Rocked by a Vampire: Billionaire, Rock Stars, Vampires (Immortal Hearts of San Francisco Book 3)

by Susan Griscom

  “Really? Huh. What about Casey or what’s his name?”

  “Phillip,” I supplied and shook my head.

  “Are you trying to tell me that you’re a virgin?”

  “No! I’m not. I said I had sex with Tanner, just not right away. And I didn’t sleep with all those other guys like you think I did. Like I let you believe.” There was no way I was going into any of the reasons for not having sex.

  “Why would you want me to think that?”

  “I don’t know. You always looked up to me, like I knew what I was talking about. I liked that you looked up to me that way. It made me feel…”

  “What, worldly?”

  “No. It made me feel good that you seemed to admire me.”

  “Vanessa, I ought to just slap you for that. Just to knock the stupid out of you. Why would you think that me thinking you were having multiple sexual relations would make me admire you?”

  “I don’t know. I thought you liked that about me.”

  She laughed. “I admire you, sweetie, but not for the amount of sexual encounters you’ve had, or haven’t had. I admire you because you’ve always been so self-assured. You always know exactly what you want. You’re so confident around men, and other women for that matter. Why would you think you’d need to lie about things for me to like you?”

  “Not always so confident,” I mumbled. I’d changed after high school. I’d learned to act more confident. But Mags didn’t know me before then. “I liked having you think I knew what I was doing, especially with men. After I’d told you about what happened in eleventh grade, I thought it would make you not want to be friends with me, so I pretended to sound like guys were fun and that a lot of them liked me.”

  Mags had always complimented me on the casual and relaxed manner I talked to men, and I had needed her approval after I’d confessed about what had happened to me in high school, even though I’d left most of the bad parts out, only giving her a glimpse of the hell I’d gone through. Our relationship just seemed easier when I pretended to be worldly around her rather than the timid mouse I really was. She was everything I’d always wanted to be. Petite, cute, adorable. Mags.

  Her eyes flicked up to mine. The silver-blue so vibrant and intense—so much like Lane’s and Cian’s now that she’d become a vampire. Cian’s blood ran through her, similar to the way Lane’s blood ran through Chelle. I wished they didn’t have that connection. As much as I knew it wasn’t sexual or intimate in any way, it still bothered me. It probably bothered Josh, too, come to think of it.

  “V, I’ve never had a bad thought about you, ever.”

  I nodded and gave her a small smile. “When I was with Lane last night, I didn’t think about anything from the past. All I felt was alive. What I let him do…I mean, I know he can’t compel me. He knew he couldn’t compel me. But I was still putty in his hands. I was giving myself to him without a care. That was the first time I have ever felt like that. That I wanted to give myself to someone.”

  “Then to have him accuse you of casting a spell on him...” She shook her head and slowly blinked her eyes closed then open again. “I get it. I’m so sorry, V.”

  Chapter Nine

  Lane

  Another night gone by, and still no sign of Vanessa. That made four nights in a row that she hadn’t come by the mansion. Not even a word. It had to be because of me and what I’d said. It just wasn’t like her not to come over at least every other day to see Maggie. I guess the flowers hadn’t worked to sway her opinion of me.

  I called the flower shop to make sure they’d actually delivered the bouquet with the note, thinking maybe she’d never gotten them, and that’s why she hadn’t said anything. But the guy assured me they’d been sent. In fact, he’d dropped them off himself so he was positive she’d gotten them.

  I’d asked Maggie if she’d talked to her. I didn’t mention the flowers, though, or anything about what had happened. She and V were close, she had to know, but she wasn’t giving anything away.

  I strolled into the dining room where Gage, Elvis, Chelle, and Josh all sat, laughing and chatting about something that had to do with boats. I opened the fridge door to get some blood. I hadn’t left the shelter of my room all week to eat or get any nourishment. I was feeling a bit weak. I’d gone before without sustenance. I think the longest had been about four and a half weeks. Vampires didn’t die from lack of food or blood. Or water for that matter. However, we did get lethargic to the point of total incapacitation. Almost similar to what the sun did to us. But it took a long time for that to happen from lack of victuals.

