Flirting Under a Full Moon (8 page)

“Probably. I think she was aiming for you. She’s wicked jealous.”

Brandee gasped. “Aiming for me? Why?”

Kurt stood at the end of the bar. “Sorry, sweet cheeks. Wendy’s right. Ruxandra is jealous of you. You should have seen how she trashed the place last night.”

“Last night? But I wasn’t even here.”

“Yeah, when Anthony went looking for you, that’s when she decided you were too important to him and she went ballistic.” He glanced around the bar. “I’m amazed it was all cleaned up and ready to go tonight.”

“He must have a kick-ass cleaning crew. I had no idea the place was wrecked last night.”

Kurt leaned on the bar. “It was messed up. She tossed chairs, broke bottles, and really busted up the place. I hate to say it, but if you’re smart, you’ll find another job.”

“And you’ll have to find another place to live,” Wendy added. “I’m sure she knows about the apartment over the bar.

“Why would she target
me?
I haven’t flirted or even looked twice at Anthony.”

Sadie moseyed over. “Don’t you dare quit or move because of Ruxandra. You haven’t done anything wrong. She just needs someone to blame for the breakup, even though she’s the one who drove Anthony away.”

“And she picked me? Faaan-tastic.”

Sadie extended her hand. “You’re safe. You can stand up now.”

“I don’t know. Someone should probably call the police first.”

“Anthony wouldn’t want that.” Sadie began wandering away, then turned and said, “Brandee, dear. Would you get me another White Russian, please?”

I
could
use
one
myself.
Brandee let out a long breath, then peeked over the top of the bar. Other than the smashed window and lack of customers, everything looked fairly normal. Malcolm was already sweeping up the broken glass.

“I’ll get that, Malcolm,” Brandee said. “Sadie wants another drink.”

“She can wait. You need to stay away from the windows.” Malcolm emptied the dustpan into the trash.

Nick burst through the front door. “Brandee. Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” Her voice quivered.

He dropped his bag on the bar, reached her in two long strides, then pulled her into a strong embrace. “What the hell happened here?”

Kurt rested his elbow on the bar casually. “Hurricane Ruxandra struck again.”

“Anthony ought to press charges this time. I know he doesn’t want to…” Nick yanked the harpoon out of the wooden bar and tossed it in the trash bucket. “But it would be for everyone’s safety, including Ruxandra’s. If anything happens to my girlfriend, Anthony’s psycho bitch won’t make it to jail in one piece.”

Kurt raised his eyebrows. “Your girlfriend? What’s this? Have you turned over a new leaf?”

Nick placed a kiss on Brandee’s head. “Yeah. What of it?”

He
declared
us
a
couple
in
public! Maybe I can trust him… If he’ll just tell me the truth from now on.

Kurt held up both hands. “I wasn’t challenging you. I just didn’t think I’d see the day.”

“Well, now you have.”

“Brandee, are you really willing to take a chance on this lug?”

She gazed up at Nick and smiled. “Yeah. He’s worth it.”

Anthony opened the front door and dragged Ruxandra inside. He aimed a stern glare at her. “Apologize.”

“I will not apologize to that little whore.” Ruxandra was wearing an all-black catsuit as if she had planned on breaking and entering, rather than just breaking.

Nick reached her in less than a second and grabbed her by the throat. “You’d better not be talking about Brandee that way.”

Nick’s jaw twitched and his arm quivered. His eyes flashed with a dangerous intensity she’d never seen before.

Anthony crossed his arms. “I told you. Nick and Brandee are together. She’s not my mistress. I think you owe her an apology.”

“Ugh. Can’t. Breathe.”

Nick let go of her and she rubbed her throat. After a brief hesitation and another dark glare from Anthony, she crossed her arms and tipped her nose in the air. “Fine. I apologize.”

Brandee bit her lip. Her voice quivered when she said, “Your apology is accepted.”

“Frankly, I don’t give a rat’s ass if you accept my apology or not. Just stay away from my Anthony.” She pointed a long red fingernail at the rest of the staff. “That goes for all of you.”

Anthony sighed. “I don’t date my employees—but more importantly, Ruxandra, I’m not dating you, either. You’re unstable, erratic, and I can’t trust you to conduct yourself in a civilized manner. This is my business you’re disrupting. If you care about me, you have an odd way of showing it.”

Ruxandra balled her fists and stomped her foot. “We’ve been together for a cent—for a long, long time. How dare you talk to me that way in front of your peons!”

