by Kym Grosso
What he hadn’t expected was the confrontation with the spirited Miss Willows. What an interesting, sexy distraction she was. She smelled of lilies, and he could practically taste her sweetness in the air. What would it be like to taste her? He had to stifle his arousal in front of her. Had she been a paranormal creature, he wouldn’t have lied to her. Given that she was human, however, it had been necessary to do so for her own protection. Despite what she may have thought, guns were no match for dark magic or vampires.
But damn, if he didn’t enjoy a little sparring with the blonde detective. She was altogether alluring with a sharp mind to match. The scent of her arousal at the scene had driven him wild with desire. He craved her. He admonished himself for his lustful thoughts, knowing he wasn’t there to get involved with women. Kade figured he was a little agitated from all the stress of flying up to Philadelphia in such a hurry. He needed blood, maybe sex, not necessarily in that order. What this vampire didn’t need were complications.
“Luca, let’s swing by Tristan’s place. I could use some refreshment. I told him I would fill him in on what I’ve learned.” He signaled to his second.
Luca barked out an order to the limo driver and turned to Kade.
“We’ll be there in ten minutes. Do you wish for me to find a private room… procure a donor?”
“Yes. Thanks,” Kade replied as he stared out the window, his thirst gnawing at him. He was growing irritable; he needed blood soon.
On the dance floor, Tristan grabbed the nape of Sydney’s neck and pushed his long fingers through her hair. She leaned back, giving him full access to her throat and chest. The wolf in him howled at her submission, and the man in him was left breathless at the sight of her smooth skin and the rise of her breasts. He continued to pull her head back, and kissed her throat near her ear. Looking down, he could see the rosy edge of her hardened nipples. She wasn’t wearing a bra. God, this woman was killing him.
“Tristan, please…” Sydney gasped as Tristan slid a hand up her belly and cupped her breast. She moaned in response.
He leaned and whispered in her ear, “Like that, mon chaton, do you? Come on now, tell me what you want.”
“Tristan, you and me upstairs…now. I am done playing.” Sydney had had enough with the games. She could barely speak as she licked her lips. Dancing and pulling him close, she ground against his hard arousal.
“Ah fuck,” Tristan grunted, noticing that Kade had just walked into the bar. “Sorry, Sydney, but an old friend just came into the club. You have no idea how I hate interrupting our fun, but I have to talk with him…important business. It’ll only take a few minutes, though. Do you want to go up to my room and wait for me? I'll meet you upstairs in ten minutes.” He was irritated with the interruption, but this was important.
As Sydney contemplated her answer, she felt a chill similar to the one she’d felt down at the docks. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. He’s here. Rapidly scanning the room, she saw Kade sitting at the bar staring at her. She wasn’t imagining things. Kade was actually in the bar, and for some reason he didn’t look happy. What in the hell was he doing at Tristan’s club? Did he follow her from the crime scene?
Unable to control her curiosity, Sydney took off across the dance floor toward Kade. She glanced back to Tristan whose face told her that he’d suspected her intention. Irritated that the vampire had followed her, she struggled to control her anger.
“What the fuck are you doing here? Are you following me?”
“Miss me, did you?”
“Perhaps we need to get a few things straight if we're going to work together.” Her heart began to race in his presence, and she suspected it wasn’t caused by fear. As her eyes caught his, she was drawn to him. Her arousal flared and she found herself even angrier that her traitorous body was responding to his presence.
Before Kade had a chance to answer, Tristan held out his arms to his friend.
“Hey, Kade! Welcome! I’ve missed you, brother.”
The men exchanged hugs and then both stared back at Sydney, as if waiting for her reaction. He wasn’t sure how, but so far this didn’t look good. Immediately, Tristan recognized that Sydney had switched into work mode, and that meant things could get ugly.
