She had so much riding on this. What if Gideon had moved on? What if he already had someone else in his life?
No!
She couldn’t think like that. Refused to. Miracles happened, they really did. She only prayed that one would happen to a nobody like her. Even if she didn’t deserve happiness. She squeezed her eyes shut for a few precious seconds and then willed her beat up body to keep moving.
Chapter 2
One and a half years ago…
Jenna wasn’t much of a drinker. After three pink cocktails, that tasted too much like a cold drink and not enough of like alcohol and a couple of shots, she was pretty well oiled.
Although she wasn’t slurring or stumbling, she also wasn’t thinking completely straight anymore and was giggling way too much. By then, her lips were even pretty numb. There was an old jukebox in the corner. The bar smelled of cigarettes and beer. Her work friend, Tracy, had her arms around some guy. They were slow dancing to a fast beat. Jenna found that she didn’t care, she carried on dancing all by herself.
The guys in the bar, had long since stopped offering her drinks and trying to make moves on her. She was a hundred and fifty percent on the rebound and wasn’t about to tumble headfirst into another relationship. Her and Rob were technically still married anyway. She even still wore her wedding band, showing it to any guy who approached. Using it to ward them off like a shield.
Worked every time.
She giggled to herself, continuing to move to the beat. Jenna had always loved dancing but couldn’t remember the last time she had been out like this.
Her whole body felt warm, the edges of her mouth hurt from smiling. That last drink had done it. She felt overly warm and a little slow. No more for her.
That was when he walked in. Dark hair with equally dark eyes to match. She would soon learn that there were golden flecks in those dark depths. He was tall, ridiculously so, filling the door and the room with his presence. His hair was tussled, four o’clock shadow on his jaw.
His eyes scanned the room before coming to rest on her. The door automatically shut behind him as he strode towards her. Directly to her, and not to the bar, as she had expected. She was standing perfectly still in the middle of the dance floor.
Some other love song played in the background. She licked her lips as he came to stand in front of her, having to crane her neck to maintain eye contact.
His nostrils flared and his jaw tensed. He leaned forward, speaking directly into her ear so that she could hear him over the music. “Sugar and spice and all things nice.”
It was the strangest thing anyone had ever said to her. His deep voice sent shivers down her spine. “Pardon? What?” Her tongue felt thick and her mouth dry. Why the hell had she consumed so much alcohol?
He threw her a devastating smile that made her heart race and her panties turn just a little damp. Then he leaned in, his breath hot on her neck. She was sure she was mistaken because he seemed to sniff at her. No way. It couldn’t be. Yet, he did it again.
Goose flesh rose up on her arms and her breath quickened.
“Sugar…and spice”—he sniffed—“and all things nice. It’s how you smell to me.” He pulled back a little. Damn but he was handsome. Ridiculously so. It made her knees weak.
Then she remembered the drinks she had knocked back. One after the other. And a thought occurred to her that made her frown. It also made the most sense. “Wait just a minute. Wait just one little minute. You’re seriously hot.” She said, swaying a little on her feet.
He reached out and clasped her waist, holding her steady. “You’ve had a little too much to drink. You scent heavily of alcohol.”
She felt her cheeks heat. She must smell pretty bad if he could tell she had been drinking. She put a hand over her mouth, feigning shock when she was actually trying to smell her breath. Didn’t smell bad to her. Then again, what did she know? She was drunk.
“You humans are greatly affected by alcohol.” He grinned. “Would you like me to carry you?”
Would she ever?
She felt herself frown. She had probably heard him wrong. Humans? Why would he refer to her as a human? Jenna giggled. She really was never drinking again.
Not ever.
His hand still clasped her waist. Her skin felt warm there. Her whole body prickled with awareness and anticipation. “You’re really gorgeous. You do know that, don’t you?” Her tongue felt thick as she spoke. His eyes were so damned beautiful. As was the masculine line of his jaw…all of him.
“You’ve been drinking and are not thinking clearly or rationally.”
Jenna licked her lips and sighed. “You’re not really as good-looking as this, are you? You can’t be. I’d go to bed with a ten and wake up with a one. No…” She wagged a finger at him. “There will be noooo sex tonight. Besides, rules are rules.”
The gorgeous man in front of her, that wasn’t really gorgeous, smiled accentuating the slight cleft in his jaw. She was probably just imagining that too. It made him all the more handsome. His smile turned quizzical as a deep frown appeared on his forehead. “I’m not sure what you mean by the numbers or the rules. As to the way that I look…” He shrugged. “What you see is what you get.” He removed his hands from her waist, hooking them into his jean pockets. “The no sex part is a crying shame.”
She followed the movement, noticing how his shirt pulled snugly around some serious muscles, his hips were as narrow as his thighs were thick. There was a bulge…
Jenna looked up so quickly that she almost gave herself whiplash. “Oh, so I can have what I see?” She giggled at her silly joke, stopping when he remained completely serious. Jenna cleared her throat. “The numbers.” She took a deep breath, trying to think straight. Maybe she should’ve had some dinner before drinking. “It’s a rating system. One being butt ugly and ten being burn-up-the-sheets hot.”
