“Should I be worried?” Marta asked.
“No, but be cautious. You have to wait for Jonathan to recruit two more vampires, and then you have to meet with them. Then you must begin the work of connecting with younger vampires” He checked his phone and put it back in his pocket. “But you should know that.”
“You remind me of a teenager.” She reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone. “Yes, I do know what you are telling me. I just hope you continue to help me.”
Eamon kept his eyes on his phone. “For as long as I’m able to.” He reached out for the phone and she pulled it away.
“How long do you think you would last without this?” she asked.
“Until I got home. I have another in my desk.”
The smile faded from Marta’s face and she handed the phone back to him. “What do you suppose Lauryl and Jonathan are talking about?”
“I don’t know or really care.”
“Really? You don’t care? If you say so.”
“I do say so.” Eamon continued to watch Lauryl and Jonathan talk. He knew what Jonathan was doing but assumed Lauryl to be astute enough to see it as well. “She’s now the good doctor’s companion. I simply care about her well-being. Not her sexual exploits.”
Marta shrugged her shoulders. “So she makes a friend. Lucky her. She could do worse.”
“Are we done for the evening?” He checked his watch and saw that it was only eleven o’clock.
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am. The work of the meeting has been accomplished. There’s no reason to stay.” And he had no desire to remain with a room full of vampires. Even if three of them were of his line.
Marta leaned in to him again and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I want you to stay.”
“What for? Your friends are here.”
“Because I do. I hate you being alone, left to your thoughts.”
Eamon laughed. “I should never have told you that. Perhaps I’m practicing for what might be. It’s beginning to look like I’m going to be alone.” That was the first time he’d verbalized his doubts and it kicked him in the stomach. He hadn’t heard from Amelie in a month and suspected that he wasn’t going to. He frowned and looked over at Lauryl. She smiled, trying to make him smile back. The frown remained and he looked back at Marta. “I remember a time when being a vampire was easy.”
“You seem to have developed a taste for women who aren’t as enamored with our kind as we are.”
“Well, one seems to have adjusted. The other I have no idea about.”
“Ask her.”
He shook his head. “No, I told her that it would be her decision. I’m not changing that.”
“Suit yourself. You refuse to let me send Isabelle over to talk to her when that might shorten your unhappiness.”
The muscles in Eamon’s neck and shoulders knotted. He rubbed his neck and sighed. “Does Isabelle want to be a vampire?”
Marta thought for a moment. “Yes, she does.”
“You hesitated before you answered.”
“She wants to make the choice as to when.”
“You feed from her frequently, though.”
“Yes, I do. Almost exclusively from her.”
“You’re fortunate.” He wished that had been the case with Amelie. Lauryl broke away from Jonathan and walked over to him. “Yes?”
“I wanted to see what was wrong. You seem like something is bothering you.” She looked at Marta, who continued to hang on him.
“I’m ready to leave.”
Marta tightened her grasp around his waist. “Really? I thought I’d take everyone over to Bathory. Jonathan wants to see it.”
“I’m sure he does. You don’t need me to come.”
“I want you to.” Lauryl linked her arm in his.
The sensation of Marta and Lauryl flanking him brought a sensual smile to his face and for a moment, his mind drifted off on a fantasy involving the three of them. “No, as much as I would enjoy spending the night holed up in a private room with you beautiful ladies, I think I’ll go home.”
Marta laughed and pulled on his arm. “Would it be more inviting if I included Isabelle? I know you think she’s beautiful.”
Was he that transparent these days? “I’m thinking more of Anna-Maria.” The petite brunette looked over at from across the room and smiled.
Lauryl let go of his arm. “Are you serious?”
Eamon and Marta stared at her.
“I was,” Marta said.
“I’m going home.” Eamon leaned over and kissed Marta on the cheek. He looked back at Lauryl. “Tell Dr. Wilson I said hello.” He kissed her on the cheek and was pleasantly surprised that she didn’t pull away. “Goodnight, darling.”
“You’re really going?” Lauryl asked.
“Yes. Ladies, Jonathan, I have to leave due to some business I have to take care of. I’ll no doubt see you all soon.” He winked at Anna-Maria and then left.
Lauryl turned back to Marta. “Do you want to come with us to Bathory?”
“No thank you, querida. But I know my friends will want to. Vivian, Eliza? Would you care to accompany Lauryl and Jonathan to Bathory? I think you’ll find it quite entertaining.”
The two vampires and Jonathan walked over to Lauryl and they all headed for the door. As they were walking out, Lauryl took Marta’s hand. “Cheer him up. He needs it.”
Marta nodded to Lauryl and closed the door. She turned back to Anna-Maria. “I suppose you are wondering why I didn’t send you off on their excursion.”
“I don’t question you, Marta.”
Marta wrapped her arm around Anna-Maria’s shoulder. “We are otherwise engaged.”
* * *
Eamon sat at his desk and drained the scotch in his glass. For a moment, he wished he could feel the intoxicating effects of the liquor he was so fond of. It would be nice to be able to forget the chaos and pain of his life, even if it was only temporarily. Alas, it had been too long for him to remember what that felt like. Now he drank for the taste. He refilled the glass, but pushed it away from him.
