First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World #1)(36)
Author: Jeaniene Frost

Her mouth went dry while another part of her flamed with heat. Dimly she was aware that her heart was now hammering, but she couldn’t look away. Spade’s hands slid down his stomach, a wealth of suds in them, to close around the flesh crowned by that patch of dark hair.

Stop looking, stop looking!

Spade soaped the length of himself with a slow thoroughness, his flesh beginning to lengthen and thicken under his hands. Denise’s gaze was welded despite her common sense howling at her to look away. She swallowed, that throb inside her doubling in intensity while heat spread through her. Was he getting hard as a natural reaction to touching himself while he washed? Or was he thinking of someone? Maybe even…her?

What if Spade caught her looking right now, but instead of being upset at her spying, beckoned her to join him?

Frustration finally snapped Denise’s eyes shut. She wasn’t done with her period yet, so even if her fantasy came true and Spade did invite her to join him, she couldn’t. And even if she could, she shouldn’t.

It wasn’t fair. The first man since Randy who stirred her emotionally and physically was a vampire who thought humans were only good for eating and screwing, probably in that order. She’d already sacrificed her pride by accepting that she was nothing more than a costly thorn in Spade’s side until they found Raum. The least she could do was avoid total humiliation by more rejection from him – or worse, being f**ked out of pity.

Denise hugged the pillow and rolled to face the wall, burying her face in it. Once this was over, she’d be okay. She’d go home, spend time with her family, and her infatuation with Spade would go away. Everything faded with time. Even, it seemed, her wild grief over Randy’s death and the PTSD that used to strike every time she was around a vampire.

The shower shut off after a few more minutes. By that time, Denise’s heart settled into a slower rhythm and that gnawing hunger inside her quieted to a dull ache.

See? she told herself grimly. Everything fades with time.

When Spade went into Club Prive with Denise the next evening, Black Jack was already there. It was just after eleven. Spade smiled inwardly. Not chancing missing me, were you, mate?

"Hallo, all," Spade said genially once he’d gotten his tray of chips. "I’m here to win back what I lost last night."

Everyone chuckled except Madox, the oil executive Spade had cleaned out. He gave Spade a single baleful look and then folded his hand.

"I’m done for the night," he announced.

"Still mad at him for calling your bluff, Madox?" Black Jack smirked. "Got to win and lose like a man, pardner."

"Redneck trash," Madox muttered under his breath.

Black Jack just laughed and slid Madox’s chair out with his foot. "Siddown, Henry. You’re more fun than old Oil Slick, anyway."

Spade sat, Denise standing behind him. Personally, he thought it was a poor house rule that she couldn’t sit next to him, but with luck, they wouldn’t be here too long.

BJ glanced up at Denise, nodded, then resumed his attention to the game. The other two players who’d since folded were less respectful in their evaluation. If the gray-haired bloke stared any harder at Denise’s cle**age, Spade would find a way to eat him before the clock struck midnight.

She did look exceptionally lovely in her strapless red dress with long white gloves. Her mahogany hair was up, leaving her neck enticingly bare and highlighting the diamond and ruby earrings he’d told her were costume.

If Spade had his preference, he’d be on a real date with Denise elsewhere, instead of making her stand here watching him play with this pack of sods. Still, tonight should bring him one step closer to that, if all went well.

Black Jack won the hand and then Spade was dealt in. He let the other players beat him in every round, until his chip supply had dwindled to less than half of what it started as. Then Spade sighed with mock resignation.

"Think I’ll chase my entertainment elsewhere. BJ, mate, any recommendations on where I can find some red-hot fun?"

His carefully chosen words struck the right chord. Although Black Jack’s face remained impassive, he folded his hand when, by Spade’s card-counting calculations, he had three of a kind in queens.

"Think I’m gettin’ bored of poker, too," BJ said. "Wait up, Henry. I might know something you’ll enjoy."

Spade cashed out his remaining chips and waited while Black Jack did the same.

"Chasing some red-hot fun, huh?" Black Jack remarked as they headed out of the Belaggio.

"Indeed. Preferably the kind that’ll make the rest of my night with her even more enjoyable."

Spade kissed Denise’s neck as he said it, savoring the shiver that went through her. He couldn’t wait until he could kiss her and she’d know it wasn’t part of an act.

"Let’s try Drai’s," Black Jack said. "I’m there more than I’m at the Belaggio nowadays. Crowd’s more compatible for me."

Black Jack glanced at Denise as he said that last sentence. Spade grunted. "No need for pretense. She knows what we are."

"Ah." The vampire smiled at Denise, fangs peeking out of his upper lip. "What’s your name, gorgeous? Henry here’s only ever called you darling."

Noticed that, did you? Spade thought coolly, but before he could reply with a fake name, Denise answered.

"My name’s Cherry."

Spade stifled his grin at Denise’s choice of the name of their suite. Black Jack glanced at her again before meeting Spade’s gaze.

"So, who do you belong to?"

Spade smiled pleasantly. "Myself."

BJ laughed. "No shit. You don’t feel like a Master, if you don’t mind my sayin’."

"The Master of my line was killed several years back. Didn’t give me a choice about being on my own. And you?"

"Mine doesn’t like me to reveal who he is," Black Jack replied, his expression daring Spade to challenge that.

With Black Jack’s occupation, Spade wasn’t surprised. "That’s quite all right. I don’t need to know all your secrets…just one."

The vampire’s brow arched. "And that one is?"

"Whether or not BJ stands for Black Jack, the person my mate Ian told me about," Spade replied.

The other vampire came to a halt. Spade waited, his arm still around Denise, ignoring the crowds pushing by the three of them.

"And what did Ian say?" Black Jack asked, his voice hardening.

Spade shrugged. "He told me if I had something very rare, something I’m interested in selling, that you were the one to see."

Denise shot a glance at Spade, but Black Jack laughed and started walking again. "You don’t have anything to sell that I don’t have better of. Guaranteed."