Lizzy Ford (20 page)

“Vulnerable. Intimate. Personal.”

Exactly.
She said nothing out loud.

“You’re either lying or not looking closely enough.” He reached back to grip her arm.

She tried to shake him free unsuccessfully. Xander dropped his feet from the other chair and hauled her in front of him, then yanked her belt to bring her into his lap. Jessi didn’t fight him, suspecting he wanted her to. She sat awkwardly, furious yet turned on at his touch. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him, until her head was resting on one shoulder. He propped up his feet again, comfortable. She shifted to balance herself better, slinging one leg over his and the other foot on the ground, in case she had the chance to propel herself up.

“You are such an ass,” she muttered. It was hard not to be affected by the strength and heat of his body or the fact she was way too close to him. The arm around her shoulders dropped to drape loosely around her waist. No part of her wanted to move.

“Look.” He held up the iPad in front of them.

Laurencio had perfectly captured the moment when the prey realized it was being stalked. Their profiles were inches apart, her hands pinned at her head. She hadn’t realized how big his were; they took up the entire space between her wrists and elbows. The expression on her face was raw enough to make her uncomfortable: a mixture of dazed desire and amazement, her lips parted seductively, her eyes wide with realization and fear. There was single drop of blood on her cheek, a flash of red that clearly had been enhanced and shaded the same hue as the necklace dangling in the space between them. They also Photoshopped away the dark circles that had been under her eyes since meeting Jonny in the hospital.

Xander’s cunning amusement was apparent on his heavy features and in the half-smile punctuated by bloodied fangs. His red gaze was piercing. They were night and day, her pale beauty and raw emotion contrasting with his heavy, masculine features and dark satisfaction.

“It’s a good pic,” she admitted grudgingly. “You’re serious about it being online and on the cover?”

“Oh, yeah.”

Unable to take her gaze from it, she tried not to notice how her body was relaxing against the vampire that sucked her blood the day before. She was comfortable, cradled in his arms. He didn’t scare her the way Jonny did, and she wasn’t certain why, beyond the obvious that he healed her.

“I still hate it,” she said.

“That’s the moment you realized you were mine,” he said in satisfaction.

“I’m not – nor will I ever be – yours,” she corrected him firmly.

“That’s not what the pic says.”

“What a nightmare,” she mumbled. “At least the kids will love it.”

“Forgot about those.”

She laughed. “Not so interested in me now, are you, Romeo? They watch your show. They’ll definitely like this pic, though I intend to keep it – and you – away from them.”

There was a long pause. She waited for him to catapult her out of his lap and fire her after the reminder, happy to have baited him for the second time.

“Makes sense,” he said.

“What makes sense?”

“Leverage. I knew someone had something on you, or you wouldn’t have showed up this morning,” he reasoned. “I assume whoever it is was the one who broke your arm. Probably when you tried to quit.”

She tensed. “It wasn’t broken.”

“Yeah, it was.”

Just that fast, he’d turned the tables on her once more. Her victory was gone. Xander placed the iPad on the table. Jessi tried to sit up, but he held her in place by wrapping his other arm around her shoulders.

“Relax. You aren’t going anywhere,” he said. “Should I guess what you’re after?”

“No,” she said then rushed on. “I’m not after anything. Got two kids, need a job. It’s that easy.”

“Someone who can break your arm with one hand isn’t someone you’ll likely disappoint,” he continued.

“Xander, I don’t want to play games with you. Can we stop here, get back on schedule and just forget about the photo shoot?” she asked in what she hoped was a level tone. “It’s like going to the doctor’s office. It’ll be over soon, so let’s just get through this.”

“Perfectly reasonable,” he said.

“Okay, good. Now, let me up.”

“Except that you’re here to take something of mine. I don’t know what, but I’m pretty sure I don’t want you walking off with my shit at the end of the week.”

“You’re assuming the worst of me.”

“I know human nature.”

What did she say? He was right.

“Book signing in an hour,” he said.

“You wrote a book?”

“Ingrid did and put my name on it,” Xander said.

