Wicked Fantasy (7 page)

Okay, this wasn't going to work. “Look, I'll say this really slow. I. Am. A. Vampire. Men can't hurt me unless they have big swords with them. And I feed alone. Go away.”

“No.” He set his sensual mouth in a grim make-me line. “And I have the big sword to keep you safe.”

To prove his point, he drew a sword from a back scabbard she hadn't noticed in the dark.

“That's it. I'm not doing dinner while some guy trails me with a blasted sword.” Gerry didn't have any fancy vampire skills, just the basics: enhanced senses, increased physical strength, and preternatural speed. She used the speed now.

Within the blink of an eye, she was outside the castle and headed toward the nearest Live the Fantasy attraction, a pirate ship. Once on the ship, she relaxed a little. Conall couldn't reach her until the ship returned to shore. The man-made lake it floated on was perfect for losing pesky immortal warriors. She looked around for an appetizer. Thank heaven the ship wasn't crowded, so she'd have some privacy.

A man stood at the bow of the ship watching her. When she met his gaze, he grinned. For just a moment, something about his face reminded her of pictures she'd seen of her uncle Ray, who'd died before she was born. Then the moment was gone. This guy really didn't look that much like her uncle. They both had red hair, that's all.

Gerry studied the menu. Nice face, athletic body,
food
. She returned his smile and walked toward him. Perfect. He was the only one there, and the bow was in shadows.

When she reached his side, she leaned against the railing to gaze across the water.

“Beautiful night to be on a ship.” He sounded friendly.

She turned to look at him. “Yes. All kinds of fantasies are possible on a night like this.” Gerry leaned toward him.

He smiled again, revealing straight white teeth. “I'm Dell.”

“Gerry.” It didn't matter if she told him her name, because he wouldn't remember her.

He had short red hair and eyes that were so pale they almost looked colorless. An unfortunate combination. But he had a great smile, and all blood tasted the same in the dark.

“So are you just here for the night, or are you staying at the castle?” He edged closer to her.

Mmm. She imagined the hypnotic rhythm of his heart pumping all that wonderful blood through his veins. “I'm staying at the castle for a few days.”

“Look at me, Gerry.” Something in his voice had changed, become more intense.

“Hmm?” She leaned close, picking out the exact spot on his neck where she'd place her mouth.

He shifted a little away from her, and she raised her gaze to his eyes. Without warning, she felt dizzy. What the . . . ? She groped for something to hold on to, and Dell put his arms around her.

He was saying something, but she didn't pay attention because it felt like all the atoms in her body were drifting apart. Any second now her body would be gone. She'd just be a fading memory in the Texas night.

As quickly as the sensation began, it ended. She straightened away from him, and he let her go. His gaze was fixed over her shoulder. She turned to see what he was watching.

Well, hell. Conall stood waiting on the dock. He speared her with a stare that should've left a smoking hole in the middle of her forehead. Beside him stood a woman, beautiful with long blond hair. The woman waved at her when she saw Gerry staring. And for just a nanosecond, something that felt suspiciously like jealousy stabbed her. Of course, it wasn't. Beautiful-and-blond was welcome to him.

The ship was moving toward the dock. They hadn't been out very long, but from the look on Conall's face she'd bet he'd ordered the ship back to shore. She hadn't had a chance to get a drop to drink.

She turned toward Dell. “Thanks for catching me. I . . .” He was gone. Gerry frowned and glanced around. He must've joined the crowd waiting to get off the ship. Huh, so much for her vampire allures. Guess she didn't have any. But there was no more time to think about Dell as the ship reached the dock. She took a deep, fortifying breath. Even though breathing wasn't a necessity now, she'd never lost the reflex action.

Conall didn't give her a chance to open her mouth before going on the offensive. “Look, I have a job to do, and you're making it tough, lady.”

He raked his fingers through his hair, and for a moment she allowed herself to imagine how those silky strands would feel sliding over her breasts. She blinked away the thought. Better not to imagine any part of him touching any part of her.

“You interrupted dinner, O'Rourke. Now get out of my way.” She attempted to push past him, using her strength to enforce her demand.

