Kathy Love: I Only Have Fangs For You

She peered at him through water-splattered glasses and a tangle of wet, black hair that had escaped her interesting hairstyle. The two knots on the top of her head, which had looked a bit like horns, now drooped and looked more like floppy dog ears.

Sebastian would have smiled at the image she created, if he hadn't let his gaze drop from her bedraggled hair to her body. The silky brocade of her uniform adhered to her figure, revealing every slope and curve. The hemline, already short by his own design, clung to the tops of her pale thighs, perilously close to revealing far more.

"Here, let me help you up," he insisted more gruffly than he'd intended. He stepped into the spray, water saturating his shirt, but he managed to capture her elbow. This time, she allowed him to help her. She slipped once as she tried to get her footing. Finally she managed to stand.

The new position didn't help as much as he hoped it would. The silk-like fabric still remained plastered to her skin, perfectly displaying the roundness of her breasts, peaked with pointy, taut nipples. The hemline clung and created a V at the junction of her legs.

He stared at the alluring sight until the erection in his pants pulsed, far more sobering than the cold water still splattering down on him. He immediately released his hold on her arm.

This was crazy. They were both standing in a rapidly growing puddle, gaping at each other. And he was actually feeling attracted to this strange, wet waitress.

"Holy shit." Nadine's statement finally seemed to break the spell formed between himself and the new waitress.

Sebastian spun around to see both Nadine and Ferdinand peering in the doorway. He stepped out of the fountain of water and swiped a hand through his soaked hair.

"I knew I smelled smoke," Ferdinand said.

"What happened?" Nadine asked.

"I have no idea," Sebastian said, then frowned at Wilhelmina. "What did happen?"

«I…» Wilhelmina stepped out of the spray too. She shivered and then thankfully crossed her arms over her chest, concealing those taut nipples.

Sebastian gritted his teeth. Why was he even thinking about that? His storage room was flooding, for God's sake.

«I…» She shivered again, and her gaze strayed to the puddle spreading slowly toward boxes of expensive bourbon. "I… was sneaking a cigarette, and I guess it accidentally caught the paper in the can on fire."

"You smoke?" Nadine asked.

Wilhelmina shifted, hugging herself tighter. "Um, yeah. Sometimes."

Sebastian frowned at the shivering woman. Something didn't seem right. But then he disregarded the thought. His senses were still on high alert from the visit from the police. Besides, from what he'd seen so far, everything about this woman didn't seem right.

"Ferdinand, there is a water valve for this room in the back corridor near the bathroom. Switch it off," Sebastian said. "It should be labeled."

Ferdinand nodded and disappeared out of the doorway.

"Come on," Sebastian said, holding out his hand to Wilhelmina. "You need to get dried off."

Wilhelmina stared at his hand as if she expected it to leap out and bite her.

"What-what about the rest of the bar?" She nibbled her bottom lip.

Sebastian's gaze dropped to her mouth, watching the action for a moment, noticing how red her lips looked. Red and very soft. Then he frowned, irritated that he found the sight oddly fascinating. "What about it?"

"Aren't the sprinklers going off all over the club?"

"Ah," he said, understanding her concern. "No. Sprinkler systems are designed to only trigger the heads that sense a rise in temperature. The rest of the club is fine."

"Oh," she said, her lips turning down at the corners in an expression that seemed to imply disappointment, but Sebastian couldn't be sure.

Before he could consider it further, the sprinkler stopped, making the room oddly quiet, even with the dance music blaring in the main room.

Sebastian wiggled the fingers of the hand he still held out to her. "Come on. Let's get dried off."

She hesitated, regarding him with wide, wary eyes behind her water-dotted lens. Then she nodded. But she still didn't accept his hand as she fell into step beside him.

God, she was so stupid. Why hadn't she realized that setting off the sprinkler would only trigger the one near the fire? She should have known that!

"Just down here."

Wilhelmina stopped fixating on her own stupidity and turned her attention to the man walking slightly ahead of her. Sebastian's stylish green shirt was now rumpled and wet, clinging to his broad shoulders and muscular back. His pants were equally drenched and outlined the curve of his tight, little… She immediately lifted her gaze from his perfect rear end and instead focused on the soggy, suctioning sound of his expensive shoes as he strode down the hall.

"Here we are," he said, glancing back at her and then gesturing to a large freight elevator. He lifted the metal gate that served as the door and waited for her to step in.

She glanced at the small enclosure, anxiety filling her. "Wh-where are we going?"

"Upstairs to my apartment."

She stepped back. "Why?"

Did he want to get her alone to exact some wicked punishment on her? Her skin tingled at the idea, and she told herself it was fear. Absolutely fear.

But instead of laughing evilly and informing her of his dastardly plans, he smiled in a lopsided way and said, "Because that's where I keep my towels."

When she just stared at him, he pushed the elevator gate higher and gestured with his head. "Please get in. Even if you don't mind wet clothes, I'd like to change mine."

She hesitated just a moment longer, then stepped inside. Sebastian dropped the gate and pressed the black button labeled with a white number three. The elevator shuddered to life.

Although the elevator was large by, well, elevator standards, Wilhelmina felt like the enclosure was closing in on her. Sebastian, while on the other side of the space, wasn't helping matters. His large body seemed to eat up the distance between them.

She watched him from the corner of her eyes, his presence unnerving, more unnerving than the enclosed quarters. She again noticed the way his damp clothes adhered to his muscles. The way his mussed hair curled, golden in the subdued light.

She grimaced, forcing her gaze to the metal flooring. Of course, he's unnerving. Because of all the terrible things she'd heard about the man, she told herself. Although as her skin tingled again, she wasn't sure if that was totally true.

After what seemed like ages, the elevator jerked to a stop and Sebastian lifted the metal grating. Wilhelmina stepped past him, giving him a wide berth, into another hallway that looked similar to the back halls of the nightclub-unpainted drywall and metal ductwork along the ceiling. The only difference was that at the end of this hall was a heavy, ornate, wooden door and beyond that Sebastian's apartment.

Again, she considered just telling him she was fine and taking the elevator back down to the club. She knew better than to get into a situation where she was alone with him. Then Sebastian offered her another lopsided smile, and for some reason, she didn't leave. Instead she followed him through the doorway.

She didn't understand why she followed him. There was nothing to be gained from going to his place. No reason to see if she could find more ideas for sabotage from his personal space. After all, because of her ignorance about the workings of sprinkler systems, she wasn't going to be employed at Carfax Abbey much longer. Her second attempt at sabotage, another failure.

Actually this attempt was an utter disaster.

Sebastian twisted the doorknob and stepped aside to allow her in. The door opened into an entryway with dark hardwood floors and burgundy walls. She paused again, her senses telling her this was dangerous. She shouldn't be alone with this vampire. He was untrustworthy and potentially very dangerous.