A Vampire for Christmas

chapter SIX





HE DIDN’T WANT TO GO to Olivia’s Fifth Avenue sanctuary.



He did want to go there.



It had been two days without the smell of her sugar cookie skin brushing his cheek. The shimmer of her hair over his face. The hush of her voice tendering into his heart.



And he missed her so much it hurt worse than the blood hunger after he’d been bitten.



In an attempt to block out the soft call of her haunting spirit, Daniel stalked down the alley behind a nightclub booming with techno music. He wanted blood. He needed it coursing through his body, fulfilling and darkening his lighter desires. It was the only way to rip her cleanly from his soul.



He passed a gaggle of women in skirts too short for winter and makeup too gaudy for all seasons. A couple guys in suits and smoking clove cigarettes nodded at him. He didn’t care for this scene, but it was the furthest from her he could get.



Until he walked right up to the tour bus with that bastard’s face on it—Parker Troy. The man stood in the bus’s open door, flashing his expensive fake teeth at the crush of screaming women who wanted to touch him, grope him, have his baby. Whatever.



Ramming a fist into his palm, Daniel wondered how easy it would be to circumvent the screaming fans to get inside that bus. Ripping out the guy’s throat played through his brain, and then…



He turned and marched away from the bus.



“Idiot,” he admonished. “You don’t rough up a guy because he got the girl and you didn’t.”



He turned sharply and headed for the liquor store, which had become a weekly ritual for him over the past year. His life had changed from suits and business lunches to scamming for blood and late nights watching lovers in Central Park. But all in all? He wouldn’t go back. Because it was the small things that mattered to him now. Like Charity and Mary and Sam.



As usual, Sam was sitting on the broken iron bench out front of the all-night liquor store. He nodded to Daniel.



“Saturday Night Sam.” He acknowledged the old man. “How’s life treating you?”



“Well enough.” He was a man of few words and even fewer teeth.



“As it should. Give me a few minutes. I’ll be right out.”



He entered the store, crowded down the short aisles with doodads and snack foods and alcohol in every flavor, color and proof.



“Give me a pack of Marlboro,” Daniel said as he selected a pint of vodka and set that on the counter.



The guy at the register reached for the cigarettes while managing to not take his attention from the TV sitting on the side of the checkout counter.



The service nowadays, Daniel started to think, but then his attention found the screen, as well. She glowed, her face all soft and delicate. She was wearing the white gown she’d worn nights earlier, so the interview must have been previously taped.



“Olivia is so hot,” the clerk said as he leaned on an elbow, pushing aside a display of silver snowflake ornaments.



“She is,” Daniel agreed, but not with any conviction.



He fingered a snowflake, wondering if it was real silver. Couldn’t be. But the shiny metal couldn’t distract from the bright star shining on the television screen. His heart pounded as her voice burrowed through his flesh and into his soul. But seeing someone else swoon over her cemented for him how unattainable she was.



So you and Parker Troy are an item now?” the television interviewer asked.



Olivia chuckled and looked aside, not answering. Her dark lashes flicked the air.



Daniel gritted his jaw. She used to dust those lashes across his bare skin. Of all the times to walk into this store, he had to pick this one?



And then Olivia straightened and looked directly into the camera. “No, we’re not an item. That was staged on Christmas Eve. You know how the record companies are. Well, if you don’t, they do things like that. It’s a part of the job. Parker and I are going to sing a duet together but that’s it. But…”



She sighed.



Daniel leaned forward, his heart pounding.



I shouldn’t have agreed to the kiss onstage. I hurt someone that I care for deeply. And it wasn’t being honest to my fans. I’m so sorry.”



Daniel whispered that he was sorry, too.



What’s that, dude?”



He swung a look to the clerk, who had put the vodka in a brown paper bag.



Uh…nothing.” He grabbed one of the snowflake ornaments and muttered he’d buy that, too, then shoved it in his pocket. Tossing some bills on the counter, he thanked the clerk. Walking outside, he pressed the bag and pack of grits to Sam’s chest. “Here you go, man. Take it easy.”



Sam called after him, “Merry Christmas, Daniel!”



Yeah, that’s what they tell me,” he said, and for the first time in days, he smiled.



It had all been a performance.





THE RITUAL OF PACKING away everything in the kitchen until next Christmas vacation was never fun. Olivia went through the cupboards, aligning the pots and pans, made sure the dishwasher was empty, and scrubbed the counters and washed the tile floor. She went through the tiny apartment with a vacuum, even though Lisa always suggested she hire a maid to do it.



