Kissing with Fangs (7 page)

He'd heard the story months ago. The humans at his bar had discovered the existence of paranormals, and before all hell could break loose, Kurt had frozen the room. Because this happened early in the afternoon, Anthony was in his death sleep. Nick knew of another vampire he could call. A vampire able to arrive before the sun went down and compel everyone at the bar to forget what they'd heard.

If only he could discover that vampire's secret. He could be with Claudia during the day, and Ruxandra would be powerless to stop them.

Then he remembered he'd have to protect both of them during the night, and his pleasant fantasy went poof.
Damn. There has to be a way to end this without bloodshed.

***

Four hours later, the guys had moved all of Claudia's furniture into her new apartment over the tea shop and were getting ready to leave.

“Oh. I almost forgot something,” Kurt said. He pulled what looked like a chess piece out of his pocket.

“What's that?”

“It's called
the
little
warrior
. It's a charm for protection. Call it a housewarming gift.”

Claudia accepted the piece and turned it over in her hand. It was a little larger and more elaborate than a chess piece. The warrior looked like a Viking wearing armor, a helmet with horns, and a fierce expression. He was even holding a sword.

“Uh…thanks.”

“What are you going to name him?” Kurt asked.

Claudia was about to smirk when she noticed that Kurt looked perfectly serious. He was rarely serious, so she stopped and considered the question. Maybe he was superstitious, but that was no reason to make fun of his gift. “How about Alexander, for Alexander the Great? He looks like he needs an impressive name.”

Kurt nodded his approval. He spoke directly to the statue. “Alexander, this is Claudia. She is a good friend and a woman of great integrity. She deserves a safe haven in which to live. You are now honor bound to protect her and her home.”

Claudia didn't know what to make of this. Should she laugh? Something told her not to. Maybe changing the subject would be best. “Uh… Can you both stop in tomorrow for a free lunch? I want to thank you for your help tonight, and it'll give me a chance to prep for the grand opening the next day.”

Tory grinned. “I'd never turn down a free lunch.”

“Neither would I,” Kurt said. “But are you sure you want to do that with only one day to unpack and settle in before the madness starts?”

“Absolutely.” She hugged them both and said good night. As soon as her door was locked, she leaned against it and sighed. Glancing across the living room, she spotted Kurt's extra key to the building on the side table.

Oh, shoot.
She could wait to give it to him the next day, but he was right here. She grabbed it and opened her door ready to trot downstairs. Then she looked at the warrior in her hand. When she heard their voices, something made her stop and listen.

“I know. I'm worried about her too.”

“At least we got her out of Cambridge. I'm almost sure that's where the facility is. With so many of us over there trying to find it, she'd be bound to wonder sooner or later.”

Facility? What facility? Were they talking about me? Ruxandra? Could this night get any stranger?

Just then the outer door opened and shut, cutting off their conversation.

What was going on? Did it have something to do with Ruxandra finding her? She figured Anthony's jealous ex had simply followed him there.

And what kind of facility could they be looking for? Had Ruxandra opened a secret gym or something? She was always in great shape and was certainly strong as hell, which she demonstrated anytime she heaved a chair at somebody's head.

I
should
ask. I wasn't really eavesdropping. It was more like accidentally hearing, and it sounded like they were protecting me from something they didn't want me to know about.
But perhaps she needed to.

Claudia set the warrior on the half wall beside the door, then charged down the stairs and flew out onto the sidewalk. “Kurt! You forgot your keys.”

The two guys turned around. Kurt strolled back to her and held out his hand. “Sorry about that.”

Claudia pulled the keys away and held them firmly in her fist. “What were you two talking about just then?”

Kurt glanced over his shoulder at Tory and asked absently, “Uh, just when?”

“When you were leaving. I heard you say something about a facility in Cambridge.”

Tory's eyes widened and he quickly joined them. “It was nothing. Nothing to do with you, anyway.”

Claudia narrowed her eyes and tried her stare-down technique. It usually worked with employees. “Are you sure about that?”

The next thing she knew, she was in her apartment wondering, “What was I just about to do? There was something…” She searched her brain, but nothing came to mind. Scratching her head, she shuffled off to her new bedroom to unpack.

***

“I'm sorry I'm late. I had to be sure Ruxandra didn't follow me—again.”

Claudia stepped aside and let Anthony into her new apartment. “Mmm-hmm. So, did you come up with any more threats? Maybe something effective this time?”

