Real Vampires Hate Skinny Jeans (30 page)

W
hen
I stopped my car in front of Ray’s house on a cliff overlooking one of Austin’s lakes, I realized I’d forgotten something important. I still wore those awful black clothes. I started to turn around and head home to change when he threw open his front door. He was barefoot, looking too delicious in low-riding jeans and a snug T-shirt that would have brought big bucks on the vintage-band rack in my shop.

“Are you coming in or not?” He grinned and loped over to my car. “What’s the matter? Did you want to put on lipstick first?”

“It wouldn’t be a bad move.” When he opened the car door, I took his hand and let him pull me out. Ray loping. It was just novel enough that I grabbed him and kissed his smile. “You are looking really, really good.”

“Well, thanks. Can’t say I can return the compliment.” He checked me out from head to toe. “What’s up with the outfit? You look like a bag lady. And I know you like the top down but I have a feeling you didn’t bother much with your hair tonight before the ride out here. Your cheeks are red too.”

“Wow. Way to make a girl feel special, Ray.” But since he was right, I just stepped away from him and spoke to Laurie
who was hovering near his front door. After he shut it with her still on the outside, I turned to him. “I’m glad you hired Laurie. She’s amazing. You sleep with her yet?” I figured if he could be blunt, so could I.

“I don’t sleep with my bodyguards.” He slung his arm around me. “And I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, babe. Just hate that you’re obviously bummed about something. Come in the living room and tell Ray all about it.”

I leaned against him. “Yeah, I’m bummed. Let me unload on you. You won’t believe what the Storm God told me.” I sank down on his leather couch so that I had a view of the lake. I knew far down below us there was probably a boat tied up at the dock; Ray always had one—a real go-fast. Lights twinkled in the distance along the edges of the large expanse of water and it was a dreamy setting. I turned to Ray as he settled beside me and I gave him a dramatic version of the whole tale.

“Sounds like you’re well out of that Siren scene. Not surprised Aggie’s killed that many men. She’s exactly what I thought she was—a stone-cold bitch.”

“Yeah, well, I sort of feel sorry for her now. She’s got to keep serving that guy. And has been at his beck and call for over a thousand years. Imagine, Ray.” I sighed as he rubbed the back of my neck where my muscles were tied in knots.

“Rather not.” He turned me so he could work the kinks out. “Relax, babe. You are so stressed. And no wonder. What did Blade think of this? And Valdez?”

“I’ll get to them in a minute.” I gave him a blow-by-blow of Achy tossing around lightning bolts and Circe’s appearance, along with the bombshell she’d dropped about Jerry and how we’d met.

Ray’s magic hands had relaxed me to the point that I’d gone along when he’d coaxed me into lying on my stomach. Now his hands stilled and he pressed a kiss on the back of my neck. “You’re shittin’ me. She set Blade up?”

“Yeah.” My voice wobbled but I sucked up the urge to cry.

“Guess he didn’t take it well.” Ray’s hands started moving over my body again.

“You could say that.” I sighed as his hands eased aches I hadn’t realized I had. “Jerry’s gone to Castle Campbell in Scotland. Enough said.”

“I’m sorry, sweet thing.” Ray’s deep voice was close and he nuzzled my ear with his lips before he continued easing every taut muscle in my back.

“Thanks.” I rested my heavy head on my hands, getting more relaxed by the moment. “Mmm. You know you could get a job doing this.” I actually yawned.

“Record sales tank, I’ll keep it in mind.” Ray’s fingers wandered to new territory that I knew was more erogenous zone than tight muscle. “What are you going to do about it? About Blade?”

“Can we change the subject?” I started to steer his hand away from the naughty direction it was taking but it felt too good. “I’m sick of my own drama. Tell me what you’ve been up to.”

“Staying sober, though it hasn’t been easy. But I have to admit I got scared straight.” Now both his hands were getting a little too bold. Sue me, but they felt good enough that I swallowed any objections and let Ray have his way.

“What do you mean? That fall from the concert stage do it? You seemed to laugh that off at the time.” So much for relaxation. I’d been there, watching Ray trying to entertain thousands even though he was staggering drunk. Unfortunately he’d lost his balance and taken a header into the audience. I shuddered as I remembered him lying unconscious on the concrete. Ray rolled me over to face him.

