Party Vamps

by Jennifer North

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Party Vamps

  ISBN 9781419917479

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Party Vamps Copyright © 2008 Jennifer North

  Edited by Kelli Kwiatkowski.

  Photography and cover art by Les Byerley.

  Electronic book Publication August 2008

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  PARTY VAMPS

  Jennifer North

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Caesars Palace: Caesars World, Inc.

  Dartmouth: Trustees of Dartmouth College DBA

  Dumpster: Dempster Brothers, Inc. Corporation

  ESPN: ESPN, Inc.

  Greyhound: Greyhound Corporation

  IKEA: Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Besloten Vennootschap

  Jacuzzi: Jacuzzi Inc. Corporation

  NYU: New York University Corporation

  Porsche: Dr. Ing. h. c. f. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft Corporation

  Prada: Prefel S.A. Corporation

  Sears Tower: Sears, Roebuck and Co.

  Simpsons: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

  Tanqueray: Gordon’s Dry Gin Company

  Tiffany: Tiffany & Company

  University of Illinois: Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

  Wimbledon: All England Lawn Tennis Club Limited

  Wrigley Field: Chicago National League Ball Club, Inc.

  WWF: World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. Party Vamps

  Chapter One

  Hmm. Shiny. Black.

  Caro Connery smiled appreciatively and picked up her step. Stoked Corporation’s male receptionist had a nice, long stride. The black-lacquered paneling of the Sears Tower suite reflected his body from a zillion different angles, all of them dramatically impressive.

  The guy had the classic Stoked look—chiseled, bold and hot. His refracted image got her creative juices flowing. How would his brand of dynamite-dangerous sex appeal translate into color and concept?

  She did a mental flip through her professional idea file, pausing at the titillating headings of “black patent leather” and “naughty”.

  Anything she could use for an upcoming party or event? Probably not. Stoked Corp was a cutting-edge company but its shareholders might not quite be ready for a party with an S&M theme.

  The receptionist stopped at a pair of massive doors on the right side of the hallway. “If Mr. Farrell hasn’t arrived yet, go ahead and make yourself comfortable.” His words were smooth but his deep voice had an intriguing rumble. A few more titillating images popped into her head. Rumpled satin sheets—black, of course. Big bed awash in moonlight. Throaty groans of satisfaction…

  She gave her head a quick shake and smiled up at him. “Thanks. I think this is the first time in my life I’ve been early for a cocktail party.” She reached out to shake his hand. His fingers were firm and quite cool but when his thumb stroked downward, the fissured lines of her palm sizzled with awareness.

  His dark eyes flared zephyr-bright, a weird split-second flash of silver she might have imagined. She tugged her hand away and curved her fingers around the sturdy leather strap of her briefcase.

  The small tattoo on her wrist prickled and thrummed as if someone had fired up a tiny engine under her skin.

  She observed him consideringly, surprised by her reaction to his sensuality. Come-ons—especially from gorgeous guys with masterful techniques—were a turn-off for her. But this particular guy was having an electrifying effect on her senses.

  Is he human? As the question formed in her mind, the granite lines of his face gave way to a smile that oozed hardcore sex. His upper canines gleamed long and white.

  Ah. That explained her reaction.

  She’d once had a serious thing for vampires. And vamps from certain bloodlines still had the power to make her think foolishly sexy thoughts. But since she’d moved back to the Midwest it was rare to run into a vamp who affected her this way.

  The receptionist winked and murmured a pleasant good luck and goodbye. As she watched him saunter down the hallway, she rubbed at her still happily humming tattoo, wondering how many other Stoked employees were his kind.

  Caro looked down at her tattoo—the familiar image of a regal lion entwined with a viper looked the same as it had the day her vampire lover had inked it into her flesh, during a traditional vamp blood-bonding ceremony. Caro had been nineteen, naïve and deeply in love.

  More than in love. Obsessed. Enthralled. Bedazzled.

  Ten years had passed. The tattoo was still there, but the love wasn’t. And now the mark on her wrist served as a helpful little reminder that she never wanted to be obsessed, enthralled or bedazzled again.

  She put her hands on the chrome door handles and paused for a quick psych-up moment. Behind these doors, Jack Farrell, former Stoked model and current VP of marketing, would soon be announcing the name of Stoked’s new event planner—and Caro had inside information that the name was going to be Party Mavens. She grinned as she felt butterflies fluttering and crashing around in her belly. Yep, it was damn exciting to have a dream on the verge of coming true. The Cleveland-based company she and her business partner Lenny had built by planning wiccan weddings, vampire company picnics and werewolf hullabaloos was about to hit the big time.

  Stoked Corp’s maverick management team was the first to market personal products to males of all types—human, vamp, warlock, demon, hetero, homo, trans, bi. Their sexy new product line—which included everything from makeup to specialty condoms—was going to rocket the company to a new realm in the industry. And Caro planned to go along for the ride.

