Take It Like A Vamp

by Candace Havens

  Nick’s eyes narrowed. “Watch your back, Alvinia. I’ll only say it once.”

  The other woman’s eyes narrowed as she focused on Casey. Her eyebrow rose and then she placed a hand on her hip. “I’d watch yours.” Throwing her hand in the air as if they no longer mattered, the witch walked away.

  But he knew better. Damn that bitch. If she tried anything with–

  “Nick,” Casey whispered. “You’re hurting me.”

  The instinct to protect Casey was so intense, he’d nearly crushed her. Sliding his thumb across her chin, he forced a smile.

  “Sorry, that woman gets on my nerves.” Understatement of the millennium. He couldn’t imagine what the conversation sounded like to Casey. Explanations, well, he’d have to think of some plausible ones.

  Casey stared at him, and for once he couldn’t quite read her. She normally wore her emotions for the world to see, but he didn’t recognize the tightness around her eyes.

  “What Council is she talking about? Do you belong to some secret society or something? Because I know you weren’t talking about city government. Besides, that woman’s too damn scary for any sane person to vote for, and she needs some serious lessons in manners.”

  Oh, Casey, if you only knew.

  “Secret society?” He chuckled. “You have an incredible imagination. She’s from Romania, that’s what she calls the board. Her father used to own one of my companies. She’s been trying to buy it back for years. Her family has a great deal of influence, and she thinks she can undermine me.”

  Most of that was true, if out of context.

  Casey shrugged. “She reeks of evil, but I could understand if she wanted her family’s business back. Is there a reason you can’t just sell it to her?”

  Damn Casey’s intelligence. “At one time I would have. In fact, I almost did. But Alvinia betrayed dear friends of mine.” They were more than friends, but they’d met untimely deaths at the witch’s hands. “After that, I couldn’t trust her. She has no emotional attachment to the company, only the greed for power. I worry what she would do to the people who have spent their lives making it successful. She doesn’t have a kind bone in her body, and treats most people like slaves.”

  And then there was the fact that she’d murdered his parents, because she thought Nick had betrayed her.

  Casey shivered, and he hugged her. He couldn’t help himself. He noticed Alvinia watching them, and he let Casey go. Best if he tried to keep her at arm’s length. The bitter Alvinia would harm Casey out of spite.

  Grabbing his lapels she pulled him on to the dance floor. “Hey buddy, I came here for fun. Well, and to save you from gray-haired predators.” She pursed her lips, and he wanted to kiss her. “And scary black-nailed Goth chicks. Isn’t she a little old for that look?”

  Nick roared with laughter, then he swung Casey onto the dance floor and guided her through the waltz.

  As long as she was in his arms, she would be safe.

  Nick wondered if he’d ever be able to let her go.

  Chapter Six

  Was this a fairytale or a nightmare? Casey couldn’t decide.

  Nick whirled her around the polished wood dance floor, like she was Cinderella at the ball. If it weren’t for that horrid Alvin chick, or whatever her name was, this would have been an amazingly perfect night. She had met a lot of weird people in her life, especially as a graphic artist, but that lump of Goth was wonky in the head. Nick must have dated her at some point, because the daggers the other woman shot at her were green and deadly. No woman was that awful without a good reason.

  But Casey refused to let the other woman ruin this magical evening.

  At least, for this one night, Casey was Nick’s date. Even though she knew it was all a ruse, she appreciated that Nick had gone all out for her. The makeover, and all of the compliments, had made her feel special. It would be weird going back to regular old Casey.

  I’ll probably never have another chance to wear these shoes.

  She’d worried they were too high to dance in, but with Nick as her partner, she glided across the floor.

  The music changed, and he pulled her closer. She sucked in a breath as their bodies touched. Heat flooded her lower regions, and Casey’s gaze flashed to his. Nick gave her a slow, sexy smile.

  Damn. I may melt where I stand.

  Had he felt it too?

  You’re making too much of it. He’s hot, in a very visual way. Of course he’s going to tink the tottie a little.

  She smiled back.

