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I wrapped it around my hair and grabbed a bath sheet to tie around my body. “You’re insatiable. ”
“Maybe it’s our Siren blood. ” Ray ran a comb through his wet hair. After blotting a towel over his body, he hadn’t bothered to cover it. Which was fine by me. He turned to me and slipped open the knot between my breasts. “I have a theory about this Siren stuff. I think we really are all that when it comes to sex. ”
I brushed a strand of wet hair back from his beautiful face. “Vampires are sensual creatures too, Ray. At least every vamp I’ve met is highly charged sexually. Well, except for a few Energy Vampires. They seem to get off to power more than sex. ” I probably should tell him what Ian had said about my blood, our blood.
“I think what we have is more than the vamp thing. We’ve got to get with Aggie, much as I hate her, and see what she’s got to say about Sirens. There are bound to be powers there too. Things we can use to our advantage. ” He got the towel away from me and pulled me against him. What can I say? He felt damned good and I felt damned easy.
“Well, I can turn people to statues. That’s one. And Alesa hinted that I might be able to blast through mental blocks. ” I hated sharing that one but my defenses were down, especially with Ray doing interesting things with his hands. Reading thoughts… If Ray could blast through mine… No, not thinking about Lucky now. Sex. Fabulous sex in his bed just a few feet away. Thinking about that.
“Excellent. We’ll have to explore that. Later. ” Ray dropped to his knees in front of me.
“Ray?”
“Relax, Glory. Put yourself in my hands. ” He nudged my legs apart.
Well, what woman would say no to that?
I woke up to music. I stretched and realized I was naked in Ray’s king-size bed. It wasn’t a recording I was listening to but Ray at his piano singing a new song. I liked it. It was optimistic and upbeat, the kind of music he hadn’t written for a long time. I found my sweater and skirt on the foot of the bed. No underwear. Oh, well. I pulled them on, used a new toothbrush and toothpaste I found in the bathroom and attempted some order with my hair, then padded out to the living room.
Ray sat at the grand piano. I knew my time was up. I was going to have to tell him about Lucky and my deal with her. I was really, really dreading it. I wanted to run, throw up, something. Instead, I firmed my resolve even though my knees were so watery I had to hold on to the piano when I got there.
“Come. Sit. Tell me what you think. ” Ray grinned and patted the piano bench next to him. He wore silk boxers and nothing else, the rest of his beautiful body a great distraction. Guess lots of hot sex will do that to you. Make you crave more. For a moment it actually took my mind off what was coming.
“The song? What I’ve heard so far is fantastic. Very catchy chorus. I can imagine dancing to it in a club. ” I sat and listened while he pounded out a rock beat and sang in the voice that had made me fall for him long before I’d ever met the man behind it. Seeing him full of joy, belting out a tune that he ended with a grin and a flourish made me lean against him, tears burning my eyes. I knew what my news would do to that great mood.
“Still needs some work. The end isn’t right yet. ” He wrote something on the sheet music in front of him.
“Sounded perfect to me. ” I sniffled, couldn’t help it.
“Thanks, babe. Lucky for me you’ve always been a fan. ” He took my face into his hands and gave me a sweet kiss, the kind that could melt your bones.
“Ray—”
“Wait. I’ve got something to say. This Siren thing. It’s really bugging me. Come sit beside me on the couch. ” He pulled me up and led me there, catching me when I stumbled. He looked uncharacteristically serious.
“What is it? I know Aggie’s a bitch but I hope I won’t suddenly start acting like her now just because I know…” I sat and he settled beside me.
“No, nothing like that. You were once a Siren, Glory. You had a song, a beautiful captivating voice. You could lure men to their deaths with its beauty. ” Ray’s eyes became a little unfocused and I could see that the artist in him was trying to imagine it. He shook his head. “And that bastard Storm God ripped it out of you. ” He pulled me into his arms and rested his cheek on my hair. “God, baby, it’s a fucking tragedy. ”
“Ray. ” I patted his back, comforting him. “Thank you. But I really don’t remember any of it. And, seriously? Who would want the kind of song that made men willing to die for you?”
“That’s a misuse of talent. It wouldn’t have to be that way. ” Ray held me tight.
