The Vampire's Cursed Kiss (Shadowvale Book 2)

by Kristen Painter

  He was already looking forward to it, which was the oddest feeling.

  When they finished, he offered to clean up so she could get ready. She jumped at the chance for a hot shower and disappeared toward the guest room. When he heard the door shut, more because of his excellent hearing than the proximity of the space, he crouched down to talk to Chloe, who was cleaning herself with the fastidiousness of her feline kind.

  “What do you think of her, Chloe?”

  The cat paused while licking her paw to look at him, then returned to her bath.

  He nodded. “I like her, too. But that’s weird, right? She came out of a book. It isn’t like we’re together now because of any mutual attraction. It’s just the magic of the situation. We’re being forced together. And yet I think she likes me, too. At least a little.”

  Chloe switched to the other paw.

  He stood up. “It’s only for six days. We can handle a guest for that long.”

  Chloe sneezed, then got up and walked away.

  Whatever that was supposed to mean.

  He finished cleaning up the kitchen, then went to his bedroom and got ready. Hot shower, fresh shave, a little more attention to his hair than usual, which reminded him he needed a trim, then to his closet to pick out a suit. He chose one he’d never worn before, one his sisters had gotten him for his birthday a few months ago.

  It was a nice suit, that much had been clear by Valentino’s reaction to it, but not Constantin’s style at all. The fabric was a medium deep blue with a slight sheen to it. Very hipster, he thought. But maybe just the thing for his brother’s club.

  He paired it with a crisp white shirt, black alligator belt and shoes, the last two being Christmas gifts from his sisters as well. They were definitely trying to push him in a certain direction sartorially, and he trusted them, so this must be a good look.

  But a glance in the mirror made him question his choices. He didn’t look like himself, exactly, so he wasn’t sure if this ensemble was the way to go or not. The last thing he needed was to come off like he was trying too hard. Not on the night he was going to see Miranda again.

  He’d let Andromeda decide. If she liked it, he’d keep the suit on. If she laughed, he was putting on his favorite charcoal Brooks Brothers.

  He went back to the kitchen and poured himself a small glass of plasma to take the edge off.

  Andromeda showed up as he was rinsing the glass out.

  She was in the dress, heels, and jewelry purchased earlier, but she’d done darker eye makeup and twisted the top section of her hair off her neck. The rest lay in soft honey waves that framed her face, but he had a hard time looking beyond the stunning display of her throat and shoulders.

  She did a quick twirl. “Good?”

  He nodded, a little breathless. If his heart could race, he had no doubt it would. The sight of this beautiful woman in his kitchen was creating urges in him. Urges that caused his fangs to extend.

  His eyes must have the shine of hunger, too. But she didn’t seem frightened. “You look incredible.”

  Her coy smile was matched with a little point of her finger. “I take it fangs out is a good sign?”

  He got control of himself, swallowing the bloodlust that had risen up in him and willing his teeth to recede to a more suitable length. “Yes. My apologies.”

  “Don’t apologize for who you are. Or for showing a woman you like what you see.” She came closer. “At least not to this woman.”

  “I’ll remember that.” He’d also never forget how incredibly sexy this woman was. He spread his arms. “My turn. Your honest opinion of this suit?” He had no doubts she’d tell him exactly what she thought.

  “I think it’s hot. And not what I expected you to be in, but I love it. You look…” She stepped back, raking her gaze over him. “Like a million dollars. Modern and sharp. Like a man with a firm handle on his life.” She raised her eyes to his. “Like a man who gets what he wants.”

  He dropped his arms. “Did I not look that way before?”

  “If I’m honest…” She cringed a little. “Not exactly. Before, you looked like a man who sort of let life flow over you because you didn’t care. Now you look like the kind of guy that life takes orders from.”

  He frowned. “Thank you for your honest assessment.”

  She came toward him and put her hand on his chest. “There was nothing wrong with how you looked before.”

