Deal With the Devil

  I fought the urge to blush as she stepped back and took in my appearance. I had dressed to impress tonight in a deep red dress that was cut low in the front and even lower in the back. In fact, it was impossible to wear a bra with it so I was being extra careful of the way I moved so that silky fabric that covered my breasts didn’t slip off my shoulders and reveal more than just my neck and back. The dress ended around mid-thigh and I had on a pair of black open-toed heels that made me several inches taller to go with it. Since I was already so short and Jude was so tall, I felt like I needed something to level the playing field. Besides, the heels made my legs look long and slender and sexy and gave my walk a confident strut that I liked. My hair was down, the curly ends brushing against my bare back and my makeup, while minimal, was absolutely perfect.

  I had taken hours to get ready but it felt like longer than that while Jude’s maid stared at me. At last, after a long moment of scrutiny, she nodded at me in a friendly way. “Yep, real nice. Well, come right this way, Miss Luz. Mr. Jude said to take you straight in to the study.” She turned and headed down the hallway, leaving me to follow her in bewilderment.

  “Uh, you keep the house beautifully,” I said, feeling that I needed to make some conversation.

  “Oh, it ain’t hard, child. Not like there’s much to do ‘sides sweeping and dusting. And I don’t have to cook like I did at my last job on account of vamps don’t eat.” She grinned over her shoulder at me.

  “I guess that would simplify things a lot,” I said helplessly, wishing I could think of more to say. We walked the rest of the way in silence and stopped in front of the same carved wooden door that I remembered from last time.

  “Well, here you go. Hope you enjoy your visit, Miss Luz.” She nodded at me and was turning to go when my curiosity got the best of me.

  “Wait.” I put a hand on her arm, waiting until she faced me. “I’m sorry,” I said, feeling awkward. “I know it’s none of my business but I guess I’m just surprised to see a were working for a vamp.”

  Her bright eyes flashed. “You’re a were too, missy—my nose tells me so. So I could just as well ask what you’re doing visiting a vamp same as you can ask what I’m doing working for one.”

  “I’m sorry I offended you—forget I asked.” I dropped my hand but she grabbed it in both of hers. Her grip was warm and dry, her skin worn smooth as a baby’s with age.

  “Now, I didn’t mean it like that, child, so don’t go gettin’ your back up.”

  “I’m not,” I said, surprised.

  “Well, all right then.” She smiled. “I like you—mostly because Mr. Jude likes you. And he’s been powerful lonely an awful long time so seeing him find a lady friend does my old heart good.”

  “I’m, uh, glad to hear it,” I said, not sure how to take her revelation. At least now I knew that Jude didn’t invite women over to his home to party all the time. It was nice to know that we were exclusive—at least as far as Rosie knew. I found myself smiling back at her.

  “As for why I work for him—I have my reasons. Mr. Jude has been powerful good to me and my family. He got us justice when no one else could. You know?”

  Of course I didn’t know—I had no idea what she was talking about. But I nodded at her anyway and that seemed to be good enough for Rosie.

  “Well, now, I best be getting on. Tell Mr. Jude if he needs anything he can call me but to make it quick. I’m about to go for the night. All right?”

  I nodded again. “All right.”

  “Good.” She pressed my hand briefly before letting it go. “You have a blessed day, Miss Luz, and it was mighty fine to meet you.”

  “Nice to meet you too,” I said, actually meaning it. She might be a little strange but it was clear that Rosie was devoted to Jude. And it was a relief to meet another living soul who saw him as a decent person instead of as an evil, bloodthirsty vampire who was ready to kill and maim at the drop of a hat.

  Rosie grinned at me with a mouthful of false teeth and shuffled off down the hallway, humming quietly to herself. Shaking my head, I turned toward the door and let myself into the study.

  Jude was sitting on the low leather couch as still as a statue, staring into the fire that was crackling quietly to itself on the hearth. In the firelight his marble pale skin was painted with gold and crimson. I caught my breath at the beauty of his profile.

