One Foot in the Grave

Bones came over to me. Very gently, he caressed my face. Then his hand slid into my hair and he leaned down. When his lips closed over mine, I let out a soft moan.

The instant jolt going through me could have been from his power, since my lips tingled on contact with his. But I thought it had to do with something else, especially when I felt a stronger surge as his tongue rubbed along mine. I pulled him closer, until our bodies were pressed together as tightly as our mouths. All at once, the need I’d suppressed for years came roaring to the surface. My hands tightened on his shoulders, and then raced around with a sudden frantic urge to feel more of him.

Bones’s arms moved to my back to crush me almost bruisingly against him. His mouth ravaged mine with a hunger that made my pulse skyrocket and a ravenous throb erupt below. He must have heard it, smelled it, because he rubbed his groin into mine with a hard, friction-filled stroke that almost had me climaxing where I stood.

I tore away from him. Either I did it right then, or I was never going to. Bones held on to my arms while the bright green blaze of his eyes seared into mine. His hands were flexing on my skin, like he was fighting whether to yank me back or let me go.

“If I kiss you again, I’m not going to stop,” he said roughly.

The warning was an echo of my own thoughts. I breathed in short little pants that seemed to mock me with their excited rhythm. Stay, they said. It’ll take Don at least an hour to show up with reinforcements…

“We can’t, not now,” I groaned. “Or it’ll be pretty easy for the guys to kill you, since I’ll already have you pinned underneath me.”

Bones laughed, but it sounded more like a low growl. “I’m happy to risk it.”

I backed away, literally uncurling his fingers from my arms.

“Not now,” I said again, even though what I really wanted to do was scream, Yes, now, and hurry! “I have to take care of this. It’s overdue, don’t you think?”

He cast a frustrated look at the bulge in his pants.

“Very overdue.”

I laughed. “Not that; you know what I meant.”

Bones ran a hand through his hair, giving me a look that said he still was debating whether to throw me to the carpet. I had to glance away, afraid that what he’d see in my eyes would only encourage him.

“Right,” he said at last. “Your work. Let’s go over possibilities if they take the news badly. I want you to be prepared to escape if need be.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” I replied, with an inward jaded smile. “I’ve had an escape route planned for years.”

NINETEEN

THE GUARD AT THE ENTRANCE DIDN’T WAVE me through as usual.

“Sorry, but…um, we have to check your vehicle.”

I hid a smile behind my hand. So Don was feeling edgy. “What’s up, Manny? New rules?”

“Yep, that’s it,” he agreed instantly.

Three more armed men came around my Volvo. They explored my interior, the undercarriage, and even the engine. Finally Manny straightened and nodded.

“Carry on.”

I was stopped at the second gate and the third one as well, the same procedure repeated. It took me over twenty minutes just to pull inside the four-mile stretch that wound around the main building. Not since my first year with Don had I been so thoroughly screened. Little did he know Bones had no need of piggybacking with me. He’d driven himself over on his snazzy new motorcycle, waiting out of sight near the airstrip. Just in case.

Once inside, the interior guards were less diligent. I passed through the normal checkpoints with ease. Apparently they were only concerned with me bringing an unwanted visitor. When I entered Don’s office, I saw that Juan and Tate were there as well. Oh goody, it was an intervention.

“Hello guys,” I addressed them.

Juan nodded, but Tate didn’t even acknowledge me. Don rose from his desk.

“Cat. You’re twenty minutes late.”

“I was tied up.” I couldn’t resist. “Then the guards almost strip-searched me on my way in the compound.”

“Shut the door, Juan,” Don directed coolly. With a gesture, he indicated my usual seat.

I took it, and promptly put my foot on his new desk.

“Nice color,” I commented. “Looks better than the old one. What’s the emergency?” As if I didn’t know.

“You are,” Tate snapped.

Don waved him silent and gave him a look. So he was playing Papa Bear, and Tate and Juan were backup support.

“Cat, just the other day, I told you how amazing it was you’d never faltered in your tenure here. It seems I spoke too soon. We know about the vampire. What do you have to say for yourself?”

I gave him a frosty smile. Bones had said not to reveal who he really was, and that was fine by me for now. God knew they were rattled enough already.

“Spying on me? I thought you gave that up a long time ago. You nosy bastard, what business is it of yours who I date as long as I do my job?”

That answer he wasn’t expecting. Don obviously thought I’d shrink under his withering stare. But if my mother couldn’t cower me, then he had no chance.

“You’re dating a vampire! You just admitted it!” Tate burst out.

I shrugged. “You know the old saying. Once you go dead, no one’s better in bed.”

“Christos,” Juan muttered.

“I hadn’t heard that one,” Don stonily replied. “You fail to see the enormity of what you’re admitting to? You are fraternizing with the enemy in the most compromising way possible, jeopardizing the lives of all you command. This creature is no doubt using you to infiltrate our operation.”

That made me snort rudely. “He couldn’t give a rat’s ass about your operation, Don. Believe it or not, he cares more about me than what goes on here.”

“I fail to see how that’s possible,” Don barked, his composure slipping. “Look at the influence he already has over you, making you risk your life for sex. And I seem to remember that personal association with vampires was expressly forbidden in our agreement when you signed on.”

I wasn’t about to correct Don’s misassumption of my relationship, and besides, I’d already decided on changing our celibate status. Plus, clearly Tate hadn’t recognized Bones from before, or this whole thing would be going down far differently. Well, who could blame him? He’d only seen him for a split second-right before Bones demolished his car, drank him, and chucked him through the air. That, and his hair was different.

“Yes, well, a lot of things have changed since then, haven’t they?” I observed mildly. “Take for example the invention of Brams. Or the caged vampires on the premises. Oh, and don’t forget, the added years to their lives.”

I jerked my head in Juan and Tate’s direction. Don’s expression confirmed that he hadn’t told them. There was nothing like clouding the issue to redirect the heat.

“That’s not relevant now,” Don grated.

I raised a mocking brow. “Let’s ask them, shall we? Tate, Juan, did you both know if you drank vampire blood, it would add at least twenty years to your natural lives? I didn’t know that, but old Don here sure did. He knew what went on in Ohio, but didn’t figure on telling you. Guess he thought you wouldn’t be interested.”

“Madre de Dios, is that true?” Juan blurted. Tate looked a bit dazed as well, and I pounced on him.

“It’s not nice when someone knows how long you might live and keeps it to themselves, is it? At least