Bite of Envy (Just One Bite #4) (7 page)

Lizbeth looked at her for a
moment, studying her intently. Was this the same woman? Could she still be
trusted? One misstep would get her fired at the least, if not killed. She had
to be careful. "I know a lot, and I know who you used to be. I don't know
who you are now." Her own eerie blue eyes drilled into Sandra's startled
green ones. "Do the words 'off the record' still hold any sway over you
now that you're playing in the big leagues?"

Sandra relaxed and tucked a curly
strand of her blonde hair behind an ear, from where it had fallen from its
sleek chignon. "We're both two entirely new people now, but my core
character hasn't changed. And regardless of the mud they once slung at you,
yours hasn't either." She sat forward now, earnest as she struggled to
make herself clear. "I tried to take over press coverage of your case, but
no one would let me. I knew they were sandbagging you, and I couldn't do a
damned thing to stop it. But I tried- doesn't that count for anything?"
Her tone was pleading as she begged for an answer from Lizbeth.

"Yeah, I guess that counts
for something. What I'm about to tell you, if it can ever possibly come out in
the news, is so fucking big that I cannot begin to stress the importance of it.
I mean it- this is all entirely off the record. There is not a single freaking
shred of proof, but if we work together, maybe we can find some." Lizbeth
sat back on the couch, ignoring Sandra's hand as it inched a bit closer, the
way she used to do in a silent plea for Lizzie to take hold. She was in work
mode, and there was a reason they were former lovers, not current.

Exasperated, Sandra couldn't sit
quietly any longer. "Just tell me, Liz. It's all off the record unless or
until you tell me otherwise, okay?"

Lizbeth nodded, more to herself
than to the reporter. Omitting any reference to the supernatural, shifting, and
vampires, she began her tale. She filled Sandra in on every other detail of
Giles Carson's seedy second life, and she didn't stop talking for hours,
pausing occasionally to drink from a bottle of water when her throat grew dry.
And she saw what she had hoped to see- she saw Sandra's belief, and she saw the
reporter itching to dig for more to the story. She saw the desire to find the truth,
and even as a dark cloud hovered over her thoughts, she pushed it away and
rejoiced.

Lizbeth finally made it home that night, much later than
she'd intended. It was 7:30 when she walked through the front door, dropping
her briefcase in the den and continuing on to the kitchen. She sniffed the air,
thrilled at the scent of eggplant parmesan hanging heavy in the air. A further
sniff detected garlic bread in the oven, and she snagged the last two pieces
for herself before removing her recently warmed plate from the microwave. After
grabbing a beer out of the fridge, she finally headed into the parlor,
surprised by the look on Eamon's face as she sat down on the loveseat beside
Diandra.

"What?" she demanded before digging into her food
like a starving woman. In truth, she was extremely hungry, having spent her
lunchtime at the crime scene. She'd had no appetite when she finally made it
back to the precinct. Now that she was home, and feeling better having invited
Sandra to take part in the case, she couldn't believe how hungry she actually
was. "Hey, Adrian," she said with a grin. "This is
delicious!"

Eamon cut off the pleasantries before they could even get
started. "I think inviting the reporter into this was the stupidest
mistake you've made to date, Lizzie. You just created a new target for Carson-
smooth move, babe." Sarcasm dripped heavy in his voice, thick as molasses,
bitter as lemons.

 
God
, she thought,
I must be
hungrier than I thought if all I can think about is food
. "For your
information, asshole, she was already a target. Today's murder was a warning
that she was next. So why not give her some information? Maybe with the two of
us working on it, I can save Sandy." She instantly regretted the informal
choice of words as Diandra's eyes bore into her.

"Who exactly is this 'Sandy'?" Dia asked
carefully, her tone making it clear that she demanded a truthful answer.
RaeLynn crawled to her mother, putting a soothing hand on her arm which Diandra
gently extricated herself from. She wanted her head clear, and her emotions to
be her own until she knew what was going on.

Sensing this, Adrian scooped the baby up and carried her
towards the stairs. "I think it's time for Princess RaeLynn's bath. I'll
take care of it tonight, Lizbeth, while you guys get things… settled down
here."

Turning her attention reluctantly from the nighttime routine
that was normally hers, Lizzie focused on Diandra. "Her name is Sandra
Willis- she's a local reporter, and she's a potential target for Carson,"
she said, her voice cool. She continued eating, amazed to realize she could
still be hungry during a stroll through a minefield.

