by V. Vaughn
I release him, and he gets up to sit on the couch across from me. He holds his head in his hands, and my heart aches. She wants me to go to him, but I don’t think it’s a wise idea. Kissing one Hart brother did enough damage. Even though I’m not happy with the way Sebastian tries to control me, it hurts me that he’s in pain. I try to lighten the mood and say, “You know I think you’re hot, but I have a thing for guys who look like shirtless cover models.”
Sebastian glances up at me with a small smile. “Whatever am I going to do with you, Margaret?”
Love me. I need to stop listening to my heart, because something Sebastian said earlier comes rushing to the forefront of my mind. I ask, “What did you mean when you said Alexander is dangerous?”
“Earlier today, he wanted to feed on you, which is why we went out.”
The metallic flavor. I don’t succeed in hiding my grimace as I realize I tasted blood when I kissed Alexander. Sebastian says, “We both have excellent control, but I believe my brother is quite taken with you. There’s a fine line between hunger and sexual attraction, and it makes him more dangerous.”
“So if—” I shake my head. “This is hypothetical, but if Alexander and I got involved, he might bite me by accident?”
Sebastian says, “Yes.”
Great. I’ve fallen for a man who wants to suck my blood as much as he wants to screw me. Wait a minute. I’ve fallen for a vampire, and I think I’ve got bigger problems than the possibility of sleeping with a man who might lose control. Then I recall Bertha telling me I shouldn’t have come, and it makes ice run through my veins. Am I in danger?
No. My heart fills me with the knowledge I’m safe, and I think about the story Sebastian gave me as part of my interview process. The two men were searching for their soul mates, and maybe there was truth in the story. My heartbeat gets loud in my ears, because I know the answer. My donor was Sebastian’s true love, and there is a possibility I’m Alexander’s. Oh god. I gaze over at Sebastian. “I think I need a drink.”
He gets up, and ice cubes clink in a glass before liquid splashes over them. He hands it to me. “This is whiskey. Sip slowly.”
I nod and taste the amber liquid. It burns my tongue before I swallow, and I let it sear its way down my throat. A wave of heat washes over me. Some adventure. I came here thinking I was going to work for an eccentric man, but I’ve stepped into so much more. My instinct is to pack my bag and get the hell out of Dodge, but the moment I think the thought, I know I can’t. My heart won’t let me. I was carefully selected to be part of the Hart brothers’ world. I’m now privy to a well-guarded secret, and my pride won’t let me back down from the challenges it will pose. If I get the chance.
Sebastian has a drink too, and I wonder how that works when you’re not really alive. Can he get drunk? I ask, “Do you want me to leave?”
“Do you want to go?”
I shake my head, and his voice is soft as he says, “You belong here.” He sighs. “One way or the other.”
Chapter 8
I don’t finish my drink because my head begins to swim before I’m done, and I leave Sebastian to go to my room. The floor is cool under my feet as I wander over to the windows and gaze out at the water. The tide is retreating, but occasionally, a wave makes it to the rocks to splash up. I can’t hear the rush of it as it gets sucked away, but I imagine the sensation is similar to what Sebastian might be feeling. He brought me here to be with him, and while my heart loves him, my soul wants his brother.
I wonder what really happened the night my heart donor died. She had no next of kin, and all I have for information is she was twenty-four and in a car accident. Sadness washes over me, and I wish my heart could speak so I could know the story. I move away from the window and change into a tank top and sweat pants for sleeping. But I’m not tired, so I grab a lap blanket from the end of my bed and go to my sitting room to curl up on the couch. The soft yarn of the fine-knit blanket is soft on my arms as I gaze at the box of books and consider starting another one. My thoughts are interrupted when a soft knock raps on my door.
“Come in,” I say.
Alexander enters, and I begin to stand, when he rushes over to me and drops on his knees. He grabs my hands and says, “Maggie, I’m so sorry.” He releases me quickly as if he shouldn’t be holding on. “I just spoke with Sebastian.”
His face has more color the way Sebastian’s does now, and I think it’s because they fed. I say, “It’s okay. Don’t be sorry for this.”
