Vampire Secrets: Book 2 (Blood and Snow Season Two) (15 page)

There was a DJ and lights and a buffet table filled with all sorts of yummy-looking treats.

“Let’s dance, Jack.” Troy walked us onto the floor. The song playing was from the 80’s. “Open Arms” by Journey, if my memory served. I put my arms around his neck and he put his arms around my waist. “The rest of the night is going to be about you and me and fun. Deal?”

I gave him
a sweet smile. “I’d like that.” I rested my head against his chest as we swayed back and forth. When the song ended, another started. It was also a slow song, so we kept dancing.

After that one ended,
we checked out the buffet table. Troy got himself a drink. He’d missed dinner and I knew he was hungry because he kept shoving cubes of cheese in his mouth.

“Sorry I made you miss dinner. What did the cook prepare?”

He chewed quickly and then swallowed. “It was Beef Provencal with twice baked potatoes topped with sautéed mushrooms. For dessert the chef made chocolate mousse with sugared raspberries and fresh whipped cream.”

I could practically see his mouth watering. “That sounds yummy,” I said even though
it all tasted like ash to me now that I had my vampire powers back.

Troy laughed. “You’re a terrible liar.” He nuzzled my ear. “I know what you crave.”

I got weak in the knees and my stomach fluttered.

“I’d be careful with her if I were you.” It was Cameron. He stood beside Troy and picked up an olive.

“What do you mean?” Troy asked, facing Cameron. I felt the tension rolling off him. It melted my heart that he wanted to defend me. Not that I needed his help, but it was still sweet.

Cameron chewed on an olive. Swallowed. “Being friends with her equals if not death then disaster. Just watch it.” He walked away.

Troy started to go after him, but I held him back. “Don’t bother. I get why he’s scared. I would be too.”

He shook his head. “That doesn’t give him the right to be disrespectful.”

I put my hands on his face and smiled. “Wanna dance?”

“
I would love to.”

We danced to slow songs and fast songs until a light sheen covered his forehead.
Troy knew everybody and many of them interrupted us while we were dancing to say hi and just to chat. He introduced me to all of them. Some were really nice. Others weren’t. I tried not to focus on it since worrying wouldn’t do any good.

Even
Zoe and Peter showed up for a little while and it was fun seeing my mom and dad so happy, so carefree. But it was short-lived. They ended up leaving probably an hour after they got there.

“Enjoy
yourself,” my mom said right before she left.

I hugged her. “I will.”

Troy and I danced some more. We had our picture taken on the sleigh and then one where we stood under the mistletoe. They turned out really good. Troy really was movie star hot and the dress Sabrina created was amazing. We looked good together, he and I.

At exactly midnight
my first official school dance ended.

I hugged Troy. “Thank you so much for asking me
to go with you. It was as amazing as I hoped.”

He
pulled my body close and I breathed him in.

“Thank you
,” Troy said. “I’ve been to a few of these but I’ve never had more fun than tonight. Probably because you didn’t leave to go check your hair with your friends every five minutes.”

“Oh no. I totally forgot about that. How does my hair look?” I giggled at the look on his face.

He smiled. “Gorgeous, like the rest of you.”

“Thanks.”

He took my hand and we walked outside. Some of the couples were standing at the elevator. Apparently they had rooms. I didn’t want to contemplate what that meant. Troy was older, but I’d just experienced kissing and my first dance. No way was I near ready for what getting a room at a hotel implied.

O
utside our limo driver waited his turn and then pulled up in front of us. He got out and held open the door.

“
You still intend to go to the yacht?” the driver asked Troy.

Troy
looked over. “You still want to watch the sun rise from the water?”

“Most definitely.”

“You heard the lady. Definitely.”

“Excellent, sir.”

He drove us to the pier where another National Guard unit checked us in and then waved us through.

At the edge
of a long dock, the driver stopped. The yacht was white and lit up like a Christmas tree. Fog had rolled in making the lights on the yacht glow like dozens of phantoms. We got out. Troy thanked the driver and gave him a large tip.

The air was thick and salty. Waves lapped against the boat. Without my vampire vision I doubted I would’ve been able to see the ocean.

Troy and I
walked down to where the captain and several crewmembers welcomed us as we came aboard.

“There’s shrimp cocktail in the dining area,” the captain, whose name was Nick Bordeaux, said. 

“Thank you, Nick.” Troy took my hand.

The gesture
put a smile on my lips. It seemed to be a thing with him, his need to be close. I didn’t mind. The truth was I liked it.

We walked
along the deck, came to a long set of stairs and climbed. The dining area was luxurious, complete with a chandelier and at least a dozen tables surrounded by four times as many chairs.

My eyes were
drawn to the gleaming bar. The back wall was covered in mirrors. Alcohol and various types of glasses lined glass shelves. Black leather barstools were tucked under a U-shaped counter. On either side of the counter were double swinging doors with round windows in each. I guessed the kitchen was back there.

Troy dashed over to the shrimp cocktail. “I’m starving,
” he said, dunking an extra-large shrimp in cocktail sauce and tossing it in his mouth.

I smiled, watching him chew.
The boy could eat.

The floor was a gleaming white
and black leather sofas lined the windowed walls. A baby grand piano stood in one corner.

Troy ate
more than half the shrimp before sighing, and patting his stomach. “Much better.”

“You full?”

“Yes.” He took a bottle of water chilling in an ice bucket, opened it and chugged it down. After tossing it in the trash, he took my hand. “Come on.”

