Desire After Dark

by Amanda Ashley

  After cruising for half an hour or so, she turned around and headed back to town. As Antonio had said, it wasn’t very big. In fact, the town of Kay’s Crossing didn’t look much bigger than Pear Blossom Creek. Still, it had a Starbucks and a McDonald’s and a number of department stores, including a Target and a Wal-Mart, as well as some smaller specialty stores. An old-fashioned movie theater was located across from an Applebee’s restaurant. Surprisingly, they were showing two movies for the price of one, something she knew had been common years ago. She remembered hearing her parents talk about how theater admission prices had only been twenty-five cents, and for that, you got two movies, a bunch of cartoons, and a newsreel. Now producers and directors worried if their movie ran more than two hours, and ticket prices were pushing ten dollars.

  Vicki parked the car, being careful to lock it, and then went window-shopping. Like most small towns, this one was friendly. The people she passed on the street smiled at her; most of them said hello.

  She went into a quaint little café for lunch, and then went in search of a pay phone. Her first call was to her mother, but no one answered the phone. She left a message saying she was on a short vacation and that she would call back in a day or two. The second call was to Bobbie Sue.

  “So, how are you and Duncan getting along?” Vicki asked.

  “We’re getting married.”

  “Married? When?”

  “Well, we haven’t set the date yet, but probably in the spring. He’s going to give up hunting and become a teacher at some school that trains vampire hunters, if you can believe that. Anyway, I’m taking him home to meet my folks. We’re leaving in a few minutes.”

  “That’s great, Bobbie Sue. I’m happy for you?”

  “Thanks. I’m pretty happy about it myself.”

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “Not long. Gus would only give me a couple of days off. We’ll be back Thursday night. I have to be at work Friday afternoon. Gladys is out with the flu. We could sure use your help at the diner. Do you think you’ll be back soon?”

  “I don’t know. I hope so.”

  “So, how are things with you? He hasn’t turned you into a vampire or anything, has he?”

  Vicki lifted a hand to her throat. “Of course not.”

  “What’s his place like?”

  “It’s a castle, and I mean a literal castle. You should see it, Bobbie Sue.”

  “Have you seen the ghost yet?”

  “Not yet. How are things there? Have there been any more murders?”

  “No, at least none that I’ve heard about. Tom thinks Falco must have left the area. I sure hope so. Oh, guess what? Maddy and Rex eloped! Can you believe that?”

  “I think it’s wonderful. How’s Gus?”

  “He’s pissed off cause you’re gone, of course. When are you coming home?”

  “I don’t know. I guess when Antonio thinks it’s safe.”

  “Well, make it soon. I can’t get married without you, you know.”

  Vicki smiled. “I’ll call you soon.”

  Replacing the receiver, Vicki felt a slight twinge of jealousy. Bobbie Sue was getting married.

  Out on the street again, Vicki spent a moment wondering what to do next. She wasn’t ready to go back to the castle. Maybe she’d just go to the movies, even though she had already seen the movie that was playing. Still, you couldn’t see Johnny Depp too often.

  It was almost dusk when she left the theater. As the sky grew darker, she grew increasingly nervous. On the drive back to Antonio’s, she kept looking over her shoulder. She told herself she was being foolish, that Falco couldn’t possibly know where she was, but she couldn’t help it.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when she drove into the garage and parked the car, relieved to be home and more relieved that nothing had happened to the car while she was driving it.

  She was walking up the stairs to the front door when she felt a sudden chill in the air that had nothing to do with the temperature and everything to do with the sense of being watched. Refusing to look over her shoulder for fear of what she might see, she unlocked the heavy wooden door and dashed inside, slamming the door behind her.

  “Victoria, my sweet, what is wrong?”

  “Nothing, I just…I felt like someone was watching me.”

  A muscle twitched in Antonio’s cheek. “Did you see anyone?”

  “No, but…” She took a deep breath. “It felt like Falco. Could he be here? Does he know where you live?”

