Legacy of Blood - By J. L. McCoy Page 0,19

her shoulder and stuck out her large chest, “I thought I’d fill in for Mona. I haven’t seen you in a while, let alone been out to your place before, and I know how much you enjoy the taste of my blood so I thought I’d surprise you. Surprise!”

Archer let out a long sigh, obviously displeased, as he motioned to the front sitting room off the foyer. “Trey, escort Jason, Chris and Bethany to the parlor and make sure they are comfortable.”

Trey smiled brightly and motioned for the three of them to follow him. “Right this way, please.”

I watched the three of them eagerly follow Trey and disappear around the corner. When I looked back at Vanessa she was smiling like she had just won the lottery.

“So, where should we go?” she asked as she slowly walked up to Archer. She never even looked at me which surprised the hell out of me (okay and royally pissed me off too) as she stopped in front of us. Archer’s hand tightened on my waist as he addressed her.

“Would you like a tour of the grounds before we begin? I have an amazing pool and hot tub in the back.”

“Ooh, a hot tub?” she purred seductively.

“Quinn, why don’t you show her around while I get Skye settled?” Archer asked, his words heavily laced with meaning. I was guessing that he was pissed Vanessa had invited herself here and after Quinn was done with her, she’d never remember Archer’s name.

“Come on, gorgeous,” Quinn dutifully obeyed as he opened the back door. I watched Vanessa saunter out the door with a heavy sway to her hips and when it was closed I turned around in Archer’s arms.

“You pinch my butt like that again and I’m going to pinch you right back,” I said with a frown.

“Promise?” he purred deeply with a crooked smile as he brushed the tip of his nose against mine. It sent a shiver down my spine and it irritated me that he still had such an effect on me.

I growled softly and then huffed with impatience. “Can I eat now, please? Their heartbeats are really distracting and it’s making my stomach hurt worse.”

Archer chuckled and grabbed my hand, leading me to the foyer. Oleif wasn’t far behind and I narrowed my eyes at him over my shoulder. He gave me one of his famously bored looks and said nothing as usual.

As we turned the corner, the scent of our guests slammed into me full force. They smelled so good that my mouth immediately watered. Archer tightened his hold on my hand and introduced me to them. The one nearest to me was Chris. He was tall and thin with mocha skin, an innocent face, and big brown eyes. He couldn’t have been any older than twenty if he was a day. The girl beside him was Bethany, of course. Bethany looked like your average girl-next-door with her curly, shoulder length brown hair and small brown eyes. She wore a yellow sun dress that accented her sun-kissed, dark skin and she smiled widely at me in greeting.

Lastly, I was introduced to Jason. Jason sat on the loveseat a few feet away and looked like every girl’s wet dream. He wore a tight black t-shirt that accentuated his muscled physique and an expensive pair of designer jeans. He looked older than the rest of our guests and I estimated his age around 28 or so. I tried not to lick my lips and fangs as I studied his tight body, but I think I failed because he gave me a sly, knowing smile.

“Who would you like to try first?” Archer asked me, breaking me out of my daze.

Chapter Six

“Um,” I struggled as I looked at each of them again. It felt completely wrong of me to treat them like they were nothing other than a piece of meat. I mean hell…when you go to a steakhouse, the cook doesn’t take you in the back and ask you which cow you’d like your Porterhouse from. “I…um…”

Archer saw that I was uncomfortable and chose for me. “Why don’t we start with Chris?” Archer smiled as he gently rubbed my back with one hand in a calming gesture. “He happens to be quite delicious and I think you’ll be more comfortable starting out with him than with Bethany.”

“Why? What’s wrong with Bethany?”

Bethany smiled knowingly at me as Archer explained. “Well, when a vampire feeds it can be a very emotional and seductive experience. You will