by Kathy Love
He now danced with one of the women he’d been with at the bar. He held the blond woman against him, her back pressed to his front. Wilhelmina watched as his hands caressed the mortal through the thin material of her dress, stroking upward, moving slowly over her belly, then up her ribcage to stop just under the curve of her full breasts.
Wilhelmina swallowed, telling herself to look away. Yet she couldn’t tear her gaze from him, and what he was doing. He nuzzled his cheek against the woman’s silky hair as his hands moved back down over her midriff. His pouty lips parted as he pressed them to the curve of her bare shoulder. His tongue tasted her golden skin.
Wilhelmina’s own lips parted as she breathed in a sharp breath.
“He’s something, isn’t he?”
Wilhelmina jumped, then glanced guiltily at Nadine.
“Wh-who?”
Nadine smiled, obviously not believing Wilhelmina’s attempt to sound unaware of who she referred to.
“Our employer,” Nadine clarified anyway. “The one you were eyeing as if he were good enough to eat.”
“I was not.” Wilhelmina frowned. That was ludicrous.
Again Nadine didn’t seem convinced. Her smile widened further, her teeth gleaming white against her lovely, dark skin.
“I will have to introduce you.” She glanced to where he danced with the lovely blonde. “Later, though. I’d say he’s busy for the night. You know, after being away.”
Wilhelmina glanced back, too. Another woman joined them on the dance floor, her hands slipping around him from behind so he was sandwiched between the two women.
“Very busy,” Nadine said, with a wry, yet almost fond chuckle. She began to place drinks on Wilhelmina’s tray.
Wilhelmina watched the antics of the dancing threesome for a moment longer, then determinedly picked up the tray.
So she’d finally seen the Sebastian Young. She knew she would eventually, and she wasn’t going to be shaken by his presence. The goal was to stay focused on why she was here. Why she had picked this nightclub and this vampire. Sebastian Young disgusted her. He was everything she despised in a vampire.
And she planned to destroy him.
CHAPTER 2
Wilhelmina delivered her tray of drinks before slipping into the backroom. Given what she intended to do, it seemed a little silly to worry about the patrons getting their cocktails. But she needed to appear like a good employee. She couldn’t afford to get fired. If this attempt didn’t work, she still needed to stay here. For her sabotage to work, she had to have access to the internal workings of Carfax Abbey.
Carfax Abbey. Even the name of the club was pompous. The lair of the world’s most legendary vampire. Did Sebastian consider himself as legendary? From all that she had heard about him, she didn’t doubt it. The Society said his hunger was insatiable. He was a real threat.
She crept farther into the storage room, pausing occasionally to listen. She couldn’t hear anyone near, but she knew she would still have to act quickly. She looked up at the ceiling. Every six feet or so, a silver sprinkler head jutted down from the drywall.
She headed to the back of the room, where a large metal barrel was used to store recycling. Carefully, she lifted the barrel and positioned it under one of the sprinklers. Then she scurried back to where she’d stashed some broken-down beer boxes and other cardboard behind cases of liquor. She placed it in the metal drum and rummaged through her pocket for a small box of matches.
Sliding it open, she paused, staring at the matches, the head of each matchstick red like droplets of blood in her hand.
What was she doing? She couldn’t go through with this. She didn’t want to hurt anyone. She just wanted to protect the humans who naively came here thinking the club was nothing more than a happening nightspot.
But maybe this wasn’t the way to do it.
She closed the box and started to slip it back into her dress, when the graphic on the front caught her attention. Carfax Abbey scrawled in raised red lettering like swirls of blood across the cover.
She thought of Sebastian and all the things she’d heard about him. His misuse of mortal women. His insatiable hunger. His arrogance.
She opened the matches again. She was doing the right thing. For the right reasons. Sebastian Young needed to be stopped.
She swiped the match across the striker. It flared, and before she could think better of it, she held the flame to the cardboard in the barrel. The thick paper was surprisingly slow to ignite. And surprisingly smoky, too. But eventually it began to burn in earnest.
