Tall, Dark, and Vampire

Olivia felt Doug staring at her as his voice touched her mind intimately. My gut tells me it’s not nothing, and based on your tense body language, you know more than you’re letting on.

“Tell us more about these new weapons, Xavier,” Olivia said, breaking the mental connection with Doug, which was similar to slamming a door in his face. “What do we need to know?”

Doug swore under his breath and paced behind her with his hands on his hips. He wanted answers, but now was not the time for that conversation, no matter how much she may wish it were.

“Now,” Xavier continued, “if these bullets perform as I believe they will, then you don’t need to hit a vamp in the head or heart. The UV light within the casing of the bullet should turn our rogue friends into dust upon contact. Questions?”

“Nope.” Doug shook his head and rested his hand on the gun at his narrow hips. “Point and shoot. Got it.”

“Thank you, Xavier,” Olivia said before placing a kiss on his white-haired head. “You always come through. We’ll be sure to return these prototypes when we’re done.”

“See that you do.” Xavier squeezed her hand and whispered, “Be careful, Olivia. It’s been a while since you hunted as a sentry.” He flicked his gray eyes to Doug. “It worries me that Augustus is sending you out there without Shane or Pete.”

“It’s a game.” Doug folded his arms over his chest and turned his serious eyes to Olivia. “He wants to see if we can do it. If we do, then he gets the rogues put down and gets to kill me in exchange for Maya. If we get killed in the process, he gets rid of both of us and kills the rest of Olivia’s coven.” Doug shrugged. “It’s a win-win for him and will entertain him at the same time.”

As Olivia and Doug made their way through the catacombs beneath the Cloisters, she tried not to think about what Doug said. It was a game to Augustus. Maya. The rogues. Getting her and Doug to hunt alone—all designed to entertain his bored two-thousand-year-old ass.

Olivia led the way up a dark, stone staircase, and they reached what looked like a dead end, but she pulled an iron handle to her left, and a massive door hidden in the wall swung open. They stepped through the opening and into the Unicorn Tapestry room of The Cloisters. Olivia didn’t miss the low whistle Doug let out when the fireplace closed behind them.

They stood silently in the dark, almost reverently, as Doug moved closer to inspect the famous tapestry.

“I’ve never been in here,” he said quietly. “I’ve lived in the city for over ten years and never stepped foot in here before today. I was never much of a museum guy, I guess, but if I had known about all the cool shit in here, I would’ve made a point to come. Gotta admit though, I never thought I would come in through a secret entrance in a fireplace.”

“There are several entrances, but this room is my favorite. The Hunt of the Unicorn is beautiful and tragic. Unicorns were hunted to extinction by humans so long ago that their existence has been turned into nothing more than fantasy.”

“Did you ever see one?”

“No,” Olivia said through a laugh. She put her hands on her hips and shot him a playful look. “Just how old do you think I am?”

“Not sure.” Doug faced her with a look of amusement and inched closer. “But if memory serves, it’s best not to answer this question from a woman. It’s a no-win scenario.”

“Well, wise guy,” she said, meeting his challenge. “The unicorns went extinct over three thousand years ago, and for your information, I’m only about three hundred, thank you very much.”

“Don’t look a day over twenty-five,” he murmured.

His bright blue eyes studied her intently as his towering form invaded her space. May I kiss you, Olivia? His mind whispered through hers as he brushed the line of her jaw with his thumb. Olivia nodded silently. There was something both innocent and erotic in the way he asked. The enticingly wicked sound of his voice rippled through her mind.

Olivia’s feet seemed nailed to the floor as he wavered closer, and his legs brushed temptingly along hers. Bathed in moonlight, Olivia held his hand against her cheek as Doug leaned down, gently capturing her lips.

Tenderly at first, caressing her mouth with his, he cradled her face in his hands as though she might break. Olivia sighed as his tongue slid between her lips and tangled slowly, tenderly with hers. He suckled her bottom lip briefly before releasing it and placing a kiss at the corner of her mouth.

“I’m addicted to the taste of you,” he murmured against her lips.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway captured their attention, breaking the spell.

“It’s the night security guard,” she whispered, stepping from his embrace abruptly. “We have to go.”

Doug followed Olivia as she whipped around the corner and made swift work of opening one of the ornately carved doors. Moments later, they were standing in the outdoor garden overlooking the Hudson River.

“What if they see us?” Doug glanced over his shoulder, but the guard was nowhere to be seen. “How exactly do we explain our presence?”

“Mel is the guard on duty tonight, and if we had to, we could glamour him. Believe me, it wouldn’t be the first time.” Olivia watched as confusion washed over his handsome face. “Vampires can erase or create memories, like hypnosis. Anyway, I’d rather not. I don’t enjoy glamouring humans unless necessary.”

Olivia walked through the gardens and hopped onto a wooden bench beneath the wisteria-covered arbor. She sucked in a deep breath and reveled in the multitude of scents in the night that filled her head and made her smile. There was great beauty in the world and having amped-up senses could be a perk, highlighting the smallest of luxuries in nature.

“Why not?” Doug jumped on the bench next to her and looked out over the river with the glittering city lights reflected on the surface. He turned to face her, his eyes sparkling. His voice dropped low, to just above a whisper, as his eyes locked with hers. “Tell me. Why don’t you like glamouring humans?”

“Because it’s too personal and intimate.” Olivia’s voice wavered, but she cleared her throat, hoping to steel her resolve. “I don’t like invading the mind of another being without permission. It feels like I’m violating them somehow, and it’s bad manners.”

“You speak with your mind,” he said with a lopsided grin. “I have to admit, the first time I heard you, I thought I was going insane. But it also turned me on.” Doug linked one strong arm around her waist and yanked her against him. “So why is it okay for you to touch my mind? I mean, I know you’re not changing my memories, but you’re still… slipping inside of me.”

Olivia’s stomach fluttered as he leaned closer and nuzzled her neck, trailing kisses down her neck. Why is it just me? She shut her eyes and arched back, allowing him better access, and his clean, fresh scent filled her head, making her dizzy with desire. Why can our minds whisper to each other? Olivia clung to him and moaned as he kissed his way up to her ear, nibbling her lobe seductively. Why can’t I think of anything but you? Lust fogged her, threatening to consume her.

“I would love nothing more than to take this further,” she said breathlessly. Olivia squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to touch his mind, fearing it would break her last ounce of self-control. “But we are running short on time.”

Doug silenced her with a kiss. A knee-buckling, head-spinning kiss that would have stolen her breath, if she had any. He dipped her, so she was perched beneath the fragrant arbor. Olivia tangled her arms around his neck and sank into the kiss, allowing him to take control and take as much of her as he wanted.

It was liberating.

Doug broke the kiss and whipped her to a standing position as his hands settled on her hips. “After sunrise,” he said firmly, “you are going to answer my questions… among other things.”

He released her from his grasp and looked out over the city. “Where do we go first?”

Olivia smoothed back the stray hairs that came loose during their kiss and adjusted the gun at her hip. She tried desperately to seem unaffected by his sudden display of affection but failed miserably. Doug gave her a sidelong grin and folded his arms over his chest, which was puffed up like a rooster.

“We’re going to the medical examiner’s office first to see if any other bodies have turned up.” She stepped onto the stone wall. “Then we go back to the area around the club and the park because that’s where they’ve been hunting. Chances are that’s where they’re nesting. They’ll stay in a pack out of instinct.”