Cleopatra's Return: A Paranormal/Vampire Romance (11 page)

Michael, usually so graceful
and composed, stumbled. Why he felt like a callow youth around her with no control of his body or thoughts, he didn’t know, but he loved it. He handed her into the limo and heard her gasp. The reason was Julius seated in the farthest corner.

“Glad you could come
, Jules,” said Michael as he slid in beside her.

Julius inclined his head at him and then briefly looked at Cleo and said gruffly
, “You look fantastic.”

“Thank you.” Cleo’s words were soft
, and she didn’t look at Julius when she said them, although she did snuggle tight to Michael’s side.

He put an arm around her as he resisted the urge to instead slide it through the slit in her dress to check her
pantyless claim. However that would be cruel of him with Julius sitting so close.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“A party.”

“A vampire party?” she questioned.

“No, a Fae one.”

She said nothing for a moment. “You do realize
, given their longevity and the beings they associate with, I will be recognized.”

“I hope so. I am most honoured that the most beautiful queen to have ever ruled on this mortal plan
e chooses to accompany me.”

Michael quite enjoyed the blush he brought to her cheeks
. Tough as she might present herself to the outside world, she also hid a soft core of femininity and a need for acceptance that brought out his protective side. Of course his comment didn’t go unnoticed by the other occupant in the car, and he held his fist in check at Julius’s snort.

Once again he was reminded that his beautiful goddess was more than capable of fighting her own battles.
I just wish she didn’t have to.

“You flatter me,” she said with a pointed glare at Jules. “But, there are many
, just like your roommate over there, who will have believed the rumors put out about me. They may not be, how should I put this,
courteous.
”

“Then I will kill them.”

As her laughter rang out, a warm genuine sound, Michael lost the battle. He kissed her, lightly so as to not ruin her lipstick but with enough passion to bring a gleam to her eyes and for him to scent her desire.

“Oh
, Michael, I wasn’t worried about me. I can handle a roomful of jerks and the snide whispers. However, I don’t want to see you put in a bad spot because of your association with me.”

“Let me worry about that. I meant what I said. I am proud to
have you at my side and not afraid to show it. And if someone dares hurt you with words or actions, they will face my wrath.”

He’d rend them limb from limb. Even Julius treaded thin ice.
But for the sake of their friendship, he’d give Jules a chance. Despite Jules’ discomfort at their intimate banter, Michael could see the longing as well.

It gave him hope that all would turn out well, even if a small part of him wanted to keep Cleo all to himself.

I might have offered to share, but a selfish part of me would prefer to keep her to myself.

In under an hour, t
hey arrived at their destination, another manse much like his own, surrounded by acres of land. Bought years ago when humans began encroaching their forests, the Fae maintained the property through the generations by using glamored humans to keep their secret safe.

A footman
dressed in silvery livery opened the limo door for them, and Julius clambered out first, followed by Michael, who then turned around to help Cleo out. A long, tanned expanse of leg emerged first, the slit riding high and almost giving him a peek of her sex, which she’d naughtily kept bare. Unfortunately, she stood, and the material of her skirt covered her before he could see any pink. No matter, he’d see, and, even better, taste it later.

Julius stood off to the side, scanning the shadows only dimly lit by pastel lanterns that proved more decorative than practical. As Michael headed up the steps, with Cleo’s hand resting on his bicep, he sensed Jules trailing behind them.
They entered the house, the vestibule large and gleaming with its white marble floors, pillars dusted in silver flakes, and the walls papered in varying shades of ivory flowers.

There were few beings milling about the reception area, and almost none paid them any mind. Of course the
one who did, a knee-high fairy with a voluptuous woman’s body wearing a wispy layered gown of rose, squeaked when she saw them. She fluttered away on ruby-colored, translucent wings and whispered frantically in the ear of another fairy, whose colors were more of an emerald blend. The two of them shared a look then made no attempt to curb their curious avarice as they stared at his date.

Their interest did not go unnoticed.
Cleo tilted her chin higher, her face a stony mask. She appeared aloof, but Michael could feel the tension thrumming through her. They approached ten-foot-high wooden panels carved with a fresco of fairies and woodland creatures frolicking in the forest. The double doors were wide-open, offering access to the grand ballroom. From within they could hear the buzz of voices and the low thrum of music. Cleo’s anxiety, while hidden on the outside, was noticeable to him.

Michael leaned to murmur in her ear, “Are you all right? We can leave if you like.”

She shook her head. “I’m fine. Is it strange for me to admit I am nervous though? I mean it’s silly. I’ve probably hosted bigger events than this in my day.”

“But that was centuries ago.”

“Oh, I held my fair share in Hell just to irritate Lucifer. We had a bit of a running competition on who could host the better party. But for some reason…” She trailed off, and she sucked at her lower lip in the most delicious fashion.

“You are back on the mortal plane and about to face a plethora of beings who make an art of judging others.
Of dissecting them with a gaze. Of weighing their power and where they rank.”

“You say that
, and yet you don’t seem the least bit nervous,” she said.

“Because I know them. And as far as I am concerned
, they are all beneath me and, since we are together, far beneath you too. Come, my little goddess. Do not let their petty nature touch you. Let them envy me and hate you.”

“Michael!”

“Hate you because they have not an ounce of your beauty, grace, or power.”

“I no longer rule.”

“And yet, even without a kingdom, only an idiot wouldn’t see how you shine.” And she did. There was something special about Cleo, something more than her history or lineage. She was a goddess in the flesh.

