Summer Shifter Days

by V. Vaughn

  “Yes.”

  I imagine the scene by the brook with my friends lying there dead instead of passed out, and while vampires suck out every drop when they kill, it doesn’t change the image of blood everywhere glowing in my mind. I slide back against the couch to put more distance between us. Alexander’s face clouds with concern, and he says, “You’re safe from that here. Most killers stick to the cities, where they can get away with it.”

  “But I could still wake up some day after an unexplained nap.”

  His voice is sharp when he says, “No. You be—” When he stops, I think he’s trying to find words that won’t anger me. “You’re under the protection of Sebastian and me. No other vampire in the area will cross that line.”

  “While your tact is appreciated, what you were going to say is I belong to the two of you, right?”

  He nods and reaches out his hand. “You have to understand we operate on rules that have been in place for centuries. Women haven’t always had the rights you do today.”

  I see compassion in Alexander’s eyes and place my hand in his. “I’m scared.” Tears fill my eyes, and I blink to try to contain them.

  Alexander takes me in his arms. “Oh, my sweet Maggie.” He strokes my back as I cry. “I’ll never let anything happen to you. I promise.”

  As if I’m a drowning woman, my desperation to survive takes over, and I grab at his shirt as I kiss him.

  I taste the remnants of whisky, and I focus on that flavor in case the coppery tinge of blood lingers too. Our mouths nip and suck each other as I slide my palms over his firm chest and shoulders. I want more and move my hands down to the bottom of his shirt with the intention of removing it. Alexander is completely on board with my plan and helps me. His tee whooshes softly to the couch where he drops it.

  His skin is smooth and cool to the touch while the muscles of his back flex under my fingers. When he breaks our kiss, he nibbles his way down my neck, and I lean my head back to allow better access. It occurs to me I could be offering myself up for him to feed, and a flicker of desire for him to bite into my tender flesh tempts me before the heat for sexual pleasure takes over.

  The buttons of my blouse are slick in my fingers as I unfasten them so Alexander can move down lower. He flicks his tongue down my scar. The nerves never fully recovered from my surgery, and the tingling sensation he creates adds to my need. My chest heaves as my entire being trembles, and I say, “Don’t stop. I want to be yours.”

  “You are here for Sebastian. He—”

  A flood of warmth travels though me when hearing the older brother’s name, but I ignore it as I place my finger on Alexander’s lips. “Shhh. My heart is, but I choose you.”

  He lets out a low noise and pushes my shirt off my shoulders. I reach back, and the hooks of my bra are warm on my fingers as I unhook them. Alexander helps me take it off and holds my breasts in his hands as he gazes at me. “You are such a beautiful creature, Maggie.”

  His thumb grazes my nipple and ignites tiny tremors low in my belly. “You do things to me, Alexander. Things I’ve never felt before.” I stand up and hold out my hand for him. “But my experience is seriously lacking.”

  He grins at me as he stands. “Surely you’ve learned a few things from your reading.”

  I lead him back to my bedroom as I say, “I have.” I turn to face him and unfasten my jeans. “And I hope you’re willing to be my test subject.” Denim scrapes over my thighs as I tug down my pants.

  Alexander’s belt buckle clashes as he undoes it. He nods as he stares intently at me. “I hope you realize I’ll be using what happens tonight as fodder for the next book.”

  “What?” A flush of heat rushes to my face, and I close my eyes as he chuckles. “Oh god. I hadn’t considered that.”

  When I open my eyes again, I realize he’s naked, and I gaze at his cock jutting out toward me. I reach for it, and it pulses in my hand when I wrap my fingers around the thickness. Alexander moans as he grips my hips and pulls me closer. He slides his hands to my bottom and under my panties to squeeze. I look up at him to see his eyelids are heavy with his desire as he leans down to kiss me.

  He walks me back to the bed, and I scramble up on it as he climbs over me. Taking me by the wrists, he lifts my hands over my head. “Keep them there.”

  I nod in reply and inhale sharply when he lowers his mouth to my breast. I begin to squirm as he suckles me and let out a small cry when he bites my nipple gently. I want to touch him, but the feeling of giving up my control completely to him is exciting. I want to trust him, and I resist the urge to lower my arms.

