By the time we’d hit the boutique in the lobby and I’d managed to squeeze into a size six (with spandex), I was calling Ian a freaking Houdini. I refused Flo’s generous offer and made the clerk take my credit card instead of charging it to the room, coming up with a story about a surprise for Ray. Of course I figured my purchase was going to be leaked to the tabloids, but I’d love to see “Glory Wears Size Six” hit newsstands.
I told Flo good-bye, then headed upstairs. My cell phone rang just as I was hanging up my new pair of skinny jeans. Caller ID said it was Jerry. I took a breath and answered.
“Hi.”
“Gloriana, I’m outside on your balcony. Will you let me in?”
“Sure.” I closed the phone and headed out to see for myself. Brittany and Valdez were there. They’d just turned on the TV and hit the minibar for some snacks, but obviously they’d seen Jerry and were both waiting for their orders.
“You want to come in?” I opened the French door.
“Why don’t you come somewhere with me?” Jerry signaled to Valdez. “We can leave the shifters here. I’ll have you back before sunrise.”
“Glory, you want to go or not?” Brittany was strictly on Ray’s payroll. She didn’t take orders from Jerry, just me or Ray.
“Sure, I’ll be fine. You two enjoy an evening off.” I glanced at the clock. “Actually we’ve only got about two hours. I’ll be back.” I looked up at Jerry. “I have to be. It’s important.”
“Right. Another of MacDonald’s supplements.” His mouth firmed.
“Not just that. I have the reality show people coming right after sundown. I’ve got to be up and ready to go as soon as I can.” I smiled and touched his cheek. “That’s part of why I did this. They’re making my dress for the red carpet, remember?”
“How could I forget?” He turned his head and kissed my fingertips. “I don’t want to argue with you. Let’s go. Feel like shifting?”
“Sure. I’m still pumped from my feeding earlier. You should have seen me, Jerry. I was a real jock!” I laughed and held my arms out to the cool night air. “Where are we going?”
“Just follow me.” He shifted into a beautiful black bird, waited for me to do the bird thing and then took off.
We flew out and over smaller buildings and the park where Trina and I had run. We flew over streets with cars racing along under us. Finally we were in the hills above Los Angeles. Another empty house? Jerry’s connections with the vampire council were paying off.
He landed on the balcony of the second floor, then swiftly changed back into his tall male form. I landed beside him and managed my own change with a speed that impressed us both.
“You’re getting pretty good at that.” He laughed and hugged me.
“I guess the more I do it, the more confidence I get.” I turned and looked out at the lights of Los Angeles. “Oh, this is beautiful. Where are we?”
“Another of Chip’s investments. We’re in the Hollywood Hills. This one comes fully furnished. We’re in the master bedroom.” Jerry stepped inside.
“Right. Why do we always end up in bed together?” I heard the bitterness in my voice. Well, it was true. Was that all we had? Sex?
“So we won’t this time.” He held out his hands like he wouldn’t dare touch me.
“You know what I mean. It’s like we have to make a big deal out of just talking to each other. And when we do, it’s a disaster. Like last night.” I kept at least five feet between us. He looked too good to me and I couldn’t blame it on Ian’s supplement either. Jerry always looked good to me, damn it.
He frowned. “Yes, last night was pretty much a bad scene.”
“Except for the sex.”
“Right.” He moved closer and smiled like he knew he could have me again with just a touch. “Because sex between us is always good.”
“See? We’re right back where we started.” I walked around the king-size bed and kicked off my shoes because my feet hurt, no other reason. “I’m not doing this, Jerry.”
“Fine. Go sit in that chair. Over there. Well away from the bed.” Jerry pointed to a pretty sitting area in front of a fireplace. It had another one of those automatic switches that he flipped and we had a beautiful fire going in moments. He sat in a chair across from me. “Let’s talk about what you’ve been going through.”
“You mean the weight-loss thing.” I was sorry I hadn’t had time to put on my new skinny jeans, but I did have on one of my new clingy sweaters, size medium, thank you very much. The deep rose vee showed off the edge of the C-cup bra I’d bought in hot pink with black lace trim. I absolutely loved it. Why had I turned down sex? I wanted Jerry to see this bra. All of it. Obviously I was certifiable. And, again, much as I’d like to, I couldn’t blame my lust on Ian’s program. Having Jerry near me always messed with my thought processes.
