Date with a Vampire (7 page)

He glanced at his roommate, a tall, good-looking fellow with glossy brown hair and gleaming white teeth and wondered if he’d be more to her liking. Then again, as he watched Tommy Spardo primp in front of the large bamboo-framed wall mirror, he doubted she’d fall for the pretty-boy type.

“Hey, Guy, should I gel it or not?” Tommy had his comb poised in midair.

“It’s fine the way it is.” Guystof folded the last of the shirts Blakesley had packed for him and placed it in the dresser drawer along with the others.

Tommy smoothed back a stray hair before setting down the comb. He studied his reflection a second longer, then headed toward the door. “Wanna join me over at the Island Sun for a couple shots of tequila?”

Guystof wasn’t much of a drinker. He liked to keep his wits about him at all times. A vampire never knew when an assassin might be on the hunt for him, although on this island he appeared as mortal as the next bachelor and should be safe from such a threat. Besides, he might learn a thing or two about these men after they had a few too many drinks. “I’ll join you there shortly.”

He waited until Tommy closed the door and his footsteps disappeared before he slipped the small glass vial from his ring. He put one drop on the tip of his tongue and hoped it would put an end to the ache in his stomach. Due to his jetlag, he’d lost track of when he was supposed to take his next dose. This seemed as good a time as any. And what he didn’t need was for his fangs to show.

He smoothed a wrinkle from his shirt, pulled down the crotch of his jeans, and left the
bure
. When he reached the tavern, raucous laughter poured out from inside. He opened the door and was immediately hit with the smell of cigarettes and stale liquor. The haze of smoke made his eyes water, and he wondered if coming here had been such a good idea after all.

From across the long bar, Tommy waved him over, making it impossible for him to leave now. Guystof passed a group of thickly muscled athletes bragging about their sports records as he made his way through the crowd.

Tommy was sitting with two men. One appeared totally disinterested in the bar scene and offered Guystof his seat. The other man had wavy chestnut hair, vivid green eyes, and a physique women must find hard to resist. This bachelor could be stiff competition. Guystof only hoped the man’s brains didn’t match his brawn.

“Hey, Guy, glad you made it.” Tommy slapped him on the back. “This here’s Johnny Evans, a philosophy professor at Berkeley,” he said, making the introduction.

So much for having a low IQ. “Guy LeBreque, Romanian count. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He shook Johnny’s outstretched hand firmly, not missing either his or Tommy’s shocked expressions.

“You…you’re a count?” Tommy sputtered.

“It’s not a title I earned, but it’s been in my family for generations.”

“Well, shit! Like I have a chance in hell with the Dream Girl now. I’m up against a freakin’ brain and an aristocrat.” The bartender set a beer in front of each of them, and Tommy guzzled half of his immediately. “Oh, well, what I don’t have in smarts and breeding, I more than make up for in manners.” He let out a loud burp.

The professor looked at Tommy with disgust. “You better watch that crude behavior around the Dream Girl or you might find yourself eliminated.”

Tommy laughed and raised his bottle for a toast. “May she have a great sense of humor.”

“And be as intelligent as she is beautiful,” Johnny added before taking a drink.

She was that and more. Guystof smiled as he remembered the feel of her soft lips on his. Would this afternoon’s kiss give him the edge he hoped for? There was no doubt this competition was going to be fierce.

Guystof took one last sip of beer, leaving half the bottle, then pushed it across the bar. “Well, gentlemen, I bid you good night.”

“Aw, come on, have another drink. It’s on me,” Tommy begged.

“Another time.” As Guystof left the tavern, he was glad that Tommy had stayed behind. He needed some time alone to prepare for tomorrow. Applying self-tanner was a much bigger job than he’d anticipated.

C
HAPTER
F
OUR

M
elody slipped a white tank top over her head, then tied around her waist the red-and-white flower-print sarong Serenie had instructed her to wear. The knock at her door told her Sugar was here to do her hair and makeup as promised. She just hoped the extravagant hair stylist didn’t go overboard. Melody preferred simplicity.

She left the bedroom and opened the door to find Sugar struggling with three silver train cases. Melody relieved her of one and set it on a side table in the sitting room.

