Tempt Me When the Sun Goes Down (8 page)

“And I am just as certain she will not, if I recall well her opinion of me,” Jakob chuckled. 

“Her loss is my gain,” Carys smiled up at Jakob, ratcheting her hold tighter, making it clear she’d staked her claim on the
Ellri
as well, in case Nell got any ideas. 

“And did Maeja not wish to see some of the world herself?”

“No, master.  My mistress is not one for travel.  Perhaps some day, if properly motivated, but for now, the vale holds enough wonders for her.”

“It has been an age since I roamed the hills of my childhood.  I would see them again some day,” Jakob murmured, his eyes growing distant.  “But I have no wish to cause her pain.  We… did not part well.”

“Yes, I am knowing this,” Nelleke said softly, her tone awfully glum to be speaking about nothing more than her employer’s love life, to Bishop’s way of thinking. 

“One can not make demands of an
Ellri
and hope to keep his heart,” Carys said smugly, drawing an amused chuckle from Jakob. 

“And when has that stopped you from using your feminine wiles to elicit such demands from me?”

“I only ask for what you’re perfectly willing to give,” she replied with a coquettish smile.

“So ah, where are you headed then, Nell?  Up or down?”  Bishop asked, stepping into the elevator.  They’d been holding it long enough.

“I…”

“Oh, do come with us,” Carys suggested, turning the full power of her radiant smile on Nelleke.  “I’ve been far too long without female companionship.”

“I…”  Nell looked to Jakob and then Bishop uneasily, as if she was afraid offending and didn’t know which decision would cause it. 

“You’re more than welcome if you’d like to tag along,” Bishop smiled, trying to ease her nerves.  She’d be a welcome distraction for him, the better to have something else to focus on. 

“Yes, join us,” Jakob smiled magnanimously.

“Come,” Carys insisted, dropping hold of both men to stand beside Nell, slipping her arm through hers.  “It’ll be nice to have a woman to talk to again.  I know we’re going to be fast friends.”

Bishop couldn’t be sure, but he had a sneaking suspicion that there was some compulsion accompanying that last suggestion.  Either way, Nelleke smiled back, her doubts fading away as the elevator doors slid shut and they started down to the lobby.  The women chatted, Carys remarking over the speed with which the elevator descended and Nell patiently answering her questions.  Maybe it’d be good for Carys to be around another woman after all?  Especially one who was used to catering to an
Ellri’s
whims.  

As they stepped out onto the street, Jakob took Carys’ arm again, tucking her small hand into the crook of his elbow.  “Where would you like to go,
älskling
?” 

Bishop recognized the old light of mischief that came into her eyes.

“Surprise me.”

I know, I know, I’m a complete hypocrite.  Here I’d sworn never to set foot into the feeder bar, Bird in Hand, ever again, but that’s exactly where we rolled up when Rob needed a quick fix.  Lee had to wait outside, vamps only allowed inside, apart from employees.  The old shifter wasn’t too pleased about it, but he didn’t offer much of an argument, for which I intended to reward him with the entire Clint Eastwood repertoire on Blu-ray as soon as we got home.

Boy howdy, did I hate that place though.  There was something about the girls (and guys) dancing behind the glass partitions, knowing they were waiting around to be fed upon, that made me unbearably gloomy.  I couldn’t think of a sadder profession – not only their bodies, but their minds invaded on a regular basis.  It made me sick to my stomach to think about it. 

But I’d also grown a different perspective since Bishop had first taken me there.  I was able to see the benefit of choosing the lesser of two evils, and what I needed for the moment was discretion – Bird in Hand had that in spades. 

I didn’t bother with the bar, leading Rob to the back where I offered up his wrist to have the chip scanned.  “We’ll take number three,” I decided, going for the biggest guy they had, the better chance he had at sating Rob’s endless appetite. 

The vamp at the door scanned Rob’s wrist with a chirp, then held it out for my arm as well.  

“I’m not drinking, just watching,” I said, clamping my hand over my wrist. 

“That’s what they all say,” he said with a roll of the eyes.  “Same charge.”

“Fine,” I sighed, offering him my wrist, not feeling like arguing the point.  In less than a minute, we stood in the small room marked number three, and I flipped the switch to turn the glass opaque. 

“Hi,” I smiled, nervous at meeting the feeder’s gaze, but he looked perfectly comfortable with the situation.  He wore only a pair of boxer briefs, made out of a shiny gold material that reminded me of Mango from those old
SNL
sketches with Chris Kattan.  This guy definitely filled them out better though; his body was not only toned, but tanned, which had to be hard to maintain with his hours. 

“It’s extra for the both of you,” he said equably. 

“Sure, no problem,” I replied, my smile growing more forced by the second.  “Ah, what’s your name?”

“Leroy,” he replied. 

“I’m Anja and this is Rob.” I turned to Rob so he could greet him as well, but he only fixed me with a
look
. 

