It had been so long since he had kissed or touched a woman like this, since he had lost his mind to desire. Every thought vacated his mind, save ones of her body, of getting inside her.
With one tightly budded nipple in his mouth and his hand rubbing Zoey into a frenzy, a memory of his wife Mila assaulted him. He had loved to sink his fangs into the soft pink flesh around her nipple and suckle blood from her breast as he made love to her. The bite had driven Mila crazy with pleasure. He wanted Zoey writhing and crying out underneath him the way Mila used to.
Carried away with the image, his fangs extended in his mouth. He pulled away to regain his control.
“Don’t stop. That feels incredible.”
“Just give me a minute, beauty.” He kept his hand between her legs, cupping her with firm pressure as he stood and nuzzled her neck. “You’re making me lose control,” he whispered in her ear, and she shivered. Her nipples budded even harder.
“Lucky you still have some, I—” She silenced herself so abruptly that her teeth clicked when her mouth closed.
She must have thought of him then, just like he had fantasized about her. His face spread into a smile so wide that, in the dark, he probably looked like the damn Cheshire cat.
Pulling away from him, she pressed her lips into a grim line. It was sweet the way she regretted admitting it, or maybe she was worried about their business relationship.
“Zoey, I’ve thought of you often since that night. I don’t see why we can’t work together and…” He leaned in to kiss her again, but jerked back abruptly. “Davo. Zoey, get dressed. Someone’s coming.”
She opened her mouth as if to protest.
He cut her off. “Now.”
The graceful line of her back sloped to the ground as she looked for her tank top. She huffed. “I don’t hear anything.”
“You will in a minute.” He recognized the voices of the approaching men and relaxed. He adjusted his pants, his erection pressing against his inseam uncomfortably, as Zoey reassembled her layers.
His sons stepped through the surrounding trees into the clearing. The addition of two more big bodies cramped the small space.
Bel offered her his hand, “Lobel Maras. People call me Bel. You must be the lovely Zoey Porter. Kos told me about you.”
She scrutinized Bel. She was sharp. No doubt she noticed how much he resembled Andre, and that he looked to be the same age as both he and Kos, or would have, if they had not wasted so much.
“You’re his son, too?”
Bel nodded.
She gazed up at Andre. “Oh for the love of God, how old are you?”
He tried to laugh off her question and stepped forward to offer Bel his hand. “Son, it’s been a long time.”
The greeting was too formal, but at least Bel returned his handshake. There was a time when he would not have.
“I’m sorry, that was rude of me,” Zoey said, stepping forward. “Nice to meet you. Do you live here too?”
“No, I live in London. I’m here for a visit, just arrived—”
“Are you two out for a pleasant stroll?” Andre asked, although he already knew the answer.
“I’m afraid not,” Kos replied. “There’s trouble with some of the equipment. One of the vats is leaking. Pedro wants to put the wine into the barrels a little early, but he wanted to run it by you first.”
It was a lie; the vats were all emptied months ago. There was some other kind of problem. Kos’s eyes were gray with worry, but he would have come right out and said so if it was a four alarm fire.
“All right, we will come back right now,” Andre said. “Zoey, I’m sorry to cut our walk short.”
Bel snorted. “Yeah, you’ll just have to finish your walk later.”
Andre looked at Zoey. She colored pink in the moonlit. Why did Bel have to embarrass her? Kos had probably heard their heavy petting all the way from the house and told Bel what they were up to. He would smell her too—she was putting off an intoxicating mix of pheromones and aroused female that would make any male vampire swoon.
Andre gritted his teeth as, two by two, they marched out of the clearing. Whatever the emergency was, it had better be good.
And could it possibly be as much of a problem as his attraction to Zoey? It was the memory of Mila that had snapped him. He had nearly forgotten the pleasure of sex and blood together. His sudden recollection made it damned near impossible to remember why he and Zoey could not share that pleasure.
But the presence of his sons reminded him why: she worked for the Hunters, and more importantly, the moment he swallowed a warm mouthful of her blood, his heart would be lost to her. If Mila had taught him anything it was that love brought pain. He had hoped they could indulge their attraction and enjoy each other for a while. But he was glad his sons had brought him back to reality. He couldn’t risk being close to her like that again.
Zoey turned on the tap and squeezed toothpaste onto her brush. She didn’t believe for a minute that the emergency was equipment failure. The men were clearly hiding something. Their silence on the walk back to house confirmed it. What was the big secret? And how the hell did Kos and Bel even find them all the way out at the spring?
With a tight grip on her toothbrush, she took out her frustration on her teeth. Soon they would be very clean.
At least Andre had finally told her why he needed her expertise. Now she had the feeling they were keeping something else from her. Earlier in the day, the secret seemed almost like an oversight, but now it felt deliberate, and she resolved to figure out what it was.
The room was still hot, and when she pulled her nightgown out of her suitcase, her skin prickled from the heat. Sleeping in just her panties and tank top would be more comfortable. When she slid into the clean, crisp sheets, she enjoyed the feeling on her legs. It was never warm enough in her drafty apartment in San Francisco to sleep without cozy pajamas.
