Under a Vampire Moon (20 page)

“Right,” Christian muttered on a sigh. Honestly, he’d never thought he’d find himself telling lies to make his life mate think he was gay of all things. It was just . . . well, he didn’t know what the hell it was. He was so confused he didn’t know what to think.

“Okay,” Julius said. “Zanipolo, go find that flower. Christian, let’s you and I get back to the table.”

“Does this mean I can dance with her and—”

“No!” His eyes narrowed. “Do I need to take you back to the sink?”

Christian scowled and pushed past him to get out of the room in case the man decided to splash him again. Once in the hall, however, he asked, “So how am I supposed to tell her all this at the table with everyone there?”

Julius paused abruptly and cursed. He thought briefly, and Christian was just getting his hopes up when he suddenly relaxed. “You don’t have to explain anything. She won’t ask in front of everyone and once the flower arrives, I will explain that I nearly ruined the surprise when I caught you and the waiter communicating across the room with your eyes and misunderstood.” He nodded. “That should do it.”

“That should do it all right,” Christian said glumly.

“Can you manage the good-night kiss?” Julius asked suddenly. “Or should I arrange it that—”

“I can manage it,” Christian snapped. Cripes, there was no way they were taking that away too.

Julius nodded, but patted his shoulder and said, “Well, if you find yourself losing control, just remember you have sweet dreams to look forward to.”

Christian just nodded and led the way up the hall. Zanipolo broke away, heading for the exit as they stepped out into the main room, but Christian hardly noticed. Carolyn was at the table, looking worried. He offered a reassuring smile and found himself picking up speed to reach her side.

The moment he settled in the chair next to hers, she turned to him, her hand resting on his knee as she leaned up to ask in his ear, “Is everything all right?”

“Fine,” he assured her, but Carolyn wasn’t paying attention. Her gaze had dropped and she was now feeling her way up his leg. He sucked in a breath as her fingers crept up, but didn’t move to stop her until he noted the way his father was eyeing him.

“Christian, you’re all wet. What—?” she began, but paused and glanced up with surprise when he caught her hand.

“It goes all the way up,” he growled, his voice not the only thing affected by her touch. Christ, at this rate his father would be pouring his drink in his lap, he thought with disgust.

“Oh.” Flushing, Carolyn glanced away, looking embarrassed. “Sorry. I—”

“It’s water,” he added gently, releasing her hand. “There is a problem with the taps in the washroom.”

“Oh.” She grimaced. “I hate when that happens.”

“So do I,” Christian said dryly, casting his father a scowl.

“What?” Julius asked innocently. “I didn’t have any problems. It was you who couldn’t handle his taps.”

“I can handle my taps just fine,” Christian growled.

“It didn’t look that way to me, son,” Julius said and when Marguerite elbowed him, added, “Shine. Sunshine.”

Christian rolled his eyes at the effort to cover the slip, and glanced at Carolyn to see her peering from him to his supposed brother with confusion.

“Come on, Caro,” Gia said suddenly, standing up. “They’re playing fast music again. Let’s go dance.”

Carolyn peered uncertainly at Christian. “Will you be all right? Is everything okay?”

Obviously the sniping between him and Julius had her worried that things weren’t as fine as he’d claimed. He forced a smile. “Yes. Go ahead. Have fun.”

“Aren’t you going to dance?” she asked, still hesitating.

“I don’t do fast dancing,” he said at once.

A surprised laugh slipped from Carolyn’s lips and she shook her head. “You are so lame for a gayyyy”— she drew the word out, her eyes widening with horror as she realized what she was saying and then quickly tacked on —“mer.”

“Gamer?” Julius chuckled as if not noticing the slip. “Has Christian been telling you about his love for that vampire game of his brother, Etienne’s? What is it? Blood something?” he asked Christian.

“Wouldn’t he be your brother too, Julius?” Carolyn asked.

Christian sighed as everyone went still, and said calmly, “Julius and I have different mothers.” At least that was true. “And Etienne and the others and I share the same mother and different fathers.”

Carolyn frowned. “So you and Julius have the same father and different mothers, and you and this Etienne and the others have the same mother and different fathers.”

“It’s very complicated,” his mother intervened. “Why don’t we dance now?”

“Wait a minute. Etienne? With a game called Blood something?” Carolyn asked with amazement. “Not Etienne Argeneau of Blood Lust?”

“Oh, you’ve heard of him?” Marguerite asked and Christian had to hide his grin as his mother preened with pride. She was proud of all her children.

“Of course,” Carolyn said at once. “My advertising agency is pitching ideas for the ad campaign for his latest version of the game.”

“My, what a delightfully small world,” Marguerite said, beaming, and Christian narrowed his eyes on his mother, but she ignored him. “I’m sure you’ll win him over and get the contract, Caro dear. We’ll put in a good word for you.”

“Oh, no, don’t be silly,” Carolyn said at once. “If he likes the ideas that’s one thing, but—”

“Nonsense, men do it all the time with their old boy’s club business. We can start a girl’s club,” Marguerite said, slipping her arm through Carolyn’s to draw her away toward the dance floor with Gia and Genie following.

Christian watched until they were swallowed up by the crowd, then settled back in his seat, waiting for them to reappear on the slightly upraised dance floor so he could watch Carolyn dance again.

“Take Gia’s seat, Christian,” Julius said suddenly.

He glanced around with surprise. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want to have to take you back to the bathroom for a second round with the taps before we head to the resort,” Julius said dryly.

Christian scowled, but switched seats so that his back was to the dance floor. He wasn’t happy though, and was suddenly positive it was going to be a very long night for him.

“We’ll leave as soon as Zanipolo returns with the flower,” Julius said quietly.

Christian nodded silently.

