The Undead Next Door

CHAPTER 26

Heather's eyes adjusted to the dim light of Jean-Luc's bathroom. "Are you all right?"

"I'm devastated. My best tuxedo was ruined."

She figured his sarcasm was pain-induced. "At first I thought vampires might not feel any pain, but Gregori assured me that you do."

Jean-Luc leaned his head back on the marble edge of the tub and closed his eyes. "I have all kinds of feelings. Anger that Lui has escaped me once again, frustration that you're forced to accept my protection whether you like it or not."

"I'm not complaining. You took a bullet for me."

He waved a hand as if that was nothing. "Then there are all my positive feelings. Devotion to you, respect for you, desire for you, and the joy I feel in your company." He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Everything positive in my life revolves around you."

She moved to a corner of the raised tub and wrapped an arm around the slender column. The marble was cool against her cheek. "You have a lot to be proud of, Jean-Luc. You're very clever and talented. You've come a long way in life, and you've built a highly successful business."

He rested his head back again. "I worked hard, so I could be the one in charge, so I wouldn't be powerless to the whims of other men." He sighed. "But Lui keeps coming back, and I'm powerless to stop him. Worthless."

Her heart squeezed in her chest. "Don't you dare say that. You risked your life to save me." She moved up the stairs and sat on the edge of the tub.

"I feel worthless right now. If Lui showed up tonight, I wouldn't be able to fight." Jean-Luc smiled slightly. "Don't worry. I would still protect you."

"I believe you." She knew he'd die if he had to. She touched the soft black curls on his head.

"I have an emergency plan. I'd teleport you and Bethany to Romatech Industries. There's a safe room there, completely encased in silver. No vampire can teleport in or out. You would be safe there."

"I see." She stroked his hair, and he closed his eyes. "Silver's bad for vampires?"

"Mmm." The lines of pain in his face slowly smoothed.

She kept stroking his hair. Now she understood why the silver belts had hurt Louie so much.

"Gregori told me you would heal completely during your death-sleep. You won't even have a scar to commemorate your bravery."

A corner of his mouth tilted up. "It was more like desperation. I couldn't bear to lose you."

"I think you were very brave. I wanted to thank you."

He opened his eyes and regarded her sadly. "We've rescued each other now, so we're even. As soon as I kill Lui, you will be free to go."

She took a deep breath. "I'm not going anywhere."

He stared at her blankly. "You're accepting the job?"

She straightened so she was standing on the bottom step of the stairs leading up to the tub. Her heart began to race. "I'm accepting you."

His eyebrows rose. He sat up.

She slipped the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders, and then peeled the bodice down to reveal her breasts. His eyes darkened.

She had to wiggle a little to get the nightgown over her hips. His eyes began to glow. The nightgown fell in a puddle around her feet.

Her heart was pounding now, echoing in her ears. The fear and uncertainty she'd felt the last two weeks had all melted away, leaving her with a sense of elation. Her mind was made up. She was following her heart. And she was declaring victory over fear. "Remember what you said? You were right about me."

His eyes glimmered bright red. "What did I say?"

"You said I loved you." She ascended the steps, and a glorious feeling of power washed over her.

"And I do." She eased into the hot water.

"You do?" He moved over to give her room.

She settled beside him. "Yes, I do. I was thinking about you all week, trying to get up the courage to follow my heart."

"So you've defeated that fear?"

"Yes. There was a scripture that helped me. The one that says there's a purpose for everything under heaven. I realized you were here for a noble purpose. You protect the innocent from bad vampires." She touched his face. "How could I not love you?"

He gave her a wry look. "You're trying to make me noble?"

"You are noble, you silly goose. Deal with it."

He chuckled. "I love you, too." He glanced at his bandaged arm. "But I may have trouble proving it."

"You don't have to do anything." She nestled against his left side and rubbed a thigh against his leg. "I'm here to seduce you."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh." She planted kisses along his shoulder and up his neck. "I hope you don't mind. I know how you hate feeling powerless."

His mouth quirked. "Strangely enough, I'm all right with this."

"Good." She skimmed a hand down his chest, reached his stomach, and bumped into the tip of his swollen manhood. "Oh. You're not completely out of action."

"No." He hissed in a breath when she wrapped her hand around him and squeezed.

She stroked the shaft, enjoying the way it grew thicker and harder. The tip remained velvety soft.

She kissed his chest. "I never could resist you. From the first time I met you, I wanted you."

"Heather, I love you so much." With his left arm, he pulled her half on top of him. He kissed her on the mouth. A hungry, demanding kiss.

