High Stakes (6 page)

"Oh!" Well.Um. Getting her blood drawn had never once madeBrittany feel orgasmic. "Does he do that often to you?"
Suck your blood and make you climax
?

"No. I've been flirting with him for weeks. I'm a waitress in the Shadow Lounge and he comes in most nights. Tonight I pretty much threw myself at him, and I'm so glad he caught me. Though it sucks he left.

Things were just getting good."

"Sorry."

The busty blonde, her curves bursting out of a shiny metallic top, laughed. "No biggie. You just had to pee, right?Can't fault you for that."

Brittanylooked at the woman."Right." Only she didn't have to go to the bathroom anymore. That urge was completely gone as if it had never existed.

Now she was strangely hungry instead.

Alexis knew her ass was bigger than Buffy's, but she had to go with what she had. If Ethan Carrick wanted to play vampire games, she'd give him his little thrill for the night. If he wanted to be a vampire, then she would be a vampire slayer.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

Now wearing jeans and a silky camisole top that attempted to make the most out of her breasts, she did a slot machine here and there on the main casino floor, moving closer to the elevator banks. After letting Carrick think he had persuaded her to give it all up, go home, and leave her sister to him, Alexis had, in fact, gone home.But only to change her clothes and formulate a plan.

Five minutes alone withBrittany . That's all she needed to convince her sister to return to her normally scheduled life, sans Ethan Carrick and his creepy Goth crew.

Alone was the key. With Ethan hovering all the time, making her lips tingle, Alexis knew she was going to have problems convincing

Brittanyto leave, so she had to get to her sister when no one else was around.

Winning two dollars on a slot, Alexis printed her ticket and tried to look nonchalant. Casually, very casually—she was so good at this subterfuge thing—she inserted herself into a crowd of drunk, laughing women getting on the elevator. At least she thought they were drunk, but maybe the giggles were just from having a good time. Since Alexis didn't really know how to have a good time, she wasn't really sure.

She pushed the button for the twenty-second floor.

"Dang, I shouldn't have worn a bra," one woman said, reaching into her dress with both hands and tugging.

Alexis guessed her accent was fromTexas , her dress fromNew York .

"So take it off," one of her companions suggested. "Since you had your lift, you should be fine without it."

"There are other people on this elevator," the woman said with great dignity, before dissolving into giggles.

Other people must mean Alexis, because they all seemed to know each other.

"I don't care if you do," Alexis told her. "But there's probably a camera somewhere in here."

"Really?I never thought about that." And the woman proceeded to peel down the front of her bodice, rip off her bra, and shake herta-tas in a slow three-sixty. "Got to catch every angle-I'm not sure whichis my best breast side ."

Her three girlfriends screamed and laughed. Alexis watched with horror, and oh, my God, envy. When in her thirty years oflifehad she ever done anything impulsive, goofy,shocking ?

Never, because it always seemed like frivolity belonged to her mother, and not since she was five years old had Alexis wanted to be anything like her mother. But there was a difference between her irresponsible mother and these women, who were just having fun. In their forties and looking fabulous, they were clearly enjoying life.

Did Alexis enjoy her life?Sort of.

She liked her job, felt satisfaction when she won a case and a person who had committed a crime was forced to serve time for that.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

She was proud ofBrittany , that she had become a dentist, and was happy and well-adjusted, and normally didn't do anything to give Alexis worry.Normally.

But did Alexis enjoy her life?

She wasn't sure.

The elevator opened on the nineteenth floor and the women got off, the brazen one having pulled her dress back up. But she left her bra lying in the middle of the floor with a "that should get peopletalking ."

Alexis moved gingerly around the black lace bra, hoping no one would get on the elevator and think it was hers. She couldn't imagine ditching a bra—that was like throwing thirty bucks on the floor of the elevator.

Brittanywas right. She was wound too tight.

Feeling a little melancholy and edgy, she got off at the twenty-second floor, looked around, gave a startled, "Oh! This isn't right." in case anyone was witnessing her, and turned to the private elevator.