  “It would be easy for him to follow us,” Antonio replied, “but as I said, you are safe within these walls.” His gaze trapped hers. “You must not be out of the castle after the sun goes down, my sweet.”

  “I know, I didn’t mean to be, but I went to the movies and I just forgot about the time.”

  He drew her into his arms. “You are safe now.”

  “And hungry.” She smiled up at him, the expression dissolving when she saw the look in his eyes. He was hungry, too. But not for food.

  “Do not worry, my sweet one, I do not intend to devour you, though I am sure you would be to my liking.”

  “Maybe.”

  “Something else troubles you.”

  “Well…” She shook her head. “It’s just hard for me to think of you…”

  “Drinking blood?”

  “Yes. I’m sure I’ll get used to it, in time.”

  “Perhaps.” He drew his knuckles lightly across her cheek. “Go and have your dinner, Victoria, and I will have mine.”

  “Speaking of dinner, how’d you manage to get a stove and refrigerator here so soon?”

  He grinned. “Have you not heard the expression money talks?”

  “Bribery, eh?”

  “Just the promise of a munificent gratuity. And now, I must go.”

  “Will you be gone very long?”

  “No.”

  “All right.”

  Leaning down, he brushed a kiss across her lips. She tasted faintly of salt and butter. “Remember, do not answer the door for anyone, not even if it sounds like me.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

  He kissed her again and then he was gone. She thought about that kiss while she fixed dinner. She wasn’t really all that hungry after the popcorn and Coke she’d had at the show, so she made do with an avocado and tomato sandwich and a glass of milk.

  Sitting there, she glanced around the room. She was in a castle, a real castle, with a vampire. It was exciting and a little scary and she wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

  It took only a few minutes to clean up the kitchen and then she went back upstairs and into the back parlor.

  Antonio was already there, waiting for her.

  “That was quick,” she remarked.

  He nodded, then gestured for her to join him.

  The overstuffed chair was easily big enough for the two of them and she found it was quite cozy, sitting there with his arm draped around her shoulders, her thigh pressed intimately against his.

  “What did you do today?” he asked, “besides go to the movies?”

  “Well, I drove your Corvette. It was almost like flying! It’s a great car.”

  “If you like it, it is yours, although you may want to drive the Jaguar before you decide.”

  “You’re going to give me one of your cars, just like that?”

  “Of course.”

  “But—”

  He put a finger over her lips. “It pleases me to do so, my sweet. Pick whichever one you wish. I have no particular attachment to any of them.”

  She kissed the tip of his finger. “That’s very generous of you. Can I ask you something?”

  “You may ask me anything,” he said, grinning faintly. “Though I do not promise to answer.”

  “I saw a coffin in the basement. Is it yours?”

  He nodded, his expression grim. “It is the one I was buried in after I was turned.”

  Vicki grimaced as she imagined him lying inside, de
ad but not dead.

  “I bought a new one some years ago.”

  “Oh,” she said, trying not to look horrified. “How nice.”

  “Shall I describe it to you?”

  “No, that’s all right.”

  “It is quite comfortable.” His gaze moved to her throat. “And big enough for two.”

  “Please, can’t we talk about something else?”

  “Shall I tell you how beautiful you are? Or how much it pleases me to have you here, in my home? Shall I tell you that I dream of you when I am at my rest? Shall I tell you of what I dream?”

  His voice was like rich black velvet sliding over her skin, warming her in ways and in places she had never felt before. “You dream of me?”

  He nodded, his eyes hot as his gaze moved over her face to the pulse beating in her throat.

  “Is that what you dream of?” she asked. “Biting me?”

  “Yes, but it is so much more than that.”

  She had to agree with him there. His bite had been like nothing she had ever experienced in her life. It still astonished her that it hadn’t repelled her; indeed, if she was honest with herself, she would admit that she wanted him to do it again.

