Blood Kisses (Nightwalkers Book 1) (5 page)

Ashleigh
laughed, her face turning slightly red as she covered her mouth and looked away
from him. She tried not to let him see she found his cheesy lines hilarious. "I'm
not normal, and neither are—"

In
a quick movement, he had rolled over and was now on top of her, his gaze
trapping hers. "And I know…" He lightly kissed her neck behind her
ear, one of his hands going up the bottom of her shirt and rubbing her stomach.
"
Exactly
what you like."

"You
do not." Ashleigh giggled as she pushed on his shoulders. She wasn't
protesting too much because a little bit of playtime with him might be fun,
even if it didn't lead to sex.

"I
read your books." He lifted his head and looked up at her, a giant grin on
his face. "I know where your trigger is." As his eyes remained locked
on hers, Spencer licked the bottom of one of his fangs.

"Trigger?"

Spencer
began kissing her neck again, his hand wandering down her stomach and rubbing
her inner thigh. His touches were rough, making her breaths get more and more
shallow and rapid with each rub of his hand, his fingers getting closer and
closer to their target.

Then,
he went for what he knew was her weakness, his hand leaving her leg and
reaching up her shirt. He shoved up her bra and grabbed one of her large, heavy
breasts, kneading it roughly as his thumb squeezed her nipple against the base
of his index finger. When he felt her take in a deep, gasping breath, his lips
pulled away from her neck.

"Stop."
Her shaky hands went to his shoulders as she tried to push his body upward. Then,
her eyes met with his very serious looking ones, her breath rising and falling
quickly as his face hovered over her bare chest, the tip of the charm on his
silver necklace brushing the space between her breasts. "Wait a second."

"I
told you I’d find it." He closed his eyes and swooped down on one of her
breasts, his lips wrapping around her nipple. His hands took a firm hold of her
hips, some of his fingers dipping under the waistband of her jeans.

"Before
we…" Ashleigh nervously watched him bite at her nipple, and she could feel
the light scrape of his fangs on her skin. Surprisingly, he didn’t hurt her and
the pleasure of his act was overwhelming. "Do anything like this, we…need
to set some….ground rules."

"Rules?"
He smirked, his tongue making a quick pass over his lips. "Why?"

"No
biting me." Though she liked the thought of experiencing a real-life
vampire love bite, she didn't trust Spencer enough to let him do it. "Unless
I okay it."

"Okay,
baby..." Wrinkling his nose, he growled at her playfully, grinding his
hips against hers. "I won't."

She
stared into his eyes as his lips hovered over hers. He smelled amazing. She was
finding it hard to think rationally, her body taking over and demanding she
take what he was offering, even though she knew it would only be a temporary
satisfaction. Then, he spoke again, ruining the mood.

"I'll
treat you real nice." He ran his fingers through her hair, holding her
roughly. All her attraction from him seeped out as she took in his cocky expression,
his over-confident arrogance. "I'll give you some real-life inspiration,
and you'll want this every night."

"Really?"
Her eyebrow raised slightly, a sarcastic tone in her voice that showed she was
not impressed.

"Oh
yeah." He was eying her mouth, his mind not focused on the conversation. He
quickly rolled off her and pulled down his pants and boxers, exposing a very
ready piece. "Ready to meet your greatest fan?" He rubbed his cock,
licking his lips as he watched her sit up in bed.

"Take
off your shirt." She tried not to giggle as she pulled down her shirt,
covering her chest.

"Sure."
He removed it slowly, taking her smile as her having a great interest in him. Each
button he undid showed more of his chest, which was toned and hairless.

"I
see someone works out." She gave the very fit and sexy Spencer a quick
once over. He had a body-builder's frame. Not an ounce of fat to be found on
him. "A lot…" Although he looked amazing, he was arrogant, and if he
hadn't opened his mouth, it wouldn't have spoiled the whole vampire fantasy,
and she would've easily slept with him.

"Of
course." He flexed his muscles, trying to impress her, "Looking
amazing takes lots of upkeep."

"Amazing,
huh?" She glanced down at his very perky cock, his hands going down to
stroke it when he saw her gaze. It was a nice piece, something to be proud of,
and he seemed to love showing it off. His good looks might make its way into
her stories, but not his personality.

"Oh
yeah, and now I'm gonna rock your world, sweetheart." He went to kneel on
the bed, but she shot him an angry look. "What?"

"Cover
that." She pointed downward.

Spencer
let out an annoyed groan. "No."

"Now."
She motioned toward the door.

Wrinkling
his nose, Spencer bared his fangs at her, hissing.

