Date with a Vampire (11 page)

“Since we’re talking about honesty, would you be willing to leave your loved ones behind and move across the world?” he asked. “After all, Romania is a long way from New York.”

He’d caught her off guard. She didn’t know how to answer that question. She’d never considered leaving Hope before. She’d always assumed that was where she’d stay. Maybe because she’d just never had a real reason to leave before. But faced with having to choose between her hometown and the man she loved, well, that was a difficult decision, indeed.

“I-I don’t know.” She chewed her bottom lip and thought best how to explain her feelings to him. “I really don’t think I can answer you. I mean, I suppose if I were really, truly in love and that man asked me to marry him, I think then, yes, I would move to the ends of the earth for him. I think. But I really can’t say for sure, unless I was actually in that situation.” Oh Lord. She must have sounded like a fool.

“Thank you. You were honest, and I appreciate that too.”

She studied his fabulous eyes. They were filled with tenderness and passion. He reached for her, and she went eagerly into his arms. Gently, he brushed her hair back from her forehead, and the feel of his hand on her skin sent spasms of desire through her. She wanted him to touch her, caress her in places that couldn’t be shown on TV. If only they weren’t being filmed…

Melody lifted a shaky hand and stroked the side of his face. She was surprised by its softness. No rough stubble scratched her fingertips. She ran her lips along his throat, tasting his skin. When her mouth covered his, he pulled her closer, their kiss deepening. She closed her eyes, losing herself in desire.

“Ah, Melody, you are so lovely,” he murmured against her ear, then kissed her again with such intensity that she was left dizzy.

Waves of passion rolled over her. Their chemistry was insane. Daniel and the producers would be thrilled, but if she didn’t stop now, this PG-rated show might become too hot for family viewing.

She ended their kiss, then said, “I’ve had a wonderful time, but it’s getting late. We should go.”

He glanced briefly at the camera crew and whispered so that only she could hear, “We’ll pick up where we left off later. In private.”

C
HAPTER
S
IX

A
s Guystof helped Melody to her feet, his stomach rumbled and a nauseating feeling took hold. This problem was happening more often and he kept taking more of the potion. Yet, it didn’t alleviate the sickness, at least not altogether. Taking hold of Melody’s hand, he walked with her back to the village. Solomon stood by the truck. He waved at them, and they hurried over to the vehicle.

“I hope you haven’t been waiting long?” Melody asked.

“Not to worry, Miss Melody. Once I take you back, I go home to wife and ten children.” He winked at her. “So no hurry.”

Guystof and Melody climbed into the truck. Once they were seated, she placed her small hand in his and he squeezed gently. They rode back in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. He was more at ease in her company now, feeling he had secured his position in the game until the very end. There was no doubt in his mind that he’d receive a lei at the elimination ceremony tomorrow night. She had more dates to go on but he wasn’t worried. Guystof had developed a bond with Melody that the other bachelors would be hard-pressed to break.

Back at Malaku, he kissed her good-bye. It was a sweet kiss void of the passion they’d shared earlier, but just as nice. “Thank you. I had a wonderful day. I hope you did as well.”

“It couldn’t have been better. And there’s no one I’d have rather spent it with.” Melody smiled, then turned and walked in the direction of her
bure
.

Guystof would have liked to watch her disappear from view, gleaning great pleasure out of the graceful sway of her shapely hips, but his nausea urged him to hurry back to his hut. Once inside, he slipped off his ring and removed the tiny vial. Only half remained! He placed a drop on his tongue, then set the vial on the dresser while he awaited relief, hoping he could make due with just that one drop. So much for Blakesley’s prescription. His dosage amount had worked for only the first day.

He sank into an overstuffed chair and put his feet upon the footstool. An instant later the squeak of the door indicated Tommy had arrived.

With a towel wrapped around his waist and a bottle of sunscreen in his hand, Guystof’s roommate flopped down on the bed. “Shit! That sun is strong. I was at the pool less than an hour and I feel like a french fry.” He glanced down at his arm glowing red and beginning to blister, then up at Guystof. “Hey, how was your date?”

“Nice.”

