Single White Vampire (21 page)

Then, before he could comment on her comment, she caught his head and drew him down for a kiss. She arched against him, pulling him into her body.

 

“Luc's out of books,” Chris said.

“What? Already?” Kate turned away from the male cover model she had been talking to. The man was one of the most popular models around, his name and face selling books as much as any author's name. He was considering getting into the writing end as well, to make more money on his name and face. Unfortunately, from the sample chapters he had sent her several weeks ago, it was obvious he couldn't write worth a damn. Kate had been trying to convince him to use a ghost writer
for the last two hours. Now she gave up on him and frowned at Chris.

They were at the Book Fair. There was no hospitality suite today; the book-signing was scheduled for ten a.m. to two p.m., and every single author in attendance was there signing books and talking to readers.

Kate and Lucern had arrived at 10:01. They had been a minute late, but would have been even later if Chris hadn't harassed them into hurrying by pounding on both their doors at 9:30 and shrieking, “Get up, get up! We have to go.” Of course, Kate hadn't been in her room. She was grateful her coworker didn't know that. She and Lucern had made great inroads into using those condoms. It seemed vampires had much more stamina than the average human male. They were also terribly inventive, although Kate didn't know if that was a racial trait or just Lucern. She supposed that after six hundred years a man learned quite a few tricks. She had enjoyed every one.

“Yes. He's been very busy and the crowd just descended on him, grabbing his books up like crazy,” Chris explained.

Kate glanced at her wristwatch. It was only noon. There were two hours left of the signing. “We brought extra boxes of his books. They're—”

“Gone,” Chris announced. “He's been through all of those, too.”

“We should have brought more.” Kate sighed. “What's he doing now?”

“Just sitting there, talking to readers. Which is fine, but he complained he was kind of tired. He sent me to
ask if he could catch a nap. Do you want me to walk him up?”

“No, I'll…” Kate paused.

She had been about to say that she would see him upstairs, but now had second thoughts. She had no doubt Lucern was tired. It had been a very wearing night, what with the attack and their lovemaking marathon. It had been early when they had first woken up, and they had fooled around for hours before Chris had interrupted to remind them of the signing. The poor vampire must be exhausted. If she went upstairs with him, though, he might be inclined to start up where they had left off—and Kate wasn't at all sure she had the willpower to be firm and refuse.

“What's wrong with your neck?” Chris asked suddenly. She had been rubbing it absently.

Kate removed her fingers. She had bite marks on her neck and on several other spots on her body.

She had expected Luc to bite her, of course. She had intended to help replenish him. She simply hadn't expected him to bite her quite so many times or in all the places he had. The man was an animal, and she couldn't get enough of him. Especially since she felt just great. She hadn't suffered any weakness or dizziness after his feeding off her. Well, she had fainted a couple of times at first, but that seemed a small price to pay for the pleasure she had enjoyed. He really had ruined her for all other men.

“Kate. What's wrong with your neck?” Chris repeated.

She waved his question away. “Nothing. And yes, please. I'd appreciate it if you walked him up to the
suite. Just in case there are lurking fans who might bother him.”

Actually, Lucern seemed to be handling the fans fine. And they in turn were being incredibly nice to him. Kate was really more concerned about another wacko attacking him like the one last night. But Chris didn't know about that. No one did.

“Okay,” Chris agreed easily. “I'll be back in a minute, if any of my writers need anything.”

“Thanks. I'll look out for them till you return,” Kate assured him.

 

“Oh,
that's
a nice costume.”

Lucern grunted at Jodi's comment, tearing his gaze away from Kate to peer at the couple promenading on the stage. This was the Mr. Romance cover model competition and Historical Fashion Spectacle. Which translated into watching men in tight black pants and loose white pirate-style shirts promenade with women in old-fashioned gowns.

In truth, Lucern did find the costumes the women wore rather impressive reproductions of gowns worn when he was younger. And he probably would have enjoyed the spectacle more if Kate were seated with him. He was instead at a round table with Chris and several other writers. Kate was seated in the first of four rows set up directly in front of the stage.