"Come
on, it’s not a big deal, just put one on. According to you, vampires don’t shoot
blanks, and I’m not covered under that kind of insurance at the moment."

"You're
not a vampire. I can't get you pregnant."

"I
don't believe you."

"Fine,
whatever. Then, do you got one?" He held out his hand to her.

"Nope."
She laughed. "Ask one of your buddies out there. Maybe they came to the
job more prepared than you."

He
stood and pulled up his pants, irritably yanking up his zipper. She watched him
walk over to his shirt, admiring the black tattoo that snaked around his upper
bicep. He tossed it on without buttoning it and angrily left the bedroom.

He
walked out into the living room, and his eyes turned to Natalie, who was
sitting on the floor near the wall, her eyes staring straight ahead. Spencer
smiled as he waved a playful hand in front of her face. They must have put her
in a trance to keep her from “rescuing” Ashleigh.

"Hey."
He strode over to the guys on the couch, holding out his hand as he sent them a
very angry glare. "Help me out."

Nathan
chuckled as he caught a glimpse of Ashleigh wandering into a room across from
hers. "What’s wrong?" He turned back to Spencer, who was now wiggling
his fingers and motioning for Nathan to hurry up.

"She’s
cautious okay? So, hurry up, give me one."

"You better not be doing what I think you are." Nathan narrowed
his eyes. "Leave her alone, Spencer. Robert will be pissed if you mess
around with her. Flirting is one thing, but going further than that isn't
appropriate. We promised we'd—"

"What’s
he gonna do? He only said he wanted to meet her. He didn’t say anything about
sleeping with her. And what’s he gonna do if she’d rather be with me? I’m
better looking than our girly master anyway."

"He’ll
put a bounty on your head." Nathan pointed an imaginary gun at Spencer. "Or
better yet, make you kill yourself."

Ashleigh
opened her door, her voice loud. "Spencer!"

Spencer
smirked as he reached forward and playfully punched Nathan in the shoulder. "Make
sure Ashleigh doesn’t see that chick like that. Put her in her room or
something."

"Sure."
Nathan motioned for Natalie to stand. "Go to bed."

Natalie
slowly began walking down the hallway, Spencer squeezing by her and going back
into Ashleigh’s room. She was sitting at her computer when he came in. He shut
the door, clicking the lock into place.

"You’re
back." She shut her laptop and set it on the floor, slipping it under the
bed. She was now fully dressed, a very excited smile on her face. Reaching
under the blanket, she grabbed a small object there and threw it at Spencer. "Here."

He
caught it artfully in his hand. "Thanks." Spencer put it in his back
pocket then walked over to the bed.

"I
thought you’d need that for next time." Ashleigh laughed when she caught
his dirty look.

"Next
time?" Spencer took off his shirt and tossed it to the ground, his hands
pausing on the waistband of his pants as he smiled at her. One of his eyebrows was
slightly raised, a very playful air to his voice. "Who said you get a next
time?
Next time,
you will let me off
the hook on this stupid…" He pulled the condom out of his back pocket and
glared at it. "Protection thing."

"Who
said your next time would be with me?" She watched him pull down his
pants, his former excitement now limp.

"Bad
habits are hard to break, you know, especially in vampires." Spencer started
rubbing his cock, his gaze taking in her smile. He ripped open the wrapping and
let it fall to the floor. "And though I hate having to—"

"Excuse
me." She hopped off the bed and went for the door.

"Hey!"
Instead of chasing her, he motioned for her to return. "Where you
going?"

"Checking
on Natalie." She unlocked the door and walked out, leaving him scrambling
to pull up his pants.

"But…"
He quickly got them on and followed, his shirt in his hand. "What about…?"

"Hey!"
Nathan, who was leaning up against the wall, pushed away from it when he saw
them. "Where's your shirt?" He pointed to a very annoyed looking
Spencer.

"Never
mind about that," Ashleigh chuckled. "Where's Natalie?"

Nathan
looked over at Spencer and then back at Ashleigh, wrapping his arm around her
shoulders. "Bedroom."

While
Spencer went to fetch Natalie, Ashleigh started up a conversation with Nathan. "So…tell
me more about this man who wants to meet me." She walked into the kitchen,
excitement in her voice.

"Oh…"
Nathan laughed nervously as he glanced behind him and then back at her. "
That
guy."

"Spencer
told me you were all hired to find me." She reached into the fridge and
grabbed a wine cooler. When she popped the top, the bottle fizzed a little.

"He's
a nice enough guy. Easy going, for the most part. He and I get along pretty
well."

"What's
he like?" She took a drink then looked briefly at Spencer and Natalie, who
had joined them.

"You'll
see soon enough."

"Why
does he want to meet me?"

