by J. L. McCoy
We arrived at my town home and I pulled into the garage. Archer parked behind me on the driveway, killed his engine, and got out.
“Wow, boss man,” I smiled, throwing my messenger bag over my shoulder and walking over to admire his impressive ride. “That’s one hell of a hot car you’ve got there. What is it?”
He grinned and glanced back at the machine. “It’s an Audi R8 GT. Like it?”
“Uh, …yeah!” I chuckled, opening the door and taking a look at the interior. “Nice. How fast does this thing go?”
He laughed and ran his hand through his hair. “Well, it handles 0 to 60mph in about three and a half seconds.” My eyes got big and I walked to the rear and took a look through the back glass at the engine. “I’ve gotten it up to 190 a few times, but it’s hard to do that in the city,” Archer smirked.
“Damn. 190?” I asked, shaking my head. I grinned mischievously, walked over to Archer and lightly tugged on the bottom of his shirt. “Santa, you know, I’ve been a pretty good girl this year. What are the chances of you letting me test drive your sleigh?”
Archer shook his head and laughed. “Oh, no you don’t. No way.”
I smiled, but then quickly hid it and stuck out my bottom lip, giving him my best sad puppy dog face. “Please?”
Archer groaned and tried to stifle the smile that was threatening to spread across his face. He took my hand and led me to the front door. “We’ll see about letting you loose in it when I return to town next week.” I smiled and did a little jump in excitement. “Easy, girl,” he joked. “Let’s focus on your house for now.”
I nodded and felt the smile slide from my face. Would Jesse actually go as far as breaking into my house? I silently wondered. I unlocked my door and took a step to the side. Archer pushed the door open and waited. After a few silent seconds, he turned to me and nodded once. I was momentarily confused as to the gesture, then realization suddenly dawned on me. I cleared my throat. “Archer, please come in.”
Archer took one step across the threshold and stopped. He tilted his head back and took a deep breath in. He turned back to look at me, smiled one of his heart stopping smiles, and flashed up the stairs. My jaw dropped in surprise. Seeing him do that was going to take some getting used to.
Just then, Styvi Nix bolted down the stairs with a yelp and hid behind my legs. I quickly scooped her up and into my arms. I held her tight and tried to calm her shaking body with gentle coos of affirmation. I guessed that she had been sleeping in my bed when Archer suddenly popped into my room. I bet seeing him flashing around scared the stuff out of her.
Archer was gone for maybe thirty seconds when he flashed back down the stairs, through to the kitchen, and out the door leading to the backyard.
I took a couple of steps inside, closed the door and dropped my messenger bag by it. I craned my neck to the right to see if I could catch a glimpse of Archer in the backyard, but could not. I stood frozen in my entryway, unsure of what I should do.
Ten seconds later, he walked back into the kitchen and gently closed the back door. “All safe upstairs and out back,” he said, dusting his hands together. He opened the door in my kitchen that lead to my garage, reached over, and pushed the red garage door power button that lowered the large metal door. He waited until it was fully down, then shut and locked the access door.
He silently walked around the kitchen and living room and checked all of my windows to make sure they were locked. I sat down on the sofa with Styvi and took off my pumps, glad to finally be free of their beautiful torture. When Archer was satisfied, he walked over to the sofa and took a seat beside me. Styvi growled softly and scrambled to sit as far away from him as she possibly could. I gently shushed her and moved her to sit on my right side, away from Archer who was sitting on my left.
“Well,” he started with a sigh, looking down at me with pursed lips. “I’m sorry I scared your animal. But, the good news is that your whole house is now secure. Every window and door have been locked and double checked.” I nodded and waited for him to continue, sensing there was bad news coming.
“The bad news is that I smelled Jesse’s scent around your front door.”
I softly gasped and wrapped my arms around my stomach. No. Archer must be mistaken.
“I’m sorry, Skye,” he said gently, reaching over to put a comforting, cool hand on my shoulder. “The scent is relatively new. He came by here earlier today, as far as I can tell. No more than six hours ago.”
