by Cynthia Sax
“That’s not it, honey.” Russ buttoned up her blazer, his big fingers fumbling with the buttons. “That rock star of yours is here.”
“Shit.” Russ’s favorite profanity spilled from her lips. “I’m not ready.” She batted his hands away and took over the buttoning. “I must look a mess.” She touched her mouth. “I don’t have any lipstick on.”
“You look beautiful, love.” Russ smoothed down her hair.
“You don’t understand.” How could he? He wasn’t a vampire. Vanna hopped off the metal safe and tugged down her skirt, her movements jerky with her distress. “Vampires wear red lipstick. He’ll look at me and he’ll know; he’ll know I’m not worthy of being turned.”
She stared up at the ceiling, blinking back tears. All her negotiating with her boss had been for nothing. She’d messed up yet another opportunity, delaying her true future.
“Oh, love.” Russ shook his head, an aggravatingly cheerful grin on his handsome face. “I don’t know why you’re in such a hurry to be turned but…” He drew his bottom lip into his mouth. “Here.” He bent his head, drops of blood forming on his flesh.
“What are you doing?” She stared at the blood, fascinated and horrified.
Russ chuckled. “This is how vampires apply lipstick.” His blood-covered lips pressed against hers. She darted her tongue across his mouth, tasting him, and she groaned, the coppery flavor of his blood enticingly familiar. Where had she savored it before? Oh, God. Vanna stared at Russ. In her dreams. He tasted like her faceless vampire.
But Russ was human, not a vampire, and that meant…
All blood must taste the same. Yes. That was it. Vanna had only tasted her own blood and that was years ago, when as a child, she’d fallen off her bike. She hadn’t gotten up the nerve to bite anyone else. If she had, she’d know --
“Perfect.” Russ licked around her lips, removing the excess blood. “No vampire would dare question your worth now.” His eyes glowed with a particularly possessive light.
She frowned. “I --”
“He’s here, love.” Russ yanked his pants and underwear up and pushed her toward the door. “Rock stars don’t like to be kept waiting.” He zipped up and tucked his shirt back in as he walked with her.
Russ sounded like he knew what he was talking about. He could help her. “Anything else I should know about rock stars?” Vanna’s nerves had returned, and she needed his confidence.
Shit. Croix stood in the doorway, surrounded by people all dressed like him, in black leather with metallic studs and piercings. She wore cotton. She wasn’t dressed right.
“You’re dressed exactly right, love.” Russ squeezed her hand, reading her mind as he always did. She was transparent, her face an open book, or so he’d told her. “You work here, remember?”
She did. She was an employee. Vanna breathed deeply, trying to calm down. He’d expect her to wear her work clothes.
“He would. Now go sell him some jewelry.” Russ patted her on the ass and laughed.
He laughed! Russ never took anything seriously. Vanna walked toward the black-haired rock star, her legs shaking. She could do this. This was her destiny.
“Are you coming to help me, pet?” Croix smiled at her. The smile didn’t reach his vacant, undead eyes, and Vanna slowed, recoiling from his presence. Vampire. A real vampire.
She looked over her shoulder, meeting Russ’s gaze, and he nodded encouragingly, laughter lines edging his remarkable hazel eyes. Russ believed in her. A calmness fell over Vanna. She wouldn’t let him down.
Vanna straightened her shoulders, plastered her blankest, most emotionless expression over her face, and turned her gaze back to Croix. “Welcome to Oro’s, Mr. Croix.”
Chapter Two
Russ proudly watched his beloved sail across the room, heading straight toward the leering rocker. Despite the fear radiating from her, her spine was straight, and her head was held high. She was determined to woo her so-called vampire.
Not that Croix was one. Russ snorted. The scrawny rocker might have the arrogance of a vampire, but he certainly wasn’t a paranormal.
His entourage, however, consisted of fledgling vampires and lust demons. Russ’s gaze settled on the vampire’s ringleader: a bald, tattooed male. That one was bad news.
A tall, thin man walked through the door, easily pushing the group deeper inside the store, and Russ grinned. “Marciano, my friend!” He approached the ancient with his big hand outstretched.