She tasted a hint of whisky on his tongue. She explored his mouth and skimmed her tongue across the edge of his teeth. The sharp points on his canine teeth didn't faze her. She knew who he was, and she loved him.

She straddled him, and they continued to kiss. His left hand stroked her back. She nestled against his erection, rubbing herself against the length. Her breasts moved against his chest.

"Come up higher." He wrapped his left arm around her waist and lifted her up so her breasts were even with his mouth. He drew a hard nipple into his mouth and suckled.

She moaned and arched into him. Tingles spread all over her body, and a deep need flared inside her. Good Lord, Fidelia had been right. A man who had sucked blood for centuries knew how to use his mouth.

Somewhere in the daze of sensual pleasure, Heather realized he'd taken charge. "Hey." She gasped as he tugged on her nipple. "I'm supposed to be seducing you."

"You were wildly successful. Consider me seduced." With one arm, he lifted her out of the water and sat her on a corner of the tub.

Wow, super strength came in handy. Goose bumps prickled her body as cool air caressed her skin and her back came in contact with a cool marble column.

"Hold on." He eased her hips to the edge of the tub.

"Like this?" She raised her arms overhead and grasped the column. She gasped when he buried his head between her legs.

Oh God, that mouth of his. That tongue. She pressed her fingers against the marble. Her heels dug into his back.

He stroked and nibbled till she was panting and writhing with tension. Just when she was ready to explode, he pulled back.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. Then he twirled his tongue around her, and she shattered.

Her body was still shuddering when he pulled her back into the hot, bubbly water. The swirling currents pulsed against her sensitized skin and sent another wave of tremors through her body.

"Oh God." She fell limp against him. "I should seduce you more often."

"Every night, cherie. Hold on."

Everything went black for a second, then Heather felt herself falling back onto his bedspread. He must have teleported them straight to bed.

He zoomed back to the bathroom. She sat up to see him zipping back to her with a towel.

"Here." He dried her back, then pushed her gently onto the bed so he could dry the front of her body.

"Wait!" She pointed at the camera.

He zoomed to the bedside table and grabbed the remote. "Don't worry. The guys are out looking for Lui. No one's seen you." He turned off the surveillance camera, then jumped on the bed.

He leaned over to kiss her breasts, then winced. "Wait a minute." He moved to the other side of her so he could prop himself up on his left arm.

"I have a better idea." She shoved him flat on his back. "You're the injured hero. So just lie there and take it like a man."

His mouth twitched. "You're cute when you're bossy."

"Cute? You think this is cute?" She cupped his balls and lightly squeezed.

He moaned. "I take it back. You're an incredibly erotic seductress."

"That's more like it." She sat beside him and ran her fingers over his body. This was the first time she was getting a good look at him naked. He was lean and muscular. A few scars marked his pale skin. She traced them, realizing they had to be centuries old, dating back to his days as a mortal.

Curly black hair shaded his upper chest. She traced the thin line of black hair down his torso to the thicker patch surrounding his erection.

She stroked the shaft and it twitched. "It's alive!"

He gave her a wry look. "I need inside you."

"All in good time." She leaned over and kissed the soft tip.

He winced. "I really need inside you."

"We have all night." She dragged her tongue up the shaft, then took him in her mouth.

He groaned. "Take me inside you. Now."

She swirled her tongue around the tip, then released him. "Hmm, yummy."

"Dammit, woman!" His eyes blazed red. "Ride me."

She blinked in surprise. "Oh. You're so cute when you're bossy."

"I'm not bossy. I'm dying." He pulled her on top.

She straddled him, then tried to position him in the right place. "I'm not very experienced in this—aagh!" She gasped when he shoved himself into her and pulled her down at the same time.

"Okay, that'll work."

She settled down on him, letting him fill her completely. "You feel so good."

"So do you," he breathed. He caressed her breasts. "Love me."

"I do." She rocked on him slowly, then leaned forward to kiss him.

He pulled down on her hips, urging her to go faster. She did, feeling the tension coiling tighter and tighter. He reached between her legs to rub her clitoris, and she went frantic. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she realized she'd never behaved so wildly before. It was liberating. It was glorious.

He tweaked her as she came down hard on him. Convulsions shook her, and her body went limp. She fell beside him. He rolled with her, then grasped her bottom as he drove into her. He groaned, grinding his hips against her as his climax shuddered through him.

Slowly their breathing returned to normal, and they lay on their sides, gazing into each other's faces.

"Wow," Heather breathed.

