Everlasting Hunger (The Hunger Mate Series) (7 page)

             
Ellie glances around the department store and locates the luxury dress department.  Walking in that direction, she can’t help but think about Ian and how incredible he makes her feel when they are together.  She worries that there is so much about him that she doesn’t know or understand yet.  However, the woman in her that longs for love feels that what is in her heart is more important than anything he can say or do.  She feels a connection, almost like a presence in her head with Ian that can’t be explained or even accurately described.

             
Ellie walks toward a female employee in the women’s section.  “Good afternoon, miss.  I was wondering if you could assist me in finding a dress for a date tonight.” 

The young woman turns toward Ellie with a smile. “Of course, I can assist you.  My name is Maggie,” she says holding out her hand to Ellie.  “Are you looking for a conservative look or a ‘knock him off his socks and kick him in the teeth’ kind of dress?” 

“I’m going to go with the second choice,” Ellie says with a laugh. “My name is Ellie Dawson and I’m hoping to drive my date crazy tonight.” 

Maggie turns toward a section in the back of the section. “Then you have come to the right person, Ellie.  I have something that I think you are going to love.  I’m thinking you are about an eight, is that correct?”

“You have a good eye, Maggie.  I’m impressed.” 

             
Maggie reaches toward a rack of dresses and pulls one off.  “This is a deceptively simple, seductive confection of a dress that I think will melt his toes.”

Ellie takes the dress and heads to the fitting room. “Let’s check it out, shall we?”  Maggie follows Ellie to the fitting and unlocks a room for her. 

“Go on in and get started.  I have some shoes that are going to make that outfit kick butt and take names.” 

Ellie goes in and locks the door, shaking with excitement.  Shedding her clothes, she lays them on the shelf in the fitting room.  She carefully takes the dress off the hanger.  Amazingly simple and beautiful, the dress is a pure midnight black shot through with silver strands.  The bodice is fitted with a halter that wraps around and fastens at the nape with a silver clasp with an antique finish.  The front of the dress plunges to a deep V showing off a decent amount of cleavage and bare skin.  The skirt reaches at least six inches above her knees and is made up with material so thin that it looks almost like the scarves from a harem girl outfit.  As she slips the dress on and hooks the halter collar, she cannot help but think of the effect that this
outfit will have on Ian because it’s perfect for seduction. 

“Ellie, I have some shoes that I think will be just the thing to set your man on knees.  Your choice if you want to keep him there though.  Open the door and I’ll pass them through, but don’t show me the dress I want to see the whole effect.” 

Ellie unlocks and nudges the door open and accepts the shoes through the crack.  “You are simply amazing, Maggie.  They match perfectly.” 

The shoes are dainty four -inch heels with thin silver straps that
lace across the foot and around the back.  There’s clip near the peek-a-boo toe that’s almost identical to the clasp on her dress, which allows the entire outfit to flow together. 

Ellie opens the door and steps out doing a little turn for Maggie.  Clapping excitedly, Maggie exclaims, “I knew that dress would be perfect the moment you walked in looking for something special.” 

Looking in the mirror at the sexy, confident woman staring back at her, Ellie has to agree that it’s a perfect dress.  “Maggie, I can’t thank you enough for helping me.  It’s absolutely perfect for tonight.”  

“You are more than welcome.  If you want to go ahead and change, I’ll take the dress and shoes up front and package them up.” 

Ellie walks back in and carefully takes the dress and shoes off, and places the dress back on the hanger.  Cracking the door and passing them through, she asks Maggie, “Can you recommend a salon that would probably have an opening for hair and makeup in about an hour or so?  I want to go home and take a shower, but I need to do something special with my hair for a dress like this.” 

Maggie grins. “It just so happens that my cousin owns a salon and spa down the street.  She usually has a few openings in the evenings.  I will give her a call while you are getting changed.  I’ll meet you up front at the registers when you’re ready to check out.  If I may suggest swinging down to the second level and hitting Victoria’s Secret for something sexy to wear beneath this, the right bra will make or break this outfit,” she says with a smile.

              Ellie closes the door but raises her voice so Maggie can hear her. “I was thinking that exact same thing.  I’ll head down on my way out.” 

