by Marilyn Lee
* * *
“Are you all right, Uncle Jay?”
Jayvyn kept his gaze on the road ahead as he drove home from the club with Rayna seated beside him. “Yes,” he said.
“You’ve barely spoken to me since we left the club,” Rayna said. “And you haven’t sung a single song.” He clenched his jaw, struggling to control the fury knotting the muscles of his stomach. “That’s because I don’t have anything to say and I don’t feel like singing.”
She touched his arm. “Do you want to talk about her, Uncle Jay?”
“Why should I when she’s clearly an idiot who deserves whatever treatment he gives her?” Several moments passed before Rayna responded. “She thinks she’s still in love with him.” Silly bitch! “Is she?”
“He’s a very skillful lover who also happens to be well-educated, straight, and well-endowed. That’s an irresistible combination for most women.”
“And just how the hell would you know how well-endowed he is or isn’t, Rayna?” She replied in a quiet, patient voice that grated on him. “She told me. I think his size and prowess in bed are what keeps her almost enslaved to him.”
He inhaled. “So you’re saying she’s in the grip of cock lust?”
“There’s nothing wrong with human women enjoying sex as much as fems do, Uncle Jay.”
“So she is a—”
“She’s a normal female with a normal sex drive. That doesn’t mean you should think any less of her or call her unkind names.”
The disapproval in Rayna’s voice annoyed the hell out of him. “Don’t try to deny she’s easy.”
“She thinks she’s still in love,” she countered. “And you liked her more than a little so don’t bother trying to deny it. And don’t even think about hurting him.”
Rayna’s accurate assessment of his reaction to Cayenne only served to increase his anger.
“I was very proud of you tonight, Uncle Jay.”
The unmistakable sincerity he heard in her voice diffused his anger. “For what?”
“For the restraint you showed when he challenged you.”
“Why am I not surprised that you were lurking and eavesdropping?” She laughed. “Say whatever you like. I was and am proud of the restraint you showed.”
“Prove it by staying out of my personal life, Rayna—unless you want me delving into yours.” She laughed again. “Mine?”
“Yours.”
“One of us is a little delusional tonight and it isn’t me. What personal life can I have with three vampire uncles who think no one is good enough for me?”
Hearing the disquiet in her voice, he shook his head. “It’s only because we love you.”
“I know that, but it still makes it hard for me to date. One of you always manages to scare away any man in whom I show the faintest interest. I’m beginning to think you all want me to be an even older maid than I already whom I show the faintest interest. I’m beginning to think you all want me to be an even older maid than I already am.”
“You’re not an old maid and you can’t think that.”
“Can’t I, Uncle Jay?”
“No! When you bring someone home who’s worth your time and attention, we’ll accept him.”
“I’ve done that already but you’re all determined to find some major fault with every man I meet. You do this while I watch the three of you run through women like water. You should have fun but I should behave like a nun.” He inhaled. “You are the best part of all of us combined, Rayna. And you know we all love you and want the best for you.”
“I know that, Uncle Jay. That’s the only thing that makes my situation bearable. And I want the best for you too.”
Damn. A vampire had to get up early in the morning to stay ahead of her.
“Do you want her address, Uncle Jay?”
He knew the other man would be fucking her that night. Lucky, undeserving asshole! If he saw her naked with the overconfident bastard, he’d be hard pressed not to kill him on the spot. He bared his incisors. Round one to you, asshole.
“Uncle Jay?”
“No. I don’t want her address.”
Rayna reached over to touch his arm. “You can see how much she needs rescuing from him.”
“Then why the hell doesn’t she do something about it herself? Is she an idiot?”
“She’s a wounded woman who needs help getting out of a bad situation, Uncle Jay. He has her so confused, she—”
“Never mind making excuses for her lack of backbone, Rayna.”
“Your lack of charity and efforts to make her seem easy only serve to confirm she managed to get under your skin and that’s all I’m going to say on the subject.”
“That’ll be the day.”
She laughed.
After a moment, he laughed too.
She leaned over to kiss his cheek. “You’ll need patience with her.”
“That’s not my strong suit,” he said, deciding there was no point in pretending he had no interest in seeing Cayenne Pepper again.
“You’ll dig deep and find enough because you’ve probably already figured out she’s worth the effort.”
“Don’t count your damned chickens, Rayna!” When she didn’t respond, he glanced over to find her smiling at him. He knew that look. God help him he was in trouble.
Chapter Three
When Jayvyn and Rayna arrived at the family’s mansion located in a wealthy Philadelphia suburb, Adrian and Brandi sat together on one of the living room’s loveseats. Conner and a tall, slender, beautiful woman with light brown skin and very light brown eyes shared one of the sofas.
He heard Rayna mutter at the sight of Eliza’s protégé and his sometime lover, Toni.
He was generally pleased to see the fem who happily attempted to satisfy his every physical need when Eliza was unavailable. However, now his sexual interest didn’t extend beyond Cayenne Pepper.
Brandi bound to her feet. “Rayna! Jay!”
Conner rose and moved across the room to the patio doors.
