Blood Rising

by Amber Anthony

  “What?” Matt snorted. “What do you mean…on fire?” Just then, his building came into view, hot flames licking around his unit’s windows. “The Humanité!” An explosion blew out the walls of the penthouse and rocked the street like an earthquake.

  “Matt?” Rick waited a beat while Matt gasped in dismay. “I can see your building from the office. The entire top floor is on fire. Your whole place is gone.” Matt stared numbly at where his penthouse used to be. “This had to be arson. I’m sorry, dear boy.”

  Ignoring the honking cars around him, Matt jerked his Jaguar to a stop, despair crawling deep inside him.

  “That’s not the worst of it. The bombers got to Consort labs too, and killed Bernstein, destroyed all his work, every sample, every note.”

  “Off-site backup?”

  “I’m sorry, they were very thorough. It’s all gone. Everything.”

  Matt slumped under the weight of the blow. He tapped the empty vial in his pocket that once held his emergency Humanité, the one he’d cavalierly taken earlier that night. He’d screwed the pooch on that one and knew it. Just in case materialized moments ago, and his own carelessness left him with nothing.

  “Security at Consort got a look at the person who broke into the lab and faxed me a picture from the closed-circuit camera,” Rick continued, interrupting Matt’s agonized musing.

  “Can you identify him?”

  “Not yet. We’re comparing all computer data bases now. Matt, I don’t think he’s human.”

  Matt tried to imagine any vamps he might have angered. It didn’t make sense. “Could Veronique have done this? Revenge for humiliating her?”

  “I don’t know. What does it matter? Whoever it was knew you were creating a longer-lasting form of Humanité. You’re gonna have to protect yourself, Matt. These vamps are badass mother fuckers.”

  Matt gritted his teeth and continued home to assess the damage, which was catastrophic. Rick had been right, it was gutted. Less than an hour later, he motored the roads, climbing to the hilltop ledge where Rick’s concrete and steel mansion perched. He needed the perspective of the three hundred and sixty degree view. If he stayed at the Consort penthouse, he would be within blocks of his great loss, with the stench of ash in his nostrils. Yes, he could see the burnt shell of the penthouse from his seat by the pool, but distance was his blessing tonight.

  He spent an uneasy night tossing and turning in Rick’s guest room. There had to be someone, or maybe a group, watching him. How else could they know Consort had developed a new formula? And why would anyone else care? It wasn’t as if he planned to market the stuff.

  Now, he was truly vulnerable. For the time being, anyway, he wasn’t a vampire, which meant they could kill him any time they wanted, if that was their desire. And what if it was? Hadn’t he said he’d rather die than remain a vampire? It was ironic, though, that just when he’d found someone he could love, and finessed the circumstances so he could do her justice, he was at the deadliest risk.

  Still, they hadn’t attempted to kill him, unless they’d expected him to be home at the time of the fire. There was nothing left to find of his records and notebooks. What if they took all the research before torching the place? Could anything be salvaged from the cloud? Corrupting the cloud would take the crime to the next level. He sighed, turned over again and considered the question bothering him most. What to do about Cat?

  Wasn’t the fact that he contemplated his own demise proof enough that his time with Cat could be short? He didn’t have the luxury of waiting. If he was going to claim her, he needed to do it now. He was a selfish pig, he thought, condemning himself. It was unfair to her, but he would do it, anyway. It was time he and Cat started this relationship for real.

  * * * *

  Matt’s cell phone rang the next morning as he packed a few of Rick’s clothes into a bag to tide him over. He checked the caller ID, and Cat’s cheerful face smiled up at him.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi, yourself. I’m guessing you heard about the plea bargain?”

  “Yeah, it was on the news. Life without parole, the best possible outcome.”

  “So, now that the trial and everything is over, I was thinking maybe we could get together.”

  “Oh?” Matt kept his voice calm, a little teasing.

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you have any plans for today?”

  “No. Except, I was going to ask if you’d like to have dinner?”