Dressing quickly, Ellie steps out of the room and walks quickly toward the register.  Now that she has something that will be stunning at Everlasting, she was anxious to get home and shower so she can start getting ready for a night of fun.  Meeting up with Maggie at the register, she pulls out a business card along with her credit card. 

“I’m a director in human resources at Lochlan Medical.  If you ever want to move into another line of work, give me a call.  I would be happy to set up some interviews for you.  You have a natural gift for working with people.” 

Maggie takes the cards and starts to ring up the outfit and shoes. “That’s really nice of you.  I’ve actually been studying at the University of Minnesota.  I’m working on my master’s in public administration.  I may give you a call in the next few weeks.  Would it be okay if I sent you a resume?” 

Ellie took the credit card back and signed the receipt.  “Perfect.  That would make it easier to make sure you are set up with the right departments for interviews.  I really am appreciative of your help this afternoon.” 

Maggie shakes her head and smiles. “That’s what I’m here to do.  I did call my cousin and she can fit you in at the salon in an hour and half.  Will that time slot work for you?  I put her address in the bag with the shoes for you.”

              Ellie puts the card back in her purse, drapes the dress bag over her arm, and takes the bag with the shoes from Maggie’s hands.  “That’s perfect and it gives me time to go home and shower.  Have a good night and I hope to hear from you soon, Maggie.” 

Ellie walks quickly out of the store and takes the escalator down to the second level of the mall.  She hurries into the lingerie shop and walks up to one of the sales girls. 

“Good afternoon.  I need something that’s sexy and seductive to wear under this dress.  Can you assist me?” 

The girl takes hold of the zipper and pulls it down to get a glimpse of the dress. “Yes ma’am, I can.  I have something that I think will be perfect for a stunning dress like that.” 

The young woman walks toward the back of the store and Ellie follows.  “I have a really beautiful black satin bra and panty set that just came in for the Labor Day sale.  It has silver threads in it that will match the dress.  Do you want to add the garter belt and stockings with it?” 

Ellie laughs. “That’s not a bad idea
, but I honestly think that they would be a waste of time.” 

The sales girl smiles. “That sounds like the kind of date that we all need to have sometimes.” 

She chooses the appropriate sizes and hands them to Ellie.  She thanks the girl and heads to the registers at the front of the store.

Glancing at her watch, she realizes that she needs to hurry home if she is going to make it to the salon on time.  She pays for her items and heads out of the mall, as she slides into her car she has the impression that Ian is upset about something.  Thinking how odd the feeling is and not really understanding it, she shifts her car into drive and heads to her home.  Thankfully, she only lives about ten minutes from the mall, which leaves her time to shower for the night. 

Leaving the dress and shoes in the car, she goes upstairs into the master bathroom.  Pulling off her clothes and tossing them into the hamper, she pulls out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt to wear to the salon.  She jumps in the shower and makes quick work of washing and shaving her legs for the night.  Toweling off, she cannot help but think of what Ian may have planned to reveal to her tonight.  Will he talk about his past, his family, or even the relationship that he has with Jasper and the other people from the bar?  There is much about him that she does not know but it almost seems to fade into the background and become unimportant.  Could she be falling in love with a vampire?  What kind of life does that mean for someone who is normal and human?

             
Shaking her head at the ramblings, Ellie takes the lingerie out of the bag and unhooks the safety pin with the tags.  Spraying some of her favorite perfume on all of the right pressure points, she dabs extra between the slopes of her breasts.  Slipping the satin panties up over thighs, she feels a flutter deep in her belly at the thought of them being slipped off her in a few hours.  She hooks the new bra, adjusts her breasts to fit properly, and puts on the sweatpants and shirt.  Grabbing her purse and keys, she realizes that she needs to leave in order to get to the salon.

             
Ellie? 

             
Hearing her name, Ellie stops and looks around the front yard slightly anxious. “Hello?”  Seeing no one around, Ellie dismisses the incident and gets in the car to head to the salon.  Excited at the prospect of the night to come, she puts the strange incident out of her mind.

