Kissing with Fangs

by Ashlyn Chase

  “I’m sorry, buddy. I can’t be part of that.”

  “Kurt…” he growled. His friend didn’t answer. “Kurt? Dammit, talk to me.”

  When there was still no response, Anthony realized his good friend was switching allegiances and had hung up on him. He slammed the phone back in its cradle. “Fuck!”

  Claudia winced. “I—uh…I need to call my sponsor.”

  Anthony took in a deep breath and nodded. “Of course.”

  Claudia edged around him until she reached the phone. “Um…alone, please?”

  Anthony couldn’t help feeling a little hurt. She’d rather talk to someone over the phone than take comfort from him. Yes, he was probably a little frightening when he was angry, and she’d never seen him lose his cool like this, but of all people, she should understand why.

  “We’ll be right outside the door,” he said.

  “No. I need complete privacy and you can hear through doors.”

  He sighed out the breath he’d sucked in earlier.

  “You know what?” she said. “I’ll just call her from my apartment. I—I want to change into some dry clothes first.”

  “Of course. You must be chilled to the bone.” He removed his suit jacket and draped it around her shoulders. She tried to refuse it, but he insisted. He also insisted on walking her to her door.

  “You know you can’t tell your sponsor about any of this.”

  She simply stood on the sidewalk and stared straight ahead.

  “I mean it,” Anthony said a little more forcefully than he should have.

  Claudia tipped up her set jaw and gave him what looked like a defiant glare. “She wouldn’t believe me anyway.”

  ***

  Claudia paced across her living room, hoping her sponsor hadn’t missed her for a couple days. Fat chance.

  “Hi, Gaye.”

  “Where have you been?”

  Claudia hoped she could deflect all the obvious questions and avoid lying, but it was going to be difficult. “Um. It’s good to hear your voice too. I’m fine, by the way.”

  “Oh. Yes, I guess I skipped the pleasantries, but I’ve been worried about you. I tried to call several times, and it went straight to voice mail.”

  “Sorry. It couldn’t be helped.” Truth.

  “Why not?”

  “I didn’t have my cell phone with me.” Truth.

  “All right. But why didn’t you tell me you were going…where did you say you went?”

  “I didn’t, and I can’t.”

  Gaye muttered something under her breath. “Are you sober?”

  Claudia gritted her teeth. It was a miracle she was sober right now. Part of her really wished she could escape into the bottle, but all the craziness would still be there when she sobered up—plus she’d have a hangover.

  “Yes, I’m sober. I’m just tired, but I wanted to call so you wouldn’t worry. And I need to ask you something too.”

  “Well, it’s too late to avoid the worry thing, but what’s your question?”

  Claudia took a deep breath and hoped she wouldn’t set off Gaye’s alarm bells. “I need a place to go to think. Just for a night. Someplace where no one will disturb me.”

  “What you need is a meeting.”

  “Gaye, I can’t. Not tonight. I’m exhausted.”

  Gaye didn’t say anything for several seconds. Finally her voice gentled. “What’s going on, Claudia? You don’t sound like yourself at all.”

  “I know.” She felt herself choking up and took a deep breath, hoping to keep the tears at bay. “But I can’t tell you. At least not yet. I really need to get away and be by myself for a night or two.”

  “That’s the last thing you need. Trust me.”

  “I do trust you, but—”

  “No buts. Either you trust me to know what’s best for you or you don’t.”

  Oh God. Now what could she say? She trusted Gaye, but she really couldn’t divulge what was bothering her. Ever. She was nearly lying when she said she couldn’t tell her “yet.”

  “Claudia, there’s a saying that you’re only as sick as your secrets.”

  Oh, great. Another saying. Another tidbit of wisdom. “I’m sorry. I swore I’d never tell another human being.” Truth.

  Another long silence followed. “Is it legal trouble?”

  “No. I’m not covering for anyone so they won’t get arrested. It’s not that kind of thing at all. Can you please stop guessing?”

  “Why? Are you afraid I might guess right?”

  Claudia almost burst out laughing. Who would ever guess she’d been dropped onto a fishing boat by a vampire and set adrift.

  “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have called. I’ll go to a hotel or something.”

  “Please don’t. I’ll respect your privacy, but you really shouldn’t be alone. My sister is in the program. She has a guest room and her home is alcohol free. Let me give her a call, and I’ll see if she can give you a safe place to stay.”

  “Thank you. I’d really appreciate it.”

  “I’ll call her right now and get back to you in a few minutes. You’ll answer when I call back, right?”

  Claudia let out a sigh. “Yes. Of course.”

  “Okay. Talk to you in a few.”

  Claudia went straight to her bedroom and packed an overnight bag. She had to get going before the tea room opened and Anthony came looking for her. She’d call him as soon as she was on her way. Worrying people who cared about her never seemed to work out well. On the other hand, she realized, people did care about her. A mixed blessing, at best.

  ***

  No sooner had Anthony entered his office and closed the door, than he found himself on top of a frozen mountain surrounded by many more snowy peaks.

  “Oh, fuck.”

  Mother Nature appeared in front of him with her arms crossed. “Well, you really screwed the goat this time.”