Confusion swept over Sydney as she watched the two sexy men hug and talk as if they were good friends. Tristan and Kade know each other? Friends? Shit. Seriously? Can my night get any worse? She had been trying so hard to relax, trying not to think about the murder or how Kade had completely thrown her at the scene and tried to steal her case, or how he turned her on beyond belief. Now here he was, watching her while she danced and practically had sex on the dance floor. Just freaking great. Worse, he was looking at her seductively, noticing her clothing…or lack thereof. She guessed her air of professionalism was shot to hell. Whatever, he wasn’t supposed to be here anyway, screwing up her entire night.
As she was about to bolt, Tristan grabbed her possessively around the waist, and turned to Kade. “So, you two know each other? Care to share?” he asked.
Sydney wanted to shove Tristan’s hand away, but she didn’t want Kade to suspect she desired him. The thought crossed her mind to let Kade think she belonged to Tristan. What would it hurt? Tristan knew the truth. Didn’t he? He was holding her as tight as a dog held onto his bone, so she decided to go along with the charade.
“Yes, we do.” Sydney sighed. She shot Kade an annoyed look. “As much as I despise discussing work while I'm at play, and I was so about to get into some play, Kade and I met today on a case. Would you like to enlighten me as to how you know Kade?”
Tristan smiled, knowing she wasn’t telling him everything.
“Well, Kade and I go way back, good friends from the bayou.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Bayou? Really? Okay then, well, you two have fun, talk about old times and all. Sorry, Tris, can’t wait around tonight. Gotta get back to work. Until next time, mon loup.” She placed a chaste kiss to Tristan’s lips as Kade watched with jealous eyes. Narrowing her eyes at Kade she quipped, “And you, mister P-CAP, not sure if or when I'll see you again, but later.”
Kade reached out to grasp Sydney’s hand at the same time Tristan released her waist. He gazed intensely into her eyes and spoke firmly. “Yes, my dearest Sydney, when we meet again, and we will meet again, it will be a pleasure. I promise.”
Sydney stared at him for a moment, almost unable to break their gaze. Unsettled by her reaction to him, she thought it must be some strange kind of a paranormal, chemical reaction. His smooth voice wrapped around her like silk, and she imagined how it’d sound while he embraced her in his arms. The disturbing thought jolted her back into the moment, and she tore her palm from his grasp. She had to get out of there before she lost control. Taking a deep breath, Sydney turned on her heels and walked away, not looking back.
She practically ran to the ladies' room, her mind racing with confusion. She’d wanted to have sex with Tristan when she’d first arrived. Leaving, the only man she could think of was Kade. As she began to change her clothes, questions spun in her head. How well does Tristan know Kade? What the hell is happening to me? I know that Kade is lying, but he’s freaking hot. Down, girl, get a grip. Short on answers, she decided to get back to the lab as soon as possible. Since sex was out, work was officially back on the schedule.
Tristan laughed out loud, shaking his head. He wasn’t exactly sure what was going on with Sydney, but he loved watching her dress down another guy, even if it was a friend. Sydney was a great girl, but she did get her feathers easily ruffled when her 'needs' weren’t met.
As much as he hated being interrupted, he knew exactly why Kade was here, and he didn’t want to wait to get the details. He also wasn’t ready to share information with Sydney. That was why he’d told her to go upstairs. But the stubborn woman didn’t ever listen. He expected nothing less from Sydney though; she was a detective, after all. But he still didn’t want her involved in the paranormal business that he nee
ded to discuss with Kade. Sure, Sydney was a tough as nails cop, but she was still human, and he was determined to protect her from whatever evil had just set up shop in his city.
“So, what’s the deal?” Tristan inquired. “I’m glad I called you. I knew that shit was going to go down soon. Just glad you were here and could go to the scene.”
“Definitely black magic, but it was a vampire; the girl was drained. I'm not sure of the ritual, but if I had to guess, I’d say someone is trying to build power. I’ll be encouraging P-CAP to recommend full takeover of the case in the morning once the coroner has run an autopsy,” Kade disclosed.