Maids were for sissies, she thought with a smirk. Getting a chance to do anything domestic was her kind of excitement. It reminded her that she was just like everyone else, somewhere, deep inside, where no camera or television recording could ever venture.



She wrapped up the vacuum cord and tucked the machine away, then wandered into the bedroom to straighten the closet where she kept clothing year-round, but only winter stuff.



When finally she sat on the bed and realized it would be only an hour before the limo arrived to pick her up and take her back to her celebrity life, tears spilled down her cheeks. The bed felt too big and awkward when she sat on it alone. It was missing Daniel’s wide shoulders and strong, powerful muscles. And his intense kisses and even his sharp bites.



She stroked her neck. The bite ached a little. When she touched the small wounds it felt as if he were blowing softly upon her skin, marking her with his delicious darkness. Her blood stirred to think of the vampire who had stolen her heart with a kiss and a bite. And a dance.



That had been what made her fall in love with him, that dance in this very bedroom, swaying against him, learning there was more to the monster than just fangs.



You took the risk and it paid off. She’d gained confidence, and had made the decision to be seen with Parker on her own, no approval necessary. It hadn’t been a good decision, but she was learning.



But it had been a risk Daniel could not accept.



It would probably never have worked out. But she wished she’d had the opportunity to learn that for herself.



“You did learn that,” she said. “It didn’t work out. End of story. The guy hates you because he thinks you’re Parker Troy’s woman. Ugh.”



So what if she had been ready to figure out a way to make it work? Singers had relationships with regular people all the time, and they managed to keep their private lives private. Daniel didn’t need to tour with her, and she could fly him in to major cities and meet him at hotels under an assumed name.



It would have been worth the trouble.



She’d gotten due karma after that stupid stage kiss.



So back to the crazy, monstrous life of a singer. She’d lose herself in her music and touring. It was the only way to keep thoughts of him away.



A flicker outside the window caught her attention. The streetlight beamed over fluffy, gently falling snowflakes. Olivia strolled to the window and before she could admire the sight, she noticed the man standing across the street, back against an iron fence fronting a walk-up brownstone, head bowed.



Willing him to look up, she pressed her palms to the cold window and it fogged around her hands. She wiped away the condensation but that only smeared the glass.



Rushing for a coat, she pulled it on, stuck her bare feet into her boots by the door and clattered down the iron staircase. Running toward the street, she didn’t pause to think that he might reject her. He had come to her. He wanted to see her.



They had a chance. They two—monsters—could really make this work.



Before she could cross the street, the familiar click of a camera and a blinking flash paused her at the curb. Daniel took one look at the photographer who’d been waiting around the corner and rushed him.





DANIEL HAD BEEN WATCHING the guy for fifteen minutes. He’d been lurking outside the front foyer of Olivia’s building, trying to pass himself off as just another guy, perhaps waiting for a friend, but Daniel had seen the glint of a camera lens sticking out of his pocket.



He’d wanted to go up the side stairs to Olivia’s apartment, but his suspicions about the lurker had been confirmed. Damned paparazzi. How had they found her?



This was not a situation he wanted to get into, but there was no way he was going to allow the guy to take photos of Olivia in a place she considered her sanctuary.



He dashed across the street and shoved the photographer against the wall. “Back off, buddy.”



“You touched me!” the guy yelled.



Olivia tugged his sleeve “Let’s go, Daniel.”



“Of course I touched you.” He jerked his arm from Olivia’s grasp and approached the man, who had the audacity to act affronted. “You’ve no right following the woman all over the place and taking pictures without her permission.”



“She’s a public figure,” the cameraman argued. “That means she belongs to the public, buddy. They—we—put her where she is today. The least she can do is repay that generosity with a few pictures.”



“Your concept of public and private is whacked,” Daniel argued.



“So is yours. I think I’m going to bruise.” The cameraman touched his arm where Daniel had shoved him. “I’ll sue.”



“Yeah? And I’ll—”



Before he could reveal fangs, Daniel felt Olivia tug his arm again. “It’s not worth it.”



“Is he your new boyfriend, Olivia? That was quick. You and Troy didn’t work out?” The cameraman shot a few clicks of Daniel. “Much ruder than the last one. Who are you? What’s your name? You a singer? An actor?”



His anger boiling, Daniel lunged toward the man. “Can’t the woman have a day or two to herself? It’s Christmas. Give her a break.”



“Christmas with the new boyfriend,” the cameraman recited as he continued to click pictures of Daniel. “This one will make the cover of the Daily Tattle for sure. Pop singer’s angry boyfriend is a handful and wounds cameraman.”