  And he knew it. She could see it in the way he was looking at her, as if he was just waiting for her to ask. But she couldn’t. It wasn’t natural to want such a thing.

  “It is natural for my kind,” he said quietly. “It is natural for me.”

  “You’re reading my mind, aren’t you?” she accused indignantly.

  “I cannot help it. Your thoughts come to me clearly, especially when you are angry or frightened.” His gaze lingered on her lips. “Or when you are aroused.”

  His words sent a rush of heat to her cheeks.

  “One taste, my sweet? Would you refuse me one taste?”

  “You’ve already had one.”

  “Would you deny me another?”

  “Is that why you brought me here? For dessert?”

  He laughed softly. “No, but it is a tempting idea.”

  She glared at him. “That’s not funny!”

  “One taste?” he entreated. “One sip? A few drops?”

  “I don’t know…”

  “What is it that you crave above all else?” he asked.

  “Chocolate,” she replied quickly. “Rich, dark chocolate.”

  “How do you feel when you have not had it for several days?”

  “I get cranky.” She’d had a candy bar in the show that afternoon and stopped at a convenience store to buy several more on the way home.

  He nodded. “For me, your blood is like rich, dark chocolate. No one else satisfies me as you do. No one ever will.”

  When he put it like that, how could she refuse?

  “Just a little, you promise?”

  With a nod, he drew her onto his lap. He teased her lips, each kiss growing longer and deeper until she was lost in a world of sensual pleasure. The room grew darker as night dropped her cloak across the land, increasing the sense of intimacy between them.

  He kissed her again, his lips sliding down her neck. He licked the pulse in the hollow of her throat, then kissed his way to the soft, sensitive skin behind her earlobe.

  She was breathless with wanting when she felt the sting of his fangs, followed by a rush of sensual pleasure. She moaned softly, one hand cupping the back of his head to hold him in place.

  He made a strangled sound. His hands curled over her shoulders as the hunger reacted to her response.

  The sound of her heartbeat filled his ears, growing faster.

  With a low groan, he drew back and turned his head away lest she see the hellish glow in his eyes. Deep inside his mind, the hunger urged him to take her, both body and blood, and satisfy all his needs. It was tempting, so tempting. Her taste lingered on his tongue, his nostrils filled with the scent of her, warm and womanly and ripe for the taking…

  She looked up at him, her expression slightly dazed, her lips swollen and slightly parted. “Antonio, don’t stop.”

  He had no wish to do so, but he dared take no more.

  Moving her off his lap onto the chair, he went downstairs to the kitchen and filled a glass with orange juice. He stood there a moment, breathing heavily while he fought to restrain both his hunger and his desire.

  When both were again under control, he returned to the parlor.

  “Here.” He handed her the glass. “Drink this.”

  She did as he asked, remembering that the Red Cross always gave her orange juice after she donated blood, too. She had a sudden urge to laugh.

  “Vicki Cavendish,” she murmured, “vampire blood bank.”

  “Victoria, you must never think of yourself like that!”

  “Sorry,” she said with a lopsided grin. “I may go back to the Red Cross. They always give me cookies with my orange juice.”

  Antonio stared down at her, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

  Instead, he lifted her into his arms and sat down. “Finish your juice, my sweet one, and the next time I ask you to indulge me, tell me no.”

  “Next time,” she murmured, and fell asleep in his arms.

  He caught the glass before it fell to the floor. For her own good, there could not be a next time.

  Chapter 27

  Dimitri Falco prowled the perimeter of the castle, his anger growing with every step. She was here. Her blood called to him as a Siren called a sailor to the sea. And he would have her. In spite of that thieving bastard, Battista, in spite of that accursed vampire hunter, he would have her!

  But first he would have to dispose of Battista.

  How best to do it? That was the question. It would have to be something slow and painful. Pondering the possibilities made him smile with anticipation.

  They thought they were safe, the two of them locked inside the castle. It pleased him to let them think so, for now.