Anthony grabbed her by the back of her stiff collar. He opened the door and tossed his troublesome ex-girlfriend out, then slammed it behind her. Facing the staff he said, “For the record, I’ve never called any of you ‘peons.’ I value your hard work and loyalty. In light of the situation, I’ll offer a thousand-dollar retention bonus to anyone who stays for the next six months.”

Wendy spoke up. “I can really use the money, but do you think Ruxandra will move on soon—or ever?”

Anthony covered his eyes with one big, pale hand. “I truly hope so.”

***

Nick insisted on staying the rest of the evening so he could walk Brandee right to her door. No way was he going to allow anything to happen to his mate, if Brandee was the one…and he had an inexplicable feeling that she was. His overwhelming need to keep her in his sight, making sure she was safe, trumped anything he’d ever experienced. He would take a bullet for his partner or his brother, but he’d throw himself in front of a freight train for Brandee.

He had waited too long to find her, and he was anxious to secure her commitment. For that to happen he’d have to prove himself trustworthy. He knew she still had questions, so he expected to walk a fine line between telling the truth and withholding bits of information.

Maybe if he brought it up instead of waiting for her to do it, he’d look as if he wasn’t hiding a big, fat secret. Anything was worth a try.

As they ascended the steps to the second floor apartment, Nick asked, “So, have any of your memories returned yet?”

Brandee frowned and shook her head. “No. It’s weird. It’s as if it didn’t even happen.”

Whew. Thank you, Anthony.
“That’s a blessing, right?”

She shrugged. “I guess so.”

Pausing in front of her door, she fished out her key.

“Here. Let me get that for you.” Nick hoped some old-fashioned good manners would help his cause.

Brandee’s eyebrows lifted, but she handed him her key. He transferred the plastic bag to the other hand and opened the door, but he didn’t make a move to follow her in. He hoped she’d invite him. When all she did was hold out her hand for her key, he said, “Can I come in for a few minutes? I have a surprise for you.”

“Really?” She smiled and glanced at the bag in his left hand. “Sure. Come in.”

“It looks like you trust me again.”

“I-I want to. We have some things to work out, but I know you mean well. I don’t think you’d hurt me, at least not on purpose.”

“I’d
never
hurt you, Brandee.”

He strolled to her sectional sofa and sat on the lounger. She took the seat beside him. He had hoped she’d share the spot right next to him, so he could pull her down and invite her to stretch out beside him. Suddenly just thinking about lying down with Brandee in his arms was doing something to his self-control. He had to hold it together. She’d just barely let him in the door. He could blow it if he came on too strong now.

Nick was relatively sure it was too soon for her, but he was certainly feeling it. A bead of sweat broke out on his brow. He
had
to
rein in his behavior. The urge to mate had never been this incredibly strong. Just because he was ready to rip off her little black apron and everything else she was wearing didn’t mean she was up for it. He was afraid his hands would shake if he reached for her right now.
Damn, it’s hard to wait, but I’d scare her to death if I let my inner wolf rule me now.

Without any preliminaries, he handed her the bag.

Brandee grinned and peeked inside. She gasped and pulled out the old-school Nikon he had tracked down.

“You didn’t.” She turned the camera over in her hands, admiring its different features.

“I did.”

Her smile suddenly faded and she tried to hand it back. “I can’t accept this. It’s much too expensive a gift, and I know you just changed jobs…”

He pushed the camera back toward her. “It wasn’t that expensive. It was refurbished. With everything going digital, it was the only one I could find that used thirty-five millimeter film.”

“Are you sure? Because this is a beauty.”

“I’m sure. I hope you’ll think of me whenever you use it.” He smiled.

“I think of you a lot already.” She leaned forward, set the camera on the coffee table, then moved over and gave him a quick peck. “Nick Wolfensen, you’re full of surprises.”

He smoothed her hair down her back. “Nice ones, I hope.”

“Definitely.” She leaned in and kissed him again, only this time it wasn’t a peck. She opened her mouth, inviting him to deepen the kiss if he wanted to. His tongue met hers and stroked. He pulled her closer and had to discipline himself not to squeeze her too hard.

I
can’t wait any longer.

He jumped up, grasping her around the waist, and she squealed as he lifted her off the floor. When he transferred her to the lounger, she giggled. Using that as his go-ahead signal, he lowered her until she was lying down, and then he aligned his body alongside, facing her.

Lying next to each other felt so right. Just like he’d pictured it in his fantasies—even though his daydreams involved a lot less clothing.

“Nick, did you give me the camera just to get into my pants?”