“Oh, bull crap.” Daniel fisted the guy about the collar and held him up until his feet dangled.



“Think, Daniel,” Olivia said behind him. “You’re only giving him more ammunition.”



“But he knows your secret hideaway now. You going to tell anyone where Olivia lives?”



“Hell, yes,” the guy croaked. “And I’m suing your pants off. Let me down!”



Daniel glanced to Olivia, who stood with arms crossed over her chest and a frantic look pleading with him to stop. Right. He’d gone too far. He’d reacted. Exactly what these crazy reporters fed on. He’d failed her.



“Sorry.” Daniel set the man down to stumble against the brick wall.



Without a word, Olivia walked around the corner.



“I’m sorry, Olivia!” he called.



No reply.



The cameraman sank to a crouch, scrambling in the snow to retrieve the dropped camera. “I got your picture, buddy. I will find out who you are. This story is going front page, I promise you that.”



Daniel snatched the camera from the man’s grasp, flicked open the card holder and broke the digital storage card in two. The man protested and when he pulled a punch, Daniel caught the fist with his palm. He narrowed his eyes on the man’s gaze and peered into his soul. It was dark in there. The guy didn’t care who he trampled to earn a buck. He made a living by tracking down celebrity dirt and plastering it all over the tabloid rags without a care for the lives he was damaging and the secrets he exposed.



Daniel spoke slowly and deeply. “You dropped your camera and when you try to remember what happened, you’ll recall it was as you were crossing a busy intersection. You were not here. Yes?”



The man nodded, his gaze lost in Daniel’s vampiric thrall.



“You have no desire to take a picture of Olivia Adorata again. You’re going to get in your car and drive away, and forget you were ever in this neighborhood. And me? Just a friendly guy who pointed you in the right direction. Now go.”



The cameraman blinked, and looked about as if he’d surfaced from a coma. He asked Daniel, “Which way?”



“North.” Daniel pointed down the street.



“Thanks, man.” He got in his Volkswagen and drove away.



Watching until the car was out of sight, Daniel decided the thrall was a handy tool that he didn’t use often enough. But could he use it every time he and Olivia were caught out by the paparazzi? Those bastards swarmed in hoards. He could only work his thrall on one person at a time.



Not like it should matter. He’d proven how unworthy he was of a relationship with the gorgeous singer who depended on the public’s interest to survive.



He hung his head. He’d come here to see if they stood a chance. The answer was all too obvious.



Daniel,” she whispered from the corner of the building.



He didn’t look at her. Couldn’t. Not when he’d shown her yet another dark side of the monster within him.



Thank you,” she said. “I don’t know what you did, but I think it worked.”



Vampire tricks,” he muttered. “I’m sorry.”



She plunged against his body and nuzzled her face alongside his neck.



Daniel, I need you. I love you. Parker means nothing to me. It was a stupid publicity stunt.”



I know that now. I made an assumption that was wrong. That’s why I had to come here today. Hadn’t expected to show you my inner a*shole with the cameraman, though. Can you forgive me?”



She nodded and snuggled closer to him, and he opened his jacket and pulled her against his chest. God, that felt great. Like Christmas should feel. “There’s nothing to forgive,” she said. “We both have issues. Big ones.”



I’d argue my issues are bigger than yours,” he said, “but we both know that’s not necessarily true.”



Nothing needed to be said. Everything needed to be spoken. He would always be this way, dark of soul and heart. He had to do things now to survive that mortals could never fathom, not the good ones, anyway.



Can we work, Olivia? I don’t do the media and camera flashes and television interviews. I don’t even think I can follow you around on red carpets or stand in dressing rooms waiting for you to find me.”



I don’t want you to do that. I want you to be my normal.”



He smirked, and revealed a fang. “Normal?”



You know what I mean. Music is my life. It is where my heart belongs. I won’t ever stop doing what I’m doing. But you, Daniel, only you make my heart sing. I want to sway with you. I love you.”



I love you, too, God help us both.”



And remember I said I wanted a slow relationship? Well, we’ve plunged in and know what we’re dealing with—a pop star and a vampire. Now let’s learn about each other, inside. Take things slow.”



Like seeing each other only when you’re on vacation?”



Can you do that? I can’t. I do have a private life away from the stage. But I can’t promise we’ll never run into another photographer together.”



“He got me so angry the way he acted as if it was his right to invade your privacy.”



“That was a strange situation. Normally they find me when I’ve got my monster on and expect the flashing bulbs. This was private. I don’t know how he found this place, but they go to extreme measures sometimes.”



