by Tina Bendoni
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Aspen Mountain Press
www.aspenmountainpress.com
Copyright ©2008 by Tina Bendoni and Aspen Mountain Press
First published in 2008, 2008
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NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.
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WARNING
This e-Book contains sexually graphic scenes and adult language. Store your e-Books carefully where they cannot be accessed by underage readers.
Del Fantasma:
Latin Lover
Tina Bendoni
Aspen Mountain Press
Del Fantasma: Latin Lover
Copyright © 2008 Tina Bendoni and Aspen Mountain Press
This e-Book is a work of fiction. While references may be made to actual places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author's imagination and are not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental.
Aspen Mountain Press
PO Box 473543
Aurora CO 80047-3543
www.AspenMountainPress.com
First published by Aspen Mountain Press, March 2008
www.AspenMountainPress.com
This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction fines and / or imprisonment. The e-Book cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this e-Book can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-60168-095-2
Published in the United States of America
Editor: Nikita Gordyn
Cover artist: Nikita Gordyn
Dedication
To Michelle: Because you pushed me and pushed me until I finally got it written. Hope it's as good as you wanted.
Del Fantasma:
Latin Lover
Grace looked around the full bar and smiled. She was going to earn some nice tips tonight, and she could use them. Although she was almost out of the hole that Hank had tossed her into, she still had a little ways to go, and a short time to get there. Getting this job at Del Fantasma had been a blessing in more ways than one.
There hadn't been a night since she started that she hadn't gone home with less than a couple hundred in tips in her pocket, or a good feeling in her heart.
She didn't know why, either. After working an eight plus hour shift in any bar, she should be exhausted and drained. Instead she usually found herself rejuvenated and feeling better than she had when she went in.
Maybe it had something to do with the cute owner, Cody Warren. The man was hotter than a god, and built like one too. His short dark hair and striking blue eyes turned the head of more than one female—and a few males here and there, too.
Although he flirted with her on a regular basis, she knew he didn't mean anything by it. He flirted with her the same as he did the other females on staff, including Tara, the singer up on the stage.
Grace sighed. Now there was a singer. Tara could take a song and make you feel the emotions behind each and every word. The first few nights Grace had worked, she'd been caught not doing her job more than once when she was arrested by Tara's voice. Now Grace just chalked it up to part of the ambiance of the place and let it soothe her. She just figured it was one of Tara's gifts.
Cody had asked her about her prejudices and beliefs before he hired her, and even though she knew he had no right she had told him she was Wiccan, and as such, would have no problem working the religious holidays.
He had smiled strangely and told her she was hired. She hadn't realized it was because he expected her to be a bit more open minded about strange happenings than the average citizen on the street.
It hadn't taken her long to figure out that most of his customers weren't all human. Her first hint had been the floating drinks when the group of women usually found in the back corner had gotten a little bit drunk the first full moon she was here. Add in the constant territory challenges, understated though they may be, and she'd have to be a hell of lot more close-minded not to be able to figure out something was different about this place.
But it suited her. She was a misfit in the world of normal people, too. At least here everyone had their own shields and she didn't have to worry about stray images of their lives, or emotions and desires getting past her shields. At least most of the time.
She could handle the occasional emotion getting out of hand. Anything dangerous and Cody and his regulars would take care of it before it became a major issue. Most of the time, though, the emotions were strongest when Cody used his little matchmaking talent to get people together. Somehow, he could tell when the time was right to give away one of his special drinks to an unsuspecting customer. That was when the fireworks would fly. What did you expect in place where many of the customers mated for life?
Grace envied Cody that ability. She only saw the possible results after he linked people together. And even then she was never sure. But Cody was never wrong.
Grace glanced over the patrons of the bar and smiled. Brandon was beside the bar staring at Tara, his girlfriend of the past few months, and growling at anyone who got too close to her, or stared at her too long. Most knew that his bite was even worse than his growl, and did their best to avoid him. Why mess with a Werecat unless you had to?
Her eyes drifted across some of the other regulars. Mundanes and paranormals together, creating an atmosphere that was different from any other place she'd ever been in. Even the tourists that were unaware of the true nature of the bar sensed something different here. It was one of the things that made the place so popular.
It was also one of the things that made her feel more comfortable than she'd ever felt before. The abilities and talents of most of the customers made her paltry ability seem nonexistent, which was what she preferred. It was sporadic and entirely undependable at the best of times. Take her present financial situation as a perfect example.
If her ability worked when and how she wanted it to, she wouldn't have found herself in the position to pay off ten thousand dollars in debt accrued by her ex-boyfriend—all in her name.
