The Real Werewives of Vampire County - By Alexandra Ivy Page 0,43
there was actual furniture inside the door—a couch and a chair, a statue of a woman with half her clothes falling off, and a large potted palm.
He slammed the door behind us. “What the hell was that?”
As if he didn’t know. I scrambled to my feet. “I thought I was being vapid,” I said sweetly.
“Try again.”
“Pretty?”
His eyes raked over me from head to bare toes. “You are something.”
“The vulture provoked me.” He’d seen it.
Lucien towered over me, glowering. His dress shirt was disheveled, a vein pulsed at his neck, and a lock of blond hair had fallen straight over his left eye. “It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t matter. You can’t let her get you riled up.”
“Oh, believe me, you haven’t even seen riled.” I stood up to him. Eye to chest. “When I can approach her on my terms,” on an even playing field, “her ass is mine. I’ll learn the truth.” He’d seen me in an interrogation room. “Trust me.”
“No.”
“I don’t see that you have a choice.”
“Touché,” he said dryly.
“Stop it. I don’t speak French.”
I kicked off my shoes. This was going to be a long three days. Still, I had to keep my wits about me. I didn’t want to let my pack down.
Next came the knives. I stacked them on the hall table. I didn’t choose to be different. I stripped off my panty hose and tossed them over the potted palm.
The whole situation felt so suffocatingly wrong.
I shucked off my yellow baby doll dress and hooked my thumbs under the top of my bra and girdle combination. The cool air hit my overheated skin as I peeled the garment away. I whimpered in relief as it dropped to my feet. Heaven.
I used my toe to flick it away.
In a few seconds I’d be blissfully free. I stopped when I caught sight of my partner.
“What?” I demanded. He had a funny look on his face. Like he’d swallowed a bug. “Lay it on me. What else did I do wrong?”
“Nothing,” he choked.
So much for honesty. How long had that lasted—five minutes?
He cleared his throat, his gaze positively feral.
Holy heck. Was he going to sink his fangs into me?
My pulse quickened and I took a careful step toward the door. “There’d better be some law against biting your partner.”
“I will not bite you,” he said, his voice rough.
“Then why are you looking at me like I’m the main course?”
“A thousand pardons,” he said, breathy. He’d even taken on a slight Spanish accent. “Your decision to disrobe was most unexpected.”
What did the guy want? I’d kept my red thong. God, I couldn’t wait to get back to the pack where I could run around naked in peace.
I planted my hands on my hips. “Do you really want me to put that crap back on again?”
The front door burst open and I lunged for my knives. I had them at the intruder’s neck before he’d taken two steps inside.
“Whoa! Whoa!” He gurgled. “It’s me. Vinny.”
“How do I know?” I demanded.
This guy looked like a waiter or something. Then I smelled him. “Hey, it is Vinny.”
“And yet you’re still holding a knife to his throat,” Lucien pointed out.
Vinny’s eyes flicked down to my breasts, which were smashed up against his chest. “You know, I don’t mind so much.”
“Pervert.” I let him go. What was it with non-weres and nudity?
Lucien flung off his tie and unbuttoned his crisp white dress shirt, his fingers impatient. Just when I thought he’d seen the light, he shoved his shirt at me. “Put this on.”
As far as chests went, he had a nice one. Smooth and firm. Ripped without looking like he tried.
I took the shirt. “So you can relax, but I can’t.”
“I’m not relaxed.”
“Oh fine.” I slipped the cotton monstrosity over my shoulders.
Vinny shook his head. “I gotta tell you, ‘Mitzy’ sure stirred things up out there.”
The back of my neck prickled. “How do you know?”
“Waiters hear all. They’re wondering if Mr. Duke here has a Las Vegas hooker fetish.”
Lucien groaned.
“Come on, gorgeous. Blue eye shadow?”
“I like blue,” I protested.
Lucien sighed. “Vinny, maybe you can give her some pointers?”
“Are you kidding? I’d make it worse. I even liked her shoes.”
“What was wrong with my shoes?”
“Damn it.” Lucien pulled out his phone. “We need some more backup.”
Another creature in the mix? “I don’t like it,” I said to Vinny.
He threw the bolt on the door. “You didn’t like what happened out there, either.”
I crossed my arms over my chest as Lucien left a message for someone