She stepped back, watching and hoping the sprinkler above the feeble blaze got hot enough before the smoke set off the fire alarms. A smoke alarm would just delay the vampires’ amusement for the night. She wanted a real interruption. Gushing water and the damage created by the deluge was bound to suspend the nightclub’s nefarious activities for quite a while.
Wilhelmina crept over to the door and checked to make sure no one was coming because of the smell. The smoke had become thick enough for humans to smell, never mind someone with preternatural senses. But from what she could see from her limited angle, everyone was still busy drinking and dancing and socializing.
A loud pop drew her attention back to the fire. She hurried to the metal barrel. Flames rose high above the top of the drum, but it was still well-contained. Thankfully. She wanted the nightclub closed; she didn’t want it burned to the ground. Nadine had told her that Sebastian, his brother and his brother’s wife lived above the club. Her intent wasn’t to hurt them.
She could feel the heat of the burning cardboard now, and the smoke had lessened. All she had to do was wait.
She didn’t have to wait long. Within a few seconds, the sprinkler over the barrel began to spray an umbrella of water.
Joyful laughter bubbled up inside of her. This time, she’d done it. She’d saved the mortals at the club. They wouldn’t experience the brutal bloodlust of a vampire. Not tonight.
She listened, expecting to hear the squeals of the patrons as water poured down on them. The abrupt silence of the dance music. The pounding of hundreds of feet racing for the exit, but she heard none of that.
Instead she heard a sharp, irritated voice demand, “What the hell is going on?”
Wilhelmina spun around, her high heels slipping in the water that had begun to pool around her feet. Before she could catch herself, she fell flat onto her bottom in the puddle, the sprinkler showering cold water down over her.
Sebastian stared at the soaked woman seated in a growing pool of water. Not exactly how he’d imagined a woman falling at his feet tonight. And frankly, he wasn’t too thrilled to be pulled away from the women he had been expecting to fall at his feet. But when he’d gone to the bar to order another round of drinks, he’d smelled smoke. He’d followed the scent to this-odd scene. His new waitress on the floor, drenched, near a smoldering recycling barrel.
“What the hell happened here?”
The vampiress-Wilhelmina-braced her hands on the floor and started to lever herself up. Sebastian reached forward to help her, but she jerked her arm out of his hold. The movement caused her feet to slip out from under her again, and she returned to the puddle with a loud plop.
“Are you all right?” he asked, crouching down so he was at eye level with her.
She peered at him through water-splattered glasses and a tangle of wet, black hair that had escaped her interesting hairstyle. The two knots on the top of her head, which had looked a bit like horns, now drooped and looked more like floppy dog ears.
Sebastian would have smiled at the image she created, if he hadn’t let his gaze drop from her bedraggled hair to her body. The silky brocade of her uniform adhered to her figure, revealing every slope and curve. The hemline, already short by his own design, clung to the tops of her pale thighs, perilously close to revealing far more.
“Here, let me help you up,” he insisted more gruffly than he’d intended. He stepped into the spray, water saturating his shir
t, but he managed to capture her elbow. This time, she allowed him to help her. She slipped once as she tried to get her footing. Finally she managed to stand.
The new position didn’t help as much as he hoped it would. The silk-like fabric still remained plastered to her skin, perfectly displaying the roundness of her breasts, peaked with pointy, taut nipples. The hemline clung and created a V at the junction of her legs.
He stared at the alluring sight until the erection in his pants pulsed, far more sobering than the cold water still splattering down on him. He immediately released his hold on her arm.
This was crazy. They were both standing in a rapidly growing puddle, gaping at each other. And he was actually feeling attracted to this strange, wet waitress.
“Holy shit.” Nadine’s statement finally seemed to break the spell formed between himself and the new waitress.
Sebastian spun around to see both Nadine and Ferdinand peering in the doorway. He stepped out of the fountain of water and swiped a hand through his soaked hair.