“T
hank you for my flower. I mean, I know it was just to cover for—”

Christian caught her arm and drew her to a halt as they reached the door to her villa. She’d been chattering nervously since he’d helped her out of the van. It was a notable difference from the relaxed woman he’d spent the day and dinner with. She’d grown a bit tense when the others had joined them for dinner, but as the evening had progressed without his kissing or putting his arm around her, she’d relaxed again. Now, however, just the thought of his kissing her had her all atwitter and it made him sad to see her like this. He couldn’t wait for the day when she was relaxed with him all the time, well, except for when she was excited, he thought wryly and then sighed as he noted the way she was peering up at him.

“I’m going to kiss you,” he said solemnly.

She nodded, but grimaced which really wasn’t very flattering, or wouldn’t be if he didn’t know that the passion he stirred in her upset and embarrassed her mostly because she was afraid he would realize she was attracted to him and be offended.

“I know you’re not attracted to me,” he lied, “but I’d appreciate it if you could maybe close your eyes and pretend I’m someone you’d really like to kiss.” He smiled and suggested, “Consider it practice for when you find someone you want to kiss.”

“Practice?” Carolyn echoed blankly.

“Well, you said it had been seven years since you’d been intimate with anyone. I suspect that alone will make you a nervous wreck about it. But a little practice ahead of time with someone you aren’t interested in and who you know won’t take it the wrong way and expect you to go further might reassure you.”

She blinked at the suggestion and suddenly smiled. “You know, it just might.”

For some reason, that reaction sent a shot of alarm through Christian, but he nodded, drew her into his arms, and lowered his mouth to hers . . . and immediately understood the reason for the alarm. He’d meant to relax her and lay a quick gentle kiss on her lips, then leave . . . which proved what a fool he was. He doubted he’d have managed that even if he hadn’t calmed Carolyn’s nerves first, but his saying he knew she wasn’t attracted to him and to think of it as practice without the worry of it going further . . . well, it seemed to have freed Carolyn somehow. The moment his lips touched hers, she opened her mouth for him and moved closer. That startled him enough that he paused briefly, but then she slid her tongue out and past his lips and slid her hands up to curl around his neck. The move raised her breasts and pressed them against his chest. It also snugged her hips to his, her softness rubbing against his sudden hardness. When she then tentatively lashed his tongue with her own, he just lost it. In the next heartbeat, Christian had one hand on her bottom, pressing her forward as he ground against her and the other hand sliding up under her top in search of her breast.

When Carolyn gasped and moaned, her body shuddering at his touch, he backed her up to the door, used his hand on her ass to lift her, and then pinned her there with his hips so that both his hands were free. His second hand immediately joined the first under her top, and then he was tugging at her bra cups, trying to pull them aside to free the bounty he’d found. He’d nearly accomplished it too when a sudden sharp pain in his ear made him break their kiss. Turning his head, Christian hissed, so far gone he bared his fangs before he recognized that it was his mother who had grabbed him by the ear.

“Uh, sorry,” he muttered, retracting his fangs.

Marguerite nodded, but held on to his ear and said, “Release her.”

Sighing, Christian closed his eyes briefly, and then slowly turned to peer at Carolyn. She was still and silent, her eyes vacant. His mother had taken control of her. Christian slowly retrieved his hands from under her shirt and clasped her arms to lower her to the ground as he eased away. He then stepped back and stood silently as his mother concentrated on Carolyn’s forehead. After a moment, Carolyn turned, opened the villa door and moved silently inside before closing it behind her.

“I veiled her memories of what happened so she thinks it was just a very pleasant kiss and she’s comfortable with it.” His mother shifted to peer through the window beside the door, dragging him with her.

“Thank you,” Christian said uncomfortably. “Do you think you could let go of my ear now, Mom?”

“Calling me Mom is not going to lessen my annoyance with you, Christian Notte,” she announced grimly, still watching through the window. “I cannot believe you would jeopardize your entire future for one minute of pleasure.”

“I’m sure it would have been more than a minute,” Christian muttered, but felt himself flushing. He felt about twelve years old. How did parents do that to you? How could they make a five-hundred-year-old feel like a teenager caught parking with their girlfriend?

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Marguerite snapped, finally releasing his ear. “I read your thoughts as I approached. You were about to pull her legs around your hips, reach under her skirt, tug her panties aside, and slide home. A heartbeat after that the two of you would have been an unconscious heap on the stone.”

Christian didn’t try to deny it. But really, it was incredibly embarrassing to have his mother talking to him about this stuff.

“I don’t care if it’s embarrassing,” she said with exasperation. “It has to be said. And just be glad it’s me. Your father was going to intervene, but I managed to convince him to let me do it.”

Christian glanced to the van where five pairs of eyes were watching. The only one not gaping out the van windows at them was the driver of the resort van.

“Your father’s controlling him,” Marguerite announced. “I sent Carolyn in to go to bed. We had best get you back to the villa so you can do the same. And the first dream you enter with her, I suggest you move it out in front of the villa here for at least a quickie so that if my veiling of her memories doesn’t hold, she’ll just think those memories are from dreams.”

“Right,” Christian agreed, suddenly eager to get to bed.

“But Christian,” she said solemnly, “you need to take this as a warning. You have to control yourself. If something like this happens when one of us isn’t around to intervene you could send her running for the hills.”

“Right.” He nodded again. “Control myself.”

Marguerite shook her head and led the way back to the van.

Ten

C
hristian followed Carolyn off the ladder onto the platform. When she moved to peer over the rail, he followed, noting that the ground looked a long way down. The pamphlet had said they’d be as high as 150 feet. His gaze slid over the wild beauty surrounding them and then to Carolyn’s pale face and he asked with concern, “Are you sure you want to do this?”