by J. L. McCoy
“It’s 12:45am,” Archer said, answering my silent thought.
I looked at him and pursed my lips. “Stop, please. Not now. Just…not now, Archer,” I said, getting aggravated and growing tired of this night.
I walked over to the chairs in front of Archer’s desk and dug through my messenger bag that was sitting in one. I found my phone and texted Nikki. A minute later I got a reply saying she’d bring Styvi Nix over to her house for a sleepover. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I didn’t have to leave her by herself tonight. I really hated doing that.
I put my phone back and walked over to the guys. “Ok, that’s taken care of,” I said. “Now, Jameson, would you be a dear and get me get a change of clothes for tomorrow and something to sleep in?”
“Sure thing, Skye,” he said, opening the door to the apartment for me.
Jameson walked over to the closet unit and dug through it for a few moments. He brought out a pair of button up Levi’s, two t-shirts, a pair of socks, and some drawstring pajama pants.
I smiled at the thought of a shower. “Thanks, Jameson. I really appreciate it.”
“Anytime,” he said, and turned around to leave.
“Wait! Where are you going?” I asked, hurriedly.
He looked a little confused for a second. “Home. I’m going home, Skye,” he said. “Why?”
I was suddenly frantic to have him stay. I COULD NOT be left alone with Archer. I didn’t half trust myself around him and I had just promised myself that I would remain neutral when it came to the brothers. “Please don’t go. Stay here with us tonight,” I pleaded, keeping my voice down.
He looked unsure for a second, but then nodded his head. “Ok, Skye. I’ll stay.”
I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him, walking back out into the office with him.
I looked at Archer but he wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Feel free to take a shower,” he said, walking back to the bar to put his glass down. “You may have the bed and Jameson and I will take the couches.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly and turned to walk to the bathroom. Once in there I shut the door and got ready for my shower. I quickly undressed and stepped through the glass stall door. The water was hot and the water pressure was perfect. I stood under the shower head for a couple of minutes, just letting the water fall on my neck and shoulders. I washed my hair and body and then quickly toweled off.
I dressed in the white t-shirt and drawstring pants that Jameson had lent me. The top went halfway down my thighs and the drawstring pants were too big. I pulled the strings on the pants tight and knotted them. I gathered up my old clothes and shoes and headed back out into the apartment.
Jameson was readying the bed for me, pulling back the covers. I smiled at his thoughtfulness. I walked over to him and set my bundle down on the floor beside the bed.
“Thank you, Jameson. That was very thoughtful of you,” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder.
He looked at me a little sadly. “No problem,” he said, turning, and walked toward the chaise lounge.
I watched him go as Archer walked in and came up to me. “You have everything you need?” he asked me.
“Uh, no, not quite. Do you happen to have a brush I could borrow?” I asked uncertainly. “If I don’t brush out these tangles, I’ll be in big trouble tomorrow.”
Archer went through a couple of drawers and found a hairbrush that still had the tag hanging from the handle. “Here you go,” he said, handing it to me. “I bought this for Jameson, just in case.”
“Thank you, Archer,” I said and turned to Jameson. “Do you mind, Jameson?”
“What’s mine is yours,” he said, comfortably laid out on the chaise lounge, his eyes closed.
I quickly brushed out my hair as Archer retrieved some blankets and gave one to Jameson, putting the other on the overstuffed couch for him to use. I got into bed and looked over at all the room that was left. There was enough room for three more people in this bed. I felt bad kicking Archer out of his bed, but I didn’t feel comfortable sleeping with either of them.
Archer went around the room and turned off the lights. The only light in the room came from the alarm clock on the bedside table. I called goodnight to Jameson and Archer and snuggled deeper under the covers. They smelled just like Archer and it brought back profound memories of our dancing earlier. My lower abdomen suddenly tightened and I quickly shoved the memories aside.
I closed my eyes and rethought the day. This had felt like the longest day. But, regardless of how things played out, I did have a good time tonight. Dancing with Archer had been really fun. I slowly drifted off to sleep, thinking of all the questions that I still had for the two vampires.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I awoke to a knock at the apartment door. I opened my eyes and saw Jameson cut on the light and walk to answer it. It was Gunnar and he had a tray of food in this hands.
