Come Undone: Romance Stories Inspired by the Music of Duran Duran

by Kim Carmichael

  Luca made her feel wanted. Ferocity was beautiful in that form. She remembered the cards from that morning that said he would be a good friend. Good indeed.

  “Do you want to stay with me tonight?” she asked, locking her fingers with his.

  “Yes. I think I’d like that.” He kissed her lips softly.

  They dried off and didn’t bother getting dressed. Collette pulled out the bed and took pillows and blankets out of the closet. She usually slept with both pillows under her head but sacrificed one for Luca. She spread the quilt over the bed and climbed under it.

  Luca laid his phone on the counter and locked her door. “You should keep this locked.”

  “I usually do, but I was a little distracted after you came in.” She laughed.

  He lay down with her and pulled her back against his chest.

  Not being alone was nice and her body curved perfectly against his, like they were two puzzle pieces. It felt right.

  “What happened tonight? I mean after you left the shop and before you came here.”

  There was a hesitation in a breath he took. “I forgot to drop something off to my grandmother. She lives over by Jackson Square. When I was coming back some dudes jumped me. Probably to steal my wallet, but I took off.”

  She wasn’t sure if he was telling her the truth, but she left it alone. With his arm around her, she drifted off to sleep.

  * * * *

  THE SUN WOULDN’T BE UP for another couple of hours. Luca hadn’t slept and essentially had stayed to keep an eye on Collette. What had gone down with Betina concerned him. He hoped she had just been curious about Collette, but his vampire senses were on high alert, especially after the fight.

  Collette’s heartbeat was slow and her breathing even. Every once in a while she jerked and moved around. Probably dreaming. The only time he slept soundly anymore was if he knocked himself out with belladonna. If it was possible for a vampire to be unhealthy, he was.

  Luca inhaled Collette’s scent, the same scent Betina had reacted to the other night. Luca didn’t like that he’d have to sneak out and leave before she woke up, but if he stayed longer, he’d have to stay all day until the sun went down and that would be awkward. Shit, the whole situation was weird already. But Collette was safe from the vampires during daylight.

  Collette was smart, and he was pretty sure she hadn’t bought his story about getting jumped. He couldn’t tell her that he was a vampire and that his crazy-ass sire might be stalking her or that he’d had a knock-down, drag-out fight with his clan.

  There wasn’t a relationship between Luca and Collette yet, but he’d drawn her into the mess unwittingly so he had a responsibility now. The last thing he needed was an attachment, but here he was.

  An hour before sunrise, he quietly slipped out of her bed and got dressed. Collette didn’t stir at all. He splashed some water on his face and used some of her mouthwash. He twisted the lock on the knob of the door and pulled it closed on his way out then he sent her a text message.

  “Had to take off. See you later?”

  He slipped out the back door of the building and tucked his phone in his pocket. Spending the night with Collette made him not want to go home, if he could call it home anymore.

  Over the next few weeks, he spent less and less time there. Betina stopped asking him where he was going and when he’d be back. Luca started feeling better. Maybe human companionship was the cure for vampire angst. He and Collette found they had a lot in common with music and art and she’d turned him on to reading, something he’d never enjoyed all that much. On the nights he slept at her house, she’d read aloud a chapter of whatever horror novel she had on hand. Luca found himself looking forward to that more than anything. It was weirdly intimate to have someone read to you and he liked it a lot. He liked her a lot.

  But he wasn’t lucky enough to have things go so well without a hitch, and the cards said he’d have to make some sacrifices and that the problem wouldn’t go away on its own. Maybe—just maybe—the cards were wrong.

  Chapter Four

  LUCA CAME TO THE STORE almost every night she worked. Sometimes they talked and sometimes she read his cards. She looked at her watch. He was usually there by then. Maybe he wasn’t coming tonight. At ten o’clock, she locked the door and turned off the lights. She checked her phone. No messages or missed calls.

