Gentlemen Prefer Succubi

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

I was in Hell.

Remy swatted me with her boarding pass as she stood in line, waiting to hand it to the gate attendant. “Chill out, Jackie. What is your problem?”

I wasn’t about to tell her; the humiliation would be too deep. I stood my ground, glaring at the security officer and clutching my tote bag under my arm. “You are not nosing through my carry-on. There’s nothing bad in there-no bombs, no matches, no razors, all right?”

The guard wasn’t budging, either. “Airline policy, ma’am. We randomly search every eighth person.”

“Check number nine this time.” I gestured at Zane, who stood behind me, hands tucked into the pockets of his leather trench coat. “Ten bucks says that if you search him, you’ll find plenty.”

The security guard glowered at me, his face turning red behind his thick white mustache. “Miss, you’ll have to get out of line right now, and I insist on searching you-not your friend. So hand me the bag.” He reached for my carry-on again, scowling when I moved it out of reach. “Now.”

Remy groaned. “They’re not going to let us board if you keep pulling this crap, Jackie, and I’m more than ready to hit the drinks in first class.” Her blue eyes stared at me impatiently, and if I looked down I’d probably see her Manolo Blahnik sandal tapping impatiently. The Itch was a lot like PMS in the beginning stages; the onflux of hormones brought on some serious mood-swing action.

“I think you should let them check your bag,” Stan chirped helpfully.

“Shut up, Boy Wonder. Nobody asked you.” I pointed at the ancient security guard. “I’m thinking Gramps here picked me out of the line because he wants to feel up my boobs on the pretense of hidden weaponry.”

“Jackie.” Zane placed his hand on my shoulder and his eyes met mine. “Let the man check your bag so we can get on the plane.”

And just like that, I handed my bag to the security guard and allowed him to open it in front of the entire line. Numb with dread, I watched as he pulled my items out. Blow dryer. Curling iron. My Ziploc-bagged hairspray. Not that I was going to be spending a lot of time fixing my hair in Egypt; I’d hoped all the junk would mask the true item I was trying to smuggle in.

No sooner did I think it than the security guard pulled out a long, flesh-shaped object. “What’s this?”

I heard Stan snort with laughter. Remy howled with delight.

“It’s nothing,” I said, wishing the ground would swallow me up. “Just put it back, all right?”

But no. The security guard was apparently curious about it and switched it on. A loud buzzing sound filled the air, and the few people in line who weren’t already interested were suddenly glued to the sight of my vibrator going off in the man’s hand.

“Oh,” he said, straightening his glasses in surprise. “I … oh.” Words failed him.

I covered my eyes, wondering if my day could get any worse.

Zane strolled over and looped his arm over my shoulder, his long coat blocking me, the guard, and the bag from the rest of the crowd. Gratitude rushed through me.

“You do realize,” he drawled softly in my ear, “that a vibrator’s not going to help the Itch? You need a willing human partner. Or once-human. Lucky for you I’m along for the ride.” He smiled down at me, a lazy look of amusement on his face.

My gratitude dried up in an instant. Yep, my day had just gotten even worse than before.

Before I could burst into tears, the security guard crammed my things back into the bag and shoved it into my hands. “You’re free to go, ma’am.” He touched his hat and moved down the line as fast as he could.

I let Zane continue to drape his arm over my shoulders like we were a couple until we boarded the plane. “So,” I murmured under the warmth of his large arm. He smelled like aftershave and cigars, a heavenly combination. “Why do I always end up doing whatever you tell me to, if you’re not my vampire master?” I was still skeptical about that.

“I’m just enticingly persuasive and you’re a closet submissive?” He flashed a white smile at me and I automatically moved closer to him. His gaze dropped and I noticed that being under his arm gave him a perfect view down the front of my shirt.

“Ugh. How did you become such a creep?” I skittered away.

He laughed. “Millennia of practice, my dear.”

The flight itself was nice and relaxing. As soon as we sat down I put on headphones and ignored Zane, who sat next to me. First class was a definite improvement. Here you had room to stretch out and get comfortable, and I did just that, flipping open Carrie’s thesis and starting to read.