She wasn't yelling, but that wasn't Claudia's way. Her hand on her hip and lack of a smile showed her annoyance. She only broke out the sarcasm when she was really ticked off.

“I don't blame you for being upset. This should have been a monumental evening for the two of us. Instead, I left and had to send a couple of friends to pick up the pieces.”

She stalked away and threw her hands in the air. “When is this going to end? Do I have to keep looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life?”

He wished he could say an unequivocal “no,” but he could not. “I'm sorry, Claudia. I know this can't be easy for you—”

“Do you? Do you have any idea how
not
easy this is? Sometimes the urge to drink comes out of nowhere and seems unrelated to anything going on. Then I think about the stress I'm under and wonder why I haven't relapsed before this.” She sat down hard on her couch.

“Did you pick up a drink tonight?”

“No. But I could have.”

“I imagine you could at any time.”

She stared at him. At first her expression was hard. Then she let out a deep breath and sagged against the cushions. “You're right. I called my sponsor and she calmed me down.”

“Good.” He sat next to her and rested his hand on her knee. “I don't know much about it, but I think that's what a sponsor is for. Right?”

“Not just that, but yes. Talking to her helped.”

He tried to joke. “Maybe I should talk to her.”

“You?”

She obviously didn't get it.

“I'm kidding. But I do wish I had someone like that at times.”

“You should have me.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he'd heard her clearly.

He squeezed her knee and then wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Don't worry about me. I just want you to be safe. I have plenty of friends who will give me an objective opinion—even if I don't ask for it.”

She smiled. “I imagine Kurt and Tory are good for that.”

“They certainly are. In fact, I plan to talk with them just as soon as I tuck you into bed.”

She glanced up at him coquettishly. “You're going to tuck me in?”

He realized his mistake too late. If he went into her bedroom, there was a good chance he'd forget about coming out, and he'd asked his friends to meet him in half an hour. “I, uh… Maybe I should wait on that.”

She snorted. “Good. Because I was going to say, ‘Not tonight, honey. I have a backache.'”

Whew.

***

“Thanks for getting Claudia settled in, guys,” Anthony said. “I'm afraid I have another favor to ask of you. Maybe just some advice or ideas.”

Kurt settled against Anthony's couch. “Shoot.”

“I'm sorry to take any time away from your searching for the lab, but I need to keep Ruxandra from finding Claudia. Her life is in danger. Ruxandra obviously knows she was moving, but I'd rather she didn't know Claudia lives right over the tea shop.”

“Why don't you just mesmerize her?” Tory asked. “Make her think Claudia moved to Timbuktu.”

Anthony dropped his head in his hands. “If I could trick her into letting me mesmerize her, I'd just erase all suspicion of me and Claudia as a couple. I had her convinced it was all business between us until…”

“Until you were swapping spit on the sidewalk,” Tory said.

Anthony rolled his eyes.

Kurt scratched his chin. “I'm thinking…”

Anthony had hoped his wizard friend would come up with a magical solution, but he didn't want to come right out and ask. The man had powers Anthony didn't understand. Only Kurt knew what could be done and what the consequences might be.

“I can do a spell to make Claudia invisible, but that might become a problem if a customer wants to
see
the manager.” Kurt smirked.

Anthony and Tory groaned.

“Sorry. I shouldn't joke.”

No. You shouldn't. I'm desperate here.

“Maybe I could…”

Anthony leaned forward.

“Nah. That wouldn't work,” Kurt muttered. “I'd need her cooperation for that.”

“Ruxandra's cooperation? That's unlikely.”

“I know.” Kurt held up one finger. “On the other hand, I've never
bound
a vampire before, and I'm not entirely sure I can since she's dead and all, which is kind of the ultimate binding.” He shook his head, as if another idea was out the window.

Kurt's thinking out loud was driving Anthony crazy, but if that's how Kurt's thought process worked, he'd have to let him do it.

“I've got the solution. I just have to spell it out. Get it? Spell?”

“You're killing me, Kurt.”

“Relax. I
think
I can do something. I might be able to make Claudia invisible to Ruxandra only. I just hope Ruxandra's not too bright and won't question a teapot floating in midair.”

“Unfortunately, Ruxandra's very bright and questions everything.”

“Shoot. Just the way I like 'em,” Kurt mumbled.

Anthony raised his eyebrows. “Hold on. Are you saying you might be interested in her?”