He didn't budge. “Your vampire strength won't work on me.”

She looked up at him with wide, startled eyes. “Why not? I thought you were immortal, nothing else.”

Nothing else?
The rage of 800 freaking years blotted out all his good intentions to stay calm. He leaned close, letting her see all he was and all he'd been. “Wrong. I'm so much more. I've crawled through the mud and filth of ancient battlefields. I've slain brave men at the command of your ancestors. And in recent years I've longed for those battlefields just to feel alive again. Hate for the Kavanaghs and Morrigan have fueled every minute of those eight hundred years.”

“Oh.” For just a moment, he thought he saw regret in her eyes.

Too bad. Regret wouldn't bring back all those lost years. “Yes.” The word was a harsh expletive on his tongue.

She backed up a step, her eyes still wide. “Fine, so I'll walk around you. I mean, it's no big deal. Have you considered counseling or maybe some help with anger management?”

He growled low in his throat.
Downshift and stay in control, O'Rourke
. After all these years, he couldn't let a Kavanagh with big green eyes, a smart mouth, and too much attitude make him lose it. “Morrigan gave me the strength to save Kavanagh butts.” He crowded her, invading her space, and if he just moved a little closer he could feel the texture of those sexy lips. Then he'd cup that tempting behind in his hands and pull her close. For the first time in eight centuries he'd find joy in a Kavanagh ass. “Morrigan also gave me the skill to track a Kavanagh she-vamp who won't let me do my damn job.”

A pointed cough behind him reminded Conall he wasn't alone. Exhaling deeply, he tried to draw the tatters of his lost temper around him. Then he glanced at Donna. She was Eric's wife and light to Conall's darkness. Maybe she could talk some sense into Gerry.

Donna stepped to his side and smiled at Gerry. “Now that all the roaring is done, we can talk. I'm Donna Mackenzie, Eric's wife.” Her long blond hair lifted in the light breeze blowing off the gulf, and her brown eyes were soft with understanding.

Conall backed away from Gerry, leaving Donna to do her thing.

Gerry nodded as she cast Conall a wary glance. “You need to learn some coping skills, O'Rourke, because if you get bent out of shape every time I make an independent move, you won't last eight minutes let alone eight centuries.”

Donna's laughter seemed to be Gerry's signal to relax. She offered Donna a tentative smile. “I'd like to talk, but it'll have to be later. I'm starving, and I didn't get a chance to feed on the ship because we came back to the dock too soon.”

Left unsaid was that it was all
his
fault. He frowned. “Feed? I saw you from the moment the ship left the dock, and all you did was stand by yourself at the bow.”

Gerry looked puzzled. “No, you couldn't have seen me, because I was talking to a guy named Dell.” Her voice trailed off as she studied his face. “You really didn't see him?” She glanced at Donna.

Donna shrugged. “Didn't see anyone.” She cast him a pointed glance. “Look, why don't you stay here while Gerry and I hunt up dinner.” Then she focused on Gerry. “I've only been vampire for a short while, but I've learned from the best. You'll meet Eric soon.”

Gerry looked startled. “You're vampire?”

Conall tensed. Oh, shit. “Don't tell me you can't sense other vampires?”

“I can't sense
any
entities.” She shrugged. “So what? Hey, I still do my job. My boss gives me a description or picture of the bad guy, and I go get him. I found Jinx, didn't I?” Her expression dared him to deny her success with the thief.

“Don't mean to rain on your parade.” Sure he did. “But it would be hard to miss a snake slithering across the floor with a ring around its body.”

Donna looked confused. “Okay, I know this probably makes some kind of sense, so why don't you explain everything to me while we hunt?” She urged Gerry toward some benches set in the shadows where a few people sat by themselves. The look she threw at Conall when Gerry wasn't looking said, “Sit. Stay.”

Stubbornness warred with common sense. For once common sense won. Conall took off his sword before easing himself onto the nearest bench. Hell, old Mick Kavanagh was looking damn good right now.

