“Absinthe.”
“Right, Absinthe, and even she didn’t want to see my face again.”
Jared stood and held a hand out to her. She took it without hesitation, and he pulled Alex to her feet. He hit the switch, leaving them once again in total darkness. His hand gently cupped her cheek. To her surprise, she leaned into it wanting to feel more of him. Her hand reached out and touched his shoulder lightly.
She felt the soft whisper of his breath on her lips. “Alex, what kind of Sorceress are you? I swear you’ve put a spell on me.” She agreed. There was definitely something between them. Otherwise, she would never have found herself in the dark wrapped in a stranger’s arms.
Without warning, he pulled away and held the curtain open for her. Alex felt a wave of disappointment. She wanted him to kiss her. What stopped him?
Jared’s jaw began to tick on their way to the elevator. Once inside, he couldn’t find the words to apologize for his behavior. It was completely out of character for him to be so forward. Someone was toying with his life, and he had an idea who the culprit might be. Damned vampire.
When they reached the main level, Alex hesitated. She couldn’t go back in with him. The gossipmongers were in full force, gnawing at the bone of her embarrassing fainting mishap. If she entered on his arm, they would paint her as his latest fling. The future ex of Jared Bonatelli was a title she certainly didn’t want, but the thought made butterflies flutter in her gut. What would it be like to have him all to herself? Jared was nothing like she had expected. He was charming and funny, not the spoiled rich kid she had envisioned. But, he had secrets, and she would certainly find them out.
“I guess this is where Cinderella makes a break for it, huh?”
His voice startled her. “Excuse me?”
“You know, Cinderella, the ball. A carriage turning into a pumpkin? Come on, don’t tell me that you never read it? I thought every girl dreamt of being her.”
Alex laughed despite herself. “Oh I’ve read it. I can’t tell you how many times I wished for her life actually. Sadly it’s a fairy tale only Disney can pull off. It doesn’t happen in real life. There’s no Prince Charming in my future, only a monster-sized pile of deadlines.” She let out a tired sigh.
“Okay, if you say so. Mind if I ask you something?”
Alex shrugged. “I guess there’s no harm in it. Go ahead, shoot.”
“Would you be interested in coffee sometime?” Jared held his hands up. “Purely platonic, of course.”
“Sounds good.” She opened her small purse and handed him her business card. His fingers brushed hers as he took it. “Just give me a call. Now you’ll have to excuse me, I need to head out of here. I’m beat, and I have an early day ahead of me. Nice meeting you, Jared.” She pulled her hand away and headed for the coat check.
“Nice meeting…you…too.” He wasn’t even sure she heard him at all. She was gone before he finished his farewell.
Jared stared off in the direction she had vanished. If he didn’t know any better, he would have sworn she was running away from him - a modern day Cinderella. But it was absurd. He glanced down at the card and cursed under his breath.
Figures, the first decent woman I’ve met in a long time and she’s a reporter.
Seven
JARED WAS TWIRLING A BUSINESS CARD BETWEEN his fingers when Absinthe saw him re-enter the Hall. She wasn’t at all worried about him sensing her presence. There were so many vampires here this evening, mingling with humans, he’d never be able to zero in on her. It didn’t matter to her. Let the abomination search her out, it wasn’t like they hadn’t met before. Absinthe curled her lip. She’d rather have her teeth and nails plucked out one by one than spend one moment in his presence.
She brought her champagne to her lips, watching him over the rim. He seemed distracted, waving away anyone who approached him. How out of character for the golden boy. Any time she saw him, he had been his stomach-turning charming self, wooing the money out of benefactors. Tonight it seemed his heart wasn’t in it. He would never shirk his duty to the kingdom. He was too noble for his damned existence.
“One has to wonder what Jared ever did to make you hate him this much, Princess. From where I’m standing, all I see is a man trying his damnedest to serve a kingdom in the midst of turmoil. What did he do to you, Abs?”
