VAMPIRE:Vampire Guardian Series: Paranormal Mystery Vampire Alpha Male Romance (New Adult Contemporary Paranormal Royalty Fantasy Romance Collection))

by Rachel S. William

  But as Grace lifted her luggage off of the conveyer belt and made her way over to her, Jessica had the distinct feeling that the last thing on her friends’ minds was adventure and myths. Sadly, she was sure to be in for an entire week of flea markets, beaches, poorly made pina coladas, and really bad sex with complete strangers. Hopefully she would make it through all of this without wanting to kill herself. Or at least, that’s what she told her mother; also known as the true reason she was stuck on this Adventure Hell.

  “Please go somewhere. I could cry thinking about you on that campus with no one to talk to for a whole week.” She wined over the phone.

  What Mom failed to realize was that, being divorced, she herself spent almost every minute of every day, at home with no one to talk to, living off of divorce money and smothering every one else in her life.

  “Okay, I need to get money. Wait.” Vanessa ordered as she approached the currency exchange booths and reached in he small bag. The flock of boys they had all assured their parents were coming with us, you know, for safety reasons, followed behind her.

  Jessica scoffed; she couldn’t understand how Vanessa could be such a boy-whisperer. She had boyfriend stuck at home, working at some financial company or other, but that didn’t stop her, or anyone else.

  “Didn’t we decide we were gonna exchange our currency at the airport,” Jessica all but grumbled. She was fiddling with that cigarette in her right hand and wanted nothing more than to just smoke it already.

  “Not everyone can be such a wonderfully prepared gypsy as you.” Jack, the tall one with the almost, bleached blond hair and the polo shirt only a true douche bag would wear.

  Madison, the one with the long, brunette hair laughed louder than any self-respecting woman should have, then placed her hand on his arm. “Yeah, I mean who was thinking about getting currency in Boston?” She retorted.

  Jessica rolled her eyes again. “Look, I’ve got everything I need, including money. So, if you need me, I’ll be outside trying not to kill myself.” She muttered, mostly to herself. Without waiting for a response, she grabbed her baggage and rolled it out of the front doors.

  Benjamin shrugged. “I mean, I grabbed my currency in Boston too, so…” He muttered.

  Vanessa scoffed, and then replied with, “But I need you to help me figure this out. Please?” she asked.

  Benjamin rolled his eyes. “Have you never used one of these machines before? They are literally all the same.” He replied.

  Vanessa let out a slightly embarrassed laugh, as if she suddenly realized how stupid she was being and wanted to cover it up by pretending that she had been joking the whole time. It wasn’t really working. “I know, but like-“

  But Benjamin didn’t even let her finish. He wrapped his hands around his own luggage-handle, and then turned to face the door. “If you need me, I’ll be outside with Jessica.”

  Jessica moaned as she crossed the threshold of the automatic door, bracing herself for impact. “Can I not have to deal with this asshole right now?” She murmured to herself. Luckily for her, she was able to light her cigarette and take the first drag before he joined her.

  “Couldn’t wait a second longer, huh?” he asked as he went to stand next to her.

  Jessica stared out into the landscape before them. It seemed that the airport was the most modern building in all of Cancun. The rest of it all looked made entirely of stone. The streets were thin and composed of cracked cobbled stones and dangerous-looking vegetation somehow strong enough to poke its way all the way through the stones. Yet, despite all of this, the sun hung high in the sky, its beams showering down on everything below. As Jessica stood there, she could already feel herself tanning, and that, alone, was enough to make her feel that much better about her decision.

  Of course, it could have also just been the nicotine kicking in.

  “Nope.” Jessica shrugged, shaking her head. “Of course not.”

  “Could I have one of those?” He asked, shoving his hand at her.

  Jessica glowered right into his blue eyes. “You don’t smoke.” She replied.

  He shrugged. “Anything can happen in Cancun.” He replied in the most disgustingly flirtatious voice.

  It was enough for Jessica to lend him her cigarettes, just to watch him choke on it. “Okay.” She shrugged, pulling one out of her bag and handing it to him. She slipped her lighter out of the low pocket of her gypsy skirt and handed it to him.

  As she watched, it became apparent that only smokers really every learned how to wield a lighter, because he was struggling to an embarrassing degree. Jessica snatched it from him, and leaned in, flipping the switch and watching the flame caress the end of the cigarette. “You have to suck on it.” She murmured.

  He winked at her. “Oh do I?” he murmured back, just as he sucked and the end lit up amber.

  She stood back, but much to her surprise, and slight annoyance, he began smoking the cigarette with no problem at all. “I thought you didn’t smoke.” She replied.

  He shrugged. “I’ll do anything for you baby.” He replied.

  It sounded like he was reading from a badly written script. “Okay?” she muttered.

  He took another drag, blowing it out in front of him, then stepped even closer to her, his finger caressing her bare arm. “You know you’re sexy as hell right?”

  Jessica raised an eyebrow. “Was I still sexy as hell when you were in Boston ignoring me?” she asked.

  He scoffed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He replied.

