“Neither do I.”
His eyebrows shot up before he could help it.
“All my transfusions are legally prescribed from a doctor. For anemia. I’ve never even felt the blood lust try to take over until…”
Her voice had become huskier. He gave into the temptation to close the distance between them by another inch, until her breath teased across his neck at the opening of his collar. “Until?”
“Until you showed up.”
He couldn’t look away from her. Was she using some kind of vamp power to hold him like this? Oh, what the hell. Even if she was, he didn’t really care. “Yeah. Funny thing there. I sort of crave you too.” And without another thought, he ducked his head, gave into the urge he’d been fighting since he’d first seen her on stage, and kissed her.
It was like nothing he’d ever felt before. The blood rushed up to his head, the power singing through his veins in both a warning and a thrill of pure, potent pleasure that socked him in the gut and took his breath away. He didn’t know if he wrapped his arms around her to press her harder against him, or if he just needed something to hold onto for support.
It was a kiss he’d gladly die for.
His hands slid up over her back, bared by her dress, then her neck. She’d worn her dark hair in a bun again, and suddenly he needed to see it down. His fingers found the pins, releasing her hair in a dark waterfall to her shoulders. He kissed her chin, her jaw, down the side of her neck to her shoulder, and those freed strands tickled at his nose. She smelled soft and floral, utterly feminine. His mouth found hers again as his hands slid around her waist to span her narrow ribcage. Amazing, that someone so petite could be so strong. And immortal. No matter how fragile she seemed, she would never die.
The realization snapped something inside him, and he lost the last hold on rational thought. He wanted her. And to hell with what she was. He only knew what he needed her to be, and that was his. His knuckles brushed the lower curves of her breasts, and she moaned and arched against him, pressing her hips against his.
“Lorena,” he groaned against her lips before they opened for him on a sigh and their tongues circled and stroked.
She arched again, and he cupped her breasts, small and firm, their nipples tiny pebbles straining against her dress. His teeth ached to tease them. He ducked his head toward them, and the world tilted on its axis.
“Whoa,” he muttered, blinking hard, but this only made the room spin a half circle around him.
He staggered, reaching out for the table to keep himself upright.
“Conor?” she murmured in alarm. “Are you—“
He laughed, shaking his head slowly, feeling as if he were moving through mud. “Yeah, I’m fine. I…I forgot about the kissing part.”
“The…kissing part? What are you talking about?” She frowned at him in obvious confusion, her hands stroking his hair above his ears. “Do you need to sit down or something?”
“No. Sitting down won’t fix it. I just need to get outside and draw up some energy, replace what I just lost.”
“What you just…”
He grinned at her, wondering if maybe he would have to sit down after all. Wouldn’t that be a manly way to act? No, even if he passed out cold, he’d stay on his feet till the last second. “You know, the vampire kiss.”
She still looked confused. And then he understood.
“You don’t know about the vampire kiss? About how you can drain a person’s energy just by kissing them?”
Her eyes slowly widened, and her hands dropped to her sides. “You’re lying to me.”
The urge to laugh fled. “No, I’m not. You really thought blood was the only way to get energy from us humans?”
He could almost see the walls go back up around her as her spine straightened. Her eyes, so soft and dreamy seconds ago, became cool and hard again. But beneath their surface, he could swear he saw more than a little shock and horror thrown into the mix.
“I didn’t know about the…vampire kiss. I am so sorry. I wouldn’t have… If I’d known…” She turned and strode toward the door, not running, but close to it.
Aw hell. Now he’d really gone and screwed things up. He made his shaky legs work despite the protests his body screamed at him, catching up with her just after she got the front door open. “Lorena, wait. I believe that you didn’t know—“
She stopped and half turned toward him, but she wouldn’t look at him. In the dark foyer with the darker night waiting beyond her, he could barely make out her profile.
“I’m truly sorry,” she whispered. “I…I have to go. But trust me, I understand now what you were trying to say tonight. You’re the human, and I’m the monster. Monsters don’t deserve to have lives or dreams. And you know what? You’re absolutely right.” She stepped across the threshold.
He reached for her arm to stop her, but he might as well have tried to hold onto a speeding car flying past. His fingers slipped right off her arm. He followed her out to the yard. “Lorena, stop. You don’t have to go.” I don’t want you to go, he almost added. Pride and confusion made the words lodge in his throat. How had all his plans gotten so screwed up? He’d practically blackmailed her into coming here so he could warn her away. Now he’d managed to well and truly scare her, and all he wanted was for her to come back.
But she never stopped, never looked back as she got into her car. Just before she shut the door, she said, “You won’t have to worry about me being around your kid anymore. Good night.”
Then she started the car and drove away, leaving him with nothing else to do but to crouch down, press a hand to the grass, and draw up energy from the earth to replenish his body. And wonder what the hell he’d been thinking to kiss her in the first place.
Chapter 8
His mother called later that night. It took a while before her tone of voice got through his muddled thoughts.
