The Beast Within (29 page)
The vampire threw back his head and laughed. “That’s only in the movies. Now, can I see your place?”
“Um…” Sam scraped his mind for a good excuse. Anything to keep the skeevy, blood-sucking supernatural out of his house.
The tall vampire smiled. “You know that part about vampires reading your mind?”
With a sinking stomach, Sam nodded.
“That part’s true.”
Sam sighed. “You’d better come in. It’s right this way.”
The day had started out so well, too. Now, Sam just wanted to go back to bed and hide beneath the covers.
“I’d be happy to keep you company,” the vampire said in a low, sultry tone. For a second, Sam didn’t understand what the hell the vampire was talking about then he recalled what he had just thought about beds and covers. Sam looked over his shoulder to see the vampire checking out his ass. Rolling his eyes, he headed up the stairs, taking the vampire to the top floor. He pulled an old-fashioned key from his pocket, unlocked then opened the door.
“No spell locks?” the vampire asked with concern in his voice.
Sam shook his head. Like he’d had any time to do things like that. The vampire was lucky the room had been tidied and cleaned. “You’re welcome to add your own, of course.” Fuck, he was going to rent to a vampire. He could hope the creature didn’t want the place. “It’s nothing fancy.”
Please want something fancy.
Before Sam could take more than two steps into the apartment, the vampire pinned him to the wall. “I’m not a creature. I’m a man and I’d be happy to show you exactly how manly I am.”
To Sam’s shock, he could feel the vampire rubbing his erection against him. “U-um, s-sorry.” Was this what vampires did just before they drank every drop of blood from your body?
“I don’t want you sorry. I just want you to want me.”
Sudden, inexplicable desire burned through Sam and his body hardened in reaction to the proximity of another man. The vampire smiled, exposing a flash of fang. A shiver of fear trembled down Sam’s spine. “No!” He shoved at the vampire, who, surprisingly, broke his hold and released Sam.
The vampire watched Sam with a wary look. “What are you?”
Why does everyone keep asking me that?
“I’m human, okay. Just human.” Sam scowled at the vampire.
“No human has ever shattered my glamour.” The vampire sounded thoughtful and his appraising look unnerved Sam.
“Well, good for me.” Sam folded his arms. He may not like paranormals, but he knew enough about the vampires and their way of controlling people to know he didn’t want that within six feet of him. “I’m not going to rent a room to someone who tried to glamour me. You might as well go.”
The vampire smiled. “My name is Bob.”
A snort of laughter burst out of Sam. “Your name isn’t Bob.”
The vampire tilted his head and his eyes glowed with amusement. “How do you know?”
“Because I just had a witch tell me not to share my name with a paranormal so I doubt you would be telling me your real name.”
Bob grabbed Sam’s wrist. His grip was strong and instinctively Sam yanked his arm to try to break the vampire’s hold. “There was a witch here?” Bob snapped urgently. “What did she look like?”
“A witch.” What did it matter what she looked like? “She was old, crony and witchy. You know”—he gestured expansively—“a witch.”
“What did she want?” Bob still hadn’t let go of his wrist. The vampire didn’t know his own strength. One last tug and Bob finally let him loose. Idly, Sam rubbed at the sore skin burn.
“From what she said, werewolf bones.”
Bob scanned the room as if he expected the witch to jump out of the wall or something. “Never trust a witch and never,
ever
tell a witch your real name.”
“Okay, um…Bob.”
“My real name is Roberto, but I go by Bob,” Bob finally said. “Vampires don’t have last names outside a coven. Your last name reveals the group you belong to. I am an independent.”
Sam could barely hold back the laughter building inside him. Dire warnings about witches aside, he couldn’t get past imagining a badass vampire calling himself Bob. Hell, a vampire named Bob—that was wrong on so many levels.
“Vampires are supposed to be sexy. There’s nothing sexy about a Bob,” Sam finally managed to say without laughing. Why he cared what the vampire called himself, he didn’t know, but there was no way he was going to call the vampire Bob.
Bob seemed to forget his need to warn Sam about witches and names and instead pulled Sam into his arms. Clearly he had returned to his first agenda. “I’m sure I can convince you I’m sexy,” he drawled.
What was it about this man…vampire—whatever—feeling like he could manhandle him at every turn? Sam narrowed his eyes at the vampire. The man might be the sexiest thing Sam had ever seen but he wasn’t going to admit it…
Damn
. He had just thought that. And damn, Bob had heard him
. Shit
. Bob was definitely smirking.
“Do you have a multiple personality disorder or something? You bounce around more than anyone I’ve ever met. From scary vampire to smirking idiot in a second.”
Bob smiled and didn’t appear to take offence at Sam’s comment. “You’ll have plenty of time to examine my personality when I move in. How much is the rent?” The quick change of subject threw Sam, but it didn’t stop his final chance at preventing vampire Bob from moving in. He mentioned an exorbitant amount for the monthly rent to try to deter the vampire.
Bob released Sam then walked through the living room and down the hall. There were two bedrooms and a small kitchen, though Sam doubted Bob would need a kitchen.
Vampires don’t eat real food. Right
? But wouldn’t he need a fridge or something for all the blood? Or would he be one of those vampires with a live donor?
What did Sam know? He had thought vampires could only come out at night.
Sam pushed aside thoughts of blood.
Bob returned to Sam’s side in long confident strides. “I’ll take it.”
Shit!
About the Author
Writing stories with fantastical, dark elements is Terra Laurent’s passion. Ever since seven-year-old Terra found the Time Life books on the paranormal tucked away in the far reaches of the school library, monsters and demons have pervaded her mind.
She has two published M/M erotic fantasy novellas, Possession, and Trial by Fire. The Beast Within is the first novel in a series of M/M paranormal erotica.
Email:
[email protected]
Terra loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at
http://www.totallybound.com
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Totally Bound Publishing