“No, Glory girl. You’d think that night would have done it, humiliating myself in front of my fans. But it took something even worse to get my head on straight.” Ray ran his hands down my legs then up, my skirt sliding up too. “I really played the dumbass this time. You know how I love my daylight drug.”

“Yes, sure.” I tried to sit up but he pushed me down with
a gentle hand on my shoulder. “What the hell did you do, Ray?”

“Please relax. I never should have started this story.” He smoothed his hands up from my ankles. “Poor baby, your calf muscles are really tight. Work in the shop tonight? On your feet a lot?”

“Some.” Ray’s fingers were firm yet gentle as they eased ever higher and my eyes started to drift closed even though I really wanted to know…

“Did you watch a sunrise?” My eyes fluttered open when Ray’s hands reached my thighs and I put my hand over his. “You didn’t stay outside too long, did you, Ray?”

“I’m getting to that part.” He laid my hand back on my stomach then lifted one of my legs and bent it at the knee, still gently massaging. At least I’d shaved my legs the night before. “I sat there, drinking the blood with alcohol—sorry, but it’s a poor substitute for Jack—and thought I’d take another hit of the daylight drug. I figured what could it hurt? Stay out a little longer. You know?”

“You were under cover, weren’t you? Or inside, looking out a window?” I couldn’t just lie there when he was obviously building up to something. When he abandoned my skirt to reach for my waist, I grabbed his hands again. “You’re scaring me, Ray.”

His smile was rueful. “Damn. Am I killing the mood here?” Our waistline tug-of-war had moved under my sweater. I couldn’t deny I loved his hands on me and I was really regretting that raggedy bra I’d worn.

“Forget the mood for a moment. What happened, Ray?” I touched his cheek and he pressed a kiss to my palm then scraped it with his fangs. “Wait. Don’t tell me. Show me. This is a Siren trick that Aggie used on me. Let me see if I can do it.”

“What is it?” Ray looked puzzled when I grabbed both of his hands again.

“Just remember what happened. The scene, exactly as it was. It will be like I’m watching a movie if this works. Will
you do that for me?” I wasn’t really sure I wanted to do this, but had to try. Ray and his daylight. The man was such an addict. Though he didn’t want to hear that.

“Fine.” He gripped my hands and closed his eyes.

I closed mine and suddenly I could see Ray leaning against the cool glass of the French doors when the sky started to glow on the horizon. He had a full drink in his hand and I could actually smell the alcohol in the blood, taste it as he took a deep swallow. God, but he loved this time of day. The way the sun began to streak across the water. It was cold and clear and he could just glimpse the bow of his boat down at the dock.

He felt the death sleep pulling at him. No. Shit. He wasn’t going to give in. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the packet to take another hit. There. That should give him a half hour. The sky was actually pink now. He wanted to smell it, feel it on his skin. The wind would be laying off now, not a bit of breeze, and the quiet would be peaceful, like God was taking it all in. The beauty of his creation.

Damn it, his glass was empty. He snagged a fresh bottle out of the minifridge and didn’t bother with the glass, just chugged it. What the fuck. He was going for it. The sunlight was starting to shimmer on the water which was smooth as glass. He had to be there. Take the boat out. If he fried, who the hell would miss him? And it wouldn’t be a bad way to go.

He opened the door, stepped outside and felt the burn start. One inhale, that’s all he got, when strong arms wrestled him back inside. Damn it, who paid these people? They worked for him. If he wanted to go for a boat ride, they could just step aside, let him go up in flames, by God.

But they just ignored him, knocking him down on his own fucking rug when he tried to get past them. He was firing every one of them. See if he didn’t. Except he couldn’t focus enough to see who the hell had him now. Who dropped him on his king-size bed and stripped him down to his boxers.

Death sleep. Shit. Missed another day.

“Ian had always warned me not to mix the daylight drug
with alcohol but I didn’t listen.” Ray’s voice was husky as he stretched out next to me, his hip bumping into mine. His breath stirred my hair and his scent surrounded me.

“I almost lost you, Ray. I can’t believe you did that.” I stared into his eyes. They were kind, intent and, yes, beautiful. I wanted to drown in them. They were like crystal lakes that the Siren in me would have floated in, reveling in the sheer beauty of the clear water that reflected the perfect blue of a summer sky. I couldn’t cry, actually wanted to shake him, hit him, wake him up to his value.

“The sun, Glory. You know how I am about the sun. I just had to feel it on my skin. I wanted it so damned bad.” Ray brushed my hair back from my face, his fingers sliding gently over my forehead.