“I don’t wanna take him to tea, Anja, I just need to feed.”

“Oh, right,” I said with a sheepish grin.  “Well, ah… go ahead then, get to it.”

“Don’t you want to join in?” he asked, fangs descending with a snick.  “You paid for it, after all.”

“No, um… you go right ahead.  I’ll just watch.”  I’d need to eat something more substantial than what I’d had the night before soon, but I couldn’t even think about joining in with him.  Just the idea made me think of piggybacking with Clayton back at Smoke and Mirrors.  That whole scene had gone way farther than I’d intended at the time, and I didn’t want the bloodlust to cloud my judgment where Rob was concerned.  The last thing I needed was a threesome with Leroy.

Rob didn’t wait another second, plunging into the burly man’s neck with gusto.  Unlike the encounter in the alley, there was a distinctly different compulsion going on this time.  More sensual than savage, Rob pressed close to Leroy, whose deep grunts of pleasure made it clear he was having a good time.  Maybe it was for my benefit, or maybe Rob didn’t want to get kicked out for roughing up the merchandise, but it definitely started to get warmer in the small booth. 

I felt the pull to join in as soon as I scented the blood in the air and I closed my eyes against the surprisingly erotic image of Rob pressing into Leroy’s hip, the human’s hands sliding around to pull him closer. 
The count… I needed to be counting
, I reminded myself, starting in my head.  Rob’s little growls kept distracting me though, the rough timbre of his voice doing things to me. 

Somehow I found myself across the room, my nose pressed against the back of Rob’s shoulder. 
God
, he smelled good.  Better than the blood even.  A ripple went through him as my lips brushed against his skin, but he didn’t stop feeding. 
Just one taste
– the little voice in the back of my head whispered in the dark corners of my mind.  What could it hurt?  My fangs had already elongated, sharp and deadly, pricking against my tongue eagerly in anticipation. 

My lips parted, breathing in the scent of him like the finest wine.  The tiniest amount of pressure and the sharp tang of his blood burst across my tongue, a heady nectar I’d never thought to taste again.  I sucked at the tiny wound, a deep moan tearing through Rob at the action, and a shudder went through him that sent a corresponding tremor through my entire body.  I sucked again, chasing that feeling, and he let go of Leroy to wrap an arm around me, his hand splayed across my backside. 

More than anything I wanted to shove Leroy out of the way and pull Rob into my arms. 
I
wanted to be the one to give him what he needed, what we
both
needed.  I wanted to ruin him for anyone else but me.  More than anything else, I wanted it to be like it was before it’d all fallen apart.

But it wasn’t.  

We weren’t wrapped in each others arms with nothing but love between us, we were pressed up against another guy in a dirty little room, after paying for the pleasure.  What the hell was I doing?  Was this what I truly wanted? 

I released him, and Rob groaned in disappointment, holding fast to me.  “Don’t stop,” he rasped, letting go of Leroy long enough to chase after me with his lips, but I couldn’t do it.  It wasn’t what I
really
needed or deserved. 

With a cry I tore myself away, backing up until I hit the door.  “I’m sorry!”

His forehead fell to rest against Leroy’s broad chest as he got his breathing under control, but Rob returned to his feast without another protest – the call of the blood stronger than his desire to pull me into it. 

I had no idea what the count was anymore, but Leroy seemed fit enough.  I could hear his heart pounding from there, and it was still going strong.  But remembering that this wasn’t his only client of the night, I decided I’d better keep Rob from taking too much.  “That’s enough,” I said, lightly tapping Rob on the shoulder. 

To my great relief, he didn’t fight me this time, he merely took one last pull and then released him, healing the wound with his own blood.  Rob’s face was tightly controlled when he turned around, giving no sign that anything had passed between us at all, and I decided that was probably the best policy. 

“Um, thanks for your service,” I said with an awkward nod to Leroy, who’d sunk to a low chair in the corner of the room to rummage around for a cigarette.  “Come on, we’d better get going.”

Rob gave a short nod, straightening his clothes and adjusting himself before we stepped out into the hallway.  I could tell he hadn’t found any kind of physical release apart from the thrill of the blood, and that brought back all sorts of images in my mind that had no right to be there anymore. 

“How about a drink?” I suggested, thinking we both needed a cooling off period before we stepped out into the semi-deserted hallway, or either one of us might lose that tightly wound control and then there was no telling what might happen. 

“Good idea, that,” he agreed, leading the way to the bar. 

There was a small crowd of patrons there, jostling against each other to get close enough to order.  I was about to tell Rob to forget it, we’d go somewhere else, when the guy in front of me turned around and his deep green eyes widened in recognition. 

