9781936653027BorntobeWildArsuaga (6 page)

Opening her eyes, she put her hands on Stefan’s
chest and pushed him away.
“Stefan, enough of your mental
games of seduction.
I’m not your prey. This is a job. Suck on someone
else for your dinner. I’m not attracted to you or you to me, so stop the mind
crap on me.” Adjusting her blouse and hair, she raised her clutch in her hand.
“I have a wooden stake in here and don’t think I won’t use it on you if you
keep trying to use those lame ass vamp tricks on me. I thought I could trust
you?”

He snickered and shook his head. “You can,
sweetheart. I thought you were flirting with me.”

“I wasn’t flirting. I was being nice to you so you
would help me.”

“Hmm, and you were sure your beguiling female
charm would work on me?”

“You’re helping aren’t you?”

“Because I let you think you were charming me.”

“Really?
Well, your vamp
tricks aren’t going to work on me anymore, now that I know what you’re up to.”

“I can’t have one more practice run before we get
inside to make sure we’re convincing, sweetheart?”

“Practice run?
My granny’s eye.
And stop calling me that endearment. You’ve called me sweetheart several times.
I’m not your sweetheart.”

“Yes,
prinţesa mea
,” he called her
my princess
instead of sweetheart, in
his native language. Was he calling her princess because she acted like one, in
a derogatory way or a nice way? Either way she wasn’t sure it was any better
than sweetheart.

Stefan opened the entrance door and nodded to the
doorman as they entered and then through the atrium into the bar area.

“Gregori is here. He might see right through this
ploy we’ve agreed to. Do not say anything and stay close to me.” Stefan slid
his hand around her neck, drawing her close to him. Gregori walked toward them
from across the room.

“Stefan. Did you take care of the trouble at
Transfixed
?”
Gregori asked.

“Yes. Couple of politicians in town for a meeting
showed up unannounced bullying their way in. I took care of it. They are
satisfied. I gave them Tasha and
Milica
. Our women
will take care of them and send them on their way without any more trouble.”

“Good. I don’t want any Feds up our ass.” Gregori
turned his attention to Alex, ogling her from hips to face and everything in
between. “Who is this Stefan? I haven’t seen this flower here before. Is she
new?”

“Excuse my bad manners. Alexandra Carlton this is
Gregori Van Zant. Gregori, Alexandra.”

Gregori took her hand in his, turned it over, and
brought her wrist to his lips to kiss. “A pleasure Alexandra,” he said in a
low, husky voice.

“You can call me Alex, everyone does.”

Stefan rolled his eyes.

“You must be the beautiful woman who has turned my
enforcer’s head.”

His deep silver gray eyes pierced through her, sending
shivers down her spine. Smiling, “Thank you, I guess,” was the only response
she could give.

Stefan’s hold became more firm on her neck. “
Alexandra’s
new in town.
Visiting from Florida.
We were about to go to one of the
private rooms when you came over.”

“Hmm, a long way from home.
Don’t let me keep you from your fun. Stefan, I’ll talk to you later. Alex it
was a pleasure meeting you. I hope to see you again.”

Again, he gave her a glance with those silver gray
eyes which sent shivers down her spine.
Damn these vamps! Oops!

“Yes, my pleasure as well.”
Forcing a smile, she hoped he didn’t hear her thoughts.

As soon as Gregori stepped away from earshot, Alex
peered up at Stefan and whispered, “Did you hear my thoughts?”

“No, did you swear to Gregori?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t real bad. The thought slipped
out before I realized it. Hopefully he didn’t read my thoughts. Other than the
tiny faux pas, did I play my part?”

He brushed his fingers across her cheek and down
to her chin. “Yes, you did. I told you when I glimpsed in your eyes I saw
trouble. God help me you’re going to get me in deep.”

“Good. I’ll keep you on your toes. You know I only
mean business. No vamp mind control games, you promise? This is
serious,
finding this rogue carrying the deadly virus is my
highest priority.”

“Agreed.
Let’s go to a
private room and talk. Not here.”

“Do you have access to a computer?”

“In the office.
Why?”

“Do you have a database with the entire list of
vamps living in the area?”

“I’m not telling you what is in our database. Is
this actually what this is about? There isn’t a virus is there?” He stopped
abruptly and a serious expression creased his face.

Sensing he doubted her true intentions, she reassured
him. “Yes, there is a virus, and no, I’m not out to get information about who’s
who. I think we need to cross-reference suspects with known criminals and
private corporations involved with vamps.”

“We can’t use the club computers.
Too many eyes and ears.”

“Do you have access from your lair or do you work
and sleep here as well?”