Tommy chuckled. “You spent the entire day with the Dream Girl and all you have to say is ‘nice.’ Don’t tell me you two didn’t click. Is there something wrong with her? Something I should know? Or maybe she didn’t connect with you. Maybe she’s into someone else. Maybe she has a thing for me.” His laughter continued while Guystof stared at him. “I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you. The sun must have gotten to me, fried my brain along with the rest of me. Or maybe this competition is too much for me. I like Melody. Really, I do. She seems like a great gal. But I’m not used to sharing a woman with lots of other men. I mean, what do you think she’s doing on those dates? You don’t suppose she’s…”

Guystof scowled. Did the buffoon really think Melody was that kind of woman?

Tommy must have noticed the look on his face, because all traces of laughter disappeared. “Oh, shit, man. I didn’t mean to imply you did anything with her. I can tell you’re a gentleman and all. You’re royalty. Don’t you guys follow all kinds of fancy protocol? I’ll bet you don’t even kiss a girl until after you’ve had a dozen dates.”

Now it was Guystof’s turn to laugh. Tommy was unlike any mortal he’d ever known. “You really are an ignorant fool.”

Tommy broke into ripples of laughter again. “I’m so glad you’ve got a good sense of humor, man, ’cause I’d hate to have to defend myself against you. Never dueled before.”

I wouldn’t need a sword or a pistol to end your life. One bite would do the trick.
“Care to join me for dinner?”

“Sure. Just have to shower first.” He walked over to the closet and rifled through his clothes, then looked over his shoulder at Guystof. “I don’t have a clean shirt. I put my laundry outside the door this morning like we’re supposed to. Got my pants back, but no shirts.” He puffed out his chest and pummeled it with his fists like Tarzan. “Do you think I could dine half nude?”

Guystof shook his head. The corners of his mouth twitched as he tried to keep from smiling.

“Well then, I guess I’ll have to borrow one from you,” Tommy said.

Guystof pointed to the top drawer of the dresser and watched as his roommate danced across the room, letting the towel drop from around his hips to expose his neon swimsuit.

Tommy fingered through the pile of shirts, pulling out a pale yellow one. He held it up against his chest to study his reflection in the mirror, but the corner hem caught the vial of potion, knocking it onto the floor.

Guystof leapt to his feet. Shock and horror raged through him. His stomach tightened into a knot, and excessive saliva formed in his mouth. It’s not Tommy’s fault. It’s not his fault, he reminded himself as the tips of his fangs broke through his gum line. It was an accident. He squeezed his hands into fists, not caring that his nails cut into his palms.
Fight! Fight! Fight the rage. You’re not a monster. You’re as close to human as you’ll ever be. And you don’t have to react this way. Killing isn’t the answer. It won’t provide more potion.

It would have been easy to sink his teeth into the side of the man’s neck, making him pay for his actions with his life, but Guystof summoned all his control and swallowed hard, forcing the fangs to recede. He hadn’t noticed Tommy’s back pinned to the dresser or the look of panic plastered over his face.

“Shit! I’m sorry, Guy.” His eyes looked like two chocolate cookies—big and round and dark. “Was that medicine? Do you have more?”

Guystof shook his head.

“I’ll bet if we asked Henry…or the producers…they could find a doctor to get you some more. Right? What was that stuff, anyway?” Tommy’s nostril’s flared as a sour odor wafted up from the floor.

“No doctors, no producers. You’re not to say a word. Got it?” Guystof’s tone was harsh, and he immediately regretted having spoken to Tommy that way when he saw the guilt-ridden expression on his friend’s face. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” He picked up the vial, relieved that it hadn’t broken, but having no way of knowing how much he’d lost on the floor.

Tommy escaped to the bathroom, but paused outside the door. “Don’t tell me, Guy. Are you taking Viagra?”

He had no idea what Tommy was referring to, but, wishing more than anything that his roommate would take his shower and leave him alone, he nodded.

“Lordy, Lordy, your secret’s safe with me,” Tommy said before closing the door.

Guystof leaned back on his heels and placed his head in his hands. He hoped he could make the potion last or the game would soon be over for him. He envisioned his life the way it used to be, and a cold sweat broke out over his forehead. He would become a vampire—a full-fledged monster—and all that entailed. His thirst for blood would return, and without the criminals he’d found so readily available on the streets of London, he’d have to target innocent people here on Fiji—people he’d come to know and like. He’d become like his brother, and that was a fate worse than death.