  He turned away. “Not if being run over is a good look.”

  Her hand came up to his cheek, bringing his face back toward her. “Con, listen, you’re a very attractive man. If you’re not showing that to the world because of some past hurt, then you’ve got to get over that. You deserve to like what you see in the mirror. And you should. I do.”

  “Of course you like what you see in the mirror. Look at you, you’re gorgeous.”

  She laughed softly. “I meant I like what I see when I look at you.”

  He finally made eye contact with her. “You do?”

  She nodded, leaned up, and pressed her mouth to his for a brief moment, but the firmness of the kiss was full of affirmation. The kind Constantin didn’t get much of in his life.

  It was intoxicating.

  He was tempted to kiss her back, but she broke away almost as soon as the kiss began.

  Her smile placated him. “I do. Now let’s go show this ex of yours just what she’s missing out on.”

  Chapter Seven

  The real truth was, Andi didn’t like how good-looking Con was. On one level, she totally did. But on another, she didn’t. When she’d walked into his kitchen, she’d almost taken a step back because of how handsome he looked in that suit. Instead, she’d caught herself and turned it into a spin at the last moment, mostly because her stomach was doing the same thing.

  He was achingly handsome. And that was bad. Very bad. She had a weakness for gorgeous men. Who didn’t? But that gorgeousness made her do stupid things and caused bad ideas to seem like great ones. Like that all-too-brief kiss in the kitchen.

  Most of her adult life, she’d never really given two thoughts to her actions. Until now, because her actions mattered. Especially if there was a chance one of them could prevent her from shedding this curse.

  Cassi could probably write books about the bad decisions Andi had made when it came to men. Maybe she’d already written one. It had been nearly a year.

  Andi was glad she and Constantin were going out. It would be a nice distraction. Still, she sighed as she watched the bayou disappear through the car window.

  “Something wrong?” Con asked.

  “Just how good-looking you are.” She winked at him, hoping that would distract him from the bare truth of her words.

  He smirked. “Okay, enough laying on the flattery. I get what you’re trying to do, and I appreciate it, but I’m not that delicate. I’m not going to fall apart just because I’m in the same room with Miranda.”

  Good. He thought building up his ego was all she was doing. If only her stomach would get that message and settle down, too. It was full of caffeinated butterflies right now, and they were eager for her to get close to him again. As in lips-on-lips close.

  That did sound fun, didn’t it?

  No. Well, yes. But she couldn’t push this guy. Sure, she’d kissed him in the kitchen, but that had been all about reassurance. She wanted to kiss him in a way that was much more recreational.

  And while some men would definitely welcome that, Andi got the sense that Con would think she was trying to pull something. Especially if she kissed him like that before the curse dictated it. He was a cautious guy. Probably because he’d been so burned before. She had to cool it. At least until he gave her an indication that heating up was all good.

  She needed something new to think about. “Your brother owns this club, huh?”

  “He does.”

  “He must love music.”

  “We come from Louisiana, so music is in our blood a little, but more than the music,
I think he likes the show of it all. Being a club owner, I mean.”

  She understood how fun attention could be. “Makes him a popular guy, I’d imagine.”

  “It does. He’s well-loved in this town.”

  There was a thin layer of resentment in Con’s voice. “And you’re not?”

  He shrugged. “Not like Valentino. He’s the charmed one. The prince of Shadowvale’s nightlife.”

  “But you provide a lot of entertainment to the people of this town, too.”

  “I suppose.” He shook his head. “But it’s not the same thing. Nor is the town’s response. My brother provides not only entertainment, but a place to socialize. I can’t hope to do that with books.”

  Andi thought about that. Con could start some book clubs that met at his store. Maybe bring in authors to speak or do signings. Host readings. Do a kids night. Events weren’t that hard to come up with, so there were things he could do that would tip the social scale, but she didn’t think he’d appreciate her suggestions. Not when they’d imply that she thought he was lacking. “Okay, so he’s loved for what he does because it’s different from what you do. I bet it seems to you that he’s getting all these accolades without really doing much to earn them. Things just come to him that way, don’t they?”