  “I just happen to have one of our beach house properties for the rest of the summer.” He said it in an off-hand way, but Cat caught the import and gasped. It was unprecedented that Matt would spend time at the beach during daylight hours. As a vampire, he’d never be able to tolerate the intensity of the sun by the ocean.

  “Wow! A beach house in Malibu? I could get behind that!”

  “Yeah. There was a little fire at my condo, so I’m using the beach house until the repairs are completed.

  “A fire? You have a sprinkler system, don’t you? You weren’t hurt?”

  “No. I wasn’t even home. Just an inconvenience, really.” He didn’t have the heart to tell her the Humanité and all their efforts to prolong the formula went up in flames. “I’m getting ready to move over to Malibu right now. The keys are in my hand. Why don’t you come by around four, and we can figure out what we want to do after that?”

  “Time at the beach sounds lovely. Give me the address.”

  Matt zipped up his suitcase, and then headed for his destiny. His humanity was a ticking clock. Engaging in a romantic relationship with this virginal beauty was not his sin. Matt’s sin of omission was his failure to tell Cat about the destruction of his stockpile of Humanité. That was the tipping point that threw him from being a man in love to being a bastard. Well, if he was going to be a bastard, he might as well be in full-tilt bastard mode.

  Chapter 10

  The Malibu beach house, one of Consort’s vacation rental properties, was luxurious by anyone’s standards, and its cool tranquility soothed Matt’s restless spirit. A deep breath and a gaze across the deck, the beach and the ocean, helped him find his calm. Cool off, he cautioned himself. Cat was on her way to join him in this idyllic setting. Life didn’t get better than that, but if he didn’t get a grip…

  You can’t go all Neanderthal and jump her, you’ll scare her to death! No, Matt didn’t want to panic her, but he did mean to have her. He shifted his loose linen shorts. His heavy cock thumped against his thigh. He hadn’t felt the hot, wet silk of a mortal woman’s pussy since 1922. Eager hardly began to describe his need, especially when the pussy belonged to Cat.

  A quiver rocketed through him from the touch of the invigorating breeze. Matt almost laughed at himself, knowing the chill running up his spine was really anticipation. He stood at the sliding glass door and secured the billowing sheer that broke away from its tie-down in the sudden gust, a metaphor for his soaring spirit. His hands shook with eagerness.

  * * * *

  Cat bit her lip in concentration as her ancient Toyota chugged up the Malibu cliff. She counted the streets, following the directions Matt gave her. She was close now, really close, and her pulse raced faster as each house number drew her into his web. Well, that’s how she thought of it—right into the giant spider’s secret lair where all those forbidden pleasures the nuns had warned her about awaited. What would he think of her, of her performance, or lack of it? She trembled with equal parts anticipation and doubt.

  You know him, you love him. Trust that. She pulled to a jerky stop at the appointed address, and the car backfired. Cat gazed over the beautifully landscaped ocean-front lawn and shivered. Breathe. She drew a steadying breath so deep it was almost a sigh, and with shaking hands, checked her appearance in the rearview mirror. C’mon, you coward. He’s waiting. Remember your last kiss? Don’t you want him to hold you that way again? Yeah, she really did. She got out of the car.

  * * * *

  Matt was lost in his own delicious thoughts whe
n the knock came. With effort, he jerked himself away from his erotic daydream and went to meet the real thing. He drew in a deep breath, blew it out forcefully, and then manfully limited himself to measured steps rather than a bolt across the room to tear the door open. His eyes feasted on her. She looked like a spring garden in brightly colored shorts and a crop top, and he longed to bury himself balls deep in that flowerbed and never leave. He smiled lazily instead.

  “Hi,” he said in a relaxed drawl he couldn’t quite believe was his own voice.

  “Hi,” she responded in a low, husky murmur of her own and then incongruously laughed.

  “Did I miss the joke?” His smile wavered.

  She beamed at him. “No. It’s just, I’ve only ever seen you in these dark, serious clothes, and today…it’s Bob the Beachcomber! I like the new look a lot!”

