All Others (Vampire Assassin League Book 27) (5 page)

Cameron was heavier than he looked. So was the log. Tessa turned sideways at the door to her suite to fit, taking the man in first. There was an overstuffed leather-covered chaise-lounge at the far wall. The chair faced a span of velour drapery that opened and closed remotely. The drapes concealed her balcony. From there she could view acres of foliage-covered, pristine swampland. She knew. She’d done it often enough. Tessa’s legs quivered as she set him on the chaise. It wasn’t just from exertion. His nearness did all kinds of things to her.

Especially now. With a vampiric aura. That Cam didn’t even know he possessed.

She’d drained a lot of his fluid. She’d had to. It was the only way to guarantee control. She might have overdone it, though. Cam slumped, his upper torso atop the upraised end of the chaise while lengthy legs sprawled over the side. He was awake. His heart had been thumping in rhythm to the drums. Tessa loved drums. She’d set up a sound system to make certain a concert of deep throbbing beats, body-swaying snare drumming, and the sharp quick staccato of cymbals carried through her halls. Every night. All night. They sent throbs of sound now. The floorboards beneath her feet vibrated with each beat.

His heartbeat wasn’t why she knew of his wakefulness, however. It was because she looked.

Oh. My. My. My.

Her mate was so handsome! Tall. Extremely lean and muscular. Masculine. Vampirism had honed the combination into something that demanded notice, stirred desires, sparked flame. His eyes had been a light green shade. With a gray tone. They’d been striking before. Now, they appeared lit from within, causing the gray-green to shimmer and change. Like a shaft of sunlight on a pond. She didn’t dare look into them for long. It was too intense an experience. It tied her innards into knots. Made her hands alternately cold and then hot. Sent little quakes through her limbs. Dried her throat making it difficult to swallow.

Tessa settled the log into a corner, pulled a strip of wood from it. Crossed to her bed next to lift the mattress. She placed the wood shard beside the sachet packet containing dirt from her own changing. He watched her the entire time. She didn’t check. She could feel his regard. Unblinking. Intent.

She stood. Inhaled a deep breath. Looked down at herself. A lock of matted hair slid over her shoulder. Her nose wrinkled. She was a mess. She needed a shower. Change of attire. The beautiful gown she’d worn to the Stephano wedding was ruined. Wrinkled. Stained. The slit had torn from knee level to upper thigh. And she’d lost her shoes.

She turned about. Cameron hadn’t moved much. He’d folded his arms. His eyebrows were lifted. His cheeks sucked in. Fang tips peeked through his lips. Her heart stuttered as she made eye contact. A shot of weakness hit her knees. She swayed before catching a stumble with a hand to a bedpost. Tessa swallowed. Found her voice.

“Are...you all right?” she asked.

He regarded her without changing one bit of his expression. A shiver raced along her arms and legs. Her nipples tightened. The tremor radiated through her lower belly. Reached her upper thighs. Centered in her loins. Oh! My! This was exciting!

“Cameron?”

“It’s Cam. And no. I am not all right.”

Her shoulders slumped. “You’re not?”

“Why should I be? I just got carried like a side of beef. Through a swamp. By a woman.”

“I couldn’t leave you there!”

“Look. Tessa. My ass is not the only thing that has been upended. My dignity took a major hit, too. Okay?”

“It did?”

“And then some. I mean, maybe if something made sense. Somewhere. Anywhere! I can’t even find a baseline to begin data gathering, let alone analyzing it. I’ve never felt like this. I can hardly lift my own head. Why the heck is that? And don’t give me the vampire spiel again, okay? I’m not overly-imaginative. Despite what my colleagues think. I’ve had contact with ghosts. That means I believe in them. Is that so odd?”

She shook her head. Her canines tingled. Elongated. Each breath caught.

“You asked if I’m all right. Well. No. I’m in a supremely sensual environment with the sexiest, most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen, and—argh! Listen to me! I can’t even control my tongue.”

Her lips twitched.

“What did you do to me? Slip me some psychedelic drug? Maybe a little truth serum?”

“Uh. No.”

“Maybe you should leave until I get my hard-on under control. Oh. Shit.”

He threw his head back. The pillow stopped him from falling off the opposite side of the chaise. It didn’t do a thing to alter the view. His clothing was plastered to him, defining hard pecs, washboard abs, and he hadn’t been exaggerating. He was definitely hard. Ready. He started speaking without looking in her direction.