“Russell!” The vampire’s hand clasped his and brutally squeezed, Russ’s bones bending under the assault. “It has been too long.”
“Too long,” Russ agreed, returning the pressure until Marciano pulled his hand away. “Since Normandy.” His smile wavered at the memories of that vicious battle. “You shot me in the ass, if I recall correctly.”
“Si.” Marciano’s lips twitched. “You foolishly placed it between me and the enemy. I could not resist. It was such a large target.”
Russ chuckled. “What are you doing here?” He glanced back at the rock star. The man flirted shamelessly with Vanna, his beloved’s expression flickering between adorably uncomfortable and hysterically grim. “You have no ear for music.”
“That is a good thing for this assignment,” Marciano drawled. “I’m on babysitting duty. The annoying human is drawing the attention of the wrong crowd.” He nodded at the ringleader of the vampires. “And he is high profile. The council wants no drama.” He shrugged, unconcerned. Protecting one human was nothing for the mercenary.
Protecting Vanna was everything to Russ. His mood turned grim. “And the fledgling?”
“Dekel and his cronies are expendable.” Marciano surveyed the store, his gaze settling on Vanna. “You always did have a thing for humans.” Croix put his hand on Vanna’s waist, and she stiffened. “Why does your pet tolerate another male touching her?”
Russ wished to toss the rock star across the room for daring to touch his woman. Instead, he squashed his jealousy, remaining where he was… too far from her side. She loved him, but she wouldn’t admit it, not yet. He’d allow her the space she needed for that love to grow.
“Amico mio?” Marciano prompted.
“She wishes to be turned, and she believes your boy is truly a vampire.” Russ gritted his teeth, knowing Marciano would think the worst of her.
“You are keeping a vampire groupie?” His dour friend’s bark of laughter made heads turn their way. “And what are you? Pretending to be human again?” Russ remained silent. “Russell, amico mio, you amuse me. Why do you torture yourself so?”
“Because destiny has a sick sense of humor, Marciano.” Russ curled his hands into fists as the rocker’s fingers moved upward, dangerously close to Vanna’s breasts. “Someday, if you’re fortunate, you’ll find that out.” Vanna stepped to the right, away from Croix.
“Merda. She is your beloved.” Marciano’s smile faded. “Si.” He sighed. “If I’m fortunate, I will find out.”
Croix pursued Vanna. Dekel moved to her right, blocking her retreat. They dared to trap her, his beloved. A cold, killing rage rushed over Russ, and his fangs dropped. “If you’ll excuse me, Marciano.”
“But of course.” His friend stepped aside, waving his hand with a flourish. “Don’t kill the human, Russell. The council will be very upset.”
He didn’t give a shit about the council. Russ grunted his reply, forcing a carefree smile to his lips as he approached his beloved.
Her gaze met his, her relief easing some of his anger. She wished to see him. She trusted him -- someone she thought a mere human -- to protect her from vampires.
That was a start.
“Will you be much longer, love?” Russ slid between Dekel and Vanna, putting his arm around his woman, standing with his back to the bald vampire. Dekel hissed softly at the insult and repositioned himself on the other side of Croix.
“Love?” Croix, the arrogant ass, cackled. “Vanna, my naughty pet, you never mentioned you had a human boyfriend
.”
“I… He isn’t.” Vanna’s pale cheeks flushed, and Russ tightened his grip on her waist, disgruntled with her denial. “I mean not really. We aren’t serious.”
Like hell they weren’t serious. Russ pressed his body against hers.
“I am teasing you, pet.” The rocker flipped the greasy ends of his long, dyed hair over his shoulder. “Human relationships are so very fleeting.”
Croix gazed darkly across the room, his angular face in profile, his brooding, angst-filled expression as fake as his hair color. Russ stared at the posing rocker with disgust. Shit. Was that the look Vanna wanted him to replicate?
“And they don’t compare to the eternal bond between a vampire and his beloved.” Croix sighed dramatically, resuming his stream of emo drivel. “How can anyone take them seriously?”
Russ itched to put his fist through the rock star’s pierced face. “Vanna tells me I don’t take anything seriously.” He kept his tone light. “I disagree. When it comes to certain things, certain people, I’m very serious.” He caught Dekel’s gaze, allowing his eyes to blaze red.
