My Vampire Idol (3 page)

I dare you—make him smile.

-Saint

Saint.
Shit.
She shouldn’t have been so careless. Everyone knew what he could do. How many times
had her sisters told her to stay away from Wi-Fi—from all electronics—when she didn’t
want Saint to know her plans?  And this particular vampire hunt was
not
one she wanted him to know about.

He’d mentioned several times that she was his favorite from the demon side of his
family tree, which is why he kept an eye on her, but that wouldn’t last long if she
went through with the plan. Upsetting Saint by collecting a bounty on his roommate
could be dangerous.

On the other hand, this could be her last job for the vampires. One last hunt. As
much as she liked her cousin, he’d spent too much time with humans on that computer
game he’d created. He’d been sheltered. He didn’t know what life as a demon was truly
like after the trials. He didn’t understand what she lived with every day. He had
it easy…he didn’t talk to his siblings.

So why was she still hesitating? Better her than another hunter. She and her sisters
had a reputation for always getting the job done with the least amount of bloodshed.
A six-pack of dynamite—each a gifted and sexually charismatic Halfling born of one
infamously dangerous succubus and sired by a different human father—they were in such
high demand that they could name their price. And the price for Mac was high enough
that Rose could finally get out from under her debt to her family and start her own
life. Finally be free.

His voice was her problem. His beautiful brooding, bearded face was her problem. His
body was definitely a problem. But most of all—
his voice
.

Damn, it was sexy. Full of longing and loss, passion and regret. At least she knew
that vampires couldn’t charm her kind. No creature could. That was why hunting was
a valid demonic career choice. High demand and very little risk.

Still, there was no denying her reaction to it, to him. Or the imp riding on her shoulder
that told her she could wait a little bit longer to call in the cavalry. He wasn’t
going anywhere.

And he was singing one of her favorite songs.

Between Saint’s warning and her reaction, she might have to make some quick adjustments
to her original plan.

Adjustment number one was obvious—sex. She was going to have to seduce him. To feel
the scratch of his beard across her breasts and hear his voice growling her name as
he spread her legs wide and took what he needed. Rose wanted him, so she would have
him. When it came to these types of physical urges, she couldn’t deny herself. It
was a family trait she’d learned to embrace. She would ride the Scottish vampire until
her desire was sated. Feed off his passion as his fangs sank into her soft flesh until
they were both consumed.

It could take days.

A soft moan drew her attention to the young woman sitting beside the blank-faced boy.
Oh dear. The girl had her hand underneath the table, her chair squeaking loudly as
she rocked back and forth, making it obvious to anyone that might be looking what
she was doing as she sought her own release.

“My fault,” Rose muttered apologetically, focusing on pulling herself together. The
pushing wasn’t something she did on purpose—it was involuntary. Like the hiccups…only
with orgasms.

It was a gift she’d never been able to control, unlike the rest of the women in her
family. They used it like a weapon. Pushed and pulled to get what they wanted. Rose
had always wished for that kind of discipline, but all
she
could do was stay away from dirty movies and situations where public displays of
affection were unusual enough to be noticed.

Situations like this one.

She saw the vampire’s fingers hesitate, watched his eyes narrow and focus on the woman
at the table
. Empathy
. He could feel the girl’s desire. Desire Rose had caused because it belonged to her.

At the moment,
she’d
rather have all his attention, and there was only one way to make that happen without
stripping down and standing in front of the stage.

She opened her mouth and started to sing.

Her voice carried over the near-empty bar as she moved closer to the stage, harmonizing
with his husky baritone and causing an old man sitting alone at a nearby table to
whistle wildly.

She could see the storm erupt in his beautiful wintry blue eyes, though he didn’t
sound rattled at all. Their voices merged with an ease that pleased her, but only
seemed to increase his ire.

Didn’t he hear it? How perfectly matched they were? How powerful? She knew sex with
him would be the same. Just as intuitive and passionate.

Rose’s skin warmed and her blood heated with each new verse. They would fit so well
together.