  My small intake of breath seemed to rouse him from whatever reverie he’d been lost in because he looked up at me, smiling. “Luz. It’s good to see you again.” He rose in one fluid motion and was standing in front of me almost before I could blink. Taking my hands in his, he stared into my eyes. “You’ve outdone yourself tonight. I’ve never seen you looking more beautiful.”

  I felt my cheeks getting hot at his compliment. But I needed to keep my mind on the subject at hand instead of thinking how deep his green eyes looked and how good he smelled. I took a deep breath. “I came to talk, Jude. I need to ask you…”

  “Of course you can have some of my blood. I’m so glad you’ve decided to do another exchange with me.”

  I pulled my hands away. “Don’t read me like that—I don’t like it.”

  “Forgive me. It was just one of my flashes—you were thinking about it so strongly it came through before I thought about it.”

  “Are you sure that’s all you see? Just the surface of someone’s mind?”

  He shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling under the black T-shirt he wore. “Just their most recent thoughts, yes. And it doesn’t even happen very often. In fact, this is only the second or third time I have caught flashes of your thoughts and you know if it happened every time I touched you I would know much more about you than I do.”

  I blushed again, thinking of how much and how intimately he had touched me. But I needed to get something out of the way before I let myself be carried away in the moment. “I do want to do another blood exchange,” I said, looking up at him seriously. “But after I tell you why, you might not want to.”

  “Why would I not want to?” As he spoke, he led me over to the couch and seated me on it. “Would you like some wine?”

  “Um…sure.” I was determined not to get off track. “You might not want to because I want to try again to shift—to change this next full moon.”

  He shook his head as he poured me wine that was so dark it looked black in the firelight. “And why would that bother me?”

  “Because,” I said patiently. “The whole reason you wanted my blood in the first place was because I’ve never shifted. You said there was more power in it that way so after I shift…” I shrugged. “It won’t be as…as potent, I guess.”

  Jude sat beside me and offered me a delicate long-stemmed crystal glass half filled with the dark wine. It smelled fruity and rich. I took a small sip and made an appreciative noise.

  He nodded at my glass. “Do you like it? I was still young when it was made.”

  “It’s delicious,” I said truthfully. “But you still haven’t said how you feel about me shifting.”

  “I think you should do what makes you happy. I suppose the only thing that concerns me is the fact that you’ll be more interesting to your own kind when you can change and you might forget about me.”

  His response surprised me. “How could I forget you? You’ve helped me so much.”

  “I hope that isn’t the only reason you’d try to keep me in mind.” He took the wine glass from me and held both my hands in his much larger ones.

  “So…you won’t mind if my blood changes flavor or potency or whatever?”

  “Luz, I have a small confession to make. It isn’t your blood I am as interested in as you. It’s true that having never changed your blood has an energy about it that is rare and delicious but I would have been just as eager to spend time with you even if you had been shifting every month for years.”

  I frowned. “They why didn’t you say so? Why make such a big deal about the energy in my blood and how you wanted to taste it like fine wi
ne?”

  “Because we are what we are. Think about it.” He squeezed my hands gently. “If I had let you know that I, a vampire, wanted to get to know you, a were, you would have turned me away without a thought. I had to find a way to make you come to me.”

  “So that you could put me under your spell?” I was only half kidding and more than a little angry about his deception.

  “So that I could make you feel for me what I immediately felt for you.”

  “And what…what was that?” I asked breathlessly. He was very close now, still holding my hands and looking down into my eyes and I could smell his warm skin and see the firelight glinting against the razor-sharp tips of his fangs as he spoke.

  “Desire. Lust. Need. Call it whatever you care too—I only knew that I wanted you so badly I could barely breathe. As I want you still.” He leaned down and captured my mouth in a long, intense kiss that sent shivers all the way down to my toes.

  I could feel my nipples peaking under the silky material of my dress and my pussy getting wet beneath my small satin panties. But I still hadn’t said everything I needed to say. Reluctantly, I broke the kiss and looked up at him. “So my blood isn’t like a drug for you?”