We walked out of the dining area, down the stairs, and then along the side of the boat until we came to another set of stairs. This time they went down.

“Where we going?” I asked.

He opened a door and flipped on a light. It was a bedroom complete with a bed and four walls.
“You wanna change?”

“Into what?”

“I have sweats. Those will be comfy.” He pulled open a drawer I hadn’t noticed because it was flush with the wall.

“Cool.”

He smiled, taking out a heather gray pair of sweatpants and a matching sweatshirt.

“You want me to look like a
dirty cotton ball?” I asked, wrinkling my nose.

He burst out laughing. “As a matter of fact, yes. Yes, I do.”

“Mmmm-kay.” I grabbed them from his hands.

“You can change in the bathroom, right over there.”
I went inside and closed the door.

“Don’t come out until I say. I’m going to change too.”

“Fine.” I took off my shoes and untied my dress. A quilted
white hanger hung on the door and I used it to hang up my dress.

The bathroom was beautiful
, like the rest of the incredible yacht. The bathroom floor consisted of peacock-colored tiles that also went halfway up the walls. The top half was painted white. The countertops were a sand color and had crushed seashells embedded in them as well as the double sinks. Next to them was a stand up shower with frosted glass doors. Another door led to the toilet.

I put on the sweats, worried they would be too big, but
was surprised to realize they fit. And they were comfy.

Leaning against the counter, I took the pins from my hair, letting the curls fall down around my shoulders.

“I’m done if you are,” Troy hollered from the bedroom.

I opened the door.

“Damn. I think you might be sexier in sweats.” His eyes roamed over my body.

“You’re joking
,” I snorted.

He
tilted my chin. “Am not. You’re gorgeous.” He touched the place between my breasts. “Inside and out.”

My stomach quivered. “You’re just saying that,” I said trying to be funny but his features were serious.

“No. I mean it. Jack, I… care about you. A lot.” He brushed some hair off my face. “My best friend Cole is missing. I don’t know where he is. My father and Professor Pops are trying to find him, but not helping him was killing me. Until you. Getting to know you. Spending time with you.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. “It’s meant a great deal.”

I swallowed, nervous about
the intensity of his words. “I care about you too.”

He nodded. “
Want to have a
Vampire Diaries
marathon until sunrise?”

“Heck yes.”

“Cool. I need snacks. Be right back.”

We were watching in his bedroom?
I searched the room. “Where’s the TV?”

He picked up a remote
sitting on the bed and pressed a button. The wall across from his bed slid back revealing a large flat screen. “Make yourself cozy.” He ran up the stairs.

I climbed on his queen-sized bed
and fluffed the pillows so I could lean against them while I watched TV. I kept one out and held it against my stomach. It smelled like Troy and I brought it to my nose.

He came down just as I was inhaling.
“Oh, you got it bad, don’t you?”

I hid behind the pillow, mortified. “No.”

He tossed a bag of licorice on the bed and then jumped on me, yanking the pillow from my hands. “Yes, you do.” His nose touched my neck just below my ear. “You forget I’m part dragon. I can smell it on you.” He slowly licked my neck. “Taste it.” He let out a purring noise that caused my thighs to tremble. “Feel it,” he said with a groan.

We were face to face. His eyes searched mine. I wondered what he was thinking. His body was on fire. Mine responded
. All I could think about was that I wanted him.

“Isn’t this a surprise? I thought you had a thing for the genie, vampire? I know he cares deeply about you.” I recognized her voice. It was Maleficent.

Troy jumped to his feet and turned to face her. I sat up, my heart racing. “What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to cover up my trembling voice.

Maleficent
took a step toward us, but stopped, her gaze on Troy. “You aren’t human.” Her scrutiny turned maniacal.

“I’m half-human,”
Troy growled. I noticed his skin ripple, the dragon under his skin itching to get out.

Maleficent roared, angry. “I’ll be back.” She
vanished.

“Weird,” I said, taking a deep breath, trying to calm the fear that had risen
in me.

“Who in the hell was that?” Troy turned.

“Maleficent. The Mistress. Sharra.” I shrugged as I said her names. “She wasn’t happy to see you.”

Troy sat and I scooted next to him. “
If I’d been alone she would’ve taken and killed me.”

“I won’t let that happen.” He was in shock. She’d appeared and disappeared in less than twenty seconds.

“I know,” I whispered. Grabbing his shoulders I lay back, pulling him down

His
eyes searched mine. Silently I begged him to kiss me.

His
lips crushed mine, the adrenaline of the moment firing our desires.

My kisses were no longer just kisses. They were tokens of gratitude. Promises. And hunger. I wanted him.
All of him. I pushed his sweatshirt off, revealing his tanned, rippled muscles. My hands roamed his chest, down his stomach, and around his back.

His hips pressed
against mine and I gasped. Ravenous. For his blood and his body. “Take it,” he said gruffly, tilting his neck.

I didn’t hesitate. My fangs extended.

“Princess.” Laeddin popped into the room.

“Shit,” Troy swore and sat up. I sat with him, readjusting my sweatshirt. It had risen up to my chest.

“Laeddin. Get out!”

He didn’
t have to be told twice. He bolted up the stairs.

I stood to go after him.

“Jack?” The way Troy said my name nearly broke my heart.

I went back over to the bed and took his face between my hands. “I’m not choosing him over you. But
the way he popped in, it’s obvious he has something important to say.” I kissed him firmly on the mouth. He pulled me onto his lap. I didn’t want to leave, but urgency forced me to stand. “Meet you up there?”