VAMPIRE:Vampire Guardian Series: Paranormal Mystery Vampire Alpha Male Romance (New Adult Contemporary Paranormal Royalty Fantasy Romance Collection))

by Rachel S. William

  While showcasing a handful of our top talent was the supposed reason for this party, there were other reasons that I certainly had no intention of sharing with anyone I employed at Principle. Amongst the well-connected wanna-be musicians, the up and coming acts and the genuine rock stars, were a handful of brilliant business people I had personally invited for other reasons.

  Parties are a great way to meet publicly and conduct business without anyone being the wiser. As far as our little group was concerned, that was just the way we wanted it. Meanwhile, I would mix and mingle. Playing the role of the big time CEO in the music industry was something I knew quite well how to do. It might be boring dealing with pretentious egos and preening ex-divas whose best-by date had long passed, but it was part of the game. It also served my purpose just fine.

  I could see Jasmine steering Ricardo away from the bar, where he had already drank far more than his share. As usual he was drooling down her dress and his hands looked to stray a little as they weaved through the crowd. I knew she would handle him just fine, she always did.

  "Your PA certainly has her hands full with that one," murmured Dixie in my ear as she handed me a glass of bourbon identical to her own. Dixie has covered the music scene for longer than I have been involved in it and nothing gets past her. "I still have a hard time believing you haven't slept with her," she added with a sly smile. "Someone that beautiful doesn't move up the ladder that fast just on her brains." I raised an eyebrow at her and smiled. "That's because you have been in this biz for too long Dix," I said.

  I was about to turn and continue our conversation in another direction when a woman caught my eye. Tall, dark and exotic in a way I couldn't quite put my finger on, she moved through the crowd with a sense of purpose. She looked familiar and I was wondering if she was perhaps one of the models that always seem to show up at these events. I nodded in her direction, "Do you know who that is?" Dixie lit up with a cat-eating-shit grin. "That is your nemesis Brock," she said, "Her name is Janie Black and I hear she is gunning for you. Better watch out because she has felled bigger trees than you, my friend."

  With that, Dixie turned into the crowd as this mesmerizing woman made her way through the crowd, always moving a few feet closer towards me as she stopped to chat along the way. I felt a small shiver go up my spine, one that I hadn't felt in years. Her hair hung like an ebony curtain down her back to just below her waist. It was almost touching the fringe at the bottom of a silk dress that clung to her like water. The fringe caressed her long legs in a way I wouldn't mind trying myself. Those legs simply invited exploration. The brilliant spark of intelligence in her eyes as she talked just made her sexier. This was either going to be really interesting or really dangerous. Either way, I was looking forward to sparring with Ms. Black, just not tonight. There was too much at stake for cat and mouse games tonight.

  Janie

  I could see him checking me out from across the room. Brock is a hard man to ignore, and I don't just mean his looks. The man exudes power. At six foot three he is all hard muscle, no CEO paunch on this guy. The touches of grey on the side of the long dark hair that extended just below his collar actually added to his appeal for many, instead of aging him. The bit of curl around the sides that escaped his stylist softened the effect of a "he-man" a bit, but it didn't fool me. I know a power-wielding tyrant when I see one, and I looked forward to sniffing out whatever dark deed he was hiding these days.

  I smiled and refilled my drink, keeping an eye on him through the curtain of my hair as I chatted up a few aging rock stars out for the night in hopes of generating some inches at the Times. They are always good for a cover at these events. I can count on a bit of light flirtation, we both know it means nothing, and it moves me unobtrusively across the room and closer to my ultimate target. Rod was gamely playing along, always a good egg when it came to these maneuvers.

  "So who is your target tonight, love," he asked as his eyes danced in laughter. He looked me up and down in appreciation. "You're gonna get yourself in trouble dressed like that Janie, if not from me then someone else." He grinned, refilled my drink and we walked across the room like the old friends we were. "Let's go chat up a few of the old crowd while every man in this room undresses you mentally," he whispered as we walked. "Maybe we can start a few rumors along the way." I laughed, and tossed my head in mock flirtation. "You are a dark one girl," he murmured, "and I pity the bloke you have in your headlights tonight." I could always count on Rod to play the game with me.