She tried to fight it, but since most of the things he had ordered through her credit cards and accounts he'd opened in her name, and had been delivered to her house and signed for by a woman with a signature that looked amazingly like her own, she had no case. That wasn't including the leg breakers that he had borrowed from either.
Since Hank had disappeared, they had come after her. She'd been paying them off ever since then. That was the last time she ever trusted a man.
And the money wasn't the only reason she'd kicked the bastard out. Whoever the woman was who had been in on it with him had been much more than a business partner. Something Grace had learned the hard way.
So, Grace had been screwed over, twice. Her ability had done nothing to help her. Hell, it had done the opposite. When she had first met Hank her inner voice had encouraged her to go out with him. Talk about worse than useless powers.
Well, at least she got a friendship out of the deal. Tara and she had become pretty good friends, and Grace could always use another one of those. In fact, Tara had been urging her get to know more of the customers and employees on a personal basis.
Regardless, Grace was happy with the way thi
ngs were. She knew the regulars casually, and was friendly with them. That was enough for her. She had no desire to be burned again by anyone. And in her experience, that was what relationships tended to do.
Grace brought Brandon a beer and grinned at him as he growled at another patron.
"Easy, boy. That one's more interested in you than in Tara."
At his second growl, she snickered and walked away to serve the rest of her customers. Poor kitty never got a break.
"Hey Grace, give us another round.” She nodded to the back table of witches to show that she'd heard them and turned to the bar after dropping off the last of the drinks on her tray.
She spent the next hour hustling tables and seeing to her customers before she could finally sit down and relax.
"Busy night tonight.” Cody sauntered over and put an icy concoction in front of her on the bar.
"I'm still on the clock.” She was not a fan of alcohol herself, despite where she worked.
"It's finally calmed down. No one else is gonna be coming in. You're pretty much done for the night."
Grace smiled. “Yeah, right."
At Cody's laugh, her exhausted body perked up, getting a little bit more energy. “Well, either way, take a break. I just found this recipe and wanted to give it a shot."
She eyed the drink carefully, “What is it?"
"Just give it a try. I'm sure you'll like it."
Warily, she took a sip and was pleasantly surprised by the taste. “Fruity. Is that orange or pineapple juice I taste?"
Typical Cody, he didn't answer, just winked and walked away to help someone at the other end of the bar.
Sighing, Grace took another sip of the drink and cast her eyes over the bar one more time. She had about an hour left on her shift, but Cody was right. It was getting late, even for Del Fantasma, and not many people were coming in. Most of the crew were regulars, and would be heading out within the next thirty minutes or so. Hell, she could set her watch by some of them.
Finished with her drink, she set it closer to Cody's side of the bar and hopped off the barstool. The drink must have been more powerful than she had thought, because she lost her balance and fell against a hard, warm chest.
The thumping of a heart beat against her hand. Her pulse instantly responded, matching its speed to that of the man that held her tight in his arms. The scent of forest and ocean waves assailed her senses and her mind spun as she heard a sigh in her head.
"Cuidado, querida. You don't want to fall into the arms of too many strangers. You never know who, or what, you may bump into here.” The smooth bass of the voice sent moisture to her core and dragged her eyes up to his face.
Sharp features met her gaze. Smooth, taut lips quirked led her eyes up to a long Roman nose, then to eyes which were a deep brown that she felt herself get sucked into, causing her to go breathless.
His Latino accent sent her pulse fluttering immediately. A hotter man she couldn't remember ever seeing. His biceps were strong and hard where she held them, and her hands tightened against them of their own accord. The rest of her body responded to his nearness unexpectedly, melting into him too eagerly as she pictured the two of them in bed together, rolling around the sheets in ecstasy.
His mouth widened into a full-blown smile as if he knew where her thoughts had gone. Her pussy clenched at the sensuality inherent in that one look.
Dammit, woman, get your hormones in check. You don't need another man in your life. Least of all one so attractive all you want to do is fuck his brains out.
She hissed. Oh, gods, she'd just been sucked under by a vamp, and if she didn't miss her guess, an old vamp. She swallowed hard.
"Sorry. I must have slipped off the chair. I'm not usually this clumsy."
"It was my pleasure, querida. After all, how often does a man have a woman fall into his arms as easily as you have mine?"
Oh, yeah, she had definitely fallen into his arms, and would willingly fall into his bed. Gods, she'd been alone too long if the first vamp she met other than Cody could mesmerize her so strongly. She would need to be taking out her battery operated rabbit tonight when she got home.
Realizing she was still in his arms, she pulled herself out reluctantly and smiled at him, unsure of what to say. A yell from the other side of the room saved her, as the witches called her over to give their final order before closing. So much for Cody saying she was done for the night.