“Tell me how MacDonald’s deal works. What the supplements have been doing to you.”
So I told him. About the nausea. And the dreams. Not about the sleepwalking or the sunlight, of course. The fact that my healing sleep wasn’t working seemed to worry him the most.
“And you say he’s given you a new drug to drink when you wake up in the evening. You don’t know how you’ll react to it.”
“No.” And now I was worried. What if I got sick and then had to be on camera? This was a big deal. I’d get my first glimpse of what the designers had made for me and there’d be that fitting. At least a makeup artist would be on set if I looked like hell after hugging the toilet. Only three more days till the Grammys. I couldn’t quit now but . . .
“Glory, is this really worth it?”
“Yes.” I knew Jerry hated my one-word answers, but he might as well get used to it. Hey, it was what he usually gave me.
“I know I can’t stop you, but I’m going to warn you about something.” He got up, squatted in front of me and took my hands. “I told my father that the MacDonald heir is here. Da is on his way to help me take him down.”
“No!” I jumped up. “You can’t do that. An ambush? That’s—that’s cowardly. Not the Campbell way at all.”
“When it comes to the MacDonalds there are no rules.” Jerry grabbed my shoulders. “I’ve been trying to tell you. These men are the cowards. They’ll lie and cheat and steal to get what they want. Ian knows you’re a Campbell woman. Make no mistake about that. When Richard found out that no other vampire on MacDonald’s weight-loss program got sick, I knew. This is his plan, Gloriana. He’s hurting you to get to me. He’s been trying to draw me out and it’s working. But I’ll not face him alone. I’ll have the clan behind me.”
“Jerry, stop! Don’t do this. Call the laird back and tell him it was a mistake.” I pulled my cell phone from my pocket. “Come on. I can’t let you screw this up for me.”
“Oh, right, for you.” Jerry turned his back on me. “I should let him poison you, wait until you go to your big-deal event with your rock star and have your picture made for all the world to see. Then after you’re dead and I’m mad with grief, then it’s okay for me to take my men and drive MacDonald into the sea. Is that the way it should be?” He spun and grabbed me, his hands biting into my shoulders. “Is it?”
“Stop! Are you listening to yourself, Jerry? Since when does poison work on vampires? Besides, you tasted my blood earlier. You said it was fine. I’m not poisoned, am I?” I offered my neck. “Drink from me again. Take me to bed and let me show you how much energy I have tonight. I’m feeling, hell, alive! More alive than I’ve felt since the night you turned me. Ian’s magic works, Jerry. Whether he’s your ancient enemy or not doesn’t matter to me.”
“But it does matter to me, Gloriana. I can’t be with a woman who doesn’t understand that.” Jerry released me and stepped back. “I never thought I’d finally have enough of you. But mayhap it’s come to pass.”
My heart fluttered, then seemed to stop. Was I crazy? What had I just done? I reached for him but he shook his head.
“Don’t try to cozen me
.”
“I’m not.” I was, but I’m not totally stupid. “Listen, Jerry. I get the feud thing. I do. I remember the stories your father told when I visited Castle Campbell. The MacDonalds did terrible things to members of your family.”
“They did.” Jerry nodded, his lips firm.
“And I’m sure the MacDonalds tell stories about the Campbells as well.”
“All lies.”
“No doubt.” I could see logic wasn’t going to work here. “This is the twenty-first century. Broadswords and cudgels are out; brains and computers are in. Can’t you think of a way to take out Ian that’s more subtle than a direct attack?” One that hopefully would take more than three days to plan. “You’d lose fewer men that way.”
“Now you’re making sense.” Jerry actually stood still while I ran my hand up his arm. He wore a white silk shirt with full sleeves and a spread collar, a pirate’s shirt. He’d tucked it into black jeans and left it unbuttoned just enough to make me want to finish the job.
“Use strategy, Jerry, not just brute strength. Ian’s brilliant. You’ve got to give the man that much.” I slid my hand inside the front of his shirt to tease his chest. “He’s got all his inventions. He gave me a computer that works like a mirror. It’s fantastic. Flo went nuts when he gave her one too.”