“I hope you forgive me, Tessa. I have never been this uh...forward. And we just met. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“You want to take a shower?” she asked.

His head jerked up. His eyes captured her. They darkened as she watched, becoming a deep gray-green. Totally fascinating. Completely hypnotic. Her entire frame lurched in his direction.

“With you?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“Is it big enough?”

“Oh. Yes. Definitely.”

He considered her for long moments. The drumming intensified. The air grew heavy. Moist. Heated. His eyes got even darker. And then he smiled.

~ ~ ~

She didn’t have a shower. She had a playpen with rock walls, slate floor, lighting that ebbed and sharpened in rhythm to the drumbeats, and a showerhead that sent warm water onto the scene like some kind of misty waterfall. His dignity took another hit when he realized he didn’t have the strength to stand. He’d tried. His legs had crumpled. It hadn’t been a problem. She’d simply hugged him to her, smashing those unbelievable breasts into his chest, and the next thing he knew he was here, propped against a wall, held in place by her exquisite body. Cam shook as she raked fingers first through his hair, and then his shirt, shredding the material into rag status. And shit. His eyes saw them. His mind registered them. His intellect fought it. But it was a fact. She had fangs.

Really sharp. Incredibly white. Fangs.

Shreds of fabric hit the floor. Slapped against his ankles. His mind registered the potential for a clogged drain. The rest of him didn’t care. Because she raked her fingernails down his chest, opening wounds that stung and then thrilled. And then she launched upward, meshed her lips to his, and gave him a kiss that sent them both airborne.

His head bumped a water jet. He barely felt it. His entire existence was filled with throbs of sound. Pulse-pounding need. Unbelievable want. Tessa broke the kiss, shoved the mass of her hair off her shoulder and tilted her head, giving him access to the perfect line of her neck. Cam didn’t even question it. It was beyond inevitable. It was necessary. He licked the spot. One of her veins thumped against his tongue. Again and again. Tempting. Toying. Demanding. Cam opened his mouth. Bit her.

Tasted.

Started sucking.

And the world went crazy.

Light flashed through the enclosure, spiking electric-like charges off his skin. They sizzled before dissipating, and each one carried ecstasy. If he’d had less control, he’d have lost it right then. As it was, Cam had to lock every muscle against an onslaught of pleasure beyond any imagining. He tensed as it shoved its way into him, demanding release. He shook with holding it back. Tessa shook with him. The shower rocked about them.

And then he sensed it. Raw. And quick. And hard.

His strength was returning.

Renewed energy thrust through his veins, pumped there with each heartbeat. It grabbed the emotions already rioting within him. Enflamed them. Hotter. Higher. Power added to the sense of need hammering through him. And that slammed right into the rigid hold he’d put on it.

Cam pulled from her throat. Tossed his head back. And roared.

The sound pulsed through the falling water. They dropped. That’s when Cam looked down. Locked gazes with this amazing woman. And got dragged into the dark depths of her eyes without any thought of the consequences. Her satiny evening gown was soaked through. The material filmed her curves, showcasing perfectly-sized breasts. Tight, little nipples. Cam grabbed the neckline of her attire and ripped. Peeled the dress open. Shoved it down her legs. And out of his way.

That was really going to clog the drain.

That stupid thought was banished as he lifted her to begin suckling and adoring first one breast tip, and then the other. Tessa’s cries filled his ears. The shower chamber. The world. They blended with the continual throb of sound. Electrifying and stimulating and vitalizing. This woman wasn’t just exquisite. She was womanhood personified. Soft, yet firm. Curved. Strong. And he wasn’t waiting another moment.

He still wore his belt. Khakis. Underwear. None of it presented a problem. Cam tore through every layer, ripping free. Tessa wasn’t much help. She’d wrapped her legs about his hips and was grinding into his abs, sending every sense into an even greater realm. Higher. Hotter.

They slammed as one unit into the side of the shower. His right side smacked against a rock. Cam didn’t even feel it. He swiveled, putting her back against the wall for support.

“Oh, Cam! Yes! Yes!”