"Indeed." The red in his eyes slowly faded.

She touched the curls on his head. "I love you." She felt tears crowding her eyes. "I love you so much."

"Will you marry me?"

Before she could answer, he sat up and continued, "I promise to get rid of Lui. You won't have to live a life of entrapment. We'll be able to travel and enjoy life. And we can—"

She put a finger on his mouth. "The answer is yes."

He grinned and kissed her finger, then kissed the palm of her hand.

She shivered. "Let's get under the covers."

He pulled back the bedspread, and they snuggled between the sheets. He winced when she accidentally bumped against his injured arm.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She kissed the shoulder.

"I'll be out of pain in a few more hours."

"When the sun comes up?"

"Yes. Heather, will you leave before I go into my death-sleep?"

"It doesn't scare me, Jean-Luc. I've seen Ian that way every afternoon."

"I know. But I want our first night together to be perfect for you. I don't want your last memory of it to be my dead body."

"All right." Maybe with time, he wouldn't feel embarrassed about it. She kissed his cheek. "I love you just the way you are."

Heather woke around noon in her bedroom upstairs. She stretched, smiling as memories of lovemaking replayed in her mind. After an hour of rest, Jean-Luc had suggested they find another position that didn't put any weight on his injured arm.

They had rolled around, laughing, till she ended up sitting in his lap, facing him as they kissed and fondled each other. They rolled around some more. Eventually she found herself on all fours while he stood beside the bed and entered her from behind. He reached around to stroke her with his fingers while he drove into her, and the combination sent her over the edge.

Exhausted, she fell asleep in his arms. He'd nudged her awake with kisses about five-thirty A.M., and she put on her nightgown to sneak upstairs. She took a long hot bath to ease sore muscles.

Then she put on her pajamas and climbed into bed next to Bethany.

She vaguely recalled Bethany trying to wake her up sometime later. She'd mumbled something, and Fidelia had chuckled.

"Your mama's worn out, little one. And about time, too. Let her sleep."

Now Heather rested in bed, half asleep, thinking about Jean-Luc. She'd agreed to marry him! Her fears that it wouldn't work out had been cast aside.

She dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen. Ian and Phil had moved the furniture back. She greeted them and gave Bethany a hug.

Fidelia hefted herself out of the recliner and waddled into the kitchen. "Come have some breakfast."

Heather followed her.

Fidelia grinned as she took a box of cereal from the pantry. "So how was it?"

Heather snorted. "It was very private."

"That good, huh?" Fidelia poured the cereal into a bowl while Heather fetched the milk.

"I had a bad dream last night." Fidelia lowered her voice. "The red glowing eyes and gnashing white teeth."

"We already know what that means." Heather poured milk into the bowl.

"I'm not so sure." Fidelia frowned. "I'm getting a real sense of danger. And then there was this stone building. Ruins. An old church, I think."

"Interesting."

Fidelia sighed. "Ian told me they still haven't found Louie. They'll go hunting again tonight."

And Jean-Luc would be fit and ready to fight tonight. Heather's breath caught when she realized he'd be risking his life again. She stared at the bowl of cereal, her appetite suddenly gone.

"There's a car coming up the driveway," Ian announced.

Heather followed Ian and Phil to the front door.

Phil peered out the window. "A woman driver. She looks like one of the models from last night."

"It's Miss Gray!" Alberto called as he strode down the hallway, pulling a suitcase behind him.

"She's here for me. I'm off to Paris, and Linda's giving me a ride to the airport."

Heather peeked out the window. Linda Gray was one of her friends from Guadalupe High. "I didn't realize she knew you."

"She didn't until last night." Alberto entered the foyer. "When Sasha started shooting last night, I flung myself over Miss Gray to protect her." He grinned. "She thinks I'm a hero."

"Well, I guess you are." Heather offered her hand. "Have a good trip."

Alberto shook her hand. "I might be back to visit soon, if things work out with Miss Gray."

Phil opened the door while Ian moved away from the sunlight.

"Good luck to you all." Alberto rolled his suitcase out the door. "Ciao."

Heather went back to the kitchen to enjoy a day off with her daughter. Around suppertime, Ian collapsed on the kitchen floor.

Bethany giggled. "He takes naps like a baby."

"Yes." Heather smiled. But he no longer looked like a baby. Ian had aged twelve years over the last twelve days.

"If I take a nap, will I get older, too?" Bethany asked.

"Sweetie, you get older every day, just much slower than Ian."

"But I want to grow up faster," Bethany protested.

