Real Vampires Don't Wear Size Six Read online

  I threw my arms around Rafe’s neck and smeared my lipstick kissing him again. “You are absolutely the best friend I’ve ever had.”

  “And an idiot.” He laughed again and pulled back. “I know your size, which I realize you don’t like for me to say out loud. Just promise this is a mission of mercy and you won’t fall for that asshole again.”

  “I promise.” I grinned, dropped the sunglasses, then turned to repair my lipstick again. In moments Rafe was back with a blue sweater that I’d been thinking about keeping for myself anyway. I swear the man was way too observant when it came to me. I blocked my thoughts. Jerry wouldn’t have a clue what size I wore or what color to choose for me. But were those necessarily qualities I needed in a mate for life?

  Rafe grinned and ripped my gold sweater off and over my head in a smooth move that made me shiver. His admiring look and clever touches when he saw my cream silk bra made me do more than shiver. Okay, so maybe Rafe was more than a friend with good taste and an excellent memory. We definitely had chemistry and he had a libido to match mine.

  As I playfully snatched that blue sweater and tugged it on, he pulled me to him again and told me about his club and what had been going on there. I was interested. We were both business owners and struggling to get things going in a new town. We had a lot in common and I was as comfortable with Rafe as I was with Jerry. More comfortable, actually. Because I didn’t ever have to worry that Rafe would try to order me around or control me. Hmm.

  Well, maybe that wasn’t entirely accurate. Rafe could be pretty bossy when he was in protective mode. As usual, I was letting chemistry cloud my judgment. I put some space between us and pulled on those shades again.

  “Got to go, Rafe.”

  “Me too. If I didn’t have to be back at the club, I’d go with you. Have to admit, I’m curious about Caine and this breakdown. I thought he’d gotten a handle on the vampire experience.” Rafe walked with me to the back door.

  “So did I. But then I spilled the beans about the synthetic blood with alcohol and his old dependencies came into play. I felt guilty about telling him at first, but that stuff was served to him at Flo’s wedding anyway, so it was only a matter of time before he found out about it.”

  “Right. You aren’t that guy’s keeper, Glo. This mentor thing has to have an expiration date.” Rafe had always made it clear he didn’t like my relationship with Ray.

  “He’s my friend too, Rafe. I care what happens to him.” I sighed. “Anyway, alcohol can bring on depression. It definitely made Ray think about what he’s lost.” I stopped next to my car. I wasn’t about to shape-shift out to the park. It was a beautiful spring night and I wanted to drive out there with the top down.

  “The sun. I remember. Your friend Caine was all about the sun. Even owned an island in the Caribbean, didn’t he?” Rafe opened my car door for me and watched me fasten my seat belt.

  “Guess he still does.” I smiled and touched Rafe’s hand. “You and I will have to get together tomorrow night and talk over this deal with Simon. You know he wanted to recruit me into the Energy Vampires. I guess we could use that to make contact. Some would consider the invitation to join a real honor.”

  “But I bet you already told him where to stick that invite, didn’t you?” Rafe frowned. “Think he’d believe in your sudden interest?”

  “Maybe. But the father-son angle is our best bet. I want to talk to Freddy and see how he feels about his father. If there’s a chance for them to have a relationship away from the Energy Vampires, then that would be a powerful motivator for Simon to switch sides.” I sighed. “If Simon has a natural father’s instincts. Who knows?”

  “Can’t say I’m crazy about the idea of you and Simon within a hundred miles of each other.” Rafe leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips. “But I was desperate to get your tail out of a sling tonight.”

  “Great image, Rafael.” I started the car. “Just promise me that none of this slips around Penny. My fledgling is mixed up enough as it is. I’ll just tell her the demons went back to hell after I refused to work with them.”

  “She’s pretty smart. Won’t be easy fooling her.” Rafe watched me lower my convertible top with the flip of a switch.

  “She’s got lots of school work coming up. I hope she’ll be too busy to notice what we’re up to.” I grabbed Rafe’s hand. “Ray’s trying to get Ian MacDonald to come to town. When Penny saw my computer mirror, she was intrigued by the guy who invented it. Can you imagine if she and Ian got together?”