“Thank you Gunnar.” Jameson said. “I’ll take it from here.” Gunnar turned to leave and Jameson kicked the door shut with his foot. He walked over to me, carrying the tray, wearing nothing but a pair of plaid boxer shorts and a smile. I quickly looked away and sat up in the bed.
“Good morning, Skye.” he said gently, sitting down on the bed beside me. “Did you sleep well?”
I swallowed hard at the memory of his new near nudity. He was amazingly sexy in the morning with his bed head and sleepy grin. “Yes, I did. This bed is really comfortable,” I said, smiling.
“Good,” Jameson said, putting the tray down on the bed in front of me. “Archer took the liberty of ordering breakfast for you. I hope it’s to your liking.”
I looked down at the tray and was impressed. The tray held a large, buttery croissant, fresh strawberries, a mini truffle quiche, hot tea, and a small mug of coffee.
“Thank you. This looks delicious,” I said, suddenly very hungry. I looked up at Jameson and smiled. “But, I don’t drink coffee first thing in the morning. Too much caffeine this early makes me jittery like a junkie. Would you like it? You could sit down and drink it with me while I have my breakfast.”
Jameson shook his head. “No thank you, Skye,” he said, and gently explained. “I am unable to drink or eat food.”
I was confused. “But, you’re able to drink alcohol. How is that possible?”
“We are not completely sure why. Some say it goes back to our father and his blessings. Many believe we are able to consume alcohol so that we can still receive communion…the blood of an tAthair Naofa, the Holy Father,” he explained. “But, if you will allow me to, I’d like to sit with you and enjoy my kind of breakfast…if you would not be offended by it.”
“No, please do. I want you to be yourself around me, Jameson,” I said smiling and touching his knee. “Let’s have breakfast together.”
Jameson put his hand on top of mine for a few moments and then got up and went to the apartment refrigerator. He took out a bag of blood and put it in the microwave for a few seconds to heat up. When it was done, he politely poured it in a large coffee container and put the lid on. He then resumed his place on the bed with me. I did my best not to look at him in any other place but his handsome face. His naked chest was impressively sexy and I was trying my best to stick by last night’s promise of staying neutral between Jameson and Archer.
We sat in silence for a few minutes as I dug into my food. The truffle quiche was exquisite and the strawberries sweet. I took a sip of my tea and looked over at Jameson. He was quietly drinking his breakfast while watching me eat.
“Do you miss it?” I asked in between bites. “Food, I mean?”
He looked at me with a small sad smile. “Aye…I sometimes wonder what pizza tastes like,” he said, a thoughtful look on his face.
I nodded my head in understanding. “Yeah, pizza IS pretty tasty.”
We sat for a few moments more and I asked where Archer had gone off to this morning. “He is in the office taking care of business and ordering a new top for the bar,” Jameson sa
id plainly. “He’ll be back in a few moments.”
“Oh,” I said simply and resumed my meal.
Jameson finished his blood rather quickly and walked over to the chaise lounge. He quickly put on his leather pants from yesterday and grabbed the guitar that was sitting in the corner. He walked back over to the bed and crawled into it, sitting with his back to the tall headboard. He slowly started playing a tune that I had never heard before. The chords were soft and melodic.
I listened to him play with great interest as I finished breakfast. The song was beautiful, full of sorrow and joy. “Do you have any words that go along with it?” I asked. “I really like it.”
He smiled a kind of sad smile and looked up into my eyes. “No, not yet. It just came to me this morning,” he said. “But, I’m glad you like it so far.”
I didn’t understand why he looked sad. I didn’t like seeing him that way. I reached over and gently rubbed his lower thigh. “You look so sad and I hate to see you that way.” I put my tray down on the floor and scooted over to sit up against his right side. I looped my arm around his and put my head on his shoulder. “Cheer up, hon. The day is new, with no mistakes in it yet. It’s a good day.”
