Because Damon sure didn’t need more physical stimulation. Holding a half-naked Zoe in his arms and kissing her welcoming mouth had given him a hard-on that had lasted for hours.
He’d seen the TV ads about calling a doctor for an erection lasting more than four hours. That might be true for humans but not for vampires.
He was sure Tanya would have been all over him in a flash had he contacted her. But he hadn’t.
Pat’s knock on the front door was a welcome diversion for Damon. Zoe was still upstairs, in her workroom. She hadn’t come down for breakfast yet. Not that he cared about such matters.
“I’m here about what happened last night,” Pat said.
“Which part?” Damon asked. “The Hounds of Hell?”
“The part that took place in Zoe’s bedroom.”
“She had a nightmare.”
Pat nodded. “That’s understandable given the recent events.”
“I agree,” Damon said.
“What’s not as understandable is what happened after that. Come on, don’t give me that blank look. You didn’t think Neville would tell me what happened between you and Zoe?”
“I’ll kill him,” Damon growled.
“Calm down. He erased the recording like you told him to. But you didn’t tell him not to report what happened to me.”
“I should have.”
“Not that it would have made any difference. Neville would still have been obligated to tell me,” Pat said.
“Why?”
“Because your actions affect us all. Sound familiar?”
“If Zoe and I let off a little sexual steam…”
“You could both get burned,” Pat said. “I know you like walking on the dangerous side, Damon. But I also know you haven’t forgotten what happened to you in New Orleans. Except it wasn’t just New Orleans, was it? That incident ended with you in hell.”
“Of course it did,” Damon said. “That kind of betrayal is always hell.”
“I wasn’t speaking metaphorically. I was speaking literally.”
Damon kept his expression blank but his insides were churning. Yes, he’d been to level one in hell but only his sire had that information.
“Don’t try to deny it,” Pat said with a strange sort of weariness.
“How do you know this?”
“I’ve been around a long time,” he said.
“What does that have to do with the current events?”
“That’s what we are all trying to figure out, isn’t it?”
“You’re the only one who met Silas before.”
“Am I? What do you remember about your time in hell?”
“The torture.”
“Do you remember Silas?” Pat asked.
“I never saw those who held me.”
“Your sire helped you.”
“Yes, Simon helped me get out. I was wrongfully held.”
“Like the two demons now claim has happened to them.”
“Guy and the other Guy? They lie.”
“Do you have proof of that?” Pat asked.
“There’s no proof either way.”
“So we keep looking,” Pat said.
“Time is running out,” Damon said. He felt it in his gut. Which was the most important reason why he couldn’t afford to focus on Zoe. The little witch could not get in his way or there would be hell to pay.
Zoe heard the sound of Pat’s voice even if she couldn’t hear the words. She was glad that Pat was talking to Damon downstairs. That kept Damon away from her, tempting her.
She really did need to concentrate on her business for an hour or two. Surely the world wouldn’t disintegrate if she just took a little time off.
Zoe practiced some deep-breathing routines that she hadn’t attempted since her arrival in Vamptown. They usually calmed her. Especially when she did them in her workroom. She wished she had the time to experiment with some new blends in the kitchen.
But the scents surrounding her worktable were soothing, especially because she’d deliberately pulled some essential oils that had that property. As she’d told Daniella yesterday, lavender was known for its calming abilities.
Zoe had also dressed the part, wearing her red KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON T-shirt.
She kept her focus on the loaf of cherry almond soap she was cutting with a crinkle cutter. The tool gave each bar a ripple effect that she liked. With her tools, oils, and botanicals around her, she felt more at home than she had since arrived in Vamptown. The digital scale along with funnels and tiny scoops guaranteed that she was adding just the right amount of ingredients. Many of her soaps were stamped with the Bella Luna logo of a crescent moon in a square on each bar. The crinkle cuts didn’t allow for that, so the logo was stamped on the muslin in which they would eventually be wrapped.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs jarred her out of her thoughts. “Gram, is that you?”
“It’s me.” Daniella burst into the room. “I had a premonition that if you and Damon have sex, Vamptown goes up in flames!”
So much for calm and tranquility. “What are you talking about?” Zoe said.
“I’m talking about sex. With you and Damon. Well, not my having sex with you and Damon obviously. I mean you and Damon having sex.”
“Is this about last night?” Zoe said.
“What happened last night?” Daniella demanded. “You two didn’t have sex, did you?”
“I thought Damon had the recording destroyed,” Zoe muttered.
Daniella frowned. “What recording?”
“From the surveillance camera in my bedroom.”
“You two made a sex tape?”
“No!”
“I don’t understand.”
“I don’t either. How can I have this incredibly powerful attraction to Damon yet he aggravates the hell out of me?” she whispered.
“I can understand that. I felt the same way about Nick.”
“But he seems nice for a vampire.”
“He can be charming when he wants to be. But he was a real pain in the ass when he was opposed to my opening my cupcake store. He said the same about me. This isn’t about me, though—except that I’m the one who had the premonition. It’s about you.”
“I thought you didn’t have premonitions.”
“I said I didn’t have them often but when I do they are usually true.”
“Usually?” Zoe said. “What percentage?”
“I’m not good at math. That’s why I have an accountant who is also my best friend. Her name is Suz.”
“I may need her if my business continues to expand. Is she good with business plans?”