  He gave Andi some side-eye. “You’ve met him once. How do you know all that?”

  “I can generally figure people out.” Especially when they were a lot like her. She fidgeted a little uncomfortably, hoping Con didn’t realize that. “You’re not the only one with siblings, remember?”

  Except her relationship with Cassi was the opposite of Con’s with his brother. Andi knew Cassi resented her and felt the same way about her that Con felt about Valentino. Their roles were reversed. Valentino, like Andi, lived in a different world than Con. A charmed world where everything had a way of working itself out.

  Cassi had said as much right before trapping Andi in the book. She’d said that Andi didn’t know what real life was like, because things just fell into her lap. That Andi needed to grow up and understand the meaning of responsibility. That Cassi couldn’t understand why people loved Andi so much when she did nothing to earn that love.

  But the one that had hurt the most was when Cassi had blamed Andi for the way men reacted to her.

  Andi couldn’t help that. Maybe she was a little too flirty at times, but that was who she was when it came to men. Friendly. Chatty. Outgoing. Not reserved like Cassiopeia. So of course men liked Andi. There was a lot to like.

  Andi had told Cassi something along those terms a few days before the fateful night, and she was pretty sure that’s what had prompted Cassi to buy the spell that had trapped Andi in the book.

  Sprites didn’t have that kind of magic, so Cassi had to have gotten the spell from someone who did. A witch, most likely. A witch who ought to have her magic license revoked, frankly.

  “Andromeda?”

  She snapped out of her thoughts, realizing the car was already parked. “Yes?”

  “We’re here. Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Sorry. Just thinking about…things.” She dragged a smile onto her face. “Let’s get this party started.”

  His eyes widened a bit. “I don’t think—”

  “It’s just an expression. I’m not going to do anything crazy.”

  That seemed to be the right thing to say. “Okay. Good.”

  She put her hand on his arm. “I won’t embarrass you. I promise.”

  He nodded. “I appreciate that. Thank you.”

  But she knew he’d been thinking that. Because why wouldn’t he? She embarrassed her sister all the time, according to Cassi. Why not Con, too? He didn’t know her reputation, but she hadn’t done anything to hide who she was. Not much anyway.

  Tonight, she would be different. More like Cassi. To some extent. She didn’t want to bore herself to sleep either.

  He got out and came around to her side to open her door, then offered his arm. She took it, and they walked toward the club. This was a different part of town than Main Street, where Con’s shop was.

  There were little lights strung throughout the trees, giving the street a very romantic vibe. Lots of little restaurants with outdoor seating and more interesting shops were here. A record store that sold old vinyl, a custom-perfume boutique, a cobbler who not only repaired shoes, but made them to order. She counted two art galleries and three antique shops.

  The faint smell of patchouli and smoke from food grilling drifted past. “What part of town is this?”

  “Fiddler Street. It’s a bit more artsy than Main.”

  “I see that. Pretty cool.”

  He frowned. “If you like that sort of thing.”

  She glanced at him. “You don’t?”

  “It’s all right.”

  She chuckled. “You really are uptight, you know that?”

  He stopped walking. “I am not. I just like things a certain way. And I’ve already told you that.” Then he sighed. “I can’t help who I am. I am very old. And that makes it hard to change who I am.”

  “No doubt. I get it. You probably don’t want to change either.”

  He looked away for a moment, then finally made eye contact again. “Do you really think I’m uptight?”

  “Yes. And I say that as someone well aware of her own faults. Doesn’t mean you’re not a good guy. Just that you could let go a little.”

  His mouth firmed into a hard, thin line. “That’s…kind of you. I guess.”

  She ran a finger down the front of his suit. “You didn’t pick this suit out yourself, did you?”