Seven hours and one layover later, it was 5:00 a.m., and we were waiting for the plane to take off for the final leg of our trip to Cairo. I’d read every page of Carrie Brown’s thesis from cover to cover, but there was nothing there, except for a brief mention of Nitocris as a “legendary” figure in history. Frustrated and cranky, I shoved the notebook into the seat back pocket and ripped my headphones off. I needed coffee. Lots and lots of coffee, and an idea of what to do next.

Depression crept into my mind, and I thought of Noah, trapped with the vampire queen and her minions. He’d made a noble sacrifice for me. I’m failing you, Noah. I’m so sorry. My fingers twitched, and I resisted the urge to pull the thesis back out and give it one more go.

Zane looked over and gave me a sleepy look. “Hey there. Decided to talk to me again?” The hint of a smile curved his mouth, and I found myself fascinated anew by his lips.

He looked breathtaking in the early-morning light. Maybe I was just tired of bickering with him, or maybe it was the heavy-lidded look he was casting my way. There was no ulterior motive in his gaze, just an almost sweet smile that made me want to curl up in his lap with his arms around me. My irritation at him ebbed away, replaced by the returning warmth of attraction. I knew Zane was bad for me, but I didn’t care.

“I was just trying to get some coffee from the flight attendant,” I explained, tucking a lock of now-flat hair behind my ear.

“I doubt they’ll be serving much until the plane takes off,” he said, his sleepy eyes focused on me.

“True,” I admitted, glancing around the small cabin. This last flight was about nine hours long, and I wasn’t looking forward to being stuck in my seat for the entire time. The plane was nearly full. An occasional straggler wandered in, and judging from their speed (or lack thereof), we still had a few minutes before the doors were shut. I glanced over at Remy’s seat.

Empty.

I frowned until I realized Stan’s seat was empty as well, and my eyes immediately went to the first-class bathroom. A man in a dark jacket knocked on the door, frowning. If Remy was doing what I suspected, he was in for a wait.

A low moan came from the bathroom, and the waiting man’s face showed horrified surprise. I lifted the thesis higher to cover my burning cheeks. My mind pictured what they were doing inside that tiny room and I felt an answering throb inside my body.

Zane’s lazy chuckle reached my ears. “Doesn’t look like he’ll be getting into the bathroom anytime soon.”

I shot a quick glance over. He was stretched out with his long legs under the seat in front of him. His long, heavy coat trailed onto the floor, and I frowned. “Aren’t you hot in that thing?”

He winked at me. “Do you think so?”

I sighed. “Not like that, you idiot. Aren’t you uncomfortable? You haven’t taken it off the whole time, and it’s going to be a hundred degrees in Egypt.”

He yawned, settling farther into his seat and closing his eyes. “I have my reasons.”

“And what would those be?”

One eye cracked open. “A killer sense of style?”

Eye roll. “You’re incorrigible.”

“I know.” He waved a hand at the rumpled thesis. “So, did you find anything useful in there?”

“Nothing,” I said, sounding as miserable as I felt. “If this water-death-trap existed, nobody knows where it is except Nitocris herself, and she didn’t feel like telling anyone.”

“The water chamber was destroyed so that it wouldn’t be used again,” Zane said, closing his eyes. “You won’t find it.”

Huh? “What do you mean, I won’t find it?” I reached over and raised one of his eyelids. “Repeat that?”

He chuckled and pushed my hand away, closing his eyes again. “I said, it was destroyed a long time ago.”

“So why are we going to Egypt?” My voice raised a decibel or three.

Zane shrugged. “I thought you might want to see her tomb. I can take you there if you like. That’s why she sent me with you, after all.”

Unbelievable. “You let me go on a wild-goose chase for the past day for nothing,” I sputtered, “and you could have told me all along what I needed to know.” Hurt, I turned my eyes to the window on my left, arms crossed over my chest. I wasn’t talking to him again until he apologized.

Silence. A moment passed, then a soft snore punctuated the silence. How could he sleep at a time like this?

The flight attendant shut the plane doors, and we soon began to pull away from the jetway. As the angle of my window changed, sunlight blasted into my eyes, and I pulled the shade down.

