by Anna Santos
“You don’t want to date me because I’m a vampire. But vampires have feelings, too. We are also—beings,” he finished with a theatrical gesture that made her roll her eyes and realize that they were at the bottom of the stairs and there were other people in the room to their right, talking, drinking, and enjoying the party.
Jade stared at the other guests, intrigued by who they were. It was then that she noticed the seven well-dressed vampires, who starred in the reality show, were at that party with their new pets.
“I may have to leave you alone sometimes to talk to others, but you will have someone to keep you company.”
“Where is my brother?” she asked, ignoring the party and remembering his words.
“You will see him after the party. Your surprise has seen you,” he said, gazing at the party.
“Are you—” She had no time to finish her sentence because a screaming blonde girl ran to her and hugged her tightly. It was Jenna, to her utter disbelief, wearing a cute golden dress and looking stunning.
“What are you doing here?” Jade asked.
Daniel squeezed her arm and indicated that he was going to join the party and greet the guests.
She just nodded and gave her full attention to her best friend.
“The director liked me so much that he chose me to participate in the special program. So now I’m one of the contestants to win the bachelor’s heart,” Jenna explained proudly.
“What?”
“We are going to compete against each other and another girl for Daniel’s heart. Isn’t it great?”
Jade’s heart seemed to stop and all color ran from her face. The world was spinning around her at an unwelcome speed.
“Are you all right?” she asked, frowning.
Jade felt like she wanted to run away and hide.
“Anyway,” Jenna continued, grabbing her arm and urging her to enter the living room where everybody was busy talking and some even making out in the couches. The people became blurs to her. Jade was too shocked to pay attention to her surroundings. “I was thinking,” Jenna went on, “that we could team up against the other girl, and you could help me win Daniel’s heart. You don’t want all this, so I’m glad you are here to help me.”
“Help you?” Jade asked, baffled. Is she crazy? “You said you were going to take care of Stevie!”
“He’s fine. Daniel’s employees took care of everything. They even took him to his treatment, and he is upstairs with Sakura. He loves her. He thinks she is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen.”
“Great, just great,” Jade hissed.
“Seth is here. He’s been checking me out. He even smiled at me,” her friend whispered in her ear, and Jade snapped her head to stare at her blue eyes. “He is so charming! He looks like an angel, Jade!”
“He has a pet,” Jade muttered.
“His pet is an annoying girl, and it seems he can’t stand her. I would gladly trade places with her, so I could be next to him.”
“You’ve just told me that you wanted my help to win Daniel’s heart!”
“Oh, don’t look at me like you are judging me! I just want to have someone who loves me.”
“Nice place to look for it—in a vampire’s lair and with vampire men,” Jade said, rolling her eyes.
They sat on an empty couch, and Jade browsed the living room, looking for Daniel. It was automatic. Her eyes were seeking him out against her best judgment.
“So, do you like him more today?” Jenna asked after pouting a bit.
“Who?”
“Daniel.”
“He is not so bad,” she confessed, nibbling on her lower lip and remembering their time alone. Daniel was as intriguing as he was overwhelming. Besides, there was no point in lying to her best friend about her feelings. Jenna would, eventually, see right through her. Moreover, she didn’t want to compete against her best friend for a guy’s attention.
“That’s cool. We always tend to fall for the same guys.” She giggled, and Jade stared at her sideways. “Oh, come on! We can share him.”
“No, we can’t,” she said seriously.
Jenna burst into laughter, putting her hands on her shoulders. “There you go. You have finally admitted it. Was that so hard?”
The patronizing tone in her voice rattled Jade. “I’ve admitted what?”
“That you like the guy. I was teasing you, waiting for you to confess. You can be stubborn. Besides, Daniel seems nice, and I’ve joined to be next to you and… Who knows, maybe I’ll meet Seth.” She smirked and wiggled her eyebrows, making Jade laugh.
“Does that mean you are leaving Daniel alone?”
