Magic at Midnight (11 page)

She blinked through her tears, barely daring to breathe.

“Will you have me, Genevieve Tawdry? Vampire that I am?”

“With all of my heart.” Laughing, she kissed him over and over again. Loving kisses, happy kisses. Relieved kisses.

Hunter hugged her fiercely. That laugh of hers… glorious, uninhibited, he would never get enough of it. “I want you. I want you naked.”

“Uh, Genevieve,” came a female voice.

Genevieve’s cheeks reddened, and she pressed her lips together. She’d forgotten about their audience, he realized with satisfaction, just as he had.

“Hunter, you know my sisters.”

He nodded in their direction, but his eyes were only for Genevieve. “Godiva. Glory. Nice to see you again.” His fingers played with the silky soft hair at the base of Genevieve’s neck. He couldn’t stop touching her. He still didn’t like the fact that he was a vampire. He still didn’t like that he had to drink blood, even though the cravings could be controlled. But he would put up with anything to be with his Genevieve.

“You, too,” they said simultaneously.

“The man with Godiva is Romeo,” she said breathlessly. Her eyes closed and a look of rapture blanketed her expression. “You can meet him later.”

Romeo nodded in acknowledgment. He placed a protective arm around Godiva, as if Hunter might leap off the porch and attack at any moment. Hunter tried not to take offense. He had better get used to people fearing him.

“Hunter and I are going to my room,” Genevieve said. “To, uh, talk.”

“Dirty,” Glory added.

He allowed Genevieve to take his hand and lead him inside, down a hallway and into her room. It was a neat, tidy space with everything color-coded and organized. The bed was made for sin, however. Black silks, crimson pillows. Cerulean velvets. “You want to talk?” he asked with a chuckle.

Her lips lifted in a sensual grin that caused his stomach to clench. She hurriedly secured all of the drapes over the windows so that when the sun rose, it wouldn’t hurt him. “We can talk while you’re inside me.” She raced to him and tugged at his clothes. “I need you so desperately.”

He slipped her shirt over her head, then pushed her pants to her ankles. She stepped out of them, completely naked. The sight of her naked beauty almost made him come, right then, right there. Supple curves, ripe nipples, milky skin. The long length of her dark hair provided a mesmerizing contrast.

“I can’t wait,” he said raggedly.

“No waiting,” she agreed.

He took her quickly, with all the urgency he felt inside. Filled as he was with blood and the suppressant, he didn’t have the slightest urge to bite her—except in pleasure. They rolled atop the bed, panting, growling, straining. Her breasts filled his hands. Her legs anchored around him as he pounded in and out.

“Hunter,” she screamed as a sharp peak tore through her. He felt every spasm and it fueled his own.

He spilled inside her with a loud roar.

Someone banged at the wall. “Enough already,” he heard one of her sisters say. Glory, most likely. Godiva was probably otherwise occupied. He chuckled into Genevieve’s neck. Nope. He still didn’t want to bite her. Relief consumed him.

Playfully she bit his collarbone. “I love you so much.”

Her words filled his mind as surely as he’d filled her body. Even his heart stopped beating—or maybe it had never started up again after his death. Women had said those words to him before, but he’d never felt them in his bones. Even Genevieve had said them before. He’d never returned them.

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

She sucked in a slight intake of breath. “Do you really?”

“I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you.”

“Then why did you push me away for so long?” she asked with a frown. “You never really answered that question.”

He placed a sweet kiss on her temple. “Sweetheart, the answer doesn’t matter anymore. Let’s just—”

“Please. Tell me.”

Unable to deny her anything, he explained. As he spoke, she paled. Tremors reverberated through her by the time he finished. “You should have told me the truth years ago,” she said. “I would have left you alone.”

“I know, and that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to leave me alone. I loved you too damn much.”

“What a pair we make, hmm? The dead man and the witch.”