  Through the glass door, she peered outside. Although no one was right there, Collette couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in her stomach when she was alone in the store. Nothing had happened, nor had she seen anyone suspicious, but for the last week it seemed like whenever she turned her back, someone was watching her. It was stupid. There was no reason to be so jumpy.

  As soon as she grabbed the banister, she heard a tap on glass. She looked over her shoulder. Luca was smiling outside the front door. She feigned exasperation as she unlocked the door and pulled it open.

  “Sorry I’m late.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “No problem, baby.”

  Luca followed her up the stairs.

  “I’m starving. Do you want a sandwich?” she asked him.

  He plopped down on the couch. “No, thanks. I already ate.”

  “How about something to drink?”

  “What do you have?”

  “I have apple juice, tea and vodka.” She laughed. “Not exactly a great selection.”

  “What do you mix the vodka with? Apple juice?” he asked.

  “No. I drink it straight out of the bottle.”

  “Be still my heart.” He clutched his chest and smiled.

  With the bottle of vodka tucked under her arm, she carried her sandwich to the living room and sat on the floor. “I made something for you.”

  “You did? What is it?”

  It had taken her hours to put it together at the record store and she hoped he would like it. “It’s a mix tape of songs that remind me of you. The record store has a program to make these old tapes like back in the eighties. I thought it would be cool.”

  He joined her on the floor and smiled. “Thanks. That was very nice of you.” He smoothed her hair away from her cheek and pressed his lips to hers. “Put it on. Let’s hear it.”

  “I picked up this tape player at a yard sale last weekend.” Collette slipped the white cassette tape in and started it. The sound wasn’t great, but good enough. The first song was an old Marvin Gaye tune.

  “That’s a good beginning,” he said.

  She forgot about her sandwich and took his hand. “Dance with me.”

  “I’m not much of a dancer.”

  “Just pretend we’re lying down. Move like that,” she whispered.

  A sly smile crossed his lips. “I’ll give it a shot.”

  On their feet, she put her arms around his neck, and he settled his hands on her hips. She swayed slowly from side to side and mouthed the words of the song. Luca kissed her forehead and followed her lead, pulling her body against his.

  The tingle started when her breasts rubbed against his chest. Her nipples hardened. His hands slid lower on her hips and inched her denim mini skirt up. He cupped her ass and picked her up. Collette wrapped her legs around his waist.

  With a quick motion, she pulled her T-shirt off and unhooked her bra, dropping both on the floor.

  Luca kissed the side of her breast then closed his lips on her nipple and sucked.

  She tangled her fingers into his hair and groaned. His hard dick was nestled against her inner thigh maybe a half inch away from her pussy. The thin fabric of her panties wasn’t much of a barrier and she wanted him inside her.

  Teasingly, he bit her nipple and pulled on it. “I want to eat you.”

  Her skin tingled and she shivered. “Yeah. Okay. I’m good with that.”

  He set her on the edge of the couch and peeled her panties off. Luca kissed the inside of her thigh and lifted her leg over his shoulder. With one hand on her breast, he used the other to spread her open.

  Her breath caught in
her throat when he licked her clit. With a glance up at her, he closed his lips on her and sucked gently. He swiped his tongue from side to side, then up and down.

  Collette grabbed a handful of his hair and bit her lip. “Mmm. God.” She moaned and resisted the urge to wrap her leg around his neck and pin his face against her pussy. Bolts of pleasure coursed through her body and her breathing sped up.

  He slipped a finger inside her just as her muscles contracted and the tell-tale thump began. It was like her heart was beating squarely between her legs and she threw her head back against the couch, pulling his hair in the process. “I’m coming,” she mewled and her toes curled.

  Luca finger-fucked her through the orgasm, while easing up the suction on her clit.

  “Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.”

  Keeping his finger inside her, he smiled. “Hearing you get loud, feeling you come. Damn, that turns me on so much.”

  She nodded. “Me too.”

  Luca laughed. “Jesus. You’re beautiful.”