“He’s gorgeous, and he’s going to great lengths to make you happy. I’m pretty sure that he’s extremely interested in you. Besides, I saw how you two were acting while coming down the stairs. Also, you let him touch you! Thus, I’m guessing that the animosities between you two are over.”
“Oh, no. I still think he’s insufferable,” Jade said, breathing out dramatically.
“Oh, you so have a crush on him!” Jenna squealed.
Jade palmed Jenna’s face and growled, pulling her back. Her best friend shouldn’t say that out loud, and she shouldn’t be finding it hilarious.
“Where is he anyway?”
Shrugging, Jade scanned for him one more time to see if she could locate him.
“Outside with the brunette,” a husky and soft voice whispered in her ear, startling her. She turned her head to see who was talking so close.
Jade’s eyes widened. Seth, the vampire hottie, was talking to her in person.
“Hi, I’m Seth,” he said with a dreamy smile, taking her hand and kissing it softly.
Her temperature rose and her stomach dropped. “I’m J-Jade.”
“And, I’m Jenna,” her best friend interrupted.
“So, you are both my brother’s guests for the week,” he stated, smiling mischievously. “He has great taste. I’m jealous.”
“Brother?” Jade asked, frowning.
“We have the same vampire parents. I’m the youngest, though. Are you ladies having fun?”
“Yes!” Jenna cut Jade’s turn to speak.
Meanwhile, Jade stared at the balcony to see if she could find Daniel. The word ‘brunette’ was floating inside her mind, leaving a rash of jealousy on her skin.
“Do you want to know against whom you are competing?” Seth asked with a hint of gossip and amusement in his voice.
“Oh, I would love to know who the third girl is,” Jenna declared.
“It’s someone you two probably know. She is rather famous.”
Jenna’s eyes grew bigger.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Emma Dawson.” He used the same tone of voice that a TV host would use to reveal the winner of an important prize.
As if on cue, Jenna’s mouth fell open. She slapped her hands to her cheeks.
“They used to date,” Seth continued, sitting in the middle of them as if they were longtime friends who were sharing the latest gossip.
Jenna never looked more excited, and Jade more puzzled.
“I know!” Jenna nodded repeatedly.
Jade didn’t. Though she knew who the actress was, she had no clue of what was going on with the stars, the vampires, and so on. She had real problems to worry about. Emma was a famous actress and was gorgeous with an endless number of fans who would worship the ground she walked on. In a way, it made sense. A rich and good-looking vampire like Daniel should have a long list of actresses and models as his ex-girlfriends.
Jade tried to focus on Seth’s information. She needed to know what she was getting herself into.
“The producer was looking for a media sensation to enter the show against the one he would choose and the one the producer would cast. It seems that Emma did everything she could to enter the competition. She is probably regretting breaking up with him.”
“And they dated for a year or two, and everybody thought they were going to
get married,” Jenna filled in the blanks.
Jade began to feel sick. Her stomach was doing flips inside her tummy. She cut into their conversation, asking, “What is your deal, Seth?”
“I wanted to warn you about what you were going to play against. I don’t think it will be a fair competition. Besides, you two look neglected over here. Isn’t my brother giving you the proper attention?”
“Don’t you have a pet to take care of?” Daniel’s voice came from behind them, taking the words right out of Jade’s mind.
“Yes, but I wanted to talk to your girls. They are extremely friendly, and I wanted to meet the girl that can be my future sister-in-law,” he replied, turning around with a sizzling smile.
Daniel was not smiling, though. “Stay away from them and move along.”
Seth lost his smile. “Always rude, brother.” He got up and studied Jade and Jenna. “We will talk later. Come and join me whenever you feel bored.”
“I’m bored already,” Jenna said, getting up. “I would love to go with you.”
“Let’s go and see the garden then,” he proposed, and she grabbed his arm, leaving the others behind.
