When a Vamp Falls (War of Blood and Bonds Book 1)

by A. M. Griffin

  She stopped struggling long enough to glare at him. “Really? What do you call this or what you did last night?”

  He let out a curse. “If I let you go do you promise not to attack me again?”

  “Sure.”

  He didn’t believe her. “I only came to make sure that you had recovered from last night. I didn’t mean to take as much blood as I did.”

  “Everyone thinks that I’m crazy because of you.”

  “And for that I apologize.” She relaxed a little. “So, can I let you go now?” He really wanted to keep her where she was, pinned against him, and take her. And if he didn’t create space between them that’s exactly what he would’ve done.

  She gave a short nod.

  He let go of her hands and stepped away and kept going until he was against the wall, giving them both space. He needed it so that his cock would go down, and she needed it so that she wouldn’t feel threatened anymore. He also wanted to put room between his balls and her knees.

  “You bit me,” she said again. “Why? I was just trying to help you.”

  “And you did, by giving me your blood.”

  She held up a finger. “Let’s make things clear. I didn’t give you anything. You took it.”

  Yeah, that sounded about right. Hearing her say it made him feel even worse. “If I had asked?”

  “The answered would’ve been no.”

  “It was a life or death situation. Without you I wouldn’t be standing here now.”

  She snorted. “And that’s a good thing?”

  “That I’m alive? I should think so.”

  “Alive and coming back to finish what you started?”

  He raised a questioning eyebrow.

  She pointed to her neck. “To kill me.”

  “I hardly have intentions to kill you.”

  She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. She looked causal, even relaxed, but her muscles were tight. She was getting ready for a fight.

  “But I know what you are. A vampire.”

  He shrugged. “And?”

  “And if I tell people about you they’ll know that vampires exist.”

  He chuckled and leaned back. “How well did that work out for you last night with those cops?”

  She narrowed her eyes until she watched him through the slits. “They thought I was having some kind of dementia anemic episode. Everyone assumed I was crazy and out of my mind, and I swear the police thought I was some kind of vampire groupie looney.”

  He laughed again, which made her grind her teeth.

  “So my advice to you would be not to tell anyone else. Otherwise you might find yourself institutionalized.”

  “That’s not funny,” she bit out.

  He tried to control his laughter and put up a hand. “You’re right. I’m sorry. But for real. I wouldn’t mention it again.” He sobered and straightened. “Thank you for saving me.”

  “I could’ve died. You left me with a hemoglobin of 4.4!” Then she pulled her eyebrows together in thought. “What is it supposed to be normally?” she mumbled.

  “Humans should have a hemoglobin of—”

  “I’m not asking you, mister,” she snapped.

  “Ramsey Moreau.”

  “Huh?”

  “That’s my name.” She clenched her jaws. He let out a light chuckle. “Nice to meet you, Danya Evans.”

  She took a step to the side, sliding further away from him. “How do you know my name?”

  He winked, giving her a devious smile. “I heard your conversations with the officers last night.”

  “Creep much?”

  “Sometimes.”

  She took another step. “And that’s how you figured out where I was?”

  He nodded.

  She took yet another step. Maybe he should remind her that she was in a hotel room and there was nowhere to run?

  “And I suppose that you couldn’t have found it in your heart to corroborate my story to save me from the humiliation of being labeled crazy?”

  “Ah, no.” She cursed under her breath and kicked at the carpet. “But if you would let me, I’d like to make it up to you.”

  She turned her head. “And how could you do that? You can’t give me my blood back. The transfusions took care of that.”

  “I want to take you out to eat.” That hadn’t been his plan, but suddenly he didn’t want to leave her. Yet.

  She looked at him. “When you say eat, do you mean?” She pantomimed using a utensil and scooped air into her mouth and chewed. “Or do you mean?” She made her fingers claw at the air and opened her mouth wide and hissed.

  He put a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed or smiled this much. “Eat at a restaurant.”

  She turned away from him again. “Let me think about it.” Her stomach growled, sounding like a freight train barreling down old tracks.

  “From what I hear, they serve the best food in NOLA at this place.”

  She furrowed her brow in thought. “He’s a vampire. A blood-sucking vampire. What if he kills me?” she mumbled.

  He waved a hand in the air. “Um, right here.”

  “Sh, I’m not talking to you,” she snapped.

  He pressed his mouth closed. He could practically see her weighing the pros and cons in her head. She chewed on her bottom lip in thought. Her stomach grumbled again.

  “Delicious food,” he teased.

  She dropped her arms and pushed off the wall. “Let me get my shoes.”

  Chapter Six

  Why the hell am I on a date with a vampire?

  Maybe something really was wrong with her head. She’d been humiliated and embarrassed trying to convince the police that a vampire had attacked her. Ha! If he attacked her again they would really have a laugh. In the hotel room she’d gone from trying to figure out how to reach the pencil in her purse to stake him, to agreeing to a date. All because of her stomach and its insistent need to be full.

  When he’d asked her out she’d been more than skeptical, but with her stomach singing the songs of its people she had forgone all common sense and self-preservation. While he’d flagged down a cab, she’d sent a quick text to Bride and Jamie.