He sat there for a few moments and then resumed softly strumming his guitar. After a minute or so, he turned his head and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead.
“Thank you, Skye,” he whispered.
“Anytime,” I said, a content smile upon my face.
Archer walked in a few minutes later, and I fought hard to quickly shut down my suddenly rampant sexual thoughts. Archer was wearing black silk pajama bottoms and a smile, nothing more. He looked positively edible. My mind was quickly filled with thoughts of all of the yummy things I could lick off his chiseled chest. I looked down at the comforter on the bed and tried to take even breaths. My stomach felt like there were a million butterflies in it and my heart was beating out of control. Jameson stopped playing as both he and Archer looked at me.
“Your heart is beating so quickly. Are you okay?” Jameson wondered.
I started blushing when I realized that they could hear my heartbeat. I swallowed and nodded my head, taking slow, deep breaths through my nose and out my mouth. Archer cocked his eyebrow at me and looked amused. He licked his lips and stared at me for a moment before he resumed his walk to the kitchenette. He grabbed a bag of blood and heated it up in the microwave for a few seconds.
When it was done, he brought the bag of blood over to the bed and sat down with us. I watched as he bit the corner off the bag and took several big gulps of the warm, thick liquid. “So,” he said. “I’m going to have Jameson take you to get your car when he goes to practice this afternoon. I’d like you to be back here around half past 2pm. You need to call the people from the applications you selected and schedule interviews with them for me to conduct tomorrow.”
“Sure, thing, boss man,” I said, trying hard to sound casual. “I can do that. Don’t forget that I work for Dan tomorrow from 11am-7pm, so I can be here after if you need me to.”
Archer smiled and crossed his legs. “Actually, Jameson is playing a show at Drop Kick Dan’s tomorrow night, and I was going to stop by and hang out. Care to watch the show with me?” he said, raising one eyebrow.
I looked between the two of them. Jameson was looking down at his guitar, softly strumming away, but I knew that he was paying attention to my answer. “Um, I’d love to stay for the show. I’ll have a drink with you, but I’ll probably be dancing most of the time,” I said neutrally. I saw a slight smile appear on Jameson’s lips.
I quickly got up and decided to get dressed. I grabbed the clothes that Jameson had set aside for me at the end of the bed. “Well, fellas, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go change,” I said and made my way to the bathroom.
I shut the door and did my morning routine, minus a toothbrush. My finger and gobs of toothpaste would have to suffice until I got home. I washed my face and brushed my hair out. It was nice and wavy, full of body. The outfit that Jameson had let me borrow was too big, but I made due. I rolled the waist on the jeans down a few times and knotted the sides of his Flogging Molly’s t-shirt. I threw on the pair of socks and gathered up the clothes I had just taken off.
I stepped into the living room and froze. Archer was completely naked, his magnificent backside to me, and he was rummaging through his closet. Dear Lord, have mercy! I prayed. How much more can a girl take? Oh, wow! You could bounce a quarter off that thing…yum! I heard him laugh. I quickly turned around and apologized. Dammit! I keep forgetting he hear me. I worked hard to keep my mind blank.
“No need to apologize,” he said, still laughing. “My, my. Well, aren’t we shy? Nudity is nothing for us vampires, Skye.”
My face was hot from the blush I felt spreading. “Um, well, I’m not really used to it,” I said, trying to calm my racing heart and raging hormones.
Archer laughed again and I felt him walk up behind me. “If you’ll take a few steps to your right, I’ll just go take a quick shower and put some clothes on for you.”
“Th…thanks,” I managed and sidestepped a few times, keeping my eyes firmly closed. I knew he was able to hear my heartbeat and that was bad enough. I didn’t want him to hear my thoughts if I saw his magnificent body again. I couldn’t handle that kind of embarrassment.
I heard the bathroom door shut, so I opened my eyes and turned around. Jameson was already dressed for the day in a black Ramones t-shirt and blue jeans. He looked at me and grinned. “My clothes look really good on you,” he said with an appraising smile. “Are you ready to go, love?”