“No, I have my own private place.”

“You don’t want to take me there?”

“I don’t take anyone to my sanctuary and no one,
including Gregori, knows where it is. I met you last night Alexandra. You’re a
human and a hunter, and you’re asking me to take you to my lair. Now who has
stupid
written across their forehead?”

She giggled. “Ah, good ole Rule Number
Ten
. The writing on the forehead will get you every time.
Although, there is more to the rule than writing on body parts.”

“What is it with these rules of yours?”

“Vamp Hunter Rules.
I
live by them. My dad taught them to my brothers and me since we were kids. They
are like the
Ten Commandments
. I’ll teach them to you some day.”

“No, it’s not necessary.”

“C’mon, we need to get going. We don’t have the
entire night. Is it far from here?”

“Is what far from here?”

Tilting her head to the side, she stared at him,
raising an eyebrow. “Where do you think? You have to trust me Stefan. I trust
you, and that’s saying a lot on my part. You want to catch this person, don’t
you?”

He hesitated at first, and answered, “Yes.”

“Then, let’s go.”

He shook his head. “Trouble, thy name is
Alexandra.”

As they departed
The Black Rose
, arms hooked around each other, she couldn’t help
but giggle.
This man is too funny.

As they
were leaving, her thoughts of how comfortable this man felt coiled around her
arm kept her mind concealed from him. He was easy to talk to, made her smile,
and a delicious treat to watch, like chocolate syrup dripping over ice cream.
Considering vampires as sexy never crossed her mind. They were vile creatures
of the night, evil beasts, murderous parasites bent on causing pain and death,
not pleasure and life worth living. None of these were attractive traits in a
man she wanted to make love to. Coming from a proud tradition of vamp hunters,
it was a fine custom she meant to keep. Alex wanted a man who believed in the
same things she did.

Except this vampire, Stefan Marin, was different somehow.

Oh, hell. He is gorgeous in a sensuous,
seductive way, and extremely mysterious and dangerous, and I think he knows it.
Randy had him pegged. Women do drool over him, and I’m no exception.

For the
first time in her life she considered actually having sex with a vampire if the
situation arose.

Chapter
5

Alex allowed Stefan to drive the ‘stang, a rare
concession to any man she’d give permission to, let alone a vamp she told him.
And he didn’t bring anyone to his sanctuary, even his closest friends, he told
her. The
compromise
¾
she
would wear a blindfold and the GPS would be turned off—he’d drive five miles
below the speed limit. The deal sounded more like a demand. The car came to a
stop in the garage of his lair and the door closed behind them, shutting out
the world.

“We’re here,” Stefan said. “You can remove the
blindfold.”

He opened the car door and slid out of the seat.
With vampire speed, he stepped to the passenger’s side door before Alex removed
the black scarf. He opened her side and offered an assist. Picking up her
clutch from the seat, she slipped her other hand in his, and brushed her
breasts along his chest as she stood.

“Hmm, work out much?”

“Every night.”
He winked.

Stefan took a step back, allowing her to turn and
walk toward what was presumably the door into the house. Reaching around her
back, he unlocked it. They entered a small area with terracotta tile floors and
stark white plaster walls. Stefan led the way to another door and opened it.

In amazement, she peered around the doorframe into
the open space.
“An elevator?”

“Do you prefer to walk up three flights of
stairs?”

“No. I’ll take the elevator.”

They exited the lift on the third level Stefan
called home. Alex followed Stefan into the grand room which compromised the top
floor. The ceiling soared two stories and the wall of windows and doors across the
back were of glass, revealing the blackness of the night. The moon rays beamed
in through the glass, no artificial illumination was needed to see as she
strode across the dark bamboo wood floors. Through the pitch black wall of
night, she became mesmerized by what lay beyond. Where were they?
In the rural part of the city?
They didn’t drive far from
the club, so that couldn’t be true.
By the ocean still?

As she went further into the room, she noticed the
starkness of the
furnishings
¾
a
sleek low-back leather couch, an Eames chair and ottoman, glass table, and a
Flokati rug. When she reached for the door handle at the window wall to explore
outside, his hand came to rest on top of hers.

“What are you doing?” His brow arched, and took a
step toward her.

“We’re at the oceanfront, right?”

“Yes.”

“Can I step out and see or are you hiding bodies
out there?”

Cocking his head, he said, “Alexandra, I don’t
hide bodies,” and opened the door to let her walk out. With a perfectly
straight face, he added, “After sucking their blood, I destroy them by chopping
them into tiny pieces.”

She stopped and turned to face him. He leaned
against the door jam, arms crossed over his chest, one leg crossed over the
other at the ankle, and a mischievous grin on his face.

