Fixed 01 - Fantasy Fix (25 page)

“Actually, I would like very much to kick your ass for that.” Another male voice drifted in from the hall a second before an unfamiliar, dark-haired man stepped into the crowded bedroom.

Reggie uttered a choked scream. “Is this another werewolf you didn’t invite? Should I expect the entire uninvited population of Manhattan to join us next? Are we supposed to serve refreshments?”

“Werecat,” Rafe corrected with a lazy smile. “I’m not a wolf, but lycanthrope is a great nonspecific term that’s guaranteed not to offend any of us. And I’m Rafael De Santos. Pleased to meet you.”

Regina reflexively shook the hand he extended to her before she remembered how furious this entire farce had made her. She snatched her hand back and used it to poke Dmitri hard in the shoulder. “This is all your fault!”

“What is all my fault?” Dmitri looked offended.

“Everything,” she proclaimed. “The fact that I’m losing my mind. The fact that my friends have already lost their minds. The fact that I have half the world in my bedroom, and I just got turned into a vampire. I’m sure global warming is your fault, too. I’m just not sure how yet.”

“Don’t forget the fact that he scared your friends so badly, they’re hiding behind the bed,” Rafe offered with a grin.

Reggie turned around and saw her friends peering warily over the mattress from the other side of Dmitri’s massive bed. She rolled her eyes.

“Actually, that’s the one thing I can blame on you two,” she said, extending her glare to encompass Graham as well. “They were fine until you showed up. You’re the ones they’re scared of.”

“We’re not the ones they were waving crosses at,” Graham said. “I think that means they’re afraid of you.”

“Ha! My friends know me better than that.”

Determined to prove her point—since her life couldn’t get much more surreal than it had in the past ten minutes—Reggie stalked over to the other side of the bed, and grabbed the crosses and broom handles out of her friends’ hands so quickly, they couldn’t even think to protest. She grabbed the woman closest to her—Danice—and gave her a great big hug and a smacking kiss on her cheek.

“See? My friends know I would never hurt them. They’re intelligent, modern women who don’t fall pray to superstitions.”

From the corner of her eye, Reggie caught a glimpse of Corinne’s hand sneaking out toward a cross. She reached out casually and planted her foot on it.

“They know crosses and garlic and holy water are nonsense, and vampires are not evil demons from the depths of hell.” She ignored the shocked expressions on the faces of her friends and continued. “They also know if I didn’t have complete faith in Dmitri, I would never be with him, and that I’m a grown woman fully capable of making my own decisions about who I want to date and who I want to marry.”

“Marry?” Ava almost choked on the word.

“And they know that even if I did become a vampire, I’m still the same person I always was, and I still love them as much as I did before. And they know they’re not getting out of being the bridesmaids at my wedding, so they might as well get used to the idea!”

By the time Reggie finished her tirade, she was panting, her friends were reeling, and Rafe and Graham were looking chastened.

Dmitri laughed.

“Well, I think you have explained everything to everyone’s satisfaction,
dushka
,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “I believe they are only waiting for us to set the date.”

“Don’t think you’re off scot-free, mister,” she grumbled, glaring up at him. “You just stood there buck naked and flashed all that manly muscle at my friends. It’s indecent! Would you go put some clothes on?”

He threw back his head and laughed harder. “Why should I?” he teased her. “Our guests are on their way out, and I will just have to strip them off again, because I intend to make love to you as soon as we are alone.”

Reggie scowled. “You know what they say about good intentions.”

“That refers only to the good ones. I intend to be very wicked,
dushka
.”

“Um, I think that’s our cue to leave,” Corinne said, breaking the tension and dragging herself up to stand on shaky legs. “It’s…been a really long night.”

Reggie dragged her eyes from Dmitri. “You don’t have to go. I’m sorry I yelled like that. I was just a little tense. But you could hang out for a while. I could get you guys something to eat.”

Ava turned green and shook her head frantically.

“Oh, don’t be such an idiot,” Reggie said, rolling her eyes. “I meant I’d call for pizza or something. I just had a drink. I’m not going to snack on my bridesmaids.”