Kurt squirmed. “Don't take this the wrong way, but I can't figure out why you two drifted apart. I wish I had a gorgeous woman as devoted to me as she is to you. Women can be so damn fickle.”

“Is this about the Dear John letter you received during your deployment?”

“Two deployments. Two Dear John letters.”

“Ouch. That's rough. You can have Ruxandra if you can transfer her affections from me to you. Is there some magic spell that can do that?”

Kurt laughed. “I'd really be messing with the universe if I magically made her love me instead of you. That's major manipulation.”

“But she
doesn't
love me. Not really. She's obsessed with me and mistakes it for love.”

“All the more reason not to shift her feelings from you to me. I don't want a stalker any more than you do.”

Tory elbowed his friend. “What if you do it the old-fashioned way? Steal her affections? Bring her flowers and shit.”

Kurt and Anthony stared at each other. Eventually they both burst out laughing.

“What the hell. It's worth a try.”

Anthony's jaw dropped. Apparently, they were laughing for different reasons. “Seriously? You'd do that for me?”

“Hell, I'm doing it for me. I'd love to have a fling with a feisty blond bombshell.”

“And you're not afraid she'll devour you?”

“Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. There's nothing the universe likes more than a good protection spell.”

“Then you can do a protection spell for Claudia. Right?”

“I gave her a talisman.”

“But a talisman can be lost or stolen. Is there a way to surround her with magical protection wherever she goes?”

Kurt nodded.

“Why didn't you suggest that right away?”

“She has to agree. And at first I didn't think it would be enough. Ruxandra would still get between you two. But maybe that coupled with me as a distraction…”

“Try it. Please. If it'll keep Claudia safe, I'll find a way to make her agree to it without telling her too much. And if you're willing to take on Ruxandra…” Anthony put all the hope he could find into his voice.

Kurt grinned. “Challenge accepted.”

“I must be out of my mind,” Claudia said.

“Trust me. If you'll let me do this one itty-bitty spell, it will protect you from Ruxandra. I promise.”

Claudia poured more tea into Kurt's cup. “You really believe in magic?”

“Yup.”

Tory hadn't said a word. She wondered what the down-to-earth ex-football player thought of this. On the other hand, Kurt, an ex-marine, believing in magic was a big enough surprise.

As if he'd heard her, Tory spoke up. “I've seen it work. I don't pretend to understand it, but Kurt does. He really has a gift.”

“Can Anthony be here while you're doing…your thing?”

“Why? Don't you trust me?”

“Not as much as I trust Anthony.”

“Didn't he call you last night and ask you to accept my help today?”

“He left a voice mail, but I thought he meant moving furniture or something.”

“He meant magical help. Ruxandra's got it in for you, and believe me, you do
not
want to go up against her. I also have ways to protect the shop itself. And after last time…I know it wasn't Ruxandra who burned the bar to the ground, but it
was
a jealous woman.”

“That's right. Drake had one date with her, and she turned into a psycho stalker when he dumped her for my friend, Bliss. Oh, boy.” Claudia sighed. “I guess it can't hurt.”

“Exactly.” Kurt rubbed his hands together. “So, you'll let me give you a little magical protection?”

She rolled her eyes. “Why not?”

“That isn't a yes.”

“You want me to say, ‘Yes'?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, then. Yes. I guess.”

“Good enough. I have a few supplies with me.” He plunked the gym bag he'd brought with him on a chair.

“What the heck? Are you going to hang stinky socks around the place to ward off evil spirits or something?”

Kurt laughed. “Not exactly.” As he pulled nine candles out of the bag, she noticed a hollowed-out portion at the bottom of each. Then he withdrew some kind of botanical mixture and began stuffing it inside the holes.

“Anthony said you had some glass candleholders—enough for nine tables.”

“We have more than that, in case one breaks.”

Kurt grinned. “After I'm through protecting the place,
nothing
will break.”

“Seriously?”

“Trust me. Now, where are the candleholders?”

“On the shelves under the cash register.”

“I'll get 'em,” Tory said. He jumped up and rounded a display case with special teas in tins or bagged and ready for sale. Returning with as many candleholders as he could carry, he had to go back for the rest.

Claudia watched, fascinated, as Kurt held the stuffed candles upside down and placed the hurricane glass over each, then flipped them over one by one. None of the ingredients spilled out. If she hadn't watched him fill the hollow, she'd never have been the wiser.