  “No. My sisters bought it for me. Same with the belt and shoes.”

  “Not your taste, are they? Too flashy, like the suit?”

  He nodded. “Exactly.”

  “But you look like a million bucks in this outfit.” Maybe more. Just looking at him made her stomach get all flippy. “It’s just that calling this kind of attention to yourself makes you uncomfortable. Am I right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why is that, do you think?” Why she’d suddenly chosen this moment to analyze him, she had no idea, but he seemed to be okay with it.

  “Because I will always be compared to my brother.” He turned away, putting himself in shadow. “And found lacking.”

  Was that how Cassi felt about her? Andi’s heart unexpectedly ached at the thought.

  A second later, a sound of disgust slipped out of him. “I don’t want it to be that way.”

  Time for a little hard truth. The kind Cassi was so fond of giving her. “My gran always said if you’re eating a crap burger, it’s probably because you ordered it.”

  He moved to look at her, putting himself back in the light again. “What the devil is that supposed to mean?”

  She cringed a little, worried about how he’d react to the explanation, but not about to back down from the truth. “You did this to yourself. You let yourself think you are less than, so now other people think you are.”

  Anger flashed in his eyes, then he looked down. Almost like he was ashamed. “That might be so, but I don’t know how to change that.”

  “Instead of blaming yourself for the past, focus on the present. Maybe start by doing the opposite of what you usually do. If something bothers you, let it slide off your back. If you want to leave, stay. See what I’m saying?” It was advice, she abruptly realized, she needed to take herself.

  “Easily said, not as easily done. But you probably wouldn’t know that because lack of confidence isn’t something you suffer from.”

  “No, it’s not.” She put her hand on her head for a moment. Confidence was something she probably had too much of. A hard truth. And something worth confessing, because he needed to know she had flaws. A dangerous path to take. She prayed it didn’t backfire. “Listen, I’m going to tell you something about me that isn’t exactly complimentary.”

  He looked skeptical. “I’m listening.”

  She took a breath. She was ab
out to admit something she’d never admitted. Not out loud anyway. “I’m full of myself. I think I’m fantastic. And that I have a great body, a cute face, that I’m smart, witty, and fun. I figure if people don’t like me, there must be something wrong with them. Not me. Get it?”

  For a brief moment, he didn’t respond at all. Then he abruptly burst out laughing. “Yes, I get it.”

  She crossed her arms, abruptly feeling a little sickened by her own reality. “I didn’t expect my heartfelt confession would result in you laughing at me.”

  “Not in a bad way, I promise. More at your audacity. Because you’re so honest about it. You’re so…comfortable with who you are. You own it. I wish I could have a quarter of your confidence.” He looked down the street. Toward his brother’s club. There was an odd mix of steely determination and longing in his gaze. “But I don’t know how.”

  She wanted with all of her heart to help him. It was a strange feeling. She wasn’t used to helping others. Another sad truth she needed to change. Well, why not start with Con? “What if you…faked it?”

  His face was incredulous. “Faked being confident?”

  “Sure. Pretend…I don’t know…pretend you’re me. But, like, without the boobs and stuff.”

  He snorted. “I don’t think I can do that.”

  “Look, your brother thinks you and I are a couple, right?”

  “Right.”

  “So what kind of man do you think I’d be attracted to?”

  He frowned. “One just like my brother.”

  “But I’m with you. So you must be the kind of man I really like. That has to give you some confidence, doesn’t it?” She put her hands on her hips. “I get that it’s pretty egotistical of me to say having me as your girlfriend should be that much of a boost, but hello, that’s who I am.”

  “You are fantastic, you know that?” He was smiling now. That made her happy, too.

  “My sister would tell you different.”

  “What does she know?”

  Only that Andi had ruined her life. Andi managed a smile anyway. “Exactly. So let’s go in there and show him the new, improved you.”

  “Right.” Con faced the club, extending his elbow so Andi could loop her arm through his again.