Heather Long - Waiting in the Wings

“ Tsk tsk , Richard. Your paranoia is showing. I’m actually here by invitation to greet the new lead dancer of the Midnight Mystery Lounge.” The blond vampire edged closer, and Kiki pinned him with a glare.

“Seriously? You’ve never greeted a lead dancer in all the years I’ve been here.” Jeannie would have said something. Pandora’s often-requested presence among the high rollers was common knowledge. Anthony, however, was wildly possessive of Roseâtre, and despite the pricks of envy Kiki felt for Pandora and Roseâtre’s success and happiness, she never longed for their mates.

“You rarely venture out so publically unless you’re playing, Kiki. You wouldn’t know. And Pandora arrived here long before you did. I dined with her after her first night taking lead—didn’t I, Stan?” Andrew looked past them both to the guardian.

The salt-and-pepper haired man gave the vampire a bored look. “Do not invite me into this game of bait-and-switch. You are making the other casino guests uncomfortable.”

He wasn’t wrong. Several players at the local slot machines gathered their coins and moved away. In fact, they and their respective guards were virtually alone in the alley created by the slot machines.

“Boring man, really. I don’t know why that stage manager keeps you around.” Andrew dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “So, Miss Kiki—if you will join me, we can discuss your performance.”

“Hmm, no.” She shook her head. The subtext flying back and forth irritated her, but beyond that, she wanted to spend the time with Richard.

The other vampire didn’t seem to take the hint, reaching out to take her arm and tugging her forward. Richard’s hand caught his wrist before she moved an inch, and the potential for violence stormed through the gathering. The bodyguards surged forward on all sides.

“Release her.” Richard’s words collided with Stan’s. Guns appeared in the guards hands, and an actual sword blade pressed into Andrew’s throat—and she was sandwiched between them all—the bone about to be pulled apart.

Shadows surrounded them, pressing in from all sides. Andrew released her immediately, and Richard drew her back as a shifter—because nothing human was as large as the man—stepped between them.

“Problem?” His voice was a growl, low and menacing.

“Yes.” Kiki announced before Richard could shush her or anyone else could speak. The man turned to look at her. Wild heat burned in a pair of yellow eyes.

Wolf.

Her nostrils flared. Wolf. She didn’t question how she knew. At this point, she was just going to roll with it.

“What is the problem, ma’am?” The wolf offered her a polite, if somewhat feral, smile.

“That vampire assaulted me.” She pointed at Andrew. “Apparently he thinks that just because I star in a show, he has the right to manhandle me. Richard and Stan were defending me.”

The wolf flicked a look from her to the guardian and Richard and then slowly turned to face Andrew. “You have no authority here, Prince. You realize that, right?”

“You have no authority out there either, dog, but I allow you to do your job.” The blond straightened and arrogance flowed over him like some dramatic cape.

“Fantastic. Then you’re really going to appreciate this.” The shadows converged on Andrew and his party and escorted them away.

Kiki bit her lip when her gaze clashed with Andrew’s cold one. This wasn’t over.

The wolf shifted, blocking the vampire’s line of sight and looked at her again. “You should return to your theatre. It might be safer there.”

“I feel perfectly safe now.” She dredged up a smile. What a completely insane night. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He ignored Richard and nodded to the guardian before striding after his men. “Stan.”

The bubble of tension burst with their exit and allowed the sounds of the casino to rush back in. Exhaling a shaky sigh, she looked at her wrist and sighed. A bruise matching Andrew’s fingers blackened her flesh. Dammit.

“Are you hurt?” Richard lifted the damaged arm to look at critically.

“No, not really. It’s just ugly.” Maybe she should go back before more trouble occurred. Go back, drink and try to figure out what the hell was going on.

“Why don’t we go upstairs? I know you wanted to walk around, but we can be comfortable, and you won’t have to worry about any other incidents.” A reasonable alternative, and she didn’t want to leave him. Or did she?

Haven’t I already left him? Left him so hard and so long I forgot… Pivoting on a heel, she looked at Stan. “Do you remember when I arrived at the casino? The first time?” Because she had to have visited the Arcana Royale to be trapped here—that made sense. Maybe the first thing to make sense since Heidi announced she would be dancing lead in Roseâtre’s absence.

“Yes.” Stan nodded slowly.

“Do you know what happened to me?” She tried to read his expressions, but his absolute neutrality revealed nothing.

“I do.”

Hope swelled within. “Will you tell me?”

“No.” No explanation, no terseness, just a simple, kind no.

“But you have to. Heidi won’t tell me. Richard doesn’t know.”

“I’m sorry.” The contrition sounded real but hardly helped her situation.

“Don’t be sorry—tell me!”

Richard’s arm wrapped around her middle and pulled her back to his chest. The strength in the embrace warmed and enveloped her in security. “Sweetheart, he may not be able to tell you. As Minion was not able to give you the answers you crave. I think we are on our own in this, and it is up to us to solve the puzzle.”

A flicker of a nod from Stan confirmed the vampire’s words, and Kiki sighed. “Fine. I hate this.”

“You are not alone. I swear that to you—you will never be alone again. We will figure this out. Together.”

The promise helped, but it didn’t take away the feeling that she should know all of these answers. She should understand why this happened. Sadness crashed through her—it was her debut night, and instead of celebrating and dancing with her girls, she stood out in the middle of the casino amidst a sea of strangers—alone.

Richard pressed the gentlest of kisses to the side of her neck. The intimate little caress sent another spiral of light to battle the darkness filling her.

No, she wasn’t alone.

“Okay, upstairs.” Despite agreeing with the idea, disappointment unfurled inside of her. She wanted to play and to celebrate. But even the walk to the elevators dragged, sedate and controlled. Stan rode up with them, but like the two guards, he remained outside when she and Richard entered the suite.

She walked three steps inside and turned. “Look, I don’t know where to start—” But Richard’s mouth slanted over hers in a hungry kiss that curled her toes. She forgot about thinking and wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands roamed over her body, and the banked excitement from the performance burst free.

Okay, this was a good place to start.

Rubbing against him, she kissed him harder and moaned as his hands pushed the dress down. The cotton and silk body sheath hugged her curves, but provided no real barrier to his touch. Never breaking the kiss, she fumbled her way to freeing the buttons on his shirt, ripping the fabric apart and sending them flying. Bare-chested, they kissed, exploring a passion that threatened to consume her.

What a way to go…

He swept her up, and her legs wrapped around his hips. He carried her through the apartments, tongues tangling together. Every step rubbed his cock against the sensitive folds of her sex. His fingers explored every contour of her hips and ass, gliding up and down her spine. She didn’t know who she had been, but tonight she was the woman who wanted him.