Kurt held his left hand over each candle in turn and murmured some words in another language.

It was all Claudia could do not to laugh.
Does
he
really
think
these
candles
are
some
kind
of
magical
talisman
or
something?

Kurt opened his eyes and began setting one in the center of each table. “You'll never need to replace these.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, they'll appear to burn down an inch or so, but won't go any further. You can light them first thing in the morning if you want and let them burn until closing every night. Don't give them another thought.”

The next thing Kurt extracted from his mystery bag was a set of bells.

“You're not going to hang those over the door, are you?”

He stopped in mid-stride. “Yeah, I am. Why?”

“If they tinkle every time someone opens the door, they'll drive me crazy.”

“They'll keep evil from entering.”

“Okaaay.” Claudia tried not to smirk.

Kurt took a deep breath and let it out in a frustrated whoosh. “You've heard of exorcisms, right?”

“Yeah…”
What's he getting at? Is Linda Blair a big tea drinker?

“There are always bells. And churches…always bells. Just go with it, okay?”

If
I
was
coming
in
hungover, they'd drive me nuts, but I'm sober now.
“Okay. I'll try to get used to them.”

“Good.” He hung the bells and murmured some more strange words. “Now that I've finished out here, can we use the office for a protection spell specifically for you?”

“Sure.”

Out of his bag, Kurt withdrew a long, wooden branch studded with brightly colored stones. A pointed crystal was attached to one end.

“You aren't going to make me lie down while you walk around me with a magic wand, are you?”

Kurt tipped his head. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Holy
crap.
“Seriously?”

“I wasn't going to have you lie down. You can sit or stand, but I
am
going to cast a circle of protection around you.”

Claudia shook her head. “I don't know why I'm letting you talk me into this.”

“Because Anthony wants you to be safe.”

She rose. “Fine. Let's go.”

Kurt grabbed his gym bag off the chair beside him and followed her.

After he'd rolled up the carpet, he scrubbed the hardwood floor with some clear mixture he'd brought in a mason jar. After that, he poured a circle of salt around both of them. Then he placed various rocks and plants just inside the circle and poured another circle of salt, trapping the various items between the two lines of salt.

“Seems like overkill,” she muttered.

“It's an extra-powerful barrier between you and anyone who wants to harm you.”

“So I have to stand in here anytime the boogey-woman comes after me?”

Kurt laughed. “No. Once the spell is cast, you'll be protected wherever you go. Well…you'll see.”

Claudia was through protesting and questioning. She'd do this for Anthony's peace of mind and no other reason. Wait a minute…she had one more question.

“I just thought of something. What if Ruxandra has one of her fits and knocks the candles over? The place could go up in flames—again.”

“Won't happen. Trust me.”

She took a deep breath and tried to believe he knew what he was doing.

Kurt grabbed his wand and pointed it at the place where the wall met the ceiling. Then he walked around her, speaking more gibberish. She felt ridiculous until she saw a blue light glowing inside the crystal at the tip of the wand.

Hmm…must be some kind of trick of the light. Like a prism or something.

On his last pass, a stream of blue light shot out of the tip, tracing the entire circle, and she gasped.

***

Anthony lifted his fist to knock and wondered why he was so nervous. It wasn't as if he hadn't visited Claudia at her apartment before. But this time she was in
his
apartment building and it was the night before
their
grand opening. Perhaps because their lives had become so completely intertwined—at his insistence—he now felt a greater sense of responsibility for her.

No
. Responsibility came naturally to him. That wasn't it.

Without analyzing himself further, he knocked twice.

A few moments later, Claudia opened the door and beamed when she saw him. She wore a dress he hadn't seen before. It was purple and set off her blond hair beautifully. He realized he was grinning too.

“Are you ready for the grand opening tomorrow?” he asked.

She lowered her head and looked up at him through hooded eyes. “There's another kind of grand opening I'd like to get to tonight.”

Anthony raised his eyebrows and swept her into his embrace. After a long, impassioned kiss, he was dying to take her into her bedroom.

Hell, why waste any more time?

He hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her there while she giggled. Fortunately, her door was open and most of her things had been put away, so he had a clear path to his destination. He dropped her onto her bed and she bounced, laughing.

Anthony dove over her, trapping her body beneath his.

She was beautiful. Not that she wasn't always pretty, polished, and put together, but tonight she glowed. Her eyes were clear and searching, as if she were looking at him for the first time. Perhaps she was. She had described her newfound sobriety as a catalyst to the serenity she had always sought.

