by Calista Fox
Claim Me
Calista Fox
Book 4 in the Body Scenes series.
Jane longs for a human’s touch. Being a vampire precludes her from seeking an elusive fulfillment and ever-burning craving. Then, one unexpected night, two devastatingly handsome and intensely passionate shapeshifters imprint on her.
Werewolf alpha Jude isn’t accustomed to sharing a mate, but what choice does he have when both he and his second, Cray, pick up the beautiful British vampire’s seductive scent and are innately and physically drawn to her? What starts out as a sticky situation turns into a touchy-feely one that results in a scorching-hot three-way love affair. But the wolves are being hunted by an ousted pack member looking for revenge and they’ve already suffered one loss—Jude’s former lover.
Suddenly, more than Jane’s heart is on the line—the fate of her very existence is in the hands of her sexy shifters.
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Claim Me
ISBN 9781419938900
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Claim Me Copyright © 2012 Calista Fox
Edited by Briana St. James
Photography and cover art by Syneca
Models: Shannon, Nick & Alex
Electronic book publication January 2012
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
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.
The publisher and author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book.
The publisher does not have any control over, and does not assume any responsibility for, author or third-party Web sites or their content.
Claim Me
Calista Fox
Acknowledgements
The heroine of this story, Jane, is a significant character in the third Body Scenes story, Seduce Me. She fit the situation well in that book, but she also had such a strong personality and such tragic internal conflicts that I wanted to give her a story of her own. It couldn’t be just any old romance for a vampire, though, especially one so feisty! Jude and Cray are equally strong, but vastly different from one another, which offers the promise of an exciting romance for Jane…I hope you enjoy her journey!
Thanks, as always, to my editor, Bree. I adore working with you!
Chapter One
“You’ve taken over my desk, Jane?”
Her head whipped in the direction of the door and Jane Van Kamp let out a squeal of delight as she sprang to her feet. “Drake, you’re back!”
He gave her his usual slow, sexy grin as he strolled into the spacious office above Body Scenes, the nightclub he’d opened last year. It was one of Manhattan’s most exclusive venues, with a bonus naughty art gallery showcasing murals painted on naked bodies. The erotic joining of the models completed the creative and intricately designed pieces.
Over the decades, Jane had been Drake Halston’s assistant in various capacities, locations and business ventures. But since he’d been in Mexico on his honeymoon, she’d gladly taken over management of the club, his latest investment.
Despite how much she enjoyed being in control of the business while he was away, she was thrilled he’d returned. She rushed across the room to greet him with an enthusiastic hug.
He chuckled at her exuberance.
She pulled away and composed herself.
“You’ve made yourself quite comfortable in my absence, I see.” His British accent was a tad subtler than hers and it held a dark sensuality Jane found alluring.
Too bad Drake was no longer on the market. Not that she’d wanted everlasting love with him. She’d carried a torch for someone else the entire fifty years she’d been a vampire, though her lover Sean was long staked and burned to ash. Being a reclusive immortal ever since had left Jane lonely, but for some time at least, she’d had Drake, a once-reclusive immortal himself, to scratch the itch when need be.
No more.
Feeling the familiar void deep within her, she had to admit the sexual disconnect from Drake saddened her. Despite her recent intimate detachment from him, however, she was genuinely happy he’d found true love. He’d married the human object of his desire months ago, which meant both he and Shana, his new wife, were off limits.
Doubly unfortunate, really, given the very wicked night the three of them had shared before Drake had marked his territory with Shana. Now Jane was resigned to throwing herself into her work in order to keep her mind from the one thing she’d discovered she wanted most when she and Shana had pleasured each other in front of Drake. A human’s touch.
Pushing that disconcerting thought aside, she focused instead on business. “I have a better view of the security monitor from your desk than from mine.” She pointed to the large flat-panel screen mounted over the fireplace in the living room setting of Drake’s massive office. In a teasing tone, she added, “I promise I didn’t prop my feet on your desk or smoke your cigars while you were away.”
“You’d be entitled,” he told her. “I can’t thank you enough for holding down the fort while I was in the Rivieria Maya with Shana.”
“I wondered if the two of you would ever come back to Manhattan.”
“We considered staying awhile longer. She can do her work from anywhere with her Internet hotspot. But she missed you, Yvette and Finn terribly.”
Finn Griffith was the renowned artist who’d given Drake the idea for the gallery portion of the club. His girlfriend, Yvette Samson, was a trendy writer and blogger. They’d become good acquaintances of both Drake and Jane.
“Mm, you came back so Shana could be with her friends,” Jane said, a tinge of amusement still in her voice. “How thoughtful of you.”
“All right, fine.” A dark brow lifted. “I missed you terribly too.”