  He laughed softly, a low rumble from deep in his chest. “No more than the rest of you, which I find completely intoxicating. The way you look, your scent…your taste.” He kissed my ear, flicking his tongue over the sensitive lobe until I shivered. Then he pulled back and looked at me. “Why do you ask? Has someone been filling your head with nonsense?”

  “It was my brother’s idea, actually.” I sighed. “He’s just…he’s really not happy about me, uh, dating a vampire. If that’s what we’re doing, I mean,” I added hurriedly.

  Jude looked thoughtful. “I suppose that is as good a word for it as any. Though in my day we would have called it courting.”

  “Well, he’s not happy with our arrangement. I wouldn’t have told him but I’m closer to him than the rest of my family and…and I guess I just hoped he would understand.”

  He gave me a serious look. “You cannot really expect your family to understand or accept the bond between us, Luz. If my own family was still alive they would feel much the same as yours does. My parents were vampires of a very ancient bloodline—the idea of me desiring to spend time with a were would have been repugnant to them.”

  “It’s pretty much the same in my family,” I admitted. “At least I think it would be. I don’t think Diego has told anyone else yet—but he might after the fight we had.” I told him briefly about the accusations my little brother had flung at me, including the idea that the attack on me was an attempt by the Clear Water pack to get to Jude in retaliation for his treatment of their pack master.

  Jude frowned and shook his head when I told him. “I thought of that myself—it was the first thing in my mind, in fact. But careful checking reveals that the Clear Water pack had nothing to do with your near abduction.”

  “But then who—”

  “I don’t know but I am still working to find out—still trying to find the other man who attacked you. I should never have let him go in the first place but I was so sure he had been hired by the Clear Water wolves I thought I had no reason to hold him.” His eyes flashed. “In the meantime, I want you to know that you are well protected both day and night.”

  “Thank you.” I assumed that meant he was employing other people to watch me since he couldn’t be around to assure my safety himself during the day. Still, it was nice to know my trust in him wasn’t misplaced.

  “Is that all you wanted to speak about?” Jude buried his fingers in the hair at the nape of my neck and stroked my throat with his thumb in a slow, rhythmic motion that made my pulse race.

  “I-I guess so.” Suddenly I was having trouble thinking straight. “Why?” I asked breathlessly. “Did you have something else in mind?”

  “What I have in mind is tasting you and not just your blood.” Jude gave me a slow, hot smile that seemed to melt everything inside me.

  “Are-are you going to want to do that every time we meet?” I asked hesitantly. “I mean, you really like it that much?”

  “I love it.” He leaned forward and murmured in my ear. “Love the way you look when you open for me, love the way you taste when you writhe under my tongue. But most of all I love the way you give yourself to me so completely and the soft little sounds you make when I’m licking your pussy.”

  “I…do I?” I hadn’t been aware of making any sounds the two times he’d gone down on me but I wasn’t really surprised. Jude was right—I sort of lost control of myself when he did that but in a good way.

  “Mmm-hmm.” He kissed my throat, his breath hot against my sensitive skin. “But tonight I don’t want to do it here.”

  I pulled away, looking at him in confusion. “What—you want to go to a motel or something?”

  He laughed. “No, nothing like that. I meant I don’t want to taste you or drink your blood sitting here on the couch.” His voice dropped. “I want to take you to my bed.”

  “Oh.” I bit my lower lip, not sure if I was ready for this. But Jude’s next words calmed me considerably.

  “Not to make love to you—although that would be a great pleasure indeed. But simply because I want us to take our time someplace more comfortable. Of course if the idea bothers you—”

  “No,” I said quickly. “No, I-I don’t mind. In fact it sounds nice. More than nice.” I looked at him shyly, feeling the blood burning under my skin again. The idea of lying down with him, of feeling that long, hard body pressed against mine, was making me incredibly hot. So hot I was afraid he would be able to tell. Casually I crossed my legs, trying to ignore the throbbing below my waist.