“Wait. Back up, Mom. What are you talking about?” Conor sank onto the edge of his bed and squeezed the bridge of his nose.
“Haven’t you heard a word I said? I said there’s a vampire here in town! Right here in Taylorsville! We have to alert the elders, call a meeting of The Clann, form a plan of action. I can’t believe after all these years the vampires would break the truce like this.” Her voice was at a near shriek, each word piercing his pounding skull. Apparently kissing a vampire could cause one hell of a headache afterwards. This one was at the full blown hangover level.
“Mom, calm down. The vampires didn’t break the truce.”
“Are you calling your mother a liar?” she hissed.
“No, of course not. I know there’s a vampire in town. She’s one of the ballerinas with the Houston Symphonic Ballet Company, right?”
“How did you…”
“I took Chrissy to see Romeo and Juliet last weekend.”
“You knew for a week and didn’t tell us?” She was definitely shrieking now. He winced, tempted to hold the phone away from his ear. Though knowing his mother’s abilities, she’d probably know it if he did and become even more irate.
“Calm down. Yes, I knew, and I was handling it.”
“Was? What happened?”
“I…” How did he explain this to his mother, who had spent his entire lifetime warning him about the dangers of vampires? Sighing, he decided the only way was to jump right in. “I had her over for dinner tonight. I was going to warn her off, convince her to leave Taylorsville immediately.”
Silence filled the connection for a long minute. When she spoke again, her voice was low and quiet. “And what changed those plans?”
He hesitated, bracing himself for her reaction. “I realized she’s not dangerous.”
“Not dangerous!”
He did hold the phone away from his ear then as she exploded just as he’d predicted she would. She ranted and yelled for a good two minutes before he grew impatient and put the phone back to his ear. “Mother, if you’ll stop shouting and listen to me for just a minute, I’ll explain
.”
She huffed. “Fine. Though what you could possibly tell me to change my mind about her kind, I couldn’t possibly imagine.”
So he told her how Chrissy had raved about Lorena for a week, ignoring his mother’s hiss of fear and fury. Then he quickly moved on to tonight’s events. Hoping the end result would convince Lorena not to be angry with him for the breach in her confidence, he relayed the gist of their conversation. “And Mother, I would swear on the life of your granddaughter that Lorena had no idea about the vampire kiss beforehand.”
“Before…before you kissed her?”
He grimaced, pressing fingertips to his burning eyelids. Damn, he hadn’t meant to mention that part of the evening. “Yeah, I did. But that’s beside the point. The real point is she’s never even bitten anyone. She views being a vampire as if she had a disease she’s just trying to learn to live with.”
Silence filled the phone.
“Don’t you get it? She didn’t ask for this. She was attacked one night, and now she’s stuck with this problem she can’t get away from.”
“Yes. The problem of wanting to drink other people’s blood for her survival.”
He growled. “You’re being purposefully obtuse.”
“I’m being smart and certainly a lot more clearheaded than you are right now, son. Do you know what your father would say if he were still alive?”
He glared up at the ceiling. “I have an idea, yes.”
“I’m calling the elders.”
“No, Mom, wait. Have you ever considered that maybe, just maybe, we’re being hypocrites about this?”
“Excuse me?”
“Think about it. What would the public do if they found out about The Clann, about what we can do? Why have the elders and everyone else always taught us to be so careful not to reveal our powers?”
She stayed quiet.
“We’re just as outside the norm as any vampire. And the only descendants who can truthfully say they’ve never used their powers on anyone else are the ones who have completely turned away from their abilities. And even those probably had a few accidents here and there.”
“Maybe so. But we don’t hurt others.”
“Neither has she.” Funny how he sounded exactly like Lorena now. The thought made his mouth twitch with the urge to smile. “Look, her company is only going to be here for three more weeks. Why not just let her be, leave her alone and let her dance? It’s all she wants to do. And when they’re done, they’ll move on.” The idea made his chest ache. Frowning, he continued. “There’s no reason to ruin her life just because we’re afraid of what she might or might not do. It’s not like so many descendants live here and would be in danger from her. And the few who do know what to do in case of a vamp attack.”
His mother remained silent for a while longer before she sighed. “I understand what you’re saying. And you’re right. We descendants are almost as dangerous as she is. Though one could argue that we have better control over our abilities.”
He opened his mouth to argue, but she stopped him. “However, if she is trying to be as good as you claim, then perhaps it would be better to take a wait and see approach. After all, the truce between the vampires and ourselves has lasted for several decades. I’d hate to see it destroyed by fear and assumptions.”
Relief rushed through him, and he let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“But there’s one condition,” she added. “You have to keep an eye on her and ensure she doesn’t harm anyone during her...visit.”
For some reason, his mother’s words made him grin. “I can do that.”
“And you are not to kiss her again! I know I did not raise an idiot for a son. Haven’t I taught you how dangerous a vampire’s kiss is?” Her voice took on the same tone she used to use with him when he was a kid, right before she would launch into an hour long lecture. Time to jump in while he still could.