  “Well, thanks.” He ushered her into the house and then closed the door on the outside world.

  She jumped nervously when the lock clicked. Easy, now. Even without vampire sensitivity, Matt could read her uncertainty. What could he do about that? Alcohol, a little alcohol, and a little patience and understanding. What man needed a devil on one shoulder and an angel the other, when he had a dick that did the heavy thinking?

  Fuck patience and understanding! Get out the booze! He plastered on an interested smile and followed her into the room. Damn! Her tits swayed much too naturally to be encumbered by a bra. Touch them! Taste them! His entire limbic system screamed.

  Cat turned toward the deck and gasped at the fabulous vista confronting them through the open door. Matt got an up-close view of her sweet heart-shaped ass in those silky little shorts and wanted to come just looking at her. Surely, he could find a little more self-control? A little more, not much.

  The sheer slipped its mooring again and danced joyfully in and out of the sliding glass door, beckoning them onto the deck and courtyard.

  “My God, this place belongs to you?”

  Matt shrugged. “It’s a Consort property, actually one that Rick principally owns. He uses it as an investment property, rents it out to tourists for a phenomenal fee. He gave it to me at a bargain rate for as long as…” He stopped, sadness momentarily overtaking him. “For the summer or…whatever.”

  Cat looked at him inquiringly, but didn’t pursue a question. Instead, she gestured toward the ocean. “So, for these prices, do we have to stay inside, or do we get the use of the beach?”

  His grin answered her, and he beckoned her out the door. “Lemonade with a little extra?” He led her to an outside bar holding a tall pitcher of ice drenched in lemonade and spiked with strawberry vodka. It smelled like a delicious fruit drink, but Matt had reason to know it packed a hell of a wallop.

  “Why not?” she agreed, as he poured the drink and then handed it to her. She tasted and smiled her approval, took another long, nervous drink.

  “We have food, too, if you want?” He could barely force out the words, but thought it was only right.

  She patted her stomach gently and shook her head. Butterflies? She smiled, and he was relieved. Food was not what he was hungry for right now.

  He clinked glasses with her to encourage her to drink. “Would you like to stay in the shade or sit in the sun?” he asked with an unaccustomed formality.

  Cat smiled. “Are you a little nervous, too?”

  Matt affected nonchalance. “Me? Nervous?” His voice was strained. “Of course not. Nothing to be nervous about.” He scrambled to collect the container of drink stirrers he’d just overturned. He led her to the railing of the deck overlooking the ocean.

  “God, you’re so gorgeous!” Cat said. “What in the world are you doing here with me?”

  Matt’s startled gaze searched her face. He was touched, and didn’t know what to say. “Cat…”

  She seemed to shake herself out of her gaffe. “Is that sunburn?” She started to reach out to touch the expanse of his chest where the wind blew his denim shirt back, and then thought better of it and withdrew.

  Matt caught her hand and kissed her fingers. With his hand covering hers, he drew them both down his six-pack to his waist. “It’s okay to touch me, Cat,” He leaned in to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek. “I like it when you do.”

  She bit her lip and leaned back, her elbows resting on the railing. Matt groaned inwardly as her breasts thrust forward teasingly inside the light, glossy fabric covering them. He swallowed hard, saliva pooling at the back of his mouth.

  He fought to keep track of the discussion and glanced down at his chest. “Could be sunburn, I spent the morning outside.”

  Simple conversation was becoming elusive. Matt slid aside his lustful thoughts and leaned into the wide railing beside her.

  Cat tensed. She broke his gaze, turned her back to him, and Matt saw the pulse pounding in her neck. He’d had plenty of practice at that. She pretended to survey the picture perfect expanse of beach and ocean, but he caught her surreptitious glance up at him. She took another gulp of her drink, and he encouraged it, taking another sip of his own and hoping she’d follow suit. She had to relax or this was going to be a disaster. What the hell had the nuns told her?

