Can't Stop-Smoke Read online

  “I left him a hundred dollar bill, Smokie. Cakes are not the sort of thing I steal.” He eyed me and softly said, “Now, eat your cake, drink your tea and then we’ll talk.”

  What kind of a Dark Lord leaves money when he didn’t have to? I was astonished.

  I started downing a little pink-iced petit-four.

  “The kind that wants you to…help him,” he answered.

  I snorted cake.

  I covered my mouth and felt like the idiot I must have appeared to be. I shook my head and said, “Did you read my thoughts?”

  “No, your face.”

  I narrowed a look at him. Was he telling me the truth? “Look,” I said, “I am a vampire, you said, you don’t like vamps. Also I’m not a very old vamp so being a newbie, my powers are not totally maxed. So tell me how I can possibly help the Dark Lord of New Orleans?”

  He totally ignored my question and silently and unnervingly eyed me for a long moment. When he finally spoke, it was to ask another question, “Tell me why a born-vampire bothered with you. What made Sharon turn you? It isn’t something she does. In fact, I happen to know she had never turned a human before. Was it at your request?”

  I frowned at him, “You seem to know her, so ask Sharon.”

  “Sharon and I have a rocky…er…friendship. The years have taken us in different directions. She believes she has reasons to avoid me, and as it turns out, the time has come for me to ask her for help. I think you could be a, shall we say, friendly go-between.” He eyed me thoughtfully. “Now, please, answer my questions.”

  “Ah, so Sharon doesn’t like you? Hmm, surprise, surprise,” I said and gave him a cocky look. “What makes you think she will help you if I ask her, and why should I ask her to help you? I don’t even know you and have no reason to want to know you.”

  Once again he ignored what I said and just went on as though I hadn’t objected. “First, tell me, how you and Sharon met?”

  I tried to get a read on him, couldn’t and sighed. If I just told him what he wanted to know, maybe he would just let me go home?

  “Look, it isn’t a big secret. I met Sharon at Tulane University. She was my roomy for three years. I graduated early and so did she. I didn’t know she was a vamp at first, let alone a Born-Vamp. I found out quite by accident just a few months before graduation. I realized that same night I discovered vamps are real, that she actually wanted me to discover what she was. She told me then that she knew I could handle it.”

  “She knew you could handle it?” he digested this and then asked. “Thus, it didn’t repulse you to find out what she was?”

  I stared at him. “Repulse? Sharon and I are friends. Look, I’ve lived in New Orleans all my life. Lots of strange things go on in this town.” I didn’t want to tell him my grandmother had been a light-witch extraordinaire. “No, Sharon and I will always be friends. It is what it is. She couldn’t help that she was born a vamp.” I shrugged. “Besides, she told me she never drinks from a live source. She said she fought the bloodlust when she came of age and began turning. She said the only thing painful about her turning was the need for blood. She denied that need until a friend…a vampire friend, helped her obtain blood without killing the donor. She told me born vamps can walk in daylight without any discomfort although she would have lost that ability if she fed on live sources. We discovered together that I inherited a great many of her advantages because I was turned with her blood. She helped me get over the bloodlust. At any rate, after she turned me, she took me to her home in Metairie and helped me through those first six months. She said I reminded her of her young sister who did not survive all those years ago when they went into battle with the Lycans in what she called, ‘the old country’.”

  “Were you willing to be turned?”

  I shook my head. “No. I had no choice. There was this vampire…his name is Whistler. Sharon said he noticed us together, noticed we were friends and that Sharon cared for me. He has a thing…a vendetta against Sharon…I don’t know why, she wouldn’t say. Apparently he decided to get his revenge by draining her human friend—me.”

  The Dark Lord growled. “Whistler. I know him. Another born vamp…but quite evil.”

  Evil? Look who was calling the pot. Yet, here was the thing—I wasn’t getting evil off of Wilder. But, I argued with myself, he was the Dark Lord—didn’t that absolutely mean he was evil?

  I considered him a moment longer. He growled again and said, “Whistler will pay.”