She tossed her head back to cry the words, adding a visual to the abundance of corporeal sensation. Rivulets of waters caressed her face, slid off her chin. Splashed onto her bosom. Cam grabbed her hips, hefted her into position, and slammed into absolute paradise. And then he stood shaking with containing the onslaught of voracious need. Rampant desire. She was slick wet. Coil tight. Hotter than the water about them. And then she was moving.

Cam lost control. He began pumping, alternately lifting her free, and then slamming back into place. Again. And again. Wet warmth surrounded them. Drum beats meshed with the sound of running water. Her cries of pleasure and satiation filled any remaining void. Blood rushed through his veins with every heartbeat. Heavy. Quick. Violent. Breathing became arduous. Each inhalation was filled with moist heat. The exhalations carried harsh grunts.

They matched the world about him. His movements. Deeper. Harder. Over and over. Each thrust taking him closer. Bestial need impelled his efforts. It intensified. Got stoked by her cries to an unbelievable level. Higher. Harder.

Cam thrust a final time, grabbed Tessa into his arms, and started spinning. His heart had seized up. His breath stopped. Pulse beats joined the quick hammering of drums all around them. Water droplets flew outward at his rotations, misting every surface. He didn’t feel them. Nor realize he was the cause. He’d reached another realm. It was vast. The breadth of it stunned. Shocked. Astounded.

It almost frightened.

“Hmm. Tessa. This is really nice. I mean
really
nice.”

“The bed?”

“Wow. I just got back my motor skills. I’d hate to think my mind is lagging that far behind. No. Not just the bed, although that is especially nice. I meant all of it. That’s...uh, kind of the problem.”

“There is a problem?”

“Yeah.”

Cameron was on his back, propped on pillows. Tessa’s head rested against his shoulder. Her body hugged his side. One of his fingers traced some sort of pattern along her back, raising shivers in its wake. They’d finished with their shower. Dried each other off. Nearly broken this bed frame with another lovemaking session. She’d lowered the net of canopy to enshroud the bed so she could open the balcony drapes. That let the sight and sounds of the bayou into the chamber. Dawn was at least an hour away. She’d never felt so blissful. Aglow with rapture. Somnolent with the remnants of ecstasy. She was having a hard time concentrating. And he mentioned a problem?

“Are you going to tell me what it is?” she asked.

He blew a heavy sigh. Air rushed over her exposed skin, raising more shivers and puckering her nipples into darts against him.

“You are a vampire.”

“I know. I told you I was.”

“You don’t understand. You’re a
real
vampire.”

“I know.”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“I told you already.”

“If every other theory has been tested and failed, then the end result is fact. Immutable. Uncontestable. Irrefutable.”

Tessa shifted onto her belly in order to look up toward his face. He was regarding her with those gray-green eyes. They were such an amazing color! Light moss green. Fascinating. They stunned against his ruddy complexion, as well as the barely-there beard and mustache. Her glance dropped to his lips. They were curved into a slight smile. She returned it. But then he shook his head.

“I still can’t see it. My mind does. But everything else is in denial. You’re so damn sexy. How can you be dead?”

“I’m not. I’m undead. But I’m not even that, anymore. Do you want to know why?”

“Uh...later. Maybe. I’ve got to get some facts lined up first. Why don’t we go with reanimated dead? That way I can keep it straight.”

“Do I look reanimated to you?”

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Or imagined. That part is a solid fact, sweetheart.”

Her heart stuttered. She caught a breath. He mimicked it, but didn’t appear to notice. “You don’t mind...my skin?”

“What about it?”

“My mother was a slave.”

Tessa tensed as she watched him. He blinked several times. He had blond eyelashes. They shimmered in the candlelight.

“I’m almost afraid to ask,” he finally said.

“About my father?”

“No. About what year we’re talking.”

“Year?”

“I’m going to guess you died – if that’s the right word – sometime before the Civil War?”

“I was changed. I didn’t die.”

“And the year was...?” he prompted.

“1839.”

He whistled. “You don’t look a day over twenty-five.”

“I was twenty-four.”

“Well...I’m thirty-nine. Now I’m feeling kind of old. Like I’m cradle-robbing, if that’s even possible with a woman who’s almost two centuries old. And dead.”

“Undead.”

“Reanimated,” he quipped.

Tessa sighed. “You are a very handsome man, Cameron Preston. Very fit. And extremely virile.” She looked down and blushed even more severely.