  When Alexander moves down my belly, I quiver beneath the feather-light kisses he places on my skin. He hooks his fingers into my underwear to pull it down, and I lift my legs to help him out. His hands are cool on my thighs as he parts them gently, and he takes a deep breath though his nose. “Your scent is intoxicating, Maggie.”

  He lowers his mouth to my sensitive flesh, and I gasp when he drags his tongue slowly up my folds. The cotton of my bedding is firm when it wads up in my hands, and I can’t hold back my small cries of pleasure as my orgasm builds. I let my ecstasy flow through my body as everything else melts away. I’ve never known such bliss, and it’s almost too much. I reach down to hold on to Alexander’s head as my release explodes throughout me. My back arches, and I cry out as I quake.

  He kisses his way up my body as I recover, and when our gazes meet, he smiles. “That is definitely one to describe in a book. The noises you make are so sexy.”

  I put my hand over my eyes and fight my embarrassment. “Was I too loud?”

  He pulls my fingers away from my face. “What part of sexy are you having trouble understanding?” He leans down so his mouth is inches from mine, and I smell the scent of my musk on him as he says, “Always let go like that with me.”

  He kisses me, and I reach for him to guide his cock between my legs. Alexander teases me with the tip of his erection and pulls his mouth from mine to take over. I spread my legs further to welcome him as he enters me slowly. “Oh,” he breathes out, and when he’s seated deep, he holds still. “You were made for me, Maggie.”

  “Uh-huh,” I rock my hips up to take more of him. “Show me.”

  He begins to move, and our bodies fall into the rhythm of an erotic dance I instinctively know how to do. At the point I begin to lose control of my actions, he reaches between us to rub my clit. My pleasure takes flight, and I ride the currents of my impending release. As my world shatters around me, he whispers words of encouragement in my ear, and it seems to fortify my orgasm to last longer. He finally lets up when his hot seed fills me, and I hear sounds from him that will echo in my fantasies later.

  Alexander collapses and rolls us so that I’m lying on his chest, and I lift up on my elbow to look at him. “My dear Maggie, you’ve surprised and pleased me beyond measure.”

  I smile at him as I say, “You surprised and pleased me too.” My entire being is filled with warmth and emotions for this man, and my soul thinks we’re destined to be together forever. But my heart remains cold, because she’s not happy about this development.

  I sit up and gaze down at him. “How do you think Sebastian is going to handle us being together?”

  Alexander sits up too, and the headboard bangs against the wall. He grabs my hand and grips it hard enough to make me wince for a second before he relaxes it. “We can’t tell him about us. Not yet.”

  His burst of intensity makes my heartbeat quicken. “Okay.”

  I recall the Sebastian I saw tonight, and I know Alexander’s right. He’s angry enough with me pressing to have human friends, and he’s not going to be pleased to find the heart he so desperately wants is trapped in the body of a woman who prefers his brother.

  Alexander and I have opened a door to our relationship that is going to be hard to resist, and I smile as my insides twinge with the delicious memory of what just happened. I think about secret lovers written in the Hart brothers’ books,
and I grin at Alexander. “Forbidden love usually includes hot sex.”

  He releases my hand and twirls a lock of my hair around his finger before he gives it a playful tug. His gaze is hungry, and he lets out a low noise. “Yes. It does.” And then he grabs me to take my mouth in a kiss that proves it.

  6

  The next morning, I wake to the sounds of Sebastian and Alexander arguing, and it’s got to be bad if I can hear them all the way up in my room. Alexander left me just before dawn, and I wonder if Sebastian found out that his brother and I slept together last night. I recall how insistent Alexander was that Sebastian couldn’t find out, and fear makes my stomach clench. I get up to go listen closer. The wood of my door is cool on my cheek when I press my ear against it to see if I can make out what they’re saying.

  The yelling stops, and I wait for a while before I determine they’re done arguing. Worry fills me. Even my heart is nervous as I make my way to the bathroom to take a quick shower before going downstairs for breakfast and the inevitable meeting with Sebastian to discuss the new rules he’s bound to put in place.

