La Luxure: Discover Your Blood Lust

by Cd Hussey

  Squirming under Armand's arm, she attempted to stretch out some of the stiffness. She tried to be subtle about it, but wasn't subtle enough. Armand murmured something and rolled off of her. He certainly was a heavy sleeper for a vampire.

  Vampire. It still felt strange using the word in real life, like she was living some vivid, waking dream. She nestled into the massive expanse of Armand's back. At least it was an amazing dream.

  "Julia?" His deep voice was thick with sleep.

  "Yeah?"

  He rolled back towards her and cocooned her in his arms. As good as his touch felt, his big body was suffocating.

  "Armand," she said, her voice muffled as he pulled her against his chest. "I can't breathe."

  "Sorry." He moved back. She couldn't see him, but she could hear and feel him as he rubbed his hand across his eyes. "What time is it?"

  "I don't know. I don't have a watch."

  "It's gotta still be early. Maybe three." His voice was groggy as he reached across the bed and fumbled around the nightstand for something. The movements sounded rough and almost...clumsy. Gone was the decadent purr and silky moves. He was now a sleepy, lethargic vampire, but was still the sexiest man she'd ever met.

  Grabbing a cell phone and holding it over his head, he illuminated the screen. "Three-thirty." The cell phone made a thump as he dropped it back on the nightstand.

  It was later than she thought. She'd already missed the conference, so it wasn't like she had anywhere to be.

  Julia jumped up. Clare. "Shit."

  That woke him up. "What's the matter?"

  "I gotta go. My sister's probably freaking out by now. I haven't talked to her in a couple days, and with the storm and all, if I don't call her soon, she's likely to send in a search party."

  "Use my phone."

  "I don't have her number memorized," Julia admitted sheepishly. "It's 205-something, but that's all I remember. My phone's at the hotel." She ran her tongue across her furry teeth. "It probably wouldn't hurt for me to spend a little quality time with my toothbrush anyway."

  "If you must," he said grudgingly, drawing her closer until their bodies were firmly pressed together. "Although," he kissed her softly, "I'd rather spend the time making love to you." He was rock hard against her, not just his erection, but the entire muscled mass of his body.

  Her body reacted enthusiastically, sending a rush or warmth and wetness to her core. She was surprised. It had only been a few hours since they'd had sex, and it wasn't like she hadn't had a few rocking orgasms. In fact, she was a little sore.

  So this was the famed fuck like rabbits phase. It was not overrated.

  "Mmmmm," she nuzzled against his neck. "As good as that sounds, I really should go. Besides calling my sister, I need to pack. I'll be back later...?"

  "Jesus, I hope so." He released her and tossed the comforter aside. "I'll get your clothes." He clicked on the light as he left the room, and Julia blinked in the brightness, amazed by how dark he was able to keep the bedroom in full afternoon sun.

  Armand returned carrying her clothes in a neatly folded stack. "I dried them," he explained dismissively after noting her baffled expression.

  At first she was horrified at the thought of him scooping up the wet pile of clothes she'd left on his bathroom floor, drying and then folding them, but considering everything else they'd shared, decided it was a foolish reaction. He didn't seem to think it was any big deal. "Thanks."

  He kissed her forehead. "Of course. Just let me get dressed."

  "Dressed? What for?"

  "I'm walking you back to the hotel." He said it like there was no other possible option.

  "Oh, you don't have to do that."

  "I'm not going to just kick you out the front door."

  She put her hand on his arm. "Armand, really, it isn't necessary. It's the middle of the day. I've been walking around by myself for the last week. Besides, I didn't think you and the sun got along."

  "We're not best friends, but it won't kill me."

  That was good to know. "Maybe not, but there's no need to go through all the effort. I'll be fine. I'm going to get some coffee, take in some scenes...You can go back to bed. That way you're well rested and ready for me later."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Positive."

  "Hmmph. Well, I'm at least going to walk you to the street."

  Rising on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek as she took the stack of clothes from him. "Good. Though you might need a robe."

  He shrugged. "I doubt my neighbors would be shocked if I walked out naked."