  “I’m afraid to. Didn’t you tell me she’s into chemistry too?”

  “Yes, they’d be quite a pair.” I heard the click that meant the top was secured and I was good to go. “We can worry about that if it happens. Got to run. Call me tomorrow?”

  “Sure. Be careful around Caine.” Rafe slapped the car hood as I backed out. “A drunk vampire is unpredictable as hell.”

  Unpredictable as hell. I’d just had a demo of how unpredictable hell could be and it didn’t exactly encourage me. When I got to Zilker Park and realized I’d be one of a cast of thousands, I wondered if driving had been such a great idea. I parked in the darkest area I could find, near some trees, and shifted so I could fly up close to the stage and spot Nathan. A local band was opening for Ray and had the crowd dancing and pushing toward the stage.

  Just as I saw Nate talking to the members of Ray’s band, the local musicians came to a loud and successful conclusion if the roars of the crowd were any indication. Lights came up, along with an announcement that there would be a brief intermission before Ray and his band performed. I found a spot to shift back and strolled up to Nate, my shades firmly in place.

  “Hey, look, it’s Glory. Long time no see, babe.” I was wrapped in strong arms, then passed around among the guys in the band. I sure didn’t mind it. They were all good-looking and nice when they weren’t high. Which none of them were tonight I was happy to notice. No sign of Ray. Finally I was left with Nate.

  “Great to see all of you. Break a leg or whatever.” I waved them off as they went to gather their instruments before the performance started.

  “Glory, am I glad to see you.” Nate grabbed my arm. “Come with me.” He hustled me toward an RV parked at the curb near the back of the stage. The area had been cordoned off and few vehicles other than the large trucks that had hauled in the sound equipment had been allowed to park there. Beefy security guards kept the curious away.

  “Where’s Ray?” I looked around but didn’t see him. I did, though, seem to sense another vampire in the area.

  “He’s in there. And he’s not alone.” Nate frowned and knocked on the door.

  “Go ’way.” Ray’s voice. Though it was slurred, I’d know it anywhere.

  “Ray, let me in.” I banged on the door with my fist. “It’s almost time for you to go on.”

  The door was flung open. “Glory, babe! Come in and join the party.” Ray swayed in the doorway. He wore his favorite black silk boxers and nothing else. He frowned when he saw Nate beside me. “Hey, buddy. Best stay outside.” He shook his head. “Fangers only, you dig?”

  Nate gave me a look. “You okay with that?”

  “Sure. Go take care of band business.” I squeezed his hand. “How long before he needs to take the stage?”

  “Thirty minutes, max.” Nate backed away from the doorway. “Be careful, Glory.” He finally looked at Ray, his best friend. “Damn it, Ray, pull yourself together.” Then he turned and walked away.

  “What’s he pissed about?” Ray pulled me inside the cramped trailer. “Come meet Tiffany. Tiff, this is Glory, my mentor.”

  “Hey.” The woman lounging on the small bunk at the end of the bed wore less than Ray and didn’t bother to cover herself.

  I nodded, trying not to stare at her perfect breasts on display or her slim hips, which were clad in nothing but a scrap of black lace.

  “Ray, we need to talk. Tiffany, would you excuse us? Maybe Nate can find you a good spot to watch
the concert.” I managed a smile.

  “Fine.” Tiffany began to gather her clothes, which included a very brief skirt, tiny top and a pair of five-inch heels. In less time than it took Ray to refill his glass, she was dressed and at the door. “Later, Ray.”

  “You bet.” He met her at the door, squeezed her perfect ass, then watched her step outside. He turned and frowned at me. “So what’s this about? I don’t usually let someone else run my women off like that.” He took a deep swallow of what I could tell by the smell was the synthetic that had alcohol in it.

  “Your drinking.” I moved closer and grabbed his glass, throwing it into the small stainless steel sink. “Damn it, Ray, what the hell are you thinking? You’ve got a concert in less than half an hour and you can barely stand.”

  I swear Ray growled at me, but seemed to catch himself. He looked down at the floor, then at me. We were almost toe to toe. He reached out and grabbed me around the waist then yanked me to him.