As Rayna and Brandi embraced, he crossed the room to drop a kiss on Brandi’s hair before sitting on the sofa next to Toni. “This is a surprise,” he said.
She flashed a warm smile at him. “A pleasant one, I hope.”
He smiled.
She slipped her arm through his. “If you wanted company, why didn’t you call me?”
“Who says I wanted or needed company?”
“Oh, come on, Jayvyn. Why else would you hang out with your matchmaking niece?” His lips tightened at her tone but he remained silent.
His lips tightened at her tone but he remained silent.
She bit his ear while sliding a hand down the inside of his thigh to palm his cock. “Even if you don’t need company, I do.”
Before he could respond, Rayna spoke. “This is a living room, not a bedroom. Please act accordingly, Ms.
Nelson.”
Toni stiffened and turned to trade stares with Rayna. “And just who died and left you in charge?” Jayvyn clenched his teeth, annoyed that she and Rayna always seized the slightest excuse to trade barbs.
Rayna stormed across the room to stare down at the fem. “This is my home. You’re a guest. Act like it or take your skinny ass home!”
Toni hissed and bound to her feet. “I’d rather be skinny than over-weight—” Jayvyn jerked her back down beside him. “That’s enough, Toni,” he warned, aware that both Adrian and Conner would require little excuse to rip apart anyone who was less than civil to Rayna—even when and if Rayna was the instigator.
He tensed as Conner quickly crossed the room to put a protective arm around Rayna’s shoulders. “You’re going to want to control your temper with Rayna, Toni,” he said in a cold voice.
“Damn straight,” Adrian said, rising slowly.
Toni sucked in an angry breath and turned to look at Jayvyn. “She can say anything she wants to me and I’m supposed to do what? Pretend I don’t mind being insulted?”
“Remember t
hat this is her home and you’re a guest,” Adrian said. “If you don’t like the way you’re treated in our family home, then I suggest you visit Jayvyn at his condo.”
“Don’t ever think about insulting Rayna again,” Conner added. “Or there will be some very unpleasant consequences—for you.”
Toni’s eyes glowed. “Obviously I’m not welcome here.” She rose and quickly walked across the room to the door.
Jayvyn stood up and looked at Rayna. “Satisfied?”
Rayna tossed her head, sending her long, dark hair cascading around her shoulders. “She’s not good enough for you.”
“I’ll decide who’s good enough for me, Rayna. Not you,” he told her, angry at her lack of civility with Toni.
“And if I were you, I wouldn’t count on your little trick at the club bearing fruit.” She touched his arm. “You’re right. I was unacceptably rude to her, Uncle Jayvyn.” The sincerity he heard in her voice and saw in her gaze, dissipated most of his anger. He kissed her cheek before he left the room. He caught Toni in the driveway.
When he touched her arm, she jerked away and swung around to hiss at him. “I’m sick of the way she treats me and of the way the three of you jump to her defense and toss threats at me and Eliza instead of insisting she display even a modicum of manners.”
He narrowed his gaze. “What do you expect? She’s our niece and she’s human. You’re a fem. surely, you don’t think for one damn minute we’d allow you to go up against her? If you do, you’d better think again.”
“Then I suggest you teach her some manners before some fem decides to do it for you.”
“Really? Well any fem attempting to do that had better be prepared to die!” She bared her incisors and stalked over to her car.
He watched her get in and roar away before he returned to the house.
Adrian, Brandi, and Conner were alone in the living room.
Adrian rose from the loveseat. “Does she understand we’re not having any shit from her where Rayna is concerned?”
The question revived Jayvyn’s annoyance. “She was a guest, Adrian.”
“Does she understand, Jayvyn or do I need to visit her and make it clear?” He bared his incisors. “She’s only been a fem for fifteen years, Adrian. There’s no need for you to terrorize her.”
“Then see that she understands that neither she nor Eliza will be allowed to terrorize Rayna.”
“I think both you and Conner made yourself crystal clear.” He turned and stalked from the room. In the hallway, He ran up the staircase to his suite.
“Uncle Jay?”
“Uncle Jay?”
He turned with his hand on the doorknob.
Rayna walked down the hall from her suite near the top of the staircase. “I’m sorry. I’ll call Toni tomorrow and apologize.”
He sighed and placed his palm against her cheek. “Don’t you ever tire of wrapping us around your finger?” She took his hand in both of hers before she kissed his palm. “I hate the way she allows Eliza to control her.”
“Rayna, Eliza is her master. Of course she controls her.”
“And tries to control you through her.”
“What?”
“She only turned Toni in an effort to control who you sleep with while she’s sleeping her way back and forth across the world. What kind of person would turn another woman into a vampire just so she could try to control you from afar?”
“I have news for you, honey, what Eliza did to Toni isn’t that unusual for vampires.”
“That’s not something you would do.”
He shrugged. “Never mind that. I need you to stay out of my personal life.”
“You’re all over mine,” she protested.
“I’m your uncle. I would be remiss if I weren’t.”
“I’m not a child, Uncle Jay.”
“Remember that the next time you feel the need to be uncivil to a guest in this house. Adults should treat guests in their home with a certain level of civility.”
