and you fix this so it'll work on me without side effects." I threw my arm out where Ian could reach it.
"Of course. And this should be the first project Penny works on if she comes on board as my assistant. Would that make you feel better, Gloriana? Ray?"
"It might. What do you say, Glory?"
I watched Ian take blood from the vein in my arm and I was suddenly thirsty. "Huh? I say someone get me something to drink." I looked at Ray with a smile. "Ray? Come here, honey. You've got some rich and delicious blood wrapped in a pretty package."
"Uh, I think I've got places to go, people to meet." Penny backed out of the room.
"Me as well." Ian closed his bag with a snap. "I'll let you know the results, Gloriana. And Penny will let me know tomorrow if your stomach benefited from a day's sleep."
I glanced down at my swollen stomach. "Oh, yeah. Full report. Thanks for the shot. Definitely feeling no pain. Bye." I reached for Ray and dragged him to me.
"You know you're not going to do this." Ray laughed as I fell on top of him. We both heard the hall door close and I realized we were alone. My fuzzy thinking might be from the drug Ian had injected in me, but there was nothing fuzzy about my raging thirst.
"Why not?" I slid my fangs along the front of his shirt, popping buttons as I went. I was headed to his jugular. I ran my hands over his smooth chest, not so drunk I didn't appreciate the view. "You really don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all. Go ahead. Have at it. You've been generous enough with me. But I've got to warn you, my self-control is slipping. You are much too tempting in your silk panties and bare legs. And then I saw Ian push up your sweater to listen to your heart. Leopard-print bra. Don't you know what that does to a man, Glory?"
"Good eye, Caine." I grinned and lifted my sweater. "Wasn't baiting a trap. Last one clean. I really need to do laundry."
Ray groaned, rolled me off him and eased out of bed. "No, not happening. I'm getting you a bottle of synthetic and then I'm calling Blade."
"What?" I managed to sit up on my own.
"You're high. That shot of Ian's did this to you and I seem to have found some sort of moral high ground since I got sober. It's a bitch, but there it is."
"Well, that's a hell of a note." I pulled down my sweater and covered my panties with the sheet.
"You said Blade was your boyfriend. He should be here taking care of you. So I'll call him." Ray picked up my cell from the nightstand. "Yep, he's your number one. Enough said."
"You're being awfully noble, Ray. Can't say it suits you. Where's the bad boy when I need him?" I tried for a pout, but didn't have the energy for it. Muscle relaxant. Sitting was too much and I fell back again.
"Well, maybe I'll kick myself all the way home. But I know you, Glory girl, and you sure don't want to wake up tomorrow night smelling of sex with me and not remember it." Ray's smile was wry, like maybe he was already wondering if he'd made the wrong call.
"No! That would be the worst. If, when, we ever . . . Well, I'd want to remember every second." I couldn't look away from his gleaming blue eyes.
"You just made my point. And I'm here to tell you that you'll conk out soon and probably not remember much of what you did or said after Ian gave you that shot." Ray hit speed dial on my phone. "Now lie back and close your eyes. Dream of me, if you want. But that's all you're getting."
I didn't dream. Didn't wake up at all till the next night. My stomach was still swollen, damn it. Not as big as it had been right after my binge, but definitely showing the effects. Penny couldn't wait to fill Ian in. I was wishing for a vamp Yellow Pages so I could find that malpractice lawyer. At least my tummy stayed quiet.
Jerry had slept the day away beside me but I let him know I needed to work and that I felt well enough to keep my appointment with Simon. Of course he'd wanted to be in on it. I knew Simon would take one whiff of