Jillian walked into the living room but didn’t sit. Instead, she stood in front of my sofa table and stared at the silver frames lining it. She picked one of them up and studied the photograph.

“How old were you in this?” She held up the frame, looking over her shoulder. My eyes fell to the picture of me with my younger sister Rebekah. We had been close despite our ten year age difference. I hadn’t seen her since I was sixteen but that didn’t stop me from wondering what kind of woman she’d turned out to be.

“I was fifteen.”

“And who’s this?” She tapped her finger over Rebekah’s face.

“My sister.” Rebekah had the same raven colored hair as me, and her eyes were so brightgreen they resembled spring grass. I smiled as I imagined how beautiful she must be now.

“I had a sister too,” Jillian responded more to herself than me. She stared at the photograph for another long second before placing it back on the table. When she turned to face us, she noticed Penny and I were staring at her.

“Did she pass away?” Penny asked, her voice soft.

“Wha—no, my family disowned me when I decided to become a vampire. My parents were afraid I would drain them dry.” She rolled her eyes. “Haven’t seen or heard from them in almost four years.”

“I’m sorry,” I told her. “I know what it’s like to have an insensitive family. I’m sure you’ll see your sister again someday, when she’s old enough to decide for herself whether she wants to see you or not.”

Jillian snorted. “My sister is older than me. If she wanted to reach out, she would have by now.”

“At least you’ve got us,” Penny beamed, making me smile. I knew she was doing it just to annoy Jillian, and Jillian knew it too.

“Lucky me.”

“Okay, back to business,” I said. “The front doors may be closed, but thanks to Penny, we have the internet sales. Those will still need to be packaged and shipped each week. I made up a schedule.” I flipped open a folder and handed a piece of paper to both girls. “Each of you has keys to the shop. I just ask that you keep the door locked while there. Just in case. I’m not saying another rogue will pop up but it’s better to be safe.”

“Oh, is it a girls’ night?” Lauren stood in the doorway, a smile stretching her lips. She had been out doing recon, or so she said.

“Just a work meeting,” I told her. Turning my attention back to Jillian and Penny I said, “Do you guys have any questions?” Both girls shook their heads. Now that my business was situated, I felt a lot better, and Penny and Jillian wouldn’t have to look for another job.

“If you’re done, we have somewhere to be,” Lauren said, her face growing serious.

“Where?” I looked up from the folder in my hands.

Lauren gestured with her head for me to follow her into the kitchen. Excusing myself, I got up and walked over to where Lauren stood by the counter.

“What is it?”

“Aiden has asked me to bring you to Vain.”

I arched a brow. That news didn’t seem as important as she was making it.

“The VC is in town and they’ve requested a meeting with you. Aiden wants to do it at Vain so that his vampires are there, in case things get out of hand.”

“You know,” I said, “it would be nice if just for once, someone had good news.”

Chapter Ten

Vain is in a long rectangular building. The outside was painted black, and the tinted windows looked like liquid silk as the lights reflected off them. Above the door hung a black sign with the word Vain in red neon, a drop of blood hanging from the center of the V. Gripping the handle, I opened the door and waited for Lauren to enter. She hung back, arms crossed and apprehension coloring her delicate features.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t go in,” she all but whispered. I had to stick my head out to capture her words fading into the night wind.

“What do you mean, you can’t go in? Aiden hired you to protect me. I mean, that is why you moved into my apartment, right?”

“Yes, and I’ll be out here when you’re done. But I cannot go inside. Aiden knows why.” Lauren’s voice grew stiff, her blue eyes piercing.

I shrugged. “Fine.” I stepped inside and let the door close behind me. “Shouldn’t I be the one terrified of entering?” I mumbled to myself.

The inside of the club had a red, black and white color scheme. The walls were covered in black and gray damask wallpaper. Various two-person love seats were ranged along the wall, while the dance floor was situated in the middle of the room. Off to the left, a bar made of black marble stretched along the wall. Rows of alcohol bottles were perched on black glass shelves, red lights beneath to cast an eerie glow. The floor was covered in black slate tile and hanging lights with red shades fell from the ceiling, their bulbs barely casting enough illumination on the space below them. Seeing wasn’t necessarily difficult for me, but it wasn’t easy either. Silhouettes of bodies cast shadows against the walls, only visible when the dance lights cut across the floor and revealed their identity.

