Kiss of the Vampire - Chapter 1

He’s doing this on purpose. I ground my teeth and wondered if in the next few hours I’d break one.

The only whisper of noise in the library was the soft patter of computer keys as the vampire pounded out his magnum opus across the aisle from me. The sound would have been soothing if he’d been anyone, anything, else.

His long fingers dance over the keys. Did his big hands made any typos? He was a fast typist, but vampires were fast in general. He could probably type at speeds his computer couldn’t keep up with.

We were the only two people in the place, minus one missing librarian.

He’d probably murdered her. I shifted in the uncomfortable wooden chair. Yep, he’d probably killed her right under my nose. It would be a little reckless, but it was something I could see him doing.

Sally’s limp graying ponytail came into view as she circled around the taller shelves. Shelving books. I guess he hadn’t drained all the blood from her body.

If I left him alone with her, would he? Worry ate at my gut, joining the annoyance. Now I couldn’t leave until he did, and judging by the stack of books he’d pulled, he was here for a long haul.

He stood and stretched and the crack of his spine was audible from here. He pulled a hand through his short blond hair, and even I had to appreciate all that perfect muscle clenching and unfurling. His white t-shirt rode up, revealing a slice flat abs and an Adonis belt any woman would want to lick.

Why did his jeans have to be so low? And why did all vampires have to be perfect?

I knew the answer to that last part, but it still made me grumpy. Their beauty helped lure prey.

But I wasn’t prey.

He winked at me and I went ramrod straight. He’d noticed I’d been watching him. Of course he’d noticed. Heat crept into my cheeks as I watched him walk toward the shelves, bare feet not even making a whisper over the maroon carpet. It was nearly the shade of drying blood.

Why are you blushing, idiot? You’re not watching him because he’s hot. You’re watching him because he’s an evil bloodsucker who’s invaded your territory and he needs to die.

Every night for the past three days when he got here he kicked off his shoes as soon as he sat down. Like he owned the place. I didn’t like it. It made him quieter something that, as a vampire, he was already unnaturally gifted at. And there was nothing sexy about his large bare feet. Nothing.

All vampires were preternaturally gorgeous. The change wiped away all flaws, and enhanced their best features. Like expert cosmetic surgery. As if they needed another advantage over humans. Strength, speed, and psychic powers weren’t enough?

I got to my feet and glanced around, double checking that we were alone before I went after him. I’d solve this right now. I’d let it slide for the past two nights.

I didn’t want to fight him here. In spite of the seeming emptiness of the library, Sally was still here, and there were other places to sit that were blocked from my view that could be hiding more people. Trying to kill him would cause a big scene and involve cops.

Maybe I could scare him off. He knew I was a witch. Our powers had sparked off each other when we’d collided in the stacks.

A strange experience. Usually a vampire’s energy would irritate. Like sandpaper running over my skin. Maybe even mild nausea if they were powerful enough. His magic had felt like a lover’s caress as it rolled down my spine. It had made my body take notice of him in a very feminine way, which I’d found even more disturbing than my usual reaction.

Ever since he’d been sending me flirty little glances. Suggestive little smiles. They made me blush every time, damn him. They did funny things to my stomach. Lower.

Why him? I’d never given much thought to guys. I was busy over achieving in high school, learning every skill I could to try and get away from vampire hunting. When I hadn’t been in class or working I’d been hunting his kind. A pattern that had continued into my first year of college.

He might know I was a witch, but he couldn’t know which coven. Which family. He couldn’t know I’d been raised to kill his kind.

Usually when vampire’s found out I was a McCormic they bolted. Or, at least tried to. It was rare I let one get away, but this time I’d let him go for a little peace.

My classes were brutal and if I studied at home my mother would find an excuse to interrupt me. She thought a career was a waste of time. I should be dedicating myself to hunting vampires and deepening my craft. The coven sold spells and potions, and if I practiced more I could do the same.

She didn’t know I couldn’t, and I planned to keep her in the dark as long as possible.

I followed him behind a row of books in the metaphysical section. He was flipping through one at an impossible speed, but the way his attention shifted from page to page told me he was actually reading it. Vampire speed translated to reading? You really do learn something new every day.

He snapped the book closed and glanced up at me. “Can I help you, gorgeous?”

I couldn’t place his accent. Something distantly European, like he hadn’t been there for years. I wasn’t well traveled. At all. I’d only been allowed a trip here and there to kill his kind. My mother didn’t exactly believe in sight seeing.

