Microsoft Word - Blood and Sex from CE.rtf (8 page)

40

that I don’t need to be alone in any room with you.”

The confidence swelled around them. He probably thought he’d figured her out. The fool.

“So, you’re hot for me.”

“On the contrary. I think you are a narcissistic chauvinist.” Christiana gritted her teeth, then forced her jaw to relax. She’d like to think he wouldn’t know what the insult meant, but Blane had proved over the fortnight of her stay that he was much more intelligent than he appeared.

“But you think I’m hot.”

“You aren’t my type.”

It was a lie. Physically speaking, he
was
attractive, a broad wall of tanned muscle with an edge that went beyond the black-and-green hair that fell around his face, or the earring in his ear.

No woman in her right mind would call him unattractive. But she wasn’t going to be roped in.

She’d spent the entire trip avoiding him and his advances. It was too late to fail now.

Christiana stepped around him.

Blane caught her arm and pulled her back to look at him. “And what’s your
type
, Princess?”

She groaned. The way he insisted on calling her that, always with that tone that implied he thought she was a snob, was beginning to wear on her nerves. “Someone with taste and self respect.”

“Ouch. That hurt.” He grabbed his chest and chuckled. “I’m not stuck up enough for you?

Don’t flatter yourself. I’m willing to do you a favor. I offered to fuck you, not become your
compagno
.”

“When you’re my age, you don’t waste time on
fratello
who are looking for a quick
fuck
.

41

It’s never that uncomplicated.”

“You’re not exactly my type either.”

That actually did sting. Only because Christiana knew it was true; Blane had made that much apparent. Still, she said, “Enlighten me.”

“You’ve got a stick up your ass.”

“Because I don’t drop down on my knees and worship the ground you walk on?”

“Because you won’t admit that you’re attracted to me.” He leaned forward. “Or that you’re into women.”

A lump grew in Christiana’s throat. She struggled to speak around it. Blane was too smart. “Not this again. You’ve lost your mind.”

“I saw you working with Elena. You were checking her out. But don’t worry. I won’t say anything.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but couldn’t tell Blane about her theory. The succubus’s gifts were carefully controlled by the Council because of the danger they posed. Their bite was easily addictive because of the heights of pleasure they brought, which made them a liability. If he or the others knew she suspected Elena, they might hide her.

Or worse.

“You’re even more deluded than I thought. Just stay away from me until I leave.” She started past him again. “After tonight, you’ll never see me again.”

He didn’t stop her this time. Blane stayed behind and let her walk right out of the club, just like she’d asked.

So why did a part of her want him to stop her so badly?

42

Blane stuffed his socks into the end of the duffel bag. “There’s a shipment of phosphorous rounds and silvers coming into the docks Thursday night. Just make sure they come here. Put them in the basement, and I’ll take care of them when I get back.” He pulled the zipper closed. “FedEx should drop off a package Friday. Put it on my dresser.” He looked up at Arracado. “But don’t open it.”

The
cosca’s
blood trafficker—or, as Jonas liked to put it, “red pimp”—sat on the edge of Blane’s bed in a light gray shirt, dark slacks and coat to match. His short golden hair was pushed up on top, almost as if he were going for a mohawk. His brow arched high, making the light, almost clear quality of his light green eyes even more disturbing. “Must be something nasty.”

Blane laughed. “It’s an unusual order.”

“I don’t want to know, do I?”

“Nope.” Blane slung the bag onto his shoulder. If the others knew all the strange requests he had to deal with on a daily basis from the vampires with strange tastes, they’d look at everyone in a very different light. Well, maybe not Arracado.

“All right.” Arracado walked toward the door. “Who are you guarding, anyway?”

“I must be backup for Michael and Tori. They haven’t told me yet.”

“Gregory usually does this kind of thing, doesn’t he?”

“G’s running The Dungeon until we get back.” Blane laughed, shutting his bedroom door behind them. “He gets airsick.”

The
fratello
let out a loud chuckle. “That’s a first.”