Arms slid beneath mine, languid yet possessive. I didn’t need to see the person’s face to know that it was Aiden behind me; my body was attuned to his energy. The air around me thickened as Aiden slipped one of his hands free and trailed a finger down my arm while holding me against his chest with the other. My eyes closed briefly, relishing the familiar ecstasy. For just a moment, I didn’t want to think about what he’d done, why we were apart or the impending meeting with the VC. If only it were that easy. My newfound spirit walker powers wouldn’t allow me absolute ignorance. The death rolling off Aiden twined with his energy and sent goose bumps flitting up my arms. I tried to push the feeling away, to ignore the truth of his past.

Aiden settled his face against mine, his mouth brushing my ear. The sound of his tongue rolling across his lips as he licked them was an intoxicating seduction that stirred the fire within me. No matter whether Aiden and I were together or apart, I would always be attracted to him, had been since I first met him. It only made being away from him that much harder.

“The VC does not know that we aren’t together,” he whispered, a kiss behind my ear following his words. “It would be best if they didn’t find out. Without a vampire consort you’re fair game.”

I hadn’t realized my eyes had slipped all the way closed until Aiden’s embrace disappeared. When my eyelids opened sluggishly, he was standing in front of me. His blue eyes broke through the darkness: penetrating and hungry. He watched me for only a second before he stepped forward, his hand disappearing in my hair as he cradled my face and kissed me hard. His mouth claimed my tongue, sucking and twirling in a delicious battle to bring me to my knees.

When he broke the kiss, my breathing was heavy. I traced my swollen lips with my fingertips, averting my eyes from Aiden’s. Oh, man, I was on a slippery slope. If Aiden kissed me like that again, reason and sense wouldn’t penetrate through my desire to have all of him.

“I’ve missed the taste of your lips, my Gwen.”

“Don’t say things like that,” I breathed. “And you shouldn’t kiss me.”

A devious smirk lifted one side of his mouth up. “So I can still affect you; is that what you’re saying?”

“The VC—”

“Can wait,” Aiden stepped closer, towering over me like a dark seductive shadow. He kept advancing until the only option I had left was to step backwards. When the wall stopped my retreat, his smirk grew into a full-blown smile. He reached an arm up and rested it against the wall, while his other hand settled on my hip, his fingers gripping my waist.

“My blood runs in your veins. I know how turned on you are right now, my Gwen.”

The techno music beat against the walls, sending short vibrations running against my back. Vain was crowded, but all I could see was Aiden’s athletic lean body in front of me. My eyes fell to his full lips, and I licked my own in remembrance of how they tasted. Aiden yanked my hips toward his body, my pelvis smacking against his in a delightful collision. A moan slipped through my lips before I could stop it. Aiden’s mouth was busy suckling against my throat, his tongue licking an upward path. For the love of god, he felt good against my body, an enticing drug that promised the ultimate high. I could lose myself to this man and not realize I was lost.

Someone clearing his throat made me snap open my eyes. Aiden leaned up slowly, more annoyed about being disturbed than embarrassed. When I realized I had his shirt fisted in both of my hands, I quickly let go. Aiden smiled at me before turning toward our interrupter.

“Aaron does not appreciate being kept waiting while you grope your witch,” the man said. “His words, not mine.” The man looked out of place in his jeans and sweatshirt. A baseball hat pulled low on his head obscured his features in the shadows.

“My apologies,” Aiden said dipping his head. “But can you blame me for wanting to stay in her company instead of theirs?”

Though I couldn’t see the man’s eyes, I could feel them observing me.

He shrugged. “She’s no Alana.”

Ouch, that stung. Alana was Aaron’s sister and a member of the Vampire Council. She is also Aiden’s very blonde, very sexy ex. I hated her.

“That’s what I love most about her.” Aiden’s fingers brushed a light path across my cheek, and then he turned back to the man. “And if you ever speak ill of my Gwen again, the VC won’t even be able to protect you from my wrath, understand?” When Aiden gave a threat he did so with calm and calculated words. He was over six hundred years old and knew how to demand respect. His low clipped words wielded the danger of a blade as he directed them to the man, who was wise enough to fear them. He bowed before disappearing through the shadows.

Exhaling to clear my head, I ran my hands through my hair and got myself together. Aiden’s little seduction had knocked me off track and that was dangerous—he was dangerous, at least to my resolve.