“Arrogant and sarcastic?” She picked up the litany with a wry grin.
He smiled back. “I was hoping you hadn’t noticed.”
“Hard not to.”
“I love you. And if you think you love me too, maybe we can make this work somehow. Assuming I can get Bryan to take my place in the vampire hierarchy.”
All semi-coherent romantic thoughts fled from Zoe’s mind. “What?”
“Someone has to do it. It could be all out vampire war unless I can find a replacement. I need someone with brains and scruples.”
“Can a vampire have scruples?”
Julian shrugged. “Bryan’s first instinct was to save you from Lambert even before he’d barely realized he was human again. I’d say he’s the closest thing to a scrupulous vampire there could be.”
“Wait, wait.” Zoe held up her hands. “This is not going to happen. We just risked our lives to turn Bryan human again. You can’t go and ask him to become a vampire again, just like that.”
“Drac can do things. Drac can make him more human. He can make him a safer vampire.”
Zoe squinted at Julian. “That sounds like a safer forest fire. I don’t get it.”
“First let’s see if he’s interested.” Julian rose and tugged Zoe up from the bed. “I don’t want the job anymore, Zoe. Someone has to do it, and Bryan might be perfect for it. I can name him as my successor.”
She shook her head. “I don’t like it.”
“The alternatives are all a lot worse.”
A coil of dread had formed into a knot in her stomach, but nevertheless, she followed Julian out of the bedroom. At the door of her apartment, she stopped him and pulled him around to face her.
“If Bryan says no, are you going to go back to being a vampire?”
“I can’t, remember? I love you.” He took her face in his hands and kissed her once, softly and full of promise.
“Well, I don’t think I love you,” she said when he broke contact. The surprise that flickered through his eyes lasted only a second. “I know I do. And I’ve always known.”
Julian leaned in for another kiss. He brushed his lips over hers with a longing that Zoe felt all the way down to her toes. When he spoke, his voice was low, gravelly. “If we didn’t have to get this sorted out by sundown, I’d take you back to the bedroom.”
“Sundown? That’s all the time we have?”
He nodded, and Zoe sighed. She pulled the door open and ushered him into the hall. “We’d better get moving. The next time we’re in bed, I don’t want the Draconus dragging you away from me.”
Julian followed her out the door and closed it behind them. “Trust me, that’s the last thing I want. Orange silk doesn’t flatter my complexion.”
Chapter Twenty-three
“You don’t have to do this, Bryan.” Zoe had said it four or five times already. Had Bryan not been standing in front of the Draconus, eyes closed, head back, arms wide as if anticipating some grand epiphany, Julian would have clamped his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.
He hadn’t bothered to fully explain the implications if Bryan turned down the opportunity to be revamped, but if Zoe had succeeded in talking her friend out of it, there’d be no more negotiating. Julian knew for sure now, he didn’t want his fangs back, under any circumstances, but he had no doubt, if push came to shove, that Drac would shoot sparkly blue magick from his stubby fingertips first and ask questions later.
“I’m sure, Z. Really.” Bryan tilted his head to the side and opened one blood shot eye. The man still looked like he had one foot in the grave, but despite his remorse at all the pain he’d put his friends through, he’d jumped at the chance to regain his immortality.
A week ago, Julian would have done the same, even without Drac’s added bonus of access to his human feelings. After the spell, Bryan would be a vampire with a human heart. He’d be able to love and experience compassion. Whether that would ultimately be a blessing or a curse was anybody’s guess, but it was the only way to keep Zoe and her friends safe.
“Can he ever change back again?” Zoe asked.
Julian tapped one foot impatiently on the parquet floor of Drac’s throne room. “Only if some smart-ass witch throws a potion on him.”
Zoe shot him a look. “I’m just concerned.”
Bryan gave her a one-eyed glance again. “It’s okay, Z. The Draconus explained everything. I’ll be fine. In fact you’ll barely even know the difference. I just won’t be chipping in to rent a beach house with you and Tanya…with you this summer.”
