SEDUCTIVE SUPERNATURALS: 12 Tales of Shapeshifters, Vampires & Sexy Spirits (250 page)

In the midst of it, he changed her room into a French-style boudoir. Gone was the Gothic dungeon and in its place he provided gold-leafed furniture, floral prints, and lacy curtains. He added pink and white candles. As they burned, they emitted a sugary scent, mimicking the frosting on a wedding cake.

Hot and sexy, she thrashed again, stubbornly drawn to the fairy tale ambience. Playing a knight to her maiden, Nicholas wielded his cock in sword-like fashion, piercing her with irresistible passion.

Deeper. Harder.

He watched in the now-gilded mirror. She looked so beautiful, so hedonic, joined with him, relinquishing control. His lady. His conquest. She climaxed in sublime surrender.

Triggering his soul-spinning orgasm, too.

The Vampire Bracelet: Chapter Eight

Marie couldn’t believe what he’d done to her. What she’d
let
him do to her. But more dangerous were the things he’d conned her into saying.

“Unchain me.” In her post-orgasmic state, she desperately needed to be free. “Please,” she added.

Poof! The handcuffs disappeared and her ankle-binding panties were removed. Her room also went back to normal.

She took a minute to catch her breath and rolled over to look at him. “You tricked me.” She knew what he’d been trying to accomplish. She’d felt it, heard it, seen it, said it. “You did a number on me.”

“So what if I did? Can you blame me? I want out of that damned bracelet for good, and the only way out is to find love.”

“I understand. But I’m not the solution to your problem.”

“Why can’t you be? We have incredible chemistry.”

True. So wildly, wonderfully true. She’d never been laid like that. He’d dazzled the hell out of her, and she ached in all the right places. But she knew better. “Sex isn’t love.”

“It’s a start.” He climbed on top of her, pinning her beneath his domineering weight. He smiled, too. Boyish and sexy. Playful and charming. Handsome didn’t begin to describe him and neither did hypnotic. Scattered light enticed the angles of his face and rained diamond-like facets upon his hair. She dug her nails into his skin, fighting the feeling of wanting him again.

He released her. “You’re a feisty little thing. Just the type to fall madly in love with a guy like me.”

She was not, under any circumstances, going to fall in love with him. “You’d drive me nuts for the rest of my life.” Erotic nuts. Crazy nuts.

“Likewise. But I’m willing to sacrifice my sanity for love.”

“For becoming mortal, you mean.”

He shrugged. “Same thing.”

Not in her book. “You’re trying to make me your mortality ticket, and I haven’t even gotten over Keith yet. Every time I think of him taking Randi to bed, I feel sick.”

“So don’t think about it.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who had your heart broken.”

“You’ll probably break mine.”

“Somehow I doubt that.” She couldn’t fathom Nicholas falling for her, not for real. He was good at making it seem possible, though. He was a gifted salesman. She would do well to remember that every weak-kneed chance she got.

“Did Darrin tell you that it was a fairy who put the spell on my bracelet? And on Simone’s ring and my brother’s pendant, too?”

“No, he didn’t mention that. Why did the fairy want to save the three of you?”

“She didn’t, per se. The spell was placed before Mathieu enslaved us. She was thinking ahead, in case any gen-vamps were ever confined to those pieces.”

“Do you know her?”

“No. But Mathieu is aware of her identity and if he gets a hold of her, he’ll pluck her wings clean off.”

Marie shivered. “How likely is it that he’ll get a hold of her?”

“Not very. Fairies are clever escape artists.”

“Thank goodness.” She couldn’t bear the thought of a sparkling little fairy getting mangled by a big bad genie king. “Sometimes it’s weird, knowing all of this.”

“Knowing all of what?”

“The existence of the supernatural.”

“And here you are, naked beside one.”

“No kidding.”

He reached for her hand. “You know what we should do? Visit my brother and his lady. I can call him and tell him that we’d like to take them out to dinner. Or they can fix the food at their place, if they prefer.”

“Dinner?” She went smug. “What will you be eating at this meal?”

He rolled his emerald eyes. He’d forgotten to change them back to their regular color. Or maybe he’d kept them that way on purpose. Whatever the case, he didn’t reply to her silly comment. They both knew that he would drink from her either before or after the meal. She still owed him a full two weeks of blood.