She was a judge for this competition. Which Luc understood. He had no problem being on his own while she went about her work. What he didn't like was the fact that she was sitting right next to the long-haired model she had been so busy talking to at the book-
signing earlier. Lucern hadn't really been tired at the book-signing; he had hoped to lure Kate back to their room for more lovemaking. But Kate had been too busy with this model—a long-haired muscle-head who stood a little too close and tended to look down her top a little too often.

Lucern might not have minded so much if the guy were a writer and she had business with him, but the guy was a model. What could they possibly be discussing? He scowled as the man leaned close to Kate and murmured something in her ear. Lucern had never thought of himself as the jealous sort. He was learning different. And he didn't like it.

“Oh, that one is lovely, too.”

Lucern tore his gaze away from the couple in the judges' area again. Glancing to the stage, he nodded grimly in agreement with Jodi as he saw the burgundy costume worn by the woman there. The gown was lovely, a perfect example of late Renaissance wear. Kate would have looked lovely in it. Luc's gaze slid back to her, and he scowled when he saw that she wasn't even looking at the stage but was talking intensely to the model.

Damned man. Didn't he know she was taken? Apparently not. And whose fault was that? Kate. She should have let him know she wasn't available.

And why hadn't she wanted to sleep with him this afternoon? Hadn't he pleasured her over and over that morning? He had certainly enjoyed their lovemaking. And he was just as sure that she had enjoyed it. Hadn't she?

“Katie's having a little trouble with Robert,” Jodi observed.

Lucern glanced at her. “Robert?”

Jodi nodded. “He's the most popular male model around. His name is as recognized as most authors'. He wants to trade on his name by writing romances himself
and
by modeling for the covers. Unfortunately, he can't write. His books are all throbbing and heaving.” She gave a laugh, then explained: “That's the stereotypical view of Romances—that all they are is throbbing and heaving.”

Lucern grunted. He didn't have a single throb or heave in his books, yet they were considered romances.

“Kate has been trying to convince Robert to use a ghost writer,” Jodi went on. “But he's fighting it. He thinks he's a wonderful writer.”

Lucern nodded solemnly and turned fresh eyes on Kate. So the model was a writer. His head was close to Kate's again. As Luc watched, Kate burst into laughter. Then she touched the man's shoulder. Luc had seen her do that with the women writers—Kate was a toucher, he had noticed that about her. She often patted his hand or his shoulder or arm while talking to him. He had seen her do it to others as well. It had never bothered him when he saw her doing it with women. But he didn't care for her touching this Robert person that way. He didn't care for it at all.

Irritated by the jealous tendencies he hadn't realized he had, Lucern picked up his drink and downed the rest of it, then glanced around when everyone burst into applause. On stage, the judges had chosen the winning romance model. The show was over.

“Okay,” Chris suggested to the rest of the table as he got to his feet. “You guys have a little time before the Roundhouse party. Why don't you go grab something to eat and drink. I have to go help Kate and the others set up. Jodi, will you keep an eye on Luc, make sure he doesn't have any problems?”

“Sure,” the writer agreed. When she took in Lucern's scowl, she slipped her arm through his and said, “Chris means well, Luc. You're new to conferences, and everyone's just worried you might be overwhelmed by it all.”

Lucern merely grunted. He hadn't been scowling at Chris's assumption that he needed looking after—though that was rather annoying, too—he had been scowling at the fact that Kate was going to be busy setting up the party. He wouldn't get a chance to talk to her. He hadn't talked to her since they had arrived at the Book Fair that morning. He was starting to feel a little abandoned—a new sensation, and one he didn't enjoy at all. He was becoming dependent on the woman, his mood affected by her presence. He didn't like it. His life was becoming a series of highs when she was near, and lows when she wasn't. It seemed to Lucern that the boredom and sameness of his life before Kate was far preferable. Safer. Perhaps he should create some distance between them. After all, the conference would be over the next day; he would fly home to Toronto, and she would return to New York.

And all this passion and laughter would become a memory, he thought sadly. Kate had brought him back to life for a bit. He had enjoyed it, but it was going to be painful to go back to that old empty existence. He had not bothered with friends for a long time, as they
always died or had to be left behind when he moved. It had just become easier to not bother with them. He almost wished—

“Come along, Luc.” Jodi stood and waited beside his chair. “We're going to the pub here in the hotel for a quick dinner. Then we'll all separate to get ready for the Roundhouse party.”