  Grabbing something to eat. I’ll be back in a little bit.

  At the last second, she’d left out the part about stupidly leaving with the vampire who’d attacked her. What could she have said anyway? “Hey, guys, guess what? I really didn’t lose my marbles. Vampires do exist. And by the way, I’m out having dinner with him and this time I’m not on the menu! Ha ha ha. Well, I hope that I’m not on the menu anyways. See you guys later! (Maybe) LOL”

  The restaurant he’d taken her to resembled a regular shotgun style house that New Orleans was famous for. There were square tables placed strategically into four small rooms. Their table was in one of the larger rooms and shared the space with the five-seat bar slash overflow seating and entrance to the kitchen. Pictures of musicians dotted the much need of a fresh coat of paint walls. Outdated carpet was on the floor. Not the typical place that she would’ve stopped to eat at, but when she took the first bite of her food, she was glad that she hadn’t begged to go to a commercial restaurant instead.

  Dani took another bite of her food, stuffing her mouth full of jambalaya and groaned out loud when an array of spices hit her taste buds.

  Ramsey shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I take it that you like it?”

  He sat across from her, looking as debonair as one of those high-end runway models that always looked delicious in tailored suits … and underwear. His dark hair was cut low on the sides with the top longer and scooped up in the front. His chiseled nose went perfectly with his full lips and strong jaw. But it was his eyes that captivated her, smoky grey framed in an abundance of long dark lashes.

  His knee brushed against hers. Her heart raced, sending her stomach into a fluttery mess.

  But in reality, he didn’t need to touch her for her to have a school g
irl reaction to him. All he had to do was look at her and say something in that sexy-as-hell French accent and she turned all gooey inside. Her best bet in getting through dinner without dropping her panties at his feet was to sit up straight so that they didn’t touch and not look at him.

  She closed her eyes and chewed slowly, savoring the flavor and pushing thoughts of him from her mind. “Mmm.”

  “See? I told you this was the best little-known restaurant in NOLA.”

  She opened her eyes to focus on her food—not to take another glimpse his way. “How did you find out about this place anyway?” She used her fork to point at the empty placemat in front of him. When they’d sat down, their server, a perky older woman, hadn’t even offered him a menu or given him a customary glass of water. Did she know what he was? It was like he wasn’t even trying to hide it. “I’m guessing that you don’t eat.” She shoveled another bite into her mouth and almost orgasmed on the spot. Her eyes rolled back, and she groaned.

  Ramsey cleared his throat and adjusted in his seat. “My assistant swears by this place. If his weight hadn’t started to be affected he would eat here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”

  She swallowed and opened her eyes wide. “They serve breakfast, too?” Pictures of omelets, cheesy grits, and andouille sausages danced in her head.

  “You should bring your…”

  “Sister and best friend.”

  “You should bring them here tomorrow. There’s usually a line going down the block, but if you want I can talk to the owner and let her know to expect you.”

  When their cab had pulled up, it was to a crowd of people waiting to get in. She’d gotten out of the cab and made her way to the back of the line, assuming they would stand behind the others. But Ramsey had led her up the stairs and into the building where they’d only had to wait a few minutes for a table to clear.

  “That would be great. My breakfast this morning consisted of two watery scrambled eggs, hard toast, a cup of apricots floating in syrup, orange juice, and sludge for coffee. So, yeah. I’m coming back here tomorrow.”

  “I’ll let Drenda know. Excuse me.”

  Ramsey stood, and Dani tried hard not to lose her breath. Good lord, he’s a perfect specimen.

  He had on a black, short-sleeved polo shirt that left little to the imagination. The shirt looked as if it had been poured over his well-formed chest muscles. Hard nipples stabbed at the material. His shirt was tucked into fitted, purple slacks. His pants didn’t cling to his legs, but showed the definition of his muscles clearly underneath. His pants tapered at the bottom and rose just above his ankles. His black leather shoes matched the belt cinched around his lean waist. Not many men could’ve been able to pull off his look, but Ramsey did it with style. He was the epitome of sexy.

  When he walked away, exuding confidence, she sucked in a breath as she watched his ass. Round and firm. She would love to cop a feel. Just one squeeze would hold her over for eternity. Never going to happen. She let out a sigh.

  He turned to give her a look over his shoulder. One side of his mouth lifted.

  Did he hear me?

  The knowing smile of his told her yes.

  Dani flushed all types of red and dropped her gaze to study him through her lashes. He stopped by the bar and sandwiched himself between two customers. When he leaned over to speak to their server his pants stretched across his backside.

  Her mouth dropped open. Oh, my God. Why did he have to do that?

  The server looked in her direction and smiled. She was an older lady with white hair pulled into a bun. A multitude of wrinkles covered her face. She said something to Ramsey, and he chuckled. She gave him a pat on his arm and nodded.

  The exchange was personal and friendly. A slight pang of jealousy crept through her. When he sauntered back to the table she pretended that her food was more important than anything in the world. She couldn’t watch him coming back. She wasn’t sure if she could control the lust on her face if she did. He was Adonis incarnate.