Relieved, and a bit disappointed, she quickly walked away, feeling his eyes burn into her back the entire way across the room.
"Girl, what the hell are you doing with him?” Grace stopped short at the witch's question. Tara wasn't the only friend she had made in the past few months. These women had taken her under their wings and tried to help her learn how to control some of her abilities. But so far, they'd all had little to no success.
"Don't you realize he's a vamp?"
"I just bumped into him. I haven't had time to realize anything."
"He's been watching you for the last five nights. His eyes never leave you."
Grace felt a shiver go down her spine. “What do you mean he's been watching me? I haven't seen him in here before tonight."
"Girl, he's probably clouding your mind. Vamps can do that, you know."
Sakie, one of the older women at the table smacked the younger witch that had spoken on the arm. “Betty, don't be so stereotypical and prejudiced. You know nothing about that man or his history. And the reason the girl hasn't seen him is because he's only here for an hour or so, and never sits in her section. This place has been hopping for the last week, so she's barely had time to breathe, never mind check out every cute guy that comes in here."
"Come on, Sakie, you know what he is.” Betty practically hissed at the elder woman.
"Yeah, I do. But that doesn't mean squat. You of all people should know not to judge people by what they are, rather than who they are."
Betty had the grace to blush.
Sakie shook her head with a sideways glare at Betty. “Grace, don't worry about her. She reads too many of those paranormal erotic romances. She's convinced a Were is gonna sweep her off her feet and mate with her for all eternity."
Betty said nothing, just stared into her glass.
"Of course, none of us would be unhappy with a nice roll in the hay.” Alyson sighed as she sat back.
"Least of all with that gorgeous hunk that you just fell into.” Sakie smirked.
"Hell, if you don't want him send him this way. Any of us will take him."
"Or all of us. At once,” the sixty year-old Judy pointed out, eying the candy across the room. The rest of the woman snickered, including Betty.
"I just bumped into him, ladies. There's nothing there to worry about."
"Oh, I don't know, dearie. The lust I saw shooting off of both of you at that contact tells me there is definite potential there. So why don't you go take advantage of it and have some fun tonight?"
It was Grace's turn to blush. Here she was thirty years old, getting sexual advice from a woman twice her age. One who was encouraging her to do something any other woman her age would be shocked at. Who would ever believe it if she told them?
"Sorry ladies, gotta run. The wolves look grumbly over there.” Grace practically ran away before she had to listen to any more suppositions about the sexy Latino across the room. The last thing she needed was another complication in her life. And a vamp would definitely be a big one.
Shit, shit, shit. Grace turned the key once more. Nothing. Not a click, a grind, nothing . If she didn't know better, she'd swear the battery was dead, but dammit, she just replaced it two weeks ago. Shit.
This was all she needed. Just a couple more weeks was all she needed to get herself out of her financial hole, and now she would have to spend goddess only knew how much of her money on getting the damn car fixed. And how the hell was she supposed to get to work in the meantime?
It couldn't have waited for another month or so to crap out on her? No, it
had to be now. She looked at her watch and sighed. The odds of getting a taxi this late/early were slim to none, and Tara and Brandon had already gone home.
Well, damn, she had no option. She'd have to at least check taxis. If not, she'd be hoofing it to the nearest bus station and waiting at least an hour or two.
"Grace, is something wrong?” Cody called out the back door to her as she headed back to the bar.
Usually he or someone else kept an eye on the female staff as they left the building. It was a pretty safe area, and those who knew The Point knew not to make trouble near Del Fantasma, but every once in a while someone new to town, or even a new recruit from the base down the way, would be too interested and risk doing something stupid.
"I need to borrow your phone book, if you don't mind, Cody. My car seems to be on the fritz."
"Anything I can help with?"
"I don't know. What do you know about cars?"
Cody grimaced. “You want the macho answer I should give, or the truth?"
Grace laughed as they walked back into the bar. “Come on, don't all guys know something about them?"
"Grace, I grew up and tinkered on cars before fuel injection and all this new computer crap. Unless it's a V8 with a carburetor, don't look to me for much help. I can probably check the wires to the battery, but that's about it."
She smiled as she shook her head. “Already did that, thanks. Don't worry about it. If you don't mind, I'll just leave it here and get a taxi home. I can call the garage when they open and ask them to pick it up for me."
"Car trouble?"
That deep voice from earlier in the night had her senses all aquiver again as she remembered being held in those strong, firm arms against that hard chest.
"Grace can't get her car to start so she was going to call a taxi,” Cody told the man standing behind her.
He had to be close, Grace could feel her hair standing on edge from the electricity of his presence. Once again her body betrayed her as her heart beat faster and her breathing grew shallower.
"Where do you live, Grace? I can drop you off."