Page 3 of The Virgin and the Vampire (Escape to Haven County)

3

I wake to the sounds of birds trilling outside the window and the steady breathing of Kade. I study his elegant face. Except for the fangs, he looks like a wealthy executive, somewhere in his late thirties. But I know from what he’s already told me that he’s closing in on four hundred. He’s on his side, facing me with one arm flung over my hips. I’m not ready to wake him yet, so I raise my arm and study the design of the bracelet he placed there. It’s beautiful, almost like lace made of diamonds. There are evenly spaced openings in the design that intrigue me. It’s almost like something is supposed to go there. A ribbon, maybe?

When I lower my arm, it’s to find Kade’s dark blue eyes regarding me steadily. He doesn’t speak, but his arm tightens around me, almost like he’s afraid I’ll vanish with the morning light. “What are these holes for?” I ask, pointing with my other hand at the openings down the center of the bracelet.

The banked heat in Kade’s eyes flares to life. “My fangs,” he growls. My whole body flushes with awareness. I bite my lip in consternation.

“Every vamp has a slightly different placement of the fangs. It might be only micromillimeters, but it was a fashion a while back to emphasize that only he had the right to bite his thrall by building it into the design.”

I trace the necklace around my neck. “Here too?”

Kade nods, his gaze fastened with hunger on my moving finger.

“You don’t want to bite me now?” I query because if ever a man looked hungry…

“I do, but it will have to wait. I don’t need to feed if that’s what you’re asking, but you’re far too tempting a morsel to resist for long.”

He swings his long legs out of bed and stands up. I’m suddenly aware that he came to bed naked. I don’t know how I missed that last night, and I’m a little miffed that I didn’t know.

“I’m going to find you something to wear,” Kade mutters as he heads out the door.

After a thorough search of the house, if the banging and cursing are anything to go by, he returns with a chagrined expression, a pair of sweatpants and another white dress shirt. I eye the clothing dubiously.

“These will have to do until after we meet with Etienne. We’ll head back to your house this afternoon so you can pack up.”

“Hey! I didn’t agree to move in with you!”

Kade raises a sardonic eyebrow. “You want me to move in with you? I’m not sure you understand how this works, sweetness. I can’t protect you from a distance and you sure as hell can’t see to my needs from there either.”

I bite my lip. “But I thought… I thought it was like a casual when you need it thing. You said you only need to feed every few weeks, right?”

Kade shakes his head slowly. “That’s the necessary for survival stuff, which is what the club is for. You are so much more than that, baby. I need to keep you close to protect you, to sip from you when the mood is right, like when I’m plundering your sweet pussy.”

My eyes grow wide. Here I was expecting a broken down Toyota and Kade is talking custom Italian sports cars.

“And you’re positive you won’t get bored with me?” I quaver.

Kade sends me a wry smile. “I’m sure, baby. I’m going to locate Doris, so I can find you some breakfast while you get dressed. Come downstairs when you’re ready.”

I venture down the stairs a few minutes later. I look absolutely ridiculous — like a little kid playing dress up. Doris turns out to be a motherly woman with kind eyes that widen when she spots me. I roll my eyes. “The diamonds were not my idea,” I point out defensively by way of an introduction.

Doris smiles but doesn’t say anything, maybe because Kade is glowering while leaning against the counter. “You look thoroughly claimed by an old and wealthy vampire who should not be messed with. Which is pretty much the point.”

His housekeeper rolls her eyes with a gentle smile behind his back which has me choking back giggles.

“So, who’s this Etienne guy we have to meet?”

I’m back to mourning the old days when there wasn’t any paperwork. Gianna’s eyes widen as I drive onto Etienne’s estate and approach The Sanctuary. She starts bouncing in her seat. “Oh. My. God. We’re going to The Sanctuary!”

“What do you know about The Sanctuary?” I growl in disbelief.

“Well, not as much as l’d like to,” she pouts. “A few friends and I tried to get in to see if we could spot some vampires. Okay, that was my reason. They wanted to see a sex club. But we were all turned away for being underage. So not fair. We weren’t going to do anything.”

She pauses briefly before continuing with obvious excitement. “So, are you really taking me to a sex club? At ten in the morning? I thought for sure they only operated at night.”

I grind my teeth. “I am not taking you to a sex club. Not now or ever. What I’m doing is bringing you to a meeting with Etienne. The fact that his office happens to be located inside a sex club is purely coincidental.”

Gianna laughs.

I had been planning to blindfold her between the parking lot and Etienne’s office to preserve her innocence, but it’s obvious now she’s not going to let that happen. So inside I drag her by the elbow in and up the stairs as fast as I can manage. Her feet are practically flying out behind her as I knock briefly on the door and then enter.

Etienne sits behind his massive desk, looking like he has the world completely under control. He eyes Gianna, who is gasping for breath, with curiosity, but nothing more.

“What exactly is so earth-shattering about her that you had to break the rules, Kade? I don’t see a line of competing vamps behind you,” he says dryly. I can feel Gianna stiffen next to me and place a hand on her shoulder before she does something dangerously stupid.

“All the more reason to act quickly,” I respond genially. “This way, they never know what they’re missing.”

Etienne’s lips twitch ever so slightly. “The sheer amount of jewelry might be a hint. You couldn’t keep it to just the collar?”

Glancing down at Gianna with pride, I shake my head. “She is a jewel beyond measure.”

Both Gianna and Etienne roll their eyes at that, lightening my mood as perhaps they can get along after all.

Etienne sighs. “Well, her sister had some valid concerns, and I dislike having my evening interrupted by having to chase you down.”

Gianna startles and then blurts, “How do you know Carina?”

The head vampire eyes her with bemusement. “Are you going to tell her, Kade, or shall I?”

I eye the door with a sudden yearning, then sigh. “The Sanctuary exists so that vampires can feed, baby.”

Gianna glares. “I know that. What does that have to do with my sister?”

I open my mouth, but I can’t find the words. Etienne finally ends the agony. “Your sister is a member of the club, little one. She frequently requests Kade.”

I’m so busy glaring at Etienne for making that sound worse than it is that I almost miss Gianna turning white.

“You fucked my sister and now you want to fuck me?” she whispers in horror.

“No! Goddammit, Etienne! Gianna, baby, I never fucked Carina. Hell, I haven’t fucked anyone in over a hundred years. Vamps only drink at the club, sweetness. Nothing more.”

She looks to Etienne for reassurance, which only annoys me further. He shrugs. “Those are the rules.” The implication being that if I broke others, I probably broke those too.

Finally Gianna turns to me. “Are you being completely truthful with me? Because if you are, then why didn’t she tell me?”