“When is she coming?” Mags asked.
“Not until June.”
“That’s not for three months,” she said.
“Yeah, I know. But it takes planning to make a trip across the country. She has to wait until she has vacation time from her job. But I think she might look for new work once she’s out here. She’s already bought her ticket. So it’s a definite.”
“Maybe we’ll have the new windows in by then,” Mags said as the iron blinds began to ascend slowly. A faint “Ahhhh” escaped the three vampires as they watched them rise. It must be really tough to not be able to soak in the sun. I knew Mags missed it.
“What new windows?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine them getting rid of the blinds they needed to protect them from the debilitating rays.
“Cian and Maggie have an idea to put in one-way mirrored windows that might protect us from the sun.” Lane’s voice dripped with skepticism as he sipped at a drink.
“They will. Ninety-nine percent.” Maggie tilted her head and crossed her arms over her chest.
“See, there’s that one percent factor again.”
“Lane, you’re such a pessimist,” Mags said.
“No, I’m a realist. There’s a difference.”
“It’s time we pull ourselves out of the dark, Lane.” Maggie’s self-assuredness struck me as rather premature since she’d been a vampire for less than a year.
“How the hell would you know? You’ve only been in the dark for about seven months.” Lane chuckled and downed the rest of his drink, setting the tumbler on the sideboard by the wall.
“I suggest we reserve judgment until after we’ve tried at least one window.” Cian grabbed Maggie’s hand and tugged her to the sliding glass door. Opening it, they stepped outside, leaving me standing on the inside with Lane. I glanced at him, and his eyes bored into me. I only wished I could see something other than contempt behind them.
I stepped outside, and Maggie glanced at me. “So, what’s the bad news?”
“Oh. I almost forgot. They’re renovating the apartment building.”
“Cool. But why is that bad?”
“Because I have to find someplace to live during the renovation. They said it would take about three months. Another good reason Jillian’s visit won’t be until June.”
“You’re welcome to stay here.” Cian gave me a gorgeous smile. “We have plenty of spare rooms.”
“What? No way,” Lane bellowed from behind me. “I live here, too, and I get a say in who stays. I don’t like it.”
“Why not?” Maggie frowned.
“Witches and vampires don’t mix. It’s just asking for trouble.”
It hurt that he didn’t want me here, but I couldn’t let on. I had to keep strong or I’d never be able to maintain the friendship that Mags and I continued to have even now that she was a vampire and living here with Lane and Cian.
“You must be joking.” My eyes snapped in his direction. “Really? Trouble? I’ve been nothing but helpful to you. Without my assistance, you and Cian never would have found Maggie when she was abducted by your over-possessive master, Jewels. And I helped your charge, Chelle, remember her past. Don’t accuse me of causing trouble.”
I was never certain how vampires were going to react, particularly Lane, and I’d never spoken to him that way before. I’d always been very cautious around him, weighing my options and choosing my battles with care before lashing out, because we hardly ever agreed on anything. I wasn’t exactly sure how Lane would react to being spoken to that way, but I’d learned not to cower when confronted with intense situations. Why should today be any different? I tried not to flinch as Lane instantly materialized in front of me, his fangs bared, his angry, contorted, vampiric face an inch from mine—looking very much the monster his kind were rumored to be. Then, within a millisecond, his expression calmed, his fangs retracted, and the blue in his eyes faded back to the beautiful silver that both puzzled and excited me. His face remained an inch from me; his lips almost skimming mine. My heart beat so fast, I thought it would pop out of my chest at any minute.
And all I could think about was how much I wanted to kiss that mouth of his.
I heard a snicker beside me, and I thought Cian was about to say something, do something to make his brother leave me alone, but both he and Mags stayed silent as I stood, mesmerized by the spell of Lane DeMarco.
“You are nothing but trouble.” His warm breath tickled that sensitive spot on my neck right below my ear as he whispered against my skin, covering me with goosebumps. Then, as quickly as his hot, hard body had come to stand so close, he was gone. “I’m going out,” he called over his shoulder from the door to the hallway.