“I knew I smelled smoke,” Ferdinand said.
“What happened?” Nadine asked.
“I have no idea,” Sebastian said, then frowned at Wilhelmina. “What did happen?”
«I…» Wilhelmina stepped out of the spray too. She shivered and then thankfully crossed her arms over her chest, concealing those taut nipples.
Sebastian gritted his teeth. Why was he even thinking about that? His storage room was flooding, for God’s sake.
«I…» She shivered again, and her gaze strayed to the puddle spreading slowly toward boxes of expensive bourbon. “I… was sneaking a cigarette, and I guess it accidentally caught the paper in the can on fire.”
“You smoke?” Nadine asked.
Wilhelmina shifted, hugging herself tighter. “Um, yeah. Sometimes.”
Sebastian frowned at the shivering woman. Something didn’t seem right. But then he disregarded the thought. His senses were still on high alert from the visit from the police. Besides, from what he’d seen so far, everything about this woman didn’t seem right.
“Ferdinand, there is a water valve for this room in the back corridor near the bathroom. Switch it off,” Sebastian said. “It should be labeled.”
Ferdinand nodded and disappeared out of the doorway.
“Come on,” Sebastian said, holding out his hand to Wilhelmina. “You need to get dried off.”
Wilhelmina stared at his hand as if she expected it to leap out and bite her.
“What-what about the rest of the bar?” She nibbled her bottom lip.
Sebastian’s gaze dropped to her mouth, watching the action for a moment, noticing how red her lips looked. Red and very soft. Then he frowned, irritated that he found the sight oddly fascinating. “What about it?”
“Aren’t the sprinklers going off all over the club?”
“Ah,” he said, understanding her concern. “No. Sprinkler systems are designed to only trigger the heads that sense a rise in temperature. The rest of the club is fine.”
“Oh,” she said, her lips turning down at the corners in an expression that seemed to imply disappointment, but Sebastian couldn’t be sure.
Before he could consider it further, the sprinkler stopped, making the room oddly quiet, even with the dance music blaring in the main room.
Sebastian wiggled the fingers of the hand he still held out to her. “Come on. Let’s get dried off.”
She hesitated, regarding him with wide, wary eyes behind her water-dotted lens. Then she nodded. But she still didn’t accept his hand as she fell into step beside him.
God, she was so stupid. Why hadn’t she realized that setting off the sprinkler would only trigger the one near the fire? She should have known that!
“Just down here.”
Wilhelmina stopped fixating on her own stupidity and turned her attention to the man walking slightly ahead of her. Sebastian’s stylish green shirt was now rumpled and wet, clinging to his broad shoulders and muscular back. His pants were equally drenched and outlined the curve of his tight, little… She immediately lifted her gaze from his perfect rear end and instead focused on the soggy, suctioning sound of his expensive shoes as he strode down the hall.
“Here we are,” he said, glancing back at her and then gesturing to a large freight elevator. He lifted the metal gate that served as the door and waited for her to step in.
She glanced at the small enclosure, anxiety filling her. “Wh-where are we going?”
“Upstairs to my apartment.”
She stepped back. “Why?”
Did he want to get her alone to exact some wicked punishment on her? Her skin tingled at the idea, and she told herself it was fear. Absolutely fear.
But instead of laughing evilly and informing her of his dastardly plans, he smiled in a lopsided way and said, “Because that’s where I keep my towels.”
When she just stared at him, he pushed the elevator gate higher and gestured with his head. “Please get in. Even if you don’t mind wet clothes, I’d like to change mine.”
She hesitated just a moment longer, then stepped inside. Sebastian dropped the gate and pressed the black button labeled with a white number three. The elevator shuddered to life.
Although the elevator was large by, well, elevator standards, Wilhelmina felt like the enclosure was closing in on her. Sebastian, while on the other side of the space, wasn’t helping matters. His large body seemed to eat up the distance between them.