  After I dry off, I take a moment to look in the mirror. My cheeks are flushed with the glow of my feelings for Alexander, and my hair appears to be more fiery than usual against my pressed white blouse. Even though my life is forever tied to the Hart brothers, and I should be worried about Sebastian’s punishment for me, at this moment, I couldn’t be happier, because I’m sure I’ve found my soul mate. I wonder if Sebastian will see the love I feel. My heart sinks as if she’s trying to tell me my happiness will be short-lived, but I think she’s disappointed I didn’t chose Sebastian. When I can’t find anything else I need to primp, I take a deep breath and turn to make my way downstairs.

  The sound of my feet thudding on the stairs seems unusually loud, and by the time I get to the bottom flight, I’m not surprised to see Sebastian waiting for me. I swallow down the bile that rises in my throat, because his jaw is set and his green eyes are hard. “Margaret.”

  I find my courage and answer in a serious tone too. “Sebastian.”

  “When you’ve finished eating, come to my study.”

  I nod and continue walking. When I pass by him, I swear his icy temperature tries to permeate my skin, but I ignore the urge to run as fast as I can into the kitchen. Once I get there, I’m not sure why I’m bothering, because I haven’t got an appetite, and after I make my cup of decaf, the smell turns my stomach. The hot liquid splashes in the sink when I pour it out after two sips. I might as well get this over with.

  Once I get to the study, I find the doors are open and Sebastian is behind his desk. Alexander has a desk too, but he never uses it, and I see him sitting on the sofa with his laptop. He smiles at me, and I long to be with him in my bed instead of standing in front of a man who’s about to imprison me in this house for the rest of my life.

  “Margaret.” Sebastian’s expression is blank, and I can’t tell if he’s angry. “Take a seat.”

  I sit in the wooden chair that is across from him and smooth out my navy-blue pencil skirt.

  “What did you learn last night?”

  That you’re an asshole. I glare at him as I try to figure out an answer that will keep me alive. I inhale slowly through my nose to calm down and decide to go with facts. “Vampires do feed on human blood. While it takes great control, the humans do not have to die, and once they awaken, they have no recollection of what happened.”

  “Do you understand why I can’t allow you to become friends with people in town?”

  “Yes. You don’t trust me.”

  His eyes flash for a second. “You went behind my back when I told you to keep your distance.”

  “Because I want to live my life instead of being cooped up in this dungeon!”

  “Margaret. It would only be a matter of time before they asked where you live, and then they’d want to know more about the odd Hart brothers. One day, in confidence, you’d share more than you should.”

  My heart skips. “No. I wouldn’t.” But the regret that my heart fills me with makes me think that’s exactly what happened with my organ donor.

  “You wouldn’t intend to.” Sadness clouds his face. “That I believe, but trust me when I say it would happen.” He lets out a small sigh.

  My heart aches, and before I realize what I’m doing, I’ve scooted forward on my chair and ask, “What was her name?”

  Sebastian stiffens, and his gaze hardens. “I think it’s time for you to begin reading the first series Kitty Kane will publish.” He glances over at Alexander. “Would you email Margaret a copy of the first two books, please?”

  A drawer in Sebastian’s antique desk scrapes as he tugs it open and hands me a small electronic tablet. “You’ll need to read them on this.”

  I open the cover to find it’s an e-reader. He says, “Brock got on board with digital, but print was his big seller. Kitty, however, will reflect current times, and she’ll be focusing on the e-book market.”

  I open the reader, and the glass is smooth on my finger as I touch it.

  “Now.” He steeples his fingers and taps them on his lip. “I understand you are in need of a reliable car.”

  I recall how uncomfortable Alexander was in my Subaru last night. After I had difficulty getting it to start, he commented it was so rusty he might fall through the floor at any minute. I say, “It only needs to be fixed.”

  “No, my dear. You need safe transportation for your trips to the market.” I frown as I recall him telling me I couldn’t make my own dinners. He asks, “Did you change your mind about cooking?”

