Soul Breather (21st Century Sirens Book 1)

by T Stedman

  His gaze skimmed down over her body appreciatively. He was easily six inches taller than her; putting her at around five feet six.

  Her long hair flattened and darkened fast; making her eyes look even bigger, her pupils, huge disks, almost swamped the irises.

  Her golden skin began to reveal what looked like unusual dark tattoos around her biceps, chest and rib cage, and also around the tops of her legs and calves. It reminded him of something from his childhood in Ireland. He shook his head as he traced the ones on her thighs with a thumb and finger. “I like these.”

  She looked directly up into the fierce spray of water; unblinking and laughing; holding her palms up, “Water!” She exclaimed, as if it were a new discovery, letting the water cascade over her.

  Despite the temperature of the water, Jay found himself laughing along with her, as strange as she was; she delighted him and dumbfounded him. He touched her chin as she spat a mouthful of water and grinned at him. Leaning down he put his lips on hers. Electricity shot through him at the contact. He drew back and looked into her eyes.

  Reaching up past his head, she grabbed the rail around the shower and hoisted herself up and clamped her legs around his waist.

  Yes! He laughed aloud and clasped his hands around her backside and supported her while he took her mouth fiercely; their tongues in combat as they explored a wild, deepening kiss. Cursing, he leant down and kissed and bit her breasts hungrily. Turning his body quickly, he perched her weight on a small ledge and scattered bottles of shampoo and shower gel, letting them clatter to the floor. He pushed her back roughly into the tiles and felt his way down with seeking fingers, and found his way back to her mouth. While not breaking the seal of their urgent kisses, he sought the heat of her and found it instantly, making her gasp. “Fuck,” was all he could articulate as her heat seared him. Lust overtook him as he expertly delved and stroked her softness. Impatient, he wasted no more time and pulled her down on to him, aching and waiting.

  Both of them cried out as he entered her brutally.

  Bewildered, she stopped him and panted. He stopped and breathed deeply with his mouth next to hers. “Okay?” he whispered. His eyes closed, silently grateful for the lull. He needed to get used to her core heat that threatened to end his game before it had begun.

  Then, any semblance of his being in control went out the window as she renewed her grip with her thighs like a vice and clamped onto the soft part of his shoulder with her teeth. She dug her nails into his shoulder blades and her heels into his behind and moved on him with strength and purpose. This girl was fit.

  Taking her full weight he pushed her into the corner and bit her neck back with a savagery that was rough and urgent to match their relentless rhythm. Glorious noises echoed around the space. Groans, pants and whispered pleas. She was rougher with him than he ever was with any woman and he loved it.

  He kicked bottles away from his feet as he leant back against the wall. She reached above her again and pulled herself up and down again expertly and repeatedly.

  “That’s it,” he whispered.

  He renewed his grip as his legs shook. When his climax came there was no holding it off. It was ferocious in its strength and he shouted as he came and bit into her shoulder hard, grinding her down into him in circular movements. She cried out at his ear and he knew she was right there with him.

  He sagged back into the wall. She flopped her head onto his shoulder. Both stood breathing heavily as he slowly released her down, until her toes touched the tiled floor.

  Their conscious thought came back and their hearts gradually slowed, and he became aware of the cold temperature and the disarray of the shower floor.

  He put his forehead on hers as he caught his breath and rested his hands on her shoulders. She leaned against him. As his mind was gradually coming back online, he tried to decide whether he wanted her to stay the night, or go.

  As if she read his mind, she said, “I must go,” and ducked under his arm and out of the shower, wrapping herself in a fluffy white towel.

  Okay, he thought, that makes it easy. He frowned as he turned the shower off and grabbed a towel for himself. He wasn’t sure if he liked her coming to that decision and followed her into the bedroom where she was already pushing her legs into her jeans.

  “Hey!” He reached for her hand and pulled her to him for a hug. “Thank you,” he said simply and looked into her fathomless eyes. He noticed they were squinting in the light.