“Bishop!” I squeaked.  Not quite the way I’d envisioned running into him again, and I could tell by the flare of surprise in his eyes that I’d managed to shock him as well.  Had it only been a week since I’d last seen him?  He looked good.  Broad shoulders tapered to a lean waist, the rasp of stubble on his jaw forming a rough goatee.  He was dressed simply, in a pair of black jeans and a gray t-shirt under a motorcycle jacket that probably hid at least two weapons – typical Bishop uniform – but was he on duty? 

“What are you, um…” I stopped myself from completing the inane question – of course I knew what he was doing there, and the less I knew about it, the better.  “I mean, I didn’t know you were in London.”

“I could say the same for you,” he said, looking about as awkward as I felt.  “We got into town a couple of nights ago.”  His eyes darted to Rob, narrowing slightly.  “Rob,” he said tightly.

Rob only offered the briefest of nods in reply.  Whatever tension there had been between the two men before had amplified, any ground made up by coming together to fight against Lodinn completely eroded now. 

“It’s good to see you,” I smiled, glad to see his expression warm as his gaze returned to me.  I didn’t know whether I should give him a hug or kiss his cheek or whatever with Rob standing right there, even though Rob and I weren’t back together by any stretch of the word. 

“It’s good to see you too,” Bishop smiled, and some of that nervous energy dissipated under the power of that smile. 

“Do introduce me to your friends, Ulrik,” a female voice sounded at my elbow. 

I turned, expecting… I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t the sight of the exquisite blonde taking his arm.  She was everything I wasn’t –poised and elegant, as if nothing fazed her, perfectly styled from head to toe in a black dress that looked as though it’d been designed for her.  Her confident smile and cultured accent spoke of a class and breeding I could never hope to achieve, and I felt like a country bumpkin standing next to her.  From the proprietary way she clung to Bishop’s arm, there was only one person it could be – Carys. 
Sweet zombie Jesus,
they’d found her!

Bishop had been struck dumb, his gaze swinging back and forth between us, coming up with a loss as to how to proceed.  Somehow this unstuck my own tongue, watching him flail in discomfort and I couldn’t resist a small dig.  “I see you bring all your dates here.”

“I’m… she’s not… I-I…” he stammered, scratching at the back of his neck as though he’d suddenly developed the pox. 

“I’m Anja and this is Rob,” I jumped in, trying to help him out of the hole he kept digging for himself with no end in sight. 

“How lovely to make your acquaintance,” she smiled prettily, offering her hand to Rob, who kissed the back of it like it was the way he greeted everyone. 

Had anyone ever compared the two of us?  I was nothing like her – she was the very thing I’d tried to emulate when creating the persona of Anja Gudrun, and I was just the dorky poser with delusions of grandeur. 

“I’m glad to see they finally found you,” I offered, though in truth, I was still pretty conflicted over it.  “I’m sorry about what Lodinn did to you, but at least you have the peace of knowing he’ll never come after you again.  There’s nothing left of him but ashes in my garden now.”  I figured she’d want to know that detail.  I’d want to know for sure that the guy who’d imprisoned and probably tortured me for centuries was absolutely dead and gone. 

“You were there?” Her eyes widened in surprise before narrowing in a calculating fashion as she studied me closer.   “I’m sorry… who are you again?” she added with a touch of disdain, and I wished like anything I hadn’t been wearing a pair of faded jeans with a
Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock
t-shirt.   

Bishop recovered his tongue, coming to my aid with a timely introduction.  “Actually, Anja was the one who struck Lodinn down, so you owe her your thanks,” he smiled.  “Say hello to your sister.”

“My… sister?” Her perfect nose wrinkled in distaste.

“Yes, Jakob is her Sire.”

“Is he really,” she said, sounding none too pleased about it.  Well, she’d have to get in line, I wasn’t thrilled about it either. 

“Yep, I guess you could call us that,” I smiled, though it dimmed somewhat when she continued to stare at me like I was something she’d scraped off her shoe. 

“Anyway, I’m just Carys up on the local sights.  So, what are you guys doing here in town?” Bishop asked, picking up on the tension between us, and I shot him a thankful smile for the distraction.

“We’re looking for a way to break the curse before Rob ends up depopulating the south bank,” I replied, and Carys started to choke on her own spit, her face flushing beet red.

“You mustn’t speak of such things!” she wheezed, making no attempt to hide the open scorn in her voice this time. 

“Ah, what’s the big deal?” I blinked, unsure of the cause for her conniption fit at first, but as she threw an alarmed glance in Bishop’s direction, it started to make sense.  “Oh… he already knows all about the curse.  I guess you guys haven’t had a chance to talk about that yet, huh?”

“Not so much,” Bishop admitted.

Carys’ eyes flared wider, small white teeth scraping over her bottom lip as she tried to figure out how he’d come to know such a thing.  “You know about the curse?”

“I do,” Bishop admitted equably, though he said nothing about reading her diary, for which I was grateful.  I didn’t need another reason for Carys to hate me.