ready for the invasion of his cock.

  This was it. Her loss of innocence. The end of her virginity. Tessa’s heart thudded in anticipation.

  He entered her, slowly, and she braced herself for more. As he pushed further, she gasped. It was painful, but she wasn’t about to ask him to stop. She clawed her nails down his back.

  “I’m hurting you,” he said.

  She clawed him again. “Yes, but I like it.”

  “The pain?”

  “No. The feeling of being this close to you.”

  “It’s amazing for me, too. You’re so warm, so human. It makes me want to bite you.”

  But he didn’t. He was obviously doing his level best to keep his promise and treat her gently.

  As he moved, she experimented with the rhythm and lifted her hips. It was starting to hurt less. “You can go deeper if you want.”

  He sank all the way inside. “The next two weeks are going to be incredible. I couldn’t ask for a better lover.”

  Her pulse fluttered. He made her feel cherished, desired, an object of lust and affection. “If only my wish could last forever.”

  “I can’t give you forever, Tessa.”

  “I know. I was just thinking out loud.”

  “Let’s make the best of the time we do have.”

  “We already are.” Together, they kissed, making a wondrous connection.

  He caressed her while they made love, while they fucked, while her virginity became a thing of the past.

  Pressure built in her loins, and he worked her into a flurry of heat and emotion. She wrapped her legs around him, and he made darn sure that she climaxed.

  Tessa came with her breath lodged in her throat and her heart beating triple time.

  After he came, spilling into her, he dropped into her arms, where she held him, never wanting to let go.

  Chapter Five

  Anthony waited a while before he eased away from Tessa. Then he said, “I’ve heard that women sometimes get attached to their first lovers.”

  She made a face. “I shouldn’t have been holding you so tightly.”

  “It’s all right.” He reached for her hand, binding them again. She was an intriguing girl. “It felt nice.”

  She smiled. “For me, too.”

  “What should we do now that you’ve been officially deflowered? Do you want to bathe together?”

  “That sounds wonderful. The tub is certainly big enough for two.”

  “Then let’s use it, shall we?” He stood up.

  As she climbed out of the covers, he admired her. With her bedroom-blonde hair, she looked delicately tousled. “You’re fetching.”

  “Thank you.”

  He was glad that she accepted the compliment without making reference to her genuine appearance. It made the lie he was keeping less troublesome.

  He filled the tub, and they stepped in. She nestled between his legs and leaned back against him. He put his arms around her. It seemed like the natural thing to do.

  “Why weren’t you the marrying kind when you were mortal?” she asked.

  “It’s the only way I knew how to conduct my life.”

  “Yes, but why?”

  He didn’t need to analyze her question. He knew the answer. “Because of how I was raised. My parents didn’t have a good relationship. In public, they behaved as if they were a happy couple, but privately, they both slept around. Nicholas and I used to catch them sneaking off with their lovers. It wasn’t the type of example they should have been setting.”

  She reached for the soap and began to lather. “Do you think their marriage suffered from the Hollywood influence?”

  “I suspect that was part of it. Their lifestyle confused us, particularly during an era where family values were highly regarded. Nicholas was especially bothered by their infidelities.”

  “What’s your brother like?”

  “He’s younger than I am. Of course he’s closing in on a hundred now, too. Neither of us is young anymore.”

  “That sounds so strange.”

  “It is. I think Nicholas would want to become mortal again if it were possible.”

  “But not you?”

  He repeated what he’d told her earlier. “I like what I am. I enjoy granting wishes.” He kissed her shoulder, eager for tomorrow to roll around so he could drink from her again.

  She sighed, obviously from his kiss. But apparently she had the next feeding on her mind, too. She asked, “What does blood taste like to a vampire?”

  “Like wine.”

  “It tastes metallic to me. Not that I’ve ever drank it, but I’ve sucked on my fingers when they’ve been cut. I’ve accidentally bit my tongue, too.”

  “Your blood is an exceptional vintage.”

  She sounded pleased. “It is?”

  “Absolutely. And I think it’s going to taste even better to me now that we’re sleeping together.”

  “I loved having you inside me.”

  “I can’t wait to be inside you again.”

  A small shiver ran through her. He could feel it shimmying down her spine.

  She said, “I want that, too.” She put her hand on his knee. “Right now.”