  He pulled out his chair and eased into it gracefully. Every move he made was fluid. “Drenda said to come by anytime you want and she’ll get you a table.”

  “Thanks.” She took another bite of her food, and it melted across her tongue. She moaned again.

  Ramsey cleared his throat. “So what have you and your friends done since being in town?”

  She watched him pointedly. “Besides cruising up and down Bourbon Street and getting assaulted by vampires?” She shrugged. “Nothing special.”

  He crinkled his nose. “Those two items are kind of in the same category, huh?”

  She couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah, I would lump them together.”

  Her phone chimed with an incoming text. Probably Bride or Jamie wondering why I left without them. But when she pulled the phone from her pocket, Alex’s name was displayed.

  Just checking in on you. Are you having a good time?

  Weird. Since when did Alex text her about anything other than work schedule issues?

  Something primal … dangerous flashed behind Ramsey’s eyes. “Boyfriend?”

  She shook her head and stuffed her phone into her pocket without responding to the message. “No, just a coworker.”

  He lifted his chin a fraction of an inch. “You do know that there are a lot of things to do in and around the city besides Bourbon Street, don’t you?”

  She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. “Tell that to my sister, Bride. All she wants to do is party and pick up guys.”

  He narrowed his eyes. The playfulness dropped from his face. “And you? Are you here to pick up guys?”

  “Guys? Heck no.” With school and work taking up all of her time she couldn’t entertain the thought of a boyfriend. Maybe after she graduated and got a new position she could finally focus on having fun and a social life. She could even try one of those online dating sites. She stirred her food with her fork.

  “Why the ‘heck no’?”

  She gave her head a light shake. “I’m not here for that. I would love to do all the touristy things that this city has to offer. It’s my first time here. I would love to see the sights. This place has so much history and culture. Nothing like Los Angeles where everything is so commercialized. I would hate to come all this way to spend my time on a few streets and don’t experience anything else.”

  “We’ll have to fix that.”

  She looked up. Her breath caught in her throat. He was so perfect that it was almost a crime.

  “I’ll have to come back someday, maybe without my sister if I want to do more than drink and party,” she said when she’d finally found her voice.

  He stared at her. His eyes sucked her into him. Her breaths became deep and labored, making her chest hurt.

  He broke eye contact and crossed his legs. The effect that he had on her body didn’t dissipate. She tried eating again, and instantly the pain in her chest was replaced with heaven in her belly. Food solved all problems. It was such a giver that way.

  “How long will you be in town?”

  “Until Sunday.” She stuffed another bite into her mouth.

  He gave her a thoughtful nod.

  She swallowed hard, forcing the too-big food wad down her throat. “How long have you lived here?” She pointed at him. “And if you tell me something like ‘hundreds of years’,” she mocked his deep French accent. “I will stab you.”

  He chuckled, and dimples displayed in both cheeks. “And why is that?”

  “Because it would be so unfair if you were hundreds of years old when you look like you’re in your twenties.”

  He used his finger to pretend to write on his palm. “Don’t tell Danya how old I am. Check.”

  She laughed. “I go by Dani.” Something flashed behind his eyes, but it was gone before she could put a finger on it.

  “Dani? That’s an … interesting name.” He looked off in thought. “I’ve heard it before,” he said more to himself than to her.

  She shrugged.
It wasn’t that interesting at all. “But back to what we were talking about, don’t tell me your age if it’s going to freak me out.”

  “Just to give you an idea of my age. I’ve been at my current residence for about fifty years now.”

  Her jaw dropped. “I swear you don’t look anything near fifty.”

  He lifted a perfectly sculpted shoulder. “It comes with the condition.”

  She eyed him. How crazy was her situation? She was sitting across from a real vampire…

  But was she really? How was she to know that he wasn’t just some psycho who went around with fake teeth attacking helpless women? For all she knew he’d probably planned all of this.

  She squinted at him. “How do I know that you are what you say you are?”

  He looked at her quizzically. “And that is?”

  She leaned over the table. “A vampire,” she whispered.

  He leaned to meet her. “I never said that I was a vampire. You did,” he whispered.

  She pulled away and inhaled a sharp breath. “You have got to be friggin’ kidding me,” she mumbled. “You are some psycho playing a game with me.” She snatched the napkin from across her lap and balled it up and threw it on the table. “Can’t get a date the regular way?” She slid back her chair, ready to bolt for the door. But before she could blink he was behind her, pushing her chair into place. “Wha—”

  He leaned over her shoulder. The heat from his skin caressed the side of her face. “I am a vampire,” he whispered into her ear. “And just for the record never run away from one of us. We would love nothing more than to chase you down. We’re predators.”

  This was all kinds of wrong. His obvious threat sent tingling pleasurable shivers across her neck and down her spine. She let out a ragged breath. He pushed away slowly then walked around the table and settled into his seat.

  “You could’ve just said so without being so damn dramatic about it.” She stabbed at her food again.

  He let out a laugh. “Seriously? You were more upset when you thought I was a man playing dating tricks than about me being a vampire?”

  She glared at him. He was even more the epitome of perfection while he laughed. “I thought it was all an act to get a date.”