"I know, but I don't want to lose you any faster than I have to." Heather stood. "Let's see what we can find for supper."

After their meal, the doorbell rang, followed by pounding on the door. Heather and Phil went to see who was there. Cody was outside, pacing on the front porch.

She sighed. Too bad Jean-Luc wasn't awake. He needed to undo the cockroach spell. Maybe she could get Cody to come back after sunset. But for now, he should be safe to talk to. He was under Jean-Luc's control. And Bethany was in the kitchen with Fidelia, so if Cody started acting strangely, his daughter wouldn't see it.

Heather opened the door.

Cody whirled around to face her. "I didn't get to see Bethany this weekend."

"You said you weren't able to see her."

"I know I did." Cody scratched his head. "But I don't know why. Something's wrong with me."

Heather stepped onto the porch. "It'll be all right, Cody. You can see Bethany next weekend."

"Is she all right? I heard there was some trouble here last night."

"She's fine. We didn't let her see anything bad."

"Okay." Cody descended the steps, headed for his car, then turned. "I bet that witch is doing this to me."

"What witch?"

"That gypsy psychic lady you let take care of our daughter. She's a bad influence."

Heather sighed. Just when she thought Cody was going to behave, he ruined it with something stupid. "Fidelia's a wonderful, loving person, and she'd do anything to protect Bethany."

"Right! Like put some kind of spell on me." Cody paced in front of his car. "I'm gonna sue, that's what. I'll have her arrested."

"On what charge? She hasn't done anything." Heather noticed Billy's squad car coming up the driveway. Phil stepped out onto the porch.

Cody grinned. "Great timing. I'll have Billy drag that witch off to jail."

"Fidelia hasn't done a thing to you." Heather descended the porch steps.

The squad car rolled to a stop, and Billy climbed out.

"You're just in time, Sheriff." Cody walked up to him. "I want you to arrest that gypsy woman. She's put a spell on me."

"That's ridiculous," Heather snapped. "Fidelia's not a gypsy, and she doesn't do spells."

"Then why did she force me not to see Bethany this weekend?"

"Cody, come back next weekend. You can take Bethany then."

"You can't tell me what to do!" Cody yelled. "Billy, I want you to arrest Heather. She's in violation of the divorce decree."

She scoffed. "Billy, will you please make him leave?"

Billy had been calmly watching the argument. He walked to the back of his car and motioned to Cody to follow him.

"A father has rights, too, you know." Cody stopped next to Billy and turned to give Heather a dirty look.

In one quick movement, Billy removed his pistol and clonked Cody on the head with the handle.

Cody crumpled to the pavement.

Heather gasped and ran down the steps. "What are you doing? I just wanted you to talk to him."

Billy stuffed his gun back in the holster. Then he opened the back door of his squad car and shoved Cody inside.

"Billy?" Heather stepped closer.

Phil ran to her and grabbed her arm. "Come back inside. Something's not right."

Billy whipped out his gun and shot Phil in the leg.

Heather screamed. Phil tumbled onto the driveway. Blood oozed from his wounded calf.

"What the hell?" Fidelia looked out the front door, then pulled a gun from her purse.

"Mama!" Bethany cried.

Fidelia pushed her back, dropped her purse, and frantically worked at unlocking the trigger lock on her pistol.

"Get inside!" Phil hissed as he lay on the driveway.

Heather started, then hesitated. How could she leave Phil behind?

"Get in the car." Billy motioned with his gun toward the open door of his squad door.

She noticed the glassy look to his eyes.

Billy aimed his pistol at Phil's head. "Get in the car."

Phil gritted his teeth. "Don't do it."

Billy cocked his pistol.

"Wait! I'll do it." Heather climbed into the car.

"Drop the gun, sucker!" Fidelia yelled, aiming her Glock at Billy.

He yanked Phil up and used him as a shield. He moved to the back of the car, dragging Phil with him. He opened the trunk and shoved Phil inside. The minute he slammed the trunk shut, Fidelia fired her pistol.

She missed. She shot again. Heather ducked down. Fidelia's aim was bad.

Billy jumped in the front seat and sped away.

Heather sat up and pounded her fists against the screen separating her from the sheriff. "Billy, wake up! You're under Louie's control."

He kept driving.

Heather looked out the rear window. Fidelia was in the middle of the driveway. Bethany ran after the car, crying, and Fidelia pulled her back.

A chill swept over Heather. Was this the last time she'd see her daughter? No, she couldn't bear that. Jean-Luc would come to the rescue. The sun was on the horizon. He would wake soon.

Unfortunately, so would Louie.