He sits back on his feet with a frown. “You aren’t afraid of us.”
I shake my head. “My heart won’t let me be. Did Sebastian tell you about that part?”
He nods. “That’s why you’re here, but we never expected you to feel what El—” Alexander shakes his head. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. You’re here for my brother.”
That may be so, but it’s not the only reason I’m staying. “Alexander.”
“You don’t belong to me, Maggie.”
“It’s not that simple. Yes, my heart is here for Sebastian.” I squeeze his cool fingers. “But I want you.”
He rises up on his knees, and his gaze is intense as he presses his palms against the side of my legs. Considering what I learned tonight, I should stop him. Alexander is dangerous. He slides his hands up toward my hips as he leans in to kiss me. I can’t help myself, and I let him. It’s powerful, hungry, and I grasp onto his arms and spread my legs to wrap myself around him as if I’m drowning in it. I press my breasts against his chest, and the layers of cotton between us are thin as my nipples harden and beg to be stroked.
Alexander breaks away, and I inhale deeply as he moves down to my neck. I throw my head back as the heat of my desire threatens to explode. He stops nipping at me and drags his finger so lightly down my scar it tickles, and I flinch. He stops and asks, “Does it hurt?”
I shake my head. “Don’t stop touching me.”
“Maggie, what are you asking?”
I gaze into his green eyes, which have darkened with his need, and I take his hand. I place it on my breast. “Touch me.”
He groans as he cups me and rubs his thumb over my taut peak. I gasp as an electric shock of pleasure races to my core. Alexander uses his other hand to tug me closer, and his erection is thick and hard against the juncture between my legs. I moan and gyrate against him. “I need you, Alexander. Please.”
“Maggie.” He breaks away, and I watch his chest inflate and retract slowly as he takes a deep breath to blow out. I didn’t realize vampires breathe and wonder if it’s merely a reaction to his arousal. “This is too fast for you.”
I’ve been with one guy, another heart transplant patient, and while it was sweet, it was the actions of two people who don’t know how long they have left to live. It was a physical connection that didn’t mean much more. The sensations Alexander’s touch give me make me feel virginal again. But I’ve never been more sure of my sexual power than now. “It’s not fast enough,” I say. “I’ve never felt this way.” I think about the vampire story I had to read and recite as part of my application for my job. “We’re soul mates, aren’t we?”
“No.” Alexander stands up and turns from me to walk to the other side of the room, before he stops and moves to face me again. “Your heart belongs to Sebastian. She was his soul mate.”
“But I’m not.” My heart gives me powerful emotions that are hard to ignore, but right now, her displeasure is drowned out by the physical energy of my desire. The strength of it makes me believe I’m meant for Alexander. I stand up and go to him. “Alexander, please.” I reach between his legs, and denim is rough against my palm as I grip his cock. “You’re the one I want.”
He groans and steps back from me. “Your heart belongs to my brother, Maggie. That’s why you’re here.” His voice holds a note of anger as he says, “I could be with you right now, and it would be amazing.” I stiffen at his harshness, and then his tone softens. “But I won’t do that to Sebastian, and I won’
t do it to you.” His eyes harden as his voice gets stern. “When I have all of you, we’ll make love.”
When? I blink as I wonder how he plans to win my heart over. I’m not sure it can happen, and I reach out and place my hand on his chest. It’s firm under my touch, and I long to explore the dips and swells of his body as I let out a small whimper. “Alexander.”
“God, Maggie.” He clutches at my hand with a grip that is tight enough to hurt. “I’m a weak man around you.” He surprises me when he scoops me up and carries me to my bedroom. His arms are powerful, and the muscles flex under my thighs with a strength that makes me realize how fragile I am. He tosses me on the bed, and my mattress bounces beneath me. Alexander steps back and clenches his fists as he gazes at me. His eyes flash with a red glow, and he says, “No.”
I scramble up to my knees. “Alexander?”
“You don’t belong to me. I can’t.”
