Till the Break of Dawn Page 3

  The smile I had was involuntary as I listened. I never knew he had a sense of humor. It was odd to have watched someone for years and realize that I really knew nothing about him. It was also wonderful to see him smile.

  The werewolf’s laugh was closer to a bark. “Smart ass.” It was then that he noticed me, hiding against the vampire’s side. “And who is this?”

  “Dawn.”

  Hearing him say my name gave me such a thrill. As he introduced me, the werewolf changed back to human form before my eyes. His transformation was much less theatrical than when he was in the ring and quite smooth. It was like watching special effects in a movie, except it was real and it was right in front of me.

  “Dawn, this is Hellacious Harry.”

  The man standing before me was tall, blond, and completely naked. The torn jeans he was wearing fell off when he transformed. Even though he was still a big man, his waist was much slimmer as a human. Obviously, this had happened before because he seemed completely unfazed. He reached to shake my hand and my smile widened.

  “Nice to meet you, Dawn.”

  “If you’ll excuse us, Harry, we were going somewhere.” He paused and gave the werewolf an evil grin. “And you need to put on some pants.”

  Nightmare tightened his grip around my shoulders and continued down the hallway.

  “Here we are,” he said. “I’ll wait here.” He opened the door and ushered me inside. “Bathroom’s to the left.”

  I’m not sure what I had been expecting, but his dressing room was nice. It looked more like something you’d expect to see in a theatre than in a wrestling arena. I suppose I was envisioning a sweaty locker room or something along those lines. There was a small vanity table in the corner with lots of lights and makeup. I couldn’t imagine Nightmare sitting in the dainty chair and almost laughed at the thought. There was also a rack of costumes along the side of the wall and a red sofa near the back. And of course, there were lockers.

  I headed to the left, past the shower stalls and found the bathroom, which I was relieved to see was clean. By suggesting that the other bathrooms were dirty, Nightmare had unknowingly hit on one of my biggest fears. Stupid as it may sound I actually have a fear of dirty public restrooms.

  I tried to make things quick so he wouldn’t think I was snooping around in his dressing room. When I walked back out into the hall he was waiting for me. I’m sure that with his vampire senses he knew I was there. However, when he didn’t immediately look my way I took the opportunity to drink in the sight of him. His long legs weren’t covered in their usual black spandex. Instead he was wearing what looked like black silk pajama pants with a drawstring at the waist. The cloak he wore was one he had used in his act a few times. It was black with red embroidery with some sort of ruffled fringe along the edges. It was also ankle length, which meant I could have used it as a blanket.

  “The show is over,” he reported smoothly. “I hope you weren’t really interested in the last match.”

  I shrugged. “Not really. I’d rather be here.” Damn, had I really said that out loud?

  “So, I take it I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  “Maybe.”

  He laughed again and the sound did things to me I can’t explain.

  “Can I walk you to your car?”

  I paused and gave him a skeptical look. “You’re really going to walk outside with all the fans and paparazzi, just to walk me to my car?”

  His grin was devilish. “If you want you can pretend to be my prisoner. With the character I play, I’m sure it could be worked into the storyline.”

  It was difficult at first to reconcile the charming vamp in front of me to the dark and frightening persona of Nightmare. I had always known that P.F.C. was scripted, but right then I understood just how much.

  “How about you walk me to the door? It’s not that I wouldn’t love to be seen with you, but I don’t think you realize what a huge crowd is out there tonight. I’d be mangled just for standing beside you.”

  He leaned closer toward me, still propping against the wall. The movement was surprisingly graceful for someone his size and terribly sexy.

  “Do you really think I’d let anyone mangle you?”

  No, I didn’t. The look in his eyes said he would do anything to protect me and that in itself caused me concern. As much as I had wanted for this to happen, we had just met. Why would he be willing to risk his safety and possibly breaking character in public for me?

  “I’d rather not take a chance.”

