The Vampire's Bride (3 page)

She tried in vain to fix her hair.

“It’s only really good for funeral parlors, and even then it makes me yawn.” Alaric slid off the bed and fastened his trousers up. He looked pleased with himself.

Josephine was tempted to yell at the smug-looking vampire behind her, but the thing was, it wasn’t just his fault, and they both knew it.

“You can’t marry Dimwit now. It’s bad form to fuck another man on your wedding day.” He walked to where she stood.

Josephine turned on him. “You made me!”

“You grabbed my cock and used words like ‘harder.’”

“Tacky of you to mention that.” She gave up on her hair and started to pull at the satin folds of her skirt. They were screwed beyond repair. “And I am getting married.” She needed to get the vampire out of her blood.
Marrying Dimwit—I mean Jimmy—will do
that.

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“You certainly are. To me.”

“You?” That was the last thing Josephine expected. Alaric was all hot, naughty sex with no commitment. “Don’t be ridiculous. You may be immortal, but you suck at forever.”

“Is it just because I’m a vampire?”

Josephine poked her finger into his chest. “No, it’s because you have no sense of commitment.”

“There’s been no one but you. God knows there are times I wanted to, but—”

“But?”

“I kept seeing your face and feeling you under me, and I could think of no one but you. You are my true love.”

Josephine rolled her eyes. “What a load of bullshit. You just want me because another man has me.”

Alaric lifted and shook his finger. “He hasn’t had you yet, and nor will he. Now, let’s go.”

“What? Go? I’m staying right here.” Josephine wasn’t about to be ordered about by any man, let alone one who had made no attempt to see her in eight months.

“You’re not marrying Dimwit. I need you with me, baby. Clearly you cannot be left to your own devices. You go off and try marrying the first boring man you come across.”

“How did you know I was getting married?” Why had he appeared after all this time?

“I hear things.” Alaric wrapped an arm around her waist.

“So this is a possession thing? You want me just because another man does. ”

“No, I want you because you are mine.”

Josephine barely refrained from delivering a lecture on the perils of being a male chauvinist pig. “What about Richard?” There had to be more to this than just sex and ownership. Nothing was ever so simple with Alaric. Besides, if she fell back into line with Alaric, Josephine knew she would run into Richard. Had he thought about
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that? There was no way she could promise she wouldn’t lust after the other vampire.

“He’s chasing some woman he thinks he’s in love with. It’s the perfect time for us to take possession of Maverick House.”

Richard and another woman.
Interesting.
It might be worth going back to Maverick House just to see that. But in the end, Josephine knew, both cousins wanted two things—first and foremost, Maverick House, and second, available pussy without any real commitment.

“So this is just about who gets the house.”

“Yes and no—I want you both.”

Or course he did. Alaric always wanted everything at once. “Well, I’m not going.” She dug her heels in.

Alaric swore at the sound of knocking at the door. “We don’t have time for this.” He snapped his fingers, and they disappeared.

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Two years ago

Maverick House was enormous. That was the first impression Josephine got every time she saw it. Set in the tree-filled grounds beside the Brisbane River, the house was a presence all by itself. It stood as if it were impervious to all and belonged to no one. The sandstone façade and the high gabled roof did not fit any particular time period Josephine was aware of, and certainly not with the solid timber colonial houses that were built at the turn of the nineteenth century. Maverick House was Gothic and stood out as if daring others to make something of it.

Josephine had stumbled across Maverick House had been two years ago when she had been working the temp job for the solicitors.

She had been given the task to drive important papers out from the city office to a client to sign. Problem was, Josephine had not been paying attention to the address, and instead of 101 River Drive, she had ended up at number 131 and Maverick House. Her first glimpse of the imposing structure had her staring in dropped-jaw wonder.

Why? She wasn’t sure. Maybe it was because the house was so vastly different to anything she had seen before. Maybe it was the fact that a strange sensation gripped at her when she knocked on the front door.

Or more likely it was the fact that Alaric himself answered the door in nothing more than low-slung jeans and a smile.

