by Jaye Wells
“They’re wonderful, but it’s not the same as having girlfriends around who would get excited about helping me pick out a dress and all the other details.”
Her words took me aback. Syd seemed like the kind of chick who’d have a ton of girlfriends around. But then I realized that even if she had any, they couldn’t really be too involved in planning a vampire wedding. I didn’t feel bad for her or anything, but I could understand how hard it must be to adjust to her new life and plan a wedding by herself.
“That’s too bad,” I said, trying to be polite.
“I don’t suppose you’d . . . Never mind.” Syd said.
Suddenly I was regretting being polite. I knew where she was going with that, and I didn’t like it one bit.
“I’d what?” I asked against my better judgment.
“Well, I have an appointment to try on dresses next week, and Jorge and Geraldine are busy. I just thought maybe you could come along and keep me company.”
She sounded so hopeful it pulled at my conscience. But then Logan spoke up.
“Syd, darling, do you think that’s a good idea?”
It’s not like I wanted to go, but his implication brought my hackles up.
“Why not?” I asked, offended.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you kidnap her just a week ago?”
Well, he had me there. While, at the time, I thought kidnapping Sydney was the right thing to do. Now I was having some second thoughts. I had to admit now it wasn’t my most brilliant plan. It wasn’t just that I had been caught and was now paying the price for that decision. Part of me was coming to realize that there might have been a better, and less harmful, way to protest Lifeblood.
“Logan, I told you. She didn’t hurt me.”
Logan shook his head and looked at his fiancée as if she was crazy. I had to admit I was wondering about her sanity, too. Why was she all of the sudden pretending we were friends?
“Syd, the kidnapping notwithstanding, do you really think she would be the best choice of companion?” he asked.
“Hey!” I said.
“Logan, that was rude. I’m sure she’d be very helpful.”
“Fine,” he said. Then he turned to me. “I’m warning you, if she shows up at our wedding in anything black, I’ll find you.”
“Hmmm. Black might be interesting,” Syd said, a twinkle in her eye. “So, Raven, you’ll do it?”
I gulped and looked at Callum for help. He just shrugged and nodded his approval. I couldn’t very well say no after getting all defensive with Logan.
“I guess,” I said lamely.
“Oh, it will be so fun,” she said, really getting excited. “We can make a girls’ day out of it.”
“Great,” I said, knowing I had gotten myself into something I’d probably regret.
I had no idea what a “girls’ day” involved. Something told me a lot of giggling and gossiping about boys was involved.
Ugh.
One of these days I needed to learn to keep my big mouth shut.
An hour later Callum and I were on our way back to Kira’s house. We’d said good-bye to the lovebirds at the valet stand after another drink. Syd promised to call me in a couple of days to set up our wedding dress outing. Before we got in the car, Logan agreed to send over a couple of cases of Lifeblood the next morning.
When we finally were in the car, I yawned. It had been an exhausting day. While being in the sun didn’t scare me anymore, my body still wasn’t adjusted to the new schedule. I was ready for bed.
“That was really nice of you,” Callum said as we sped through downtown Raleigh.
“What?” I asked, playing dumb.
He shot me a look. “You know what. I know Syd really appreciates you agreeing to help her.”
“I only did it to get away from my duties for a few hours. Don’t read some altruistic reason into it.”
“Either way, it’s still nice. Maybe there is some hope for you after all,” he joked.
“Don’t count on it.”
He shifted gears and seemed to lose himself in his own thoughts. I contented myself with watching the scenery pass for a few moments, enjoying the silence. I actually had a nice time tonight. After being cooped up in the house most of the week, when I wasn’t working at the blood bank, it was nice to be out.
“Tonight was fun,” Callum said, breaking into my thoughts as if he’d been reading them.
I rolled my head to the left, looking at him with heavy eyes.
“Yeah,” I said.
“In case I forgot to mention it, you really do look great.”
“Thanks. I’m not sure if I’ll keep it though. It’s not really me,” I said.
He pulled into Kira’s driveway before answering. After he stopped, he turned off the car and turned to me.
“I think it’s more you than you’re willing to admit.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, feeling my defenses automatically go up despite my fatigue.
“You don’t fool me, Gabby. You might act like you don’t give a shit, but I’ve seen behind that exterior. I think if you gave people a chance you might actually find they’re more receptive to the real you.”
I sighed, not wanting to get into another argument.
“Callum, this is the real me. And the sooner you accept that, the easier this will all be. I know the Boy Scout in you wants to believe that I have redeeming qualities. But you’re wrong. Dead wrong.”
He stared at me hard for a moment, the muscle in his jaw clenched.
“What happened to you?”
I looked away. “Nothing. I’m just a bitch. Deal with it.”
I reached for the door handle, but he grabbed my arm.
“Look, I know you don’t trust me. You have no reason to. But I’m not your enemy.”
I laughed. “Yeah. Thanks. All right, I’m going to bed. Thanks for dinner.”
With that I opened the door and stalked to the house.
Trust him? Right. Given the ass kissing I’d witnessed earlier when my father called, I’m sure Callum would just love for me to spill my guts so he could run to my father and report.