“That’s better.” She turned back to the desk, wandering over to it as she continued. “You’ll also be pleased to know I didn’t spy on the models while they were placing themselves for the murals.”
Another low chuckle from Drake filled the otherwise quiet room. “And what about afterward?”
She tried to feign innocence with a look over her shoulder, but was sure she didn’t succeed in pulling it off. He knew her too well.
“Jane. I have rules for a reason.”
“Well, I didn’t spy on all of them.” Sometimes it was erotically stirring to watch the various couples and multiple partners get it on after the curtain dropped on their murals and they were all tangled together in seductive ways behind closed doors. Sometimes, however, it pained her. Those were the nights when she sat alone in the dark, watching humans enjoy each other’s bodies and heat, while she longed for a soft, sensual touch.
But as much as Jane desired the warmth and suppleness of a human’s body pressed to hers, she didn’t seek it out. She lived in fear of hurting anyone. She’d never tasted even a drop of human blood, nor did she want to. She controlled her primal urges by keeping her distance, though her self-discipline had certainly been put to the test that night with Shana. Their unexpected threesome had generated a very dangerous scenario in the end, when a few drops of Shana’s blood had touched Jane’s skin after Drake had made love to the virgin.
Those few terrifying moments of apprehension as her respect for the human race warred with her vampire hunger had been the final defining moments for Jane. She hadn’t gone for Shana’s jugular and she knew Drake would have quickly intervened if she’d made a move toward Shana’s throat, but still. She had to accept her fate as a vampire. She simply didn’t trust herself around humans and didn’t want to be tempted by them. The very reason she hid out in this ginormous office, all alone. She didn’t even dare spend time with Finn and Yvette when Drake wasn’t around, because they were mortals. And she conducted the vast majority of the club’s business via the phone or email or text. The less human contact, the better, was her motto.
That, of course, made Drake and Shana’s return all the more welcomed. She’d missed them as much as they had her and some of her lonesomeness slipped away at the sight of Drake.
Prompting her to ask, “Will you be staying long?”
“That depends on how much you want to continue running Body Scenes in my stead.” He joined her at the long, glass-top desk and crossed his arms over his wide chest.
She bit back the sigh of longing he so easily evoked. Drake was too handsome for words, all tall, dark and dreamy. And so very talented with his hands and mouth. Not to mention the imaginative ways he liked to make love. She couldn’t deny she missed feeling his hard, thick cock inside her, taking her to dizzying heights before she cried out his name as she came. Over and over.
Were she not a vampire, she never could have withstood his aggressive nature—what a damn shame that would have been, to have missed out on their steamy trysts. He was a powerhouse of a man at six-foot-four and had a strong, muscular build. She was a five-foot-three-inch waif with delicate features, blonde hair and pale green eyes, a vast contrast to his smoldering dark looks. She’d been fragile as a twenty-four-year-old mortal, but her strength as a vampire almost rivaled Drake’s, making them a very passionate couple on the rare occasions they’d gotten together.
Yet he and Shana were even more explosive together, as she’d witnessed the night of their threesome. Jane had suspected all along that Drake and Shana would singe the sheets when they finally made love. In fact, she’d stopped initiating sex with Drake after she’d discovered his secret obsession with Shana, long before either of them had even met the international-musician-turned-Internet-journalist in person. Therefore, their threesome had been a very unexpected, yet delightful, occurrence.
Jane adored Drake’s new wife as much as she admired and respected Drake himself, so it hadn’t been easy to step out of the romantic picture. But her friendship with both of them salved the sting a bit. Unfortunately, she now felt a twinge of regret that the two of them were considering moving on or traveling again. Thank God she had the club to occupy her time. And, admittedly, she was ecstatic over the opportunity to keep managing Body Scenes—even if it had become a lonely and somewhat solitary venture.
She’d never share that latter part with Drake, of course. She wouldn’t risk his guilty conscience holding him back, keeping him here when he should be out exploring the world with the love of his life. Seeing things through Shana’s eyes had to be refreshing after two centuries of being a vampire. She envied them both, but lived with her personal lot in life.
She told him, “I’m perfectly happy to maintain this arrangement. I love researching A-listers to invite and, of course, their ploys and bribes to try to get us to issue an invitation are amusing. I like mixing and matching the crowd. It’s quite entertaining.”
He stared at her a moment before asking, “And you’re hiding up here, watching on the screen from different camera angles what goes on down there?”
She shrugged. “I’m more comfortable with voyeurism. I just don’t trust myself in a roomful of mortals, you know that.”
“But, Jane. You’ve never hurt anyone. Not even Shana, when you were faced with the ultimate test of your restraint.”
Turning away, she said, “That’s just how I feel, Drake.”