He grinned. “You gave me a ten.”
Jenna shook her head, which made her feel a bit woozy. She swallowed thickly. “I said that you look like a ten but are probably a one.”
He lifted his amazing eyes in thought for a second or two before locking his gaze back with hers. “Butt ugly…” He shrugged before leaning in really close. It was as if he was looking over her shoulder at something. He made a low growling noise which she was too drunk to find weird. The sound made her panties soaking wet. She caught a whiff of his very manly scent. It made her toes curl and her blood rush.
“It would depend on the ass in question. Yours just happens to be”—he moved in really close—“damned sexy. In which case, a one isn’t so bad after all.”
Then her stomach gave a lurch. She sucked in a deep breath and looked down, trying to get the queasiness under control. Damned alcohol. What had she been thinking? She needed to eat something. Like right now. The thought made her stomach clench. Waves of nausea rolled through her.
Oh shit!
Jenna grabbed ahold of his shirt. “I need to go outside.” Maybe some fresh air would help. Oh Lord! Before he could reply, she vomited all over both of them. It left her with such force that she gave new meaning to the word projectile.
The last thing she remembered feeling was embarrassment so complete that she was sure she would never be able to move past it and then her world went black.
****
Present Day…
The entrance to the club was humming. The exclusive vampire haunt hadn’t been this chaotic since Brant first opened the place.
It was damned crazy. Didn’t these humans realize that their endeavors were wasted? Vampires were not permitted to mate with humans. Even this whole breeding program was strictly controlled, from who was allowed to participate and the initial introduction, to the dates that would follow. The human females had signed contracts, they had been in extensive training. So had the vampire males for that matter. The females would also be required to sign a mating contract should they decide to settle down with one of the males.
Strict controls. Every step
of the way.
Gideon shook his head. A group of females became excited when they caught him looking at them. The one female even lifted her top. As if showing him her mammary glands would make him defy the rules. It wasn’t happening. That particular path brought only heartache and regret.
Crippling amounts of the stuff.
An SUV approached, slowing down as it neared the club. Gideon gestured to three of the guards to standby. The females would need to be held at bay. There were also a couple of males in the group, either with their human females or as a part of the crowd looking to land a vampire.
“I want to date a vampire!” An elderly female screamed, cupping her hands around her freshly painted lips.
“Me too!” Someone towards the back shouted.
Gideon ignored them, watching instead as the vehicle pulled into one of the reserved spots.
“About damned time.” Gideon growled as he watched York exit the vehicle.
The male sucked in a breath as if he wanted to say something and then seemed to change his mind. After a beat or two, York locked eyes with Gideon. “Have all the best females been taken?” He gave a half smile that looked tired rather than happy.
Gideon smiled. “Glad to see that you are doing better. How’s the back?” The male didn’t look his casual self. Gone was his normal air of confidence coupled with a cocky smile. York had developed feelings for one of the human females and in an act of defiance had rutted her, knowing full well that a shit-storm would rain down on him. The whole little exercise had earned the male thirty lashes with a silver tipped whip.
York shrugged. “No big deal. It healed quickly enough.”
No big deal his ass. York’s back had resembled a tenderized steak when Brant was finished with him. Yet, being the badass leader of the elite team that York was, he shouldn’t have made a single sound during the beating. Thing was, York had.
Gideon hadn’t seen York for a few days and chuckled. “By the way you howled like a baby, I would’ve thought you’d be down a lot longer.” He was just giving the male shit. Gideon knew full well that York hadn’t cried out because of what was happening to his back but rather because his female was leaving. Cassidy had been expelled from the trial phase of the program. Brant didn’t tolerate such blatant disregard for the rules.
York clenched his teeth, his eyes took on a faraway look for a time.
The male actually looked…sad. His eyes were clouded and his shoulders sagged. Gideon felt for him. He had an idea of what the male was going through. Knew only too well how hard this was on him. He slapped York on the shoulder. “I’m only joking around. I know your whining had nothing to do with receiving those lashes.”
York scowled at him. His jaw looked tense, hell, his whole frame radiated tension.
Gideon felt bad for giving him shit. “I was with the human when she left. It wasn’t lost on me how you didn’t make another sound after she was gone.” Gideon shook his head, it would do no good to remind him of the female he couldn’t have. That door was closed. York had to move on, just as he had been forced to move on over a year ago. “The humans inside are stunning, or so I have heard, you need to give it a chance. Maybe you will meet the right one.”
“You haven’t seen them yet?” York asked, a deep frown marred his forehead.
Gideon shook his head. “It’s been hectic out here since early evening. Somehow, information about tonight must have leaked despite the heavy confidentiality clauses. I have my hands full.” He shrugged. “Besides, it’s not like any of them are here for me, so what’s the point?”
They arrived at the large double doors of the club. “Why didn’t you try out for the program?” York asked. “You could easily have made the top ten.”
Gideon shrugged again. Like fuck! There was only one human female he had any interest in and since she was not available, he wasn’t interested…period. “I’m not the settling down type. I don’t particularly want a mate or children for that matter.” He felt everything in himself tighten. If only…he quickly moved away from the thought. It fucking killed him to think about her.
