I couldn't help it. I looked south. Yep, Damian was up for anything.
“Picture this, Glory. I'm Joe Ordinary, coming home from a hard day at the blood bank, and you've just put little Fang down for his nap.” His finger gently stroked the sensitive area behind my ear.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Damian was way too good at the whammy. And I was way too good at jumping right into his fantasies. But then he was a multitalented seducer. The husky voice, the practiced slide of his fingers into my hair. I felt him lean closer and suck my right earlobe into his mouth.
“Stop it, Damian. And don't swallow my earring. It's one of my favorites.”
“Come on, Gloriana. Relax. I'm just getting to the good part.” He plucked out the earring and tucked it into my hand, the hand which had somehow landed on his nice wide, way too masculine chest.
Okay, this is the part where I should have shoved him away and called a halt. But Damian is nothing if not inventive. So I just stood there, silent, a safe three or four inches between us. Except for his lips on my earlobe. Was he reading my mind through my block? I admit my ears are one of my hot spots.
He took my silence as consent and drew me another inch closer. “You greet me at the door, Gloriana, wearing nothing but an apron. One of those sheer things. And high heels of course. Italian stilettos.” He hummed and slid his tongue down to the pulse point in my throat. I braced myself. If he so much as touched a fang to me, I was shoving him through the wall and into the next room.
“Gloriana,” he whispered. “I'm so stunned by your beauty that I drop my car keys. You bend over to pick them up andâ”
“Stop it. Right. Now.” My face hot, I gripped my self-control like it was the last life jacket on the
Titanic
. At least his mention of stilettos had put me back on the Flo track. I shoved, though not nearly as hard as I could have. I put the sofa between us and pushed my vintage silver earring back into my earlobe.
“I got to you. I know I did.” Damian stuck his hands in his pockets again, making it clear that I'd gotten to him too.
“Remember why you're here, Damian. This could be serious. What about the EVs? And why do I think maybe Flo's new boyfriend is connected to them somehow?”
Damian's brows hit his hair line. “Do you know this? That Florence is sleeping with an EV?”
“Not for sure. But I'm pretty positive she's been hitting the Vamp Viagra.” I sat on the couch. “You should have seen the look on her face when she was telling about that stuff.” I looked up at Damian. “Have you tried it? Do you think it's addictive?”
“I certainly don't
need
to try it. But I have. A woman I knew was into it. And I'll admit it. I'll try anything once. Okay, twice.” Damian waggled his eyebrows, then collapsed on the couch next to me. “This woman was wealthy, beautiful, of course, and she couldn't make love without it. She was addicted. Not me, of course.” He tapped his fingers on his dark jeans. “I won't lie to you. The sex was fantastic and lasted for hours.” He looked at me. “But I like being in control, you know?”
“Yeah, I know.” I could have launched into a litany of reasons why Damian's mind control bits had hurt me, yada, yada, but he was on to something. “I wouldn't like that. Losing control.”
“I did things, felt things. Pleasure, of course. Incredible, endless gratification.” Damian smiled. “Now that I remember, maybe I've been hasty. We could try it together, Gloriana. ”
“I don't want any part of it.”
Damian shrugged. “I had to give it a shot. I wasn't serious anyway. That Vamp Viagra. It messes with your mind. I couldn't stop when I wanted to. Couldn't slow down and
think
.”
“Thinking is highly overrated. Especially if you're getting great sex.” Will had emerged from the kitchen licking his lips. “I'd try that Vampire Viagra in a heartbeat.”
“So says a man who lives and acts like a dog.” Damian's lip curled. He turned his back on Will. “Now you've got me worried about my sister. She's too easily persuaded to take chances. It comes with having lived so long and so well. Florence is always looking for the next big thing.”
“Aren't we all? But Flo's usually satisfied with a shoe sale. This is different.” I squeezed Damian's hand. One thing I liked about him was his family loyalty. I didn't have a family. But then, even when they were alive, my parents had ignored me, ashamed of my lifestyle. The whole “actresses are sluts and whores” thing. I'd gotten over it, but sometimes I wished . . . Nope, I wasn't going to start a pity party.