My temper flares. What is it with these guys and ownership over me? “I don’t belong to anyone.”
Alexander’s eyes return to their usual vibrant green, and he chuckles dryly. “No. Right now I don’t suppose you do.”
While I think my plans for sex are off the table, I don’t want him to go. I smile. “You called me Maggie. Thank you.”
He smiles back, so I pat the bed next to me. “Don’t leave. I’ll be good.”
He tilts his head as mischief plays in his eyes. “You think you can keep your hands off me?”
I squeeze my arms into my sides and thrust my chest out like Kristi and I practiced for the boob-shirt selfies I’ve never had the chance to send. “If you can resist me, then I can resist you.”
He glances down at my breasts and chuckles. I’m glad his anger is gone as fast as it came. “The couch is probably better right now.”
“Fine.” I get up and saunter over to the sofa. I glance over my shoulder as if I’m a vixen. “Suit yourself.”
When we sit, Alexander lifts his arm up on the back of the couch and says, “Come here.”
He wraps his arm around me as I cuddle into his chest, and even though he’s not warm, it’s comforting. I gaze up at him as I wonder what tomorrow might bring. “What happens now?”
“You become Kitty Kane.”
I think about how I’ll be the physical version of the Hart brothers’ pen name. I’ll be playing a part and living a life I can’t imagine I’d be able to create on my own. From the number of books they wrote as Brock, it’s clear they’ve been doing this a while. I ask, “Will she be famous?”
He nods. “Sebastian and I are good at this. We’ve already outlasted two successful pen names.” He grins at me. “People grow old and die. It’s a pity.”
“Yes.” I lift Alexander’s hand to inspect it. He has long fingers that are thicker at the knuckles like men who perform physical labor, and from what I’ve heard about vampires, I think he’s stuck at the age of the body he had when he was turned. It makes me wonder who he was before he became a vampire. I thread my fingers through his and notice that while his are cool, the flesh is almost the vibrant shade of mine full of blood pumping through my veins. There is so much I want to know about Alexander, Sebastian, and what it’s like to be a vampire.
I sigh.
“Maggie? Are you okay?”
I gaze up at him and ask, “How old are you?”
“Twenty-five.”
“No. I mean how long ago were you born?”
“More than one hundred years ago. I stopped counting, because it’s too many candles to blow out.”
I sit up and twist to face him as I imagine all he’s experienced in life. “The technology you’ve seen must blow your mind.” I lift up my hands as I say, “Horses, telegrams, and outhouses to cars, cell phones, and indoor plumbing. Do you have any idea how lucky you are?”
He scowls. “Lucky?”
“Yes, lucky.” Alexander lifts his eyebrows in question. I say, “With my heart, I’ll be fortunate to see the age of thirty.” His brow furrows, and it occurs to me that less than twenty years must feel like only a couple to him. I touch his chest. “Hey. I’m going to pack a lot into those years. I’m going to live large, remember?”
Alexander forces a smile. “Then we’d better get started on your plan to live large.” He opens up his arms and embraces me tight.
I gaze up at him, and the warmth in his eyes fills me with happiness. I say, “I think I’m going to like being Kitty Kane.”
Chapter 9
“Good morning,” I say to the older woman who comes toward me on the sidewalk that offers a view of the ocean all the way into town. She greets me with a smile, and I detect the scent of her sunscreen as we pass. I’m out for my walk and headed to the local coffee shop, which is exactly one and a half miles from the Hart house according to the mileage tracker on my phone. A decaf salted-caramel latte is my incentive to get out for my exercise.
The morning after I revealed to Sebastian I knew my heart belonged to a woman who loved him and that I can still feel her emotions, he was all business. He has continued to keep our relationship professional for the past week, and I haven’t seen Alexander at all. I’m a little hurt by it. I hope he’s not staying away from me because of Sebastian, but I fear that is exactly why he’s kept his distance.
