Escort Brandilynn Payson is shocked to discover she’s dead. Even worse, she’s the latest victim of the Fulton Falls Ripper, a vampire serial killer. Being deceased is no obstacle for fun however, and Brandilynn quickly proves she’s the life of the after-death party. But her killer is still on her trail, and she learns there are worse things than death to worry about.
RATING: Carnal/Erotica. Mild BDSM, multiple sexual partners.
Genre: Paranormal Erotica.I knew day had dawned when Tristan appeared in the head librarian’s office door. He stared at me and Dan. Dan was engrossed in some Walt Whitman poetry that had just appeared on the shelves a few hours ago. Apparently, the deceased writers and poets only had to wish their works into the places where the literature-starved dead gathered. Sort of like how the King George Hotel’s chef fed us his memories of delicious cuisine. The netherworld was magical when you got past the morbid aspects of it.
I wallowed in frustrated enjoyment of a nearly-impossible Sudoku puzzle. Doing battle with grids of numbers proved a pleasant way to pass the time once Dan and I had exhausted our more wanton urges for awhile. Now my mind wanted a workout.
I began to see the possibilities for the next several hundred years or so. Languages I could learn, the books to be read, new knowledge to be gained. Dan had told me he liked to, excuse the pun, haunt the local college and attend the lectures. Surely I could put off the boredom that afflicted so many of the earthbound dead for several centuries.
The movement at the office door filled me with dread. Somehow I knew it was Tristan before I looked up. I didn’t want to look at him, not after I’d seen him and Patricia go full predator. I’m like Lot’s wife though. I just have to look.
Tristan stared at me, his too-handsome, too-human face worried. And darn if my heart didn’t go pitter-pat at the sight of him. It was like he was a set of twins; one all scary and evil, the other a disheveled angel.
I sighed. When Tristan wasn’t a vampire, I felt as gooey for him as I did Dan. Maybe he and I didn’t sing the same tune, but only because his nighttime persona freaked me out. If not for the bloodsucking side of Tristan, I’d be equally besotted with him as with my Marlboro Man.
I’m a smart enough girl to realize that my interest in Tristan kept me in Dan’s arms though. If Dan had been my only option for romance, I’d be running for the hills, unable to deal with the terror of putting my trust in one man. I also realized that this situation was terribly unfair to them both.
Knowing something and being able to change it are two entirely different things.
I stood, putting my puzzle down. I noticed how Dan kept his eyes on his book as I walked past the desk on my way to speak with Tristan. I went into the office, and the vampire closed the door behind me.
Without preamble, Tristan said, “I could kill Augustus for making you watch that. I know he has his reasons for what he does and they’re usually very good, but that’s not how I wanted you to see me.”
I studied him. He stared at me with those dark, almost black eyes. He looked so tormented. Ashamed. To see Tristan’s cool confidence stripped away like that startled me. I had the feeling he didn’t let many people see this unsure side.
I fought off the urge to throw my arms around him in a comforting hug. “I guess being a vamp isn’t so great sometimes?”
Tristan considered my question. I appreciated that he gave my words such weight. To so many men, I’m just a Barbie doll, all form and no substance. I’m not slighting them; I put myself in that position. But I sure enjoy it when I’m taken seriously.
When Tristan answered, most of his calm self-assurance had clicked back in place. “Being a vampire has its good points. I’m not going to lie in order to sound nobler than I am, Brandilynn.”
“Honesty makes for nobility,” I offered. I leaned against the desk behind me, strangely excited to get a more accurate picture of Tristan Keith.
He folded his arms over his chest. “I like the power that comes from being a vampire. I like sitting on top of the heap. I worked for powerful men when I was alive, but I didn’t have the money or social standing to claim that world for myself.”
“You like the challenges being a vampire has opened up for you.”
Tristan nodded. “I won’t pretend I don’t enjoy taking the risks and maneuvering around the obstacles. It’s a game I love to play.”
Men. Whether it’s over women or status, they just have to beat their chests. My smile for Tristan was pure affection. “Hey, I worked for those kinds of men in my own way. Ambition doesn’t put me off.”
He grinned back, the relief evident. “Good because I enjoy your company.” He glanced over his shoulder at the closed door behind him. “You care about Dan. I can tell.”
A pang of guilt went through me. But I’d been up front with Dan. He knew what the score was. Still, I felt the urge to remain true to him in words at least. “Dan’s wonderful. He means a lot to me.”
Tristan’s eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s. The eyes of a man who takes whatever he fancies. “What about me? I’m someone who easily gives up what I want. I’ve never desired a woman as much as I desire you, Brandilynn.”
Even making myself imagine Tristan swinging from a vine with a wild Tarzan yell couldn’t keep me from shivering at his dark, possessive stare. I tried to remember him as he’d been when feeding on his little blood bank the night before. Nope, that didn’t cool my jets either.
I was so screwed.
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