“What should we do? Where do these EVs live? Should we go see them?” I didn't want to, but if Flo was in danger . . . Hey, she
was
my family. All my close vamp friends were. I glanced at Damian. Yeah, even Casanova.
“That's what they want, Glory. For you to hand yourself over to them. Kaplan told you that. You ain't going within miles of their hideout. Even if we could find it.”
Valdez stretched and ambled over to collapse at my feet, pretending like he hadn't just waved a red flag at this bull. I gave him a look he couldn't misinterpret.
“The dog has a point. They
are
drug dealers. Vicious drug dealers. They keep a low profile or I would have already known they were in the area.” Damian looked scarily serious. “I'm sure they have plenty of customers, though. But I'm sure they screen those carefully. This Vampire Viagra isn't something you can buy on a street corner. Unless things have changed, they control the production and distribution with an iron fist.”
“We got that from listening to Kaplan. Can't say I like who they put to work for them.” Will was playing Mr. Righteous, trying to get back into my good graces.
As usual, Damian ignored him. “Their security will be extremely tight. They'd be happy to let
you
in, Gloriana, but not your guards. And as for getting out . . .” Damian ran a hand through his dark hair. “Damn it, I don't like the idea of Florence having anything to do with them.”
“You could just ask her if her boyfriend is an EV.”
Valdez yawned.
Will put his head on his paws. “You know that lady keeps her secrets. Hell, Glory didn't have a clue her roommate was painting vampires on her wall downstairs.”
“Speaking of downstairs, I've got to relieve Lacy. Maybe Flo will come by later. I'll call her. Leave a message if she doesn't pick up. She doesn't like vintage unless she bought it herself, but a werecat sold me a brand-new pair of Christian Louboutin suede pumps back in the day. Never worn. Flo's size. That should bring her in.” I stood and smoothed my sixties skirt. I was a walking advertisement for the shop. Thank God I was a packrat who'd kept my favorite outfits through the years.
Vamp magic that I would forever wear the same size. Sucksville though, that the size was a twelve, not a six like roomie Flo. Tonight I wore a red off-the-shoulder peasant blouse with my long skirt. Oh, shoot, I hoped the sixties look wasn't because I still had Greg Kaplan and his free love era on the brain.
“I'll go down with you.” Damian handed me my crocheted hobo bag. “If Florence comes in, we'll both confront her.”
I locked up and headed downstairs with my entourage. When I got to the door of the shop, I could see through the glass that things were hopping. A crowd clustered around the counter. Waiting to pay? I smiled and opened the door.
“There she is.” Lacy looked harried when the crowd parted. I could see why. “I was just about to call you, Glory. Look who's here.” She gestured to a woman I recognized immediately.
“Donna Mitchell, Channel Six News. I interviewed you on the night of the fire.” She smiled and held out her hand. “Your shop looks amazing. When I heard you'd reopened, I thought you might agree to a follow-up. Free publicity.”
“Sure, sounds good.” I shook her hand and read her mind. She also wanted a shot at another feature. And rumor had it this was a slow news night. Then her eyes widened when she saw Damian behind me. He had that effect on women. “Hot bod alert.”
“Uh.” Donna's mind had gone completely blank. I had to step between them, to block her view of the Italian before I could get her attention again.
“What did you have in mind?” No way was I introducing her to Damian. He was here to help with the Flo situation, not bewitch a new girlfriend.
“Well, first we need to get a shot of this fabulous mural.” Donna laughed. “By da Vinci, of course. What a hoot.”
“Yeah, hilarious.” I saw Lacy roll her eyes. “My roommate painted it. Customers seem to get a kick out of it.”
“Let me call my cameraman.” She glanced at her watch. “We might be able to get this on the ten o'clock news if they've got a spot open. At the very least, it'll be on the weekend wrap-up and the Web site.”
“Web site. Yes. We have one too now. Vintagevampshop .com.” I steered Donna over to the mural, well away from Damian. “Maybe I could plug it.”
Donna had her cell phone to her ear. “Good. See you in ten.” She snapped her phone closed and smiled. “Sure, you can plug your new site. Let's do a walk through. Tell me about your business.” She kept glancing at Damian, who lounged next to the counter putting the flirt on one of my customers.