Hitting the up button, she hoped James, the ham-fisted security guard, wasn't hanging around. He would recognize her. She didn't think he was swift enough to figure out what she was doing, but nonetheless, he'd probably call Carrick.

But no one yelled or grabbed her shoulder, so she figured she was safe. The door slid open, she rushed on, and saw this elevator only went to floors twenty-three to twenty-six. Bingo.

She wasn't sure what she would do ifBrittany refused to come with her. Probably have a cow. The whole situation was disturbing on many levels, not the least of which was that in the past,Brittany had always looked to her for advice. Alexis had been able to influenceBrittany , guide her,help her make the right decisions. It was really scary that suddenly her baby sister seemed to be thinking on her own. And not very well, given that she was hooking up with a Gothic cult.

"Twenty-three twenty…" She scanned the hall, heading left when she saw which way the room numbers went.

The carpeting was thick, with black-and-white Art Deco squares, but it still felt like her footsteps were echoing loudly in the hushed hallway. Since this floor was private, the space between doors was farther, and each suite was tucked into a little alcove, with a gunmetal gray placard affixed to the wall next to it with the number on it. Alexis had to admit, as far as tacky casinos went, Carrick's wasn't so bad. She kind of liked the Old Hollywood theme, with its sleek furniture and plush glamour.

Just for one day, it might be nice to trade in her short, big-in-the-booty body, and her tough-talking prosecutor lingo for long legs, a slinky dress, some wicked red lipstick, and a sultry voice that made men drool.

Yeah, like that was going to happen.

And she sure in the hell wouldn't want to live like that for more than one day. Smoldering looks would get exhausting after a while.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

But a date here and there would be nice. Only the men she came into contact with were either smooth-talking defense attorneys or criminals. She wasn't willing to take a chance on a repeat offender, no matter how attractive he might be in a beige jumpsuit. And defense attorneys made her gums itch.

A man stepped out of the alcove directly next to her. "This is a surprise."

After swallowing a scream, Alexis glared at Ethan Carrick. Damn it, she was one freaking door away fromBrittany 's room. Which meant Carrick's room was next toBrittany 's, which kind of made her want to throw up. How could her sister be having sex with this man?

And why couldn't she be having sex with anybody?

"Hello." Even though her heart was beating just a wee bit faster than normal, she gave him a casual smile and started on past him. Not doing anything here…

"I thought that you went home." He stepped in front of her.

"I did." She moved left to get around him.

He shifted, blocking her way. "Then why are you back?"

She moved right. Again he blocked her.

"Look at us, we're dancing," she said in exasperation. "Will you just move?"

Ethan had changed into jeans and a black T-shirt, which showed every one of the well-defined muscles in his long and lean chest and arms. An expensive watch, with a diamond here and there, flashed on his wrist. There wasa darkness in his eyes that she didn't understand, and didn't like.

"Tell me why you're here and I'll move."

Might as well be honest.They were going to get into it whether she told the truth or made up some bullshit story. "Okay, here's the thing. You like to pretend you're a vampire. So I'm pretending to be a vampire slayer. And I'm going to get my sister and take her back to her apartment, where she belongs, away from this freaking fun house."

She expected a little more of a reaction. He didn't move, except for his left eyebrow, whichrose half an inch. "You don't look like you have a stake tucked in that slinky shirt you're wearing."

Jerk. "Maybe I have holy water and I'm going to throw it in your face."

"If you'd like, go ahead. I'm sure it would be refreshing."

"I really think that I hate you," she said, his flippant attitude getting the best of her.

"And here I thought we were getting along so well."

And she didn't understand why being around him reducedner to a frustrated eight-year-old.

Yet it did, and she faked to the left,then ran to the right, in a move any football player would be proud of.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

Only Ethan didn't fall for the fake. He quickly stuck his hand up to block her passage. It was a block, all right, but he also succeeded in grabbing her breast. Just a perfect lineup—his hand, her breast, like a ball and a glove, and she made some kind of startled yelp like a tortured yeti.