"And judging by your tone," Dia cut in,
"she's an ex-girlfriend. Am I right?" Her lilac eyes dared Lizbeth to
try and avoid answering her questions fully.

Lizzie got angry then. "How dare you imply that there's
some sort of cheating going on here, Diandra Malone. I've been faithful to you,
even as you broke my heart cheating on me with Jonah."

Diandra stood up and Lizbeth jumped up as well. The women
squared off, standing toe to toe. Dia was shorter, but that didn't matter to
her- they both knew who was more powerful. "I never cheated on you,"
Diandra shouted. The accusation stung, just as Lizzie intended.

"It's called an emotional affair. You may not have
taken him to bed to ride him like a fucking Clydesdale, but you sure as shit
were involved with him while you shared a bed with me. So don't you dare stand
here and accuse me of something when I've done nothing wrong, and I've been
nothing but faithful to you. You think you're so righteous, so high and mighty.
I'm so fucking sick of your queenly attitude." Lizbeth's face was mottled
with her anger, and crescent moons showed on her hands from clenching her fists
so tightly. Her anger was out of control, and her fangs descended.

 
Diandra bared her
fangs right back. "And I'm sick of you swearing at me like I'm some
suspect you're planning on giving the 'phone book treatment' to. If you want to
go a few rounds with me, baby, then let's go to the beach and have it out, but
otherwise you will talk to me with respect, or don't speak to me at all."
Her breath came in pants, her face flushed as the fiery redheaded temper came
to the surface.

Eamon heaved a sigh and, knowing he was possibly risking his
own neck, stepped between the hissing women. "That's quite enough. Go
ahead- keep it up. I'm sure Carson is somewhere losing his fucking mind laughing
at the pair of you." He turned to Lizbeth. "Diandra didn't accuse you
of anything- she just asked whether Sandra was your ex, and you keep
side-stepping the question. Guilty conscience, perhaps?" he questioned
her. "And by the way- you forgot your blood baggie today which is why
you're eating like a pig. Drink up, idiot," he snapped, tossing a bag at
her.

Diandra let out a laugh and he spun on her next. "Oh,
you're not off the hook, either, Diandra." She was too startled to speak
in own defense, so he barreled on. "She's right- you were so busy seeing
Jonah as the father of your child, the man you'd loved for so long, that you
were willing to just let it all go and pretend it never happened. You pretended
he didn't spend years, your whole fucking marriage, lying to you. You pretended
he didn't toss you around like a rag doll before turning you into the vampire
you are now. So don't sit there and laugh like you're so innocent." He
shook his head. "I didn't sign up to babysit a couple of toddlers. Maybe I
should go see if Adrian needs help with RaeLynn- she's the most mature female
in the house at the moment, and I feel the need for some adult company."
With that, he spun on his heel and went upstairs, leaving the women staring
blankly at one another, all traces of anger gone.

Lizbeth broke the silence first after polishing off the
blood baggie, her guilty conscience making it difficult to get the thick,
delicious liquid down. "Sandra Willis was my live-in lover for about two
years, until she got tired of small-town life and left. There were no hard
feelings, no regrets. I loved her, in my way, but I was never in love with her,
and I'm still not." Heaving a sigh, she held Dia's hands and stared deep
into her eyes. "I'm in love with you, and that's not about to
change."

Diandra looked back at Lizbeth, tears glistening in her
eyes. "I know you love me, you love us, and I know I've made my share of
mistakes. Look, I'm new at this. I've never been with anyone but Jonah- not
until you. I'm scared. I don't want to lose you."

"Oh, baby, you're not losing me. I'm right here,"
Lizbeth said, wiping the tears gently from her lover's face. "I'm right
here, and I'll always be here. We have each other, and that's not about to
change." As she pulled Dia close to her chest, her heart ached for what
she had now, and the life she was terrified of losing. She vowed that she would
change- somehow, she'd find a way to make things right. But she couldn't stop
talking to Sandra. She could live without her in her life, but she couldn't
live with the knowledge that Sandy could die, and it would be all Lizzie's
fault.

