He pulled back and smiled at me. "Happy New Year, Glory."

"Happy New Year, Ray." How can you stay mad at a man who is so damned gorgeous?

He reached for the bottom of my sweater. "There might be all kinds of things hiding under here. You've got to get out of this." With the moves of a man who's had way too much practice, he ripped it off over my head and tossed it aside. It landed on the deck with a noisy splat.

"That's as far as this goes, Ray. I'm pretty sure I got rid of anything that doesn't belong." I grinned, glad I'd worn my new black cami with the slimming control midriff and the built-in underwire bra. It had a cute bit of red lace trim at the plunging vee. My hair might be wet, my makeup history, but clinging lace made up for a lot. Hmm. Ray was looking really interested in that clinging and the effect of cold water

"You sure? I always try to start my New Year with a"he traced the edge of the lace bra with a fingertip"bang."

"And I thought I was the ancient one here." I grinned and lifted his finger off my chest just as it headed for a nipple. "You really need a new line, Ray. Now start the boat's engine and get us back to the house. If these wet jeans shrink on me, we may have to cut them off." They hadn't been that easy to get on in the first place. I have the fantasy that tight makes me look smaller. Yeah, right. What I'm afraid they actually do is give me a muffin top. Which is why the camisole has industrial strength spandex. Now the jeans were going from tight to vise. My thong would probably have to be surgically removed.

"Be a shame to cut off jeans that look that good on you. Maybe we can work them off together. With our vamp strength and all." Ray dropped a kiss on the swell of each breast, then pulled the blanket closed. He got up and headed for the steering wheel then stopped with his hand on the key. He turned and looked at me.

"Oh, Glory."

"Hmm?" I was heavily involved in a blow-by-blow mental replay of that kiss, comparing it to one of Jerry's. Not better, no way. Just different.

"I did have to kiss Aggie. Teeth, tongues, slime and all."

My stomach heaved and Jerry's kisses won, no contest.

* * *

"Where the hell have you been? I've been freakin' out here." Valdez paced the dock. "And you're soaked. He's dry. Did he make a pass and you had to swim for it? You must have been desperate to get away from him 'cause I know how you hate the water. Son of a bitch! I'm so gonna rip him a new one. And where's your sweater? The boss is gonna fire my ass for this."

"Take a breath, then shut up, Valdez." I took Ray's hand and stepped carefully onto the dock. I'd left the wet lump of wool that used to be a sweater on the boat. "Ray didn't do anything. I'm okay. I'll tell you what happened on the lake later."

"Later?" Valdez snarled as Ray brushed past him, but a stern look from me convinced him that I meant what I said. The house was still lit from top to bottom and loud music boomed from the upper level where the doors to the wooden deck obviously stood open. Several people were outside smoking what smelled like illegal substances. I knew Ray banned any kind of smoking inside his house. Bad for his voice. Or at least it had been for mortal Ray. Glass crunched under my boots and I remembered Ray was barefoot. "Careful, Ray. Watch where you step."

"Too late." Ray held up his foot. It had been sliced open by a piece of broken bottle. Blood, a beautiful bright red, welled from what looked to be a pretty serious cut.

"That looks bad." Really bad, though I couldn't deny it stirred my vampire senses. First a kiss, now blood. Was Ray trying to seduce me?

"Well, shit. That's what I get for making a grand gesture." He hissed between his teeth. "Damn, that hurts like a son of a bitch."

"I'm sorry, Ray." I reached down and picked up a piece of glass with the label still attached. His favorite brand.

"Yep, it's the bottle you tossed over the edge." I was trying to distract myself. Because my fangs had descended with the first whiff.

"Valdez, take a hike. Glory wants me." Ray grinned, reached down to smear blood on his finger and then waved his hand under my nose. "We need some privacy."

"Well, we sure can't join your mortal friends upstairs until I get myself under control." Which wouldn't be anytime soon. I looked down at the widening pool of blood under Ray's foot.

"Why hasn't it stopped bleeding, Glory? Where's my vamp power?" Ray limped around the deck.

"Good question. Maybe Jack Daniel's has the answer. Come here and let me look at your foot." I squatted and waited for him to come close. As usual, he came too close, but I ignored his zipper practically pressed against my cheek as I used a corner of the blanket to wipe away blood. Yep, there was a piece of brown glass imbedded in his foot. Ray's hand tangled in my wet hair and he leaned against me. I tried to pull out the glass.

"Hey, that hurts!" Ray jerked and almost pulled out a hank of hair.

"Sorry. Don't snatch me bald, you big baby." I stood suddenly and almost knocked him over. "Obviously this isn't the place to deal with your foot."

