High Stakes (Vegas Vampires #1)(13)
Author: Erin McCarthy

"It looks likea Irish hunting lodge in here." That was rather the point. "I tried to emulate my home inEngland ."

"From what?The nineteenth century?"She flopped on an easy chair and turned sideways in it, so her legs hooked over one arm, and the other acting like a backrest.

Inviting her in had been a stupid idea. Now his suite was going to smell like her-like her smooth, human flesh, and her pulsing, hot blood. That was his favorite chair aad he was probably going to have to burn it now. Otherwise every time he sat in it, he was going to be hungry.For Alexis.

He never had mortals in his room. Even his maid was a vampire, because she would clean at night vhen he was out and about, and she wouldn’t balk at the blood stored in his refrigerator.

"So if you don’t believe me, you can ask Brittany . We haven’t " He searched for a delicate phrasing."Been intimate."

"You’re trying to tell me Brittany has been living right next to you for three weeks and haven’t once banged her?"

So much for delicate."That’s what I’m telling you. Not even a kiss. As I said, I apologize for misleading you about our relation-ship earlier." Ethan knew when to be honest, and if he had any chane of coaxing the delicious Alexis into his bed, he had to re-assure her that Brittany had not been there first. "What the hell was he saying? He was not supposed to be sleep- ingwith anyone. He was wooing. He wasmature , responsible, a post-randy vampire president ready to settle down into marriage. Right after he banged Alexis.

"Then why the hell is she here if you’re not ‘intimate’?"

She used Seamus’s habit of quote marks in the air, which irritated him since Seamus was yet another reminder of all his respon-sibilities , all that was expected of him.

"Because I’m a Master Vampire, over two hundred years old and therefore eligible to run for the presidency. Brittany is a half-vampire, the daughter of a mortal mother and a vampire father." That was more than he’d intended to tell her, but he wanted to see her reaction.Wanted to fish around for information since he still didn’t have any access to her thoughts.

But Alexis just snorted. " Brittany ‘s father was a prick, but he wasn’t a vampire."

"You would say that about your father?"

"Not my father. Brittany ‘s father. We have the same mother, but different sperm donors. Neither father is worth dwelling on. My mom had appalling taste in men."

That explained quite a bit. It also meant that Alexis probably had no vampire blood in her. He couldn’t know for sure, since he couldn’t get inside her head, couldn’t sense anything about her, but itseemed likely she was pure mortal.

"But this is a game, remember? And Brittany is a half-vampire. I intended to recruit her to the position of my wife, first lady of the Vampire Natfon ."

Alexis just stared at him. "You don’t really believe in this stuff, do you? Because I’m going to call the cops and tell them you kidnapped my sister if you do. A weird hobby is one thing, but if you’re delusional, I’m calling Metro Police."

"I know the difference between truth and fiction," he said in a soothing voice. He didn’t want her bolting and taking Brittany with her. Nor did he want any close encounters with the police. While he could fool most humans, he didn’t want to test his ability to hide his vampire traits long-term in a jail cell. Dining on the guards wouldn’t earn him any early release points.

"But I’m up for reelection, and as I’ve been known in the past as a bad-tempered vampire, prone to certain playboy tendencies, my campaign manager and I agreed I needed a woman by my side.To soften my image."

"Well, Brittany would be good for that. I would suck at it." Her feet kicked up in the air as she lounged in the chair.

That little scrap of nothing shirt had slipped to the side, exposing the swell of her breast. He could sink his teeth in there, with a firm bite, and his fangs would puncture like into a soft apple. He wished that when he bit, there were sound, sort of a crisp, powerful crunch instead of soundless sliding into flesh.

Chomping on Alexis would be very satisfying.

He crossed his legs, uncomfortable now that he had a raging erection.

This was not the original plan, coaxing Alexis into Brittany ‘s place, but already he liked this one much better. The thrill of the chase, the satisfaction of finally catching her—he looked forward to both with an anticipation that wasn’t befitting the staid middle-age vampire he was supposed to be. "Actually, you would be even better.Sister of an Impure and a career woman. Perfect. If I have a confident businesswoman by my side, they will see that I have really matured if I allow my partner to have equal say in our relationship."

Not that he was feeling very mature. He was acting more along the lines of a teenage boy looking to score than a responsible adult vampire. You’d think he’d been having Seamus’s dry spell the way he was behaving.

"So, you’ve always been a dictatorial ass**le and now you want people to think you’re more willing to compromise?"

Not the words he would have chosen, but he was trying to be charming and agreeable. He wanted this woman. Despite the fact that Seamus would kill him, and his spontaneous plan was less than foolproof, he had to have her.Would have her."Exactly."

"So you play pu**y-whipped and I play bossy girlfriend? That could be fun." She grinned, tucking her blond hair behind her ears.

He was having a midlife crisis. That’s what this was. There was no other explanation for whythat statement suddenly made him feel like the horniest vampire inNorth America .Lusting after much younger women, good God. Next he’d be buying a sports car and getting a tattoo.

"I think a lot of things between us could be fun."

"One week. I’ll stay for one week if you agree to let Brittany leave and never have any future contact with her, personal or professional. I get my own room, with a master key so no one else can enter at any time. If I have to work late, I have to work late and you’ll just have to get over it, but I will be here from eight p.m. to eight a.m. every day for seven days. I’ll depart at midnight on Friday, the seventeenth, because tonight counts as night one. You provide me access to dining in the casino restaurants for free and dry-cleaning services. I’ll draw up a contract for you to sign and failure to comply with any of my terms will result in me identifying you as a cult, potentially holding people against their will. Do you understand and agree to all terms?"

And here he’d been worried he was taking advantage of her concern for Brittany . Alexis could take care of herself. He drummed his thumb on his knee’."Anything else?"

"Yeah.Just so we’re clear, I’m not having sex with you. I am not interested in you as anything other than a means to an end. This escort service has no fringe benefits other than me smiling at your weirdo friends."