“I want you to know that I'm very appreciative of your offer to come and help.” Tristan’s face hardened. “It's bad news that a rogue vamp is targeting women. I want to assure my pack that P-CAP and the vampire community are taking care of it. Even though the vamp went after a human this time, the next victim could be a wolf. I can’t have it.”
“Tris, I’ll take care of this asshole. I'm sure it’s a vampire, but there may be more than one person involved. Whoever is responsible will be dealt with. You can trust me on that.”
Tristan blew out a breath, and sat next to Kade. He spun his stool around to face the dance floor.
“So, what else is up? Seems you have been a busy boy since you’ve been in town. Getting in trouble already, huh?” he joked.
“Who, me? I can’t possibly know what you're talking about,” Kade said.
“Yes, you. What the hell’s up with you and Sydney? You know, the hot woman I was about to have sex with until you arrived and so kindly interrupted us. My girl was really pissed at you. You haven’t even been in town twenty-four hours. What did you do to her?”
“First of all, I did nothing to her. I simply informed her that she was not leading the case, and I think you’d agree with me on that point. She may be a cop, but she’s human. I might let her consult after the coroner is finished, but she will not lead this case. And secondly, from what I can tell, my friend Miss Willows is not yours. You may have thought you were getting sex, but it didn’t take much to interrupt you. She flew off like a little bird. So she must be just a friend, and I’ve been around long enough to know that she certainly does not belong to you.” Kade was dead serious as he challenged Tristan. The tension was palpable, thanks to the words that had just left his lips. What the fuck is getting into me that I would challenge a friend, let alone an Alpha, for a human woman on foreign territory?
“My brother. You challenge me in my own club?” Tristan raised an eyebrow and reached over to put his hand on Kade’s shoulder, asserting his dominance while diffusing a potential argument. “I realize you’ve had a long day of travel, so I’ll overlook the way you just expressed yourself. As for Sydney…let’s just say that she is, shall we say, a close friend, a very close friend. A friend who occasionally shares and experiences her most intimate desires with me. However, as you so eloquently just pointed out, she remains uncommitted. And while I would love for her to figure out why she builds emotional walls around herself, I am a businessman, not a psychologist. Most days, Sydney is a bad, ass-kicking, ask-questions-later cop, but she does walk on the wild side here in my club. I may join her or even watch her at times. But make no mistake about it; even though we are not committed, Sydney is under my protection and the protection of my pack. She will not be hurt if I have anything to say about it. And from where I’m sitting as Alpha, I have everything to say about it.” He sighed heavily and paused for a second to judge Kade’s reaction and then continued, “Kade, you and I have known each other for a long time, so I can tell by the look in your eyes that something is stirring in you. You want her. I can’t tell you not to pursue her, but I am warning you; do not hurt her, emotionally or otherwise, and if at all possible keep her away from this killer.”
“She’ll be safe,” Kade promised, refusing to address the rest of Tristan’s observations.
He blew out a breath, frustrated with his attraction toward the blonde. He shouldn’t give a shit what the wolf did with the cop, but he did care. He tried to shuck that pang of jealousy that stuck in his gut. What was he thinking? Frustrated with himself and his feelings toward the human woman, he struggled to focus on why he was even here in Philadelphia. He was supposed to find a killer and then get back to business in New Orleans, nothing more, nothing less. He needed to put Miss Willows out of his mind if he was going to get anything done.
“Are you going to offer a vampire a drink or what?” Kade asked with a smile. “I just need some blood. I’m not looking for extras tonight.”
“You just traveled a long way. We have plenty of anonymous donors available tonight. If you want to grab the first private room on the right, I’ll send up a few donors for you and Luca. Is it just the two of you tonight?” Since when did his friend not want extra, as in extra-sexual activities? Tristan was growing tired of trying to figure out what was going on in Kade’s head.
“Yeah, just Luca and me tonight. Thanks, Tris. I appreciate your hospitality. It’s been a long day.” Kade nodded to Luca. “Let’s go, Luca.”
