A Vampire for Christmas

chapter THREE





OLIVIA WOKE WITH A SMILE. Her cheek nuzzled against a heat that felt like the sun, but it smelled better than any summer day. Masculine and freckled down his shoulders, Daniel’s flesh drew her in to sniff and then lick the tiny jewel of nipple beading his hard pectoral. She spread her hands over his abdomen and pressed her hips against his, blending their subtle heat differences in a cool-hot crush of soft and hard.



She lay next to a vampire. Who had bitten her. She could feel a subtle tingle at the place on her breast where his teeth had invaded her in a surprisingly sensual way. Lost in orgasm, she hadn’t noticed the bite until it was too late, but sensed it was what had increased her pleasure and sent her reeling.



A part of her flowed through him now. Strange to consider, but still, she hadn’t the sense to be frightened, only intrigued at her bold step into the unknown. And nervous, but dancing with him had quickly allayed that jittery tension and made her like him even more. She was going to have to download that Bublé song to her iPod later.



The room was dark, yet a pale illumination behind the curtains proved it was morning. Her lover roused with a satisfied groan, and his hand slid along her back, stirring her to instant arousal. She playfully nipped his nose.



“You think so?” he murmured in a sleepy voice.



“I do think so.” Sliding her hand down his rigid abs, she grasped his semihard shaft, and it reacted by thickening and growing harder. “And parts of you do, as well.”



Burrowing under the covers, she kissed down his taut abdomen and to the head of his erection, licking the smooth helmet of flesh and deciding he could return to sleep if he wanted to; she didn’t need his participation to do what she had in mind. Pushing down the sheets and straddling him, she glided her mons over the steely length of vampire hardness.



“You’re a little pushy in the mornings, you know that?”



“Let me guess. You’re not a morning person?”



“Not exactly,” he said with a wince. He blocked his eyes with a hand. “Those curtains don’t shut out much light.”



“Don’t worry.” She pulled the bedspread over her shoulders and tented it over the two of them, returning darkness to her vampire lover’s eyes. “How’s this?”



He grabbed her hips and nudged his way inside her. “Good morning, lover.”





IT WAS DIFFICULT to rise and get dressed, but Daniel wasn’t going to stick around for coffee and chatter. He didn’t do the lingering thing. Despite being compelled to lean in and kiss Olivia after putting on his shirt, and after pulling up his jeans, now he paced the room looking for his socks, but he wasn’t sure if returning to bed for a snuggle would be such a bad idea after all.



On the other hand, he’d missed an appointment last night. It had completely slipped his mind. His body had been eager to leave, but his mind and his skin had been lured back to Olivia’s side. He’d get hell for that. Or rather, hell may have emerged because he’d been too focused getting busy with the pretty singer. He had to get out of here and go make amends.



Nestled in the wrinkled purple sheets, Olivia asked, “Do you have a soul?”



Now she wanted to talk deep stuff? Best to nip this conversation in the bud, and fast. “Yes, but it’s dark as hell.”



He snagged a sock and pulled it on, but had to sit on the bed to do so. Claiming arms snaked around his waist and her cheek nuzzled against his back. He closed his eyes, taking in the sweetness of the touch. She hadn’t screamed last night when he’d bitten her. She could never know how much that meant to him.



I don’t believe that,” she said.



That I have a soul? I do, far as I know. Never got the course on Vampires 101, but I’ve learned a few things over the past year. Vampire souls are not bright and shiny. We do evil things to…”



To survive. But you said you don’t kill.”



Couldn’t fathom the act.”



And you don’t create other vampires?”



His jaw tightened to think of the appointment he’d missed. A life was at stake. And he had let that life—and two others—down.



Creating another bloodsucker would be worse than death.”



Then your soul is as bright as I think it is.”



The woman had an optimistic streak that he didn’t want to get caught up in. It was like a sunbeam flashing across a dusty room. They’d known each other but a day, and now was no time for a deep conversation about life and whether or not vampire souls were dark or bright.



Bright? Hell. Olivia was naive, and he intended to walk out the door and never return. She didn’t deserve the corruption he could give her.



You think you can’t have love,” she said.



Daniel shook his head, smirking. “Love is the last thing I worry about.”



That’s too bad. Everyone needs love.”



He turned abruptly and grabbed her under the jaw. “You spent the night having sex with a vampire, Olivia. Not exactly a traditional way to spend the Christmas holiday. Think about that one, will you?”