Absinthe stiffened at the voice behind her ear. She had been so engulfed in her hatred for Jared, she didn’t hear her lover’s approach. She faced him, masking her anger instantly. Zephyr had a way of reading her too well. Anyone else in the room wouldn’t notice her fixation on Bonatelli, but Zephyr knew. Sometimes it seriously spooked her.
“What he did is none of your concern, Zephyr. I’m positive it wouldn’t interest you anyway. But, I think I know of something else you’d enjoy instead.” Absinthe paused, giving him a once over. She inhaled the masculine scent of him. Moving closer, she placed her hand flat on his chest and leaned into him. Absinthe nicked her lip with one of her delicate fangs, just enough to entice him. His nostrils flared to catch the coppery tang of her blood. “What do you say, Zephyr? Had enough of slumming with the humans yet?”
His jaw ticked. She continued to rub against him. Zephyr caught the appalled gapes from a few of the well-known guests. He had to stop this train now before it completely derailed. Wrapping his hands around her bicep, Zephyr used every ounce of self-control to set her away from him. He took a step back to put even more distance between them.
“Princess, your idea of what could hold my interest, I don’t have time for right now. I have enough damage control to do with Jared vanishing for most of the evening. He left me to mingle with the higher ups and honestly, I don’t seem to be making any friends doing it.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “So, if you don’t mind, please stay out of trouble while I try to get through this night in one piece.”
She pouted. “Fine, have it your way. I’ll be on my best behavior.” Absinthe rubbed a small cross over her heart with her fingertip. “Cross my heart and…well you know the rest.”
Zephyr glowered at her. “Yes, Princess, unfortunately, I do. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to mingling.”
Absinthe placed a hand on his arm to stop him. She pushed up on tiptoe and whispered in his ear. “The offer remains, Zephyr. You know where and how to find me.” She stepped away from him and allowed him to pass, licking her lips.
He would come for her, he always did.
“HEY, BRO!”
Jared groaned at the voice trying to get his attention. It was one he hadn’t heard more than bits and pieces of on short phone calls home over the past decade. The same person who said he’d take care of Giovanna’s body for him, his brother Tony. Jared couldn’t figure out why he was here. His brother never attended these functions. The unspoken rule being that it was Jared’s obligation.
“Jared, come on. Hold up already.”
He continued to act as if he didn’t hear Tony. Maybe he could make it outside to the car before his brother caught up to him.
A hand cuffed him in the back of the head. Jared stumbled forward. “Thought you could lose me huh?”
“Damn it, Tony!” He spun around, slipping Alex’s business card in his pocket. “I don’t have time for catching up. I’m here for a reason, and I’ve already lost enough time thanks to…never mind.” He frowned at his brother. “What the hell are you doing here anyway?”
“Nice to see you again too, bro. And since you asked so nicely, I’m here with the pop star, Chandi. She’s one hot piece, I tell you. And she has one hell of a bite.” Tony gave him a wide grin.
Jared remembered Chandi. She was the most recent cross over from the vampire sect to go main-stream. The human population wrote her off as an eccentric artist type, like it was some sort of act. People in their world knew better.
“You know, Tone, more information than I need to know.”
“Yeah, but I don’t mind sharing. Hey, what are you doi
ng back home?”
“Just got tired of the party-all-the-time atmosphere, I guess.”
“Are you kidding me? You were in New Orleans, Jared. I would have given anything to spend some time there.”
“Maybe you should have gone then.” Jared inclined his head toward Zephyr, who was waving him down. “Listen, Z needs me over there. I think he’s in over his head with the Senator. I’ll call you, and we can catch up. Later.” Jared gave his brother a smack on the back and headed to bail Zephyr out.
Tony leaned against the Polar Bear display and watched Jared retreating. There was more to his brother’s timely return, he was sure of it. The Conservatorship was mum all across the board. Their father, head of the council, wouldn’t even confide in him about it. Since when did he fall out of the loop all together?
“Find anything?” A delicate female hand wrapped around his arm. Her soft body leaned in close.
“No, not a damn thing. I don’t think he knows what’s up. No one’s talking, at least not to me.”