  “Are you thinking too much again?” he asked. Why did his voice sound like expensive whiskey? When they hung out, there were times when she got so caught up in the sound of his words, she had no idea what he’d just said. What would he sound like in the morning just after he’d opened his eyes?

  “It’s been a crazy couple of hours. I feel like the alarm clock is going to go off, and all of this will have been some weird trip in my head. Probably inspired by too much ice cream and a bagel dog.”

  “I put you through a lot, especially since it’s only for a few hours.”

  She blushed, eager to change the subject. “I was thinking back to the day when Aunt Teddie introduced us. I thought you were such a player.” She paused and cocked her head. “Well, technically, from the stream of women you’ve dated since I met you, you are definitely a player of the first degree. But you aren’t an asshole like a lot of those guys.”

  Nick chuckled. “Thanks. I think,” he said carefully. Then his eyes narrowed. “So, I’m guessing you wouldn’t believe me if I told you that I’d been celibate for the last nine months.”

  Casey snorted again and slapped his chest. “Funny, dude. Very funny.”

  The music ended, and he led her to the edge of the dance floor. “It’s true.”

  “Sir, you’re needed upstairs,” Mason interrupted.

  When had he arrived? The man had a job to do as Nick’s, well, whatever he was, but he was always interrupting their fun.

  Nick closed his eyes for a moment, lines of tension marring his chiseled face.

  “What’s wrong?” Casey took his hand in hers. “Can I help?”

  “I need you to stay with Hugh,” he pointed to a ginormous man who looked like the Incredible Hulk—well, if the Hulk had Brad Pitt’s face—standing next to Mason. “You understand? Don’t leave Hugh’s side. Do this for me?” She nodded, and before she could ask him any more, he turned to his assistant and said, “Let’s go.”

  Does the man never have any time off? He rarely had the weekends to himself, and now he was being pulled away from a party. Unbelievable. She turned to Hugh and gave the hulking figure a wave. “Hi, Hugh.”

  “Ma’am. Would you like a glass of champagne?” He motioned toward the bar.

  “You know what, Hugh? That sounds like a great idea.” She followed him to the bar stationed near the back of the ballroom.

  So much for the promise that Nick wouldn’t leave her, though she refused to give him a hard time. Mason’s news had upset her friend, and she only hoped he was okay. This was a perfect time to people watch, anyway. The room had filled while they were dancing, and it was interesting to see how the rich interacted with one another. There were slight nods, and a few sneers here and there. These people had a different way of communicating.

  The way they watched each other reminded her of cats on the prowl on the nature shows Nick liked to watch. Most seemed like…predators.

  A flash of black and silver caught her eye. Casey moved to the other side of Hugh and watched as evil Goth chick followed Nick and Mason up the stairs.

  The evil woman had a sneaky smile on her face.

  Maybe she should warn Nick, but about what? And how? He’d said something about Avril what’s-her-name betraying a friend of his before. Women in the business world had to be as tough as the men, sometimes even more cutthroat, but that woman was whack.

  Or maybe she’d had too much of the bubbly. Alcohol did funny things to people. Sometimes it
made them assholes. Sometimes it made them funny. She guessed Goth chick was the former.

  “Ma’am, do you want pink champagne or the other one?” Hugh asked.

  “Uh, I just saw someone following Nick. I think we should let him know,” she said to the bodyguard.

  Hugh shook his head. “Sorry, ma’am. Orders are to keep you here near the dance floor. Besides, we can’t get past security. Only the Council members are allowed on the floors above.”

  That sounded ominous. Did everyone call it a Council? And who was Hugh? He definitely wasn’t from Romania. He had Iowa-bred all over him. “Oh. What kind of Council is it?”

  “That’s something you should ask Mr. Christos,” Hugh replied.

  She sighed. “I did. He told me it was another name for people who were on the board of a corporation.”

  Hugh looked confused for a moment and then smiled. “Yes, ma’am. He’s right.”

  Sure he is. What the hell was going on here? She’d never once thought anything about Nick’s business affairs. She knew he was rich and ran several successful corporations, but she’d never really figured him for political type.