"Looks serious, Blondie. And, yeah, it must hurt like hell." Valdez looked up at Ray. "Is that why you're still bleeding?

You drink all of that booze?"

"Most of it. But that was hours ago." Ray gripped my shoulder this time. "Seriously, Glory, you think the alcohol screwed with my healing ability?"

"Don't ask me. I avoid the stuff. Wait until tomorrow night. Then you'll know why." When he woke up with the mother of all hangovers. "Let's go inside. Where we've got better light and I can get that glass out." I looked at Ray's hand on me. "Can you walk on your own? Get in the elevator."

"You'll have to help me. And you know that elevator opens right at the deck area." Ray looked around. "You shouldn't have to carry me. Valdez, where are my bodyguards? Seems like I have five of them around here. Two of them paranormals."

"Your mortal bodyguards, Sam and Buster, caught two teenage girls trying to climb the rocks to get inside. Last I heard, they werehustling them toward town. One of the kids was crying 'cause she scraped her knee and threatened to sue." Valdez gave a doggy laugh. "Sam straightened her out about that. Then Brittany had to whammy a couple of paparazzi who tried to crash the party and caught Will with his fangs down. It's his night off so he's drunk off his ass and hit on one of your bandmates girlfriends." Valdez chuffed. "Yeah, Glory. Some bodyguards actually get time off."

"Can we not do this now?" I realized Rays foot was still bleeding. Had the alcohol he'd drunk earlier hurt his ability to heal?

Ray was pale and fell against me. "Seriously, Glory. I'm messed up here. I really need to lie down." He tried to unbutton his shirt, then just ripped it off. "Here, wrap this around my foot and let's go. When we come out of the elevator, play along with whatever I say or do. Your fangs are still out there, darlin'." He slung his arm over my shoulders. "Sexy as hell. Maybe later you can"

"I think you've lost enough blood, Ray." I don't take orders well. But Ray was obviously in no shape to slap down, so I just dragged him into the elevator. Valdez crowded in with us. I tied the silk shirt around Ray's foot, then pushed the button to take us up. "Just do whatever you can to get us past your friends upstairs without causing a Took there's a vampire!' riot."

"Whatever I can. All right then." Ray's grin was weak, but still full of the Devil as he leaned heavily on me. "Better hurry, I'm fadin' fast." He looked down at his foot; the blood had already soaked through his shirt. "Stupid."

"Valdez, since we seem to be under siege, you stay with Brittany and help with security. I'll take care of Ray." I was desperately willing my fangs to retreat before we hit the top deck. I hoped the sight of Ray's foot would draw all eyes, and my fangs would go unnoticed. Yeah, right.

"Relax, Glory. The guys are all drunk, stoned or both. Like I said, let me handle it." Ray grabbed the blanket that I still clutched.

"Won't be needing this."

The elevator doors opened. "Show time." Ray reached for the hooks on the front of my cami. I held his hand. "Part of the show," he whispered, "Trust me."

"Like hell." I pulled him out of the elevator. He was clearly too weak to make it on his own. Valdez growled and dragged the blanket out of the elevator with his teeth.

"Hey, Ray. What the hell happened?"

He grinned and held up his foot with the blood-soaked shirt dangling from it. "Ran out of Jack. Got pissed. Broke the bottle and, like a fool, stepped on it. My baby's takin' me upstairs for some first aid." He buried his head between my breasts. Shouts and whistles accompanied that announcement. And when Ray leaned back and showed he'd managed to unhook my bra with his teeth the men laughed, hooted and stomped their feet until the deck shook. Ray captured the cami before it hit the ground, twirled it over his head, then pitched it over the railing onto the rocks below.

"All right, men. I challenge you. Ladies topless. Make it happen."

Squeals, giggles and general chaos. As a distraction, it worked like a charm. Obviously no one was looking at my fangs. I dragged Ray upstairs and to the room he pointed to weakly as the master bedroom.

"You are so dead." I dropped him on his bed.

"Don't you mean undead?" Ray's last words just before he passed out.

I locked the bedroom door, then put towels under Ray's foot. I plucked out glass until I was satisfied that I'd got it all, even prodded it with some tweezers I found in a bathroom drawer. And, yeah, I snooped through all the drawers. Usual guy stuff, including an assortment of condoms, gels and lubricants that made my imagination do back-flips. Hmm. Too bad Ray stayed unconscious while I worked on his foot. He'd earned some serious pain and suffering for that stunt downstairs. At least he'd finally quit bleeding but he was very pale under his forever tan. I picked up a piece of glass and ran it across my wrist. Ow. When blood welled up, I pressed the cut to his lips.