  I didn’t know Sorcerers growled like that. He sounded primal and ridiculously I thought, sexy as hell.

  “Right,” I said as I continued, “So Sharon found me like that—dying. I would have been dead if she had come a few minutes later.”

  “You accepted to be turned rather than die?”

  “No, hell no. I told her no, it was all I could say at the time as I was too weak to do more.” I stopped talking for a minute and looked away. When I looked back at him, his eyes were lit, brightly lit with an emotion I couldn’t fathom.

  I said, “Sharon told me she couldn’t let me die because of her. She said that was one more guilt she couldn’t bear. She also said something strange, something about ‘it was written’.” I shook my head and frowned because I had asked her later what that meant, and she had always changed the subject. “Anyway, she cut her wrist open and poured her blood down my throat and then everything went black.”

  His voice became intense, “Sharon said it was written—then she knows.”

  “Knows? Knows what?”

  “We will get to that. So you were saying, she turned you in spite of your wishes.”

  I shrugged. “Yup, so here I am.”

  “And you are still friends with Sharon?”

  “Of course. She got me through it all, the bloodlust, kept me sane, and taught me control.”

  “But, you moved out of her home?” he asked, one brow up.

  “Yeah, needed my own space. Sharon was too…protective and in spite of her keeping me alive or undead, whatever, she felt guilt. So…that made me more uncomfortable.” I eyed him. “Now you know, so if you aren’t going to zap me dead, please let me leave. I can’t help you.”

  “Everything you and I are drives us to a point in time. I can’t let you go. You will walk into a danger you cannot manage. A rabid vamp waits for you in your home and he has years on you. You don’t have the element of surprise this time. He won’t show you mercy as you showed him. Stay and we will rid ourselves of him at another time.”

  I considered his offer. It made sense. However, I wanted to know a few things so I asked, “This written shit, are you talking about fate? Because if you are,” I scoffed. “I believe in making my own fate.”

  “Fate is a tricky female. One never knows whether one’s decisions one way or another are actually their own. At any rate, you can’t go home tonight. A trap has been set, and I can’t let you walk into it,” he said. “Take the first door down the corridor. It is a guest suite and you will find everything you might need for an overnight stay. No one will bother you while you are here.”

  “Er…I don’t think so. Been looking after myself for a while now and that is what works for me. I am going home,” I said and got to my feet.

  He got up as well and put his large and hands around my upper arms. His touch sent tingles up and down my spine. I should have pulled away. Instead, I looked up into those devilish blue eyes and licked my bottom lip.

  His gaze was so intense. I concentrated on his lips as he spoke. My bad. So bad. Concentrating on his lips turned me into a woman in heat. All I wanted…I caught myself and zoomed into what he was saying. “What? What was that?”

  “Smoke, you can’t go home,” he repeated. “The rabid vamp is out for your blood. He will drain you for a high on born-vampire blood and then he will stake you through the heart and cut off your head.”

  I grimaced.

  “You made an emotional decision to let him live. Someone like that is a threat to all of society
and now to you. You should have staked him when he was unconscious. Now, he is out for revenge. He wants you dead for interfering with his meal. Don’t take my word for it that he is waiting for you at your home. Think about it. He knows who you are and therefore he knows where you live. He has your scent and you will never make it inside your home. He is faster, stronger and deadlier than you. Like you pointed out, you have not yet come into all your powers. You will…and soon, but that won’t help you tonight.”

  “I am not going to sit around and wait for him to strike. If you think he is at my place now, then I’m going there and taking him on.”

  “No, you are not. He will kill you and that isn’t anything I wish to see occur. You aren’t ready to take him on.”

  “Oh yes, I am…and besides, not hiding here. I don’t hide.”

  “Smokie…” he said and he pulled me right up against his hard body, “Stay.”

  He took my mouth beneath his and I caved for his kiss. Damn, but the world around me vanished and all I could see were bright lights. All I could feel was hot desire. Maybe I could do sex just for fun?

