Dead End Dating - Dead And Dateless Part 27

"You're here," she declared. "I've been worried. We have twenty-seven men inside, but we're still missing number twenty-eight."

"Here you go." I motioned to Lloyd. "Meet your alpha redhead."

Disbelief lit her dark eyes and a smile curved her full lips. "Dear, I hate to break this to you, but he has no hair." The smile faded as she studied him even closer. She shook her head. "I'm afraid he just won't do."

"What?" Lloyd asked. "Does that mean I don't get to have s.e.x?"

"Hush," I muttered before turning a brilliant smile on Viola. "Of course he won't do. Not like this. But with a little help." "I'm afraid I don't understand."

I held up a boxed DVD set of Happy Days. "The most popular episodes. Your friend can watch these, get a really good fantasy going, and then live out the real thing with Lloyd."

"One glance will kill the fantasy, dear."

"That's why I brought this." I held up a red handkerchief I'd picked up at Morty's before climbing into the minivan. "It's a blindfold." I handed it to her. "He feels the part, smells the part, and acts the part. What more can you ask for?"

She seemed to weigh my words before she shook her head. "You've done a great job, Lil. Truly. The men are superb and you've more than earned your initial fee. But this..."

"I almost forgot. Wait here."

I hightailed it back to the minivan and retrieved the power tool I'd swiped from my father's garage on the way to Viola's. "Here,"

I told her when I reached the front door again.

She eyed the yellow metal. "What's this?"

"My father's new chain saw."

Her interest sparked. "The one he's been using on my azalea bushes?" When I nodded, she added, "He'll just buy another one when he finds this missing."

"Maybe. Unless he knows you have it. Then he'll be determined to get it back because, of course, he can't let you keep it. It's the principle of the thing, after all."

"And yet another point of contention."

"Not if you use it to negotiate something in writing as far as the bushes are concerned. Something that says they lie on your side of the property line."

"Clever." She smiled. "I think you may have earned that bonus, after all."

Chapter Twenty-eight.

I glanced down at the check Viola had given me. Oddly enough, it didn't fill me with the expected euphoria. I looked across the surrounding treetops toward the scene unfolding in Viola's backyard.

Ty had disappeared under the pretense of "checking things out," while I'd been talking to Viola. When he didn't resurface right away, I'd retreated to the minivan to give the NUNS some privacy and let nature take its course.

After ten minutes of flipping through radio stations, my curiosity, along with a great deal of howling, had lured me up into a tree at the far edge of Viola's estate. I stood poised on a very slim branch that wouldn't have supported a cat, much less a full grown woman.

But a vampire... Being fanged and fantabulous definitely had its perks.

Previous Top NextA restlessness stirred deep inside and I trembled.

Pathetic. I mean, geez, I should be feeling on top of the world. Fulfilled. I'd aced the job for Viola. Ayala was out with Remy at the moment and no doubt loving it since he was a primo catch. Esther wasn't upset over being trampled. I actually had some solid leads that would surely lead to the real killer and get my head off the chopping block. And I was this close to my parents-their estate loomed behind me-and I hadn't once contemplated impaling myself on the nearest sharp object.

Talk about a moment of triumph.

The moon hung full and ripe in the black velvet sky. The air sizzled with electricity. There was an energy that wafted on the breeze. Awareness washed over me, drenching every nerve as I stared at the scene unfolding.

It was as wild as I'd imagined it would be, as loud, as primitive. I was far enough away that I couldn't see specifics-although a glare flashed every once in a while like Morse code. I knew Lloyd was alive and well and-if the o.r.g.a.s.mic wails that echoed in my ears were any indication-having the time of his life.

Bodies writhed and sweated. Men panted and groaned. Women moaned and howled. My stomach hollowed out. An ache started between my legs (you try watching something like this and not get turned on) and spread north, working its way up. A fullness tugged at my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. My nipples went on high alert.

"What's wrong?" Ty's deep voice drew my attention.

I turned just as he leapt and landed at the end of my branch. The motion was smooth and easy and he didn't so much as stir a leaf.

He stepped toward me. "You look sad."

"I'm not sad." I glanced back toward the scene and the words spilled out before I could stop them. "It's called h.o.r.n.y." Why oh why had I said that? "There are dozens of people having phenomenal s.e.x and I'm not one of them."

His warm chuckle slid over my skin and into my ears. My skin tingled and my nerves hummed.

"That's no one's fault but yours." His voice was rich and deep and oh so stirring. "You could be right there with them."

"With a human male?" I shook my head. "Not my thing. Not that I haven't tried it, of course. Many times." Okay, I was exaggerating a little, but I didn't want Ty to think I wasn't all that. "But after five hundred years, it gets old."

"I'm not talking about the alpha males down there."

My gaze collided with his. "Then what are you talking about?"

You. Me. Us.

The possibilities floated through my head, but he didn't say anything. He simply stared at me, into me, for a long moment before he asked. "What is it you want, Lil?"

The question stirred a ton of responses, none of which I wanted to acknowledge much less say out loud. I grinned. "Another retainer fee like the one I just collected."

"I'm not talking about professionally. I'm talking about your personal life. What is it you're looking for?"

I shrugged. "What every born vampire looks for-an eternity mate."

"Another born vampire then."I nodded. "That's usually the way it works. Born vamp plus born vamp equals baby vamps." Which equals a happy, noninterfering mother.

Okay, so we're talking my mother. I'd settle for one out of two.