Bryan’s tone was solemn. The other member of his harem hadn’t come, and even Julian felt her absence.
“Give it time, Bryan. Maybe she’ll feel differently when she gets back.”
“Back from where?”
Zoe eyed Julian uncertainly. He’d overheard part of her phone conversation with their missing friend this morning, and he knew her optimism was nothing more than a front for Bryan’s benefit. “She’s going to Colorado to visit her parents for a few weeks. She promised she’d call me as soon as she gets back.”
Bryan absorbed the news with vamp-worthy stoicism. He seemed willing to accept he may have lost Tanya’s friendship and devotion forever. The pull of vampirism, the lure of the power Drac now offered him was stronger than just about anything, except for love, and for that, Julian was eternally grateful.
He moved a step closer to Zoe and laced his fingers through hers. “It’ll be all right. It’s time to let him go.”
She squeezed his hand, and he felt her trembling. “How come it feels like we lost the battle?”
The Draconus lowered his arms once again from the spell-casting position and slid his gaze to her. “Don’t worry. There will be others.”
He didn’t wait for any more comments. On the next intake of breath, the Draconus cast the spell. Blue and red sparks fell from his fingertips, and he recited his usual array of overblown phrases in dead languages.
Zoe cringed when the visible spray of magick hit Bryan and enveloped him in a blue glow. To Julian’s relief, he didn’t feel even a shred of envy for the man who would inherit the power Enoch Lambert had plotted to steal from him. His only regret at finally seeing Anton’s legacy pass into the hands of another was that he’d have to sacrifice some time with Zoe in order to teach the novice vampire all the responsibilities of his new position.
When the glow of the spell faded, Bryan wobbled a bit. Zoe rushed forward to steady him, but he waved her away. “I’m fine. I feel…pretty good.”
Zoe glanced uncertainly from Julian to The Draconus. “That’s it?”
The little man bristled. “That’s it? That was some of my best work. He’s a vampire who remembers what it feels like to be human. That’s quite an accomplishment.”
“Sorry. I just…it wasn’t what I expected.”
Bryan really didn’t look any different. In fact, he probably looked a little better than he had a few minutes ago—stronger, more sure of himself.
The Draconus stepped toward him and reached up to slap him on the back. “Welcome to the fold, kid. You’ve got big shoes to fill.”
Bryan smiled, showing just the tips of his restored fangs. Zoe’s heart squeezed at the sight. It still seemed like too much of a sacrifice, but Bryan had wanted it. He’d actually seemed relieved when they made him the offer.
Up until this moment, she’d wondered if Julian might still change his mind about wanting immortality, about loving her. But when he’d slid his arms around her and pulled her close, just before the Draconus sent them all back to her apartment, she knew beyond any doubt.
He belonged to her, heart and soul.
Epilogue
Three Months Later
“It needs more garlic.” Julian’s decree came as he held up a wooden spoon full of bolognaise sauce for Zoe’s inspection.
She laughed before tasting his latest concoction. “There’s something I bet you never thought you’d say.” She had to admit, his cooking classes
were really paying off. She never had to cook, which saved a lot of time. Between running her newly opened store and taking some rudimentary magick lessons from Hester, her days were pretty full. Since Julian had moved into her apartment while his townhouse was being rebuilt, her nights were pretty full too.
Now that his import business, freshly restocked with all human employees, was back on track and Bryan had settled into running the vampire hierarchy in Baltimore, Julian had plenty of time to perfect his sauces, quiches and even his very own gourmet style mac and cheese dish. Zoe had never eaten so well in her life.
“Here’s something else I never thought I’d be saying.” He grinned at her through the piquant steam filling her tiny kitchen. “I’m craving sunshine and fresh air. Why don’t we spend the weekend at the beach?”
“Ocean City?” She thought of Hester’s enchanting—and enchanted—bungalow. Maybe they could convince the witch to take a little vacation of her own and let them have the place to themselves for old times’ sake.