He said, “It would be nice for us to hang out with Anthony and Tessa.”

Actually Marie thought it sounded nice, too, except for it seeming couple-ish. “Okay, but it’s not a double date. So don’t act as if you’re courting me when we’re there.”

“I won’t.” He pulled her into his arms. “Not too much.”

“Why can’t you ever listen?” She did her damnedest not to breathe in his sexy nearness, not to melt, not to let him affect her.

“Let a guy have a little fun.”

“Not at my expense.”

He nuzzled her neck. “Let’s mess around again.”

It was strange being nuzzled by a blood drinker. Strangely compelling. She was getting used to it, and she shouldn’t be. “With or without restraints?”

“Without.”

“I didn’t know you had regular sex.”

“It’s called vanilla sex, and I want to do everything with you.”

He drove a hard bargain. Very hard. By now, he was fully erect, stiff and insistent.

His breaths whispered across her skin. “Indulge me.”

Cursing her failed willpower, she opened her legs, and he slid deep inside.

Only this time he didn’t prod her into saying, “I love you.” He simply
made
love to her, beautifully, breathtakingly, setting a languid pace. So much for not being affected by him.

Marie went warm and syrupy, her limbs turning molten, her body floating on air. She even came in a cloud of spun sugar, reeling from his sweet-vanilla touch.

The Vampire Bracelet: Chapter Nine

Anthony and Tessa wanted to entertain Nicholas and Marie at their house. In fact, they offered to do it that very night.

As Marie got ready, preparing to meet her lover’s family, she battled a bout of nervousness. She’d been anxious the first time she’d met Keith’s family, too. Not that she should be making a comparison. She and Nicholas weren’t in a committed relationship. Of course he was still trying to make it so. The romantic con. The supernatural seducer. The melting feeling he’d incited in bed still hadn’t gone away.

On the way to their destination, she did her darnedest to clear her mind and quit thinking about him, focusing diligently on the road.

Upon their arrival, she discovered that Anthony and Tessa lived in a cozy place in Old Town Orange with a
For Sale
sign in the yard.

As she parked beneath a streetlamp, Nicholas said, “This is Tessa’s house. They’re selling it because they’re going to buy one of my brother’s old houses. He was an architect in his heyday and when one of the Hollywood Hills cottages he’d designed came on the market, Tessa wanted it. The cottage is more expensive, but they can afford it because Darrin gave Anthony his pendant and Anthony sold it because it was worth millions. Your uncle is a generous guy.”

Marie nodded. “He’s always been that way.” Darrin was extremely wealthy from investments he’d made in his youth. But he’d only strived to be rich so he could help others, giving away far more than he kept for himself. Mostly he lived on his income from the magic shop, which was meager at best.

Nicholas spoke again. “My bracelet is worth millions, too. So when I become mortal, I can sell it and have a decent income. I’m going to go back to playing music, though. I miss it.”

“I’m glad you’ll get to return to your old life.”

“When the time comes, I should be experiencing it with you. We should try to fall in love.”

How persistent could he be? And how many times did she have to belabor her point? “People aren’t supposed to
try
to fall in love. It’s supposed to happen naturally.”

“I don’t think you were in love with Keith. Not enough to marry him. You should be glad it’s over.”

Darrin had accused her of not loving Keith enough, too. “Maybe I pushed the marriage issue because I wanted a family so badly, but I still loved him.”

“I’m not saying that you didn’t. But loving someone and being
in love
with someone are two different things.”

She shot him a look. “And you know this because?”

“I’ve been reading up on it.”

“You can’t research love as if it’s the subject of a term paper.”

“Sure you can. I’ve learned a lot from my readings.”

“All I know is that my heart feels bruised.”

“Yeah, and look who’s here to help you mend. You’d do well to appreciate me more than you do.”

Her bruised heart softened. “I do appreciate you. You’re kind and funny and sexy. You’re becoming a way better friend to me than Keith ever was.”

“Thanks.” He smiled. “Bear in mind that I’d make an awesome dad, too. If you had rug rats with me, not only would they be highly attractive children, they’d have a father who’s been around for almost a hundred years.”

She laughed. “That’s quite a sales pitch.”