His heart stuttered this time. She knew because hers matched it.

“Are you flattering me?” he asked.

“No.”

Her gaze flew back to his. He was smiling.

“Those guys back there...they weren’t ghost hunters, were they?”

“What guys?”

“The Beethan group. At the Ramsay place.”

“Those men were
Hunters
.” She spat the word.

“Ah. I get it. They were vampire hunters. Because of course, they exist, too. And I didn’t even see it. Garlic. Crucifixes. Holy Water in the squirt guns. Wow. It feels like I’ve stumbled on an alternate reality...and nobody is even aware of it. Or if they are, they’re pretty silent. Probably because they’d get sent to the nearest loony-bin.”

“Why?”

He slid a sidelong glance at her. Her heart stuttered again. His did the exact same thing. She wondered if he noticed.

“The Beethan group was after you, weren’t they?”

“I think they just got lucky. The Ramsay Mansion is a safe place for us. I’m not the only one that uses it.”

“Us? Did I hear that right? Us? There are more of you?”

“Yes and no.”

He blinked again. Then he sucked in his cheeks as he regarded her. “That answer is extremely ambiguous. And provocative. Makes me wonder if I even want to know the specifics.”

“The yes part means that there are more of us. I belong to a league of vampires.”

“A league.”

It wasn’t a question. She didn’t answer it as one. “There are more vampires. I don’t know how many. Perhaps hundreds.”

“Hundreds.”

“Yes.”

“Oh. Please. Go on. This can’t get much better.”

“The no part refers to my new status. I am part of an elite group. I’m mated now. A vampire has to be very lucky for that to happen.”

His eyes went wide. His eyebrows rose. He mouthed a word. She thought it was mated. She nodded.

“This is getting a little out of hand, sweetheart.”

He called her the endearment again. Tessa’s heart sent a flood of warmth through her. Everywhere.

“I think I’m going to need you to explain. And put it in really basic terms, okay?”

“I love you.”

He choked. Looked away for a moment. When he returned to her gaze, his was a bit wary. Unsure. “Tessa. Please. That isn’t possible. We just met.”

“You are my mate, Cameron Preston. I knew it the moment I touched you.”

“Granted, you are the sexiest thing I can imagine. Something about you sends my heart into overdrive. My temperature into fever range. My emotions into a tizzy. But, come on. There is no such thing as love at first sight.”

“You are my mate, Cam.”

“Improbable.”

“My heart started beating. My senses returned. And I can
feel
again. That’s how I knew.”

“Implausible.”

“I love you,” Tessa replied.

“Impossible.”

“Is it?”

“We. Just. Met.”

He broke it into three indelible words. As if that made a difference. Tessa nearly giggled.

“Are you saying you feel nothing?” she asked.

He cleared his throat. Looked away. And the slightest rose shade appeared on his lower jaw before moving up his cheeks. “Tessa. Please. I think I could easily fall for you. It’s not that. I just don’t have room in my life for a girlfriend. I’m a loner. It goes with the territory. I’m a paranormal researcher, remember? We’re called pseudoscientific by most of our peers. That means we’re tolerated, but pretty-much avoided. I don’t mind. I compete in sports events for the challenge and personal satisfaction. I don’t stay for the accolade or camaraderie. Nobody knows me. My neighbors don’t even know who I am, except by sight. And I like it that way.”

“Girlfriend?”

The word carried her laughter. He didn’t seem to appreciate that. He put both hands on her shoulders to lift her away and to one side. And then he sat up. He was probably trying to look stern. She’d never seen anything so stirring. Tessa blew him an air kiss. He rolled his eyes.

“You know, I should probably return to the twenty-first century. Or the Ramsay Mansion. I left some very expensive equipment there. Do you have phone service? So maybe I can call a cab?”

“You can’t leave the Dark Plantation. Not now, anyway.”

“Why not?”

“We’re mated.”

He grunted. Cleared his throat. “Give me another reason.”

“You don’t have any clothing.”

He shoved the sheet aside and stood up. Walked a couple of feet from her. And then stretched. Tessa gave an appreciative sigh. He had the finest back. Buttocks. Thighs.

“Well. I can probably solve that little issue. I’ll just go see how much repair my slacks will need.”

“It’s almost dawn, Cam.”

“So?”