Before I could reach the door, he caught up with me. He took my arm and swung me around. I was about to lay into him when I saw the look in his eyes.
“Just so we’re clear. Kissing you today was a bad idea. You are the most frustrating woman I have ever met—”
“Dude, we’ve already covered this.”
“Will you stop interrupting for one second?” He shoved a hand through his hair. “But I want you to know something. The only reason I answered that call was because if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have stopped kissing you.”
My mouth fell open. “What?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. You know as well as I do we would have ended up in bed if that phone hadn’t rung.”
I didn’t say anything, because he was right.
“And as much as we both try to deny it, there’s an attraction here. You drive me insane, but I still want you.”
His words sent a shock of heat all the way to my interesting parts. He wanted me? I guess I already knew that, but having him say it acted like an aphrodisiac. Suddenly, despite my protestations, I wanted to throw him down and ravage him on his mother’s front lawn.
“So what are you gonna do about it?” I asked, the huskiness in my voice surprising me.
He leaned down a bit so our faces were level. I licked my lips in anticipation. Millimeter by millimeter he moved in. Just when I was sure his lips could capture mine, he veered to the right.
“Nothing,” he whispered in my ear.
I started to push him away, but he grabbed my hands and held them to his chest.
“Stop,” he commanded as I struggled to get away from him.
I looked into his eyes and saw that he wasn’t teasing me. He was dead serious.
“You know we can’t act on it. If word got back to your father . . . Well, let’s just say you’r
e not the only one who’d be headed to Norway.”
“Please. My father wouldn’t care. He already thinks I’m a slut. Let’s prove him right,” I said, reaching down to cup his groin. It jumped in response, and his heat burned my palm.
He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Then he reached down and moved my hand with what seemed like great reluctance.
“You’re not a slut. And I won’t treat you like one. Maybe when this is all over we can act on this . . . chemistry. For now, we need to focus on your training.”
That time, I really did push him away. He obliged by falling back a step or two. I watched him for a moment. His chest heaved and a mighty erection strained against his grey slacks.
Suddenly I felt so full of anger and embarrassment I didn’t know what to do with myself.
“I wish I’d never met you,” I said, my voice low and hard.
He frowned. “That’s your sexual frustration talking. But if you think about it, you’ll see I’m right.”
His words were so like the ones my father spoke the last time I saw him that all the lust and anger drained from me. Callum was just another man who thought he knew what was best for me. Someone else who didn’t trust me to make my own choices in life.
I’d had enough.
“Go to hell,” I said, turning on my heel and marching into the house.
Just before I slammed the door behind me, he said, “I’m already there.”
Chapter Twelve
After a night spent tossing and turning, replaying my conversation with Callum, I decided I needed to avoid him for a while. He made me crazy. I decided I’d ask for more hours at the blood bank and try to spend more time with Kira. With any luck I could have a few days without his annoying presence.
Before I could put this plan into action, fate stepped in. When I showed up for breakfast, Kira was alone. She sat at the head of the table reading the newspaper.
“Good morning,” she said, looking up as I took my seat.
“Hi,” I responded, grabbing the coffee carafe.
“How was your night out last night?” she asked.
I thought about it a moment. Let’s see, I argued with Logan, agreed to help Syd, and had a fight with Callum.
“The restaurant was nice,” I said politely.
“Yes, it’s one of my favorites,” she said.
Idle chitchat was obviously over because she flipped the page and became engrossed in a story. I was happy I didn’t have to make small talk anymore. Grabbing the platter of food, I loaded my plate with eggs and bacon.
The only sounds in the room for a while were the sounds of silverware clinking on my plate and the tick of the grandfather clock in the hallway. As I ate, I wondered where Callum was. I shrugged mentally and reminded myself that I was avoiding him. If he had to go into the office or something, it suited me just fine. Yep, I didn’t care one bit.
“So where’s Callum?” I asked.
Kira looked up from her paper. “He said he had an early meeting. He left an hour ago.”
“Oh.”
“Did you want him for something?” she asked.
“No,” I said quickly.
I most definitely did not want him.
“You sounded disappointed,” she said.
I did? Shit.
“I’m not disappointed,” I said quickly. “Just surprised he isn’t here to ruin my meal as usual.”
“Hmm,” she said, a small smile on her face.
What did she mean by that?
I avoided her eyes and refilled my coffee. What the hell was I thinking asking in the first place? I should be ecstatic that he wouldn’t be around all day to annoy me. Isn’t that what I wanted? A Callum-free day.
“How are things between you two?”
I almost spit out my coffee.
“What do you mean?”
She smiled again. I knew it was silly, but I got the feeling she could read my thoughts. Vampires couldn’t usually read each other’s minds. However, Kira definitely was giving off an all-knowing vibe.
“Oh, nothing,” she said, her voice light. “Just wondering if you’re getting along. Since you have to spend so much time together.”
“Kira, cut the shit. You know damned well we can’t stand each other,” I said.
I expected her to act offended for cussing in her presence, but she surprised me by laughing.