“You’re right. I was unforgivably rude. Now please, Uncle Jay. Please don’t take out your displeasure with me on Cayenne. She’s a good woman who needs a little help getting away from that unscrupulous ex of hers.”
“Leave it alone, Rayna.”
“Uncle Jay!”
“Leave it, Rayna!” He sucked in a quick breath and then caressed her cheek to take some of the sting out of his tone. Without waiting for her response, he opened his suite door and stepped inside. Feeling tense, he undressed and took a long shower.
The cool water cascading over his head did little to ease his tension or sexual frustration. He closed his eyes and allowed his thoughts to turn to the only woman he’d ever loved, his little brown reed. Losing her had ripped his heart out and shredded it into pieces so small he knew that even if he hadn’t become a vampire, he could never love another woman as he’d loved her.
The day he’d lost her, he’d also lost his future prospects. No matter how Rayna plotted and connived, there would never be another wife or kids for him. Feeling weighed down by his grief, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower.
After he dried off, he walked into his bedroom. An envelope lay on his pillow with Uncle Jay written on the front.
He crossed the room to pick up the envelope. Inside was a three by five card with Cayenne’s full name, address, and phone numbers on it.
Damn, it would be a cold day in hell when Rayna stopped trying to get her way. The remnants of annoyance vanished. She could be trying at times but he wouldn’t trade her for a hundred more malleable women.
He dried off and stretched out naked on his bed. When he closed his eyes, a picture of Cayenne Pepper seemed imprinted on his eyelids. Damn. His eyes snapped open. He’d need to be careful or he’d find himself roped and bound like Adrian. And like Adrian, he’d consider himself lucky.
He glanced at the card with Cayenne’s address on it before he put it on his nightstand, turned out his lights, and closed his eyes again. Half an hour later, he rolled onto his side and reached for his cell phone.
Chapter Three
“What the hell!”
The angry words roused Cayenne from a sound sleep. She opened her eyes and bolted into a sitting position in bed. Sunlight streamed into her bedroom. Michael, fully dressed, stood in the doorway holding a vase of red roses in each hand.
“Michael! It’s been ages since you’ve sent me roses!” She jumped out of bed and rushed across the room to link her arms around his neck. “Thank you!”
He pulled away from her. “You’d be welcome—if they were from me. They’re not!” She blinked at him. “They’re not from you? Then who could…” She trailed off. Oh, hell, don’t let them be from him.
Michael thrust them at her. “If you think I’m going to share you with him, think again, Cayenne!” She took the elaborate vases, sat them on her dresser top, and reached for the small card nestled among the roses. The card read:
If the asshole doesn’t want you, give me a try, sweet.
It was unsigned, but she knew, as Michael clearly did that the roses were from him. She allowed the card to fall among the roses, hoping her face displayed none of the pleasure she felt . Give me a try, sweet. Who could resist a man who kissed her fingers and made no secret of finding her attractive? During the brief time she’d spent with him, he hadn’t once looked away. He’d kept his gaze trained on her—as if she were the only woman there worth looking at.
Michael crossed the room and picked up the card. His dark eyes held a fury she’d rarely seen when he looked at her. “Who the hell is he, Cayenne and am I going to have to kick his ass to keep him away from you?”
“I told you, I don’t know him.”
“Then how the hell did he get your address and why the fuck is he sending you red roses and saying he wants you if I don’t?”
She suddenly had men problems. In addition to Rayna’s uncle demanding she not sleep with Michael, now she had Michael demanding to know why he�
�d sent her roses. They were both a pain in her ass. “I’m telling you for the last time that I don’t know him, Michael. And I don’t know why he sent those —if in fact he did send them.”
“Come off it, Cay. We both know he sent those damned flowers.” He waved an angry hand. “Are you planning to see him again?”
Give me a try, sweet. Seeing him again would be exciting. “No, I’m not.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
“Good because you and I will have zero chance of getting back together if you’re planning to date him. Date anyone else you want, but not him.”
She stared at him. “But you can fuck any woman you like?”
“We’re not married anymore.”
“That’s right. We’re not so I have just as much sexual freedom as you do.”
“The hell you do!” He leveled a finger at her. “Make up your mind, Cay, which one of us you want because you sure as hell are not going to have us both.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, hell yeah. I am. You think about it and I’ll call you in a few days for your decision.” She compressed her lips. Damn him. “Are you going to look at the hinges on the kitchen cabinets and fix the leak in the bathroom faucet before you leave?”
“I’ll do that the next time I’m here.”
“You’ve been saying that for nearly a month.”
“I’ll get to them when I have the time and inclination, Cay.” He gave her a long cool look before he turned and slammed the door on his way out.
Cayenne sank down onto the side of the bed. Michael was the only man she’d ever loved and she felt desperate to win him back. At the same time, the thought of Rayna’s uncle intrigued her. Okay, he was probably a little nuts but he’d made her feel sexy, desirable, and pretty.
Recalling the feel of his cool lips brushing against her fingers and the inflection in his voice as he called her sweet excited her. It was time to rethink her relationship with Michael. The sexual freedom to enjoy casual relationships should work for her as well as him.