However, I had heard a lot of languages spoken. Witches came to study with the coven from all over the planet. I wondered if he was so old the accent from his region had changed.

“I’m a McCormic.” The most powerful line of witches there was. Leading family of the most powerful coven in the southern United States. The ones most dedicated to hunting his kind. The stuff of scary vampire bedtime stories. The name held weight among his species.

Instead of the fear I’d expected, rage flashed through his gaze a second before he could smother it. His face become a pleasant mask and that somehow made me more tense than the rage I’d seen. Calm and collected meant controlled. It meant no stupid mistakes and possibly plotting my death.

His lips twisted into a cruel smirk. “Well, it can’t be a coincidence that we’ve moved here. You better watch your back, little huntress. Someone is plotting to kill you.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. I couldn’t say I was surprised he was making threats. “When are vampires not trying to kill me?”

His smile became a little more genuine. “I’m sure you’ve pissed off a lot of us.”

“Actually, most of the leeches I’ve faced are dead, so…”

He held his hands up, the book still clasped in one. The gesture was meant to be non-threatening, but I knew that could change in a heartbeat. Faster.

“I’m not interested in a fight, witch. I’ve come here for research. Not to be hounded by a hunter. Can we agree to a truce, or are you going to try and kill me?”

What could he be researching that was so important he refused to avoid, or kill, an enemy? My gaze flicked to the cover of the book he was holding. It was old. Simple black with silver lettering. His fingers obscured most of the text, but one word stood out below them. Demonology.

Oh, man.

Toying with demons was nasty business. If it were just this vampire at risk I’d let it go, but when demons broke loose from their summoners they carved a path of carnage so vast that previous occurrences were taught as some of the darkest times in human history.

In the days of camera phones and instant connectivity it would risk exposing us all. Not to mention the loss of life would be unimaginable.

If I managed to scare him away, I’d never find out what he was up to. I was never going to pass my summer semester classes.

“I want you to leave.” Now that I’d confronted him I couldn’t let him stay without a fight. He might realize I planned to watch him and get in the way of whatever nefarious plot he was working toward.

His eyes narrowed. He placed the book on the shelf and stalked toward me. I’d underestimated him. He wouldn’t be easily threatened. I might have to hurt him to get him to back off. Though if I had to kill him it would solve my problems.

I backed up to keep some distance between us but he came at me in a burst of speed. My back hit the shelves and he was in my face, body pressed flush against me

I went for the knife hidden at the small of my back. If he was going to get aggressive, I’d just kill him. To hell with the consequences. But I was too damned slow. He grabbed both my hands and pinned them against the shelves above my head.

There was a sharp pop as the fluorescent lights above us exploded right before the whole library was plunged into darkness. He hunched his body over mine to protect me from any falling glass, but the light was far enough away. I didn’t think either of us were in danger.

His dark chuckle caused things low in my body to clench. I flushed at my lack of control over my libido.

His warm breath brushed my throat, and chills broke out over my arms. He wouldn’t try to feed from my here, would he? He seemed reluctant to cause a scene, but he could manipulate the minds of anyone in here if they heard me scream and came to help. I tried to get free, but his hands were like manacles.

“Now, now. Play nice, beautiful. I don’t appreciate your threats, or being showered with glass. You could have hurt yourself. We’ve been at peace for several days now. No reason to change that.”

“I didn’t blow out the lights, you did.” I didn’t have enough power to put out a candle most days, let alone blow the electricity in the whole building.

His lips brushed my ear and I shivered. “Whatever you need to tell yourself. You think I haven’t noticed you watching me? You’re threatening me but every time you lick your lips and shift in your seat it’s like an invitation. Are you thinking about my cock between your thighs? I know I am. If you weren’t a prejudiced little witch, maybe you’d be coming for me right now.”

His breath brushed my lips, smelling like coffee and cinnamon.

Kiss me.

“If that’s what you want.”

Had I spoken out loud? I didn’t think I had, but that would be absolutely mortifying.

His lips slid across mine. The caress was gentle, but I felt it down to my toes. I threw my arms around his neck and felt his lips curl. He deepened the kiss with a chuckle and I gasped. His tongue against mine made me tingle all over. My nipples tightened as I rubbed myself against his chest, arching for more.

When he pulled away I was breathless. I wanted to ask him why he’d stopped, but he cursed and muttered, “They’ve found the breaker box. Our fun is over.”

My hands were suddenly free, his weight pressing me into the shelves was gone, and when the lights came back on her was nowhere in sight.