Jade’s eyes were on her lap. She was feeling restless. It wasn’t helping that Jenna was playing with fire and wanted to get burned. But, she was a big girl, and Jade didn’t want to ruin her fun. She was sure her friend was going to try to make out with Seth, and the garden seemed like a good place for them to do that. Nonetheless, Jade was sure that Seth had his own agenda.
“What lies was my brother telling?” Daniel moved around the couch and sat next to her. “It must be something bad to make you lose your smile.”
“I want to see my brother,” Jade said, facing him.
He was staring at her with big blue eyes and an inquisitive expression. “Aren’t you happy to have your best friend joining us?”
“I would be happier if this nightmare was over.”
He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “It doesn’t have to be a nightmare. It can become a hot and pleasant dream.”
Her blood raced through her veins and her cheeks burned. Even if her traitorous body liked what he was implying, her reason was not so keen on surrendering and falling for his promising words.
“I’ve heard your ex is coming to join us for the week. How are you planning to handle that?” She put in the effort to grin evilly, but she was feeling distraught to have to compete with freaking Emma ‘Gorgeous’ Dawson for Daniel’s attention.
“I plan to treat her with respect. We’ve remained friends. However, I’m not planning on picking up where we have left off.”
Jade’s shoulders relaxed.
“Feeling less jealous now?” he asked, grinning.
Jade felt the need to choke him with one of the cushions that were behind her back. But, she simply looked away.
“In my defense,” he added, “I didn’t want her here. They are only doing this to increase the ratings.”
Jade shrugged, focusing on the other guests and perceiving the hovering cameras around them.
He leaned in until his breath brushed her ear. “If I let you see your brother, would you look less bored after?”
A frisson of excitement caressed her neck, and she partially closed her eyes.
“It would be so much better if we had stayed locked inside your bedroom,” he continued, leaving her even more fragile under his spell.
Jade couldn’t help but nibble on her lip as her mouth went dry.
“Afterwards, you must come back and mingle with the rest of the guests.” He brushed his finger along her neck, leaving a trail of fire behind.
“Okay.” She turned her head and met his tender eyes. She could get used to getting lost in them if she didn’t have so much at stake and so much more to lose. After all, Jade had her brother to take care and her mortality to treasure.
Daniel smiled, pleased, and she smiled back. They moved away from the crowd and went upstairs, so she could see her brother. Daniel had a strange power of making everything seem interesting, dangerous, and exciting. But, she knew better than to trust him. Like all men—vampire or human—they had only one thing in mind: women and how many more they could sleep with. Jade was merely another challenge to him.
Chapter Seven: A Bloody Kiss
As soon as Daniel opened the wooden French door that led them to a beautiful sitting room with a view of a private pool, Jade saw Stevie playing a game with Sakura.
Sakura looked like a life-size anime figurine. Her gorgeous blonde hair was perfectly curled, and she wore a white and blue corset princess dress. She had a peculiar taste in clothes, but she was beautiful like a walking and talking doll.
Stevie had his eyes glowing, and he didn’t seem to be afraid of her. Maybe he had no clue that she was a vampire. He was aware of their existence and that he shouldn’t trust them. Yet, the blonde girl had won the little boy’s heart, and she looked harmless enough. Looks could be deceiving, though.
“It’s so unfair,” Stevie complained as his enormous milky brown eyes focused on Sakura. His pouting face was enough to make anyone melt, and Sakura was the target of it. “You always win!”
“You need to be faster,” Sakura said playfully, tugging at his messy hair and making him smile. “Your sister is here, big boy. Don’t you want to hug her?”
Stevie’s head snapped in his sister’s direction. His eyes grew bigger and he broke into a wide smile. He was Jade’s angel, her gorgeous, sweet angel as well as her only living family. She loved him so much that her heart hurt inside her chest. There he was, her little Tasmanian devil as she liked to call him. In her defense, he was hyperactive and would always make a mess at home.
“Sis!” he squealed, getting up from the floor, and ran to her with his arms opened wide.
Jade crouched down and took him into a bear hug. She had missed him terribly. It had been years since they were apart for so long.