              Having arrived at Everlasting early in order to finish some paperwork before Ellie gets there for the evening; Ian pauses as an unusual thought runs through his head,
Why in the world would I be thinking of going to a salon? 

Reaching for the phone on the table, he dials Annabelle. 

“Hello?” she answers hesitantly.

“Annabelle, it’s Ian.  I have some questions and I need your help.  Do you have time to assist me?” 

              “I always have time for you, my darling boy.  Is this about Ellie?  Did you invite her to the party?  Claudine’s going to contact her next week to start getting ideas on what she likes to wear, so I will need her contact information, Ian.” 

Ian grins into the phone. “Slow down, Annabelle.  I’ll tell her about the masquerade tonight and will text you her information later.  Can you tell me about the beginning stages of the Hunger?”

              Annabelle sighs. “It’s different for every couple and every vampire.  However, I will tell you what happened with Erik and me.  After we made love for the first time, I started noticing heaviness in my head.  It was almost as if it was being stuffed full of cotton.  I know now that it was Erik’s conscious merging with mine but at the time I was unsure.  It’s a slow building of sharing minds.  We were only able to share a few words in the beginning and a general feeling of emotions from the other person.  It was not until after Erik had drunk from me that we were able to freely communicate in each other’s thoughts.” 

             
Ian pondered her words for a few moments.  “Annabelle, I’m not sure if she will drink from me.  I feel like there is so much she wants to know about me but I’m not even sure where to start.” 

“Darling, do the vampire basics.  If she is going to be your Lady and rule at your side, she will learn the rest.  Tell her it’s on the job training. I’m sure the human resource director in her will think that’s hysterical.”

Smiling, he replies, “I know you’re right.  I’m just nervous and that’s so out of character for me.  Thanks for your insight as usual and I’ll text you later with her information for Claudine.”

“Good night, my darling boy.  I wish to meet your little one soon.” 

Ian laughs as he hangs up the phone.  Feeling better about the random thoughts that were hit or miss, he finishes the paperwork for the bar. 

             
“Ian, will Ellie be coming in as a patron tonight or through the VIP entrance,” Jasper asks through the intercom system. 

Pushing the reply button on the speaker Ian answers, “She will be coming in the patron entrance, Jasper.  She wants to see how the Kitchen is being ran and how the drinks are being treated
, and educated about their role here at the bar.  Would you meet her and escort her around the bar?  I’ll be at my usual table and will escort her to the lounge when she is done.  Make sure she has everything she wants and enjoys herself.”

“Of course, Ian.  I will make sure I’m down front at eight,” he replies. 
              Knowing that Ellie would be with him soon, he turns back to the chore of responsibility.  He wonders for the first time if Jasper was able to understand the expectation of his directions for Ellie.

             
Jasper finishes checking with the staff to make sure everyone is ready for another busy night at the bar.  Heading to the break room, Jasper passes a couple of the professional drinks that the club employs.  These girls show the patrons how to act and what to do or not to do with a vampire.  “Ladies, how are things going tonight.  Are we ready for another busy night?” 

             
Mackenzie, one of the senior drinks on staff, answers, “Yes and no, Jasper.  Natalie is a new employee here at the bar and she has never been a drink before.  Would you be willing to use her as your pre-opening drink tonight so she knows what to expect out on the floor?” 

Jasper reaches out to shake the young woman’s hand. “Of course
I will, as long as Natalie is agreeable.” 

Natalie smiles shyly and licks her lips. “I would appreciate it if you would show me how to do it right, sir.” 

Jasper turns to Mackenzie. “I’ll take her back to my office and show her what to expect.  Will you let Lorenzo know that I will be out front at about eight o’clock?” 

“Of course, Jasper.  Have fun, Natalie,” Mackenzie says as she heads down the stairs. 

Pulling the young woman behind him up the staircase, Jasper heads toward his office.  Unlocking the door and stepping though, he bows as he gestures for her to come in.  Shedding his jacket, he rolls up the sleeves on his shirt showing off muscular forearms.  “What made you decide to become a drink, Natalie?” 

Natalie clears her throat as Jasper shows her to a seat on the couch.  “I’m a college student, sir, and there
’s good money to make as a drink.  Everlasting is one of the nicest vampire bars in the Twin Cities.” 