“Ha Ha.
More of your vamp humor?”

“I thought it was a good one. I’m getting better,
don’t you think?”

To keep from laughing, she bit her bottom lip. No
way was she ready to let him know his jesting amused her as much as it did,
especially his dark wit.

“I’ll boot up the computer. Would you like
something to drink? I have some nice vintage in the wine room.”

“No, thanks.
Maybe later.”
Keep a clear head, no
alcohol
¾
Rule
Number Nine.

He turned and went inside, laughing as he did.

“What?”

“I heard you.”

“I wanted you to.”

Grinning, he walked to the study.

Alex leaned on the balcony railing, directing her
attention to the ocean beyond. The moon shone down on the water with a thousand
sparkling gems gleaming across the surface. The sound of the surf roared in the
distance.
Damn, a house like this has to
cost a pretty penny. Stefan must be well off financially.
Being raised in a
three bedroom, one bath, one-story house in Narcoosee with two brothers, two
dogs, a cat, and a mom and dad made for tight quarters. Growing up, she didn’t
have much in the way of nice clothes or material possessions. The family worked
hard and appreciated what they had. As a vamp Stefan lived a long time, how
long she didn’t know, probably amassing a fortune over the years. She wasn’t
jealous
¾
well
, maybe
just a
scant
¾
of
what he possessed. Longevity didn’t explain it all. Sacrifice and good business
decisions entered the picture somewhere along the way. Still, he drank blood to
survive. Not exactly a total life of luxury in her opinion.

Maybe he didn’t have anything worthy of her
jealousy, after all.

Turning to go inside, a tripod with a camera
attached and set up on the far end of the balcony caught her eye. She walked
over to inspect it.
Odd.
Why would a camera be here exposed to the
elements?

Alex peered through the viewfinder.
The horizon?
Nothing there, only ocean and
sky.
Darkness.
As she extended her index finger to press the shutter, a hand covered hers and
stopped the movement from pressing the button.

“Do you always mess with other people’s belongings
without asking first?” He stood in front of the camera gripping her hand.

His touch startled her. “Where did you come from?
You scared me.”

“
This is my home and know
everything happening. You had no business touching personal items without
permission.”

“Cool your jets. I didn’t mess anything up. I only
peeked through the viewfinder.” She held a hand over her chest for a few
seconds. “You know, you could announce your presence when you come back in a
room and not scare the shit out of me. You could give me a heart attack.”

“Unlikely. You’re healthy.” He paused for a
second, gazing intensely into her eyes. “Let’s go in. The computer is on.”

“Great, let’s get to work.”

He led her back through the living room and down
the hallway to the study. The room was small, although large enough to include
the necessary equipment and furniture for a functional
workspace
¾
a
desk, chair, credenza, and two
bookcases. There were two upholstered chairs in front of the desk which Stefan
moved one around to the backside for her to sit and view the computer. The only
light in the room came from the monitor screen.

“Where do you wish to begin?” he asked.

“Is there a way to cross-reference any of the
Masters of the Families in the Syndicate with their outside business
connections?”

“I’ll call up the Masters and the businesses they
run. I’m not sure if we can source any other businesses they manage.”

“Let’s see the dealings. I’ll run them against any
list we keep.”

“
Who’s
we?”

“The Bounty Hunters Society.
We keep an up-to-date data base of known vamps with their histories, locations,
and business dealings. Maybe I’ll do a split screen and check them
simultaneously to save us some time.”

Stefan gave her a fierce squint and fell back in
his chair with his arms crossed over his chest.

“What? You think we don’t watch you vamps and
network, Stefan? How do you think we do our job so well? You never figured out
our secrets before now?”

“I didn’t think you were…sophisticated, no.”

“Welcome to the world of technology. Now show me
you what you have. I don’t have the entire night you know.”

“Are you always this demanding?”

“No. I’m anxious about finding out if our
suspicions are right. I’m kidding about the entire night thing. I can stay
awake just as long as you can.”

“Are you challenging me
prinţesa
?”

“Me?
Of course not.
Now, how about the list?”
But if I were, I’d beat you,
for sure.

They faced off with similar taunting grins.

With a few keyed entries on the keyboard, a list
of vamps and their respective businesses came up on the monitor. Two hours
later and faintly blurry-eyed, Alex stretched her arms over her head and stood.

“Do you have anything to eat? I’m just a bit
hungry and thirsty. This late night work has thrown my diet out of whack.”

“No, I don’t entertain humans here and have no
need for your kind of food. Sorry.”

“Great. Not even any soda or coffee?”