  Even if I did, I’m not about to give up a reason to leave this house and answer quickly. “Yes. I mean, no I haven’t changed my mind, and I would like to be able to go to the grocery store.”

  “Very well. Alexander shall find you a suitable car.” Sebastian stands up and straightens his suit jacket. “I’ve got a meeting to attend, but Alexander will show you how to get the books on your reader.”

  I blink in confusion. Not only am I not sure how he’s going somewhere in daylight, but my meeting didn’t go the way I expected. I was sure I was going to be lectured and punished, but instead I have a new reading assignment, the privilege of being able to eat the way I’d like, and I’m even getting a new car. “Okay.”

  I stand and glance over at Alexander, who has been unusually quiet. He’s busy on his laptop and doesn’t look up.

  “Margaret.” Sebastian walks over to me and holds his hands out to me, so I take them. “I’d love the pleasure of your company later this evening. Do you know how to play backgammon?”

  His face is so sincere I believe he really does want to play with me. And while I’d much rather be spending my evening with Alexander, Sebastian’s lenience over what happened last night makes me think I must say yes. “I do, and I’d love to meet you later.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll expect you here at eight.”

  When he’s gone, I go sit next to Alexander. I speak in a low voice in case Sebastian hasn’t gone far enough away. “What was that? Why didn’t he yell and tell me I’m never to leave the house again?”

  Alexander smiles at me. “I might have had something to do with that.”

  I glance at the door as I recall the argument I heard earlier. I slide my hand high up his thigh and lean in to give him a quick kiss. “Thank you.”

  He grabs the back of my head and pulls me in for more. My body comes alive with need for him, and I move my hand up to his crotch to discover he wants me too. Alexander breaks away and gazes down at me with fire in his eyes. “My god, I want you, Maggie.”

  “How long is Sebastian gone?”

  “A couple of hours.”

  I stand up, and his grip is firm as I tug him along with me. “My room. Now.”

  Alexander glances at his watch and groans. “I can’t. I have to be somewhere in a half hour.”

  I plead, “C’mon.” I waggle my eyebrows at him. “We can be quick.”

  He
sighs. “I’m already late.” He holds up the e-reader. “And you need to know how to work this thing.”

  “Fine.” I grab the tablet from him. “Go. I’ll Google how to work this.”

  He tilts his head at me, and his eyes flash for a second. “Then maybe we do have time.” I begin to back away, and he shakes his head. “Go bend over my desk and stick that perfect ass out for me.”

  My insides become molten as I recall reading a similar scene in their books. “Oh. I—” I snap my jaw shut and walk over to his desk. I begin to move things out of the way, when he presses against me and grabs my hands. He lifts them up, and my palms slap on the wood when he slams them down on the desk in a way I can brace myself. I grip the edge hard as he yanks my skirt up my thighs.

  “How ready are you, Maggie?” Alexander slides his fingers into me and lets out a moan when he feels the moisture between my legs. “Very ready.” He pulls his hand away, and the hum of his zipper sounds as he pushes between my shoulder blades so that my face is now on the desk. Paper is smooth on my cheek, and I gasp when he yanks my underwear aside to thrust into me.

  “Is this what you want?”

  I’m sore from last night, but the burning sensation makes way to pleasure after the first pump, and I moan. “Yes.” The desk is hard against my hips as he pounds into me, but so is the intensity of my orgasm rushing to the surface. This is what I imagine it means to be fucked. While I would have thought it would be unpleasant, something about intensity of something that is purely for physical pleasure excites me more. His grunts are loud in my ear as he hovers over me, and I shove back against him as I shatter. I let out a cry that mingles with his as we splay out in exhaustion on his desk.

  Alexander lifts off of me, and I get up to face him. He grins at me as he tucks his shirt back into his slacks. “You’re a naughty girl, Kitty.”

  I grin at his use of my alter ego. “I liked it.” I bend over to wiggle my skirt back in place and catch him looking down my blouse. Staying in the same position, I tug at the fabric to reveal more, and my nails scratch at my heated skin. “A lot.”