  Collette pushed him onto his butt and yanked at the buttons of his jeans.

  “Here. Let me help you.” He pulled his pants open.

  She reached inside and gripped his cock. “You’re so hard.” She took a condom from the drawer beside the couch and tossed a blanket on the floor next to him. “Lie back.”

  He scooted over onto the blanket and she climbed on top of him.

  A small patch of dark hair started at his belly button and trailed down lower. With her legs on either side of him, she stroked him a few times then tore open the condom wrapper to slide it down his length. She positioned herself over him.

  He breathed hard and rubbed his hands over the front of her thighs.

  With a smile, she leaned down and licked his nipple as she lowered herself onto his thick shaft. She bit into his flesh and dropped her ass down.

  His fingers dug into her legs and he groaned. “Fuck.”

  The music still played, and she moved up and down with the rhythm. Once she was adequately adjusted to his size, she sat up and squeezed her knees against his hips. She leaned back and put her hand on his thigh to help her momentum. In that position, he seemed impossibly big and she slowed her movements.

  Luca gasped and grabbed her ass roughly. He tried to move her faster.

  “I can’t do it hard like this. You’ll hurt me.” Collette panted and lifted again.

  Moving with her, he raised his hips as she came back down. “God, you’re a test of my self-control.”

  She moaned loud when he bucked up inside her. The sensation was a heady mixture of pleasure and pain and she was going to come again.

  He pulled his knees up behind her and she leaned against them. Somehow the dynamic had changed, and he was in control again. He held her hips and thrust into her faster than she thought she could handle. But, fuck, it felt so good.

  She leaned forward to absorb less of the impact. With her head on his shoulder, he wrapped an arm around her back and pounded into her without mercy. She squeaked and moaned and dragged her teeth over his neck.

  “Bite me,” he said through gritted teeth.

  The sweet salty taste of his skin on her tongue made her mouth water and she did as he asked. She bit into his flesh. Not hard enough to break the skin, but enough that he growled and flipped her over onto her back. He arranged her legs over his shoulders and grabbed the backs of her thighs.

  His eyes flashed, or maybe she imagined it. The mind did funny things when the body was on the verge of coming, and she was right on the precipice. Every nerve ending was lit up.

  On his knees, he fucked her hard. “Your pussy feels so good on my dick.”

  The blanket slid under her back and the friction burned, but she didn’t care. “I’m—oh, fuck—I’m coming.” She tried to find something to grab on to but he was too far away in that position. Her fingers closed on the blanket on either side of her. “Oh, oh.”

  He tightened his grip on her legs and slammed into her harder, deeper. “Come, baby. I’m right there too.” Luca growled again and reared his head back.

  Her pussy clenched on his dick, and she screamed. The muscles in her legs failed and shook violently. If he hadn’t been holding her thighs, she would have lost all control of her body.

  He plunged into her one last time and moaned an oath to Jesus.

  Her legs throbbed from his grip and her pussy had a death grip on his cock.

  Luca eased out of her and rolled over beside her. “God damn.”

  Collette linked her fingers with his and held their hands up. “You have big hands.”

  “Or you have small hands.” He laughed. “You got any more of those clove cigarettes?”

  “Yeah, in my purse.” She bent over to rifle through her bag and he smacked her ass. She squealed and spun around. “You’re so bad.”

  He laughed. “I couldn’t resist.”

  After she found the pack, she shook two out. “Here.” She handed one to Luca and held out the lighter. “I don’t know what we’re doing here, but I like it.”

  He lit her cigarette first then held the flame under his. “Yeah, I don’t know either. I don’t think we have to stick a label on it, but you’re my best friend. You know that, right?”

  Collette turned onto her side and kissed his shoulder. “I am?”

  “Yeah.” He kissed the top of her head.

  Hearing him say that meant more to her than hearing I love you.

