Her Vampire Mate (4 page)

“No?” His fingers curled around her wrist and when she tried to pull away, he held fast.

“No.” She tugged again and got her hand free. As soon as he released her she wished she’d left her hand where it was. What the hell was she supposed to do with this? She wanted him so badly but she couldn’t want him. Couldn’t possibly.

“Who’s going to know if we spend our nights together?” His voice sounded silky. “What’s it going to hurt?”

Jennalynn leaned toward him. “I’m a werewolf,” she said softly.

“I noticed. And I must say, the forbidden quality of our joining would make it just that much sweeter.”

She blinked. At least she knew why she wasn’t falling for his seduction. He didn’t want her. He didn’t even know her. He wanted a roll in the hay, preferably something taboo because that would make it more thrilling. How, how could the fates have mated her with this man?

Chapter 4

Antonio had wondered if the wolf would fall for his seduction. Getting a woman into bed often threw her off her game. Not that he wouldn’t thoroughly enjoy every inch of Jennalynn but the seduction served a higher purpose. If he couldn’t shake her then he needed to shake her up.

She didn’t seem to be falling for the seduction but something was bothering her. She alternated hot and cold, giving him searing glances then snatching herself away each time he reached out to her. If he could only figure out what was in her head, he could capitalize on it.

He leaned back in his seat. “We have some time to kill. Tell me about yourself.”

She hesitated. “Time?”

“I know you heard what the waitress told me. It’ll be another hour until the mark’s girlfriend comes in to work. Although if you’d rather go run some errands than wait, I’d be happy to stay here by myself.”

“Not on your life.”

He grinned. “That’s what I thought you’d say. So. Tell me about yourself.” He hadn’t lied when he’d told her he felt drawn to her. He’d never experienced anything like it. He’d been attracted to many women over the centuries. Hell, he loved women. But this was different. He wanted to know everything about her. If she weren’t going after the same prize he was, he wouldn’t stop at anything to have her.

But she was. And he couldn’t.

“Not much to say,” she said after a moment.

“You can’t be serious. You’re what—in your twenties?”

“Thirties.”

“I agree, it’s a mere blink of the eye, but still. You must have interests, passions. What do you want out of life? What makes you get out of bed in the morning?” He leaned forward. “What makes you aroused?”

Her nose crinkled, eyes tightening. “Aroused? Gods, don’t you ever think about anything else?”

“Arousal doesn’t have to be sexual. I meant it quite innocently.”

“Right.”

“All right, then. I’ll start.” What could he tell her that wouldn’t hurt him later? “I was born in Florence in what is now Italy in 1480.”

“The Renaissance.”

“Very good. Yes, I was a compatriot of Michaelangelo Buonarroti and Leonardo Da Vinci. But unlike Michaelangelo and DaVinci, I discovered I had skills in another area. Poison.”

She shifted in her seat. “I heard the Medicis liked to use poisons a lot.”

“They did. And I was one of their poisoners. Not that poison is my only weapon. I can use other methods to kill people but I’m particularly good with the poisons.”

Her eyes met his. “You’re using present tense. Are you still a poisoner?”

He paused. What would his beautiful wolf think of him if he admitted it? He didn’t want her to think badly of him. Then again, he couldn’t have her anyway, so maybe it was best if he pushed her away now.

Or could he? What if he kept tabs on her and approached her a few months from now, long after this job was over? Could he have her then?

“Don’t want to answer?” she said.

“I like to keep my hand in,” he said. She’d already guessed that much because he’d slipped up and used present tense. But he didn’t have to tell her the whole truth—that he made the bulk of his living as a hitman, and a good one at that.

She pinned him with her gaze. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but it didn’t seem positive.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never killed,” he said. He’d heard about the wolves and their ‘challenges.’ Even when the matches weren’t to the death, werewolves died or were maimed for life.

“I’ve killed,” she said. “But never for money.”

“For rank. You think killing for power is different from killing for money? At least I’m doing it to survive.”

“So am I.”

Were they really fighting over whose killings were more virtuous? He had no doubt she’d win if she really knew what he was and how many he’d killed. He’d lost count sometime in his first century. And that was six hundred years ago.

“All right, I’ve told you about myself,” he said. “Now it’s your turn.”

Jennalynn put her hands on the table and gazed at a spot just two inches to the left of his head. He gave her a moment, taking the time to observe the delicate bones in her face, the faint, faded freckles that still appeared near her hairline and her full pink lips covered only by what looked like clear gloss.

God, he wanted to kiss her.

“I’m a fighter,” she said. “And I love to read. Mostly history, whether non-fiction or historical fiction.”

“Or historical romance?” he said.

Her cheeks turned pink. “Some of them are quite good.”

“I have no doubt.” Did his warrior wolf feel embarrassed about her romance reading with everyone or just Antonio? She seemed to have a wall around her three feet thick but he couldn’t tell if that was her natural way or if she’d put the wall up solely for him. Either way, he liked the image of her curled up in an easy chair getting turned on by sex scenes in the pages of a book. That was the kind of woman he could totally go for.

But again, he couldn’t. Unless it was later…much later.

“What’s your favorite historical time period?” he said. If he’d lived then, maybe they’d have something to talk about after all.

She shifted in her seat. “I like a variety of different periods. I kind of go in spurts. Lately I’ve been reading a lot about the Middle Ages.”

He deflated. “A bit before my time. Anything you like that’s more recent?”

She smirked at him. The little wolf actually smirked. “Trying to find common ground?”

“It’s usually a good idea.”