“I can’t promise the need to protect you won’t make me smash in another photographer’s face, Olivia. It’s too strong. You mean too much to me.”



“We’ll figure things out.” She tapped his lip and kissed the corner of his mouth right over the fang. “Monsters get to love—you can’t tell me otherwise.”



“I won’t try to.”



“Let’s go inside.



“You go up. I’m going to peek around the corner and make sure ole snap-happy didn’t return.”



The coast was clear. Daniel felt vindicated having used his thrall to protect his woman. His woman.



Yes, he could get behind that one hundred percent. It wouldn’t be easy, but like she’d said, they’d figure things out.



Turning the corner, his heart jumped to his throat. At the sight of the nasty werewolf holding his woman, he charged. The wolf backed down the alleyway, clutching Olivia in front of him, a knife to her neck.



“Let her go. It’s me you want,” Daniel tried cautiously. “You okay, Olivia?”



She nodded minutely, but the blade kept her from speaking.



“I think I want to play with this one awhile,” the guy said on a growl. It was his favorite werewolf, Punch. “You had your chance, vampire.”



“Seriously? Because I didn’t leap into your twisted death ring, now you’re going to punish me by hurting an innocent mortal?”



“That sounds about right.”



“You’re an idiot.” Daniel approached but sensed the wolf would pull the blade across Olivia’s neck out of spite, so he had to play this right. “You’ll get more enjoyment out of starving me and feeding me to another hungry vampire.”



Olivia’s eyes widened. So his life was dark and f*cked up. Did she really want him? Because if she did, he was ready, willing and able.



“Let her go.” Daniel started backing down the sidewalk, hoping the wolf would see who was the better snatch. “And I swear you got me. Dude, you know you’re stronger than me. Come on. Catch me if you can.” He splayed out his arms in surrender.



With a hungry growl, the wolf shoved Olivia against the wall below the iron stairway and charged after him.



Daniel took off in a run, hoping to lure the wolf as far from Olivia as possible. “You don’t follow!” he called to her. “Go inside and lock your doors!”



“Or the big bad wolf will eat you,” his pursuer said as he leaped and landed on Daniel’s back.



They went down in a snowbank plowed up at the edge of a small city garden lot. Daniel felt the icy scrape of the knife over his hand, but it didn’t feel as if the wolf wielded it. Instead, it must have fallen from his grip. He grasped the handle and groaned as the impact of a fist pummeled his gut.



The knife slid down the snowbank and the werewolf began to choke Daniel. He couldn’t go down now that he had the perfect reason to survive. An angel had looked into his soul and proclaimed it worthy of her love.



God, he loved her.



And then he remembered he had one weapon yet to hand, but it was a long shot. Reaching in his pocket, he palmed the snowflake ornament, then dragged it roughly across the wolf’s neck. Blood spotted his chin and the wolf grabbed his throat.



Daniel scrambled to stand and step away as the wolf staggered and fell to his knees, gagging on its blood.



“You’re lucky that wasn’t real silver,” he muttered. If silver entered the wolf’s bloodstream, it wouldn’t take long for a grisly death. I’ll defend her to my death—or yours, if it comes to that.”



The werewolf met his eyes with bright gold irises. “You’re wasting your time on a mortal,” he growled, then choked up blood. “Especially that one.” The wolf collapsed upon the snowbank.



Wincing, Daniel stepped away. Especially that one. No, it wasn’t a waste of time. Couldn’t be. He wouldn’t allow it to be. Any second he got to spend in Olivia’s arms was one less second he stood alone.



Daniel clutched his chest and someone grabbed him from behind. Olivia’s hopeful green eyes connected to his. “Come with me,” she said, and he grabbed her hand and rushed down the street. A limo waited at the curb, and she opened the back door. “No questions asked from this moment forward. We leave our strange Christmas normal behind,” she said. “If you want to be my monster lover, then come with me.”



Every fiber in Daniel’s soul felt Olivia’s bright star touch it, and he dived into the back of the limo and drew her in beside him.



He kissed her deeply. “To monster love,” he whispered. “We can do this.”



“Of course we can. But can we make a stop before going to my other place?”



“Where?”



She tugged out a set of keys from her pocket. “I think I know a family who could use my apartment until their mother can find a job.”



“Did I tell you I love you?”



“You did. Merry Christmas, my monster lover.”



WHEN HERALD ANGELS SING





To my mother, Carmen Piñeiro,

who always believed that anything was possible

as long as you reached for it with all your heart.