High Stakes (Vegas Vampires #1)(10)
Author: Erin McCarthy

"Never mind.I’ll be right back."

Walking as fast as she could with a cramped abdomen, she headed toward the hall. There was a powder room down three steps to the left. She’d been in there once before. It was very small, for use with the private dining rooms, and it had the feel of a glamorous forties dressing room.

As she rounded the corner, Brittany came to a startled stop. Reclining on the sofa was a couple, the man making like a throw rug on the woman.Lots of draping and clinging and soft murmurs. Embarrassed, Brittany hung back.

She should just leave, but the closest restroom was in the main dining room, a heck of a hike from where she was. And she really had to go, but Embrace on a Couch over there were a foot from the door she had to open. Maybe if she just sort of slid past them, they’d never even notice.

The man was petting the woman’s hair, tilting her head up. Her eyes were closed in ecstasy and Brittany found herself staring way longer than was appropriate. It should have been tacky and base, getting it on splayed out in front of the ladies’ room, but instead they looked sensual, even arousing to her. There was something artistic and worshipful about the way he touched his lover.

Until he swabbed her arm with an alcohol pad.

What the hell?

He murmured to the woman, running his lips over hers even as he inserted a syringe into a vein near her elbow, and slowly drew blood into a vial.

Oh, God, she was watching a serial killer. Brittany panicked, frozen against the wall. What should she do? If she screamed, he’d kill her, too. She hadn’t brought her purse and there was no one hanging around. Maybe she should just run for help.

Slowly, slowly, she took a step back so she could flee without him noticing.

The man, who was dressed in a suit of all things, reached into his pocket, pulled on some latex gloves, set the vial into a lab tray, and started to dip little strips into it, like they used at the gynecologist to test her urine.

What the ?

Freaking out.She was freaking out. She wished Alex were with her. Alex would kick the guy, break his nose, haul the poor woman out, and demand attention from someone in about two seconds. Brittany was a wimp. She couldn’t think, didn’t know what to do.

The woman groaned, but her eyes still didn’t open.

He shushed her with a soft little sound,then kissed her again, moving down her neck. Then he bit her.

Bit.Her.Oh, ick , she was watching a vampire feed. He was sucking the woman’s flesh, drawing her body up toward him, and Brittany felt her legs start to give way.

Knowing they were bloodsucking demons was one thing intheory to see it was another. She made a sound of horror before she could stop herself.

His head snapped up. There was blood, a wet crimson stain, smeared on his pale lips.

Eew. Eew, eew , eew . Brittany felt her face go hot. "I I "

"Leave," he said, in a deep, rich voice, with an accent she didn’t recognize. "You never saw me."

That whole vampire mind control thing again. It was starting to bug Brittany . Like she was just going to leave this poor victim bleeding on a hotel couch.

"No. Not until I see that she’s okay."

"Pardon?"He looked flummoxed.

He was also French, or maybe French-Canadian, given the way he rolled off his "o" sound.

"Is she okay? Are you a good vampire or a bad one? I’ve never seen you with Ethan. Does he know you’re here?"

Instead of answering her, he peeled off his gloves inside out, inserted the strips and the vial into the fingers of the latex, and tucked the whole neat package back into his pocket. He put his hand out toward her. "Leave."

"Stop that. I’m not leaving. I can help you." Sympathy overcame her fear. How awful it must be to face eternity, soulless and lusting for blood. It must be like fighting a drug or alcohol addiction.

He tilted his head, stared at her with brilliant green-gray eyes. "It’s nothing like drug addiction. Now tell me who you are and why I can smell vampire all over you."

She smelled like vampire? That was kind of gross. She should shower again before she went to bed.

"Um I’m Brittany Baldizzi ."The confused and frightened. "Why did you test her blood?"

"I cannot talk to you." He shook his head, smoothing his hand over the woman’s forehead. "You belong to Carrick."

"What do you mean?" she asked, inching toward the woman, afraid he was going to crush her skull. She wasn’t sure how she could protect her, or even if the woman was still alive, but she had to do something.

But he leaned back over, murmured into the woman’s ear, and disappeared. Suddenly, he was just gone, and Brittany let out a shriek.

"What?" The woman sat up and stared at her in confusion. "What’s the matter?"

"I’m sorry I was just going to the restroom and I saw you and him " She was practically incoherent.

"Oh!" The woman flushed, but gave a sly smile. "Is that why he ran off? He’s trying to be discreet. No matter. I’ll hook up with him later."

"Did he, uh, hurt you?" Brittany asked, rubbing her sweaty palms on her dress.

"Hurts sogood ." The blonde ran a hand through her tousled hair, and tugged at the bodice of her dress. Leaning on the wall, she sighed with satisfaction. "That was a first for me. I’ve never come just from a man kissing me before."

"Oh!" Well.Um. Getting her blood drawn had never once made Brittany feel orgasmic. "Does he do that often to you?"Suck your blood and make you climax ?

"No. I’ve been flirting with him for weeks. I’m a waitress in the Shadow Lounge and he comes in most nights. Tonight I pretty much threw myself at him, and I’m so glad he caught me. Though it sucks he left. Things were just getting good."

"Sorry."

The busty blonde, her curves bursting out of a shiny metallic top, laughed. "No biggie. You just had to pee, right?Can’t fault you for that."

Brittany looked at the woman."Right." Only she didn’t have to go to the bathroom anymore. That urge was completely gone as if it had never existed.

Now she was strangely hungry instead.

Chapter Four

Alexis knew her ass was bigger than Buffy’s, but she had to go with what she had. If Ethan Carrick wanted to play vampire games, she’d give him his little thrill for the night. If he wanted to be a vampire, then she would be a vampire slayer.

Now wearing jeans and a silky camisole top that attempted to make the most out of her br**sts, she did a slot machine here and there on the main casino floor, moving closer to the elevator banks. After letting Carrick think he had persuaded her to give it all up, go home, and leave her sister to him, Alexis had, in fact, gone home.But only to change her clothes and formulate a plan.