“I guess. But don’t worry about me. I listen to your voice and it moves me. Music and your kind of talent means the world to me. But I simply can’t imagine having it inside myself. ”
Ray pulled back, his eyes actually shimmering, like the emotions were getting to him. “Babe, that’s what’s so criminal about this. You were robbed. ” He smoothed back my hair. “And taken from the sea too. I’ve seen Aggie swim, savoring the water on her like she was born to be there. Which I guess she was. You lost all that too. ”
“Yes. Now, when I’m in that lake out there, I choke, terrified of what might grab me and pull me under. ” I finally got it and anger shook loose inside me until I wanted to pound something. Not that it would do me any good. Ancient history. “Damn Achelous to hell!”
“There you go. Get good and mad. ” Ray held me again and whispered in my ear. “I wish there was something I could do to help you. ”
“Promise me something. ” My stomach knotted. The time had come and I knew I couldn’t put this off.
“Sure, anything. ” He leaned back. “Music lessons?”
“No, that ship has sailed. ” I rubbed his cheek with my thumb. I hate, hate, hated what I was about to say. “Just listen and don’t go off on me. Please?”
“Now you’ve got me worried. ” He captured my hand. “What’s on your mind?”
“Last night was great but—”
“Don’t start. ” Ray frowned, dropped my hand and jumped to his feet. “Here we go. I knew you were going to pull this. Forget Blade and Rafe and all the crap that you always drag out as reasons why you and I can’t work. I’m not proposing marriage. Can’t we just enjoy ourselves for a while? No strings?”
“That’s not it, though I’m tangled up in a bunch of strings you don’t know about, Ray. ” I spied my boots next to the coffee table and began to pull them on. I couldn’t believe he thought I regretted last night. As if any woman could.
“So we’ll cut through them, together. Tell me what they are. ” Ray sat beside me again.
“I have something to tell you, Ray. Something I should have spit out when I first got here. But then things got going between us and it was great. Really. Better than great. I’m not sorry it happened, not at all. But when you hear what I have to say…” I zipped up the last boot to stall for time then pressed my fists to my rolling stomach. If I got through this without throwing up it would be a freaking miracle.
“How bad can it be?” Ray was smiling again, his hand on my shoulder. “Come on, babe. Just get it out. ”
“Lucky Carver is in town. ” There, I’d said it. And Ray reacted as predicted.
“The hell you say. What is that bitch doing here?” He jumped to his feet and stalked over to the French doors. He flung one open. “Laurie, come here!”
“Yes, boss?” She was there on the run.
“Pass the word to the other guards. There’s an old enemy of mine in town. ” Ray glanced at me. “What color is her hair now?”
“I call it mahogany. It’s a dark red. Laurie, she’s of Italian descent, about my height, size six and looks midthirties but is a decade older. A loan shark named Lucky Carver. I told her to stay away from you, Ray. ” I locked eyes with Laurie. “I want to get with you sometime. To talk to you about what went down at the meeting with Circe and Achelous. When is your night off?”
“Tomorrow. N-V? Ten?” She looked from me to Ray and back again.
“Make it my place, say at eight?” I glanced at Ray. He was pacing the living room, about to freak because obviously I’d had a conversation with Lucky and had been reluctant to tell him about it.
“Sure, we can do that. ” Laurie nodded. “See you then. Anything else, boss?”
“I’m not afraid of that woman. Far from it. But if she shows up here, she’s not to get past the gate. ” Ray waved Laurie off then turned to me. “So you’ve talked to Lucky. When were you going to tell me about it? Oh, wait. Guess that would have ruined the mood for sex. Smart move, Siren. ” He faced me, an angry man.
“I didn’t come here for sex, Ray. That was your idea. You were the one who started all the touching with the massage routine. ” Hey, I could get mad too. I jumped up, hands on my hips. “Don’t keep throwing that Siren crap in my face. Lucky came to see me in the shop. I wanted to toss her out on her ass. I hate that freak. ”
“You and me both. So did you? Toss her out after warning her to stay away from me?” Ray grabbed my elbow.
I’ll be damned if he wasn’t trying to read my mind. Then I felt him trying to blast through my block. Siren wannabe. No way in hell.
“Stop it! You aren’t a damned Siren. Quit trying to play mind games with me. I talked to her. I’m her sire. Which she tried to use to get to me. I had her tossed out of Austin before without any guidance. ”
“Because of what she did to me, Glory!” Ray shook my arm, then realized he was on the verge of violence and took a step back. “Sorry. I don’t hurt women. Not that it stops them from hurting me. Case in point—Lucky Carver. ”
“I know, Ray. I made it clear to her that what she did was unforgivable. That the council would put her down if she did something like that now. ” Oh, God, was there any way I could make this deal with Lucky sound like something other than disloyalty?
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