He wandered out into the living room, but paused beside the couch, finding it difficult to move forward. He had to fist his fingers and think about bad things, dark things—himself—to resist the pull to return to her side. At Olivia’s side it was warm and bright and soft, and like nothing he’d ever had before. And her blood had tasted so damn good. Bright, unlike him.



Daniel gritted his jaw and forced out, “I’ll see you later!”



“Promise? Will you come back tonight?”



So hopeful. And for what? Another no-strings f*ck? Fine with him. But if she expected love and a relationship and all the emotional baggage that accompanied it, she was going to get hurt.



Daniel palmed the front doorknob. It was probably best to hurt her sooner rather than later.



He didn’t reply to her question. Because he wasn’t sure if he could hurt her by not returning, or if he’d instead inflict that hurt on himself by returning for another kiss from the most intriguing thing that had ever happened to him.





THE GIRLS WERE ALL RIGHT, but upset he’d not shown last night, as promised. Daniel explained that he’d had something else to do and his apologies were taken with nods and heavy sighs. Their disappointment clawed at his heart. Deservedly so.



The Jones family was fine, if fine meant gritting teeth and clinging to an edge of oblivion that scared even Daniel.



He promised to show tonight, and it was imperative. The moon would be full on Christmas Eve, of all the bloody nights. The holiday wasn’t going to be merry for the Jones family. But he’d do what he could to ensure another monster did not walk the earth. He left the girls with promises and with a smile as encouraging as he could manage.



Now, if he could clear his mind of the soft, sweet-smelling Olivia. Maybe he needed to scare up a couple werewolves to keep his mind from distractions of the heart?



He didn’t have to walk far to find the dog he’d started to think of as Punch. His partner in crime was Judy—hey, the wolf wore pink tennis shoes—but he was nowhere in sight. Daniel veered across the street to avoid meeting the oncoming wolf, who hadn’t yet noticed him. Hands tucked in his jacket pockets, he doubled his pace, and only cringed when he heard the throaty chuckle and a fist smack into a palm.



Damn wolves could smell a vampire a mile away. Best thing to do? Run.



Daniel turned to face the werewolf lumbering toward him and planted his feet. A year ago his sorry-ass investment broker in crisp white shirt and gold cuff links would have run like a sissy from any threat larger than himself, despite his biweekly visits to the gym to work out. Now?



“Bring it,” Daniel muttered, and nodded to the right toward a narrow alley littered with cardboard boxes waiting garbage pickup.



The wolf veered and they strode down the alley side by side.



“You don’t have your girlfriend with you today,” Punch said. “But I can smell her on you. Tasty.”



“She’s not my girlfriend. And you lay one grimy paw on the woman and you’ll pull back a nub.”



The wolf shoved Daniel against a wall, and a garbage can clattered and rolled, spreading its packing peanut contents on the snowy tarmac. He reacted with a kick that landed on his opponent’s hip and sent him stumbling backward. His best defense was to move quickly, and he did so, pummeling the wolf with a fist to the chin, nose and ears. The ear shot had to do it, because the wolf let out a groan and balled forward in on himself.



“I’m not going to let you use me for your twisted games,” Daniel said. Hell, people depended on him. He wasn’t about to let the Jones girls down again. He delivered another punch to the wolf’s head, spinning the bruiser onto his back in a sprawl. “Haven’t you anything better to do?”



Punch spat blood to the side and grinned. “I can think of twenty better things involving your woman.”



“A nub, buddy. She’s not your plaything.”



A final punch to the temple succeeding in knocking the wolf out cold. Daniel eyed the perimeter and checked their tussle hadn’t been witnessed. The neighborhood was rough, but the weather kept most tucked in their snug homes. He strode away quickly, a brief smile curving his mouth at having defeated the wolf. But now he worried that Olivia would never be safe unless he could take the wolf out permanently.



He’d insinuated himself in her life, and by doing so, had brought along all his scary baggage, including werewolves.





WHEN THE DOORBELL RANG, Olivia set the hot pan of fresh-from-the-oven cookies on the stovetop and ran to answer it. It was early evening, and her manager had strict rules not to visit during her vacation, so it could only be one person.



Daniel leaned against the door frame, hands in his pockets and eyes set to smolder. Olivia’s heart pittered and her pulse pattered. Her lover sniffed the air. “Cookies?”



“I’ve been baking all day.”



“Smells great in here.” He closed the door but didn’t cross to the kitchen to follow her. “All day? That’s a lot of cookies.”



“Seven dozen so far.” She slid a spatula under a cookie and transferred it to the cooling rack. “I love Christmas and cooking. This is the only time of the year I get to myself so I try to do everything I used to do with my mother when I was younger. We used to make dozens of cookies and then take them around to the neighbors in brightly wrapped packages.”