  “My pleasure,” she smiled, “You were my first.” She broke away from him, picked up her boots and tugged them on.

  His eyebrows met while he processed the information, not sure he’d heard right. “I’d like to see you again,” he found himself saying before he could think any deeper about it.

  She looked up from her boots and smiled, “Sure. I’m not sure when though.” She fastened her watch back on her wrist. “I leave for the States in a few hours.”

  “Give me your phone,” he said, holding out his hand to her.

  “What?” she said, frowning.

  “I’m going to give you my number, which I never do,” he said seriously, punching in the digits after she handed her phone over to him. “Are you going on holiday?”

  “No, work.” She said as she threw her bag over her shoulder.

  “Can I ask what you do?”

  “You can ask,” she said, already walking to the door. She bent to pick up her crash helmet and jacket. Then relented, “I’m helping a friend out with some of his horses. He’s hiring them out on some film set.”

  “Ah,” Jay nodded as he lent down to give her a last kiss as she’d reached his door.

  He found himself kissing her properly instead of the patronizing peck he normally reserved for the dismissal of one of his one-night stands. He straightened and she smiled up at him.

  “Later.”

  “Later.”

  She pulled out of his grip and crept out of the door and shut it quickly.

  Stunned, he walked over to the window and opened it a fraction. He wondered what the fuck had just hit him as he rested his head on the window.

  Five minutes later he heard the throaty roar of a motorbike. Then it sped off into the distance.

  ***

  “Get them in then!” Dante Dubonnetti said in greeting as he casually walked up to Jay, propping up the bar.

  Jay was his oldest and closest friend. They were more like brothers really.

  “Two JD’s please Paul,” Jay said to the young barman. “What happened to you earlier?”

  Dante shook his head, “Fuck knows. It was the weirdest thing. I had to go before I fell over. It must have been one of your dodgy pints.” He said in his Irish lilt, his lively slate grey eyes looked sideways at Jay half smiling.

  “Fuck off, you arsehole.”

  Dante grabbed his old friend in a headlock and shook him playfully. “No honestly, I felt like shit, then the minute I got outside and in a cab I felt fine.”

  He took off his black biker jacket and settled on the stool next to Jay as he always did at the end of the night, just before Jay closed up.

  He looked at Jay mulling something over as he stared down, rattling the ice cubes around in his drink. Jay was the quieter one but something was up.

  “You look wasted. Bad night?” he said.

  “No, not bad,” Jay answered thoughtfully, and then shook his head.

  “What then, a woman?” Dante poked, the corners of his mouth turned up into a slow smile.

  “Do you remember me telling you about a young girl at Burmese Dannyl’s place, over Shoreditch way? It was a couple of years ago.” Jay said, turning to face Dante in his chair, “The one I said was stunning”.

  “The jail bait?”

  “That’s the one.”

  “Didn’t she do him in?”

  “Well I think she was blamed for it … but anyway, yes, that’s the one. I was over there playing cards. It was where I won this,” he said, and he pulled his sleeve back
to show a beautiful and incredibly unusual turquoise bracelet.

  Dante smiled indulgently as his friend showed it to him, knowing exactly its significance but keeping quiet. “Yes I remember. What’s that got to do with the girl?”

  “She came in here tonight, and we … well we hooked up.”

  Dante laughed. “Fair play,” he said, tilting his glass in salute. “Watch yourself with that one.”

  “Tell me about it. Fuck!”

  Dante laughed out loud. “What?”

  “I feel played Dant … fucking played!” A look of disbelief was written all over his friend’s face.

  Dante creased over at the middle. He stopped laughing just enough to order two more drinks. “Will you be breaking the habit of a lifetime and seeing this one again?”

  “I think I might have to. My pride demands it,” Jay said, flabbergasted.

  Still laughing, Dante clinked glasses with him.

  Chapter 3

  Mark Dubonno was a film star. At twenty-two he was already successful in vampire teen films.