“I…er…ah, I was looking for Mr. Quinn at 101 River Drive.”

Josephine had commanded herself not to look at the naked male torso before her, but that had been damned near impossible. To not look
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would have been wrong. Such male beauty never came her way. She had clutched the folio of papers to her chest and wondered about men and sex and orgasms and wondered why none of them seemed anywhere in her future.

“You have 131 River Drive and me.”

“Oh.”
If only I did have you for just a minute…the things I could
do.

“You don’t want me?”

“Oh, I do—that is, no, er, um…that is, I’m supposed to get papers signed, and you’re not who I thought you were.”

He smiled. “Few of us ever are.”

“That’s true.” Josephine stared at his mouth. Although his lips were kissable, there was something else that caught her eye. His teeth were weird. Just a glimpse was enough to confirm to her even the most beautiful people had flaws, and his were his teeth. Some appeared longer than others.

“Do you want to come inside?” He stepped aside to allow her entry.

“Yes. I mean no.” Good girls—even sexually frustrated girls—did not wander into a gorgeous, unknown man’s house.
Did they?

“I’m wondering if you’re more intrigued than confused.”

I’m more horny than anything else
. It had been months since Josephine last had sex, and even then she could barely remember what it felt like to have a cock inside her. “I should be going.”

“Should?”

“I’m supposed to be working.” The temp jobs were okay. She could leave one and pick up another whenever she liked, but they weren’t stimulating. Not like looking at this man was.
Now if they
paid me by the hour to do him…

“How boring.” He moved inside.

Josephine instinctively followed. “Yeah, it is. What do you do?”

She looked around the interior. It screamed money and influence and
What the hell are you doing in here, temp woman?

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“Nothing.”

“You don’t work?” If not working got you all this, Josephine was ready to take a crack at it as a career move.

“Nope.”

“Why not?” It was none of her business, but the idea of being the idle rich appealed greatly to her.

“I don’t have to.”

“Rich?” And beautiful.
Typical
. She was overweight and average, hence her crummy pay rate.

“Disgustingly so.”

“Well, I better go.”

“Stay with me.”

Josephine was confused. “What?”

“You fascinate me.”

“How?” What could this man possibly see in her? They couldn’t be less opposite if they tried.

“Because you’re fresh and beautiful and you don’t realize it.”

Josephine understood then. “You’re supposed to say no to drugs.”

“My name is Alaric, and I only go for natural highs.”

“I’m Josephine, and you mean like chocolate?”
I so wish I could
marry a man like this or just have marathon sex with him. Whichever
came first. I’m not picky.

“Like orgasms.”

Oh yeah, I’m going to have to drive back to the city squirming in
my seat
. Even the way he said the word made her wet with need.

“Um…”

“Yes?” Alaric watched her with interest.

“The thing is I don’t sleep with just anyone.”
But, for you, I could
make an exception.

Alaric nodded. “That’s good because I don’t plan for us to sleep.”

Gorgeous and smart.
Thank you, fate, for making me have a lousy
sense of direction
. “I meant, you know, sex.”

“I know sex very well.”

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The husky tone of his voice made her tremble. “I bet you do.”

He took the papers from her. “’Ever met someone you wanted the moment you met them?”

“Yesss.” Josephine sighed the word.

“Who?”

“You.”

Alaric chuckled. “The feeling is mutual, baby.”

Baby?
Josephine’s mouth was suddenly dry. “Me?” she croaked out.

“Yes.” There was no hesitation whatsoever in his voice.

“But I have papers to deliver and stuff.”

“Stuff can wait.” Alaric pulled her to him.

“Oh…” His body against hers was the best feeling in the world.

“You feel fantastic.” It probably wasn’t the most sophisticated thing to say, but his chuckle made her shiver.

“As do you.”

“Really?”
Have I walked into a parallel universe where I’m
suddenly desirable?

“Yes, really.” Alaric rubbed her pelvis against hers. “I need you.”

No one had ever said that to her before. “This is like a dream.”

Alaric kissed her nose. “This is very much yours and my reality.