Julian stirred the sauce and then the bubbling pot of pasta simmering next to it on the stove. “I was thinking somewhere sunnier, warmer and farther away.”
“Like where?”
“Any place that requires a transoceanic flight, buckets of sunscreen and you wearing next to nothing.” He grabbed her around the waist and squeezed, then nuzzled her neck and bit gently but firmly on her ear lobe.
Her giggle dissolved into a contented sigh, and she leaned back against his chest, reveling in the strong, steady beat of his heart against her back. “I see you still can’t control your urge to bite me.”
His own laugh was a deep rumble with a feral edge that sent a tingle up her spine. “Just barely, but I can promise to behave until we get to the bedroom.” He reached around her and turned off the burners of the stove. “Dinner can wait. I’m hungry for you.”
Zoe sobered a bit. “Are you sure I’m enough to sate your appetite? You gave up so much. I still worry that someday you’ll regret your decision.”
Julian turned her in his arms and pulled her close. He brushed his warm lips over hers, and she tasted the spicy sauce and deep desire. “I chose this life because of you, and I know I’ll never be sorry I did.” After a soul-deep kiss that left her wobbly and weak-kneed, he tilted her chin up so she met his dark gaze. “I love you, Zoe Boyd.”
“Forever?” she asked, hoping he caught the hint of mischief in her eye.
“Forever. Cross my heart.”
About the Author
To learn more about Jennifer Colgan, please visit www.jennifercolgan.com. Send an email to Jennifer at [email protected], join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other readers http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electricromance/, or stop by her Two Voices blog at http://bernadettegardner2.blogspot.com/
Look for these titles by Jennifer Colgan
Now Available:
The Rebound Guy
The Matchmakers
The Soul Jar
The Concubine’s Tale
La Mirage: A Midsummer Night’s Steam Story
One man claims her by day, another by night. Together they lay claim to her heart.
Ravenous
© 2010 Abigail Barnette
Annabelle Whittington sails toward Jamaica, and marriage to a wealthy plantation owner, on winds of hope. Hope that she hasn’t saved her virginity only to be doomed to proper English wifehood, never to fully satisfy her sexual curiosity. Then the sails of the pirate ship Howling Hades appear on the horizon.
Captain Galerius’ demands are simple: in exchange for her blood to slake his eternal thirst, and her body to quell his voracious lust, he will guarantee safe passage. Except his motives are less than pure. In his hold is another prisoner, Ian Drummond, who must soon be replaced…with Annabelle.
But Ian has plans of his own, and they don’t include giving up his lover so easily. And, once he gets a taste of Annabelle’s sweet blend of innocence and boldness, he can’t imagine living without either one of them.
Annabelle, sensing the tortured soul beneath the monster, refuses to let Galerius intimidate her—and finds an unexpected ally in the infuriating, maddening Ian. As danger threatens the Hades, she is faced with a choice. Return to her life of duty, or embrace her spirit of adventure…and sail the high seas with the men who have captured her heart.
Warning: Avast! Here be hot vampire pirate lovin’ that won’t be coming to a theater near you any time soon; a comely wench who be givin’ “boring” the old heave-ho. Cool rum drink recommended.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Ravenous:
Annabelle gasped as Galerius’s mouth covered hers. She pressed her fists against his chest, determined to push him away, willing herself to with every second that passed, but the will of her morals lost out to the will of her body.
His lips were shockingly cold, and his tongue tasted of wine. Her hands moved from fists to claws as she gripped his shoulders. For a moment, she thought of the fiancé she had not met, the only man who had a right to do this to her, and she felt a stab of guilt. But she did not know him, and she did not know if she was safe at the hands of this pirate, and—
Yes, that was it! Surely it was not her sinful curiosity that drove her to press harder against Galerius, not the feverish fantasies she indulged in night after night. She did this to protect herself, and to save her life!