“You bet your sweet ass it is. It brings a whole new meaning to the good old days.”

She laughed again. Nicholas was definitely one of a kind. “We better get going or your brother and Tessa will wonder what we’re doing out here.”

“Afraid they might think we’re making out? We can do that later.”

“In the car?”

“I know just the place where we can go.”

“No doubt you do.” The thought made her skin tingle. “You know everything.”

“I try.” Giving her a taste of what was to come, he grabbed her, stealing a sinfully rough kiss.

Her eyes nearly rolled back in her head. If he dragged her to the backseat, here and now, she would let him. But he didn’t. One kiss and he released her.

They exited the vehicle and walked to the front door of the house, taking a flower-lined path. They rang the bell, and Anthony answered the summons. He was tall and striking, just like Nicholas.

Marie said, “Darrin told me you two looked like twins, and you do.”

Anthony smiled. “Except that he’s my baby brother. I hope he’s not driving you too crazy.”

She laughed a little. “Actually he is.”

Nicholas shrugged. No shame at all. “I can’t help it if I drive the ladies crazy.”

Anthony shook his head. “You drive everyone nuts.”

Nonetheless, the men embraced on the doorstep, their brotherly love evident. It made Marie wish that she had a sibling.

Their host invited them inside and introduced Marie to Tessa. “This is my fiancée,” he said proudly, as a delicate blonde stepped forward, half of her face horribly scarred.

If Marie hadn’t been forewarned, she would have been shocked. She couldn’t imagine going through life with a disfigurement. But it seemed obvious that Anthony was teaching Tessa to accept herself. Marie wanted to hug her, but Tessa beat her to it, making the first move. Nicholas received a hug, too. He was his usual self, flirting with Tessa as he would any other female, only a bit more gallantly. When he stepped away from the scarred girl, Marie tried not to swoon.

“I hope you like Italian,” Tessa said to her. “I made spaghetti with marinara sauce for dinner. Nicholas told us ahead of time that you were vegetarian.”

“That sounds great,” she replied, her emotions thick with thoughts of him. “And it smells wonderful, too.” She inhaled the spices that danced in the air, using them as a distraction.

Soon everyone was seated at a cherry wood table. Tessa had also prepared a big fancy salad and fresh-from-the-oven rolls.

Halfway through the meal, Nicholas openly studied his brother, who was shoveling the main course into his mouth. “It’s weird to see you eating normal food. I can’t wait until I can go back to being mortal.”

Anthony finished his bite and swigged his wine. “Be patient. It will happen.”

“I’ve been trying to convince Marie to be the love of my life.”

Anthony scolded him. “You can’t convince someone to love you.”

Marie chimed in. “That’s what I keep telling him.”

Tessa had a different opinion. “I think it’s romantic.”

Nicholas, naturally, poured on the charm. “Finally someone who gets it.” Since Tessa was seated next to him, he reached for her hand and brushed an old-fashioned kiss across her knuckles. “I’m so glad you’re going to be my sister-in-law.”

She blushed and thanked him. He’d already won her over, but now she was completely taken with him.

After dinner, the men went onto the porch to catch some brother-to-brother time, and Marie helped Tessa with the dishes.

The blonde said, “I never expected to be the love of someone’s life. Anthony is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I almost didn’t let it happen. I was afraid that my damaged face would get in the way of our happiness.”

“I’m damaged on the inside,” Marie told her, explaining what happened with Keith. “I feel like I’ve been through the wringer.”

“I’m sorry your boyfriend betrayed you,” came the heartfelt reply. “But I think Nicholas is a much better choice.”

“You’re only saying that because you want it to be him.”

“I’m saying it because of the dashing way he looks at you.”

“He only does that because he’s trying to woo me.”

“Yes, but what if it’s destiny? What if he came into your life to sweep you off your feet? Give him a chance, and see where it goes. You never know what might happen.”

* * *

Later that night, Nicholas directed Marie to a hill overlooking a cityscape. The view was exquisite, but her mind was laden with the conversation she’d had with Tessa.

Was destiny involved? Was she meant to be with Nicholas?

No, she thought. Between his blatant attempt to become mortal and her wounded need for rebound sex, destiny seemed like a stretch.