Lucern shook off his melancholy and got to his feet. “And what is the theme for this party?”

“Don't you know?” She seemed surprised.

“Should I?” he asked. Wariness nipped at him.

“Well, it's a vampire ball. You'll be the star attraction!”

Lucern managed not to flinch, but he wasn't a happy vampire. He had enjoyed the rock 'n' roll party the night before, but he really wasn't in the partying mood tonight. And being the star attraction sounded rather alarming.

“I think we're ready here.”

Kate nodded at Allison's comment as she peered around at their handiwork. Black tablecloths, blood-red roses on each table and dim lighting. It was ready.

“You'd better go change. The guests will start arriving in half an hour, and you and Luc are supposed to be in the receiving line,” the head editor warned. Kate grimaced, but nodded and gestured to Chris that it was time to go. She started out of the ballroom.

Allison, Chuck, Tom and Deeana had all already changed; they had been exiting one at a time to get into their costumes, leaving the others to continue decorating. Kate and Chris were the only ones left. Kate had deliberately put it off until now. She wasn't looking forward to telling Lucern that he was the star attraction at this ball. She knew he was not going to be pleased, and after the laughter and passion they had shared, she was fearful the annoyed and surly Lucern would return.

“Buck up,” Chris said as they stepped out of the elevator. “Luc has loosened up quite a bit. He may take this in stride.”

Kate forced a smile for her coworker. She only hoped he was right. She felt guilty for not having told Lucern about this from the start, but she was a coward.

The vampire ball hadn't been her idea. Chuck had come up with it. He'd considered it a brilliant bit of promotion, and when Kate had tried to talk him out of it, telling him that Lucern wasn't a very social person and that it might overwhelm him, Chuck had steamrolled over her protests. He had even ignored the fact that the conference attendees would have little time to prepare for the switch from the spy party that had originally been planned. Kate was worried sick that half the attendees would arrive in trench coats, the other half in capes. It might all turn farcical!

These worries faded from her mind as she paused at the entrance to the suite. C.K. pulled out his key card and unlocked the door. Kate spotted Lucern immediately. He was seated on the couch, watching television. His hair was wet and he was in a robe, obviously waiting to finish getting ready. He didn't notice their entrance at first, seemed instead quite involved with whatever he was watching. There was a look of abject horror on his face. What was he watching?

Kate glanced at the TV, recognizing a rerun of
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
.

Lucern suddenly sat forward, a sound of disgust slipping from his lips. It sounded very much like “bitch,” though Kate couldn't be sure.

Aware that they had very little time to get ready for
the party, she cleared her throat. “Er…Luc?”

He glanced at her sharply, a scowl on his face. “Did you see that? Buffy just staked that poor vampire. He had yet to even
do
anything untoward, he just crawled out of his grave and she staked him. That is just not right. She is taking out her problems with that Angel fellow on vampires, that is what she's doing.” Luc muttered a curse as he turned back to the screen.

A little burst of laughter slipped from Chris's lips, as he headed for his room. “Um, I'm going to get ready.”

Kate bit her lip as she watched him go.

“Look!” Luc snapped, sitting forward again. “She's just done it again. Stake-happy is what she is. She's just staking them left and right, sometimes for no reason at all. This Buffy person is—”

“Luc?” Kate interrupted.

“Hmm?” he asked. His gaze was still fixed on the screen.

“We have to get ready to go.”

“Yes. I showered and shaved, I just have to dress. I was waiting for you to return to see what I am supposed to wear. I didn't know if you had another costume or—she did it again!” He launched to his feet, glaring furiously at the screen. “Who writes this nonsense? We don't turn into slavering beasts when we bite, and did I turn into a puff of smoke when I was staked? No. No, I say. This is shameful nonsense. Just ridiculous. I ought to write and…”

Kate didn't catch the rest. She left Lucern waving his fist at the television and retreated to her room to collect the costume she had rented for him. So, Lucern had discovered television. It was a shame, really. It was even
her fault. She had insisted that he watch TV that first night.

He was still ranting about writing to whomever was in charge of the Buffy show and straightening them out, when Kate returned. She paused beside him and shook her head mournfully.

“I suppose I should be grateful that you haven't discovered sports yet. Men can be impossible when they're sports freaks,” she commented.