He chuckled. Life—or death, rather—was ripe with promise. He was happier than he’d ever been and he owed it all to the sweet, sweet witch in his arms. “I’m looking forward to spending eternity with you.”

Slowly she smiled. “Eternity with Hunter Knight. Now that’s something I can look forward to.”

A Tawdry Affair

To P. C. Cast, Susan Grant, and MaryJanice Davidson.

Or, as we would probably be named inside of Mysteria:

P. C. Sweetbottoms, Susan Buttercup, and MaryJanice Sugarlips.

(Maybe I’d be Gena Dinglehop—that’s wait-and-see, though.)

To Wendy McCurdy and Allison Brandau for putting up with me!

•
One
•

I
F
Glory Tawdry discovered her sister, Evie, and Evie’s vampire boyfriend going at it like wild cougars one more time—just one more!—she was going to throw up a lung, gouge out her eyes, and cut off her ears.

“You’re disgusting,” she grumbled, standing in Evie’s
open
bedroom door. Her sister and Hunter must have severe discovery fantasies, because they always “forgot” to barricade themselves inside when things were getting heated.

They didn’t even glance in her direction.

She coughed.

They continued.

Sadly, if Glory walked down the hallway of their modest little three-bedroom home, she’d probably hear her other sister, Godiva, going at it with
her
boyfriend, a werewolf shape-shifter. They, at least, liked privacy when they were screaming like hyenas.

Still. There was no peace to be found for Glory. Not even in town. Lately Mysteria, a place once known for its evil creature population, as well as a place she’d taken great pride in, had turned into a horrifying love fest of goo-goo eyes and butt pinching.

Except for me. No one makes goo-goo eyes at me. No one pinches
my
butt, even though there’s enough for everyone to grab on to at the same time
. She didn’t care, though. Really.

Men and relationships were so not for her. Really.

“Hello,” she said, trying again. “I’m right here. Can you stop for like a minute?”

Thankfully Evie and Hunter finished their show and collapsed side by side under the covers. Moonlight spilled from the beveled windows and onto the bed, painting them in gold. Both were panting, sweat glistening from their skin. Evie’s dark hair was spread over the pillow and tangled under Hunter’s arm. Vitality radiated from her.

Handsome Hunter looked exhausted and incapable of movement.

Score one for Evie, Glory supposed.

“Oh, Glory.” Evie grinned, happiness sparkling in her hazel eyes. “I didn’t see you there.”

Ugh. Evie did everything happily now, and Glory was seriously embarrassed for her. Evie was the greatest vengeance witch ever to live in Mysteria. As such, she should scowl once in a while.
Glory
was the love witch, damn it, so
Glory
should be the happy one.

“Don’t you know how to knock?” her sister asked.

Are you freaking kidding me?
“Don’t you know how to close a door? I mean, it’s a difficult task to master, but with hard work and the proper training, I think you might be able to do it.”

Hunter laughed, revealing long, sharp teeth.

“Ha-ha.” Evie punched him on the shoulder.

When Evie said no more, Glory shook her head in disappointment. Used to, they would have argued and insulted each other, maybe yelled and thrown things. Now, she was lucky if Evie frowned at her.

A dysfunctional relationship it had been, but it had been
theirs
.

“I miss us!” she found herself saying. “You’re a softie now, and it’s killing my excitement levels.”

Understanding dawned, and Evie scowled. Even pointed an accusing finger at her. “Seriously, what’s up with you, little sis? Every day I think you can’t possibly get any bitchier, and then you go and prove me wrong.”

Much better! Life was suddenly worth living again. “Lookit, you show pony, I need your help.”

“Yeah? With what?” Unable to retain the harsh expression, Evie gave her another smile.

As always, that satisfied smile caused a deep ache to sprout inside Glory’s chest.
When will it be my turn to fall in love, have great sex, and sicken the people around me?
The moment the thought drifted through her mind, she blinked in shock and revulsion.
Whoa, girl. That line of BS has to stop. Like, now. Before you crave more
.