“You are what’s wrong with society today,” she grumbled. “You contribute nothing, yet the whole world revolves around you.”

“This coming from a would-be thief.”

“At least I’m doing it for a good cause, instead of being motivated to fill my bed with a new lover every night,” she retorted.

“Life is about choice,” he replied. “You always have one. When you think you don’t, you’re overlooking something.”

She twisted her head to study his strong profile, not expecting the philosophical response.

“You could always offer to sleep with me in exchange for whatever it is,” he suggested. “I’ll trade almost anything for sex.”

She sighed as he returned to himself.

“Unbelievable. I can’t believe you’d trade anything for a night of sex,” she heard the considering note in her voice and was embarrassed.

“Oh, and I get to suck your blood.”

Jessi rose and left the porch. “Rule three. Wherever this book signing is, we should leave soon.”

She thought there was more to him earlier when he healed her and for a moment, she’d made the same mistake while sitting in his lap. Fortunately, he was good at reminding her what kind of …creature he actually was.

She waited for him to go to his room to change before reclaiming the iPad with the goal of deleting that damn picture. It was too revealing. She tried to unlock it twice before realizing he changed the password.

“You are the most infuriating, chauvinistic, ego-maniacal … I bet you can’t even cook!” she muttered.

“Your car or mine?”

He probably heard her mini-rant, but she didn’t care. Jessi faced him and stopped. He was dressed from head to toe in black leather with a spiked collar, heavy boots, and his dark hair down around his shoulders. He wore nothing beneath the black vest. His fangs were out. He dripped sex appeal. She almost asked him if she could have her picture taken with him.

He’d probably refuse, unless she let him bite her. Jessi shook her head.

“What … uh, what kind of car do you have?” she asked.

“Bentley Continental GT.”

Her mouth dropped. “We’re taking your car, and I’m driving.”

“You want to test-drive my car but not me,” he said, eyeing her.

“Absolutely,” she said. “Keys, please.”

She was surprised when Xander tossed them to her. A thrill went through her. She loved a nice car, even if the company wasn’t so great. He led her down into the basement of the gated apartment building, where the wealthy residents of the apartment kept their expensive cars.

“Oh. My. God,” she breathed as he stopped behind a new, black sports coupe.

“Hop in.”

She was already opening the car door. The interior was sleek and dark, clashing with the cherry red exterior. Black leather and detailing everywhere. Xander slid into the passenger seat, and Jessi fumbled with the seat controls until she was satisfied. She was so excited, her hands trembled as she placed them on the steering wheel before starting it. She sighed at the low grumble.

“What’s the fascination with cars?” Xander asked.

“Power, control, agility. My god this is beautiful.”

“Same reason I like women.”

“Don’t ruin this, Xander.”

He chuckled. “Drive.”

She did. She didn’t ask where they were going but took the subtle beast onto the highway and let it loose, weaving in and out of traffic to test its handling. Jessi had never felt more a part of a car as she did this one. The car moved like it was made for her.

“You’ve got a wild streak.”

She glanced at him, wondering if he was upset with her driving. He appeared unconcerned, gaze on the cars she wove between.

“This is incredible. I never want to stop,” she murmured.

“Next exit,” he said. “We can go for a longer drive after the signing.”

“Really? My driving doesn’t scare you?”

He looked at her. “Yeah. I get scared.”

Her adrenaline soared at the thought of taking the vehicle out on Highway 1, the road that hugged the coast. It was filled with curves she’d take at high speed. The car gripped the road so well, she couldn’t imagine how fast that was!

He pointed out a Barnes and Noble, and she was shocked to see the crowd outside the store. A line went around the building to the mall and along one side. She started to ask if they were there for him when she realized they were all women. Some were dressed like vampires.

“Wow. You really are famous,” she said, surprised. “You want me to drop you off at the front?”

“If I didn’t think you were going to steal my car, I might.”

“I’m not after your car!” she replied.

“You’ll understand if I don’t trust you out of my sight.” He settled his gaze on her. “Park in back. We’ll go in the employees’ entrance.”

