fireplace was nothing compared to ours as we claimed each other. Jerry's mouth was a torch that set fire to all parts of me. I tasted him and knew just what he liked and where he liked it. There was much to be said for the familiar, the warmth of a comfortable fire on a winters night or the light in the window of home after a long journey when one has been lost. I was home now, found. Why had I ever given in to wanderlust and forgotten how much this meant? I loved this safety, this perfect harmony as we moved and held each other. Jerry shouted just when I cried out, together reaching the same insanely perfect place where no one existed but the two of us. Safe. Warm. Together.
If only we could shut out the rest of the world. But even one uninterrupted night was probably too much to hope for.
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"I like Lily. She looks like you, you know." I lay next to Jerry in the bed, finally relaxed enough to carry on a normal conversation. Which meant we'd made love three more times and seemed to have worked out our mutual frustrations with each other. Not that we'd discussed them. Jerry was typical male, not into talking about feelings. But I'd take the nonverbal cues. Like the way he held me and looked at me without the shadows in his eyes.
"I wish she didn't have Dracula and his gang with her. I think she has real potential to be a fine person. But she rebelled against her mother years ago and has kept up the pattern." Jerry rubbed my arm. "If the test shows she's mine, I'm taking a stand with Mara. She's going to have to let me work with Lily to try to change her ways."
"Good luck with that." I sat up and stared down at him. "Lily's an adult, Jerry. A woman who's been on her own for centuries. She obviously doesn't give a flying fig what her mother thinks. You can no more control Lily than you can control me."
"Back to that, are we?" Jerry sat up next to me and looked me in the eyes. "Fine. I'm a controlling bastard. What's new, eh? If you hate it so much, walk away. Take up with your new lover permanently."
"Stop right there." I put my hand on his mouth. "He's not my lover. You said you believed me."
"Aye." He nipped my palm. "But I'm still jealous as hell. You'll just have to put up with it."
"Fine." I put my hand behind his neck and pulled his face close to mine. "And as for your controlling nature, I think you can change, Angus Jeremiah Campbell III. Just as you've changed your name and the way you speak over the centuries." I kissed the corners of his firm mouth, then used my teeth on his earlobe. "You just don't
want
to change. You
like
controlling me. You
love
controlling me."
"That I do." Jerry rolled me under him and surged into me, proving once again that he had the stamina of a stallion. "But I guess if you were easy to lead, you'd have bored me long ago."
"Hah!" I grinned up at him, gasping as he picked up my hips and pressed into me harder. "Now who's been in control? You think that hasn't been my plan all along?"
"Witch." Jerry pounded into me, then leaned down to drink from me, taking what I so gladly offered. I held on to him and breathed in his familiar scent, the sweet mingling of our bodies and our life force. I'd often wished I could give him a child. And now he had one. Because I'd seen something in the set of Lily's chin, the cast of her head, that left little doubt in my mind that she was Jerry's get. I sighed as he made love to me and offered me his own blood. I decided I would love Lily as if she were my own. And she would bring us closer together. That is what I wished for as we held each other and found release.
Much later, near dawn, I sat up suddenly. "Do you think Valdez will be all right downstairs?"
"Lily will make sure Drac and his crew won't bother him." Jerry reached for me and yawned. "Besides, the shifter is a guest in my home. They harm him at their own risk."
"Valdez would tear them apart anyway." I settled down again, my eyes closing. "That he would." Monday night I was in a good mood as I straightened inventory and waited for Jerry to come by. Valdez had survived Drac and company's return, though he'd reported that they were unhappy since they'd had no luck running down West wood. Benny had threatened to use his ax on Valdez to make Lily a fur coat. All three male vamps backed off when Lily sided with my dog.
"Glory, I give up. Next time Ellen comes in, tell her no more eats in the shop. Say we're gettin' a roach problem."
Valdez groaned and sat by my feet.
"Don't suppose I could talk you into a tummy rub."
"Fat chance." I looked down at his swollen stomach. "And I do mean fat. You and Bri scarf everything down so fast, a roach doesn't stand a chance. What was it today? Blueberry scones?"
"That's not all." Bri pulled a disposable plastic tub out from under the counter. "Take a gander at this. Blueberry spaghetti. What twisted sister thought up this one?"
