Bit the Jackpot (Vegas Vampires #2)(14)
Author: Erin McCarthy

"Why don’t I get the dogs while you stand there anddrool. "

Seamus absently glanced down at the Labs, reaching for the nearest one and scratching the backs of his ears, digging his fingers into the warm fur and flesh, "Why, Ethan? Why did I have to pick a stripper? Someone this " He nodded to the purple vibrator. Damn, that was unbelievable. It even matched the rest of her bedroom."This sensual.Confident in her own sexuality."

She was going to eat him alive.

"I think you answered your own question. And the dog seems to have warmed up to you."

Seamus glanced down at the dog in surprise. Its eyes were half-closed, tongue lolling out of its mouth in ecstasy as Seamus rubbed and scratched his head. "Well, at least somebody likes me."

The red bra leaped out at him again when he gave another wary glance around the room. "I guess I should pack some of her things. I can’t let her leave my place until I can trust she understands how to live in her new life, according to our rules."

"Get the dog in the crate while he’s being so mellow and I’ll pack a bag."

Seamus frowned. "I don’t think you should be touching Cara’s clothes." The image of Ethan pawing through her drawers didn’t sit well with him.

"And you should?" Ethan opened the closet and pulled out a red suitcase with wheels. "At least I won’t get aroused by it. If you do it, we’ll be here all day while you investigate every article of clothing she owns."

Ethan yanked three pairs of jeans off their hangers and tossed them into the suitcase with brutal efficiency.

Seamus felt a little better, and he looked down at the dog. "You’re coming with me, kiddo. We need to get out of here before I do something even stupider than I already have."

Since the urge to poke in all of Cara’s drawers in pursuit of sex toys to feed his very active imagination was intense, he backed up, coaxing the dog with him.

Let Ethan deal with it. He needed to get the hell out of her bedroom.

Ethan watched Seamus retreat like the whole Royal Navy was bearing down on him and shook his head. They had been friends for a long time. Fought on three continents and in six wars together and he’d seen Seamus like this only once before.With Marie.

That little witch had nearly destroyed Seamus, and he had spent the last two hundred years in enforced solitude because of her. It was unnatural to live the way Seamus did, with no relationships, no sex, no hobbies. Just work, all the time.

A woman like Cara could be good for Seamus. Help loosen him up. Make him understand that there was more to life than politics and that not everything could be resolved by launching an opinion poll and stating the data.

Making sure Seamus wasn’t near thedoorway, Ethan took one of Cara’s little cotton T-shirts and leaned over the bed. Using it like an oven mitt, he picked up the vibrator and tossed it into her suitcase. That ought to get a conversation going between Seamus and Cara when she found that in her bag.

On top of it, he piled more shirts, a whole handful of undergarments, a makeup bag off her dresser, and a pair of gym shoes.

Whistling, he zipped it closed. Alexis would be impressed with his quick thinking. His wife always commented that Seamus would be more pleasant if he were having sex.

Damn, Ethan was just brilliant.

Chapter Five

Cara was having a hard time staying awake. Her eyelids kept slipping closed and her body feltsluggish, exhausted.

"I’m sorry," she told Alexis as she yawned for the ninth time. "I don’t mean to be rude."

It wasn’t Alexis’s company that was dragging her down. Alexis was funny and matter-of-fact, and had told Cara all kinds of interesting things about the Vampire Nation and Seamus’s role in Ethan’s campaign. It seemed she had the blood from one very uptight vampire.

But now she was sleepy and it was taking everything she had to stay awake and vertical.

"Don’t worry about it. Go to sleep if you’re tired. You’re still adjusting to the change."

Cara slid down in the couch, tucking her feet under one of the cushions. "I wanted to stay awake to see my animals, but I don’t think I’m going to make it."

"I’m sure Seamus has it under control. He may be boring and rude, but he’s very thorough."

Odd, but Cara wouldn’t have thought of Seamus as either of those adjectives. She might have said persistent, intense, sexy, and domineering, but definitely not boring. And while he was confident, and had ruined her life and given her a really embarrassing orgasm that she wished she could forget, she wouldn’t call him rude either.

Not to mention he was very cute.

"Cute?" Alexis said,her legs crossed as she sat in the big over stuffed chair. "You think Seamus is cute?"

"Did I say that out loud?" Cara was sotired, she wasn’t sure what she was saying anymore. "Or are you doing that mind-reading thing? "

"Yep.Very annoying vampire trick, isn’t it? Lock your thoughts around Seamus unless you want him hearing that he’s cute. Personally, I wouldn’t advise it. Not if you want to get out of here."

Yes, she wanted out of there. Her life as she knew it was gone. But she wanted out of Seamus’s apartment. It was the only thing she was sure of before she collapsed into total oblivion.

When she woke up again, she was in a bed that wasn’t hers and someone was warm and breathing deeply beside her. She hoped beyond anything it was Alexis, but somehow she really doubted Ethan’s wife would be sleeping with her.Which meant it had to be Seamus, and the thought of being in bed with Seamus made her heart race from anger and something that might be desire, if she were honest with herself, which she didn’t intend to be.

Nervous and disoriented, Cara became aware she was still wearing her jeans and the borrowed T-shirt—thank God she wasn’t naked—and the room was dark, the drapes drawn. She tentatively rolled on her side, prepared to meet her maker, literally. Instead of coming face to face with Seamus, she saw it was herLabrador , Button, lying next to her.

Her old friend, familiar and cuddly, was immeasurably better than a sexy vampire in bed with her.

"Hey, sweet baby," she said in complete relief, petting her dog’s head. He opened his eyes for a brief second, then snuffled back into sleep.

It was so normal, his reaction so uninterested and typical, that she wanted to cry in gratitude. She could give up a lot of things, but never her babies.

"Button’s such a good baby," she murmured, snuggling in closer to him, wanting comfort and loving. "Where are Fritz and Mr. Spock, hmm?"

"Mr. Spock? Who the hell did you name Mr. Spock?"

Startled, Cara glanced over and saw Seamus standing in the doorway with Fritz at his side. Despite the darkness, she could see him clearly. He was wearing lounge pants and a Notre Dame T-shirt. His fingers played idly in her dog’s back fur and Fritz looked perfectly content to be fondled by his new friend.