Missy stepped forward bravely and gave Reggie a hug. “We know that, Reg. It’s just going to take a little getting used to. Give us a few days, and I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

With the last of her anger faded away, Reggie realized she was nervous. What if her friends couldn’t accept what she had become? What would she do?

But when she looked into Missy’s eyes, she saw the other woman meant every word. Yes, Missy was a bit shell shocked, but her love for her friend was stronger than her fear. Looking around at the other women, Reggie saw the same truth reflected in each of them. It really would be okay.

Chapter Nineteen

It took a while to clear out the circus in Dmitri’s bedroom, but they finally managed it around four that morning. There were a few cacophonous minutes of questions, explanations and discussions where Reggie demanded to know how her friends had managed to research vampires, evade trailing werewolves and take up breaking and entering. She also wanted to know how they’d accomplished all that, but couldn’t remember to knock before barging into someone’s bedroom. Dmitri expressed admiration—or maybe that had been fear—when Ava explained how she’d will-powered her way past his mind games, shimmied out her eighteen-inch-square basement window right under Graham’s nose, and gathered up an impromptu army for the cavalry charge.

He also took the opportunity to reemphasize that whole “knocking” thing.

Reggie sat on the side of the bed and heard bits of the conversation that took place when Dmitri escorted his two friends to the front door. It seemed like her hearing was improving by the minute, and a shiver of excitement passed through her. All of a sudden the possibilities open to her in her new life sounded exciting. Letting Dmitri turn her no longer felt like even a minor sacrifice. It felt like a blessing. Tentatively, she reached out with fumbling, infant senses and tried to share some of her new feelings with Dmitri.

She knew the instant he sensed her, knew his pleasure and his affection.

If you wish to take a shower, you should do so now.
His voice rumbled in her head, a thousand times clearer and sharper than she’d ever heard it. It left her breathless.
It will be dawn soon, and at the beginning, the sunrise will exhaust you. I will be up in a minute.

Grinning, she decided to take his advice and headed for the bathroom, or at least for the door she thought probably led to the bathroom. Dmitri still hadn’t given her the tour.

She guessed correctly, and felt quite pleased with herself when she turned on the shower. She had barely stepped under the spray before he crowded in with her. Not that he needed to crowd. The shower—and the bathroom—was just as spacious and elegant as the rest of his house. Still, she ignored him while she reached for the bottle of shampoo on the shelf and lathered her hair, but she couldn’t ignore him when he slipped his hands into the foamy cap and massaged her scalp with strong, gentle fingers. She gave in and leaned back against his chest on a blissful moan.

“You should call into work,” he murmured while he continued to rub lazy circles in her hair. “After your change, you will need to sleep for most of the day.”

“I already took the day off.”

His fingers paused then resumed. “I am going to pretend you did so because you expected me to rescue you from your date. Otherwise, I would have to punish you.”

He tugged gently on her hair and leaned down to nip her shoulder.

Reggie grinned, and purred her reply, pressing her hips back against him. “Oh, no. Please don’t hurt me.”

Dmitri chuckled. “That is good, though,” he continued. “It gives us all of tomorrow evening and the entire weekend to move your things out of your apartment.”

Reggie stiffened. “I’m moving out of my apartment?”

He turned her around and tilted her head back to wash the soap out of her hair. “You have agreed to marry me. That means we will live together.”

She jerked her head up and glared at him. “But you’re just assuming I’ll be the one to move. I just got through yelling like a fishwife at a bunch of people who were making assumptions about me, Dmitri. Don’t get me started again. I told you before, just because I’m submissive in bed doesn’t mean that—”

Dmitri chuckled and picked up a bar of soap. “I am not trying to run your life,
katyonak
. You may sheath your claws. But your apartment is too small for both of us. My house is much larger and more private. It is also owned and not rented, so it is much safer for both of us. I was being logical, not dictatorial.”

Reggie eyed him warily, but couldn’t really argue with his reasoning. “I guess you’re right. But you’d better be careful with that, Misha. I’m not going to become some plaything. I’m going to be your wife. That means an equal partner.”

