Love Hurts (13 page)

“
Like vampires?” Delaney asked.

Frankie made a disgusted expression. “Vampires are bloodsucking leeches. These men didn’t consume blood they grew stronger after sex with a woman. After using a woman’s body they were unstoppable.” Frankie added the last part in because to him that was how he felt after he fed.

“
Frankie, I got to get to class.” Delaney collected her things. “I don’t know what you’re trying to say.”

Frankie sighed. He bit his lip out of sheer frustration. Trying to find a new way to come out and say something without coming out and saying it. “Could a girl love a man who’s genetics made him a murderer? Could you love someone who had to kill to feel normal, someone that couldn’t love you completely because it could kill you if he did?”

Delaney jumped up, in a rush to get to class. She scanned Frankie’s eye for the real reason he was asking her such insane things. He had to be drunk or stoned. “Nobody in their right mind could love someone like that. And no, I would not. Did that answer any of your questions because I have to go.”

Frankie stood, shoving his hands deep down in his pockets. He couldn’t help but want to consume Delaney sexually and put her out of her misery. She was that provoking. He jerked his fingers inside his pockets, fighting the urge to influence her feelings toward him. “Yeah totally, you’re like every normal human being. You don’t love the unfamiliar, I get that. It’s safe.”

Delaney gave him a weird look. “Are you trying to say that I am judging?”

Frankie shrugged. “I’m saying you’re like the rest of the world. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Delaney opened her mouth but was at a loss for words. Frankie raised his hand. “I’m sure Sam would love you even if you were a cold blooded murderer. But that’s just the kind of guy my brother is.”

He could see the confusion on her face. “You said Sam again,” she said.

“
Because he likes Sam, he is a Sam. And always will be a Sam.” Frankie turned on his heels leaving Delaney gob smacked.

Maybe he had gone too far back there. Maybe Delaney was now convinced Frankie was trying to imply that Sam was a murderer. But he had to find out the girl’s heart before he did something as stupid as destroy Rose for his brother.

He hoped that maybe Sam was right in wanting to be with Delaney. That maybe all humans weren’t sad pathetic waste of skin that were self-seeking on their best days. Sadly she only proved what he knew all along. Now he had his answer.

Delaney would never love Sam for who he really was.

Barely there

Sam ran his hands across his face vigorously, the hot steam from the shower filling up his bathroom as he struggled to control himself. He was fighting the urge. The hunger that sat in the pit of his stomach at all times, day in and day out.

He dropped his head, his hands pressed against the smooth granite of his shower wall. He wished the scorching hotness of the water was enough to knock some sense into him.

He was having a hard time controlling the need, a hard time telling himself that he could function without it.

“
Vance,” Delaney called, drifting into the white clouds of fog. She held her breath, waiting for him to say something. But all was silent. The humidity clung to her skin, making her warm and a bit uncomfortable. She stared at the ghostly silhouette behind the misty glass. “Vance.”

Still no answer. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Sam.”

Sam immediately stood upright. “What?” He didn’t realize he answered so quickly to the incorrect name. The name she never called him. But Delaney did and this made her feel a bit strange. Why was it that Sam felt the need to call himself something different when it came to her? She wondered if he was hiding something.

“
I’m home. I wanted to see what you wanted to do for dinner. I thought maybe you wanted to go to my parent’s house with me.” She drug the toe of her black shoe against the floor, feeling a bit hesitant about asking him to visit her parents with her. She knew it made Sam uncomfortable. The painful silence was enough of an answer for her. He didn’t want to go. She turned away, running her fingertips against the mirror, revealing her sad expression.

Sam turned the water off. Gingerly rubbing at his temples before he finally stepped out into the cold air. He toweled himself, watching Delaney’s expression in the mirror. “What’s the matter?”

Delaney curled her fingers in angst against the sink’s countertop. “I called you Sam and you answered. But when I said Vance you never said a thing.” She didn’t see the point in hiding her feelings anymore with him.

Sam stood behind her exposed. The towel at his feet. He didn’t have it in him to fight. Nor did he want to because that meant Rose could be mixed up in their drama and only make matters worse. He lifted his pants from the sink, his bare skin brushing against Delaney. “I’m sorry baby, I’m just wore out.”

Delany closed her eyes in pain, trying to hold it together. He had nothing to be worn out from. He didn’t work long shifts at an overly exhausting job. In fact, she wasn’t that certain of what he did do—seeing she had a life that consumed her—while he busily frequented bars and his brother’s apartment.

“
Maybe I should just start calling you Sam.” She spun around, watching him disappear underneath his t-shirt. “Would that be better?”

Sam searched her eyes for the reason behind this newest problem. It had Frankie written all over it. “Who did you talk to today?” He stepped forward reaching out for her arm, but she pulled away.

