Jeanne Louise would never forget the description of herself that he’d written in the story of his brother Etienne and Rachel’s finding each other. A woman as beautiful in her way as Lissianna and Marguerite were, though she looked nothing like them. Her face was rounder, her lips a little thinner, her eyes more exotic and her hair was a midnight black.
She’d never thought of herself as beautiful, especially compared to her aunt and cousin. When Jeanne Louise took her measure against them she always felt she was lacking. And she’d certainly never thought of herself as being anywhere near exotic. She still didn’t, but it made her think maybe she wasn’t so bad after all.
Sighing, Jeanne Louise turned the book over to read the back. It was the tale of her father Armand and his life mate Eshe’s coming together. She’d read it several times now and still cried in certain parts. Of course, she always skipped the love scenes. There was just something weird about reading about your family members having sex. As far as Jeanne Louise was concerned, none of them did. Any babies they produced were immaculate conception. Her family members were all Barbie and Ken dolls in her head, completely lacking sexual parts.
The thought made Jeanne Louise chuckle to herself with amusement. She was over a hundred years old, and she was a scientist, yet she was still uncomfortable with the concept of her loved ones making love. Go figure.
Shaking her head, she opened the book to the first page and started reading.
Despite having read it several times before, Jeanne Louise found herself caught up in the story. She was several chapters in when cold water splashing on her feet startled her out of it. Boomer had returned and was shaking himself by her feet, sprinkling water everywhere.
“Ah! I’m pooped,” Livy announced dramatically as she arrived. She collapsed on the beach towel on Jeanne Louise’s left with a weary sigh, and groaned when a wet Boomer launched himself on her, trying to lick her face.
“Is she all right?” Paul asked, arriving at her feet now, worry on his face.
Jeanne Louise was just slipping out of Livy’s thoughts and nodded reassuringly. “She’s just tired, Paul. Lots of sunshine, fresh air, and swimming will do that to a kid.”
“Right.” He relaxed and smiled slightly, then settled on the beach towel on her right. He lay back on it with hands folded under his head, and legs crossed at the ankles. His eyes closed on a weary little sigh of his own. It seemed Livy wasn’t the only one tired out by the day’s fun, Jeanne Louise thought, her gaze sliding over his damp body in the wet trunks.
Damn, the man was well put together. Nicely shaped legs, narrow hips, a flat stomach and naturally wide shoulders with well-defined muscle everywhere. Not muscle bound like a body builder or anything, but the body of a natural athlete. Jeanne Louise suspected if he hadn’t gone into science, he could have played a professional sport of one kind or another.
“I’m hungry,” Livy announced suddenly and Jeanne Louise glanced her way to see her staring up at the tree branches above them. Boomer was curled up at her side, watching the child moving her fingers around in a jabbing motion toward the leaves overhead as if counting them or something.
“Hmm,” Paul murmured, eyes still closed. “Hamburgers on the barbecue or weenies over a fire on the beach?”
“Weenies!” Livy squealed, making Boomer bark excitedly.
“Go find some long branches to use to cook them then, and gather firewood,” Paul said, not opening his eyes.
Livy was on her feet and rushing along the beach in search of what he’d requested at once. Boomer followed, tail wagging.
“That ought to keep her busy for five minutes,” Jeanne Louise said with amusement.
“Yeah.” Paul smiled wryly and opened his eyes. “Just long enough for us to deal with feeding you.”
Jeanne Louise’s eyes widened with surprise at the words and he grimaced.
“Not with the feeding itself, of course. I meant, I haven’t forgotten you need to feed and I wanted to reassure you that we’ll see to it later. Just as soon as Livy goes to bed.” Paul paused and then when she remained silent and wide-eyed, asked, “All right? Can you last that long?”
Jeanne Louise stared at him for a moment. Her gaze then dropped to his bare chest and his lap before rushing back up to his face. Tongue now stuck to the roof of her mouth, she merely nodded.
“Good.” Paul leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then got up to follow his daughter and help gather wood for a fire and branches to cook the weenies on. Boomer trailed him, wagging his tail.
