Real Vampires Don't Wear Size Six (30 page)

“Trey! What are you doing here?” Penny rushed forward, not shy about getting right into it.

“I found your purse in the break room.” Trey picked up the black clutch from the coffee table. “I knew you’d want your stuff, at least your cell phone.”

“Sure. Thanks.” Penny glanced at Rafe. “I guess Rafe showed you where I live.”

“Sure did. When we got here, I ran into Blade and he told me what you two were up to. I decided we’d just stick around and see how things shook out.” Rafe stuffed a Twinkie into his mouth, chewed and swallowed. “Looks like you survived MacDonald.” He stopped me in the doorway with a hand on my shoulder as I twisted the top off a bottle of synthetic. “You could have told me where you were going, Glo. Maybe I could have shaken loose. Done backup for you.”

“Not necessary, Rafe, but thanks. I knew you were needed at the club and this was just a quick meeting.” I smiled at him. “Ian was a perfect gentleman. He and Penny talked and I visited with Ray. It was no big deal.”

“See? No big deal. Which means you can get the hell out of here, Valdez.” Jerry inserted himself between us, practically shoving Rafe out of the way. He tugged me into the living room while he examined me with narrowed eyes, like for wounds or signs of abuse.

“Hold on. Don’t take off yet, Rafe.” I gave Jerry a look that said to quit manhandling me and he let me go. “I think it would be nice if we could all just sit down for a minute or two. Make nice.” I smiled, deciding I really didn’t like Jerry making my arrangements for me. Yes, Ian’s last remark still stung. That I liked a man taking command of me. “Sit. Relax. Don’t even think about testing the new coffee table.”

Trey looked from Rafe to Jerry, clearly picking up on the vibe between them and not sure what the coffee table had to do with anything. Penny grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the hall.

“Ignore them.” She grinned at Rafe, then Jerry. “Love the new furniture, guys. Now, Trey, wouldn’t you like to come see the rats I told you about? If you can stand the stench.” Penny nodded down the hall.

“Yeah, sure. Wish I could help you out with that. Knew somebody who could take them off your hands.” Trey never looked back, just followed Penny.

“Now, why don’t we sit down and talk for a minute, all three of us?” I gestured toward the couch. Then I walked over and carefully put my vial, cell phone and keys on a shelf next to a book. This one I needed to reread immediately:
Finding Your Inner Peace
. Right now my insides were churning and burning. I blamed it on that testosterone in the air again and the way Rafe grinned and Jerry frowned. I was so not in the mood to referee.

“Hold it. What’s that?” Jerry just had to notice that vial. “Is that something from MacDonald? One of his drugs?”

“Glory, you’re not going to experiment with some of his shit again, are you?” Rafe was right beside me.

“Cool it, both of you. It’s nothing you need to worry about. Penny and I are going to try it. It’s a one-shot deal. No biggie.” I glared at both of them. “And none of your damned business.”

“What does it do? Not more of that weight-loss junk, is it?” Rafe said as he and Jerry exchanged glances, for once allies.

“No, I gave that up. You both claim to like my curves.” I ran my hand down my side. Oops, not smart. They’d both just noticed I hadn’t worn a bra. That got Jerry’s eyebrows up and Rafe’s grin wider while I settled into a chair.

Jerry stomped over and picked up the vial. “Doesn’t look like the daylight drug. And I still have some of that if you want to try it again. With me, of course.”

I sighed. “Forget it. Please? And since you’re not against all of Ian’s drugs, you just made my case for trying something else of his.”

Rafe frowned at Jerry. “Tell us what it’s for, Glory, and maybe we’ll back off. It’s not like you to take a risk. And to let your fledgling—”

“Give it up, Rafe. We’re doing it.” I yawned. “It’s been a rough night. Did Trey tell you guys that the demons caught him with Penny in the park and propositioned them?”

“They approached your fledgling?” Jerry finally sat down again on the couch, forgetting about the vial for the time being, which had been my aim in bringing up the demons. “What did Penny do?”

“Turned them down, of course. She’s had a strong religious upbringing. Now she’s none too happy that I’m helping them snatch Simon’s soul.” I shook my head. “But I think we’ve smoothed things over. I let her know I’m doing this just once, for a friend. Simon was bound for hell anyway.”