Maybe he would come to her later to finish what they had started near the spring. He had promised a repeat performance…
The muscles between Zoey’s legs clenched at the thought of him climbing into bed over her. She wanted to unzip his pants and free that mighty erection; she wanted to see it. Moisture pooled between her legs for the second time that night.
Too worked up to fall asleep, she touched herself while remembering the way he had expertly teased her through her jeans. Damn it, she wanted him inside her. If only he had slipped his hands into her jeans and spread her with his fingers. She imagined him finding the right spot inside her, and she stifled a cry as she quickly came. Promptly, she fell asleep, only to dream about him again, just like she had night after night since they had met.
Chapter 12
ANDRE HAD BEEN TOO PREOCCUPIED with questions to wish Zoey a proper goodnight. Why had Kos and Bel sought him out? Did they have news of the Hunters? In spite of his concerns, it had taken a healthy dose of restraint not to follow her peach of an ass up the stairs.
Grudgingly, he followed his sons into the parlor instead. Bel headed straight for the bar. Kos opened a French door and a rush of cool air filled the room. The fact they were settling in meant the emergency was no more than two alarms.
Upstairs, he could hear the sound of Zoey getting into the bed.
“What’s the problem? Did you find—”
Zoey’s breath quickened. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.
“You can’t blame her,” Kos said with a grin. “You left her in quite a state.” He lowered himself onto the sofa.
Suddenly exhausted, Andre rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, then wiped his hand down his face. “It wasn’t my choice to leave her in that state. And of course I don’t blame her. I just wish her a little more privacy.” He tried not to imagine her fingers, slick from touching herself. He sat down across from Kos.
“I’m sure you’d do the same thing if vampires were capable of doing that,” he said.
Although Bel couldn’t have heard Zoey, he must have guessed what
they were talking about because he choked, dribbling his drink down his chin. “Vampires can’t do that? Jesus, and I thought you guys were missing out on the bourbon.”
“No kidding,” Kos answered. “I was barely twenty when he turned me. I bet if Andre had told me I couldn’t jack off anymore, I’d have changed my mind.”
Kos laughed and Bel joined him. In spite of his impatience to learn news of the Hunters, Andre laughed too. He liked seeing them together, acting like brothers. Just then, Zoey’s stifled cry slid through the floorboards and a tremor of relief went through him. Was it because she had found her satisfaction or because asleep she would be less of a distraction?
On the heels of her gasp, the notes of a familiar tune drifted from her room. He pictured her, full lips pouted, humming herself to sleep. What was that melody? Happy Birthday? Odd lullaby.
Bel interrupted his thoughts by saying, “Poor thing. She seems to like you.”
“Lots of them like him,” Kos said. “What’s different is that he likes her. I’ve haven’t seen him like this since…”
Andre looked at his son. Did Kos even remember when he and Mila had been in love?
“Ever. I’ve never seen you like this.”
Andre gritted his teeth and willed away his erection. “Can we please talk about the goddamn Hunters now?”
The front door creaked open and he looked toward it. Kos said, “I called Pedro before we came looking for you. I thought it was time to tell him the whole story.”
“Good idea,” Andre replied. But then Pedro strolled into the room with his usual springing step, and Andre faltered, dropping into a chair. The whole story would change his life.
Andre said, “Bel, pour Pedro a bourbon.”
“I’ll have a beer, thanks,” Pedro said, winking to show Andre how much he enjoyed being contrary.
Bel brought him a cold bottle from a mini fridge; when he realized he needed an opener, he popped the cap off with his teeth.
“Ouch, man,” Pedro said, taking the bottle and clinking it with Bel’s glass. “So, what’s up?”
“Pedro, please understand that I trust you completely. I simply hoped you would never need to know—”
“Save the warm fuzzy stuff and just tell me your deep, dark vampire secrets.” Pedro slumped onto the sofa next to Kos.
Laughter burst from Bel, and Pedro turned to look at him more closely. “Oh, so you’re the other brother?” He craned his neck to give Bel a once over. “He got all the good looks, huh, Kos?”
“Piss off,” Kos said, though he showed his dimples and shook his head.
When Andre had hired Pedro, Kos was freaked out about him being gay. So Pedro constantly called Kos ugly, to let him know he wasn’t interested. The onslaught of insults became so funny that it had put Kos at ease.
Bel didn’t get the joke, but he accepted Pedro’s compliment with a thumb pointing at his own chest. “That’s me. The good looking one.”
“So what’s up?” Pedro asked.
Bel took the seat next to Andre and began the explanation. “Hunters. There are people called Hunters who kill vampires and all the members of the vampire’s house—”
“Lucas and Ethan Bennett are Hunters,” Kos said, cutting to the chase. “That’s what we could smell after you—” he hesitated “—met Lucas.”
After blurting out the news, they were silent while Pedro absorbed it. Eventually, Pedro sat up straight in his chair. “They’re trying to kill you while pretending to do your PR?”
“They’re trying to gather information about us,” Andre said.
“Zoey’s a spy?” Pedro asked.
With all the laughter drained from the room, the weight of Andre’s burdens settled down on him again, making his wasting muscles ache. “Yes, but I don’t think she knows it,” he replied. “We’ve been waiting them out, trying to figure out what they know about us.”