"He's
a huge fan of your books, so he's an admirer." Nathan leaned up against
the counter next to her, "He's got a crush on you."

"A
crush?" She laughed with the bottle to her lips.

"Oooo…"
Natalie giggled as she selected a bottle of beer for herself. "A crush. Is
he hot?" She didn't seem to know she'd been under a spell, and now spoke
as if nothing had happened.

"No."
Spencer crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes not leaving the prize that
had been denied him a few minutes earlier. "Not at all."

"Don't
listen to him." Nathan's hands gripped the counter behind him loosely,
"You're gonna love him. He’s easy to get along with, and he’s an awesome
guy to work for."

"He's
not a stalker, is he?"

"Naww…"
Nathan snickered as he caught Ashleigh's suspicious expression. "He's a
just a big fan."

"So,
all he wants to do is meet me? Nothing else?"

"Here's
the deal." Spencer spoke, taking over the conversation. "Our Master
is offering you twenty-five K for a private interview. All expenses paid, round
trip to the beautiful, historic city of Vice. Natalie can go along, too."

"Ooo…so,
it'd be like a vacation?" Natalie giggled. "Do we get shopping
money?"

"Sure."
Spencer gaze was still focused on Ashleigh.

"Well…"
Ashleigh paused, her eyes going from Natalie to Nathan, and then to Spencer.
"I don't know."

"He
only wants to meet you." Nathan playfully nudged her shoulder with his.
"We'll make sure you get home safe and sound after the interview. No
worries."

"We
could use the money to put in a pool out back," Natalie spoke, excitedly.
"Come on, Ash."

"One
night with our Master in exchange for a vacation to Vice and twenty-five K. It's
a good deal." Spencer's voice grew more upbeat, his hands crossing over
his chest casually.

"One
night." Ashleigh sighed, her eyes gazing down at the bottle in her hand.
"And then we can go home?"

"Yeah." Spencer nodded. "Just one
night."

"Okay."
She sent him a small smile, but inside she was very nervous. She didn't want to
go, but yet she was curious.

At
her new friends’ urging and a cash bribe from Spencer, Ashleigh decided to take
a week vacation to Vice, one of the biggest and oldest cities in the world. She
promised to meet their master and boarded a first class plane that would take
them half way around the world.

She
was nervous, but the vampires were easy to get along with. This wasn't like a
kidnapping. The mood was laid back and friendly. On the plane, Ashleigh was
working at her laptop with head phones on that drowned out her surroundings. Natalie
was reading, but was also wearing headphones to counteract Ashleigh’s loud rock
music.

When
they reached Vice, the girls left their things at the hotel and went sight-seeing.
The vampires left them alone, trusting them enough not to run away. It was
still cold in Vice, and the girls wore heavy coats, their necks covered up by thick
scarves.

They
had promised to meet Spencer’s friend at the hotel, but when they returned,
they couldn’t get near the place. It was very upscale, and apparently, a few celebrities
were staying there as well. Armageddon, one of the girls’ favorite bands was there,
something that made them giddy with joy. Ashleigh had all their music on her
computer and found it inspirational to listen to while writing.

After
the crowd died down, the girls were able to enter, both of them giggling and
talking about how great it would be to meet up with the band by accident. They
were about an hour late for their meeting. Security had detained everyone
because of a fight that had broken out between some fans. She had texted
Spencer, and he had set up another time.

Natalie
left Ashleigh at the elevator and decided to look around to see if she could
find out where the band was staying. Ashleigh was going to drop off her bags,
including a nice cocktail dress to wear to the meeting.

Now,
she was dressed in flared jeans that were ripped on the bottom, from stepping
on them numerous times, and covered her comfy tennis shoes. She was wearing a
green army jacket that clashed with her, now chipping, pink fingernails and
pink purse.

Because
it was an exclusive hotel, a key card was required to use the elevator. Ashleigh
quickly put hers in and waited for the car to climb the thirty stories up to
her room. She texted Spencer.

This guy is rich rt?

Stepping
in and pushing the button for her floor, she slipped her small earphones in and
listened to music from the player in her coat pocket.

Very.

Ashleigh
laughed at his response, her gaze jumping upward when the elevator stopped. She
typed back.

Can he get Nat & I tickets to Armageddon’s concert?

There
were some men poised at the staircase. They were very large, dressed in suits,
and wearing almost invisible headsets. This made her slightly nervous, but she
just avoided eye contact with them and dropped off her bags.

When
she came out of her room, her head was down as she texted Natalie, asking about
band member sightings. The elevator was open, so she just got on and started
checking her email. She pushed the button she needed, and when she saw feet
enter the elevator, she moved backward without glancing up.