She couldn’t wait.

Mac’s expression told her he knew what she was and why she was here.
Demon hunter.
He would make her pay for taking this moment away from him.

Rose wanted to pay. She would get on her knees and let him punish her until they were
both hoarse from screaming out their pleasure. Those large hands, so delicately strumming
the strings of the guitar, could control her as easily. Pin her down. Spank her. Tie
her up. She could pretend to be an innocent virgin taken by the bloodthirsty Highlander.

Damn, she really liked the sound of that fantasy. It was going right to the top of
her list.

Her voice wavered as they reached the climax of the sad love song, every member of
the small audience groaning so loudly with need she doubted they would catch her minor
mistake.

The imposing Scot stood abruptly, leaning the guitar against the chair. Grabbing Rose’s
wrist, he pulled her behind the curtain without a word.

When they were hidden from view he whipped her around to face him, gripping her shoulders
in a rough way that made her shudder with arousal.

“Whatever you’re doing to them, stop it now, my dear.”

Oh fuck, the way he spoke…

“Um, huh?” The people in the bar. “Oh. That isn’t as easy as it sounds.”

“I can’t promise I’ll... Stop them.
Now
.”

She wanted him right now… “I’ll try, but you have to stop touching me first.”

He took his hands away with obvious difficulty and Rose inhaled deeply. “Thank you,
Mac.”

“So informal?” He took a deep breath. “I don’t suppose we really need introductions
since you’ll be leaving now.”

She wasn’t going anywhere. He might as well learn about her stubborn streak now.

A strange sound, like a snore, broke the tense silence.

Rose glanced down at his jeans. “Is something dying in your pants?”

Mac swore and reached in his pocket, pulling out a cell phone and swiping his large
thumb across the screen. “Fucking juvenile delinquent keeps getting into my phone.
Thinks he’s funny…”

Rose crossed her arms across her chest so she wouldn’t give into the temptation to
touch him. She didn’t have to ask who he was talking about. “He does that to you too?”

He read his message, then his eyes lifted to pin her to the wall with their intensity.
“He says your name is Rose. I didn’t know Saint had cousins.”

She lifted her chin. “Your shifting friend, Thomas Lyons has cousins. I’m sure you
must have had them when you were alive. Did you think because Saint’s a demon that
he doesn’t—that he can’t have family?”

“Not at all.” He lifted one dark auburn brow. “I never asked, and he never offered.
Most of the time we focus on in-the-moment issues. What he’s done to drive me crazy
this time, or why he left dirty dishes in the sink, that sort of thing.”

Oh. He was looking at her so strangely. What else had Saint told him in that text
message? “Well, life is full of surprises. I didn’t know you owned a pair of jeans
and a T-shirt. Or that you could sing.”
Or that you’d smell so good I’d want to beg you to fuck me.

“I’m adapting to life on the run,” he responded with a quirk on his lush, beautiful
lips for an instant before his grim expression returned. He moved closer to her, towering
over her and making her tremble. “And you can sing as well. I suppose you’re the siren’s
call that sailors are warned about. Tell me when the rest of The Devil’s Garden is
arriving, hunter. How do you mean to bring me in and who are you supposed to report
to?”

The Devil’s Garden. It was what the vampires had long ago taken to calling her and
her sisters: Magnolia, Pansy, Daisy, Gardenia, Ivy and Rose. Saint must have told
him, knowing Mac would recognize the name. There weren’t many of his kind that hadn’t
heard stories about them.

Damn it, Saint.
  She wanted to kiss him, and her cousin had practically put up a “no trespassing”
sign by mentioning her sisters. Rose supposed there was no harm in telling him the
truth. To a point. Just to ease his mind. “We’ve spread out to search for you since
you dropped off the grid. New York, Florida, Scotland… I don’t have to check in with
them again until the day after tomorrow unless I get a lead. Which they won’t expect
because I never do.”

