Dead Sexy (35 page)

Leaning back in her chair, Regan stretched her arms and legs. Of all the jobs she had considered, teaching hadn't been one of them, but here she was, teaching a six-week class at the Academy on how to recognize and destroy vampires. She had been surprised when the chief of police called to offer her the job, surprised and pleased. At last, she was working again, feeling productive again, and earning credits again. The number of her students would vary from class to class, depending on the number of Academy recruits, but her pay remained the same whether she had ten students or a hundred.

It was a dream job. According to her schedule, she would teach for six weeks, have four weeks off, then start a new class. Best of all, the classes were held during the day, sparing her the necessity of having to worry about coming up with reasons to stay home when the moon was full.

Sitting up again, she opened the file in front of her. It held the results of the test she had given her class earlier that day. Her students wouldn't be graded on this test. It was merely to determine the scope of their paranormal knowledge and discover where their strengths and weaknesses were. If they already knew basic vampire lore, so much the better.

She picked up the first test.

Circle all answers that apply:

Vampires

a. have hairy palms

b. can turn into mist

c. are repelled by crosses and garlic

d. cast no reflection in a mirror

e. can control the weather

f. have bad breath

g. can change shape

h. can shield their presence

i. will be burned by holy water and/or silver

j. can be destroyed by burning or beheading

k. can't cross running water
…

Regan found herself mentally answering the questions as they applied to Santiago while she graded the paper. Santiago didn't have hairy palms. Quite the contrary, his hands were smooth and gentle when they caressed her. He had told her he could turn into mist. She didn't know if he was repelled by crosses, but she had it from his own lips that a vampire's aversion to garlic was just a myth. He could see himself in a mirror, but she didn't know if he could control the weather. He most definitely didn't have bad breath. She had seen him change into a wolf, and quite a handsome wolf, at that… odd, that Vasile looked ugly and misshapen in wolf form while Santiago simply looked like a wolf. She knew he could shield his presence when he wished. She didn't know what the effects of holy water or silver would be on him, but she assumed both would burn him, just as beheading or fire would destroy him. She was pretty sure the running water thing was a myth. After all, he had crossed oceans…

Santiago, Santiago, no matter where she was, he was constantly in her thoughts. Though she disliked being a werewolf, it assured her of seeing him two nights of every month.

It wasn't enough. What if she never found Vasile? Not that she was looking, but only because she had no idea where to look. She didn't know if he had left the city or left the country. Santiago was certain that the werewolf would return soon, but werewolves, like vampires, didn't view the passage of time the same way mortals did. Soon could be a month from now, or a year, or a century.

To live so long, she thought, and realized for the first time that she, too, could expect to live a very, very long time. What if Vasile eluded her for five years? Ten? Fifty? Did she want to remain alone all that time? As long as she was a werewolf, she couldn't enjoy a normal relationship with a human male. When viewed through the lens of a hundred years or more, did it really make sense to refuse Santiago? She might tire of him in a century or so. He might grow weary of her. But until then, why was she denying herself the joy she found in his company? He was the only one who truly understood her. And he loved her, loved her enough to respect her wishes, to run at her side when the moon was full. And she loved him. They could have a good life together…

Even as the thought crossed her mind, a little voice asked if she would feel the same if she managed to rid herself of the curse. Would she still be happy to share her life with a vampire? And what of children? Santiago couldn't father a child, but there were other ways. Adoption. Sperm donors… She shook her head. She could see herself now, sitting on the bed with her child, trying to explain why daddy couldn't take him to the zoo or go to the park and play catch on a summer day, and why mommy turned furry when the moon was full.

She shook the thought aside. Kids were flexible. Having a dad who couldn't go outside in the daytime wasn't much different than having a dad who worked nights and slept days. But a mother who turned into a wolf? How would she explain that?

With a shake of her head, she stuffed the tests into her briefcase and left the building. Vampires, werewolves, children, marriage—none of it mattered. What mattered was that she loved Joaquin Santiago and she wasn't going to let another day go by without asking him to forgive her for being such an idiot. She loved him and she needed him and she intended to have him, all of him, now, tonight.

Whistling softly, she jumped into the car and headed for his place, glad that it was Friday night. If she was lucky, they could make love all weekend long.

Santiago stared at the woman standing in the doorway. Was she really there, or had his insatiable need for her conjured her image?

"Regan?"

"Hi," she said softly. "Can I come in?"

She wasn't a figment of his tortured imagination after all. "Of course."

He stepped back, allowing her entrance to his lair in the Byways, then closed and locked the door. He stood there a moment, inhaling the fragrance of her hair and skin, the alluring scent of her blood, appreciating the beauty of her face and form. He didn't know why she was there, but it didn't matter. The fact that she was there was like an unexpected gift and he intended to savor it for as long as possible.

He gestured toward the sofa. "Please, sit."

She remained standing, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No. Is something wrong?"

"No. Yes." Taking a deep breath, she crossed her arms over her chest. "I…"

He tilted his head to one side. "Go on."

"I love you."

He lifted one brow. "I know."

"Do you still love me?"

He frowned at her. "Of course."

"Remember when you said you wouldn't mind marrying a werewolf?"

A faint smile touched the corners of his mouth. "Yes."

"Would you mind marrying me?"

"Are you proposing?"

"Yes. Should I get down on one knee?"

He laughed softly as he drew her into his embrace. "No, my love. I will marry you whenever you wish." He dropped kisses across her cheek, her nose, her lips. "What has changed your mind?"