Jeanne Louise stared after him, her eyes gliding over every inch of tan male skin that his red trunks revealed. Damn, he was feeding her later. That was definitely something to look forward to.
Nine
Jeanne Louise turned onto her back in the water and stared at the darkening sky. It was still light out, but the sun was setting, the sky awash in umber and purple. It wouldn’t be long before those colors too were gone and full night fell. In the meantime, she’d decided to catch that swim she’d been yearning for all day, but hadn’t dared take while the sun was out.
Breathing out a pleased little sigh as the water slid over and around her body, Jeanne Louise turned her head in the water and glanced toward the cottage. The lights were on in the kitchen and living room. While it was still bright enough to see out here, inside, shadows were already filling the spaces.
They’d had their weenie roast, and then roasted marshmallows as well. Paul had built the fire at the very edge of the beach where the shade from the tree had offered Jeanne Louise some cover so that she could participate. Afterward, they’d gone in to watch one of the huge selection of movies that belonged to the cottage. Most of them were older movies, with only one or two current ones, but they hadn’t minded. Livy had begun to doze off toward the end of the movie so Paul had decided it was time to put her to bed.
Leaving him to it, Jeanne Louise had come outside, taken one look at the water under the darkening sky and had decided it was time for her swim.
The clack of the screen door closing drew her attention to the house and Jeanne Louise smiled when she saw Paul walking down toward the sand. Shifting to her feet, she started to walk out of the water. Paul met her at the water’s edge, unfolding a beach towel she hadn’t first noticed he held.
“Thank you,” Jeanne Louise murmured as he wrapped the towel around her shoulders. “Did you manage to get Livy off to sleep?”
“Out like a light with Boomer curled at her feet,” he said with a smile. “And not one headache since arriving at the cottage.”
“Maybe the fresh air is good for her,” she suggested, clutching both ends of the towel under her chin.
“Maybe,” Paul agreed, stepping back. He stared at her for a minute and then said abruptly, “You’re probably hungry.”
Jeanne Louise stilled. He wasn’t talking about food. And he was right. She was hungry. The gal in the public washroom at the mall had barely been a snack. The problem was she was worried about getting overexcited and taking too much blood from him.
“Howdy, neighbors.”
When Paul glanced toward that call, Jeanne Louise did as well, a smile automatically lifting her lips in response to the grin on the face of the tall, lean middle-aged man approaching them.
“I’m Russell Jackson,” he announced, holding out his hand as he got nearer.
Paul took it first, shaking in greeting. “Paul Williams,” he introduced himself, using the name Jeanne Louise had used to register them at the motel. She could hardly use their real name when they were on the run, and Williams had seemed better than Smith. Turning to gesture to Jeanne Louise, he added, “And this is my wife, Jeanie.”
She glanced at him with surprise, but recovered quickly and managed a smile as the man then turned to offer her his hand as well.
“Pleasure,” Russell said as he released her hand. “We’re renting the cottage next door. Been here a week. Have one more before we head back home to work,” he said with a grimace t
hat suggested he’d rather stay on vacation.
“Nice here?” Paul asked.
Russell nodded. “Beautiful. The weather’s been good, the cottage is gorgeous and so far the others staying around here have been great.”
“Good to hear,” Paul murmured.
“Well, we all get to know each other and sort of hang around together. At least we did last week. All but two families were only here for a week. The Corbys on the other side of you and us.” He gestured to the cedar building on the right of their cottage. “My family and I are in the one on your other side,” Russell added, gesturing back the way he’d come.
“Are the Corbys as friendly as you?” Jeanne Louise asked with a smile.
“Yep. Good people,” he assured her. “They have a couple boys eight and ten, and my wife and I have a daughter who’s six and a son who’s nine. The four of them have been playing together and having a whale of a time while we adults relax and visit. Both families went to the provincial park today, took the kids for a little nature walk while the leaving renters cleared out. Stopped for dinner on the way back and just got in. That’s why no one came to greet you sooner,” he admitted and then asked, “You got kids?”