She rolled her eyes and guided the beautiful car around back. They got out, and she lingered, sighing in happiness at the pleasure she was likely never to experience again after this week. She joined him and held out the keys.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “It almost made putting up with you worthwhile.”

He handed her the iPad and accepted the keys. “Repayment for the snack on the beach yesterday.”

She refused to let him get to her this time, not after driving the incredible car. The iPad was open, the offending picture front and center.

“Don’t delete it,” he told her.

“I really don’t like it.”

“It’s my fucking iPad and my picture.”

The photo really was gorgeous. The look on her face, though, made her feel too vulnerable. Jessi trailed him into the back of the bookstore. The store manager, a middle-aged woman with glasses, looked up at him in awe. Jessi watched the awkward exchange from a small distance away. Xander handled the star-struck woman with amusement she expected and patience she didn’t.

“This is Wednesday,” Xander said, motioning to Jessi.

She stopped her scowl and forced a smile at the manager.

When they entered the main bookstore, she stopped. The scope of Xander-mania was beyond anything she anticipated. Xander was everywhere, from posters on the wall, stacks of books he’d allegedly written, even a red carpet entrance flanked by adoring female fans and photographers. She knew he was popular enough for her cousins to watch the show, but
this
was pure madness!

No one paid her any heed. She was quickly cut off from Xander by the adoring masses and forced to push her way through the crowd to follow him. They went to what had been a Nook sales stand in the center of the store and was blocked off for him. The counter was stacked with books, and there was a single chair behind the stand for him to sit and sign.

It took twenty minutes for him to weave his way through the crowd to the autograph table. He sat, and the store employees made an attempt to organize a line for the customers. Jessi wasn’t certain if she should be laughing or horrified by the fawning women. Everyone within a few meters of Xander melted. There were several beautiful women; he’d likely not need her help finding women the rest of the week.

Which irked her for reasons she didn’t want to speculate about. Women looked at her in resentment as she pushed her way through. A store employee planted a hand in her chest when she tried to move into the secured area where Xander was.

“I’m his assistant,” she snapped.

“You and every other desperate woman here,” he replied.

“No, really –“

“Back of the line!” a woman barked at her. “I’ve been waiting –“

She rose on her tiptoes to wave at Xander even as another woman shoved her back. For a moment, she thought he was going to let her hang at the mercy of the hungry women waiting to get a piece of him.

He met the gaze of the store employee and lifted his chin. The employee turned to her and waved her through.

“’Bout time,” Jessi mumbled as she took up standing behind Xander.

“You’re welcome.”

One woman broke down in hysterics.

“How can you deal with this?” she asked, staring at the horde of women. The store was packed, the line outside extending for a few hundred meters along the mall.

“Easy.”

She followed his gaze. The first woman up was most certainly a model.

Never mind,
she said to herself, watching the woman melt in front of Xander.

As uneasy as he made her, he was good with his fans. Posing provocatively for pictures, signing books, small talk. She didn’t think he was celebrity material before seeing him in action. She began to feel certain there was something beyond the façade of a vampire with a constant hard-on.

Her phone buzzed. Seeing Ashley’s number, she answered.

“Hey, kid, what’s up?” she asked.

“I broke up with my boyfriend.”

“Oh, geez. What happened?”

“He said Maria was prettier and asked her out and she said yes. And I was like, but
we
are going out!”

“That’s so lame,” Jessi said. “I’m sorry, sweetie. Anything I can do?”

“I love him, Jessi.”

“No, you didn’t love him. He was a jerk anyway.”

“You don’t understand!” Ashley wailed.

 Jessi grimaced, uncertain who was more high-maintenance: her seventeen-year-old cousin or the vampire making women swoon.

The one in front of him passed out. A store clerk rushed to help her. Xander glanced back at Jessi. He motioned her forward. She shook her head and turned her back to concentrate on listening to Ashley.

“Listen, sweetie,” she interrupted. “I know you’re upset, and I completely understand. I’m, uh, in the middle of work right now.”