“You’re like her.” He scowled at the circle of vampires standing a little too close for my comfort. “Colette here’s a succubus.”
“Colette?” The rich, coffee-smooth voice rolled over me and I got to my feet as the crowd parted, letting Zane in. “My my,” he said, looking me over like a buffet. “This just gets more and more interesting, doesn’t it? I had no idea that you were a succubus. What brings you to our little club?” The twinkle in his dark black eyes was amused. He was having fun at my expense; he knew darn good and well who and what I was.
Before I could protest, Joel broke in again. “She’s put Adam to sleep,” he said, the look on his face grave.
My stomach fluttered when I noticed Zane’s smile fade as he turned back to me. One dark eyebrow arched. “You put him to sleep?” He flipped out his cell phone and started dialing. “Wake him up, will you? The queen’s going to be mighty pissed when she hears about this.”
Remy paled and struggled in the arms of her guards. “Do you really think that’s necessary? We’ll leave immediately.”
Zane looked me up and down, his dark eyes unreadable. “No can do, my dears. The queen would have my head if I didn’t let her know you two were here, nosing around. Rather poor taste, don’t you think, Remy?” He gave her a half smile and walked away, sliding the cell phone to his ear. “This is Zane. Is the queen awake?”
Remy struggled forward and grabbed my arm, leaning in to hiss into my ear, “Are you crazy?”
I scowled at her panicked face. “I don’t know. I’m in the basement of a club with a porn star and a bazillion vampires, and we’re waiting for their queen. You tell
She forced me to step into the corner of the room. Our new friends followed us, naturally, not saying a word. The silence was more disturbing than anything they could have said. I heard the soft mumble of Zane’s voice in the background as he discussed our appearance at the nightclub with someone.
“Do you realize how much shit we’re in?” Remy asked.
I rubbed my forehead, glancing over at the happily sleeping Adam. “No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
Remy made a sound of frustration, then I heard her exhale as she tried to calm herself. She whispered, “All I can tell you is to play it cool with the queen and try to avoid eye contact. Okay?”
Well, that sounded scary as all hell. “Got it,” I said, hating the quaver in my voice.
Zane returned, flipping his phone shut with a click. “I’m afraid that the queen is on her way, ladies, and she has requested your presence.” He smiled over at me, all charm and ease again. “It seems you’ll be our guests for a bit longer, yes?”
Remy crossed her arms over her chest and tossed her ponytail. “I wasn’t aware that we had a choice, Zane.”
His dark eyes fixed on me. “You don’t.”
I was silent. Hell, I’d already ruined the evening. I didn’t need to say anything else.
Zane glanced over at Adam, who was still asleep in the booth. He stilled, turning to fix his gaze on me, and his fangs extended a bit in a veiled threat. “Didn’t I tell you to wake him up?”
“You did,” I agreed, putting my hands on my hips.
“Well?”
I raked a strand of hair off my forehead in a nervous reaction. “Teeny problem.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. A rather broad, leather-covered, delicious chest. “And what’s that?”
“Well, I don’t know how to wake him up.” I gave him my brightest smile. “New girl on the block and all.”
Zane swore.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The next half hour was the longest one of my life. Waiting for the vampire queen was akin to waiting in the dentist’s office, without the benefit of knowing that you’d get Novocain. I sat in the booth next to my sleeping buddy Adam and twiddled my thumbs. Remy was kept separated from me by about a dozen pissedoff vampires. I could hear her repeating from across the room, “Look, I don’t know how to wake him up. The only one who can do that is the succubus who put him under in the first place.”
Which was me. Ignorant, ignorant me.
Zane sat across from me, an indifferent look on his face as he regarded my fidgeting.
Adam still snored peacefully. I’d attempted waking him up a few times but to no avail; I simply didn’t know how to flip the switch now that I’d turned it off. Kissing him hadn’t worked; poking, prodding, screaming … I’d tried it all without success.
When I started popping my knuckles for the ninth time, Zane reached out and placed his hands over mine. They were very warm, with a hint of manly callus, and brushed over mine with a seductive touch. My brain unfocused. “Do you mind?” The edge of a teasing grin tugged at his lips.
“No, actually,” I shook off his hands and punctuated each word with an obnoxious pop. “I don’t mind at all.”
Zane inclined his head toward Sleeping Beauty. “The queen might be more lenient with you if you wake our little friend up.” He leaned back in the booth in a casual slouch that made my hormones pitter-patter, and his teeth bared in a fanged smile, reminding me of who he was. “Or is it your plan to drive her to anger?”
“Yeah, and don’t you think it’s working swell? I have you just where I want you.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Look, you don’t think I’ve tried waking him up? I have, and I don’t know how. New here, remember?” I lowered my voice so the other vampires wouldn’t hear my dirty secret. “Remy’s not exactly the best teacher to have. She forgot to tell me all the pertinent stuff-like the dreams and the constant need for sex, and a few other perks of the job.” I couldn’t mask the disgruntlement in my voice.
“Speaking of,” Zane drawled, his accent more pronounced. “How do you feel about the urges you get? I know Remy has adapted to them quite well over the years. You must be struggling.” His gaze roamed over me for longer than necessary. “From what I’ve heard, it takes several months for the needs to settle into a regulated pattern. The first few weeks are the worst.”
“Are they?” I tried to keep my tone bright and cheerful. “It must affect everyone differently, because I’m just fine. Fine and dandy.” I batted my eyelashes at him.
“You do seem to be acclimating rather well,” he agreed, amusement rumbling in his throat. I felt an answering tingle down my spine and the angel kiss quelled the urge. Like it or not, there was something fascinating about the vampire seated across from me. I couldn’t put my finger on it, though I suspected that it was the utter menace under the indolence of his pose. “It almost makes me wonder if you’re a different sort of creature from Remy.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and scowled. Was that a backhanded compliment or an insult? Unsure, I replied, “We’re not much alike, she and I. Don’t let the clothing fool you.”
“Miss Summore is very basic in her needs,” he agreed. “You seem like you want something different than her hedonistic lifestyle. It surprises me.” One black brow arched as he studied me, reaching for his beer and taking a long swig.
Pigeonholed. Now that smarted. “Did it ever occur to you, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Fanged, that I might have had a job and a life I was happy with before everyone started messing with me? I liked my world safe and normal and neat. I even liked being respected for my brain and not how well I fill out a bra. That all changed when your kind started fucking with me.”
I took the beer from his hand and swigged the rest of it myself. Pissed wasn’t the word for how I felt at the moment. On fire with angry self-righteousness, maybe. They’d come into my life and turned it upside down, and now had the nerve to be irritated at
He laughed in my face and let me have the beer. “I can’t imagine your life was so wonderful that it couldn’t use a bit of improving.”
Anger fired through all my synapses, and I saw red. “Where do you get off, buddy?”
“The blood bank,” he said calmly, responding with another sly smile. “And judging from the noise upstairs, you have about two minutes to wake Adam up before the queen gets here.”