  Stubbornness saved me. I pushed out of his hold. “Stop, you and me…not happening.”

  “No? We’ll see, but in the meantime, take the first door down that hallway. No one will be able to get past my wards,” he indicated with his perfectly masculine chin. “Lock it and stay safe tonight. I won’t bother you and if you want to take the rabid vamp on tomorrow, we’ll talk about…a plan. How is that? Do I have your word you won’t try and leave?”

  I like plans. I considered this proposition. “Yes, okay, staying seems smart, but, I have questions.”

  “As do I. Tomorrow we will get to them. Now go on…get some sleep.”

  “Where is your room?” I asked looking down the hallway and noting there was a set of double doors facing us at the end of the wide corridor.

  “I won’t lock them if that is what you are wondering,”

  If I were human, I would have blushed. Even so, I felt a flush invade my face and said, “I just wanted to make sure we have some distance between us.”

  “Afraid to get too close?” he said in that low damningly sexy voice of his.

  “Er…no…just…well, right. Nighty-night,” I said and hurried to that first door. I stopped there and looked his way. His blues met my gaze and held me for a brief moment before he said, “And sleep tight.”

  ~ Two ~

  I had found everything I needed behind that door. The bedroom was large and beautifully decorated in shades of green and mauve. The bathroom was luxurious, with toothbrushes to choose from and an assortment of hair products. I don’t use them.

  I showered and slipped into one of the oversized white T-shirts I found in the walk-in closet. Drawers upon drawers held a variety of female clothing, including an assortment of naughty lingerie. One in particular was no more than a bit of black lace that would expose both the woman’s nipples and the patch between her thighs. I laughed and threw it back into the drawer.

  I climbed into the huge four poster bed and thought I would never fall asleep, and promptly did so.

  I awoke to a grey morning and the smell of bacon.

  I love bacon.

  I was up and showered and dressed in the oversized white T-shirt, I found in one of the drawers. I ran my hand over the clothes, all high fashion, and oddly enough, all in my size. However, I gave this up quickly because the delicious scent of breakfast ping-ponged down to my stomach. Yeah, another Hollywood myth. Vampires can eat food.

  Wilder was at the stove, flipping an omelet. He wore jeans and nothing else. Holy good God, a woman could go blind looking at pure, raw sex, and that was what I was doing. He had a primal pull I had to make an effort to fight.

  Holy Geez, looking at him like that, his kisses filled my memory banks and my body went rigid with sexual tension.

  He looked over his shoulder at me and said, “Sit…coffee is on the island. Do you take cream?” his smile was absolutely wicked.

  “No, black, thank you. Wow, you are quite the domestic for a Dark Lord,” I said trying to ignore the erotic scent I knew my body must be giving off. I busied myself by pouring a cup of rich coffee and sipping. It was perfection.

  Blood? Hmm. I wouldn’t need to drink blood for another day or so.

  He served me up a full plate, bacon, eggs and toast. He sat beside me with the same and his voice was a husky rumble as he said, “Eat up…”

  I concentrated on my food and did just that. I couldn’t look his way, if I did, there was a good chance I might jump his bones!

  After a few moments where I broke the silence by telling him, “Hmm, good…hmm yum,” at various intervals, he pushed away his plate.

  His blue eyes looked me over from my head right down to my bare feet and made my nipples poke at the soft white material of the T-shirt.

  His voice was a sexy rumble when he said, “Do you know how…desirable you look right now?”

  “Er…no. My hair is a mess and well, it’s just a T-shirt, oversized at that,” I tried to deflect.

  “Is it just? Your nipples are pushing through hard and hungry. I wonder how much harder they would get if I…er flicked my…”

  “Hold on. Stop. No flicking, no nipple talking,” I said even though that was exactly what I wanted him to do—finger flick me, oh hot damn, yes.

  I got up and hurried off, annoyed to hear him chuckling at my back.

  I was back in my cocktail dress because I wasn’t going to wear any of the clothes hanging in the closet. They all still had price tags…whoa, way out of my league.