  Jessica nodded. “Of course you don’t.” She replied.

  Just as she took another drag of her cigarette, he wrapped his hand around her curvy waist, drawing it towards him. Their torsos pressed together as he continued to smoke, blowing the air right above her head.

  She flipped her head back, pretending to be completely unphased by this contact, and continued to smoke. He then leaned over into her ear. “Don’t you like the way that feels?”

  She shrugged. “Eh… I could take it or leave it.” She replied.

  He glowered at her, his lips folded into a crooked smile. “Well, I’m determined to change your mind.”

  Jessica let out a humorless chuckle. “Of course you are.” She replied. No sooner had she said this that he pressed his lips against her. That last breath from his last drag went right to the back of her throat. She thought to cough it out, but his tongue soon followed, jutting into her mouth like an erotic snake. She let the last bit of her cigarette slips from between her fingers and onto the dirt pavement as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel his hands rubbing against every bare surface of her body, and his bulge pressing against the thin barrier of her bohemian skirt, but other than that, she felt nothing. She was so indifferent that she let it go on until,

  “Okay, everyone has money! Now let’s go!” it was Jack who had just pressed through the front door of the airport and brought everyone else in tow.

  Benjamin only reluctantly broke away from Jessica, turning to raise an eyebrow at Jack. Madison had eyes only for Jack as she followed him to the edge of the curb to flag down a taxi. The rest of the group lined the curb; practically vibrating with excitement over finally getting to see the hotel they had fought for so many feverish nights over booking. Yet, Vanessa stood in the doorway, her eyes wide for Benjamin, but narrow and cruel for Jessica.

  Jessica could think of nothing to do, but to laugh out loud at this. She couldn’t understand how Vanessa could work herself up so much over Benjamin. Who could fall for a guy like him: a spineless asshole who would smoke a cigarette just to kiss a girl on vacation that he would undoubtedly forget as soon as he got back to the real world? Jessica shook her head; Vanessa needed someone to protect her from herself. So, she decided, the best way to do that would be to grab Benjamin by his neck, pull him down to her, and kiss him one last time. Benjamin chuckled at her, but his hand on her chest, squeezing her right tit, was enough for Jessica to call it quits.

&
nbsp; That was enough hero work for now.

  Chapter Two

  After a well-deserved nap, Jessica woke to find the festivities of the evening in full swing. She rolled out of her twin bed in the room she shared with Grace and went straight for the mirror, hoping that she would be able to fix herself up a little before she went into the common area of the small bungalow they had rented on air. As she stood in the bathroom staring at her smeared eye shadow and eyeliner, and her faded red lipstick, she sighed to herself. It was in that moment, as she stood alone in her bathroom, listening to the sound of whiz kalifa’s voice ringing through the rest of the house that she realized that the last thing she wanted to do was go out there and join the rest of her classmates. But, instead of using the bathroom and dropping back into the bed, where everything was simple, she sighed. “You paid your share. You’re in Mexico for Christ’s sake. Just go out there and pretend you don’t care.” She told herself.

  With that, she ran some hot water over her face, redid her make-up, but on a fresh outfit, then went outside to join the others. Without the barriers of separate rooms to keep the noise down, the rap music was at full blast. All of her friends stood around, a corona or a shot in hand, excitedly talking to each other. Bryce, a relatively short guy with a thing for Grace happened to be the only guy who had thought to bring a lab top. He sat there with it opened, staring at an article for the top ten most fun things to do in Cancun. Grace leaned over his shoulder. “Ooh, let’s go to this beach.” She muttered in his ear.

  He glanced up at her. “I don’t know. Apparently there have been shark sightings there lately.”

  Jessica grabbed a Corona from the cooler and joined them, looking over Bryce’s head at the screen. “I don’t mind a shark or two.” She replied in an mischievous voice.

  Bryce looked up at her, an expression of full-blown amusement on his face. “You know what? This bitch has the right idea.” He replied.

  Grace crossed her arms, “But-“

  But Jessica rounded Bryce’s chair so that she stood by her side and placed her arm around her. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll protect you.” She replied.

  Grace laughed at this, giving Jessica a playful punch in her arm. “Okay, go tell the others.”

  Jessica sighed, surveying the common room as her lips folded into a frown. “The others,” were currently in the throws of a day drinking party. Madison found herself sitting on top of Jack’s lap and Jessica could just hear the last bits of their conversation. “… No I’ve never given a lap dance before…” she murmured.

  He laughed at this. “But, aren’t you a stripper?” he asked.

  Madison rolled her eyes. “Exotic dancer, there’s a difference. I don’t do private dances.” She replied.

  Jack laughed at this, the sound easily elevating above that of the rest of the party. Jamie, who stood in the kitchen, a blender and a recipe for margaritas in front of her, looked up at this, her laugh joining in with his. “Stop lying to the poor man.” She ordered, just as she activated the blender, the sound of it filling the entire house.

  Jessica winced.

  Madison had begun to laugh as well. She chugged the rest of her beer, then stood up. “All right fine, but nothing comes for free,” she joked.