He feigned shock. “Hell, no. Of course if you want me to, I won’t fight about it.”

Laughing, she poked him in the ribs. “No, I didn’t think you would.”

He reached over and cupped the back of her head, then drew her close and kissed her tenderly. The kiss continued and deepened. Nick rolled her on top of him so he could access all of her. He slid his palm over the dip in her lower back, waiting to see if she’d stop him.

When he reached her ass cheek and gave it a squeeze, her response was to push her bum farther into his hand, then thrust her pelvis forward and wiggle against his erection. Triumphant, he broke the kiss just long enough to whisper, “You’ve already seen me naked. I’d love to get some of these clothes off.” He tugged her top button free. “After all, it’s only fair.”

She laughed. “That’s right. I still can’t believe you were going to grease yourself up to fit through a basement window.” Becoming a bit more somber, she asked, “Was it the place where Katie was being held?”

“Yes.”
Uh-oh.
“But, getting back to the subject at hand…” He popped another button on her white blouse. Then another and another. Soon he had the whole shirt unbuttoned, so he peeled it back.

His breath caught. Even covered in the white lace bra, her breasts looked like they would provide a generous handful. He cupped the one closest to him and tested its weight. “You’re absolutely beautiful.” Then he leaned over and took the nipple into his mouth, lace and all. He sucked while she moaned softly.

Brandee wasn’t sure what to do. How far should she let Nick go? An expensive gift didn’t mean anything—not really. She didn’t ask him to buy it. Could she be sure he wasn’t just trying to get into her pants?

Then again, did it matter? She wanted him as badly as he wanted her. Angie was off visiting her sister, so Brandee had the apartment to herself. Her roomie wasn’t planning to return until the next day. This would be the perfect time
if
it was going to happen.

Wait! The conversation. We haven’t had the conversation yet.

Brandee grasped Nick’s jaw and broke the luscious suction he was lavishing on her breast. “Nick?”

He groaned.

“I—we…”

He looked into her eyes and smiled sadly. She was afraid she’d see anger or frustration there. Instead, he looked resigned—prepared to accept whatever she doled out. He probably thought she wanted to slow down. It made her admire him even more.

She smiled and splayed her fingers through his blond hair. “Do you have condoms with you?”

His eyes suddenly went from sad to hopeful. “I have one in my wallet.”

In a way, one was better than a whole box. It meant he was prepared for a moment like this but not expecting it. “I’m on the pill.”

He grinned. “I’ve been tested for HIV and Hep C, but only because, as a cop, I came in contact with a junkie’s blood. The test was negative. I’m clean.”

“But what about all those one-night stands?”

“There weren’t as many as you think. And I never went without protection.”

“Oh. Whew.” She worried her lip, wondering what to say next. He took the decision away when he stood and held his hand out to her.

I
guess
we’re going to the bedroom.
She rose and put her hand in his.

On the way to the hall, he gave her apron string a yank and the apron fell off. “Oops.”

“Yeah, that was real accidental.” She rolled her eyes.

He flashed his killer grin her way. “Which room is yours?”

“The door on the right.”

He turned the knob and let her go in first. Relieved she had made her bed that morning, she did a quick inventory of the rest of the room. Clothes in hamper. Check. Carpet vacuumed. Check. Dusted headboard? Ugh. She always forgot to dust, and the dark wood showed every speck.

He didn’t seem to notice or care. He set her down in the middle of the bed and removed her unbuttoned shirt. He reached for the button at the top of her black slacks, but she batted his hand away. “No fair. Your turn.”

He grinned, then quickly pulled the polo shirt over his head and flung it to the floor. His chest was ripped—totally muscled, still slightly tanned even though summer had ended, and with a smattering of golden chest hair in the shape of a V, he looked like a mighty Viking.

“Now it’s your turn again,” he said.

Why on earth was she worried about a little dust? There was only one thing on Nick Wolfensen’s mind, and it was pretty easy to tell what that was. His hungry stare left no doubt.

She unbuttoned her skirt and opened the zipper. She wished she had a tan, but her fair skin with light reddish-brown freckles was all she had to offer.

Apparently she was taking too long, because as soon as she had wriggled the waistband over her hips, he grasped the fabric and pulled off her skirt the rest of the way.

“You’re beautiful, Brandee.”

Nick had probably wanted to seduce her for months. She was glad she made him wait until he promised to stick around. He unfastened his own jeans and stepped out of them. From the impressive bulge under his boxer briefs, she knew she was in for a hell of a ride. He didn’t reveal all the goods, though. He crawled in beside her on the bed and gave her a long, languorous kiss.