“You're breathtaking, Claudia.”

She laughed. “You don't need to butter me up, you know. At this point, I'm pretty much a sure thing.”

“I'm not buttering you up. I'm telling the truth.” He brushed a lock of hair away from her chin. Then he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her more reverently.

The words “I love you” flowed through his mind, but it wasn't a good time to say them. Could she say them back? She had enough to deal with tonight. He was just happy she hadn't let her sponsor talk her out of their budding relationship.

“You surprised me. I had hoped to have candles lit and a negligee on when we finally got to this point.”

“No need for atmosphere as far as I'm concerned. But if you need to feel romantic…”

“Oh, hell no.” She cupped the back of his head and dragged his lips to hers. He kissed her again thoroughly.

“I—uh…I wonder if you'd mind if I hung up my dress. I was just trying it on to be sure it fit, so I could wear it tomorrow.”

“Of course.” He backed off of her and helped her up.

She turned her back to him and said, “Would you mind unzipping me?

He smiled.
Mind?

Anthony lowered the zipper slowly, revealing her skin a little at a time. When he came to the bottom and peeled back the shoulders so she could step out of the dress, he groaned. Her fair skin was shining. The curves of her lower back and bottom were as perfect as he'd imagined.

As if she'd known he was coming, she wore only a matching black bra and panties. No hose to contend with, thank goodness.

She hung her dress in her well-stocked closet and turned around.

His breath hitched.

She smiled shyly. She must have seen the lust in his eyes as he boldly admired her.

“Your turn,” she reminded him.

He whipped off his suit jacket, tie, shirt, pants, and underwear in record time. This time she was the one to stare, apparently fixated on the part of his anatomy that was more than ready to please her.

“Come here,” he commanded and was surprised to hear the hoarseness in his voice. She strolled to him, deliberately seductive, and let him envelop her in his arms. He caressed her back and kissed a trail down her neck, pausing over her pulsing jugular vein.

Someday, perhaps.
He knew he could heighten the pleasure of sex for both of them with a loving suck there, but she wasn't prepared. She would have to know what he was and trust him completely.

With the delightful fantasy in his head, he unhooked her bra and helped it slip off her shoulders. When she pulled back enough to remove it, she revealed the creamiest set of full breasts his hands could hold.

“God,” he whispered.

She smiled and shimmied out of her panties. With them standing as naked as Adam and Eve, he had to force himself not to tackle her to the floor and take her right there.

Damn
it
all. I've held back long enough.

He grasped her and while they kissed desperately, he lowered them both to their knees. They tumbled to the brand-new carpet and continued to kiss and grope. When she grabbed hold of his cock, pleasurable sensations shot through him and he groaned unconsciously.

He rolled her onto her back and bent over her breasts. Cupping one, he suckled as she arched and moaned. Then he switched to the other, and while he sucked, he rubbed her sweet spot until she writhed and begged him to fill her.

“Not yet,” he said. He leaned back enough to see her face as she came apart in his arms. Her cries of climax filled him with satisfaction. She went limp in his arms and whispered, “Oh, my God.”

As soon as she caught her breath, she asked, “Are you ready?”

He laughed. “Honey, I've been ready for five years.”

She grinned and parted her legs. He kneeled between them and held her gaze as he gently entered her. She bent her knees and raised her hips to meet him. When he was fully seated, she closed her eyes and cooed.

“Are you all right?”

She gazed at him with hooded eyes. “Never better.”

He feathered kisses down her neck and found his rhythm. She rocked with him, meeting every thrust. Her soft moans encouraged him. The indescribable sensations sparked a fire he had long forgotten. A white heat burned within. Eventually, he felt the inevitable tingle at the base of his spine.

He sped up and bore down on her pelvis, hoping to bring her over the edge with him. When she threw back her head and let out a strangled cry, he tumbled over the brink. The most incredible sensations shook him to his core. He rode her to the last aftershock and finally stilled when her cries faded. Her hands slipped off his back and flopped out to her sides. She grinned even as she was inhaling lungfuls of air.

He smoothed the hair off her dewy forehead and smiled back at her. “Was it all right?”

She giggled loudly. “If by ‘all right,' you mean incredible.”

He buried his nose in her hair and kissed her temple, her cheek, her chin, and made his way to her lips where they shared a long, meaningful kiss. It was as if they were sealing their hope for a future together.