I stood absolutely still, wanting so badly to turn and glance back, to watch him as he walked away, leaving me standing there with his warm breath still hot on my throat and the ache his closeness had created between my legs. Wanting. But I stood firm. I couldn’t let my guard down. His surliness would tear me to shreds.
“It’s Saturday night. Don’t be late,” Cian yelled back to Lane. Their band, The Lost Boys, had a show tonight at their nightclub. They performed every Saturday night. One night a week, I got to listen and swoon over Lane without worrying about him noticing.
“Don’t worry,” Lane promised.
Why did I let him get to me that way? It wasn’t like I thought there could—or would—ever be anything between us. He was a vampire. My mother would disown me if I ever hooked up with him. Hell, the coven would probably strip me of my powers. And considering the ordeal I’d had to endure to acquire them, it would be devastating. A total waste of the hell I’d gone through. The ceremony had caused some major changes in me. Both physically and emotionally.
Chapter Three
Lane
I materialized a few blocks away from the mansion and down the hill a ways. I’d had to leave before I did something stupid. Like, kiss the witch.
There were no streetlights in this part of the neighborhood, which made it a good place to suddenly appear out of nowhere. I tucked my hand down my pants and repositioned my cock. The bulge the witch had provoked rather uncomfortable in my leathers. The very thought of that woman did weird things to me. I took a deep breath to help clear my head of thoughts of my mouth covering hers and my fingers sliding between her thighs to discover the treasures that I was sure were there. I’d seen her legs, and I had a difficult time keeping my mind from imagining how smooth they would feel as I glided my tongue up the inside of one of them.
Fuck me. This was insane. How was I supposed to live under the same roof as Vanessa? Sure, I pretended to dislike her. Whatever side she took, I made sure to take the opposite. Why? Because she was not only a human, she was also a witch, and her presence made my skin prickle with desire. A desire I didn’t want. She was off limits.
Quite frankly, I was disturbed by the attraction. My brother had fallen in love with a human. And by doing so, he’d put her life in danger. Maggie had died, and he’d had to feed her his blood, changing her into a vampire—a creature she’d never wanted to be. Likewise, Chelle, my sired daughter, had fallen for a human. Their lives were as different as night and day. They existed, but never really on a level playing field. He would grow old while she stayed young and beautiful. What sort of life was that? Knowing the one you love would soon leave this world while you had to go on without them?
You would think that being a vampire and having the ability to compel humans, I could just take whomever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Except, the problem was, because Vanessa was a witch, I couldn’t use compulsion on her. Not that I would. It was one thing to coerce some stranger on the street to feed, but quite another when it came to the best friend of my brother’s girlfriend. I did possess some morals. So, even if I did want her, she’d made it perfectly clear that she abhorred the very space I existed in. Loathed me.
I strolled down the hill toward the Tenderloin, a not-so-affluent area of the city, and took a left on Larkin, hopin
g to find some low-life streetwalker to take out my frustrations on. Prostitutes were easy and usually required very little compulsion. It was impossible to compel someone unless they secretly wanted it in first place, making whores very susceptible. Just up ahead, three prostitutes stood conversing. I hung back and waited for them to each go their separate ways. A couple of minutes later, two of them took off in opposite directions, leaving the one alone by the lamppost. Her corner for the night, I guessed. I hoped it was a her, but frankly, with the mood I was in, it didn’t really matter tonight. I was just hungry and tense and needed something to take the edge off. Fresh blood was fresh blood no matter the source. And of late, acquiring warm blood straight from the source was becoming a chore for me, with so many demons invading my mind with disturbing visions I couldn’t control whenever I tried.
“Hey,” she said, her voice low. I almost turned around and headed in the other direction when she said, “Don’t worry, I’m all the female you’ll need tonight, honey.”
“Prove it,” I said.
She took my hand in hers and pressed it against her core, smiling up at me. “See? You’re lucky I stayed, and the other two went off. So, what would you like? Want me to suck you off?”
“No. I think I’ll be doing the sucking.”
“Oooh. I like that. But it’ll cost you a hundred dollars.”