"I guess I just came to my senses. I love you and I need you and tonight I asked myself why we were apart. I'm happy only when I'm with you."

"What of children?"

"I don't know. Maybe we could adopt or… I don't know. I just know I don't want to live another day, or night, without you."

"Regan, do you remember the promise I made you?"

"You promised to see that I have everything I want."

"Yes. Are you sure this is what you want? That I am what you want?"

"Very sure."

"What of the future? What if you destroy Vasile and break the curse? I cannot promise that I will let you go if you change your mind."

"I won't change my mind. I've given it a lot of thought," she said, laughing softly. "I don't think I've thought of anything else in the last few weeks."

He looked at her a moment, as if weighing her sincerity, and then he kissed her, long and hard, and she knew there was no going back. This was where she belonged. Werewolf or mortal, for now and always, this was where she wanted to be.

When he would have broken the kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close, her tongue sliding over his lower lip, her body pressing against his in silent invitation.

"Regan." He murmured her name, his voice ragged. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, aren't you?"

"I do not want you to be sorry later."

"I won't be," she said, and taking him by the hand, she led him into the bedroom. "I want you," she whispered, her voice husky. "More than ever."

She didn't have to tell him again. Drawing her into his arms, he kissed her, his hands making short work of her clothing until she stood naked before him.

Naked and blushing furiously.

He found it most becoming.

Biting down on her lower lip, she drew his shirt over his head, unfastened his belt, and removed his trousers.

Her blush deepened at the visible sign of his desire.

She sighed when he drew her into his arms and carried her to bed.

"You are beautiful," he murmured.

"So are you."

"Indeed." He kissed her then, a long deep kiss that made her toes curl with anticipation while her imagination conjured images of their entwined bodies writhing on black satin sheets.

Lifting her into his arms, Santiago drew back the covers on the bed and lowered her to the mattress, then stretched out beside her.

Regan shivered with trepidation when she felt the cool reality of those satin sheets against her bare back.

"Still sure?" he asked, sensing her hesitation.

"Yes, it's just that… well, you see, I've…"

"Go on."

"I've never done this before," she confessed in a rush.

"Never?" He shook his head in disbelief. "How can that be?"

"Well, I… I just…" She looked away, her face heating with embarrassment. "I promised my grandmother I'd wait until I was married or twenty-one, whichever came first."

"Are you telling me you are not twenty-one?"

"No, but, well, when I went into vampire hunting, dates got kind of scarce."

"What of Flynn? You never… ?"

"We've only been dating seriously for a few months. Besides, I never loved him that way."

Santiago rolled onto his back, one arm across his eyes.

Wishing she could just disappear, Regan pulled the covers up to her chin. "I thought you'd be pleased."

He rolled onto his side to face her. "I am," he said, "more than you can imagine."

"Then why did you stop?"

Leaning forward, he kissed the tip of her nose. "I have thought of this moment since the first night I saw you, but I did not expect you to be untouched. To my surprise, I find that I do not want to take my bride's virginity before we are wed."

"So you're turning me down?"

"Only for an hour or so." Taking her by the hand, he pulled her into a sitting position. "Get dressed," he said with a grin, "and let us get married."

Regan shook her head as reality set in. "No one will marry us." It was against the law for vampires and humans to marry. The law defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. That didn't include the Undead.

"Let me worry about the details," Santiago said.

"I need a dress," Regan said. "Shoes. And what about my parents…" She frowned. Inviting her parents might not be such a good idea. Her mother would want to know every tiny detail of how Regan and Santiago met, and every tiny detail of his life before that. "Well, I definitely need a dress."

"Tomorrow evening then?" Santiago asked. "I will pick you up at seven."

She didn't want to wait, but she had never been married before and if she couldn't have a big ceremony with her family in attendance, she at least wanted to wear a beautiful white wedding gown. After all, she deserved it!

Laughing, Regan threw herself into Santiago's arms.

"What is so funny?" he asked, his brows drawing together in a frown.

"Nothing," she said, "I'm just so happy." Happier than she had ever been before, and that alone told her that she had made the right decision.

Santiago groaned softly. "I cannot guarantee you will be a virgin tomorrow night if you do not get up and get dressed."

"Find me tempting, do you?" she asked with a saucy grin.

"More than you can imagine."

She ran her finger down his chest. "I find you very tempting, too, you know."

"Regan." His voice was low and husky. "I am warning you."

"Oh, all right." Wrapping the sheet around her, she got off the bed. "I've waited this long. I guess I can wait one more night, but it won't be easy."

He grunted softly. His whole body, his every sense, was attuned to Regan. He smelled her desire, her excitement, her trepidation.

"Turn around," she said.

He lifted one brow. "A little late for modesty, is it not?"

"Never mind," she said primly. "Just turn around."

With a shake of his head, he put his back to her.

He didn't have to see her to know what she was doing. He heard the rustle of the sheet, the whisper of soft cotton as she drew on her underwear, the heavier sound of her clothing sliding over her skin.

"Aren't you going to get dressed?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Of course." With a complete and utter lack of modesty, he rose and reached for his briefs. "You may watch, if you wish."

Heat flooded her neck and washed into her cheeks, but she didn't turn around. Clad in nothing but a pair of snug black silk briefs, Joaquin Santiago, vampire, was the most exotic, gorgeous creature she had ever seen.

And tomorrow night, all that mouthwatering masculinity would be all hers.