“But tonight, Bel and I were in Forestville for dinner,” Kos said.
“He eats?” Pedro asked.
“I’m not a vampire,” Bel said.
“But aren’t you like—?”
“I’m a half—”
“Later!” Andre growled.
Kos complied. “I smelled several of them—maybe ten or twelve Hunters. They were in the pub where Bel wanted to eat.”
Andre had to unclench his jaw to say, “Davo. Did you get a look at them?”
Kos shook his head. “I didn’t want to risk it.”
“No matter,” Bel said, gazing at the ceiling. “A bunch of guys in a pub sounds like initiates. We should assume the Bennetts called them in. Stupid of them to go out in public where you could smell them.”
Pedro spoke up. “Who are initiates?”
“They’re the young ones—it’s like a rite of passage for them to kill someone who lives in the household,” Kos said. “Which, I’m afraid, includes you.”
Pedro took the threat in stride, just like he had all those years ago when he walked in on Andre feeding. “Initiation? That’s messed up, man. How old?”
“As young as thirteen, I’ve heard. If the initiates are here, it means they plan to attack us soon,” Andre said. He shifted in a chair, trying to soothe his tired bones.
By the time they had explained the pertinent details, Pedro’s face was drained of color. “Shit. They hate you all for being predators, but they’re the ones who sound like the animals.”
“That about sums it up,” Bel said. “Andre, do you know how much you’ve been weakened since you left Croatia?”
Andre shook his head. “I haven’t wanted to test myself.”
“What about you, Kos?”
“I don’t know either.”
“Well, it’s time to test what you’re capable of. Let’s go over to the workroom and you can try lifting heavy shit.”
“Why are they getting weaker?” Pedro asked Bel, as they descended into the underground cellars.
“Because they were made vampires in Croatia,” Bel said. “It’s their homeland. Their blood ties them there. When they don’t live there, they’re weakened.”
“Why don’t they go back?”
“Forced exile is the Hunters’ strategy. They always patrol places where they’ve driven out vampires. If they were unable to kill them, they know the wasting disease eventually will.”
When Andre opened the door, the musty smell of wine barrels was heavy in the cool air of the cellar.
“What causes the disease?” Pedro asked.
“No one knows. It doesn’t seem to be in the blood,” Bel replied. “Even if Andre flew in people from Croatia today and fed from them, it wouldn’t help. I’ve considered studying it, but I don’t even know where to start.”
“Study? Like vampire medical research?”
“It’s a hobby of mine.”
Andre snorted. “If by hobby, you mean a graduate degree from Cambridge and four decades later one from Oxford.” He was damn proud of Bel, actually, but every time he attempted to say so, his tongue tied in knots. He no longer tried.
“If the wine is making them stronger, why not study that?”
“My thoughts exactly,” Bel replied. “I’ve got an experiment in mind.”
“There’s something I don’t understand—if you weren’t suffering from the disease in Croatia, why did you drink wine?”
“It made us strong,” Kos replied. “We still needed blood, but much less.”
When they arrived in the winemaking facility, Bel put them through a rigorous fitness test. Andre and Kos lifted empty oak barrels and then barrels full of wine. He estimated they weighed roughly five hundred pounds each.
“Why do we even bother with the forklift?” Pedro asked.
Disheartened, Andre ignored the joke, stooping over the stainless steel worktable.
“It’s more difficult than you thought?” Bel guessed.
“I’m a bit fatigued,” Andre said.
They all looked at Kos. “You?”
“I feel like I just ha
d my ass handed to me.”
“Let’s try shifting one of the vats,” Bel said.
Together, they were able to move an empty stainless steel vat several feet to the side. They couldn’t even budge the full one.
“But it weighs forty tons,” Pedro said. “How could you possibly move it?”
In reply, Kos asked Andre, “Do you remember the time you pushed over Uta’s grain silo? God, that was funny. She had to come to you to borrow grain to feed her household. She was so pissed.”
“Of course I remember. It’s not wise to forget if you’ve angered Uta,” Andre said. “I will never forget the look on her face.” A smile came to his own. What was Uta up to these days? How would a former tribal queen and freedom fighter against the Roman Empire pass her time in the twenty-first century? Christ, she was a handful.
“When was the last time you flew?” Bel asked.
“No way,” Pedro said. “You can’t be serious.”
Andre ignored him.
“Nineteen forty-two. I was curious about the fortifications being constructed along the California coast to defend against a Japanese attack. I went out to see for myself.”
“Have you tried since?”
“No.”
Bel gestured to the door. “We have a little while until dawn. Let’s see what you’ve got left.”
Outside, Andre stepped forward while they formed a semicircle around him. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and did not allow himself to think twice. He bent his knees and pushed off his toes. Shooting up into the air, he landed on the gentle slope of the roof.
“Madre de Dios,” Pedro said.
Bel and Kos exchanged a worried glance. It made the sinking feeling in Andre’s stomach worse. No one said a thing, which gave him time to wonder how long he had before he shriveled up like a raisin and keeled over in the manner of a decrepit human.
“What?”
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