For the first time all evening, Alexis actually saw Ethan Carrick lose his cool. While she felt her face flame, and her entire body went stiff, he dropped both his hand and his lower jaw.

"I apologize… that was not intentional…" He frowned.

obviouslyat a loss for words, and man, oh man, did that make her happy-So what that she'd had to get accidentally felt up to reduce him to this? It was worthit, and so amusing to see him struggling and embarrassed. She suddenly felt a whole lot better about old Ethan. It said a lot to her that he could have the decency to turn a little craven after grabbing her boob.

She couldn't stop herself from grinning. "Well, that was good for me.How about you?"

Astonishment crossed his face, but quickly turned to laughter. "You have an interesting sense of humor.

Wittier than your sister." The mention of her sister should have restored her anger, but it didn't. Not really. Alexis felt she had regained the upper hand, or at least stood on even footing with Ethan, and that made her less inclined to violence. "Brittanyis very naive. Her mind doesn't go in the same lowly directions mine does.Which is why she's completely wrong for you. Once you get tired of sleeping with her, you'll be done with her, and I don't want to see her hurt."

"You do know that she wants to stay." Those pale blue eyes of his darkened to denim. "And I think, despite your denials, you can understand the attraction."

Alexis worked a heavy eye roll. "So you've saidBrittany wants stay. But I'm not convinced of that. And I was being sarcastic when I said I enjoyed your touch. It was a joke, Bite Boy."

The smile that played around his lips was smug. "You liked it."

"No, I didn't. I don't find you even remotely attractive. You're like driver's license. I can't avoid you, you cost me time and money and no matter what I do, you make me look bad. You're a necessary evil.For the moment."

"There's nothing evil at all about me."

She was so ready to move on. "I would have thought that was the attraction to the whole vampire club—'Look at us, we're evil, we're so bad, don't mess with us.'" Alexis ducked under his arm to get toBrittany 's room. "Give me a break."

Ethan let her take two steps,then found himself speaking. "I'll cutBrittany loose if you'd like. Tell her to go home."

He leaned against the wall, knowing he was taking a risk, but intrigued by AlexisBaldizzi . He saw shades of himself in her—the determination, the righteousness, the absolute indignation. As a more experienced vampire now, he had suppressed the wildness, the fiery crusading of his youth, and had vowed to use diplomacy to seek the changes he sought.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

After nine hundred years he well understood the world was not black and white, the way Alexis saw it.

Yet despite that difference,Alexis stirred passion in him, roused an urge to do something asinine and showy, like leaping off the top of his hotel just because he could, or flying toParis without the use of a plane just to feel the wind rushing past him. He wanted to tear her clothes off, roll around in a sweaty mass of sheets, and bite her all over her body.

Fortunately, she didn't look willing.

Or unfortunately, because he couldn't stop himself from wanting to convince her she wanted him. Or to admit she wanted him, if she already did want him. It was absurd. But then again, no woman had ever looked him straight in the eye and told him was unattractive before, and it felt a little like he'd sat on a burr. Not a pleasant feeling.

Pride could get him into trouble with this one.

"Why would you tellBrittany to leave?" she asked cynically."Because you want me to beg you to do it?

Forget it. I'll kick your ass before I beg."

It would be interesting to let her try to kick his ass, as she so eloquently put it, but unnecessary. "No, no begging required. Just that you play the game inBrittany 's place." If she thought it was some kind of rich man's hobby, playing vampire, he'd let her believe that.For now.

"What?" Her hands went on her hips. "What the hell have you been smoking? I have a life, a career, court cases. I can't play Barbie. Besides, I don't have the legs for it."

"I don't expect you to forsake your career." He still had a bit of an old-fashioned fascination with a woman doing man's work, but he could certainly see how Alexis would be successful. Lawyers were argumentative, tenacious, and convinced they were right. That was an accurate assessment of Alexis.