  “I’m standing. And I’m sober enough to take you that way too. What do you say, Glory? You did it with the shifter. How about trying it on with me?” He leaned in, sliding his fangs along my throat when I jerked my face away.

  “Stop it! You really think I want you in this condition? You’re staggering drunk.” I shoved at him and he proved me right, grabbing hold of the counter next to him before crashing into the small table that was bolted to the floor. Discarded glasses flew everywhere and shattered. He finally landed on the padded banquette next to the table, a scowl on his face.

  “No need to get mean about it. Just say no. I can take it. I took it before.” He tried to pull himself up to a sitting position and it took three efforts before he made it. “What the fuck?”

  “You’re trashed, Ray. Obviously you’ve been drinking since the sun went down.” I stood next to him and finally gave in to the urge to smooth his hair back from his forehead. He looked lost and confused.

  “Help me up. I can shower. That’ll get me sober. I’ve got to go on in a few.” He licked his lips and I saw him eyeing the bottles stashed next to the sink.

  “Nothing else to drink.” I helped him to his feet, ignoring the totally hot body he exposed when he shucked his shorts and stepped into the tiny shower stall next to the kitchen. He turned on the cold water and stood under the spray, his face directly under the showerhead. He swayed there for a good five minutes. It obviously wasn’t doing much for him and I finally reached in and turned off the water, helping him wrap a towel around his waist. I rubbed another towel through his long dark hair, then handed him a comb. He barely bothered to run it through and he usually tied it back anyway.

  “What are you going to wear?” I glanced in the tiny closet. The choices were similar and when he didn’t answer, I grabbed dark jeans and a blue silk shirt the color of his eyes. I looked back and he’d fallen onto the bed, those beautiful eyes closed, the towel a heap on the floor.

  Of course I looked my fill, savoring the way his broad shoulders tapered into a lean waist and his muscular legs ended in narrow elegant feet. And then there was that package with a piercing you know where. He’d added a diamond to the loop since I’d seen it last, and it sparkled . . . Never mind. Time was marching on and this man was still in no shape to sing. I knew of only one way to get Ray sober and ready in time.

  “Ray, wake up.” I climbed on the bed and jiggled his shoulder.

  “Glory, babe.” He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me on top of him. “Finally, I’ve got you where I want you. What’s with the shades?” He grinned and pulled them off, tossing them on the floor. “What the hell?”

  “A little accident.” I sighed as he slid one hand under my sweater. “Stop it, Ray.”

  “No way.” He found my breast, then grabbed my butt with his other hand. “Feel sooo good.”

  “Forget that.” I propped myself up to get some space, desperately trying to ignore his clever hands, one of which had unclasped my bra, then gone to work on my breasts again. “You’ve got to drink from me.”

  “Ah, love that.” His fangs were sliding out and rasping along my jugular in an instant. “You are so sweet.” Then he was taking my blood, sucking it in with a hum as he slid his fingers inside my jeans and stroked my bum. I moaned, not immune to the pull of his mouth or his hands on my body.

  I knew I wasn’t going to let him do more than this bit of foreplay, but if I made an issue out of stopping him now, he might quit drinking, and he needed my blood.

  The weakness that comes from maybe a little too much giving and not enough taking began to creep over me, making me lethargic. I gently pushed him away, finally having to use force because he was really into drinking from me. He collapsed back on the sheet, his eyes slitting open as he looked up at me.

  “That was so fine.” He grinned and then leaned up to kiss me, one of his hands grasping the back of my head to make sure I wasn’t going anywhere. He put some serious effort into the kiss, like maybe he thought he was going to finally have me where he wanted me. I sighed into his mouth, wiggled against his questing hand, which had worked its way inside my panties, and almost didn’t have the strength or will to roll away from him.

  “How do you feel, Ray?” I dragged myself off the bed and stood next to it. The room spun and I had to hold on to the built-in bedside table to keep from falling over.

  “Better, but not as good as I’ll feel when we finish what we started.” He grinned and held out his hand. “Come on, babe, don’t be a tease.”

