"You're kidding." Jerry jumped out of bed, slid a bold hand over my backside just to show he'd noticed I was naked, then took the bottle of synthetic out of my hand and twisted off the top. "You really think he'll let you do that?"
"Doubt it, but I'm going to offer. I still feel like his mentor, Jer." I took the bottle he held out to me and took a swallow. "Ray knows I'm not into him." I grinned. "Not like I'm into you." I rubbed my bare breasts against his chest.
"He'd better." Jerry jerked me against him. "Come back to bed."
"Oh, I am. Just needed to get my strength back." I quickly drained the bottle, then set it on the dresser. "You've fed Ray, I've fed Ray. I think we both need to take a rest from feeding tonight." I ran my finger down the center of his chest to his navel and twirled a curl there. "But not from any other sort of fun."
"Fun. Yes, I've got some ideas about that and I think it's my turn." He backed me toward the bed and rolled us until I landed on top of him. "Remember some of the fantasies we've tried?"
"Oh, yeah. What can we manage in twenty minutes?" I laughed when Jerry listed four that made me shiver. Oh, yeah. My guy was serious about keeping us together. Now if I could just make sure not to mess this up. Of course there was always help with that.
Chapter Nine
I had a new definition of hell: four vampires, one bathroom and an ancient hot water heater.
"Look, it's my apartment so I go first." I gave Jerry, then Ray, an uncompromising look. "And, no, I don't need company in the shower."
Penny giggled. I swear she hadn't taken her eyes off Ray since we'd all popped awake at sunset. Well, Ray hadn't exactly popped. He still showed some effects of a rough night before, lounging on the couch and trying to weasel information from a dazzled Penny about my stash of alcoholic synthetic. Someone should run downstairs and get the man a shirt. Penny glanced at me and winked. Hmm. Maybe not.
"Go ahead, Gloriana. I'll make sure Caine behaves himself around your fledgling." Jerry plopped himself in the chair nearest the couch. I swear if he'd brought his broadsword, it would be resting across his knees.
"Right, babe. Go for it. I'm not sure I can stand alone in a shower anyway." Ray leaned back to smile at me. "When it's my turn, you'll have to go in and hold me up, scrub my back."
"Like hell." Jerry pulled a knife from the sheath he kept at his ankle and began to clean his nails. "I'll dump you in the tub, Caine, and hose you down with the showerhead myself. Water should be good and cold by then." He grinned and waved his knife at me. Even from the doorway I could see that it was wickedly sharp.
"Put the knife away, Jerry." I sighed and took advantage of the lull to grab my clothes and hurry into the bathroom. What a circus. Oh, no. Bad choice of words. Because who should jump out from behind the bathroom door and cause me to drop my underwear and dress but Spyte?
"Israel Caine." The demon wasn't in clown costume today but black jeans and T-shirt. He shouldered the door closed and we were shut inside together. How creepy was this?
"What about him?" I picked up my dress and hung it on the hook on the back of the door. "Get out of my bathroom." I could barely move without touching the demon and I sure wasn't taking off my robe with Spyte the spy in here.
"He's a hell-raiser. A prime candidate. We could make every song he puts out an instant hit. Or we can give him his mortality back. Tell him that. Reel him in for the big guy and you'll be shrinking before you know it." Spyte gave me a hip bump in case I missed the point.
"Ray is basically a good person. He's just a little depressed. I won't be the one to send him to hell." I set my underwear on the back of the toilet, then sat on the closed seat. "Get out of here. I need a shower and you're not invited."
"Too bad. Curvy women were once my thing." Spyte stared at my robe and I figured he could see right through it. "True hell is