“Oh goody, I found you alone.” Sparkle Stardust's voice was low and husky, a sexual purr honed to perfection over thousands of years. But Conall knew the sensual persona was a useful front few saw past. He'd seen what she could do, and he'd
never
underestimate her. She skimmed her fingers across the back of his neck, and he tensed at the tingle of power she left behind.

Sparkle sat down next to him, and he watched all the guys within staring distance fix their gazes on the glide of her short black skirt up her bare thighs as she crossed her legs. She leaned toward him, and every man's attention snapped to the front of her black top as it gaped open. Way open.

She slid her gaze to the staring men and then offered Conall a sly lift of her lips. “Men have such simple needs. What about you, Conall? What do you need?”

Sparkle was working the room right now, but he wasn't in the mood to amuse her. “I need to be left alone. Why don't you get your kicks by playing to your audience? Cross your legs again. Pick up that penny from the ground.”

“Mmm. Are we grouchy tonight? An angry male animal has a sexy primitive aura that excites me.” She watched him from those strange amber eyes.

“All men excite you, Sparkle.” She wasn't going to leave him alone.

She smiled. “That's what Mede always says.” Her smile faded. “I miss him.”

I miss him, too.
Ganymede was a cosmic troublemaker of such immense power that Conall didn't doubt he could destroy the planet or help the Texans win the Super Bowl if he so chose. He was also the “twisted being” who'd made Brynn's life a misery for so many centuries. Ganymede had sort of redeemed himself with that one, but Conall didn't trust him. Ganymede lusted after the dark side too much.

Right now, though? Conall wished Ganymede was here to distract Sparkle from him. “I hear you got a new guy to help you. What's he like?”

She stopped smiling. “I don't want to talk about Edge. He's not what I was hoping for.” She took a deep breath, and her male audience took a breath along with her. “So what do you think of Gerry? With someone to tweak her wardrobe, she'd be spectacular.”

“I didn't notice.”

Sparkle patted his knee and then let her hand rest there. “Of course you did. I can feel that you're conflicted. The scale right now is perfectly balanced: attraction to a beautiful woman versus hatred for all Kavanaghs.” She studied him. “I wonder what it will take to tip that scale?”

“There won't be any tipping going on. I'll do my job for as long as it takes, and that's it.” He scowled. “If she'll let me.” Okay, a moment of self-honesty. He
was
attracted. And he hated it.

Sparkle shook her head. “You're so not getting it, Conall. I don't even have to root around in your mind to know you'd like to have sex with her. And right now she's looking at my hand on your knee. She's fighting the jealousy, but she's losing.” Sparkle grinned. “Yeah, I am rooting around in
her
head.”

Conall closed his eyes and fought against the pictures trying to form behind his closed lids—placing his mouth on Gerry's breasts, teasing her nipples with his tongue, spreading her legs and thrusting deep inside her. He shook his head to clear it and opened his eyes. “What's your point, Sparkle?”

She shrugged. “Sex is my thing. It's powerful, provocative,
perfect
. So I see this really hot guy who's going to be stuck with this woman for hundreds of years, and I say to myself, ‘Self, why wouldn't this man get it on with this woman?' It sure would make the centuries go past faster.”

“She's a Kavanagh, Sparkle.” Jeez, he must have some kind of repetitive-message syndrome. Said and thought it all before. But he couldn't help it. No way could he lose the hate and contempt built up over eight centuries in one night. He didn't think he'd ever be able to look past her name and his curse. “Besides, the way things are going, I won't be getting that close to her. She's fighting me on the serving and protecting thing.”

Sparkle sighed as she studied her nails. Eye-poppingly purple. “You haven't given her a good reason to accept you. Gerry needs to see a benefit to having you around.” She slid her gaze the length of his body before lifting her gaze to his face. “I, of course, immediately saw the benefit of that gorgeous body.” She glanced to where Gerry and Donna were heading back toward them. “She's hunting criminals alone. You're big and powerful. The two of you could catch criminals a lot faster than she could alone.”

Sparkle had something there. Gerry couldn't even sense nonhumans—not that he could either. She wasn't old enough to have any advanced powers, so his strength and experience might help balance out her weaknesses. “Good idea. Thanks.”