Michele Hauf - Her Vampire Husband

As for vampires, he didn’t fear challenge from any.

So why was he sitting here trying to converse with the obstinate one? Logic determined they would need to get to know one another, to make it look good. She seemed amenable to that.

Or was it that the view was so spectacular? Before last night he’d thought it impossible to consider kissing a werewolf, let alone get a hard-on from looking at her body. Yet right now he sported some serious wood from the visuals she broadcast.

What was wrong with him?

Mon Dieu, he needed to take blood. It must be nearing the end of a fortnight since he’d last taken a donor. He could go as long as a month without sustenance, but two weeks was best. If he considered stroking the heat-softened flesh of a woman who should be his greatest enemy he wasn’t at the top of his game.

“Besides,” she added, “love wasn’t a requirement.”

“No, it was not. Quite a relief, eh?”

“Tell me about it.”

He caught her gaze for a nanosecond before she looked away. Caught. He could smell the longing on her. He was sure of it. Or, at the very least, interest.

“Do you swim?” she suddenly asked.

“Every day.”

A dip in the cool waters would serve to chill his insubordinate lust. But he usually dove in wearing nothing. He wasn’t sure he owned swim trunks, though he could dive in wearing his skivvies.

Why the hell not? If she was going to flaunt her sexy curves before him, he shouldn’t be prudish about stripping before her.

“That’s what I came out here for, as a matter of fact.”

He stood and felt her gaze upon him as he strode over to the pool. A woman’s regard was a fine thing, but more so when she wished to deny that interest.

Peeling off his shirt, Creed tossed it aside onto another chaise. A stretch of his torso flexed his tight abs. He retained the physique of a warrior even though his battle days were long behind him. And though sword, ax, bullet and fangs had entered this ancient body, he retained no scars.

“Stare much?” he volleyed at her.

She turned her head into her arm. “Nothing to see, pale vampire dude. I prefer my men hairy anyway.”

He may be pale, but he was nothing to sneeze at.

Stepping from his pants, Creed snapped the band of his black boxer briefs. She was looking again. He could feel her curiosity as a tangible wave through the air. Felt great. Felt…different.

Closing his eyes, he whispered too softly for even paranormal ears, “You do prefer me.”

Out his peripheral vision he saw Blu lift onto her elbows, as if she’d heard something. A whisper only he could make audible through air magic.

Take that, snotty werewolf princess.

Diving, he hit the water with a sharp cut and swam the entire pool length before surfacing on the other side. When he flipped back his hair and swiped the water from his eyes, the violet-haired goddess knelt at the pool’s edge.

“Thought you said you didn’t swim?” he asked.

“I don’t. I just…Did you hear something?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. A whisper?”

“Did they wed me to a mad princess?”

She snapped her fingers, dispersing droplets of water. “Whatever. Hey, you know what cold water does to a guy’s dick?”

“The water isn’t cold.”

“Yeah, I noticed.”

Starting a backstroke, Creed was amused he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t avoid looking.

BLU DIALED BREE’S NUMBER and slipped into the guest bathroom attached to the room she was staying in, locking the door behind her. Bree rambled on about how sexy her new husband was and how daring of him to kiss her in front of everyone like that.

“Yeah, whatever. He’s sex with fangs. Not. So did you talk to Ryan after the ceremony? Did he say anything to you?”

“Haven’t seen him. But you know I only see him if he stops into the bar.”

Bree danced strip at the Goddess in St. Paul on weeknights. She was an amazing dancer with a body Blu envied. And the wings rocked, too. Blu had always wanted wings. Instead, she got stuck with the hairy wolf stuff.

“He was there last night, waiting for me outside the Landmark. I had to be quick with him because I didn’t want the vampire to see. You’ll call me when you talk to him, right? And you’ll ask him about me?”

“You know I will. Even though it’s only been a day, I’m sure he misses you to death, Blu. But tell me about your first night? Did you and he…you know?”

“Miss I-Take-My-Clothes-Off-For-Strangers can’t say the naughty words? Please, Bree. I slept in the guest room. You think I’d have sex with a strange man?”

“You have done it on occasion.”

“Yeah, but they weren’t vamps.” And don’t remind her of those disastrous stranger sex encounters. “I hate thinking that I’m sitting in a vampire’s lair.”

“It’s your lair now, too.”

“I’d prefer a cave. Doesn’t feel friendly, whatever you call it. Would you come over, Bree? I don’t have anyone to talk to and he won’t even let me go out to jog.”

“Sounds kind of Neanderthal.”

“He hasn’t dragged me around by my hair yet, but I wouldn’t put it past him. There are vampires and werewolves camped at the end of the property, spying on us. He thinks they might do something to me.”

“Protective fellow. How romantic.”

“Whatever.”

She swung her legs up onto the vanity and leaned against the wall. Mr. Romance had been hoping she’d look when he’d stripped to go swimming. Sexy muscles had cut through the water with precision and unnatural speed. Pale as he was, he didn’t need a tan to highlight the tight abs and delts.

She’d only looked to make him feel good.

That was her story and she was sticking to it.

“All right, I’ll give you one thing,” Blu said. “He does have a great body.”

“So you did peek!”

“He went for a swim. Couldn’t avoid the browse over his abs.”

“All muscles and brawn?”

“I suppose. Nothing like Ryan, but nothing to sneer at either.”

“Ryan’s a freak of nature. He’s got too many muscles.”

“Yeah, but I love to lick them. I miss him, Bree.”

“You need to not think about him. He’s your past now, Blu. Why don’t you stare into your hubby’s eyes for a while? You might find something interesting in there.”

“Yeah, like bloodlust.” Blu palmed her throat. “It’s going to be so gross if I see him drink someone’s blood. He’s not coming near me with those fangs.”

“Fine, but will you let him prick you with something else?”

“There’s my nasty girl.”

“That’s me. Always eager to hear about everyone’s love life. Please promise me you’ll give him a chance, Blu. You’re both in the same situation. Doing something for an entire nation you don’t even know. You should be bonding over this, cleaving to one another. It’ll make you stronger, I promise.”

“Bree, you do know cleave has two opposite meanings. I’ll take the prying-apart definition.”

“I meant the clinging-to-one-another definition.”

“Yeah, I know. You, Bree, are always too positive about everything.”

“It’s the faery dust.”

“Will you slip me some of that stuff next time I see you? My supply is running low.”

“Sure! Now quit hiding in the bathroom and go get to know your hubby.”

Blu smirked. Leave it to Bree to know she was hiding out.

“It’s getting dark. I think he’s gone hunting, or whatever it is they call stalking mortals for blood. Pulling a Dracula. Yeah, that’s what I’ll call it.”

“That gives you time to shower and slip into something sexy before the count returns. Try a little flirtation on your hubby.”