His fingers reached up to trace the roped necklace that rested against her skin. “Never?
And you didn’t call them
before
you started arousing my audience and distracting me with all that sexual energy?
Interesting. Bored, demon? Or just hungry? If the latter, I’ve heard of a nearby diner
filled with cruel and thoughtless people ready for you to seduce. Leave this group
alone and go entice
them
with your particular charms.”

She was hungry, but he was the only meal she required. Rose lifted her hands to place
them on his chest, her thighs tightening at the hardness of him. The strength beneath
her hands. She scraped her nails across his nipples and down to his stomach without
taking her eyes off of him.

His gaze narrowed, his thick lashes concealing those crystalline gems. “Is this how
you hunt, demon Rose? Are you the siren and the bait—with your short skirt, perfect
curves and dark, innocent eyes—meant to distract me until they can spring the trap?”

“We know I’m not innocent, but am I really a distraction, vampire?” she whispered,
leaning forward until her breath grazed his lips. “That kind of thing is usually Magnolia’s
job. She’s had men like you tied up and on their knees…and they were smiling when
they were finally taken away.” She chuckled softly. “I’m not bait, I’m just the scout
who wasn’t expecting our target to be so damn sexy.”

Mac growled and lifted Rose into the air and pressed her against the wall with his
large, chiseled body. “You underestimate your skills.”

“No I don’t. Sadly, everyone else does.”

When his lips covered hers, Rose melted against him.
Yes
. Rough and wild, as though he couldn’t restrain his desire. As though he would take
her right here, right now, against the wall.

She wrapped her legs around his waist and rocked her hips against his. It wasn’t enough.
Without lifting her lips from his she reached out blindly for his hand, tugging it
down between their bodies and under her skirt, showing him what she wanted.

He moaned, pressing his forehead against hers as he tugged the fragile fabric of her
underwear aside and caressed her wet sex with his fingers in a way that drove her
mad.  “You are a tempting woman, aren’t you? You used your wiles to make me forget
where we are. Who you are. Used how you can make
them
feel to try to seduce me.”

She bit his lower lip hard enough to get his attention. “Demon. Half-demon,” she corrected.
“And you know how demons are when they want someone.”

Or did he? The way he stilled made her wonder.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never been with one of us before, vampire.”

His expression surprised her again. She breathed out a laugh. “Oh, you poor thing.
You have no idea what you’ve been missing.”

His finger slipped deep inside her and she gasped in delight when he groaned, “Show
me.”

Yes. 
Rose hadn’t been with a vampire in decades, hadn’t wanted to, but this one was different.
She could already feel his passion reaching out to her, feeding her and fueling her
desire.

Her blood started to burn and she knew her eyes were glowing red with arousal. She
would show him.  “We’re shameless, you know. Demons? Without shame. There’s no point
in being ashamed of your desires. No point in denying them or fighting them. We live
to give in to them. No matter how debauched. No matter how depraved. We deny ourselves
nothing. Not like you.”

Her words hummed against his beard and she closed her teeth on the flesh of his neck,
nipping his skin. “You deny your thirst, I hear. Deny your nature. You wouldn’t have
to with me. My blood is human as well—you could have as much as you wanted without
fear of hurting me. As long as you give me what I want in return, that’s a price I’d
be willing to pay.”

Mac set her down and stepped away so abruptly she almost tipped over. “No.”

What was happening? She must have misunderstood him. “What?”

His cheeks were flushed, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he regained his control.
“I don’t make deals with demons, Rose. Not even one as enticing as that. As you. Go
back and tell your clients they will have to deal with me themselves. I won’t be as
generous with the next demon who hunts me.”

“You—but you…” He wanted her. She knew he did.

His laugh was harsh. “Saint tells me I can trust you, but I believe his is wishful
thinking. You are one luscious flower in a deadly garden, but there’s too much at
stake. He should know that.”

She was struggling to overcome her shock and anger when a breathless, hesitant voice
called from the stage. “Angus? Angus are you and your duet partner still back there?”

Mac stepped in front of Rose, as if shielding her from view when the short, round
woman poked her head around the curtains.