She couldn’t really believe that, could she?
No.
She pushed back, caught him unawares so that he released her. “No, I’m sorry, I can’t—”
“I saw into your mind, Annabelle.” He stalked forward, pulling the robe from his shoulders. “I know what you dream of doing with a man.”
He could not possibly… She shook her head. “I think of no such thing.”
“Oh, but you do.” He took her hand and lifted her wrist to his mouth, flicking his tongue over the pulse that leaped there. “And I promise you, there is so much more than what you’ve imagined.”
When she opened her mouth to protest, all that came out was a whimper.
Galerius released her arm and stepped back, finger to his lips as though having an epiphany. “Perhaps I am driving too hard a bargain. How about this, then? The next time we are to sail across the sea, I will make it my personal mission to find your betrothed and deliver you safely to him. Do you find that fair?”
It was too easy, and very suspicious. “Do you often travel across the sea?”
“Of course. We are pirates, after all.”
“Fine, then.” Her answer was too easy, and very suspicious as well, but she refused to dwell on it. Still, he had not made a move toward her. “I agree. Proceed.”
He chuckled, and a hot blush crept up her face. “It would be easier if you took off your gown.”
“Oh.” She felt foolish and suddenly not as eager to continue with what they had begun. She had supposed she would be naked, but she had imagined it would happen in the heat of passion, as if by magic, so she would not have time to think about it. To remove her clothing now, while he watched her, would be embarrassing and…
Impossible, she realized. On the boat, Mrs. Grimble had helped her with her stays when she dressed and undressed, and the woman tied such ridiculous little knots. “I can’t,” she said quietly, relief and disappointment mixing in her voice. “I suppose that’s—”
Before she could finish, he dropped to his knees in front of her and pulled her gown open, flinging pins across the room and ripping her stomacher. Annabelle gasped. She would not deny she had imagined having her clothes torn off in a moment of passion, but in practice it was a bit unnerving. More so when he reached for a knife on the table and pointed it to her midsection. She yelped and jumped back, and he growled, “Be quiet, I won’t hurt you.” A horrible tearing sound alerted her to the demise of the ribbons cinching her corset, and at once she stood in the short shift and drawers beneath. The gasp she uttered then was one of relief, not anticipation.
A smile curved his mouth,
and he tossed the blade aside. “In my day, women did not wear such ridiculous undergarments.”
“And I shan’t, now,” Annabelle said, but she could not inject appropriate dismay knowing the vile garment was destroyed. “I suppose I will have to make do until we reach Jamaica.”
“If we reach Jamaica,” he corrected her. “And I don’t want to hear any more talk of it. While you are in my company, you are to think of me, not some far-off man whom you have never met.” He advanced on her, backed her up to the edge of the bunk. “And when you return to him, I guarantee you will still be thinking of me.”
Her knees turned to water and she collapsed, chest constricting with a mixture of fear and excitement. Her nipples grew tight beneath her shift, the dark pink of them showing prominently against the sheer muslin of the garment. With one hand at the small of her back, he stroked the side of one breast. Her breath hitched, and she knew then why he supported her so. Without his arm strong around her back, she would collapse from sheer delight. His smile was almost a smirk as he lowered his mouth, maddeningly slowly. “My, but you are innocent.”
“I’m not—” she began to protest, but his lips closed over the peak of one breast through the fabric, and her back arched like a drawn bow. Never had she felt such intense sensation. She had not been able to imagine what this would be like, not properly; she understood that now. The shivers of apprehension and arousal raced toward her most secret place, the part of her she had stroked beneath the covers while indulging in her most naughty fantasies. All from the touch of his mouth. What would happen when— No, she would not think of that. Her skin grew hot just imagining it.
“It has been a very long time since I’ve had a virgin,” he murmured against her flesh. “The blood is too sweet for my tastes. But I forgot how much fun this is.” His palm snaked beneath her shift, gliding across her belly and up to cup her breast.
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