  As we meandered across the room, stopping to chat with a few of the crowd along the way, I kept an eye on Brock. After about ten minutes of chat Rod and I parted ways, he off the find his publicist while I was determined to find out who Brock was really meeting here. I knew from Jasmine that there was to be a public squaring off with the company's perpetual bad boy Ricardo, but I could tell from Brock's movements that it was just a smokescreen. He was looking for someone, and didn't want anyone to know. I grabbed another drink, wove through the crowd keeping Brock in view and started mentally adding up who else he might be meeting. Perhaps that is why I didn't see Ricardo coming up, drunk and out of control as usual.

  He may be Mexico's heartthrob but I knew the score with the little punk. Jasmine had pulled his fat out of the fire several times when he got caught with underage fans, both boys and girls. Sometimes at the same time, even. He was smart enough to know that his time was short for the hot Latin lover brand he was selling and he planned to make the most of it while he could. He truly didn't care who he hurt along the way. For that alone I would be happy to skewer him if it didn't play into his hand as the ultimate dangerous paramour. He thrived on the game and played it to the hilt, which is why I dismissed his actions at first.

  He snaked his arm around me, reaching for a bit of a grab along the way. Ricardo was being predictable as always and not hard to control if you know how. As he snuggled up closer I managed to dribble my very red cocktail down his shirt and pants using the leverage of his surprise to step away. His smile turned to anger as he looked down at his ruined silk shirt and designer jeans. "You bitch!" he snarled. I smiled up at him sweetly as I turned away.

  "You really should have stuck to those leather pants you've been wearing so much lately Ricardo. They handle your drunken mistakes so much more easily than those pricey Dussault jeans." Maybe turning my back on him was not the smartest move. I don't usually make stupid moves, but Brock seemed to have moved out of my range of sight while Ricardo engaged in his little "flirtation". I needed to move on and see what he was up to without attracting any more attention.

  I was suddenly grabbed from behind, dragged by my hair to a hidden alcove behind the bar and shoved against the wall. Ricardo was seething and I could see beneath the alcohol a dangerous animal that wanted to prove just how brutal he could be to anyone who crossed him. His hand reached for the top of my dress, and I could see he was prepared to rip it from top to bottom. My spike heel came down on the arch of his foot while my hand drove upwards towards his chin. But it didn't even connect.

  Unknown to me, Brock had been watching the whole encounter and was dragging Ricardo off me with a barely controlled fury I had never seen on him before. He tossed Ricardo like a rag doll towards the security that had just approached with instructions to escort him off the premises. "I don't care how many platinum records you make," he seethed at the figure that was now sprawled on the floor. "You are scum and no longer signed with Principle Records. This kind of behavior has no place at my company." He then turned and gently but firmly escorted me, away from the crowd of curious and now chattering partiers.

  Well so much for not attracting attention. I had not actually met Brock before, and his overwhelming male energy threatened to engulf me at any minute. I was mentally putting this heart-pounding feeling of light-headedness down to my adrenalin rush from Ricardo's attack. "I had it under control, you know," I said as I looked up into the most startling blue eyes I had ever seen. I tried to keep myself from sh
aking, not exactly sure where this reaction was coming from but fighting it with all my might. "I am not the helpless female you seem to think I am."

  He shook his head while his arms gently maneuvered me into a quiet little room off the main party room. I am pretty sure it was the same destination Ricardo was intending when he first saw me, before I lit his very short fuse with my drink. Sitting on a small couch, I waited for intense feelings that rolled through my entire being to subside. Instead, every time he touched me they just seemed to intensify. "I have no doubt you could have subdued him in time Ms. Black," he said with a bit of a chuckle. "I simply wasn't willing to take the chance it would be at the cost of that lovely dress."