He wondered if Marta had been serious with her offer of her and Anna-Maria joining him in bed. Marta was an enigma. She did what she thought was necessary to keep the status quo, even if it involved sex. Her human life probably taught her that. Women had no real power so she probably learned at an early age to use her beauty and desirability to get what she wanted. It amused him that she had taken him on as sort of a personal project. She’d do whatever she needed to make sure he was stable and happy or as happy as he could be. He sat back in his chair and frowned at the picture of Lauryl.
He meant to take off his desk, but just hadn’t gotten to it. Why had she been so hesitant to join Marta with him? For all of her loud, gutter talk and erotic dancing in her club, she was a prude. Even though she hated to admit it, he knew that she harbored a bit of jealousy toward Marta and her attachment to him. He told her that eventually she’d like him. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes for a moment. The markers of older vampires caught his interest.
A few moments later, the bell rang. Marta and Anna-Maria.
Eamon opened the door and the two ladies smiled invitingly at him. “This is an unexpected pleasure.” He stepped aside from the door. “My dear Anna-Maria, welcome to my home.”
“We just came over to make sure you weren’t drowning in despair.” Marta rubbed against him like a cat as she walked past.
“You didn’t go to Bathory with the others?”
Anna-Maria turned to him. “No, we were more concerned about you.”
Eamon sat on the sofa. “I’m fortunate to have such caring ladies in my line. Caring and lovely.” Marta sat next to him on one side and Anna Maria the other. He put his arms around them. “However, I feel that I’m going to have to say no to whatever delights you offer me.”
Marta frowned at him. “Are you serious?”
“Marta, I’m completely serious. I’m not going to
lie and say that I wouldn’t love spending the rest of the night with you two, but I just can’t. I love Amelie and I can’t do that to her.”
“Sir,” Anna-Maria began. “I feel the love you have for this human and understand. We simply wanted to take you mind off the pain you feel.”
Eamon kissed her. “You’re very sweet, Anna-Maria.”
Marta sighed. “There is only one thing you can do to correct this problem with Amelie.”
He rolled his head back to Marta. “And that is?”
“Ask her.”
“I can’t do that, Marta.”
“Yes, you can. Aren’t you tired of not being in control of this situation? Right now you seem in a state of limbo. You have no idea of what is going to happen. If you ask her, you will know one way or another.”
Eamon reflected on what Marta said. “So you think I should ask her?”
Marta nodded. “Ask her.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
I Can’t Lose Another Person in My Life
Ask her.
Marta’s words from last night rang in Eamon’s mind. It was easy for Marta to make such simple statements, Eamon thought with a scowl. He understood she was only trying to help him, but it wasn’t that easy. Or was it? No more promises like the one to Amelie, he told himself. Not having control or influence over a situation was too difficult for him. This situation would be difficult for any vampire.
Eamon stopped at a traffic light and noticed Amelie’s iPod. Lauryl tried to take it from him but he refused to let it go. Right now that was all he had of her; the music she loaded into that iPod. He turned the music on and pulled forward when the light changed.
Ask her.
* * *
Amelie chucked her copy of Smithsonian on to the coffee table next to the other unread magazines that had piled up while she had been gone. She had stared at the same article for an hour but couldn’t focus. Restlessness had overpowered her since before she left for Gainesville two weeks ago. Spending time away from Tampa didn’t help her. Her friends there hovered over her like mothers. They took her out and tried to set her up on dates, but she refused. She wouldn’t tell them what happened between her and Eamon. She only told them that she had a lot to think about if they were going to stay together. When she packed to leave, they wanted her to stay, but she couldn’t. All she wanted to do was get back to Tampa.
She missed Eamon.
Yes. She missed him. She ached for him. Nothing she did took her mind off of him. Amelie wanted him back in her life but was afraid to reach out to him. What if he had moved on? After all, she was the one who sent him away. That fear controlled her.
Amelie stood up and stretched. She turned the light off and noticed a car parked outside. Her eyes adjusted and she recognized the dark gray Boxster. Eamon. She could see him leaning against the fender.
Her heart pounded. After a few seconds, she realized her heart wasn’t pounding with fear. It was pounding with excitement. The ache of loneliness disappeared. She parted the sheer curtains and stood in the window.
I have missed you so much, she thought.
Amelie hurried to the door, opened it, and moved back to the living room. A soft knock came from the door facing.
“May I come in?”
The splendid, sexual sound of his voice caused her knees to buckle with her first step. She steadied herself and walked to the foyer. “Yes.”
Eamon took a few cautious steps inside, closed the door, and looked over at her. Her eyes were shining with tears. “The last time I saw you, you had tears in your eyes. I hate to think I made you cry so much.”
She laughed and wiped her eyes. “I’m happy. I…Oh my God, I’ve missed you!”
He nodded and walked over to her. Each step he took, he waited a few seconds before the other. “Not as much as I’ve missed you.”
Amelie rushed to him. His arms closed around her and she sighed. “I thought I’d never feel your touch again.”