The bald vampire gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing wildly in his tattooed neck. He put his hand on Croix’s shoulder and whispered into his ear.
“You’re a fool, Dek.” Croix brushed the vampire’s hand away. “He isn’t one of us. Look at him.” The rocker’s top lip curled. “He’s no vampire. Vanna, here, she could be a vampire, couldn’t you, pet?”
“I could be.” Her voice was steady, but her shoulders trembled against Russ’s chest. He slid his hand under her blazer, across her bare stomach, feeling it flutter under his fingertips. She shook with excitement, the little shit raising her hopes. “I’ve spent my life doing research about your kind, Mr. Croix,” she told him, sweetly eager to impress. “I’ve had these dreams --”
“Yes. Yes.” Croix rolled his eyes, his bored tone irking Russ. “We all have dreams. Some dreams are more important than others.” He glanced down at the display case. “I’ll take three of the chains and two of those dragon pendants. Deliver them to the hotel. My manager will take care of the rest.”
Vanna straightened, her pert ass rubbing against Russ’s groin, sending tremors of arousal through his body. “I’ll deliver them tonight personally.”
“Not tonight, pet. Tonight is about rock and roll. Tonight we party!” Croix declared and his henchman cheered, high-fiving each other. “Maybe you…” The rocker dared to blatantly peruse Vanna’s body, his gaze pausing over her small, pert breasts.
Russ rumbled a quiet warning, tightening his hold on Vanna. He was the only male who would see her perfect curves.
“No.” Croix shook his head. “You won’t fit in.”
Vanna deflated, slumping into Russ’s hand, as Croix walked away, heedless of the hurt his rejection had caused.
“Did you hear him?” Vanna turned to Russ, burying her face in his chest. “I don’t fit in. I wasn’t vampire enough.”
Russ twisted his lips. It was more likely she wasn’t chesty enough. “You are perfect, Vanna.” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him. “The man is a fool.”
“He’s not a fool. He’s a vampire.” She said it like the two were mutually exclusive. They weren’t, Russ having met plenty of stupid vampires. “I shouldn’t have mentioned my dreams. I knew as soon as the words left my mouth I had made a mistake. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.” She thumped her forehead against him.
“You’re not dumb, love.” Russ stroked her back. She’d turned to him after Croix’s dismissal, and he should be elated. But Russ didn’t want to be second best, and he certainly didn’t want her to love him simply because he was a vampire. He wanted her to care for him, and care more for him than anything, including eternal life.
“I believe in you, Vanna.” He cradled the back of her head, threaded his fingers in her silky soft, naturally black tresses. “I believe in your dreams.”
“You don’t. You laugh at them.” Her voice was muffled by his shirt.
“Never.” Russ stepped back from her and cupped her chin, raising her gaze to his. “I laugh at everything else, but I’ve never laughed at your dreams. You will be a vampire someday. I believe that.” He’d turn her himself, binding their souls together forever.
“Do you truly believe I’ll be a vampire?” She sniffed, her gaze on his chest, her hurt pulling at him.
“Yes.” He’d believe the sky was green if it eased her torment.
“You believe in me,” she murmured as though that meant something, and the tension in Russ’s stomach eased. Soon, she’d choose him. “My dreams have to be real. They have to be.” She burrowed into him, her curves rubbing against his muscles. “If only he’d invited me to the party, I could have shown him how I fit in, how I was destined to be a vampire, and he’d --”
“He’d turn you.” A pain pierced Russ’s nonbeating heart. She didn’t love him enough, not yet. “Then we go to the party.” He kissed her forehead. He’d prove he believed in her dreams. “We’ll crash his little shindig and show him how vamp you can be.”
“Really?” Vanna looked at him as though he’d hung the moon, her brown eyes wide with wonder. “You’d do that for me?”
“Vanna, love, I’d do anything for you.” Russ tweaked her cute little aristocratic nose and grinned. “Now, let’s lock up so your dragon of a boss doesn’t have a hissy fit.” He took her hand, linked their fingers together. “And then we’ll go get our serious party on.”
