Sanibel Alpha Vampire Werewolf Menage (Fanged Romance Series Book 5.5) (2 page)

Jayce lifted his eyes to his father who still appeared no older than thirty.
“
Tatum had a little something to do with it.
”

“How did you get so lucky?
”
Ardan smiled over at Bren.
“
Not so long ago, I thought your lives would be far removed from the growing family I see before me,
”

“Me, too.
”
Bren shook his head.
“
As teens, we were shits, especially Jayce.
”

“Yes, you were,
”
Ardan agreed with a quiet laugh.
“
And how the two of you pulled this off, I
’
ll never know. But fate isn
’
t the bitch everyone claims her to be, not in your cases anyway. Makes me wonder when Tatum
’
s going to accept your missing co-mate.
”

“I know, Dad,
”
Jayce said. 
“
Time will tell.
”

“I
’
ve been here for four days and you
’
re asking me to close for you?
”
Tatum protested, shuffling windup crabs across the front shelf display. Every time she thought they were situated, another one started up and knocked the rest to the floor like crawling red dominos.  This time, three bottles of suntan oil toppled to the floor.  A waft of coconut and banana hit her nose as the oil soaked into the carpet. She swore under her breath, turning weary eyes to her friend. Since Tatum had arrived, Jill had taken it easy at any given opportunity.  
“
It
’
s only five minutes to closing, and if the bitch-warden finds out you bailed on a new employee, she
’
ll probably fire both of us.
”  

Jill retouched her lipgloss.
“
She won
’
t find out unless you tell her. And why would you? It
’
s not as if anyone steps foot in this place after sunset.
”  
She stared at Tatum over her compact, waggling her eyebrows.
“
There are other things to do on Sanibel Island after dark.  You should find out for yourself.
”

She stood up in a huff. When she opened her mouth, the phone started ringing.  Of course, Jill made no move to answer it since she
’
d moved on to her bronzer, applying it to the swells of her breasts.
“
I guess I
’
ll get that, too,
”
Tatum snapped irritably.  Up two carpeted steps, she planted herself behind the register and answered the phone.  
“
Every day is sunny at Sanibel Traders.
”
She flushed. How cliche and stupid could a greeting get?  
“
How may I help you?
”

“I want you,
”
said a wicked male voice.

“I
’
m sure you do.
”
Tatum shook her head, glancing through the storefront at the enormous, glowing moon.
“
Around here, full moon always stokes up the weirdoes.
”   

“Wanting you doesn
’
t make me a weirdo,
”
he countered.

“You
’
re right. I suspect you
’
ve been a weirdo for quite some time.
”
She hung up, grabbed a handful of paper towels, and dabbed at the suntan oil staining her dress.
“
Good thing I
’
m earning minimum wage,
”
Tatum grumbled.  
“
All that green will come in handy when replacing my ruined clothes.
”

When she heard that little ding at the front door, she spun and caught Jill hightailing it across the parking lot to a guy leaning across his motorcycle. Tatum
’
s breath caught in her throat.  God, he was beautiful.  All tanned and muscular, his body terrifyingly gorgeous, muscles strained beneath his simple, white T-shirt and snug-fitting jeans.  Both arms inked until they were nearly sleeved, his hands fisted at his sides until Jill neared close enough for him to grab her.

And grab her he did.  

If Tatum ever thought to bring home someone who looked like him
…
Well, she knew one surefire way of putting her mother in an early grave.  But wouldn
’
t someone like him be worth the risk? She stared hard as he gripped Jill
’
s nape with one large, possessive hand, in a sexual way she couldn
’
t quite understand. Yet.  It was almost as though he were purely animal, his body connecting with Jill
’
s in a way no human
’
s could.   When his lips touched Jill
’
s, Tatum could almost feel it, too.  
“
God,
”
she groaned when her toes curled in response, one leg reflectively lifting behind her as she thrust out her aching chest.  Her flip flop dropped to the floor with a small thud, and his eyes flicked up, suddenly looking straight through the glass at Tatum.

All she saw was blue.

Eternal blue.

Though how she could make out their color from halfway across the parking lot, she
’
d never know.  Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss and maintained eye contact with Tatum as he did.  Tatum
’
s lips parted, as if she were the one receiving his passion, her breaths coming in gasping spurts. Instantly, her skin grew uncomfortably hot against the terrycloth fabric of her sundress, and she wanted nothing more than to strip and dive into the balmy saltwater, pretending each lap of waves was his hand stroking her body. A strange noise left the back of her throat as her stomach clenched. She curled her hands into fists, fighting something unknown within her.  A pulling she couldn
’
t comprehend. Her eyes widened when he grabbed Jill
’
s ass with his opposite hand, while still maintaining complete eye contact with Tatum. They were engaged in a stare-a-thon.  She hadn
’
t a doubt he was projecting to her:  See what I can do to you? he mocked; come outside and play with the big boys; I dare you.  Yeah, well, her friends had dared her, too, since the beginning of the summer when everyone seemed to have taken the sexual leap without her.  Because she was a chickenshit.

