Real Vampires Get Lucky (33 page)

"
Star Wars
. I'd like to see you as that princess. I'll be Luke Sky-something." Jerry grinned at me.

"You are so not with it, Jerry. News bulletin. Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker were brother and sister."

"Can't do that then, can we?" Jerry's grin was anything but brotherly, and his hand had found the edge of my panties.

"I'll be the princess." I wasn't about to admit I always secretly lusted after Han Solo. What is it with women and bad boys anyway?

"Forget the couple thing. There's only one costume I love seeing you wear, Jerry."

"Can't go naked, Gloriana. Try not to flash my mum more than once a century." He winked, and I hit him on the knee.

"I meant your plaid, Jerry. You know seeing you in your Campbell plaid always makes me"-I wiggled in my seat-"melt."

"Then by all means. And my mother will love it."

I made a face. "Wear it anyway. I guess we'll just have to demonstrate we're a couple in other ways."

"I can shag you on the dance floor if that will help." Jerry stopped the car and leaned over to trace the edge of my bra, then popped open the front clasp. "I'm always willing to demonstrate we're a couple, anytime, anyplace. Now out of the car." Jerry reached across me to open the door.

"Where are we?" I ignored the cold night air as I stepped out in only my tap pants. I'd kicked off my black suede pumps in the car. Then I looked out and gasped. We were on a hilltop with the most fabulous view of Austin I'd ever seen. The city lights stretched out in the distance. Below us was one of the several lakes in the Austin area. The closest house seemed miles away. In the distance I could see a bridge with cars moving across it and lights from the towers that served the city with power or satellite or whatever.

"I bought this property recently. I'm thinking of building here. What do you think?"

"A home?" He'd been renting from Damian since he'd moved here. He knew I intended to stay awhile, with my business actually close to becoming successful and all. I blocked my thoughts. That is if my freaking blackmailer didn't ruin everything for me. YouTube. And you can bet anything posted about vampires would get about a bazillion hits. The other Austin vampires wouldn't like the publicity. Damn it. I could see my cozy life in Austin blowing apart in my face. I couldn't let that happen.

"Yes, I like Austin and have several reasons to stay." He stood behind me and reached around to cup my breasts. I leaned back against him, pushing my worries away for now. For just a moment, despite the way he held me, this was strangely nonsexual. I finally felt like we were partners. Equals. We'd shared more of our thoughts and feelings with each other recently than we had in centuries. It made me hope that we could finally have a stable relationship. I turned in his arms and pushed my hands under his sweater. He was smooth and warm and solid.

"I love this place you've picked. It has an amazingly good vibe to it." I pulled his head down to kiss him, then danced away. "There are an awful lot of rocks here. Ouch, ouch, ouch."

"Did you say there are blankets in the back of the car?"

"Yes. And I think I see a smooth spot over here with an excellent view of the city." I picked my way across a clearing, imagining a living room with windows that would have those great automatic shades that close during the day. But at night they would open and we could see the lights. Was I actually thinking about living here with Jerry? He hadn't asked, but why else bring me here? It was a long commute to my shop. Which I wasn't giving up without a fight.

I was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down at a small creek that roamed aimlessly through a tumble of rocks when everything blurred. I grabbed for something to hold on to, but couldn't find anything. My feet slipped and I heard pebbles rattle and splash into the water below. "Jerry!"

"Gloriana?" He caught me just before I fell. "What happened? Did you step on a stone? Lose your footing?" He peered over. "God, it's a forty-foot drop."

Okay. So a vampire could probably survive that kind of fall as long as I didn't impale myself on a branch at just the wrong spot. But I can't say I wouldn't have done some serious damage, broken some bones. Vampires
do
feel pain. So I was shaking as I held on to Jerry.

"I don't know what happened. I felt dizzy. Which never happens." Jerry held me while he threw a blanket on the ground and settled me in the middle of it.

"I swear there's something off with that Bloodthirsty you've been drinking, Gloriana. I told you it's not doing it for me. If I didn't have Fangtastic or"-he looked at me apologetically-"I know you don't like to hear it, but I do drink from the occasional mortal, then I don't think I'd be strong enough to function as I should."

"The Bloodthirsty is all I've been drinking since Will sent it to me. I love the taste and it's a reputable company. Diana Marchand says Prince Igor himself owns it."