“Mornin’, sweetie. How’re you feeling today? You look nervous as hell. Don’t worry, when I’m through, you’ll feel like a million bucks.” Sugar laughed at her pun. “Oops, you’re worth that and a whole lot more.” She plopped her cases on the table, then pointed at a large overstuffed chair. “Sit.”

Melody heeded the order and felt like a specimen in a science experiment with Sugar as the mad professor. The hairstylist draped a black cloth cape around Melody’s shoulders, then applied a pink, green, and yellow concealer to her skin. Next she blended a foundation on a plastic artist’s palette and applied a dab to Melody’s jaw line to check the shade before sponging it over the rest of her face. Not used to wearing so much makeup she was surprised that instead of feeling like a mask, the foundation was light as air.

Sugar carefully applied the rest of Melody’s makeup as carefully as a painter creating a masterpiece, then ran a flat iron over her hair, applied a shine polish to the ends and grabbed a mirror from a train case, holding it in front of Melody for her inspection. “Viola! Now you are ready to meet the man of your dreams.”

Melody sucked in a deep breath and cautiously peeked at her reflection. “Oh, my! Sugar, you’re amazing.” She’d been transformed into a princess. And not a gaudy one. Her complexion was radiant, her eyes luminous, and her hair hung in sleek strands of gold down her back.

“Told ya.” Sugar’s chest puffed out like a proud parent’s. “Now go have the time of your life.”

“Thank you so much.” Melody hugged her close.

“Careful, or you’ll muss yourself,” she scolded.

Melody left Sugar packing her tools of the trade and wound down the dirt path that led to the beach. She met Wendy along the way.

“Wow! You look incredible.” The producer fell in step beside her.

Melody’s face heated, and she smiled. “Thank you. I owe it to Sugar.”

Before long, they spotted the aqua water sluicing against the shore and twenty stunning bachelors standing before it. All dressed in tropical shirts and khaki pants, they fit right in with the lush island scenery.

She wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. These gorgeous men couldn’t be waiting for her, little Miss Nobody from Hope. But they were. And each one wished to win her heart.

As she walked closer, she spotted Henry Lyons speaking with the camera crew. Her heart raced and her breath hitched in her throat. She’d forgotten about the cameras! Suddenly, feeling faint, she swayed.

“Easy now,” Wendy whispered in her ear as she held her up. “It’s okay. Just put one foot in front of the other and keep walking.”

Melody didn’t know if it was Wendy’s calming voice or her fear of making a complete fool of herself that kept her going, but the blood rushed back into her face and her steps grew steadier.

She went to stand beside Henry, who said, not wasting any time, “We’re all ready if you are.”

Melody nodded and from the corner of her eye saw the cameras begin to roll. She clasped her hands together to quell their trembling.

“The moment we’ve been waiting for, folks, is finally here,” Henry said in his best announcer’s voice. “Your new Dream Girl, Melody Johnson.”

She pasted a smile upon her lips and focused her gaze on the bachelors. But it was Guy LeBreque’s magnetic blue eyes that held her. She recalled his kiss, and for a second, she forgot there were nineteen other men staring at her.

The sound of Henry’s voice brought her back to reality. “And our first bachelor is Mark Ritter from Wilmington, Delaware.”

Bachelor number one stepped forward and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Melody.” He smelled of Old Spice—her father’s favorite cologne—and the scent made him appear too old for her.

“Bachelor number two,” Henry continued, “hails from California. Johnny Evans.”

A strikingly handsome man took Melody’s hands in his own, causing her pulse to thrum.

“You look beautiful,” he said in a soft, sexy voice.

This one was a keeper! She barely heard Henry announce the rest of the men, Johnny had made such an impression on her. It wasn’t until Guy’s hand encircled her waist and his mouth brushed the side of her cheek that she came back down to earth.

He raised an ebony brow at her, as if he’d known she was in a fog, and whispered in her ear. “It’s wonderful to see you, Melody.” His breath tickled her neck, and spikes of electricity shot through her. “Again.”