I nodded and smiled back, thanking him for the use of his clothes and handing him back the set that he leant me last night. I retrieved my old clothes from the floor, as he set the ones I just handed him down on the bed. Jameson then put his hand on the small of my back and escorted me out of the room.
Once in the office, I stuffed the dress in my bag and rolled up my boots to also put in there. I grabbed my jacket off the chair and followed Jameson down the stairs to the first floor. Gunnar was doing something behind the bar and Jameson went over and spoke quietly to him for a few seconds before returning to me and walking me outside to his awaiting car.
The drive a few blocks over to Dan’s was quiet. Jameson had the radio on and was singing along with The Cure. He pulled into the employee parking lot and let me out. “So,” he said a little shyly. “I’ll have band practice the rest of the day with the guys, but maybe I’ll see you tonight?”
I smiled and nodded. “I hope so. Have a good practice,” I said as I closed the door. I watched him drive off and then fished my keys out of my bag and got into my car. I put on a CD and mellowed out to some Type O Negative on the drive home.
When I walked into the door, Styvi Nix went crazy. She was so happy to see me, and I her. I cuddled up to her for a few minutes and then set her down and went into the kitchen to give her a treat. As I was passing the kitchen table, I saw a note written for me.
“Cupcake- Styvi was a good girl last night. We ate popcorn and watched cartoons until 4am. Did you know she loves Robot Chicken? So cute! I brought her home around noon because I had some errands to run before work. Call me later…I miss you, girl! Xoxo, Nik”
I looked at the time and it was just now one o’clock in the afternoon. I was so grateful to Nikki for watching Styvi Nix last night for me. I wanted to do something nice for her, so I got out the stuff to make oatmeal-raisin cookies and whipped her up a quick batch to bake while I went upstairs to brushed my teeth and put my makeup on. When they were cooled, I sealed them up in a Tupperware container and put them on her porch with a little note for her to find when she came back from her errands.
I went back inside and up the stairs to my room. I quickly hung up the clothes that I had purchased yesterday and put away the accessories. I selected a corseted back, black tank top, a black zippered skirt, decayed and ripped plum purple tights, and a pair of platform boots to wear tonight for wo
rk at The Mausoleum. I decided to keep it simple and twist my hair up into two buns on the top of my head.
After I was ready, I took Styvi Nix out into the backyard for a few games of Frisbee. She absolutely adored her Frisbee and would try hard to jump up and catch it in her little mouth. She wasn’t very skilled at it, but that didn’t matter. She was having a ball anyway.
I heard my cell phone ringing and went back inside to my bag that was on the kitchen table. I had 2 missed calls from Jesse. I rolled my eyes and growled in frustration. I didn’t want to have to change my mobile number, but it was starting to look like that would be my only option if I wanted this guy to leave me alone. I put my phone back in my bag, put some fresh food and water down for Styvi, kissed her goodbye, and headed back out to Archer’s.
When I arrived, I let myself in the back door since it was unlocked. It was about 2:30pm and I walked straight up the stairs to Archer’s office. The door was closed, so I paused in front of it. I heard voices coming from inside, so I knocked softly on the door. Archer answered it after a few seconds and thrust the stack of applicants I had selected yesterday at me through the small open slit.
“I am in a meeting, Miss Morrison. Take these downstairs and use the bar phone to schedule interviews for tomorrow. I will be conducting them from 11am until 7pm. Make sure everyone schedules one and knows not to be late. Tardiness will not be tolerated,” he said quickly, shielding me from the activity in his office. With that, he shut the door, leaving me with a hand full of paper, wondering what the hell that was all about.
I made my way back downstairs and stood at the counter behind the bar making phone calls and appointments for the next two hours. When I was done, I poured myself a diet cola and took a seat at the bar to rest my feet a moment.
Just then a group of impeccably dressed men walked down the wide metal staircase and onto the first floor. They walked over to the front entrance and stopped. “If we do not get a handle on this soon, this creature will completely wipe out my sliocht,” the gray haired man said anxiously.