  He said it with a flip tone, but I noticed his hand trembled ever so slightly as he almost inadvertently brushed against my arm. He was sitting beside me, turned towards me as he spoke quietly. Even in my shattered state I could sense unease in the man that was mirrored in my own body. His every touch filled me with little sparks of electricity. What on earth was happening? I could not possibly be attracted to this man, this symbol of everything I knew was wrong with both the music industry and the world in general. He was the wrong man to fall in love with, but it seemed it was happening in any event.

  Brock

  I was glad that I was able to talk her into letting me drive her home after such a disaster of an evening. I sat in the car, going over the night's events in my mind as I watched to ensure that Janie walked safely into her house. "Let's head home Sam," I told my driver. My mind was still reeling from the onslaught of feelings that threatened to overcome any shred of calm I thought I possessed. When I had pulled Ricardo off of her, I was thinking in terms of his actions being the perfect excuse to rid myself of the little parasite. I hadn't counted on her effect on me.

  But just the merest touch of skin on skin when I sought to shelter Janie from the crowd sent electric bolts through my body that were impossible to ignore. I did try to ignore them though, as she was the last person I wanted to get involved with right now. Sitting beside her on the couch, it was all I could do not to kiss her. Looking into those startling green eyes, seeing the same unease and feeling her shiver as I touched her, I knew she felt the same.

  At home, I went through the motions of the evening. Checked my email for messages, handled the overseas ones I couldn't ignore and headed outside to give my emotions time to settle. My home was my refuge, and I seldom had guests to it, even if it was big enough to sleep dozens. In its heyday it had been home to one of silent films most beloved stars and for this reason alone I treasured it. But even more I loved the several acres of well tended garden that surrounded it. I headed for a small birch forest, the kind that reminded me of the hills where I had grown up and had been the reason for purchasing The Kells. I needed the comfort of those trees to calm my emotions and give me a place to question the rising tide of passion I felt tonight.

  It was the wrong time and the wrong girl. Of that much, I was certain if nothing else. I remembered the feeling of heat I had felt at the simple touch of her skin against mine. How could I be betrayed by my own emotions at such a crucial time? It wasn't just her exotic looks, though she had that in spades. No, I was around beautiful women all the time in this job, and none had ever affected me the way she did.

  There is something more to her, something magical that sparked me as no other woman had in a very long time. It was her almost lethal combination of beauty, brains and determination that attracted me. The kind of determination that brooked no denial and one I understood all too well. It was a trait we shared; along with a growing attraction that despite my avowals to ignore I knew would engulf us both in its fire. The question now was just how long I could keep it at bay.

  Janie

  The next few days after the "event" were rushed with deadlines looming on stories and plenty to keep me too busy to consider just what happened between me and Brock that night. I even managed to evade Jasmine's questioning looks. So you can imagine my surprise when I had a text from the man himself, asking me to come to his place for dinner. No mention of whether this was business or personal and certainly no mention of our encounter after Ricardo's attack. I assumed it had to do with whatever he was hiding, probably an attempt to keep me quiet. But any breach of his defenses to find out more was worth the risk.

  The real question that lurked inside me, the one about how I felt when he was around and my knees turned to mush, would have to be put on the back burner for now. At least, that was what I told myself as I got ready for our dinner. It doesn't explain why I decided to go out and buy a sexy forest green dress that left little to the imagination. Some things a girl just can't explain, she simply does.

  Jasmine stood in the kitchen mouth open when I walked up to her, ready to head out the door."Wow, who is the target of that dress?" she asked with a smile on her face. "Does this have anything to do with Brock ushering everyone out a little early today?" I faltered, unsure exactly how I felt about this tidbit of information.

  "Did he tell you he asked me to his home for dinner tonight?"

  Her grin spread wider. "No but his housekeeper did call to ask if you had any favorite foods, so I knew. If he asked you to come to his inner sanctum then this is serious. I have never been to The Knells, and most of the staff would kill to see the inside of that old mansion." She got serious for a minute. "He asked me about you at work the next day you know. He wanted to know if you were alright. His eyes light up at your name and I haven't seen that in him in a long time. Be careful Janie, he may be one of the richest and most powerful men in the world but he is only human you know."

