threaded her fingers through his hair. “You are beautiful mon amour,” she said, her voice low and sensuous.
“Madeline…” he began. She clenched her fist in his hair and jerked his head back.
“And treacherous.” She brought her lips close to Shel’s. “But not, I think, so treacherous as I.”
“You betrayed me, mon amour.” She lowered her lips to his. “I do not like betrayal.” Madeline kissed Shel and whispered a strange, powerful word, her lips still pressed to his.
He shivered. A wave of bitter nausea swept through him. Shel retched. The heavy silk slid through his nerveless fingers as he doubled over. He toppled to the floor.
Madeline walked away, laughing; the click of her heels on the polished oak floor a painful echo in his ears.
How could he have been so stupid, so blinded by lust? Another wave of pain stole the breath from his lungs. A sound cut through the red fog in his head. Sheldon forced his eyes to focus on the woman now standing beside him. Isabel knelt and took his limp hand, pulling him into her arms.
“Isabel?” Sheldon clutched at her in confusion, the room spinning. “Where is Kitty, must save…?”
“Hush petit amour, she has cursed you.” Isabel’s lips touched his. Heat ripped through him. Burning, metallic, salty fire. With her kiss, Shel’s pain faded.
“Save Kitty…” His own whisper sent stabbing pain through his head. Shel tried to lever himself up only to slump back into her arms. He held onto Isabel, desperate for the contact with her warmth. She pressed him back to lie on the floor.
“You cannot. Madeline has cursed you. She has made you like she, ruled by the need for blood.” Isabel gently loosened his grip on her. She stood.
“No…I’ll kill her…”
“Shh. Non. She is very powerful. I have done what I can to ease the curse. I cannot break it, only when you find true love will that happen. And alas, while le petit mort is très bon with you, I do not love you.” She looked at the door. He followed her gaze. Her servant stood impassive, waiting. “Gervaise will take you to the docks. You must leave this place.”
Shel frowned at Gervaise. Something was wrong. A tiny dark spot at the corner of the servant’s mouth grew, then spilled down over the man’s jaw. A warm thick scent, almost sexual in its intensity, enveloped Shel. Blood. The servant toppled forward onto him. Isabel gasped and shrank back.
Shel touched his fingers to the redness on Gervaise’s skin and brought them to his mouth. The taste ignited a raging fire in Shel. The desire for blood consumed him, forced him to feed.
The rage of his first feeding subsided to reveal Madeline. Candlelight glinted off the bloody silver blade in one hand, Kitty cradled glassy eyed in the curve of her other arm.
As Sheldon watched, paralyzed by the sensations ripping through him, Madeline very slowly, very deliberately, slid her fangs into Kitty’s neck, very erotically, she sucked, one slow teasing swallow after another, Isabel’s red dress flowing sensuously around her. With every move, Sheldon felt a fire rise from his belly.
Kitty’s lifeless body thudded to the carpet beside Gervaise. Shel stood, no longer confused. He gazed at Isabel. He smelled her fear. It excited him. Isabel whirled to run but he caught her easily.
Shel fought the pull every way he could even as he sank his new fangs into Isabel’s smooth, pale neck. He tried to break free of the spell her scent cast over him. It did no good, Shel couldn’t stop, the need in him was far too strong. He barely noticed Madeline watching avidly. But he saw Madeline fingering the little leather book as if it had something to do with his killing the woman he loved.
“Learn this,” whispered Madeline. “I will not be defied.”
Shel sobbed while he drew Isabel’s life force into himself, his tears flowing as freely as her blood.
When it was finished, he held Isabel’s body for a long time. She had defied Madeline to lessen his curse, and he had killed her for it. No, Shel thought, Madeline had killed Isabel. She planned this. She wanted defiance so she could punish it.
It came to him that he was alone in a lady’s boudoir at midnight with three corpses and the stench of death. Or was that the smell of his own ruined honor?
With a moan of despair, Shel gently lowered Isabel to the floor. Light winked off the locket he had given her. Shel touched it, careful not to look at the damage he had done. Somewhere inside Shel knew he’d had no control over his actions. That didn’t make it any easier to bear. Revulsion and guilt swept through Shel. He hated Madeline. He would never forgive her for cursing him to an eternity of this or for this night of horror. Shel knew he would never love again, but most of all Shel knew he would never forgive himself.
Chapter One: Mambo #5
Sheldon Jefferson lay back against the pillows. Ava had put on a sheer red feather trimmed baby doll nighty. Could she look any sluttier? Shel sighed. He missed corsets. And petticoats. She walked toward him with what she called her “strut.” Ava was a mistake. A big one. Her husband was a Helsing and they had very little sense of humor where it concerned Vampires. Still, the danger did lend a little spice to things. He smiled. It was time to disappear.
“I have made only two hundred dollars today. It is not enough.”
“Sergei cut off your allowance again?” He gave her an amused look. Ava ran a permanent sale from her garage in her quest for material wealth.
“He does not understand. I have needs.” She pouted.
“Like what?” Shel waited. Ava expected him to reach for her. He didn’t.
“I want you to kill my husband.” She climbed onto the bed, trying to move over him. Shel caught her arms, guiding her to lie beside him. No woman ever put him in a vulnerable position. Not in well over two centuries.
Yes, a huge mistake. Definitely time to leave. “Now why would I want to do that?” He pushed Ava down and straddled her. He let the need rise up inside.
“I’ll marry you,” she said.
“What for?” He forced one knee between her legs, pushing them apart.
“We could be together all the time.” She tried to arch herself toward him.
“I don’t think so.” That’s a horrific thought. Shel caught her hands and pinned them over her head. He leaned closer and touched his teeth to her neck. Ava arched toward him. He pulled away, smiling at her frustrated moan.
“He is a pig. Kill him,” she whined.
Shel gave her a nip and grinned at her gasp. She glared at him. “No,” he said.
“Yes!” Ava tried to pout again. She wrapped her legs around his waist. Shel rested his full weight on her.
“Why?” Shel asked, getting ready to bite.
“You love me.” Ava clenched her hands and gasped again as Shel pricked the skin over her jugular vein.
“No.” He began to move in slow strokes.
“Yes!”