I’ve been waiting for you, Josephine.”

Her mouth dropped open, and he took advantage of that and kissed her. All past kisses were obliterated from her mind. This man’s kiss was the only one worth knowing. There was passion and desire in his lips. When his tongue met hers, Josephine sighed. The taste of his mouth was intoxicating. The weirdness of his teeth was forgotten as the kiss deepened.

“Damn.” Alaric’s mouth left hers as he started pulling at her clothes.

“What?” Was damn good or bad? Undressing her had to be a good sign, though. Josephine tugged at his belt buckle.

“I wanted to take this slow.” Alaric moved her towards the stairs.

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“Oh.” Normally Josephine could do slow. But not now. She was like a woman possessed as she pulled his zipper down and freed his cock.
Oh boy, all that just for me.
It would have been impolite to ignore it. She touched the tip of his dick.

Alaric closed his eyes. “Bloody hell.” He pulled his jeans down, kicking his legs free.

Mine, mine, mine
. Josephine felt a surge of power shoot into her veins. While it was true most men were slaves to their dick and organized their thoughts accordingly around its desires, it was exciting for Josephine to know this man was out of control under her.

Her clothes were dropping off her body and hitting the floor at an astonishing speed—almost as if by magic. And then Alaric was holding her close, skin to skin, as he started walking her up the stairs.

Josephine stumbled and fell against the treads, her ass landing flat on one of them. Alaric was upon her, his body spreading her legs, his lips on hers while his hands roamed between her thighs, pulling her open and forward for his pleasure.

“Fuck me.” Never in her life had Josephine said that before, but she loved the sound of it. It was raw and earthy.

“Yes, ma’am.” There was no subtlety here. She was wet and ready. He was hard and ready. His cock plunged into her cunt with no further need for foreplay. This was pure hunger. Man. Woman. Need.

Josephine panted under the onslaught of cock. The stairs were not the most comfortable place for sex, but she didn’t care. If this man stopped now, she would scream. His steady, deep thrusts were driving her wild. His mouth on her neck was hot and demanding. Josephine knew she would have a huge love bite tomorrow, but she couldn’t care less. It was not every day a gorgeous man wanted her. But even through her haze of lust, reality kicked in. “Wait, we need a condom.”

Riding bare with this stranger was not smart.

“No, we don’t, baby.” Alaric did not lessen the pace of his thrusts.

“Why not?”

“I can’t get you pregnant. I’m a vampire.”

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“You’re a what?” And then she felt the reality of his words as his fangs sank into her neck. Josephine gripped at his shoulders, unsure whether she was trying to push him away or pull him closer. The wild rush of heat that tore through her body was all she could think about.

His cock was pounding her cunt, and his mouth was fastened on her neck, sucking possessively.

Josephine cried out long and hard as the orgasm hit. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. She shook and shuddered and clung on to Alaric for fear of falling. She felt him come hot inside her, and that rush of cum felt weird but right. No man had ever been allowed to come like that between her legs. But then Alaric was like no other man she had ever met.

His mouth left her neck. She felt no pain. Her skin tingled.

“This is just the beginning, baby.”

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The present

Josephine stood looking at those same steps now. What madness that had been. Lust had overwhelmed her, and she had given in. It had been a crazy six months with Alaric. It was crazy, wonderful, and in so many ways unrealistic. He was a vampire. He didn’t play by anyone’s rules but his own. Alaric saw no reason for Josephine to work. She saw no reason in his obsession with Maverick House. Why he couldn’t share with his cousin was beyond her.

“There’s magic in the house, baby. Can’t you feel it? Richard doesn’t have the strength to handle it.”

And Josephine didn’t have the patience to deal with Alaric’s mania for a Gothic pile of bricks. It was about then when he suddenly disappeared from her life. Josephine figured whatever they had must have run its course. She was sad but stoic. Life went on, and so did she. Her plan was to be more wary of who she allowed into her life and body, hence the reason she was going to marry Jimmy. He was like a declaration of intent.
And he’s probably wondering what the
hell is going on.