by Kathy Love
“But I won’t be able to meet you until after midnight or so,” he said.
Because he was meeting someone else, she wanted to ask, but caught herself. What difference did that make? She had no say about his personal life. What they were doing was more like field trips. Educational outings.
She thought of their kiss and her bizarre reaction. This field trip had been a little more educational than either of them had expected. She felt like she’d somehow failed. Failed him. But more than that failed herself.
Sebastian strolled into the club, barely registering the greetings of patrons and employees as he approached the bar. He’d hated to leave Mina tonight. He wanted to understand what the hell had happened in the bathroom. He knew she would require him to go slowly. To give her time to trust him and realize he wasn’t everything the Society had painted him to be. But now he thought her fear wasn’t just related to the things the Society had told her. She had wanted him, he knew that. And then, in a flash, she’d been frightened. It wasn’t just mere wariness. Mina had been absolutely terrified. Why?
“There you are,” Nadine greeted him, yelling over a particularly bass-driven song.
“What’s up?” he asked. Had something happened in the club that needed his attention?
“I could ask you the same thing. Where have you been?”
Sebastian frowned at her. “What do you mean? You know where I’ve been. Here.”
“You haven’t been here. And that’s causing quite a stir.”
Sebastian’s frown deepened. “What do you mean? Why would that cause a stir?”
“Because none of us can remember a time when you haven’t come by the club for three nights in a row unless you were out of town, of course. Where have you been?”
He stared at his bartender. Was she kidding? Why would anyone be talking about his not being at the club? He didn’t go to the club every night. He sometimes… Well, he…
“I do other things besides hang out here,” he stated. Just because he couldn’t think of them at the moment, didn’t mean he didn’t.
“Mmm-hmm,” she said, shaking her head. “Never. You never miss more than a night here and there.”
Sebastian shrugged. “Well, I’ve just been busy.”
“Who is she?” Nadine grinned.
“It’s not like that.”
“It’s not a woman?”
Sebastian considered lying outright, but couldn’t do it. “She’s just a friend.”
Nadine laughed, a husky, rich sound-and utterly grating.
She nodded. “Yeah, sure.”
“Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Because you don’t spend several nights with a woman just to talk. We all know that.”
“That’s not true.”
Nadine gave him a disbelieving look. “Okay, name a female that you just talk to.”
“You.”
She laughed. “Okay, outside of me.”
He thought. He knew there had to be someone. He started to say Greta, but he’d slept with her. And frankly, he didn’t really like talking to her that much. She wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.
“Jane,” he said, giving Nadine a smug look.
“Well, I should hope she’s just a friend,” Nadine stated. “You are a player, but I hope you aren’t enough of a player to try and scam on your brother’s woman.”
She did have a point about that one too. He frowned as he tried to think of women who came to the bar that he just talked with-nothing physical.
“Okay, you keep thinking about that, and I’ll get back to you.” She pushed away from the bar and left to take a drink order.
Sebastian stared after her. He’d had female friends. Women with whom he enjoyed just conversing without anything physical. Mina wasn’t his first.
Of course, he didn’t want to just talk to her either. Although he did enjoy her company. A lot. And he wanted her to talk more than she did. She was different. He wanted-everything from her.
That realization made him pause, but he quickly pushed aside the directions of his thoughts. She was different, because he was essentially teaching her how to be a vampire. He hadn’t crossed her over, but he was taking the role of initiator. And that was bound to make him feel differently about her. He was like her… father.
He grimaced. Okay, bad, bad analogy. He didn’t want to be anything close to a father to her. He wanted…
He was done with this line of thought. Nadine was making more of his time away from the club than it merited. He didn’t need to justify or even consider his actions. He was doing what he wanted to-just like he always did. See, further proof he wasn’t acting any different.
But he decided he’d better leave before she grilled him more. He turned, but before he could even take a step toward the back exit of the club, a tall, very curvy redhead rushed up to him.
“Sebastian!”
Sebastian stared at the woman, trying to remember her name. He couldn’t even come up with a “sounds like,” so he just offered her a forced smile. “How are you?”
The redhead stopped just inches from him, and for the first time Sebastian could remember, he had the urge to step back from a gorgeous woman.
“I was sure you’d be here last night,” the redhead told him, batting lashes thick with mascara. “I’ve never been here on a Friday night when you haven’t been here.”
Good Lord, was everyone making note of his whereabouts?
“Well, I’ve been rather busy lately.”
“Really?” More batting of the lashes. Then she came closer to catch his arm, cuddling against him. Her ample breasts pressed to his upper arm. “With what?”
“Or with whom,” Nadine said from behind him, and he nearly groaned. Great, she was back.
Sebastian shot a glare over his shoulder at the bartender.
“Seems Sebastian here has a steady woman in his life,” Nadine informed the redhead.
The redhead gasped in disbelief.
Okay, apparently it wasn’t believable he could have a female friend or a girlfriend. What did that mean? He could only have sex with women. He paused, realizing that was what everyone thought. Even the women he slept with. This was great.
Not to mention that three dates with Mina made her his steady. Everyone was a lunatic.