“Fine. At different times in the past, I’ve been interested in the American Civil War, World War II, the Regency period in England, the King Arthur legends, and I have a particular interest in Henry VIII. Not sure why. I’m also enthralled with The White Queen TV series right now, which is part of what drew me back a little further toward the Middle Ages.”

She hadn’t been kidding—she really was interested in history. “A lot of that centers around English history. Any particular reason why?”

“I went to university in Great Britain.”

Aha. And now they made more headway. He was about to ask which school she’d attended when the cute little waitress from before stopped by their table.

She glanced at Jennalynn then turned her back on her. To Antonio, she said, “She’s here. Came in early.”

“Where?”

The waitress looked toward the bar and motioned with her head. “The one with the short bob.”

Antonio pulled a fifty out of his pocket and tucked it into the waitress’s apron, catching her eyes. “Thank you, sweetheart. You won’t remember me or our conversation. Just know the money is yours. No need to share it with the other servers.”

She smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “Go.”

As she left, Jennalynn said, “That’s a handy trick.”

“It gets the job done.”

“Don’t try it on me.”

“I wouldn’t.” He caught one of her hands in his. “I want you to remember every second you spend with me.”

She laughed and pulled her hand out of his. “You sure are full of lines.”

“Lines? No, love. I’m full of love.” He sighed dramatically. “Fine. Let’s go talk to the waitress.”

“I have a better idea. Let’s get her to come to us.”

“Why wait?” he said.

“I think it’s a better idea.” She shrugged. “I guess this is where we part ways.” She raised her glass. “Good luck.”

He leaned toward her. “Why do I think you don’t mean that?”

Antonio hated to get up from the table knowing that if everything went well, he might not see her again. “What’s your last name again?” At least if he had her full name, he could track her down.

“I didn’t say.”

“I know. That’s why I’m asking.”

Her eyes looked sad as she gazed at him. “Go talk to your waitress.”

He didn’t want to leave but he had a job to do. He’d just have to keep an eye on her and…do something. This couldn’t be the last time he saw her. He wouldn’t let it be.

***

Still, as he turned his back on Jennalynn it hurt in a way he wasn’t used to. What was it about that woman that got to him?

The waitress who was Kent’s girlfriend stood at the bar chatting with the bartender. Antonio waited until the bartender stepped away and then sidled up to her.

“Hi,” he said.

She jumped. “Oh! I didn’t see you there.” She took a large step back from him.

Antonio had thought about the best way to approach this woman. Seduction and flirtation worked on a lot of women but was less effective if the woman had a man, as Kent’s girlfriend did. So he’d decided to play it straight. That would also cover him in case the first waitress had tipped her off.

“Listen. I heard you’re dating Phillip Kent. I owe Phillip some money and I was just wondering if you knew where I could find him.”

She backed away some more. “I haven’t seen Phil. I don’t know where to find him. I’ve got to get to work.” She walked away before he could say anything else.

Chasing after her seemed like a bad idea, so he sat down on a bar stool and waited instead. He’d ask her again when she came back.

After several minutes, he wondered
if
she would come back. She visited a few tables, took orders, glanced at Antonio, then moved to the next table without handing in the orders. Was he really spooking her that much?

When the waitress stopped at Jennalynn’s table, Jennalynn spoke to her for a few seconds. The waitress left with a smile on her face. What had Jennalynn said to her?

The waitress approached the bar on the far side from Antonio and quickly gave the bartender her orders. He scowled when he saw how many she had stacked up. She then gave Antonio a wide berth as she went to her next table.

Damnation. He didn’t usually strike out so fantastically with women. Come to think of it, he hadn’t done well with Jennalynn either. Maybe the stars weren’t aligned in his favor tonight.

***

Shortly after Antonio left to approach the waitress, the bar turned on loud, pounding music that hurt Jennalynn’s ears. It was all she could do not to cover them up to protect them from the onslaught.

Bars did it on purpose; they knew many creatures like shifters and vampires had more sensitive hearing that human beings. If they wanted to promote a monster-free zone, they cranked up the volume. What could a werewolf do—cry to the police? Right.

So Jennalynn couldn’t hear a word Antonio said to the waitress but she could read the woman’s body language. Fear, bordering on sheer terror. Apparently Antonio’s methods hadn’t worked as well as he thought they would.

Jennalynn hadn’t been sure but she preferred to take the low-key approach whenever possible. So when the waitress stopped at Jennalynn’s table, Jennalynn ordered another drink, cracked a joke suggesting her boyfriend had stood her up and never mentioned Kent at all. The waitress laughed. Jennalynn had won round one.

Jennalynn pulled out a ten and left it on the table. The drink was just a soda—maybe three bucks. The rest was tip.

Later, when the waitress came back with her drink, Jennalynn shook her head. “He still hasn’t shown.”

“Men, huh?” the waitress said. “Assholes, every one of them.”

“They can be sweet sometimes,” Jennalynn said. “I guess that’s why we keep them around.”

“Yeah, sweet when they want something. But if
you
want something, they’re like vapor.”

Jennalynn laughed. “Vapor. I like that.”

The waitress tapped her shoulder. “You hang in there.”

“Thanks.”

Jennalynn sipped her soda. She’d have to come up with a reason to stay a while longer or Kent’s girlfriend would get suspicious. Hell, if some guy really had stood Jennalynn up, she would’ve left by now.

She pulled out her phone as though it was ringing and held it to her ear. It felt really awkward to pretend to have a phone conversation but it wasn’t like anyone could hear her over the pounding music. She just wanted to make it look like her fictional loser boyfriend had finally called and that was why Jennalynn was going to stick around a little longer.