  "If you don't put something on," Julia said, sliding her free hand over his chest. "I may never get out of here."

  "Remind me again why I'm getting dressed then?"

  "Because I'm begging," Julia replied, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

  He sighed. "Go. Put some clothes on before I'm forced to throw you on the floor and ravish you."

  She laughed and skittered from the room, hurriedly dressing in the bathroom. She didn't want to leave, but she knew Clare was freaking out by now. Her sister might not send a search party, but she wouldn't hesitate to call the police. One thing Armand did not need was the police poking around his business simply because Clare had filed a missing person's report.

  He was waiting in the living room when she came out, wearing a pair of dark washed jeans, gray t-shirt, and looking absolutely gorgeous. It was nice to see him in something casual, and not just the vampire's wardrobe.

  Instead of taking her out the front door and down through Luxure, he led her to a back door that opened onto a narrow balcony overlooking a magnificent brick courtyard with a large, tiered fountain in the center.

  "Wow, this is beautiful," she said.

  "Thanks. It's coming along. I haven't quite gotten it where I'd like. Sleeping during the day can make conducting business difficult."

  "I imagine."

  Taking her hand, he led her down the stairs and into the courtyard, wincing at the blazing sun blaring down at them from a cloudless, blue sky. Watching him walk with his head turned away from the sun, Julia couldn't fathom him walking her all the way back to her hotel. Just the short jaunt through the courtyard looked tortuous.

  Stopping at a narrow metal gate imbedding in a thick, brick wall, he turned to her. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you back?"

  "I'd love to spend every last minute with you, but not only do you look like you're going to melt, I need to take care of some pretty mundane tasks."

  Pulling her into his arms, his face grew serious as he caught her gaze. "I had the most amazing evening with you, Julia."

  "Me too."

  "I have to take care of a few things at the bar tonight, but after that, I'm yours. Come by early. I have a bottle of Pinot held for you."

  Time wouldn't pass fast enough. "I can't wait." He moved in for a final, searing kiss that made her knees weak and her body tremble. When he finally pulled back, he did so reluctantly.

  With brows that knitted together, he started to say something and stopped. His jaw worked, he swallowed then cleared his throat.

  Unlocking the gate, he held it open for her. "This is Royal," he said, indicating the street before them. "Take a left. You'll pass behind the cathedral. Take a right when you get to Conti. Your hotel will be on the right."

  "Thanks." She moved out onto the walk, confused by the sense of foreboding in their parting. She wasn't sure why the simple act of returning to her hotel room for a few hours was summoning the darkest thunderclouds. Judging by the troubled look on Armand's face, she could tell he felt it too.

  It was silly. She was just going to run a few errands. She'd be back in two, three hours tops. There was no reason to feel like the steps leading her away from Armand were her last.

  "See ya," she managed lightly, even as her feet felt like they were encased in concrete.

  Armand offered a small wave and even smaller smile, but his expression was pained. Julia forced herself to look away
and her feet to keep moving, even though her instincts told her to turn around and go back.

  Pushing aside her misgivings, Julia focused instead on getting back to the hotel as quickly as possible. The sooner she finished her business, the sooner she could get back to Armand. A few more hours and she'd be back in his arms.

  The streets were littered with debris: tree limbs, shingles, broken glass, and splintered pieces of wood. The debris, coupled with people cleaning up debris, slowed her down considerably. Weaving around litter, stopped cars, and a gaggle of tourist looky-loos, she felt like she was caught in traffic, late for an interview, and almost out of gas. It was all she could do not to lose it in a case of foot rage.

  Pausing at the rear garden of the St. Louis Cathedral, Julia forced herself to calm down under the beckoning Jesus statue that watched carefully over the pedestrians on Royal St. The emotional afterglow from last 12 hours was too good to ruin with bad energy.

  A gypsy string band was playing on the corner, the soulful ache of a violin carrying on the still afternoon air. She listened to them for a while, forcing herself to be calm and enjoy the moment. After scratching the head of a lounging dog, and dropping some money in their tip jar, she continued on.

