Real Vampires: Glory Does Vegas by Bartlett, Gerry (white hot kiss TXT) 📕

“I’ve arranged a special night for us.” Jeremiah smiled at me from the pillow next to mine.

“Tonight?” I didn’t dare look at a clock. I knew Dom expected me to meet him at the hotel where the Romanians were staying before the Velvet Slipper opened for business later.

“Yes, tonight. I’m one of Dominic’s potential customers. Tell him I need your attention.” He pulled me into his arms. “Valdez has let me know how hard you’ve been working on the blood tasting. Surely you deserve a night off.”

“I’ll try. After a meeting with Dom.” I snuggled closer. “What did you have planned?” I was determined to make our time together special, too. I was leaving my worries aside for the moment.

“Fergus and Maggie are coming in. We have tickets for one of the shows tonight. The concierge recommended it.” He ran his hands over me, making me turn to face him. “I thought it would be nice to go out, act like normal couples for a change.”

I smiled into his eyes. “Yes, it would. What time does this show start?” I hoped he’d picked a late show. When he named the time, I knew I was in luck. “Good. I’ll insist I get the time off since I’ll be entertaining two potential clients. I know the Turnbulls also plan to bid on a distributorship.” I pushed him onto his back.

“Gloriana, are you trying to have your way with me?” He grinned when I crawled on top of him.

“I believe I am. Will you cooperate? Or shall I dump this ice bucket full of water on you.” I reached for it. “Water torture!”

“Not necessary.” He rolled us and pushed inside me before I could do more than gasp.

“Oh, my! You are sporting an impressive cockstand this evening.”

“Gloriana!” He moved inside me, asserting himself. “Where did you hear such language?”

“I didn’t hear it, I read it. My new roommate loves to read romances. Historical romances.” I raked his back with my nails. “It amuses me to read them when she’s done. So many historical details are wrong. I tell her but she doesn’t care. She’s only interested in the romantic scenes and the hot sex.” I pulled him down and kissed him, savoring his taste. I finally let him go when he gripped my hips, moving faster.

“And you, Gloriana? Do you like reading about the hot sex? Does it do for you what porn does for me?” His fangs were down and he raked my nipples, first one, then the other before drawing on each one. He sat up.

“Perhaps.” I wasn’t going to tell him how I touched myself in the shower after reading some of those erotic passages. I held on to him, loving the way he surged inside me when he found a new angle. “Oh…”

He grinned. “Do you realize we didn’t share blood last night?”

“No, we didn’t. I guess I’ve been drinking so much synthetic, getting ready for the tasting…” I couldn’t finish the thought, caught up in the sensations when Jeremiah reached between us to touch me, his body taking mine ever higher. “Jeremiah!”

“Like that, do you?” He leaned down to slide his fangs over my jugular. “May I, my love?”

“Yes, drink.” I was losing my mind. He still pressed his thumb where I thrilled to his touch. He drew on my vein and I screamed my release.

“Gods!” I kept my legs wrapped around his hips, holding onto him as if to my life itself. Yes, he was my life.

When he finally licked the punctures closed, we both gasped and rolled away from each other. “You are amazing.” He looked at me, his mouth smeared with my blood. “I love you.”

“I love you.” I touched his lips and wiped away that evidence of what we were. “I need to leave. Get ready for our night.” I hated to say it.

“Stay. I’ll send down for something you can wear. The dress shop downstairs…” He must have seen the look in my eyes. “If you must leave.” He rolled toward me and kissed me deeply then lay back with a groan. “Damned independent woman. I hope you will be ready to leave with me soon. I meant what I said. I can wait if that is what you wish.”

I crawled out of bed. I felt weak. Not from blood loss, he hadn’t taken that much. No, I felt weak because Valdez had been right about one thing: I wanted to be Jerry’s woman. His to take care of. I wanted to follow him around and have no thought but to serve him. I had to fight the urge to be so helpless. Because, as an immortal, what kind of future was that for me? Really? Something inside me craved an identity that didn’t rely on Jeremiah’s wealth and success but demanded my own power behind it.

“I’ll meet you back here in time for our date with Fergus and Maggie. Tell them I’m looking forward to seeing them.” I pulled on last night’s clothes while he watched me. As always, I felt awkward, self-conscious about my thighs and hips. It didn’t help that I worked around tall, beautiful women all the time. Even my roommate was six feet of perfection. If Connie had an ounce of body fat, I’d never noticed it.

“Jeremiah, have you ever looked on the internet at the website Myron’s Leech and Friends, something like that?” I said it casually, as if his answer didn’t matter as I stood in the doorway. I was haunted by the idea that he might be trying to keep me away from his friends. That would be…unsettling. For so many reasons.

“Myron? What’s his last name?” He sat up in bed. “I’m not interested in reading about leeches, if you must know, Gloriana. Disgusting creatures.”

“Never mind.” I smiled, relieved. Obviously, Jerry didn’t have any idea what I was talking about. I collected a quiet Valdez and we retrieved my car from the valet. I’d forgotten to put the leash on V and