“A daughter,” Paul said with a nod. “Livy. She’s five.”
“Oh, my Kirsten will be happy about that. A girl to play with instead of all the boys,” he said with a chuckle.
“I’m sure Livy would love to meet her tomorrow,” Jeanne Louise said when Paul hesitated. “She’s sleeping now though.”
“Yeah, my wife’s putting the kids to bed right now too. All the fresh air and play knocks ’em right out,” Russell said with a grin that suggested that wasn’t a bad thing. “After we get the kids down though, we adults were thinking to build a fire and relax with a couple drinks. Are you two up for that?”
“Yes,” Jeanne Louise said when Paul glanced her way uncertainly.
“Good, good.” Russell glanced back to his cottage and then toward the Corbys’, and Jeanne Louise read what he was thinking. A fire in front of the cottage she and Paul were in would be best, made it equidistant from both the Jacksons’ cottage and the Corbys’ so that everyone could keep an ear out for their kids.
“We could have the fire here in front of our cottage if you like? Couldn’t we, honey?” Jeanne Louise suggested for Russell when she read his hesitation to be so forward.
Paul nodded at once. Not only was it equidistant to the other cottages, but it kept them close to hear Livy, she knew.
“That’s a fine idea,” Russell said, grinning. “I’ll just go tell John. Corby,” he added since he hadn’t given them his first name before this. “I’ll go tell him and then head back to the cottage to tell the wife and pack some drinks and snacks in a cooler. We’ll meet you back here in . . . say . . . half an hour?” he suggested.
“Sounds good,” Paul said at once.
Nodding, Russell moved off toward the Corbys’ cottage.
“We’d best go inside and see to the feeding now then,” Paul said quietly, taking her arm to usher her to the cottage.
“That’s all right, Paul. It can wait until after we come back in,” Jeanie said at once, but didn’t pull free. If they were going to sit around a bonfire with other couples, she wanted to put on one of the T-shirts and pairs of shorts she’d picked up while in town.
“Are you sure?” Paul asked as he opened the cottage screen door and held it for her.
“Positive,” Jeanne Louise answered as she moved past him to enter the kitchen, and she was. As hungry as she was and as carried away as she got when he kissed and caressed her, she’d rather wait and see if she couldn’t manage a snack on one of their neighbors first to ease the worst of her hunger. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally kill Paul. Pushing that unpleasant thought away, she headed for her room saying, “I’m going to change.”
“Okay. I’ll get some drinks and snacks together for us,” Paul said, moving to the refrigerator.
Jeanne Louise was quick about changing and was back in the kitchen to help Paul before he finished gathering what they needed. She then helped him carry it down to the beach. While Paul started a bonfire, she gathered six of the eight lawn chairs that belonged to the cottages and set them up around it.
“Look at that. You build one hell of a fire, Paul,” Russell greeted as he approached out of the darkness with a cooler in hand and a petite brunette on his heels. The woman had a plate of cheese in one hand and a couple bags of chips in the other. “This is my wife, Cecily. Cecily, Paul and Jeanie Williams.”
“Hi,” Jeanne Louise said and hurried forward to take the chips as one of the bags started to slip from the brunette’s clutches.
“Thank you,” Cecily said with a grin. “And hello.”
Jeanne Louise chuckled and followed her to the two chairs Russell set the cooler between.
“I have some sausage cut up and crackers inside still,” Cecily announced as she set the cheese plate on the cooler. “I won’t be a minute.”
“Do you need a hand?” Jeanne Louise offered.
“Actually, yes, if you don’t mind,” Cecily said with a smile. “I need to grab some glasses too.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Jeanne Louise assured her, setting the bags of chips down by the cooler and following her back to the cottage the Jacksons had rented.
“I was relieved when Russell said you two had a little girl about our daughter’s age. Not that the boys haven’t been including our daughter, Kirsten, in their play, but I know she’ll have more fun with another little girl to play with,” Cecily said as they approached the cottage.