York raised his eyebrows, looking at him like he was the biggest idiot that walked the planet. “I can’t say I understand, but whatever makes you happy.”
Gideon glanced over his shoulder at the growing crowd. “I need to get back to work.” He clenched his teeth. “If this gets any worse, I’m going to have to call for backup. The kings insisted that this whole thing take place at Aorta, they felt the human females would feel more comfortable in a relaxed setting. Fucking crazy if you ask me.” It made his life infinitely more difficult.
York nodded. “Especially with the recent attack on Zane’s life.” His chopper had been shot down by a group of fascist humans with a vendetta against the vampires. Particularly the kings. The group was not thrilled at the prospect of human women being taken as mates by vampire males. They had managed to capture one of the members that had shot Zane, but in a fit of rage, Brant had killed the male before he could give up much information. It left them in the dark as to how many of them there were? How organized and skilled they were? More importantly, as to who they were and what their future plans were.
The threat could be nothing and it could be very real. It would be Gideon’s job to treat it as the latter.
York nodded. “Thanks for seeing Cassidy off the other day and for the advice.”
“For the record, I know you didn’t use her like Brant thinks you did. You need to know that it doesn’t help to go against the system though. Our rules are in place for a reason.” He sighed heavily. “We may not like them, but we have to obey them.” Gideon smiled, wanting to inspire confidence in the other male. “Now…go inside and find your future mate.”
York nodded back. “I’ll see you later.” He didn’t look excited at the prospect. It wasn’t his problem though.
“Sure thing.” Gideon turned and walked away, he pulled out his phone and ordered an extra ten guards. He shoved the phone back into his pocket while taking in his surroundings. This place was becoming more of a circus by the second. If it got too much worse, he was calling it quits on the whole meet-and-greet and escorting the females to the castle, as a matter of urgency. A hotel-style building had been erected to house the females during the duration of the program. There were many activities and excursions planned over the next week. The idea was to set up a dating atmosphere so that the females would be able to relax, thus allowing all parties to be able to get to know one another.
Although he understood the need for such a program, it was also a fucking nightmare. There were major risks involved. Humans were so weak and soft, liable to break so easily.
A suspicious looking male caught his attention. He was standing to the side of a group of females and was alone. He looked nervous. There was too much going on to be able to scent him or to hear his heart rate. The male’s eyes moved from side to side. Assessing, calculating. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he wore dark cargo type pants and a dark jacket. What the fuck was he up to? He wasn’t accompanying a female and he didn’t seem interested in the vampire guards. Just as he was about to go over and check it out, the male turned and walked down the street. He had probably just been drawn in by the noise. Must have realized that there really wasn’t anything to see.
Gideon noticed that the guards at the entrance were having a huge discussion. They looked more like a group of gossiping house-fucking-wives than the hardened warriors they were. As he drew closer, he could hear what it was that they were talking about.
“The mammary glands on the one female could drive a male to insanity.” The male groaned, sounding like he was in pain. “Fucking bigger than my hands.” He held them up, pretending to cup a female’s chest in a crude fashion.
“Just the one. They were all so lush…curves that just didn’t quit.” Another groaned, shaking his head as if in disbelief.
“Did you see that one blonde?” One of the younger males was speaking, he had his bac
k to Gideon.
“Which one?” A more senior male asked.
“The one in the low-cut white dress...” The younger male went on.
By now, some of the males had seen Gideon’s approach. They visibly paled. One of the males even took a step back, turning his eyes back to the crowd. Pretending he wasn’t a part of the conversation.
Normally he wouldn’t mind this type of banter. Human females excited most vampires. Both their scent and taste were so alluring that it could drive a male to distraction. Vampire females were exotic and highly attractive, yet they didn’t have the type of curves or appeal a human had. It was normal that they would react in this way. However, they were his team and they were on duty. On high alert, dammit.
Rules were fucking rules.
“…I’ve never seen tits and ass like that on a female in my whole entire life.” He spoke in an animated voice.
The others had gone silent. All of the males that were facing York had their eyes fixed either on the ground or locked with his.
“I’m going to get myself into the elite…” He spoke more slowly, starting to sound unsure of himself. By the way his head moved, Gideon could see that he was looking at each of the males in the circle in turn. “…umm…He’s behind me, isn’t he?”
The older male from before swallowed thickly, nodding once.
“Oh fuck.” The youngster said as he slowly turned his head to glance over his shoulder at Gideon. His face took on a pained expression.
“Head on the fucking game,” Gideon growled. It was enough to have them scattering back to their respective posts.
Hate mail had been pouring in ever since the program had been announced. They needed to be on their guard. He had a feeling in his gut that something bad was going to happen. If not today, then maybe tomorrow and if not tomorrow then some time soon. There was no way in hell that, that fascist group responsible for shooting down one of his kings’ chopper was just going to give up their quest to see the royal family dead and an end to the program. No fucking way in hell. He would call an urgent meeting in the morning to address this with his team. They obviously didn’t feel the same way as he did. They needed to be reminded of the stakes.
A Mate for Gideon (The Program Book 2) Page 2