  “Goddess, please understand—”

  She pointed at him and roared, “No. You understand. Humans are not supposed to know about paranormals. Now, thanks to you and your rogue ex, your current girlfriend knows about vampires and muses. Magic and powers. What’s next? Are you going to introduce her to the whole Supernatural Council?”

  “Of course not.”

  “I might.”

  “What?”

  “I might take her to headquarters and explain the whole thing to her…then transport her to a loony bin and watch her tell them how she got there. They’ll keep her forever.”

  Anthony had never felt so powerless and panicked. “Gaia, please. I need your help. I believe you can do anything. You can reset the world to right before I met Ruxandra—”

  The goddess reared back and laughed. The eerie echo mocked him.

  “Of course I could do that, but why would I? Just to accommodate you? How important do you think you are?”

  “I…” Anthony sighed. There was nothing he could say to that. He supposed that even one minor change like letting Ruxandra die would affect hundreds or thousands of other incidents, like a ripple in a pond.

  Gaia must have taken pity on him, because the next thing he knew, they were sitting in his office.

  “I will help you, but not the way you want me to. That would be too easy and you’d never learn. Now, go to your girlfriend and make sure she tells no one what she knows. I want your personal guarantee.”

  “But how can I promise that when it depends on her choices and behavior? I can’t mesmerize her, or I’d have done it already.

  Mother Nature smirked. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

  ***

  Claudia opened her apartment door and walked straight into a solid wall…named Anthony Cross.

  “Going somewhere?” he asked.

  “Please, Anthony, le
t me go. I won’t divulge your precious secret.”

  “I didn’t say you would.”

  They stood toe to toe, staring at each other. Finally, Claudia said, “I was going to call you from the road. I really can’t work today. I need a day to get my head on straight.”

  “I was here to tell you the same thing. Don’t worry about the tea shop. Sadie and Morgaine said they’d help Chris and Angie handle it.”

  “Who’s Morgaine?”

  “A friend of Nick’s. You may have met her husband a while ago. His name is Sly Flores.”

  Claudia didn’t recall either name, but who these people were wasn’t important right now. “I need to go, Anthony.”

  “We need to talk.”

  Claudia sighed. “What about?”

  “About us.”

  From the severe expression on his face, she wondered if he’d decided this whole relationship was more trouble than it was worth. Having that on her mind for the next two days wouldn’t help matters. Maybe it was best to talk to Anthony first and then catch the commuter train to Gaye’s sister’s house out in the suburbs.

  “May I come in?” he asked.

  Claudia stepped aside and Anthony entered. He didn’t go much beyond the threshold, as if he might need to snatch her arm if she tried to run off. He took the overnight bag from her hand and placed it beside the sofa.

  “If you still want to leave after we talk, I won’t stop you.”

  She nodded and closed the door.

  He wrapped her in a tight embrace. “I’m so relieved to know you’re all right.” When she didn’t respond, he took a step back and studied her. “You are all right, aren’t you?”

  “Basically. No harm was done physically, but I don’t know how much more I can take psychologically.”

  “I understand.” He took her hand and led her to the sofa. “Sit. Let me get you a cup of tea or coffee.”

  “Don’t. I should just hear you out and get going before I fall asleep on my feet.”

  Anthony sat and pulled her down onto his lap. “Claudia, I don’t know what I would have done if anything happened to you. I was half out of my mind while you were gone.”

  He stroked her hair, which was now nearly dry, but she probably looked like she’d been in a windstorm. It didn’t seem to matter to him. He gazed at her with love in his chocolate eyes. Part of her resolve melted.

  She really did love him, and yet things had to change. She couldn’t keep looking over her shoulder and wondering what Ruxandra was going to do next.

  As if he’d heard her, he said, “I’ll make sure Ruxandra never bothers you again.”

  “How? She seems really determined to get me out of the picture.” Suddenly a horrible thought struck her. He wouldn’t, would he? “Are you going to k-kill her?”

  Anthony fell eerily silent. Finally, he said, “I’m responsible for this. All of this. I’ll take care of it. I promise.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Because I don’t know the answer.”

  His jaw was set and his expression hardened.

  “I can’t condone that. I certainly don’t want you to go to prison, and I’m against murder in any case…”

  Anthony snorted. “My kind don’t go to prison.”

  “But you do murder.”

  He hung his head. “I won’t pretend it doesn’t happen. However, in order to live among humans, we try to be very careful. There are cameras everywhere now.”

  “So, are you saying it’s an option as long as humans don’t find out about it?”

  He cupped her cheek. “I’m not saying anything right now. You’re not the only one who needs to think. I just want us to face this together…as we’ve always done.”

  As much as she appreciated being included in determining a more permanent solution to the Ruxandra problem, it implied a conspiracy. Having a hand in another’s demise—no matter how minor—would in all likelihood affect her sobriety.

  She had to make Anthony understand. “I can’t do this.”

  He grasped her hands and held them tight. “Please don’t give up on us. I’ll fix this. Just promise you won’t do anything rash.”