The sun …

I looked over at Zane’s sleeping form with horror. I hadn’t even thought about the fact that he hibernated in the daytime. He didn’t seem disturbed by the sunlight streaming in through the windows. His face was slack with sleep, his lips hinting at a leftover smile. I poked him tentatively. Nothing. He might as well have been dead.

The flight attendant stopped by our row. “Your husband will need to put his seat up for take-off.”

I thought fast. There was no way I could raise that seat with two hundred pounds of conked-out vampire in it. “He’s um, narcoleptic,” I said. “The doctor says it’s best to leave him undisturbed if he has one of his spells.” I tried to look pained. “I hope this isn’t a problem?”

She gave me a sympathetic smile. “I’ll talk to the captain, but I don’t think it will be.”

Whew. One crisis averted.

Remy slid into a seat across the aisle, Stan dutifully following. Her lipstick was all over his face, and she had a cat-licked-the-cream smile on her lips, her eyes bleached silver.

“You have no shame, do you,” I said.

“None whatsoever,” she replied, wiping the corners of her mouth with a manicured fingertip. “Doesn’t do a lick of good in this line of work.”

I sighed and picked up the in-flight magazine. It was going to be a damn long trip.

Fourteen hours later, after three more explanations about my husband’s narcolepsy, two runs with mishandled luggage, and a taxicab to the hotel, I was more than ready to call it a day. The sun was setting across the Nile as we pulled up to the hotel.

With the help of a few eager bellhops, I dumped Zane into his room across the hall. I tipped the men generously so no one would ask too many questions, then escaped to my room.

Hotel sweet hotel. The room was clean and spacious, with a king-sized bed and a window A/C unit that I cranked up to full blast. The balcony overlooked a crowded, dirty street full of tourists and locals, and white linen curtains swayed in the twilight breeze. Pretty swank. There was a full bath and shower, and a closet to hang my things, so I unpacked and tried to relax for a few hours.

My thoughts kept turning back to Noah, and I thought my heart would shatter. I wasn’t in love with him, but he was the only person who made me feel safe in this new, crazy life, and he was in the clutches of the enemy a thousand miles away. And it was my fault. I won’t fail you, Noah. Overwhelmed, tears threatened, and I tried to focus on calming myself.

Which lasted for all of five minutes, until I saw what Remy had packed for me. I pulled out a stiletto and groaned, tossing it aside. More digging revealed a silk sundress, tons of lingerie, and several pairs of fishnets. Good God, when did she think I was going to wear those here? I resisted the urge to run next door to the room she was sharing with Stan and choke her with them. Two suitcases full of clothing, most of it completely unsuitable. I sighed and headed for the shower.

The long, hot shower perked me up immensely. It felt weird to go 24/7 without even a nap, but while I was weary from travel, was I sleepy? No.

I luxuriated in the soap and hot water until my fingers began to wrinkle, then reluctantly got out, drying myself off and wrapping my hair in a towel. I slathered lotion on my arms as I walked back into my room to get dressed. There might be a good guidebook in the gift shop downstairs; I’d check it out.

A wolf whistle made me look up in shock and I saw Zane on my bed dressed, looking up at me appreciatively. “Wow, you sure did fill out. I think you’ve got a bigger rack than Remy.”

I swallowed the scream that had bubbled in my throat and ripped the towel off my head, wrapping it around my body. “What the hell are you doing in my room? I thought you were asleep!”

He gave me a devilish smile. “I woke up. I was hoping you’d missed me. I guess not.”

“You guessed right.” I went to the bed and pulled at his leather jacket. “Please get out of here so I can get dressed.”

“Why leave? I’ve already seen everything you’ve got to offer, Princess.” He beamed a slow smile at me, teeth gleaming. “Modesty is misplaced in one of your kind, my dear.”

I clutched the towel tighter. “You have three seconds before I call security.”

He laughed. “Security won’t be coming over, my dear. They all think I’m your boyfriend, and I bribed the bellhop-who’s quite in love with you and your red hair-to stay away. I told him you were into kinky sex games and tended to get noisy.” He traced a circle on the bed with his finger. “Speaking of which, isn’t it about time for your Itch to kick in? Your eyes are blue.”