The fiftyish woman laughed at something he said. Yes, he could be charming. And useful. Like now, when he picked up a length of crystal beads and draped them around the woman's neck. She flushed and I heard her tell Lacy to add them to her bill.
Donna hadn't missed the exchange either. “Who
is
that man?” she whispered.
“Nobody. Now where would you like me to stand for the interview?”
“I don't suppose you could get your partner here. You two made such a cute couple and she
did
paint the mural.”
Damian choked and moved closer, his eyes twinkling. “I'm Gloriana's âpartner's' brother, Damian Sabatini.” He bowed over Donna's hand, leaving her wide-eyed. “It's a pleasure to meet a woman who is even more beautiful in person than she is on television.”
Donna's mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. I knew the feeling.
“Damian, why don't you try calling Flo while Donna and I discuss the shoot? I know she'd hate to miss this.”
“Of course. Excuse me, ladies.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and stepped outside. I saw him speaking so maybe Flo had actually picked up, even though she had a policy of turning off her cell during dates.
“What a hunk.” Donna clutched my arm. “Tell me he's not gay.”
Hmm. Tempting. And I'd spread that rumor myself when he'd pissed me off. But he was helping with Flo. “No, very straight. But I wouldn't get too close if I were you. He's strictly love 'em and leave 'emâ” Donna gave me a sharp lookâ“according to his sister.”
“He looks like he might be worth the risk. Too bad I'm in a relationship.” It didn't take a mind reader to see that Donna was reevaluating the whole relationship issue. If her significant other didn't get back into a gym soon and quit eating the last of the butter pecan ice cream . . . She eyed Damian's abs again when he came back inside.
“I can't thank you enough, Donna, for setting this up.” I took her arm and dragged her back to the mural, halfway between the screamer and the vamp. “Why don't we shoot here first?”
Now the reporter was all business, pointing out a likely spot for the camera. Damian caught my eye and shook his head. Obviously he'd gotten Flo's voice mail.
I excused myself long enough to head to the back room to freshen my lipstick and fluff my hair. If I'd known I was going on TV, I would have chosen a different outfit. A fifties shirtwaist would have really sent the message that we had a cool shop. Or a forties suit with a cute little hat. I gestured for Valdez to come back with me, then shut the door.
“How do I look?” What a pain that vamps don't reflect. “Oh, God, this skirt makes my ass look huge, doesn't it? I've heard the camera adds ten pounds too.”
“You look okay. But you got lipstick on your teeth.”
“Thanks.” I scrubbed my front teeth with my finger. “Now?”
“Fine.”
Valdez cocked his head.
“Not like a vampire at all, if that's what you're worried about.”
“Yeah, thanks.” Actually I'd forgotten all about that part. I touched my tongue to my fangs. Retracted, just like they would stay unless someone came in with AB negative. I'm a slut for AB negative. Especially AB negative men. Remember the firefighter Steve incident?
“I hope I don't forget to mention we carry men's clothing. ” I sat on a stool for a minute. “Maybe all this publicity isn't such a good idea. You can't tell me Westwood's men won't see it. And then there are the EVs. I wonder if they watch TV. I know Greg did. He said he'd seen me on the news.” I was babbling. Nerves.
“Too late for a low profile now, Blondie. You've got a business to run. Let Westwood's men report back to him that you're not intimidated by his tactics.”
A knock. “The cameraman's here, Glory.” Lacy opened the door. “You look cute. The sixties look is hot right now. But you're a little pale.” She handed me a makeup bag. “Throw on some blush.”
“She's supposed to be pale.”
Valdez was obviously defensive. “
She never sees daylight.”
“No need to advertise the fact.”
I'd gone through a fake tanning phase. Part of my lifelong obsession with blending. I'd managed to avoid a lot of grief by pretending to be mortal. But since I'd been in Austin, I'd discovered how much better life could be surrounded by my own kindâI glanced at Lacy, the were-kittyâand other assorted entities. Lacy gave me a critical look after I brushed a little blush on my cheekbones.