  Ready for his next scene, set during the American civil war, he lounged about with several of the young co-stars waiting to be called. All of them were in full American soldier uniform.

  Mark was gorgeous, and he knew it, with a headful of blonde wayward hair, pretty girl face, tall and long limbed. His light grey eyes were covered with contact lenses for his role as lead vampire in his latest flick.

  Smoke buffeted everywhere to add authenticity to the war-torn camp of canvas tents and piles of guns and ammunition; all ready for the director to call, “Action!”

  Mark leaned over to whisper something suggestive to a young female he’d been spending time with between scenes; although he’d already decided he would dump her as soon as filming was over. His attention was grabbed elsewhere. Riding a large Palomino horse bareback and leading two others, the most stunningly beautiful woman ambled by.

  His skin prickled as he watched her, mesmerized.

  A cowboy hat covered her many long braids, held in a loose ponytail over her multi-coloured, stripy roll-neck sweater. Snug jeaned legs rested relaxed against the horse’s sides.

  As if she knew he was there, she looked over at him and her eyes physically struck him. Never had he seen the like; the colour a vivid green and wide, almost glowing, like disks.

  She dragged her eyes from him.

  He jumped to his feet.

  “What?” The girl next to him said, alarmed.

  “Nothing,” he said moodily, “I need a minute.”

  He walked around the back of a tent and looked at his heirloom ring he always wore on the middle finger of his left hand.

  He stared, shocked rigid. “Fucking hell!” he muttered to himself. “My God!” The proof was there in front of his eyes. This ring was green – turquoise to be exact. All his life it had remained an opaque white. His father had always said, “One day son, when you get near one it will change colour.”

  He straightened up with resolve. He needed a phone right away. The production team would not allow cell phones so he rushed to the catering van and asked to borrow one of the waiting staff’s.

  He just beamed one of his charismatic smiles and she handed over her phone along with a flutter of her ‘come on’ eyes. His eyes diverted as soon as the phone touched his hands and he walked away, dialling quickly with his long aristocratic fingers. He put the phone to his ear, “Get me my father, quickly!” he said, and paced impatiently. “Father? Yes it’s me, Marco. I’ve found one.” Silence. “I’ve actually fucking found one.”

  There was a pause as if his father was sitting down to receive the news. When he gained composure he promised to dispatch two of his brothers to America without delay.

  “Yes I’ll stay close to her,” he promised before he hung up.

  He strode back to the others wracking his brains how to ingratiate himself with her, when one of the younger cast members rushed up to him.

  “There you are, Mark.”

  Marco just looked at him – his mind a thousand miles away.

  “Are you coming,” the boy continued, “Mark?” snapping him out of it.

  He shook his head at the boy, not comprehending.

  “Tonight.”

  “Why, what’s happening?” Still not really interested, his mind turning cartwheels.

  “We are all going to that little club in town.”

  “Oh, I dunno.” He frowned, his English accent coming out the more distracted he was. Go away you little fuck.

  “You should come, someone said that hot horse wrangler girl from England is DJ’ing there.”

  He stopped in is tracks. That got his attention.

  He looked at Billy and smiled, giving him his full dental impact. “Of course I’ll come Billy. Wouldn’t want to appear a stick in the mud.” He watched the boy walk off excitedly and tell as many who would listen.

  As soon as Mark finished on set that day he made a few calls to double-check Billy’s information, and it had been correct. She was due to do her set between 12 and 2 a.m. Now all he had to do was to ditch the annoying co-starlet. Her cloying ways had started to grate anyway.

  Now he was on to his family’s heritage, the sky would be the limit for him.

  ***

  Mark arrived fashionably later than everyone else. Eleven fifty – just in time to get a drink. He found everyone he knew in the VIP lounge just as they were rousing themselves to make their way to the main room. After greeting everyone and getting the pleasantries out of the way he followed them in. He could already feel his hackles rising.

