The Lady Is a Vamp (16 page)

The bathing suit she’d bought was two scraps of black, a strapless top and tiny bottoms. Jeanne Louise pulled them on and then peered in the mirror critically. Dating mortals, she’d been shaving since women’s shaving had started. She’d shaved during her bath before leaving for work Thursday night. It was now Saturday afternoon though, and for some reason her hair seemed to grow fast. Or perhaps all women had to shave every other day. Her legs looked okay, but running a hand across them revealed stubble.

Finding the razor and blades she’d thought to buy while in town, Jeanne Louise took them into the en suite bathroom and ran water in the sink, then found a wash cloth and a bar of soap. It wasn’t easy, and Jeanne Louise found herself hopping awkwardly around a couple times, but it got the job done, she supposed as she tested her legs for smoothness and didn’t find any stubble.

“Jeanie?” Paul’s voice came through the door accompanied by a knock.

“Yeah?” she asked, straightening to peer toward the wood panel.

“Livy and I are heading down to the water. I’ll take the umbrella and set it up. Got the beach towels too. Grab yourself a drink and come on out when you’re ready to join us.”

“Okay,” Jeanne Louise called and then lifted her arms to check out the stubble of her armpits. She had a little more shaving to do.

“J
eanie! Look! I can swim!” Livy squealed, dog-paddling madly in front of Paul with Boomer right beside her. The words tore his attention from his daughter to Jeanne Louise as she came out of the cottage and hurried to the umbrella he’d set up for her. It was under the largest tree on the edge of the grass between the house and the beach. He’d laid out one of the towels for her there as well and she now dropped to sit on it as she smiled at Livy.

“Good girl!” she called. “Well done!”

“Aren’t you coming out to swim?” Livy asked, giving up her paddling to float in the water between her wings.

“I will,” Jeanne Louise assured her, and then added, “Later, when it’s not so sunny. My skin doesn’t like the sun. I have to stay in the shade until it goes away.”

“Okay,” Livy said happily and turned to dog-paddle toward her father again with Boomer on her heels.

Paul was aware of his daughter moving toward him, but didn’t glance her way yet. He couldn’t seem to tear his eyes off Jeanne Louise. The woman’s skin was white marble, obviously never exposed to the sun. And her figure was perfect. Not the twiggy, completely fatless figure so popular in today’s culture, but rounded and curvy where it should be. She actually had hips, and her breasts he knew had to be real, not bought and shoved under her skin by some guy in a surgical mask. She looked like an ancient roman statue that someone had slapped a swimsuit on.

Jeanne Louise looked damned good.

“Put me on your shoulders again so I can dive in, Daddy,” Livy demanded, drawing his attention back to the girl.

Managing a smile, Paul turned her in the water so that her back was to him, then plucked her up and lifted her over his head, holding onto her until she balanced herself on his shoulders. When she clasped his hands with her smaller ones, he released his hold on her waist and let her balance herself holding onto his hands. Paul then glanced to the dog.

“Move Boomer,” he ordered, but the dog was already dog-paddling himself out of the way.

Paul glanced to Jeanne Louise again as he waited for Livy to jump off his shoulders. She was watching them, a small smile on her lips and an unopened book in her lap. Paul smiled back and then shifted his attention to his daughter as she launched herself off his shoulders. He raised his hand in front of his face as she splashed into the water, deflecting the spray from hitting him there. Then he glanced to Jeanne Louise again, thinking she would probably have to feed soon.

“Again!” Livy demanded the moment she surfaced, and Paul chuckled at the girl and reached for her again. But he was thinking that he would have to ask Jeanne Louise about feeding again later. Perhaps after Livy was in bed. The thought of Jeanie crawling on his lap on the living room sofa, kissing and caressing him as he freed her breasts and claimed them with his hands and mouth . . . Well, the cold water wasn’t doing much to keep his ardor down, Paul noted dryly as he lifted Livy to his shoulders again. His swimming trunks were bright red, and they were poking out in front like a sideways tent. It was a good thing the water reached halfway up his chest and Jeanne Louise couldn’t see, he decided, as he helped Livy balance herself to jump off.