He slid his soapy hands up over her breasts and squeezed. “I am always careful with you,
dushka
,” he purred even as he slid one hand down to cup her between her thighs. “And I do not think of you as a thing, even though I very much enjoy playing with you.”

He slipped his fingers into her pussy, and she laughed around her moan. “Misha, you can’t always end our discussions with sex.”

“Then do not bore me with discussion when I am hungry for you.” He twisted his hand and rubbed his thumb over her clit. “We will make each other happy,
milaya
. What else is there to discuss?”

It took every ounce of her strength and determination to articulate anything beyond a plea for more sex, but Reggie managed it. Barely.

“What about my job?” she demanded, grabbing his wrist in both hands to hold it still. “How am I supposed to go to work if I’m going to be sleeping all day long?”

Misha sighed and withdrew his fingers, reaching for the soap again and lathering her legs. “You could manage it if you wanted, with a lot of effort,” he grumbled. “But there is no need for you to work if you do not wish it. As you guessed this evening, I am disgustingly wealthy. I can well afford to keep you for eternity.”

Her eyes narrow warningly. “Misha, you’re not thinking of telling me I can’t work, are you? Because—”

“Regina! I said it before. The only thing I will forbid you to do is to leave me. Other than that, you may do as you please. I want to make you happy. As happy as you make me. Whatever you want, I will give to you. Wherever you wish to go, I will take you. If you wish to work, you may. If you wish not to work, you may. You may do anything you want.” He paused. “Except sleep with another man. Or touch another man. Just to be safe, you should probably not look at any other man.”

Reggie laughed and threw her arms around him, hugging him close while the very last of her fears washed down the drain. She peppered his face with kisses, feeling a sense of exaltation fill her to overflowing. She wanted to dance and sing and laugh and cry and yell for joy. But most of all, she just wanted Misha.

“You never need to worry about that, my darling, jealous, vampiric Misha.” She hugged him tight and pulled herself up his chest, wrapping her legs around his hips and kissing him passionately. “You are the only man I want. The only man I will ever want. Why should I ever need anything else when I have you?”

He smiled at her, the small, wicked grin she had grown to love. “You do have me,
dushka
. You will always have me.”

“And you have me, Misha. Forever.”

“Forever,” he echoed and lowered his mouth to hers. They kissed until the water threatened to turn cold and they had both turned very hot indeed. Misha switched off the water without dislodging Reggie from her position around his waist and carried her back to the bedroom.

He tumbled her down onto the tousled sheets and kissed her again, his hunger making his intent more than clear. At his urging, Reggie loosened her grip around his waist so he could slide down her body and take a taut nipple between his lips. She smiled up at the ceiling and hummed her pleasure.

“You know,” she murmured, running her fingers through his thick hair, “if I’m going to be around for a few more centuries than I expected, I’m sure there are some things you’ll need to teach me. After all, I’ve never been a vampire before.”

Dmitri grunted and moved to her other breast. Reggie grinned and pulled his face up to hers for a long, deep kiss. When they were both breathless and needy and desperate to come together, she pushed him onto his back and slithered down the mattress to lick his nipples and tease his navel with her tongue.

“Just as an example, I’m sure there are nuances to drinking blood I’ve never considered before,” she purred, gazing at him from beneath her lashes and smiling wickedly. “For instance, I’m sure it’s easiest to drink from someplace that has a strong…pulse.”

She closed her hand around his throbbing cock and squeezed. “If I’m going to feed on blood from now on, I should probably know the best ways to…sate my appetite.”

Her tongue caressed the length of him, and he shuddered. She smiled and slid further down the bed until she was eye level with his rampant erection.

“Misha?”

“Yes,
milaya
?”

“I think I’m hungry right now,” she whispered, tasting his cock like a midnight snack.

“I will always provide for you.” Dmitri buried his hands in her hair and guided her mouth to him. “If you hunger,
dushka
, you should drink.”

Reggie parted her smiling lips and took him into her mouth. Then she drank.

The End

Also at Ellora's Cave