“Hmm, keep trying. And,” The fingers of her hand traveled up his spine and buried in his wavy hair. She tightened her hold on the strands. Pain shot through his skull. “Don’t fail me, you know the consequences.”
As quickly as it happened, her hold on him released. When Tony whirled to confront her, he found no one there. His hand rubbed the area where she’d nearly scalped him. His eyes searched the room. He found Absinthe raising a champagne flute in his direction from the upper level.
Eight
ZEPHYR LAID IN THE MIDDLE OF THE KING sized bed, an arm thrown over his eyes. A blood red silk sheet was draped over his hips. The water shut off in the shower, and he sighed. His night was only half over, and he knew the shit would eventually hit the fan.
Sliding his arm off his face, he stared at the dark ceiling above him. What they were doing had to end. It was wrong for both of them. If her father knew what went on behind closed doors, he would be dust - literally.
The door opened, and the object of his thoughts stepped out with a towel wrapped around her. His yellow eyes glowed, casting a light over the foot of the bed. He was instantly hard.
Fuck me.
There was no chance in hell he could walk away easily; he was in way too deep.
She stood in front of the mirror, the towel slipping lower as she brushed out her damp hair. A low growl emanated from his throat. His fangs ached for a taste of her.
“What the hell have you done to me, Absinthe? I swear you’re going to be the death of me.”
Absinthe tilted her head back slightly and watched him through the mirror with hooded eyes. One glance, one whiff of the air, and he could tell she knew he was aroused.
Tossing away the brush, she let the towel drop to the floor and leaned into the mirror, running her fingertips down her throat. “What have I done to you, Zephyr? Nothing. What you do, you do to yourself.” She gazed at him over her shoulder. “You could say no, walk away and never look back. You, Zephyr, are free to do whatever you want to do.”
She licked her lips seductively. Absinthe walked toward the bed, hips swaying, damp hair swishing around her shoulders. Crawling onto the bed, she reached out and ran her fingers down his chest. Her eyes lit up. “Perhaps I will be the death of you one day, but until then, I think you'll enjoy what it is I do to you.”
He caught her roaming hand in his fist and squeezed her wrist. Leaning up from the bed, so their faces were only a breath away from each other, he inhaled the scent of her. He knew what she wanted, the same things she always wanted from him. One, he could freely give. The other, she would never possess.
With a snarl, he pulled her close, rolling her, so she lay trapped beneath him. Her curves molded to his body. He wound one hand in her golden mane of hair and yanked her head back, exposing her throat. His tongue trailed up the steady thrum of her jugular. He nipped the sensitive skin with his fangs.
“It’s a dangerous game we play, Abs.” He whispered against her skin, and he pressed his arousal against her core. She didn’t know how close to the edge he was. “It makes one wonder, what would the King have to say about your extracurricular activity?”
Absinthe's teeth snapped together. Her fangs stabbed into her bottom lip. Tiny pinpricks of blood pooled at the corner of her mouth where her fangs cut into the inside of her lip. The need to taste her consumed him. No mere sampling would satisfy. What he needed, what they both craved, was total domination.
Slipping her hand between their bodies, she whispered, “Dangerous games always have the best play.”
Absinthe’s chuckle echoed through the room. Her palm soothed over the expanse of his chest, toward his neck. Her fingers curled around his throat, and she positioned her legs around him. With a shove, she rolled him until he was on his back and she sat upon his stomach. With Absinthe astride him, Zephyr couldn’t help but admire her. Not everyone could catch him off guard and take advantage. Absinthe, on the other hand, was an exception to the rule.
“It also makes one curious, what my father would think of your interest in his daughter.”
He thought there was a flutter of emotion in her eyes. Interesting. She’s was up to something…again. By the gods, was there no end to her conniving? Even with scheming, he would be drawn to her. There was a wild, untamed part of her. It sucked him in, wanted him to be the one to control her. She was much like her namesake.
Absinthe was a dangerously addictive, extremely potent drug.