J
eanne Louise watched Paul, Livy, and Boomer in the water for a bit, and then relaxed back on her towel and opened the book she’d bought in town. It was one of her cousin Lucern’s books. He wrote stories that were sold as paranormal romance, but were really the tales of the matings of their family members. She’d burst out with a delighted chuckle when she’d spotted it in the bookstore on the best sellers rack. Much as it annoyed Lucern that he was such a hit with readers, the rest of the family thought it was charming. Besides, it was always interesting to see their lives through his eyes. Or even to see themselves and how others saw them.

Jeanne Louise would never forget the description of herself that he’d written in the story of his brother Etienne and Rachel’s finding each other.
A woman as beautiful in her way as Lissianna and Marguerite were, though she looked nothing like them. Her face was rounder, her lips a little thinner, her eyes more exotic and her hair was a midnight black.

She’d never thought of herself as beautiful, especially compared to her aunt and cousin. When Jeanne Louise took her measure against them she always felt she was lacking. And she’d certainly never thought of herself as being anywhere near exotic. She still didn’t, but it made her think maybe she wasn’t so bad after all.

Sighing, Jeanne Louise turned the book over to read the back. It was the tale of her father Armand and his life mate Eshe’s coming together. She’d read it several times now and still cried in certain parts. Of course, she always skipped the love scenes. There was just something weird about reading about your family members having sex. As far as Jeanne Louise was concerned, none of them did. Any babies they produced were immaculate conception. Her family members were all Barbie and Ken dolls in her head, completely lacking sexual parts.

The thought made Jeanne Louise chuckle to herself with amusement. She was over a hundred years old, and she was a scientist, yet she was still uncomfortable with the concept of her loved ones making love. Go figure.

Shaking her head, she opened the book to the first page and started reading.

Despite having read it several times before, Jeanne Louise found herself caught up in the story. She was several chapters in when cold water splashing on her feet startled her out of it. Boomer had returned and was shaking himself by her feet, sprinkling water everywhere.

“Ah! I’m pooped,” Livy announced dramatically as she arrived. She collapsed on the beach towel on Jeanne Louise’s left with a weary sigh, and groaned when a wet Boomer launched himself on her, trying to lick her face.

“Is she all right?” Paul asked, arriving at her feet now, worry on his face.

Jeanne Louise was just slipping out of Livy’s thoughts and nodded reassuringly. “She’s just tired, Paul. Lots of sunshine, fresh air, and swimming will do that to a kid.”

“Right.” He relaxed and smiled slightly, then settled on the beach towel on her right. He lay back on it with hands folded under his head, and legs crossed at the ankles. His eyes closed on a weary little sigh of his own. It seemed Livy wasn’t the only one tired out by the day’s fun, Jeanne Louise thought, her gaze sliding over his damp body in the wet trunks.

Damn, the man was well put together. Nicely shaped legs, narrow hips, a flat stomach and naturally wide shoulders with well-defined muscle everywhere. Not muscle bound like a body builder or anything, but the body of a natural athlete. Jeanne Louise suspected if he hadn’t gone into science, he could have played a professional sport of one kind or another.

“I’m hungry,” Livy announced suddenly and Jeanne Louise glanced her way to see her staring up at the tree branches above them. Boomer was curled up at her side, watching the child moving her fingers around in a jabbing motion toward the leaves overhead as if counting them or something.

“Hmm,” Paul murmured, eyes still closed. “Hamburgers on the barbecue or weenies over a fire on the beach?”

“Weenies!” Livy squealed, making Boomer bark excitedly.

“Go find some long branches to use to cook them then, and gather firewood,” Paul said, not opening his eyes.

Livy was on her feet and rushing along the beach in search of what he’d requested at once. Boomer followed, tail wagging.

“That ought to keep her busy for five minutes,” Jeanne Louise said with amusement.

“Yeah.” Paul smiled wryly and opened his eyes. “Just long enough for us to deal with feeding you.”

Jeanne Louise’s eyes widened with surprise at the words and he grimaced.

“Not with the feeding itself, of course. I meant, I haven’t forgotten you need to feed and I wanted to reassure you that we’ll see to it later. Just as soon as Livy goes to bed.” Paul paused and then when she remained silent and wide-eyed, asked, “All right? Can you last that long?”