“Sounds like a lot of work.”



“Sounds—” she slid another cookie off onto the rack “—normal, to me. This is what you’re supposed to do at Christmastime. Not traverse the country on a tour bus eating Doritos and washing your clothes in the sink. Come in, Daniel. What’s up? What are you hiding behind your back?”



The man’s sexy smile curled up into his eyes and it beamed a teasing smile onto her mouth. He walked closer but she could see he was concealing something. “A present for you.”



“Seriously? I love presents. It’s not a Christmas present, is it? Because it’s another few days until Christmas Eve. No presents until then.”



“So you don’t want it?”



“Are you kidding?” She tugged off the oven mitts and scampered over to him. Hands clasped behind her back, she closed her eyes. “Lay it on me.”



“For a kiss?”



“Of course!” She leaned forward, puckering her lips.



A warm, dreamy connection, mouth to mouth, breath to breath, curled her up onto her tiptoes and she wrapped her arms around Daniel’s shoulders. His jacket was cold, but his mouth was molten hot.



They’d known each other for such a short time, but she wanted this moment to go on forever, melting into his kiss. She could write a song about Daniel’s kisses. It would be filled with words like hot, demanding, magical, firm and wondrous good nummy.



“Mmm,” she murmured, eyes still closed. “That was the best present ever.”



“That wasn’t the actual present.”



“Too bad, ’cause I’d like to open that one every day. Again and again.”



He kissed her quickly and dashed his tongue along her lower lip, marking her, making her his own. After last night’s performance, he could have her in any way he desired. And she did not think that was attributable to the bite—or she hoped not.



He said, “Open your eyes.”



“Oh, Daniel!”



He held a miniature pine tree, potted in a bright red basket. It was about a foot high and perfectly formed. “I love it!”



“You said you wanted a little Christmas tree.”



“I did! This is perfect, especially for my tiny apartment. And I bet it was much easier getting it up the stairs.” She took the tree and smelled the fragrant pine needles. Placing it on the coffee table, she knelt before it. “Now I need to find some miniature ornaments. It’s so cute.”



Then maybe—” he knelt beside her and his warm breath tickled her ear so she tilted against him like a rose seeking the sun “—it’s a good thing I bought this, too.” He pulled something from his coat pocket and handed it to her.



The small silver star twinkled with rhinestones and had a tiny coil at the base to attach to a treetop. Olivia didn’t know what to say. That he’d thought to do something like this for her was incredible. People gave her gifts all the time. Big, flashy gifts that were always hung with an invisible expectations tag. This felt too genuine, from the heart. “I love it. Thank you.”



It’s just a silly tree.”



No. It’s the fact that you were listening to me when I mentioned I wanted a tree, but something small for my place. No one has ever given me such a thoughtful gift. For that, I’m going to let you have two cookies.” She pulled him into the kitchen and selected a warm candy cane cookie to hand him. “Can you eat food?”



Yes, but I don’t need it for survival.” He took a bite and nodded his approval. “I think my mom used to make these. Did you have to twist the red dough with the white dough and then shape them like this?”



Yes, making them always brings back memories of my mother.”



She not around anymore?”



With a brave lift of her shoulders, Olivia nodded. “Died two years ago from a brain tumor. She was my biggest supporter and never got to see me hit the big time.”



It always strummed the broken chord in her heart to remember her mother’s brave last weeks fighting the tumor. Olivia had been on her own since, and missed having someone to confide in who wasn’t paid to listen and nod in agreement to everything she said.



I always used to look to her for approval,” she said.



Driven, even as a child and through her teens, she’d had her mother’s unconditional support as she’d entered the world of professional singing. She had always asked her mother’s opinion whenever trying something new. Until recently, when her manager and the record label had suggested she take a risk and pair up for a duet with a hip-hop singer with hopes it would increase her appeal to listeners and rocket her to superstardom. Olivia had looked over her shoulder—but her mother hadn’t been there to nod approval. So she had shaken her head, and hadn’t been able to commit to the project.



So that’s why you invited the vampire in. He’s the risk you don’t dare take in your career.



Wow. Wonder what her mother would say about that? Likely she would have approved a vampire for her daughter’s lover because Mom had been open-minded enough to be fascinated with the pairing. Yet she might have steered Olivia away from allowing the man to bite her. Especially on the first date.



Lifting her chin, Olivia pasted on a smile that quickly turned genuine.



“Will you help me package the cookies and then take them around to the neighbors? It’ll put you in the Christmas spirit,” she added hopefully.