Their hands traveled all over each other. Caressing, fondling, learning each other’s shapes and texture. The warmth of his flesh seeped into her, and she heated quickly.

Their movements became more frantic. He reached behind her and popped her bra clasp. Brandee wrestled off the item as if it were a straitjacket. She divested him of his underwear and took a moment to appreciate what she found. If a man’s cock could be beautiful, then his was gorgeous. Erect and proud with an impressive length and girth.

He tugged off her panties, and finally, they lay skin to skin. Face to face. Nick found Brandee’s hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed her fingers as he gazed into her eyes.

“I know it’s soon, but I want you to know a woman’s never made me feel like this. I think I’m falling for you.”

His admission stunned her. Sure, her feelings for him had been steadily deepening, but she hadn’t thought they would be reciprocated that quickly. She thought she’d have to keep her secret under wraps for a while until he caught up. That was usually how it went with men, right?

He stroked her cheek. “You don’t have to say anything. I can see I surprised you.”

“No, it’s not that…it’s just that…well, yeah. It’s that. I’m surprised.” She grinned. “Pleasantly, though.”

He smiled and kissed her again.

“What is it you like about me?” she asked.

“Everything.” He gave her a peck on her pert nose.

“Everything? You don’t know everything about me yet. I could be hiding some horrible secret.”

“Are you?”

“No.”

“Then why question how I feel?”

“It’s just that we haven’t been together that long.”

He took a deep breath. “I’m a man of few words, but let me try. There’s a lot I like about you. I like your easy smile. That tells me you’re a happy person.” He gave her a kiss on the corner of her mouth. “I like how you make up your own expressions. That tells me you’re creative.” He kissed her forehead.

“I like your grace and how you can stand up for yourself without losing it. That tells me you’re secure.” He kissed her throat. “I like how you’re not afraid of people who are a little different. That tells me you have an open mind.” He kissed her nose. “But mostly, I like how happy I feel when I’m with you.” He kissed her mouth and didn’t pull away until she kissed him back.

The kiss deepened. Their tongues met and swirled. He cupped her breast and stroked her nipple with his thumb. Glorious sensations spread from her breast to her womb and radiated out.

Before long, she was on fire and the only thing she craved was Nick between her damp thighs, pounding into her.

“Oh, God. I need you.” She hadn’t meant to say that. It sounded so—needy.
Ick
.

Apparently he didn’t mind. He whispered, “You have me.” Then he rolled her onto her back and positioned himself between her legs.

Kneeling, he ran his hands up and down her thighs. “You’re so beautiful.”

Before she could think of anything else to say, he lifted her legs over his shoulders and kissed the inside of one thigh, then the other. His kisses came closer and closer to her apex. “Nick…”

He inhaled and something like a growl emanated from his throat. His tongue lapped her in long, slow strokes.

She gasped.

Incredible sensations overwhelmed her and spread throughout her body. His tongue rasped back and forth against her clit at warp speed. All she could do was grip the sheets and hang on. Wave after wave of luscious pleasure rolled over her until it all spiraled and the tension seemed unbearable. At last, it broke and she came apart, screaming his name.

Nick held on fast and continued his wicked onslaught to her senses until her legs were quivering and she had to beg him to stop. She felt a sob in the back of her throat but held it in.

When she could finally speak again, she rasped, “Holy moly…” and panted heavily. “I’ve never felt…anything like that.”

He brushed her damp hair away from her forehead. “It’s all for you, sweetheart—for as long as you can stand it.”

“I can’t stand at all. I’m sure of that. I wouldn’t even try.”

He chuckled.

Even though she deliberately misinterpreted what he meant by “stand,” he didn’t correct her. That was something her ex-boyfriend did that drove her nuts. Just to have the freedom to say whatever nonsense she wanted to say was a relief. As soon as she had semi-recovered, she asked, “Aren’t you going in for the kill?”

He raised his eyebrows. “That’s an interesting way to put it—but no. I’m not.”

Brandee couldn’t believe her ears. She rolled up onto her elbow, facing him. “What? Why not?”

“Only one condom, remember? I’d rather make it last as long as possible.”

Does
that
mean
he
intends
to
go
for
another
round? Or two? Or three?
“Nick, I don’t think I can handle much more.”

“I’ll give you time to rest. Hey, how about if you show me how your new camera works? Maybe I can take some pictures of you all mussed and glowing.”

She laughed. “Yeah, like I’d let you do that.”