"I'm not tasting it."
Valdez stood up and stretched.
I grinned. "Wow, you have standards?"
"And limits. I'm worried about Ellen. Her last batch of cookies could have doubled as Frisbees. She says daughter Tina
hasn't called her once since she took on her new job you know where."
I shuddered, imagining what Tina and Simon were up to out at EV headquarters. "That's bad. I shouldn't care, but I hope that somehow Tina comes out of there in one piece and over her Ray addiction."
"Hey, she tried to kidnap me. Pepper spray me. I say what goes around, comes around. If she didn't have a swell mom, I
wouldn't give a rat's ass what became of her."
Valdez took an antacid chew from Bri and they both crunched and breathed a si eh of relief.
"For Ellens sake, we send a nice wreath to psycho chick's funeral."
"Valdez!" I had more to say, but a customer came in. Bri dumped the blueberry spaghetti, sealed so we didn't have to worry about those fictional roaches, and we went about our business. Valdez was in his usual spot by the door when Ray, Sienna and Nathan came in a little after midnight. By then there were no other customers, which gave my rock stars a break, but meant my business was in a bit of a slump.
"Wow. Rehearsal must have gone well for you to quit this early." I met them halfway, playing the dutiful fiancee as I lifted my face for Ray's kiss. When I turned my cheek at the last minute, I didn't miss Ray's frown.
"It was great. Ray finally put his heart and soul into the song. Just what I'd been waiting for." Sienna looked around the store.
"This is such a cute shop. I see something already I have to try on."
"Are you into vintage clothes?" I followed her to the dress rack.
"Are you kidding? I dig them. Watch old movies all the time. For the costumes. Oh, look, you've got a black lace cocktail dress. Love this." Sienna began pulling out dresses and handing them to me while she chattered about her favorite stars and the clothes they'd worn.
"Glory, why don't you let me help Ms. Star?" Bri approached cautiously. "I'd love to show her our stuff."
"Call me Sienna." The singer grinned, grabbed the clothes and transferred them to Bri's open arms. "Glory, you go hang out with your guy and Nate. I'll be fine. What's your name?"
I left Bri stammering out a reply and walked over to the men. "Nate, do you mind if I steal Ray for a minute? I need to talk to him. In the back room."
"Sure, Glory. But brace yourself. Barry's on his way over. He didn't like the fact that you two leaked an engagement to the tabloids without telling him first. He wants something he can hand to his close contacts that no one else has. Be thinking of a factoid you can give him."
"Like what?" I looked at Ray who shrugged.
"I don't know, make up a story. Like maybe Sienna's going to be a bridesmaid." Nate looked longingly at the singer. "That would be cool. I figure I'll be Ray's best man. I don't suppose you'd consider making Sienna maid of honor. We could walk down the aisle together."
I'd heard enough. I grabbed Nate by his jacket collar and pulled his face down near mine so I could whisper. "Earth to Nathan. This is
a. fake
engagement. There will be no bridesmaids. Got it?"
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Glory." Nate's eyes bulged. I realized I was cutting off his air supply and let him go.
"So I won't be going into wedding details." I patted his chest.
"I'm
sorry. This has been a little stressful."
"Sure. Bridal nerves." Nate grinned and held up his hands. "Kidding. So instead say something about how you're going to meet Ray's mother next week."
"What?" Ray was suddenly interested in the conversation.
"Sorry, bud, forgot to tell you." Nate looked sheepish. "She's coming. Tried to call you this weekend, but you had your cell off. And you know you can't be reached during the day. Anyway, this engagement story's got her thinking grandbabies. So she's booked a flight to meet your lady." Nate squeaked when Ray seized the jacket this time. "You guys sure get physical. You ever heard the phrase "Don't shoot the messenger." ?"
"Heard it, don't believe it. Come on, Nate, you couldn't head her off?" Ray glanced at me. "Not that I'm ashamed of you, babe, far from it. But no way am I dealing with my mother right now."
"I get it. Ray, let the man go. One crisis at a time. Next week is a lifetime away. Am I right?" I was happy to see Ray release Nathan so he could stagger to a stool and sit.
"Man, you guys have any idea how strong you are? Glad Sienna's hip deep in dresses or she'd wonder what the hell's up over here." Nathan grabbed a bottle of water Sienna had left on the counter and took a gulp.