“Whatever.” I shoved her back against the brick building and caught her gaze with mine, holding her entranced for a second. “This won’t hurt, just go with it, you’re going to love it. And then you won’t remember it when I’m finished.” Then I shoved my cock against her thigh, rubbing, wanting her to concentrate on that as I sank my fangs into her neck. I closed my eyes and started to slip my fingers inside her panties, and damn if that witch’s sexy grin didn’t come into my head, screwing up my mind. I tried to ignore it, but then that fucking horrible vision I’d been having of late invaded my head, and my hand froze right where it was.
Fuck me, Lane. Say the words, Lane.
That fucking voice. Female.
Let me fuck you, pretty boy. Say the words, Lanie.
Not female anymore.
Fear buckled my knees. I stopped sucking and glared at the whore’s face. Her eyes were focused on a spot far away, her gaze trance-like as she bit the corner of her lower lip. She’d clearly been enjoying what I’d been doing. It wasn’t her voice. It couldn’t have been. I finished taking in the nourishment I needed and withdrew my fangs, licking the two tiny puncture wounds to seal them closed and leave no trace. I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my wallet, taking out two hundred-dollar bills and pressing them into the whore’s palm. “Thanks.”
She glanced down at the two bills in her hand and blinked with a grin at the extra hundred. “Thank you! Hey, wanna bonus blow?”
“No. Thanks, though.”
“You’re welcome, hun. Anytime.”
What the fuck was wrong with me? It wasn’t enough that the bitch’s face invaded my head, now I was hearing the fucking monster’s voice, too?
I didn’t want to be out there on the street. Vanessa’s gorgeous green eyes flashed back into my mind. So beautiful, so intoxicating, so forbidden. Why did the witch have this effect on me? It had been months since I had good lay. If I didn’t watch out, my wood might petrify if it didn’t get some good use soon.
Fog rolled in over the hill and snaked along the road. It felt good. Somewhat ominous. Just what a guy like me needed to get in the mood. I thought about walking to the club at a nice leisurely stroll, but then I glanced at the display on my phone and realized I didn’t have time. I almost hated this time of year, when the sun set so much later in the evening, affording very little opportunity for feeding before it was time to entertain the masses. Don’t get me wrong. I loved playing and singing rock and roll, but performing the way we did, with all the energy we exerted, we needed sustenance to keep up our strength. Another small morsel would have been nice, but with the fog, the chances of finding someone out alone were slim. Taking the time into consideration, I vanished and reappeared just behind the club, in the alleyway by the back door.
One night a week, I got to be Lane DeMarco, rock and roll superstar. Of course, all the other times during the week, I was still Lane DeMarco, but I was not the rock god so many knew me as on Saturday nights. I was just plain old Lane, younger brother of Cian, vampire, and survivor of the worst childhood imaginable. One of the reasons my brother and I had decided to travel so far away. Leaving England two hundred years ago had been the best and worst decision we’d ever made. It wasn’t a subject my brother would ever mention or talk about to anyone. Not even Maggie. It wasn’t his childhood we’d escaped. It was mine. Because of that, my vampirism had never felt like the curse it was supposed to be. For me, I embraced this life. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Except lately, since Cian had met Maggie, this dark life had become a bit lonelier than it had used to be. As well as disturbed. I swore I was losing my mind. And it had been happening slowly over the past several months.
Chapter Four
Vanessa
“Would you look at that line,” Maggie said as we drove past the front of the club and headed toward the back alley and the backstage door. I was thankful that I had an ‘in’ with the band and didn’t need to stand in the long line that wound all the way around the corner and halfway down the next block.
Maggie sat across from me and next to Cian in the limo. She wore a short, pink, halter-top dress, and when she sat cross-legged the way she was, the indent in her forever perfectly-toned thigh caught my eye. So slender and petite. I could work out for three hours a day, every day for a year and never acquire such a dainty figure.
Cian’s fingers splayed across her thigh and he smiled as he glanced out the dark-tinted window of the limo. He wore his leather pants tonight, similar to Lane’s, and a dusty blue silk shirt that hung untucked from his pants.
Cian exited the limo first, then turned and held out his hand for Maggie. After she was out, he turned back and offered his hand to me. I took it. Stepping out of the limo in the tight, short skirt I wore was no easy feat. Gage and Elvis stepped out behind me.