"And is that so important? Right here? Right now? Is that what you want more than anything else? At this moment?"

Ty. That's what I wanted more than anything else. What I shouldn't want for a dozen reasons I'd already gone over time and time again, none of which I could actually recall with him standing so close and the air ripe with the sounds of s.e.x.

"We really should go." Now. Before I stopped thinking about what I should do and simply did what I wanted to do.

I was close. Much too close.

He eyed me for a long moment before his mouth crooked into a grin. An expression that didn't quite touch the dark, unreadable depths of his bluer-than-blue eyes. "The minivan awaits."

I couldn't do the minivan.

Not because it wasn't macho enough or sporty enough or cool beyond words. The thought of sitting this close to Ty for a two- hour drive upstate was more than I could handle at the moment. Besides, Lloyd needed a ride in the morning.

We left the van, morphed into a couple of speedy bats, and made the trip in less than twenty minutes.

Back at the cabin, Ty went to check his e-mail and see if there was anything else on the female werewolf with the restraining order. He was waiting for a last known address and, with any luck, one of his sources had come up with the information. As for me, I glided into the bathroom, straight into an ice cold shower.

I needed to calm down. Then I could face the rest of the evening with him.

But first... I reached for a bottle of Tail and Mane shampoo. Had I sunk to the bottomless pit of hormonal apathy or what? The kicker was, I didn't so much as shudder as I filled my hand with the white liquid and started lathering it through my hair. It wasn't my favorite Jose Eber, but it smelled decent enough and it was all that had been available at Morty's. Even more, it kept me busy and distracted for the next two hours.

After I lathered, I had to rinse. And then I had to condition. And then I had to blow dry. And style. And, well, a really good style didn't just happen overnight.

By the time I emerged from the bathroom, it was four in the morning. Ty had closed up his computer, killed the lights, and climbed into bed. Moonlight filtered through a break in the curtains and spilled over the bed, illuminating his sleeping form.

Relief washed through me. I so didn't need him looking at me right now, asking more questions, looking at me, taking up all my s.p.a.ce, looking at me.

I bypa.s.sed the bed and, to my credit, managed not to stare as I headed for the loft. I crawled into bed, buried myself beneath the sheets and clamped my eyes shut. Now all I had to do was forget about the primitive scene I'd witnessed tonight. You know, the one that kept playing in my head, stirring my body, making my toes curl and my nipples ache?

Yeah, that one.

After about five minutes, I gave up. Sleep just wasn't happening right now. I got out of bed and walked to the railing that overlooked the first floor of the cabin and Ty.He lay stretched out on the full-size bed, one arm over his head, the other resting on his chest. A white sheet dotted with navy blue ba.s.s fish covered his dark, masculine physique from midchest down. I couldn't help but wonder if he'd shed the BVDs tonight.

Nah. He had the skivvies intact. h.e.l.l, maybe he'd even left on the jeans.

My gaze riveted on where the soft denim lay draped over a nearby chair. Uh-oh. I glanced around but I didn't see anything white. Whew. Talk about a close call.

He definitely had them on.

Probably.

Okay, so there was really only one way to find out. Then I could forget the Does he, does be not? dilemma, go back to bed, and get some much needed sleep.

I focused on the edge of the sheet and willed it to move. The cotton tugged downward just a fraction.

More.

It slithered slowly, revealing an impressive six-pack bisected by a line of soft, dark hair. The sheet inched down. The hair whorled south.

Oh, boy.

The dark silk circled his belly b.u.t.ton and funneled toward his- "If you're going to undress me, cut the bulls.h.i.+t and grow some b.a.l.l.s." Ty's deep voice slid into my ears and I stiffened. The sheet halted and my gaze swiveled to his face. Neon blue eyes stared back at me and my mouth went dry.

"Excuse me?"

"Stop playing and touch me." He moved then and in the blink of an eye, his naked body had me pinned to a nearby wall. His gaze burned into me. Touch me.

I wasn't sure why, but I did.

Okay, so I knew why-it had been so long and I was so h.o.r.n.y and Ty was so naked and it just felt... right.

I didn't give myself time to consider that last thought. Instead, I focused every ounce of energy on leaning into him, pressing my lips to his and kissing him.

He met me lick for lick, stroke for stroke, his tongue delving and dancing with mine. The kiss was fierce and urgent, but it wasn't enough.

"You're still not touching me." His deep voice stirred inside my head and I pulled away.

Lips parted, I stared up at him for a long second before dropping my gaze, sliding it along his skin, tracing a visual path from his jugular, over his ma.s.sive chest, to a very impressive erection.

His p.e.n.i.s was dark and thick and so incredibly hard. I reached out and wrapped my fingers around him. He growled low and deep, a raw sound that stirred the primitive hunger I did my d.a.m.ndest to control.

I wanted him and suddenly, it didn't seem like such a big deal. I mean, really, it was just s.e.x. It wasn't like I was going to go all the way and sink my fangs into him.

Done that.

Okay, fine. But it wasn't like I was going to let him sink his fangs into me.

Just s.e.x, I vowed to myself and then I kissed him again.

Chapter Twenty-nine.

All right, already.

It was more than just s.e.x.

It was phenomenal s.e.x.

Particularly when Ty slid his arms around me, turned and glided us back down to the full-size bed. He pressed me down onto the mattress, pinning me with his hard body. There was nothing artful or perfect about the way he touched me. A primal heat filled his gaze, along with an uncertainty that I'd never seen in a vampire's eyes before.

But Ty wasn't just any vampire.