"I guess I'm glad she's our only customer, though this isn't helping my bottom line. Come on, Ray, I need to talk to you. Nate, you okay?" I waited until he nodded. "Good. We'll be back in a few. Knock on the storeroom door when Barry gets here if we're not out before then."
Nate nodded again, still drinking water.
Ray followed me to the back room and closed the door behind us. "Well? You and Blade make up?" I could see he was hoping the answer was no. Flattering and discouraging. I didn't want to play this game and hurt him. Or myself. Every time I kissed him in public, it was harder to pretend it didn't matter that Ray was trying to make something real out of it and I was trying to pretend that I didn't feel anything, yet act like I did. Hello? Did that make any sense at all? Probably not. That's how confused I was.
I sat on the wooden table. Hmm. The last time I'd sat like this Ray had been about to drink from me and Aggie had interrupted. I could see the memory in Ray's eyes and I made sure I kept my ankles crossed like a lady should.
"Yes, we made up. It will take a while for Jerry to get what he saw between you and me out of his mind, but Jerry and I are working on our relationship." I gestured at the chair next to the table. In true contrary Ray fashion, he sat on the table beside me instead.
"If that makes you happy, fine." Ray picked up my hand. "But you're still wearing my ring."
"For the cameras, Ray. There were three paparazzi outside when I came to work tonight." I didn't snatch my hand away though. That would be childish. Hand-holding was no big deal. Innocuous really. And let loose, his hand could touch dangerous places.
"Hear this, Gloriana St. Clair." Ray pulled my hand to his mouth and nipped my knuckles, his tongue playing with my ring before he tucked my hand against his chest. "Any relationship you have to 'work' on doesn't stand a snowball's chance. But go ahead, knock yourself out. I'll be here for you. For a while anyway. But I'm not a patient man. So what if I've got forever? I'm not into celibacy if you get my drift." He released my hand and hopped off the table.
I just stared at Ray. He smiled, obviously pleased that he'd left me speechless.
"You know, I'm feeling pretty good about what we accomplished last weekend. We've got Simon and Damian working on Casanova and the Butcher for Wednesday. Now all we have to do is invite them down to the dock and Aggie should be able to take care of the rest."
"Uh, yeah." I was still reeling from Ray throwing down his "I won't wait" gauntlet. Not to mention the whiplash from that abrupt subject change. "Uh, I figure you can take them down in the elevator to see your boat. Flo said she'd call Damian and let him know Wednesday's the day."
There was a knock on the door into the store. "We're set then." Ray grabbed my waist and swung me down off the table, holding me against him for a moment. "Blade didn't come down too hard on you, did he, Glory? He was really rough out there. I didn't like the way he treated you."
There was real caring in Ray's bright blue eyes, enough that for a moment I felt the stupid urge to cry on his strong shoulder. Cry? About what? Jerry loved me. Ray seemed to still want me. Hey, Glory was riding high. I took a breath.
"Jerry was pissed. And rightly so. I kept a lot of things from him while he was gone. For the wrong reasons. Because I knew he wouldn't approve of what we were doing."
"You always need his approval?" Ray was still so very close, our thighs touching, his hands on my waist.
"Don't twist my words, Ray. He worries about my safety. You and I went into a dangerous situation. Jerry would have tried to come up with a safer alternative than going out to the EV stronghold." Why was I defending my relationship with Jerry? It was none of Ray's business. "This subject is closed."
"Good. I'd rather not talk about the other man in your life. I'd rather there not
be
another man in your life." Ray brushed my hair back over my shoulders. "My mom would love you, you know."
"Doubt it. There will be no grandbabies." I smiled sadly. "My fault."
"Will tells me my swimmers can't do the deed anymore either." Ray couldn't muster up even the semblance of a smile.
"He's right." I touched his cheek. "I'm sorry. And your poor parents. You're an only child so there will be no grandchildren in their future."
"Yeah and how do I explain ?" Ray hugged me and rested his chin on my hair. "Guess I'll tell them I had a diving accident down on the island. It happens. Maybe I just found out. 'Cause you and I were talking about starting a family and wondered why I'd never fathered any children." Ray leaned back and smiled sadly. "Tabloids would love to get hold of this."