— : : —

Melody couldn’t stop thinking about the count. He wasn’t the snobbish aristocrat she’d thought him to be. He was thoughtful and kind. And when he touched her, she felt as if she was on fire. He ignited a flame in her that she hadn’t known existed. And his kisses made her sizzle, leaving her hungering for more. She’d never felt like that with a man before, not even Greg Sinclair. And she’d been so sure she was in love with him. Well, if she’d thought that was love, then what in the world was this?

Fear tightened her chest. What if Guy’s feelings for her weren’t as strong as the ones she had for him? She couldn’t get hurt again. This time it would be even more painful…because she was a woman now. A woman who was falling in love.

She slipped the sleeveless pink dress she’d been holding over her head and let it fall softly over her body; then she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

Her eyes, usually a blue somewhere between the ocean and the sky, now glistened like sapphires. Her complexion, though always clear and milky, had never been this radiant. Oh boy! She was headed for trouble. Big trouble. She wasn’t falling in love. She was already there. It was as if Guy had waved a magic wand and cast his spell on her.

“What should I do?” she asked her reflection, as if this new and different young woman would have the answer the old Melody couldn’t find. But as expected, her reflection merely stared back blankly at her, no words bubbled forth from between her freshly kissed lips. This was a problem she would have to solve and no amount of magic was going to do it for her.

As she continued to dress for her date with the professor, she couldn’t help but wish that it was Guy she’d be dining with. She closed her eyes and envisioned him ordering dinner for her, then feeding her chunks of fresh pineapple with his fork. But the smile that curved her lips soon turned to a frown when she realized how unfair she was being to the other bachelors, and guilt washed over her.

She had weeks to go yet as the Dream Girl, and here she was acting as if the game was over. She’d selected her bachelor and they would soon head off to his fairy-tale kingdom where they would live happily ever after. Well, this was no dream and she knew from experience that dreams didn’t come true. She needed a reality check and fast. A lot could happen before the end of the game. For all she knew, her feelings for Guy could do an about face. He just might turn out to be the self-centered count she’d thought him to be from the start.

Holding on to that thought, she touched up Sugar’s perfect makeup application from this morning with a gold shimmer lip gloss, picked up her black sequin handbag and marched out the door convinced she would have a wonderful time with Johnny Evans.

An hour later, she sat across from the bachelor at an intimate corner table in one of the island’s best restaurants, awaiting dinner. The flickering orange flames from the votive candles in the centerpiece cast shadows over his face, elongating it and giving him an unnatural, almost sinister appearance. Ridiculous, she knew. The professor was a sweet, soft-spoken man, and just the sort of man she should have been attracted to—had been initially, if not for Guy.

But despite her best efforts, she couldn’t stop thinking about the count and comparing him to the man across from her. Strong, self-assured, and used to getting what he wanted, Guy was the complete opposite of this reserved philosophy teacher.

“What are you thinking?” Johnny reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. Her first reaction was to pull back and hide her hands under the table, but that would have been rude. And the last thing she wanted to do was hurt this man’s feelings. He’d been nothing but polite to her—a perfect gentleman. Again the comparison popped into her head and a slight smile curved her lips. Guy was many things, but a perfect gentleman? She wasn’t so sure about that. And thank goodness, she thought with a devilish grin, imagining the feel of his strong hands on her body.

“Hello, Melody.” Johnny patted her hands. “I wish you would let me in on what you find so amusing. I’m afraid you’re having a better time with your thoughts than you are with me.”

She directed her attention back to the professor but was at a complete loss for words. What in heaven’s name could she say? Thankfully, the waiter arrived with their food, temporarily shifting the attention away from her and onto the meal.

She glanced at her plate—smoked marlin in a creamy basil white sauce served over pasta, then over to Johnny’s pan-fired oyster kebabs. She hoped he hadn’t ordered that dish for its aphrodisiac affects. Her worry increased when he refilled their glasses with Chardonnay and drank most of his before taking the first bite of his meal.