He laughed. “Alexandra? I’m a vampire, why would I
have soda or coffee?”

Knowing it broke Rule Number Nine, she asked
anyway, “Hmm, how about some of that wine you suggested earlier?”

“I can do that. Any particular vintage you
prefer?”

“Anything with a cork and not a screw top is
always nice.”

He wrinkled his brow. “I only have the best.” He
pushed back from the desk and swiftly moved into the kitchen area, leaving Alex
in the study.

“Don’t entertain women much, do you?” She mumbled
as he left the room.

“I heard you, Alexandra.”

“I wanted you to, Stefan.”

Thinking the time had to be late she walked back to
the computer and checked the monitor clock
¾
3
:49
AM
.
Oh my God! No wonder I’m exhausted!

Stefan returned with two glasses and a bottle of
Syrah.

“You were serious about the wine being nice. By
the way, do you know what time it is?”

“If I had to guess, about four.”

“Not quite, but close enough. I need to get back
to the hotel and can’t have anything to drink if I’m going to find my way
there.”

“Or perhaps you could stay here. You could work on
the computer while I’m resting.”

“Resting? Where would I sleep? I’m not an
insomniac and can’t stay awake until tomorrow.”

“You can use the bedroom on this floor. I have my
own space downstairs.”

She thought about his offer for about three
seconds and decided she trusted him enough to remain in the house with him. “Pour
away, big boy. I’m thirsty.”

The conversation and the wine moved to the living
room and the subject changed from the rogue to their personal lives. Alex sat
at one end of the leather sofa, far enough away from Stefan’s touch as not to
distract her. During the time spent at his desk searching vamps on the computer
their thighs brushed and their fingers touched meeting at the keyboard. Every
time their bodies made contact, her heart pounded in her chest. Due to
exhaustion and arousal, keeping feelings and thoughts in check became more
difficult as the hours passed. She reminded herself he’s a player, a vamp,
ignore him, and keep her mind on business.
Warts and scars.

Now, sitting on the sofa, sipping the wine, her
mind wandered back to her attraction to Stefan. Alone with a dangerous enforcer
vampire should have been enough to scare the shit out of anyone. Standing
before her, was a man, a gorgeous, intelligent man and more than anything right
now, she wanted him to kiss her like he did last night.
Passionately.
Hard.
Toe curling.
Peel
me off the ceiling kind of kissing.

“Tell me about yourself Alexandra. I don’t know
anything about you other than you’re from Florida, a vamp hunter, and curse like
boys in a locker room.”

His comment brought her back to reality and
squelched her sexual appetite.
For now.
“Okay. You
already know the best parts of me.” She chuckled quietly. “What else would you
like to know?”

“I want to know everything. More intimately
perhaps than where you’re from and what you do for a living.” He moved closer
across the sofa.

Are you reading my mind again Stefan? Damn you
if you are?
Meeting her accusatory stare, he stopped, moving close to her.
“Ah ha, you are aren’t you?” Putting the wineglass down, she stood in a huff.
“I can’t stay here. You’ll attack me while I’m asleep. I know you will.”

He rose from the sofa, standing within inches of
her. The physical closeness sent shivers down her spine and her pulse raced.
Except for the strong chemistry and physical attraction between them, they were
polar opposites. She wanted to know everything about him intimately too. Her
pussy tingled and the dampness in her panties caused her to draw in a deep
breath. He’s a vampire and would probably smell her arousal.
Dammit! How can
I hide my desire now?

“You can’t
prinţesa mea.”
He closed
the last few inches between them. He ran his fingers along her cheek and down
under her chin, lifting it slightly. He lowered his lips to hers, brushing them
ever so close barely touching his flesh to hers.

Is he
waiting for me to make the final move?
Awkward.
What is wrong with me?
Of course she
wanted him to kiss her.
God this is breaking one of the rules. Oh hell, go
for it Alex.
Reaching
up,
she put her hands around his neck, pulling his mouth to hers. Goose bumps
blossomed along her skin.

He pressed the kiss harder, devouring her
thoughts, her body, and her very soul. He wrapped her tightly in his embrace,
so tight as to almost squeeze off her breath. The heat of their passion rose,
an intensity so hot she felt her blood warming her skin from the inside out.

The kiss from the night before was fierce, far
hotter than the best of the guys she had been with back home in Florida. In
fact, nothing in her experience compared to this. Her arms glided over his
body, through his hair, down his back, squeezing his tight butt cheeks. There
was no getting enough of him. She wanted to feel her skin touching his. Their
tongues danced and explored each other, drawing circles around the insides of
each other’s mouths.