“You have to see my new room,” he said. “It’s huge, and Daniel said he was going to buy me a train. Do you believe that, Jade? A real train like the one we had at Christmas time in Jenna’s grandmother’s home.”
“Are you okay, Stevie?” She was overwhelmed by the sadness and happiness brought on by seeing him and being able to hold him. She had cried the entire day when she was locked in that bedroom because she was worried about him and the bills she had to pay, so he could get his treatment. He depended on her and her income to keep living. He was her responsibility since their parents were killed. She couldn’t lose her job.
“I’m okay. You don’t need to worry.” He smiled, putting his tiny hands on her face. “Daniel and Sakura were kind to me. And, a nice lady took me to the hospital, so I could take my shot.”
“I’m glad, baby,” Jade whispered, her voice laced with emotion. She was barely holding on to her tears. She was a lot more relieved now that she knew that Daniel had taken care of her little Taz. Maybe that vamp was not so bad, after all. He took his time to care about what Jade had been concerned with the night before. And, he brought her brother to live with them in that house. That was astonishing and unexpected.
“Why are we going to live here now?” His big brown eyes were attentive to her expressions. He was young, but he wasn’t stupid. In fact, he was a bright and curious boy at the age of five.
“I’ve already explained it to you,” Daniel intervened, and Jade frowned at him because she didn’t like the fact he had promised a train to Stevie and now she was finding out that he had talked to Stevie about them all living together.
“Is Daniel your boyfriend?” Stevie asked.
Jade gasped in disbelief as she straightened up with her brother in her arms and looked at Daniel. What story has this crazy vampire told my brother?
“Daniel is my friend, not my boyfriend.”
“We will be boyfriend and girlfriend,” Daniel said.
Stevie chuckled and shook his head. “Jade doesn’t date boys. She says boys are stupid, and I am the only man in h
er life.”
“Well then, I guess you will have to learn how to share her,” Daniel teased, and Stevie’s brows furrowed in a possessive grimace.
Jade couldn’t help but chuckle. She bet Daniel was not expecting that. Serves him right.
“Stop saying nonsense, Daniel,” she muttered.
The vampire gave her a lopsided grin.
Arching an eyebrow, she questioned, “What?”
“I like the sound of my name coming from your mouth,” he whispered.
She frowned at him and shook her head. The nerve the guy has!
“So, is he really your boyfriend?” Stevie gripped harder his tiny arms around his sister’s neck, almost choking her in the process.
“No, baby. He is not.”
“I will be,” Daniel intervened.
Jade turned around and glared at him. “You are terrible with kids. Don’t upset him.”
Daniel shrugged. “I let him play with Sakura, so he shouldn’t be so possessive with you.”
“He is five! I’m his only family.”
“We are your family now. We will take care of you,” Daniel said in a soft voice.
Even if Jade didn’t believe his words, they had the weird effect of making her heart melt. Her eyes met his while her voice felt trapped in her throat. She looked at her brother and noticed how confused he was.
“This is just temporary. I have some…business to take care of here. We’ll go back home next week. Okay?”
Stevie nodded and stuck out his tongue at Daniel.
“Don’t be rude, Stevie,” Jade reproached him.
He pouted. “I’m sorry.”
Jade patted his hair. “Are you going to be okay here?”
He nodded with a smile.
Daniel placed his right hand on her lower back. “You have my word. He will be well cared for.”
“Don’t worry, Jade. We will take care of Stevie and pay for his treatments while you are here,” Sakura intervened, moving closer. “I didn’t have an opportunity to properly introduce myself to you. I’m Sakura, Daniel’s sister.”
“Daniel said you were his mother,” Jade said as Stevie laid his head on her shoulder with heavy eyelids.
Sakura twisted a lock of golden hair around her finger and smiled with bright red cheeks. “I look so much younger than him. I feel that people don’t take me seriously when I say I’m his mother.” She giggled, and Jade’s lips curled into a smile.