Jeanne Louise stared at him for a moment. Her gaze then dropped to his bare chest and his lap before rushing back up to his face. Tongue now stuck to the roof of her mouth, she merely nodded.

“Good.” Paul leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then got up to follow his daughter and help gather wood for a fire and branches to cook the weenies on. Boomer trailed him, wagging his tail.

Jeanne Louise stared after him, her eyes gliding over every inch of tan male skin that his red trunks revealed. Damn, he was feeding her later. That was definitely something to look forward to.

Nine

J
eanne Louise turned onto her back in the water and stared at the darkening sky. It was still light out, but the sun was setting, the sky awash in umber and purple. It wouldn’t be long before those colors too were gone and full night fell. In the meantime, she’d decided to catch that swim she’d been yearning for all day, but hadn’t dared take while the sun was out.

Breathing out a pleased little sigh as the water slid over and around her body, Jeanne Louise turned her head in the water and glanced toward the cottage. The lights were on in the kitchen and living room. While it was still bright enough to see out here, inside, shadows were already filling the spaces.

They’d had their weenie roast, and then roasted marshmallows as well. Paul had built the fire at the very edge of the beach where the shade from the tree had offered Jeanne Louise some cover so that she could participate. Afterward, they’d gone in to watch one of the huge selection of movies that belonged to the cottage. Most of them were older movies, with only one or two current ones, but they hadn’t minded. Livy had begun to doze off toward the end of the movie so Paul had decided it was time to put her to bed.

Leaving him to it, Jeanne Louise had come outside, taken one look at the water under the darkening sky and had decided it was time for her swim.

The clack of the screen door closing drew her attention to the house and Jeanne Louise smiled when she saw Paul walking down toward the sand. Shifting to her feet, she started to walk out of the water. Paul met her at the water’s edge, unfolding a beach towel she hadn’t first noticed he held.

“Thank you,” Jeanne Louise murmured as he wrapped the towel around her shoulders. “Did you manage to get Livy off to sleep?”

“Out like a light with Boomer curled at her feet,” he said with a smile. “And not one headache since arriving at the cottage.”

“Maybe the fresh air is good for her,” she suggested, clutching both ends of the towel under her chin.

“Maybe,” Paul agreed, stepping back. He stared at her for a minute and then said abruptly, “You’re probably hungry.”

Jeanne Louise stilled. He wasn’t talking about food. And he was right. She
was
hungry. The gal in the public washroom at the mall had barely been a snack. The problem was she was worried about getting overexcited and taking too much blood from him.

“Howdy, neighbors.”

When Paul glanced toward that call, Jeanne Louise did as well, a smile automatically lifting her lips in response to the grin on the face of the tall, lean middle-aged man approaching them.

“I’m Russell Jackson,” he announced, holding out his hand as he got nearer.

Paul took it first, shaking in greeting. “Paul Williams,” he introduced himself, using the name Jeanne Louise had used to register them at the motel. She could hardly use their real name when they were on the run, and Williams had seemed better than Smith. Turning to gesture to Jeanne Louise, he added, “And this is my wife, Jeanie.”

She glanced at him with surprise, but recovered quickly and managed a smile as the man then turned to offer her his hand as well.

“Pleasure,” Russell said as he released her hand. “We’re renting the cottage next door. Been here a week. Have one more before we head back home to work,” he said with a grimace that suggested he’d rather stay on vacation.

“Nice here?” Paul asked.

Russell nodded. “Beautiful. The weather’s been good, the cottage is gorgeous and so far the others staying around here have been great.”

“Good to hear,” Paul murmured.

“Well, we all get to know each other and sort of hang around together. At least we did last week. All but two families were only here for a week. The Corbys on the other side of you and us.” He gestured to the cedar building on the right of their cottage. “My family and I are in the one on your other side,” Russell added, gesturing back the way he’d come.

“Are the Corbys as friendly as you?” Jeanne Louise asked with a smile.

“Yep. Good people,” he assured her. “They have a couple boys eight and ten, and my wife and I have a daughter who’s six and a son who’s nine. The four of them have been playing together and having a whale of a time while we adults relax and visit. Both families went to the provincial park today, took the kids for a little nature walk while the leaving renters cleared out. Stopped for dinner on the way back and just got in. That’s why no one came to greet you sooner,” he admitted and then asked, “You got kids?”