  He shrugged. “Have it your way.”

  As we walked toward the backstage exit he told me they were thinking about having him in a handicap match against six other vampires. The match ended up being a success, but at the time had never been done before.

  “Two of them are undefeated. So, since you’re a fan tell me, what do you think?”

  “You’re a dead man.”

  He gestured to his fangs and said with a laugh, “Obviously.”

  I think that was the moment I fell in love with him. But if not, then surely it was the one that immediately followed. He pulled me against him and as he leaned in close I realized he was going to kiss me. My body and my heart were completely unprepared. He touched my face lightly, tracing the line of my jaw as he bent over me. As he did this his hair spilled forward. I can still remember the smell of his shampoo and thinking that he must have already showered after his match because he smelled so good.

  He moved his hand to the back of my neck, gently cradling my head as he whispered, “My name is Marcus,” against my lips. And then he kissed me. His lips were soft against mine, not demanding much, but offering many things. I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing my body flat against his. I had wanted this for so long and now, I didn’t know how to react. To feel his body against mine was beyond arousing. A fire coursed through me, awakening something deep within, a yearning that has only been fulfilled in his arms. I opened my mouth wider, inviting him to deepen the kiss and as he accepted this invitation my hand slid down over his chest. There was no heartbeat. It was this that made me withdraw. But that didn’t mean I hadn’t enjoyed myself. To this day I remain convinced that Marcus’ kiss should be listed among the seven deadly sins.

  By the way, Jamie told me later that there was nothing wrong with the bathrooms.

  I relived all of this in a flash so intense that it made me blush with the memory. Jamie was leading me into the living room now and didn’t seem to notice my short trip to La La Land.

  “All right, let’s have it,” she said, flopping down on the couch. “What’s it like to be with a vampire? I’ve always wanted to ask you, but since the subject didn’t appear to be up for discussion—” She sighed. “Anyway, I’ve had to get my information from gossip magazines.”

  I laughed. “I can’t tell you what it’s like to be with a vampire, but I can tell you what it’s like to be with Marcus.” When she looked confused I added, “Well, I’ve only been with one and he didn’t vamp out on me or anything.”

  She looked shocked. “So it was normal?”

  I waved off her comment and sat down beside her, sinking into the pillows on the couch.

  “It was anything but normal.”

  “So, what is it about him that you can’t get over?”

  I closed my eyes and his image came so easily to mind. I could still remember everything about him. I tried to think of a way to sum it up but couldn’t.

  “There isn’t a word for what he made me feel … it was in the way he wanted me, the way he held me. I’ve never given myself so completely before and not since. I wanted to spend forever looking into those eyes.”

  Her speech was a little slurred when she asked, “So, why didn’t you?”

  “Because he was going to live forever and I wasn’t. Jamie, I didn’t just give him my heart that night, I gave him a piece of my soul. Can you imagine the pain of growing old while he still looked perfect and thirty-something?”

  “Couldn’t he tur
n you?”

  I could feel my brows knit and knew I was giving her a really confused and probably stupid look. “Didn’t you hear what I said to Terry?”

  Now she looked confused. “No. I knew he asked you about it. Wait a minute, you told Terry all this before me?”

  I laughed softly. “Yes. And no, he couldn’t turn me. It’s part of his contract. Marcus isn’t allowed to make others like him. So, goodbye eternity. Hello wrinkles.”

  “So what? He could just find someone else to turn you then. He has to know other vampires who would be willing.”

  “Marcus was afraid his master would find out.” My mood sobered when I remembered his master and our brief discussion about him.

  “So, you did talk about it then?”

  “Just once and not like we were seriously planning or anything. Actually the subject came up because I asked about his master. His name is Nybras. He is the one who started the company under the direction of another vampire whose name I never knew. It sounded like the mob.” I shivered. “These are not the kind of people you fuck. They’re the kind that fucks you. Besides that, forever is a long time. It was actually a little bit scary to me at the time. Sure, I loved Marcus … but forever?”