I looked away, sick at how close I’d come to losing him. I focused on one of his dark curls caught in the neck of his black T-shirt to keep from crying. He needed some tough love, not me begging him to live. “Lucky for you someone saved your sorry ass.”

“Yeah, seems Nate had given the guards orders. They’re my babysitters too.” Ray nuzzled my forehead with his chin. “You mad at me?”

“Not if you learned your lesson.” I shuddered and slid my hands up to his shoulders. “Promise me you won’t ever do that again, Ray. Mix daylight and alcohol.” Oh, shit, I was afraid I was going to cry after all.

“I swear it. I was a damned fool. I’m off the alcohol. If I have to choose between them, seeing the sunrise beats the hell out of the pitiful buzz that high-octane blood gives me.” Ray gathered me in his arms and rocked me against his hard chest. “Admit it, Glory, all your men are stupid bastards. You deserve better.” He held me tight as I finally let loose and cried against his soft cotton shirt.

I grabbed fistfuls of the cotton and held on then threw one leg over his. I felt Ray’s desire behind the zipper in his dark-wash jeans. Had all his kindness just been foreplay? With Ray, it didn’t take much to get his motor running. And
of course he was another one of my Siren victims. This bitter thought just made my tears flow faster. He ran his bare toes up and down my calf in a gesture of comfort. Surprisingly it did make me feel better, that and his strong arms surrounding me. I held on to him as I realized that and rubbed my cheek against his firm bicep.

“You’re just as enchanted by the damned Siren thing as Jerry and Rafe are, Ray. You don’t have a snowball’s chance of getting out from under my spell.” I sniffed and leaned back to look up at him. To my surprise he grinned.

“You are so very wrong, sweet thing. But aren’t you adorable for trying to talk me out of making this move?” He wiped my eyes with his palm then leaned down and kissed me. It was one of his soul-taking, give-me-all-that-you’ve-got kisses.

I’m no fool. I sank into him and let it happen. He tasted great and knew how to work with what he had, which was quite a lot. His hand came down to my backside to press me against him and I moaned into his mouth. Now who was weaving a spell? I gasped and pushed back.

“No, this isn’t right.”

“It is and way overdue. Listen to me.” Ray brushed my wild hair back behind my ears. “Your blood is in me, courtesy of that bitch Lucky Carver.”

I looked away, not about to let him see how much I didn’t want her name brought up right now. My news about her would end what was proving to be a welcome distraction from all the angst I’d been feeling lately.

“Yes, she has my blood. And I guess it probably has some Siren characteristics.” I closed my eyes again when Ray slid his hand under my skirt and squeezed my hip. My eyes popped open. Panties. What the hell kind of panties had I put on this evening? Black thong. Okay. Not so bad.

“Possibly. I let Ian check my blood when he was doing all his tests. Seems my blood is very similar to yours. So if you have Siren blood, then so do I.” He nibbled on my earlobe then grazed my skin with his fangs, clearly on a path to my
jugular. “If anyone can resist your call, lady, it would be me.” He kissed my pulsing vein for a breathless moment. “And I hate to burst your bubble, sweet thing, but, when I was in L.A., I hardly gave you a thought.”

“Really, Ray?” I shoved my hands into his hair and tugged until he looked me in the eyes. “I want to read your mind. Will you trust me enough to let me?”

“Yeah. If I’m lyin’, I’m dyin’.” He grinned and opened those laser blues wide.

I sought the answers I wanted and found them. Seriously. I saw him with a leggy blonde, a vampire who’d showed him how getting his fangs involved made sex hotter than hot. He’d called it popping his vamp cherry. I felt the heat rise in my cheeks and swatted his shoulder. Then there were a variety of groupies, fans who always hung around the band and would do anything to say they’d scored with a famous rock star. Those scenes made me curl my lip, especially when I saw he’d used them for a taste of human blood then wiped their minds clean after the fact. Had I been anywhere in his thoughts in L.A.? I shoved him off the couch.

“Fine. You’re a dog and not the tail-wagging kind—obviously not one of my victims.” I sighed, then realized how ridiculous that sounded. I offered him my hand, matching his unrepentant grin with a smile.

“Keep looking, babe. There’s something else in my head for you to see besides my sheet action.” Ray was solemn now and didn’t that make me shiver.