He laughed, his soul light once more. Vanna would choose him. He knew it.
* * *
Tonight, if all went according to plan, she’d become a vampire. Vanna’s stomach flip-flopped as Russ rolled his cherry red Mustang convertible to a stop. He parked in the darkest spot in the hotel’s underground parking garage. When she became a vampire, her entire world would change. Her relationship with Russ would end.
She didn’t want it to end.
She stared at the windshield, feeling his gaze upon her, his mood uncharacteristically quiet. She’d never cared so much about a man. With one heated look, he turned her brain to mush, scattering her plans, and her dreams.
She needed him one more time. “Russ.” As she reached for him, he met her embrace halfway, dragging her over the console on top of him, their lips joining in a ravaging kiss. She straddled his lap, her short leather skirt hiking up to her waist, and she pressed her panty-covered pussy against the bulge in his dress pants.
Russ groaned into her mouth and reached down, pushing the seat back. He shifted, his movements severely restricted, and she smiled.
“You’re my prisoner,” she whispered, rubbing her breasts against his blue shirt. He hadn’t changed, giving her all of the preparation minutes. That was Russ, generous and giving. “And I’m going to torture you until you roar.”
Russ grinned his alluring grin, the freckles on his cheeks dancing. “Do your worst, love.” He rested his hands on the tops of her thigh-high leather boots.
“Oh, I will.” Vanna smiled back, her worries disappearing as they always did around him. With Russ, she felt sure, secure, loved. Oh, God. She ducked her head, avoiding his gaze. I love him.
Vanna nuzzled his neck and a rumble rolled up his big chest. No. I can’t love him. He isn’t my destiny, my future. She nibbled to the V of skin exposed by his shirt, his top button undone.
“Vanna, my love, my life.” He ran his hand over the curve of her ass, plucking the skimpy band of her black G-string with his fingers. “Trust yourself. Trust me.”
“I trust you, Russ.” She undulated over him, riding the long, hard ridge in his dress pants. Tonight wasn’t a question of trust. It was a matter of embracing the path her dreams had laid out for her. “You’d never hurt me.”
“Never,” he agreed, drawing her up to kiss him, their mouths meeting, their tongues tumbling, tangling. He tasted so fresh, so human. Would she ever experience this again?
Vanna moved more urgently over him, desperate to savor this last moment wi
th Russ, to touch all of his big body, to burn his taste and shape and feel into her mind forever.
She unzipped his pants and pushed the flap of his underwear open, freeing his large cock. No cock had ever felt so right, his width filling her hand, and he groaned her name as she stroked him slowly, lovingly, rubbing her thumb over his tip and smearing his precum over his skin.
“This has to go.” Russ snapped the G-string with a twist of his fingers, the silk biting into her flesh. “Ahhh… much better.” He pushed her pussy snug against his base and lifted her, dragging her juices along his shaft.
God. He’s strong. He raised and lowered her again and again, rubbing her pussy lips on him, every stroke stimulating her clit. Vanna moaned, her body humming, and she sucked on his square chin, tasting the salt of his skin.
“You feel like heaven, Vanna.” His breath was warm on her face. “You’re so wet for me.” He rubbed his rim over her clit, and she bit her bottom lip to keep from coming. “Yes. Save it for me, love. I want to be inside you when you come. I love it when you clench down on me, holding me with your tight little pussy.”
“Close.” She panted, her lungs aching. She couldn’t get enough air. Vanna yanked down her corset, freeing her breasts, but the tightness didn’t go away. It intensified as her nipples rubbed against his shirt.
“You can do it, love. You can wait for me, for this.” He lifted her higher, prodding her entrance with his tip, and he drove her down on him. She screamed as his cock slid up inside her, and she pushed away from his chest, arching over the steering wheel, the metal cool against her back.
“That’s it, sweetheart.” He mouthed between her breasts, licking circles into her skin as she shook, trembling with release. “You’re so beautiful, so very beautiful, made for me, made for this.”
He swirled his tongue around her right nipple, the sensation too raw and too real. She shoved at his shoulders. She couldn’t displace him, and he chuckled, his lips vibrating against her flesh, causing more unbearable pleasure.