  When I hadn’t met Cian at the window for our ritual drink as we greeted the darkness the first night, he had shown up beside my bed, wanting to know what was going on. I shrugged him off. Just said I wasn’t feeling up to it. He didn’t press. He wouldn’t. He knew if I wanted to talk, I would. But my big brother couldn’t fix this. Not this time.

  I hadn’t been myself for a while. I’m sure Chelle always thought it was because I hadn’t wanted her. I’d wanted her. Aside from the fact that I’d never forgiven myself for turning her. I just knew I’d never be able to make her happy. That night had changed me and brought back the other demons of my past. Reminders of the moment I’d become lost. And I hadn’t been able to reclaim myself since.

  Would I ever stop seeing that heinous face every time I got a hard-on? Or stop hearing the words in my head that I’d been forced to say.

  I hadn’t had a climax since that night.

  Kissing Vanessa last week was the closest I’d been to intimacy with anyone in months. I’d wanted her. I still wanted her. I just couldn’t get that fucking monster’s face out of my head. That’s why I’d stopped.

  “Hey, boss, you want to get a card game going tonight?” Ari asked, walking into the room, his hands full with a plate of fruit and cheese that he set in the middle of the table.

  “Maybe.”

  He stood with his hands in his pockets. I hadn’t seen him for a few days, and his dark hair fell over his forehead and down to his ear on one side, but it was shaved close to his scalp on the other. This was a new style for him. He usually kept it long all over.

  “Hey. New haircut. I like.” I gave him a smile of approval.

  “It’s going to take some getting used to,” he said rather bashfully, swiping his hand over the nearly bald side and glancing down at the floor.

  “It looks good on you. A poker game tonight would be great. You guys in?” I looked at Gage and Elvis. A distraction such as a poker game might just help keep Vanessa Creamer off my mind. Nothing like the thrill of winning or the threat of losing to keep me focused.

  “Sounds good to me,” Gage said.

  “I can’t,” Elvis said, popping a grape into his mouth, then picking up the knife and slicing some of the cheese. Josh quickly grabbed a cracker and one of the cheese wedges.

  “Why not?” Gage asked, taking a swig from a bottle of beer.

  “I have a date,” Elvis said.

  “What?” Gage coughed, spraying beer all over the front of his shirt. “Fuck.” He swiped his hand over the wetness. “Since when do you date?”

  “Since I met a hot, sexy vamp at the club last week. She’s got it bad for me. Says she loooves my sideburns.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

  “You mean you’re going to actually take her somewhere?”

  “You betcha. Dinner, and I promised her a little dancing afterwards.”

  “Shit. Dance her home, and I’ll help you show her a good time,” Gage said.

  I laughed. Gage and Elvis were pretty much like Cian and I used to be before Maggie had entered the picture. We never dated, we fucked, and we didn’t get serious about anyone. So, Elvis actually going on a real date was a big deal.

  “Not this time, bro. I’m not sharing this one. She’s going to have my babies.”

  “That’s something I’d like to see,” I said. As far as I knew, we couldn’t father children—at least we hadn’t yet—but th
ere was no definitive opinion on that one way or the other. I, for one, had never actually investigated the subject.

  “I’m out to break that myth,” Elvis said.

  “I hope you do,” Chelle said. “I wouldn’t mind being a mom.” I glanced over at her. Guilt swamped me knowing I’d taken that ability from her. Josh took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. I was glad she had him. Who knew, maybe she would have his kid someday. A human-vampire hybrid. A new race.

  Josh grinned and looked up at Ari. “I’ll play.”

  “Good,” Ari said. “Cian said he was up for it, too. I’ll get it all set up. Around ten work for you all? After the evening meal? Though, I’ve noticed you’re not eating lately, Lane. I’ve planned your favorite for tonight, so I hope you have your appetite back.”

  I smiled. “Beef Wellington?”

  “Yeah. That work for you?”

  “Throw in a bottle of the 2005 Château Lafite-Rothschild and I think I could be persuaded.”