Lucern tore his gaze away from the TV and snorted. “Sports. I saw what you people call sports. Sheesh. If you want sports, you should watch a joust. Now,
that
was a sport. Matches won, lives lost, blood shed.” His gaze dropped to the bag she held. “Is that for me?”

“Yes.” Kate handed it over. She started to turn away, but gasped in surprise when he caught her hand and tugged her off balance. She landed in his lap with an ungraceful plop. Before she had quite recovered, his mouth covered hers and he subjected her to a thorough kiss.

“Oh,” she sighed when it was over. Her mind was awhirl. Somehow her arms had crept around Luc's neck, and she was plastered to his chest like a wet cloth.

“Hello,” the vampire growled. His hand slid up the inside of her leg, pausing to run over a bite mark he had left on her upper thigh.

Kate stiffened and wiggled as a thick ache started between her legs.

“Does it hurt?” he asked quietly, rubbing his fingers over the mark.

“No.” She reached down to try to stop him, but the
straight skirt of her business suit was pulled tight over her legs. She couldn't hamper him.

He began to nibble at her ear, and his fingers slid further up her leg.

“Luc,” Kate protested, dismayed at how breathy she sounded. She tried for a firmer tone. “I have to get ready.”

Lucern grunted and slipped a finger under the elastic of her panties. “You feel ready to me.”

“Oh.” She arched slightly into his caress. Her body was eager to recreate a little of the magic from that morning. Her mind, however, was lecturing her. The ball. Lucern was the star attraction. And Chris was just on the other side of the door. This last thought, more than any other, made her scramble out of Luc's lap and away from his touch.

“I have to dress,” she blurted. Rushing into her room, Kate slammed the door on any comment he might have made, then leaned back against it, her hand to her chest. She was panting as if she had run a race, her legs trembling, her flesh tingling. And she was fighting her own instincts. She would have much rather taken him by the hand and dragged him to bed. In fact, she was hard-pressed not to do so right that moment. But duty called.

Duty.
She sighed. She still had not told Lucern that he was the focal point of tonight's ball. He was feeling lusty now, but he wouldn't be once he learned what she'd gotten him into.

Forcing herself not to think of that, she pushed herself away from the door. She had to get ready. She had brought a long black gown of her own from home. She
donned the slim sheath of black silk, then used makeup to give her skin the fine white sheen of bone china before adding a blood-red lipstick. That done, she released her hair from its bun and brushed it out until it fell around her shoulders in soft waves.

Deciding she was as done as she was going to get, Kate grabbed the two pairs of vampire teeth she had brought from New York and hurried out of her room.

Lucern was standing in the living room, dressed and ready to go. Kate felt a gusty sigh slip from her lips at the sight. The man looked absolutely fabulous in the tuxedo and cape she had brought. He was every woman's fantasy. She really wished she wasn't about to anger him with the news she had to impart.

“You look ravishing,” Lucern said solemnly.

Kate forced a smile and walked forward, holding out one set of teeth.

Lucern glanced down with distaste at the cheap plastic vampire teeth, then stiffened. His gaze shot back to her face. “Please say you jest.”

Kate bit her lip to stifle the laugh that was suddenly eager to burst from her; Luc looked so horrified at the very thought of wearing the tacky teeth.

“Everyone will be wearing them,” she informed him. “It's a vampire ball.”

“I have my own teeth,” he said with great dignity.

“Yes, I know. But no one will expect that. Please, just put them on. Please, Lucern?” She touched his arm.

His gaze settled on her lips in a way she found most distracting; then he sighed heavily with exasperation. “Oh, very well.”

He snatched one of the pairs of teeth from her palm
and popped them into his mouth. Then he proceeded to move them about, making faces and shifting his jaw in an effort to make them more comfortable. “Vees ore asrocious.”

Kate blinked at his slurred words. Deciding it would be best not to encourage his whining, she shrugged and popped the second set of teeth into her own mouth, then understood exactly what he meant. They
were
atrocious. They were damned uncomfortable. They were so bad, she almost considered leaving both pairs behind.

Chris sauntered into the room in his own tuxedo and cape. “You two look great,” he said.

He smiled at them both, revealing a pair of realistic-looking vampire teeth.