Inside, the club was already filling up with loud and excited fans. People crowded around the bar, and most of the tables were already occupied. Lucky for Maggie and me, we had our own reserved, private spot right up front. As I sat at the small, round table, I glanced around the room, hoping for a glimpse of Lane. I knew I’d never be with him the way I dreamed of, but I couldn’t help the fact that he was so damn easy on the eyes. Especially on the nights he performed. His velvety smooth and versatile voice drove me crazy.
I didn’t spot Lane anywhere, so I decided to go to the bathroom and check my makeup before the band started to play. I went through the door that opened up into a hallway leading to the ladies’ room. It was dark, and the minute the door closed behind me I had trouble seeing my own hand let alone where I was walking. I’d never been in the back hallway of the club when it was so dark before. It was sort of scary being there all alone, but I knew where the ladies’ room was. Two doors down on the right, I felt along the wall as I walked. I sang the tune from Journey’s Lights as I walked, wishing the ones here would illuminate so I could see. I always sang or hummed whenever I was nervous or scared. Even when I was happy. Though never so anyone could hear me. I just loved singing, but knew I wasn’t any good.
After adding a little more mascara and applying some gloss to my lips, I stood back and admired the outfit I wore. It was perfect, and I knew Lane had noticed how low the front of my top went since I’d caught his eyes there more than once before he’d left the mansion. Satisfied with my appearance, I pulled the door open and headed down the dark hallway. I must have gone the wrong way because the hall seemed to only get darker. I never had much of a sense of direction. I was forever getting lost around the city. I pivoted around to head back the way I’d come, smacking my face right into some guy’s hard chest.
“Sorr
y,” I stammered and stepped back. He had his hands on my upper arms to steady me from teetering backwards, and I looked up and swallowed the urge to run as my eyes adjusted and I made out the form in the darkness. Once I had, I could see Lane’s incredible, silver-blue eyes glowing a bit in the shadows. He was so gorgeous.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
It took me a minute to find my voice so I nodded instead before squeaking out a small, “Yes.”
The hallway was empty except for the two of us, and he continued to hold me, staring intensely into my eyes. “You can’t compel me, you know,” I blurted out for some unknown reason. I’d never thought he planned to, but I just didn’t know what else to say, other than ‘let go of me,’ but I didn’t really want him to.
“I don’t want to compel you.” He smelled delicious, and my body went limp at our closeness, his sexy, full lips just a mere inch from my own. I wanted to lick them so badly and that idea scared me since I’d never wanted to do something like that before. But before I had a chance to really process that thought any further, his mouth was on mine. His hand went to the nape of my neck, and he tugged me closer. When my lips parted on a shocked gasp, he slipped his tongue between them. Heat soared through my veins. He kissed me with possession and a sense of urgency that I hadn’t thought possible from Lane. He walked me backwards until I heard a door close behind him. Never missing a beat, he kissed me through the entire movement. He must have maneuvered me into the back office, but I wasn’t sure since I had never been in it before. As if my hands had become possessed, they swept up to his hair, and my fingers tangled in the long, soft strands. I’d always wanted to touch those locks, and now I couldn’t get enough. I no longer had control of my actions as his heated kiss had me pulling him against me, I wanted more, and the way his tongue probed the inside of my mouth made me wet. I moaned into his mouth as his hand slipped inside the opening of my top and caressed my breast. His palm was softer than I’d imagined as he kneaded the mound and squeezed the nipple between his finger and thumb. He pressed me up against the wall and slid his hand up my thigh and under the elastic of the small, barely-there thong I wore. I was uncontrollably wet. I could tell by the way his finger slid so easily around me. He circled my clit with his thumb, and slid his finger around my folds, spreading my juices up and over my bundle of nerves. He had me completely, and I was willing to do anything he asked. The hardness of his cock pressed against my thigh, and I thought he was going to fuck me right there against the wall. Mental red flags blurred my vision with a warning to make him stop, but I’d become completely unglued for this man, a ready and willing participant. Then he suddenly stopped all movement and took a step away.
Rocked by a Vampire: Billionaire, Rock Stars, Vampires (Immortal Hearts of San Francisco Book 3) Page 2