  Ari raised his eyebrows. “That’s a two-thousand-dollar bottle.”

  “Are we saving it for something special?”

  “No. Not that I know of.”

  “Then it’s settled. It’ll be excellent with the meal. I’ll go down to the cellar and get it myself.”

  Chapter Ten

  Vanessa

  I didn’t know how I was going to get along in the mansion for the next three months, being so close to Lane. I’d purposefully stayed away all week. Lane’s flowers were beautiful, and the poem very sweet. It showed a side of him I’d never expected. However, I still wasn’t ready to forgive him. He had to know just how much he’d hurt me by what he’d said. I wasn’t sure I wanted to forgive him. I couldn’t deny that I was attracted to him. He was gorgeous. I’d always been attracted to him. I’d always wanted to be with him. But the more I thought about his hot-headedness and the fact that he wasn’t mortal, I wasn’t sure it was such a great idea. He was a vampire, and he’d said it himself—vampires and witches didn’t mix well. I had to agree with that.

  The bad part was, I needed to be out of my apartment by tomorrow morning when the construction crews started work at seven a.m. I looked around at the empty apartment. All my stuff had been loaded up into storage pods and moved to a monthly storage facility—being paid by the landlords, thankfully. I didn’t even have a bed here, and I would be spending the first of many nights at the mansion. Three months worth of nights to be exact. That is if all went well. According to my landlord, they might need a little longer. Up until last week, I’d been perfectly fine with all that, especially since they’d agreed to pay for the storage and the fees to move all my furniture.

  “Hey, you okay?”

  “Ahhh!” I squealed, startled by Cian’s sudden appearance. “You guys need to stop doing that to me. Where’s Mags?”

  “She wasn’t sure she’d have time to ride to the mansion with you. Ari’s preparing a special dinner tonight for you, and she’s helping.”

  “Oh? For me?”

  “Yeah, for your first night in the mansion. Maggie’s still putting some final touches on the bedroom you’re going to use, too. She wants everything to be perfect.”

  “Aw, that’s sweet. She should know me by now. I don’t need anything fancy or special treatment.”

  “I think she is enjoying it. She’s excited about you being there. I know that you and Lane are not…well…getting along very well.”

  My eyes shot to his. Shocked that my best friend would talk about what had happened.“She told you?”

  “Only that you had a disagreement. You and Lane are always bickering, so that wasn’t a big surprise, but I gather there is something larger than the normal nagging going on that I’m not privy to since he has been hiding in his room all week and won’t talk to me. I hope you staying at the mansion doesn’t have more of a negative impact on things, or make things harder for you both.”

  I gave him a brief half smile. Knowing Lane had been sulking in his room all week made me feel good. Did that make me a bad person? “I think we are both adult enough to stay out of each other’s way.”

  “You like him more than you let on.”

  “What does it matter, Cian? He hates witches even more than he hates humans.”

  “My brother is going through something. Something he is having trouble dealing with. It has changed him in some way. I can’t guarantee he will ever be the same as he was. But you didn’t know him much before. I wouldn’t take his dissonance personally. He has been taking it out on everyone. Are you ready?”

  “Yeah. I appreciate you coming over to help me with the last few things. Can you grab those boxes?”

  “Sure.”

  “Be careful. The top one is full of potions and crystals. I packed them in paper and padding, but just don’t drop it.”

  He chuckled. “I think I can handle it.”

  “Right. My car is just down in the carport.”

  As Cian and I drove to the mansion, P!nk’s Try came on the radio. I reached for the knob and turned it up. “This is one of my favorite songs,” I said and mentally sang along. I never sang in front of anyone for fear they’d notice how out of tune I might be. Or laugh. The song reminded me of Lane and how he’d sparked so much desire in me the other night, how it burned so badly when he’d accused me of casting a spell. Lane and I were not a good match. That was obvious. So why had I given in to him so easily? It was definitely not right. The song ended just as I pulled the car into the driveway of the mansion, and Cian waved his hand at the sensor. The gate opened from the center and splayed open.