  * * * *

  COLLETTE HAD READ TWO chapters of a Dean Koontz novel before she fell asleep. He wrapped her uneaten sandwich in a paper towel and put it in her little refrigerator. A small velvet bag sat on the kitchen counter next to a candle. Luca sniffed the candle. It had a flowery smell. He picked up the square pouch and rubbed his thumb over the velvet.

  The drawstrings were pulled closed and he loosened them and looked inside. It held Collette’s tarot cards. He took them out and studied the pictures. The brightly colored images held no significance to him. Luca admittedly knew nothing about tarot cards or witchcraft.

  He replaced them in the bag and watched her sleeping on the floor across the room. The blanket was draped around her waist and her hands were clasped under her chin like she was praying. Maybe she could help him with Betina. He thought Collette trusted him and he trusted her too. She was the only person he trusted at the moment.

  Luca lay quietly beside her until she stirred.

  Collette rolled over and put her arm across his chest. “Do you ever sleep?” she asked.

  He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Once in a while.”

  “You look pensive.” She leaned up on her elbow. “What’s up?”

  “I need to tell you something.” Nobody liked hearing that phrase and he saw the recognition on her face.

  She looked away. “What is it?”

  “Do you remember that night in the store when the blonde woman came in and bought the candleholders?”

  Collette nodded.

  “I lied. I did know her.”

  Collette removed her arm from across him and sat up. Her shirt was on the arm of the couch and she grabbed it to pull over her head. “Do I want to hear this?”

  “She’s an ex-friend.”

  “You mean an ex-girlfriend?”

  “Well, yeah.” He was trying to put in a way that wouldn’t sound like he was a bastard.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that night?”

  “I wasn’t sure how to tell you. She’s kind of stalking me. When I left that night, I went after her to tell her to stay away from here and I ended up getting into a fight with her new boyfriend.”

  “If she has a boyfriend, why is she stalking you?”

  “She’s not right in the head, Collette. She’s dangerous.”

  “Again, why are you telling me this?”

  “I was wondering if you could do a spell or something to make her stop. I saw in a movie once where a witch did a binding spell on someone. Could you do something like that to her?
”

  Collette took a cigarette out of her purse and lit it. After a couple of drags she turned to face him and crossed her legs. “I don’t like that you lied to me, but I’ll think about what I can do.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was hoping the problem would go away before I’d have to.”

  “Is this the problem that came up during the reading I gave you?”

  Luca nodded.

  Collette reached out and touched his hand. “Don’t lie to me again. Friends don’t lie to each other, okay?”

  He looked at her face. “I won’t.”

  “Before I do anything, I need to know a little more about the situation. I won’t just bind someone out of the blue. I need a good reason. And I’m kind of pissed at you.”

  He understood her anger and told her an abbreviated version that left out the vampirism.

  * * * *

  AFTER HEARING THE TALE of Betina and Luca, she was almost convinced to do the binding. Betina sounded like a lunatic, but Collette was well aware that there were two sides to every story. A binding wasn’t a terribly serious spell. There wasn’t a lot of harm in making sure that she couldn’t hurt anyone. But still, Collette needed some time to process the information. She didn’t practice hasty magick, nor did she do it while angry.

  Collette handed Luca a black felt tip pen and a piece of parchment paper. “Write her name on this.”

  He scribbled the name “Betina.” His handwriting was nice for a guy.

  She left the piece of paper on the counter. “I’m going to hold on to this for a bit while I consider it. For now, I want you to go home, Luca. You need to be sure this is what you want to do and I need to think.”

  “I understand.” Luca looked at the floor. “I’m sure about it. I want her to leave me alone, but I know you’re upset. I get it. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t keep apologizing. You fucked up, but it’s not fatal. Also, to be wholly effective, I need to not be pissed off when I practice magick.”

  “Okay, okay.” He stood up and tucked his phone in his back pocket. “Call me later?”

  “Sure.” Collette walked him to the door and closed it behind him. She rested her forehead against the wood and sighed. “Why are men so stupid?”