  Luckily, the coffee shop near her hotel was open, and Julia popped in for the largest size they offered before quickly finishing up the last 1000ft to her hotel.

  Her hotel room looked like the tropical storm had made a pass through it. There were clothes and shoes scattered about. She'd like to imagine that she was the victim of some horrible hotel robbery, but she knew better. Julia wasn't a slob, but she wasn't exactly the neatest person in the world. From drinking too much at the parade, to the chaos that had accompanied the storm, Julia's room looked like the bedroom of a 13-year-old. Seeing her sloppiness so blatantly displayed after coming from Armand's crisp, clean apartment, made her ashamed.

  Her phone wasn't hard to find, it was sitting lifeless on the nightstand where she'd left it. Finding the charger proved a little more difficult. After plugging it in, she powered it up. Five messages, all from Clare.

  "Hey sis, sorry I missed your call. You sounded a little off in your message. Hope things are going fab and you're just hung-over. Call me!"

  "Hey Jules. I know it's late, just wonderin' how the parade went. Since you're not answering, I hope it means your knockin' boots with that guy. Dave, right? I'm dyin' up here! I need some details!

  "Okay, now I'm getting worried. I guess there's a storm headed your way. Call me. Let me know you're okay."

  "Either your phone is dead or you are. Call me ASAP."

  "Okay, now I'm freaking out. The news says power's been restored down there and phone service is back on, but I still haven't heard from you. If you don't call me soon, I'm flying down there and beating your ass!"

  It wasn't as bad as Julia expected. She dialed Clare's number and braced for the worst. Surprisingly, she got the voicemail.

  "It's Julia. Sorry I haven't called. It's been crazy here. Crazy, amazing, awesome..." Julia trailed off as memories from the night before drifted through her thoughts. "I'm fine, though. Everything's fine, great actually. Call me back if you get the chance, but don't wait too long or I probably won't answer."

  Julia set the phone down and surveyed the damage in her hotel room. Packing was going to be a chore, but before she could put a single sock in her suitcase, she needed a shower. Taking her phone with her in case Clare called, Julia stripped out of her clothes and headed for the bathroom.

  She couldn't believe how perfect things had turned out. Suddenly all the ill-fitting pieces of her life felt like they'd been custom tailored. Here, in this city, with Armand, her life felt right. She felt right. She'd be happy to never leave New Orleans.

  There were still a lot of unanswered questions. What type of vampire was Armand? How often did he need to feed? Could only humans feed him, or were vampires able to feed off their own kind? How long would he live? Was he born that way, or was he changed? Since he'd bitten her, would she be changed too, or had the cream prevented it? If she had been changed, how long would the process take? Would she need to switch jobs?

  When they were alone later that night, she'd find the right moment to ask. Armand was easy to talk to, and thus far, had shared information freely with her. There was no reason to think these questions would be any different.

  Julia was able to take a shower, dress, put a little makeup on, and pack the majority of her things before the phone rang.

  "Hi Clare," Julia answered brightly.

  "Holy shit, I am so pissed at you. I have been freaking out. Why haven't you called me?"

  "Well, things have been a little chaotic here."

  "I would've bought that. This morning. You couldn't call me when the power came back on?"

  "I didn't have my phone with me."

  "Why the fuck...oh." Clare's tone suddenly did a 180. "So you went for it, huh? Dave, right?"

  "Not exactly."

  "Somebody else?"

  Julia answered with silence. She didn't know what else to add. Clare was her best friend, and she normally shared everything with her. But it felt like sharing this would be tainting it.

  "Holy. Fucking. Shit. Julia, you are the bomb! You have to tell me more."

  "Um, I don't know where to start." Or if she even should start. For the first time, Julia wasn't sure she wanted Clare to know her business, and she didn't feel comfortable talking about Armand's.

  "Well, where did you meet him?"

  "It's such a crazy story," Julia began, trying to keep her tone light. "I happened to stumble into this underground, Goth-y bar, and the owner and I sort of hit it off." There, that was ambiguous enough.

  "Underground Goth bar...In the Quarter?"

  "Mm-hmm."