“Yeah, I know, Mom. Though wasn’t there supposed to be some spell or charm that would block the flow of energy between two people?” He was only half teasing. Actually, now that he thought about it, he had heard his cousin talking about a spell like this back when they were teens and imagining what they would do if a vampire ever attacked them.
“Good night, Conor.” She hung up, apparently unwilling to answer the question.
Which must be proof that the answer was yes. So there was a spell like that somewhere. But where would he find it? Obviously his mother wouldn’t tell him.
Then again, maybe she already had in a way. Tossing the phone onto the bed, he jumped to his feet, then had to pause until the wooziness faded from his head. All the more reason to find that spell, as far as he was concerned. More slowly now, he made his way down the hall and staircase, then took a left at the foyer into the den. It took a few minutes, but he finally found the family spell book his father had given him as part of his inheritance. Centuries old, the book was fragile and yet also heavy in his arms, weighted with countless handwritten spells, including many added by his mother. He’d always considered it more a family heirloom than an actual tool he would ever use. After all, he did try not to use his powers too often, figuring his achievements in life tasted much sweeter when he made them without magical aide.
When he found the page he wanted, he grinned and reached for a piece of paper and a pen. It looked like he had some shopping to do.
Chapter 9
Lorena
“I’m going to stay awhile,” Lorena said as she pretended to stretch on stage.
Jon frowned. “Lor, that’s probably not a good idea, you being here alone at night.”
She stared at her feet so she wouldn’t laugh. “Trust me, I’ll be perfectly safe.” Monsters didn’t have to fear the dark solitude beyond the stage lights or anywhere else. “I’ve got the second set of keys. I’ll lock up when I’m done. You can even lock me in when you go.”
He watched her for a few seconds longer then left, grumbling under his breath. She sighed with relief as she heard the front door’s lock click, signaling she was finally alone in the one remaining place where she belonged.
Immediately she let the façade fall away. No more needless breathing or blinking. She changed the CD in the sound system then gave in to the yearning she’d tamped down all week and let her body go. No more reining in her leaps or turns or pretending to work at the choreography. It was just the music, the stage, the rasp of her shoes on the wooden floor, and her…with all her unnatural abilities. And the new ache that had taken up residence in her chest ever since…
No. She would not spend another minute thinking about that kiss. Or how Conor had seemed to fill her with warmth and light, like drinking down the sun after living in a cave.
As if her thoughts had summoned him, she heard the quiet click of the front door’s lock, followed by the slow approach of his scent. She swallowed but kept dancing. Let him see what she really was. He already knew she was a monster, and she was tired of pretending otherwise today.
He didn’t say anything until the song ended, but she could feel his presence in the space between the front row and the edge of the stage. When she stopped dancing and met his stare, she didn’t know what to expect. So the blatant desire in his eyes stunned her.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured.
“Don’t you mean unnatural? Or dangerous?”
With a quick shake of his head, he took a single step forward, used his hands to push himself up, then climbed onto the stage. Once on his feet again, he brushed his hands off with casual confidence. His silence was unnerving, pushing her to speak.
“Are you here to tell me to get out of town again? Because if you are…”
He walked toward her, closing the distance in only a few steps, until his scent hit her like a slap in the face. “No, I’m not.”
“Then…” She swallowed, trying not to breathe him in. “Then what do you…”
“You. I want you.” He lifted her chi
n with a single finger until she was forced to meet his gaze. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that kiss all week. I haven’t felt like this since my wife died four years ago. I didn’t think I ever would, to be honest. I don’t know why I feel the way I do for you, but I do. And it seems like it would be pretty stupid of me to ignore it.”
She felt surrounded by him, his scent filling her nose and throat and lungs, his warmth emanating over her, his broad shoulders and those dark eyes filling her vision and making her all too aware of the bed on the stage behind her. Because the dancers had to both dance and lie upon it during a pivotal scene in the ballet, the top mattress was real and soft enough to protect their bodies from unnecessary bruising.
“Maybe you’re just attracted to the fact that I can’t die so easily.” She wasn’t sure where the words came from, but once they slipped out, she knew they were an all-too-real possibility.
But he didn’t seem to think so, judging by the way he chuckled and his eyes crinkled up at the outer corners. “If that were the case, I would’ve gone looking for a vampire girlfriend long before now.”
She was trembling. Her hands fisted, her fingers aching to touch him. But she couldn’t. If she did, she might not be able to stop.
He lowered his head, holding her gaze the entire time, and she had to wonder who was mesmerizing whom. But just before their lips touched, she came to her senses and jerked her head back.
“No, stop! I don’t want to take your energy.”
“You didn’t enjoy our first kiss?”
She turned away, needing to clear her head. “That isn’t the point. You said it yourself. I can drain you with just a kiss. And I… it’s not right. Don’t you get it? I don’t want to be this! I don’t want to…” To kill you, she almost said, but the words choked in her throat.