“You have a girlfriend?” More disbelief in the redhead’s voice.
“Will you excuse me?” he asked, not waiting to hear the answer. He’d had enough of this conversation. And he didn’t speculate on why, while his libido had been left very unsatisfied tonight, he hadn’t told the willing redhead that Nadine was nuts. And that he was very available.
CHAPTER 16
“Wil, stop that.”
Mina stopped midstep and looked at Lizzie. She didn’t even need her roommate to clarify what that was. She’d been pacing for the last five minutes.
Lizzie didn’t look up from the notes she was making on her research, but her brow was furrowed, more with concern than annoyance.
“Sorry,” Mina murmured. She walked quietly over to the sofa, sitting down and picking up her book. She opened to the bookmark, sighed and started to read.
What was Sebastian doing? Was he at the club meeting with one of his many lovely mortals?
She sighed again.
No, she wasn’t going to think like that. She had no reason to care. She and Sebastian had a deal, not a relationship.
Although they had kissed. Three times.
She sighed again, this time feeling weak at the memory of his lips to hers.
Three kisses. That didn’t mean anything to a guy like Sebastian. And they only meant something to her because he was the only man she’d wanted to kiss in a hundred years-even though she was still scared.
She sighed again.
“Okay,” Lizzie said, flipping her notebook closed. “What’s wrong?”
Mina gave her friend a startled look. “Nothing. Just-antsy.”
“I can tell. So what’s bothering you?
”
Mina could hardly tell her friend that she was fixating on whether Sebastian, aka Super-Fang, was with a mortal-and not because she was worried about the poor mortal, but because she was…
Jealous? She considered the sensation tightening her chest and making her feel like she couldn’t bear to sit still. It sure felt like jealousy.
“I guess I’m just tired of sitting around,” she said, deciding she couldn’t tell her friend the truth. After all, she’d spent more than a few nights telling Lizzie that vampires like Sebastian had to be stopped. Lizzie had even plotted sabotages with her. She couldn’t admit now that she was having doubts.
“Want to go to a movie? They are having a film festival in Soho. Old monster movies.” Lizzie gave her an expectant look, and for a moment, Mina was reminded so much of Sebastian.
She shook her head slightly. Everything made her think of the man.
“Frankenstein, The Wolfman,” Lizzie said. “And Dracula. Something for everybody.”
Mina smiled. Sebastian would love those movies.
She paused. When had she started to think about her life in the context of what Sebastian would like?
“I think I’ll pass,” she said. “The Society is meeting in an hour or so. I think I’ll go.”
She needed to keep one foot in reality, she realized. She was getting too caught up in Sebastian’s world. Even seeing monster movies without him seemed too much like Sebastian’s world.
She also didn’t want to admit this, but she could make the Society meeting before she was supposed to meet Sebastian. Not that she was planning her life around him.
Sebastian fought the urge to tilt his head to look at the wristwatch of the woman sitting across from him. She was spreading out more plan ideas on the table. Different options for tables and chairs and how they could be arranged. Color schemes. Flooring options.
“So you could do something like this.” Eve-or maybe it was Julie-he forgot now, even though he’d spoken to the woman several times in the past couple of months, pointed to a blueprint of the club.
Sebastian stared at the print, not even remotely following what… Julie? Yeah, it was Julie. Well, whoever she was, he wasn’t following anything she was suggesting.
“You know,” he said suddenly. “This is a lot of information. I think I could use a little break to digest everything. Would you like a drink?”
Julie smiled. She had a nice smile and very dark eyes. Dark brown, not dark blue.
“I’d love a club soda,” she said.
Sebastian nodded, sliding out of the booth. He headed to the bar. It was Sunday night. Not a big evening for the club. Some diehard (no pun intended) patrons sat at the bar and milled around, but otherwise it was relatively quiet. Even David kept the music more sedate tonight. But the calm atmosphere was doing nothing to help the agitation inside himself. What was making him so restless tonight?
Nadine leaned on the bar. An uncommon occurrence. Rarely did Nadine and Ferdinand ever get a break.
“How’s it going?” Nadine asked as he approached.
“Good,” Sebastian said automatically, hoping she wasn’t going to return to her topic of conversation the other night. He didn’t want to discuss Mina with her.
Nadine gave him a searching look. “You don’t seem very enthused. I thought this woman was one of the best designers in New York?”
“The United States actually.” He knew that, but he couldn’t remember her name. He was a mess.
He’d waited a few months to get this appointment with the renowned designer. Julie Winchester, that was her name, had a very busy schedule and a waiting list. Not to mention that, being a vampire, he did have to ask her to come here at unusual times. Of course, enough money could get you any time appointment you wanted.
Sebastian had been willing to wait, though, which was rare for him. But she was the best. And he wanted the best for Carfax Abbey. And now, he wasn’t even listening to her ideas. What was wrong with him?
He couldn’t stop thinking about Mina. Their kiss. Why she pulled away, so frightened. What was she doing right now? Why hadn’t he flat-out denied that she was his steady girl? He would have if Nadine had ever suggested that with his other women. Without hesitation.