  “I’ll take pink,” she said in answer to Hugh’s question.

  He picked up a flute of bubbly and handed it to her.

  “There are a few tables near the orchestra, if you’d like to sit,” Hugh offered.

  Actually, a few minutes off the heels from hell was a heavenly idea. Glancing at the staircase Nick had ascended, she forced herself to dampen her NCIS instincts. She’d watched enough marathons of the series to know when something wasn’t right. And of course, the show was why she carried a Taser around with her. Some part of her believed that if the bad guys were after her, she could take them down with one zap.

  Yep, her imagination was a runaway train. That’s what made her such a great artist. Nick was a big boy. He probably dealt with this kind of crazy all the time.

  Before they reached the table, she’d finished her drink and grabbed another one off of a passing tray. Alcohol made people brave, or at least helped them fake it. And she needed all the help she could get now that Nick had deserted her for business crap.

  Hugh pulled out a chair for her at one of the empty tables. The rich didn’t seem to like to sit much. There were fifteen tables, layered in deep violet with crystal vases filled with white flowers ranging from gardenias to roses, and only a few of the chairs were occupied.

  “You might as well take a seat,” she said to Hugh.

  “Thank you, ma’am, but I’ll stand. It’s my job to assess any threat. You’re a level ten, so I must be prepared at all times. If there’s anything you need, just say the word.”

  A level ten? She wondered how high the levels went. What was this, the White House? And poor Hugh took his job way too seriously. What would happen here? Would one of the wealthy patrons throw a monocle at her? Maybe one of the debutantes might wound her with an anorexic elbow.

  She could hear her mother chastising her for making fun of people with eating disorders, but really, some of these women needed a bag of fries and a Dairy Queen Blizzard.

  Polite as he was, the ma’am thing began to wear on her. The migraine that had started at the salon tightened around her head. She chugged her drink in an unladylike manner and another was put before her. Soon she would be able to join Mel Gibson in a rendition of “Braveheart” she’d have so much courage.

  Or she could embarrass herself in a drunken stupor like he—

  “Now, this is something I didn’t expect to see,” a familiar voice came from behind her.

  Linc escorted a tall blonde, one of the models from the salon, to the table.

  “Heeeeyyy,” Casey circled her hand for them to sit by her. Did she just slur her words? “Are you guys having fun?”

  The blonde rolled her eyes.

  Linc guffawed. “Casey, you’re not supposed to have fun at these things. It’s all about being seen by the right people.”

  Ahhh, no wonder no one was sitting down. Rich people were so shallow. Luckily she didn’t feel the need to impress. “So why aren’t you out there parading around with the other monkeys? I haven’t seen you all night.”

  “Because I could care less what people think.” He winked. “I don’t need them to like me.”

  She shrugged. “Well, I guess that’s something we have in common.”

  “So where’s your date? I can’t believe he left you alone with the wolves.” Linc pulled out a chair for the model, and then one for himself next to Casey. Did every friend Nick had belong on the cover of a men’s magazine? Really. This was too much for one girl.

  “Upstairs.” She pointed to the ceiling.

  Linc frowned and shot a look of surprise to Hugh, who shrugged.

  “What’s with all the weirdness? They went up there to discuss business,” Casey said. She kept her mouth shut about all the crazy stuff she’d observed. While she didn’t care what other people thought of her, she didn’t want to embarrass Nick or his friends.

  “Hmmm. I guess this is how the rich get richer,” Linc offered.

  “You should know,” the blonde said.

  He yanked at the model’s bobbed hair, and she playfully slapped him away.

  “Kiki, I’m wounded. You know I don’t play by their rules.”

  “Linc, you don’t play by any rules,” she said suggestively. Then she stood up. “I see an old friend. I must say hello.” She blew an air kiss to Linc.

  Casey watched as Kiki—why wasn’t she surprised that was the model’s name—expertly swayed her hips back and forth as she sexily sauntered to her friend. The target happened to be a handsome, older man, with just the right amount of gray in his hair to make him gorgeous and sophisticated. She whispered something in his ear and he kissed her, a full on tongue-fighting kiss.