Eamon tilted her face up. “You only needed to ask.” He bent down and kissed her. As his lips touched hers, she melted into his arms. He kicked the door closed and picked her up. “This past month has been the longest I’ve known.” He carried her down the hall to her room and placed her on her bed.
Amelie rocked back on her heels. “I couldn’t find the words. I have so much to ask. I’ve missed you so much.”
He loosened his tie and pulled it off. “I’ll answer every question you have.”
“After. I need you close to me now.”
She reached up and unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his chest. She placed her hands on his skin and sighed with happiness. Her hands trailed up his to his neck and back down his body. When they got to his waist, she stopped. He smiled and guided her hands below the waistband. Eamon stepped out of his pants and laid her down on her bed. She was soft and warm underneath him.
Amelie touched his face. “I need you.” She took his hand, placed it over her heart, and slipped it between her legs. Her eyes never left his as he surveyed the warmth and wetness of her. Her heart raced as he continued to kiss her. Her nails scraped over his shoulders.
“I need you, too.” Eamon removed his fingers. Her legs opened wider for him and she drew her knees up. She took him in her hand and lifted her hips to him. He pulled his mouth away from hers.
“I’ve missed you so much. I know I keep saying it, but I have.” She reached up for his face.
“Let me show you how much I’ve missed you.” His tongue explored her mouth like it was their first kiss. Her body came alive everywhere his fingers touched. Goosebumps rose on her smooth skin and she shivered with anticipation. She raised her legs and wrapped them around his waist. Eamon’s hand found her breast and caressing it, pulling, and teasing the nipple. He placed his lips on it and sucked it gently before increasing the intensity. His tongue licked up to her collarbone and her heart raced again. To her disappointment, Eamon diverted his attention from her neckline. His finger sought the same wetness but she grabbed his hand. Her hips bumped against his in suggestive desperation and he finally gave her what she wanted.
Amelie froze and savored the sensation as he slid into her. She had forgotten the intense pleasure she felt when he filled her body. After a few seconds, her hips rolled and they matched each other’s movements. For every deep stroke, she forced her hips against him, meeting him. Her thighs tightened around him and she crossed her ankles to hold onto him. Her pace picked up and she lost herself in the moment of renewing their connection. Her memory of him was nothing compared to the actual sensation of him touching her. She closed her eyes and felt the increasing heat of her approaching orgasm. Eamon wrapped his hands in her hair and pulled lightly as he continued to thrust into her.
“Eamon,” she whispered. Her nails dug into his shoulders and stopped before drawing blood.
“Yes, darling,” he said close to her ear.
“Never leave me,” she said, turning her face, exposing her neck to him.
“I won’t. I promise.”
* * *
Amelie watched Eamon from the corner of her eye. He was propped on his elbow, running his hand along the curve between her waist and hip. He had stayed obviously clear of her neck, despite her trying to get him to kiss her there.
“Did you want to drink my blood?” she asked quietly.
His hand stopped. “I did. Not from hunger, but to be closer to you.”
“Oh,” she said, trying to sound casual.
“I’m not going to take your blood unless you ask me to.”
She sat up and faced him. “I want to talk about this. I’m ready to ask you some things.”
“I’ll answer anything you want.”
“I wanted to talk to you last night when I got home from Gainesville, but when I drove to your house, I guess you had company. There was a black Mercedes in the drive.”
“Ah yes, Marta and her offspring Anna-Maria had dropped by.”
“So she’s not really your cousin,” she s
aid.
“No. She is the offspring of one of my former companions who met a final death.”
“Oh.”
“I couldn’t tell you the truth then, darling. I wasn’t ready.”
Amelie nodded. “When I saw you had company, I came home.”
“I wish you would have called me.”
“It’s okay.” She fidgeted with her fingers, unsure of what to ask next. “This is really weird to talk about.”
“Just ask, darling.”
“Is it going to hurt? I mean when you do it. I know you’ve done it before, but I don’t remember.”
“No, none of it will be painful. Amelie, I love you and wouldn’t do anything to cause you pain.”
“How often will I need to drink blood?”
“Two or three times a week in the beginning.”
She nodded. “Do you know a lot of vampires?”
The serious expression on his face morphed into a smile. “My dear, this city is thick with them. That club, Bathory, is a hangout for them. The young woman who took us to the VIP suite, Sasha, is a vampire.”
“Oh.” Amelie took a moment to process everything. It was incredible that Tampa, the city she had been born and raised in, was full of vampires.
“Yes, this is an odd place for such a high population of vampires. You would think somewhere like New York or Los Angeles but never Tampa.”
“How do you go out in the daytime? I didn’t think vampires could go out in the sun?”
“I’m what’s known as a day-walker. Not all vampires are day-walkers. More than likely, you’ll be one. Traits and strengths like that are passed through blood like human heredity. I myself don’t really understand how I can do it. It’s just an ability I have. I can psychically shield my body in a way other vampires can’t. Perhaps all vampires can do it but haven’t realized the power.”
“Can you read my mind?”
“I can. I try not to do it because I’ve found that those I love don’t like it. I’m having a hard time breaking the habit.”
“Can you make me do things? Or think things?”
Life in Moonlight: The Primigenio Tales: Book 1 Page 27