“I don’t like how reclusive you’ve become.” His tone was compassionate and contemplative. “Are you sure your fear is warranted? Or are you afraid you might actually meet someone if you go downstairs? Does this have anything to do with Sean?”
Not a topic of discussion she liked to have. It was certainly one she’d kept to herself until she’d met Shana and had felt compelled to tell her she’d once had a great love, but then she’d lost him. It had been therapeutic to say her vulnerability aloud and Jane’s admission had helped Shana to face her own insecurities. Drake had overheard the exchange, so now he knew about Jane’s past. Well, some of it. There was much more to her story, but she’d never been able to talk about what had happened just months after she’d begged Sean to turn her and make her immortal so they could spend the rest of eternity together.
Being separated from her soul mate was the equivalent of having her heart ripped from her chest. She couldn’t stand to suffer that pain and misery ever again. So, yes. She hid up here.
Naturally, Drake was too intuitive not to dig a little deeper and see her distress was more than just anxiety over hurting a human. She didn’t want to get hurt herself, plain and simple. Not the way she’d been hurt—no, destroyed—when Sean had been murdered.
Glancing at Drake over her shoulder again, taking in his dark, commanding presence, she said, “You don’t have to read me so well, you know? I’d like to maintain some semblance of dignity.”
He let out a long sigh. “I’m not trying to damage your pride in any way. You know me better than that. What I’m saying is, I don’t understand why you’re so afraid. I’ve made it work with Shana, you can see that. She’s human.”
“But that will change. She wants to be a vampire and you agreed to make her one. So you really don’t have to keep yourself in check much longer. Or if you do accidentally slip and bite her… No biggie as long as you stop before her heart does. Which you will. You’re much too level-headed to screw this up.” Forcing a lighter tone, though the previous subject matter had made her tense, she quipped, “And as soon as she’s immortal, I’m sure your love life will kick up a notch or two.”
His grin was downright wicked. “Not that it really needs kicking up a notch. She is… Hmm.” He looked positively devilish as he said, “Inventive. And more than willing to experiment.”
Jane groaned. “Thanks for rubbing it in.” She’d very much enjoyed Shana’s adventurous side during their ultra-steamy menage. But she wasn’t so sure she possessed the willpower Drake did.
Not one to dwell on things that could never be—or torture herself more with the memories of that wild, yet beautifully sensual evening—she was about to continue their business discussion when a distinctly disturbing scent wafted under her nose. It wasn’t unpleasant by any means, just…not welcomed at the club, where there was a building full of humans milling about.
“What the…?” She turned back to the monitor just as Drake’s attention snapped to the screen, where the security guards were meticulously following all of his various procedures before letting a small group of Broadway starlets pass.
“Smells like a shifter,” he muttered.
She wasn’t overly familiar with the aroma, but she’d caught the scent a time or two over the past five decades.
“Werewolf,” Drake added. “Two of them.”
“At Body Scenes?” she scoffed, though she sensed he was right. Still, she argued, “That’s impossible. I was extremely diligent with the invitations. I couldn�
�t possibly have let two shifters slip through the cracks.”
“If they’re as careful as we are about keeping their identities a secret, you wouldn’t have known they were shifters. Although…” He reached for the phone on the desk that started to ring while still saying to her, “Something tells me they don’t have invitations.” Drake handed her the receiver. “You’re in charge.”
She beamed at his confidence in her, despite the sticky situation that had suddenly cropped up.
“This is Jane.”
On the other end of the line, Michael Toliver, head of security at the club, said, “I’m sorry to disturb you, Miss Van Kamp. We have two gentlemen downstairs without invitations. They’re here to see you.”
Shock rocketed through her. “Me? Whatever for?”
“They say it’s a personal matter.”
That prickled Jane’s nerves. The werewolves must have caught her scent and realized she was a vampire. But what did they want with her?
She spared a glance at the monitor just as one very strong profile came into view above Toliver’s shoulder, because the uninvited guest towered over the chief of security.
Riveted, though she couldn’t explain why, Jane watched as the man’s chin lifted a hair—such a slight move, it probably wasn’t even noticeable to the human eye—and he sniffed the air. Then his head turned sharply so he stared directly into the security camera at the entrance of the club, as though he knew she were watching him. He seemed to look right at her, like they were standing in the same room together, mere inches from each other, rather than separated by an entire floor.
A peculiar warmth ribboned through Jane at the sight of the ruggedly handsome man downstairs. He had vibrant blue eyes framed by long, brown lashes. His sandy hair was crazily mussed, as though he’d just left the bed of a woman who’d enjoyed plowing her fingers through it as he’d thrust into her. His jaw, lined with a day or two of stubble, was of the square, David Beckham variety, with a small cleft in the chin. He had sculpted cheekbones and a slightly crooked nose that made her think he’d taken a few punches over the years.