“I’m sure Livy will be happy to have a friend too,” Jeanne Louise assured her, eyeing the woman’s long hair and thinking it would hide the marks from her bite. At least it would hide them from Paul. She’d have to put it in the woman’s head that they were mosquito bites to explain them away to her husband, though, in case he saw them. The punctures wouldn’t be that big, but they would be there.
“Here we are,” Cecily said, leading her into the cottage. It was set up much the same as the one they were in, and it was decorated just as attractively, Jeanne Louise noted, and then glanced to Cecily, slid into her thoughts, and moved up behind her for a quick bite. It was always best to bite same sex donors from behind. Most people’s memory was visual. If they saw nothing but blank wall during the biting it made it less likely that seeing something or someone would bring back the memory of being bitten.
Jeanne Louise was careful not to take too much blood. It was easy to do when you weren’t overexcited and in the throes of passion. She then helped Cecily collect the remaining items she’d wanted and carry them back out to the fire.
The Corbys had arrived by the time they reached the bonfire. Russell introduced John Corby and his wife, Sharon, to Jeanne Louise and then the group all settled around the fire and began to get acquainted.
The two couples were quite nice, the conversation friendly and amusing, and Jeanne Louise was actually enjoying herself when a sudden shriek from the cottage behind them made her stiffen. She was on her feet in a flash and nearly forgot and used her immortal speed to rush to Livy, but caught herself at the last minute and forced herself to move at mortal fast instead. It was hard though—she wanted to hurry. Jeanne Louise didn’t know what had woken the child, but she was obviously having another one of her headaches.
She didn’t realize Paul had followed her until he reached past her to open the cottage door for her.
“Thanks,” Jeanne Louise murmured as she stepped inside. She immediately gave up on mortal speed for immortal now that she was in the house and not visible to the others.
Livy was lying on the floor beside her bed, heart-wrenching sobs shaking her whole body. Boomer was licking her face and whining with concern. Jeanne Louise slipped into her thoughts as she entered the room, but there was no headache this time.
“Oh, sweetie, what is it?” she asked, bending to pick up the girl.
“I fell out of bed,” Livy wailed, wrapping her arms around Jeanne Louise’s neck and holding on for dear life.
“Ah, poor muffin,” Jeanne Louise cooed, hugging and rocking the girl. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“My elbow,” Livy cried pulling back to point at the broken skin on the end of her elbow. She’d either banged it on the bedside table or the floor as she’d fallen, Jeanne Louise supposed, but could have wept with relief. No headache, just your average “child falls out of bed” moment.
“I didn’t think to buy a first-aid kit,” Paul said, joining them beside the bed.
Jeanne Louise glanced at him, noting that he looked relieved to find his daughter just had a normal child moment too.
“I’ll go see if the Jacksons or Corbys have some antiseptic and a bandage they can spare,” he added and turned from the room.
“Okay.” Jeanne Louise said and continued to rock Livy until her tears eased, and then sat on the bed with her in her lap to wait.
“Hello?”
Jeanne Louise glanced toward the door at the sound of that female call. She recognized Sharon Corby’s voice. “Back here.”
“Paul said you needed a Band-Aid and some antiseptic,” Sharon said appearing in the doorway a moment later with both in hand. “He wanted to come back, but I told him we women could handle it,” she said lightly, and then her gaze slid to Livy and she asked sympathetically, “Did someone fall out of bed?”
Livy sniffed and nodded, then held up her elbow for her to see and Sharon moved forward at once, “oohing” and “oh dearing” and generally making a fuss as she spread some salve on the wound and then covered it with a bandage.
“Better?” Jeanne Louise asked as Sharon straightened from her nursing duties. When Livy nodded, she smiled faintly, kissed her cheek and stood up with her. Turning, she set her in bed, pulled the sheet up to cover her and kissed her forehead affectionately. “You go back to sleep, sweetie. You have lots of playing to do tomorrow.”
17 The Lady Is a Vamp-Argeneau Page 13