Her cheeks grew hot. She hoped her blush wasn’t visible to the camera. “Nice to meet you too,” she grumbled, shaking free of his grasp. Guy was going to be trouble. He was much too overconfident for his own good.

The rest of the men were introduced; then Henry announced the five bachelors who’d be going on the first group date. Melody was pleased when she heard Johnny’s name called and a bit apprehensive at Guy’s, but her excitement returned when she learned she was going snorkeling at the local reefs.

Snorkeling was something she’d always dreamed of doing, but she never imagined she’d actually be given the opportunity to experience it, especially with a group of handsome men.

Perhaps it had worked out for the best that Johnny and Guy had been selected. She was attracted to them both, even if Guy did make her a bit edgy. Having the two bachelors together for the first date would give her the perfect opportunity to get to know them and compare their personalities.

After all, the reason she was there was to pretend to find her soul mate. And she couldn’t think of a better way to start things off than to spend the day out on the ocean with those two hot guys.

With a positive attitude, she headed to her
bure
to change her clothes, then meet the men back at the beach for an afternoon adventure.

— : : —

It wasn’t long after Guystof had dressed that the
lali
drum sounded, calling a meeting at the beach for the group date with Melody. When he arrived there, he spotted the professor leaning up against a tree talking with the other bachelors. Guystof was glad that Johnny was in the group, so that he could keep an eye on the man he believed to be his stiffest competition.

A few minutes later, Melody arrived and the men fell silent. In a pair of cut-offs that hugged her shapely hips to perfection and a low cut tee that did little to conceal her perfectly shaped breasts, it was no wonder the golden-haired goddess knocked the breath out of them.

“Hello, gentlemen. Are you ready to explore the sea with me?” she asked.

The group let out a resounding whoop and followed her through the sand to where a large motorboat awaited them. Guystof hung back from the group and watched Melody climb aboard with the professor right behind, listening raptly to her every word. Guystof boarded last, content to stay in the background, at least for now. When the opportunity was right, he would make his move. Right now, he was content to just enjoy the lovely day.

He leaned against the boat’s rail and tipped his head back to let the sun’s rays warm his face. He’d never imagined it would feel so glorious, making all the years he’d roamed the dark even more terrible. How could Theo enjoy spending centuries in the cold?

“Where are you?” The sound of Melody’s soft voice roused him and he raised a brow at her question.

“You looked worlds away. Were you thinking of Moldavia, Count? Are you homesick?”

Her referring to him by his title sounded odd and much too formal for the casual setting of this tropical island.

“Homesick? No. But I was thinking back over my life, and I can tell you it was not near as pleasant as this… As being here in paradise with you.”

The rosy color that flooded her cheeks was endearing. Wasn’t she used to compliments or having a man flirt with her? He moved closer so he stood only inches from her. “How would you like to become a countess?”

She stepped back. “That’s a little premature, wouldn’t you say?”

“Perhaps. But I know what I want when I see it, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it.”

“Is that what I am? A prize?” She planted her hands on her hips, the corners of her mouth turned down, and stared at him. “I realized coming into this that some of the men might view this as a game, but the producers assured me all the bachelors here are looking to find love and hopefully a wife.”

Guystof smiled. “Oh, rest assured, my dear. I most definitely am looking to find my bride. And I couldn’t have envisioned a more beautiful one than you, Melody.”

“You’re too smooth for your own good.” She left him to join the other bachelors who were reclining on lounge chairs at the back of the boat.

Guystof chuckled to himself as he watched her walk away in a huff. Oh, she liked him all right, even if she didn’t yet know it.

Melody removed her shorts and tee shirt, revealing her model perfect body in a skimpy silver bikini. The men stared, slack-jawed and a spike of jealousy surged through Guystof, surprising him with its intensity. He was here to win her over, not to develop feelings for her himself.

She donned her goggles and snorkel and jumped off the little platform at the back of the boat. The professor and two other bachelors joined her in the water. Melody seemed to be enjoying herself, especially when a school of colorful, tropical fish swam by her. She put her face in the water and floated on her stomach, a few feet from where Guystof stood on deck watching. Her silver suit reflected the water like tin foil, and he was tempted to ask if she’d remembered her sunscreen, but thought better of it.