  He glanced down at his ring and watched it swirl to the rich turquoise it had been earlier. He looked up and saw her up on the dais by the booth the DJ’s stood in. She was chatting animatedly to a couple of huge black bouncer type guys. She was sorting through her records – vinyl, Mark acknowledged.

  The place was rammed. It was busier than normal for a Friday night. Everyone had filled the place from the film set, as there wasn’t a lot doing in a small town like this.

  The MC got on the mike, building up the crowd by introducing her as Queen Ti, House Music DJ from London and Ibiza.

  She was already behind the decks with one earphone on, complimenting her swinging braids, cueing her first record. Bug-eyed dark glasses covered her unusual eyes. Vest top and Jeans were all she wore he noticed, with platform trainers to give her small frame some height.

  After much dry ice and atmospheric build-up music, she dropped a house tune he remembered his brother playing. The place seemed to erupt. Everyone seemed to be on their feet.

  Mark was amazed as he surveyed the room. The place began to jump. The base was cranked to the level of just right. Dry ice billowed and rose up from the floor. And the clubbers threw themselves into abandon. Even the heavy bouncers shuffled from foot to foot, swinging their arms and glinting gold teeth as they smiled at the musical nectar that permeated the room.

  She took the room on a magical journey – building and dropping the music. Clubbers perspired but never sat down. Most of them, he realized, would have never heard a lot of the Balearic beats that shifted their feet. When the tune she was playing broke down to ride its groove, Mark watched with awe as he witnessed the sonic wave which bounced over their heads. She pulled the unsuspecting clubbers to her as surely as if she’d sung from the rocks. And when she had them in the palm of her hand, she held them till exhaustion, playing hard trance, and wowing them with mix after mix. Even he had to admit he was impressed.

  Although this girl was here to work the horses, this was obviously her trade. Useful information, he thought, for locating her sisters. Music, he now realized, was going to be the common denominator. Of course they would have been banned from singing – too obvious.

  Looking round, he seemed to be the only one immune to her luring power; Handy, he mused, and wondered if she knew what she was doing? Probably not, given how conspicuous she was making herself to fellow Atlanteans.

 
When her set was over and she put her records away in their sleeves, those around her congratulated her and whisked her off to the bar for a drink.

  Billy came bounding up to him sweating like a pig. “Brilliant wasn’t she?” he said panting. “Come on, I know her.”

  “Lead the way,” Mark followed along smugly.

  When they reached the VIP lounge it was like bees round a honey pot. He followed Billy up to the large crowd, of mainly men, which surrounded her. That was when he knew she was aware of him. She turned and looked over her shoulder straight at him as soon as he was nearby.

  “Billy!” she exclaimed, as she saw him and hugged him to her, but Marco saw her eyes were on him.

  “You were great Tia,” Billy said grinning. “Can I introduce you to my friend Mark?”

  “The star? Of course,” she said, and smiled, turning her attention to him.

  He turned on the full charm offensive, bending over her hand, kissing it like a European prince. The act seemed to off-balance her slightly rather than impress her as she began to make her excuses of early starts and all that.

  Just then a large cowboy walked in, and she instantly made her way over to him. He put his arm around her possessively and steered her out of the building.

  Mark sipped his drink and pondered to himself. He could be an added complication.

  “Billy, let me buy you a drink?”

  The younger actor, obviously flattered, accepted at once – even though he was too young for alcohol.

  “Tell me Billy, do you know her well?”

  “Yeah, we’re friends. I’ve been going and helping with the horses when I’ve had nothing to do.”

  “Do you know what she’s up to tomorrow?”

  “Haven’t you looked at your notes for tomorrow yet?” Billy said, shocked. “It’s the scene where your character jumps the soldier on his horse, so you’ll probably see her there.”

  Bingo! Mark thought. “I’ll look forward to that then.”

  His broad smile evaporated the minute Billy walked away.

  Chapter 4

  The stunt was due to be shot at dawn as vampires couldn’t be out in the light. Mark was uncharacteristically on time that morning.