“We all have our weaknesses.” Blane followed him down the hall, toward the front door.

43

“I think I’m ready to go.”

Arracado opened the door and headed out to the black Mercedes he’d parked a few car lengths away from everyone else. As always, he was worried about scratches and dings. “Guess it went well with Khali’s girl.”

“Christiana?” Blane tossed his bag into the back seat, then opened his own door. They both sat and closed the doors almost simultaneously.

Arracado cranked the car. “The one you’ve been chasing?”

Blane laughed. “Yeah.”

“Jonas said you were having fun toying with her. Sounds like a cruel joke.”

Good. That’s what they needed to think. No guy wanted a bossy woman. Only pussies let a woman tell him what to do, just like his dad always said. So, no one needed to know how hot she was when she clenched her fists and got in his face. And they certainly didn’t need to know how hard it made him when she cocked that better-than-thou attitude. They’d think he was a freak.

Actually, they already thought that. This would only confirm it.

“But what a body,” Arracado said, turning the car around. “I might ask her out myself.”

Something inside Blane growled, but he didn’t let it escape. He shook his head. Why couldn’t he stop feeling like she was his? He had no claim on her. She didn’t even like him. Still, he couldn’t even feed without thinking of her ever since that first night. He’d gone off like a Roman candle imagining Christiana’s hand around him ever since then. Thank God she was leaving tonight. He had to get back to a normal life.

The car was hurtling down the main road, heading for the airstrip. The other vampire looked at him, his eyes narrowed a little. “What?”

44

“Nothing.”

“I could have sworn you growled.”

Blane laughed, and it was almost believable. “I think you’re hearing things.”

“Maybe.” Arracado leaned back in his seat, looking a little too much like an ad for luxury cars. “Or maybe you like her.”

“Yeah. That’s it. I like some crazy bitch yelling at me.”

Arracado laughed this time. “Maybe you do. And maybe it’s that she doesn’t believe a damned thing you say. I saw you talking to her at Michael’s last night.”

Blane fought to keep his jaw from clenching. “So.”

“Are you really going to tell me that she doesn’t do it for you?”

“You’ve lost your damned mind, Rac-a-do.”

A little snarl came from the driver’s seat. That nickname always got under his skin, which made it a great distraction. The vampire straightened and took a deep breath, obviously trying to let the insult slide, but it took the rest of the trip for Arracado’s knuckles to loosen on the steering wheel.

He didn’t speak all the way to the airport. When the car stopped, Blane opened his door.

Arracado turned toward him. “You know, I see guys every night who fuck all the women they can to prove how normal they are.”

Blane started to step out. He didn’t need a speech.

The other man grabbed his arm. “But when they come to me, they’re looking for someone who can top them. A challenge. They’re miserable with their lives and their women. It doesn’t make you less of a man to want that. Don’t live your life trying to impress everyone else.”

45

“Yeah. I’ll try to remember that.” He jerked his arm away and opened the bag door to get his bag.

“Don’t freak out about it,” Arracado said, turning in his seat. “I won’t say anything.

Discretion, always.”

“Sometimes, you really push it too far.” He grabbed the bag and stepped onto the sidewalk. “Thanks for the ride,” he muttered as he slammed the door.

Even with the door closed, he could hear Arracado’s curses as he walked away. He smiled.

It was a short walk through the gate and across the tarmac to the sleek private jet that Khalil had sent along with Christiana. Blane climbed the stairs and stepped inside, where his
padrone
and
cosca
were seated. He glanced around, but didn’t see her. She must have gone on a different flight. Hopefully.

It was much larger inside than he’d expected, and stylishly decorated in shades of brown and cream. They could haul an entire basketball team in the jet and still have plenty of room.

Either Khalil only bought the best, or he wanted to make sure his princess rode in style. It was probably the latter.

Jonas smiled from his place on a small couch on the left side, beside Elena. In the dark suit, he was even creepier. “You’ve disappointed me.”

“Why?”

“I was looking forward to kicking your ass.”

He smirked. “Don’t let the Halloween costume go to your head.”