“Dear girl, are you forgetting how old I am? I recognize sexual tension when I see it.”
My jaw dropped. It was that obvious?
“Oh, my. I’ve shocked you haven’t I?”
“A little,” I said, recovering slightly.
She shrugged. “Understand, I’m not going to pretend that I approve of your actions in the past. And the jury’s still out about how successful your rehabilitation will be. However, I’ve seen Callum around you.”
“What do you mean?” I asked slowly, wondering where she was going with this.
“Let me ask you a question,” she said. “Do you honestly think you could both get a rise out of each other like you do if there wasn’t some interest there? I mean if you honestly hated each other, you wouldn’t bother to bicker.”
I thought about what she said for a moment. Of course I knew there was an attraction. Callum admitted his last night. And I had basically admitted mine by acting like an idiot when he refused to act on it. So the attraction wasn’t in question. No, what bothered me was that other people were seeing it.
“Kira, I don’t know why you brought this up, but let’s drop it. Nothing is going to happen.”
“I brought it up because I know you’re dealing with a lot right now. Things that have nothing to do with Callum. I don’t think it’s wise for you to act on your . . . urges while you’re so unsettled.”
Okay, now she’d crossed a line.
“Look, lady, the last thing you need to worry about is me acting on any urges with that pinhead. But thanks for the warning. I’m well aware that you would disapprove of me making moves on your angel.”
She didn’t even flinch. “It’s not that I disapprove—"
I slashed a hand through the air to stop her. “Save it.”
I got up and left the room before she could say anything else. As I stormed up the stairs, my mind raced.
On one level I understood and agreed with Kira’s warning. The last thing I needed right then was a man in my life. Especially a man who was the poster boy for everything I hated.
On the other hand, I was pissed. How dare she imply I wasn’t good enough for her son? Sure, she hadn’t said that, but I knew her whole line about avoiding complications was bullshit. She didn’t want a person like me influencing her saint of a son. God forbid I get my claws in him.
Not that he wanted my claws in him. Dammit! Why was I so upset about that? Sure, my female parts were very aware of his male parts. But it wasn’t like I hadn’t been attracted to guys before and resisted it.
How long had it been since I’d had sex anyway? Having reached my room, I sat down with a piece of paper to figure it out. Let’s see, add that, and carry the four. Holy Shit! I hadn’t had sex in twenty years.
No wonder Callum was looking good. After twenty years of sexual drought, just about any man would have appealed to me.
I sat back in my chair with a sigh of relief. Now that I knew I wasn’t really attracted to him, I could relax. As long as I remembered that it wasn’t him, but my raging libido, I could handle it. As for Momma Murdoch, she could take a long walk off a short pier for all I cared. Like I’d want to join her goody two-shoes family—all that closeness and bonding and shit. Poor Sydney didn’t know what she was getting herself into tying herself down to these people. An eternity filled with nagging and everyone always knowing her business. No thank you. Not for this chick.
A knock sounded at the door. Hannah, who I’d learned basically ran Kira’s household, stuck her head in after I responded.
“Raven, Alaric is downstairs waiting for you with the cases of Lif
eblood.”
“Thanks, Hannah,” I said.
She nodded and left. After she closed the door, I slumped in my seat. The food in my stomach churned at the thought of synthetic blood. I’d gotten used to the bagged stuff, or at least I could tolerate it. It was actual blood from a person. But the idea of depending on fake blood unsettled me. I knew it wasn’t only the idea of it being fake, though. My conscience battled with my logic. I knew I had to drink the stuff if I wanted to win my father’s seal of approval. However, the fact I had to turn my back on everything I believed to win that approval troubled me. But what choice did I have?
I drug myself out of the chair and trudged downstairs only to stop short at the bottom of the steps. Standing in the foyer windows was an all-American surfer boy in board shorts and a T-shirt. His hair seemed impossibly blond in the sunlight from the windows as he watched me slowly descend the last step.
“Raven?” he said, walking toward me, his flip-flops scuffling on the marble tiles. He was adorable. I wanted to ruffle his hair.
“Yeah. You’re Alaric?” I asked, a little confused. When I’d heard that Alaric was Logan’s lab assistant, I pictured a geeky guy with glasses and a white coat. But this Alaric had broad shoulders and a killer grin. He looked like he belonged on a beach instead of in a lab.
“That’s me. Logan sent me over with the Lifeblood.” His tone sounded brusque, like he resented playing delivery boy.
“Okay. Well, thanks,” I said.
He stood there for a moment just looking at me. His expression wasn’t giving anything away. After a moment I was starting to feel uncomfortable. What was his problem?
“Do I need to sign for it or something?” I asked.
He grimaced. “You’re not what I expected.”
I frowned. “What do you mean by that?”
“You don’t look like a conniving bitch.”
That stopped me in my tracks. “Excuse me?”
“Are you or aren’t you the one who tried to destroy Lifeblood?”
I raised my chin at his challenge. “Yeah, that’s me. You got a problem?”
“Yeah, I got a big problem. I didn’t spend three years of my life helping to create Lifeblood to hand it over to the person who tried to stop its creation.”