  This last remark was made while looking at the dress that almost wasn't there. I smiled at her and gave her a hug. "I am human too, you know. Despite what others say, and I have heard the "ice in her veins" remarks." She shook her head at me, "I know better Janie, and so do you." We shared a quick smile as I headed out the door. "I will let you know how it goes later."

  As I climbed into the waiting car I wondered to myself just what to expect tonight. Was this a date, an information gathering or the start of a battle? I would know soon enough.

  Brock

  I had never seen my housekeeper Mrs. Sanchez in such a state as she was tonight. The bandeja de arriero she made for our dinner was one of her specialties and she had worked hard on dinner preparations all day. If I didn't know better I would say that she was playing matchmaker over a woman she had never met.

  "Theese girl is different, no?" she smiled up at me as I walked into a kitchen that smelled heavenly. "Eet is time for you to settle down Mr. Armstrong," she admonished me with a chuckle. I shook my head at her as I sampled the sauces and headed upstairs to change. Not many could say such a thing to me and walk away unscathed, but Mrs. Sanchez was the big exception. In fact, she was exceptional in more ways than just her cooking. Most of all, she was usually right.

  Her sons had set up the table and chairs in my little grove of birches per my instructions, with lights hanging from the trees and an old candelabra on the table. I told myself that I was simply setting the stage to distract her from any further digging into my affairs. Of course, I was lying to myself and I knew it. But her reputation as a cold hearted reporter beyond any man's reach was too tempting not to try and overcome. That and the fact I had seen the desire in those bewitching eyes the other night. She felt that connection as clearly as I did.

  I had sent Sam out to pick her up, you can just never tell with LA traffic, and it was a good thing I did. The freeways were snarled as always and only someone with Sam's knowledge of every back route could have delivered Janie on time. When she walked out of the car my breath caught in my throat. The dress was simple and yet perfect for her. The emerald satin that matched her eyes lit her up from the inside out, with every curve in her body revealed from the warm rounds of her breasts to the firm muscles of her thighs. She wore it like a wrapper I couldn't wait to tear off my favorite present, and yet she was so much more.

  "Th
anks Sam, I will take it from here."

  He smiled quietly and returned the car to the garage. I had given everyone but Sam and Mrs. Sanchez the night off and they knew to make themselves scarce once their role was played. I would have Janie to myself tonight, and from the dancing light in her eyes she was looking forward to it as much as I was. Most women would have been intimidated by the show of power with the car, the house and the servants. She just took it in stride and walked up to me with a slow smile that made my blood boil. I looked down at her as my pulse began to race.

  "Since it is such a perfect night I thought we would enjoy dinner outside. I trust that you will be comfortable with that?"

  "Ah but Brock, it is always a perfect night in Southern California. How could we choose anything else?"

  Was she laughing at me? Was she agreeing with me? I forgot all those questions the moment she placed her hand on my arm as we walked out to the setting among the trees. I felt her shiver just as her touch sent an electric shock through me. I was beginning to wonder if we would even make it to the amazing flan Mrs. Sanchez had made for dessert.

  Janie

  When I stepped out of the car he was waiting for me, looking so solid and filled with sexual energy it was everything I could do to not wrap my arms around him then and there. But I didn't. Instead I smiled and kept up some light banter with him as he escorted me around to our waiting table on the grounds of the mansion. But that scene, a fairy wonderland of tiny twinkling lights and a white tablecloth draped table nestled among a grove of birch trees almost did me in. If there was ever any doubt this was not just a date but probably a seduction scene, it was wiped right then and there.

  As he seated me, the soft smoky scent of him filled the air. I wanted to wrap it around me as if it could protect me from what I might find out about him tonight. It made me heady, but I calmed myself and looked up to smile. That was a mistake, since his intense blue eyes were only inches away. His mouth, firm and yet so very inviting was within kissing range and I knew it.