  He shrugged, rummaging in his back pocket for something. “Look, I always come prepared,” he replied as he presented a massive wad of cash.

  She erupted into a fit of laughter the sound of it competing with the blender. “Bryce!” she called, pointing at him, “Give me my song,”

  As soon as she said this, Bryce cut the rap music, then, after a short pause, the first lines of Nicky Manage and Beyonce’s “Feeling Myself,” filled the house. Everyone stopped what they were doing to cheer Madison on.

  “Whoot!!!” Jack yelled as he began to throw note after note of Mexican money at her. She danced harder, throwing her leg over him and straddling him.

  “Take it off!” Jamie yelled as she began pouring margaritas and handing them out one by one to everyone in the room.

  Jessica was more than ready for that drink by the time it hit the back of her throat. She winced at the taste; a bit too sour and dangerously potent, but either way, it did the job. She continued to watch with the rest of the party, even rolling her own hips a little, much to Grace and Jamie’s encouragement as she watched Madison roll harder and harder against Jack’s crotch.

  Eric, a brunette who was also an all-star on the Harvard wrestling team turned to the two of them and yelled, “Look at Jack’s hard on!”

  So, of course, everyone looked, and Jessica couldn’t deny being slightly turned on by the sight of Jack’s excitement. She giggled at this and took a generous gulp of her margarita in the process. By the time the song was over, Jack had dropped every bit of cash he had withdrawn at the airport onto the ground surrounding Madison.

  Bryce laughed at this. “Dude, pick up your shit. No one’s going to spot you.” He demanded.

  Jamie laughed and chimed in with, “Yeah, no one is responsible for any cash lost in the process of this dance.” She replied as Madison continued to laugh, playfully messing with his hair.

  He laughed as well, but retaliated by picking Madison up and shoving her onto the couch. She let out a playful screech, but everyone could see that she was turned on by it. “Get a room!” Eric yelled.

  We all laughed at this, but as soon as it died down, Jessica spoke up. “Not quite yet. I don’t know about you guys, but I came here for the white, sandy beaches.” She yelled. “So what do you guys think? Moonlight beach party?”

  Bryce shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t really come here to get eaten by sharks.”

  Jessica cocked her head to the side. “Well, that’s funny, because I didn’t really come here to play it safe.” She replied.

  Everyone else laughed at this, while Eric spoke over everyone else. “That’s the right idea mami!” he hollered.

  Jessica shrugged as she lifted the cigarette she had hidden behind her ears and put it in her mouth, “Does anyone actually care about this security deposit?” she asked.

  Jack shrugged. “I don’t think we could get it back even if we tried.”

  Jamie let out a singular humorless laugh. “Oh fuck that.” She replied.

  Jessica laughed at that as she lit her cigarette and took her first drag. As she blew it out, she glanced around the room, pleased to find consenting looks from everyone. “All right, great. I got ‘I do’s,’ from all of you, so let’s get going! Sunset is only in a few hours and the beach is a thirty-minute bus ride away. Where is Benjamin and Vanessa?” she demanded.

  Jamie shrugged, lowering her gaze. “In my room.” She replied.

  Jessica raised an eyebrow, so her efforts had not worked to deter Vanessa from potential heartbreak. She shrugged. Her moments of heroism were dashed, now she wanted to get to the beach before all the good bonfires were gone. The thought of denying the two of them a climax was a little too enticing to resist, so she charged through the living room, down and down the short hallway to the space in front of Vanessa and Jamie’s room.

  Once she reached, she raised her hand to knock on the door, but the sound of their voices pressing through the doorway, was a little too much for her to resist. She stopped, lowering her hand, and pressed her ear to the door.

  She caught Vanessa mid-moan, “Oh, yeah baby. C’mon. I’m almost there. Yes.”

  And Benjamin, “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” The sound of skin slapping against skin accompanied his voice.

  Jessica pressed her palm against her lips to stop herself from bursting out in laughter as she continued to listen.

  “Touch me there. Touch me…” she murmured.

  Jessica cocked her head to the side, as, less than a second later, she continued with, “Ow, ow, ow. That’s too hard, stop.” She practically screamed this.

  It was swiftly followed by, “Sorry, sorry, sorry,” and more skin slapping against skin.

  It was then that Jessica chose to make her sweepi
ng entrance. She yanked the door open and stepped inside. “Oh. I am scandalized!” she gasped in an over-dramatic voice.

  Vanessa gave an over-indulgent screech, then collapsed onto the bed her busty chest bouncing up and down. “Jessica!” Benjamin yelled as he fell onto the bed. Apparently the rest of the party was privy to their activities, because as soon as he landed on top of Vanessa, the rest of them burst into laughter.

  “Jessica!” Jack mocked him in a high pitched voice.

  “Oh that’s funny.” She murmured mainly to herself as they scrambled with the sheets of Vanessa’s small, twin-sized bed and covered herself with her quilt. The hilarious thing was the fact that his hard on was still poking through the quilt when he got back on his back.