She slid off his body. She glanced over her shoulder. “What if news reached his ears his daughter was seduced by someone he thought he could trust? Or if a little bird whispered in his ear you’re the one fucking her. So you see, the King would not be worried about only my activities, but of yours, as well.”
Rolling onto his side, he propped his head up with one hand and watched her. “You think your father is naive? I’m sure he suspects you have a lover. The only question weighing on his mind is, who? As for him finding out, there are only two of us who know. I sure as hell am not going to say a word.” He chuckled. “I’m not afraid, Princess. I have served him well, and he will always have my loyalty.”
“Ah yes, your loyalty. He does have it, doesn’t he? You are ever a faithful servant to the crown. But can you say the same of his feelings toward you?” The unspoken truth of what she said hit home.
He had always suspected Xavier would turn on him, but he never voiced his concern, especially not to her. With everything he had in play -the secrets he was keeping- would he fall out of the King’s favor? When all was revealed, would he lose his station, his friend, or even his life? Quite possibly.
Absinthe pulled on a dark, blood-red robe before walking back to the bed. As her eyes locked with his, he noted the involuntary sweep of her tongue over her fangs. Moving closer she bent down, putting her face to his. Her fingers slid through the hair at his nape. “The big bad vampire isn't afraid, is he?” Her lips curled. A breathy laugh tumbled from her throat. “One should always know and hold a certain amount of fear, Zephyr. While fearlessness may be quite attractive in you, downright sexy if I do say so, there must be something you fear.”
With one sweep of her hand, she pushed her hair over to one shoulder and leaned in further, her lips a breath away from his. “What is it that you fear?” she asked. “Do you fear me perhaps? Or what I do to you?” She brushed her lips over his. “Maybe you fear death,” she whispered in his ear. She angled her neck over his mouth and brushed her skin over his lips.
He closed his eyes. Taking a steadying breath he gently set her away from him. Zephyr slid out from between the sheets and reached for his discarded tuxedo. He pulled the pants on in one fluid motion, zipping them, yet leaving the top unbuttoned.
“Sometimes death would be a favor,” he replied, his back toward her, head bowed. “You ask what I fear; you ask if it is you or what I think you do to me. In all honestly, Absinthe, my fear has nothing to do with you. And you are delusional if you believe I would ever divulge
it to you or anyone.”
Zephyr spared her a glance over his shoulder. Snatching up his black silk shirt, he shrugged into it. His movements were stiff and angry on his way to the bathroom. Splashing a bit of water on his face and hair, he ran long fingers through its dark length. Leaning against the doorjamb he glared at her, towel in hand drying his face.
He should have expected this. She enjoyed this game a little too much for his liking. He shuddered to think what anyone would do if they found out his weakness, especially her. He wasn’t a fool; he knew Absinthe had her own agenda. It was only a matter of time before he uncovered it.
She lay on the bed watching him, clearly amused. “Touchy doesn’t suit you. You need to loosen up. Enjoy life rather than just observe from the shadows.”
Sitting up slowly, she let one long smooth leg peek out of the robe. “I hadn't expected you to reveal your fear.” She rose and walked up to Zephyr. “Smooth those ruffled feathers, Zephyr, it was only a question.” Buttoning the top button of his pants, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips.
Zephyr shook his head. Ruffled feathers my ass! She knew exactly what she was doing. She enjoyed prodding him, and the truth of it was he believed it was a test. Absinthe wanted to see how far she could push him. One of these days she was going to find out what it was like when he went over the cliff. The gods help her the day it finally happened.
Zephyr tossed the towel aside and spun her roughly in his arms. He snaked one arm around her waist. His other hand came up and wrapped around her throat. He held her tightly to him so she could feel every ripple of movement from his hardened body. His breath fanned the hair above her ear.
“Careful, Abs. Words have a way of coming back and biting you in the ass. I think this vampire is what you crave or would you rather I beat you senseless and took what I wanted? It could be arranged.”
“Do not utter the words if you do not intend to make good on them, Zephyr,” she said in a hoarse voice, swaying her hips, rubbing against his pelvis. “Me, unsatisfied, is not a pleasurable sight.”
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