Tristan notified his manager to send two donors upstairs immediately. Now that weres and vampires were out in the open, there were plenty of humans who were willing to come to the club. Either they were interested in sex and the orgasmic bite of the vampires, or they just enjoyed the bite sans the sex.
Management kept a list of volunteer donors as they entered the club, and they were given a buzzer that was worn around their neck or clipped onto their clothing. If it buzzed, the donor would approach the hostess and be directed to a private room. Everything was consensual and safe. Vampires who wanted a donor were vetted out so Eden could ensure the safety of its guests. Draining until death was strictly forbidden. Tristan could not afford for there to be mistakes, so security monitored the rooms to make sure there were no issues upstairs, and donors could opt out at any time.
While vampires were sexual in nature, not all vampires were looking for sex when they ate. Many who came into the club were committed to another person and were only looking for fresh blood. Vampires did not need to feed every day, nor did they require large amounts of blood to sustain their strength. There were humans who sought excitement, who were looking for the vampire experience any day of the week. Eden capitalized on the synergistic relationship between donors and vampires. Instead of going for just a coffee, humans could get a coffee and a bite. Orgasm and coffee to go…what more could one ask for?
As Kade relaxed on the sofa, he let his thoughts drift to Sydney. While he’d initially felt angry seeing her on the dance floor with another man, he could not deny his arousal as he’d watched Tristan touch her breasts, wishing it was he who was touching her. His cock had been rock hard when Sydney had approached him earlier. He’d tried to hide his arousal by acting pissed. Maybe Sydney hadn’t noticed, but he was quite sure that Tristan had.
An attractive, bleached-blonde twenty-something, walked into the room and knelt down next to Kade. She lifted her eyes.
“No extras tonight, sir? I promise to make it good for you,” she purred as she rubbed her hand across his thigh and over his hard bulge.
On another night, he would have sucked and fucked blondie high and hard, but not tonight. He was growing tired of meaningless sex with his food. Kade sighed.
“No thanks. Just a drink and then I'm out of here.” It had been a long day. Yes, he did want extras, but he wanted them with a certain fiery detective. This donor would quench his thirst for blood, but would do nothing for the erection pressing against his zipper.
Looking disappointed, she laid her bare arm against his chest. He could smell her young aromatic blood. He put his fingers around the woman’s wrist and held it to his nose. She moaned in delight when he licked the inside of her arm. His fangs elongated and he bit into her soft, pale flesh. He closed his eyes as he drank the essence of the strange woman. Kade fantasized that he was biting Sydney, pretending she was the woman before him writhing in
ecstasy on the floor. When he was sated, he licked the wounds so they healed, then he strained to stand up. Shit. He was harder than ever. Why am I so attracted to that damn woman?
He glanced over to Luca who had just finished fucking his donor up against the wall. As Luca released the girl, his eyes met Kade’s. Luca raised a questioning eyebrow at his boss, clearly wondering what was up with him, but Kade just silently watched. They were out of town, and it was customary for them to blow off some steam. Drinking blood and having sex were acceptable within the vampire community, especially when neither of them was committed.
Luca was Kade’s right hand man in charge of security operations in New Orleans. Although raised in Australia, Luca had returned to his father’s British homeland as an adult, and had subsequently found himself in New Orleans fighting in the War of 1812, where he was severely wounded during battle. Kade found Luca dying in a field and offered him the choice to be turned into a vampire. Once Luca agreed, Kade drained him of his blood to the point of death, and then he fed Luca his own lifeblood.
After the transformation, Luca had sworn allegiance to Kade. He worked for Kade, but they were also best friends, comrades in life. He was loyal and forever grateful to his savior. When they traveled, they often fed and fucked, casually enjoying the women donors.
“Hey, I’m almost done here,” Luca said. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Finish up. I’m eager to get back to the brownstone. I have some calls to make. I’ll meet you downstairs.” Kade had to get the fuck out of there. The club smelled of blood, sex, and sweat, but none of it was Sydney’s. He had to see her soon and find out exactly what the little detective had found out at the autopsy.