  She sighed. It looked as if she didn’t have to add “mend a broken heart” to her to-do list, unless it was the only way to save her own life. “I’ll give it one more night. If she’s not…restrained in some lasting way, I’ll have to leave. How stupid would I feel if I just hung around and let her kill me next time?”

  “Not as stupid as I’d feel devastated.” He flipped her onto her back and kissed her hard. Her head spun. She wanted to open herself and beg him to fill her.

  When he lifted his head, he whispered, “I love you. So much. I won’t risk losing you again. I don’t care what I have to do.”

  Claudia wished he’d stop insinuating that murder was still on the table. But what other permanent solution could there be?

  She held his face in her hands. “I love you too, but the idea of being an accessory to murder isn’t sitting well. I mean, I blamed myself for my sister’s death, and I had no advance warning whatsoever. I feel like I have to protest, but even so, it’s hard to do.” She mimicked how she felt by speaking deadpan. “Oh, stop. Please don’t.”

  A hint of a smile crossed his face. “I’m not talking about murder—yet, but don’t worry. I’ll think of something. I just want to be with you now. I want to hold you and make love to you.”

  There was something he wasn’t telling her. It sounded as if he’d come to some kind of decision even though he hadn’t said anything. She was too tired to let this debate go round and round in her head, so when Anthony said he wanted to make love again, she pushed all other thoughts away and let him carry her to her bedroom.

  Chapter 16

  Anthony had hoped she’d let him in the front door. He never imagined she’d forgive him so soon and let him into her bedroom. There was more to talk about, but he was grateful for the chance to cement their emotional bond. Words could wait until later.

  He gently laid her in the middle of the bed and removed her shoes. She had changed into jeans and sneakers, but he pulled them off like loafers and tossed them aside.

  “Hurry,” she whispered.

  Oh, what the hell. She knows what I can do. He moved so fast that they were naked and lying beside each other in less than three seconds.

  She giggled. “I didn’t mean that fast, but it’s good to know I don’t have to wait when I’m horny.”

  He grinned. “I’ll never make you wait for anything if I can help it. I want to give you the world, Claudia.”

  “I don’t want the world.” She draped her arms around his neck. “Just you.”

  He dove for her lips and kissed her for all he was worth. Their tongues met and tangled. Before long, she was breathing heavily and stroking his backside. He had never felt so hard, but he needed to ready her first.

  He broke the kiss and crawled down until he was eye level with her breasts. “You’re beautiful, Claudia.”

  He suckled one breast and massaged the other. Increasing the pressure with his mouth, he pinched her other nipple and rubbed it with his thumb.

  She moaned and murmured, “…so good.”

  When he switched to the other breast, giving it the same attention, she arched and moaned louder. His hand traveled downward and rubbed her mons. As soon as he’d finished with the other breast, he scooted down farther.

  “So pretty,” he said, stroking the trimmed hair as if she were a kitten. Then he parted her folds and let his tongue explore. She writhed and moaned, especially when he came close to her sweet spot and dodged it at the last minute.

  “Don’t tease, Anthony. I need you.”

  He wouldn’t make her wait, just as he’d promised. He laved her clit and then licked it with the speed of a hummingbird’s wings.<
br />
  Claudia arched and stiffened, then emitted moans and cries that rose to a crescendo. She grasped the sheets in two white-knuckled hands, as if trying not to fly off the bed. When she shook and screamed out his name, he was elated.

  “You’re so responsive,” he said.

  She simply dragged in huge lungs full of air and panted. When at last she could speak, she said. “I’m boneless.”

  “I have enough bone for both of us.” Anthony glanced down at his steely rod and hoped she had the energy to finish.

  She grinned. “Let’s do something about that.” Rolling up onto her elbow, she grasped his cock, and the warm squeeze of her hand hardened him even more. She began to bend as if to take him in her mouth, but he stopped her.

  “I won’t be able to hold back if you do that.”

  “But I want to give you the joy you just gave me.”

  “You do, my love. Believe me, you do.” He gently pushed her onto her back and said, “I want to make love to you.” He almost said “forever” but caught himself just in time. She’d seemed upset when immortality was mentioned before. If anyone should be upset, it should be the one who had to carry on long after losing his true love.

  He couldn’t think about that. Claudia was here with him now. He’d make love to her as if tomorrow would never be.

  She spread her legs wide and welcomed him into her embrace. He positioned himself at her opening and entered slowly.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, concerned for her because of his size.

  “I’m fantastic,” she said.

  He chuckled and pushed on until he was fully seated. “Yes, you are.”

  He began his rhythm, and the glorious push and pull created strong physical sensations. Perhaps because his emotions were involved, he experienced a greater depth of feeling with Claudia than he had with any woman. You’d think in almost four hundred years he’d have found something close, but no. Nothing came close to his love for Claudia. His elation while joining with her was beyond compare.

  He sped up and she matched him thrust for thrust. Tingles at the base of his spine signaled he was close. In only a few more seconds his climax seized him. He knew what it was like to fly, and this release was like flying without leaving the room. He rode it to the very last aftershock. Finally, completely sated, he rolled onto his side and stared into her eyes. There was no danger of mesmerizing her. She had already mesmerized him.