Her
finger tapped on the side of her phone as she read a message from Spencer.

I’ll ask him. He’s coming to meet u. Meet me in lobby.
Now.

Ashleigh
laughed at the text, sticking her tongue out at it as she typed a reply.

I’m not in the Hotel. I’ll be late.

She
briefly looked up, one of the security guys eyeing her suspiciously. Then, a
crowd of people entered, Ashleigh moving further toward the back so they could
fit in.

Her
phone started to ring. She let out a small laugh as she pushed the “deny”
button. But Spencer kept trying, again and again.

She
glanced up at the crowd, her gaze settling on the familiar face of Armageddon’s
drummer. She quickly turned away when their eyes met. She couldn’t see the
other band members, but her gaze did try and seek out Caleb, the lead singer.

Spencer
tried texting.

Answer your phone.

Getting
annoyed with Spencer's persistence, Ashleigh took out her head phones and
finally answered her phone. "What?"

"Where
are you?"

Ashleigh
briefly studied the crowd around the band members, a small smile on her face as
she heard the voice of the lead singer. "Eating dinner."

Spencer
sounded angry. "Get your ass back to the hotel, or I’ll come hunt you
down."

"Oh
my God, you act like I’m a runaway or something. I’ll go back." Some of
the people heard her speaking, their ears perking up a little because she
wasn't speaking the native language. "You said he was late anyways, so
what’s the difference?"

"Get
your ass to the lobby."

"No,
I’m not even at the hotel, so I can't."

"Where
are you, then?"

"Umm…"
She looked toward the lobby where she could see Spencer waiting, her eyes
wandering over to the band members that were walking out behind her. "That
one place with the…umm…" If she were braver, she would’ve said hello like
every other love struck girl, but instead she just walked ahead of them, trying
to blend in with their group.

"Get
back here now, or I will do more than bite you. Your little friend, Natalie,
looks pretty tasty right now."

"If
you—" Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and Ashleigh quickly turned,
hanging up on Spencer.

"You’re
staying on our floor?" Caleb sent her a perfect smile, and Ashleigh tried
not to stare at him.

Ashleigh
smiled awkwardly, the nervousness apparent in her voice, her hands fidgeting
with the thick strap of her purse. "I don’t think so."

"What
floor are you staying on?" Caleb started walking with her, dark makeup
around his baby blue eyes, which intensified them and directed all focus on his
face there.

His
hair was a dark black, most of it swept toward the middle of his head, the
small Mohawk forming a high peak near his forehead. He was gorgeous, especially
his devilish grin that made millions of girls swoon.

Ashleigh
was such a big fan of his good looks and music that she had based one of the
main characters in the
Nightwalkers
series on him. Seeing him in the
flesh had quickly turned her into a babbling idiot, which she normally wasn’t.

"Thirty-nine,
I think." Ashleigh glanced back toward the way they came and then again at
Caleb. She knew her face was bright red, but Caleb wasn’t looking at her
strangely, so she thought it must be just her imagination.

"I
guess not, then." Caleb’s smile faded a little as he looked down at his
phone and typed a quick message, but it quickly returned when his gaze
reconnected with hers. But it seemed forced. He stopped near the doors to the
entrance of the hotel, still texting.

"Yeah."
The other people in his group started walking outside, and Ashleigh began to
panic because her time with him was running out. "I just want to say that I’m
a really huge fan, and it was wonderful to meet you in person. Like a dream."

"Thanks."
Caleb laughed as he briefly scanned the faces of his other band members.
"I'm always happy to meet my fans." Though he seemed genuinely happy
to meet her, his mind seemed to be caught up in his text conversation.

"Can
I…" Ashleigh bit her lip as she opened her purse and searched through it
for a piece of paper and a pen. "Have your autograph?"

"Sure."
Caleb held out his hand but didn’t look up from his phone.

She
pulled a book from her purse, a nervous laugh escaping her lips as she bent
back the cover. It was a proof of her new novel that she was reading over for errors.
The title—
Love Bites—
stuck out in bold, black print. A thin-lined marker
was inside, marking a page near the end.

She
had other pieces of paper, but having his autograph on this book would make it
extra special because of his role in helping her create her Master Vampire,
Lord Drake.

"Here."
Ashleigh’s face was filled with a very big grin that looked very painful to
produce. She pulled out the black marker and bent back the cover even more
before handing it over to Caleb. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re
welcome. Thanks for supporting my music.” He scribbled his name on the cover,
his tanned fingers squishing the pages together as Ashleigh watched him
intensely. He handed it back to her and forced a smile.

"Thank
you." She held the book open as she admired his signature.