“
Why does that matter? I asked you a question. Do you want me to call you Sam?”

“
You can call me whatever you want to call me. Who did you talk to today?” Sam waited. His blue eyes staying pinned on hers. She refused to blink or show him how upset she was.

Sam reached out for her. And was stunned when she didn’t hand herself over to him. He crossed his arms, growing agitated. “What did Frankie say now?”

“
It’s not about Frankie. It’s about this elephant in the room. I feel like there is always
something
I don’t know whenever I talk to that pompous ass you call your brother. What am I missing?”

Sam raised an eyebrow dumbfounded. Delaney was never one to be so agitated and outright offensive. Frankie had to of hit a nerve. Sam moved in, forcing her to accept his touch, which she quickly melted under. He kissed her lips, running his fingers along her jaw line. The contact soothed both of them.

Delaney broke free. “I just don’t understand why he likes to torture me. Am I doing something wrong?”

Sam shook his head, ending her questions with another dominant kiss, one that had his entire body tingling with relief, and his heart pumping out of his chest. He pressed himself against Delaney’s tiny frame, wanting all of her.

“
I got to go,” Delaney said, pulling away. She moved around his body, taking off out of the bathroom. Sam stared down at his pants, feeling the after effects of toying with someone he couldn’t have. He adjusted himself, and after giving her a few minutes, finally took off out the door himself once Delaney was gone.

***

Frankie bent over the pool table taking a final shot, sinking the remaining balls in the pockets. The husky man playing against him grumbled, tossing down a flurry of cash on the table. He walked away bitter that he just lost his entire paycheck. Frankie drained what was left of his beer and took a seat at the bar. He had spent his entire day—besides the morning when he confronted Delaney—in the bar. And that was where he was happiest.

“
Another beer, beautiful?” The older bartender asked. She gave the counter a close swipe with her bar towel before setting a fresh beer down in front of Frankie.

“
Thanks, Shirley,” Frankie said, giving the coy lady a grin. She was old enough to be his grandmother. But it never mattered their age. Woman wanted him regardless. But Shirley and him had an understanding, Frankie knew to leave her alone. Besides that, he had standards and old wasn’t one of them.

“
Look who’s out getting drunk,” Dylan teased, coming up from behind Frankie. Shirley shot Frankie an amused grin. She knew he had a fan. She also knew Frankie admired her.

“
College let you out already?” he asked, tapping the counter to notify Shirley to order the usual.

“
It’s past eight. How long have you been in here today?” She smiled courteously at Shirley, accepting the Jack Daniels. But instead of drinking it, she just cupped it with her hands watching Frankie’s image in the mirror that lined the bar in front of them.

“
The most part, why? Did I miss some earth shattering event?” he asked. He had nothing better to do with his time then get drunk or chase woman.

Frankie spun around in his chair until he was face to face with Dylan. He jerked her chair closer. It didn’t take more than his dazzling smile to reel her straight to his lips. She leaned into him, accepting his perfect lips that always left her heart racing and her body aching for more.

Frankie felt an irritating tap on his shoulder mid kiss. He slid his fingers from Dylan’s hair, opening his eyes to the blur of Sam’s fist, the collision enough to knock him off of his stool. Dylan screamed, jumping down from the bar.

“
What are you doing?” she cried, trying to help Frankie up from the floor. She grabbed his arm, dropping down beside him to make sure he was alright.

The bar buzzed with gossip of why the scuffle was taking place. Most were convinced it was over the girl Frankie was feasting on all the way up until the fatal blow.

Frankie got up, pressing his palm vehemently into his jaw. He jerked his jaw back and forth and then surveyed his hand for any traces of blood. He would get to Sam next. First, he wanted to be sure he wasn’t bleeding.

“
That’s for talking to Delaney again without my permission,” Sam explained, shaking his hand. His brother’s face was a lot harder then he remembered.

“
I wasn’t aware I had to have your permission to talk to another person. I’ll make a note of it next time,” Frankie said, shaking his head at his brother’s erratic behavior. “When’s the last time you’ve eaten?”

Dylan stared at the two of them to confused to step in.

“
Don’t worry about my food. Stay the hell away from her. I don’t need you prying in my business.”

Frankie scratched his head. “I think you do. In fact, you came to my house last night asking for just that. So sue me if I was trying to see this from all angles before I went and did your dirty work for you.”

Sam shot Frankie a warning glare. They were in a public place. He didn’t want the public in on their little secret.

“
If all of this is so easy does that mean you came clean with Dylan?” Sam asked, turning his attention to Dylan who was now perched on the barstool completely baffled by all the testosterone soaring around her.

Frankie sighed. “Just go home.”

Sam smirked. “That means no. Let me make something clear to you. You stay far away from Delaney or the next time won’t be so pretty.”