  When I returned to the main room he stood by the window looking like a movie star. He had on a white silk shirt, jeans and boots and I looked away as I said, “Ok…going home now.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “Wait, what? No. He won’t be there…daylight.”

  “We still need to talk. I need answers and so do you,” he said. “We can talk in your place, where you might be more comfortable.”

  I sucked in my bottom lip, chewed for a moment and shook my head, “Nah, I’m good. I don’t need any answers and I am not inclined to give you any more than I already have.”

  The next thing I knew, we were traveling in a black cloud where all I could see were his bright blue eyes and all I could feel was his strong arms wrapped around me. His traveling cloud reminded me of something my mother once said to me about magical locomotion. I had laughed it off and she had touched my cheek and said, “One day you will learn it all…your name means more than you know. I could hear her voice in my head. “Your father named you so you would discover what and who you are.” Why hadn’t she just explained it all at the time? Because she thought we had time. For a moment I was filled with grief, but, I shook it off as suddenly the cloud was gone.

  I was still in his arms. I pushed, he released, I stepped back and snapped, “You could at least warn a girl before you do that!”

  He grinned, “You’ll get used to it.”

  “No, no I won’t because…” I pointed to him and then myself. “You and I…are saying bye, bye now. You go your way. I go mine.”

  “You and I are tied at the hip from now on,” he said in that husky voice that drove me wild in spite of the fact that I was trying very hard not to allow it to get to me.

  “Why are you doing this to me?” I demanded and slipped out of my heels and went towards my bedroom where I meant to change. “I have a nice simple life. I watch the stock market and invest my savings so I can live quietly…and…”

  “And there is no more quiet for you,” he said and followed me into my bedroom.

  As my dress was off already I shrieked and dove into my closet, “Out…let me dress in peace.”

  He laughed and gave me his back. “Go ahead. No worries. I don’t take what isn’t offered.”

  “Sure you do,” I said and hurriedly pulled on my black tank top, panties and jeans.

  “Smokie…our fates, yours and mine ar
e linked. At least I believe that to be true and if you would just answer a few questions, I will know one way or another.”

  I turned him around and pushed on his chest, “Out of my room. Out of my house. I don’t want to be linked. I want to…”

  “What? What do you want? Quiet? To be a loner with no direction. In one hundred years you will wish you were dead…really dead. That isn’t for you,” he said angrily.

  I hadn’t seen him this angry thus far. Why did it all matter to him so much? I stood for a moment taking his words apart in my mind. That didn’t help. Did I want to know more before I chased him away? Knowing is always better than not knowing.

  “Okay, okay, I will hear you out, after that, I can’t promise anything. Deal?”

  “Deal,” he said and left my room.

  I pulled on socks and a pair of my favorite and comfortable buckskin boots and followed him into my small living room.

  I found him lounging on my floral loveseat. He waved his hand around at my living room, “Charming. You have good taste.”

  I smiled because I really loved my little home. I had painted and had searched out antiques and designed the interior all myself. I had modernized the small kitchen, and felt from the start that it suited me. Still smiling, I looked around, pleased with the pretty shades of green sprinkled with blue. It was a bright, inviting open floor plan and yet the furniture and its placement made it all feel cozy, and welcoming, like an English cottage. I had made it as far from vampirish as I could.

  I nodded and sat on one of the chairs and said, “Right…let’s do this. What do you want to know?”

  “Right, you have established that you were not a willing vampire, but before that happened to you, were you aware of anything unusual about yourself?”

  I tensed. He wanted to know if I had felt any supernatural eccentricities about myself. I have felt them because I have always known that I was destined to be a light-witch. My mom had told me all about my famous grandmother and in the French Quarter, she was famous.

  I don’t like to lie, so I answered, “A little. I have always had good instincts. I don’t get lost even when I have never been to a place. I…sometimes get ‘feelings’ that warn me off something or send me towards something else. That sort of thing.” Not telling him the whole wasn’t really a lie.