That thought remained strong in her mind, even as Diandra
took her by the hand and led her upstairs. Eamon had gone back to his bushes outdoors
to guard them for the night, and Adrian had retired to his room after RaeLynn
went to sleep. As the women went to bed, Lizbeth gave one last regretful
thought for the situation she'd put them all in- herself, Diandra, and Sandra-
and then she turned her attention and her hands to Dia's body.

The women needed no light, nor wanted any. They wanted only
touch, sensations, and sounds. The sigh of silk over skin as Lizbeth slid
Diandra's robe off to land in a soft puddle on the floor beside the bed. The
sounds of Lizbeth's moan as Dia used her teeth to slip the panties from her
lover's body and the touch of heated skin against skin as they tumbled together
to the bed. The taste of fresh desire as Lizbeth slid her tongue inside
Diandra's soft folds nearly undid her. She couldn't get enough of this woman,
and could scarcely believe the doubts that plagued the woman who made each day
worth waking up to.

Diandra ran her fingers gently through Lizbeth's soft
chestnut-colored locks, occasionally squeezing her hand into a fist as her hips
writhed with the electricity pulsing through her system. Lizzie continued
worshiping Dia with her mouth, sliding two fingers inside and working them in
and out slowly. Diandra cried out as the first orgasm peaked, and moaned as the
second hit nearly on top of the first. Using her supernatural strength, she
pulled Lizzie up and put her on her back, diving between those lightly tanned
thighs to return the favor.

Lizbeth tore at the sheets, whimpering as she fought the
urge to shout her pleasure to the rooftops. This was one area where things were
always right between them, and it normally spread to the rest of their lives. Here
they could communicate with soft sounds of pleasure, whispered endearments, and
tender touch what they had trouble putting into words outside the bedroom. Here
their bodies couldn't lie, and they could remember their love when things
weren't as they should be between them. Here their love could be rekindled, and
so often was.

As they curled up in each other's arms, hearts slowly
returning to their normal beating, their breath regulating, life made sense
again. They didn't know how long it would last, but they knew it would all be
all right in the end. They were in love, and they were both confident that true
love was the strongest element in life.

Lizbeth and Diandra discovered a new way to connect that
night, and they took advantage of it. They stumbled upon it by accident, but it
was blissful. They were able to connect and share the same dreams, and as
Diandra had been dreaming about frolicking nude along the beach that ran
outside their back door, Lizbeth was thrilled to join her.

She'd been dreaming about Diandra, and she supposed that was
what connected them. Nothing else made sense, not that sharing dreams made much
sense to begin with. In any case, she went from replaying their lovemaking in
her head to the dazzling light of day as her bare feet hit the sand. She
dropped into a defensive crouch, waiting for the attack. When it didn't come,
and she glimpsed flashes of pale skin and fiery hair, she straightened and
removed the gauzy robe she found herself wearing. It was as good as wearing
nothing, pale ivory and translucent, and it felt like Heaven against her
sensitive skin.

Letting out a yell, Lizbeth made a mad dash for the water.
"What are you doing here?" Diandra asked incredulously, brushing
water droplets from her face splashed up by Lizzie's entry into the warm ocean.
"I wasn't visualizing you, I don't think…" she said, voice trailing
off in confusion.

Lizbeth laughed. "I was dreaming of you, though, and I
guess that was all it took." She reached out and grabbed Diandra's hand,
holding it tenderly. "Am I so unwelcome then?" she asked, half
teasing, half serious.

"Oh, baby, of course not," Diandra said with a
grin, raising Lizzie's hand to her mouth and pressing a gentle kiss to the top
of it. "I just didn't expect to share my naked romp with anyone, that's
all."

Lizzie ran her eyes suggestively down Dia's glistening body.
"Then let's take advantage of the privacy and lack of normal laws,"
she said with a laugh, running her hands down the path her eyes had followed.
She pulled Diandra's body against her own and slid two teasing fingers inside
that tight passage. Dia's eyes closed and she let out an eager moan, treating
Lizbeth's body to the same delightful sensations. The women rocked their hips
forward and back, and the water felt like wet fingers rubbing along their
sensitive clits, bringing them to a simultaneous peak quickly. Gasping, Lizbeth
slid boneless under the water, enjoying the lack of normal laws of nature. She
could go without breathing, and she took advantage, plunging her face between
Diandra's legs and tasting the orgasm the water had coaxed.