  Jamie shook her head. “Wait a minute, back up a little. You said that night. You only spent one night with him?”

  “Yes.”

  “But you dated for like three months! And he was so hot!”

  I couldn’t help laughing at the look on her face. “We took the time to get to know each other. You’d be surprised how interesting he is.”

  “So, you dated him, finally slept with him, it blew your mind, and you dumped him?”

  She made it sound so terrible. “I told him the truth. I thought it would be best if we stopped seeing each other. It hurt. But it would only hurt worse when I was old and wrinkly and he wasn’t.”

  We sat there quietly, both of us lost in our own thoughts while Jamie finished her beer.

  “Why did he take the bite?”

  Her question surprised me. One of the things that made Marcus such a big deal is that he was already famous when he decided to become a vampire. It was a choice he made on purpose. He was a professional wrestler and a damn good one before he became one of the undead.

  “I don’t know all of the details, but he was hurt really bad. I got the impression it was a career ending kind of injury, but he didn’t get into a lot of detail with me.”

  “So he did it to keep from ending his career? How old was he?”

  “Thirty-six.”

  “Damn.” After another long pause she smiled suddenly. “You know what this means? If you can’t get over him you’re gonna have to call him up and be like ‘hit me with that shit one more time.’”

  I laughed and tossed a pillow at her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “No, you’re ridiculous. You say you’ve got to get over him, but you haven’t gone on a date in over a month.” She looked excited all of the sudden and clapped her hands together. “I’ve got it. Let’s make a deal. If you’re not seeing someone and at least halfway seriously into them in a month’s time, you’ve got to get back in touch with Marcus.”

  “What?!” I couldn’t believe what she was saying. Just the possibility of seeing him again made me feel lightheaded.

  When she spoke again, despite how much alcohol was in her system, Jamie seemed very composed. “I want to see you happy. You’ve either got to accept that kids and a white picket fence are not in your future or go out there and make it happen. Now what do you say? Are we moving on or preparing to become a creature of the night?”

  “I told you he can’t—”

  “It’s beside the point,” she said, cutting me off. “Love can find a way around things like that.”

  “Well, aren’t you a little ray of sunshine tonight,” I replied sarcastically.

  “Stop being a bitch. You said you were scared before of what he made you feel, of losing what you thought a normal life should be, right?”

  “Wow. That really sums it up.”

  “So, you’re not that same woman any more. You’re either a woman who can handle that lifestyle now or one who wants to move on. Which is it?” Before I could answer she prompted, “Are you in or are you out?”

  “I’m in.”

  Chapter Four

  I couldn’t believe what I’d just agreed to. But, at the same time I felt relieved. I’d told Jamie the main reasons I stopped seeing Marcus, but there were others. One of which was how much he traveled. He was constantly going from city to city. I’d have to either give up my whole life and travel with him or he’d have to stay at home more. It didn’t seem fair of me to ask him to do fewer shows since he had given up his humanity in order to be able to continue doing what he loved. Oh, and my mother hated him. Well, not him specifically. She hated anything “unnatural.”

  She should have been born in a different century, or so I’d always thought. She still believed that women should stay at home and raise a family while the men went to work and earned a living. She also believed that anything or anyone “not human” should not be a part of our society. I can’t begin to express how much her views on life chap my ass. Suffice it to say that we do not get along. I believe that couples should do whatever works for them and that women have the right to be whatever they want, not just mothers. I also believe that vampires and werewolves are still technically people and should have the same rights as anyone else.

  When you spend the first eighteen years of your life with someone, they have a tendency to rub off on you, whether you like it or not. As much as we disagree, the way my mother felt about family was one of the main influences on my decision in the first place. I’d always just assumed that I would have kids one day because that is what I was “supposed” to do. And I couldn’t do that with Marcus. Not to mention marrying a vampire would get me disowned in a heartbeat. All of those things mattered to me at twenty-three. But now … I wasn’t sure.