She was a love witch, yes, but
she
didn’t want to fall in love. Ever. People became slobbering fools when they succumbed to the soft emotion. Look at Evie! Proof right there in all her glowing splendor.

“I’m waiting,” Evie said.

Glory opened her mouth to say… something. What, she didn’t know. Just how should she begin? She could
not
allow Evie to turn her down.

“Seriously. I want to bask in the afterglow.” Evie rubbed her leg up and down Hunter’s lower torso. “Hurry this along.”

“I’m thinking.”

Evie sighed. And yes, she was still smiling. “Go think somewhere else.”

“You left your door open, so no afterglow for you. One year,” she said in her best “Soup Nazi” impersonation. Glory tangled a hand through her hair, surprised as always that it was cool to the touch. Every time she saw the flame red tresses in the mirror, she expected smoke.
I can do this
. “Remember a few months ago, when Hunter was ignoring you—again—and you promised me a favor if I helped you win his heart? I told you that in return for helping you, I wanted you to give me something to ruin Falon’s life, and you said okay, so I gave you a potion and you—”

“I know what I did. Jeez.” Nibbling on her lower lip, Evie moved her hazels to Hunter.

He knew the full story, but Glory suspected Evie didn’t like to remind him. He’d died because of Evie, after all, killed by demons the lovesick fool had accidentally summoned.
Then
he’d been turned into a vampire—a species he’d once hoped to destroy. It had been difficult for him to adjust to the change.

“You want to ruin Falon’s life? Why?” Hunter’s vampire-pale arms tightened around Evie. Obviously no bad feelings remained on his part. But he did frown over at Glory as if she had sprouted a second head. With horns. Falon was his best friend and right-hand man.

At least, Glory thought Falon was a man. In Mysteria, it was sometimes hard to tell. He could have been a demon for all she knew. Now that made sense. “Just… because,” she said, then squared her shoulders and raised her chin. She refused to say more about her reasoning. “Evie owes me. That should be enough.”

Evie threw up her arms and let them fall heavily onto the bed. “Can’t you drop this? I don’t know what he did to you…” She paused, probably waiting for Glory to pipe up with the answer. When she didn’t, Evie sighed again. “You live in Bizarro World, little sis. You’re supposed to be the good witch, and
I’m
supposed to be wicked.”

Glory arched a brow, her mind caught on the first part of Evie’s speech. “No, I can’t let this go.” The bastard deserved to die. Slowly. Painfully. Eternally. “You reneging on me?”

Hot color bloomed in her sister’s cheeks. “No. Of course not.”

“Evie,” Hunter said.

“I promised her, baby.”

Glory anchored her hands on her hips. “If it makes you feel any better, Hunter, know that Falon brought this on himself. He hurt me.”

Hunter’s green gaze sharpened. “Hurt you? How?”

Once again, she raised her chin and pressed her lips together. She hadn’t planned on admitting even that much.

Realizing she’d say no more, he scrubbed a hand down the harsh, rugged plains of his face. “You know I’ll warn Falon, right? I’ll tell him what’s going on.”

“Like that scares me.” Glory
wanted
Falon to know she was gunning for him. She wanted him to be scared, to tremble and jump at every snapping twig in the night. Hell, maybe she
was
a wicked witch, because she chuckled every time she thought of him dropping to the ground in a fetal ball and crying for his mother.

Sure, he was six feet four of solid—delicious—muscle. Sure, he’d kicked more ass in the few years he’d lived in Mysteria than the town’s citizens were currently nailing. And sure, he probably made the creatures of the underworld pee their pants in fear of him. A girl could dream, though.

“Now.” She rubbed her hands together. “Evie, my revenge, if you please. I’ve tried to bring it up several times, and you ignored me, ran from me, or let your boy toy sweep you off your feet. Literally. I’m not waiting anymore!”