  Rude. Poor Linc.

  She glanced to her left to find him and Hugh arguing quietly about something.

  “Fine,” Linc said, “but if something happens to him, you and your people won’t live to see the dawn.”

  Whoa. She wondered which “him” Linc meant. She hoped it wasn’t Nick. If something happened to him, she wasn’t sure her heart would survive. Her gut twisted into knots and the headache intensified.

  Girl, you’ve got it bad.

  She chugged another glass of champagne. A chill settled on her shoulders. Dread. She hated that feeling. The same sensation had hit her the night her parents died.

  Nick might be in trouble. She had to do something.

  After standing, she shoved her chair back under the table. Her first few wobbly steps concerned her, but she finally found her bearings. The stairs were to her right. Two guards stood on either side of a red velvet rope. There had to be another way to the second floor. She turned to make sure Linc and the bodyguard weren’t paying attention. She knew there had to be a staff stairway somewhere. The anxiety intensified as she neared the back of the grand salon, skirting the crowds surrounding the dance floor. Ahead she saw a long hallway and steps.

  Excellent.

  Walking as fast as her Louboutins allowed, she made her way up the stairs. Halfway up, she paused when she heard voices.

  “I can’t believe you are with her.” Alvinia’s Russian accent was unmistakable. “She is nothing. Why do you waste your time?”

  “I told you, she means nothing to me. I used her tonight to keep the future brides and their protectors away.”

  “The way you looked at her, you made it seem quite real. You never looked at me with that kind of adoration.”

  “It’s an act. Casey isn’t a part of this. Do you understand? She’s nothing.”

  “That little mouse isn’t woman enough for you. There are special needs that she can’t satisfy.” The other woman’s voice dropped to a husky tone.

  Dumbfounded, Casey rushed down the stairs. She couldn’t hear another word. So she was nothing to him? Not even a friend? Tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked them away.

  That hurt.
Her heart thudded and bile rose to her throat.

  For a moment or two, he’d made her feel like she was special. But it was an act and she fell for it.

  So gullible. She wiped at her eyes, careful not to smudge her makeup.

  She had no right to even be upset. It wasn’t a real date. He told her from the beginning that it was just a favor he needed.

  Then why was she so upset?

  Because she had wanted it to be real, at least for a while. And now your carriage is a pumpkin. She sighed. When will I learn?

  “What are you doing?” Linc grabbed her hand and yanked her down the hallway.

  “Linc, stop running. I’ve never worn shoes like this. I’m going to fall.”

  He scooped her up and ran at superhuman speed. At least that’s what it looked like. The world blurred, and nausea boiled in her belly. Great job, Snooki.

  Too much champagne. Confused, she pushed against his chest. “Put me down,” she ordered.

  “I will, as soon as I get you to the safe area.”

  “I don’t understand. Safe areas. Councils. This has to be some weird secret society. I’m not here to keep the gray hairs off of Nick. He used me as some kind of—I don’t know. Bait, or distraction or something.”

  Saying it out loud made it all seem so much worse. “I want to go home,” she whispered.

  When they reached the grand salon, Linc put her down. But he kept an arm wrapped around her.

  “Nick will be down in a minute. I’m sure whatever you heard was out of context. Let’s get a drink and you’ll feel better.”

  “How do you know I heard something?”

  Linc, with his kissable lips and wavy brown hair, eyed her carefully. The man would give Nick a run for the Adonis title, if Adonis was a biker-type. “Your face, Casey. You wear your emotions for the world to see. In fact, it would be great if you could pretend all is well until Nick gets here.”

  All she’d done was pretend.

  She wanted a drink, but staying one more minute at the party was no longer an option. Home. She just wanted to go home. Take off the ridiculous clothes and put on her old sweats. It’d be like taking off this fake, rich skin and going back to the real Casey, but she didn’t mind. Right now the real Casey seemed like a much happier lifestyle than this fake crap.