  She closed her eyes, silently chanting her party-planning mantra. Sexysmart, sexysmart, sexysmartsexysmart… When she felt good and revved she pushed open the door, ready to “make herself comfortable” with the sensational Mr. Farrell.

  But when she stepped into the room and looked across the expanse of Stoked’s lavishly appointed executive lounge, she quickly saw that somebody—wait, no…two somebodies—had beaten her to the punch.

  Standing in front of a wall of windows with views clear to Indiana, Jack was engaged in a lock-and-load love clench with what looked to be a very tall male and a redheaded female.

  Umm, gee. This was totally unexpected. And embarrassing. They still had their clothes on, but she suspected the layers of fabric weren’t going to be separating their flesh for long.

  Should she slowly back out of the room, or try to play it cool and say something clever?

  Her frozen body decided she’d just stand there like an idio
t, watching as the threesome shifted positions, planting lips, tongues and fingers in a new combination of spots. She heard low, husky laughter as Jack and the redhead sandwiched the tall male between them. Their new stance gave Caro a better view of the trio, particularly the guy in the middle who now stood facing the door. He brought his head up and the shoulder-length black hair shrouding his face fell away.

  As her brain registered his features, it abruptly engaged in a new mantra.

  Oh. Shit. Ohshit, ohshit, ohshit! Knees wobbling, stomach clenching, Caro took a feeble, stumbling step backward.

  Alex. Oh man…it was really him.

  Alexander King. Her ex. Half-vampire and all trouble.

  If she didn’t know him so well, she might not have recognized him under the bodies. Jack was on his left, his tongue doing a funky lick and twirl down Alex’s neck, his hand behind Alex’s back doing God knows what. Jack’s other hand was reaching across Alex’s crotch to stroke the svelte, silk-covered ass of the female. She wiggled against Jack’s probing fingers and then ran her stilettoed heel teasingly up Alex’s calf.

  Caro’s own heels were still stuck in the plush carpet. She watched the woman trace Alex’s lips with her tongue and then… Oh yeah, the redhead was definitely a vamp. She bit down hard on Alex’s lower lip and lapped at his blood before engaging him in a full-throttle, tongue-tangling kiss.

  Caro squelched a spurt of hysterical laughter. No wonder her blood had been running so hot for the vamp in the hallway—her body had sensed Alex’s presence before her mind had.

  Oh Jesus, was he here to bring her back? Oh God. Please. Not here, not now.

  Her briefcase made a soft thunk when it fell to the floor. “Oh shit,” she squeaked out loud. She gingerly bent to retrieve the case and looked up to see Alex, Jack and companion finally taking notice of her. Jack extracted himself quickly and had the humility to look a little guilty. But the vampires moved apart leisurely, no haste or guilt in their actions.

  Typical. Everything was a show with vampires. They enjoyed having humans watch them. Especially when they were doing something naughty.

  Alex snared her gaze and held it steady. He smiled. Slow and easy. The same smile he wore when he was having languorous, well-sated sex, which for him happened sometime around the fourth orgasm.

  She didn’t smile back. Of course he’d known she was there the whole time. He’d deliberately charged the room with sexual energy. And now he knew her breasts were throbbing. He knew her sex was heavy with blood—swollen and pulsing. He knew every erogenously linked nerve in her body was singing its little heart out at the sight of him.

  Alex. The mind-reading, libido-controlling bastard. Oh help, he looked good.

  Before Caro could think of something to say, Jack started to walk her way, hands held out in greeting.

  “Caro!”

  “Hi, Jack.” Her voice came out all croaky. Taking a step toward him, she realized she was holding her briefcase in front of her like a shield. As she adjusted the strap over her shoulder, the heavy case swung back around and bumped her on the ass. Yeah, way to be sexy and smart, Caro.

  Jack’s smile was the thousand-watt movie star variety, with lots of sparkly teeth. Caro found his even features and conservatively cut dark brown hair pleasantly handsome, but his tall, muscled body and the sinful gleam in his blue eyes were what sealed the deal on his appeal. “Looking fabulous as always.” He gave her a hug—oh sweet Jesus, he smelled like Alex’s cologne—and then stepped back to look at her. “I wasn’t expecting you until later.”

  “You know what they say about early birds catching worms and all that.” She hoped her smile looked flirty and not foolish. “But maybe I’m too late to catch anything.”

  She knew Alex was watching and listening from across the room. His powers made him even more hyperaware of her than she was of him. He’d probably known the moment her plane had touched down at O’Hare this afternoon.

  “Well, you certainly caught us in the act.” Jack laughed and took her hand. “But I’m glad you’re early, because your chief competition is here early too. You guys must be trying to get the jump on each other or something.” He turned and gestured toward Alex and the redhead. “Come on over and meet Alexander King, of King and Associates. You’ve probably heard of his father, Ivan King? Vampire royalty and entertainment magnate? Incredible business ties in the immortal community.”