  The older I got the more I wanted Marcus back in my life. Maybe Jamie was right. I’d try one more time for normal and if that didn’t work I just hoped like hell that Marcus still wanted me. What if I had waited too long?

  *****

  As soon as I closed my eyes there he was. Images, like snapshots of passion, flashed through my mind. His green eyes sparkling in the darkness, the gleam of candlelight on his naked skin. Body to body, his hair spilling across my face. His breath against my skin. The pressure of his fangs against my throat just before he—

  I woke up gasping for air and reaching for my throat. Marcus had never bitten me, but lately I’d started to imagine what it might have been like. Had these fantasies made their way to my dreams?

  I went into the bathroom and splashed some cold water on my face. When I looked back up, I almost didn’t recognize my reflection. Did thinking of Marcus make me look this way? My hazel eyes had darkened to a chocolate brown, my skin was flushed, all of it, because I slept in the nude during the warmer months. My lips were swollen as if he really had been kissing me. More alarming still was the way just the thought of him had brought me to a painful state of arousal.

  I watched in the mirror as I ran my hands down my body. I cupped my breasts remembering when Marcus had done the same. His big hands completely covered my ample cleavage. My nipples hardened more from the thought than from my own touch. There was no going back to sleep this way. I had to have some relief.

  I slid one hand between my thighs and found that my pussy was already dripping wet. I thought about going for my vibrator, but didn’t want to take the time to find it. Besides, this wouldn’t take long. Just the thought of a man had never gotten me worked up like this. Not even Marcus had gotten me so hot and bothered from a dream before. I moved in slow circles up and over my clit. When a low moan escaped my throat I bit my lip to maintain silence. Jamie was asleep on the couch downstairs. I didn’t want to wake her and have to explain why I was masturbating so loudly in the middle of the n
ight.

  But the thought of trying to keep quiet didn’t bother me. In fact, it turned me on even more. I put one hand over my mouth as my other hand worked faster. My pussy was so swollen now that it ached with every touch. I had just shaved the day before and as my hand made one final pass over the smooth wet skin I imagined Marcus’ tongue there. I came so hard that my knees buckled.

  I rested against the bathroom vanity for a moment, panting like I’d just run a marathon. I washed my hands and ran some more cold water over my face. My entire body still looked flushed. As I crawled back between the red silk sheets I wondered how Marcus’ hair would look spilling across the crimson fabric. I realized then that I had decorated my bedroom with a vampire in mind. The deep mahogany of my four poster bed, crimson sheets, golden pillows, sheer red curtains, and candelabras were meant for a vampire’s bedroom. My tastes had always been decadent, but until recently I never had the money to indulge. Now that I did, I found that all I was missing to complete the look was him.

  Deciding that I would call him if I needed to had made me realize that I should have called him long before now. But I’d made a promise. One month. Just one month. If I couldn’t find someone normal, someone I had feelings for by then … Hell, I almost made the call that night.

  *****

  When I got up the next morning, the dream was still fresh in my mind. But more pressing at the moment was the fact that I was starving and had cottonmouth like a motherfucker. I knew better than to drink so much whiskey, really I did. I pulled on my favorite robe (black velvet with red silk trim) and headed downstairs. Since the bar wasn’t open on Mondays, I saw no reason to get dressed just yet. If Jamie hadn’t been downstairs, I probably would have gone down naked.

  She was still snoring face down on the couch when I turned on the television and went into the kitchen. I felt like I could drink a whole gallon of water. After turning on the coffee pot I took some bottled water out of the fridge and turned it up. Counterproductive I know, since coffee is a diuretic and water hydrates. But, the water would make my mouth feel better and the coffee would help my headache. See, it wasn’t simply the fact that I’d drank so much whiskey that made me feel terrible this morning. It was all of the beer I chased it with.