“Get out! I mean it.” I searched for something to throw at him. “If you don’t leave this room this instant …” My fingers closed around a stiletto sticking out of my suitcase, and I lobbed it at him with all my force.

It smacked him straight on the forehead. Before I could delight in my perfect aim, Zane fell back with a groan of pain.

The room was silent. I frowned and stared at his unmoving body sprawled across my bed. “Zane?”

No response.

Crap. I’d done it now. I’d gone and killed the vampire queen’s premier employee. I scrambled over to the bed. He was pale, but then again, he was always pale. There was a bright red blotch on his forehead, and he was completely, utterly motionless. Worry niggled at me, and I put a finger under his nose to see if he was still breathing.

Nothing.

“Shit,” I cursed, jumping onto the bed beside him and slapping his cheek. “Wake up, Zane. Wake up.”

No response.

I took his chin in my hand and jiggled his head back and forth. “Come on, wake up,” I pleaded. “Your queen is going to kill me if she finds out that I accidentally killed you with a shoe.” I leaned over him, prying open one of his eyelids to check his pupil.

“I think I’m gonna need mouth to mouth,” he said suddenly, his arms snaking around me to pull me down against his naked chest. “Wanna volunteer?”

I yelped in shock and tumbled onto him, losing my balance. My elbow slammed into his chin and he gave another groan of pain. “Let go of me,” I demanded, trying to pry his arms off my waist.

“Damn, baby. This is the best view I’ve had all day,” Zane said appreciatively when my now-bared breasts brushed against his face.

Hot desire pounded through me, immediate and horrifying. I put my hand against Zane’s chest and shoved hard, but my wimpy muscles were no match for a vampire’s strength.

In a blink, Zane had me flat on my back and was straddling my naked body, his heavy form pressed over mine, his knee sandwiched between my own. My struggles to get up lessened as the familiar lick of fire ignited in my body, and my pulse sped up as he leaned over me, his eyes hot on my damp flesh.

“Well, well, well,” Zane breathed. I caught the glimmer of red in his eyes that told me he was feeling it, too. “Looks like I win the wrestling match, Blue Eyes. Do I get a prize?”

He stretched my arms above my head and leaned over me, his breath light and hot on my cheek. His face brushed close to mine and I heard him inhale my scent.

A tingle shot straight down my legs and I wriggled under him, but it was more of a token protest at this point. “Zane,” I pleaded.

“No more begging for me to free you, Blue Eyes?” His lips nibbled across my jaw, and I sucked in my breath in sheer delight. “No more throwing things at me?” I felt the graze of his teeth against the soft flesh of my neck, just enough to excite me and make me writhe.

He ground his clothed groin against my naked flesh, and I lost track of everything in that moment.

His lips teased a trail down to my collarbone and straight to my breasts. “You like being here with me, don’t you, Princess? I can see in your eyes what you really want.” His tongue touched the valley between my breasts and I bit my lip, hating the moan that bubbled in my throat.

“My eyes tell you nothing,” I breathed, trying not to arch my breasts straight into his lips, “except that I don’t have any choice over what my body wants.” A token protest at best; at this point, I didn’t want to stop.

Zane paused, his form growing still atop mine. Then, a soft chuckle. “Touché, Princess.” He kissed the peak of one breast gently, inflaming me, and then took my hand in his to pull me up off the bed. “Get dressed.”

“Huh?” I blinked, ready to toss him down on the floor and have my way with him. Vampire or not, he was gorgeous, sensual, and I was Itching like mad. “Get dressed?”

He turned away, straightening his heavy coat. “You wanted to see Nitocris’s tomb, right? I’ll take you there tonight. Just give me a few minutes to … prepare myself.”

I frowned. “Excuse me? Were we, or were we not just about to make out on my bed? I don’t know about vampires, but I can’t just shut this stuff off like it’s a faucet.” The blood was throbbing so hard in my nether regions that I was going to need another shower to be able to walk, if he wasn’t going to help me out.

Zane turned to face me, his eyes a vivid red that turned my angry retort into a muted squeak of distress. “On the contrary, Princess.” A rueful smile curved his lips. “I can no more turn it off than you can. But I am not the monster you make me out to be, and if your heart isn’t in it, neither is mine.”