“Why not? You don’t have to be nude or anything. Only you and I will know why you have that Mona Lisa smile on your face.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“Why don’t I take a few pictures of you instead?”

He ran a hand over her backside. The warmth felt good. Her slight sheen of sweat was beginning to cool her off.

“I’d have no problem with it, except that my new job means I should keep as low a profile as possible.”

“Oh well. It would have been a nice idea. Maybe on my next day off we can take some pictures of the city.”

“You have a car, right? Maybe we could get out of the city altogether. We could go to Cape Cod…”

“My car is apt to break down before we hit the southeast expressway. There’s plenty to take pictures of around this area, though. All the gorgeous architecture, for instance.”

“Are you into architecture?”

“Not per se. I just admire anything well crafted.” She looked him up and down. “You, for instance.”

He let out a loud bark of a laugh. “Smooth.”

“I learned it from the master.”

“Oh, now you’re calling me master? I like the sound of that.”

She shoved his shoulder. “As if…”

She was enjoying their banter but continued to feel unsure about leaving him unsatisfied. He rolled up onto the edge of the bed and pulled on his boxer briefs. “Do you have anything to eat? I’m starved.”

“Not a lot. I mostly eat salads. Do you like salad?” She rolled out of bed and padded over to her closet for her robe.

“Ugh, you’re not a vegetarian, are you?”

“No, but what if I was?” She fastened her robe and strolled over to him. “I hear it’s a very healthy way to live.”

“Darling, that’s a deal-breaker.”

Her jaw dropped. “Seriously?”

He laughed and pulled her into his embrace. “No, I was kidding. We’d just have to eat out a lot. I’m a big-time carnivore. I could order a steak and you could order a salad.”

She ran her fingers through his hair. “I don’t
only
eat salads, you know.”

“So you’d go to a steakhouse with me?”

She wrapped her arms around his trim waist. “Of course…as long as you’re paying.”

He laughed. “Don’t worry. I know you need your waitressing tips. Besides, I’d never let a woman pay. What kind of cheapskate would I be if I did that?”

She chuckled. “I need my tips all right. I’m trying to make a career in photography, and it takes time and money to get established. It’s a very competitive field, but I have my heart set on it.”

“I know.”

“Is that why you’ve always been a generous tipper?”

“Well, that and I kind of had a crush on the pretty red-haired cocktail waitress.”

“Ah, I see. Well, for that I’ll find some eggs or something.”

***

“Ruxandra, you destroyed my bar and tried to skewer one of my waitresses. Why should I take you back?” Anthony demanded.

Ruxandra squirmed on the bench next to him. They sat under one of the old trees in the Public Garden. She was still wearing her catsuit, which Anthony had to admit was kind of turning him on. The lamplight glimmered off her light blond hair, almost making her look like the innocent he’d first met and fallen in love
with.

He knew better now. He thought he had saved her from the clutches of the evil Marquis de Sade. It wasn’t until months later he learned she’d gone to the nobleman’s castle willingly. After the marquis had left her for dead, Anthony turned her to save her.

Her head was bowed and her fingers laced in her lap. She couldn’t have looked more contrite. Maybe he could suggest an acting career in New York or Hollywood and get her out of his hair that way.

“We had something special.” She looked up at him, and red tears shimmered in the corners of her eyes.

“Don’t cry.” He took a deep breath and tried to steel his resolve. “Look, I’m here, aren’t I? You said you wanted to talk. So, talk.”

“I love you, Anthony. I’ve always loved you.” She shifted so she faced him squarely. “Three hundred years ago when I was just a simple farm girl turned by an evil vampire to be his sex slave, you freed me from that awful castle. You showed me the world and all I had been missing. You opened my eyes.”

“And now that you know what’s out there, why don’t you pursue something that interests you?”

“Because
you
interest me. You’re all I want. Besides, when we’re together, we can feed off each other and skip that nasty butcher-shop crap you insist vampires drink if they don’t have a thrall.”

“It doesn’t sound like you share my values. You certainly don’t respect my property or my business or what I’m trying to accomplish, creating a safe place for paranormals to congregate.”

“Oh, piddly poo. Yes I do.”

He frowned. You have a strange way of showing it.

She crossed her arms and stuck out her lower lip. Her pout used to wrap him around her little finger. No more. He wouldn’t fall for it again. He knew there
had
to be more to a good relationship than lust. He’d witnessed it in other couples, so why couldn’t he find that? Oh, yeah. A jealous ex-lover named Ruxandra kept getting in the way.

He rose. “Well, if that’s all you have to say…”