“Flattery will get you everywhere.”

“There’s only one spot I want to be.” Between her thighs and in her heart.

Sucking in a deep breath, she threw back her shoulders and adopted her regal poise.
Jules, who’d born silent witness to their conversation with a crease between his brows, sidled up and took a stance on her other side.

The major domo took one glance at them as they entered and did a double take. Clearing his voice, he turned to the assembly and in a boom
ing voice amplified by magic announced them.

“Grand Vampire
and former archangel, Master Michael, accompanied by former Roman general, Julius Caesar, and the last Ptolemaic Pharaoh, the Queen of the Nile herself, Cleopatra.”

Stunned silence greeted them then furious whispering. Michael’s
blood and temper boiled as his enhanced hearing caught some of the tidbits being bandied about.

“
It’s the Whore Queen.”

“I heard she fucked all the demons in Hell and Satan
, too, to escape punishment.”

“I wouldn’t mind a piece of her Egyptian ass.”

Michael must have growled aloud because Cleo suddenly stepped in front of him and placed her hands on his lapels.

“It’s okay,” she reassured him. “
I warned you they wouldn’t be nice.”

“It doesn’t make it right,” retorted Julius
, surprising them both.

Michael and Cleo both turned to look at him in surprise.

Jules smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “I know, just yesterday I was one of those idiots. But I’ll admit, after listening to these ignoramuses, you have to admit it’s pretty farfetched. I mean, how are they getting all these stories? She’s been dead and in Hell for centuries. And yet, listening to them, you’d think her history was fresh. Almost as if someone were deliberately seeding the rumors. I mean, even Vlad the Impaler never got this kind of reaction, and he was truly fucking evil.”

“
Two words, Mark Antony,” said Cleo. She shrugged. “He just won’t give up.”

“Oh
, he will after I’m through with him,” muttered Michael under his breath.

“Care for a hand?”
Jules grinned and cracked his knuckles.

Cleo rolled her eyes.
“Men, even centuries later you haven’t changed. Can you kill him after we’ve danced? It’s been ages since I’ve had the chance.”

When
Cleo peered at him with her exotic, kohled eyes, it took more great will power to resist the urge to find an abandoned room and pleasure her—numerous times. “It would be my honor, my goddess.” Michael swung her into his arms and joined the other couples twirling around the vast ballroom.

No surprise,
Cleo fit perfectly in his arms and moved like an extension of his body. Graceful and limber on the dance floor, despite her claim she’d not danced in a while, she had no problem following the rhythm or the steps.

“I didn’t know they taught the waltz in Hell,” he teased.

“How little you know then. When it first emerged on the mortal plane, it was considered quite scandalous, so of course I had to learn it. With the number of rakes getting dispatched in duels and sent to the pit, it wasn’t hard to find a teacher.”

Jealousy flared quick and bright at the thought of another man holding her so intimately.
“Will you ever stop surprising me, Cleo?”

“Seeing as how we’ve only just begun the journey of discovery, I’d say we have a long ways to go before we find out,” was her teasing reply.
Her body brushed his, and his lust, barely under control, roared to life. And she knew it, too, the minx.

She licked her lips and pressed herself closer before drawing away in a teasing dance that made him forget they were in a crowded room. Together they moved, eyes locked on each other, the sizzling heat between them almost visible. The space around them cleared, not that Michael really noticed
, too intent was he on dipping and twirling Cleo, the delighted look on her face so addictive he never wanted to stop.

Eventually the song ended
, and Michael came back to reality with Cleo in his arms, her eyes heavy-lidded with arousal.

Thunderous applause broke out
, breaking the spell. Cleo gracefully gave a half bow to the court as Michael led her to the refreshment table. The tone of the room had shifted somewhat, well, for the male half anyhow. They nodded and smiled at Cleo and patted Michael on the back. The females, however, glared at Cleo, except for a few nymphs, who gave her come-hither glances. Male or female, those brazen hussies were all about sensuality.

Curiosity
about his date won out shortly after Michael fetched a red wine for her and some imported blood for him. It started with vamps surrounding them, many of them fascinated by Cleo, who shone like a sun amidst their darkness. Eventually others joined the group, most smartly staying away from the topic of Hell and her many rude nicknames.

At one point, she tugged on his coat. He leaned down
, and she whispered, “I need to freshen up. I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll come with you.”

She laughed as she shook her head. “While your chivalry is cute, I don’t need your help to go pee. I’ll be fine.”

H
ead held high, she walked through the room, and people scattered for her, which was funny given many were bigger than her and wielded power of their own.
She disappeared through a doorway that led to rooms providing freshening up, among other things, and he tried not to fidget.

“I must say
, Michael,” said a dulcet voice from his left. “You do find the most interesting people to associate with.”

Michael forced himself to look away from where Cleo had disappeared. It wouldn’t do to slight the queen of the Fae, Mab herself.

“Evening, Your Majesty. You’re looking lovely.” While beautiful in an unearthly way, Mab’s lush frame and platinum hair paled in comparison to Cleo’s beauty. At least in his eyes.

“Ever the gentleman. It’s been a while since you’ve graced my court with your presence.”

“I thought it time to visit and pay my respects.”

“And show off a certain
lady
. Wherever did you find her?”

“Would you believe battling demons?”

Mab couldn’t hide her surprise. “On the mortal plane? How brazen.”

“I thought so
, too, which is why I offered her the hospitality of my home.”