  Jack buzzed with enthusiasm and Caro blinked rapidly, wishing Alex would turn out to be an apparition. But he didn’t flicker and fade, he just stood there wearing a killer suit and his trademark sexy grin, outshining every light glowing in the cityscape sprawled behind him. Alex had obviously survived the last five years quite well. Of course, his vampire blood dramatically slowed his aging process.

  Jack performed introductions and before Caro could decide whether it would be smart to play dumb, Alex interrupted in a smooth, admirably cool voice. “Caro and I are already acquainted.”

  Alex took Caro’s hesitantly offered hand, but instead of shaking it he raised it to his mouth. She scowled up at the face she’d spent five years trying to purge from her daydreams and nightmares. All the features she knew and loved were still provokingly gorgeous, the length of his hair being the only difference in his appearance. Thick, black and satiny as polished onyx, it had once fallen dramatically to the center of his back. Now it brushed smoothly against the tops of his shoulders. Clenching her fingers against the urge to touch, she saw gray-green eyes laughing at her discomfort.

  He discreetly turned her palm to his lips, lightly flicking his tongue over the nerve-rich skin before stopping at the tattoo on her inner wrist. The small, intricately patterned mark was blipping wildly, like a metal detector honing in on a brick of gold. Hot sensation zoomed down through her belly. She planted her front teeth in the pad of her lower lip, trying to stifle a moan.

  Her agitation increased when he performed a tentative mind probe. He didn’t barge right in—he knew he didn’t have the right anymore—he simply gave the threshold of her thoughts a polite little nudge. When they had been lovers she’d often wondered what was greater—his power over her mind or his power over her body. She’d finally taken care of the latter by putting several hundred miles between them. But keeping him out of her thoughts had been a continuous struggle.

  Sweet, sweet Caroline…I’ve missed you so. Will you let me in? Just for a moment?

  No. No. No! She put up her defenses. They weren’t sophisticated but they were fairly effective. All she had to do was think of the opposite of Alex. Something truly repulsive. The swill at the bottom of a restaurant Dumpster right before trash day. Riding the Greyhound bus to Omaha. The bathrooms at Wrigley Field. That thing in the woods her neighbor’s dog had rolled in last summer…

  Damn it. Nothing was working.

  Alex had the nerve to laugh, the low, sexy sound making her want to close her eyes and moan. She pulled away from him abruptly, scowling and completely forgetting to act sexy or smart.

  Oh God. When in the hell had he started his own business? If they’d known they were going to be in competition with him, she and Lenny would have used completely different tactics for their proposal. Something along the lines of guerilla warfare, maybe.

  The female vampire, Sherene, was French. She looked elegant and sinful, her carmine-red hair, lips and fingernails stunning foils to her flawless, pale skin and white couture dress. Jack introduced her as Alex’s assistant.

  Right. There were probably a dozen so-called assistants just like Sherene back at Alex’s office.

  Sherene smiled knowingly as her azure gaze swept over Caro. No doubt she’d listened in on Alex’s thoughts. She held out the same hand that had been groping Alex’s crotch a few moments ago and said, “Great to finally meet you, Caroline.”

  Yep, she’d listened all right. Only Alex called her by that name. And of course, Sherene didn’t seem at all jealous of Alex’s interest in her. Female vampires liked to share their lovers with humans.
Humans made the mix spicier.

  Caro grasped Sherene’s fingers as briefly as possible, murmuring a polite response before shifting a worried glance at Jack. He was starting to look confused.

  The vibe in the room was getting a little dicey.

  “When did you start working the Chicago circuit, Caroline?” Alex asked genially. “I thought you were still doing catering gigs in Cleveland.”

  “Two years ago Len and I struck out on our own. Our company, Party Mavens, is still based in Cleveland but now we plan major events at home and around the Midwest.”

  “Congratulations.” Alex had the grace not to look too surprised. But why would he be? He probably already knew every detail about her business. “I always thought you’d be great at running the show.”

  Jack smiled. “Well, I’m glad you feel that way, Alex, and I’m glad you guys already know each other. Because you’re going to be working very closely together. I was going to wait until the party was going full swing before I made a formal announcement.”

  Caro inhaled slowly and tried not to look tense. Please, Jack. Please don’t say what I think you’re gonna say…

  “But now seems like the perfect time to tell you,” Jack continued. “I want to split the account and award it to both of you.”

  Caro exhaled another silent litany of ohshits. She spared a split-second glance at Alex. He was obviously reading her thoughts. His eyes widened slightly and the corner of his mouth quirked up. Smirk or smile? She didn’t know and she didn’t care.

  Jack prattled on, the happy business guy with a brilliant idea. “Pending final board approval, Caro’s Party Mavens will be handling the human side of the product launch and King and Associates will do the immortal side. But I want the division to be seamless. Something brand-new in the world of multi-persuasion marketing. We’ll give you a month to come up with something and if we like it, you won’t have to split the fee. You’ll each be paid as if you’d won the account exclusively. The only thing you’ll have to share is the work and the glory.”