“I’m sorry, Glory. This is getting way out of control. Let me approach Simon, no need for you to involve yourself.” Rafe sat on the other end of the couch and leaned forward. “I don’t want you messing with demons any more than Blade does.”

“Listen to him, Glory.” Jerry pinned me with a look, willing me to take the offer.

“No, I’m in this to the end. You know Simon wouldn’t meet with you, Rafe. Both of you need to accept that this subject is closed. Right now I’m starting to feel the dawn.” I stood and frowned at Penny’s bedroom. “It reeks in here, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. Come home with me. If we shift, we can be there in minutes.” Jerry stood and held out his hand.

Rafe’s face hardened, then he shrugged. “Wouldn’t blame you. Want me to grab Trey and make him leave with me?”

“Would you?” I smiled at him gratefully. “That would be great. I know Penny’s an adult, but I don’t feel right just taking off and leaving her here. Like I’m giving permission for them to, you know.”

“I get it. Go. I’m on top of this. Don’t know how she’s sleeping in that bedroom. Bet she jumps at the chance to use your bed. But I’ll let her know the offer’s good only if she’s in it alone.” Rafe glanced at Jerry. “I know you don’t get this, Blade, but Glory and I are friends. I do things for her, even when I’m not getting sex. Go figure.”

Jerry growled, not liking the reference to sex despite the fact that Rafe had just admitted he wasn’t getting any.

“Jerry, let’s go.” I walked around that enormous coffee table and gave Rafe a hug. “Thanks, buddy. I appreciate this. And, both of you, love the new furniture.” Rafe’s hand lingered at my waist until I pulled away to grab my keys and cell phone. Jerry just stood at the door, watching silently.

“Yeah, Blade did all right. But you should see the bill. I expected to see diamonds inlaid on that damned coffee table.” Rafe shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, his face giving away nothing as he watched me join Jerry at the door.

“I told the designer to select a sturdy table.” Jerry slipped his arm around my waist. “We would do well to take our next fight outside. It did cost a pretty penny.”

“You both have to promise me there won’t
be
a next fight.” I looked up at Jerry. “I mean it. This tension between you is getting to me and I don’t need it. Not on top of everything else.”

“I can make the promise that I won’t throw the first punch.” Rafe smiled at me. “But can you, Blade?” He shifted his gaze to Jerry and his smile disappeared.

Jerry stared at Rafe, and I didn’t doubt there were some pretty pithy mental messages being exchanged. What did I expect? Jerry’s pride still smarted from my brief affair with Rafe. And there was something in the way my former bodyguard treated me now, a familiarity that almost shouted, “I’ve had her.” It was subtle, but, to a man like Jerry, it was like a jab with a well-placed sword every time he saw Rafe and me together.

“Can you at least act civilized around each other? Please? I don’t expect you to be friends but both of you are in my life to stay. I hope you can accept that.” I put my hand on Jerry’s chest.

“For you, Gloriana. Only for you.” Jerry nodded at Rafe. “I won’t fight with him again. Unless he starts it.”

“There you go, Glory. You can even bring him to the club if you want. See how civilized I can be?” Rafe sat back on the couch and picked up the remote. “I’ll let Trey and Penny have a little more time before I pry him out of here. Take off. I think we’ve said all we need to.”

“Thanks, Rafe. I mean it.” I wanted to hug him again, but knew Jerry had just about reached his limit. “Good night.”

“Good night.” He turned on the TV, obviously determined to act like he didn’t care what I did. But I saw through it.

Damn, I hated hurting him, but he was a man who had known the score when he’d tried his luck with me. It had been Jerry who’d hired Rafe to protect me in the first place and I was sure my sire had made it clear he expected the bodyguard to know his place. Now Jerry’s arm tightened around me, strong, possessive. I shrugged it off, not happy with this last overt sign of one-upmanship from him, and eased the door closed. Then I led the way up the stairs to the roof.

It was still a beautiful night but awfully close to dawn; no wonder I felt out of sorts, off-kilter. We shifted and flew as fast as we could, arriving in record time on Jerry’s back porch. Lights were on and we could hear loud rock music. So much for a peaceful ending to a tense night.

“Seems my daughter is entertaining. She won’t appreciate it if I check up on her or interrupt.” Jerry frowned down at me. “Is there nowhere we can be alone?”