I gasped. “You’re going to torture me like that, then hang me out to dry? You ass! I should find that shoe again and whack you good.”

The hint of a smile returned to those disturbing red eyes. “I said I wouldn’t take you against your will. You only need to ask me, Jackie.”

I wouldn’t ask. I’d burn in Hell first.

No doubt sensing my answer, he turned and headed for the door. “Fifteen minutes and I’ll be back. I expect you to be ready to go.”

That didn’t give me much time. I dove for the phone. “Let me call Remy and tell her-”

“No. Just me and you tonight.”

Suspicion shot through me. “This is serious stuff, and we’re going to need Remy’s help.”

“Those are my terms. You and me alone, or not at all.”

I sighed. “Fine. Fifteen minutes.”

As soon as he left the room, I called Remy. “Here’s the situation,” I said. “Zane says he’ll take me to the tomb, but you guys aren’t invited.”

“Mmm,” Remy said, and then I heard her break into a giggle, followed by Stan’s moan.

“Oh, gross. Please don’t tell me what you’re doing-I don’t want to know.”

Remy laughed at me. “Do you trust Zane, or do you think this is a trap?”

“I suppose I trust him,” I said, thinking back to our conversation. “I don’t know what he’s up to, but he can’t murder someone who’s already dead, right?”

“Honey, you’re worth more to his kind alive than dead, trust me on that. Murder’s probably the furthest thing from his mind.”

“Okay. If you don’t hear back from me by morning, it’s safe to say the vampires have carried me off for their nefarious needs, and I’m somewhere in a tomb in the middle of Egypt. That should narrow it down, right?”

She paused. “Give me five minutes and I’ll be right over.”

“Sure.” I hung up the phone and sighed.

I dressed quickly in the only decent items in my closet. My underwear was a G-string and a ridiculous bra that was all sheer lace and push-up madness, but I covered them with a low-cut black T-shirt and khaki short shorts.

There was a knock at my door before I could find any shoes. “It’s open,” I called, as I dug farther into my bags. “Come on in.”

“Looking for something?” Remy asked, watching as I demolished my closet.

I turned and glared at her. “Yeah, how about a pair of shoes that don’t have a spike heel?” I held up a Prada sandal. “What am I supposed to wear to go hiking?”

She looked at me in consternation. “What on earth do you want to go hiking for?”

“Uh, the tomb? Maybe the halo? That crazy little thing we flew here to find?”

Remy sat on the edge of the bed. “Just wear some sandals. There’s like a path, right? Those shorts will look amazing with the crocodile heels I packed, now that I think about it.”

I put my head in my hands and forced myself to count to ten slowly. “Did you pack anything that doesn’t have a heel?” I repeated.

“If you must wear something unfashionable-and judging by that outfit, I see that you must-I suppose you can borrow my shoes.” She slid them off her feet and handed them to me.

They were brown leather sandals, which might have been all right, except the wedge heel rocketed up four inches. I sighed and strapped them onto my feet. They’d have to do.

She laughed. “Before you chew me out entirely, let me give you what I came over here for, before your vampire boyfriend shows up.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I protested, testing out the new shoes. I just hoped I wouldn’t break an ankle crossing a sand dune. “Noah’s my boyfriend, if anyone is.”

“Is he? Sex doesn’t make a relationship, sweetie. You need to learn that to succeed as a Suck.” She studied me, then gestured at my eyes, which were no doubt neon blue. “I see you haven’t managed to shake your Itch yet. Want me to send Stan over?”

“Absolutely not.” I headed for the bathroom, jerking my hair into a messy ponytail. At least I didn’t need makeup. “If you send Stan over here, I’ll send him back to you in pieces. Got that?”

Remy chuckled and waved something in my peripheral vision. “Suit yourself, but he’s going to start looking pretty good in a few hours, if all you’ve got is that vampire and a million strangers.”

“I’ll worry about that later.” I was worrying about it now, but I’m sure she could tell just by looking at me. The front of my T-shirt had headlights, for crying out loud, and I suspected they wouldn’t go away until the blue eyes did.

From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of something shiny as Remy moved to the side. “Well, at least allow me to give you this.”

I turned and found myself looking at a gun.