“Sunlight is very damaging to a vampire.”

“I can imagine. Is this the way to the shower room?” He headed for the correct door. She heard him rustle through things. Even if he found his trousers, they were probably in a heap at the bottom of the shower. Ripped. And soaked through.

He came out wrapped in a towel. A large one. It was looped about his waist and hanging to his lower calves. He had very impressive pecs. And six-pack abs. The man was stunning. Stirring. And getting lit on one side by the first hint of dawn. Tessa sighed. She couldn’t help it. She’d ordered those towels on purpose. Now, she wished she’d gone with the smaller size.

“Okay. Scratch the slacks. My khakis are beyond repair. Do you have anything that might work? Maybe that Len fellow is my size?”

“You can’t go back, Cam.”

“That part is not up for argument, dearest. We’ve moved on. We are discussing clothing. You didn’t answer my question. Or should I just go find that Len?”

“You’re my mate, Cameron. I never expected you, but I did hope. That means I prepared for your arrival. I have an entire wardrobe of menswear for you. It might be in the wrong color range, however. I like vivid shades. And didn’t know you’d be white.”

He crossed his arms. That put very impressive biceps and forceps on display, too. “Is that a complaint?”

“Oh. Never.”

“Then, point me to this wardrobe. I’ll find something in dull tones that won’t wash me out too much.”

“It won’t matter. You can’t leave.”

“Why not? And come up with a new reason, okay? One that doesn’t have love and mating attached to it. Because, quite frankly, I am not at all certain either exists, albeit – if they did – I would certainly wish it to be with you. Crap. I can’t believe I just said that.”

He put both hands on his head, shielding his face. Tessa tried to keep the joy from showing somewhere on her face as she and waited.

“I’m being tied in knots here. I mean...uh. I really did have the time of my life, Tessa. And with a reanimated undead thing. That is beyond crazy. I need some time. Space. Maybe a few stiff drinks. Some time in a padded cell.”

“The Ramsay Mansion doesn’t exist anymore.”

“What?”

“You wanted another reason. There. You have it.”

“The Ramsay Mansion doesn’t exist? Don’t tell me it never did exist and I’ve imagined this entire thing. Just don’t. Okay?”

“A 4-D team obliterated it last night.”

“4-D? What does that mean?”

“Deploy. Disinfect. Destroy. Disappear.”

“Destroy? Somebody destroyed the Ramsay Mansion?”

“And the bodies of two Hunters. Your equipment. Every trace is gone. That’s how we stay hidden. We don’t leave evidence.”

He paced the room, his hands gesticulating wildly. “Has everyone gone insane? You can’t destroy the Ramsay place! There were spirits there. One was malignant. Evil. And now it’s loose. I have to get back. ASAP! You don’t understand. Ah!”

A shaft of sunlight touched Cameron’s foot. He yelled and leapt across the room, cleared the bed and landed on the opposite side, taking a section of the canopy netting with him. Tessa slapped the button to close the drapes and dove for the mattress edge. Peeked over it. Cam was wound into a ball shape on the floor. He was rocking.

“Cam?”

“Where is the exit from this funhouse? Huh? Where? Just point me in the right direction.”

“I’m sorry, my love, but I did warn you.”

“About what? A nuclear strike?”

“Sunlight.”

“Oh. No way. I’ve been in the sun my entire life. I get freckles. Moles that require melanoma cancer screening. Premature age lines around my eyes. That was
not
the sun.”

“You’ve never been a vampire before though.”

He stopped moving. Ripped free of netting. Gave her a long look that could mean anything. It was intent. Angered. Frightening. She watched his pupils grow, darkening his eyes to black. Tessa’s skin rippled with goosebumps.

“
I’m
a vampire now? Is that what you just said?”

She nodded.

“How? When?”

“The swamp. Last night.”

“Don’t you think somebody should have asked first?”

“You were dying! I had no choice!”

His eyelids slowly lowered. His head dropped. “Why am I feeling so tired all of a sudden?”

“The sun’s almost up. You need rest.”

“This is...not settled. Not...by a long...shot.”

His body went limp. An arm thumped against the floor. If he hadn’t been wrapped with netting his legs would have dropped, too. She’d need to get him into the bed. Rest with him. But first, she had to alert Leonard about the coming evening.

Because there was going to be trouble.

A lot of it.