I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Did you smell him inside the house at all?”
Archer shook his head and dropped his hand from my shoulder. “No. There is no trace of his scent here. Just yours, the animal you keep, and…Jameson’s.”
“Oh,” I said simply, looking down at my crossed knees. I didn’t want Archer to think that Jameson and I were seeing each other behind his back. I wanted him to know that Jameson and I were just friends and that I had every intention of keeping my promise to remain neutral between them. As much as my hormones seemed to desire each brother, I would not allow myself to act on it.
I opened my mouth to tell Archer just that, and he reached over and patted my knee, stopping me. “It’s okay, Skye,” he said and stood up, adjusting the cuffs on his crisp black button down shirt. “I get it.” He ran his fingers through his hair and looked around. “Is there anything else you need before I go?”
I stood up and slowly walked up to him. “Where did you go earlier?” I asked a little reluctantly. “I thought you left. I came back by the table to sit with you, but I saw that you had some company, so I went over to the bar instead to get a drink. When I turned back around, you were gone.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “Aye. Well, I was…kind of hungry,” he slowly stumbled, looking a little self-conscious. “I met a donor.”
“Oh,” I said smiling quickly, trying to cover my sudden searing jealousy. Why is this bothering me so bad? I silently fumed, angry with myself. Why do I care? It’s just food. Hot, slutty food. But still…just food! …Right? I looked up at Archer, saw the beginnings of a smirk on his face, and was immediately horrified. SHIT! He can hear me. DAMMIT! I felt my face suddenly flush hot and I turned around, putting my hands on my cheeks, vainly trying to hide the spreading display of embarrassment.
I heard Archer come up behind me and I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves and close my mind off to him. I was really going to have to work harder at taming my thoughts. I was so embarrassed that my feelings of jealousy psychically betrayed me.
Archer covered each of my hands with his, gently pulled them away from my cheeks and wrapped my arms around my waist, his arms covering my own. He pulled me tightly to his chest, hugging me from behind and whispered softly in my right ear, “Yes. Why do you care?” I turned my head and craned my neck up, needing to see his face. His arctic blue eyes burrowed into mine and for a few seconds I was speechless.
My chest instantly tightened and butterflies fluttered rampantly in my stomach. His eyes studied my face as if he was memorizing every pore. My lips parted as my heartbeat sped up and my breathing grew more rapid. All I could think about, as I stared into his eyes, was how absolutely beautiful he was. His entire body was like a work of art with his muscular arms, lean sculpted stomach, and divinely delectable hipbones. He was an Adonis come to life. The remembrance of him shirtless sent tingles down to my lower abdomen and I gasped at my sudden overwhelming desire to pounce on him.
Archer softly ran his nose down the side of my neck and he took a deep breath in when he reached the hollow. A soft growl followed. I involuntarily shivered as goose bumps broke out down my entire body. I gasped for breath and tried to struggle out of his hold.
“Archer…” my voice whispered.
He slowly loosened his hold and turned my body to face his. My bottom lip trembled as he stared at my mouth with desire. I took a small step backward and then took another. I had to create some distance between us before I did something
I might later regret. I wanted him so bad that it actually hurt.
“I…I don’t know,” I said, answering his earlier question. “I try not to. I know I shouldn’t care. I made my choice. It’s just… hard…I guess.”
Archer took a step towards me and I held my hand out in front of him to stop him from taking another. I clutched my stomach with my free hand, attempting to slow my breathing. “I can’t handle you so close to me. Your pheromones seem to be working overtime right now.”
He cocked his head to the side and licked his bottom lip, showing a little fang in the process. “Maybe. But, maybe it’s just you.” I shook my head as he continued. “You want me Skye as much as I want you. We are both consenting adults. Why are you fighting this so hard?”
“Because…I can’t…I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I lamely explained, taking another step back.