"It's put out by his company?"

"That's what she says. I guess she did research when she invited him to the Winter Solstice Ball."

"Invited him? Nay, Gloriana. I know he's coming to the ball, but Igor doesn't go anywhere unless there's a large donation made to his favorite charity. This month it's the Home for Orphaned Were-Kittens in Budapest. Diana can pretend he's just accepted her invitation and he'll go along with the charade, but it's really more of a business transaction."

"Really? I wonder where Diana got the money to pay him. I guess Damian is footing the bill." I felt another wave of dizziness and nausea. I put my head between my knees. What a pretty sight I must make, wearing nothing but hot pink tap pants and a pea green face.

"Glory, come here." Jerry dragged me to his lap. "Let me feed you." He pulled my lips to his neck. He'd shucked his sweater and jeans. Oh, well, I guess he figured I'd be so rejuvenated by feeding from him that I'd jump his bones afterward. He was probably right.

I felt the glide of my fangs and wrapped my arms around him to hold him close. My breasts scraped against his chest and the erotic pressure made me moan.

"I told ya they was vampires. Lookee there, she's a bitin' him right on the neck."

"Neck? Hell's bells, Leroy. Who cares about his neck? Look at them titties!"

"Focus, Earl. We're here to kill them vampires. Not watch porn."

"Speak fer yerself, Leroy."

Jerry reached for his jeans and the knife he had hidden there.
"Careful, Glory. I know you hear them."
We spoke in our minds. I took a last gulp and immediately felt stronger. I licked the punctures closed and eased away from Jerry, though I hated to leave that wonderful taste and his warmth.

"How many?"
I wished I could cover my "titties" but wasn't above using them as a distraction.

"I sense only two. Play along. Here comes the holy water."

Sure enough, two buckets of icy cold water hit us full force.

"Oh, the pain!" Jerry rolled away, taking his jeans with him. "I think I'm dying!"

"Oh, please. Have mercy!" I threw up my arms and shook my titties, letting them speak for themselves. I covered my eyes, but peeked through my fingers to see the two men who'd been lurking around my shop recently. Leroy and Earl. One of them had the daughter with the Goth boyfriend. Tonight they were dressed in camouflage from caps to boot covers. And they were armed with spears they must have whittled out of canoe oars. Okay, now I was taking them seriously. I really hoped they didn't decide to throw those things.

"They didn't melt, Earl. Told you to spring for the water blessed by the Pope. You always got to pinch pennies."

"Damn it, she's
your
daughter. Why am I paying for the dang water anyway?" I breathed easier when they laid down their spears to dig into their camo fanny packs. Suddenly I was pelted by garlic pods.

"Oh! Ow! Help me! What can I do to make you stop?" This time I grabbed my breasts and held them out like an offering. Jaws dropped, and I think Leroy and Earl forgot Blade even existed. He crept around the Suburban and moved up behind the two men.

"Now this one is your fault, Leroy. Shoulda bought the kind of garlic already peeled and crushed. Didn't you even read that book you got off the Internet?" Despite being the first to notice my titties, Earl was obviously the least susceptible of the two. He turned to pick up his spear and came face-to-face with Blade. Thank God for the whammy.

Leroy didn't notice. "This'll do it. I
did
read chapter eleven." He'd pulled out a giant electroplated gold cross and cautiously approached me. Apparently he figured if he actually touched one of those titties with it, he'd kill a vampire for sure. When he got close enough, I snatched the cross and kissed it.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, sir!" I knelt down and began to sob loudly. "You have no idea how long I've waited to be saved from that evil vampire." I sniffled and faked a grateful smile, even manufactured a tear. Applause anyone? Okay, I know I was laying it on thick, but this wasn't exactly a selective audience. Leroy had never looked north of my breasts. "Did you see what that horrible vampire made me do? Why he made me his sex slave."

Leroy's mouth hung open, but I could see his mind working. His friend Earl was a distant memory. Leroy was trying to figure out how to bring home his own sex slave without his wife finding out about it.

Jerry was laughing silently when he finally decided I'd had enough fun. He stepped in front of Leroy and whammied him into submission.

"Gloriana, you are incorrigible. It almost seems a shame to erase this man's memory."