"No
problem." He briefly glanced in her direction. His gaze caught a glimpse
of the cover and the name Victoria Allure near the bottom of the design. "Hey."
He held out his hand, motioning for her to give the book back to him. "You
want my band mates to sign it, too?" He motioned them over.

"I’d
love that!" Ashleigh nodded. “Thank you so much!”

“Of
course.” He handed the book and pen to his band mates, both of them signing it
and then giving it back to Caleb. He read the title aloud. "
Nightwalkers
?" Letting out a small
laugh, Caleb sent a very sexy smile Ashleigh’s way. "I love this series.
I’ve never seen this one before. Where’d you get it?"

"It’s
new." Ashleigh returned his smile with a very nervous one of her own, staring
at the book as she held out her hand for him to give it back.

"How
new?" Caleb opened the cover and looked at something her publisher had
written on the title page, opposite of where he had signed.

Here it is! Number 3! Enjoy it! Hannah.

"Super
new."

"This is Victoria’s new book. How'd you get this? This book isn't
releasing until next month." Caleb continued to flip through the pages
quickly. He was very interested, his eyes widening as he skimmed a few
passages. "This is awesome."

"Yeah…it….umm…" She swallowed hard, her breath quick as she
kept her eyes on the cover rather than meeting with the eyes of her idol. She
stumbled to get out her words. "Is a proof, so…it's not really the final
version or anything. It—"

"Can
I have this?" Caleb’s face was filled with an excited smile as he looked
up at her, his hand gripping the tattered cover tightly. "I can pay you
for it. How much? Like two hundred?" He took out his wallet, his slender
fingers parting the leather. "I'll send you an official, autographed CD
and photo, if you want."

Ashleigh
wanted to just scream, “
Yes! Caleb
likes my books!”,
and give it to him, but she wasn’t supposed to let
anyone read it yet. "I can’t." There was a very stressed expression on
her face as she held her hand out to him to give it back.

"Can
I borrow it then?" He glanced at the security guards with him that were
motioning for him to hurry up. "I’ll give it back, just tell me your room
number, and I’ll return it later. I promise."

"Well…"
Fidgeting with the strap of her purse, Ashleigh looked down at the cover, her gaze
settling on the sticker of a cartoon cat she had put on the man’s face. "It’s
really messy, and it’ll be hard to read." She couldn’t say no to his
handsome face. "But if you want to take a peek, I guess that’s all right.
Just don’t show it to anyone, because it’s not available to the public for a
few more weeks."

"Thanks. This means a lot to me."

"You’re welcome." She smiled nervously, her face burning.

"I'll
see you later then." Caleb waved goodbye to her with hand that was holding
the book and turned from her.

As
he left, Ashleigh tried to catch up with him but was stopped by his security.
She yelled in his direction, "Don’t forget to return it! My room number is
three-hundred eighty-eight!"

Caleb
spun sharply, his smile fading and a hint of fear reflected in his gorgeous
eyes as he walked backward so he could see her. He was being ushered out the
door by the guards. When he turned around, a small frown set into his features,
his hand on the book tightening and denting the cover.

As
she watched him disappear, a deep frown settled on her face. She made her way
over to Spencer. Her high of meeting one of her idols had deflated, and now she
had to redirect her thoughts back to the real vampires, instead of the made up
ones in her books.

"Hey."
Ashleigh walked up to Spencer, guilt lining her sweet tone.

Spencer
was leaning up against the wall, a very sour expression on his face. "You
got me in trouble.”

"Why?" Readjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder,
Ashleigh stood next to him.

"You were supposed to have dinner with my friend, and you’re not
even ready."

"I
can still get ready."

"It’s
too late. And for getting my ass reamed for you being gone, you’re not going to
the concert."

"Spencer!"
Ashleigh whined and stomped one of her feet. "Come on."

Spencer
crossed his arms over his chest as he looked her way. "My friend will meet
you in his hotel room at midnight instead."

"I
don’t like the sound of that." Ashleigh laid her head back against the
wall, a soft sigh escaping her lips. Shrugging her shoulders, a more excited
tone crept into her voice as she playfully pushed on Spencer’s shoulder. "But
guess what?"

"What?"
Spencer’s angry face turned up into a smile as she moved closer to him. He eyed
her lovingly, something she was trying to ignore.

"Guess
who I just saw?"

"Who?"
His smile quickly faded, staring down at his black dress shoes.

"Armageddon!"
Clapping her hands, she spoke louder than she meant too and let out an excited
giggle. "I got to meet Caleb! Like
the
Caleb Mason! The best singer ever! Oh my God! It was
so
awesome! He's amazing in person!"