Lucern immediately scowled. “Ou ee? 'Is eeth ook eal. An a amn ight ore omorta-ul.”

Kate was trying to translate his attempted words when Chris winced. “Man, Kate,” he said. “Where did you get your teeth? Sheesh. Those are so out-of-date it isn't funny.”

Kate glared at her friend's betrayal. Deciding to ignore both men, she headed for the door, saying, “Let's go, I don't want to be late.” At least, she tried to say that. It came out more like “'et's o ah own an oo ee ate.” Sighing as Chris burst out laughing, she dragged the door open and led the way out.

Lucern tried to remove his teeth in the elevator, but Kate managed to convince him to put them back in. She then removed her own, cleared her throat and said, “Luc, I really should have mentioned this before, but—”

“I a uh oco oin uh uh awe.”

“What?” Chris gaped at him, then glanced at Kate. “What did he say?”

“He said, ‘I am the focal point of the ball,'” she answered distractedly. Then she asked Lucern. “How did you know?”

Lucern spat his teeth out before answering, “Jodi told me.”

“Oh.” Kate bit her lip and surveyed his face, trying to figure out why he wasn't angry. “It wasn't my idea,” she informed him quietly.

“It really wasn't,” Chris said. “This was Chuck's brainchild. Kate tried to talk him out of it.”

When Lucern merely nodded and didn't say anything else, Kate frowned. “You aren't angry?”

He shrugged. “I was a tad annoyed at first. But it's only a couple of hours out of my life. I have a lot of hours to fill, Kate. This whole conference is barely a heartbeat of time for me.”

Chris looked perplexed. Kate wasn't perplexed as to Luc's meaning—he had lived hundreds of years, and would no doubt live hundreds more; these few days were barely a grain of sand on the beach of his life—but what she did wonder about was whether his words held a secret meaning for her. She was one of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of women who had passed through his life in those hundreds of years. Was the relationship they were enjoying just as unimportant to him as this conference? Was
she
just another grain of sand?

The idea bothered her, yet it made perfect sense. What else could she be? In another twenty-four hours she would be back at home in New York, and he would
be back in Toronto. Life would go on as it always had. Eventually, she would meet some nice man, settle down and have a couple of kids, grow old. And Lucern would be still young, sexy, and taking some other woman to the heights of ecstasy. The idea really bothered her.

Taking a deep breath to try to dispel the ache in her heart, Kate put her teeth back in her mouth and followed Chris out of the elevator.

“There you are!” Allison greeted as they arrived. She stood just inside the ballroom doors with Lady Barrow and Chuck. “You're just in time. One or two people have arrived, but that's all.”

“Good. It would be shameful to be late for my own party,” Lucern said dryly. He gave the publisher a glance that made the man shift uncomfortably.

“Yes, well,” Chuck muttered, but Lucern had already turned to greet Lady Barrow.

Luc smiled at the woman in her lovely crimson gown, took her hand and bowed low over it. “Lady Barrow,” he said, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. “You look and smell good enough to eat.”

Lady Barrow gave a good-natured laugh at this, but Kate tensed. She distinctly recalled him almost biting the woman. She also recalled that she had yet to replace Luc's emergency blood supply. As far as she knew, he needed more than the blood he'd gotten from her this morning while they made love. She'd meant to make a quick trip to the blood bank at some point today, but it had slipped her mind. And now Luc must be starving. And no doubt in pain from lack of blood.

Still, he didn't look to be in bad shape. She peered
at Luc as he laughed and talked to Allison and Lady Barrow. He was a touch pale, but not gray as he had been. And there were no pained lines on his face.

Kate considered the matter as she reminded Lucern to put his teeth back in, and they took their positions at the door to greet the ball attendees. She concluded that they would have to leave the ball early and rob the blood bank again. She hated to do it. Blood banks were always short of blood. But Lucern was as needy as any patient, and she could hardly let him suffer.

They were at the door for an hour before Allison announced it was time to circulate. Kate stayed close to Lucern, afraid that he might—out of desperation—bite one of the guests. She might not have worried so much if women didn't keep coming up, asking to have their picture taken with him doing just that. She could only imagine the torture he must be suffering, pretending to bite their necks. It was rather like asking a dieting woman to hold a forkful of cheesecake in her mouth all night and not chew.