Tatum blew a curl from her eye and kicked off her remaining flip flop.
“
I think the air conditioner is on the fritz,
”
she mumbled to herself, finally forcing her eyes away from Jill and her man. Focusing on closing the store, she unzipped the bank bag and placed it on the sea-foam green countertop.

“You
’
re breathing fast, hard,
”
said a familiar voice.
“
I don
’
t think the air conditioner has anything to do with you overheating.
”

Tatum
’
s head snapped up, her eyes instantly finding Bren Walker.  He held the  door open with his hand, waiting.
“
The b-bell didn
’
t sound,
”
she said under her breath around the same time she noticed Jill had vanished.  How had she missed the roar of a motorcycle as it peeled out of a nearly empty parking lot?

Bren inhaled sharply, letting the door swing shut behind him.  They were the only two in the store and he
’
d suddenly swallowed every inch of space around them, effectively turning the store
’
s vastness into nothing larger than a closet.  He was such a conundrum
—
a total nerd who was a head taller than any guy her age yet she sensed an untapped strength underneath his thin-bodied lankiness. To say that he confused her would be putting it mildly.  

He freaked her out.

“Tatum.
”
His cobalt eyes pierced her with inhuman determination.
“
Are you alone?
”  

Somehow she had no doubt that he knew she was alone.  
“
Seriously, Bren, every line from every bad movie I
’
ve ever seen just came to mind when you asked me that.
”
She hit the no-sale button on the register and the drawer popped out, smacking her stomach. Pulling out a reasonable stack of bills, she went to counting, recording her deposit for the night drop with trembling hands.  

“Sorry,
”
he offered as he sauntered to the counter in cool confidence, not moving in the way of a lanky nerd.
“
I wanted to talk to you about us.
”
Bren
’
s eyes flicked around before resting on her, once more.
“
Didn
’
t want any eavesdroppers enjoying themselves at our expense.
”

“Us?
”
She risked a glance up and quickly went back to the till, scooping up coin.
“
Last I checked, we weren
’
t an item.
”  
Totaling her figures, she locked the bank bag and deftly avoided the intensity of his stare.
“
It was one blind date. One kiss.
”  
Slipping her shoes back on, Tatum skipped down the carpeted steps and made her way to the front door, locking it.  She sensed him move behind her before she lifted her eyes and caught his reflection in the storefront window.  A chill moved under her skin.  It was as though she were looking at two people...or things.  As the moonlight hit Bren
’
s body, an overcast of a creature shimmered around him, his eyes an unnatural blue strangely similar to Jill
’
s motorcycle man.  She swallowed hard, shuddering, and spun around.  
“
W-hat
’
s going on?
”
Instantly, he was against her, inhaling at the crook of her neck.  A low growl reverberated through his chest, chilling her overheated body.
“
Bren, what
…
are you?
”   
With her next breath, a foggy wave washed her mind. When her eyes opened, he was a good three feet away from her, blinking in concern.

“Are you okay?
”

“What just happened?
”
she asked weakly.

He shrugged.  
“
I was asking you about your father and you blanked out on me.
”

“My father,
”
she repeated slowly, forcing her legs to move though she felt as if she were wading in quicksand.
        “Is it your father?
”
he persisted, following her at a reasonable distance.
“
Is he keeping my calls from reaching you?
”

“
No.
”
 Daily, she
’
d refused to answer his consistent and irritating phone calls.  They
’
d gone on one date that Jill had masterminded.  Bren was too much for Tatum.  For some reason, she couldn
’
t handle him in any way whatsoever.  He
’
d kissed her, just one kiss, and the connection was frightening.  He was frightening.  His apparent need of her too horrific, or maybe it was his adolescent need for all girls in general.  But nothing could change the fact that he scared her. He was scaring her now, without even trying.
“
Why would my dad have anything to do with it?  He doesn
’
t even know you.
”

 Waving a hand, Bren muttered,
“
Your father knew my parents.
”

“Knew?
”
She grabbed the bank bag and headed to the back door, flicking the lights off as she moved through the store.  

“They
’
re dead,
”
he said solemnly.

“I
’
m so sorry.
”

“It happened a long time ago.
”
Gently swatting her hand away, he lifted a bulging bag of garbage.  
“
Dumpster out back?
”