  “I’m not. You needed my blood so you could go out there and sing. I don’t want you to disappoint your fans. That’s all there was to that. Anything sexual was all on your part, not on mine. I just felt sorry for Nate, stuck with you and the fallout if you were a no-show.” I stomped over to the kitchen, hoping to find at least one bottle of synthetic blood that didn’t have alcohol in it. No luck. But I couldn’t wait, so weak that I twisted off the top of the other and took a swallow.

  “Good old Glory. Always the mentor. Shit.” Ray got to his feet and stepped into his jeans, not bothering with underwear. Next he grabbed his shirt. “How kind of you.” He took the bottle I’d opened and drained it. “Quit doing me favors. You putting out for Nate now? I know he’s your favorite blood type.”

  I stared at him, my mouth open. “You know better than that. Don’t be a jerk. And where’s my thank-you? Don’t you care that there are thousands of people out there who paid good money to see the famous Israel Caine perform?”

  “Big fuckin’ deal.” He grabbed another bottle and opened it.

  “Stop it!” I lunged for the drink. “I’m about to fall down, you drank so much, and you’re going to ruin it by drinking that poison again? No way!”

  “You are not my keeper, Glory St. Clair. Get the hell out. Tell Nathan to quit running to you to save my ass. If I want to kill myself, I will.” He took another deep swallow of the synthetic. “Got it?”

  “No. I can’t let you do that. Why, Ray? Why are you so bent on self-destructing?” I didn’t try to hide the tears that filled my eyes. “You have people who love you. You’ll live forever. It’s a gift.”

  “It’s a fucking gift I didn’t ask for and don’t want.” He finished the bottle and threw the empty against the wall, where it shattered. “Now get out. I’ve got a set to do. Go watch. You always were a fan.” He grinned but it looked more like a grimace. “I’m good to go. Hell, I can do these things in my sleep.”

  I wiped away my tears, obviously wasted on him. But my heart broke. For Ray. I wasn’t getting through to him and I guess it was true that an alcoholic had to ask for help and truly hit bottom before he would. I picked up my sunglasses and trudged to the door.

  “Fine. I will watch.” I opened it and almost bumped into Nate, who’d been about to knock. “I did the best I could. Good luck.” I turned and looked at Ray, who was on yet another bottle. “I love you, Ray. Please remember that before you walk into the sun or whatever you think you’re going to do to end this. Nate here d
oes too. And your parents, fans. I guess none of us count, though.” I sighed. He didn’t even turn around or acknowledge what I’d said.

  I joined the crowd, finding a spot next to Tiffany in the VIP section. The band was tuning up and the crowd was getting restless. When Ray finally staggered onto the stage, I knew this was going to be a rough night. I just didn’t know how rough.

  Eight

  The set started off well. The band sounded great, Ray was energetic and the crowd went wild. Guess Ray had been right; he could do these things in his sleep or drunk. But he had a look in his eyes that I recognized. A dangerous look. He was on the sixth song, a fast one, when he started working the edge of the stage, leaning down to touch the women in the crowd who reached up to clasp his hand or tossed him a pair of panties or a bra.

  It was actually pretty common at his concerts and he usually played it for laughs, tucking the thongs in his pocket with a wink or pitching the bras to his bass player, who sometimes wore the big ones like a cap.

  Not this time. This time Ray leaned down to kiss three different women, lingering long enough that the crowd went completely insane. The big screen monitors over the stage gave everyone a good view of deep kisses with plenty of tongue. I wasn’t jealous but worried. Ray looked wobbly and I had no idea if he could control his fangs when he touched these mortal women. The best I could hope for was that he didn’t make them bleed and looked in their eyes at the end of the kiss to erase their memories of those sharp pointy teeth.

  Luckily, song seven was a ballad and he staggered back to sit on a stool to sing with his lead guitarist. The occasional screams made him pause but he got through it, forgetting the words only once. Didn’t bother this crowd. They knew his songs by heart and prompted him. He grinned and waved a thank-you, which just got the women in the audience even more excited.

  Finally the end of the set was in sight. I knew it because Nate whispered in my ear that they could wrap it up with this song. It was Ray’s greatest hit from last year, a fast, loud rock number that got everyone dancing, Ray included. His hip thrusts made the women squeal and reach for him, begging him to dance right into their arms.