She watched him from the corner of her eyes, his presence unnerving, more unnerving than the enclosed quarters. She again noticed the way his damp clothes adhered to his muscles. The way his mussed hair curled, golden in the subdued light.
She grimaced, forcing her gaze to the metal flooring. Of course, he’s unnerving. Because of all the terrible things she’d heard about the man, she told herself. Although as her skin tingled again, she wasn’t sure if that was totally true.
After what seemed like ages, the elevator jerked to a stop and Sebastian lifted the metal grating. Wilhelmina stepped past him, giving him a wide berth, into another hallway that looked similar to the back halls of the nightclub-unpainted drywall and metal ductwork along the ceiling. The only difference was that at the end of this hall was a heavy, ornate, wooden door and beyond that Sebastian’s apartment.
Again, she considered just telling him she was fine and taking the elevator back down to the club. She knew better than to get into a situation where she was alone with him. Then Sebastian offered her another lopsided smile, and for some reason, she didn’t leave. Instead she followed him through the doorway.
She didn’t understand why she followed him. There was nothing to be gained from going to his place. No reason to see if she could find more ideas for sabotage from his personal space. After all, because of her ignorance about the workings of sprinkler systems, she wasn’t going to be employed at Carfax Abbey much longer. Her second attempt at sabotage, another failure.
Actually this attempt was an utter disaster.
Sebastian twisted the doorknob and stepped aside to allow her in. The door opened into an entryway with dark hardwood floors and burgundy walls. She paused again, her senses telling her this was dangerous. She shouldn’t be alone with this vampire. He was untrustworthy and potentially very dangerous.
Then she recalled that Sebastian lived with his brother, Rhys. She knew of him from Dr. Fowler, the scientist whose foundation had proved the truth about preternatural beings. Rhys had become a believer in Fowler’s teachings. She knew he could be trusted. In fact, maybe getting to know him and his mate would be a way to put a stop to his brother’s biting ways. They must disapprove of his behavior, too.
Sebastian led her through a small kitchen to a spacious living room. This room also had dark hardwood floors and was decorated in a deep plum color with oversized gray furniture and heavy wooden end tables. The walls were lined with shelves full of books, and a gray marble fireplace created the focal point of the room.
Wilhelmina was surprised. It was hardly the place where she would have expected the infamous Sebastian Young to spend his time. She pictured a place of seduction. Not coziness and warmth.
This had to be his brother’s influence. She concentrated, trying to sense other presences in the apartment. She couldn’t detect any.
“Doesn’t your brother live with you?” she asked.
“Rhys lives in the apartment above this. I used to live up there too, but once he married his wife, Jane, I thought I should give them their space. I had this place built about six months ago.”
He’d had the apartment built like this for himself? She gaped around. Where were the mirrored ceilings? Not that a vampire would likely have mirrors. But where was the shag carpeting? The low, colored, recessed lighting? The piped-in porn music?
Then the realization that she was alone with him hit her. A shiver ran down her spine. Cozy or not, what if he did bring her up here to do something nefarious? Surely, he was furious about the flooded backroom. Surely, he was going to chastise her in some way.
She stepped back from him, her eyes on the door. If she remained calm, she could likely make it back to the hallway and the elevator before he caught her. She glanced at him, noting his long legs and lean muscles. Maybe she could. Maybe.
But rather than approach her with a villainous glint in his intense golden eyes, he strode away from her and opened another heavy wooden door on the other side of the room.
“Here’s the bathroom, if you’d like to dry off.”
Although there didn’t seem to be anything menacing about his offer, she still regarded him uneasily.
He flipped on the light and pushed the door wide. “See, it’s a bathroom. Really.”
She nodded, feeling a little foolish, then slowly crossed the room. The bathroom was also large with a separate shower and whirlpool bathtub. But that was the only decadent luxury in the room. The décor was gray marble, both functional and stylish.
He crossed to a closet near the shower. She stood near the bathroom door, watching him. He pulled out a towel, then he strolled toward her.