Jasper sits down next to her and reaches for her hand.  Noticing the slight tremor, he rubs the back with his fingers in a soothing gesture.  “Are you aware of what is involved with being a drink?” 

“Yes, sir. I’m to have conversation with the diner and offer a drink which they are able to accept or decline.  If I’m not comfortable in a situation or if I feel like the diner is unclear of the rules at Everlasting, I’m to contact security at once.” 

Jasper leans toward her and pushes her hair away from her face.  Surprised, Natalie jumps and starts to move away. 

“Relax, sweetheart.  I’m not going to hurt you.  You were advised of the arousal effect on both the diner and the drink, yes?” 

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath before opening her eyes and looks up.  She turns slightly and runs one hand up his chest.  She pulls her other hand free from his, locks them around his neck and runs her fingers through the blond hair at the base of his neck.  She places a kiss at the corner of his mouth, and slowly works her way toward his ear and whispers softly, “How am I doing so far?” 

“Not bad,” he says as he pulls her toward him lowering his lips to hers.  “Keep in mind that the diner is going to want to take the lead unless they tell you otherwise.” 

Kissing her softly, he tastes the sweetness on her lips as she sighs against him.  Teasing her lips with his tongue, he pushes inside to taste the sweet nectar within. 

“Natalie, do you prefer wrist, neck, or a more untraditional vein?” 

She pulls back slightly and looks at him with passion in her eyes
. “I’m not sure, sir. I’ve never been tasted before.” 

Jasper pulls back abruptly. “What do you mean you’ve never been tasted before?  How did you manage to get hired at Everlasting?” 

Natalie fidgets nervously. “Mackenzie and I go to school together, and she knows that I need a job I can make good money at, sir.” 

“Jasper.” 

“What?” she asks in confusion. 

“My name is Jasper, Natalie.  If I’m going to taste you for the very first time, then I think you need to call me
that.  I think we’re going to do this in the vein at the neck, if you are okay with that.” 

“I guess that would be fine, sir.  I mean Jasper.” 

Taking a deep breath and saying a quick thought that he does right by the beautiful brunette looking up at him, he leans down and begins to kiss her.  With the kisses slow and tantalizing at first, he increases the depth of the kiss until she has her arms wrapped around him and he can hear the moans in the back of her throat.  As the smell of her arousal increases, he brushes kisses down the side of her throat to the vein at the curve of her shoulder.  He clasps her breast lightly in his palm and begins to stroke the nipple barely showing above the strapless bustier that the drinks wear.  Dipping his fingers into the material, he pinches and tweaks the nub as he licks the curve of her neck.  As she begins to tug him closer, his fangs extend and he pierces the vein while tugging her nipple. 

Explosions of color nearly blind Jasper as he drinks from Natalie.  He can feel the tremors of her body against his as she has an orgasm from his taste alone.  One final taste of some of the sweetest blood he has ever feasted on, and Jasper licks the wound closed.  Pulling back slightly, he looks into the dazed expression on Natalie’s face and feels a knot in his chest loosen. 

“Is it like that with every taste, Jasper?” 

Clearing the lump from his throat, he answers honestly, “No.  Arousal is used to dull the pinch of the bite, but that was rather unusual for a tasting.  I need to head downstairs to meet a VIP.  Are you ready to head to the floor or have you changed you mind about the club?” 

Straightening her clothing and her spine she answers, “I’m good.  I’ll head down to the floor to meet up with Mackenzie so she can show me the ropes on the floor.  Thank you for taking the time to show me what to do.” 

She rises gracefully and heads toward the door.  Standing quickly, Jasper follows her out and down the stairs to the main level. 

“Natalie.” 

She turns to look at him.

“Are you okay?” he asks. 

She smiles. “Of course I am.  I’ll see you later.” 

She turns and walks toward the other drinks.  Motioning to one of the bartenders to pour her a drink for replenishment, Jasper shakes his head in disbelief.  Even after four centuries, he still doesn’t understand women.  Glancing up at the clock, he heads to the front to meet Ellie and hopes that he is reading all the signs coming from Ian correctly.