I glance out at the ocean and think I’ll never tire of it as I watch the movement of the waves. Getting out of the house is my chance to practice being Kitty Kane. Sebastian told me I was to inform people I’m a friend of the Hart brothers and that I’m staying with them as I work on my writing. I’m to be vague about it, because not everyone will be impressed when they find out I’m supposedly the author of erotic romance. And I’m not to disclose any details about Sebastian and Alexander other than to say they’re nice and very private people.
I lift my sunglasses to perch them on the top of my head before I push open the door of the coffee shop. The small space seats about twenty people and is furnished with mismatched chairs and tables I think were purchased at yard sales. A woman typing away at a laptop is in the back corner, while an older man reading a book is seated closer to the front. I glance at the colorful chalkboard with the menu choices in case I can be tempted to try a different drink today.
“Decaf salted-caramel latte?” asks the guy behind the counter. I look at the man whom I guess is a few years older than me. He’s got dark, sun-bleached blond hair that falls to his shoulders, and is tan. He’s wearing faded jeans with a hole in the knee and a T-shirt with a surfboard company logo on it. This is the kind of guy who would make my friend Kristi swoon, and the old me would have found him attractive too. But these days I’m drawn to pale men who are unable to enjoy the sunshine.
“You know what? I’m feeling kind of crazy,” I say. “How about the hazelnut cream decaf latte instead.”
He winks at me. “You’re a wild one.”
Heat rises to my cheeks at his flirting. “I—” I give myself a mental eye roll since he likely teases every woman this way, and I imagine what an erotica author should say. I speak in what I hope is a suggestive tone. “You have no idea.”
He smiles at me before grabbing the milk to make my latte. My newfound sauciness makes me brave, and I pull out my phone to take a picture of the guy to send to Kristi. I pretend I’m taking a photo of the sign, and when he glances at me I say, “So I can decide what to get tomorrow.”
As the milk steamer hisses, I wander over to the seats by the window. I grin when I send the picture to Kristi along with a text. “My new morning habit. Oh, and I drink coffee now too.” When I’m done, I gaze outside. Tourist season will be here at the end of the month, and in the few days I’ve been walking here, I’ve already seen the changes of a town waking up from winter slumber. A ladder clangs as a man places it against the store across the street, and I notice his paint-splattered pants.
“Coffee?” I turn to discover the guy came out from behind the counter to bring me my drink. I take in his dark-blue eyes, which remind me of the ocean as I hold
the cup. It’s warm in my hand as he says, “I’m Aiden.”
“Oh. Thanks.” It takes me a moment to realize he probably wants my name in return. I hold out my hand. “Kitty.”
Mischief dances on his face as he squeezes my fingers. “So many lines I could use, but I bet you’ve heard them all.”
Considering my days are filled with reading sexual adventures, I’d probably find anything he could come up with tame. “I probably have.” Since Aiden hasn’t walked away, I think he wants to get to know me better, but because I can’t share much, I think it’s better to avoid the conversation.
I lift my coffee to take a sip and savor the sweet flavor that hits my tongue. “Delicious.” I step over toward the door as I say, “Thanks. Have a great day.”
Aiden calls out, “You too, Kitty. See you tomorrow.”
I can’t stop smiling as I walk back home. I know it’s silly, but my town was small, and everyone I encountered knew me as the girl with the bad heart. I think my fragile state scared off any chance I had at a relationship, because boys didn’t flirt with me there. So the idea that a guy in a coffee shop is interested in me makes me happy. Even my heart must like the attention, because she seems to be basking in it too as warmth flows through me.
When I get home, I’m not ready to go inside to the necessary darkness, and I make my way to the backyard, where I can watch the waves crash on the rocky coastline as I finish my drink. A sailboat is off in the distance, and when the whine of a motorboat ruins the peaceful image, I recall that Alexander told me he’s more than one hundred years old. He’s seen so much change in his years, and I long to ask him questions about what his life has been like. I miss him. I wonder what he’s been doing while I’m reading. I take one last deep breath of the salty ocean air before I turn to go inside. Even though I don’t punch a time clock, I make sure I put in no less than eight hours of reading a day, and I need to get started. When the heavy door thuds shut behind me, I take a moment to adjust to the dim lighting.