“Yes, he’s smart, too damned smart. He’s fooled a lot of people with his tricks.” Jerry looked down when he realized I’d released his buttons and pulled his shirt out of his pants.
“Including me, Jerry. Obviously. But I’m willing to go along with him because it suits my purposes. I’ve used him. So I’ll look good for that big-deal event. That’s all. And the rock star picked up the tab. So I’ve used him too. Naughty Glory.” I pursed my lips into a pout. “But seems to me you like it when I’m naughty.” Ah, he’d lost his frown, was softening toward me. I glanced down. Well, not all of him was going soft.
“Gloriana. You think I don’t realize—”
“Hush.” I took Jerry’s hand and pulled it to the edge of my sweater. “Just look at the new bra I had to buy, Jerry. So pretty. They don’t make this in my old bigger size.”
“You are bad. You’re trying to distract me with sex.” He did push down my sweater, though, and looked his fill at the plunging bra. “I thought you weren’t doing this.”
“Maybe I changed my mind. Is it working?”
“Unfortunately. I can’t remember why I was mad at you. I was planning to leave you here to find your way back by yourself. Or maybe send Valdez for you right before sunrise.” He leaned down and pushed the bra down with his nose to trace my nipple with his fangs.
“That would be”—I gasped as he sucked it into the heat of his mouth—“mean.”
He looked up, his eyes gleaming. “I felt at the time that you might deserve it. Loyalty to the clan is very important to a Campbell.”
“I’m not a Campbell, Jerry.” I rubbed my breasts against his bare chest to take the sting out of that reminder.
“You should be.” He opened the bra and dropped it and the sweater on the floor. “Ah, they are smaller, but still very fine indeed, woman.”
I unzipped his pants and wrapped my hands around his shaft. “Larger and always very fine indeed.” I dropped to my knees and kissed every inch of him while he groaned my name and pushed his fingers into my hair. I took him into my mouth while I stroked his sacs. Finally I ran my fangs the length of him, resisting the urge to drink from the vein throbbing where his thighs met his trunk. I wanted that vein more than anything, but remembered that I had to keep this weight off. Damn. Were these sacrifices worth it?
He jerked me to my feet and swung me into his arms. He carried me to the rug in front of the fire, where he gently laid me down and peeled off my jeans.
“I shouldn’t let you do this to me, lass.”
“Am I doing it to you? I thought you were doing it to me.” I reached for him. “It’s a really bad idea. Totally doesn’t solve the problem between us. But we have no willpower.”
“Aye.” He kissed me and ran his hands over my body. “Are you sure you feel all right? I wouldn’t cause you pain.”
“I feel fine except for an ache”—I took his hand and pressed it between my legs—“here. Ease me, Jeremiah Campbell.”
“I’ll do my best.” He slid his fingers inside me, stroking me until my hips rose to meet his hand. Then he moved down to taste me, his lips and tongue working their magic as he found the place that always sent me over the edge too quickly. But I could go over the edge more than once, as he proved to me. He did drink from me there, settling in with his fangs and sending me mental messages of his love. He loved my taste, loved my ass, loved my, um, well, you get the idea. He’s a guy.
Finally, he rolled me on top and lifted me to settle on him. I rode him and held his shoulders, his hands on my hips as we found our rhythm. He grinned and then stopped, just when I thought it was over for both of us.
“No, not yet.” He stood while we were still connected, my legs linked around his waist to keep us together, and sat in the leather chair in front of the fire.
“I want to check out these new, smaller breasts. Sorry, Glory, but I miss the larger ones. They had more bounce, more”—he cupped them in his palms—“heft.”
I feigned indignation and grabbed his ears to give them a twist. “You sound like you’re describing a new broadsword, you awful man.”
He grinned. “I love my broadsword. If it were a woman, I’d—” I kissed his mouth and began to move again. This position put a new pressure inside me and I quite liked it.
“Ah, Jerry.” I leaned back, my hands on his shoulders again as I tried to keep it going. “I don’t want to stop but I—I . . .” Spasms shook me as the climax built and he grabbed my butt to hold me tight against him.