I smiled, the brief flight having done a lot to blow away my bad mood. What could I say? Two handsome men wanted to be with me. It wasn’t exactly the worst problem in the world.

“Is your window locked?”

“I don’t know, but I can afford to have it fixed.” He glanced up at his second-story bedroom and saw what I’d seen. It was a fairly easy climb to get to his window if we used the ladder he kept in the garage. In minutes he had the ladder out and we were on our way up. Jerry went first and did have to put his fist through the pane to unlock the window. He shoved it open then climbed inside, reaching out to pull me in.

His room was dark but we didn’t need light. I reached for his hand and licked away the blood from the cut where the glass had sliced him.

“Mmm. Delicious.” I smiled as he tried to unbutton my blouse clumsily with one hand.

“What’s this? You know you were driving me mad with the way your breasts moved under your blouse.”

“You told me I didn’t need a bra. So I left it off. That’s a camisole. Do you like it?” I sighed as he palmed my breasts through the silk and lace. I shoved my hands up under his shirt to touch his smooth skin. We always had this need for each other, this instant chemistry.

“I’ll like it better once it’s on the floor.” Jerry leaned down to kiss my nipples through the sheer fabric and pulled first one and then the other into the warmth of his mouth. His fangs were a delicious torture as he ran them around the sensitive tips. I explored his chest, then pushed my hands into the back of his jeans, loving the flex of his hard muscles.

“Told you I heard something up here.” Lily’s voice made us jump apart. “Just the old man and his lady getting it on.”

Jerry turned and hid me behind him. His daughter and two vampires I didn’t recognize stood in the doorway.

“Lily. We didn’t want to crash your party downstairs.” Jerry reached down and grabbed my blouse, handing it back to me. I shrugged into it.

“Hey, Glory. Don’t worry, Dad. We won’t cramp your style. Just thought someone was breaking in.” Lily turned around and said something to the men. They all laughed. “The guys and I were about to call it a night. Just go back to doing what you were doing.”

“Maybe you should introduce us to your new friends.” Jerry glanced back to make sure I was buttoned back into my blouse, then strode over to the door. He’d had issues with Lily’s former friends. That’s why he’d invited her to move in with him.

“This is Matthew and his pal Red.” Lily waved a casual hand toward me. “My dad, Jeremy Blade, and his main squeeze, Glory St. Clair.”

“Hey.” The guys offered Jerry a fist bump, which he ignored. He was busy assessing them. Since they weren’t drunk or stoned or cursing a blue streak I guess they passed muster.

Jerry just nodded. “It’s fairly close to dawn. What are your plans?”

Lily grinned. “Well, Matt here is spending the night and Red is taking off. That was the plan, unless . . . Red?”

The men took one look at Jerry’s stony face and straightened from their slouches. They made quick excuses and backed toward the stairs.

“Now what did you do? What mental message did you send them?” Lily cursed and threw up her hands. “I’m an adult, you know. I can do a threesome every night if I want.” She turned and hurried down the stairs after the men. “I need my own place, Dad. This isn’t working for either of us. Ask Glory.”

“She’s right, Jerry. The woman is several hundred years old. She can’t be treated like a child.” I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist.

“I’m not treating her like a child, Gloriana. I’m asking her to value herself. You think I couldn’t tell she only picked up those men tonight? She holds herself too cheaply.” Jerry ran a hand through his hair. “Where’s her pride?”

“You’re right. And she’s playing a dangerous game, bringing strangers into your home. But good luck playing the father card. She needs time to get used to you, Jer. Lily didn’t even know you were her biological father until recently.” I hugged him. “Maybe you can teach her to appreciate her own worth.”

“Why in the hell does she act like this in front of me?” Jerry stared out at the hallway where Lily had disappeared. “Threesomes? I really didn’t want to know that.”

“She’s hurt, Jerry. Confused. Since Mac died and she found out he wasn’t really her father, Lily seems determined to punish her mother for lying to her and you for not figuring out she was yours. This wild behavior is the only way she knows how, I guess. Embarrassing you, an honorable man.” I kept my arms around him and laid my head on his chest.

“I try to be. And I would have claimed my child, if I had known she was mine. But Mara lied to all of us—Mac, me and Lily. Guess it’s no surprise my daughter is a bit of a handful with that cold bitch for a mother.” Jerry ran his hands up and down my back but was obviously still thinking.