He cocked his head to the other side and studied my body, his eyes roaming slowly from my head to feet and back. He took a deep breath and let it out in reservation, taking a step backwards. “Okay. I’ll respect that.”
I exhaled the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding as he continued. “I know that you desire both Jameson and me. I can smell it whenever you are around us. I know how taken Jameson is with you, Skye. As much as you may not believe this, I don’t want to hurt him. He is my child, my brother, my blood. The bonds between a maker and their páiste fola are very strong. You cannot even begin to imagine. I may be unwavering at times and strict on him, but I don’t ever try to intentionally hurt him.”
He ran his rand through his hair, looked away, and continued. “Things where you are concerned are admittedly much more difficult for me. I know what I am and I know what I do to you with my pheromones. I know they play a huge role in your attraction to me. I’m a vampire. That said, it’s the same for me. Your blood plays a role in my attraction to you. Your blood, human blood, keeps me alive. I need it, I crave it. But…I find it’s much more than just that with you. I find myself…drawn to you, and that hasn’t ever happened to me before where a human is concerned. Naturally, vampires choose other vampires as mates and humans as food and play things.”
Archer turned then and looked me in the eyes. Raw honesty and slight confusion painted his normally stoic face. The emotion I saw there startled me and I took a step forward, wanting to tell him that everything was okay. “But, with you…I want you, Sky,” he continued. “I want you as I haven’t wanted anyone in a very long time.” He took a few steps closer to me and gently cupped my neck, his thumb softly stroking the throbbing pulse there. The gesture was oddly sweet and exciting.
His eyes searched my face before landing on my lips. “I may be a vampire, but I still remember what it’s like to love,…and to be loved. I haven’t had that in… a very long time,” he whispered, his face inching toward my own.
My breath caught in my throat, my eyes wide in uncertain excitement. Is he going to kiss me? Dear God yes…
Archer’s lips spread as a small, sad smile appeared. His eyes reluctantly pulled away from my mouth and looked deep into my own. “No, Skye,” he said, answering my silent thought. I was too engrossed in the moment to feel embarrassed.
He took a step back, slid his hand down to rest over my heart, and left it there for a few seconds as he silently felt my heart beat, his eyes never leaving my own. The butterflies returned full force in my stomach, and I had to stop myself from flinging my body around his and begging for the attention we were both so desperately wanting from each other.
Archer dropped his hand, turned around, and walked to the front door. He grabbed the door knob but hesitated before turning it. “I’d like for you to do something for me,” he said, opening the door then turning to face me. “I’ll be gone for a few days and I think we should both take that time to evaluate our feelings for each other. You will be away from my pheromone influence, and I your blood. I believe that this will help determine if our feelings are genuine, or if it’s just physical desire that we feel.”
I nodded my head, but was in a mild state of disbelief. I was shocked by his candor. Hearing that Archer desired me, and hadn’t desired anyone, vampire or human, that much in a long time, left me stupefied. There he was, this beautiful specimen of a man, a virtual Adonis, and I just this average girl. How could someone as handsome, successful, and…immortal possibly want plain old human me? AND, actually seem to want me as much as I wanted him. He could have anyone in this world…why did he want me?
I swallowed and finally managed to find my voice. “Okay. I will, Archer.” I walked over him and mustered a genuine smile. “Have a safe trip, okay? And call me if you need anything…anything at all.”
He reached over and lightly brushed my left cheek with the back of his hand. “You got it, babe. Now, make sure you lock the door when I leave.”
I watched as he made his way down the short walkway and to his car.I sighed and closed the door, locking the deadbolt and the knob. I leaned against the door for a few seconds and digested what just happened. If it was at all possible, I was even more confused after the conversation we had a few minutes ago than I was a few days ago. I don’t think I ever really believed that Archer truly wanted me. I don’t know… I guess I felt…inferior; like he was too good for me.