This was absolutely nuts. Totally. He was going to see her in awhile. And Carfax Abbey was his love. He wouldn’t have had any trouble admitting that too.
“I need a club soda and a double scotch on the rocks.”
Nadine raised an eyebrow. “When do you drink while discussing business?”
“How do you know the scotch is for me?”
Nadine gave him a look that stated she wasn’t a fool, but she grabbed a glass and turned to the back wall of liquors.
Sebastian leaned on the bar, surveying the club. He did love this place. He’d started it over ten years ago now. He loved the dark rich colors, deep red walls, red velvet upholstery, and ornate woodwork. Chandeliers, glittery and opulent. The large club looked like a goth bordello-a contrast he loved with the image of a true abbey. He liked the feel.
Maybe he didn’t want to change the place. Maybe that was why he wasn’t listening to the designer. There was nothing wrong with the club. It was more popular than ever. It wasn’t showing any signs of its age. The place offered patrons a haven to have a good time in. Why mess with a good thing?
Nadine returned with the drinks. He nodded his thanks and headed back to the table where Julie sat, looking around the club with an artistic eye. Sebastian could see the excitement on her face as she thought about the changes she would make.
“This place is really great,” she said as she accepted the soda water. “It has this great feel to it. I don’t think I’d do that much to change it.”
Sebastian was surprised by her comments, so much like his own thoughts.
She glanced around again. “I just think I’d add some more privacy to the booths. Maybe nice thick draperies, sectioning off between them. And I think the tables should be changed to a heavier wood. A nice solid feel. And the lighting now is dramatic, but I think it could be more subtle and make just as much of an impression. I’d like to give the club more sophistication and less flash.”
Sebastian followed her gaze around the room. He supposed it did look a little… over the top.
Maybe he did need to change. Or rather the club needed a change.
The Society meeting was crowded again tonight. Mina slipped in just as Jackson Hallowell called the meeting to order. She took a seat toward the back of the room as she usually did, and waited for the president to announce the topics of the meeting.
“Tonight, I would like to hear from the ‘Society’s Saviors, the new name for our missionaries as voted on by our board during last night’s board meeting.”
The Society’s Saviors? Mina glanced around to see if anyone else found the title a little absurd. Only Jude reacted. He frowned, but then his face returned to its usual stoic expression, so Mina wasn’t sure whether that was a reaction to the name or not. Everyone else just listened intently.
Mina turned her attention back to Jackson. Maybe she was being too critical. Maybe she was letting Sebastian’s beliefs of the Society affect her feelings. Even though he’d said very little about them. Although the SPAMM thing was sort of funny.
“The Society’s Saviors go out to the frontlines and try to stop the preternaturals before more mortals are hurt. Without these brave volunteers, we will never hope to be integrated into society. First, I’d like to ask Daniel to come up here.”
Mina watched as the tall, thin vampire walked to the podium. As always, the vampire made her uneasy. Something about him just set off warning bells-and a strange sense that she should know why. But she didn’t.
“Daniel, here,” Jackson clapped the vampire on the back. Daniel’s lip twitched slightly at the touch, but otherwise he remained unemotional. “Daniel has been brave and dedicated enough to the Society to take on the mission of stopping Franny Millhouse, the vampire whom we have
deemed the most dangerous in New York.”
Mina felt a smile tug at her mouth. She’d forgotten the most dangerous vampire was named Franny Millhouse. Not a very menacing name. Sebastian would be so upset that a «Franny» beat him for that Number One spot.
She paused, realizing that she was finding humor in something that could be very dangerous. Just because the vampire was named Franny didn’t mean she couldn’t be hurting humans.
“So Daniel, please tell us about your mission so far.”
Daniel stepped up to the podium, not offering a smile to the group as he started.
“As you may recall, Franny Millhouse was chosen as the most dangerous vampire because she runs an escort service in which humans hire preternaturals.”
Mina frowned. That sounded more like humans using preternaturals, not the other way around. Of course, they didn’t know exactly what they were getting when they hired an escort. That could be very dangerous.
“I infiltrated her business as one of her employees.”
Mina studied the thin, pale man. Did women actually hire him? She paused. That was unkind of her. She focused on his words rather than his looks.
“Once there, I found out how she handles situations like sexual contact between escorts and clients. As we suspected, sexual contact is not discouraged.” His eyes glittered, and Mina got the impression the idea excited him.
The group began to murmur, obviously distressed by Daniel’s announcement. She frowned. Maybe she was missing something here, but they didn’t seem to be talking about biting. Wasn’t biting the issue they were concerned about? Biting, using humans as food sources, hurting them. Biting and drinking their blood, those were the things that made them appear as monsters. Not sex. Humans had sex. Sex wouldn’t stop them from being integrated.
Mina rose from her chair. “Excuse me.”
The whole room seemed to turn in unison to look at her, and for a second she considered just sitting back down. But she knew she couldn’t. She needed answers about this
«I…» She cleared her throat. “I thought that we were more concerned with whether she was using the escort service as essentially a take-out restaurant for her employees. Not about-other relations between humans and preternaturals.”