  “Remind me to get your fingerprints when we get in so I can enter them into the computer for the gate.” I smiled. I’d forgotten how secure the mansion was, and it felt good to feel safe. Safe from thugs. I wasn’t afraid of any of the guys, but still, they were vampires.

  Once inside the mansion, I headed to the living room. Maggie was there, waiting with open arms to greet me.

  “I am so glad you’re finally here. Was it horrible? All the packing? I’m sorry I couldn’t come help you.”

  I gave her a weak smile. “It wasn’t so bad.”

  “How about a drink? We should have some champagne.”

  “You ladies do what you want. I’m going to check with Ari and see how dinner is going,” Cian said as he strolled out of the room.

  “Come on. Let’s go to the wine cellar and fetch a good bottle.” I followed her out and down the hall. As we headed toward the door to the cellar, I smelled something foul. Mags stopped walking all of a sudden. “Oh, yuck!” I looked to see what she was complaining about as she studied the bottom of her shoe all covered with dog poop. “Vicious’s doggie door must be locked. She doesn’t usually do this in the house.”

  “Why would her door be locked?” I asked.

  “Sometimes Chelle locks it when there’s a full moon like last night. She thinks werewolves are going to steal her or something.”

  “That’s silly. And that stinks.” I laughed.

  “Phew, I know. Until now, it hasn’t been a problem. Go on down to the cellar. I’ll go wash this off my shoe. Get the Dom Perignon, crystal blend. It’s the dark green bottle and should be inside the cooler on the top shelf. The wine fridge is just to the left when you enter the cellar.”

  “Okay.” I left her there, stinking up the hallway. I didn’t think I could get away fast enough. Man, that puppy had some seriously potent shits.

  I opened the heavy door to the cellar. The light was on. I didn’t think much about it as I went down the steps. It was a huge wine cellar. There must be hundreds of bottles of wine down here. I’d been down here a few times with Maggie, so I sort of knew my way around. As I turned the corner, I rammed right into—

  “Fuck! Watch where you’re go—oh, sorry.” Irritation coated the deep voice.

  It was Lane in all his hot gloriousness, and my tongue was stuck inside the driest set of lips I’d ever had.

&
nbsp; “I didn’t know it was you,” he said, holding my shoulders similarly to the way he had last week in the dark hallway. “Are you okay?”

  I couldn’t answer him. I couldn’t even nod my head. In fact, I had a difficult time breathing.

  “You’re not okay. I can see that. Did I hurt you?”

  I found the will to move and nodded slowly. Jesus, was he that much of a numbskull?

  “I mean…physically.” He spoke, softly, almost a whisper. So sexy. His eyes became soft, caring, and silver. His tongue darted out between his lips, and he slowly ran it over the lower one. I teetered as he held me steady. “I know I hurt you. I mean before. I’m sorry for that.”

  All I could do was stand and stare at him. I couldn’t utter a word, for fear of what I might say. It would either be pleasant and forgiving or nasty and crude. I wasn’t sure which way my brain wanted to work. Or maybe I should speak my mind, unburden my heart because I could already feel the pangs of desire and what his touch did to me. I ached to have his lips on mine again. To have him touch me in all the right places again.

  “Is this the night you move in?”

  I nodded.

  “Listen, I don’t really believe you cast a spell on me. I know you didn’t. I just have shit…I can’t deal with sometimes. It wasn’t your fault.”

  What? I thought. He wasn’t making sense. What shit? Did this have something to do with what Cian had told me—as much as that hadn’t made sense?

  He leaned down close to me. We were alone in a hallway of sorts again. This time, it wasn’t dark, but we were alone. Alone among a few hundred bottles of wine. I found my tongue and let it moisten my lips. It felt so good as the wetness coated first the top, then the bottom. His eyes, those blue-silver orbs, fixed on mine, holding me in a trance I knew he hadn’t created supernaturally. But still, we were both entranced.

  “I…got the flowers,” I whispered.

  His lips, inches from mine, parted. His tongue slipped out again, and I watched as it ran slowly over his perfect mouth. Then he sucked his bottom lip in between his top and lower teeth and scraped them along the pink flesh.