I shook my head, walked over to the couch, and sat down by Styvi Nix. She looked up at me with judgmental eyes. It was obvious that she wasn’t happy with our recently departed guest. I sighed and scooped her up onto my lap. “I’m sorry, okay?” I said, scratching behind her ears. “How was I supposed to know that he would go flitting around at vampire speed and scare you?” She shook her head and snorted. “Fine. Be mad all you want, little girl, but we are safe tonight because of him,” I said, setting her down and going into the kitchen to fix myself some tea. “Archer made sure that Jesse hadn’t been in the house and he locked everything up tight. I’m not going to feel bad for letting him in, so you can just drop the ‘tude, missy.”
I filled the kettle with water and sat it on the stove top to heat up. I took out some of the leftover breakfast that Jameson had cooked for me this morning and popped it into the microwave to heat up for dinner. Styvi Nix slowly padded her way into the kitchen and sat down at my feet, looking up at me. She gently pawed at my leg.
I looked down and smiled. “Okay. Apology accepted. Now, want to share some bacon with me?” She wagged her stumpy tail and turned around once in a circle. I made us a plate of leftover bacon, biscuits with strawberry jam, and fruit salad. I poured the hot water into a cup and added a bag of Thai milk tea to it to steep.
I took our meal into the living room and curled up on the couch with it and Styvi. We ate supper as we watched one of my favorite John Hughes movies, “Say Anything”. John Cusack was so dreamy in it. The boom box scene out in front of Diane Court’s house makes me swoon every time.
After it was over, I cleaned up the kitchen and ran upstairs to take a shower. The hot spray felt good on my tense neck and shoulders. I took my time with my bath. For once, I was in no hurry for it to be over. I toweled off when I was done and blow dried my hair straight. I selected a thong and my old Boston Red Socks t-shirt to sleep in. It was a hand me down from my mom. I think she had inherited it from someone because it was a men’s extra-large and it hung down to my mid-thigh. My mother was much shorter than me, but we wore the same size in clothing.
I whistled for Styvi Nix as I climbed into bed. I heard her bound up the steps seconds before I felt her jump in it with me. I held up the covers so she could curl up underneath them. “Goodnight, super star,” I said as I reached over and turned off the lamp. I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep while thoughts of Jesse and Archer ran through my head.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The next few days were relatively uneventful. I continued working at Drop Kick Dan’s during the day and The Mausoleum at night. I did as Archer asked and trained the newly hired staff. I set the dancers up with their schedules and assigned them to their cag
es. I explained the hourly cage rotating schedule that I had come up with and answered any questions that they had. I also assigned the 5 general workers to their areas. I had three that were dedicated to cleaning, one that was a designated bar back, and one floater.
I was glad that Jameson was there to help me, but it turned out that I didn’t really need his help after all. And, it was just as well. Archer had him pretty busy with the construction crews who were making last minute fixes and the rad interior decorator who was putting the finishing touches on the décor. I saw him every night, but we hadn’t really had a chance to sit down and talk. Every time we did talk, it was about what still needed to be done before Archer got back on Tuesday or about what deliveries we had gotten in that day. And, boy did we have deliveries. Our two stockrooms were filled to the brink with alcohol bottles, glass wear, paper products, and cleaning supplies.
We almost needed a third room, but I had decided to take that room and turn it into an employee lounge. The dancers needed somewhere to change and we all needed a place to chill out on our breaks. (I was kind of surprised to see that Archer hadn’t thought to do it before he hired me.) I fitted one side of the employee lounge with two black leather couches, a boom box that I brought from home, a small fridge, a microwave, and a glass dining room table that seated six. The other side held a wall mounted unit of twenty-four mini lockers, a big lighted mirror, and changing screens in each of the two corners.
Jameson looked impressed when I showed it to him. I was a little worried about how Archer would feel about me doing it, but Jameson reassured me that it was perfectly okay. After all, Archer had given me free reign when he left and the employees fell under my duty. I wanted to make sure they had a small space of their own.