“God, Gloriana!”
I came apart then, calling his name.
We arrived back on the balcony with only minutes to spare before dawn. The suite was dark but I knew Valdez waited for me. I kissed Jerry good-bye, admonishing him to hurry back to his own hotel, then let myself in.
“I see you made up.” It was Ray who spoke from the dark, not Valdez.
“Yes.” I looked around. “Where’s Valdez?”
“He and Brittany will be back in a few. I sent them down to have a decent breakfast. They can’t operate full strength on just junk from the minibar.” Ray stood and walked over to lock the French doors. “You smell like sex. Shit.”
“Sorry, Ray. That’s how Jerry and I make up.” I slid past him and headed for the bedroom.
“Wait.” Ray stopped me. “I’m not seeing DeeDee again.”
“Your decision. Don’t deprive yourself on my account.” I realized that had come off pretty cold. “I mean, I’m sorry if you were disappointed in your deal with her. Mortal sex is pretty tame compared to the vampire kind.” I smiled and knew Ray could see it in the dark. “We’ll have to find you a vamp girlfriend.”
“I’d hoped I’d found one.” He moved closer. “Don’t write me off yet, Glory. I can be patient. I’m even surprising myself where you’re concerned.”
I shook my head. “Dawn’s coming. I’ve got to drink Ian’s stuff before I hit the sheets.”
Ray followed me into the bedroom. “Brittany says you’ve lost thirteen pounds. Let me look at you.”
I faced him when he turned on the bedroom light.
“Wow! Look at you. Sexy-peekaboo-bra thing going on there. No wonder you and Blade . . .” Ray shrugged. “Let me see your butt.”
I turned around, gasping when I felt his hands cup my bottom. “Hey! Watch it.”
“I’m watching it. You look fantastic.” He turned me around and hugged me. “You’re one hot mama. I can’t wait to show you off on the red carpet.”
“Aw, Ray, I don’t know how to thank you. Richard said this was really, really expensive. And you never paused one second when—”
“Hush, Glory girl. I’d do anything for you. Got it?” Ray jerked
off his shirt, stepped out of his jeans, then climbed into bed. As usual he was totally unconcerned that he wore only his underwear. “Now, drink your stuff and put on your gown. I feel daylight coming and you don’t have a minute to spare.”
I did what he said, but, for once, I didn’t feel the sun in my bones. At all. Weird. I drank Ian’s potion, brushed my teeth, even cleaned my face and tried some of the free hotel samples in the basket next to the sink. Finally I slipped on the gown I’d left hanging on a hook on the back of the bathroom door.
I heard the hall door open and close, then the TV go on. So that meant Valdez and Brittany were back from breakfast. There was a small window in the bathroom and I realized I could see light around the edges of the heavy curtains. Weird. Streetlights this high up?
I walked back into the bedroom and saw Ray dead to the world. Not moving. The death sleep, as Ian called it. And I was wide-awake. I went back to the window and lifted the curtain. The sun was coming up. I dropped the curtain and jumped back.
Holy shit. I was awake and it was daylight. What did this mean?
Twelve
“Valdez, come here!” I opened the door to the living room a crack. Of course Brittany heard me too. She was on her feet in a flash.
“What the hell?” She glanced at the morning light streaming in from the open curtains at the French doors.
“Close the drapes!” Valdez jumped off the couch. “Hurry. Glory, get back in the bedroom.” He ran to my side. “You’re wide-awake.”
“No shit, Sherlock.” I managed a smile. “Isn’t that what you said to me yesterday?”
“Yes. Now I’m wondering what the hell is going on.” He glanced at the bed. Of course Ray hadn’t moved.
“I don’t know what’s going on.” I sat on the edge of the bed, my side, and looked at Ray again. “I should be out. Dead. Instead I’m talking to you. Still alive. Unless this is a dream.” I held out my arm. “Pinch me. Hard. But not hard enough to leave a bruise in case I don’t heal again. I’ve got that fitting tomorrow. I mean tonight. Guess my arms will show.”
Gerry Bartlett - Real Vampires Hate Their Thighs Page 20