"Oh, I have some suggestions for him." I got in Leroy's face. "Leroy, you will respect your daughter's choices. You will be a faithful and loving husband to your wife. You don't believe in vampires and you won't ever drive on Sixth Street in Austin again because it makes your stomach cramp and you have to run to the bathroom."

I glanced at Jerry, who was choking on his laughter. "Hey, he was trying to figure out how to take me home as a souvenir. The very least he deserves is a little gas."

"Don't mind me, Gloriana. Carry on." Jerry leaned against the Suburban, arms folded across his chest. I got up in Earl's face. "Earl, you need to find a better friend than Leroy. He takes advantage of your good nature by making you chase after his daughter and her boyfriend. He owes you money for nonsense he made you order off the Internet. You're going to hound him until he pays you every dime. If you have a wife, you will tell her every day how beautiful she is. You will be faithful and true to her."

I turned to Jerry. "Now you can do all the regular stuff and send them on their way. I'm just going to sit here and look at this incredible view. Then after they drive off, we're going to have a little christening party for the house."

"House?"

"Oh, yeah. You've got to build it here." I dipped a finger into an imaginary pool and slid it between my breasts, then sat on the blanket with a sigh.

"Ah, the temperature's just perfect. Can you see the steam rising from the water? And just look at the lights in the distance. I'll always remember our first night in our hot tub with Leroy and Earl as our towel boys." Jerry laughed. "Let's leave the boys out of this, why don't we? Don't move, Gloriana. I like this scenario very much." He walked off into the darkness to deal with Leroy and Earl. I lay back and looked at the stars. Well, what do you know? I was happy. Then I saw the stakes the men had brought but hadn't gotten around to using cast aside in the dirt. Yes, I could freak out, melt down or dwell on all the danger out there, but what was the point? By the time Jerry came back, I had a nice romantic fire going. Twenty-two

I took one look at Jerry and knew things were going to get even more interesting. He had on a camo cap and nothing else. He'd also pulled out the old boom box I kept in the back of the Suburban and set it on a rock nearby.

"I'm going to demonstrate my complete confidence where you're concerned, Gloriana." He punched a button and I recognized the intro instantly. Israel Caine began to sing of love. Jerry held out his hand and pulled me to my feet.

"Still dizzy?"

"No more than usual around you, lover." I wrapped my arms around him as we danced to a song that always made me melt. Jerry had obviously found the CD in my car too, one of a stack I kept in there. Sharp stones bit into the soles of my feet, but I figured the pain was worth it.

Jerry slipped his hands inside my panties, caressing my bottom as he moved us to the music. I closed my eyes and put my head on his shoulder, letting the music, the man and the night carry me away to dreams of a permanent home here. Security. Something I'd never allowed myself to have before.

Why? Fear, I suppose. That Jerry would tire of me. That I'd disappoint him because some part of me had always believed his mother when she'd declared me his inferior. The song ended and a throbbing bass beat began. One of Ray's faster, hard rock hits.

"I hope you don't expect me to dance to that." Jerry smiled down at me.

"And break the spell? Turn it off." I pushed back and walked over to the blanket. On the way, I stepped out of my panties, twirling them on my fingers before I tossed them aside. "Would you check out that view?" Jerry switched off the boom box. The sudden silence was almost startling. "Oh, yeah. I'm checking out the view. What are you doing, Gloriana?"

I looked back over my shoulder. "Hmm?"

"Strutting around naked like that. Do you want something from me?"

"Don't I
always
want something from you?" I turned and snatched the cap from his head. "Going hunting, Mister?" He grabbed me around the waist and swung me up into his arms. "I already caught what I was looking for." I smiled and waited for whatever he decided to do next. What happened absolutely stunned me.

"Jeremiah Campbell, what's this?" I looked down at my hand.

"Your ring. The one you lost in Las Vegas. You didn't think Valdez wouldn't tell me about it, did you?" I couldn't look at him. Shame clogged my throat, and I kept my head down, trying to focus on the lovely ruby and diamond ring I'd had to hock during the worst of my gambling days. Back then, I'd convinced myself that I could get it back, no problem. But it
had
been a problem. And by the time I'd scraped together enough to make a payment on it, it had been sold. I'd wept bitter tears and that had been a turning point for me, the day I'd finally forced myself to walk into a Gamblers Anonymous meeting.