He slapped a hand across his jeans, wiping away cookie crumbs, but didn’t respond.



“Come on,” she said. “It won’t take long. The old guy who lives below me is a codger, but I bet these cookies will make him smile. I’ve a Santa hat with a white fluff ball on it you could wear—”



“I can’t do this.” He tossed the half-eaten cookie onto the kitchen counter.



With that act Olivia felt as if he’d just snapped his fingers across her broken heart chord. “Fine. You don’t have to come along, but if you could help me put some cookies on plates…?”



“Olivia, I…” He scrubbed a palm over his face then stated plainly, “I don’t need to feel the Christmas spirit. I just…don’t want to do this.”



“I see.” She tipped up his chin with a fingertip. His eyes didn’t meet hers, and she suspected she’d touched a dark spot on that blurry soul of his. “Who put the coal in your Christmas stocking?”



He looked aside. His tension was tangible but she couldn’t figure why.



“Daniel?”



With a heavy sigh, he clasped her hand in his and pressed it against his heart as he said, “You have your memories. I have mine. And mine are just as depressing.”



“Memories of my mother aren’t depressing. I remember the good times we shared together. What is it about Christmas that haunts you?”



He tilted back his head and shook it. “It would Scrooge you out.”



“Come on, I can take it.” The fact he hadn’t moved away from her and still held her hand meant he wasn’t ready to charge out of here, so Olivia tilted down her head and captured his gaze, pleading with him to share with her.



The vampire sighed. “Fine. Here’s the details. A year ago, a few days before Christmas, I was a normal mortal guy, minding my own business, going about my life, despite the fact that normal life was as an investment broker for the biggest trading firm on Wall Street. I was known as Killer in person, but behind my back I know their favorite term for me was a*shole.”



She gaped. For some reason she’d thought he’d always been a vampire. A foolish assumption. Even if she knew little about the creatures, it seemed apparent they could become vampire at any time if all it involved was a bite.



“I always worked well into the night, and one night as I was strolling the subway to catch the train to the airport for a last-minute trip to Vegas, a gang of hungry-looking street punks corralled me into a corner—and bit me.”



“Vampires,” she said on a gasp.



“Vampires.” He crossed his arms and turned to pace behind the couch, away from her. He put up a wall and Olivia was inclined to respect his need for distance. “I woke up in the E.R. My cot was shoved along a wall like I wasn’t high enough on the triage list to warrant immediate care. And I knew what had happened. Vampires had bitten me. How to explain that to the doctors without earning a one-way ticket to the loony bin? So I snuck out while I had the chance.



“I didn’t know where to go, what to do, who to tell. So I didn’t tell anyone. I quickly lost my job to a hotshot upstart who’d used my difficulty with concentrating and fighting against the blood hunger to prove to the boss I was an addict. A ridiculous accusation, but I could hardly defend myself with the truth. A week later the hunger pangs grew so strong, I…attacked a guy. Beat him up and bit him. I transformed to vampire that night, fangs and all.”



He stopped pacing before the window. She’d closed the curtains, expecting his visit, yet pale winter sun streamed around the edges, touching Daniel’s face as if hope attempted to permeate his darkness.



Olivia felt the vulnerability in his silence. To be attacked and forced to change into a creature who must live on human blood to survive? No one would ask for that. Only a strong man could survive.



She respected him for the trust he’d given her. It wasn’t an easy commodity to share.



“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know.”



“Now you do. And now you know that it’s probably better if I walk out that door and not come back.”



When he stepped toward the door she made a move to block his path. “Daniel, you being a vampire has nothing to do with you never coming back. I’ll deliver the cookies later. They can wait.”



“I’m harshing your Christmas spirit,” he said. “Vampire Scrooge doesn’t play into your dreams of sugarplums and stockings hung by the chimney with care.”



She had to smile at his attempt at lightening the mood. “Come here.” She held out her arms. “You need a hug.”



He shook his head in disbelief. “It’s going to take more than a hug to get over what I’ve become.”



“I know that, but I want to help.”



“Don’t worry about me, Olivia. I’ll get this figured out.”



“I know you will. But I still want to hug you.”



Standing but an inch from his body, her eyes traced his, and he allowed the long stare, the intimate look into his soul. And what she found there was no monster, but a kind, smart and determined man who had been wronged.



“You know if I hug you,” he said, “I’ll want to touch your skin. And if I touch your skin, I’ll want to kiss it. And if I kiss it…you’ll never get your cookies delivered.”



“The cookies can wait.”