  “No, Luz, don’t do that.” Jude put a hand on my knee, urging me to uncross my legs.

  “Don’t do what?” I asked, wishing my voice didn’t sound so shaky.

  “Don’t hide your desire from me. I love the scent of your lust.” He stroked my knee as he spoke, sliding his large hand up my thigh, under the hem of my dress. “Don’t pretend not to feel for me the way I feel for you,” he whispered, his fingertips stroking lightly over my inner thigh.

  “How do you feel?” I asked, trying not to moan as his seeking fingers found my panties and he cupped the mound of my sex in his hand.

  Jude gave me that slow, dangerous smile. “As I told you before—I want you. All of you, Luz. And I can’t wait any longer to have you.” Without warning he picked me up and walked out the door with me in his arms.

  The long hallway was a blur. I didn’t bother to see where we were going because I didn’t care. I just buried my face in the side of his neck and breathed in his warm, spicy scent. Some people say vampires are cold blooded but I had never found that to be true of Jude. He was always warm to my touch and I ought to know because there seemed to be no way I could get enough of touching him.

  When I looked up again we were in a bedroom with a high, arching ceiling and no windows. The room was dominated by a huge four-poster bed. It looked as though it had been specially built to accommodate Jude’s height and it was draped with cream-colored satin sheets that looked incredibly soft and decadently inviting. A little way from the foot of the bed was another fireplace with a small fire flickering to light the room. As with the study, the room was cool enough to make the fire seem like a pleasant necessity despite the heat of the August night outside.

  “You must spend a hell of a lot on air-conditioning,” I murmured as Jude sat me on the end of the bed. “Do you have a fireplace in every room of the house?”

  He shrugged. “Only a few, actually. I like the light a fire gives—it’s warm and natural. I am fully integrated into this century but I still dislike the glare of artificial lights. Does the fire bother you?”

  “Not at all.” I snuggled against him, my face pressed against the side of his chest. “I think it’s very romantic.”

  “I’m glad you think so.” He kissed the top of my head and the
n ran one long finger down my shoulder. I leaned my head to one side, giving him greater access and to my embarrassment, the red fabric of my dress slid down my arm, baring my right breast.

  “Sorry!” I was about to pull the dress back up but Jude stopped me.

  “I’ve never seen your breasts,” he murmured, kissing the side of my neck. “So beautiful—may I?”

  “I-I guess.” I sat still with my heart pounding as he slid the other side of my dress down, baring me from the waist up. My nipples tightened at the sudden chill and the embarrassed excitement of having his gaze on me.

  “Beautiful,” he murmured again and then slid to his knees in front of me. He was so tall that, though I was sitting on the edge of the bed and he was kneeling on the floor, we were still eye to eye.

  Jude bent his head and laid a light kiss on the slope of one breast before tracing a wet, warm trail to my nipple. I moaned breathlessly as he sucked it into his mouth and teased it into a tight peak with his tongue. The twin points of his fangs pressed delicately on either side against the soft skin of my breast—a promise of things to come later. He spent a long time tasting and teasing both breasts, licking and sucking my nipples alternately, which seemed to send sparks of pleasure directly to my pussy. I was getting so wet and hot I didn’t think I could stand it much more and when Jude looked up, I could see the lust flaring in his eyes, which flickered from pale green to burning red over and over.

  “I want to see all of you,” he said, tugging gently at the fabric of my dress pooled around my waist. “Will you let me undress you completely, Luz?”

  I nibbled my bottom lip nervously. He’d seen a lot of me but never like this. Never in bed with nothing between us at all. A sudden memory of the last time I had been naked before a man flashed across my brain. I had been so helpless, so frightened…

  Jude must have seen the uncertainty in my face because he leaned forward and kissed me gently. “It’s all right. You can stay as you are if the idea upsets you.”

  I pushed the bad memory away with an effort. “No. No…I want to. Want to be naked with you.” I blushed as I said it but made myself continue doggedly. “It’s just…I think I’d feel better if you were naked too. Could we do that?”