  "Oh my God! Was it La Luxure?"

  How the hell did Clare -? "Yeah..."

  "I can't believe you found it."

  "I can't believe you've heard of it."

  Clare laughed. "That place is notorious in certain circles. I'm really surprised you went in. I mean, I love you sis, but I would have bet a million dollars that you'd never step foot in Luxure, let alone hook up with a guy you met there." Clare laughed again. "You have to tell me more. What's his name?"

  Julia wasn't sure if she should be offended that her own sister thought of her as some boring, unadventurous soul. Okay, she might have been before New Orleans, but that was going to, no, that had changed.

  "Armand."

  "Armand Laroque? No way!"

  A rock had settled in Julia's stomach, and she wasn't sure she liked the direction the conversation was going. There was no reason for Clare to know Luxure or Armand unless things weren't as Julia assumed. "Um...Yeah, that's his name."

  "Oh. My. God. I can't believe it. He is so unbelievably hot. I met him at this vampire convention last year. That's how I heard about La Luxure. Jesus. That man is smokin'!"

  The rock was having babies. Armand? At a vampire convention? It couldn't be. Real vampires didn't go to conventions. "I doubt it's the same guy."

  "If it's the owner of the bar I'm thinking of, it is. Tall, brown hair, hazel eyes - I think - great tats..."

  One of those rocks was attempting to escape and caught in Julia's throat. At the same time, her stomach tightened around her lungs and she could barely breathe.

  "It can't be him," she insisted. It wasn't possible. Clare must have him confused with someone else.

  "You have your laptop, right?" Clare was saying. "Bring it out. I think there are some pics of him on the web."

  Julia was scrambling to pull out her laptop and turn it on as Clare rambled on about the convention and the crazy things she saw there, and how her ex really wanted her to drink his blood but she wasn't going for it.

  "Okay! I got it." Julia interjected the moment Google popped up.

  "Alright, go to www.bloodthreads.com."

  Julia typed in the letters even though her fingers were trembling so badly she was
barely able to hit the keys. A site for vampire clothes popped up. "I'm in."

  "Okay, click on men's clothing." Julia could hear Clare's fingers clicking on the keyboard through the phone. "And then click on jackets/coats. The third one down. There, is that him?"

  Julia scrolled until she hit the third jacket modeled. There was Armand, staring back at her with his intense hazel eyes, wearing a black velvet frock style coat buttoned all the way up to the short collar.

  "That's him." Her voice sounded weak and pathetic as it squeaked from her mouth.

  "Oh, you have to see my favorite," Clare said. "Check out shirts. It should be the first one that pops up."

  She didn't want to click on the tab. She knew whatever she would see would not make her happy. Yet, Julia could not seem to control the mouse, and with one depression of her index finger, the page loaded in record time. Julia suddenly had the urge to throw up.

  Dressed in a white poet's shirt and black leather pants, Armand cradled a mostly naked woman in his arms. Dangling limply, the woman had two puncture marks on her white neck, blood trailing from each wound. Armand hovered over her, his full lips parted, blood pooled and dripping from the corners. The image might have been the cover of any number of bad romance novels Julia had read over the years, cheesy and full of clichés. Only the cartoon character on the cover was Armand, and the bimbo in his arms was Julia.

  "Isn't that hot?" Clare chirped on the other end of the phone.

  Julia tossed the computer aside, her stomach twisting and turning, her skin crawling. It felt like she'd just discovered her husband was actually her long lost brother. "I gotta go," she told her sister, hanging up before Clare had a chance to respond. After a second thought, Julia turned off the phone.

  She couldn't talk. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. The shattering of her heart overwhelmed everything else.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Staring at the cartoon image of Armand and the tramp, Julia sat on the bed, hugging her knees tightly to her chest. As much as she hated the photo, hated the lies it represented, she couldn't peel her eyes off it.

  His skin was a luminescent white, accented by body makeup and what looked like glitter. The black liner on his eyes was slightly smudged, enhancing the lust in his eyes. She'd seen those bedroom eyes, in his bedroom, right after she'd drank. his. blood.