  Chapter 28

  For the second time in as many days, Vicki woke in bed with no recollection of how she’d gotten there. She lifted a hand to her neck. Little frissons of heat warmed her palm when she touched the place where Antonio’s mouth had been. It puzzled her that something that sounded so repulsive could bring such pleasure.

  Lying in bed, she wondered how things were going at the diner, how Duncan and Bobbie Sue were getting along, if Mrs. Heath had started making pumpkin pies and cakes for the fall social held at the church each year, if there had been any more murders. Though she had been in the castle only a couple of days, it seemed as though she had been cut off from the world.

  A sudden rush of cool air had her sitting up and looking around to see if there was a window open. Seeing nothing amiss, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower. She lifted a hand to her neck, her fingertips exploring the stitches. No doubt she would have a nasty scar.

  After dressing in a pair of jeans and a sweater, she went downstairs for a bowl of cereal. Sitting at the table in the kitchen, she again felt a sudden chill in the air. Was Antonio playing tricks on her? But no, he was resting in some secret hideaway.

  Frowning, she washed her dishes and went upstairs.

  And the chill followed behind her.

  At the top of the stairs, she whirled around, her gaze darting right and left as the chill grew stronger. She let out a shriek as what felt like a cold hand touched her cheek.

  A peal of merry laughter filled the air and then, to Vicki’s astonishment, the ethereal figure of a tall, slender woman in an old-fashioned peach-colored gown appeared before her.

  “Good morrow,” said the woman.

  Vicki blinked and blinked again. It was Antonio’s resident ghost, she was sure of it. “Lady Kathryn,” she murmured.

  “You’ve heard of me!” The ghost clapped her hands in delight. Vicki noticed that her feet didn’t touch the ground.

  “Yes.”

  “Welcome to my humble home,” Lady Kathryn said. “It is so wonderful to have another woman in reside
nce. Please, do come into the parlor and sit down so that we can have a nice, long chat.”

  With a nod, Vicki followed the ghost into the front parlor and sat on the sofa.

  Lady Kathryn perched on the chair, her back perfectly straight, her hands folded in her lap. “What brings you to the castle? Did that handsome creature, Battista, invite you?”

  “Yes,” Vicki said.

  “Is he not the most charming man you have ever met?” Lady Kathryn asked, a dreamy look in her eye. “He is so tall and so handsome.”

  Vicki nodded, bemused that a ghost would still be interested in such things.

  “Come now,” Lady Kathryn said, “you must tell me all about yourself. Who are your people and where do you come from?”

  “I’m from a little town called Pear Blossom Creek. My family is from Kentucky.”

  “Is that in the Colonies?”

  “No,” Vicki replied with a grin.

  “’Tis quite bold of you to come here without a chaperone,” Lady Kathryn remarked. “Are you and Antonio betrothed?”

  “No, we’re just…” Vicki paused. Just what? Friends? No, they were certainly more than friends. Friends didn’t drink your blood! Not just friends, not quite lovers.

  Lady Kathryn nodded. “I see,” she said, her dark eyes smiling. “I had a liaison like that before I married Lord Dunsmere. It was quite satisfying. Indeed, I might have married Thomas had his family not been so poor and my father not so insistent that I marry Dunsmere. Not that Dunsmere was a bad man, you understand, but…” She lifted one hand in an elegant gesture. “He was rather older than I was and quite boring. Both in bed and out.”

  Vicki burst out laughing, then quickly covered her mouth.

  Lady Kathryn laughed, as well. “I know, ’tis quite wicked of me to speak so of the dead, but…” She shrugged. “I feel I can be honest with you. And speaking of being honest…” She leaned forward, her expression suddenly sober. “You do know that Antonio is, how shall I say this, different from other men?”

  “Yes, I know.”

  Lady Kathryn reached forward and patted Vicki’s hand. Her touch was cool but intangible. “I am so glad you are here. The poor man has been quite lonely these past few hundred years.”