  He swallowed hard. He needed to relax a little too, but that wasn’t easy when he looked at her. Any man, with or without a pulse, would admire the way her trim waist met her rounded hips and continued into perfect slender legs. She wasn’t wearing a bra. Had she also foregone panties? Was she bare and wet for him in that colorful garden? Maybe, but he couldn’t miss the quaking of her hand as she held the glass.

  “Cat.” He caressed her shoulders as he stepped flush against her back. “Why don’t we take a walk along the beach?”

  “Um…okay…”

  “You know, being this close to a bed is too much pressure for me.” Pressure? I’ve got your pressure right here in my two friends! Matt ignored his dick. He turned to Cat. “I found some beautiful sea glass this morning. Would you like to look for more?”

  “Oh! Sea glass, here? Wow! Yeah!” Cat swallowed half her drink down and left the glass on the railing. She took off down the steps, hair blowing wildly behind her. “Last one to the water has to do dishes!”

  Matt watched her go, hands on his hips, shaking his head at her joie de vivre. Once she was released from the confines of impending intimacy, she was the natural beauty he’d fallen in love with. In each moment, he took a photo in his mind of her reaction to the sea birds and the breaking waves.

  Cat’s fingers sifted the sand, fishing for the opaque sea glass. She shielded the sun from her eyes as she squinted up at him. “Aren’t you hunting for treasure?”

  Matt grinned and crouched beside her, he reached an arm’s length to tame untamable curls. “I’ve found my treasure.”

  Cat blushed. “I don’t know how to hear that. I’ve never had anyone talk to me that way.” Her hands stayed busy sorting the sizes and colors within her reach. She bit at her bottom lip as she processed his words.

  Matt inched closer. “Well, they should have. Someone should have celebrated your gifts. I’ll bet your grandmother told you how special you were every night before you went to bed.”

  Cat confessed. “I remember bedtime stories and kisses on my forehead. I remember the look on her face. But I don’t remember those words.” Cat held up the largest piece of green glass in her palm. Their heads bumped together, upsetting their balance. They dropped into the sand, laughing when she wound up in his lap.

  His arm slid around her, hugging her sun-warmed body snuggly against him. “That’s a pretty piece. Almost as pretty as you.”

  “Is this the way you talk to women?”

  “What do you mean? That’s the way I talk to you. You’ve complemented me.”

  “Well, yeah…” Cat looked him up and down meaningfully. “…but look at you.”

  “Baby, why would you think I’m any less attracted to you than you are to me?”

  Cat shrugged. “I dunno. I never thought of myself that way. I’m not very goo
d at this.” She frowned and stared down the beach, avoiding eye contact.

  “Good at what? How do you know?”

  “I remember the snubs at the school dances with our brother school.”

  “They were adolescents, they were pigs, they couldn’t appreciate everything you are. Can’t you look at me, baby?”

  Cat looked at him with surprise. “Pigs?”

  Matt snorted. “Yeah, adolescent boys are pigs. That knowledge should be part of every young girl’s curriculum. They’re only interested in the most obvious girls.”

  “I guess I wasn’t obvious, then.”

  “I’ll tell you what I can’t figure out. You’ve just spent four years in college, and while college guys are only marginally better than high schoolers, anyone as beautiful as you should have met one or two men of quality.”

  “I did. I met you and I met Rick.”

  Matt shook his head. “I really despair for my gender. Some up and comer who was looking for a brain in a beautiful body, should have snapped you up by junior year.”

  Cat stared at him in disbelief.

  “Success in business, is just that. When I’ve closed a big deal on an international level, what good is going home if I have no one to share it with? Cat, you could have been half of a power couple.”

  “Perhaps the Universe has brought us together? I mean, you and I could be the power couple. That makes you a lot less intimidating.”

  He nuzzled her cheek with his nose. “I’m intimidating? Have you ever asked a drop dead gorgeous woman to spend time at the beach, alone?” He turned Cat in his arms.

  Cat swallowed hard. “I…Matt, could you please hold me for a minute?”

  “If hold you now, I won’t be able to let you go.” He leaned in, his breath mingling with hers. “Are you ready for that?”