  Anxious to oblige, he got instantly hard, her invitation a lust-induced treat. “Get on your knees and lean forward.”

  She did what he asked, and he planted his hands on her hips and thrust into her. Within seconds, he was full-hilt, her cunt closing softly around him.

  She gripped the sides of the tub. “I feel like a wanton woman.”

  He looped an arm around her, steadying her, making her easier to fuck. “You’re still sweet to me.”

  “You think I’m sweet because you got to pop my cherry.”

  He smiled, then felt his fangs threatening to emerge. He forced them back into place. Having sex with a human was challenging. But, oh, so damn thrilling.

  He intensified the motion, pushing hard and deep. Water sloshed around them, like ocean waves. He put his fingers against her clit, stroking the sensitive nub, wanting to give her as much pleasure as possible.

  “You’ll probably be sore tomorrow,” he said.

  “I’m a little sore now.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. This time, it’s good pain.”

  “Good pain? That’s a term used in BDSM.”

  “What’s BDSM?”

  “It stands for bondage, domination, sadism, and masochism.”

  Her hands nearly slipped away from the sides of the tub. He’d obviously unnerved her.

  Trying to ease her concern, he said, “I was making a remark, not suggesting we engage in it.”

  “Do you engage in it with Simone?”

  “It’s part of the rough sex she enjoys.”

  “I don’t like Simone.”

  “You don’t even know her.”

  “I still don’t like her.”

  “She would like you.”

  “She would? Why?”

  “Because you’re a yummy little morsel that she would have made into a vampire if you’d lived during our era. She was planning on bringing another woman into the fold and my attraction to you would have aroused her. She would’ve chosen you based on that, then she would’ve watched you and me make love.”

  “Maybe she isn’t so bad, after all. Not that I would’ve wanted to be watched. But it’s exciting to think of us being lovers back then.”

  His fangs threatened to surface again. Tessa was rocking against his thrusts. She squirmed naughtily against his clit-rubbing fingers, too.

  While keeping his bite at bay, he made her come. She made him come, too, and his entire body shuddered from the impact.

  After it ended, they went back to bed, and she snuggled in his arms. She closed
her eyes, and he stroked a hand down her hair. He touched the side of her face that had been burned, too.

  When she fell asleep, he watched her. Darrin had been right in choosing Tessa for a wish. She deserved to live out her dream, even if it was only for a little while.

  Tessa awakened with the sun in her eyes. She squinted and gazed over at Anthony. He was sitting beside her. He was also fully clothed with his hair neatly combed. But why wouldn’t he be? Gen-vamps didn’t sleep.

  “Morning,” she said.

  “It’s afternoon.”

  She shifted her gaze to the clock. It was almost two. “I majorly slept in.”

  “You gave blood last night, then lost your virginity. It’s to be expected.”

  “Good point.” Her body was bone tired, with a sexy soreness between her legs. “When you put it that way, I should still be crashed out.”

  “You can return to sleep.”

  With him dressed and ready to greet the day? “I’d rather get up.” She sat forward. “Were you bored last night?”

  “While you slept? Not in the least. I spent my time watching you.”

  She tried to keep from being self-conscious, especially when she considered the wish she’d been granted. Heck, she might’ve even looked pretty in her sleep.

  “I’m famished,” she said. “I’m going to order breakfast. Or lunch, as it were.”

  He handed her the menu. “I would suggest red meat since it’s fortified with iron. Orange juice would refresh you, too.”

  She followed his suggestion and chose a roast beef sandwich and juice. Then she took a shower and put on a silky blouse, pleated shorts, and jeweled sandals. The food arrived, and she ate while he read the newspaper.

  “The world keeps changing,” he said. “But I’ve been able to keep up with it.”

  “How often are you loaned out?”

  “Every few months or so.”

  “And that’s enough blood for you?”

  “Yes. But if too much time passes, Darrin allows us to feed on him. He has to be careful who he loans the jewelry to.”

  She traced the shape of the cross. Already she was getting used to wearing it. “I’ll miss this when it’s gone. I’ll miss you, Anthony.”

  “I’ll miss you, too.” He furrowed his brows. “I’ve never said that to the recipient of a wish.”

  “If I was the owner of the pendant, you’d belong to me.”